Special Dining Experiences Become a Major Part of the Round Top Antiques + Design Show Fun
These two distinctive dinners stood out.
A Fare Extraordinaire presented a stunning Sunset Supper at The Halles this fall. (Photo by Lizzy Welch)
Cruising Hwy. 237 for antiques may be the main event during the thrice yearly antiques shows in Round Top, but scoring a ticket to an elaborate outdoor dinner has become a hallmark of the Round Top Antiques + Design Show experience too. And an increasing number of venues are offering distinctive dining experiences each show season.
Two of the hottest meal tickets in Round Top at the fall show were the Royers + The Prisoner Wine Co. Southern Decadence Dinner and the A Fare Extraordinaire Sunset Supper, both hosted at The Halles.
The Royer name is synonymous with Round Top, and a dinner created by Royers Cafe owners and chefs J.B. and Jamie Royer is not to be missed. Show goers who missed out on reservations at the original Royers Cafe at the center of town — the restaurant accepts a limited number of reservations by phone during the busy show seasons — were delighted to discover that the pair behind the iconic family restaurant had teamed up with California’s The Prisoner Wine Co. to create a truly decadent off-site dinner featuring Royers’ down-home twists on traditional fine dining favorites paired with specially selected glasses of wine.
Dinner began with a hearty Waldorf salad paired with a glass of Prisoner’s Blindfold White Pinot Grigio, followed by generous portions of three entrees, which included basil and tomato penne pasta with shrimp paired with a glass of Prisoner Chardonnay; a fried pork chop with jalapeño gravy and sautéed greens served with Prisoner Red Blend; and a pepper crusted beef filet over a bed of mashed potatoes with portabella mushroom cream sauce with yet another glass. This time filled with Prisoner Cabernet.
A belt-busting dessert featured a slice of Royers’ famous Sweet n’ Salty Pie and a scoop of Blue Bell Ice Cream’s homemade vanilla flavor from the legendary creamery in Brehnam.
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The Southern Decadence Dinner at The Halles. Photos by Chris Pierre Bachman
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The Southern Decadence Dinner at The Halles
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The Southern Decadence Dinner at The Halles
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The Prisoner Wine Co. presented guests with four different wines during the Southern Decadence Dinner at The Halles
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The Southern Decadence Dinner at The Halles
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The Southern Decadence Dinner at The Halles
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Dinner and a show: guests at the Southern Decadence Dinner dance to live music by the Pendulum Hearts
At a second special Round Top dinner, renowned Houston-based events company A Fare Extraordinaire went the extra mile to create an elegant fall-themed Sunset Supper inside The Halles’ covered main pavilion. Diners were seated at tables draped with sunset-colored linens and laden with remarkable seasonal florals created by Maxit Design. Each place setting included a special gift from The Halles’ sponsor MyDrinkBomb.
The four-course dinner prepared on site by A Fare Extraordinaire executive chef Ryan Bouillet kicked off with a bourbon apple cider cocktail. Diners supped from delicate coupes topped off with a warming concoction made with apple cider, lemon, ginger and a shot of Showtime Whiskey provided by DASH Vodka.
The fall theme continued throughout the meal, beginning with pumpkin seed and pistachio encrusted chicken bites, smoked trout tostadas and miniature cucumber cups filled with seasonal vegetable ratatouille served as hors d’oeuvres. A spinach salad topped with roasted pine nuts, yellow tomatoes, bleu cheese and crispy bacon tossed with balsamic vinaigrette served as the first course.
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A Fare Extraordinaire created an unmatched culinary experience at The Halles this fall. (Photo by Chris Pierre Bachman)
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Sponsor DASH Vodka provided Showtime Whiskey to add a kick to A Fare Extraordinaire’s fall cocktail offering. (Photo by Lizzy Welch)
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The Sunset Supper by A Fare Extraordinaire. (Photo by Lizzy Welch)
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The Sunset Supper by A Fare Extraordinaire. (Photo by Chris Pierre Bachman)
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The Sunset Supper by A Fare Extraordinaire. (Photo by Chris Pierre Bachman)
Chef Bouillet’s main course featured a boneless beef short rib, a two-potato terrine with caramelized onion topped with crème fraiche and roasted carrots in a shallot peppercorn sauce finished with sweet potato threads. A vegan mushroom, ricotta and kale strudel with roasted carrots was also available for non-carnivorous guests.
A rich chocolate ginger mandarin cake prepared with spiced chocolate and a mandarin insert on a ginger cake with orange caramel sauce was the show stopping finish to the meal.
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Shannon Windham, Shannon Dowell, Nicole Zarr, Cathleen Hodnett, Elaine Benton
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Zoe Bonnette, Kate Swail, LeeLee Sadoughi
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Melissa Roberts, Linda Plant, Yvette and James Webb
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Chloé di Leo and Mary Hoang-Do
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Brian and Norelle Becker, Wendy and Cade Burke, Joan and Jerry Herring
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Doniphan Moore, Tanner Moussa
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Zuzanna Kastleman, Lauren Wills-Grover
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Jennifer Keiser, Katie Aldrich, Kate Swail
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Doniphan Moore, Mackenzie Lewis
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Misty Smathers, Christian Miller, Laura Dell
The RoundTop.com events calendar is the best place to find information on upcoming dinner events at all the venues during the antiques shows. Planning is already underway for next season’s dinner events at The Halles, so stay tuned to @thehallesroundtop for spring 2023 sneak peeks and fall 2022 memories.