Riffs, Roams and Raves uncovers the creative, noteworthy and accomplished in the Wimberley Valley and beyond with tips on who to hear, where to go and what to see from managing editor Teresa Kendrick.
Riffs: Gerry does Jerry at Middleton Brewery
Every last Saturday of each month, Gerry (pronounced the same as Jerry) Burns performs songs of the Grateful Dead with his band at the Middleton Brewery on RR12. Backing him up last Saturday in a tight trio of musicians were Steve Schoen, of The Jazz Messenger Boys, on piano and Scott Wade, the Dirty Car Artist extraordinaire, on percussion playing a Roland Hand Sonic. Last week they played an impressive list of Dead songs that included Althea, China Cat Sunflower, Birdsong, Dark Star and U. S. Blues. If you’re a Dead Head, this regular gig is for you.
Middleton owner Calvin Kouba and his staff were on hand to serve up flights of brews and point the way to the deliciously fragrant tacos available from the food truck outside. If you’re not a regular Middleton customer, consider becoming one. It’s a welcoming watering hole with a wonderful vibe and lots of local folk who love good music. Check out this combo’s next gig at Middleton, February 24, for your regular dose of “Dead.”
Roams: Laughing Hen Silos in La Grange
My roam this week took me to the Laughing Hen Silos on TX159 a few miles outside the town of La Grange, about 90 minutes from Wimberley. Located on a bucolic 11-acre property, three diminutive, ultra chic cottages fashioned from former grain silos sit side by side next to a rustic, repurposed barn and an old truck cleverly fashioned into a chicken coop. The sign on the gate welcomes travelers to “HENter.”
RiffingonLaGrange’s past reputation for being home to the Chicken Ranch bordello, each luxury cottage has its own punny name: the ZHEN-House, the COOP-a-Cabana, and the Stone-HENge.
Inside and out, the plucky little bungalows will make you cackle at the sheer audacity of turning homely metal corn cribs into three exquisitely- rendered silk purses.
A front porch with architectural embellishments is attached to each silo. The size of fairy eggs, each porch is furnished with a comfy chair or two that’s perfect for sipping a glass of wine after a punishing day scouring the Round Top markets. Behind the silo is another extension made to accommodate a bedroom and bath or sitting area. The silo, with its domed ceiling, lifts the interior upwards, bringing an expansive, luxurious space to the bungalow.
Each cottage is 400 square feet large and divided into a front room, a bedroom and a bathroom. Each one is furnished with a pastiche of vintage treasures — exquisite chandeliers, hefty trundle and queen-size beds, porcelain sinks, leather chairs and fine linens. The inspired decor will make you want to crow. Deconstructed elements of old machines, farm equipment, musical instruments and other objects roost side by side with lace curtains, Louis XIV-styled chairs and repurposed windows and doors, some with their original lettering on the glass panels.
This is no amateur effort. The silos were the project of the property’s former owners, Brian and Amy Kleinwachter, who own an icon of the Round Top experience — the Old World Antieks. With a huge collection of fantastic indoor-outdoor pieces from which to choose, it’s no wonder that each silo is a work of art.
Five years ago Misty Smathers purchased the silos and christened the enterprise with its new name. She is a lifelong Texan, with a solid background in fashion and design, who adores the rustic aesthetic as much as a well-turned pun. She spent years attending the Round Top antiques fair with girlfriends. The Laughing Hen Silos pays homage to those hen parties and invites others to do the same. Under her purview, Smathers rebuilt the existing barn on the property into a small wedding venue complete with a chapel where vows can be exchanged under a gorgeous stained glass window depicting the Nativity.
Guests flock to the silos during the Spring and Fall Round Top markets and they quickly book up well in advance for those weeks. In between times, they’re available for wedding parties, weekend getaways and other events. Gather the chicks and find out more about this smart, sassy and sunny-sideup treasure by visiting laughinghensilos.com. You’ll be glad you did.
Raves: Valentina’s in Buda
A shoutout goes to Deb Bradshaw for alerting me to something in my own backyard. Handsomely housed in the Buda Mill & Grain Company at 308 S. Main St., Valentina’s TEX MEX serves up barbeque worthy of its Tejano roots. Owned by San Antonio native Miguel Vidal, Valentina’s began in a Buda food trailer operated by he and his wife Modesty.
I sampled a quarter pound of their “moist” brisket and loved every bite of it, stopping only because I couldn’t take another delicious mouthful. Besides Brisket, they serve pulled pork and chicken and four kinds of sausages including Oaxaca sausage. They also sell pork and beef ribs, along with a menu of “Tex Sandwiches” and “Mex Tacos.” Their delicious brisket tacos are filled to the brim with moist brisket and guacamole and are served on a tender handmade tortilla.
They also serve breakfast tacos from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. sharp. Try their “Real Deal Holyfield” made with eggs, potatoes, refried beans, bacon and a tomato serrano salsa. They’re more than hearty and are likely to spur a most chronic and pleasurable addiction.
Their new restaurant is a very spacious enterprise with an open kitchen and ample bar along one side with a good selection of beer, cocktails and frozen drinks. There is plenty of seating at the bar and in the large dining room at picnic tables with plenty of elbow room. Music and multiple televisions are tuned to stations in English and Spanish. Who needs a trip to the border when you’ve got all you want at Valentina’s?
Prices are standard for the excellent meat they serve. Valentina’s is open Monday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. or until they’re sold out. Breakfast is served from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. sharp. They’re closed on Tuesday.
