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Are restaurant influencers changing where Texans eat? Host Kristie Ramirez explores the future of Texas food media, restaurant culture, and the forces shaping dining across the Lone Star State.
Influencers can fill a dining room overnight, but can they earn lasting trust? In this episode, Kristie Ramirez and food journalist Courtney E. Smith unpack the changing relationship between restaurant influencers, traditional food journalism, and the business of dining in Texas. They explore why restaurants increasingly value measurable results from social media while editorial coverage continues to shape long term reputation, industry recognition, and consumer confidence.
The conversation travels beyond headlines and into the restaurants that define Texas. Courtney shares the story of Jerry’s Cafe in Onalaska near Lake Livingston, where honey yeast rolls, purple hull peas, and legendary chicken fried steak have made the restaurant a destination worth the drive. It is a reminder that some of the state’s most memorable meals are still found far from the major cities.
Kristie and Courtney also examine the biggest food trends shaping Texas today, including the growing appreciation for Indigenous cuisine, changing dining habits driven by rising food costs, and the shift toward smaller shared plates. They discuss how restaurants are balancing tradition, sustainability, and changing consumer expectations while preserving the stories behind the food.
The episode also explores what diners should pay attention to beyond the menu. Who owns the restaurant? How are employees treated? Are businesses investing in their communities? The conversation highlights why supporting independent restaurants and understanding where your dollars go has become part of the modern dining experience.
Plus, learn why food truck regulations still vary across Texas, how statewide licensing has changed opportunities for entrepreneurs, and why food trucks remain one of the most important entry points into the restaurant industry.
If you love Texas restaurants, food culture, travel, and the stories behind the people shaping the state’s culinary future, subscribe to FRONT OF BOOK TEXAS, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who loves discovering the very best of Texas.

Thanks for listening to FRONT OF BOOK TEXAS with Kristie Ramirez
New episodes drop every two weeks.

FOB TEXAS explores the people shaping lifestyle & culture and the place shaping them.
For culture seekers, gadabouts, and the Texas curious.

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @FrontOfBookTexas.

FOB TEXAS A Podcast Where Texas Culture Gets Loud

Georgianna Moreland | Executive Producer A Landmore Media Production

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West Texas looks empty on a map. On the road, it is the most vivid part of the state.

In this episode of Front of Book Texas, host Kristie Ramirez maps a five-day West Texas road trip she actually drove: from Dallas through Glen Rose, Hico, Llano, Marathon, Terlingua, Big Bend National Park, Cibolo Creek Ranch, and Marfa. These are the real-world details you need to plan it well.

With FIFA World Cup 2026 bringing the world to Texas, this episode spotlights a side of the state that no stadium can hold. Open desert, mountain passes, the Rio Grande, and the kind of silence that resets something in you.

What's covered:

Day-by-day itinerary from Dallas to Marfa with drive timing and cell service warnings. La Palmilla Resort and Retreat in Glen Rose, including the Casa del Rey Chapel by Granbury artist Cody Stromberg. A quick Hico detour and why it is one to watch. Cooper's BBQ and road timing strategy through the Hill Country. The Gage Hotel in Marathon and a classic Texas night at the White Buffalo Bar. Kristie's pick for the best chicken fried steak in the state: the 12 Gage Restaurant at the Gage Hotel. Willow House in Terlingua, one of the most design-forward stays in the region, with a two-night minimum. The Starlight Theatre in Terlingua and Local Chapter for the local scene. Big Bend National Park drive notes covering winding roads, no reception, and carsickness cautions. Lajitas Golf Resort first impressions. Cibolo Creek Ranch: communal dining, room selection, and what makes or breaks your stay. Hotel Saint George in Marfa, Wrong Marfa for shopping, and a reality check on what is actually open. Save this route, share it with your road trip crew, and subscribe to Front of Book Texas for a new conversation every two weeks.

Thanks for listening to FRONT OF BOOK TEXAS with Kristie Ramirez
New episodes drop every two weeks.

FOB TEXAS explores the people shaping lifestyle & culture and the place shaping them.
For culture seekers, gadabouts, and the Texas curious.

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @FrontOfBookTexas.

FOB TEXAS A Podcast Where Texas Culture Gets Loud

Georgianna Moreland | Executive Producer A Landmore Media Production

Send us Fan Mail

There's a look that's uniquely Texas. Worn in, intentional, quietly expensive. Lauren Owen of Texas built an entire brand around it.

