This was almost a great story. It’s all about a cool essay contest in which the grand prize winner gets to own their own pub in Ireland. For the fifth year, the Guinness Win Your Own Pub in Ireland contest will fly the 10 finalists in the annual essay contest to Dublin for a week of festivities and then turn over the keys to Finucane’s Pub in Listowel, County Kerry, to the lucky winner. The press material arrived complete with contest rules and a glossy color photo of the prize pub. There’s even a short article about last year’s winners in this month’s Saveur magazine to create enthusiasm. Considering that Austin is one of the top markets for Guinness in the U.S., I just knew this would make a perfect column item… right up to the point that I found the fine print where it said void in Texas. That’s right, in its infinite wisdom, the Texas Legislature has instructed the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission that it is illegal in Texas for alcoholic beverages to be awarded as prizes in games of skill that are evaluated by the maker or vendor of the alcoholic beverages. If you have your heart set on owning an Irish pub, the out-of-state relatives will have to win it for you.
Seventy-eight contestants competed in five categories at the recent Gumbo Contest at Central Market (4001 N. Lamar, 458-3068) and the grand prize of a $1,000 shopping spree was awarded to Doug Slocombe for his exotic alligator and andouille sausage gumbo. Artz Rib House (2330 S. Lamar, 442-8283) scored a repeat win in the restaurant category with the gumbo they serve every Thursday. Chris Sapstead won the seafood category, Mark Fisher made the top chicken and sausage variety, and Catherine Slocombe took the favored prize in the vegetable division… February got away from me before I had an opportunity to mention that one of our longtime local mainstays, Magnolia Cafe South (1920 S. Congress, 445-0000), celebrated its 10th anniversary during the month. Owner Kent Cole reports that the cafe was pleased to host Arlo Guthrie for several meals during his recent visit to Austin and was even more pleased to ship him multiple gallons of the evidently addictive Magnolia hot sauce to help him complete his current cross-country tour… New Jersey-born Italian-American pizza man Daniel Saccone faxed me the menu for his second northwest pizza outlet and challenges former Chronicle writer Robb Walsh and all other thin-crust Jersey pizza experts to try his pies. Check them out at either Saccone’s location: 2701-A Hwy 183 in Leander (259-1882) or 13812 Research in Anderson Mill (257-1200) and let me know what you think.
The next few days are packed with a veritable banquet of food-related activities:
March 5 & 6: award-winning cookbook author Joan Nathan will make an appearance at Central Market (458-3068).
March 7: a day-long taste fair with food tastings and prizes at both Sun Harvest stores (2917 Anderson, 451-0669; 4006 S. Lamar, 444-6313). Prizes will include a Kitchen Aid KSM90 Mixer with a copy of Julia Child‘s Cooking With the Master Chefs, a Stovetop Espresso Machine and Frother, a Juice Squeezer with the Rise and Dine cookbook, a set of Conzorio Flavored Olive Oils, a cooking utensil set with an apron and oven mitts.
March 8: a reading of short stories about food by authors M.F.K. Fisher, Roald Dahl, and Angela Carter in a touring version of the popular National Public Radio series Selected Shorts at the LBJ Auditorium, 2313 Red River. Proceeds benefit KUT 90.5 FM. Tickets may be purchased from UTTM at 477-6060.
March 9: the latest installment of the Red Ribbon Dinner Series to raise funds for AIDS Services of Austin. Dinner this time is at Fonda San Miguel (2330 N. Loop, 459-4121) Call 406-6175 for reservations.
This article appears in March 6 • 1998 and March 6 • 1998 (Cover).