Edible Austin Beverage Issue 2014 by Edible Austin

edible

No. 34 May/June | Beverage 2014

Austin

Celebrating Central Texas food culture, season by season

The

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CONTENTS beverage issue 6

Publisher’s Note

Notable Mentions

Notable Edibles

Half Step, Bitch Beer, The AG Project, Uncertain Farms, Spicy Mama Salsa, New World Gelato.

Edible Endeavor

Texas in the bottle.

Cooks at Home

Tito Beveridge.

Edible Hospitality

East End Wines.

People

K&S Seafood.

Cooking Fresh

Summer salads.

Edible Garden

Preparing for abundance.

Hip Girl’s Guide To Homemaking

The fizz biz.

La Casita de Buen Sabor

Season of the spritzers.

Edible Communities

Local heroes.

The Directory

BEVERAGE features 20 The Happiness Business Blending Texas with old world Spanish grapes.

26 Texas Coffee Traders Connecting over a cup of coffee.

34 Austin Beerworks Growing one pearl snap at a time.

40 The Texas Terroirists Trailblazers in the evolution of Texas wine.

52 The Burnet Road Crawl Experience the true beating heart of old Austin.

66 The History of Gin Dust the cobwebs off the gin...

Find a full listing of our contributors at edibleaustin.com

COVER: Buddy's Place from The Burnet Road Crawl (page 52). Photography by Whitney Arostegui.

70 Genius Gin ...and meet an all-local artisan.

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

CHEERS TO A COOL SUMMER!

PUBLISHER Marla Camp

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER elebrate our Beverage issue this summer by keeping yourself hydrated and cool.

Cool as in sipping on an herb-infused spritzer drink—Lucinda

Hutson offers several options to choose from (p. 74–75). I vote for the Gin and Roses (after reading all about the history of gin by mixologist David Alan on p. 66–67). Cool as in using those plentiful tomatoes from your garden or the farmers markets to make a calming Tomato-Water Martini, courtesy of Laura McKissack (p. 62). Craving a non-alcoholic refresher? Try your hand at making Kate Payne's soda syrups for your own homemade fountain sodas. Spiking allowed, of course! (p. 72–73). Cool as in ducking out of the heat and into one (or all) of the old-Austin bars along our suggested Burnet Road Crawl to say "hey" to Ginny, Lala and Jackie, nurse a longneck and while away some hours listening to classic jukebox fare (p. 52–58). Lest we forget about eating while we’re drinking, this issue features plenty of seasonal summer recipes—throw some chicken on your grill à la Tito Beveridge (p. 25); sear some Gulf tuna from K&S Seafood (p. 31); and whip up Elizabeth Winslow’s Summer Salads as meatless meals or to go with the aforementioned turf and surf. The absolutely coolest thing you can do this summer, however, is to help us support Austin Food for Life, a start-up nonprofit dedicated to assisting food and beverage industry professionals (including farmers and artisans) access affordable healthcare solutions by attending our second annual Sipping Social taking place on Saturday, June 21 at new event space Fair Market on Austin's historic East Side. Dress in your finest vintage attire and attend our Prohabition Era-style wing-ding of a party that brings this issue and the Austin beverage scene to life featuring live jazz, dance lessons, a cocktail lounge, wine bar, beer hall, juice and coffee bars, soda fountain, delectable artisan food tastings, and surprises around all the corners. We’ve invited back

Jenna Noel

EDITOR Kim Lane

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Dawn Jordan

PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Whitney Arostegui

MARKETING ASSISTANT Shannon Kintner

COPY EDITOR Anne Marie Hampshire

EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS Melinda Barsales, Claire Cella, Dena Garcia, Marie Franki Hanan, Cari Marshall, Michelle Moore

ADVERTISING SALES Curah Beard, Lori Brix, Valerie Kelly

DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Greg Rose

ADVISORY GROUP Terry Thompson-Anderson, Paula Angerstein, Dorsey Barger, Jim Hightower, Toni Tipton-Martin, Mary Sanger, Suzanne Santos, Carol Ann Sayle

the baby goats from Swede Farm—and Swede’s signature chocolate goat’s milk is

not to be missed. Tickets go on sale May 1 and we will offer a limited number of VIP

Edible Austin 1415 Newning Avenue, Austin, TX 78704 512-441-3971 info@edibleaustin.com edibleaustin.com

Packages again this year, featuring a collection of spirits and other beverages from the artisans featured at the event that will stock your home bars for many moons.

Edible Austin is published bimonthly by Edible Austin L.L.C. All rights reserved. Subscription rate is $35 annually. No part of this publication may be used without written permission of the publisher. ©2014. Every effort is made to avoid errors, misspellings and omissions. If, however, an error comes to your attention, please accept our sincere apologies and notify us.

Be there or be square, cool cat.

NEVER COMPROMISE

TEQUIL A HERRADURA ENJOY OUR HANDCRAFTED TEQUILA RESPONSIBLY.

notable MENTIONS EDIBLE AUSTIN’S SIPPING SOCIAL RETURNS SATURDAY, JUNE 21 Our Edible Austin Beverage issue comes to life at this year’s Sipping Social, a rousing 1920s-themed evening of Texan spirits, wines, craft brews and all things beverage-related. While tasting handcrafted drinks from our

ocial S g S i p p in Austin’s

curated beverage artisans, guests will enjoy local food tastings, live jazz music inspired by the Prohibition Era, dance lessons and surprises around every corner. Put on your finest vintage attire and celebrate with us! This year’s Social is 7–10 p.m. on Saturday, June 21 at Fair Market, a new events space located at 1100 E. 5th Street in historic East Austin. The event this year again benefits Austin Food for Life, a nonprofit dedicated to helping food and beverage industry professionals access affordable healthcare so-

Experience TRACE showcasing the finest locally sourced and foraged flavors from the region’s surrounding farms. Welcome patio weather and the summer of Riesling with new warmer weather wines—enjoy all current bottles available for 25% off.*

ELEVATE YOUR HAPPY HOUR Weekdays 5-7pm

lutions. Early Bird tickets go on sale May 1, along with a limited number of VIP packages featuring the much-coveted Sipping Social Treasure Chest and early entry to the event. Visit edibleaustin. com/sippingsocial for more information.

SUMMER TWITTER WINE TASTINGS AT WHOLE FOODS MARKET Whole Foods Market invites wine enthusiasts to tweet together about their favorite summer wines during Twitter Tastings on May 29 and June 26. Each tasting includes a variety of wines (a recent tasting featured rich Italian whites), which you can enjoy from the comfort of your own home—or at all of the Whole Foods in-store bars—and join your friends and followers for the tweet-up online @wholefoodsATX. For more information, visit wholefoodsmarket.

*Sunday-Wednesday only.

com/wine and use the hashtag #WFMwine to follow the conversation. The twitter wine chats are 7–8 p.m. on May 29 and June 26. Participants must be at least 21 years old.

LONE STAR FOODSERVICE RECEIVES HIGH LEVEL SAFETY CERTIFICATION Lone Star Foodservice—a family-owned wholesale meat distribution company that has sourced fine cuts of natural beef, pork and lamb within Texas since 1952—is now a Safe Quality Food (SQF) Level 2 Certified, accredited HACCP-Based Food Safety plant. The SQF plan is benchmarked by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), which is internationally recognized, distinguishing food manufactures as responsible and safe. Lone Star spokesperson Mar-

200 Lavaca Street | Austin 78701 | traceaustin.com @traceatx 8

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gie Quina explains that the certification is on par with receiving the “Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval” and much respected within the food industry. Visit lonestarfood.com for more information.

512 MARKET OFFERS FRESHLY PREPARED MEALS Starting this spring, 512 Market Kitchen will offer locally sourced and seasonally inspired meals, via its website and at both the Lone Star Farmers Market (Sundays) and SFC Market Downtown (Saturdays). Chef Sam Addison will feature several ready-to-eat menu items such as the signature 512 Market Kitchen Lamb Burger and a bountiful quiche of the day, plus grab-and-go meal options—including freshly prepared Chicken

Are

y d a E R you

Salad and Farmers Market Meatloaf. Visit 512marketkitchen.com

es s i r p r or Su

for more information.

NATURE NIGHTS AT THE WILDFLOWER CENTER

? r e n r o ery C

During these hot summer months, there’s plenty to do at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center as the sun goes down on Thursdays, when the Center comes alive with Nature Nights. These nights feature explorations of plants, animals, and the ecology of Central Texas, and interactive presentations, hikes with experts in

E d n u o Ar

their fields, and nature crafting for kids of all ages. Nature Nights are 5–8 p.m. every Thursday from June 12 to July 24. Admission is free, and children 12 and younger receive a free gift in the store. And on Sunday, May 4, don’t miss the Grand Opening of the Luci and Ian Family Garden, where kids of all ages may explore nature with a living maze, caves and grottos, giant birds nest and more. The Grand Opening celebration will feature live music, food carts and play activities—all day, 10 a.m–7 p.m.

“Spinning Plates” is a foodie phantasmagoria and something more… an involving look at personal dramas that go well beyond the kitchen.”—Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times

GOOD TASTE: SPINNING PLATES, MAY 29

Come in your favorite vintage attire to our 1920’s-themed celebration of all things beverage-related with live music, artisanal food, handcrafted drinks.

Edible Austin and The Contemporary Austin present Good Taste: Spinning Plates at Laguna Gloria on Thursday, May 29. Gather amid Orly Genger's cascading monumental installation, Current, in the Laguna Gloria amphitheater for an evening celebrating restaurants as sites of creativity and community. View “Spinning Plates,” a sumptuous documentary about three diverse restaurants and the people who bring them to life. Light bites and cocktails are provided by local restaurateurs, who will share the highs and heartbreaks that come with the business. The event begins at 7:30 p.m., and the film begins at 8:30 p.m. Visit thecontemporaryaustin.org for more information. Tickets: $18 or $12 for members. Picnics encouraged!

NEW BRAUNFELS WEIN & SAENGERFEST The 11th Annual Wein and Saengerfest is in downtown New Braunfels on Saturday, May 3, featuring wine tastings, a grape stomp, beer tastings, live music, more than 25 food and artisan vendors, food seminars, an amateur “Chef’s Showdown,” and activities

Austin’s

g n i S i pp

l a i c So

for the kids—plus a disco street dance featuring LeFreak at the Main Plaza. Visit weinandsaengerfest.com for more information. EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM

BEVERAGE 2014

EDIBLE AUSTIN PRESENTS LUCINDA HUTSON AT TACOS AND TEQUILA, MAY 1 Lucinda Hutson signs and talks about her latest book, “Viva Tequila! Cocktails, Cooking, and Other Agave Adventures,” at Tacos and Tequila, which received top billing on Zagat’s national review of “10 Hot Places to Drink Tequila in the U.S.” in 2013. “Viva Tequila!”—a colorful tome of Lucinda’s adventures and recipes from Mexico—is a must-have for anyone who loves a good fiesta. The free event is Thursday, May 1, 5–7:30 p.m. and includes a tequila tasting with Tequila Herradura and a slide show from Hutson’s travels and folk art collection. Visit edibleaustin.com for more information.

BEER, BIKES AND BLOOMS IN BLANCO Idyllic Blanco is a hotbed of activity this time of year. The season kicks off May 17 with the Real Ale Ride, a bicycle ride for all levels that ends at the Real Ale Brewery in Blanco for a post-ride celebration with local beer and barbecue. Next up is the 2nd Annual Lowdown Rally, May 23-26 at Yett Memorial Park. This old-school bike rally includes amateur dirt track racing, motorcycle rodeo, tattoo show, food and beverages, vendor booths, camping and live music. Then there’s the ever-popular 10th Annual Blanco Lavender Festival, June 13-15. In addition to free tours of local lavender farms, events include a market, cooking demonstrations and dishes from local restaurants—all featuring the fragrant native flower at the

KATE PAYNE’S NEW BOOK DEBUTS MAY 27 AT BOOKPEOPLE Kate Payne signs her newly released book, "The Hip Girl's Guide to the Kitchen: A Hit-TheGround Running Approach to Stocking Up and Cooking Delicious, Nutritious, and Affordable Meals," at BookPeople on Tuesday, May 27 at 7 p.m. In addition to Kate’s talk, enjoy food and drink tastings from the book, presented by Edible Austin. Visit edibleaustin.com for details.

NATURAL LIVING FESTIVAL AT CASA DE LUZ Casa de Luz is hosting its first Natural Living Festival on Saturday, May 17, 12–5 p.m., featuring 100-percent plant-based meals, children's entertainment, live music, health practitioners, vendors, samples and demos. The free event provides a great opportunity to learn more about Asian medicine, vegan meal planning and wellness techniques, as well as many other holistic resources for all ages. Visit natural-living-festival.com for more information.

GELATO WORLD TOUR COMES TO AUSTIN Gelato lovers, rejoice! Austin is hosting the North American Stage of the World Gelato Tour on May 9–11 in Republic Square. This event features top artisan chefs from around the country competing to create the world’s best gelato flavor. Central Texas is wellrepresented by Dolce Neve, Teo and The Turtle Gelateria, entering their signature flavor, The Turtle—rich chocolate, caramel swirl with salty toasted San Saba pecans. The top three winners get to compete for the world title for best flavor in Italy in September. Visit gelatoworldtour.com for details. 10

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Photography by Jo Ann Santangelo

height of its season. Visit blancochamber.com for more information.

notable EDIBLES ICE ICE, BABY

ow do you elevate a three-ingredient cocktail to the point that it becomes a craft-beverage experience? With such fas-

tidious attention to detail that even its cubes of ice are a deliberate and painstakingly created effect. “Ice, to us, is a very big thing,” says Chris Bostick, the general manager and a partner of

June 21

7-10pm at Fair Market

Rainey Street’s new craft-cocktail destination Half Step, brought to Austin by the creators of The Varnish in Los Angeles. “It’s actually a very important ingredient in our cocktails. The goal is to keep things simple, but to pore over every detail to allow us to create simple cocktails that also become memorable.” In fact, the people behind Half Step so venerate ice that while renovating the bar they also installed a separate icehouse on the property. Inside is a Clinebell—an ice machine, normally used by ice sculptors, that regularly creates two 300-pound blocks of ice, which are then broken down with saws, tools and other mecha-

ocial S i ng

Austin’s

S i pp

nisms to produce old-fashioned ice cubes, ice for shaking, fiveinch-tall Collins spears and more. “It’s quite a lot of work for one particular detail, but it makes a big difference,” says Bostick. “I kind of liken ice to throwing a brisket into a smoker. Once you throw a chunk of ice in, the clock is on. The slower and the more steady the rate, the more you can control how much water enters into the cocktail—keeping the water temperature just right.” This technology has been critical to the success of some of Half Step’s bestselling cocktails, such as The Floradora—a “buckstyle” drink made with fresh ginger and lime, house-made raspberry syrup, gin and soda water. “It’s served tall, on one of these crystal clear Collins spears,” Bostick says. “It’s very striking, very delicious, refreshing and people respond well to it.” And the word is out. Bostick says Half Step has had an incredible response from customers since opening early this year, and that the icehouse itself has generated a good deal of interest. “A

Benefit for Austin Food for Life

lot of people are very curious. They say, Wow, that seems like a lot of work for ice, and then they taste the drinks and they see. They understand.” —Nicole Lessin

Photography courtesy of Chris Bostick

For more information, visit halfstepbar.com

Tickets and VIP Packages available now

EdibleAustin.com/Sippingsocial EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM

BEVERAGE 2014

I’LL HAVE WHAT SHE’S HAVING

clude Arianna Auber, Sarah Wood, Holly Aker, Wendy Cawthon,

entitled “Austin Beer: Capital City History on Tap” published by

ormally, when the crass term “bitch beer” is used, it’s meant to signify a high-sugar, low-alcohol, flavored malt beverage in-

tended for ladies who don’t like beer. But two years ago, following an afternoon spent enjoying craft beers from Thirsty Planet Brewing Company’s taproom, a group of females with strong backgrounds in journalism and design—as well as a passion for distinctively flavored, small-batch brews—sought to reclaim and reinvent that term. “It was a very let’s-flip-it-on-its-head mentality,” says Caroline Wallace, a member of the group. “We’re women and we like craft beer. It was a term we thought was silly, and we didn’t like ‘bitch beers’—but there was almost no question of it being the name.” Thus was born Bitch Beer, a blog dedicated to adding a female (and often hilarious) voice to the craft-beer conversation, in which the women cover everything from the latest brewery release to the best options for scoring free craft brews at music festivals. “When we decided to come up with a blog, we were into craft beer already. But we definitely learned so much [that] it really evolved,” says Wallace, the blog’s cofounder. “The idea was always for it to be approachable, and to get to people who might feel marginalized.” Despite these humble beginnings, the rise of Bitch Beer has been meteoric; not only was it named one of the Austin Chronicle’s “Top 10 Austin Food Blogs” in 2013 and featured nationally on the Cooking Channel and other venues, but the women (who also in-

Shaun Martin and Kat McCullough) recently coauthored a book The History Press. Based on meticulous research and more than 60 interviews, the book shares Austin’s craft-beer history and personal stories, beginning with Johann “Jean” Schneider, a German immigrant who operated an 1860s-era brewery out of a Congress Avenue saloon, all the way through to the co-ops and breweries of 2013, when landmark craft-beer legislation allowed Texas brewers to begin to legally sell some of their product on-site. Still, true to form, the group kept the book fun—offering different local-beer pairing suggestions for each chapter (Live Oak Brewing Company’s HefeWeizen with Austin’s pre-Prohibition history, anyone?), as well as a drinking game that involves raising one’s glass for every picture of a bearded man. Meanwhile, the women say they’re grateful for the warm embrace and guidance Bitch Beer has received from the craft beer community. “It’s still surreal,” Wood says. “I’m glad that we’ve become an asset to people in the craft beer community, or people trying to get into the craft beer industry.” “When we started,” adds Wallace, “there were definitely some who said, Who are these girls? because we were a little younger than your typical craft beer drinker. So it was kind of cool to earn some respect.” Indeed. And while the ladies are certainly down-to-earth and approachable, when asked if it would be appropriate to salute them at a future craft beer event with “Hey Bitches!” Wood responds with a laugh and says: “You know…we prefer no.” —Nicole Lessin Find out more at bitchbeer.org

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TasTe The sweeTness

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It’s your . It’s the time your grandma took you to the backyard on a summer night to see the lightning bugs for the —just first time. It’s your a little peck on the lips at recess on a hot .

first kiss Texas afternoon

Things are just sweeter in the south—a sugary tapestry of experiences that you only get growing up where life moves at a comfortable pace. A nice glass of honest, old-fashioned isn’t just a part of that life; it is that life.

