‘Hey, Bud!’ points to pies and kolaches along Interstate 35

Hey, Bud! What was that pie shop on Interstate 35? I think it was south of Austin.

—Diner at the next table in the Paris Coffee Shop

If you’re going to Austin, it’s almost worth driving the extra 20 minutes to Kyle and Texas Pie Co., 202 W. Center St. The “Pie Capital of Texas” features dozens of flavors of fruit pies, cream pies and cheesecakes, and also serves a lunch special daily. Order Thanksgiving pies by Nov. 18.

Hey, Bud! I have 5 girlfriends flying in tomorrow and we are driving down to Waco. I want to stop and let them get kolaches at one of the old-timey places in West. Which one has the best ambience?

—Judie, Fort Worth

Village Bakery, 113 E. Oak St. in downtown West is the original flagship, where kolaches came to Texas. Gerik’s Ole Czech Bakery, 511 W. Oak St., is only a block off Interstate 35 — it’s bigger and has huge cinnamon rolls and klobasniky (sausage rolls). If it’s after 6 p.m., you’ll have to go to one of the highway convenience stores.

Hey, Bud! What was that little Mexican restaurant you wrote about near Mansfield? I think it was in Venus.

—Guy at a different little Tex-Mex restaurant

The tiny little Casa Jacaranda cafe and bakery, 118 W. Second St. in Venus, is one of those must-go road trips. Everything’s made from scratch by hand, not reheated, and the chicken mole pipian enchiladas are some of the best around. Put it on your list along with road trips to Gogo Gumbo! in Boyd and Del Norte Tacos in Godley.