Bits and Bites

 Upcoming Events

-- Peace Through Pie is "an Austin-based grassroots movement, which encourages all generations and cultures to honor and celebrate the peace-building legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. via old and new culinary traditions and shared pie." The first pie "social" was four years ago, and the movement has spread, and Peace Through Pie became a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization. The movement has grown to include area schools, churches, and community centers. This year, over 25 organizations and businesses will hold pie social events beginning later this week, where participants will eat pie and engage in meaningful conversations. As founder Luanne Stovall, said “In our increasingly complex world, there is a great need to come together in an intentional way to celebrate diversity as a strength and cultivate trust. What better way to see the world as the pie and each of us as a piece, than to share our rich culinary traditions at the table?” Check out Peace Through Pie's website for a listing of events throughout the Austin community!

-- Central Market is holding Citrusational, their annual citrus festival, January 15-28, at all stores.

-- Salty Sow will be offering the menu they will serve at the renowned James Beard House in late February to guests at the restaurant on January 22 and February 5; $55/person or $75 with wine pairings. The 5-course menu includes Berkshire pork, swordfish, baked ricotta, and banana beignets.

-- The 8th Annual Jo's Chili Cookoff, benefiting the Sustainable Food Center will be January 26th at Jo's on South Congress. $20 to sample all 14 of the chili entrees from local restaurants and cooks.

-- Satay Restaurant will be featured on the Cooking Channel's Restaurant Redemption on January 28th. 

-- Jack Allen's Kitchen (Oak Hill) is holding the 4th Annual Lone Star Paralysis Bourbon Bash on January 29th; $150/person, and all proceeds to go the Lone Star Paralysis Foundation. 

-- Sway will be hosting Night of 50,000 Lives, a fundraiser for the American Red Cross and their measles and rubella initiatives, February 13th, $250/person. 

-- The first Bacon and Beer Festival of Austin will be February 22, presented by Edible Austin in conjunction with Edible Boston.

Openings, etc.
-- The downtown outlet of the Memphis-based Gus's Fried Chicken opened last week at 117 San Jacinto.  

-- Juiceland has opened their 7th location at 620 and Lohman's Crossing.

-- The latest from ATX Brands, Vinyl (a music lounge) and Upstairs on Trinity (a wine bar) will hold their opening weekend January 16-18 at 607 Trinity. Tastings, drink specials and DJs!

-- A new pizza trailer, The Unconventional Oven, will hold their grand opening at the Breakpoint at the Boardwalk trailer park (2201 Lakeshore Blvd.). 

-- The new Whole Foods at the Domain officially opened January 15th. I attended an opening earlier in the week; it's a gorgeous store, just rather far from my South Austin home! ;)

-- Henri's Wine and Cheese will be adding a coffee shop next door (2026 South Lamar Blvd.)

-- P. Terry's is changing their oatmeal cookie, after a cookie challenge by a local fan! Ellie Livesay's own recipe was voted by customers to be the preferred cookie, and the local burger chain will now be using hers.

-- Andiamo has updated their menu to reflect colder-weather appropriate courses, including beef tenderloin with Gorgonzola, gnocchi with fontina cream sauce, and hot chocolate coup with a dash of hot pepper.

 Valentine's Events

-- The Flying Carpet trailer is selling "Moroccan kiss" cookies in Moroccan-inspired flavors for Valentine's Day. To preorder, click here.
 
-- Goodall's will serve a 4-course prix fixe menu for $109/person over V-day weekend.

-- Finn + Porter will serve a 4-course prix fixe menu for $75/person on Feb. 14th, which includes options as braised lamb, butternut squash soup, Gulf red snapper, and a dessert trio. 

-- Satay will serve a 3-course meal for $35, $49 with wines.

Dolce Neve Gelato

My little Bouldin Creek neighborhood has undergone quite the transformation in recent years. South First Street is starting to look like South Congress, and a plethora of quality eateries have been popping up along the way. While we still have "the Mexican Mile" (El Mercado, Jovita's -- RIP, El Chile, La Mexicana, Polvo's, Little Mexico) and a couple food trailer lots, we now have a triumphant trio of sweet shops within a two block radius -- Sugar Mama's Bakeshop (cupcakes and other baked goods), La Patisserie (traditional French pastries), and now Dolce Neve Gelato.