Lauren Mahoney and Matt Owen, the married creative duo behind Lauren Owen of Texas, are redefining Austin vintage shopping with their signature late 20th century old Texas money aesthetic that feels nostalgic, intentional, and completely their own. In this episode of Front of Book Texas, they share the long runway behind the brand: high-level careers at Urban Outfitters mastering buying, merchandising, and creative direction, followed by a life-altering leukemia diagnosis, the chaos of COVID, and a pivotal stint at Outdoor Voices that finally pushed them to build something of their own. This is a masterclass in what it takes to create a vintage brand with a genuine point of view.

From Texas style icons to the ways outsiders misread Texas fashion culture, Lauren and Matt break it all down including the one wardrobe essential they recommend for anyone new to the Lone Star State: cowboy boots. Whether you're passionate about Western style, vintage clothing or the craft of building an authentic lifestyle brand, this conversation delivers the kind of insider perspective you won't find anywhere else.

If you love Texas fashion, Western aesthetics, and real talk about building a brand from scratch, subscribe to Front of Book Texas, follow us on your favorite platform, and watch the full episode now and if this one hit home, leave a review so more listeners can find us.

Thanks for listening to FRONT OF BOOK TEXAS with Kristie Ramirez
New episodes drop every two weeks.

FOB TEXAS explores the people shaping lifestyle & culture and the place shaping them.
For culture seekers, gadabouts, and the Texas curious.

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @FrontOfBookTexas.

FOB TEXAS A Podcast Where Texas Culture Gets Loud

Georgianna Moreland | Executive Producer A Landmore Media Production

Send us Fan Mail

Brand illustrator Rob Wilson, West Texas–born and raised, now creating work for global brands across the U.S. and Europe, went from sketching in Ralls to shaping visual identities for some of the biggest names in media, fashion, and design. His roots have never left his work. In this episode, Rob breaks down what it truly takes to build a sustainable creative career, how a strong creative brief fuels better work, and why a deep sense of place can become your greatest competitive advantage as an artist.

From his landmark Victory Park mural in Dallas to his work for Todd Snyder New York, Rob's approach to brand and editorial illustration is rooted in authenticity and the human touch logos can’t replicate. He also gets personal about the life behind the art — his favorite tools, sketching in cafes while traveling, what he misses most about Texas (real Tex-Mex and breakfast tacos), and what he's building next with books and animation.

This episode is filled with style and substance. Hit play, get inspired, and share this episode with every creative and Texas lover in your circle. Subscribe so you're always first in line, and leave us a review to help the show grow. The conversation doesn't stop here. Tell us: who’s the next creative you’d like on Front of Book Texas?

Thanks for listening to FRONT OF BOOK TEXAS with Kristie Ramirez
New episodes drop every two weeks.

FOB TEXAS explores the people shaping lifestyle & culture and the place shaping them.
For culture seekers, gadabouts, and the Texas curious.

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @FrontOfBookTexas.

FOB TEXAS A Podcast Where Texas Culture Gets Loud

Georgianna Moreland | Executive Producer A Landmore Media Production

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Photographer and art director Korena Bolding pays attention on purpose — and it shows in everything from her Dallas studio work to assignments that take her to Antarctica. She shares how a graphic design foundation at the University of North Texas shaped her editorial eye, and how a weekly practice of photographing flowers, inspired by Dutch still life at the Rijksmuseum, helped her build a signature style worth keeping.

Korena also gets real about the unglamorous side of travel photography - hauling 60 pounds of gear, surviving the Drake Passage, and a cliffside near-disaster in Mallorca that somehow ends with three German cyclists. She wraps with career advice you can use now: side hustling without panic, staying curious through old books and research, and letting analog hobbies like knitting quietly fuel your creative work.

If her story resonates, share this episode with a creative friend, subscribe so you never miss a conversation like this, and leave a review so more people can find Front of Book Texas.

Thanks for listening to FRONT OF BOOK TEXAS with Kristie Ramirez
New episodes drop every two weeks.

FOB TEXAS explores the people shaping lifestyle & culture and the place shaping them.
For culture seekers, gadabouts, and the Texas curious.

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @FrontOfBookTexas.

FOB TEXAS A Podcast Where Texas Culture Gets Loud

Georgianna Moreland | Executive Producer A Landmore Media Production

Send us Fan Mail

Oscar-nominated musician Abraham Alexander reflects on his journey from Greece to Texas shaped by loss, foster care, and learning English as a second language and how those experiences formed the emotional foundation of his songwriting.

