From Backroads to Bread Loaves

The Wonder Behind Oakwood’s Market Shelves

If you know me, you know I don’t do basic. And when it comes to curating products for Oakwood Public Market, I’m not just stocking shelves — I’m building an ecosystem.

Last week, I took a long, dry drive through the Hill Country, past fields dotted with mesquite and the occasional donkey, to visit a rancher who raises ducks so carefully you’d think they were his grandkids. I left with a cooler full of duck breasts and a promise to come back for the next batch of duck eggs. That night, we grilled the breasts over live fire, sliced them thin, and served them on crusty sourdough with preserved fig and a swipe of mustard made from Hill Country wildflower honey. That, my friends, is what we mean by curated.

Oakwood isn’t a grocery store. It’s a living love letter to this region. Every product has a personality, a story, a reason it belongs. When we talk about economies of scale, we’re not talking about corporate spreadsheets. We’re talking about stacking the scales in favor of our neighbors, our soil, our foodways.

From locally milled polenta grown on Texas soil to smoked black garlic salt made in microbatches, every item is chosen with intention. You’ll find pasture-raised beef, goat cheese, and hand-harvested herbs from a tiny farm outside Blanco, where the owner sings to her lemon balm.

We believe beautiful, honest food should be available to more people. And when you support Oakwood, you’re not just eating better — you’re redistributing your dollars into a more equitable, delicious future.

Come hungry. Come curious. Come meet your food.

-Chef Laura

Chef Laura Licona, retail market & coffee shop manager at Oakwood Public Market