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Kids of all ages explore nature with a living maze, caves and grottos, giant birds nests, dinosaur footprints and more!

he scent of rosemary and other herbs, the song of birds,

the feel of water droplets on your

Luci and Ian Family Garden

skin—to many, these are ordinary

Grand Opening: May 4 • 10 am - 7 pm Live music, food carts, activities and playtime.

moments in a garden, unworthy of much notice. But for some students with sensory-processing disorders and other disabilities in the Leander Independent School District,

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these kinds of experiences can be an important part of their learning. “Getting outside, touching the earth and things like that help expose students to a variety of senses,” says Lisa Robertson, a support specialist who works with students who have special needs at LISD. To incorporate this important sensory learning, several LISD campuses have recently installed sensory gardens in partnership with a nonprofit organization known as The AG Project. “In general,” notes Lisa, “if you have sensory issues, that means you’re going to avoid, or be overly drawn to, certain things—maybe certain types of lighting, or textures, or loud noises. Just being outside really makes you acclimate.” What’s more, Lisa says that completing tasks in the gardens has also helped students build their academic and overall life skills— from measuring garden plots (which provides math practice) to doing research on organic pest-control methods, to going to a store to buy gardening supplies. “Some of our students really need community-access skills so [that] they are able to then go into the community and figure out what we need to buy.”

FIX MORE than just dinner

Lisa has noticed that the gardens seem to make the youngsters happier and more motivated. “We have some students who are nonverbal,” she says. “They may make some vocalizations, but they tend to be quiet throughout most of the day. But when they go outside to do the gardening, they’re making sounds, and you can just tell that their mood has improved.” The AG Project Founder Patricia Robertson, a kindergarten teacher at Parkside Elementary School and no relation to Lisa, says since the organization was founded in 2012, she and fellow board members have provided teachers with lesson plans to use in the gardens and have raised about $5,000 to build gardens at six locations— including Parkside, Leander High School and Bagdad Elementary School, where PVC-pipe raised beds were recently installed at a specific height so that students in wheelchairs could be able to touch and feel the herbs they’ve planted.

Our online market of all-local or organic groceries puts farm fresh foods at your fingertips, with healthy choices for every lifestyle. Supporting local farmers while saving time? That's the recipe for a sustainable food system.

Patricia—who founded the organization in part as a tribute to one of her former students with sensory issues—says she eventually hopes to partner with the University of Texas at Austin to research the benefits of sensory gardens for students with disabilities. “Our goal is to get enough financing to research and work with UT and see if it’s a viable sensory therapy,” she says. But she’s quick to point

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out that she’s immensely proud of the work already being done on the various campuses. “[The AG Project] has become a passion for me,” she says. “It is the thing that makes me tick.” —Nicole Lessin Find out more at theagproject.org

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Photography of Cedar Park Middle School students by Crystal McCarthy

GARDEN SENSE

Come Play outside!

BACK TO THE LAND

n 1998, after nearly two decades of wandering—first on tours of the Far East and California with the Marine Corps, and then

via long-haul trucking throughout the Lower 48 and Canada—Bob Mishler decided it was time for a change of pace. “I was just tired of moving around and being on the go all the time,” the Texas native recalls. “I wanted the slower, hands-in-the-dirt life.” He certainly found it—or at least part of it. Mishler’s Uncertain Farms, an eight-acre plot in the Sand Hills south of Seguin named for the unpredictability of a life in agriculture, and his offshoot business M circle M Canning Company (a nod to the person who not only gave him life but also taught him how to add value to his surplus harvest), have provided the bucolic heaven he de-

thing up on the shelf week after week after week.”

sired. Slowing down doesn’t seem to be part of the deal. Besides

As if all of that doesn’t keep him busy enough, Mishler also of-

harvesting thousands of pesticide-free fruits and vegetables this

fers homemade ice creams and 20 different varieties of artisanal

season—both in the ground and hydroponically via several green-

breads—from a Mediterranean olive to a cream cheese-and-wal-

houses he recently added—he has also expanded his on-site pro-

nut twist, a crowd favorite at several San Antonio-area farmers

fessional kitchen operation, through which he sells more than 100

markets, and now available in the Austin area, as well as at the

different types of jellies, preserves, pickles and salsas made with

Lone Star Farmers Market in Bee Cave. And though he jokes that

many local ingredients—from strawberries and jalapeños grown

he’s pretty unfamiliar with the concept of a “day off,” he’s more

right on his farm to blackberries from Poteet. Mishler admits that

than happy with the decision to go back to the land. “You’re never

keeping up with everything can be challenging. “I am the canner,

going to get rich doing this, but it’s a good life,” he says. “I always

but I’m also the farmer and the weekend salesperson, so trying

wanted to get back to a simpler way of doing things; farming is as

to keep up with it all—sometimes there are items that don’t get

back-to-basics as you can get.” —Nicole Lessin

made,” he says. “But it keeps it all fresh because it’s not the same

For more information, visit uncertainfarms.com

Most celebrated market in Central Texas!

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SALSA FOR A CAUSE

ith

the

profile

highsuccess

of mission-based, forprofit enterprises such as TOMS, the popularity of social entrepreneurship has soared in

ADDITIONAL Dysfunkshun Junkshun MUSIC Weldon & Brooklyn Henson BY

Steve Bidwell’s Armada featuring Topaz McGarrigle

All tables and tickets include: Prime seating at the performance in the Paramount Theatre Reserved seating for post-show dinner event on Congress Avenue Complimentary beverages all evening Recognition in the gala program and throughout the 2014-2015 Season Complimentary secured parking

recent years. But for David Contreras and his wife Rebecca, who recently launched their own purpose-driven brand called Spicy Mama Salsa, this is no temporary trend. “Austin is my home, and I’m a stakeholder in my city,” says David, the president of Spicy Mama Salsa, which donates 30 percent of its profits to fund LaunchPad, a nonprofit organization that the duo founded six years ago to serve at-risk youth in Northeast Austin. “Growing up in a single-parent home I had a lot of challenges,” David says. “And by the grace of God, I was able to overcome those issues in my life, so I said, I want to help kids who are not focused on education, knowing that that’s a key to achieving their goals.” The Contrerases say they are now doing this with the help of Spicy Mama’s fire-roasted, poblano-and-jalapeño-pepper salsas based on a family recipe passed down from Rebecca’s grandmother. “People have commented on how good it was for a long, long time,” David says. “It wasn’t until recently that we thought to take the recipe and produce it [in] larger volume and see what happens.” Since the brand was launched a year ago, the locally manufactured salsas have taken off, and are now available in “Mild Mama” and “Hot Mama” flavors at nine stores locally, including Wheatsville Food Co-op and Central Market. David says a major driving force behind the Spicy Mama brand has been to provide revenue to build a permanent, brickand-mortar home for LaunchPad—now based primarily at Dobie Middle School where the Contrerases oversee 14 after-school programs in the areas of leadership, financial literacy, cooking, STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education and more. LaunchPad also provides parent education, mentoring programs and even community block parties. With the income stream generated by Spicy Mama Salsa and future donations, the couple hopes to purchase land near the middle school and build “The LaunchPad Center for Hope & Building Dreams” where they would expand their focus to include programs such as vocational and welfare-to-work training to more holistically address the needs of the community. In the meantime, David says he and his family are committed to serving the 130 young people that come through their programs each week. “These are some amazing kids,” he says. “They’re resilient, talented. They just don’t have the foundation. So we try to come in and expand their worldview on why education is important, and what it’s going to lead to—to try to tap into their potential.” —Nicole Lessin For more information, visit mamasitassalsa.com

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ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS Enjoy.

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BEVERAGE 2014

A WHOLE NEW WORLD

ago from Rhode Island, Brent Petersen

farmer who organized his Rhode Island

of New World Gelato has been blown away

town’s first farmers market—says he uses

by the community’s response to his small-

only the best ingredients for his sorbettos

batch, handcrafted gelatos and sorbettos

and gelatos, including Mill-King Market &

made with many local, seasonal and organic

Creamery milk, strawberries from Sweet

ingredients. “I’m just amazed at the depth

Berry Farm in Marble Falls, Belgian choco-

that people support local food, and the

late and even Texas-grown blood oranges

knowledge the people of Austin have,” he

during citrus season. He says he first discov-

says. “I used to spend a lot of time educat-

ered the importance of using fresh ingredi-

ing people about local food—why you want

ents several years ago while experimenting

to get away from factory farming and things

with a lemon sorbetto recipe that included

of that nature. But I don’t spend nearly as

bottled lemon juice. “It was good,” he says.

much time doing that down here.”

“But then I started juicing my own lemons

ince moving to Austin nearly two years

Petersen—formerly

small

organic

In fact, Petersen says the only thing he

and getting Meyer lemons and zesting them

regularly has to explain to his customers is

myself and putting the lemon zest into the

what exactly gelato is. Unlike ice cream, which

sorbettos, and it was just light-years ahead

is colder (served at minus 10 to minus 20 degrees), cream-based and

of what you can get with prepackaged ingredients. I was just sold.

often mixed with some air, gelato is slightly warmer (5 to 10 degrees),

I really became an evangelist for searching out these fresh ingredi-

milk-based and slow beaten, so that almost no air is incorporated. “Ge-

ents.” —Nicole Lessin

lato is less in butterfat, less calories, but I believe you get a lot more

New World’s gelatos and sorbettos are available at several Aus-

flavor in gelato because of the process,” he notes. “[Plus,] if you’ve

tin-area locations, including Mueller Farmers’ Market, Cedar Park

ever had the difference between cold cheese and warm cheese, dairy

Farmers Market and North by Northwest Restaurant & Brewery.

is so much more flavorful when it’s a bit warmer.”

For more information, visit newworldgelato.com

your one-stop shop for l a c o l , y h t l a e h living

peoplesrx.com 18

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edible ENDEAVOR

THE HAPPINESS BUSINESS BY R H E A M A Z E

wo groggy college

to the grapes,” Smith says.

buddies hop from

“You have to start with

one

the

the basics: the right grape,

next, heading south in the

planted in the right soil,

middle of the night, deter-

in the right climate. After

mined to escape Germany’s

years of searching, I’ve

frigid temperatures. As the

found that place. Ever since

cars chug along Spain’s

that day on the train over

northeastern coastline, a

thirty years ago, I knew

young Russell Smith gazes

that someday I would end

out the window, captivated

up here.”

train

by a Mediterranean sun-

Smith kicked off his

rise setting a line of clouds

wine career back in 1983

ablaze in gold as they pass

when he headed out to

grove upon grove of orange

California’s Napa Valley to

trees. The air finally begins

learn the ropes. He honed

to warm and the seed of a

his craft over the years at

dream is planted.

several wineries, including

Fast-forward 35 years

Joseph Phelps Vineyards

and Smith is waist-deep in

and Flora Springs in Cali-

wildflowers—inspecting his

fornia, and Becker Vine-

rows of traditional carignan

yards in Texas. Twenty

grapevines as honeybees go

years passed before he re-

about their work all around

turned to Spain for a sec-

him. Grateful for the ero-

ond visit, and it took over

sion control afforded by the

10 more years to arrive at

flowers, he pauses to close

the point he is now—with

his eyes and take in the fra-

a portfolio of four distinct

grance. “It’s like being in a

Spanish blends (a tangy

perfume store next to a saw

white, a full-bodied red

mill,” he says.

and a crisp rosé) under his

We’re in El Molar, a two-hour drive southwest from Barcelona,

Barcelona Celler label, and a vintage estate-wine labeled Celler

where the vineyards Smith acquired in 2012 bask in full sunlight,

D. Russell Smith. Currently, Smith commutes between his two fa-

and an ever-present Mediterranean breeze keeps the temperature

vorite places in the world—Austin and Spain—and spends part of

just right. The vine varieties that have grown here for hundreds

each spring, summer and fall in El Masroig, a tight-knit town of

of years are nurtured by pale pink and yellow soil with a flour-

about 400 people that’s just a short drive from the small farming

like consistency that glitters with quartz pebbles. These factors

community of El Molar.

combine to produce small berries on loose clusters, well-known characteristics of some of the world’s best wine grapes. “The most important aspect of good winemaking comes down 20

BEVERAGE 2014

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Archeologists estimate that grape cultivation first began in Spain between 5,000 and 7,000 years ago. “With a tradition of making wine in this part of Spain dating back a very long time,

“Good wine is a metaphor for a good life. You’re

Locally owned wine shop offering affordable wines for home, special events or to enjoy on our patio!

looking for balance and complexity.” —Russell Smith you can expect that the people here have it figured out,” Smith says. He solicited help from a local farmer and an oenologist— both native Catalans whose families have lived in the area for centuries. “With a new project like this, it’s important to find people who know the lay of the land,” he says. “Grapes are not the same everywhere; you have to respect tradition and listen to the locals.” Smith’s fall harvest is separated into both a traditional and a whole-berry fermentation. He also ferments grenache harvested from a nearby organic vineyard. The three types of wine he ends up with are processed as gently as possible in a small, 100-year-

1209 Rosewood Avenue, Austin, TX 78702 512-904-9056 | www.eastendwinesatx.com

old winery outfitted with basic equipment. The batches are aged about 10 months before being blended. “I keep the process as noninterventionist as possible, allowing the grapes to express themselves to their highest potential,” Smith says. This is easy, he notes, given the fact that the climate and soil have already done most of the work. “Good wine is a metaphor for a good life,” he says. “You’re looking for balance and complexity. You don’t want any one characteristic to dominate, and the goal is to allow the natural flavors and aromas of the grape to come through as pure as possible.” Once satisfied, he allows the blends to marry for several months before bottling and shipping them back home to share with Texas.

HISTORIC & AGED TO PERFECTION Wineries and Wildflowers... WOW and WHEE!

The finished product is a drinkable, quietly elegant, everyday wine that captures the essence of what Spanish wine connoisseurs have enjoyed for thousands of years, in a way that appeals to modern tastes. “Even though these are old-world wines,” he says, “my goal is to create blends that introduce a bit of classic Spanish quality in a format that’s familiar to the Texas palate.”

RAINEY STREET SKYHOUSE TOWER OPEN IN JUNE

As he prepares for a third harvest in Spain, Smith looks forward to the annual challenge of optimizing the grapes Mother Nature has to offer. “A farmer wakes up to a brand new world every morning,” he says. “It’s impossible to anticipate everything, but you have to be optimistic. I love being able to bring something handcrafted and unique into people’s lives. I’m in the happiness business…it’s what I do, and wine is my media.” Celler D. Russell Smith and Barcelona Celler Spanish wines with a Texas accent are available in fine wine departments throughout Texas. To learn more, visit russellandsusangotospain.blogspot.com

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edible ENDEAVOR

TEXAS IN THE BOTTLE

BY K R I ST I W I L L I S P H OTO G R A P H Y BY K AT E L ESU E U R

exans are very proud of the craft beer

kilning develop the colors and flavors of the

movement that has overtaken the state,

malt. “The kiln is where the magic happens as

garnering a rightful national spotlight

far as color and flavor,” says Ade.

and giving the world a taste of what it means

Other ingredients may be added, or the

to live right here, right now. And while some

kilning process might be modified to create

brewers take advantage of our abundant local

specialty malts. For example, if a brewer

ingredients to imbue their beers with a unique

wants to make a sour-style beer, such as a

Lone Star terroir, a key ingredient—specifical-

Berliner Weisse, American sour ale or lam-

ly, malt—most often comes from outside the

bic, acidulated malt is needed—requiring

state. In fact, brewers typically buy malt from

the malt house to add lactic acid during

around the globe, and it’s often made with barley grown in Canada, Europe, China and even Australia. Beer lover and homebrewer Brandon Ade contemplated this paradox and decided he wanted to provide Texas brewers with a

kilning. With the popularity of wheat-style beers, Blacklands Malt is also creating wheat malt—a natural fit for Texas because red winter wheat is already grown locally by a number of area farms.

local solution for their malt. “I knew nothing about malting, or if

Blacklands Malt already sells to homebrewers and a number

barley even grew in Texas,” says Ade. “But I knew that this was

of local breweries, including Black Star Co-op, Hops & Grain Craft

what I was meant to do.”

Brewery, Jester King Brewery, Kamala Brewing, Pinthouse Pizza Craft

Ade soon left his engineering job to found Blacklands Malt, a

Brewpub and Twisted X Brewing Company. And many Texas distill-

micro malt house outside of Leander. But before the first batch of

eries have expressed an interest in getting in on the act, too. To keep

true, 100-percent Texas-produced malt could become a reality, Ade

up with the increased demand, Ade recently doubled his storage ca-

had to learn a bit about farming and locate a local source for barley.

pacity thanks to a grant from the Austin Food & Wine Alliance.

