The Urban Cowboy Comes to Town - How Lyon Porter Does Round Top

Photo by Ben Fitchett of the Midnight Rider Suit at Urban Cowboy in Nashville, TN.

A big red truck pulls into the gravel parking lot. Through a cloud of dust, three doors spring open and out pop three beautiful women in cowboy boots. There is purpose in each step; these girls are on a mission. With them is a man – young, tall, handsome. He points to this chair, that table, those sofas, and the women pick up each item, carry them out and throw it in the back of the truck. When the truck bed is full, they pile in and peel out, leaving just as quickly and deliberately as they had arrived. These people know what they are doing. These people get things done. Come to find out, these people are Lyon Porter, Jersey Banks, Shawna Watterson, and Bobbi Rich a.k.a. Mama Hot Dog. This clearly isn’t their first rodeo, but it was their first trip to Round Top. 

Jersey banks (left) Lyon Porter. Photo courtesy of Lyon Porter

Lyon Porter is a designer, real estate broker and hotelier best known for Urban Cowboy in Brooklyn and Nashville. Urban Cowboy is more than a place to hang your hat. It’s a home-away-from-home for nomadic creatives, an intimate bungalow where artists, thinkers, dreamers and doers arrive with curiosity and leave with inspiration – and new friends. The Brooklyn concept came first in 2014; then followed, in 2016, the eight-room Victorian mansion-turned-B&B in Nashville with a come-as-you-are bar and restaurant called Public House. Entirely self-designed by Lyon, these spaces are thoughtful, intentional and incredibly beautiful. The guest rooms feature intricate woodwork and tilework, rich textiles and striking accents such as clawfoot tubs. There’s a sense of whimsy and play, like the swing on the tree outside of the Victorian mansion. Starting at $350/night, you stay here for the experience – for its magic, in hope a tiny bit rubs off on you.  

The Parlor at Urban Cowboy in Nashville, TN. Photo by Ben Fitchett

What’s next for Lyon is his biggest project to date: a 23-room motel in East Nashville, formerly the 1956 Key Motel. This is what brought him (and his lady gang/design team) to Round Top: a buying trip for the motel. He also had an invitation from his friend Sheila Youngblood to stay at her place, Rancho Pillow, a 20-acre compound with a barn and teepee that’s more fantasy land than boutique hotel. Much like Lyon’s Cowboys, Sheila’s Rancho captures your imagination; it’s a cosmic community where you feel right at home. 

Arriving in Round Top, Lyon describes it as having: “No direction. We were just walking the fields.” Until they found Market Hill.

Jersey Banks, Lyon Porter, Shawna Watterson, and Bobbi Rich on the porch at the Rancho Pillow in Round Top, Tx.

 "Market Hill became a home base for us. It was such a warm welcome. Jake [Michael, Paul Michael’s son] took me under his wing and helped me navigate the whole experience. I was immediately in the inner circle. It showed me what kind of community this is.” 

“There was an instant feeling of kindred spirits,” he says. “A sense of friendship with other people who have decided to join the circus.”

“There’s a common bond between people who have eyes for found objects. And who share an affliction for loving these things and giving them up.”

            When asked about his process and decision-making, Lyon says, “I go completely on inspiration. I don’t create a moodboard, because you don’t know what you’ll find. If you go in with a preconceived notion, you may miss something.” 

“I pick by feel,” he adds. “Jersey is good at seeing things that I don’t. I love surrounding myself with strong women. Jersey, Bobbi and Shawna are very unique individuals.” 

 Instead of recalling the 50s-style of the original motel, Lyon is going for a funky, down-and-dirty, 70s vibe complete with a dive bar and a 60-foot swimming pool. Each room will have something he calls a “party on a switch” with music, a disco ball and lava wall. 

In Round Top, Lyon was looking for pieces that were “very specific,” “not so precious” and “a bit beaten up or look like they could stand a beating.”  

Public House, a restaurant inside Urban Cowboy in Nashville, TN. Photo by Dave Krugman

“I’ve been on a lot of picking trips — Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York — I was not prepared for this. I was like a kid in a candy store. We found so many gems. We filled a 30-foot truck. It’s all sitting in Waylon Jennings’ old staging warehouse, waiting to go into the motel.”   

