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
soir�e 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 Fad� (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. Fad� 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 Fad� 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 Fad�’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.
This article appears in June 27 • 1997 and June 27 • 1997 (Cover).