Bigger and Better

Over the years we’ve watched Cheri Stigler open three different restaurants. The first one was
on State Street in Downtown Garland. She named it “Paw Paw’s, to memorialize her beloved
grandfather. It was a small space, with just a counter and a couple of tables. A few years later
she moved Paw Paw’s to its current location on the corner of Ninth and Main. This location is
much bigger, with a soda fountain, booths and several tables. Its 50’s decor is charming and
further honors grandpa. Cheri’s son Sean now manages that location, while his mother has
moved on to her next project.
Two months ago Cheri and her husband, Earl Stigler, opened Settlers Table in Sunnyvale, at the
intersection of Collins and Tripp Roads. This place has a totally different vibe, with a bar serving
beer and wine, and a casually chic decor. In addition to a few booths, there’s an eclectic
assortment of wooden tables from a variety of sources’ purchased and donated. Unlike Paw
Paw’s, this restaurant serves both lunch and dinner. At this location Cheri and Earl have been
joined by other family members, and the service is impressive.
There are small and large charcuterie boards available on the appetizer menu, and we ordered
the small one to snack on while we decided what to order for our entrees. Cheri’s pimento
cheese was a nice addition to the board, along with the meat, cheese, olives, grapes and other
that went along very nicely with the bottle of tempranillo that we selected from the wine list. Our
party of three ordered the fish & chips, salmon, and sirloin steak for the main course. The meals
were all very pleasing, everything made fresh from scratch, with crisp salads and tasty sides. It
all exceeded our expectations, but the sirloin steak garnered the highest praise.
For many years Cheri has dazzled Paw Paw’s guests with her desserts. Pies, cookies, and
cakes, all over the top. So we were expecting greatness when we asked her what she would
recommend for dessert. She thought we would enjoy her peanut butter pie, but also mentioned
“Caribbean Dreamin’, a cake flavored with rum. We wound up with samples of both, and we
were over the moon for the peanut butter pie. Our second choice was very nice, but dulled in
comparison to the crispy crust and fluffy, delicate pie. Somehow it paired very nicely with the last
sips of wine from our bottle. To say that we were pleased with our dining experience at Settlers
Table would be an understatement. We will definitely be back and will recommend this great
new restaurant to our friends.
I left my business card in one of those interesting tables. If a guest happens to find it, I will treat
them to their lunch or dinner. My cell number is on the card.

Nancy Ghirla

Email [email protected]