Editor's Table
"You Should Know"
Congratulations to Jennifer Ringer, our third big winner of tickets to the 2008 Tour de Champagne. We hope all winners enjoyed the food and champagne event.
In My Table’snew June-July issue (#85), on page 13, we listed Bob’s Steak & Chop House as closed. They are not. They are in bankruptcy protection
and in the process of becoming another concept, Mo’s, A Place For Steaks. However, they intend to remain open during the transition. _My
Table_ magazine regrets the error.
Teresa's Table
"2008 Houston Culinary Awards"
SAVE THE DATE! My Table magazine presents the 2008 Houston Culinary Awards, which will be held at Glass Wall restaurant (933 Studewood) on Sunday, October 5, 2008. Cocktails at 6, dinner at 7, awards at 8:15. Tickets are $150 each and will go on sale August 1. The 2008 underwriters include Glass Wall restaurant, Republic National Distributing Company, A La Carte Foodservice, Schepps Dairy, Central Market, Winn Meat, and the Grand Wine & Food Affair. See the June-July issue of My Table magazine for details about nominating your favorite restaurateurs, chefs, waiters, etc.
A La Carte
"Heard on Westheimer"
- Molina’s Cantina at 5227 Buffalo Speedway will delay the closing of the restaurant by one week. The final day of business will be May 31. The site will be cleared for new construction and retail development by HEB Grocery Co. Molina’s will still host an “Adios Amigos” farewell event from May 23-31, complete with food and drink specials, commemorative gifts, and dining certificates.
- That cute couple, Bob and Jeanne Cottle, who own and operate Pleasant Hill Winery in Brenham, have announced two new releases: Merlot and Collina Rossa (dry). Try these and other wines on the weekends at the winery at 1441 Salem Road, Brenham, TX 77833.
- Yahoo! Tracy Vaught has been named Outstanding Restaurateur of the Year by the Texas Restaurant Association. The TRA will bestow the award at the annual President’s Gala being held on Monday, June 23, at the Hilton Americas in downtown Houston. Vaught is renowned for her restaurant creations Backstreet Cafe, Prego, and Hugo’s.
- The Divas at Flat Creek Estate in Marble Falls are putting on a Father’s Day Olympics on Saturday, June 15. There will be four competition stations: fly-fishing, rifle, shotgun, and horseshoes. Check in is 9:10-9:45 a.m. with coffee and cinnamon rolls, an overview meeting at 9:45 and then the competition begins at 10 a.m. Lunch will be served at 12:30 p.m. The cost is $50 for participants, including lunch, or $25 for lunch only for families of participants, tax not included. Prizes will be awarded and you must be 18 or older to participate in the competitions. Limited to 40 participants. Call 512-267-6310 by June 9 for reservations and directions.
- Haak Vineyards and Winery in Santa Fe has announced a new assistant winemaker. Nadia Hetzel has joined Raymond and Gladys Haak’s team, hailing from Charleston, South Carolina. Nadia earned her degree in Enology and Viticulture at the University of Geisenheim in Germany. She enjoys being able to wear a cowboy hat in the vineyard! Haak Vineyards and Winery is located at 6310 Avenue T, Santa Fe, TX 77510.
- Benihana has completed an award-winning makeover of its Houston restaurant. Celebrated as “The Next Benihana,” the new design invites guests to enjoy the restaurant’s famous teppanyaki and sushi menu in a striking environment inspired by traditional Japanese culture and architecture. Open for lunch on weekdays and dinner seven days a week, it is located at 9707 Westheimer Road. Phone 713-789-4962.
- Luling Bar-B-Q and Bar has opened at 138 W. Gray. Owner Tom Craig used to run Luling City Market, but now has his own place which offers views of the Houston skyline from the upstairs bar. And don’t worry about parking, there’s lots of it.
- We reported earlier this year on the closing of one of our favorite Fiesta markets at Blalock and I-10. Now a new Fiesta is open on Mason Road in Katy, meant to replace our old love. The new store seems to have less space devoted to the produce and meats we enjoyed, but more space devoted to frozen foods. A collegue visited the store and noted “This was a very fast trip so I didn’t go down every aisle, but my first impression is that if they raise prices and reduce service they could be Randall’s.”