He reached out to Texas A&M AgriLife Research and found that

With the fast-paced growth of the local beverage industry still in

few farms in Texas still grew the grain, and none grew the barley

full swing, the malt house will no doubt stay busy trying to keep up

variety used for malt.

the pace. And once the local barley is ready, Ade says he looks forward

The university partnered with Ade to find a variety of grain

to being able to offer even more of Texas in every bottle produced.

suited for Texas’s climate. They tested 30 varieties of barley at the university’s Stiles Farm Foundation in Thrall, and learned quickly that they had to plant the grain outside of the traditional season because of our state’s scorching heat. After identifying a few varieties that would thrive, Ade contracted with several farmers to grow the barley for him. “I was working with four farmers, but two of them couldn’t plant because the fields were too wet from all of the rain we had in the winter,” says Ade. “It’s been a learning experience for me. Malting is part of the farming process and we’re at the whim of Mother Nature.” Until the first harvest of local barley is ready (anticipated in late May of 2014), Ade is using Colorado barley to perfect the threestep malting process: steeping, germinating and kilning. First, the grain goes through an immersion steeping, alternately soaked in water and then drained and dried. Ade repeats this process several times over two days—constantly measuring the moisture content of the grain until it is ready for germination. The barley is then moved to the germination bed where it grows for four to six days. During this phase, Ade periodically turns the malt by hand with a shovel to keep the now sprouting roots from growing together. “You don’t want it to clump, and since we don’t have an automated system yet to turn the grain, I have to do it,” he says. “It’s pretty backbreaking work.” Finally, the grain enters the kilning phase, during which it is dried

GROW YOUR OWN BARLEY

onathan Cobb of Redemption Farm has been on a barley learning curve of late. The farmer was looking for a cover

crop to grow when he was connected to Brandon Ade and Blacklands Malt through fellow farmers. Cobb hadn’t considered growing barley, but was convinced by Ade that the crop was a good fit. Growing barley in Texas was common in the ’50s, but farmers cultivated the heartier “six-row” variety—which is higher in protein—for animal feed. No commercial operation had grown the “two-row” variety until Texas A&M AgriLife took on Ade’s challenge. Cobb has done a great deal of research about the new crop as well as learned by trial and error. Barley typically thrives in a cooler climate where it’s planted in the spring and harvested in the fall. To accommodate the Texas heat, Cobb and the other farmers shifted the planting to late fall and let the grain grow over the winter for a spring harvest. Brew Your Own Magazine (byo.com) advises home gardeners to plant at least a 10-by-10-foot plot, which yields up to 15 pounds of grain, enough for a home-malting experiment.

to stop growth. The temperature, duration and humidity levels during EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM

BEVERAGE 2014

TITO’S FUSS-FREE THIGHS 4 chicken thighs 1 stick salted butter, cut in half Salt and black pepper, to taste Prepare the grill to medium-high heat. Place the chicken thighs on the hot grill and cook them for about 4 minutes. Flip the chicken over using tongs or a spatula then rub each thigh generously with a half stick of the butter and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Flip each chicken thigh over again and repeat with the other half stick and seasonings. Turn the heat down to low and cover until the chicken thighs are completely cooked through.

TITO’S COCKTAIL REFRESHER Drop a few ice cubes into a tumbler and pour in some Topo Chico, Tito’s Handmade Vodka and a few citrus slices.

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COOKS

at home

TITO BEVERIDGE BY M E R E D I T H B E T H U N E • P H OTO G RA P H Y BY K AT E L ESU EU R

fter igniting the grill on the back deck, Tito Beveridge

Beveridge dashes back inside to retrieve a stick of butter

rinses four chicken thighs with a garden hose. The tor-

from the fridge. With the wrapper still clinging, he slices it

rent of water streams onto the grass below instead of

through the center and grips one half with the tongs. Rubbing

contaminating his pristine kitchen inside. “I don’t really jack

the exposed end on the chicken, he bathes the meat in melted

around. And I don’t really get a lot of stuff dirty,” explains the

butter while avoiding another mess. “I don’t like to do stuff I

animated founder of Tito’s Handmade Vodka.

don’t have to do—like clean pans,” he says. After flipping the

Beveridge has just returned from the distillery where he goes every day when he’s in Austin. He tastes every batch and

chicken, he coats the other side with the other half stick of butter.

nothing is bottled or sold unless it meets his exacting stan-

Since Lori and the kids are currently out of town, he’s

dards. A former geophysicist and oilman from San Antonio,

shunning their favorite broccoli and green beans side dish in

Beveridge started making vodka for a couple of simple, but

favor of other vegetables. Cradling a whole head of feathery

compelling, reasons. “We drank a bunch of Wild Turkey when

bok choy in his hands, Beveridge declares with a smile, “I

I was younger…and then tequila,” he recalls with a smile. “But

don’t know how I’m supposed to cook bok choy, but I know I

then I discovered vodka was a lot easier on me. And the girls

like to cook bok choy.” He places it on the grill and arranges

we hung out with, they always liked drinking vodka, too.”

lengthwise slices of zucchini around it.

Dotted around the Beveridge property is a collection of

Returning to the kitchen, he demonstrates an easy, oil-free

roadside art—a passion built via frequent travel for work. On

salad dressing of fresh-squeezed lime juice, orange juice and a

the front lawn looms a large metal crocodile. “I love that,” Bev-

glug of Bragg Liquid Aminos. “Off the oil, on to the butter!” he

eridge says, “like when they make birds out of hose and tractor

jokes, referring to the generous stick he used on the chicken.

parts. I like folk art.” Sometimes he’ll place a newly acquired

Finally, he drops a few ice cubes into a tumbler and pours

treasure on the shelf of the living room, he says with a chuckle,

in some Topo Chico, Tito’s Handmade Vodka and leftover

“and it doesn’t necessarily stay there when I go to work.”

citrus slices from the salad dressing. In well under an hour,

Beveridge’s wife, Lori, prefers minimal decor in their airy

he’s produced a satisfying meal and a refreshing cocktail with

West Austin home—a few pieces of Mexican art, white walls,

little cleanup. “When you sit down to eat,” he says with pride

dark hardwood floors and brown leather couches. It’s spare,

and a smile, “the only thing you have to clean is your plate.”

but still cozy and approachable—perhaps even “tasteful,” as Beveridge confesses that their furniture was recently repaired after one of the family’s three dogs chewed on it. As far as other types of chewing going on in the house are concerned, Beveridge says that having a family has definitely changed his approach to cooking. “I’ve got kids,” he says while placing the chicken thighs on the sizzling hot grill. “I used to make all these complicated marinades, but they wouldn’t eat it.” He’s learned to keep things simple, and now his kids proclaim him “the best cook!” Although Beveridge eschews fussy recipes, his gregarious demeanor turns serious while explaining his grilling technique, “At the beginning, I always go high, and it kind of seals everything in,” he says. “Then I flip it over on high and add a little salt and a little pepper. Then I’ll turn it down and cook it some more to make sure it’s cooked all the way through.”

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edible BREW

TEXAS COFFEE TRADERS BY E L I Z A B E T H W I N S LOW • P H OTO G RA P H Y BY J O A N N SA N TA N G E LO

ust like in every other modern

decided, was a good cup of coffee—

city of a certain size with hopes

something that, for many of us, is

of obtaining culinary credibil-

woven into the very fabric of our day

ity, it’s impossible to swing a single-

and integral to our social interac-

origin latte in Austin these days with-

tions. He wasn’t sure exactly how this

out hitting an artisanal coffee roaster

epiphany would eventually fit into

or a barista with exquisite pour-over

his life, but—ready for a new adven-

technique. Yet while local coffee ex-

ture—he sold everything and moved

perts, cafés and trailers may come

north.

and go, Texas Coffee Traders sits bal-

Beall landed in the tiny communi-

anced astride the galloping charger

ty of Whitefish, Montana, and felt like

that is our growing coffee culture. It’s

he’d discovered heaven. There, he

no “new kid on the block.” Texas Cof-

opened a little general store, located

fee Traders founder and owner R.C.

a used coffee roaster and learned the

Beall has been roasting and selling

roasting ropes from Michael Sivetz—

the finest quality coffee from all over

a master roaster who is something

the world to wholesale and retail cus-

of a hero in the coffee-roasting com-

tomers since the ’70s. And over the

munity. Beall sourced coffee beans

last two decades, he’s watched—in-

from wherever he could get them,

deed influenced—Austin’s journey

and began roasting and selling them

from boilerplate joes to expertly

in his store. “There were only five to

crafted cups of the finest brew.

six brokers of good coffee at the time,

A visit to the Texas Coffee Trad-

and we worked with them all. There

ers warehouse calls to mind a kind

were no classes, no specialty coffee

of Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory

organization. We were pioneers in

for coffee lovers—packed floor to ceiling with beans limited and

the world of coffee.” In addition to coffee, Beall also sold firewood,

rare—organic, fair trade, direct trade, conventional and flavored—

berries, morels, tamales, bagels, cheese and homebrewing sup-

assailing guests with intense aromas. “It’s a sensory experience,”

plies, everything, he says, his customers would need throughout

Beall says. “Coffee changes your outlook, the way you experience

their day—from lighting the fire in the morning, to brewing a cup

life. We’ve got five senses—with coffee, I can push all of those but-

of coffee and eating a meal, to finishing the evening with a beer.

tons. You can see the beans, feel them in your hands, hear us grind-

“The next day, they’d need a good cup of coffee again to get going

ing them, smell the coffee roasting and brewing. The subtle differ-

after that strong homebrewed beer,” Beall says with a smile. “So I

ences in flavors and tasting notes will blow you away.”

felt like I’d figured out the secret for a successful business.” Soon,

Beall spends his days contemplating all things coffee now, but it wasn’t always this way. In the late ’70s, he was managing a golf

though, coffee sales far outpaced everything else, and his little-bitof-everything mercantile became Montana Coffee Roasters.

school he’d built in Houston. “It paid the bills—all I needed was

Life was slow in Montana, and Beall had ample space and time

beer, a bucket of balls and barbeque,” he says. But something was

to reflect on his new vocation. He went to the library and began to

missing. One day, with the lyrics to Ry Cooder’s “Feelin’ Good”

research the importance of coffee, learning that it accounted for

bouncing around in his head, Beall realized he wanted something

one-third of all drinks consumed on the planet. And he knew what

more. “I looked at everyone around me, and heard those lyrics: ‘All

was available in the U.S. at the time could be better. “There were

the money in the world is spent on feeling good,’ and I thought,

only about forty roasting houses in the entire country at that time,”

What does everyone in the world connect over?” The answer, he

he says. “And only about two brokers understood specialty coffee.”

BEVERAGE 2014

EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM

“It’s a sensory experience. Coffee changes your outlook, the way you experience life. We’ve got five senses—with coffee, I can push all of those buttons.” —R.C. Beall a newfound supply of high-quality beans from Monteverde added to his stock, Beall could hardly keep product on the shelves. As things got busier, Beall hired seasonal workers to help keep up with demand. One of the folks was a researcher who often traveled to Russia, and when he’d go, he’d take a suitcase full of Beall’s roasted beans—opening the door to a rather unexpected twist in the story. After decades of low-quality, state-controlled food and coffee, the Russians couldn’t get enough of these fragrant beans, and thus Moscow Coffee Traders was born. The Coffee Traders team quickly installed a roaster in the Russian capital and sold coffee hand over fist to every newspaper and embassy in town, as well as to some of the city’s best restaurants. And even though Beall would eventually sell all but a small percentage of shares in Moscow Coffee Traders, he remains proud of what he started in Russia. “To this day,” he boasts, “the two best coffees in Moscow are still connected to Coffee Traders.” In the early ’90s, Beall reconnected with Beth, a friend from high school. The two eventually married and decided to set up a third Coffee Traders—this time back in Beall’s home state of TexOne of the things that had initially attracted Beall to Whitefish

as. But as the couple searched for a warehouse space in East Aus-

was its low pay / high return economy. There wasn’t much money to

tin, Beall admits that it was a bit challenging. “When we went out

be made but not much was needed, and the environment was breath-

scouting warehouse property, we ran across a guy chasing another

takingly beautiful and the people supportive. The community’s val-

guy with a bat. It felt like the frontier over here.” Of course, things

ues revolved around quality of life and an appreciation for simple

have changed quickly in that area of town, and Beall has watched

pleasures. By the late ’80s, things were quickly changing in White-

the evolution of our city with interest and concern. “As Austin got

fish, but Beall stumbled upon an echo of the old ways one winter

‘found,’ people changed,” he says. “Words didn’t always mean what

in Costa Rica while visiting a hugely successful coffee plantation.

they had meant before. On the other hand, we’ve been seeing a

He wasn’t particularly impressed by what he saw, but then he went

return to the values that are important to us—foodie, local—it all

to nearby Monteverde, a friendly, modest and growing community,

fits in with where we’ve always been and where we expect to go.

where children played freely in the fields amidst a symphony of

There’s a core group of people in Austin who care about quality of

tropical birdsong. It reminded him of his early, slower-paced White-

life, and those are our values, too. We’ll always be family-owned,

fish days, and he was eager to partner with these growers. He began

we’ll always support sustainable production and community. I

to work with them and bought almost as much as they could grow

want to be sure we are real and that what we offer contributes to

and export. Meanwhile, business continued to grow apace, and with

that everyday quality of life.” EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM

BEVERAGE 2014

edible HOSPITALITY

EAST END WINES BY M M PAC K • P H OTO G RA P H Y BY M E L A N I E G R I Z Z E L

From left: Sam Hovland, Matt Miller and Bill McGuire.

n the triangle lot formed by East 11th Street and Rose-

site of East End Wines. “We don't live here and the place

wood Avenue in East Austin, there’s a Victorian house

hasn’t been a residence since the seventies,” says owner Matt

that looks out over the neighborhood. This venerable

Miller. “But sometimes it feels like we’re just people in our

building, with its round, pointy-roofed turret, has witnessed

house and customers are the neighbors coming in.”

lots of change since it was built in 1890. Its first occupant was

In fact, many of the shop’s customers are the neighbors.

Harry L. Haynes, an Austin city council member for 29 years,

Miller and wine buyer Sam Hovland estimate that two-thirds

and later, it was the family home of Thomas DeLashwah, the

of the clientele live nearby, often arriving via shoe-leather or

first African-American pharmacist in Austin. Since 2010, re-

bicycle. The remainder are the wine lovers and the wine-curi-

flecting contemporary neighborhood changes, it’s been the

ous who have made this bijou shop a reason to cross town—for

BEVERAGE 2014

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the carefully selected collection of unusual and moderately priced wines, for the very personal attention offered by the proprietors

Exciting Spanish wines brought to you by an award-winning Texas winemaker.

and the sole employee Bill McGuire, and for the small wine classes and informal tastings on Friday afternoons. Miller and Hovland have been friends for 15 years. They met when Miller was a delivery driver for one of Austin’s signature wine shops, The Austin Wine Merchant, and Hovland was som-

Available in Central Texas fine wine stores.

melier at The Headliners Club. When asked if he grew up with a wine background, Miller laughs, “No, I grew up with a hay-baling background in Columbus, Texas.” But once he arrived at the University of Texas to study computer science and began working

Celler D. Russell Smith

at The Austin Wine Merchant, he wasted no time getting up to

barcelonacellertinto.blogspot.com

speed—learning, he says, from some of the best palates in town. Later, he served for six years as wine steward and buyer for Central Market Westgate. East End Wines is a compatible collaboration of skills and interests shared by Miller and Hovland. “We just seem to prefer the same wines,” he says. “We’ll taste wines separately and later compare our notes to find that we often say the same things.” At first, they both tasted every single wine before adding it to the inventory, but their palates are so similar, they soon found that wasn’t necessary. Now, Hovland focuses on tasting, buying and teaching, while Miller concentrates on the nuts and bolts of running the business. Their current collection includes wines from across the globe but has a distinct Eurocentric bent; the list fluctuates—they work with 50 distributors, many representing obscure family wineries. “Everything about our business reflects our values. Our personalities are stamped on our wines,” says Hovland, a certified sommelier who’s been in the business for more than 20 years. He’s responsible

Rent a fully-loaded picnic basket for the perfect day out!

for the wine lists of several past and present Austin restaurants, including Swift’s Attic and the upcoming Wu Chow, as well for as the Headliners Club. “We run the shop as if it were a great restaurant wine list. We focus on wines that go well with food, and our goal is to offer great examples of each type of wine we carry at affordable price points.” A key word is “affordable”—the average bottle price is $18—and Hovland says there are only 100 wines over $35. “We normally keep around eight hundred wines on our list, and we’re not planning on increasing much. Eight hundred is about all I can keep straight in my head, and this is a small place—we almost make wines fight for their spots on the shelf. While we may love a wine, if the customers

4220 Duval Street | (512) 531-9610

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don’t, it doesn’t stay on the list.” “We help people find the words to describe what they like in a wine and then point them to suitable matches,” continues Hovland. “There are a number of regulars who trust our tastes and ask us to put together mixed cases. Once we understand what they like, they know we’ll provide the best of those types.” Even with the steady stream of new and repeat customers, Miller asserts they want to grow the business slowly. “We’re try-

PAIR with FRIENDS.

ing to build our reputation one-on-one with customers, but we’ve already grown beyond our expectations,” he says. “We’re about serious, well-made, food-friendly wines with good value. These are available if you know where to look, and that’s what we’re here for.”