Dolce Neve is owned by three Italians (Marco, his sister Francesca, and her boyfriend Leo) who all moved to Austin last year to specifically open up this shop. I met Marco back in December at the shop when it was still under construction. He told me they looked long and hard to find what they felt would be the perfect location for their shop. Gelato is what they are passionate about; Francesca went to gelato school back in Italy, and placed in a national gelato talent competition. They use an old-fashioned method to make their gelatos. Ingredients are sourced locally, and everything is made from scratch, as opposed to a mix, and they make everything out in the open, so hence their slogan "We do it in front of everyone." No secrets here!

Last night was their official media tasting. On a daily basis, they will have 20 flavors, including vegan and savory choices, as well as cookie sandwiches, gelato pops, and semifreddo gelato cakes. I tried the pistachio, salted caramel, tiramisu, meyer lemon sorbet, and Parmigiano Reggiano, which tasted just like a cold piece of nicely aged parm.

Their passion translates to the quality of their products, and the quality is high. So whether you live in the neighborhood or you're coming to eat, stop by Dolce Neve. Your sweet tooth will thank you.

Bits and Bites

Happy New Year! I hope everyone's year is off to a good start. I can certainly say mine is, as I got some pretty incredible news on Friday. The Austin Chronicle released their annual Top 10 lists of 2013, and I am humbled and honored to have been named one of Austin's top food bloggers! A sincere THANK YOU to the Chronicle and all of you out there reading my little blog, or following me on Facebook (South Austin Foodie), Twitter (@southatxfoodie), and/or Instagram (@southaustinfoodie). I will continue to offer you my honest opinions of the places I eat, create a few dishes in my own kitchen, and round up the local food scene news here in Bits and Bites!

And now, back to business!

Newsworthy
-- Back in December, the Austin Food and Wine Alliance announced their annual culinary grants. Big congrats to winners Confituras, Blacklands Malt, and Salt + Time!

-- My friends at Austin Bakes raised almost $5000 with their citywide bake sale on November 30th, with proceeds going to the Halloween day flood victims in southeast Austin, via the Austin Disaster Relief Network.

-- Travaasa Austin is hosting Jam + Jive, a two-day culinary weekend with canning and food preservation workshops, January 25 - 26, more info on their website.  Sessions include jam making, bread baking, kim chi fermenting, and citrus preserving, each led by local experts.

-- There's a new culinary product called Gourmet Starter. It's similar to a bouillon cube, but it's got onion, garlic, herbs and spices, and is used as a flavor base. Nothing artificial, and they are based here in Austin. They reached out to me via Facebook, asking if I'd help spread the word; I haven't tried it, but it sounds interesting.

-- Like Meyer lemons? Need suggestions on what to do with them? Check out my friend Girl Gone Grits, as she celebrates all things Meyer with guest posts from local bloggers (ok, slight shameless plug, as I will write a Meyer post too!).

-- Russian House is holding a fusion dinner of Russian dishes with New Orleans flavors, January 27th, $55. Details here.

-- Hops + Grain has just expanded their tap room, adding 80 additional seats; 507 Calles St. at East 2nd.

Openings, etc.
-- East Side King at 2310 South Lamar opened at the end of December.

-- Odd Duck at 1201 South Lamar opened in mid December.

-- Little Barrel and Brown opened at 1716 South Congress (the old Woodland) in December.

-- The 8th  P. Terry's drive-thru burger spot is now open, at 12018 N. Research Blvd.

-- Dolce Neve, an Italian gelateria, opens in my Bouldin Creek neighborhood at 1713 S. First on Friday!

-- G'raj Mahal is in the process of moving from their original trailer to brick and mortar.

-- Amaya's Taco Village will open a second location in Southpark Meadows this spring.

-- St. Philip, a pizzeria/bakery from the folks of Uchi, in the old Cannoli Joe's spot on 290 in Sunset Valley.

-- Mercury Pizza was sold to the owners of 360 Pizza, and rebranding is in process. 2107 Kinney.

-- Wu Chow, a Chinese food concept from the people at Swift's Attic, 500 W. 5th, sometime this summer.

-- Both locations of Lucy's Fried Chicken are now offering Sunday brunch and weekday Blue Plate specials.

Closed
-- The aforementioned Mercury Pizza.

-- Your Mom's Burger at Wm. Cannon and Hwy 290.

