An honest review after spending my 5th Wedding Anniversary at Kindling Texas Kitchen in Cibolo.
What’s in a name? Well, in this case, perfect thematic opportunity. When Nathan and I were making dinner plans for our “Wood” 5th wedding anniversary, the name Kindling was our ultimate deciding factor. Too appropriately on the nose to look elsewhere for reservations. Kindling Texas Kitchen it is!
Sure, we’d heard rave reviews about Kindling, but we’ve been led astray before. Lookin’ at you, Gruene Door. Sorry, not sorry.
Kindling’s menu certainly looked intriguing. Pictures I’d seen of the food, the plating, the atmosphere; the rave reviews; a YouTube video I’d watched about the place… It was all enough to put Kindling Texas Kitchen on my radar.
But the name really is what ultimately sealed the deal.
We set up our reservation a month in advance and tried to keep our expectations in check. Getting our hopes up about an enriching culinary experience had left us sorely disappointed before. Hopefully, the food would be decent, the name would fit our thematic brief, and Nathan and I could enjoy it for whatever it was.
If nothing else, I’d at least get a review out of it. Here goes nothin’.
And here goes the jump to Pros and Cons if TL;DR…
Kindling the Fire of Our Appetites
Our anniversary night arrived. We had set the reservation for 8:15 PM, giving ourselves enough time to get Orson and Nova to bed and get gussied up. As we often do, with evening dinner plans on the horizon, we skipped lunch so that we’d be good and hungry for a heavy, celebratory meal.
Admittedly, I’m the type who will study a menu before a night out. I want to find a meal, mentally lock it in, and anticipate the gustatory adventure with gusto. However, EVERYTHING sounded too tasty to decide ahead of time. Something from the land or from the sea? An appetizer, or no? And if so, which one do we POSSIBLY choose??
With everything being fresh, locally sourced, and brought in from the Gulf to be cooked over a wood fire, it seemed like there wasn’t a bad choice to be seen. Just a hard one, with so many tempting options. I guess we’ll just have to decide once we get there…
Kindling Texas Kitchen Charm
Once we arrived at Kindling, nestled in the quaint, hill-country town of Cibolo, we let first impressions speak. As soon as we opened the car doors, a tantalizing scent of grilled meat beckoned to us, whispering sweet promises of what we had in store.
A glance around the grounds was met with an inviting coziness. The outdoor cafe lights cast a warm glow over the ample seating outside. The rustic, enchanting character of the 107-year old renovated home that houses Kindling Texas Kitchen drew us in. So far, so good.
And then, we crossed the threshold and went inside.
The overall aesthetic touches on the same magical feeling of getting immersed in an antique shop. There’s a rich timelessness in the classic, well-thought-out decor of Kindling. Complementary, yet miss-matched, dining chairs. Sepia-toned, framed photographs adorning the walls. Little, intentional touches that draw the eye in, no matter what direction you look.
Kindling Texas Kitchen is homey and welcoming, with no shortage of charm and personality.
Based on atmosphere alone, it was clear that Nathan and I had made the prudent choice to spend our anniversary here.
We were seated in an intimate, two-table room off of the main dining area. From our 2-seat-table vantage point, we caught glimpses of the meal preparation and cooking in the open kitchen. Surprisingly, even with the close proximity to the beating heart of the restaurant, we were impressed by the acoustics and sound-dampening.
No craning to hear each other. No shouting required. Nathan and I spoke at a reasonable and comfortable level and heard each other without difficulty… Without having to hear any conversations from the close table over. Always a satisfying win.
Service to Believe In
Our romantic, cozy alcove was serviced by Cher. A young server who exuded hospitality in every interaction. It was clear that she enjoys her job at Kindling Texas Kitchen, and her friendly, non-intrusive professionalism made our dining experience all the more exemplary.
Nathan and I took time to peruse the menu offerings once again, using a QR barcode to access the options. As a side note: for efficiency and cleanliness, it may not be the fanciest method of menu browsing, but I appreciate it all the same when restaurants utilize it. Especially post-pandemic.
Cher visited with us to take our order. She was forthcoming and enthusiastic with her personal recommendations and menu favorites. She also let us know which selections were seasonal offerings or rotating specials only, which was supremely helpful in our decision-making process.
Nonetheless, we needed additional time for deliberation. I came to the conclusion, at last, that the greatest opportunity for Kindling Texas Kitchen to earn its marks would come from me ordering something to which I don’t normally gravitate.
Kindling, you’ve won me over so far. Now, let’s see what you’re made of.
During a repeat visit from Cher, once our consensus was finally met, Nathan and I placed our orders.
A Culinary Celebration
The menu is a gastronomic curation of culinary creations celebrating regional heritage Texas cuisine while incorporating the chef’s unique takes on each dish. Seeing as how it was our 5th anniversary, a major milestone in our lives together, we decided to 3-course it. To dive in and indulge in the delectable iterations of familiar foods…
Personally, I’ve never been a pork chop girl. In truth, it was one of the least exciting offerings I saw on the menu, since my experiences of pork chops have always been dry, flavorless, overcooked. But I was intrigued by the description, curious enough to take the porcine plunge.