Among the many gems: an amazing group of couches and a piece of wood art in the likeness of Elvis Presley.

            “It was a wild and fun trip. Exciting, exhilarating and exhausting. We learned some stuff about making this big of a trip. Jake helped me so much, repacking our truck in the back of Market Hill in the middle of a torrential Texas thunderstorm.”

            “It’s a magical town, an amazing experience. We made real friends. We’ll be back in the fall.”  

In the meantime, check out Lyon Porter’s work at lyonporter.com, and the door’s always open at urbancowboy.com. Take a peek inside @urbancowboybnb on Instagram, and Lyon shares personal projects and motel updates in his stories @lyonporter. Hopefully, he'll let us know when the pool is open.  

The Restaurant at Market Hill

Chef Preston Higgins. Photo by Lacy Lange and courtesy of Market Hill

Even the most casual shopper will work up an appetite in Round Top. The Restaurant at Market Hill is open daily for lunch and dinner service, and provides an atmosphere of comfortable dining where you’ll want to sit around the table, share stories from the day, and make new friends. 

When you get to know Paul Michael, you will learn he has a passion for bringing people together. He has a brick oven that he built himself in his office in Lake Village, Arkansas, for baking and breaking bread with family and friends. It’s in this spirit that he wants to host annual pig roasts at Market Hill. Hearing him talk about it, he enjoys the seven-to-eight-hour process and the way people gather around to watch. There’s real curiosity, camaraderie and community around the fire pit. This fall, the restaurant will add a state-of-the-art, stainless steel rotisserie hog roaster.

What you can expect each day at the Restaurant is a similar passion for people and for food. Preston Higgins, chef and owner of Baxter Catering Company in Bastrop, Texas, has 20 years of experience in the industry and takes great pride in his work. Everything prepared in his kitchen at Market Hill is grilled, roasted or smoked (there is no fryer) with the intention of preparing fresh, healthy, delicious meals for Market Hill customers and vendors. 

The special meals to be had here include Paul Michael’s signature whole roasted hog. Photo by Lacy Lange and courtesy of Market Hill

Daily lunch specials and dinner offerings include lamb, beef, chicken, fish and vegetables like Brussels sprouts, spinach, broccoli, asparagus and potatoes. 

When you walk up to the counter, go down the line and pick out which items you’d like, you’ll see Chef in the kitchen, working hard with a smile on his face. 

After your plate is made, you move down to the cashier where you can choose from a large selection of beer and wine or sparkling water and other beverages – anything cold sounds good after a day in Round Top – and homemade desserts. Then you find a table – the long tables in the restaurant are set up to be experienced family-style – and enjoy good food and conversation. Meet again at dinner. There’s also live music most nights during the show. Market Hill is more than a shopping destination; it’s a gathering place.

The Restaurant at Market Hill

Chef Preston Higgins

Paul Michael is a Renaissance man. In addition to having four Paul Michael Company stores, an exclusive line of handmade furniture and his recent new development Market Hill, he loves baking bread, making pizza (with his famous red sauce) and even has a brick oven that he, of course, built by hand inside his office on Main Street in Lake Village, Arkansas. He is a maker and a baker. So, when it came to imagining what Market Hill could be, a restaurant was always part of the plan. 
    Paul’s culinary vision led to Preston Higgins, chef and owner of Baxter Catering Company in Bastrop, Texas. Preston has 20 years of experience and takes great pride in his food. Everything prepared in his kitchen at Market Hill is grilled, roasted or smoked. There is no fryer. The intention behind this is to prepare fresh, healthy, delicious meals for Market Hill guests and vendors. When asked about the Market Hill experience, every vendor mentioned the restaurant. 
    The Restaurant at Market Hill features daily lunch specials and dinner options with a variety of proteins – lamb, beef, chicken and fish – and vegetables – brussels, spinach, broccoli and asparagus. “We toss the potatoes with a little extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and pepper and we bake them,” Preston says. It’s simple, real food with good flavor, nothing artificial. “I love the transformation of raw product to what you see on your plate,” he says.  

