[dropcap]T[/dropcap]ake a trip along U.S. Highway 290 in Dripping Springs and one may come across an oasis of creative culinary offerings.
Within the last decade, residents and visitors alike have shown support of a changing food movement within the city, as local foodies today are now offering menu items that have a little more flair than the normal.
As a result, many businesses are starting to recognize the change and are now stepping up their game to meet the taste of residents.
Pig Pen Bar-B-Q, a food trailer off Highway 290 in Dripping Springs, chose to present a more “upscale” version of barbecue than what people are accustomed to. Items such as the stick-sweet candied bacon is one example of what the business offers to its clientele.
“People are looking for barbecue that’s a step up,” Lisa Lerma, co-owner of Pig Pen BBQ, said, “They care about presentation and the quality of the ingredients.”
Shawn Johnson, owner of Dripping Wings, a food trailer also on Highway 290, said since he opened the business in February of this year, business is “going really good and we’re really excited.”
Johnson opened the funky wings food trailer to share his love of wings with a culinary twist. Adventurous items include the use of habanero peppers, Jamaican jerk seasoning and seasoned edamame.
“We try to bring stuff that you wouldn’t normally find around here,” Johnson said.
One culinary destination that’s not only changed the palates of residents and visitors, but has also altered the area’s restaurant culture is Crepe Crazy.
The business, located in a small house at the corner of Highway 290 and Sportsplex Drive, was opened in 2014 by the Giterman family, who emigrated from Russia.
Sergei Giterman, one of the owners, dreamed of owning a business even though he and his family are deaf, according to a 2015 Austin American-Statesman article.
Giterman found the location in Dripping Springs and soon opened the business, which offers savory crepe recipes found across Europe.
Alyssa Galloway, an employee at the Rolling in Thyme and Dough Café on 290, said residents want to enjoy their dining experience in more of a European way, instead of the more traditional American fast food mentality.
Galloway said owner Fabienne Bollom, a native of Belgium, opened the European style café 11 years ago. Since that time, Bollom expanded the small space from a single dining room and a small kitchen to an extended dining area, outside tables and a larger kitchen.
European dishes such as traditional boeuf borguignon and tomato basil tarts are on the menu.
“People really like this place because we use produce from our own garden and we provide a more relaxed ambience,” Galloway said.