I so wanted to let Kindling Texas Kitchen impress me here…
Aided by Cher’s recommendations, paired with personal motivations, the following are our orders and respective menu descriptions:
Appetizer
Bacon Wrapped Day Boat Sea Scallops
Seared Scallops Wrapped in Bacon with Paprika Aioli
Entrees
My Order:
14 oz. Heritage Double-Cut Pork Chop
Double-Cut Pork Chop with Cabernet Sauvignon Drunken Blackberries, Mashed Potatoes, Seasonal Veggies
Nathan’s Order:
Lobster Risotto
Creamy Risotto with Lobster topped with Shiitake Mushrooms and a Lobster Tail served with Lemon Butter and Chives
Dessert
Peach Cobbler Cheesecake
Per the menu, as it sounds, peach cobbler cheesecake
And I think I may have mentioned this before, but I am not really a cheesecake person either. Unless we’re talking about the Eggnog Gingersnap Cheesecake I make around Christmastime every year, I find cheesecake generally boring and just wrong.
Cheesecake Factory cheesecake is a yawn. Call me blasé if you must. Texture-wise, consistency, temperature, it’s a snooze. Even if it tastes good in the moment, it’s utterly forgettable.
Kindling Texas Kitchen, step up to the plate. Show me what you got!
Awh my lawd…
I don’t know if I can rave enough about this meal. At least, not in the way that Kindling Texas Kitchen deserves. The appetizer, for starters. If I could try to hazard up a single gripe, MAYBE the bacon was a bit tough? But it’d be a hard maybe. And I cannot express in words how exquisitely tender the scallops were.
We took our time as the succulent morsels of meat melted away in our mouths. Taking our time. Savoring every bite. In truth, we both would’ve been completely satisfied had our meal stopped there. But it didn’t…
Then, the entrees…
Sublime execution on all fronts. It was a true struggle to exercise any sort of self-restraint or control with our choices. Shiitake mushrooms that melted effortlessly against the savory backdrop of the lobster risotto, rife with juicy bites of fresh lobster throughout. The drunken blackberries that made the sweetly savory pork dish as rich as any luxurious dessert…
Even the seasonal veggies and mashed potatoes stood out. Even as supporting cast, these accompaniments shone brightly. Perfectly seasoned and cooked. To the point that I truly wanted to polish my plate… Even if I knew I’d pay for it later. But, by some miracle, I held back. Knowing that dessert was on the horizon.
Kindling Texas Kitchen, you’ve made a believer out of me. Restaurant cheesecake CAN be good. Delightful, even. Every bite as exciting as the last. I love when cheesecake gives. When it isn’t dense and cold as though it was just pulled from a freezer and thrown on a plate. When it not only floods the palate with flavor, but also with sensation.
Crumbly cobbler adorned this delectable dessert. Succulent, sweet peaches. Soft, rich, palatable cheesecake filling us with culinary ecstasy.
At multiple junctures throughout our meal, I solicited Nathan to provide me with any criticism of Kindling Texas Kitchen. Any at all. Maybe it’s just in comparison to the competition, I don’t know. But neither of us could find fault. We quickly began discussing when we could next return…
In conclusion, it’s been the first upscale meal we’ve actually deeply enjoyed and been excited to review locally. So, Kindling Texas Kitchen, thank you for renewing our faith and enthusiasm for GOOD, flavorful, and thoughtful food. It’s been far too long…
Order Up: Kindling Texas Kitchen
Pros:
Comforting, welcoming atmosphere. Charming, cozy, antique decor. Timeless aesthetic. Inexpensive for the quality. We felt that the quality of our meal matched, if not exceeded, the cost of our dinner. Abundant seating. We went on a Saturday night at 8:15 PM, and there was still plenty of space outdoors.
Great, personable service. Delicious, delightful food that sparked the foodie passions within us once more. After too much disillusionment and disappointment, it was our first meal in recent memory that has given us any hope in having a NICE, high-quality experience at a restaurant again. It was exquisite and exciting.
Personality in the dishes, the recipes, the restaurant, the service. Great acoustics, at least from where we were sitting. We also loved the very OPEN kitchen. Fresh food. Supportive of local Texas farms and ranches. Ample parking. Honestly, it’s really hard to find any fault.
Cons:
More of a heads up than a con, this is more upscale. No strict dress code enforced; you can come casual. Just don’t bring your kids. In truth, Kindling Texas Kitchen doesn’t really advertise themselves as family friendly, and that’s totally okay with us!
It’s nice to have a special occasion restaurant to work into our eating-out rotation. We’ll just be sure to get a babysitter when it’s Kindling Texas Kitchen night.