The Turtle Restaurant

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, whic hstill 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!

06/14/2026

We are going to give you four great reasons to buy a ticket to see Dewayne Hill. at the Turtle Restaurant Patio on June 20 ,2026

Dewayne Hill because he delivers a high-energy, laugh-out-loud combination of world-class sleight of hand and sharp stand-up comedy that is completely different from a standard magic show.

Here is exactly what makes his performance worth coming out for:

1. It’s Comedy Meets Magic
This isn't a silent, theatrical show with capes and boxes. Dewayne is a premier comedy-magician, meaning the jokes hit just as hard as the illusions. He reads the room beautifully, keeps the energy high, and ensures the crowd is laughing from start to finish.

2. Mind-Boggling, Up-Close Illusion
Dewayne is a master of sleight of hand. Because of how the evening is structured, guests get the best of both worlds:

Table-Side Magic: He performs mind-bending interactive tricks right at the tables, meaning the magic happens literally inches from people's eyes (where you think you could catch the trick, but you can't).

The "Stage" Finale: After dessert, he brings everyone together for a unified, hilarious stand-up comedy and magic set to close out the night.

3. A Highly Interactive Experience
He doesn't just perform at the audience; he performs with them. The crowd becomes a massive part of the show, making it a fantastic collective experience for groups of friends, families, or a unique date night.

4. The Perfect Value "Night Out"
Instead of just buying a ticket to a theater show, this format turns it into a complete, stress-free evening. For a single ticket, guests get a full night of top-tier entertainment paired with a great meal (salad, gourmet flatbread pizza, and artisanal gelato)—making it an easy, all-in-one weekend plan.

06/14/2026

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