Star Chef’s Rising Star Gala

Filed under Events, Restaurant by on February 7, 2012 at 10:13 am {no comments}

banner_02.jpg

Check out the menu for the upcoming gala at the Driskill on February 21. General admission is $85 and VIP is $125.  Buy tickets here.

Austin-San Antonio Gala Tasting Menu

 

CHEFS

David Bull, Congress Austin
Pan-roasted Sea Scallop, Jicama-Mint Salad, Coconut Cream, Cocoa Nib, and Chocolate Mint

Ned Elliott, Foreign & Domestic
Australian Wagyu Flank Steak, Red Pepper Sauce, Fried Orzo, Poached Egg, Bacon, Togarashi, and Ham Broth

Aaron Franklin, Franklin Barbecue
Featured Barbecue

Bryce Gilmore, Barley Swine
Grilled Rabbit Terrine, Bacon-Liver Mousse, French Breakfast Radishes, and Texas Onions

Rene Ortiz, La Condesa
Cervena Venison Tacos, Chipotle Harissa, Fennel Pollen Yogurt, and Bacon Fat Tortilla

Paul Qui, Uchiko
Sunchoke-Dashi Soup, Uni, Bottarga, Baby Carrots, and Zucchini Blossoms

Quealy Watson, The Monterey
Fried Chicken, Thyme, and Pickled Jalapeño

Andrew Wiseheart, Contigo
Cauliflower Gratin, Currants, Capers, Almonds, Garlic Cream, Parmesan, and Balsamic Reduction

PASTRY CHEFS

Plinio Sandalio, Carillon
Grapefruit Sorbet, Grapefruit Supremes, Campari Pop Rocks, and Angostura Bitters Ice Cream

Philip Speer, Uchiko
Peanut Butter Semifreddo, Miso-Apple Sorbet, Peanut Brittle, Micro Wasabi, and Raisins

SUSTAINABILITY CHEF

Michael Sohocki, Restaurant Gwendolyn
Pig’s Foot Terrine, Rooster Mousse and Deviled Eggs

HOTEL CHEF

Josh Watkins, Carillon
Cured Niragi, Beet Ceviche, Goat Cheese, and Citrus Vinaigrette

ARTISANS

John Bates and Brandon Martinez, The Noble Pig 
Italian Sausage Sandwich with Roasted Red Onions, Tomatoes, Provolone, and Basil Pesto-Aïoli

RESTAURATEURS

Tyson Cole, Uchi, Uchi Houston, and Uchiko
Hama Nabe: Baby Yellowtail, Koshihikari Rice, Farm Egg, and Soy Broth

Jason Dady, Bin 555, Tre Trattoria, and Two Bros. BBQ Market
Smoked Cabrito Ribs, Polenta, and Natural Jus

MIXOLOGIST

Jeret Peña, The Esquire
Cabin Fever: Highland Park 12-year Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Pecan Syrup, Fernet Branca, and Habañero Pepper
The Sacrilege: Chamomile-infused Pisco, Green Chartreuse, Lime, Honey, Egg White, and Cracked Pepper

SOMMELIER

June Rodil, Congress Austin
Beverage pairings with chefs’ dishes

HOST CHEF

Jonathan Gelmann, Driskill Grill
Purple Potato, Truffled Crème Fraîche , Petrossian Caviar, and Lemon (VIP Reception)
Herb-crusted Australian Lamb Lollipop with Spicy Apple Kimchee (Gala)
Reuben Sandwich: Organic Australian Brisket Pastrami, Sauerkraut, Tomato-Caper Dressing, Swiss Fondue, and Pumpernickel Bun (Gala)

There’s a New Fest in Town

Filed under Events by on January 18, 2012 at 8:54 pm {2 comments}

 

The beloved Texas Hill Country Wine and Food Festival has now become the Austin Wine and Food Festival.  April 27-29, 2012 marks the beginning of  a new era for the Austin food scene.  Food and Wine Magazine is teaming up with C3 Entertainment to showcase big name national chef stars like Masaharu Morimoto, Marcus Samuelsson, and Andrew Zimmern alongside Austin luminaries like Tyson Cole, Paul Qui, Bryce Gilmore, and Aaron Franklin.  The idea is to make a destination festival along the lines of the South Beach or Aspen festivals.  How will the Austin chefs stack up?  Will the Austin foodie community support a fest that comes with a $250 minimum price tag?  How will the festival organizers deal with unforeseen issues that are bound to come up with a new huge event?  I cannot wait to find out.

