Big Ben Reporter · Marfa, TX
Before the Old Borunda Cafe became known for stacked red chile enchiladas and visits from the cast of “Giant,” it was an adobe restaurant called Tula’s. It opened in 1887, when Marfa was four years old and the railroad was bringing workers, ranchers and travelers to town. One account of its earliest menu points to a simple meal: steak and eggs. That detail is among the leads Marfa guitarist and researcher Nick Hurt is following as he traces the lives of the three women who ran the cafe. In his “Marfa History Search” column in the Nov. 13 issue of The Marfa Mimeograph, Hurt starts with the founder, Gertrudis “Tula” Borunda, and asks readers who remember the restaurant or the family to help fill in its history. Big Bend Reporter’s 2023 story, “Birthplace of Tex-Mex: The Old Borunda Cafe in Marfa,” traced the restaurant’s influence through the dishes it became known for.
Big Ben Reporter · Marathon, TX
Nearby: Marathon, TXTexas chef Jesse Griffiths will serve a family-style wild game dinner Dec. 19 in Marathon as part of an event that will also feature a panel discussion on wildlife and conservation in the Big Bend region. The event, called “The Full Circle,” begins at 7 p.m. at The Ritchey Bros. Gage Resort and Mill Scale Metalworks are presenting it in partnership with No Big Bend Wall. The dinner will showcase regional wild game and draw on Griffiths’ interest in sustainable hunting and Texas cooking, Gage Resort said in its announcement. Griffiths will join Anna Claire Beasley, Grahame Jones and Terrell County Sheriff Thaddeus Cleveland on the conservation panel. Cole Altom will moderate the discussion, which will focus on wildlife and preserving the landscape and character of Far West Texas. Dessert and live music will follow. Reservations are available through the events page on Gage Resort’s website.
Big Ben Reporter · Marathon, TX
Nearby: Marathon, TXThe town of Marathon will celebrate the holiday season with its Fiesta de Noche Buena Light Parade on Saturday, Dec. 5, inviting residents, businesses and visitors to participate in a festive procession through the West Texas community. The parade is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. and will feature an assortment of illuminated vehicles, equipment and participants celebrating the Christmas season. Organizers are encouraging broad community participation, welcoming walkers, bicyclists, scooters, four-wheelers, work trucks, excavators, big rigs, vintage cars and horses. The invitation also extends to virtually anything else that can be decorated for the holiday celebration. The event offers residents and local businesses an opportunity to showcase their creativity by decorating vehicles and equipment with Christmas lights and other seasonal decorations.