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PEOPLE

K&S SEAFOOD BY C L A I R E C E L L A • P H OTO G RA P H Y BY D UST I N M EY E R

hen you think of fresh seafood, cities such as New Or-

ders have almost become a necessity: strolling up to the K&S booth

leans, Seattle and Boston probably come to mind, yet

after noon on a Sunday ensures disappointment and a whiteboard

poor landlocked and drought-prone Austin typically

laundry list of delicacies—such as shrimp, oysters, crab claws,

doesn’t. Scott and Kim Treaster—the husband and wife team behind

lump crabmeat, amberjack, black drum, flounder, mahi mahi, Span-

K&S Seafood—are trying very hard to change that, ice chest by ice

ish mackerel, snapper and tuna—struck through with black lines.

chest, market by market, weekend by weekend.

And it’s like that every weekend. Scott says his now-bustling

It appears that locals have taken the bait. The Treasters offer up

business started in 2008 as two modest roadside bait stands, in both

freshly procured, sped-to-market gulf fish at Austin-area farmers

Georgetown and Wimberley, equipped with tables, a few A-frame

markets, and many customers have even begun calling or texting in

signs and some coolers packed full of ice and fresh gulf seafood.

advance to reserve their own catch on market days. In fact, preor-

But one weekend, Kim asked her husband for a few extra pounds

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of shrimp for coworkers at the

el! This is work that doesn’t feel

brokerage firm where she works.

like work.”

This one delivery led to recur-

The Treasters say that 70- to

ring requests for more. “Their

75-percent of their customers are

enthusiasm really planted the

repeat customers, and that this

seed for us to think: Hey, this isn't

year they’re up 30- to 35-percent

such a bad idea. We can do this

in sales over last. "I serve their

every week!” says Scott. “I had

tuna raw in the middle,” says

one lady tell me: ‘You know, I'd

frequent buyer, Marfa resident

go to the coast myself, but it's a

and Marfa Table supper club

lot cheaper and easier for me to

chef/owner, Bridget Weiss. “I'll

just get [shrimp] from you now!’”

buy a loin or a half a loin—a big

Scott and Kim quickly real-

chunk—and I get a grill or a skil-

ized the demand they could fill

let really hot and place the tuna

by broadening their customer base and bringing seafood to the city

down on that, rotate it and get a little bit of color on each side, let it

straight from the source. They set up a market booth at the Cedar

sit, slice it so that it's cold in the center. My favorite way to dress it

Park Farmers Market and the results were immediate and intense.

is by blending mild chili pasillas, freshly harvested coriander seed,

“I remember, one of the last times I sold on the side of the road in

local garlic, lemon zest and unsalted butter into a paste and coating

Wimberley was a Friday,” says Scott. “The next day, Kim had started

the fish. But honestly, sometimes when I get home, the first thing I

selling, just for the second time, at the market and I was actually on

do is just cut off a slice, add some salt and just eat it. It's that good."

my way out to Wimberley to sell. But she called me and said ‘I'm al-

"I’m from the East Coast, originally, so I'm used to buying fish

ready sold out!’ It had only been an hour into the market! So I quickly

and crabs straight off the back of trucks,” says Evie Hiatt, another

turned around and brought my stock to her and sold everything. It

regular customer. “[Scott and Kim’s] stuff tastes just like that. I just

would have taken me all day at the stand to sell that, if even.”

bought their scallops recently with a recipe in mind for the grill,

Now, every Thursday at dawn, Scott drives to the Gulf where

but when I got them home and saw how big, beautiful and fresh

he personally inspects and selects freshly caught gulf fish from the

they were, I decided to just slice them, add a bit of lemon and olive

bows of trusted fishermen’s boats. “I’m there, handling it, looking

oil drizzle and some fresh herbs and served them as a cold appe-

at it, and thus able to control the quality,” he says. “If I’m looking

tizer. I think fish is best left plain; you shouldn't over-complicate it.

at it and I wouldn’t eat it, it won’t go to market.” And the Treasters

Great things should be left simple."

certainly know a good fish when they see one; Scott’s childhood

Glowing praises aside, the couple looks forward to introducing

was spent casting lines up and down the coastline, from Seadrift

the next big idea for expansion—providing small, prepared food

to Port Arthur, and Kim was raised fishing with her parents and

items at their market stands, such as ceviche, cocktail sauce and

grandparents in Maui, Hawaii. In fact, freshness and quality are

boiled shrimp. Whatever the future holds, rest assured their cus-

such important facets of the K&S business model that Scott says

tomers will be onboard—hook, line and sinker.

they’ll never save and sell anything left over from a market. “Fresh

Find K&S Seafood every Saturday at the Cedar Park Farmers

is fresh,” he says. “Fresh isn’t a week old. If it’s left over, I’m eating

Market and the Barton Creek Farmers Market, as well as the

it,” he says with a chuckle.

Mueller Farmers’ Market on Sundays.

The Treasters take full advantage of the diverse Texas Gulf Coast ecosystem—but they also support the Texas Parks and Wildlife’s efforts to protect fish populations by keeping a watchful eye on overfishing trends. And while the vast bulk of their business

TERIYAKI TUNA

depends on the seafood that lives naturally in the bays and offshore

Serves 2

waters of the Texas Gulf, Scott and Kim occasionally fly in overnight deliveries of more exotic catches that aren’t always available locally—salmon and halibut from Alaska, for instance, and most recently trout from Idaho. Scott is quick to say he feels fortunate to have been able to abandon the grind of his former construction business to pursue the

1 c. teriyaki sauce* 1 t. wasabi paste 1 t. sesame oil 1 t. finely chopped fresh ginger

1 t. finely chopped fresh garlic 2 tuna steaks (about ½ lb. each) Salt and pepper, to taste

ing at the water. It’s a lot of work, but it’s over on Sunday afternoon,

Mix the first 5 ingredients in a medium saucepan. Simmer on medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes until reduced. Remove from the pan and keep warm. Wash the tuna thoroughly and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill the tuna on medium to high heat for 1 to 2 minutes on each side. (Or sear in a skillet on medium to high heat with 2 tablespoons olive oil for 1 to 2 minutes on each side.) Top the hot tuna steaks with the teriyaki sauce mixture and serve.

[then] I’m going to go home and cook snapper and Spanish macker-

* Can make from scratch if desired—find recipe at edibleaustin.com

work he loves. And Kim plays an integral role in the business, too— she manages their stand at the Barton Creek Farmers Market on Saturday mornings and keeps things running smoothly when Scott goes to the coast each week. “My office could be in a building from nine to five, but no,” says Scott with a wry smile. “With my job, I’m look-

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SNAPPER FILLETS WITH MANGO SALSA Serves 2 For the salsa: 1 medium to large mango, peeled and diced 3–4 Roma tomatoes, diced ¼ c. chopped red onion ¼ c. chopped fresh cilantro 1–2 medium jalapenos, finely chopped 1 T. fresh lime juice For the snapper: 2 medium to large snapper fillets, skin on, washed and patted dry Olive oil Salt and pepper, to taste Make the salsa: Mix all of the salsa ingredients together in a medium bowl, cover and chill at least 20 to 30 minutes. Serve on top or alongside the hot grilled snapper. Make the snapper: Place the snapper fillets in foil and lightly coat each side of the fillets with olive oil, salt and pepper. Grill on medium heat for 20 minutes until cooked through (the fish should be white and flaky).

CRAB-STUFFED FLOUNDER Serves 2 This recipe comes from Scott’s grandmother, with whom Scott spent a considerable amount of time as a young boy fishing and crabbing off the coast of Port Arthur. Although the recipe is more time-consuming than the others, Kim insists that the results are well worth the effort. 1 whole flounder (1½–2 lbs.), cleaned, scaled and gutted Olive oil

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Make the stuffing: Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the celery, onions and garlic and sauté until soft. Remove from the heat and stir in the crabmeat, breadcrumbs and salt and pepper, to taste.

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Stuff the crabmeat mixture into the prepared flounder and bake for 35 to 40 minutes.

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1 c. crabmeat ½ c. bread crumbs Salt and pepper, to taste

Prepare the flounder for stuffing: Cut a slit in the fish lengthwise, down the center. (The fish should be white side down and eyes up.) Place the flounder on a foil-lined baking sheet, rub with olive oil and preheat the oven to 400°.

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For the crab stuffing:

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Note: This dish can also be prepared using flounder fillets: Wash 2 flounder fillets and place the thicker of the two on a foillined baking sheet. Prepare the crab stuffing and place on top of the bottom fillet. Cover with the second fillet. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon paprika, salt and pepper and bake at 400° for 30 to 35 minutes. Find more recipes from Scott and Kim Treaster at edibleaustin.com

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edible BREW

AUSTIN BEERWORKS BY L AY N E V I CTO R I A LY N C H • P H OTO G RA P H Y BY K N OXY

hile it takes some people years of kicking back frosty

Belgian-made beverages while there, he became inspired to shelve

mugs of adequate, mass-produced beer to develop an

his artistic pursuits and begin a lasting love affair with all things

appreciation for high-quality craft brew, Will Golden—

hops and grain. “It sounds cliché,” Golden admits, “but I really

cofounder and head brewer at Austin Beerworks—discovered his

didn’t know beer could taste that good. We drank in the Nether-

affection for malty, artisanal beverages at just twenty-one years old.

lands, Germany, the Czech Republic…and in Belgium, I tried this

While an aspiring art history student, Golden took a European

unbelievable Belgian strong golden ale. By the end of the trip, I

trip through Shepherd University with the hopes of learning more about art restoration. But shortly after indulging in a debauchery of 34

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knew my plans. I was going into brewing.” At the time, it may have seemed Golden was simply chasing one

of those relatable-but-flighty 20-something dreams that everyone

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better senses. But it was, in fact, the opposite for Golden, who returned home and immediately accepted a job at Maryland’s Fred-

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erick Brewing Company—climbing his way from the ground up, literally. “I was scrubbing floors and cleaning tanks,” he says. “It

and

wasn’t glamorous work, but I took such pride and respect in what we were creating. At the end of the day, we knew we were making

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an awesome product that people loved.” Through the years, Golden worked his way up the brewing ladder, eventually becoming the head brewer at the Maryland brewery, which, by then, had been purchased by Flying Dog, a more prominent, nationally recognized brand. The mega brewery purchased the small beverage factory, growing it by leaps and bounds to eventually produce more than 80 different beers at any given time. But that significant success created a difficult choice for Golden, who was torn between continuing to work for a contending brand or bowing out to maintain the quality and integrity of the hands-on brewing he strongly believed in. In the end, Golden left to become the head brewer of a small brewery pub in Maryland—returning to the roots of small-batch

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ventional, Golden never regretted making the switch. “In my eyes,

own recipes, testing my own batches, and it turned out to be one of the most creative periods in my life.” It was a fateful conversation with Golden’s former Flying Dog coworker Adam DeBower in 2010 that roused the idea behind Austin

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Beerworks. Ready to break out on his own after working for Real Ale Brewery, DeBower proposed that he, Golden and two business partners—Mike McGovern and Michael Graham—strike while the iron was hot and open a craft brewery right in the thick of North Austin where the local beer scene was quickly evolving. “The funny thing was that Austin was already drinking great beer, but the options were limited since it was only being made by a handful of places, such as Real Ale and Live Oak,” says Golden. “We saw this as an opportunity to do beer in our own style.” In May 2011, Austin Beerworks launched its business in a 30-barrel warehouse, and over a three-year span, has turned its bold brand into one of

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the fastest-growing craft breweries in the country according to the Brewers Association. The company has cultivated a team of 24 full-time employees, which produces a small-but-stellar family of beers that have won both national awards and local fanfare—including Black Thunder, a German-style Schwarzbier with strong malty, roasted undertones; Peacemaker, a light English pale ale that Golden describes as the perfect anytime beer; Fire Eagle, a bold, West Coast-style IPA made with aggressive, U.S.-grown hops; and best-selling Pearl Snap, a refreshing, German-style, cold-fermented bitter beer that embodies the spirit of Austin. “Honestly, we thought the Peacemaker would outsell them all, but our local customers have really taken to the Pearl Snap; that beer comprises about forty percent of

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our overall sales.” At least once a month, Austin Beerworks also features limited releases in a special IPA series; Golden believes hosting this affair encourages creativity and innovation within the brewery team. What’s more, the Austin Beerworks beers are housed in sleek, well-designed aluminum cans as opposed to longneck glass bottles, which Golden says allows oxygen and light to transform craft brew to “skunky.” The brewery’s exquisite attention to detail from draft to design has paid off: Austin Beerworks grew sales by 400 percent in its first year of business, 100 percent in its second, and is on track to grow 50 percent by year’s end. As Golden and his business partners look forward, it’s clear they’ll soon have to discuss making some colossal decisions, such as adding new flavors and tracking down extra brewing space. Yet, one thing is certain when it comes to gazing

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toward the horizon: Austin Beerworks will not be reducing its continuing commitment to craft quality. “We’re allowing the company to grow organically,” Golden says. “We definitely have some big plans for the future, but they’ll happen when they’re supposed to.”

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From left: Jim Johnson, Dan Gatlin, Don Pullum, Kim McPherson, Greg Bruni, Raymond Haak at Perissos Vineyards in Burnet County BEVERAGE 2014

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edible TIMES

THE TEXAS TERROIRISTS TRAILBLAZERS IN THE EVOLUTION OF TEXAS WINE BY T E R RY T H O M PSO N -A N D E RSO N P H OTO G RA P H Y BY SA N DY W I LSO N

erroir is often described as a “sense of place”—be it geographical, climatic, topographical or cultural—that’s imbued into things that are grown or produced in a certain

region. It’s always been the main focus of the wine industry in France, but that hasn’t always been the case for the Texas wine industry. “When we started planting grapes,” says Ed Auler who, along with his wife, Susan, founded Fall Creek Vineyards, one of Texas’ earliest modern wineries, “we didn’t have any established traditions to follow. We knew about the successful wine industry in California, and we planted what they did: chardonnay, merlot and cabernet sauvignon. Only, in Texas, the results were a hitand-miss bag. Then, we began to assemble our own body of data, and to consider the issue of terroir.” To take full advantage of Texas’ unique sense of place, Auler and a determined group of winemakers and grape growers set out to discover the right kinds of grapes and growing techniques for the many regions of Texas. As a result, the group—think of them as terroirists—has logged almost 40 years of exhaustive and costly research and experimentation that now has our state firmly planted on the path to becoming one of the world’s premier wine-producing regions. In essence, they’ve drawn the map for grape growing in Texas.

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KIM MCPHERSON Kim McPherson—Texas’ longest tenured winemaker and owner of McPherson Cellars, in Lubbock—grew up in the Texas wine industry. His dad, Clinton “Doc” McPherson, a chemistry professor at Texas Tech University, is known as one of the fathers of the modern Texas wine industry, and,

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along with Bob Reed, a horticulture professor, founded Llano Estacado Winery. After graduating from Texas Tech, Kim went to California, where he obtained a degree in oenology and viticulture from the University of California, Davis. After working a stint in California, Kim returned to Texas to become the winemaker at Llano Estacado. From the very beginning—when other Texas winemakers were

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emulating California—Kim preached “planting to the land,” or growing the right grapes for the region. He’s championed the Mediterranean and Rhône varietals, which have proven to be capable of thriving and producing great wines here, and he introduced the Spanish sangiovese to Texas, where it remains one of his signature varietals. He still uses the sangiovese grapes from his father’s original Sagmore Vineyard in the Texas High Plains, where the vines are approaching 40 years old.

DAN GATLIN Dan Gatlin, along with his wife, Rose Mary, founded Inwood Estates Vineyards. Gatlin’s parents owned a large chain of beverage stores in Dallas and Fort Worth,

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early experience with wine was from a retail perspective, but he cites a visit to one of the greatest French wineries, Petrus, as his epiphany moment.

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There, he had the honor of spending an entire day with the winemaker—visiting the vineyards, the production facilities, the cellars. As a result, it occurred to Dan that he could do the same in Texas. “We’d just have to do like they’d done in France,” he says, “and

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ous vineyards in the northern part of the state and in the Texas High Plains. He concluded that Mediterranean and Rhône varietals were right for Texas, and he was the first to plant tempranillo here. His early tempranillo-cabernet sauvignon blends gained a following among cab lovers, and the tempranillo grape continues to garner the spotlight. Dan’s retail wine background came in handy as the driving force behind Inwood wines, which gained early popularity on high-end Texas restaurant wine lists and set the stage for other Texas wineries.

GREG BRUNI Also raised in the wine business, Greg Bruni left his native California in 1993 to become the vice president and winemaker at Llano Estacado Winery. Bruni brought a wealth of knowledge to the Texas

wine industry, as his family had founded the esteemed San Martin Winery in California. And when he first visited the Llano Estacado Winery and the Texas High Plains, he saw the same type of challenge in the fledgling industry that existed years ago in California. He relished the idea of becoming a key player in shaping the future of Texas wines, and he began by concentrating on many of the Italian varietals of his heritage—introducing a lusty Montepulciano to the winery’s lineup and creating the first of the Super Tuscan-style blends that he called Viviano. Both wines have gained an enthusiastic following over the years, and the winemaking

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Several years ago, Wine Spectator referred to Jim Johnson as “a reliable guide to the future of Texas wine.” Johnson had worked in Texas oil early in his career, but, like many Texans in the wake of the great oil bust, he found himself looking for another line of work. He worked at a retail

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wine store in Houston for a few years during the infancy of the Texas wine industry, and the shop often hosted tastings of those wines. Johnson tasted and evaluated the various wines against wines from other regions of the country and the world, and his conclusion was that Texas could do better. He headed to the University of California, Davis, where he graduated with honors and a degree in oenology and viticulture. But after working at three of California’s top wineries, Johnson returned to Texas to become the winemaker at Slaughter-Leftwich Vineyards in Austin. Together with his new wife, Karen, he purchased land in Bend and planted the Tio Pancho Ranch in 1996, using the Mediterranean and Rhône varietals he knew were right for the Texas terroir: viognier, sangiovese, ruby cabernet and cabernet sauvignon. Johnson added tempranillo in 1998, and the Johnsons’ Alamosa Wine Cellars was the first Texas winery to produce it. His El Guapo blend became an instant hit with chefs and consumers, yet Johnson believes we’ve only scratched the surface of experimenting with hot-weather grape varietals.

