Food-o-File
Virginia B. Wood offers up a little sample of everything in this week's "Food-o-File."
By Virginia B. Wood, Fri., June 13, 2003
Big Oops
The "off with her head" department is unflatteringly large this week, unfortunately. Dan Camp is co-owner of Rather Sweet Bakery & Arriba (249 E. Main, 830/990-0498) in Fredericksburg, and I regret the error on his name in the recent Hill Country Guide. Also, the planner of last week's successful Great American Bake Sale benefiting SOS was Patty Sengstack. In a recent item about chef Roger Mollett's departure from Central Market, the name of his new business was omitted. Contact Mollett at Fonds de Cuisine (374-0355, fondsdecuisine@paris.com). And in the chef's baby bonanza, I neglected to mention that Aquarelle (604 Rio Grande St., 479-8117) co-owner Terry Wilson and her husband, also Terry Wilson, are expecting their second child, a boy, at the end of July. While the guests, the Drafthouse staff, and the chefs all devoured the sumptuous meal they'd prepared for Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe?, Terry had to satisfy a craving for hot buttered popcorn!
Chef and Restaurant News
After 2 1/2 successful years of 70- to 80-hour work weeks, Central Market Cooking School (4001 N. Lamar, 458-3068) manager Kelly Ann Hargrove is leaving that position this month. Store founder/manager John Campbell told us he'd like to find a way to keep the very capable Hargrove somewhere in the company, if at all possible. Longtime coordinator Sahar Arafat-Ray will replace Hargrove... Word on the local grapevine is that former Emilia's chef Chris Lanier is now in New York City, working at Cafe Boulud, making him the second former Austin chef to be playing in the big leagues in that high-profile, Big Apple kitchen. Former Driskill sous chef Tien Ho is there, too. For a world of insight into how the Manhattan restaurant business is a whole different ball game at that level, check out a book from 2002 called The Fourth Star (Random House, $15, paper) by Leslie Brenner, and you'll get a sense of the pressure to perform in such a kitchen... Congratulate hometown hero Hoover Alexander and his partners on the opening of a new Hoover's Cooking (6868 San Pedro, 210/828-2300) in San Antonio in mid-June. We predict his chicken-fried steak, jalapeño creamed spinach, and banana-pudding cheesecake will take the Alamo city by storm... Kudos to local restaurant designers for awards they received in the 18th annual American Society of Interior Designers/Austin Design Excellence Competition in May. 3DC Design won four first-place awards for their work on the Mansion at Judges' Hill, while Laurie Smith Design was recognized for her work on Round Rock's Fire Bowl Cafe and Houston's Saba Blue Water Cafe. Nice work all around.
Bullock Sunday Brunch
If you've been looking for a reason to drop by the Bob Bullock State History Museum (1800 N. Congress), have they got a deal for you! The museum is now offering brunch every Sunday from 10am to 2pm, with food provided by Catering by Rosemary of San Antonio. The buffet will include fresh fruits and salads, omelets, waffles, a carving station, casseroles, enchiladas, chicken-fried steak, assorted vegetables and side dishes, plus fresh baked breads, muffins and pastries, and a dessert table, all for the amazingly low price of $9.95 for adults, $7.95 for seniors, and $4.95 for kids 4-10. We predict tourists will eat this up!
