Destination Bryan, Texas- Eat, Sip & Stomp

A visit to Bryan, Texas, delivers culinary delights, foot-stomping live music and Aggie Pride

A long mid-August weekend visit to attend the annual Harvest Festival at Messina Hof, one of the state’s oldest family-owned wineries, introduced us to the charms of Bryan/College Station Texas. Ever heard of Texas A&M, one of the state’s largest and most respected universities? It’s right here with one of the U.S.A.’s largest football stadiums, Kyle Field. When we visited, the students were just arriving for their fall semester, and everyone was ready to welcome them with the school’s signature maroon and white school colors on display.

Bryan is in the Texas Triangle, just a few hours’ drive from the state’s three biggest cities, Austin, Dallas and Houston. And because it’s a huge college town, there are many places to eat, drink and dance to Texas music. We’re talking day-and-night life.

What we discovered is these Texas twin towns pack a lot of dining options for their size. Being that it’s Texas, there will be meat, especially Texas-size steaks, chicken-fried steaks and chicken fried everything else. There is also some fabulous Mexican including an official taco trail map. But there’s also tapas, Asian stops, numerous coffee-pastry shops, pizza places galore and a traditional downtown Bryan Jewish grocer-deli called Zeitmans.

With just three days, we couldn’t try everything, and portions were generous. The Destination Bryan is a great resource for suggestions on where to eat and drink, places to stay and visit and upcoming events.

Here are highlights from our trip:

The Vintage House Restaurant is in a large barrel room at Messina Hof Winery, worth a visit to taste local Texas wines. The glass -closed dining room where we had lunch with family owners, Karen and Paul Bonarrigo, overlooks rows of grapevines. Later in the weekend we would be part of a crew cutting bunches of Lenoir grapes from those vines. We learned the Lenoir grape, called “Black Spanish,” is a teinturier variety (a black grape with dark juice) that grows well in Texas.

The Vintage House Restaurant uses the trademarked term Vineyard Cuisine™ to describe its menu. Every dish features fresh herbs and vegetables sourced from the winery’s estate gardens and includes a Messina Hof wine as an ingredient. Each dish also suggests a Messina Hof wine pairing. Portions are generous and shareable. This is a great time to try Messina Hof’s extensive range of wines, from crisp Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc and off-dry Rieslings and Gewürztraminers to silky Sangiovese, Merlot and velvety Mourvèdre and Sagrantino.

What we ate:

Honey-crusted baked ricotta to start and share. Oven baked herb ricotta with Gewürztraminer herb honey, thyme, crispy garlic, and lemon peels. Served with toasted ciabatta. Suggested wine pairing: Messina Hoff Sparkling Rosé

Mama Rosa Meatballs with Merlot marinara, melted mozzarella and Parmesan, named in honor of Messina Hof matriarch, Rose Bonarrigo. Suggested wine pairing: Sangiovese artist series.

Grilled port-mustard glazed flat iron steak served on top of a bed of greens with balsamic dressing, goat cheese, tomatoes, and crispy fried shallots. Suggested wine pairing: Messina Hof Private Reserve Petit Verdot

Non-meat eaters can enjoy a pan-seared blackened salmon with Viognier cream sauce, sauteed tomatoes and spinach. Suggested wine pairing: Off Dry Gewurztraminer, Artist Series.

 

 

 

Ronin is a wonderful restaurant which sources a from a farm by the same name owned by Brian and Amanda Light. Brian is the executive chef. Amanda oversees the impressive beverage program and wine list. Cooking is from an open kitchen, and the menu changes daily based on what is fresh from the farm. www.ronintx.com

We went for an early Friday night dinner. The Lights’ three young children were on hand, and we were honored that Amanda and Brian took the time to sit down with us for a visit.

What we ate (menu changes daily and is seasonal):

Summer melon salad with cucumber, caramelized red onion, Texas peaches, mint, blueberry and peach vinaigrette.

Grilled elote Mexican corn with red miso butter, togarashi, chives, sesame seeds and lime.

Toasted spiced eggplant with red beet puree, green tomato, carrots, gypsy green bell pepper, mixed pickles, local sheep and goat cheese with honey.

Grilled prime 16oz. NY strip steak with poached carrots, sauteed summer squash and frîtes.

For dessert: peach souffle with vanilla Chantilly crème, gluten-free apple cake with salted caramel.

 

 

Frida’s Kitchen is a woman-run Mexican restaurant that came highly recommended by the folks we chatted with over a few beers at Blackwater Brewing. Named for Mexican artist, Frida Kahlo, the servers all wore Kahlo inspired floral headpieces.

