In the booming Texas city of Fort Worth, Auberge’s Bowie House stands tall as one of the finest luxury in America thanks to its style, comfort and exceptional cuisine at the property’s signature restaurant, Bricks and Horses.

Bricks and Horses at Bowie House is helmed by Executive Chef, Antonio Votta, who developed his passion for cuisine in his formative years, graduating from the prestigious hospitality school at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Chef Votta honed his craft working under acclaimed culinary visionaries in San Francisco and training with Michelin star groups, such as M.B. Post, and the MINA Group.

He has dedicated years to developing recipes through ever-evolving menus, sourcing only the finest ingredients from each region.

Today, Chef Votta is carving his niche in Fort Worth’s thriving culinary scene. He is establishing his heritage in Texas by creating a menu that honors the bounty of the land and local purveyors across the entire Lone Star State.

Using artful creativity and his entrepreneurial spirit, Chef Votta’s method to this new epicurean institution is both refined and imaginative.

To find out more about the dining experience at Bricks and Horses, Wayfarer’s James Wilkinson caught-up with Chef Votta recently.

Antonio, tell us about the fantastic food and beverage offerings at Bowie House.

Our culinary vision celebrates and highlights Texas products and heritage with a refined touch. At Bricks and Horses, we honour the classic chophouse cuisine, however, we craft it in a way that is unexpected and proudly showcases the bounties from the Lone Star state.

Across the property, every outlet reflects the same philosophy: local sourcing, seasonal inspiration, and elevated yet comforting dining experiences.

There’s a big focus on local beef and produce at the property – tell us about that.

We pride ourselves on sourcing and utilizing local produce and beef whenever possible. 100% of the beef used at Bricks and Horses is sourced within a few miles of Fort Worth, partnering with renowned ranches including Scharbauer, Heartbrand, Four Sixes, R.A. Brown, Outpost 76 and 4J. Additionally, nearly all our seasonal produce is sourced from a variety of farms throughout the state.

What are some of your favourite ingredients to work with at present?

My favourite ingredient is always the next one. We are constantly striving to bring in new ingredients in the state and working with different ranchers to source the best possible products for our guests.

It’s always exciting to work with products you have never seen or tasted before and finding a way to tie into our menu.

What are some of your favourite dishes across the property and why?

One of my favourites is our ‘Ritz and dips’ which features three house-made dips: Elote, Garlic Artichoke and Texas Twinky, served with Ritz crackers on a pewter tray that is cut open tableside with gold scissors.

It’s a simple, playful and elevated touch that’s become a favourite around the bar and dining room. The second favourite would be Chef Laura’s Chocolate Mud pie. It is something that I crave to this day. It is a symphony of textures and flavour. You get to experience the irresistible contrast of a buttery, flakey pie crust and a rich, gooey fudge filling. This is not a dessert; it’s a multi-sensory chocolate experience.

ESSENTIALS: GETTING TO FORT WORTH, TEXAS

The best way of getting to Fort Worth in comfort and style.

Qantas’ brilliant Business Class ‘Suite’

FLY QANTAS IN BUSINESS CLASS

Qantas flies to Fort Worth direct from Sydney, with flights operated by Boeing 787-9 and Airbus A380 aircraft that feature the airline’s signature suite-style Business Class seats that can be reclined for take-off and landing, fantastic meals, premium Australian wines and one of the best in-flight entertainment systems in the sky.

Qantas has welcomed its final A380 back to the fleet after a major service and it has now taken off on the carrier’s Sydney to Dallas-Fort Worth services.

Thanks to that final A380 re-joining the fleet, Qantas now offers daily A380 flights between the two cities for the first time since 2019 and that means 40 per cent more seats to the Dallas Fort Worth metroplex than what was formerly on offer.