Television cameras are focused on the Central Texas food and wine scene. Austinite Ross Outon emerged as the winner of the PBS reality competition series The Winemakers, and a standing-room-only crowd watched the final episode at Twin Liquors Marketplace (1000 E. 41st, 451-7400) and sampled Outon’s winning 45 RPM wine a couple of weeks ago. The omnipresent Rachael Ray did some serious multitasking last March when she was in town for South by Southwest, hosting A-list, invitation-only parties and sampling authentic local farm-to-table fare. The results were showcased in a segment of Rachael’s Vacation titled “Farm to Table” on the Food Network last Friday, featuring a shopping trip to the Austin Farmers’ Market Downtown, a Dai Due Supper Club feast in the field at Boggy Creek Farm, and chefs from Olivia doing their weekly farmers’ market shopping. Bill Geist and a production crew from CBS Sunday Morning spent a couple of days at Royers Round Top Cafe (www.royersroundtopcafe.com) last weekend, shooting a story about the cafe’s “pie a month for life” program. The finished spot should air on a Sunday morning later this month.
Local bakeries and restaurants are gearing up for holiday baking. Most of the places we spoke with are taking orders now for pickup Monday through Wednesday, Nov. 23-25, and most will have extra desserts available for sale on a first come, first served basis. Pie Slice (2024 S. Lamar, 444-6644, www.pieslicebakery.com) will have pies and cakes; Quack’s 43rd Street Bakery (411 E. 43rd, 453-3399, www.quackquacks.com) will have pies, cakes, cupcakes, and decorated cookies; Texas French Bread (www.texasfrenchbread.com) will have pies, cakes, tortes, tarts, breads, and rolls; Sweetish Hill Bakery (1120 W. Sixth, 472-1347, www.sweetishhill.com) will have pies, cakes, tortes, tarts, cupcakes, breads, rolls, and homemade fruitcakes; Upper Crust Bakery (4508 Burnet Rd., 467-0102, www.theuppercrustbakery.com) will have pies, cakes, breads, pastries, and rolls; Chez Zee (5406 Balcones, 454-2666, www.chezzee.com) will have pies, cakes, tortes, cheesecakes, and savory side dishes; Hoover’s Cooking (2002 Manor Rd., 479-5006; 13376 Research #400, 335-0300, www.hooverscooking.com) offers family meals with all the trimmings for takeout; and Threadgill’s (6416 N. Lamar, 451-5440; 301 W. Riverside, 472-9304, www.threadgills.com) offers family meals with all the trimmings for takeout.
While you’re checking out the galleries and the happenings in East Austin over the next week, consider dropping into Joe’s Place (1814 E. MLK, 472-3105, www.joefood.biz) for a bite to eat. Longtime Austin caterer Joe Cook and his wife, Connie Green, have recently expanded their catering operation at the corner of MLK and Chicon to include a cozy dine-in space. The light menu includes a soup du jour, a few salads and sandwiches, a daily hot lunch special, and desserts. Everything we tasted on a recent visit – a savory soup, sandwiches on house-made bread, a satisfying meat loaf, and a velvety chocolate mousse – was fresh, tasty, and reasonably priced.
This article appears in November 13 • 2009.