 

Slideshow of Pics Since Starting epicuriosities

Filed under Events, Restaurant by on January 5, 2012 at 8:34 am {2 comments}

OK, I know looking at other people’s pics can be as entertaining as watching paint dry.    I was looking through the mountain of pictures I have taken over the last 2 years and these are my favorite food shots, people, and events that I have been lucky enough to eat, meet, and be part of.  Hopefully you will see someone or something familiar enough to entertain you.  The slideshow crops some of the pics in a weird way but you can click on them to see the full image.  I purposely left captions off if you want to make a game of it and see how many you can identify.  If you want to confirm any guesses, just leave a comment below.

 

Big Burger Throwdown at Cedar Park Farmers Market

Filed under Events by on December 9, 2011 at 12:43 pm {no comments}

Market Happenings

Big Burger Throwdown

This Saturday, 9:30 – 11:00 Jack Gilmore of Jack Allen’s Kitchen vs Farmer David Pitre of Tecolote Farm vs Rancher George Greer of Winters Family Beef using only fresh and local market ingredients compete for the title of BEST CPF2M LOCAL BURGER!! See you there.

 

I’ll be judging a burger contest this Saturday December 10 at the Cedar Park Farmer’s Market.

Then it’s off to Black Star Coop for Edible Austin Brewer’s Fest.

Looks to be a yummy day!

The Dessert Project

Filed under Events, Restaurant by on December 5, 2011 at 12:39 pm {no comments}
 
Left to right, Our multi-talented chef host: Steven Cak (parkside), Philip Speer (uchi/uchiko), and Plinio Sandalio (The Carillon)

Little known fact about most restaurants, very few employ a full time pastry chef.  Most either subcontract the work out to a local bakery or order straight off the Sysco truck.  Many times pastry chefs have to prove their worth by working both the savory and sweet sides of the line to make their positions economically viable.  Sometimes there is the rare hybrid of ADD culinary chef and OCD pastry chef that excel at both.  I had the pleasure of attending the winter gathering of three of Austin’s best pastry chefs at parkside on November 20 who wanted to showcase their abilities with a savory and sweet course each plus an amuse bouche, intermezzo, and petit fours along with wine pairings.  So much delicious food!!!  And a portion of the proceeds go to benefit the Capital Area Food Bank. The next gathering of the Dessert Project will be in the Spring at Plinio Sandalio’s new home at the Carillon.  I will definitely be there, hope to see you as well.

Amuse Bouche from Philip Speer- grilled grape and boquerones (marinated white Spanish anchovies)

 
 

 

From Plinio Sandalio- Scallop, cauliflower puree, grapefruit, bacon jus

 
 
 
 

From Philip Speer- Roasted guinea hen, butternut squash, black trumpet mushroom, puffed barley

 
 
 
 
 

From Steven Cak-Pork Belly, Texas apple, celery, brussel sprouts

 
 
 

Intermezzo- gin, mint, campari, grapefruit granita

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

From Plinio Sandalio- coconut pound cake, grapefruit sorbet, avacado puree, ginger honey

 
 

From Philip Speer- curried squash semifreddo, acorn croquant, orange coriander sorbet, squash beignet, marigold

 

 
 

From Steven Cak- peanut butter mousse, Texas apple, celery, sultana sorbet, honey

 

Talented crews from all 3 restaurants that help make one of my favorite meals of the year.

Big Reds and Bubbles 2011

Filed under Events by on December 1, 2011 at 10:39 am {no comments}

Favorite bite of the night from the Carillon

 The Wine and Food Foundation of Texas celebrates the beginning of the holiday season by breaking out the best red wines and champagne along with bites from the best restaurants in town at the Driskill for its annual Big Reds and Bubbles fundraiser.  Here are my pics from this year’s soiree.
 
 

Lady in the champagne dress.

 
 
 

Jack Gilmore from Jack Allen's

 
 

Prepping bites for DC Tavern- Mark Paul and Stewart Scruggs new concept driven restaurant in Bee Caves

 
 

More delicious bites.

Foreign and Domestic was serving Iberico ham directly across from where I was pouring.
 

My favorite wine of the night was the 2006 Brunello I was pouring for Banfi.

 

 

Beautiful pastry assortment from the Driskill.

 
 

FREE PIE from Cutie Pies

Filed under Events, Restaurant, Sweet by on November 28, 2011 at 9:05 am {no comments}

Heath Bar Pecan Pie from Cutie Pies

Did you get enough pie for Thanksgiving? Me neither, no such thing!  Today the first 2000 to sign up for ClickedIn deals through this link will receive a voucher for a free 4″ pie.

ClickedIn is a new daily deal website from Time Warner Cable.  They hope to add another avenue to advertisers including local businesses like Cutie Pies.  The goal is a more sustainable marketing campaign versus the guerrilla tactics that leave many small businesses even worse off.

Jaynie is especially fond of pink, tiaras, and feather boas.

