Northern Arizona’s Mountain Living Magazine, July 2020
Written by Gail G. Collins
Despite difficult circumstances, good things still thrive. Like many towns, Prescott has seen its share of hazards, since its founding as the territorial capital of Arizona in 1864. A fire devastated the city in 1900, ravaging the bulk of its wooden Victorian architecture. A dozen hotels and 20 shops were lost. This inspired decisions to replace them with brick, stone and concrete buildings and to pave the dusty streets. Time and time again, it’s been shown resilient people suffer loss and come back stronger. And so it has been for forward-minded businesses in the face of 2020’s havoc on health and economic vitality.
The Barley Hound, an American gastropub celebrating its fifth anniversary, has repositioned itself to bloom and grow.
“It goes without saying that these last few months have been beyond challenging, but it gave us the time we needed to reevaluate who we are and what we can do operationally to create a more functional and enjoyable experience for our guests,” owner Skyler Reeves said.
Located just a few minutes’ walk from historic Whiskey Row in Prescott, the restaurant resides in the rich character of a Victorian home. Its convivial atmosphere says: Come on in and relax with friends. The dog-friendly front garden long beckoned passersby, but the 1,800-square-foot backyard expansion has doubled patio possibilities. Games, like cornhole and ping pong, provide a neighborly feel. A shaded area covers a reimagined living room with communal tables, chandeliers and draping. A bar housed in a shipping container completes the funky scene, suggesting any night is a happy party night. Guests are welcomed back.
“Everyone has had open arms,” Sarah Bauder, general manager, said. “People quizzed us about opening and gave positive feedback.”
Like most other eateries downtown, The Barley Hound is closed on Monday and Tuesday, but opens at 4 p.m. on weekdays, serves lunch and dinner on Saturdays with brunch on Sunday. Hours will expand and seating is currently only outside, but that is ample, and guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are in place to protect staff and customers.
The Barley Hound has been a place for adventurous eating and familiar favorites, like duck fat fries. Hand-cut russet potatoes are fried in duck fat to showcase the flavor before they are scattered with fresh parsley and Malden sea salt flakes for a super savory side, according to co-owner and chef Tony Burris.
Northern Arizona’s Mountain Living Magazine, June 2020
Written by Gail G. Collins
After building a successful brand nut butter brand FBOMB, husband and wife duo Ross and Kara Taylor shifted gears to open their first restaurant , The REAL Kitchen. Expanding on their healthy, high fat snack business, The REAL Kitchen was opened to create clean, quality meals for busy families like themselves. The soft opening, which tested the a la carte menu, had been a happy event. But the restaurant opened its door just five days before Flagstaff’s city-wide shutdown in March to slow the spread of COVID-19, leaving the savvy small business owners a bit blindsided.
“No one expected that, and we are wholly invested—we don’t have financial backers,” Ross explained.
The pandemic instead led the Taylors to focus on one of their secondary goals to keep the restaurant afloat.
“We had planned all along to do heat-at-home meals,” Kara said; it just came into play sooner than they had anticipated.
The restaurant’s heat-at-home meals come as family style dishes, like beef stroganoff, smoky molasses pork tenderloin or custom choices with an array of sides, like quinoa and a solid selection of drinks. The meals also offer a wide selection of drinks from chardonnay and ginger beer to bubbly waters and kombucha.
The benefits in picking up dinner from The REAL Kitchen are convenience of preparation—flash-thawing flat pack boil-in-bags that go to the table in 30 minutes or less—and quality food options with minimal additives and processing. As their Website suggests: Don’t compromise, order online.
“We’re trying to offer value meals for the checkbook squeezed,” Kara said, but there is no skimping on ingredients.
Northern Arizona’s Mountain Living Magazine, June 2020
Written by Gail G. Collins
Finding stories of goodwill during such tentative times has not been difficult as communities have been supporting each other in newfound ways during the COVID-19 pandemic. The people behind these good deeds, however, have proven a little more difficult to pin down. They are busy, making positive strides in any way they can. When they sit down to share stories of comfort and compassion, they talk about others. Jamie Thousand, owner of Satchmo’s BBQ, is fond of saying, “No one loves Flagstaff more than Flagstaff.” That’s a strong statement about the real character of our mountain community.
Like many of his fellow small business owners, he received endless encouragement from others in the midst of lockdown. Weekly customers, who had forgone logging into Yelp when business was thriving, wrote rave reviews and hopeful messages.
“There has been a challenge around every corner and curve balls thrown at us,” Thousand said, “and we adapt as quickly as possible.”
