Food-o-file

Far South Austin is getting some new food options. The green-building project Escarpment Village shopping center on West Slaughter Lane is home to an HEB store. This store boasts a Central Market-style Cafe on the Run inside, offering plenty of delicious prepared food options (I enjoyed some samples during a recent three-day power outage). The center will also be home to the second location of the popular Satellite Cafe from Oak Hill by late summer or early fall... After the devastating fire at the Bitter End Bistro & Brewery, we'd lost track of chef Reggie Ferguson, but we're happy to report he's now on the range at Mars (1610 San Antonio, 472-3901). Look for Mars to relocate to the new development in the 1400 block of South Congress by early 2007... A production crew for the new Food Network program Culinary Claim to Fame was in town last week shooting a segment in the Circle C home of local cookbook author Angela Shelf Medearis. Former Austin Music TV staffer Darren Bresnick is now working for TVFN, and he tells us they hope to come back to Austin for more stories in the future... Congratulations to longtime Texas Monthly Food Editor Pat Sharpe on her recent James Beard Award for Magazine Feature Writing. She received the medal for a feature titled "Confessions of a Skinny Bitch" about the challenges of maintaining her figure while reviewing restaurants for the past 30 years. It's a well-deserved honor for a respected colleague.

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Event Menu: May 27-June 1

Austinites will have the opportunity to choose their favorite local margarita at BOBaritaville, a local margarita celebration and tasting contest in Waterloo Park sponsored by BOB-FM 103.5 and benefiting the Austin Children's Shelter. At least 25 area restaurants, bars, and hotels will participate in the margarita competition, and a panel of judges (including some Chronicle Food writers) will select the best margarita in Austin through blind taste-tests. Party guests can dance to live music and vote on the People's Choice award for their favorite libation. Contestants are encouraged to decorate their booths to demonstrate the unique character of their enterprise and take a shot at the Showmanship Award. Concessions will include margaritas, beer, nonalcoholic beverages, and dishes from several local restaurants. The winning business will receive a trophy and $6,000 worth of advertising spots on BOB-FM, while the Showmanship Award winner gets a trophy and $3,000 worth of advertising. The party is open to guests 21 and older, and tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the gate; 2-8pm, Saturday, May 27. Local animal rescue activists Tony Romano and Allison Schmidt and their ailing pooch Curly could use some help with mounting veterinary expenses, so the nice folks at Woody's South (321 W. Ben White, 851-9663) are throwing them a fundraiser. The event will include live music by Black Molly and the Archibalds, a silent auction, plus the sale of handmade dog treats, dog-motif T-shirts, and hand-painted pet portraits by Paige Moore. Woody's will donate a percentage of all bratwurst sales that day to the Curly Fund. Well-behaved dogs on leashes will be welcome on the patio; 4-7pm, Saturday, May 27.