While star chefs like Dean Fearing, Kent Rathbun and Robert Del Grande continue to break fine-dining boundaries in urban Texas, Maiya Keck is pioneering great culinary escapes in far-west Texas.
The Rhode Island native created her own Texas getaway in 1994, moving to Marfa with a fine arts degree in hand. She found immediate appeal in the correlation between the artistic and the ranching lifestyles.
"Both rely on their own ingenuity without really knowing where each day will lead," she says.
Becoming a restaurateur was not part of her original plan, but upon seeing an opportunity to "introduce fresh food alternatives to our small community," Keck and her husband opened Maiya’s in 2002.
Her "palette to palate" move has been a success on several fronts. As diners continue to embrace her seasonal, Italian-inspired menu, Keck heralds the evolving attitudes toward food across Texas.
"We have such vast agricultural diversity here," she says. "It is inspirational to see eating habits throughout Texas turn more toward support of local and fresh ingredients."
She is especially enthusiastic about Marfa, where she also runs a grocery store.
"In less than a decade, our community has become filled with fresh homemade food alternatives. We can truly be called a Texas culinary escape," she says.