Food-o-File
Apples, Hatch chiles, ice cream, and so much more to sink your teeth into
By Virginia B. Wood, Fri., Sept. 17, 2010
Kudos to sommelier Mark Sayre of TRIO at the Four Seasons (98 San Jacinto, 685-8300, www.trioaustin.com), who was named one of the "7 Best New Sommeliers of 2010" by Wine & Spirits magazine. Be sure to solicit Sayre's help with a wine pairing when dining at TRIO... Those marvelous SweeTango apples are back, and Austin's Whole Foods Markets and Central Markets are among the first stores in the country to get a limited supply of the sweet and crisp apple, a cross between Honeycrisp and Zestar varietals. Don't miss them; they're wonderful... Z'Tejas Southwestern Grill (1110 W. Sixth, 9400-A Arboretum Blvd., 10525 W. Parmer, www.ztejas.com) celebrates the Hatch chile harvest with its annual Chile Bash featuring chiles in new recipes for everything from appetizers to cocktails through Sept. 26. During the promotion, $1 for every Chile Bash entrée will be donated to the Livestrong Survivorship Center at Dell Children's Medical Center... Congratulations to Jessica Meyer, whose blog, www.atxglutenfree.wordpress.com, was recently named the Top Gluten-Free Insider for 2010 by HealthCastle.com, a nutrition site run by registered dieticians. Meyer's blog offers her own gluten-free recipes as well as information about gluten-free products and menu items at local restaurants. Her future plans include a private chef service and a line of gluten-free products... I sampled food from two of Austin's most innovative new mobile vendors over the weekend. First was Lucky's Puccias (817 W. Fifth, 739-8587), where Puglia native Lucky Sibilla makes remarkable sandwiches on rustic flat breads baked in a wood-fired oven in the trailer. (Talk about dedication to his art!) The little round pouches are stuffed with meats, cheeses, vegetables, and homemade condiments of your choice, and they are a joy to consume. Try them out some evening soon while you're relaxing at the Tiniest Bar in Texas. Another great discovery is the ultra hip new Cool Haus ice cream truck that roams the city, setting up in different locations daily and working special events. Cool Haus offers incredible ice cream sandwiches for $4 with scoops of lemon zest, vanilla bean, Lambrusco, dirty mint chip, Mexican chocolate, or mascarpone with balsamic figs sandwiched between cookie choices such as chocolate, chocolate chip, gingersnap, snickerdoodle, and oatmeal. Lemon zest with gingersnap was particularly good. Follow the truck's movements on Facebook or the calendar at www.eatcoolhaus.com, and get one of these delicious treats. You can thank me later.