With owners nowhere near in the clear yet, and the hopeful summer boom ahead, the waters are uncharted. Planning is tenuous and preparation is dynamic. More processes, more space, but less confidence.
Along the way, Zoom conference calls and text strands buoyed and informed restauranteurs. State, city and chamber members exchanged ideas on how to interpret loose re-opening guidelines and implement safe practices, like face shields over face masks to counter asthma or a hearing deficit to continue lip reading. Scores of accepted human behaviors no one had previously second-guessed needed to be considered, such as the potential risks of a self-serve soda station.
John Conley, owner of Salsa Brava and Fats Olives, coordinated a multi-party Zoom call to share ideas and exchange information on new protocols. Tinderbox Kitchen’s Kevin Heinonen, Oregano’s David Kennedy and Thousand began a discussion of vital topics, among those the issue of liability.
“Never before in my 32 years of cooking in this amazing mountain town have I witnessed such unification, a fellowship of sorts,” Conley said, “where restaurants united and embraced one another, when a true sense of ‘no one is left behind’ prevailed.”
Northern Arizona’s Mountain Living Magazine, May 2020
Written by Gail G. Collins
uality vendors plus the Sedona red rocks made Massachusetts couple Kathryn and Thomas’ destination wedding a memorable one in all the best ways—especially where food was concerned. From Kathryn’s first correspondence with personal chef Laura Chamberlin, the bride-to-be was impressed with her comprehensive, customer-oriented style.
“Laura is an absolute artist,” she wrote. “Her food is fresh, clean, accessible, beautiful, tasty and satisfying.”
Chamberlin has the flexibility to cater weddings with up to 250 guests, but she prefers intimate gatherings, set in unique landscapes, like that of the Grand Canyon or Organ Pipe National Monument.
“It is a fascinating challenge,” she said enthusiastically. “I enjoy helping clientele bring a wedding outdoors in a beautiful wilderness setting.”
The Arizona native is uniquely qualified, boasting positions as a Grand Canyon river guide and food manager for Canyon Explorations on her resume. The extensive details of operating a mobile outdoor kitchen are second nature to her.
The services of a personal chef are broad. Are you renting a vacation home for the family and prefer to focus on touring instead of cooking? Hire a personal chef to shop for the goods, prep the meal, clean up and stock leftovers. Celebrating a landmark birthday? A personal chef can assemble the food in a commercial kitchen or on site and clear it all away, so your only job is to blow out the candles. Want to instill some cooking basics in your teens? Call on a personal chef to discuss meal planning, teach skills and offer tips.
“I love the creative aspect and interacting with people,” Chamberlin said. “I can curtail the meal to dietary restrictions, tastes and consult as to allergies and so on to provide what they want.”
At first consideration, one might assume the price of hiring a chef out of reach, but consider the time saved, restaurant bills of feeding a crowd, tips, drinks—suddenly, a catered meal with no dirty dishes is attractive and economical. Chamberlin offers two pricing categories, which can include the cost of food, a weekly rate, plus a low and high end with built-in maximum amenities.
“I can offer a quick estimate, and people are pleasantly surprised by the cost affordability,” she said.
Northern Arizona’s Mountain Living Magazine, April 2020
Written by Gail G. Collins
On the best days, running a small business incurs risks and rewards. Staff often becomes family, but they also may steal from you. Job satisfaction soars, but there are funding challenges. The early years are tenuous, but on the other side, owners are better off financially than employees. And although small business hours can entangle personal lives, they also offer the greatest flexibility. Overall, despite the risks, a majority of Americans prefer the rewards of being in business for oneself to working for someone else.
Then, there are the worst days. COVID-19 came without warning, causing financial and health reverberations throughout communities across our nation and abroad. Tough times.
As this health crisis proved, even with planning, foresight and innovation, things can turn on a dime. An owner’s dime. Tenacity certainly comes to bear when times get tough.
Enter Mr. Tenacity, Bob Verderame, supported and admired by local lovers of Italian food. With 20 years in food service—outside a short stint in a tattoo parlor—he knows his way around a kitchen and a pot of red gravy, as he refers to sauce.
“I stick to tradition—old school—no corners cut,” said Verderame. “Maintaining that consistency drives me.”
He learned his skills from Palermo Sicilians, who worked tirelessly. He had cooked for huge family groups throughout his life, so at 50 years old, the self-taught chef offered his recipes to Flagstaff.