 There’s also a great selection of beer and wine and homemade desserts. 
    The long tables in the restaurant are set up to be experienced family-style. It’s a great place to gather, enjoy a meal, share stories from your day over a glass of wine. 
Market Hill brings people together. The Restaurant at Market Hill feeds them. 

Gather ’Round

Sheila Youngblood welcomes all to sit at her table under the big Texas sky. 

Feast in the Field
March 26 and 27
Rancho Pillow 

When owner Sheila Youngblood opened Rancho Pillow to the public in the spring of 2016 during the Antiques Fair, she welcomed all to sit at her table for the first Feast in the Field. 
“I thought it would be a wonderful way to introduce people to the property for the first time, taking tours, telling stories and connecting over a home-cooked meal under the stars, as I would with my own family,” she says. 
More than a meal, it’s a feast for the senses too. Arriving at the 20-acre, technicolor compound, it’s more of a fantasy retreat than boutique hotel. It’s spacious and secluded with plenty of room to wander and to dream. There’s something imaginative, artful and fun everywhere you look – neon signs, a teepee, the large three-story Dutch barn filled with antiques, collectibles, books of poetry, bongos and cowboy hats; there’s the “Love Shack,” “Red House, “Tower House,” a bathhouse, swimming pool and fire pit. Getting the lay of the land, drink in hand, there’s this kind of cool, calm, communal vibe that wraps itself around you like a Mexican blanket. The guests you meet there; they get it too. It’s a feeling of finding your people when you didn’t even realize you were looking for them. 

Then there’s the food. For the upcoming feasts, Sheila has selected San Antonio chef Steve McHugh of Cured at Pearl restaurant to prepare the meal on March 26 and, the following evening, on March 27, New Orleans chefs Kristen Essig and Michael Stoltzfus, of Coquette, will do the honors. 
"The menu is completely up to the chefs. I only ask that one part of the meal is prepared over an open fire in the field,” Sheila says.  
“[We’ve had] paellas in giant pans, chickens roasting in the wood-fired oven on wheels, whole pigs on a spit, vegetables on a grill over a small ground fire, pineapples hanging on a Frances Mallmann-style cooking dome. Our guests love interacting with the chefs doing what they love and being with them in beautiful country in a place full of heart. Every chef impacts people in meaningful ways, and it is lovely to see.”

When it comes to the table, true to Sheila’s nature, every detail is thoughtful, intentional and arranged with love. Prepared for 100 guests, the place settings include mismatched china, flatware, glasses and jars in all colors. Bright florals and flickering candles add to the ambiance. 
How the evening unfolds: The gate opens at 5 p.m. Guests are invited to a welcome cocktail and are encouraged to roam the property, sharing stories from their day. The bar opens; the wine flows and light bites are brought out from the kitchen and passed around the party. As the sun begins to set, guests make their way to the table. Dinner is served family-style with multiple mains and sides. Some folks leave after dessert while others shuffle over to the fire pit where guitars come out and intimate conversations strike up.  

“Rancho is about celebrating authenticity,” Sheila says. “I invite our guests to connect with one another in a deeper way. Connecting, sharing, laughing, inspiring – and deeply listening. We discover more about each other (and ourselves) that way.”
For tickets to Feast in the Field, visit RanchoPillow.com. Tickets will sell out, so make sure to follow @ranchopillow on Instagram for other opportunities like pizza pop-ups on the property during the Antiques Fair. 

Round Top Round Up

Where to eat, drink, hang out and hang your hat in Round Top, Texas

Turns out, not everything is bigger in Texas. With a population of 90, Round Top is one of the smallest cities in the Lone Star State. Twice a year, in spring and fall, however, more than 100,000 people descend on this tiny town for the Antiques Fair. Now in its 50th year, what started as a weekend has expanded into two weeks’ worth of shows with vendors lining Highway 237 for some 25 miles and into surrounding towns of Warrenton, Rutersville, Fayetteville, Carmine, Brenham and La Grange. Here’s a round-up of what you’ll find in and around Round Top. 

