The Cardinal’s Pantry, one of the first vendors you’ll see upon entering, is well stocked, but even better decorated.
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Posted menus alert visitors of each “country” to “native” delicacies such as coconut shrimp and Peasant Potatoes.
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Posted menus alert visitors of each “country” to “native” delicacies such as coconut shrimp and Peasant Potatoes.
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Ligia Revuelta Giles has been serving her piquant beef empanadas at the Ren Fest for 40 years, never changing the recipe. She had this gown made in her native Bolivia to celebrate 20 years at her favorite place on Earth.
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Ligia Revuelta Giles has been serving her piquant beef empanadas at the Ren Fest for 40 years, never changing the recipe. She had this gown made in her native Bolivia to celebrate 20 years at her favorite place on Earth.
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Of course an angel is overseeing the beauty that is a pulled pork sundae. It’s also served at Giles’ La Fiesta stand.
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Of course an angel is overseeing the beauty that is a pulled pork sundae. It’s also served at Giles’ La Fiesta stand.
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The people you meet at the Ren Fest will likely look something like this.
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Giles also owns the Polish stand, Polonia. A native helper served us this bread bowl filled with sauerkraut stew bigos. Want some pierogi, too? Spring for the combination plate, which includes both.
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Sir Walter Disney was a model for Ren Fest founder George Coulam when he conceived of the event that began in 1974.
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Carts selling beef jerky (get the teriyaki flavor), pickles and Dragon’s Breath (cotton candy) dot the festival’s 55 acres. But our favorite snack was the New World Kettle Corn. (Get it?)
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Perhaps the only giant effigies of souvlaki in Texas. Next year, another building in the Greek village will be converted into an approximation of the Trojan horse.
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Sir Walter Disney was a model for Ren Fest founder George Coulam when he conceived of the event that began in 1974.
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Giles also owns the Polish stand, Polonia. A native helper served us this bread bowl filled with sauerkraut stew bigos. Want some pierogi, too? Spring for the combination plate, which includes both.
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The people you meet at the Ren Fest will likely look something like this.
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At the sit-down cabaret the King’s Feast, serving wenches deliver prime rib, bistecca alla Fiorentina, mead-glazed chicken breast and Black Forest ham.
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At the sit-down cabaret the King’s Feast, serving wenches deliver prime rib, bistecca alla Fiorentina, mead-glazed chicken breast and Black Forest ham.
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Who are we to say there were no pigs in blankets or gyros in Renaissance-era China?
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Perhaps the only giant effigies of souvlaki in Texas. Next year, another building in the Greek village will be converted into an approximation of the Trojan horse.
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Canada native Alex Simeonidis has been in charge of the Greek cuisine at the Ren Fest for 15 years.
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Canada native Alex Simeonidis has been in charge of the Greek cuisine at the Ren Fest for 15 years.
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Carts selling beef jerky (get the teriyaki flavor), pickles and Dragon’s Breath (cotton candy) dot the festival’s 55 acres. But our favorite snack was the New World Kettle Corn. (Get it?)
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Simeonidis also owns fair-style food vendors elsewhere on the property, including Fat Fannies Funnel Cake, which sells deep-fried Oreos, Snickers bars and flaky, honey-laden baklava on a stick.
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The French village is more focused on the New World eats of New Orleans than European dishes. We especially liked the Dragon Meat—fried alligator on a stick.
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Who are we to say there were no pigs in blankets or gyros in Renaissance-era China?
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Our guide also sang the praises of the Musketeer’s Banquet’s muffaletta.
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The French village is more focused on the New World eats of New Orleans than European dishes. We especially liked the Dragon Meat—fried alligator on a stick.
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Simeonidis also owns fair-style food vendors elsewhere on the property, including Fat Fannies Funnel Cake, which sells deep-fried Oreos, Snickers bars and flaky, honey-laden baklava on a stick.
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Our guide also sang the praises of the Musketeer’s Banquet’s muffaletta.
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The Italian Village serves pizza, meat ravioli and spaghetti and meatballs, among other red sauce fare, but the mildly bitter orange sorbet is the way to go.
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The Italian Village serves pizza, meat ravioli and spaghetti and meatballs, among other red sauce fare, but the mildly bitter orange sorbet is the way to go.
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The Cardinal’s Pantry, one of the first vendors you’ll see upon entering, is well stocked, but even better decorated.
Bayou City denizens have lots to say about the fried excess of the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo, but we think it’s time to give a little credit to the Texas Renaissance Festival. The country’s largest Renaissance faire is divided into villages that (loosely) represent cultures from around the world, like the langues of the Knights Hospitaller, to use a contemporary comparison, or the countries of the World Showcase at Epcot, to use one contemporary to us. OK, probably none of the countries included were ever home to pickle popsicles or Sno-cones, but you get the idea.
Above is a survey of some of our favorites, being served through this weekend’s Celtic Christmas ending November 27.
Alice joined Houstonia in November 2015 and has been relishing exploring the city’s vibrant food scene ever since.
She began her journalism career at age 13 with a cult film criticism ’zine. As an adult, stints with WWE Magazine and EatingWell led to her job as senior food writer at Vermont’s alternative newsweekly, Seven Days, in 2008. In that capacity, she became one of the state’s most well-known TV and radio personalities. Her first book, Vermont: An Explorer’s Guide, was published in 2015. Alice has won an AltWeekly Award for Best Food Writing, two Daysies for Best Print/Online Journalist, and two "Top Social Foodie" awards from Burlington Social Media Day.
