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Texas boutique hotel Inn at Dos Brisas takes organic farming to new level

The Inn at Dos Brisas, the Relais & Chateaux property and equestrian center in Washington, Texas, has one-upped itself in the culinary department. The ranch resort has expanded its USDA-certified organic farm to 42 acres, nearly doubling its agricultural footprint.

The fruits — and vegetables and herbs — of these labors end up in the kitchen of the onsite restaurant, the only Forbes Travel Guide five-star restaurant in Texas and one of the 10 best farm-to-table restaurants in the world. The farm is divided into 19 acres dedicated to row crop production and 23 acres for hay production. Couple that with the 7,000-square-foot greenhouse, and the inn grows more than 400 varieties of produce, 80 percent of which are heirloom.

Currently the farm is harvesting peppers, tomatoes, melons, squash, okra, strawberries, garlic, onions, leeks, cucumbers, carrots, cilantro, heirloom tomatoes and pumpkins. Executive chef Zachary Ladwig uses these foods to create daily, garden-centric menus that showcase the purity and simplicity of what’s in season.

Ladwig can thank Lisa Roese for the bounty; the Texas-born agriculturalist is the general manager of the farm. Roese collaborates with Ladwig to plan and harvest year-round produce.

“Over the years, I’ve had the honor of working alongside and learning best practices from a variety of farmers with different specialties, from greenhouse growing to micros growing to outside tomato farming,” she said in a release. “I’m thrilled to bring this knowledge to life and to provide the resort’s executive chef with the freshest ingredients to craft authentic farm-to-table meals for guests.”

Speaking of guests, in addition to dining at the restaurant, they can visit the farm and pick fresh items to cook in a private class led by Ladwig, who shows students how to prepare meals over an open fire known as the “cowboy cauldron.”

The idyllic Inn at Dos Brisas, one of our picks for the 10 best hotels in Texas, sits on 313 acres in the southern foothills of the Texas Hill Country. It has only nine Spanish-style haciendas and casitas, accommodating a grand total of 28 guests. In addition to the award-winning culinary experiences, visitors can enjoy horseback riding, bass fishing, cycling and clay target shooting.

The inn grows nearly 400 varieties of fruits, vegetables and herbs.

Photo courtesy of Inn at Dos Brisas

The inn grows nearly 400 varieties of fruits, vegetables and herbs.

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ON THE ROAD

6 must-try restaurants for your next Texas Hill Country getaway

Salt Lick BBQ/ Facebook

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While wine gets the majority of the attention in the Texas Hill Country, something has to soak it all up, and the region is also home to some of the state's best eats.

From legendary barbecue and famous desserts to elegant bistros serving elevated fare, these six Texas Hill Country restaurants are among our favorite detours. Add them to your next weekend getaway itinerary.

The Dodging Duck Brewhaus, Boerne
Named for Cibolo Creek's most famous waddlers, this Boerne gastropub has an international menu that ranges from blistered shishito peppers to fish and chips. But flowing beer calls for a sturdy foundation. Get your ducks in a row with a beer sampler paired with hearty German fare like huge Bavarian-style pretzels or a spicy bratwurst.

Old City Hall Restaurant & Bar, New Braunfels
Housed in a, well, old city hall, this graceful New Braunfels newcomer is now more of a hub of languorous date nights than municipal intrigue. Still, that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t inspire a few debates. Should the appetizer be the lighter smoked crab dip with farm-fresh crudité or the indulgent truffle fries paired with a frosty gin martini?

Old City Hall in New Braunfels has our vote. Old City Hall/ Facebook

Salt Lick BBQ, Driftwood
Sure, some Texans obsess about post oak versus mesquite, but this Driftwood barbecue joint is not for barbecue cultists. While the famous circular smoker is mostly just for show, the all-you-can-eat family meal is still a rite of passage. For $33.95, guests can munch on beef brisket, sausage, pork ribs, and all the Texas fixings.

The Blue Bonnet Cafe, Marble Falls
This Marble Falls charmer, open since 1929, is famed for sky-high meringues that tower as high as five inches. Pie, however, is just the start. Almost all of the fare is a little oversized, from a Dagwood club to a hefty Wednesday meatloaf special. The stripped-down interior isn’t much to look at, but that doesn’t mean your eyes won’t be popping.

Vaudeville Fredericksburg At Vaudeville, come for the shopping; stay for the bistro cuisine.Vaudeville/ Facebook

Vaudeville Bistro, Fredericksburg
It’s a boutique. It’s a wine bar. It’s a stylish brasserie. Much like its namesake, Fredericksburg's Main Street stunner likes to lay on the variety. Start with Spanish-style grilled octopus, then head to the showstopping rack of lamb. The curtain call is a chocolate chunk pecan cookie almost richer than the dark chocolate pot de creme.

Calivence, Fredericksburg
This Fredericksburg winery's biggest surprise isn’t the bright Cab Franc. The property also hosts a charming bistro serving French-Californian fare. Housed in an 1869 Sunday house, the quaint spot serves pairing-friendly dishes like crostini, oysters, and a Thai steak salad with a minty chutney. And, of course, there's an absolutely killer crème brûlée for dessert.

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