RAYMOND HAAK When Raymond Haak first announced that he would open a winery in Santa Fe, Texas—a mere 12 miles from the Gulf of Mexico—it was viewed as a truly foolhardy endeavor. But Raymond had done his homework over the last 25 years—beginning in 1969, when his wife, Gladys, brought home two grapevines from a local nursery. For their newly built Haak Vineyards and Winery, the Haaks selected two varietals of native American grapes: blanc du bois and Lenoir. The varietals were, as yet, untried in the large-scale EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM

BEVERAGE 2014

production of quality wines in Texas, but

lemon peel that followed through on the

they were hardy, drought-tolerant and dis-

palate, ending with a streak of minerals

ease-resistant. When the winery opened

that hinted at the wine’s terroir.

in 2000, Raymond released a port-style

Many years later, after a career as a

wine made from the Lenoir grape, and

Harvard-educated

both a dry and off-dry white wine from the

Pullum left the corporate world and

investment

banker,

blanc du bois. Former Houston Chronicle

began to search for a place to grow

wine columnist Michael Lonsford traveled

grapes. He discovered the rich, Hickory

to the winery to taste these new wines,

Sandstone soil in Mason County where

and subsequently wrote a glowing review,

he planted his Akashic Vineyard with

which quickly garnered the wines a huge following. In 2003, Ray-

Rhône and Mediterranean varietals. As he watched the grapes

mond produced his first Old World-style Madeira from the Jacquez

flourish and eventually produce excellent wines for Sandstone

(Lenoir) grape, which won 14 medals. In 2006, he produced a sec-

Cellars Winery, he began to envision a wine culture in Mason

ond Madeira from the blanc du bois grape, which has also won

County. He encouraged other grape growers to plant hot-weather

numerous medals in worldwide competition. Raymond’s pioneer

varietals like tempranillo, alicante bouschet and touriga nacional—a

research and success with these two hardy, native American grapes

Portuguese varietal from which he produced Texas’s first wine made

has led to a statewide explosion of wines produced from them—

from 100 percent touriga grapes. Today, his dream is becoming a re-

even at high-end wineries.

ality as Mason County grapes are known for producing high-quality, elegant, sought-after wines with finesse. There are now 12 vineyards

DON PULLUM

in Mason County—with two more on the way—and three award-

Grape grower and winemaker Don Pullum vividly recalls his

winning wineries.

first taste of wine at the tender age of 16. He was at the home of a

Texas has been richly blessed by the efforts of all of these

good friend whose father was a lover of fine wine. The wine was

dedicated—often dogged—terroirists who have invested much

a small pour of a Chablis Premier Cru from the estate of Albert

to develop the Texas wine palate. The industry is healthy and

Pic. He knew that it tasted good, but, at the time, he lacked the

growing, gaining worldwide attention and now very much a reflec-

knowledge to describe the taste as having a bouquet of pear and

tion of our unique sense of place.

This exhibition is organized by the Blanton Museum of Art, with support from the Department of Art and Art History, The University of Texas at Austin. Funding for the exhibition is provided in part by William and Bettye Nowlin. Left: Moche culture, Peru, 200-800 CE, Stirrup spout bottle of blind figure, ceramic, 8 7⁄10 in. high, photo by Mark Menjivar, courtesy Landmarks, The University of Texas at Austin

Blanton Museum of Art / The University of Texas at Austin / MLK at Congress / 512.471.7324 / www.blantonmuseum.org

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Upcoming Events

Where hoppy days are here again!

“At the Easel” noon – 5 pm 3–15 Shanny Lott 4–19 Randy Meador 4–26 Judy Gelfert

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Upcoming Events March – May Market Day Paint the Town CASI Chili Championship Mayfest

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Why wait for the weekend to start having fun? Go for a hike, do some fishing, take in a wine tasting or find that missing piece of art in your life. plan your vacation at marblefalls.org. Dehydrating Mushroom Bison Stroganoff (page 50) EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM

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COOKING FRESH

SUMMER

SALADS by ELIZABETH WINSLOW photography by MICHELLE MIN

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ROASTED CARROTS AND RED QUINOA WITH GRILLED HALLOUMI AND AVOCADO Serves 4–6

For the vinaigrette: 4 T. Champagne vinegar ½ c. olive oil ½ t. ground cumin 1 t. paprika

For the salad: 1 small bunch baby carrots (not faux baby carrots in a bag), scrubbed, trimmed, cut lengthwise Olive oil for roasting 5 oz. halloumi cheese, cut into large ½-inch slices Olive oil for grilling 2 c. cooked red quinoa 2–3 oz. baby arugula 4 T. minced chives 1 large avocado, peeled, pitted, cut into ½-inch pieces Salt and freshly ground pepper Prepare the vinaigrette: Combine the ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake vigorously until emulsified. Prepare the salad: Preheat oven to 400°. Drizzle the carrots with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place them on a baking sheet and roast until the edges are beginning to caramelize but the carrots still have some crunch. Set aside to cool. Brush the halloumi with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill in a cast-iron grill pan until grill marks appear. Flip and grill on the other side. Set aside and, when slightly cooled, cut into ¼-inch strips on the diagonal. In a large bowl, combine the carrots, halloumi, quinoa, arugula and chives. Add the vinaigrette and toss thoroughly. Place on a serving platter or in a salad bowl, season to taste with salt and pepper, add avocado and toss again gently to serve. This salad keeps and travels well, but add avocado just before serving.

GRILLED PEACHES WITH BASIL, BURRATA AND PROSCIUTTO Serves 4–6 For the vinaigrette: 4 T. white balsamic vinegar 1 t. honey ½ c. olive oil

For the salad: 4 medium to large peaches, cut in half, pitted Olive oil for grilling Salt and freshly ground pepper 1 bunch basil, leaves only, washed and spun dry 6–8 oz. burrata cheese, torn into 2- to 3-inch pieces 6 thin slices prosciutto, torn into 2- to 3-inch pieces Prepare the vinaigrette: Combine the ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake vigorously until emulsified. Prepare the salad: Brush the cut sides of the peaches with olive oil and season lightly with salt. Grill the peaches, cutside down, over medium-hot coals or in a cast-iron grill pan over high heat. When grill marks appear, turn over the peach halves and grill briefly on the skin side—about 1 to 3 minutes. Cool the peaches slightly, then cut each half into two pieces. Arrange on a serving platter and tuck basil leaves, prosciutto and burrata pieces around. Drizzle the salad with the vinaigrette and season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.

FIND ADDITIONAL SALAD RECIPE AT EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM: PEANUT NOODLES WITH CRUNCHY VEGETABLES

ust when warmer temperatures and longer days suggest fore-

surprise elements of intensely flavored cheeses and toasted nuts,

going long-simmered soups and hearty casseroles in favor

then dressed with homemade vinaigrettes will make you forget all

of cool summer salads, lettuce bolts in Central Texas fields

about leafy greens. These recipes are great for do-ahead gatherings

and fresh, tender greens are off the table. No worries, though—

and pack up beautifully for lunch-on-the-go or a picnic. Lovely as

some of the best salads have nothing to do with lettuce. Inventive

side dishes alongside roast chicken or grilled fish, they are all also

combinations of crunchy, market-sourced fruits and vegetables,

hearty enough to make a meal—especially when paired with a loaf

toothsome grains, bright herbs and healthy legumes, studded with

of crusty bread and a chilled bottle of rosé.

FATTOUSH Serves 4–6 For the vinaigrette: 2 T. red wine vinegar 2 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice ½ c. olive oil For the salad: 1 pt. cherry tomatoes, cut in half (a mix of colors is nice) 1 small sweet bell pepper, cut into ½-inch pieces 1 large, or 2 small, cucumbers, cut into ½-inch pieces 1 small bunch radishes, quartered 4 T. minced parsley ¼ c. pitted kalamata olives, cut in half 1 large pita bread, broken or cut into 2-inch pieces, tossed with olive oil and toasted until golden 4–5 oz. feta cheese, cut into ½-inch pieces Salt and freshly ground pepper Prepare the vinaigrette: Combine the ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake vigorously until emulsified.

GRILLED SUMMER SQUASH WITH LENTILS, HERBS AND TOASTED PUMPKIN SEEDS Serves 4–6 For the vinaigrette: 4 T. red wine vinegar 1 t. whole-grain mustard ½ c. olive oil For the salad: 3 medium summer squash (yellow crookneck or zucchini) Olive oil for grilling Salt and freshly ground pepper 2 c. lentils, cooked al dente, drained and cooled ¼ c. toasted pumpkin seeds ½ c. mixed chopped herbs (basil, parsley, mint, chives, chervil and marjoram are all great) Prepare the vinaigrette: Combine the ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake vigorously until emulsified. Prepare the salad: Cut the squash in half lengthwise, brush the cut sides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the squash, cut-side down, over medium-hot coals, or in a castiron grill pan over high heat. When grill marks appear, turn over the squash and grill the skin side briefly—about 1 to 3 minutes. Cool the squash slightly, then cut into ½-inch slices on the diagonal. Place the lentils into a large bowl, add the squash, herbs, pumpkin seeds and vinaigrette and toss thoroughly.

Prepare the salad: Combine all ingredients in a large bowl except the feta, add the vinaigrette and toss to combine thoroughly. Place on a serving platter or in a salad bowl, add the feta and toss gently to combine. Add salt and pepper, to taste, and toss again to serve.

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edible PLACES

THE BURNET ROAD CRAWL BY L ES M C G E H E E • P H OTO G RA P H Y BY W H I T N EY A ROST EGU I

irst of all, it’s pronounced BURNit, like “Durn it.” Good old Burnet Road—from 45th Street clear out to the edge of Highway 183, your abandoned and shedding billboards and vintage strips now hopscotch with the stacked flats that have quickly become the residential sentinels lining so many Austin streets. Within the fold, new kids, like Noble Sandwich Co., Apothecary, Juiceland and Pinthouse Pizza vie for elbow room with beloved eateries like Fonda San Miguel, Top Notch Hamburgers, Enchiladas Y Mas and The Frisco. To experience the true beating heart of this part of town, though, you’ll need to visit the trifecta of jewels firmly ensconced in the Violet Crown of the Burnet Road corridor: Ginny’s Little Longhorn Saloon, Lala’s Little Nugget and Buddy’s Place. 52

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Austin has been kind to these old-guard businesses, and they’ve been kind to Austin—nurturing entire communities for decades and providing a through line of consistency, welcome and warmth that is the foundation of the area’s magic. These watering holes are the community and cultural headwaters, backwaters and comforting leaky faucets—frequently finding themselves standing, often unfairly, toe-to-toe with city regulations, and tightly clinging to their grandfatheredin statuses. Within their walls, it’s possible to see the family resemblance of new Austin to old Austin—the veritable DNA of Austinism. Here’s our suggestion for a Burnet Road crawl, starting at far out and ending at farther out.

Ginny’s Little Longhorn Saloon 5434 Burnet Rd., 78756 Monday–Wednesday, 5 p.m.–12 a.m. Thursday–Saturday, 5 p.m.–1 a.m. Sunday, 2 p.m.–10 p.m.

Everybody’s here…even us chickens

beaming dad proudly shows his grown sons around his fa-

some friends (he wanted it to look like a church). Of course, Kalmbach

vorite old bar while a couple in the corner converses in

is still around and present many days, and still beloved and addressed,

German and soaks up the atmosphere reverently and wide-

respectfully, by name. “Everyone seems to appreciate the fact that the

eyed. Up at the bar counter, there’s a mash-up conversation among

place is saved,” says David. “You know, it’s a labor of love. Everyone

patrons that drifts easily from an unexpected encounter with Deb-

sees that we’re giving our all to it, as much as we can to it.”

bie Harry at the recent South By Southwest music festival to the

Terry is also building a new business model by extending a

distinct expression on namesake Ginny Kalmbach’s face in the

handshake across parking blocks to their neighbors who serve food.

large portrait that occupies a coveted spot above the bar. Mean-

Ginny’s patrons can now order from eateries like Lucy’s Fried Chick-

while, Alvin Crow, Speedy Sparks, Matt Hubbard and other Aus-

en and Threadgill’s (Noble Sandwich Co. is in the works), and the

tin Hall of Fame musicians start filing in for a gig under the name

happy neighbors will even walk the food over to the saloon. The

“Texas Mavericks.” There’s no cover, drinks are only a buck or two

fabric of community surrounding Ginny’s is so thick, in fact, that the

and by all accounts, it’s just another Monday night at Ginny’s Little

neighboring cafes (including Taco Deli) have even donated heavy-

Longhorn Saloon.

duty picnic tables to accommodate the late afternoon tailgate-like at-

The bar’s history is steeped in family, tradition and generosity.

mosphere that spills out of the bar into the back lot as patrons enjoy

It was opened as Dick’s Little Longhorn Saloon in 1963 by Dick

another thing that makes Ginny’s a most unique treasure: Chicken

Setliff. Kalmbach worked there as a bartender, and the bar was

Shit Bingo on Sundays from four to eight. (Welcome to Austin.)

eventually bequeathed to her in the early ’60s because of the kind-

That’s right, lively chickens can often be heard clucking and

ness she’d shown the owners. Many harmonious years later, when

humming just outside the propped-open back door of Ginny’s as

Ginny’s was ready for some gentle TLC, it was family that came

they warm up for the games that draw thousands of fans from all

to the rescue in the form of husband and wife team Terry and Da-

over Allandale, Austin in general, and around the globe—not only

vid Gaona, and Terry’s brother Dale Watson, the internationally

for the bingo, but for the accompanying, and always free, chili dog

famous Austin-based musician. The bar had fallen into financial

buffet. A large rectangle of plywood painted with bingo tiles is

straits earlier that year and Watson had always had a special place

placed over a couple of tables and topped with a chicken-wire en-

in his heart for Ginny’s; it was his first booking in Austin in ’93. The

closure. Then a chicken is placed inside. You can probably figure

trio thought that purchasing the bar was just the right thing to do.

out the rest. “A lot of times we end up puttin’ both of [the chickens]

Terry currently manages the place and books the music, David

into the same cage,” says David. “Makes it fun and gives it a little

helps out and Watson has been an active facet for decades—not only

more excitement. And [the chickens] love the crowds and the mu-

performing there but contributing unique touches, like the steeple he

sic—they’re very social,” Terry adds. “Ginny had one that followed

had installed on the building so that he could officiate a wedding for

her like a little puppy dog.” EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM

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When asked lightheartedly if the bingo games are regulated by the World Bank or the federal government, Terry is quick to say

Lala’s Little Nugget 2207 Justin Ln., 78757

that “No, Chicken Shit Bingo’s not lottery, even though we call it

Tuesday–Saturday, 4 p.m.–2 a.m.

bingo, because none of the money goes to the house. All the money

Closed Sunday and Monday, and from 12/25–1/1

donated for tickets goes to the winner. It’s a game the community plays and someone wins; none of it goes to the bar.” In light of the game’s huge popularity, we wondered why every bar doesn’t adopt a similar fun-with-animals-and-excrement-like model. “There’s too much respect for Ginny—and Dale,” David replies. “And we’ve been doing it for so long that Ginny’s is known for it all over the world. We meet people all the time that heard about it—sometimes from Dale’s touring in Europe or something—and had to come here to experience it.”