WHERE TO STAY 

Armando Round Top Houses
For more than 35 years, Armando has been a name in fine dining, renowned for the Houston-based Armandos Restaurant. Armando and Cinda Palacios now invite patrons to travel from River Oaks to Round Top where they have a trio of beautifully restored vacation homes. Dating back to the 1830s, the Winn is the oldest of the three and was the first property Armando purchased on a whim back in 1979. The circa 1880s Bybee Cottage was then acquired from the Bybee Foundation, an organization that preserves German immigrant heritage in Round Top. The Palacios kept the original patina of the place while lovingly adorning the old farmhouse with new amenities and luxe accessories. The Nest was once a 1930s home set in Houston’s West End and is now a midcentury modern, light-filled space with pop art dotting the walls. Choose from the three homes based on your style at roundtophouses.com

Black Bird Farm
A series of historic properties in nearby Fayetteville comprises the Black Bird Farm lodging experience. Here, you’ll find romantic well-appointed interiors in an early Americana style. Choose from accommodations at the Grand Fayette Hotel, Market Street Inn, Red & White Inn, Bird House, 1850 House, Sealy House or Blackbird Cabins. Herring Hall, the event space, hosts live performances. Take a tour online at blackbirdfarmtexas.com. 

Flophouze

Flophouze 
Old shipping containers have been transformed into artful accommodations at Flophouze. This super-cool concept by Matt White and his team, Recycling the Past, consists of six “funky little outposts,” known as flophouzes, all accented with salvaged materials, like old bowling alley countertops, and original art. Any of the décor you see in your flophouze is available for purchase – just inquire, and they’ll make you a deal. Each unit also comes equipped with Chemex coffeemakers, Mexican Cokes, Topo Chico, handpicked vinyl records and hammocks for kicking back and watching those famous Texas sunsets. If you like your flophouze so much you want to keep it, the company can custom-build one to your specifications and ship it to you anywhere in the world. Also on the property is the Round Top Ballroom. Outfitted with antiques, artifacts and odds and ends from Recycling the Past, it’s a casual space that has housed farm-to-table dinners, weddings, big parties and intimate gatherings. Learn more at flophouze.com or roundtopballroom.com. 

The Raleigh

The Raleigh
Shane Brown of Big Daddy’s Antiques has opened his newly renovated, 2,600-SF 1890s Victorian farmhouse to overnight stays on VRBO. The Raleigh sleeps eight guests and comes complete with a full kitchen, four bedrooms and two bathrooms. The interior design is exceptional throughout with a mix of modern and antique, including a Paul Michael Company piece or two. To check availability, visit vrbo.com/931462. 

Rancho Pillow

Rancho Pillow
This 20-acre compound features multiple overnight options on the property, including four main lodges and a well-appointed, air-conditioned teepee. Each dwelling houses hand-picked furnishings, paintings, books of poetry and other thoughtful touches. Outside, there’s plenty of room to roam and make new discoveries, like neon signs, a playground with zipline, hammocks, bathhouse, swimming pool and a fire pit. Formerly available by invite-only for friends-of-friends, it’s now a more inclusive space where all are welcome to tap into the spirit found here. It’s much more than a place to hang your hat. It’s heartfelt, soulful, mystical and intentional where cool people go and good vibes flow. Feast in the Field is hosted on March 26 and March 27 by Rancho Pillow. Purchase your ticket, or book your stay online at ranchopillow.com. 

Round Top Inn
The history of this place is evident in its many existing structures, including the only remaining building from the state’s once thriving cigar industry. Three of the guest cottages are 1880s originals built by prominent Round Top resident Charles Henry Schiege of Schiege Cigar Factory. The property includes the gate house, a collection of farm houses, the little cottage, the loft and other rooms for rent. Explore it for yourself at roundtopinn.com.  

The Vintage Round Top

The Vintage Round Top
Paige and Smoot Hull developed The Vintage Round Top in 2012 when they opened their first renovated cottage, No. 1450. The 2,400-SF home was designed with sustainability in mind and is comprised of reclaimed materials and vintage finds, creatively repurposed into light fixtures, furniture and decor. In 2016, they added a second 2,000-SF cottage named Boho into the mix. This home is designed with their signature modern vintage style, featuring upscale amenities and materials. Both properties are full home rentals that may be reserved together or separately. This summer, they will add two additional 400-SF cottages with another outdoor patio for games and lounging. In addition to lodging, the Hulls also host private parties, intimate rehearsal dinners or cocktail receptions, retreats and workshops year-round. Be inspired by their modern vintage aesthetic at thevintageroundtop.com where you will also find details on the property, events and shop.