Verderame has endured more setbacks than his legacy spaghetti and meatballs deserve. His original modest endeavor, Il Rosso Italiane, opened in 2014, but unexpectedly lost its lease in contractual fine print that razed the building to make way for the Marriott Hotel. Undeterred and without an oven, Verderame kept a pop-up presence in Sosoba on Mondays for ten months. There, he plotted his reinvention. Pushing past onerous details, he put it all on the line to open Il Rosso Pizzeria & Bar on Heritage Square in 2017.
“It’s not a 9 to 5 job—40 hours, you’re done. It’s 60-plus hours of cooking a week, not marketing, not planning, not books or scheduling,” said Verderame without a hint of regret. He also quickly credits his “kick ass” staff for their support in managing the front and back of the house. “My crew is the best in the world—we’re family here.”
Verderame built that loyalty, like most owners, because there are no small jobs. He washes dishes, too, but his time is better spent elsewhere, crafting his grandmother’s gravy and Pop’s cheesecake. One Verderame tweaked; the other is a no-no, perfect as it is.
His Paterson, New Jersey roots by way of Italy create the niche appeal of a corner tavern. East Coast transplants know you can’t fake that. With scratch sauce and ricotta, Boar’s Head premium meats and bread baked daily, the earnestness shows. Verderame takes the time it takes. “We do it the hard way in attention to detail—I hope it sets me apart.”
“There are a hundred different ways to do spaghetti and meatballs, so you have to work hard to rise to the top,” he said. “It’s simple, wholesome food.”
Our inclination toward a good thing is to enjoy and preserve
it. For four decades, that’s been the case as coffee lovers consistently crowd
Macy’s European Coffee House and Bakery, south of the tracks in downtown
Flagstaff. The town’s first roaster and coffee house opened in 1980, and many
who came to love it as students at Northern Arizona University are happy to see
it just as they remember it all those years ago.
Owner Tim Macy, who prefers the term caretaker, feels that
timelessness is part of the coffee shop’s intrinsic charm.
“Everyone is welcome in a spirit of unity—treated with
respect and love,” he says. “Macy’s is a microcosm of what the world will be
one day.”
With an easy smile, he then quips, “I got lucky—people loved
Macy’s.”
It was more than luck; it was knowledge, determination and
firm principles that propelled Macy’s idea to open a coffee house. It was also
a man named Carl Diedrich, a German who had—after fighting at the Battle of the
Bulge, marrying into a family coffee, tea and cocoa business, studying the
coffee industry in Naples, Italy, and purchasing a coffee plantation in
Guatemala—built a retail coffee business from his garage with a hand-fabricated
roaster. Macy was inspired to learn from the innovator and self-taught man but
initially struggled to reach him. Finally, he convinced Diedrich to teach him
the trade when he showed up at his strip mall shop in Costa Mesa, California.
“Once a week, I would buy a pound of the best coffee I’d
ever had in my life and hang around to learn the business,” Macy says.
Following what became a three-year mentorship, Macy chose to
open his own shop in Flagstaff because of its college setting and great
potential. He bought equipment and rented the space where Middle Earth Bakery
had been. His first roaster, hand-built by Diedrich’s son, took center stage in
the front window. In February 1980, with little more than a penny left to his
name, Macy opened his doors.
At this point, Macy needed to educate the public about
coffee. At the time, 99 percent of the best coffee was imported to Europe with
a paltry amount making its way to the U.S. Macy would change that by serving
50-cent espressos and classy cappuccinos. People were captivated by the aroma
of coffee roasting. It even caused a stir with the local fire department.
“For the first year, every few weeks, the fire department
showed up, thinking there was a problem,” Macy recalls.
Diedrich supplied the coffeehouse with beans for 10 years
before Macy began an alliance with Erna Knutsen. The “godmother of specialty
coffee,” as she was known, traveled the world, reinvesting locally and
promoting growers’ schools long before the advent of the fair-trade trend.
Knutsen won the Specialty Coffee Association of America’s Lifetime Achievement
Award in 1991, and was again honored as a founder of the specialty coffee
industry in 2014. Today, Macy works with small-source farms, paying above
fair-trade prices.
For
all those reasons, Macy assures, “Now in Flagstaff, we have the best coffee in
the world. You can find a similar product, but nothing better.”
Macy’s has long thrived on rare relationships. Early on, a gal applied for work at the coffee shop. As incentive, the budding artist flashed a sketch of a person, soaking in a cup of coffee bliss, drawn on a napkin. The student had limited availability so couldn’t be hired, but Macy paid her for the sketch, dubbed “the ultimate cup,” which became the shop’s logo.
