Why Foodies & Restaurateurs Choose Raw
Meet Kaye Askins, Dog Parent to Chicken Hawkins and owner of Best Little Wine and Books, a wine bar, bottle shop, and book nook nestled in the heart of the BBQ capital of America — Lockhart, Texas. She’s fluent in food and drink, good times, good reads, and knows good people (and a good dog) when she sees them. Spend time with her, and you’ll start speaking her love languages — hospitality, education, and high-quality ingredients.
What drew you to living — and owning a business — in a small, yet iconic town like Lockhart?
The first couple times I visited Downtown Lockhart it reminded me so much of the area I’m from in Fort Worth. I was still living in Fort Worth at the time, but commuting to Dallas every day for work and had a pretty intense job, so I felt that natural yearning for a little more community-driven pace of life. The locals I met and made friends with actually recruited me to open a shop here because they saw a need, and two years later we’re here having the time of our lives. I’ve really enjoyed getting the opportunity to be of service to such great people.
Like a good love story, we’d like to know how Chicken chose you or arrived in your life.
It’s a good, old-fashioned Covid love story! I was lonely during quarantine and working pretty insane hours, so I spent my time after work looking at adoptable dogs on PetFinder. Not even exaggerating, I saw his curious little face pop up and his profile said, “Meet Chicken Hawkins!” and I said, “OH MY GOD, that dog’s name is Chicken Hawkins! That’s amazing!” I called Waggin’ Tails Humane Society up in Benbrook as soon as they opened the next morning and they told me his person had to go into a nursing home so he had been surrendered. They already had a family with young kids visit him and it wasn’t a good fit. I didn’t think twice. I took him home that day and he’s been my best little pal ever since.
Chicken is a true shop dog. How would your regulars describe him?
I hear a lot of other very hilarious things about Chicken. Regulars introduce him to their friends visiting for the first time as “The Boss,” “the real Mayor of Lockhart,” “Mr. Baby,” and he definitely is 100% all baby. He’s head of security, moderately petty and skeptical, a “Bon Vivant,” and frequently likened to Master Splinter or Baby Yoda. If he was a character in Cheers, he would be Dr. Frasier Crane. He’s a chill dude who has no tolerance for nonsense, and prefers everything in moderation except for pets & cheese. If you come in here with cheese, you must pay the cheese tax.
I read somewhere that your love languages are hospitality and education — which is perfectly expressed in Best Little Wine and Books. Like wine and food pairings — can you give us a few wine and book pairings to enjoy this summer?
I absolutely love simplifying wine for my guests and finding something they’re excited about without overwhelming them with technical jargon.
For Beginners
If you’re just diving into wine, I recommend Aldo Sohm’s “Wine Simple” paired with whatever is your personal go-to so you get to start learning about the wine you know you already love. Or you can start from the top with Pinot Grigio, which is the first variety he dives into. Via Alpina Pinot Grigio from Friuli is one of my personal favorites, it’s the entry level or second label from a renowned producer Venica & Venica with a very approachable price tag.
For Fellow Foodies
For our industry pals, “Unreasonable Hospitality” by Will Guidara is not about wine, but it is a must-read for everyone working in the service industry. It’s filled with unparalleled lessons about human connection while guests are in our care, creating memories without overspending. Sommelier nerds, don’t worry about spending money on DRC. Treat yourself to an elegant red that you can let breathe and experience over the course of a couple hours while you read, especially by fellow industry leaders, like Patricia Green Cellar’s Ribbon Ridge Estate Old Vine Pinot Noir.
For Everyone
My last rec is a personal one for everyone who just likes to have a good time, which is Cleto Chiarli’s Vecchia Modena Lambrusco di Sorbara paired with “Italian Wine” by Shelley Lindgren & Kate Leahy. This is my “stranded on a deserted island” wine. I throw a huge Lambrusco Fest for it every summer in conjunction with World Lambrusco Day. It is impossible to be unhappy or have a bad time while drinking Lambrusco.
As a hospitality veteran, sommelier, and small business owner — you know good food when you see it. Now add dog parent to the list of roles you play every day — how do you go about choosing food for Chicken?
Choosing food for Chicken has been a challenge because everyone’s recommendations are based on personal experiences, and like people every dog is different and we can’t always communicate our needs in words. It’s a collaborative effort between his vet and me, and now that he’s at the shop with me every day I am way more dialed in to how he’s feeling, if he’s itchy or has hotspots, and what he likes to turn his nose up at, which is a lot of things. He had a pretty serious bout of GI upset last year, so we are really careful now to never give him ultra-processed foods that are packed with salt, sugar, all the stuff we like to eat that’s extremely harmful to the little guys. His favorite snacks are salmon, sliced carrots, and peanut butter, so I look for food and treats with those ingredients in particular and it’s worked out well. Chickie Baby loves Maev’s Anxiety & Calming Supplement Bars.
Anything else you’d like us to know about you and Chicken?
We get a lot of comments about what a good boy Chicken is and how everyone wishes their dog was like him. Chicken and I are not perfect, and it took a long time for us to get in a groove with each other. He refused to walk on a leash, he pottied inside, he did not like anyone but me and had separation anxiety. It’s taken a little over four years, but now we are in a routine he loves, right down to the exact spot he likes to sit at the coffee shop in the morning at his daddy’s bar, Old Pal. If you’re adopting a dog, especially an older one, give them some time to grieve and be really patient while you figure out what that routine looks like for you. Relationships are hard work, and Chicken is literally my best little friend because of the work we put into ours.
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Before you go, don’t miss Mr. Carter’s Smooth Blues Corner …
Another local legend, Mr. Carter, plays blues music at Best Little Wine & Books every Wednesday at 7:30pm (Mr. Carter's Smooth Blues Corner). He is a staple in the shop. Chicken loves him. Out-of-towners can enjoy a set on Spotify.
