Food is a big deal in Fredericksburg. With a commitment to privately-owned restaurants, Fredericksburg has managed to keep a small-town appeal to its dining scene. Within that culture it seems unlikely that a newcomer could create something new and unique. However, Travis Graham along with his business
Food is a big deal in Fredericksburg. With a commitment to privately-owned restaurants, Fredericksburg has managed to keep a small-town appeal to its dining scene.
Within that culture it seems unlikely that a newcomer could create something new and unique. However, Travis Graham along with his business partner, Jorge Montalvo, have done just that with Open Fire Tejas.
Open Fire Tejas is a concept that breaks all the rules of the food and beverage playbook, while making it fun along the way.
Owner Travis Graham knows the industry, knows the rules and he knows which rules he wants to break.
Graham is native to the Texas Hill Country. While most of his family lived in Junction, he spent most of his life in Austin. It was there he met his wife, Cherry, and they moved to Fredericksburg eight years ago.
“Back in Austin, I was the executive chef at Carlos Santanas in Austin,” said Graham. “And I hired her as my executive pastry chef, and the rest was history.”
Since their move, they have stayed busy with new ventures. Originally, Travis and Cherry provided fine dining event catering at Albert Dancehall. After five years of building rapport with their quality food, they launched Hye Cider.
“For a little while, my doctor was saying, hey lay off of gluten for a while,” said Graham.
Graham began drinking other local ciders and was not impressed. With their combined skills, Travis and Cherry fashioned a cider recipe that doesn’t overwhelm the taster with unnatural sugars.
Graham’s emerging interest in quality homegrown ingredients continued to evolve, and he launched Open Fire Tejas, a farm-to-table food service that works directly with local ranchers and farmers.
“Let’s do something that nobody else is doing,” said Graham about his new venture. “And Open Fire is really all about sustaining local food, improving the quality of the family unit by not buying from the grocery store and putting healthy things in your body.”
Originally, Graham did not have in mind the idea of opening a restaurant.
“We started reaching out to local farms and ranchers. We started doing some popups,” said Graham.
“We got a lot of offers for private chef gigs and got offered to go to all these farmers’ markets. People started opening their eyes to what our idea was and what our vision was.”
Graham would arrive at farmers’ markets with his business partner, Jorge Montalvo. They would buy products from the other vendors at the market, make a custom menu on-the-fly with whatever ingredients they found and then cook for the attendees.
“(We) sold out every time, too,” said Graham. “We had a line out the door and everybody was taking videos of us doing it.”
Open Fire Tejas uses only Argentinian-style grills, which are an open flame grill that adjusts temperature by raising the elevation of the food in proximity to the heat.
This minimalistic approach to cooking matches their dedication to natural and healthy ingredients.
“We don’t need electricity. Everything is fresh. No gas. No power. Nothing,” said Graham.
Finding a home
With growing popularity for their product and process, Open Fire Tejas is now merging with a local bed and breakfast overlooking Enchanted Rock State Natural Area.
Trois Estate is an event venue designed as an old-world village complete with a dining space, a saloon, an underground chapel and an underground pool. The property features an unobstructed view of the Enchanted Rock skyline.
While Graham was enjoying the process of his pop-up cooking events and farmers’ markets, the relationship with Trois Estate opened the door for a new unique vision.
“If there was one place, I’d consider opening a brick and mortar (restaurant), it would be right here,” said Graham.
“It’s like walking outside of Texas into this enchanted wonderland of a village.”
Graham’s vision for Open Fire Tejas at Trois Estate is as eclectic as the space itself.
Graham intends to use various service styles weekend to weekend to keep his guests surprised and focused on the overall experience of the evening.
“You’re going to have an opportunity to sit wherever you want,” said Graham. “You can go sit on the observation deck. It’s not going to be the same every time, I’m going to keep you guessing.”
Community is key to Graham’s vision for the place, and he intends to visit with every dining guest to explain the sources of the food he provides. He wants each guest to enjoy more than a meal, but to value the experience.
“You’re going to pay for your experience online and when you show up, you’re going to be surprised,” said Graham.
Guests will reserve their space by making a purchase online and will then show up at Trois Estate to experience the meal and amenities Open Fire Tejas has prepared for them throughout the evening.
“I was kind of turned off with the idea of a brick-and-mortar permanent location,” said Graham. “There are just so many supporters in that area, (with) the vibe of Trois Estate and the vision that Rebecca and I have of really changing the game.”
Open Fire Tejas is also committed to serving local wine and beer while working together with the grape growers and producers.
A limited ticket release for the first Open Fire Tejas dinner at Trois Estate will be available for purchase on Sept. 30. Guests must subscribe to their website to receive notification of dining events and opportunities to make a reservation.
“Going out to eat should be fun and an experience in itself without the food,” said Graham.
The new Open Fire Tejas looks to be just that, a unique addition within Fredericksburg’s already diverse dining scene.
Graham and Montalvo are dedicated to supporting quality local producers in the best way possible.
“I want to use my talents to have a more sustainable future for our kids. That’s really the bottom line,” said Graham.
ONLINE
Information about Open Fire Tejas services, including dining reservations, can be found at their website at https://www.openfiretejas.com