In 1992 my husband and I opened a little restaurant in the back of my mom’s gift shop on the historic town square of Waxahachie, Texas. We had a tiny kitchen with household appliances and quietly began preparing lunch each day for hungry tourists and townsfolk of Ellis County. To our delight, we found our 30 seat tearoom was filled with customers that loved our food and many more waiting to be seated. Within months my husband quit his full time job to take over the business end of things, while I began preparing as much food as possible each morning with a sweet little lady who would tirelessly appear each day to bake homemade pies, cakes and cobblers. We wondered at times if we had taken on too much of a task, but every month got easier, and the joy we brought to our satisfied customers made it all seem worthwhile.
We had more than outgrown our tiny space when an opportunity came to buy the original hardware store building built in 1913 by the Moore family. Southeast of the town square, our restaurant now occupies the saddle and tack room in our 12,000 square foot building, and serves New Southern Cuisine to over 100 hungry mouths daily. We have a cookbook in its third printing, having sold over 25,000 copies and winning the National Writers Digest grand prize award for self-published books. We have received three and one half stars in the Dallas Morning News, coined the phrase, "It’s Worth Flying South” in the Fort Worth Star Telegram, and most recently, Texas Monthly Magazine voted us one of the top ten best small town restaurants in the state. We have also been reviewed in both Southern Living and Better Homes and Gardens magazines, along with multiple appearances on Good Morning Texas and Good Day Dallas, promoting our cookbook. My husband, Andrew still runs the business side of things with Executive Chef Aaron Neal preparing some of the best food you will ever eat. My mom’s gift shop is still a part of our business here, and serves as home base for her art, books, and cards sold in stores across the country. We also have an antique furnishings and home accents shop housed in our wonderful old building. In the spring of 1998, we renovated the second floor loft and built a home that we share with our rottweiler, Maggie, and two cats. Our loft has been featured on Designing Texas and shot for numerous publications. On any given day you will find us working in one of our three businesses, along with other family members, friends, and loyal employees. We look forward to welcoming you to The Dove's Nest and our beautiful historic town square.
ELLIS COUNTY COURTHOUSE
our beautiful courthouse on the town square of Waxahachie, Texas
an only child, wife, friend, shop owner, restaurateur, caterer, award winning cookbook author, free lance writer, and mom to the world's sweetest rottweiler.
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