The Turtle Restaurant

08/12/2026

This is a Mortified Della made by me at the Campari Negroni Research and Development workshop at Poem in Austin sponsored by Campari Academy. We R&D for your benefit. We're working on several savory cocktails for fall. This sounds weird but is actually delicious. Dill infused vodka, fried mortadella vodka, cocchi American vermouth, Campari. Cornichon and Pecorino Romano garnish.

08/05/2026

Danishes blueberry and cheese, cinnamon bombs, almond similar to marzipan. Fresh today! 4.50 or 24.00 for 6. Fresh sour dough at 5:00 today 6.00 for 14 oz loaf.

07/18/2026

Quick announcement - The week of July 27-Aug 1, Lincoln and I are traveling to Edmonton, Canada to take a laminated dough course though The Baker's Guild of America. I am proud to tell you that Lincoln Fullwood, a recent graduate of Brownwood High School was promoted from our dish pit where he worked for nearly two years to apprentice baker in our kitchen. We hope that at the end of his first year in this new position he earns his Journeyman's Baker Certificate. At the end of five years employment here or elsewhere if he completes the appropriate study and passes the Master Baker's Exam he will become one of a few hundred Master Baker's in the United States. As you know the Turtle is competitive and likes to stick our fingers into international competitions of all kinds from gelato to wine lists. We are not content to go to work every day unless we are constantly learning something new. We do this for ourselves but also for you. Don't settle for the mediocre!!

So....here's a photo of a recent trial of our danishes. Today they are for sale in the Gelateria at sale prices and there are only a few. We acknowledge there is room for improvement which is why we are committing ourselves to three days of intense instruction at the hands of a Master. We are thrilled to be attending a specialized baking workshop led by the incredible Alan Dumonceaux! With his extensive experience as an international competitor and the Academic Chair of the Baking and Pastry Arts program at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT), we are looking forward to sharpening our skills under his expert guidance.

The bakery portion of our kitchen is undergoing a complete revamping so that the Turtle Gelateria will be offering breads and pastries at retail to the public. We hope to have the revamp completed by the end of August. You may not know this but currently we do sell our sour dough loaves to go. The same sour dough you order in the retaurant. However, we only bake them once a week and then blast freeze them so it is likely they will be frozen but good as new when you defrost and recrust them in your oven. You can nearly always pick one up.

The sad rectangular danish to the left of the tray in this picture is from a well know competitor. We did a blind tasting with our staff. Even at this stage of the game, which still leaves miles of room for improvement, wow!
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07/11/2026

I am bursting with pride following the historic announcement that chef and hometown native Val Cantú’s San Francisco restaurant, Californios, has been awarded three Michelin stars. This monumental achievement makes Californios the first and only Mexican restaurant in the world to receive the culinary world's highest honor. I remember Val Michael Cantu as a small boy who played with my kids. They lived next door to us.

Val’s achievement represents a classic American success story spanning three generations. His grandfather originally immigrated to the United States under humble and challenging circumstances, raising a family of ten children. Instilling a deep drive for education and excellence, Val’s father—also named Val—went on to earn a PhD and ultimately serve as the Dean of Business Studies at Austin Community College's South Austin campus.

Before his father transitioned into his distinguished career in higher education, the family ran a small Mexican eatery and tortilleria during Val's early childhood. It was there, making tortillas alongside his father and grandmother, that Val first discovered his passion for the craft. Some of you may have been here long enough to remember it. Today, the elder Val has retired and returned home to the Brownwood area.

As fellow local business owners and neighbors who watched this incredible family grow, we are overjoyed to celebrate Val's historic success. He has truly put our community, and his family's legacy, on the global map. Congratulations, Val! It is an AMAZING achievement.

42K Followers, 427 Following, 53 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Californios ()

07/01/2026

https://youtu.be/TBnWhTx0LQg?si=xPyfweuze5HGMAWz

A hidden gem in Brownwood is serving up flavors from around the wor...

06/25/2026

Pizza Neatza - Wednesday night is Pizza night in the Turtle Enoteca Bar. Our flatbread crispy crusted gourmet pizzas are back - only on Wednesday nights.

Pizza of the week July 1 is Street Corn with all sorts of zingy flavors along with our regular line up. Margarita, Spanish Chorizo, Salad (cheese, proscuitto, mixed greens, balsamic vinegar and shaved parmesan!

You want to see what they are like? You gotta come in and try it. $15.00. Pair it with some great beer or Spanish or Italian wine.

06/25/2026

Friday morning watch us on Bite of West Texas Ktab https://www.bigcountryhomepage.com/ktab-originals/bite-of-west-texas/
The Bite of West Texas segments generally air during KTAB News broadcasts (typically during the midday, evening, or weekend lifestyle segments) and are later published as featured videos on their Bite of West Texas website. We will link to it as soon as it appears or maybe you will catch it on your TV

Bite of West Texas is your guide to the must-try dishes, bold flavors, and passionate food makers across the region.

06/15/2026

A heartfelt thank you to The Turtle Restaurant and Mary Stanley for their generous support of the 2026 Kentucky Derby Party benefiting the Brownwood Community Library!

We’re especially grateful to Mary and The Turtle for providing the Mint Juleps that helped make the celebration extra festive. Their generosity adds a special touch to the event and supports the library’s mission to promote literacy, provide vital resources, and strengthen our community through learning.

Please join us in raising a glass to The Turtle Restaurant and Mary Stanley—and be sure to thank them for their support of the library and our community!