Editor's Table
"Your Chance to Win"
My Table is giving away some nifty tickets. Read on.
On Friday, May 30, from 7-10 p.m., the 2008 Tour de Champagne will be held at the Hotel Derek, 2525 West Loop South. Tour de Champagne will bring together champagne from more than 20 prestigious champagne houses, cuisine from some of the city’s most talented chefs and entertainment such as chef demonstrations and live music. During the evening, guests will also have a chance to peruse a silent auction, which will benefit the French-American Scholarship Fund, and have a chance to win a trip for two to Paris compliments of Air France. Dress is cocktail attire with black tie optional. Attendees must be 21 and older.
And here’s the great part. My Table is giving away two free limited general admission tickets, each valued at $115, with the next three issues of SideDish. These tickets entitle you to tastes of excellent champagnes, samples from Houston’s finest restaurants, entertainment, and the silent auction.
To win, be the first to email me after each SideDish is published at randy.mccrea@my-table.com. Include your full name and phone number so we may reach you to discuss ticket delivery. We’ll announce the winner in our next e-newsletter. You may only win once. Good luck!
A La Carte
"Tidbits for You"
- We’re sad to hear that Bistro Toulouse (5750 Woodway at Bering) has lost its lease and closed its doors. Chef Michael Scott Castell and staff asked to thank all their friends for their support. We understand that Scott will be taking some time off to spend with his daughter before looking into new culinary opportunities.
- Hungry’s on Memorial (14714 Memorial Drive) is expanding by adding H-Next Door, a trendy bar and lounge. The bar will offer small plates and light food items, cocktails, beer and wine. Entertainment will be provided on special evenings focused on sports, movies, music and more. Visit their website at www.hungryscale.com/ren/php to keep up-to-date with their progress.
- A big tip of the Stetson to Irma Galvan whose Irma’s Mexican restaurant (22 N. Chenevert near Minute Maid Park) was named one of five “America’s Classics” by the James Beard Foundation. Irma will be honored in June at the Foundation’s award gala at Lincoln Center in New York City.
- Way to go! Amy Ragan was recently named executive director at End Hunger Network. This is the Houston non-profit that directs surplus food to people at risk for hunger in 18 southeast Texas counties. You may wish to support its efforts by adding food to its red barrels in area supermarkets.
- Boo, hiss! Lawry’s The Prime Rib is not coming to downtown Houston. Here’s part of the email we received from Lawry’s: “We did sign a letter of intent some time ago for the Houston Pavilions property, but our board decided to pursue other opportunities last year. We know that Houston is a very promising prospect for Lawry’s The Prime Rib and one that is still in our sights.” We’ll let you know when we hear of them coming to the Houston area.
- We hear that the University of Houston Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management will soon offer coursework for those interested in the business of wine and spirits. The new Beverage Management and Marketing minor will be available to students of all majors beginning in fall 2008.
One of only a few hospitality programs in the world that now offer such a minor, this new program consists of classes in wine appreciation, beverage marketing, beverage management, professional selling, alcoholic beverage law and regulation, and a related internship. Faculty from the Bauer College of Business will teach the professional selling class, which is part of Bauer’s Program for Excellence in Selling. This is one of only a few nationally recognized selling programs. For students to enroll in the wine appreciation class and to engage in a related internship, they must be of legal drinking age.
Enrollment is open now. Contact Kevin Simon, director of undergraduate studies, at ksimon@uh.edu or 713-743-2459 for more information.
- Central Market recently notified us of a new Texas oil boom! “Texas and oil are old friends – but let it be known there’s a new kind of wildcatter in the Lone Star State. Jim Henry at the Texas Olive Ranch in South Texas began growing olives three years ago and now the land is a ‘gusher’: just-released Texas olive oil is delicious and perfect for brushing onto meats, vegetables, and breads just before placing them on a hot grill. ...Available exclusively at Central Market.”
- Laurier Cafe & Wine (3139 Richmond Ave., 713-807-1632) emailed us to announce the expansion of its bar (Le Bar a Laurier), new hours, and a bar menu. A bar patio has been added in front of the restaurant and seating at the bar has been expanded. In addition to wines by the bottle, nearly 40 by-the-glass options are available, and liquor selections have also been expanded. Cigarette smoking only is allowed on the patio. New hours are from 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Tuesday through Friday, and 4 to 11 p.m. on Saturday. Lunch is available until 2 p.m., and dinner service begins at 5:30 p.m. For more info about their new bar menu, email at info@lauriercafe.com.