- Yabba, dabba, doo! Whole Foods is coming to the Montrose area on West Dallas between Montrose and Waugh. Construction is slated to start early 2009. We understand that the site will also offer other retail establishments and several hundred apartments. Can’t get much closer to fresh than that.
- There is an exciting Summer Spectacular Tasting Menu being offered at the Bistro Lancaster (701 Texas Avenue) by award-winning Executive Chef Jamie Zelko for parties of four or more. Chef Zelko will personally describe each course on the six-course menu. Cost is $125 per person. The menu is available for Tuesday thru Saturday evenings, now through Labor Day. Call 713-228-9500 for reservations.
- Central City Co-Op’s Downtown Green Market is every Thursday from 4 to 7:30 p.m. at the new Discovery Green Park at 1500 McKinney. The market is on the Andrea and Bill White Promenade in front of the George R. Brown Convention Center. The market specializes in organic produce by the piece or pound from local farmers and organic distributors. For more information, visit www.centralcityco-op.org.
- Chef Andrea Ossola at Quattro at the Four Seasons has designed a new pool cuisine to go with the hotel’s new $4 million outdoor pool deck and dining area. To go with the cuisine, the hotel has added a new signature cocktail called the Signature Tomato Caprese Martini. Here’s what they told us about it:
“You’ll be hard pressed to find a cocktail with more Italian flair than Quattro’s new Signature Tomato Caprese Martini created by the contemporary Italian restaurant’s manager, Fabio La Monaca, a native of Italy himself. The cocktail is made with a tomato water infusion made with Roma tomatoes, shallots, garlic cloves, basil leaves and salt, then shaken on the rocks with sugar syrup and Smirnoff vodka. (High-end Italian fashion designer Roberto Cavalli’s new vodka will be used once it’s made for sale in Texas.) The martini is garnished with a mozzarella ball, basil leaves, cherry and teardrop tomatoes. Just pass the bread and its bruschetta made easy! The colorful cocktail is priced at $16.00 and is available exclusively in Quattro.”
- Bistro Calais emailed us to note that they have changed their music format from jazz to live cabaret on Wednesday nights. The Sharon Montgomery Cabaret will be featured from 7-10 p.m. For more information, visit www.bistrocalais.com. Bistro Calais is in River Oaks at 2811 Bammel Lane (713-529-1314).
Culinary Calendar
"For Your Refrigerator Calendar"
- How about a road trip this weekend? The second annual Austin Wine Festival is being held May 24-26 at The Domain, Austin’s new upscale shopping center located at Braker and Mopac. The 3-day celebration of wines, Texas and otherwise, will be held rain or shine. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.austinwinefestival.com.
- Flat Creek Estates will be featuring several of their wines at the Austin Wine Festival, including their new Buckin’ Horse Red. Also being showcased are several wines that took honors at the Pacific Rim International Wine Competition 2008 including Muscato Blanco (Best of Class), Pinot Grigio (Gold), and Super Texas (Bronze).
- On Tuesday, May 27, at 10 a.m. the Tomball Community Garden (16811 FM 2920 in Tomball) will be dedicated. The garden is made possible by a partnership between the Houston Food Bank, Urban Harvest, Tomball Emergency Assistance Ministries (TEAM) and the Tomball community. The effort will provide fresh produce to TEAM and suppport the Houston Food Bank’s commitment to provide nutritious foods to those in need. For more information, go to www.houstonfoodbank.org.
- Close to Houston is the Wine and Food Week in The Woodlands from May 31 to June 8. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.wineandfoodweek.com.
- Urban Harvest and the Bayou City Farmers’ Market will host the 4th Annual Tomato Fest on two consecutive Saturdays, June 21 and June 28, from 8 a.m. to noon at 3000 Richmond at Eastside (in the back parking lot). Tomato Fest celebrates the height of the tomato season in southeast Texas. Many varieties of tomatoes, including heirloom varieties, will be available. Live music, a cooking demonstration, and answers from The Tomato Doctor also will be featured, plus farm animals and equipment. For more information, visit www.urbanharvest.org.
My Recipe
"Penne Pasta with Chicken in a Citrus Vinaigrette"
CHICKEN PIECES:
½ lb. ½” diced chicken pieces
Cook chicken in 325 degree oven for approximately 10 minutes. Cut into ½” pieces.
