Food-O-File

In the "It's Never Too Early to Plan Ahead" Department, Tom Gilliland and Miguel Ravago, co-owners of Fonda San Miguel, are already planning their celebration for December 31, 1999. "Besides being the millennium, it's also the 25th anniversary of our restaurant," Gilliland said, adding that they plan to make the event "a culinary and entertainment extravaganza that people will be talking about for another 100, or maybe 1,000 years." Reservations for New Year's 1999 are $250 per person with a $100 deposit required. Call 459-3401 or 459-4121... Lucky Westlake citizens have two new dining options. Madam Nadalini's, an Italian vegetarian restaurant, is open in West Lake Court at 3663 Bee Caves Road and is attracting quite a bit of attention. The buzz on this place has been great from vegetarian and vegan friends who were enthusiastic about a menu where they had many options. More critical friends on the quest for a truly authentic Italian restaurant in Austin say they are still looking. And after only a three-month hiatus, the ever-popular Serranos has resurfaced on Walsh Tarleton in the old Chez Fred/Chez Garden location. Owner Adam Gonzales has tailored his menu to the location and clientele and is serving several "American" food choices (chicken fried steak, fried shrimp, rosemary roasted chicken, chopped sirloin steak) along with the mesquite-grilled and Tex-Mex selections. Serranos Mesquite Grill and Bar serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day with full bar service and a free happy hour buffet. For those who've been awaiting the opening of Gonzales' new seafood eatery Pulpo Loco at 1806 Barton Springs Road, Gonzales reports that he's been paying rent on the location for 6 months while he negotiates with the city about permits. Perhaps he'll be serving Crazy Octopus by spring... John Watson and his family and crew at Old Alligator Grill are inviting old and new customers alike to their first anniversary celebration on Sunday, January 22. The festivities should kick off about 7pm with door prizes, free food samples, complimentary birthday cake, and live music from Kindred Soul. And to show their gratitude to their clientele, Old Alligator owners will give $10 gift certificates to every 10th person who shows up for dinner that evening. Let the good times roll at 3003 S. Lamar... New in the mail this week is a presentation about the premier issue of a magazine from Taunton Press called Kitchen Garden -- The Art of Growing Fine Food, for gardeners who love to cook and cooks who love to garden. The East Coast publisher also produces such titles as Fine Cooking and Fine Woodworking for serious enthusiasts. If you're interested in a risk-free charter issue, contact Taunton at PO Box 5507, Newtown, CT 06470-5507. I'll be reviewing the first issue in this space after it arrives... Looking to expand your horizons? The new Eastside Circulator bus route was inaugurated this week, running through several Central East Austin neighborhoods and providing efficient and convenient service to the HEB supermarket at Riverside and Pleasant Valley and to the Fiesta Market at I-35 and 38th. "The Austin-Travis County Food Policy Council asked Capital Metro to add a new bus route in East Austin after a study by the Sustainable Food Center found that many low-income Eastsiders spend more for their food because they do not have transportation to supermarkets," said Kate Fitzgerald, Executive Director of the Sustainable Food Center. The process of putting together the bus route is an example of a successful public-private partnership.