My spouse and I found a jewel of a place in Central Texas this past weekend. The source of all knowledge is the beauty shop where we heard of this old home in McGregor, Texas where a couple will serve a delicious meal to a party of between 6 and 50 people. It’s located in this old historic Mansion on the outskirts of town. We arranged a birthday party for my spouse that included the kids and grandkids. I simply can’t describe what a good time we had and how unique the entire experience was.

This old home is called the Mansion and was built in 1892 by a farmer and entrepreneur who was prominent in the growth and development of McGregor. It was made of native stone from a quarry near Pat Neff Park. The current owners remolded the place in 1993 and have filled it with all sorts of collectibles. It is stuffed full of every imaginable antique and some look like they came from a flea market. The emphasis is on the American Presidents. There is a nice little library filled with volumes about the Presidents and there are many pictures of every President decorating the walls. The gentleman who owns and operates the place with his wife is retired and worked in Washington with every President, starting with Nixon. He has first hand knowledge of the Presidents since Nixon, and although he tries to keep the place apolitical there is little doubt, after a brief interview, who he thinks were the best.

The wife is an incredible hostess and a superb chef. Every little touch of eloquence graced the table and we felt as if we were at a White House Dinner. They only entertain one party at a time, so we had free run of the house. The grandkids entertained us with their string instruments and a President has never experienced anything so grand at one of his state dinners. When we arrived, we were greeted with a refreshing nonalcoholic drink. We sipped on this brew while touring the house. Next was the Mansion Salad followed by a meal of pecan roasted chicken complimented by Driskill Potatoes and Green Beans Adolphus. The Mansion baked rolls melted in your mouth and the tea was a special brew of sweet tea laced with vanilla and almond extract. It was all topped off with hummingbird cake.

It was even worth leaving the porch for an experience like that. I felt as if I had stepped back into a simpler and more eloquent time and for a while was dining with the Presidents. We are going again.