Northern Arizona’s
Mountain Living Magazine, January 2020
Written by Gail G.
Collins
When engineer Jonathan Netzky set his sights on invention,
things turned delicious. The founder of NexVeg has evolved and refined his
meatless protein alternative more than 200 times and has found a slot on many
menus in Flagstaff. At Diablo Burger, version #48 was dubbed the Netzky Burger
and became a favorite. Their server points to any combination of toppings and
sauces that complement, not mask, the burger.
The Southwest spiced, smoky patty’s base ingredient is
indigenous Arizona tepary beans. The beans have been grown in our arid climate
for centuries and deliver supreme nutrition.
There is always one friend in a crowd with vegetarian or
vegan needs, and Diablo wanted to provide a tasty burger for them, too.
“We are making something no one else makes and can deliver
it to your door with a quality no one else can match,” Netzky said.
Did you know that most veggie burgers out there rarely
contain vegetables at all?
There are two approaches to meatless protein. One attempts
to duplicate the taste and textures of animal products. The other gathers
significant protein sources for the nutrition label, but generally, both
contain highly processed ingredients like protein isolates, caramel color and
carrageenan. In the end, such “burgers” are chemical emulsions relying on
refined oils as two of the top three ingredients—all to mimic the satiation of
beef, but they build an unhealthy burger.
Netzky, however, didn’t adopt the same mindset as other
meatless protein producers.
“Is there a whole-food option that respects whole-food
responsibility?” he asked. “Health is the common denominator for those seeking
plant-based foods.”
The aim of NexVeg is to deliver on the promise of truthful,
nutritious and convenient whole-food eating. It begins with legumes, which
are important in the control and prevention of metabolic diseases, such as
colon cancer and diabetes. In 2016, renewed interest in NexVeg’s viability was
reported by the Journal of Nutrition & Food Sciences.
NexVeg doesn’t promote an appetite for animal textures, but
utilizes whole foods and light processing to create authentic plant-based foods
with natural flavors and nutritional benefits. The product line begins with
tepary or black beans, or a combination of hemp, pumpkin and sunflower kernels
for a product rich in omega fats, fiber, iron and Vitamins A and C.
“There is no better complete protein source than these top-notch ingredients,” Netzky said.
Northern Arizona’s
Mountain Living Magazine, December 2019
Written by Gail G.
Collins
A sophisticated couple sat at a patio table with their eyes fixed on the fiery glow of Sedona’s red rocks, bathed in golden light. No words passed between them. A stacked stone water feature nearby spilled over, drops sparkling. From the patio, a path wandered down to the edge of Oak Creek, luring guests to enjoy its solitude and natural beauty. A waiter quietly appeared and served the couple colorful dishes of branzino fillet and Iberico chorizo with roasted heirloom tomatoes on a swirl of charred avocado, roasted fennel fronds and citrus salad.
This combination of inventive, complex and complementary
ingredients in a landmark locale draws diners to SaltRock Southwest Kitchen. As
part of Amara Resort and Spa, the restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and
dinner, and boasts a distinguished craft cocktail bar. The intimate boutique
hotel offers 100 spacious rooms and suites, mixing modern amenities with a
relaxed, yet refined, lifestyle. Though guests are only steps from the bustling
pleasures of upscale shopping and tourism, the lush gardens and creek feel a
world away.
SaltRock opened in 2014, and with the arrival of Chef
Lindsey Dale in February, its menu received a chic revamp. The celebrated
eatery showcases fresh, light, seasonal dishes enhanced by Southwestern flair
and a California sensibility.
“Native ingredients have been wonderful to explore and learn
to use in interesting ways,” said Chef Dale. “Tepary beans, cholla and juniper
are new to me.”
The Syracuse, New York, transplant came to Arizona five
years ago. With a background in family baking and serious training from the
Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, Dale is pursuing her passions in
Sedona.
Her plan is to put SaltRock on the foodie map, “a food destination in a relaxed atmosphere among the red rocks,” she said.
On a trip to Uruguay, I strolled the streets of Montevideo
and followed my nose to a late dinner. Through the glass of a classy restaurant,
their parrilla tempted other passers-by.
Flames licked up the oven’s sides, with wood piled nearby to feed a bank of
glowing coals. Racks of ribs, chorizo, chicken, and of course, beef slowly
cooked on the enormous grill. The server suggested a local bottle of Tanat to
accompany a sample platter of meats. Grass-fed beef, never touched by fire, is
uniquely flavorful. Even in this fine setting, barbecue, or asado, is the
choice of discerning diners.