Yule-la-la

dozen or so blocks north of Ginny’s, it’s four in the afternoon and Andy Williams is finishing “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” on the jukebox while candy-colored

lights reflect off of Bloody Marys on the bar. It’s Christmas, March 2014. It was Christmas yesterday, too. And we can all rest safe in the

On any given night at Ginny’s, you might stumble upon local

knowledge that it will be Christmas tomorrow—unless, of course,

musical hard-hitters, like Two Hoots and a Holler or Redd Volkaert,

it’s December 25th or something and the place is closed. Relax now,

and preshow, there’s a jukebox that would make Ernest Tubb scoot

though, and soak in the ever-present Yule-tinged warmth that is

a boot—all in a space full of gentle respect and joy that’s about as

Lala’s Little Nugget.

big as a double garage. “It’s about community and everybody com-

The bar has barely been open 10 minutes and one of the elves on

ing and having fun,” says Terry. “We get all the camaraderie and

the strings attached to the front door drops down, then disappears

all of our neighbors and, you know, just enjoy every day with our

again. Don has walked in and let out a hearty “Shhhhh!” to the still-

patrons. And it brings money to this part of town. That’s also why

quiet atmosphere. Before Don even makes it up to the bar, Sarah

we keep our prices low and [offer] free entry—so that people use

the bartender has already readied his cold can of Budweiser and

their money to tip the bands and tip the bartenders.”

his personal saltshaker. Sprinkling some salt on the lip of the can before each drink, Don proceeds to boldly discuss, to no one in par-

GINNY’S LITTLE LONGHORN SALOON’S FAMOUS CHICKEN SHIT BINGO CHILI DOG BUFFET Courtesy of Terry Gaona Feeds many

ticular, his military service and the details about his recent myocardial infarction. Everyone here appears to know and like Don, and in a way, all bar-going Austinites probably know some form of a Don. These stalwart bar communities are like extended families—and the Dons are our bar cousins. Atop the lineage of personalities and loyals sits Lala’s owner and old-Austin royalty, Miss Frances Lala. She’s full of energy and

A bunch of all-beef hot dogs Lots of Wolf Brand chili, no beans Lots of hot dog buns Ketchup, mustard, relish, cheese and other condiments, as desired, but don’t go crazy Have Ginny put the hot dogs into a large crock-pot with a little water to cover and let them heat until they are delicious (they always taste better when she makes them). In another crock-pot, heat the chili. Make the chili dog buffet available in the shadow of a steeple on a Sunday afternoon with your neighbors while Dale Watson is playing and the chickens are “making their selections.”

overflowing with memories, and though the business of the bar is now managed by Bill, her nephew—not to be confused with Big Bill, her brother-in-law—the cocktails are usually the business of Sarah, who’s been at Lala’s since 1974. Not that anyone would ever complain about the wall-to-wall, year-round Christmas happiness, but we wondered what inspired it. “I opened Lala’s with my brothers helping me in October of nineteen seventy-two,” Lala says. “So we quickly were decorating for Christmas. It was just beautiful in here—we had big buffets and all that going on—and great decorations. After New Year’s we took the decorations down and all of us just looked at each other and said nuh-uh! and back up it went. And I said, We’re gonna leave it like this and that’s it.” Of course, as is the case with most quirky historical details tied to a location, there’s plenty of other explanations floating around. “Oh my gosh,” Lala says with intensity. “You’ve got some where my husband got killed…my sons were killed. I don’t have a husband! I never had any children! This PLACE was my husband. I was forty-one when I opened here and I’m eighty-three now! I spent half of my life here.” This reluctance to change a good thing is, of course, key to Lala’s charm, and it applies to what’s in the air, too. Known for decades to have one of the best jukeboxes in Austin, you’ll find gems like Glenn Miller’s “Blue Rain,” The Coasters’ “Down in Mexico” and Woody

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Herman and the Third Herd’s “Sleepy Serenade” nestled alongside the enormous collection of holiday music. “We just stayed with the music from back in our time,” Lala says. “I wanted the music from my time, which would be all the big bands. To me it’s still the best music, you know. We’ve got a different jukebox now but the same music.” Another thing that remains the same is Lala’s popular Bloody Mary. When asked for the secret behind it, Lala says she adapted the recipe from “Mr. Boston,” the bartender’s bible. “The only thing is [the bartenders] don’t know the measurements and I don’t either,” she says. “I go by color. I just show them (Lala’s hands go up in the air and she shakes imaginary bottles) doot-doot of this, doot of that, then doot-doot-doot—and then get ’em to understand the difference between a doot and a doot-doot. Then I tell ‘em, If you forget, or they don’t reorder them, then you can’t make them anymore until we go over it again. You have to have a good, thick tomato juice—I use Campbell’s now; Sacramento was my favorite but we can’t always get it. That was the best—oh my goodness. We sell a ton of them.”

“We just stayed with the music from back in our time. I wanted the music from my time, which would be all the big bands. To me it’s still the best music, you know. We’ve got a different jukebox now but the same music.” —Lala EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM

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Bloody Mary praises aside, Lala says her favorite compliment of

burgers and such. “We don’t use it anymore,” she says. “It was too

all is how clean her place is—the restrooms, especially. “We treat

complicated.” And she admits that working with the City has been

[the bar] like family,” she says. “We respect it that way, and every-

challenging. “In nineteen seventy-two, liquor licenses had just

one keeps it nice. Also the atmosphere—I don’t like a bunch of

come out for around here, so we started from scratch. Over the

cussing or fussing and fighting, so we just don’t have any of that.

years, the City had me increase to a total of NINE sinks to this

Some days, when we wouldn’t have been open, we let the group

little place. And if it were up to them, they’d have me add another.”

from the bar use it when we celebrate birthdays, or let them have a

(Lala’s is around 1000 square feet, give or take. That’s about a sink

football party—family stuff.”

per every 100 square feet, or like putting a sink in every room of

And Lala’s bar family community has had time to become multi-

your home, including the living room and bedrooms). “They had

generational. Reed, a frequent patron, says he’s been visiting Lala’s

us put in new ceilings that ruined the light in here, and Bill had to

his entire adult life, and his parents came in before that. “And now

come up with this good idea of painting the sky on it. I’d have lost

I’ve got Reed’s children coming in—his son and his daughter,” Lala

my whole atmosphere! And new ceilings for the men’s room where

adds with a wry smile. “And soon, they’ll be starting families, you

the urinal is? I said, What do you think the men are going to do? Pee

know. I might get some of them! In the beginning the young people

up this way?” she says, pointing to the ceiling. “I don’t even want to

would come in and call it the ‘Old People’s Home.’ Eventually, they

talk about the cost—thousands. It makes me mad. We make it work

brought their parents and grandparents in, and they’d continue to

though, and try to keep things the way they are.”

come in. So the kids bring the older people to us and keep coming

Clinging tightly to the precious grandfathered-in status re-

in themselves. We’ve got a real good mix, because of the music and

mains hugely important in keeping things the same at Lala’s. One

the fact that you can still talk to each other and not have to scream

Burnet Road neighbor, the beloved Poodle Dog Lounge, recently

at each other. This created the generations that come in here—I’ve

lost their status, and mourners wonder if it can be reopened at

got lots of kids coming in here that are probably your age,” she

all faced with such huge, mandatory changes. “Yeah, it’s sad, it

notes—pointing at the middle-aged “kid” that is me.

is,” Lala says. “Because, like I say, What can you say? You do ev-

Of course, Lala says it hasn’t always been smooth sailing over

erything to do the right thing. People come back to Austin after

the years. The bar once featured a kitchen that was known for good

they’ve been gone four or five years and what they loved is gone.

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Most every good old restaurant around here is gone. I think the City sometimes is hurting themselves.” Before moving on, we ask about the wall of military medals and badges just off the side of the bar. “A gentleman who was retiring

Buddy’s Place 8619 Burnet Rd., 78757 Sunday–Friday, 12 p.m.–midnight Saturday, 12 p.m.–1 a.m.

from out at Bergstrom in nineteen seventy-three wanted to put his medals up here for us to display before he went home to Ohio,” she says. “My brothers were Navy; Big Bill was Air Force—we have a

Same as it ever was

being sent to Iraq. He wrote that note and asked if I would leave it

up there until he came back. He hasn’t come back yet, but I don’t

spinning stories. There are no tank tops, as the sign on the door

want to take it down until he does. I don’t touch it. A young man…

clearly prohibits them. And holding court at a round table near

if he comes back he can take it down himself.” No doubt when he

the shuffleboard area are owner Jackie Smith and Jasper, the resi-

does come back in, Lala’s Little Nugget will be the same wonderful

dent mannequin who has his own fan club and is moved around

place he remembers.

the main room, from table to table, at whim.

FRANCES LALA’S FAMOUS “DOOT-DOOT-DIT” BLOODY MARY

a beat. “Just great! Business is good, and the bar is the same as it

Adapted from “Mr. Boston: Official Bartenders and Party Guide” (published by Warner Books)

get, from our oldest customers—and our youngest customers, they

lot of military around. And other military people followed suit. You see that note up there? (she points to the top of the wall) That was a young man who was here with his girl the night before he was

t three o’clock on a recent Tuesday afternoon, Buddy’s Place, the self-proclaimed “Home of Happiness” near the northern tip of the Burnet Road corridor, plays host to

about a half-dozen, well-dressed good ol’ boys shooting pool and

When asked how things are going at the bar, Smith doesn’t miss

Makes 1 drink Generous shot of vodka Two generous shots thick tomato juice (Sacramento brand, if possible) 1 doot* lime juice 3 doots Worcestershire sauce (look for a rich, reddishbrown hue) 1 doot Tabasco 1 dit* ground black pepper, to taste Celery stalk and lime wedge, for garnish Combine all of the ingredients except the garnishes in a bar mixer and stir lightly. Pour into a highball glass full of ice, garnish with the celery and lime and lovingly place it in front of your bar cousin. If you forgot how to make the drink, or if they don’t order another, don’t make any more until you watch Miss Frances do it again. *To the best of our ability, we interpret a “doot” to be less than a glug but more than a dash, and a “dit” to be just south of a pinch.

ever was. You know, this place has been a bar since the fifties, and the insides have never changed. That’s the biggest compliment we say Don’t ever change nothing.” Sweeping change hasn’t happened for a while at Buddy’s. Smith explains that the building started out as a bait shop, then switched to a bar and expanded into the little house sitting next to it. “It’s been a bar ever since. That’s the old house’s front door with John Wayne on it,” he says and points. “It’s been Buddy’s for seventeen years.” When asked how the bar has remained successful over the years, Smith attributes some of it to the live music from wellknown Austin talent that happens most Friday nights. “Son Geezinslaw, who is my brother, and also Glenn Collins who is our nephew,” he says. “I also suggest keeping prices low, and keeping everything the same, which is sometimes a struggle with the City. And I have the best country jukebox in Austin, maybe the world. And having great customers that we celebrate with.” At this point, Smith leaves the table and returns with the “Birthday Board,” a handwritten list of Buddy’s family birthdays—including those of members who have passed, yet are still remembered and celebrated on their day. Every regular wants on that board. Smith says the bar reminds him of the one in the old Norman Lear sitcom, “Archie Bunker’s Place.” “People laugh, debate and eventually ask to get on the birthday board,” he says. “We also celebrate a couple of times a year with a great fish fry and invite everybody. People bring stuff, too. Our fish has been coming out even better since we got the fryer from the old Charlie’s Steakhouse.” Indeed, the sharing, borrowing, loaning and acquiring of equipment between the old Burnet Road establishments—whether it was outgrown or reluctantly purchased during a going-outof-business sale—has become a recurring topic during our visits. It’s like blood transfusions or organ donations between loved ones—all of the flavor, history and idiosyncrasies embedded in the very machines that helped build a clientele are passed around, EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM

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“People laugh, debate and eventually ask to get on the birthday board. [Every regular wants on that board.] We also celebrate a couple of times a year with a great fish fry and invite everybody. —Jackie Smith

often coveted and looked after as though family heirlooms. And and he says, “Sure! I’ve known them for years! You know, Billy

BUDDY’S PLACE’S “JASPER’S-JUST-SHY” FISH FRY

comes in here all the time—that’s Bill’s dad. Bill runs Lala’s for

Courtesy of Jackie Smith

it truly is a family. We ask Smith if he knows the folks at LaLa’s

Miss Frances.” We share that Miss Frances pointed out during our visit that Buddy’s does a great fish fry. “We keep it nice in here, kind of like an adult daycare center,” Smith says with a laugh. “You can feel good about bringing your date or your mom. We did have a one-person fight once. (Smith glances

Catfish fillets Zatarain’s batter mix Savannah-brand hushpuppies Fryolator from the old Charlie’s Steakhouse Fresh coleslaw

over at the motionless, life-size Jasper.) One night, when Jasper was sitting at a table, a fella joined him and started talking to him. After a while, the guy started getting frustrated that Jasper wouldn’t respond, so he got up and yelled at him You’re a rude son of a bitch! and stormed off.” (Jasper was, and remains, nonplussed.) When asked if there are any big plans for Buddy’s Place, Smith pauses and says, “Yes. I’m gonna keep it just the way it is.” 58

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Submerge fillets in Zatarain’s batter before frying. Gently drop them into the fryer basket and remove when golden brown. Drop the hushpuppies into the fryer and remove when crisped. Serve with coleslaw and a bunch of your bar-family members what brung a dish they wanted to show off. Eat, drink beer, create lasting bonds. Repeat every six months.

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t’s about to be peak tomato season, and I hope

balls. It was as charming as it was delicious, and

your garden will soon be bursting with tiny

it reminded me of how my family sometimes eats

golden, green and red jewels. As in years past,

fresh, ripe tomatoes: standing over the sink with

since I’ll soon have more tomatoes than I know

the tomato in one hand and a shaker of salt in the

what to do with, I did some research for new

other—too eager for that deliciously tangy juice

recipes for this year’s bounty. Years ago, I had

to bother with cutlery or a plate. This adapted

a martini at the now-shuttered-and-razed High-

recipe celebrates the unbeatable flavor of the ripe

ball in South Austin. The drink was made with

tomato in that long-ago martini, with little inter-

vodka and house-made tomato water, and served

ruption or fuss. Enjoy, along with several other

with a basil leaf and a skewer of little mozzarella

options for using your abundance!

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TOMATO-WATER MARTINI

TOMATO POWDER

Makes 3

Yields roughly 1/3 cup, using 2 lb ripe tomatoes

For the tomato water: 1 lb. fully ripe tomatoes Pinch of salt For each martini: 2 oz. tomato water 1 oz. vodka or gin Black or green olives, optional Cherry or pear tomatoes, optional Basil, optional Tiny mozzarella balls, optional Herbed salt, optional Line a colander with a layer of cheesecloth or a tea towel big enough to eventually tie into a bundle and place over a nonreactive pot. Wash and roughly chop the tomatoes and scrape them into the cloth. Sprinkle with salt and give them a stir. At this point, either leave the tomatoes in the colander, or gather up the corners of the cloth, tie them to a wooden spoon and suspend the bundle over the pot overnight. Place the pot in the refrigerator and cover the top with plastic wrap or another towel to avoid evaporation and unwanted refrigerator smells. Let the moisture drip out of the tomatoes overnight, or for at least eight hours. When ready, give the bundle a good squeeze to get out all of the juice, then save the pulp for tomato sauce. Chill 3 martini glasses in the freezer. Place the tomato water and alcohol into a shaker filled with ice and shake vigorously. Pour a few teaspoons of sea salt onto a saucer and mix in a couple of shakes of dried and crushed herbs, such as oregano and basil. Place a small amount of water in another saucer. Invert the glass into the water to wet the rim (or half the rim), then press it into the herbed salt. Pour in the tomato water and alcohol mixture and garnish with a basil leaf and a skewer of mozzarella, olive and cherry tomato.

TOMATO COULIS

Make in a food dehydrator: Set the temperature at 135° and place the tomato slices in single layers on the dehydrator. The tomatoes take about 10 hours in a dehydrator, but keep an eye on them! Remove the fully dried pieces at the 10-hour mark and put any still-leathery pieces back in the dehydrator for 1-hour increments until they have the right snap. When slices are completely crisp, use a spice mill or blender to turn them into powder. Store the finished product in the refrigerator in a tightly lidded container where it will keep for months.

Courtesy of Carol Ann Sayle and Larry Butler of Boggy Creek Farm

A coulis is another creative use for tomatoes that is often overlooked by the home cook. Traditionally, a coulis is just a simple sauce made from pureed fruit—usually sweet, but in this case savory, to complement the tomatoes. 1½ lb. ripe tomatoes 2 T. olive oil 1 shallot, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped ½ c. white wine 1–2 sprigs lemon thyme or other favorite herb Peel the tomatoes and squeeze the seeds and inner pulp into a strainer, collecting the juice in a bowl. Discard seeds and rough chop tomatoes. (Blanching the tomatoes until the skin splits and then cooling makes peeling easier.) Sauté the shallot in the oil for a few minutes until soft. Add the garlic and wine and reduce for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, strained juice and herb sprigs and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove and discard the herb sprigs, then carefully puree the mixture in batches until silky smooth. Serve the coulis over eggs, fritters, French fries, garlic bread, grilled meats—just about anything that would benefit from a little tomato-y goodness! Coulis will keep in the freezer for several months. Freeze it in ice cube trays then place the cubes into a freezer bag for easy access. BEVERAGE 2014

Make in an oven: Preheat the oven to the lowest setting possible—usually 170° or 200°. Slice 2 pounds of ripe tomatoes into ¼-inch circles and place them on a large baking sheet in a single layer, making sure they don‘t overlap or touch. Bake for 5 hours, then check them every hour after until the slices are completely dried and crunchy. Alternatively, this process can be flip-flopped by first pureeing the tomatoes, spreading the puree onto a baking sheet, drying it into a leather, then slicing the leather and continuing to dry the slices until crispy. When slices are completely crisp, use a spice mill or blender to turn them into powder.

LARRY’S SMOKE-DRIED TOMATO PESTO

Makes 3 cups

An interesting way to put up a large amount of tomatoes is to completely dry them in the oven or in a food dehydrator, then powder them. The tomatoes need to be taken past the point of a chewy, ovendried tomato, though, in order to make a powder; they need to be crunchy, but not burned. Some prefer to peel, core and/or seed the tomatoes first, but these steps are not necessary, and any kind of tomato will work. Tomato powder can be used as a dry rub for meat, added to sauces and soups, kneaded into bread dough or sprinkled over pasta, salad, French fries, popcorn, etc.—anywhere a little tomato zip would be welcome. Some even sprinkle the powder on store-bought tomatoes in February when they’re feeling nostalgic for summer.

