...Simplicity is the
guiding philosophy at
Canyon of the Eagles...
PHOTO THIS
SPREAD
Highland Lakes.
R
OADS CRISSCROSSING THE BUCOLIC
region that was once home to the late US President
Lyndon Baines Johnson look almost as they did 50
years ago, except for a few needed additions such as
computer repair shops. Old churches and government
buildings dominate the tiny downtowns with low buildings and a
handful of strip malls. However, within those modest structures are
diners and coffee-shop institutions with customers as devoted to
their continued success as they are to their churches. Their strong
suit is food that’s simple, substantial and timeless. Intermixed with
those stalwart eateries an ambitious pool of winemakers and craft
brewers have set up shop.
While there are many cute cottages and lakeside resorts in the
area, Canyon of the Eagles Resort stands out as the type of resort
mid-20th century families visited when they wanted to get back to
nature. Lodging options include cabin-style guest rooms, campsites
and designated areas for RVs. Wi-Fi is available but cabins are
deliberately television-free, ensuring guests unplug and enjoy the
resort’s many outdoor adventures.
Owner Cindy Bower proudly describes the sprawling property
overlooking Lake Buchanan as a “900-acre mini national park,”
where on-site activities include numerous hiking trails and themed
guided hikes, sunrise yoga, stargazing in the resort’s Eagle Eye
observatory led by astronomer Jim Sheets, and Saturday “Shake,
Rattle, and Coil” shows with resident naturalist Robert and his cast
of Texas Hill Country critters. The game room contains actual board
games, which Bower says are intended to encourage travellers to
have conversations face to face and not via text or email.
Although simplicity is the guiding philosophy at Canyon of the
Eagles, its Overlook Restaurant, under the direction of General
Manager and chef Matthew Wayland, is the spot where Texas and
Tex-Mex classics are updated with contemporary verve and
products sourced from the Highland Lakes region. Wayland’s
cooking is informed by food trends coming out of places like Austin.
The breakfast flatbread is topped with all of the fixings one would
find in a Texas diner breakfast, from scrambled eggs to sausage,
bacon, potatoes, and salsa fresca, but dressed up with a
cosmopolitan cheese blend of Saint Andre, cheddar and jack.
Blueberry pancakes get a new twist with blue corn batter, while Tex-
Mex inspired Migas is upgraded with artisanal smoked chorizo.
Wayland’s dinner signatures, often paired with award-winning
Texas wines, have made Overlook Restaurant a favourite specialAPRIL–JUNE 2019 TAST E& TRAVEL INTERNATIONAL 37
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