The heart behind Cutie Pies is Jaynie Buckingham.  Being especially fond of pie, I have followed news of her since she first won a holiday pie contest at the Driskill.  This inspired her to take her massive collection of family pie recipes and turn it into first a successful South Congress trailer and now a brick and mortar at 7329 Burnet Rd.

 

Now this is a cutie pie!

 
Cutie Pies come in a variety of flavors.  Buttermilk is her signature pie but also look for key lime, chocolate ice box, pumpkin spice, coconut cream, cherry, the list goes on and on.  My current favorite is the Heath Bar Pecan.  I especially love the flaky, thin crust that Buckingham manages to produce on every single tiny pie.  She also sells full sized pies, cookies, and other baked goods.  It is best to call ahead if you are looking for a specific flavor or want a whole pie. 

Sweet on Austin- Philip Speer Uchi/Uchiko

Filed under Events, Restaurant by on October 25, 2011 at 8:52 am {no comments}

What makes a great dessert?  Although this question can be as subjective as what your favorite band is and dependent on your mood at the time, truly great desserts need to be beautifully presented and have a fine balance of flavors and textural contrasts that excite the palate.  Dessert is usually the climax to a meal and the last impression you will take away from a restaurant. 

Left to right: Philip Speer, Monica Glen, and Andrew Lewis

My first stop for a magical dessert has got to be either Uchi or Uchiko both led by Philip Speer.  Technically, Speer is now the Culinary Director of the Uchi group and has recently named his long time assistant, Monica Glen, as the pastry chef of the soon to be opened Uchi Houston and Andrew Lewis as the pastry chef at Uchiko.  Speer is still very involved in the development of the pastry menus but not as much in the day to day productions as his new job duties take him  between all three restaurants with staffing, training, aligning food costs, and the million other things it takes to launch and run three high end restaurants.

Speer’s desserts are as sophisticated as they are playful, a blend of familiar tastes with innovative techniques.  He seeks to balance textures in a final course that is not too sweet with definite notes of contrast like acid and salt in the clean Asian aesthetic that the rest of your meal followed.

Head chef Tyson Cole has been known to challenge Speer to come up with a dessert with components from a single color.  One of my favorites is his “Yellow” dessert of polenta custard, corn sorbet, cornbread tuile, and lemon fluid gel.  Your first bite transports you to a field of corn swaying in a summer breeze.  It is not over the top sweet, just bright and balanced like fresh picked corn.  The cold sorbet complements the soft custard and the crispy tuile, with just a hint of acid from the lemon gel.

Speer likes to take traditionally savory ingredients and transport them to the  dessert world. One of my all time favorites is the roasted tomato sorbet with cherub tomato confit and chevre fondant.  It sounds like a salad course but not at Uchi.  Speer roasts the tomatoes to bring out their natural sweetness and turns them into a sorbet with a hint of sherry vinegar, basically candies a few luscious tomato babies for the confit, turns the goat cheese with cream and gelatin into a creamy custard, places the whole thing on a bed of pistachio crumble for crunch and contrast, then accents it with tomato salt and tomato paper.

One of the most visually stunning desserts has to be the coffee panna cotta with mango yolk.  The coffee flavored panna cotta is presented on a bed of crunchy coffee soil with a white chocolate sorbet and transparently crispy mango paper.  Once you pierce the panna cotta, a river of mango puree runs forth like the yolk from an egg.  The earthiness of the coffee and chocolate are highlighted by the bright mango burst.  Crunchy, creamy, cold, sweet, crisp all come together in a symphony on the tongue.

So head over to Uchi or Uchiko and get a taste of the best.  Or for a real treat, check out the Dessert Project.  Speer and his team join fellow pastry chefs  Plinio Sandalio from Congress and Steven Cak from parkside in a tour de force of one sweet and one savory course each with wine pairings on November 13 at parkside.  Friendly rivalry between the trio is sure to bring out the best in each and I want a table up front for this one.

Happy Birthday to Me!

Filed under Events, Restaurant, Wine by on October 5, 2011 at 3:15 pm {no comments}

From left to right: Quita Culpepper from KVUE, Bettie Cross, and Leslie Coons, both from KEYE

What a wonderful week I had!  I was bummed that I could not afford to jet away to my favorite tropical island (Jamaica!) for a luxurious getaway.  The economy is squeezing my pocket like most American’s these days, so I had to be content having a “Staycation” in Texas.  With a little luck and some good friends, I was able to swing a pretty decent time despite the lack of funds. 

