FOR MY BIG SISTER POODIE, AND ALL LOVERS OF COSMIC COWBOY HONKY-TONKS

Hubby and I were both in the mood to go splorin' the other day, so we grabbed our copy of Terry Thompson-Anderson's book The Texas Hill Country: A Food and Wine Lover's Paradise, and started flipping through its dog-eared pages. We were getting a late start, so we ended up choosing the town of Spicewood, only about an hours drive from here. Now, Spicewood only has one restaurant listed, but it's one we've been determined to visit, ever since we first read about it.

We just couldn't believe there was actually someone else in the world, besides my big sister, who got stuck with a nickname like Poodie! This Poodie, aka Randall Locke, happens to have a day job in addition to owning this roadhouse. For over thirty years he's been the road manager for Willie Nelson, who lives right down the road. Judging from the chainsaw statue of Poodie, proudly displayed in the corner of the dance floor, he must be a fairly colorful character.

I bet he has more that a few stories to tell, after all those years with Willie! Too bad neither he nor Willie happened to be there that day. John ordered "The Famous Poodie Burger", while I had a grilled cheese sandwich, served Poodie Style, which meant they were both filled with grilled onions, his special Hatch chili blend, and Monterey Jack Cheese...

Our Table Top

which, with all that extra grease they throw in for free, makes for a fairly rich combination. Neither of us could eat more than half, and we were both surprisingly drowsy on the drive home. Go figure.

So when's the last time you went to a Cosmic Cowboy Honky-Tonk Roadhouse? Well that's been too long!