Our kids are old enough now that we can get away, just the two of us, for a Saturday Morning and Lunch Date, which is exactly what we did today! I’m working on a post on the best Gardening Centers in DFW, and wanted to go take some pictures of Guardado Gardens near the Fort Worth Traffic Circle, where Hwy 377 (Camp Bowie) and Hwy 183 merge and then separate again. I have been missing my fresh Spring produce, so I wanted to go early enough to visit the Cowtown Farmers Market as well, and also grab lunch at BBQ on the Brazos, which opened in October, 2019 next door to Edelweiss. I’ve heard nothing but good things about their BBQ, which was for the past five years in Cresson. It sounded like the a fun day out!
We arrived at the Cowtown Farmers Market about 10:30, late for the best choices at a Farmer’s Market but there was still plenty for us to choose from! There were several vendors selling carrots and onions, and I quickly picked up some to go with our dinner. It’s nothing like the Dallas Farmers Market, instead just a row of local farmers and artisans, but we still made some great purchases!
There were about 20 vendors at the market, selling everything from tamales to just picked produce, jams, cookies and even a few surprises!
Here’s a few tips:
- Bring a big bag to hold your purchases when visiting a Farmers Market.
- Bring cash. Many vendors do take credit cards, but the fees really bite into their profits.
- Arrive EARLY for the best selection.
I read on the Cowtown Farmers Market that J & J Meats was going to be there, selling their farm raised goat meat, so that was one of the vendors I was interested in seeing. They were great on not only walking us through the different cuts available, but also answering any questions we had! My big mistake (although not really) was not bringing an ice chest with us to store the meat until we got home. I wrapped it in a towel and it was still cold, and we were planning to cook it for dinner, anyway.
I was really excited to meet Jordan with Texas Fungus! A mushroom farm in Arlington, they sell not only ready to eat mushrooms, but also kits to grow and harvest your own mushrooms! I’ll be honest, I had no idea that was even a thing! Jordan explained how to prepare the mix (basically how to cut the bag and moisten it), and how to harvest when they are ready! I am so excited to try this myself!
We loaded up the car with our purchases, and headed up the street to Guardado Garden Center. It is such a great gardening center, with a very unique selection of plants and Mexican pottery!
The colors were amazing!
They have a huge selection of flowers and plants.
The Mexican pottery selection was also incredible!
But what they are best known for is their cactus and succulents!
Lots and lots of cactus!
I fell in love with the beautiful Desert Roses!
And they have so many different types of succulents!
However, in the end, what I purchased was a pretty Meyer Lemon tree, already covered in small lemons and blooms! I’ve been searching for one all Spring and was thrilled when I found they had a large selection!
Our last stop was back at the amazing BBQ on the Brazos, located in the same shopping center as the Cowtown Farmers Market. The BBQ staple in Cresson moved to Fort Worth in October, and has already received accolades from both the Fort Worth Star Telegram and Texas Monthly! A line had already formed, but it moved quickly and soon we were sitting down to a 2 meat plate of chopped brisket and jalapeno sausage, with beans, fried okra and their corn maque choux. Everything was delicious, and a huge plus is that John Sanford is a very likeable, old-school pitmaster who will chat without you, rather than hurry you through the line!
Just a head’s up, they don’t have a patio.
If we had more time, or I had been on a lunch date with my girlfriends, we could have also visited The Mercantile, a wonderful collection of shops also on the Fort Worth Traffic Circle!
If you get there in time for breakfast, be sure and check out Busy B’s Bakery, located on the other side of Edelweiss in the same shopping center. They have wonderful kolaches, sausage rolls and cinnamon rolls!
Keep Having Fun in the Texas Sun!
Michelle
Having Fun in the TEXAS Sun is on PINTEREST! Use it as a quick resource to find activities in different Texas towns! Click HERE!
© Having Fun in the Texas Sun, 2020. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Having Fun in the Texas Sun with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
