Go Texan

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's 7,000-square-foot greenhouse.

Photo courtesy of Inn at Dos Brisas

The inn's 7,000-square-foot greenhouse.

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Park News

Texas agency acquires 1,100 acres for new state park in Hill Country

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department/tpwd.texas.gov

The new park will be across the river from Colorado Bend State Park (pictured).

Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) has acquired a new patch of land that they plan to use to create a new state park. According to a release, the agency has acquired 1,100 acres on the border of Burnet County and Lampasas County, 90 miles northwest of Austin — joining a prior acquisition of 2,020 acres made in January, and helping to push the state park into the realm of reality.

The 1,100 acres are located across from the existing Colorado Bend State Park, on the other side of the Colorado River. Within the land are a mile and a half of Yancey Creek (which is about four miles long and empties into the Colorado River), limestone bluffs, and several natural springs.

Before this second purchase had been made, the park was only a proposition. Now, TPWD and specifically chairman Jeff Hildebrand of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission are referring to the 3,000-acre state park as a reality.

Funds for the purchase came from a one-time funding appropriation as well as sporting goods sales taxes.

Development of the state park will come from a different source: a $1 billion, voter-approved Centennial Parks Conservation Fund. The fund was created in 2023 and has also led to purchases doubling the size of Enchanted Rock Natural State Area near Fredericksburg.

“I’d like to thank our incredible team for their hard work in not only acquiring these properties, but also the recent additions at Enchanted Rock and the purchase of Lake Colorado City State Park,” said TPWD executive director David Yoskowitz in the release. “The voters of Texas also deserve a huge thank you for saying ‘yes’ to the Centennial Parks Conservation Fund, which will make the development of this park possible.”

TPWD has been gathering input from the public about what types of recreational opportunities they'd like to see. According to the release, the next step is using the input to develop a plan. Considerations also include habitat protection and conservation of the natural springs in the area. The land is also 10 miles upstream from Lake Buchanan, further informing the possibilities.

"This acquisition will give visitors access to the Colorado River, a beautiful creek and the diverse landscapes that are featured across the property," said Rodney Franklin, director of Texas State Parks. "We look forward to generations of Texans enjoying the scenic views of the unique post oak woodland and outdoor adventures awaiting on this property."

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