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2 oz. smoke-dried tomatoes (we like Larry’s!) 4 oz. tomato juice 4½ oz. chopped bell peppers 4 to 5 oz. chopped jalapeño peppers (adjust for personal taste) 5 oz. chopped onions ½ oz. garlic flakes Sea salt to taste (Larry starts with ¼ oz.) 1 oz. olive oil 3 oz. apple cider vinegar Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan, bring to a mild boil and simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool, then puree to a pesto consistency. Wonderful served with chèvre on crackers, toast or on vegetable slices. Store in the refrigerator. Since 1994, Larry has grown Roma tomatoes at his farm in Gause, Milam County, expressly to make smoke-dried tomatoes. He picks the tomatoes ripe, slices them in half, places them cut-side up on racks and slides them into his handmade smoke houses. It takes several days, depending on the humidity, to dry the tomatoes to smoky perfection. Bags of the smoke-dried tomatoes are usually available at the Boggy Creek Farm stand starting in July. They’re similar to sun-dried tomatoes, but they’re dark red and smoky—a good vegetarian substitute for bacon.

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CAPITAL AREA FOOD BANK

the happy chickens that spend their days grazing on grass in an idyllic field. “This system is less stressful for the chickens,” he says as he balances a delicate blue egg in his hand. “The result is

A FRESH IDEA TO REDUCE WASTE BY SARA PERALTA

we get much better eggs, in every measurable way.” However, not all of the eggs produced at Vital Farms can be sold, Brooks says. For a variety of reasons—including regulations and retailer expectations—some eggs are simply too small to sell to the general public. CAFB developed a waste-avoidance solution for Vital Farms, and other local farms and businesses in similar positions, by creating a unique opportunity to donate their unsellable, fresh, healthy food. CAFB staff members work closely with each business to identify healthy food and determine a safe way

hen people hear the words “food bank,” shelves lined

to donate. For Vital Farms, it means being able to offer a health-

with canned food are often the first thing they imagine.

ful protein source to Central Texans at risk of hunger rather than

Yet, while healthy, shelf-stable food is definitely es-

composting or disposing of those precious eggs.

sential for fighting hunger in Central Texas, the Capital Area Food

Unfortunately, the potential for unnecessary food waste such

Bank (CAFB) is working hard to provide more fresh foods to the

as this is not unique. A study published in 2013 by the Natural

families we serve. With the support of generous donors and dedi-

Resources Defense Council found that 40 percent of food in the

cated partner agencies, we’ve succeeded in collecting more than

United States today goes uneaten. This astounding amount is

11 million pounds of fresh food in the last year from wholesalers,

equivalent to $165 billion lost annually, just to food waste. Vital

farms and more than 125 local and national grocery stores. And

Farms is proud to say that in the 2012–2013 fiscal year, it donated

less than a mile from the CAFB headquarters in South Austin, an

more than 37,000 pounds of fresh eggs to CAFB, and that helping

unlikely group of “volunteers” has joined in on our quest for fresh.

fight hunger is a reflection of the farm’s core values. “We don’t

“We call them our ‘ladies,’” explains Dan Brooks, director of

want to waste what is an incredible resource,” Brooks says. “As a

marketing and communications for Vital Farms—a popular local

business, we are a part of the community. For us, that means sup-

supplier of organic eggs sold at Whole Foods Markets nationwide.

porting the community.”

Brooks credits the farm’s success to the aforementioned “ladies,”

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THE HISTORY OF GIN BY DAV I D A L A N • I L LUST RAT I O N BY H I L L A RY W E B E R - GA L E

in is considered to be the quintessential English spirit; thus it

Bond franchise, vodka was able to unseat gin as the most-consumed

may come as a surprise that the drink owes its early history

white spirit in the U.S. by the end of the 1960s.

to the Dutch, and much of the contemporary innovation in

gin is happening not in England but in her former American colony.

By the 1980s, gin was a moribund category in the US. In an era of electronic music and postmodern art, there was no room

In the 15th and 16th centuries, the Dutch were masters of the seas,

for the liquor your grandfather drank, and gin was decidedly

and like other European powers who had access to points east, they

old-fashioned. The classic gin bottle looked stale on a back bar

brought back all manner of exotic ingredients from their travels. In

populated by the sleek new vodka bottles. The flavor profile of

the days before modern preservation practices, distillation was an

gin was also out of line with popular tastes—heavy in pine and

effective means of preserving precious spices and botanicals. By the

juniper at a time when drinkers wanted something simple and

middle of the 1600s, a spirit known as genever started to gain popu-

clean. Enter Bombay Sapphire, which came to market in 1987.

larity in Dutch cities. Genever, not surprisingly, takes its name from

“Bombay Sapphire Gin essentially changed the category, using a

the Dutch word for juniper, and is an early style of gin that was made

modern and innovative bottle design and a flavor profile which

from redistilling malt distillate with juniper, caraway and other bo-

was balanced and citrus-forward,” notes Gary Hayward, U.S.

tanicals. Genever was also believed to serve a medical function, at a

brand ambassador for Bombay Sapphire.

time when most medicines were compounded from plants.

The gamble worked. Sapphire was hip and new, and the formula

When genever reached British shores, the name was shortened to

dialed back the juniper and brought the citrus and other botanicals

“gin” and it became immensely popular in the 17th century. During

to the front. The clever blue bottle certainly didn’t hurt, nor did the

a period known as the “Gin Craze,” gin shops appeared by the thou-

award-winning marketing campaign. While Bombay Sapphire was

sands in England, largely because of favorable taxation that imposed

a runaway hit and did great things to elevate the gin category, it

a steep duty on imported spirits. Eventually, the free-for-all was

wasn’t until the classic cocktail renaissance of the last decade that

brought under control by various “Gin Acts,” which sought to legiti-

gin finally and fully re-entered the American drinking mainstream.

mize the manufacture of gin (much of 17th and early 18th century gin

In 2000, William Grant & Sons launched Hendrick's, a Scottish

production was done using rudimentary equipment in the home). By

gin that’s finished with cucumber and rose hips. “Hendrick's really

the 1830s, the column still began to revolutionize the spirits indus-

dusted the cobwebs off of gin” when the brand launched in the

try. Unlike the traditional pot still, which produced spirits in small

U.S. in 2002, according to William Grant’s portfolio ambassador

batches, the column still was capable of producing very high-proof

Charlotte Voisey. “We opened the doors and said, Gin doesn’t have

spirits on a nearly nonstop cycle (for this reason it’s also known as

to be just this way. It can be what you want it to be. We can make it

a continuous still). This development coincides with the industrial-

refreshing, approachable, pleasant—something that everyone can

ization of gin, and with the emergence of the London Dry style.

enjoy.” Adding cucumber to the spirit was not just a playful move,

In the young U.S., a cocktail culture was in full bloom—by the

but also a way to position Hendrick's as a refreshing gin—perfectly

1890s, American bartenders had already developed most of the

timed as American consumers were embracing fresh ingredients,

basic tools and techniques found behind today’s classic cocktail

farmers markets and locavorism; and as bartenders were beginning

bars, and many of the cocktails of the era were made with gin. Chief

to follow the lead of their colleagues in the kitchen by incorporat-

among these was the martini, consisting merely of gin, some por-

ing culinary ingredients and techniques into drinks.

tion of vermouth and perhaps a drop of bitters—it bore not even

It wasn’t long before American distilleries followed suit, and

scant resemblance to the fruity, juicy “martinis” of today’s popular

the locavorism that had taken the culinary world by storm soon

culture. The martini was the pre-eminent gin cocktail for much of

created a sea change in the beverage alcohol world. In the decade

the 20th century, that is, until the arrival of vodka—a Johnny-come-

since Hendricks launched in the U.S., literally hundreds of new

lately spirit in the U.S. despite its ancient historical relevance in

gins have hit liquor store shelves. And it was only a matter of time

Scandinavia and Eastern Europe. With a little help from the James

before Texas distillers got in on the game. EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM

BEVERAGE 2014

In 2011, Austin’s Treaty Oak Distilling Co. became one of the

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first outfitters to produce a Texas gin. “The renaissance in American gin has provided a lot of opportunity for small distillers to present a personality and a sense of place through the use of local botanicals,” says Treaty Oak’s founder Daniel Barnes. “With Waterloo No. 9, we replaced some of the traditional London Dry ingredi-

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gin-like,” says Barnes. “At two years, it takes on the character of spiced whiskey.” Though there are a handful of distillers experimenting with barrel-aged gin, the concept is new enough that when Barnes sought to put the term on his bottle, it was rejected by the federal agency that oversees alcohol labeling, because they didn’t think aged gin existed. With over 500 years of history, gin is, at once, old and new again. It’s a resilient category, surviving (if barely) the vodka insurgency of the post-WWII era to once again become the darling of cocktail bartenders and consumers alike. There has never been more evolution and innovation in this historic spirit category.

STYLES OF GIN • Genever (or Jenever): Malty and similar to whiskey that hasn’t yet been aged, genever is a style of gin with a less prominent botanical quality. Sometimes referred to as “Holland gin” in early American cocktail books,

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comes in two styles: oude, the traditional style, and jonge, a lighter-bodied, more modern style. Bols Genever, produced in Holland, is widely available in the US.

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production for generations, the classic cocktail movement has encouraged new releases from small labels such as Ransom and Hayman’s. • London Dry Gin: A classic juniper-forward, dry style of gin that emerged in the late 1800s and is still the most popular style in the world. Well-known labels include

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Tanqueray, Beefeater and Gordon’s. • New World Gin: Alternately known as “New Western,” “New American” and “International” style, this category is green enough that there’s not yet been a consensus on what to call it. It refers to the modern gins that are re-imagining the traditional botanical makeup—often with an emphasis on local flavors and culinary

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traditions. Hendrick’s and Aviation are some national brands; Waterloo No. 9 and Genius are local examples.

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GENIUS GIN BY S H E L L EY S E A L E P H OTO G R A P H Y BY A L I SO N N A R RO

ou might say Mike Groener got a head start on the path to developing an appreciation for diversity. As a child in San Francisco, he had a free-spirited, creative mother who often

introduced him and his brother to new and unfamiliar foods. “I was eating sushi when I was three, and on the cilantro wagon in the late eighties,” Groener says. “[Mom] was constantly creating and exploring different types of cuisine; this inspired me to keep seeking new and bold flavors.” Groener continues to think about the individual and collective notes in food, and he’s moved forward on a new path that started in 2010 when he and his good friend Charles Cheung became interested in the “locally produced” movement that seemed to be overtaking Austin. The two discussed applying this to the world of spirits—in particular to gin, which is often derided as overwhelming, harsh and perfume-y. In the most basic terms, gin is simply a neutral base infused with botanicals. But recipes, ingredients and processes vary wildly from maker to maker, and result in flavor profiles that run the

of which are sourced locally. “The flavor of Genius was conceived

gamut from good to bad. Groener’s and Cheung’s interest in the

more with adjectives than ingredients,” Groener jokes. “I wanted to

gin-making process led to months of research and sampling as they

create something that felt elegant and smelled beautiful. That initial

experimented with different botanical infusions. “We were never

smell had to take you captive with beauty and immerse you into a

bartenders or professional chefs,” Groener notes. “Just two normal

huge punch of flavor.” And through a proprietary fermentation pro-

guys with a distinct perspective on flavors.”

cess that lends a unique silky quality, that punch of flavor, Groener

Both Cheung and Groener have master’s degrees from St. Ed-

says, ends up drinking more like bourbon than gin.

ward’s University and both were working in the technology indus-

Genius gin comes in both standard and Navy strength to appeal

try when they first began experimenting with gin flavors. Between

to different types of drinkers. Standard is a 90-proof homage to the

their mutual backgrounds, tenacity and shared love of quality and

classic London Dry variety; easy to sip by itself without briskness.

aesthetics, they eventually landed a recipe and technique for an

Genius Navy is 114 proof—the historical proof carried on British

artisan gin that made them proud. They called it “Genius” and in-

Royal Navy fleets. The low water content, which Genius has repli-

corporated in late 2011.

cated, was perfect for long sea voyages; the gin could accidentally be

Distinct, indeed. The partners handcraft every single drop of

spilled on gunpowder without rendering it useless. “Navy strength

their gin from scratch here in Austin—a rarity for distillers who

allows for a few additional botanicals while really leading the flavor

often source portions of their ingredients elsewhere. A 16-percent

in a cocktail,” Groener says. “It packs more presence and clarity.”

alcohol is created in about five days using yeast, water and sugar.

Finally, Groener points out that the 100-percent made-in-

This neutral base is then distilled to about 92 percent to begin the

Austin process is hugely important to him. “I feel a handmade

rest of the journey. Genius employs a unique hot-cold process for

product is actually made from scratch,” he says. Of course, creat-

infusion—introducing some of the botanicals early in the process,

ing gin from the ground up is difficult and time-consuming, but

using a room-temperature steep, and others during the hot phase us-

for Groener and Cheung, the resulting quality is unparalleled.

ing a basket in the copper still. The steep is bright green, extremely

“There’s no more versatile spirit than gin,” he says. “It can be

floral and includes bold and nuanced ingredients, such as elderflower,

heavy, light, fatty or transparent. It has a transformational ele-

lavender, lime peel, angelica root, juniper and coriander—many

ment that other spirits don’t have.

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THE FIZZ BIZ

BY KATE PAYNE PHOTOGRAPHY BY JO ANN SANTANGELO

orn in drugstores and apothecaries, handmade syrup-fla-

commercial sodas. Their flavors are complex, subtle and can high-

vored fizzy-water beverages from a soda fountain were the

light what’s in season. Yes, homemade syrups still contain sugars—

norm until commercial sodas started popping up at the end

either in the form of a sweetener or the juice from fruits—but they

of the 19th century. Over time, those commercial sodas have moved

also contain fiber, vitamins and minerals that most commercial so-

even farther away from the beverages of long ago—containing less

das don’t. Like the soda fountains that emerged in the 1800s, home-

of the early natural herbal or root flavoring ingredients and more

made syrups bring the handmade, seasonal and local aspect back

of the colorings, varieties of sweeteners and other faux flavorings.

to the experience of soda. In addition, the syrups can also be used

Beyond the debatable ingredients list on modern-day sodas, as

in cocktails, swirled into plain yogurt or drizzled over ice cream.

we become more conscientious of sugars in our diet, we are more

Make these syrups refined-sugar-free by substituting honey or

likely to turn away from these concoctions. A standard 16-ounce

maple syrup (subbing the sugar one for one) or agave (by using 2

bottle of soda has about 11 teaspoons of sugar, and the artificially

tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons agave for ¼ cup sugar). Maple was

sweetened versions are hardly health-promoting options.

our favorite sweetener of the sugar-free versions, and coconut

Luckily, sodas made at home using homemade syrups made from fresh, whole ingredients are a fabulous and easy alternative to 72

BEVERAGE 2014

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palm sugar (subbed one for one with sugar) was a great substitute in the cream soda because it adds a layer of nutty flavor.

Important: To make a soda using the syrup, pour the club soda into the glass first, then add the syrup. (Do it the other way around and you’ll experience the voluminous fizz that will threaten to take over the glass and countertop!) Combining fruit syrups with cream soda is also a delicious idea. The cheater method for making fruit syrups into fruit-cream sodas is to add ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract to each finished 8-ounce soda. Make floats with the finished sodas by dropping a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream into the glass.

Makes 1 cup or 8 8-ounce sodas Blueberries have a lot of natural pectin; even without cooking the syrup any further (or even using sugar, which, in addition to added lemon juice, helps to activate pectin bonds and gel a jam or jelly), all three of the versions I made—sugar-, agave-, and maple-sweetened— became delicious spreadable jellies the next day.

Thanks Austin! portland maine & austin texas

¼ c. sugar 1 t. lemon juice

Combine the blueberries and water in a small saucepan, cover and bring to a boil. Remove the lid, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Mash the berries with a potato masher and remove pan from the heat. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve—using a spatula to push the remaining juice out of the berry skins. Add the sugar and lemon juice to the warm blueberry juice. Stir to dissolve, then let cool to room temperature. Make sodas by adding 2 tablespoons of syrup to an 8-ounce glass of club soda. Add more syrup to taste, if desired.

OLD-FASHIONED CREAM SODA SYRUP Makes 1 quart or 8 8- to 12-ounce sodas Cream sodas are controversial in the application of true cream. This recipe doesn’t contain cream, but a splash of half-and-half in the finished soda will bridge the gap, satisfying both sides of the debate. 2 c. brown sugar ¼ c. raisins, roughly chopped 1 cinnamon stick, crushed 1 vanilla bean, slit lengthwise

handcrafted beverages www.maineroot.com

BLUEBERRY SODA SYRUP

2 pt. blueberries ¼ c. water

maine root.

4 c. water 4 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice ¼ t. cream of tartar Splash half-and-half, optional

Combine the sugar, raisins, cinnamon, vanilla bean and water in a large saucepan over low heat until the sugar granules have dissolved. Raise the heat to bring the mixture to a simmer and lower the heat, if necessary, to maintain a simmer for 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, add the lemon juice and cream of tartar, and whisk to combine. Cover the pan and let cool for 30 minutes. Strain the mixture into a quart mason jar and keep refrigerated for up to three weeks. Make sodas by adding ¼ cup syrup to an 8- to 12-ounce glass and topping off with club soda and a splash of half-and-half, if using.

for the love of the kitchen

241 w. 3rd. st. austin, tx 78701

www.servegourmet.com

Heal Yourself & Others 900 Hour Professional Chef Training & Public Classes for the Health-Oriented Home Chef

Learn the 5 essential Healing Cuisines: • Macrobiotics • Raw & Living Foods • Ayurvedic Cooking • Classical Vegetarian • Vegan Foods 512.476.2276 Call now for more information or visit www.naturalepicurean.com

NOW SERVING WEEKEND BRUNCH! SAT/SUN 11AM - 2.30PM Barlata offers a Spanish twist on weekend brunch. Chef Daniel Olivella has reimagined and revitalized the brunch by incorporating traditional Spanish ingredients into breakfast staples.

