Each year, Wine Enthusiast Magazine selects an elite group of establishments to receive an award for being one of the nation’s most wine-friendly restaurants.

The Turtle Restaurant located in downtown Brownwood received notification this week of being one of those in North America to be honored with the Award of Distinction.

Owner Mary Stanley said, “Basically we submitted our menus and our wine list, described our restaurant including our staff training, wine glassware, and posted our web page and blog. They judged us on those submissions.”

The Wine Enthusiast Restaurant Awards are based on the quality of the overall wine program, not just on the size of a restaurant’s wine list.   Selection, service, individuality and value are all judging criteria. Applicants complete a detailed questionnaire on their personnel, storage methods, stemware choices, service options, special events, menus and wine lists.  The judging panel composed of members of the magazine’s editorial staff and other wine professionals carefully consider each establishment’s submission.

One huge benefit of this award is being listed for an entire year as one of the Wine Enthusiast Magazine’s “Award Winning Restaurants” on their web site.

“We hope that this will lead to more publicity,” Stanley said.  “Our goal is to become a destination restaurant.”

The Stanley’s have been working with the Brownwood Area Chamber of Commerce and other organizations to bring food and wine tourists from Dallas/Ft. Worth and Austin to central Texas.

Stanley said, “We have a lot to offer and all of us are ‘unexpected finds’ for those travelers who love food and wine.”

The Annual Restaurant Awards will appear in the February 2010 issue of the magazine, which will be available the week of January 11th.

The Turtle Restaurant is located at 514 Center Avenue in downtown Brownwood.