A La Carte
"Heard over coffee ......"
- We’ve heard that pic. has closed. This restaurant, owned by Scott Tycer, was previously called Aries.
- SABOR has changed its name to 1308 Cantina. The restaurant is located at 1308 Montrose. Owner Jon Paul is adding more Tex-Mex dishes to the menu.
- SALATA is opening a second location downtown in the Houston Center food court across from the George Brown Convention Center at 1200 McKinney, Suite 339 (713-739-9000). The original Salata, now celebrating its first anniversary, is located in the downtown tunnel at 919 Milam, #T925 (713-739-9300). The create-your-own salad bar offers catering and delivery to downtown destinations and accepts faxed orders at 713-739-9301. They are open 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
- The HOUSTON FOOD BANK celebrates its 25th year of serving the hungry in Houston and southwest Texas this year. Way to go!
- ARE YOU GOIN’ NUTS? Well, Texas is. According to the Texas Department of Agriculture, almost one million acres of native pecans are grown here, making the pecan the official state tree of Texas. Texas also ranks as the nation’s largest producer of native pecans and the second-largest producer of orchard-grown pecans. Here are three pecan-related items of interest.
—Keep the kitchen cracking with the Texas Pecan Cookbook. Available from Durham Ellis Pecans and other GO TEXAN pecan producers, the cookbook features more than 400 recipes and is sure to keep the shells flying when meals and snacks call for pecans. Visit www.durhampecan.com
—Get the good stuff with the York Nut Cracker and the “Goodie Gitter” tool set from Pecans International. The two-piece, hand-held tool set cuts pecans into perfect halves and then separates the bitter bark from the meat of the nut. Crunch the nut, not the shell. Visit www.pecansinternational.com
—Share the wealth with pecan snack packs from The Davis Mountain Nut Company. Available in two- and four-ounce packs (sold by the carton), you can pitch a pack of flavors ranging from cinnamon toast, vanilla almond, chocolate fudge and others. Visit www.allpecans.com/ for more information.
Culinary Calendar
"January and Early February Events"
Do you have an event or dinner planned at your restaurant or food emporium? Would you like to let other readers know of an upcoming food festival? Do you know of some food/wine/dining event that we should know about? The CULINARY CALENDAR is the perfect way to get the word out. And, it’s free! Just email the details to SideDish@my-table.com
SUNDAY JANUARY 14, 2007
- The Starlight Gala committee kicks off the new year with a Champagne Pajama Brunch at Bistro Toulouse (5750 Woodway) 11 am to 2 pm, benefiting the American Cancer Society. Ticket price for the brunch is $35 per person, which covers the brunch of Sunday morning favorites. For each ticket sold, $15 will be donated to the American Cancer Society. For more information about the American Cancer Society’s Starlight Gala please call Paula Canlas at 713-591-0353.
MONDAY JANUARY 15, 2007
- Arcodoro (5000 Westheimer) and Cheap-Cheap Wholesale (a division of Spec’s) host La Cena di Valdicava, a special wine dinner showcasing the wines of Valdicava as presented by special guest Vincenzo Abbruzzese, winemaker/vineyard owner. Reception is at 6:30 pm, dinner at 7 pm. Cost is $125, plus tip and gratuity. For reservations, call 713-621-6888.
TUESDAY JANUARY 23, 2007
- Bistro Toulouse (5750 Woodway) is hosting a dinner featuring St. Arnold’s Beer. Cost is $65 per person, plus tax and gratuity. Open-seating by pre-paid reservations only. Call 713-977-6900.
TUESDAY FEBRUARY 6, 2007
- LET THE GUY’S COOK, a popular annual event wherein local professional and celebrity male chefs participate in a cook-off benefiting Cancer Counseling, Inc., takes place 7 to 10 pm at The Houstonian Hotel. The 2007 chairmen are Mark Hammer, Bert Keller and Bob Schultz, and honoree is Robert Roten. Tickets are $100 per person, and sponsorships are available. For more information, contact Elizabeth Wilson at 713-520-9873 or email cci@cancercounseling.info.
My Recipe
"The White Orchid Martini"
2 oz. Stockholm Kristal Vodka
1 1/2 oz. White Cranberry juice
Splash of Triple Sec
Splash of Fresh Lime Juice
Garnish with a White Orchid
From the Wine List
"Winery Road Trip"
A great thing about living near the Texas Hill Country is that we have several wineries in close proximity. One area that gives a lot of bang for the buck is Driftwood, southwest of Austin.
The new Mandola Estate Winery opened there in August 2006 and is modeled after wineries and tasting rooms in Tuscany, Italy. It sits on 375 acres that were bought in February 2003 by Damian and Trina Mandola and Drs. Stan and Lisa Duchman. Damian Mandola is familiar to Houstonians as the Sicilian chef who, along with other relatives, offered us a wide range of Italian restaurants.
Although now out of the Houston restaurant scene, Damian and the other owners plan to open a restaurant next to the winery in April. It will be an Italian bistro, with service inside and out, and be called Trattoria Lisina (named after Lisa and Trina). The whole place, with tables outside, reminds you of an Italian villa.
The winemaker at Mandola Estate Winery is Mark Penna, a bearded and very likeable chap with prior experience at Llano Estacado, Cap*Rock and Cordier Estates. His focus is on producing wines made from grapes that are indigenous to Italy such as Montepulciano, Sangiovese, Vermentino and Aglianico. The winery currently offers six wines made from Texas and California fruit pending maturity of their own vineyards. (Some of the existing wines are not Italian in origin and eventually will be phased out.) The current lineup includes 2004 Nebbiolo, Viognier, Pinot Grigio, Sangiovese, Syrah, and Canto Felice, a slightly sweet red wine that would be great as a dessert wine or with chocolate. All the wines sell for $20 or less.
The address of the winery is 13308 FM 150 West, Driftwood, TX 78619-9274. You may contact them by phone at 512-858-1470 or by email at info@mandolawines.com. For more information visit their website at www.mandolawines.com. And when you visit, be sure to look at their special corks and ask for translations of what is written on them in Italian.
Also worth a visit is Driftwood Vineyards and Winery where Gary and Kathy Elliott are the owners and Gary is the winemaker. This winery’s address is 4001 Elder Hill Road, Driftwood 78619. I recommend you call them at 512-858-4508 for directions.
Their hilltop winery and tasting room offer spectacular views of the vineyards and hill country and, if you’re lucky, you may get to share the outdoor patio with Gray Cat, who sleeps on a chair and looks like he might have had too much wine. Driftwood Vineyards offers Rhone-style wines such as Syrah and Viognier, as well as Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Muscat Blanc. You may email them at info@driftwoodvineyards.com and get additional information at www.driftwoodvineyards.com.
Another interesting nearby winery is Bella Vista Cellars located at Bella Vista Ranch near Wimberley. In addition to offering several wines, the ranch is home to olive tree groves, and an olive oil company with a modern olive mill. This is the first commercially producing olive orchard in Texas and features a tasting room and gift shop. You may contact them via phone at 512-847-6514 or by email at oliveguy@bvranch.com for hours of operation and more information. The website is www.bvranch.com.
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