Love is in the Air
At Alexander’s Craft Cocktails & Kitchen
By TONYA WARREN | Photos courtesy of ALEXANDER’S CRAFT COCKTAILS & KITCHEN
Between crazy work schedules, shuffling kids back and forth, and consuming fast food on the run, it’s time to reconnect with your significant other. Order in pizza for the babysitter and kids, then head over with your honey to the lovely, upscale Alexander’s Craft Cocktails & Kitchen perched on the banks of Salado Creek.
Named after William R. Alexander, who ran a distillery on the property during the Civil War, the well-loved restaurant offers patrons a quiet and comfy bar area to settle into cozy leather chairs and sip a drink from the extensive beverage menu consisting of handcrafted cocktails and various wines and beer. A sampling of just a few of the winter cocktail offerings include Winter Rose (Empress Rose’, pomegranate juice, lemon, simple, foamed), Fireside Sangria (Basil Hayden, maple, St. Germaine, apple cider), Elouan Pinot Noir and Frosty Mojito (Malibu, coconut milk, lime, mint, soda). Dave Hermann, Alexander’s director of development and culinary operations, likes creating the seasonal craft cocktails, he said, “by using spices, flavors and fruit that represent the season, and our ingredients are freshly squeezed and house made.”
Outside dining on the porch is available, weather permitting, or enjoy your meal inside the peaceful dining room while savoring mouthwatering appetizers, entrees and desserts proudly prepared by Chef Pedro Cuellar. A foodie before the word was popular, and after opening a few restaurants in Austin, he attended culinary school at the Art Institute of Houston. Hermann enjoys the occasional bartending, creating new flavors, and Cuellar also enjoys working with different ingredients, creating tasty dishes which flavors compliment the food, all without overpowering its’ natural taste.
Spice things up over Louisiana crab cakes with spicy caper aioli. Man shall not live by bread alone, but it’s tempting to try when you savor the house-made focaccia with fresh semi-dried tomato and basil. Other appetizers include citrus poached shrimp cocktail with Tito’s spiked cocktail sauce, and more. Warm up with soup du jour and a chopped house style salad. Kick the salad up a notch by adding grilled chicken, shrimp or salmon. Beef tenderloin or a broiled lobster tail may also be added to salads. In keeping with Valentine’s Day’s proverbial color, order the tangy red beet salad. Vegan and gluten-free meal options are available.
Dining tables in Alexander’s are aglow with an individual votive, which sets the mood for a lovely meal. Also, patrons can contact a florist for a special flower delivery to be set and ready for that special someone.
“Wedding proposals take place all the time here,” Hermann says.
“Our cozy ambiance makes for an intimate experience.” Cuellar agreed, adding that “the ambiance at Alexander’s is our biggest draw and I try to match the menus to our character of location and historical significance.”
The Tuesday Prix Fixe special varies weekly, and according to Cuellar, it’s a hit with the locals.
“It’s an entertaining quirk of the location,” he says. “It’s an around the world dinner that’s a collaboration between me, the cooks, bartenders and manager trying to utilize local resources to bring dinner from different parts of the world.”
Other mouthwatering entrée plates include, seared Scottish salmon, pan seared beef tenderloin, and more. Both Herman and Cuellar agreed their most popular dishes are the grilled 44 Farms rib-eye, locally sourced from Cameron; and the pan roasted double bone Texas size pork chop. Veggie sides accompany each entrée.
If you and your sweetie prefer afternoon delight, the lunch/brunch offerings, such as avocado toast, pork belly carnitas, and more, can satisfy mid-day hungries with a meal that doesn’t come in a sack with a toy. William R. Alexander would be proud to know the original spirit of the restaurant still lives on.
Alexander’s Craft Cocktails & Kitchen
Phone: 254-947-3828
Website: inncreek.com/alexanders
Address: 602 Center Circle, Salado