Latin
America stretches from Mexico’s northern border to Argentina, where the gaucho
grill originated. Hospitality and warmth are the peoples’ hallmark and extend
to their sensual dancing and zesty cuisine. Drawing on European influences from
Spain and Portugal, and infused with wider inspiration, diverse and colorful
recipes emerged. Bright, bold tastes result from fresh ingredients, like
cilantro, lime, poblano peppers, and sazón, a traditional
seasoning of annatto, garlic, cumin, coriander, black pepper and oregano. In
2017, Technomic’s Flavor report found that 68 percent
of American diners rate Mexican food as their second favorite cuisine. The
versatility of flavors satisfies the adventurous with empanadas, ceviche and
tamales.
Such experiences drove owners Paul and
Laura Moir to open Criollo in 2009. “We loved Latin food,” he said. “Laura had
broadly traveled Latin America, and our family regularly went to Guadalajara.
Criollo was unique for Flagstaff at the time.”
The menu began
with tapas, but evolved following customer tastes. The dishes change
seasonally, but items, like bacon nachos and taco plates, are firmly fixed per
customer feedback. The couple even courted over nachos, confessed Moir, making
them a staple in which the owners enjoy seeing other people indulge.
The Happy Hour menu
has expanded to 15-20 choices, offering quality food at bargain prices. Six
street tacos top the list. The fish taco—beer-battered catfish with a zippy ancho
crema and cabbage— leads, but order a sampler to include the al
pastor—slow-cooked pork shoulder with pineapple guajillo, clove and cinnamon, plus
cilantro crema—and a chorizo cauliflower taco with pickled red onion, aioli and
guacamole. Queso? Of courso. Especially delicious is the fundido with Oaxacan
and jack cheeses layered with caramelized onion and poblano pepper, garlic
confit and black beans. The hour is happier with a classic margarita or a
choice of revolving flavors, like prickly pear or guava. Think tropical with a
Pineapple Express, mixing mescal with juice, green chartreuse, lime, blood
orange bitters and agave—summertime, anytime.
To reassess their
aims, Moir and staff recently explored anew what “criollo” means. Literally, it
refers to a person of true Spanish descent from Central America. For Moir, it
extends to the pride and far reach of influences, such as the Caribbean or
Peru’s Asian impacts, through migration.
Executive chef
Jay Felton increased the vegetable dishes on the menu—for example, snap peas
and soy flavors are pulled from Peru. He runs a scratch kitchen of sauces,
dressings, chorizo and more. Tortillas are local as is the produce from
McClendon Farms. The protein is supplied via Moir’s butchery, Proper Meats +
Provisions, which aims to act as a wholesale supplier, giving diners all the
more reason to try the steak plate.
The skirt steak
is charred and tender atop smoked potatoes with a chimichurri sauce of garlic,
oregano and cilantro, plus roasted corn salad and blistered shishito peppers
for hearty plate of tastes. No less indulgent is the barbacoa flauta, stuffed
with chuck beef braised with onion, oregano and apple cider vinegar with potato,
fresh aioli coleslaw and smashed avocado.
Close out the
meal with a Basque-style churro, sandwiching horchata ice cream and rolled in
cocoa nibs for a creamy, passionate, Latin nibble.
Keeping things
lively for chefs and clients this year, Moir introduced the Burger Battle. For
eight Sundays, two chefs went head-to-head, crafting their best burgers. Guests
voted for their favorite and raised money for a charity of the winner’s
choosing.
“Everyone in the
industry is so busy running around with their hair on fire,” said Moir. “This
presented a great opportunity and a good cause for them.”
In the end, diner
loyalty builds successes, like Criollo.
“We are downtown, urban, local and casual fun in the center of it all,” said Moir. “We’re 10 years in, and we keep getting better.” NAMLM
With nearly half a
century of experience logged between them, Jim Williams and Greg Hirsch allied in
2001 to begin building custom homes in Hill Country. “At first, we built what
customers asked for—big, rambling, Mediterranean-style homes.
“At the time, these type of homes were in style,” said Jim
Williams. “Then seven or eight years ago, we got the opportunity to build specs
houses, so we studied and began building nicely-appointed Craftsman style homes.
We were immediately drawn to this style of home.” It would appear, a vast
number of residents were drawn to them, too, as the popular Craftsman style has
become synonymous with the area.
