Dining at Duo Modern

Open year-round, the restaurant at Market Hill reopened with a sleek new look and feel.

restaurant-seating

Duo reopened with a sleek new look and more comfortable seating.

The restaurant at Market Hill has always been the place to come in from the fields, make a plate, have a cold beer or glass of wine, and sit for a while, meeting new people and sharing stories around a family-style table. In its early days, it suited the needs of feeding people from- scratch meals to fuel their shopping adven- tures. You could depend on Paul Michael to be there, at lunch or dinner, pulling up a seat at the table and making sure everyone was well taken care of (something you can still depend on today – he’s probably there right

now for lunch service).


But if you know Paul, he’s always coming up with new and better ways to do things at Market Hill. And recently, the restaurant un- derwent a massive transformation – a total renovation from top to bottom in less than a week! – and Duo Modern was created. It’s a fantastic update to the restaurant you al- ready know and love. It still exists as a gath- ering place where you can expect the best hospitality from people who treat you like family. It just looks and feels much more ele- vated, like fine dining without the fuss. Dark floors and walls, fine art, large chandeliers and a new bar are some of the eye-catching details. But the food is really the star of the show, now presented in a space that match- es the creativity of the cuisine.

muscles

Gino’s famous Muscles and Clams

dinner-party

Appetizers awaiting to be served during at a fashion show and dinner party hosted by Duo and Vincent Peach Jewelry

Crab salad stuffed Avocado at Duo

Chef Gino Llanes was born and raised in Mexico City. At only eight years old, he be- gan working at a taco stand where he stayed for 12 years to support his family in Mexico. Gino’s dreams started coming to life in 1993 when he began rising through the ranks of the restaurant industry and working in prestigious restaurants across Houston. He is now building his reputation in Round Top and, more than making beautiful meals, he is making lasting relationships with every- one he meets at Market Hill.

chef-gino

Chef Gino Llanes


Follow @duo_markethill for a peek of what Gino has got cooking in the kitchen for the spring show. And text DUOGN to 31966 for weekly menu updates.

Open Year Round:

Lunch: 11 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Dinner: 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.

Thurs - Sat: Lunch/Dinner

Sunday: Brunch Sunday Brunch: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Extended During Spring Show Dates: March 14 - 31

Doubling Down at Market Hill Round Top

If everything is bigger in Texas, Paul Michael has just upped the ante at Market Hill. The success of the original venue – open year-round – led to a demand for more space and, with it, a brand-new building to house more vendors and to expand upon the Market Hill experience.

The new 125,000-SF building appears to be an exact replica of the original structure, but there are actually several new features and upgrades, a testament to lessons Paul has learned along the way as well as his commitment to keep improving.

In the new building, the breezeways are glassed in and can be closed off during weather events, like those big Texas thunderstorms. The new building also has its own restaurant and bar. Parking has also been expanded.

breezeways-building

Market Hill 1 & 2 In the new building, the breezeways are glassed in and can be closed off during weather events, like those big Texas thunderstorms.

As always, Market Hill will have the best vendors in Round Top, just more of them now; some will be there year- round and others will be there just in spring and fall.

The experience you can always count on is the genuine hospitality that Paul, his wife, Debbie, and son, Jake, extend to you. It’s a family-owned and operated business, and you are treated like family here. As soon as you walk in, someone will ask, “Did’ya eat yet?” And, if not, then it’s, “Well, grab a plate, and come sit by me.”

The restaurant at Market Hill, now Duo Modern, has also undergone a major renovation – a project that surprisingly took less than a week – and includes lots of updates, including a new look and feel, new furniture, new chandeliers and the addition of a new bar. Dining in the space with food prepared by Chef Gino Llanes from an ever-changing menu now feels like an elevated experience; it’s still just as comfortable and casual as before but more refined. Duo Modern is open daily for lunch and dinner.

new-furniture

Inside of Duo Restaurant at Market Hill

The original Market Hill building got an update to it's restaurant area, Duo Modern, with a new look and feel, new furniture, and new chandeliers.

market-hill

The new Market Hill 2 building features a centrally located bar, ready to refresh you after a day of exploring the vendor's booths.

LOCATION AND CONTACT INFO:

1542 Highway 237 North Round Top, TX 78954

info@markethillroundtop.com • 800-732-3722

The Restaurant at Market Hill

The Restaurant at Market Hill

The Restaurant at Market Hill is an important addition to Round Top and an important part of the Market Hill experience to Paul Michael. Two new chefs are at the helm, Jake Wood and Jonathan Quinn. Both seasoned restaurant veterans, the duo will work together to prepare lunch and dinners daily, shopping the fields, and craving a healthier alternative to the standard festival fare. These options will include wraps, salads and power bowls.

Come on In … We’re Open Year-Round; Enjoy the comforts of home at Market Hill.

Come on In … We’re Open Year-Round; Enjoy the comforts of home at Market Hill.

Now open year-round, Market Hill is more than a shopping destination. It’s a gathering place where vendors and customers come together to share their passion for antiques. The 119,000-SF space contains the best vendors in Round Top, and was designed and built by Paul Michael to be functional and accommodating for them and for their clients. Whether it’s strolling through the open-air breezeways, loading and unloading merchandise, or having a meal, there is an ease to navigating the building. And, during the shows, Paul Michael, wife Debbie, son Jake, and daughter Elizabeth, are personally on hand each day to help in any way.

