Warrenton Day is a big day (sometimes two or three) for me, so my motto is prioritize! Over the years I’ve finely tuned my W’ton routine, and it starts like this: First stop, Kettle Corn cart. Next stop, Tony McCray’s Rust in Peace booth over in the Zapp Hall area next to Dead People’s Stuff. I think everyone likes Tony so much because, as they say on Project Runway, he has a “unique point of view.” He’s also a super interesting guy to chat with and we all know that dealer charm goes a long way when you’re shopping the show.
Looking at that giant “EAT” word, I’m wondering, “Does anyone I know have a casual commercial design project going on?” An organic comfort food cafe maybe, or a bespoke denim studio? Tony’s booth is just perfect for something down-home-modern: Metallic letters for signage… fun lighting options… mirrors for the entryway or behind the cashwrap… all in multiples and on a nice large scale. If it were my project, I’d probably mix my Rust in Peace with a little Ken Bizell and then keep my eye out for an amazing statement piece or two. What would you do?
Tasty brisket can sometimes lead to the World of Warcraft.
This is not going the way I thought it would. I expected to be writing about the down home family yumminess of this much loved small town Texas BBQ spot. Like The Brisketman has done. And the genius Michael Corcoran. But things have taken a twisty turn, and all because I decided way back in middle school to get contrary and take German instead of French or Spanish.
Huh?
It’s the Zimmerhanzel name. I’m aware of Hans Zimmer, the man who’s composed the music for almost every film you ever saw. But Zimmerhanzel’s a unique word and I wondered what it means in English. The Zimmer part was easy; it’s a common German word meaning “room”. There are all kinds of German Zimmers. Wohnzimmers for living, Hinterzimmers in the back, Arbeitzimmers for working, etc. Zimmer’s also a nice word to say because you pronounce it Tsimmer which is easy and makes you sound oh so German. (Unlike the “ch” in German which is hard and just makes you sound pretentious if you can do it and lame if you can’t.)
But Hanzel was a mystery. Turns out that the primary definition of Hanzel is a little Hans, as in Christian Andersen, or perhaps one of Hans Zimmer’s four children. However… digging a bit deeper down the Google page, I found that, according to exactly one guy in the Urban Dictionary, Hanzel also means someone who has “amassed a large number of groupies in World of Warcraft.” Wow. That’s interesting.
I’m not sure how World of Warcraft works, but judging by the decor at Zimmerhanzel’s it might involve a goodly amount of hunting. Taxidermy and more taxidermy is the decor theme, which makes the place feel busy and full of faces even on a quiet Thursday afternoon. Weekends, when the line stretches from counter to door, the crowds on the walls serve as much appreciated models of patience.
The good news? You've discovered The Crush List. The not so good? I haven't been actively posting here for a few years now, which means the never terribly reliable details about my crushes are even more unreliable. Antique vendors have switched venues, shops in town have moved or passed on, donkeys may or may not be in the same front yards... In spite of the risks of massive misdirection I've left the site up in hopes that it still achieves its goal - to inspire you to visit Round Top for the Antiques Show or any time you have the time.
With that said, I leave you to explore this random list of my very favorite things about my very favorite place. I’ve tried to capture the area’s special pieces and parts. Some are big deal, some are small gestures, some are legendary and some are just tiny pip and squeak.
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