Everyday Intentional Adventure

One of the easiest ways to add adventure to your life is to find or create new culinary experiences. Here at Texas Over Fifty, you’ll find plenty of encouragement to do just that.

Culinary Experiences Can Be Big Texas Adventures

For those of us who live in Texas cities, the chance to try something new in the foodie world is probably never further than up the street or down the block.

Austin’s restaurant culture has become world-famous, and Fredericksburg is in the top 10% of restaurant sales at $1,589 per capita. San Antonio is home to way over 3000 restaurant chains!

Add a road trip to the mix, and you’ll find foodie adventures even in some of Texas’ most remote spots.

My Biggest Culinary Adventure of 2018

I’ve compiled a list of all the firsts that provided so much culinary adventure for us this past year, but there was one experience that was really huge for me.

Some friends had bought tickets to a sold-out dinner brought to Austin from California by Outstanding in the Field. When our friends couldn’t go, they offered us a chance to go in their place.

What a treat! You can check out the website for a full list of locations, but the biggest draw is that every dinner is served in a field on a farm. From the setting to the menu, dinner by these guys will knock your culinary socks off.

For us, that may have been a once-in-a-lifetime occasion. But, pretty sure I’ll sit at tables like this again.

In heaven.

The Big List 

Here’s the BIG list of restaurants I tried for the first time, along with a few other fun foodie things we did in 2018. From the top of Texas to the bottom, it looks like we had plenty of foodie fun!

• Barrel & Pie – outstanding pizza with a lively atmosphere (Canyon)
• Buc-ee’s – had our first bbq sammich at Texas’ favorite road stop (Central Texas)
• Le Politique – Valentine’s Day 2018 (Austin)
• North Italia – amazing cheese board (Austin)
• Numero 28  – the owner said we must try our pizza with added meatballs – oh, man! (Austin)
• Modern Market – great lunch place enjoyed with girlfriends (Austin)
• Flower Child – healthy lunch spot, enjoyed with coworkers (Austin)
• Pop Bar – took a visiting friend for her first of these yummy desserts on a stick (Austin)
• Newk’s – coworkers love to try new restaurants near the office (Austin)
• Uncle Julio’s chocolate pinata – an end-of-semester celebration with college son (Austin)
• P. Terry’s Burger Stand – took the kids for their first of our favorite Austin burger
• Fareground – our favorite is the breakfast burrito from Henbit (Austin)
• Summer Moon – wonderful woodfired coffee (Austin & Dallas area)
• Vera Cruz All Natural – delicious food and fruit juices made by talented sisters (Austin)
• Ella’s Artisan Shaved Ice – seasonal food truck with island-inspired gourmet ice (Austin)
• El Alma – interesting menu and great service (Austin)
• Iron Cactus – yummy mango drinks with friends (Austin)
• Great Harvest Bread Store – this bread store is amazing (several stores in Texas)
• Blue Bonnet Cafe – had breakfast on the day we picked strawberries last spring (Marble Falls)
• Cafe Blue – tried once, went back several times for brunch and dinner with friends (Austin)
• Bangers Sausage House – had intended to try this local hot spot long before we actually did (Austin)
• Guero’s Taco Bar – a first visit to this well-known spot for us and our friends (Austin)
• Tiny Boxwoods – had a lovely dinner with girlfriends at this highly rated restaurant (Austin & Houston)
• Texas Chili Parlor – iconic place we enjoyed when the kids came to town (Austin)
• Casa de Luz – plant-based eating at its finest (Austin)
• Bouldin Creek Cafe – the stir fry is delicious (Austin)
• Collin Street Bakery – tried first fruitcake from this legendary bakery (Waco)
• El Tiempo Cantina – had the world-famous fajitas (Houston)
• Eloise Nichols – first visit to this very unique spot won’t be the last (Houston)
• Blonde Biscotti – as part of a biscotti bake-off challenge with my daughter (Houston)
• La Fisheria – delicious Trio de Ceviches in a Cuban setting (Houston)
• Guadalajara – fabulous food with tall booth seating for quiet conversation (Houston)
• Rodeo Goat – Aunt Bonnie’s favorite Sugar Burger with peaches is pure genius (Houston)
• The Grove – incredible beet hummus and guacamole enjoyed patio style (Houston)
• Local Foods – posole to die for (Houston)
• Mia’s Tex Mex – delicious tortilla soup on a blustery day (Dallas)
• Happiest Hour – appetizers galore (Dallas)
• Dallas Bites Tacos & Margaritas Tour – celebrated daughter’s 30th birthday (Dallas)
• Susie Cakes – the Famously Delicious Vanilla Celebration Cake is so good (Dallas)
• Ascension – the Croque Madame Eggs Benedict brought love at first bite (Dallas)
• Crooked Tree – lovely little coffee house in the State Thomas neighborhood (Dallas)
• Mi Cocina – first Mexican food in our new city (Dallas)
• Carbone’s – shared the lasagna with spinach with mom and daughter (Dallas)
• Starbucks Reserve – experienced the pricey difference (Major Texas citiies)

Are You Inspired?

Wow! Once this list got started, it was a little shocking how many items ended up on it.

On the one hand, I’m pretty proud of us for seeking out so many new and adventurous bites across the state.

On the other hand, a new year is ahead. We’ll have to hit the ground running (literally) if we expect to keep up the culinary pace around here!

Just Try One

Andy Stanley has a million good quotes, but one that I really like is a phrase that can be applied to so many areas of life.

Do for the one what you wish you could do for all.

Make it Doable

Just pick one new restaurant to try next year. You might want to challenge yourself to knock it out on the first day of January, and get this whole culinary adventure thing out of the way early. That’s pretty doable, right?

Make it Fun

Remember, the goal here is everyday intentional adventure. Make it fun!

Your devoted encourager,

PS: Here are links to my other Top 10 Experiences of 2018.

#10 – I Made the Statesman

#9 – Sunrise at Palo Duro Canyon

#8 – Mornings by the Pool in Austin

#7 – Birthday on a Boat at Lake Travis