On the Hunt for Truth

On the Hunt for Truth

In a world where you can get pretty much anything cheap and fast, that’s not what Paul Michael Company or Market Hill offers. “We provide components of substance and value that you can use to create an environment,” Paul says, about the Paul Michael Company, the home décor and lifestyle brand he founded, with wife, Debbie, in 1993. “If you can create an environment, you’re more comfortable and your guests are more comfortable,” he says.

Stay Awhile: Open year-round, Round Top welcomes you to come down any time.

Stay Awhile: Open year-round, Round Top welcomes you to come down any time.

Situated on about 640 acres, smack dab in between Houston and Austin, is Round Top, Texas (population: 90), the state’s tiniest incorporated town. What’s interesting is that for a place this small, it continues to see new development – lots of it – including new restaurants, a brewery, a boutique hotel, and other creative concepts. Like the saying goes, if you build it, they will come, and people are coming, not just on the weekends or for Antiques Week, but year-round. For most big-city visitors, they may not be expecting much, and that’s okay, because that’s part of the allure of Round Top – the discovery. For that reason, we won’t show everything here, just a short list of places we like to stay when we need to get away from it all and enjoy the small.

Something Brewing in Brenham

Something Brewing in Brenham

Down the road from Round Top, Brenham is becoming the next big small town. For some of us of a certain age, we can still recall the jingle, “Have yourself a Blue Bell country day.” This is Blue Bell country where the famous creamery got its start in 1907. Located in the tiny Texas town of Brenham, the factory continues to crank out America’s favorite ice cream, and churn in local tourism revenue as visitors tour the facility. What newcomers will also find in Brenham is a burgeoning cultural scene with art, music, coffee, craft beer, wine and more.

A round-up of local favorites open year-round on Round Top’s iconic town squares

A round-up of local favorites open year-round on Round Top’s iconic town squares

In a few short weeks, thousands of visitors will descend on Round Top for Antiques Week. For more than 50 years, this biannual event has brought people from all over the world to one of the tiniest towns in Texas. For a town with a population of 90, first-timers may be surprised to find so many restaurants, boutiques, wine bars, beer gardens, coffee shops, and other hangouts. For those who have been making the rounds up and down Hwy. 237 for some time now, they may notice that on every return trip, there’s something new.

The Select Pick

The Select Pick

Houston native Stacy Graubart is a Round Top regular and will return to Market Hill in the fall with The Select Pick.

“I have been coming to Round Top for as long as I can remember. As a young girl, my mother always brought me along to hunt beautiful antiques and one-of-a-kind pieces. Round Top embodies the ultimate ‘thrill of the hunt.’ And, you are always guaranteed to meet talented, creative artists who often become great friends.”

Recoop Design

Recoop Design

ReCoop Designs is a veteran-owned design studio, build workshop and storefront focused on sustainability.

Based in Round Top, ReCoop Designs came about by chance. After a four-year stint in the Marines, owner/founder Cooper Meaders earned a degree in biology. While applying to get his Masters, he found a part-time job at New Living, an eco-friendly design studio, where he worked in their low- and zero-VOC paint and finishes department. With access to an assortment of equipment and timber, he started making a few pieces and placing them on the showroom floor – just to see what would happen – and they all sold.

Amelia Tarbet

Amelia Tarbet

Austin-based Amelia Tarbet has been making the trip to Round Top as a buyer since 2005 and as a vendor since 2013. When asked what she loves most about her work, she says, “Introducing people to different types of pieces and helping them design spaces that bring them a sense of individuality. I also love the thrill of knowing that there's always something around the corner that you've never seen before. It keeps me interested and inspired. Having a sense of wonder is really fulfilling to me.”

The Boneyard at Round Top

The Boneyard at Round Top

David Snell and Mark Bowe bring barnwood builders to the Boneyard at Round Top.

The Boneyard at Round Top is the result of a business relationship that blossomed into a friendship. David Snell and Mark Bowe connected over their love of pioneer-era buildings, and they had a hunch that Round Top, Texas, and its surrounding areas would go crazy over these salvaged materials.

Humble Beginnings

Humble Beginnings

Located in a big red barn on Henkel Square, Humble Donkey Studio is an art gallery and antiques shop owned by John and Laurie Lowery.

“It’s a happy place,” Laurie says. “What people respond to is the bright colors. There’s a lightness, a sense of humor.” “We don’t take things too seriously,” John adds. “This is for fun. It was a whim of an idea, really,” John says, about opening the gallery four years ago. “It went from a hobby to this full-time business.”

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot like Christmas Market

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot like Christmas Market

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot like Christmas Market: Market Hill brings holiday magic to Round Top. In 1981, visions of sugar plums danced in the head of longtime Houston Ballet supporter Preston Frazier when he approached the board of Houston Ballet Guild with a new concept to raise money for the Houston Ballet Foundation. His dream of creating a holiday market in the spirit of the European tradition became a reality.


Seeing the Vision

Seeing the Vision

Henrik and Mary Follin gave us an exclusive tour of the must-see Round Top Ranch Antiques.

Upon visiting Round Top for the first time “just to see antiques” at the Fall 2018 show, Henrik and Mary Follin had no idea that they would be permanent residents, moving their school-aged children and successful Denver, Colorado-based business to rural Texas in a year’s time, but that’s exactly what happened.