There is so much good news to report this week! The International Association of Culinary Professionals announced its annual nominations for cookbook and food journalism awards last week, and we’re very pleased to note that Chronicle contributing Food writer MM Pack has been nominated for a Bert Greene Award for Food Journalism for her feature “An Avocado Story” (Aug. 1, 2008). Award winners will be announced at the IACP annual convention in Denver, April 1-4. In addition to food writing, MM Pack is a busy private chef and an active member of the Austin chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier… After studies and testing in Saint Helena, Calif., Austin wine consultant Greg Randle has been awarded the title of Certified Wine Educator by the Society of Wine Educators – the 11th Texan and the first Austinite to achieve CWE certification… Students from the Texas Culinary Academy (11400 Burnet Rd., 837-2665, www.tca.edu) swept all three places in the ninth annual Stephen Pyles Scholarship Cook-Off held in Dallas in late February. The first place winner, Thomas “Coner” Seargeant, won a $15,000 scholarship and the opportunity to assist chef Pyles at several upcoming celebrity chef events. Second- and third-place winners Melissa Vance and Michael de la Rosa each won $1,000 scholarships. The competition is sponsored by the Wine & Food Foundation of Texas (www.winefoodfoundation.org)… After serving on a panel with award-winning food writer Corby Kummer at the Texas Book Festival in November, Boggy Creek Farm co-owner and author Carol Ann Sayle was invited to contribute regularly to The Atlantic‘s new food blog, Corby’s Fresh Feeds. Check out the blog with Sayle’s first post at food.theatlantic.com. Hearty congratulations to them all!… The folks from the new Kitchen Door outlet (211 W. Sixth, 476-1000) announced the opening by dropping off a box of their signature giant cinnamon rolls at the office last week. The new location is in the basement level of the Chase Bank tower, just down some steps from the street. It’s open weekdays from 7:30am to 3pm, serving up those marvelous cinnamon rolls along with a tasty menu of breakfast and lunch items. Don’t miss the meatloaf sandwich… Also new Downtown is Fête Accompli (917 W. 12th, 478-3383, www.feteaustin.com), the gourmet-to-go retail outlet of chef Quincy Erickson‘s popular local catering business. Drop in between 11am and 7pm, Tuesday-Saturday, for custom soups, salads, sandwiches, entrées, and desserts to take out. Selections from Fête Accompli’s eclectic appetizer menus will be available Thursday-Saturday, as well as party trays made to order… Ike Johnson joined me at a restaurant opening Downtown a couple of weeks back, and as we were parking on Second Street, he happened to notice the very inviting window display in the new Teuscher Chocolates of Switzerland & Coffee shop across the street (409 W. Second, 236-1657, www.teuscheraustin.com). He was so excited to see the Teuscher name that he literally sprinted across traffic to see if the shop was still open. Although we missed them that day, I’ve since sampled some of Teuscher’s excellent chocolates (Milk Chocolate Buttercrunch Truffles!) and eagerly anticipate more. The chocolate shop is open Monday-Saturday, 10am-6pm, and Sundays, noon-5pm; the coffee shop serves a full complement of coffee beverages from 6:30am to 6pm weekdays.
This article appears in March 20 • 2009.