Culinary Calendar
"Now these are Good"
- Celebrity chefs Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich will be making a single Houston stop at Central Market on Thursday, May 1 from 2-4 pm. Central Market is at 3815 Westheimer Rd. Call 713-386-1700 for tickets and more information. Limit two tickets per customer.
- Corleone’s Bar & Grill, the cozy hideaway located behind Patrenella’s Italian restaurant at 813 Jackson Hill just off Washington, will begin serving Sunday Brunch on May 4. The brunch will feature a number of Italian breakfast and lunch dishes and bottomless Mimosas and Bellinis. The hours are 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. Seating will be inside of Coreone’s Bar & Grill or on the adjoining, covered patio. As it has since opening 16 years ago, Patrenella’s will remain closed on Sundays and Mondays, but the Bocce Ball court in front of the restaurant will be open for use. For reservations or more information, call 713-863-8223.
- Bayou City Farmers Market will hold a Farm Table Dinner on Tuesday, May 6 at Brennan’s in conjunction with Les Dames d’Escoffier. Chef Randy Evans will provide a delicious meal of locally-grown food from market growers, and you’ll enjoy an intimate evening at Brennan’s private kitchen dining room. Tickets are $85 each. To obtain tickets stop by the Cook’s Corner at the Market (Saturdays, 8 a.m. to noon at 3000 Richmond in the back lot) or call Jacquie Miller at 832-656-2819 or email her at jacquie@urbanharvest.org.
- The Rainbow Lodge, 2011 Ella Boulevard, has created a special al a carte menu to celebrate Mom on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 11. “For Mother’s Day, I recommend the Grilled Salmon with Spring Potato Salad and Asparagus,” said owner Donnette Hansen, “or the always popular Tenderloin Carne Asada and Eggs. All are perfect with the $0.99 cent Mimosas and Champagne served from 12 noon until 3 p.m. But the star of the brunch is the Bloody Mary Martini: perfectly chilled Chopin Vodka, spicy Bloody Mary mix, shaken and served with Jalapeno Stuffed Olives, with the rim dusted with fresh ground gepper and coarse salt.” Reservations are suggested. For more information, please call 713-861-8666.
- Here are some other restaurants that have notified us of their special brunch or menu items for Mother’s Day, May 11. Reservations are highly recommended.
Backstreet Cafe, 1103 S. Shepherd, 713-521-2239
Haak Winery, 6310 Avenue T, Santa Fe, 409-925-1401
Hugo’s, 1602 Westheimer at Mandell, 713-524-7744
Marriott Houston Westchase, 2900 Briarpark Drive, 713-978-7400
Mockingbird Bistro Wine Bar, 1985 Welch, 713-533-0200
Prego, 2520 Amherst, 713-529-2420
Sweet Tomatoes, 8775 Katy Freeway, 713-365-9494; 17240 Tomball Pkwy., 281-890-1133; 12540 Sugardale Dr., 281-240-1400; 1717 Lake Woodlands Dr., 281-292-0556
Trevisio, 6550 Bertner (in the John P. McGovern Texas Medical Center Commons, 6th floor), 713-749-0400
- Haak Winery has only six spots left on its Germany Trip. If you are interested, call Weidmann Specialty Tours at 830-990-8849 or email wst@austin.rr.com. Dates are May 20 thru June 3: visiting Frankfurt, Boppard on the Rhein, Rudesheim, Geisenheim, Koblenz, Mosel Valley, Bernkastel-Kues, Trier, Metz, Reims, Strasbourg, Speyer and Heidelberg.
Something Sweet
"Ooh La La Indeed!"
- Katy, Texas just got sweeter with the opening of charming Ooh La La Bakery (23920 Westheimer Parkway, 281-391-2253, www.oohlalasweets.com). It’s never too far to drive west if the reward means signature jumbo cupcakes custom designed with toppings at the Cupcake Bar, dozens of wicked specialty coffee drinks, or a retail store stocked with dreamy gifts. Kick back on the outdoor patio or bring your laptop and use the free Wi-Fi. Feeling lazy? There’s take-out, delivery, and ooh, la, la…a drive-thru!
