Food-O-File

Usually, there's not much action in the River City restaurant business in the summertime. However, this summer is already shaping up as a particularly eventful one, what with restaurant openings, new chefs, new pubs, and saloons popping up. On June 18th, Sullivan's (300 Colorado, 474-1862) threw a charity soirée for the Paramount Theatre to christen its new jazz venue, the Ringside, and to introduce its new private dining facilities. Guests snacked on crab cakes, jumbo shrimp, raw oysters, smoked salmon, and steak tartare washed down with cocktails, wine, and champagne. The 80-seat Ringside is a classy little saloon in the best Frank Sinatra sense of the term. It's a rare commodity in Austin, a room actually designed for performing music. That should quickly make it a favorite among local jazz players, and the powerful smoke-eaters on the ceiling should endear it to vocalists and listeners as well. The private dining facilities can be configured several different ways to accommodate groups from 12 to 120. Catering sales manager Annabelle Pulido already had parties booked for the two days immediately following the opening, and it would probably be a good idea to get those Christmas parties on her books real soon.

Around the corner at Fadó (214 W. Fourth, 457-0172), the management is honoring the popular local theatre company that operated for years in the same Fourth Street space, Capitol City Playhouse. Fadó is continuing the annual tradition of a July Fourth party established by CCP founder Michel Jaroschy and doing it as a benefit. For a $25 ticket ($10 ages 21 and under), patrons can enjoy food and drinks at Fadó from
6-8:30pm and then carry their lawn chairs a couple of blocks south to the roof of the historic Tipps Building (200 Colorado) to watch the holiday fireworks on Town Lake. Proceeds will benefit the Jaroschy family, Austin Circle of Theatres, and Austin Scriptworks. It's the perfect opportunity to sample Fadó's tasty Irish food menu that includes imported smoked salmon and Irish farmstead cheeses, fish & chips and Boxty, Irish potato pancakes with traditional fillings. Call 454-8497 or 499-8388 for ticket info.

If celebrating Independence Day in the Hill Country sounds appealing, check out the Cannon Shoot celebration at Becker Vineyards between Fredericksburg and Stonewall, off Hwy 290W. On July 4, 10am-5pm, Austinite Tom Lupton will fire his Civil War replica field guns to salute the Fourth while visitors enjoy Becker varietals and some live music. For information, call 210/644-2681. The fruit and vegetable stands along the highway should be doing a brisk business with a bumper crop of good peaches.

No sooner had the recent wedding cake article appeared in print with a listing of books on the matrimonial confections than the newest volume on the subject arrived in the mail. Turns out New England pastry chef Dede Wilson's The Wedding Cake Book (McMillan, $35 hard) is one of the best. A woman after my own heart, the author focuses primarily on the taste of the cakes and there is no fondant icing. Wilson's book opens with thorough, concise information about the six stages of planning a wedding cake plus everything even a novice baker would need to know to get started. It is packed with taste-tempting cake recipes identified as Easier, Moderate, or Complex. Each of the lovely cakes is photographed and there are complete instructions for the assembly and decoration.