Wander Inn
The Junk Gypsies, Amie Sikes and Jolie Sikes-Smith, are opening up their guesthouse, previously available only to friends, like country singer Miranda Lambert, as an eight-room hotel called Wander Inn. Sign up for their newsletter to keep up with details on their progress at Gypsyville.com/wander-inn. 

WHERE TO EAT & DRINK 

The Garden Co.’s Feed and Firewater
An outpost of the original Garden Co. Marketplace & Café in Schulenburg, Texas, Feed and Firewater brings fresh ingredients to the table for fun appetizers, bright salads, yummy soups and a variety of creative lunch and dinner options, all in a beautiful bistro-style setting. For a look at the menu, visit thegardencoandcafe.com. 

Mandito’s
New to Round Top is Mandito’s, a concept by Armando and Cinda Palacios of Armando’s in Houston, which will occupy the building at the “corner of Main and Main,” across from the town courthouse. Fresh margaritas and Tex-Mex will be served. The couple also presents Lulu’s, an Italian pizzeria at the former location of The Stone Cellar. Details to come. Check lulustx.com and manditos.com. 

Market Hill Restaurant

Market Hill Restaurant
More than a shopping destination, Market Hill is a fun place to eat, drink and enjoy yourself with friends. Open daily during the show, choose from a variety of lunch and dinner specials, including Paul’s famous homemade red sauce and pasta. For a peek inside Market Hill, visit markethillroundtop.com. 

Prost on Block 29

Prost on Block 29
An intimate wine bar and shop housed in a stone cottage that happens to be the oldest building in Round Top. Order by the glass, bottle or case (to take home with you), and choose from handmade cheeses, farm-to-table vegetables, tapenades and charcuterie. Sit inside at the bar or at a small bistro table, or hang out on the outdoor patio around the fire pit. Open Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Learn more at prostonblock29.com. 

Rohan Meadery
Texas’ oldest meadery, Rohan Meadery specializes in the recreation of mankind's oldest fermented libation - mead. The tasting room is a popular stop for visitors coming into Round Top. For hours and more info, visit rohanmeadery.com. 

Royer’s Round Top Café and Pie Shop
Burgers, sandwiches and fresh-cut fries are some of the favorites here, but the real star of the show is the pie. Choose from apple, buttermilk, chocolate chip, pecan, cherry, strawberry rhubarb and more. Royer’s famous chicken dinner is served on Sunday from noon until they run out – the chicken is marinated for 24-hours in buttermilk and garlic then hand battered. It’s served family-style with mashed potato casserole and creamed corn. See the full menu at royersroundtopcafe.com.  

WHAT TO DO 

The Bugle BoyHoused in a World War II army barracks in La Grange, the Bugle Boy is an intimate concert hall booking Americana singer-songwriters as well as country, folk, blues and jazz bands on Friday and Saturday nights. Coffee, wine and beer are served. For a calendar of events, visit thebugleboy.org. 

Festival Hill Concert Hall
Founded in 1971 by world renowned concert pianist James Dick, Festival Hill is a 210-acre campus containing multiple performance facilities, historic houses, gardens, parks and nature preserves. Visit festivalhill.org for events. 

Round Top Family Library

Round Top Family Library
Round Top is the smallest incorporated Texas town to have a public library. It’s a great resource, preserving local history and offering community programs for children and adults. The library consists of two buildings, the main library in the former Hope Lutheran Church, a 1925 gothic-style building, and the Rummel Haus, which serves as an activity center. Learn more at ilovetoread.org. 

Round Top Family Library

The Stone Cellar & Round Top Dance Hall
An authentic 1907 Texas dance hall has been relocated to this site. The sign on the door reads, “Must wear boots inside the hall at all times.” Live music on the weekends. The Stone Cellar serves pizza, cold beer and wine. To view the menu, visit stonecellarwines.com.