A San Antonio chef and coffee shop owner is applying his culinary skills at a new eatery in the Hill Country. Desert Spoon had a March 15 grand opening at Spring Creek Gardens in Spring Branch, north of San Antonio.

Tatu Herrera, who owns two locations of the punk music-inspired Folklores Coffee House in San Antonio — which is currently nominated for Best Coffee Shop in the CultureMap San Antonio Tastemaker Awards — is serving as chef at Desert Spoon. Herrera has more than 20 years of experience as a classically trained chef.

The owners of Spring Creek Gardens, Trever and Merritt Butler, describe the venue as a destination nursery that features a wide variety of perennial, annual, and seasonal plants, plus flowers, trees, vegetables, herbs, shrubs, grasses and garden accessories.

Additionally, the family-owned and operated gardens also include The Shoppe, a boutique with items for the whole family, as well as a weekly vendors market and a monthly event where visitors can sample an array of wines and craft beers.

“Spring Creek Gardens is a destination garden center focused on native plants and expert garden advice with a retail shop full of gifts, home goods, and clothing,” Trever Butler says. “We have 32 bottles of wine on tap, so you are able to grab a glass and walk around our property admiring the views, plants and chickens.”

Desert Spoon is the first permanent eatery at the gardens, where Herrera is curating a menu featuring farm-to-table dishes.

Trever Butler says she and her husband Merritt were introduced to Herrera through their kitchen designer.

“(Herrera) fell in love with our vision, and it quickly became our collective goal to bring The Desert Spoon to life,” Trever Butler says.

Herrera says he immediately liked how Spring Creek Gardens was more than just a nursery, but rather a place where visitors of all ages and backgrounds could hang out, relax and have fun.

“I love the concept and what they want to do,” he adds of the Butlers. “Their goal is to be 85-90 percent sustainable. We’ll grow our own vegetables, fruits, herbs, and other things. It’s not just about having our food locally sourced; it’s about ‘what can we grow on the property?’”

Desert Spoon will offer seated lunch and dinner service five days a week, with a 90-minute closure between lunch and dinner sessions.

Breakfast dishes include French toast with macerated berries, maple syrup, and compound butter; the Greenhouse Bowl with roasted tomato, scramble egg, roasted fingerling potatoes, and charred broccolini, and The Mexican featuring shakshuka, smoky tomato broth, fried egg, queso fresco, roasted potato, and cilantro.

Shareables include a cheese flight with honey, pickled vegetables, and toast points; a roasted beet salad topped with goat cheese, candied pecans and baby arugula; and chicken fried quail accompanied by polenta cakes and sotol honey. Smaller items meant for “grazing” include French fries fried in beef tallow, roasted carrots, and hummus.

Lunch items include a smash burger with a blended Axis venison and bison patty topped with sharp cheddar cheese, red onions and pickles; and a chopped turkey sandwich topped with mortadella, salami, and sweet and spicy pepper.

Dinner will feature braised lamb shank with mushrooms, pearl onions, and gremolata; bone-in ribeye accompanied by herb salad, red onions, and roasted peanuts; and red fish with mae ploy and herb salad.

Desert Spoon will also serve freshly baked pastries and sweets such as pain au chocolat, and chocolate banana espresso muffins. Coffee drinks, such as cortados, cappuccinos, and lattes will be made in house, too.

Although the restaurant will not offer seated dining service Tuesday or Wednesday, there will be counter service from 9 am to 4 pm daily for anyone wanting to get sandwiches, coffee, pastries or beer to go.

Herrera stays busy in San Antonio, where the original Folklores Coffee House recently relocated a short distance within the Government Hill neighborhood on the near East Side. Folklores also recently opened a second location in the Beacon Hill neighborhood north of downtown.

Despite the his demanding schedule, Herrera says he is thrilled about the culinary adventures and challenges that await him in the Hill Country at Desert Spoon.

“I’m super excited and a little nervous. You never know what to expect, but I like taking chances,” he says.

Trever Butler echoed Herrera’s excitement about the new restaurant.

“On top of wanting to create The Desert Spoon and have it be a farm-to-table restaurant, we also want to keep the heart of hospitality that we have been cultivating with Spring Creek Gardens,” she says. “It is paramount to us to provide an atmosphere that we can support our community with. Whether it be celebrating their best days or being there for them on their worst, we aim to provide that for the people of the Hill Country.“