Everywhere you look these days, Austin chefs and restaurants are on TV. The
last weekend in October, anchor people and camera crews from NBC cable
network’s new program Recipes of America shot definitive Austin footage (bats,
armadillos, Town Lake, music venues, etc.) and then interviewed chef Scott
Roberts of the Salt Lick and chef Charlotte Finch of the Iron Works BBQ about
some of their cooking secrets. The cable show, sponsored by Wisconsin’s
Sargento Foods, will mainly air in East Coast markets. Also in late October,
The Eyes of Texas, the popular travelogue from Houston’s Channel 2, visited
Lake Austin Spa Resort and interviewed chef Terry Conlan about his tasty,
low-fat fare. Closer to home, Channel 7 news reporter Tony Lopez has begun a
regular weekly feature during the station’s “7 on Your Side” segment which will
present the five lowest and highest Austin-Travis County Health Department
Sanitation Inspection Report scores for Austin restaurant kitchens every week.
The scores are a matter of public record but it has been several years since a
television station put them on the air. It should be interesting to see just
how long the feature lasts — shades of Marvin Zindler’s famous “Slime
Report.”
The Capital Area Food Bank’s 10th Annual Hometown Harvest community-wide food
drive will take place Nov. 12-19. The donated food will see the Food Bank
through the holiday season, when they distribute food to 185 charitable
organizations in Central Texas. Red collection barrels will be placed in all
HEB, Randalls, Simon David, Albertson’s, Whole Foods, Fiesta, Foodland, and
Wheatsville. Pitch in all the canned goods you can spare.
Before long, you should be able to buy a bagel on every corner in Austin. To
that end, Joe and Isabella Loiacano have opened locations number four and five
of The Bagelry. Now you can nosh at 3663 W. Bee Caves Road in Westlake Court
and at 5501-B Balcones Drive in Plaza Balcones… The Whole Foods Farmer’s
Market continues this month in front of the Sixth and Lamar store every
Wednesday afternoon 2:30-5:30 pm with locally grown produce from 10 to 14
Central Texas farms. Chefs lined up to prepare sample dishes in November are
Mustang Diner’s Mark Oster (11-1), Tim Kartiganer from Mars (11-8), Rocky
Packard of Coyote Cafe (11-15), Ancho’s John Lucas (11-22) and Milieu’s Lee
Hankins (11-29). Use these guys as a resource of ideas for dishes to prepare
with the great local produce… Bertram’s General Manager Tom Hoopingarner
announced last week that they have hired chef Peter O’Brien to replace Craig
Sullivan at the historic downtown restaurant. Locals may remember CIA-grad
O’Brien from his flamboyant stints at Granite Cafe, Bitter End, and Caffe
Azzuro before he returned to Dallas’ Riviera Hotel… Coming Events: The fall
wine dinner calendar is looking good. On Monday, November 13, Sfuzzi continues
their fall series with a tempting fall menu from chef Louis Halfant paired with
Jordan wines. Call the restaurant at 476-8100 to make a reservation for the $55
per plate event. Shoreline Grill will present National Fine Wine Authority Mick
Unti at an Artisan’s and Estate Vintner’s Dinner on Tuesday, November 14. Chef
Dan Haverty will create a special menu to compliment the wines from
Kendall-Jackson, Cambria, La Crema, and Stonestreet, including the debut of
Kendall-Jackson’s new sparkling wine, Krystone. Call 477-3300 to reserve a seat
for $65.
This article appears in November 10 • 1995 and November 10 • 1995 (Cover).