Folks who live in Lantana have plenty of convenient choices for shopping and dining.
For groceries and everyday needs, HEB is about 5 minutes from home and a popular choice. In less than 10 minutes, Lantana shoppers can bring their list to the 70-acre, 365,000-square-foot Shops at Arbor Trails, a two-time recipient of the “Best Real Estate” Award from the Austin Business Journal. Arbor Trails features more than 30 stores and businesses including Pure Bikram Yoga, Costco, Healthy Pet, Staples, The Dental Centre, Lane Chiropractic, among others, as well as 10 restaurants.
Locals also flock to the 40,000-square-foot Whole Foods at Arbor Trails, which in addition to its wide variety of fresh, organic groceries, hosts movie nights, local brewery tastings, live music, and kids’ cooking classes. Culinary lovers can also browse Mandola’s Italian Market for their vast array of imported products.
In addition, there are six large shopping centers within a 10- to 15-minute drive, including the Village at Westlake, Southpark Meadows, Escarpment Village, Barton Creek Square Mall, the Hill Country Galleria and Sunset Valley Market Fair. Together, these retail centers include over 500 stores and restaurants.
Fine Dining with a Texas Twist
Just a few minutes away, Jack Allen’s Kitchen is a popular destination for Lantana diners looking for a locally owned, top-quality fine-dining experience with a distinct Texas twist. Jack Allen’s is centered on Southern-inspired dishes with an infusion of southwestern flavors to create plates that are both intriguing and comforting. The restaurant is devoted to sourcing its ingredients from vendors close to home. The vast majority of ingredients in every dish are from within the state of Texas.
Texas-centric specials vary to take advantage of the freshest local produce while creating dishes that suit the changing Texas seasons. Every meal begins with the restaurant’s complementary — and surprisingly upscale — twist on pimento cheese served with flatbread crackers.
Frequent diners at Jack Allen’s Kitchen recommend first considering one of the unique daily specials, but also insist you can’t go wrong with something from the “Chicken Fried Anything” options — especially the chicken-fried New York Strip steak, one of the South Texas Taco Platters (such as the popular and inventive chile, mango, and shrimp taco), or any of Jack Allen’s excellent gourmet burgers. Desserts, which are created daily in-house, also come highly recommended. And don’t forget to check out Jack Allen’s famous Sunday brunch, featuring fresh, tasty mimosas and an extensive buffet and drawing diners from all over the area.
Two More Local Foodie Favorites
Another popular local restaurant, Thai Taste, serves inexpensive but addictively delicious Thai food in a modest setting. Regulars recommend the Tom Kha Soup — coconut milk soup with chicken flavored with galangal, lemon grass, and kaffir lime leaves and spiked with spicy hot chilies. The traditional Thai curries are also very popular, as is the Pad Thai.
Specialties of the house include intriguing and delicious dishes such as Gang Phed Pen Yang – grilled duck breast with coconut milk, fresh tomato, pineapple, and Thai basil. It’s easy to fill up on the delicious appetizers, soups, and entrees, but it’s worth saving a little room for the virtually irresistible desserts such as sticky rice with mango or fried bananas with honey.
Verona Ristorante Italiano is nondescript from the outside, but locals know inside it is a charming, romantic, and intimate Italian restaurant serving top-quality Italian dishes. Verona elevates classic, sometimes rustic dining traditions by approaching each dish with care, creativity, and an abiding respect for the ingredients.
Many of the dishes are familiar, for instance the Calamari Fritti, Caesar Salad, and a selection of pasta-based dishes including ravioli, lasagna, and tortellini. But the restaurant also serves entrees such as the very popular Scallopini di Verona — veal cutlets with capers, garlic, and mushrooms in a light white wine sauce and a variety of fish and chicken dishes. Lantana homeowners love Verona, whether for for a date-night getaway or just a delicious lunch with co-workers.