ON THE ROAD

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

Barbecue and wine — the perfect Hill Country pairing.

Salt Lick BBQ/ Facebook

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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Wine is fine

Southwest’s Sip and Ship checked-wine program lands at Dallas Love Field

Photo by A.C. for Unsplash

Sip and Ship enables flyers to check one case of vino for free on flights from participating airports.

Lovers of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Pinot Noir may want to raise a glass for Southwest Airlines.

On Monday, November 2, Dallas-based Southwest expanded its Sip and Ship program to Dallas Love Field and three other Texas airports, enabling travelers to check qualifying bottles of wine at no extra cost.

The program already served 19 airports in California, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. Now, Sip and Ship enables flyers to check one case of vino for free on flights from 23 U.S. participating airports. To ship more than one case, a traveler must pay a checked-bag fee.

In addition to Dallas Love Field, Southwest added Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, Houston’s William P. Hobby Airport, and San Antonio International Airport to Sip and Ship.

A Southwest spokesperson said the airline introduced the program at the four Texas airports “following an overwhelming response from Texas wine lovers and growers.”

With the Texas airports included, Sip and Ship allows you to transport vino from wine regions in five states. This means you could pack a case of Cabernet Sauvignon from Northern California’s Napa Valley, Pinot Noir from Oregon’s Willamette Valley, or dry Rosé from the Texas Hill Country.

So, how does the program work?

Southwest says a traveler can ship one packaged case of wine — up to 12 bottles — weighing 50 pounds or less and adhering to size limits (up to 62 inches, counting length, width and height).

The container holding the vino must be a single box or a special wine suitcase.

Additional leak-proof packaging is required to prevent breakage. This includes packing materials such as Styrofoam, molded foam inserts, cardboard liners, bubble wrap, and extra padding for glass bottles. The airline sells padded wine bags for $5 per bottle.

Then, a Southwest agent at the check-in counter inspects the case to ensure it’s properly packed, and seals and labels the wine box or suitcase.

Once you arrive at your destination, you can pick up the case at baggage claim or the area for oversized baggage.

To take advantage of Sip and Ship, you must be departing from one of the program’s 23 airports, be traveling within the U.S., and be at least 21 years old. The program applies to connecting flights as long as you’re flying within the U.S.