My Recipe
"Halibut Carpaccio"
Halibut Carpaccio
4 oz Alaskan Halibut, fresh and sliced thin
Marinade:
4 oz Lemon Juice, freshly squeezed
2 each Serrano Peppers, sliced thin into rounds
¼ Cup Onions, Red, Julienned
1 Lime Juice from one lime
1T Sea salt
1T Cilantro, fresh minced
Coriander Oil:
4T Coriander seeds, toasted
1T Salt, kosher
4T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Garnish micro greens
Recipe Preparation
In a non-reactive, stainless steel bowl place over another bowl of ice.
Place halibut and 1 cup of the marinade to the bowl.
Cover with plastic and let sit for approximately 4 minutes.
Remove from marinade and serve on a bed of micro greens with the coriander oil drizzled around the ceviche.
Coriander Oil: toasted Coriander seeds in a dry sauté pan over medium heat for approximately 4 minutes. Remove and place in a spice grinder, mix with salt and olive oil and reserve.
From the Wine List
"What Scale do You Like?"
Over many years I’ve observed that I’m an 87 kind of guy. Sometimes I rise to 88 or 89, and sometimes drop to 85 or so. But, for the most part, I’m an 87.
That’s where most of the wines I like (and am willing to pay for) fall in the wine rating scheme of major wine magazines such as Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast. That puts me in the “very good” range for Wine Spectator. That magazine uses a 100 point scale where 95-100 is Classic: a great wine; 90-94 is Outstanding: a wine of superior character and style; 85-89 is Very good: a wine with special qualities; 80-84 is Good: a solid, well-made wine; 75-79 is Mediocre: a drinkable wine that may have minor flaws; and 50-74 is Not recommended. (Since they don’t use any rating below 50, one could easily argue that it’s really a 50-point scale rather than a 100-point scale, but I’ll leave that debate to wine academics and folks that have nothing better to do.)
Some organizations, such as the University of California at Davis and the American Wine Society, use a 20-point scale. Many people find this more practical than a 100-point system. Of the 20 points possible in the AWS system, for example, there is a maximum score of 3 for appearance, 6 for aroma/bouquet, 6 for taste/texture, 3 for aftertaste, and 2 for overall impression. If a wine scores a total of 18-20 points, it is deemed extraordinary; 15-17 excellent; 12-14 good; 9-11 commercially acceptable; 6-8 deficient; and 0-5 poor and objectionable.
In the wine evaluation work for My Table, we use a 0 to 5-point scale where five is excellent and zero is “rot gut,” just to keep things simple and add a bit of humor.
I devised another 0 to 5-point scale as a humorous rating system for not-so-serious wine drinkers: 0 is Yuck, Dump It!; 1 is Almost Swill; 2 is Passable; 3 is Tasty; 4 is Mighty Fine; and 5 is Fantastic Juice! In my private wine evaluations, I often use a minus nine to plus nine scale, but that’s probably too weird to go into right now.
It’s obvious there are many ways to try to evaluate the quality of a wine and different folks argue for different schemes, often with considerable passion. Obviously, the price has to be taken into account also when determining the overall value.
In wine classes I’m often asked how to know from the various ratings a wine receives whether a person will like the wine or not. My advice is this: try a few wines that have a rating/price combination that you prefer and see if you like the wines and agree with the ratings of the “expert.” If, over time, you find that you usually agree with the opinion of a particular reviewer, you will develop a level of confidence in his/her recommendations. Chances are the next time you find a wine that is rated highly by that reviewer, you will like it also. If you don’t find a strong correlation with the reviewer’s palate, try another critic.
You may also find that you consistently like the wines of a particular producer or importer. This again will be a sign that you will probably enjoy their other wines. And obviously, recommendations from friends and relatives will have an impact on your wine choices.
Take the wine recommendations and ratings of “the experts” only as a guide to help you in your quest for great value wines. You may agree with them or not. “Not” is definitely okay as we all have differing likes and sensory abilities. The right wine for you is the one you like; after all, it’s your money, and you should get what you enjoy regardless of what the critics might like.
Of course, my ratings in My Table are infallible, so be sure to follow those to the letter.
Your Table is Ready
"Foodie Commo"
Do you have culinary news, a restaurant announcement, a wine or wine topic we should consider, or a recipe to share? Want to commend us for something or give us a gripe? Please send your information to me at randy.mccrea@my-table.com.
Oh yes, one more thing. We’d like to get the number of subscribers to SideDish to over 1000. If you will recommend our foodie e-newsletter to your friends we will appreciate it. And if someone signs up at your urging, let me know and we’ll give you our gratitude in a future issue. Thanks very much.
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Copyright My Table magazine, 2008
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