Bell House brings building flavorful new act

The property at 300 River Road has had a lot of lives over the decades.

It was once a private residence and a snow cone shack. There was a florist at one time. Most recently it was a thrift store.

Today, it’s known as The Bell House and it’s still many things: an overnight get-away, a cooking school and a venue for wedding receptions and other smaller events.

“We bought this place with the idea of remodeling it,” says Tracy Levinson, who, along with her husband Bruce Levinson, owns The Bell House. “We walked in the front door and knew it would be perfect. We had a feeling we had never had before.”

Adds Bruce: “We wanted somewhere to live and be able to generate revenue at the same time.”

So began the 18-month process of remodeling the old property.

Modern kitchen

The wall where used books were displayed in the old Wimberley Village Thrift Store is now a modern kitchen, gleaming white and filled with the latest stainless steel appliances. When the Levinsons bought the property in 2018 they were surprised to find donated shoes left behind in the thrift store’s drop-off box.

The window where customers drove up to get snow cones is now a hallway that connects the great room and the Levinson’s bedrooms.

A lot has changed. Large, clear rollup doors allow the dining area to open up to the outside. There’s a state-of-the-art speaker system throughout the structure.

“When we built this we wanted to keep the integrity of the buildings, to honor its history. So we kept the same footprint,” says Bruce, who works remotely for the E.W. Scripps television network. Scripps networks include ION, Bounce and Court TV.

The couple moved here in 2018 from Colleyville near Dallas and rented a place on Flite Acres Road. It was then Tracy, an interior designer, went to work.

As construction projects are known to do, The Bell House took longer than the anticipated year to complete.

The couple loved the location at 300 River Road. It’s across the street from the Leaning Pear restaurant and a short walk to the Wimberley Square.

The crown jewel of The Bell House’s offerings is the chef cooking series which runs from mid-February to early December.

Ten chefs have been invited to prepare a meal, share their knowledge and sit down to enjoy their creations with 20 or so guests.

The chefs are varied. Some are local and some are nationally known.

The first class features Damian Mandola, who started the Carrabba’s Italian Grill chain in 1986. Carrabba’s now has more than 200 restaurants scattered around the country. These days, Chef Damian runs Trattoria Lisina in Driftwood. Not surprisingly, pasta is his thing.

Local chefs in the series include:

— Rachael Emry, who graduated from Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Academy in 2004. She now runs Blanco Brew here in Wimberley and her specialty is baking and pastries.

— Mark Grimes, who is soon opening the new Wimberley Supper Club. Chef Mark has 30 years of experience in the food-service industry — including being corporate chef for the Disney Company — and has opened dozens of restaurants over the years.

— Ryan Hildebrand, who is well known in the Houston restaurant scene, is soon opening Hildee’s Dine-Inn on Winters Mill Parkway. Chef Ryan’s area of expertise is Hill Country cuisine and Southern dishes.

If you have watched the TV show “Top Chef” you might remember Chef CJ Jacobsen. Chef CJ’s cooking has a distinct seasonal flair and his class will focus on Mediterranean dishes.

Other classes will center on Southern cooking with a French twist, healthy food, Mexican cuisine, and baking.

Chefs are the star

The guest chef will run the show. “This is not a structured format. We just want to let the chef do what they do so well,” says Tracy. “This is not a place to come and get a meal. It’s a place to learn some techniques that you can take home.”

The cost of each class is $125. A couple of the classes are already sold out. For more information or to buy tickets, visit The Bell House website.

The Bell House — Bell is Tracy’s maiden name — can also host events such as wedding showers, small receptions and parties for up to 40 people.

The sign out front says the venue is for private events, but the Levinsons still get a few folks knocking at the door wanting to order a meal.

The Bell House has one room to rent that goes for $215 a night, plus a cleaning fee.

The couple is loving their new life in Wimberley. “This is our forever home,” says Tracy. “We don’t plan on going anywhere.”

More information is available on The Bell House website at www.thebellhousewimberley.com or you can call 817-776-3045.