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116 CINDA AND ARMANDO PALACIOS City life: Owners, Armandos restaurant in Houston; Mandito's and Lulu's restaurants, Tres Hombres shop, and Armandos Round Top Houses, all in Round Top. In the words of Cinda. Country time: I've been coming here since 1995; Armando discovered Round Top in 1979. Homestead: We moved to this property five years ago. The farmhouse is from the 1930s, on 70 acres. A day in Round Top: Rise at 6:30 am, take the dogs through the woods, have coffee, do pool laps, nap. Armando's schedule is similar, except more exercise. Saturdays, we go to the farmer's market in the town square, then to Yonder Way for yard eggs, which we serve at Mandito's. Then I shop the boutiques. Coffee from Two Sparrows, their roasted beans for cold brew. Lark and Townsend are amazing, and Dapper Deer. Sundays are pool days. Daughter Ali, my right hand at the restaurants, comes over with husband, Frank Donnelly III. He's the best son-in-law, an Eagle Scout. We grill. Armando is the king of roasted chicken. Frank prepares amazing brisket. There's archery, water Olympics, skeet shooting. Our granddaughter. Ruby, who's one-and-a-half, is there. Animals: We only have rescues. Lola the Labrador and Sissy the Chihuahua. The five horses and two donkeys came from Habitat for Horses. The horses are Ike and Tina (Ike rescued during Hurricane Ike), Roper, Topper, and Duchess. The donkeys, Biggie and Smalls. Nook: We're outside at all times. Frank and Ali are doing a honey room, getting into beehives. We're on the walking trails, which are spectacular, and in the woods, which we are reforesting and grooming. For Armando, his man cave is his shop in town, Tres Hombres. It looks like what Ralph Lauren would do with a log cabin. We put all our guests up in town, at the three guest cottages, Armandos Round Top Houses. On antiquing: Armando is the king of finding deals. He only shops during shows — and appears when the dealers first arrive and start unloading. Advice for city slickers: Be nice to the locals. Round Top takeaway: You need to slow down and enjoy each day. Days are long and filled with wonder. As Armando says, "You'll love it." "YOU NEED TO SLOW DOWN AND ENJOY EACH DAY. DAYS ARE LONG AND FILLED WITH WONDER. AS ARMANDO SAYS, 'YOU'LL LOVE IT.'" — Cinda Palacios AS TOLD TO CATHERINE D. ANSPON. PHOTOGRAPHY JENNY ANTILL CLIFTON. "FOR ARMANDO, HIS MAN CAVE IS HIS SHOP IN TOWN, TRES HOMBRES. IT LOOKS LIKE WHAT RALPH LAUREN WOULD DO WITH A LOG CABIN." — Cinda Palacios (continued on page 118) Cinda and Armando Palacios