Stillhouse Wine Room adds a touch of class

Stillhouse Wine Room in Killeen offers its patrons a respite from noisy sports bars that dot the landscape of the city. There is no blaring music, just the soft sounds of jazz, or crooners, like Frank Sinatra, singing in the background, and there is no TV showing the latest news or sporting event.

Owner Kevin Stuart said he didn’t intend to open a wine room, a departure from his former career as a CAD 3-D Modeling engineer, when he moved to Killeen four years ago. But after talking to a friend in Florida who owns a similar establishment, the seed was planted.

Stuart said finding the right balance of ambiance, comfort and sophistication took a lot of time and thought. The room became his intimate creation with tables for two and more, comfortable seating areas with plush sofas, side chairs and coffee tables, and a marble bar to sidle up to where you can choose a glass or bottle of one of the 70 international wines, or one of the 25 international beers he has available.

His establishment goes beyond a place to sip beverages and chat. Open Tuesday through Saturday, there is a different theme each night of the week. Tuesday is a gathering night. The hot menu items are not available, but guests can enjoy fine wine or beer, talk about the days’ events or have a conversation about one of the books on the tables that range in topics from trivia to the best all-time four-star movies ever made. Board games are available and include checkers, chess, Monopoly and Scrabble, to name a few.

Wednesday is karaoke and food truck night, one of the few times outside food is allowed in the room during business hours. Thursday is Trivia night; Friday and Saturday offer live music.

An array of cheese platters is available nightly, and a dinner menu is available on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.

The room is available for private parties during non-business hours, and guests may bring in their own catering.

“We’ll open before 4 p.m. for a lunch meeting or catered event,” Stuart said.

You can call for a reservation on Friday and Saturday nights, but there is a fee of $10 per table of two or four.

A reservations-only Valentine’s Day evening event is planned and will offer a pre-priced set menu with select entrees, and live music by solo artist Bryan Thym.

The Stillhouse Wine Room menu offers an array of cheese platters, meals and desserts including Stillhouse Pork Tenderloin. The combination of ingredients for this dish created a flavorful aroma that filled the room.

It was served with their Stillhouse Mediterranean salad, a “blend of grapes, cherry tomatoes, olives and feta cheese marinated in garlic & basil olive oil,” and served with French bread. It can be paired with your favorite red wine or cold beer.

Stillhouse Slow-Cooked Pork Tenderloin

Serves 10 to 12

5 pounds lean pork tenderloin, excess fat removed

5 medium Granny Smith apples sliced

1 large yellow onion sliced

1 cup honey

¼ cup maple syrup

1½ teaspoons ginger