Inside The Nicolett in Lubbock, Texas | Bon Appétit

"A fine-dining restaurant in downtown Lubbock led by chef-owner Finn Walter—who trained in kitchens around the world and was assistant pastry chef and chef de partie at the Restaurant at Meadowood when it earned its third Michelin star—celebrates High Plains cuisine through local ingredients like piñon and yucca. The inventive menu applies a Lubbock twist to regional staples with dishes such as elk tartare, yucca topped with caviar, and a green chili pozole, earning the restaurant a spot on BA’s 50 Best New Restaurants of 2022. Housed in a 1920s building that served as an auto garage, an apiary, and a private residence, the space was carefully preserved and reimagined by local designers Jessica Colangelo and Charles Sharpless, who drew a historic cattle brand arch from Texas Tech archives into the logo and architectural motifs (including a central stone fireplace and a wood arch framing the bar). Distinctive details—sun-bleached wood doors, delicate iron roses by the late sculptor Steve Teeters over the awning and window bars, slatted wood screen arches that reveal the original brick, and custom bolo-tie clasps depicting the 1970 tornado by Richie Rosen—help tell the story of the region, while a nearby greenhouse-style private dining room built from old schoolhouse windows offers vine-clad, starry-roofed meals that reinforce the venue’s strong sense of place." - BySam Stone