Lifestyle

The Laurel Tree is a Cut Above the Rest…aurants

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Tony Maples Photography

 

Utopia, Texas, has a name of course that conjures up something divine and ideal: a Shangri-La if you will. Well The Laurel Tree, situated there in the Texas Hill Country, couldn’t hit the nail on the head any more than if the two were magnetized. Marked by a field of red poppies (which, for artsy types with a sense of humor, always brings up the scene from The Wizard of Oz, where the Wicked Witch is putting everyone to sleep…but we digress…) and a beautiful, and equally red, 1950-something pickup truck, is an awe-inspiring, 450-year-old old oak tree. The impressive part, and what really makes this seem like “Utopia,” is that Laurel Waters, chef and owner of The Laurel Tree, with the help of Animal Planet’s “Treehouse Masters,” has transformed this tree into a private dining room.

Treehouse Dining at its Finest

The Laurel Tree is a Cut Above the Rest…aurants

Photo: Facebook/The Laurel Tree

Now, we’re pretty sure that almost every child at some point, has either imagined their treehouse, planned it, or incessantly watched the Berenstein Bears in hopes that one day, they too could live, work, and eat in the trees! Laurel has made that happen. And it’s an incredible dream come true! Ascending a ramp to the dining area, which can seat a party of six, the transformation of tree to totally cool culinary fort is not necessarily only for the young, but also the young-at-heart. Perfect for intimate dinners, anniversaries, birthdays, and even engagements, The Laurel Tree was an investment made based on suggestion, which has paid off. Laurel was already running a successful restaurant and slowly making the necessary additions as its popularity and customers multiplied when the suggestion to create a dining room from one of the existing oak trees was made by Pete Nelson after he and the Treehouse Masters crew came through town.

Pete Nelson & The Treehouse Masters Suggest a Plan

The Laurel Tree is a Cut Above the Rest…aurants

Photo: Pinterest/Kayla Enochs

Laurel loved the concept, and the results are magnificent! Picture Ralph Lauren meets Peter Pan (as opposed to the lopsided tree house you perhaps put together using spare pieces of your dad’s leftover honey-do list boards – although, those were often the best kind). The Laurel Tree is an elegant and private dining space, furnished with antiques, complementary art, and a porch for sitting and digesting the delicious meal you were just served. And make no mistake, Chef Laurel ensures the meal is just as satisfying as saying you ate it in a designer treehouse. She changes the menu every Saturday and everything is made fresh, using ingredients from her kitchen garden.

Black Tie Isn’t Mandatory, But Reservations Are

The Laurel Tree is a Cut Above the Rest…aurants

Photo: Facebook/Sharie Day-Fuller

Reservations are of course required for The Laurel Tree because word travels fast when there’s an opportunity such as this. Spaces fill quickly, which make it as exclusive as it is. However, if you’re unable to get a seat in the actual tree itself, you can also eat in the main dining room, which is also just as quaint as a cottage cafe bistro. And reservations there are also necessary. The Texas Hill Country has been home to many things of beauty and awe, but The Laurel Tree is definitely a cut above.

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Food & Wine