Food-o-File
We celebrate Texas Wine Month and anniversaries all around, check out some new ventures by some old friends, and ask for St. Elias' forgiveness
By Virginia B. Wood, Fri., Oct. 22, 2004
October is Texas Wine Month, and the folks at Fall Creek Vineyards (325/379-5361, www.fcv.com) have scheduled a unique event. Guests will enjoy an exhibit of Hill Country artworks on the patio and then proceed to a musical performance inspired by the winery – composed, arranged, and performed by Gerardo Ramirez, followed by a seated four-course luncheon paired with award-winning wines. Cost is $35, and reservations are necessary. Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 23-24, at noon in the barrel room at the vineyard.
Rudy's Country Store & Bar-B-Q invites you to join the celebration of their 10th anniversary in Austin. Each of their three locations will offer a quarter-pound of brisket, turkey, or a half link of sausage and a mini bottle of their famous "sause" to anyone who presents a valid voter registration card between 2pm and 4pm, and they'll also be sharing pieces of the huge, three-dimensional, bottle-shaped birthday cakes at 3pm. KASE 101's Bama Brown will be playing spin the bottle for prizes at the original Research location. Sunday afternoon, Oct. 24, 2-4pm. Rudy's locations: 11570 Research, 418-9898; 2451 Capital of TX Hwy. S., 329-5554; 2400 N. I-35, 244-2936.
Calling All Amy's Ice Creams Alumni
Owner Amy Simmons invites all former and current Amy's employees to the 20th Anniversary Alumni Weekend Celebration, Nov. 5-7. Events will include a storytelling party, carnival, prom, and company barbecue at the Salt Lick. For more info, contact Hope in the Amy's office at 458-6149 x516, or e-mail [email protected].
Everything Happens in October, III
In the off-with-our-heads department, our sincerest apologies to the organizers and guests at the St. Elias Mediterranean Festival. Due to an editing error, two sentences were spliced together, making it appear as if the $5 cover charge would also cover the cost of foods and beverages available at the event, which was not the case. We regret any confusion and dissatisfaction our error may have caused... Billy Forrester is back! Fans and friends of his previous ventures (Dog & Duck Pub, Waterloo Brewing Company) should check out his newest spot, Billy's on Burnet (Burnet & Hancock, 407-9305), where the bill of fare includes appetizers, burgers, sandwiches, and beers. The place has all the makings of a great little neighborhood joint... The coolest new place on the UT Campus could be Texas Expresso (2110 San Jacinto in the Alumni Center, 471-8076), where the food has an Italian flair, with imported coffees, wonderful gelatos from Teo's, sandwiches, and "quesadinis." (Your guess is as good as ours about that.)... When local chefs and restaurateurs take the time to e-mail their restaurant recommendations, I tend to take notice, so Ka-Prow (1200 W. Howard Lane, 990-2111) is now officially on our list of places to try. We're told Opart Udomsatapol, aka Chef "O," (formerly of Lemongrass Bistro in Lakeway) is now turning out excellent food at his own restaurant. It should be worth the drive to find out.... Folks with a craving for the Cashew Tamari salad dressing from West Lynn Cafe (1110 West Lynn, 482-0950) and Mother's (4215 Duval St., 451-3994) will be delighted to know it's now available in bottles at both restaurants, the Whole Foods and Fresh Plus stores, and Wheatsville Co-op. And by the way, did you see the mention West Lynn Cafe received in a recent USA Today piece on good vegetarian restaurants around the country? Very cool... The advent of stone crab season in Florida means it's time for the all-you-can-eat stone crab dinners at Truluck's (Fourth & Colorado, 482-9000), where you get soup, salad, and two side dishes with all the crab claws you can eat for $45... Another popular neighborhood restaurant was destroyed by fire last week, but the owners of Dos Hermanos at Caesar Chavez and Pleasant Valley are insured and will rebuild. Also, Ron Flores of Habana (2728 S. Congress, 443-4252) says his recently burned eatery is undergoing reconstruction and invites his customers to visit Copa Cabana (2810 S. Congress, 462-2473) for Cuban delicacies in the interim.