In this conversation, Abraham explores grief, identity, and resilience, and how early hardship built the empathy that defines his music. He also traces his unexpected path from working as a bank teller to collaborating with artists including Leon Bridges, Gary Clark Jr., and Jon Batiste.

From an Oscar nomination to the creation of his sophomore album, Abraham opens up about the faith required to keep moving forward when the odds feel impossible. He reflects on how the Dallas–Fort Worth music scene shaped his sense of purpose, the responsibility he feels toward his listeners, and how returning to Greece helped him reconnect with themes of origin, family, and grace.

This episode is a meditation on art, survival, and meaning, told through the lens of a life shaped by displacement and creativity.

If this conversation resonates, share it with someone who needs to hear it. Subscribe for more episodes, and leave a review sharing the line that stayed with you most.

Thanks for listening to FRONT OF BOOK TEXAS with Kristie Ramirez
New episodes drop every two weeks.

FOB TEXAS explores the people shaping lifestyle & culture and the place shaping them.
For culture seekers, gadabouts, and the Texas curious.

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @FrontOfBookTexas.

FOB TEXAS A Podcast Where Texas Culture Gets Loud

Georgianna Moreland | Executive Producer A Landmore Media Production

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Miron Crosby isn't just a boot brand, it's a Texas story rooted in generations of ranch life, real craftsmanship, and a "fewer, finer" philosophy that turns heads from Far West Texas to the streets of New York. Co-founders and sisters Lizzie Means Duplantis and Sarah Means Ward grew up where boots are daily gear and the land itself teaches you to notice color, texture, and silhouette. In this episode, they break down what it actually takes to build a luxury handmade brand with soul — from their family connection to famed Rios of Mercedes to the community traditions woven into every design. It's a masterclass in modern Texas fashion and authentic brand building.

We get into the "romance of the West" and how to make it feel real without turning it into a costume, plus their newer line Besita, built to widen the door without losing what makes Miron Crosby worth knowing. Whether you're obsessed with Western wear, handmade boots, or what it looks like to grow a lifestyle brand without selling out, this one is for you.

Hit subscribe, share this episode with your most style-obsessed friend, and leave a review so more people can find the show.

Thanks for listening to FRONT OF BOOK TEXAS with Kristie Ramirez
New episodes drop every two weeks.

FOB TEXAS explores the people shaping lifestyle & culture and the place shaping them.
For culture seekers, gadabouts, and the Texas curious.

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @FrontOfBookTexas.

FOB TEXAS A Podcast Where Texas Culture Gets Loud

Georgianna Moreland | Executive Producer A Landmore Media Production

Send us Fan Mail

FRONT OF BOOK Texas is where global culture and lifestyle meet Texas roots.

Hosted by veteran storytellers and editors Kristie Ramirez and Georgianna Moreland, FRONT OF BOOK Texas is a culture and lifestyle podcast exploring the creatives, tastemakers, founders, and storytellers shaping Texas—and influencing conversations around the world.

I’ve spent more than twenty years obsessing over Texas—as the style editor at Texas Monthly, the fashion editor at D Magazine, a fashion writer for The Dallas Morning News, and a regional editor at Condé Nast—and I still haven’t scratched the surface of what makes it extraordinary.

I grew up working class in North and South Texas, and I also love shopping at V.O.D. in Dallas for Isabel Marant. That high-low duality is the lens behind every conversation we have.

From Dallas to Austin, Houston to San Antonio, we explore art, design, music, food, fashion, entrepreneurship, and storytelling through the people shaping culture today.

This is our love letter to the creatives, makers, and cultural architects whose work is rooted in place—but speaks far beyond it. Creatives are the keepers of culture everywhere.

Follow FRONT OF BOOK Texas wherever you listen to podcasts. Watch on YouTube and follow on Instagram @FrontofBookTexas.

Thanks for listening to FRONT OF BOOK TEXAS with Kristie Ramirez
New episodes drop every two weeks.

FOB TEXAS explores the people shaping lifestyle & culture and the place shaping them.
For culture seekers, gadabouts, and the Texas curious.

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @FrontOfBookTexas.

FOB TEXAS A Podcast Where Texas Culture Gets Loud

Georgianna Moreland | Executive Producer A Landmore Media Production