The partners also had done a lot of remodeling around San
Antonio, particularly Alamo Heights and Terrell Hills. They adored the
bungalows in those mature neighborhoods, but even with updating, the old homes
often lacked efficient plumbing, insulation and didn’t meet other current standards.
So, Williams-Hirsch (W/H) designed a better version. “We build homes with all
modern features, which fit into established, traditional neighborhoods,” said Greg
Hirsch. Their custom Craftsman homes possess every contemporary function, yet
project a timeless, irresistible curb appeal.
Though
the W/H constructs other styles, such as ranch, Mediterranean, farmhouse or
contemporary in various communities, people come to them for their appealing Craftsman
models. “If it is up to us, we choose to build a Craftsman cottage,” said Hirsch.
So what defines a W/H Craftsman style? The simpler, less pretentious
home is characterized by a low-pitched, gabled roof with broad eaves and stands
one-and-a-half stories with dormers. Craftsman plans could include a large,
covered porch with battered columns draws guests to the door and invites them to
stay awhile. Pillars line the entry. A prominent fireplace, flanked by fitted
cabinetry, defines the living area. Windows are double-hung. Wood abounds in
exposed rafters, built-in cupboards, nooks and window seats. Hammered metalwork
in copper or bronze adds fine detailing.
The modest bungalows exude comfort and a productive
lifestyle. They are both beautiful and functional—rife in textural, local
materials with a high degree of craftsmanship. It is their fine details, which
sets a Craftsman house apart, for though all Craftsman houses are bungalows,
not all bungalows are Craftsman style.
It is just such aspects that have sold home buyers on
Williams-Hirsch designs. The company offers eight Craftsman Cottage models.
Buyers delight in the “custom designs within a budget,” “the functionality of a
new home with the charm of an older home,” and “capturing unique architectural
elements.” Utilizing Pam Williams for her interior design skills, the family
team goes the extra mile with quality materials and workmanship.
Both Williams and Hirsch are Texas A & M grads. As a
former Vietnam helicopter pilot, president Jim Williams then tacked on 25 years
of experience building custom homes. He is married with three children and six
grandchildren.
Vice president and co-partner Greg Hirsch is a knowledgeable
site superintendent with 25 years invested in project management plus quality
assessment and customer service. Hirsch works on architectural design alongside
W/H designers.
“We collaborate on the design process,” said Hirsch. “It’s a
team effort, and we stay with the plans until everyone is satisfied with the
result.”
According to their Website, their customers share one
thing—the desire for something more than the existing choices in custom homes. The
company works closely with clients, taking into account their lifestyle, tastes
and needs every step of the way from design to completion.
The builder hires third-parties to assure inspection
standards, including energy testing, framing and more. “From a construction
standpoint, we engineer everything we do,” said Hirsch. Williams-Hirsch is
certified in many areas to incorporate science, efficiency and air quality into
the overall construction.
The company also has erected commercial buildings, such as
the Candlewood Suites Hotel, dentist offices, churches and a bar, as well as
mixed-use projects. With an aim of blending the building into community spaces,
Williams said, “Our products are designed to fit in well.”
Their awards reflect this goal as Herald-Zeitung readers voted Williams-Hirsch Best Homebuilder and
among the Best General Contractors for 2019. Equally conscious as regards
efficiency, they rank as a Certified Green Builder, Smart Energy Builder,
Energy Star Builder, a Premier Partner with CPS Energy, San Antonio
Sustainability winner for 2015 and 2016, as well as winning the Build San Antonio
Green Award for Single Family Development in 2017. Additionally, the builder
holds designations as Certified Graduate Builder, Master Builder and with the Certified
Professional Building Performance Institute. Perhaps, most cherished is the recognition
for Infill Development Focused on Community and Historic Character.
“Importantly, our homes look great and function well,” said Hirsch.
They guide clients in green decisions, where practical innovation and technology
provide a return on the long-term investment. “After moving into their new
homes, clients call, excited with their lower utility bills.”
Word of mouth advertising and repeat business mean the most
to any business. “We say what we mean and back it up,” said W/H. The builders
simply treat their clients the way they desire to be treated. As a result, they
have built more than one home for the same family.
The attraction to the Craftsman style is enduring, and Williams-Hirsch
builds them for longstanding value. “When a family builds with us, we want
their grandchildren to enjoy the benefits of that home one day as well,” said Williams.
NBLM
To learn more about
Williams-Hirsch Custom Builders, log into their Website: wwwlwilliamshirsch.com
