Less than 5 minutes from Spanish Oaks, the Hill Country Galleria is an outdoor regional shopping mall featuring more than 20 restaurants and 80 stores. Some of the most popular retailers include Banana Republic, Chico’s, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Dillard’s, Eddie Bauer, Relax the Back, Soma Intimates, and Victoria’s Secret, as well as White House Black Market, American Eagle Outfitters, and many other popular beauty, accessory and clothing boutiques.
Local foodies and health enthusiasts flock to the Whole Foods Market in the Galleria to find the best organic produce, meats, and other groceries and daily needs. A few of the more popular restaurants in the Galleria include All Star Burger, Amy’s Ice Cream, Buenos Aires Café, Iron Cactus Mexican Grill & Margarita Bar, Jamba Juice, Jersey Mike’s Subs, Madam Mam’s Thai Cuisine, Mimi’s Café, Panera Bread, Schmidt Family Barbecue, Tadashi Sushi, and Tony C’s Coal Fired Pizza, among others.
More than just retail shopping and dining, the Galleria is home to a small outdoor amphitheater that hosts local musicians for an ongoing all-ages concert series the entire family can enjoy. There is also a Cinemark theater, as well as offices, apartments, condominiums, and 50 acres of green space.
In addition, three major shopping malls — Barton Creek Square Mall, The Shops at Arbor Trails, and the Villages at Westlake —are all within a 15- to 20-minute drive. Together they feature more than 250 stores and restaurants.
Fine Wine, Fine Food
The ever-popular Grove Wine Bar & Kitchen’s newest location in Westlake carries on with the class, atmosphere, fine wines, and delicious food that have made the original location such a hit. The atmosphere is relaxed, the food and wine are superb, and the service is crisp and efficient.
Frequent diners recommend Reed’s Salad — mixed field greens garnished with caramelized pecans and feta cheese, tossed in honey balsamic vinaigrette. They also praise the delicious fried calamari. Other popular entrees include the Filet Oscar, a tender eight-ounce peppercorn filet topped with lump crab and hollandaise, served with grilled asparagus and a twice-baked potato. Another favorite among regulars is the seared miso-glazed sea bass, with tamari-sherry broth, sesame, garlic, spinach, shitake mushrooms and pickled ginger. The wine bar features inventive and fun flights of wine that help patrons explore and discover new tastes. And there are plenty of patio dining and beautiful views from both the outdoor tables and inside the dining room.
Another favorite of local foodies, Plate By Dzintra cooks only with fresh, u
nprocessed ingredients and creates everything they put on their plates from scratch. Everything is made in-house with classical techniques. A graduate of the Cordon Bleu in Paris, founder and head chef Dzintra Dzenis earned a Grand Diplôme signifying her mastery of both cuisine and pastry techniques. And the classical training shows on each and every plate that comes from her kitchen. The close attention and care paid to even the smallest details makes dining here an experience difficult to find anywhere else. The menu changes week by week according to what products are best at market. Frequent diners say it is consistently fabulous.