COOKING PASTA:
12 cups water
1 tablespoon table salt
1 ¼ lbs. penne rigate pasta
2 tablespoons canola oil
In a pot, bring water and salt to a full boil. Add pasta. Cook for approximately 10 minutes in boiling water until al dente (soft, but still firm). Immediately strain pasta and flash cool in cold water. Drain water completely and coat pasta with oil to prevent sticking.
VINAIGRETTE:
6 tablespoons soy sauce
6 tablespoons red wine vinegar
4 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons canola oil
3 tablespoons seasoned rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons Korean teriyaki sauce
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 ½ tablespoons orange juice concentrate
1 ½ tablespoons chili garlic sauce
1 tablespoon finely minced ginger
1 tablespoon finely minced orange zest
Combine ingredients in a bowl and whisk thoroughly to combine.
ASSEMBLY:
2 cups shredded carrots
½ cup coarsely chopped cilantro
Vinaigrette
cooked penne rigate pasta
cooked chicken pieces
1 cup quartered – ¼” diced cucumbers
1 cup ¼” diced celery
Combine ingredients and mix to evenly coat with dressing. Allow to marinate for 2 hours. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Yields approximately 12 cups.
Something Sweet
"Sometimes You Feel Like a Nut"
- We were recently wowed by executive pastry chef Rebecca Masson’s dessert of “Almond Joy” dark chocolate-coconut tarts garnished with toasted whole almonds at The Taste of the Nation event. In case you hadn’t heard, Masson creates the desserts at Catalan and Ibiza restaurants, owned by Charles Clark and Grant Cooper.
Her new seasonal menu includes whimsical takes on retro classics like milk chocolate peanut butter ice box pie with housemade beer nuts; fruit-on-the-bottom local strawberry compote with Greek yogurt panna cotta and granola; and sticky toffee pudding with St. Arnold’s Spring Bock ice cream. All of her ice creams are prepared in-house, of course. The talented chef’s dish of the month: Crema Catalan with orange semifreddo, lemon sorbet, and a pretty spiced tuile. Indulge!
From the Wine List
"Taste Select Wines"
- For those who live in or frequently visit Austin, there’s a new downtown wine bar you should know about. It’s called Taste Select Wines and is the brainchild of Ryan and Tanya Mayces, and Ryan’s brother Regan Mayces and his wife Kristi Mayces.
Not only do they sell upscale wines by the bottle, but they have 48 wines available “by the taste” via simple-to-use electronic wine dispensers that utilize debit cards that you purchase at the store. Whatever you put on the debit card that is not used is refunded to you at checkout. The wines are kept fresh in the bottles with inert gas.
And…they offer over 50 “wines from the bar” in glass or half-glass servings, plus several bottled beers and other beverages.
And…they offer a nice collection of small plates, salads, panini, large plates, and desserts for lunch and dinner, all prepared by Head Chef Bill McGrory. McGrory started his career in New York City, working at Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill and Tom Colicchio’s Craft. Most recently, he was the Executive Sous Chef at Custom House, a three-star restaurant headed by Chef Shawn McClain, in Chicago.
Just to whet your whistle, the large plates include such dishes as Gulf grouper and roasted shrimp, pancetta-wrapped rabbit tenderloin, Colorado lamb chops, and dry aged strip.
On a recent lunch stop I had the arugula salad with candied bacon, walnuts, and roasted shitakes, plus the delicious basil panna cotta for dessert that featured a cherry gelee and candied macadamia nuts. Yum! Two glasses of Mulderbosch sauvignon blanc got me going just fine!
Jason Copley is Executive Sous Chef, coming to Austin from Ashland, Oregon, where he was an executive chef at Liquid Assets, a 70-seat wine bar. He is a graduate of the California school of Culinary Arts.
Taste Select Wines is located at 202 W. Cesar Chavez Street, 78701. The phone number is 512-478-2783 and the website is www.tasteselectwines.com. Taste is open seven days a week: 10 a.m. to 12 a.m., Monday to Thursday; 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday; and noon to 9 p.m. on Sunday. Check it out the next time you’re in downtown Austin!
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Copyright My Table magazine, 2008
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