First came the luck.  I watched the first Cowboy game of the season at my local Red Robin which offers happy hour specials during the games as well as always friendly staff.  If you RSVP’d on Facebook for the watch party, it put you in a drawing with the grand prize being two tickets for the Cowboys vs Redskins game on Monday night September 26.  I was lucky enough to have my name drawn at the top of the third quarter, even though Romo choked in the 4th for a loss to the Jets.  One of my close friends assured me they would bail me out of jail if I found myself on the field in Dallas pimp slapping Tony for similar shenanigans, so I recruited a road buddy and was off to Dallas. 

 We stopped in Waco for lunch at the Elite.  Waco is home to Baylor University which I attended as well as my parents before me.  In fact, the Elite was one of their date spots in the late 1950′s and is still a popular meeting place today.  My first tweet of the day was this picture with “Having CFS and DP at the Elite in Waco.”  For you non- Texans that is chicken fried steak and Dr. Pepper.  The soda was invented in Waco and the mascot Baylor bear was famous for swigging a cold one during games and for tourists.  I don’t think PETA lets them do that anymore.

Getting to Jerry’s World for the game was an adventure in itself.  My friend Dax commandeered a couch from a buddy for us to stay on.  Parking for the game is minimum $40 but I heard about a shuttle they were running from Humperdink’s, a local brewpub, for $10 each.  Dax talked me into parking in some random lot with a shuttle for only $8 but we ended the evening having to take a cab back to the lot because we could not find the meet up spot after the game.  If you go, use Humperdink’s shuttle.  We ended up there drinking beer after the game anyway and it would have cost less.  Plus the beer is pretty good and the fans are friendly.  Fortunately, Romo did not choke in the fourth this time and thanks to some phenomenal defense, the Cowboys won!  And thanks to the plastic flask Dax snuck in, we did not have to pay $8.50 for a Coors Light. 

On the way back to Austin we stopped at Ruby’s Cafe in Jarrell.  It is less than a mile off the highway near the Flying J truck stop.  I had heard this place had fabulous CFS (that’s chicken fried steak if you are paying attention) and they did not disappoint.  The Elite’s was good but Ruby’s was slap your mamma good!  They also do a large variety of veggies daily.  You have to have mashed potatoes with CFS and I got creamed corn as my second side.  The potatoes were delicious but I really loved the creamy sweet corn that had a just right spicy kick to them.  I will definitely be making more trips to Jarrell to try more as well as some of the pastry items in the window of this picture. 

I will finish birthday tales tomorrow including details of the lovely ladies in the picture at the beginning of the post.  Time to head home for now!

UPDATE!  Part 2

My actual birthday this year was on Wednesday and it happened to coincide with the Ambiente Wine Importing Co. portfolio tasting in Austin.  I was invited to the tasting by my buddy in the wine biz Buckley Wineholt in celebration of my birthday as well as his ironing out the final details to open his new shop Urban Wine and Liquor at the Austonian.  The store will offer wine, spirits, beers, barware, imported cigars and cigarettes, and a choice of artisanal foods including Texas-produced items. The shop’s 2,615-square-foot storefront on Congress Avenue will be designed by local design-build firm Bercy Chen Studio.  I have had the pleasure of attending several wine tastings by Buckley and I cannot wait to see what he stocks his store with. 

The Ambiente tasting was incredible. It was in the Sangerrunde Hall at Scholz Garten.  There were well over 100 wines of all different styles and price ranges. 

My absolute favorite wine is a Brunello. This was my first taste of the highly rated 2006 release.

Here are some of my favorites: 

Cab from Stag's Leap

Pinot Noir from Benovia

 

I spent my birthday dinner at the opening of a new Japanese restaurant near MLK and Lavaca called Lavaca Teppan. I was invited to the soft opening by the gorgeous Jette Momant who is always at the best parties, usually because she is throwing them.  She seated me with 3 of my favorite media ladies in Austin, Bettie Cross and Leslie Coons from We Are Austin on KEYE and Quita Culpepper from KVUE.  I LOVED hanging out with the media ladies over dinner!
The food was delicious, too. 

Thanks again to all my wonderful friends who made my birthday special this year!!! 
Beautiful space at Lavaca Teppan designed by Austin architect Jamie Chioco
Beef tataki- charbroiled filet with ponzu dipping sauce
Tempura vegetables and shrimp
House soup with mushrooms and tempura flakes
Teriyaki chicken
Tori kara don- Japanese fried chicken and eggs over steamed rice
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Handy List of Farmers Market

Filed under Events by on October 4, 2011 at 12:34 pm {no comments}

I did a list a while back with local farmers’ markets and thought I would link to this list that the Austin American Statesman just posted which is a little more updated.  It includes a link at the end for map of them all. Thanks Addie!

http://www.austin360.com/food-drink/1037776.html

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
Page 1 of 512345»

Tweets