Irma Arellano is Frida’s owner. She also owns a busy takeout taqueria next door. The menu is authentic Mexican and extensive. There were many local families having Sunday lunch. We craned our necks to see what everyone was eating. www.fridaskitchenbcs.com

What we ate:

Elote Mexican street corn with house-made chipotle crema, queso cotija, mayo and chili powder.
Guacamole con Chicharrón and pico de gallo.

Tiacoyos: Three blue corn masa filled with black beans, topped with ensalada nopales, crema Oaxaqueña and queso fresco served with a side of rice and beans.

Chile en Nogada: Stuffed poblano pepper with a picadillo mixture of beef, fruits and aromatic spices topped with a walnut-based cream sauce and garnished with pomegranate seeds.

 

 

Dixie Chicken in College Station is one of those beloved college hangouts for pub grub, live music and conviviality.  Grab a burger, fried chicken strips, some fried onion rings and a beer (or two). Dixie Chicken was established in 1974 and celebrates 50 years. Just think. The college student who party at the Dixie Chicken these days probably had grandparents doing the same back in 1974.

Legend has it Dixie Chicken is where the infamous Aggie Ring Dunk started. A less-encouraged tradition, it involves dropping your Aggie ring into a pitcher of beer and drinking it up to retrieve the ring. As a testament to how popular this place is and how much beer is consumed, check out “bottle cap alley” out back.  Read more about it here: Bottle Cap Alley – College Station, Texas – Atlas Obscura

 

Watering Holes

What’s a college town without a brewery and an up-an-coming local craft distillery?
Both of these are in the easily walkable Downtown Bryan area.

Blackwater Draw Brewing Co.
Backwater Draw Brewing is a small brewery with many local brews on tap to try. Chris Weingart Blackwater’s brewmaster, is a friendly guy who gave of plenty of beer to taste and tips on where to dine (including Frida’s). It was a hot August night, so the beer hit the spot. www.blackwaterbrew.com

 

 

Hush & Whisper Distilling Co. 

Hush and Whisper Distillery is a sleek distillery, bar and lounge featuring craft cocktails made with locally produced spirits. We stopped by on a quiet afternoon to chat with the people tending the bar.

Music

Musical events are an important part of the Bryan/College Station nightlife. We caught a Summer “First Friday” stroll in downtown Bryan with different vendors lined up along the main street and live outdoor music performances at the historic Palace Theater. The crowd ranged from families to Friday night couples.

 

On Saturday we took an Uber to College Station to check out the live summer music concert at Calvert Court, a hotel and shopping complex. We just hung out by the swimming pool and did some stargazing while listening to bands. Also recommended: the Whiskey Bar at the swank George Hotel, named for President George Herbert Walker Bush.

Museums

We always try to visit at least one museum, and on this trip we only had time for one, anyway. Our last stop was the enormous George Bush Presidential Library in College Station. Here, there’s history and biography on the lives and contributions of President George Herbert Walker Bush (#41) and First Lady Barbara Bush. Plan for at least two hours here. There are many exhibits and plenty of history to digest. Larger exhibits of note include the Marine One helicopter, presidential Bush limousine and the official Union Pacific 4141 train coach that carried the president to his final rest in Texas. Both President and First Lady Bush are laid to rest in gravesites on the property.

 

The museum’s on-site café, Daisy’s Table, was not open during our visit. It’s named for Bush family friend, Daisy White. The breakfast and lunch menus appear to be jolly good, family-friendly American fare with burgers and First Lady Barbara Bush’s favorite recipes for mushroom quiche, one-pot beef and mushroom pasta and chicken and cheese enchilada. Naturally, there is no broccoli on this menu since #41 famously proclaimed he was not a fan of the green vegetable.
Information: www.bush41.org

Aggie Pride

During our visit we noticed many people wearing the Texas A&M college ring. Did our colleges even have school rings, we asked ourselves? We inquired and received an enthusiastic explanation for this time-honored tradition. At a huge on-campus ceremony, students earn the privilege of receiving the ring through academic merit and by upholding the Aggie core values of excellence, integrity, leadership, loyalty and respect. We were told the Aggie ring is recognized around the world and has opened doors to careers for many graduates. For more Aggie traditions and terminology – and there are many- check out this link.

This is just a “taste” of Bryan, Texas, from our very short trip. We want to thank our hosts. Destination Bryan and Messina Hof Winery.

More information:
Bryan, Texas Official Travel Guide | Destination Bryan and Best Restaurants in Bryan, Texas – Destination Bryan