Wagons East {Store House Market and Eatery}

East Austin Mainstay Takes its Stand in Bastrop

Words Ben Haguewood | Photos Ashley Haguewood

Have you ever thought that “Some day I’m going to get together with my friends, and we’re going to start the business of our dreams?” Well, Chef Sonya Cote did and is now living the dream in the form of Store House Market and Eatery. Of course, it helps to have several decades of experience in the restaurant business, and being married to an organic farmer doesn’t hurt either.

Long-time East Austin residents may know the Sonya from Eden East, Hillside Farmacy, and other ventures that have incorporated great ingredients and great people. This venture is similar, just a little further east in Bastrop. Sonya and her husband David operated Eden East as an urban farm and farm-to-table restaurant for years, leasing three acres of undeveloped land on Springdale Road to grow the fresh produce for the restaurant. Then came the developers. When the property sold out from under them, Sonya and David decided to make a permanent stand, and this time with an ownership stake in the operation.

With a newly renovated storefront located in the oldest building in Bastrop, the property, built in 1836, underwent a transformation that retained the historic character of the original dance hall but with tasteful updates for indoor and outdoor dining. With both the menu and the building’s interior area refreshingly analog, from the house-made sauces, pastas, and dressings to the community record player, it is a welcome respite from the constant churn of the big city.

With farm-to-table becoming a trendy description with a wide definition, the relocated Eden East farm that supplies Store House is unquestionably local. “The farm is right down the road on Main Street,” Sonya notes. She and David have cultivated the land and relationships with local suppliers, like Bastrop Cattle Company and others, to sustain the menu, and the staff include many long-time relationships that give the dining experience an authentic family feel. “I’ve known Chef Herb,” Sonya recalls, “I don’t know, basically forever. And the kitchen staff are mostly locals and even my friend’s daughter.”

The menu seamlessly showcases the quality of the ingredients with each dish, achieving a near perfect balance of freshness and comfort, and the addition of a brunch menu allows the ingredients to shine. The Farm’BQ Benny, for example, is Store House’s ode to Eggs Benedict that could only come from an integrated farm-to-table operation. The lightly smoked vegetables serve as the base of the dish and offer a crunchy counterbalance to the unctuous soft-poached eggs, chili flakes, feta, and hollandaise.

Similarly, familiar dishes like Gulf Shrimp & Grits, Southern Quail, and Steak Ranchero & Eggs are reminiscent of classic brunch options, only better. They are elevated to perfection by the fresh ingredients and Chef Herb’s innovative take on the dish, owing to in-house sauces, jams, and seasonal ingredients. The creativity and freshness extends to the cocktail program as well, incorporating in-season herbs and house-made tinctures and syrups to create a drink menu that similarly balances the rustic and the elegance in each seasonal concoction.

As Austin continues to accelerate in every way, Store House Market and Eatery is a delightful breather, connected and integrated to the seasons and the yields of harvest— a dining experience that is as local as it gets.