Flour and Vine

Last week, I did a tasting at Flour and Vine (next to Zach Scott Theater on South Lamar) that highlighted several dishes that will be part of their Gypsy Moon New Year's Eve celebration. The big glass windows and the late afternoon light made it perfect for photographing these gorgeous plates by Chef John Kramer. And tasting them was even better! (Items with an * are part of the New Year's Eve menu.)

Beef Wellington with purple potatoes. We were all struck by how beautifully the beef was cooked and the gorgeous contrast of the potatoes.

Pork chop with apple sauce, chard, and sweet potato patty. I often find pork chops to be dry, but this was very juicy (perhaps brined?), and the sweet potato was encrusted with panko bread crumbs, giving it a light crust.

Chicken with marsala mushroom sauce and blue cheese potato croquettes. One of the most lovely marsala sauces I have ever had. Local free range chicken too, and the potato croquettes were very crisp, well-fried, and not too strong on the blue.

Roasted duck breast with cippoline onions, pickled cabbage, and port cherry sauce.* Very nice contrast of the savory onions and cabbage with the sweet/tart of the cherry sauce.

Quail stuffed with chicken mousseline.* I have no idea how you stuff a tiny quail, but it was very tasty.

Roasted striped bass with gnocchi, roast tomatoes, and meyer lemon beurre blanc.* The skin was very nice and crisp, and what's not to love about a beurre blanc?

Braised short rib with Cabernet demi glace.* The meat absolutely fell off the bone, and combined with the demi glace, it was an incredible bite.

Very vivid decor, from the red walls to the wavy paintings on the ceiling. All the artwork are pieces by the Zach Scott Theater family. Nice high-back leather chairs give it an extra touch of class, but the wooden tables keep Flour and Vine homey and comfortable.

Flour and Vine's New Year's Eve celebration is $49/person or $75 with wine pairings. It includes an amuse bouche of smoked salmon and caviar. Course one, your choice of a beet and goat cheese napoleon or butternut squash soup. Course two, choices are: gulf shrimp, stuffed quail, or polenta cakes. Course three: short ribs, duck breast, striped bass, or mushroom risotto, followed by dessert. Call the restaurant at 512/474-4846 to reserve!

*I was invited by the restaurant to try their food, but was not paid for my opinions. No money exchanged hands.

White Bean Soup with Bacon

I didn't set out for this to be a blog post, but I posted a picture on Facebook of the soup I made this nice cold weekend, and got some requests for the recipe, so here we go!

Soups and stews are nice for a number of reasons:
-- they're hardy and hearty
-- relatively inexpensive to make
-- don't require the precision that baking does, and are generally easy to halve, double, or make other changes (sometimes known as winging it)

This soup was from a blog post on a site called The Crazy Apron, and the original post is here. I thought that six cans of beans sounded like a bit much, and changed things along the way. I am quite happy with how mine came out, but don't be afraid to make some tweaks of your own.

White Bean Soup with Bacon, serves 4

6 ounces thick-cut bacon, chopped (I think a smoked ham hock would be very nice too)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
salt and pepper to taste
2 (15 ounces) cans white beans (I used great northerns), drained & rinsed
3 cups chicken stock/broth, warmed a bit
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice

-- Heat a Dutch oven (at least 3 quarts) over medium heat.
-- Add bacon and cook until crisp; remove with slotted spoon & let drain on paper towel.
-- Remove all but 1 tablespoon of bacon grease, and of course save for another use!
-- Add olive oil and butter to bacon grease over medium heat.
-- Add onion, carrots, and celery; allow to soften for about 5 minutes.
-- Add garlic; let cook another 2 - 3 minutes until aromatic.
-- Add thyme, salt and pepper, beans, and about 2/3 the cooked bacon, stirring to combine.
-- Add broth; increase heat to high, and bring to a low boil.
-- Reduce heat to medium/medium low (whatever allows it to keep simmering gently), pot covered most of the way; stir occasionally and simmer for 30 minutes.
-- Remove thyme.
-- If you have an immersion (stick) blender, place it in the pot and blend about half the mixture; alternately, you can just mash with a potato masher, or if you really want to mash it, carefully ladle into half into a blender and puree.
-- Stir to combine, and return to heat for about 10 more minutes.
-- Remove from heat; add lemon zest and juice.
-- Ladle into individual serving bowls, and serve with reserved bacon on top; great with crusty garlic bread.