Find Kate’s Peach Soda Syrup recipe at edibleaustin.com

Edible Austin and BookPeople presents: Kate Payne signs her newly

1500 SOUTH LAMAR | AUSTIN, TX www.barlataaustin.com 512.473.2211

released book, "The Hip Girl's Guide to the Kitchen: A Hit-The-Ground Running Approach to Stocking Up and Cooking Delicious, Nutritious, and Affordable Meals," at BookPeople on Tuesday, May 27—featuring food and drink tastings from the book. Details at edibleaustin.com

twitter.com/barlataatx facebook.com/barlataaustin

RESERVATIONS

opentable.com/barlata-tapas

EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM

BEVERAGE 2014

LA CASITA DE BUEN SABOR

SEASON OF THE SPRITZERS BY LUCINDA HUTSON

esi Arnaz and I have shared a

to make a spritzer sparkle, although I’ve

few cocktails together.

added prosecco or cava, too.

For

more than three decades,

Fresh citrus, preferably Mexican

during the month of May, I went fishing

(key) limes, oranges, kumquats, grape-

with my father in Mexico’s Baja Cali-

fruit and lemons, add that special burst

fornia del Sur. We stayed at a secluded

of freshness and pleasing acidity to

fishing resort an hour down a dusty and

drinks. Dress up spritzers with gar-

bumpy road from La Paz and spent long

nishes such as slices, wedges or curled

days sea-wrangling and chasing the elu-

zests of fruit; unpeeled organic pickling

sive marlin and shimmering neon yel-

cucumbers cut in slices or long spears

low and turquoise dorado (mahi mahi).

to use as stir-sticks; seasonal berries;

Desi owned a vacation home in the tiny

or edible flowers, such as Johnny-jump-

village (replete with a guitar-shaped

ups, nasturtiums, fennel, dill or small

swimming pool!) and was a competitive

blue star-shaped borage flowers. A

sports fisherman who held court in the

nosegay of fragrant herbs makes my fa-

bar in the evenings—boasting about the

vorite garnish, though.

big fish that got away.

Many new-fangled cocktails today

Upon returning to shore, sunburned

taste like dessert before dinner with

and tired after a long day of fish-

their cloying concoctions combining

ing, nothing tasted better than a cold

too many liqueurs, spirits, sweet juices

spritzer cocktail flavored with freshly

and syrups. Give me a light and refresh-

squeezed Mexican lime: simple, refresh-

ing spritzer any day!

ing and invigorating! Some of us would gather in the courtyard outside our rooms and I’d fill tall glasses with ice, thick slices of unpeeled cucumbers, a lemon wedge and a hearty dose of gin, then splash in ginger ale and a squeeze of Mexican limes. After imbibing the cocktail, we’d enjoy the crunchy, ice-cold cucumber slices and recount the day’s events. I christened the spritzer the “Gin-Cu-Lem” and even daiquiriloving Desi liked it. Spritzers—cocktails in which the “spirit” of the spirit shines and other ingredients are kept minimal—remain my favorite warm-weather coolers. Some prefer using white rum or vodka in spritzers; however, I find the bright, fiery personality of 100-percent blue agave tequila blanco (tempered with its inimitable sweet roasted agave flavor) or the juniper, citrus, spice and herbs that flavor gin far more exciting. And for the bubbles, there are delicious artisanal offerings, such as Jamaican-style Reed’s Extra Ginger Brew and Austin’s own Maine Root Ginger Brew, to add spicy kick, or consider sparkling sodas in flavors such as blood orange and pomegranate. Replace traditional overly sweet quinine-flavored tonic waters with more natural and less-sweet versions such as Fever-Tree and Q Tonic. Sometimes a good splash of bubbly mineral water—think Topo Chico—is all that’s needed 74

BEVERAGE 2014

EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM

GIN AND ROSES Makes 1 spritzer This is my favorite warm-weather spritzer—especially when flavored and garnished with stems of the cucumber-scented salad burnet before it goes dormant in summer’s heat. Salad burnet returns with vigor and thrives throughout our winter and spring—growing in a cascading fountain of long stems with small, serrated leaves that also taste like cucumbers. You can find salad burnet transplants at nurseries now. Plant in full sun in rich soil. It makes a lovely border plant. 2 oz. gin Premium tonic water, to taste Juice of ½ lime Several slices organic, unpeeled pickling cucumbers Sprinkling of organic rose petals, optional Nosegay of long sprigs of salad burnet (see note) Rim a chilled highball glass with lime and fill with ice, or better yet, with one jumbo ice cube. Add the gin and tonic water, to taste. Squeeze the lime into the drink. Stir and garnish with the slices of cucumber, rose petals and salad burnet sprigs.

Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what friends are for! Cheers to a great relationship with Pepe Z Tequila

jackallenskitchen.com

No matter how you mix it, my handmade vodka beats those giant “imports” every day.

Wine Enthusiast RATINGS

SCORE OUT OF 100 POINTS

PTS

BER RY KICKER MULE By BRI AN FLO YD

★ 1½ oz. Tito’s Handmade Vodka ★ ¼ oz. simple syrup ★ ½ oz. freshly squeezed lime juice ★ 4-5 fresh raspberries

REE GLUTEN-F

Muddle the raspberries and simple syrup in a shaker; add the Tito’s, lime juice and a dash of Peychaud’s Bitters. Strain and pour into a mug over ice. Top with ginger beer.

AMERICAN M ULE Th e Ol d CL AS SI C

★ 1½ oz. Tito

’s Handmade Vodka hly squeezed lime juice ★ 3 oz. gin ger beer Combine ingredients over ice in a mu g; garnish with a lime wedge. ★ ½ oz. fres

GIN GER

POMEGRANATE MULE By DARRY L PETTI GANO ★ 1½ oz. Tito’s Handmade Vodka ★ 2-3 thumbnail-sized ginger slices

or a dash of ginger liqueur

★ 2 oz. pomegranate juice ★ ½ oz. freshly squeezed lime juice ★ 3 oz. ginger beer

SWOONING SCARLETT

PALOMA

Makes 1 spritzer

In the era of “Gone with the Wind,” genteel Southern ladies suffering the “vapors” mopped their brows with a decoction of a fragrant herb called lemon verbena. I’d rather be revived with a vodka-spiked lemonade garnished with long sprigs of this highly aromatic lemony herb, instead. Its lance-shaped leaves and tiny white blossoms are good for flavoring and garnishing iced drinks, punches, fruit juices or hot tea. You can find lemon verbena transplants at nurseries now. Plant in mostly full sun (some afternoon shade appreciated) in well-draining, rich soil. It grows into a large bush that dies back in winter but returns in the spring.

Paloma means “dove” in Spanish, and this tequila spritzer will make your spirits soar. In Mexico it’s as popular as the margarita. In fact, some call it the “lazy man’s margarita.” It’s simple to make with only three ingredients and some spicy Mexican seasoning salt—nada más!

2 oz. premium vodka 5 oz. homemade lemonade (see note) Several lemon slices Sparkling mineral water, cava or prosecco Nosegay of fresh lemon verbena Fill a tall glass with ice. Add the lemonade, vodka and lemon slices. Splash with sparkling water, stir and garnish with several long stems of lemon verbena.

Lime and salt for rim of glass 2 oz. tequila blanco or reposado Juice from 2 Mexican (key) limes 5 oz. grapefruit or other citrus soda, to taste Spicy Mexican seasoning salt with dried red chile (such as Tajín or Trechas brands,) optional Lime wedges for garnish Rim a tall glass with lime and salt. Add lots of ice, then the tequila, lime juice and sparkling grapefruit soda, to taste. Add a sprinkle of spicy seasoning salt, stir and garnish with lime wedges. Note: Each of the above recipes may be made either with gin, tequila, rum or vodka. Whichever spirit you choose, keep the bottle in the freezer and pour it ice cold. Find more of Lucinda’s spritzer recipes at edibleaustin.com

Note: Slightly bruise a bunch of long stems of lemon verbena to release flavor, then add to your favorite homemade lemonade. Chill the lemonade for several hours, occasionally pressing down on the leaves with a spoon. Strain and serve.

Edible Austin and Tacos and Tequila presents: Lucinda Hutson signs her

Note: For an extra kick, add an ounce of Paula's Texas Lemon!

by Tequila Herradura and more! Details at edibleaustin.com

latest book, "¡Viva Tequila! Cocktails, Cooking, and Other Agave Adventures," at Tacos and Tequila on Thursday, May 1—featuring a tequila tasting

Texans make the

BEST MARGARITAS with the

WORLD’S BEST ORANGE LIQUEUR. EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM

BEVERAGE 2014

edible COMMUNITIES

LOCAL HERO AWARDS BY N I CO L E L ESS I N

ast fall, we asked readers to vote for the farm, restaurant, food shop, food artisan and nonprofit who they felt are making a major contribution to our local food commu-

nity. Here we proudly present the winners—and a glimpse at what makes them compelling.

ocal Her edible Communities FOO

D SHOP

FOOD SHOP Antonelli’s Cheese Shop If you ask John and Kendall Antonelli which is the favorite

ocal Her edible Communities

F HE

/ R E S TA U R A

cheese at their Hyde Park store, they’ll tell you whichever one they are eating at the moment.“We love them all, and we’re really

CHEF / RESTAURANT Chef Josh Jones of Salt & Time Butcher Shop & Salumeria Chef Josh Jones has learned that liver has been sorely missing from people’s lives. Ever since he began offering the Odd Bits board on the menu each night, the response to the two or three different kinds of offal has been surprising. “We put them on the menu for five dollars each, just bite-sized pieces of offal, to get people to try something that they have never tried before,” he explains. “Every time we put a liver dish on, it sells out within fifteen or twenty minutes—there is a very positive reaction to it.” Jones says he enjoys the challenge of his position running the day-to-day food operations as chef of the restaurant because he shares with owners Ben Runkle and Bryan Butler the deep com-

proud of them all,” says John. “We rotate through products fairly regularly, and it’s always fun to revisit a long lost love and get it back into our life.” In fact, the Antonellis hold the artisanal and locally produced cheeses in such high esteem, they invite their customers to taste their way through the seven distinct styles featured—from the soft-ripened to the blues. “Our cheese mongers are there to guide you,” John says. Their customers also like to know the back-story behind the cheeses—including who made them, why they made them and even what their families are like. “We got into this business because we wanted to keep learning and keep adventuring, if you will,” says Kendall. “Opening the cheese shop was a way to invite people on that journey with us.”

FOOD ARTISAN confituras

mitment to using the entire animal. “A lot of restaurants claim to

About three-and-a-half years ago, Stephanie McClenny

be nose-to-tail, but they really just buy noses or the tails,” Jones

knew she was on to something when she tried selling 100 of her

says. “We literally get the entire animal, and it’s my job to make

handcrafted, locally sourced jams at a Saturday farmers market.

sure there’s not a single little bit of it that goes to waste.”

“We sold out in the first two hours,” says McClenny, a former

BEVERAGE 2014

EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM

grown out of their iconic East Austin farm. “I thought we would just be digging in the dirt, but the people we have come to know, the relationships that have developed, the chefs that come in and the surrounding community that come in—that whole aspect of it just sort of surprised me,” Paula says.

ocal Her edible Communities

O D A RT I S A N

In fact, the Foores say their work involves not only growing food for the community, but also educating people about sustainable agriculture—from helping parents show their children where carrots come from to encouraging elected representatives to consider new legislation that would give agricultural

pediatric nurse who now sells her award-winning jams, jellies

tax exemptions to urban farmers. “Here in Austin, we have such

and preserves as a full-time career. “And the funny thing is, it

an amazing food community, but there are still people we need

took me two months to make the hundred jars of jam, and I

to reach who don’t understand what we are doing and how im-

realized I would then have less than a week to make a hundred

portant it is,” Paula says. “We’re just a little farm, but there is

more jars for the following Saturday farmers market! So that

work to be done.”

was definitely a turning point.” These days the processes are more refined, and McClenny says she has learned important concepts for running a small spired by the strong demand for her products, the potential to educate and learn from people about the art of preservation and the never-ending parade of readily available, seasonal ingredients she has to work with. “There are limitless possibilities for creation, which kind of keeps things fresh for us,” she

could possibly cook, along come peaches—so we’re saved.”

ocal Her edible

says. “You know, once we’ve cooked every last strawberry we

Communities NON

PROFIT

NONPROFIT Sustainable Food Center Teaching area residents about good nutrition and how to cook with fresh local foods at their new East Austin facility; operating four area farmers markets and helping people grow vegetables at a community garden: These are just a few

Communities

to bolster our local food system and, in turn, strengthen our

/ FA R M E R ARM

community. “Our tagline is ‘from seed to table,’” says Eliza-

ocal Her edible

Photography of confituras by Andy Sams and Sustainable Food Center by Thomas Winslow

business. Yet despite the monumental effort involved, she’s in-

FARM / FARMER Glenn and Paula Foore of Springdale Farm

of the myriad ways the Sustainable Food Center (SFC) works

beth Winslow, SFC’s communications manager. “We try to support efforts in building a stronger food system from the ground up.” While these programs may seem to be mostly focused on

Glenn and Paula Foore of Springdale Farm both agree that plant-

food, their impact can be far reaching—from lowering diet-

ing a seed and watching it grow is a “little miracle, every time,” and

related diseases to making sure our food dollars stay nearby.

that it’s a proud moment when they get to display the ultimate ex-

“A strong local food system impacts every aspect of life within

pression of that miracle at their twice-a-week farm stand.

a community,” Winslow says. “It’s health, it’s environment, it’s

But they also enjoy the non-botanical elements that have

economy, it’s social justice.” EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM

BEVERAGE 2014

THE DIRECTORY ARTISANAL FOODS

BEVERAGES

Antonelli’s Cheese Shop

4.0 Cellars

We love cut-to-order artisanal cheese and all that goes with it. Order a picnic platter, take a class, or host a private guided event. Free tastings daily. 512-531-9610; 4220 Duval St. antonellischeese.com

4.0 Cellars is a tasting room and event venue serving the wines of Brennan Vineyards, Lost Oak Winery and McPherson Cellars. 830-997-7470; 10354 E. US Hwy. 290 fourpointwine.com

Lick Honest Ice Creams

Aquasana

Artisan ice creams celebrating the finest ingredients Texas has to offer! Handmade in small batches in our shop, locally sourced and seasonally inspired. 512-363-5622; 2032 S. Lamar Blvd. ilikelick.com

Lone Star Foodservice Lone Star Foodservice is a familyowned wholesale meat company, whose mission is to source and deliver the finest cuts of natural beef, pork and lamb to tables across Texas. 512-646-6218; 1403 E. 6th St. lonestarfood.com

Noble Sandwich Co. Local sandwich shop featuring house cured meats, made from scratch breads, condiments and pickles. 512-382-6248; 11815 620 N., Ste. 4 noblesandwiches.com

Spiral Horn Apiary Where millions of honey bees call home. The finest raw, unfiltered honey, handcrafted all-natural soap, body lotions and hand cream. Tours available. 325-792-6818; 8247 FM 502, Rochelle spiralhornapiary.com

Texas Olive Ranch Fresh Texas-grown extra virgin olive oil from Carrizo Springs, infused olive oil & balsamic vinegar at farmers markets in Austin, SA, NB, Houston, Dallas. 877-461-4708 texasoliveranch.com

BAKERIES Better Bites Bakery We are a gluten-free certified/vegan bakery specializing in delightful treats with special dietary needs, and high food standards, in mind. 512-350-2271; 11190 Circle Dr., Ste. 350 betterbitesbakery.com

Blue Note Bakery Blue Note Bakery is Austin’s premier custom cake shop, meticulously creating one of a kind dessert for your special occasion. 512-797-7367 4201 S. Congress Ave., Ste. 101 bluenotebakery.com 80

BEVERAGE 2014

Healthy living starts with healthy water! Aquasana manufactures and sells high performance water filtration systems for home and commercial use. 866-662-6885; aquasana.com

Alamosa Wine Cellars Making cool wines from warm climate grapes at the top of the Texas Hill Country since 1999. Tempranillo, Syrah, Viognier, Sangiovese, Verdelho, Graciano. 325-628-3313; 677 County Rd. 430, Bend alamosawinecellars.com

Barcelona Celler

Spanish wine with a Texas accent! Russell Smith crafts premium wine in Spain for his friends in Texas. www.barcelonacellertinto.blogspot.com

Brooklyn Brewery

Leading the world in beers made in Brooklyn. 718-486-7422; brooklynbrewery.com

East End Wines Wine retail shop and patio for drinking with a friendly, Austin state of mind. 512-904-9056; 1209 Rosewood Ave. eastendwinesatx.com

Pecan Street Brewing

Thirsty Planet Brewing Co.

Handcrafted beers, Texas Wines, brick oven pizzas, burgers, salads & more! Beer garden and live music on weekends. Fun and comfortable family atmosphere! 830-868-2500 106 E. Pecan St., Johnston City pecanstreetbrewing.com

Thirsty Planet is a small craft brewery located in Southwest Austin. Our tasting room is open every Saturday for tours. 512-579-0679 ;11160 Circle Dr. thirstyplanet.net

Perissos Vineyards

Located in the northern Hill Country, Wedding Oak Winery creates Texas wines from 100% Texas-grown warm weather varietals. Our Texas roots run deep! 325-372-4050; 316 E. Wallace, San Saba weddingoakwinery.com

Only one hour west of Austin, Perissos Vineyards is passionate about using only Texas-grown fruit to produce exceptional wines. Casual atmosphere. 512-820-2950 7214 Park Rd. 4, Burnet perissosvineyards.com

Real Ale Brewing Co. Welcome to the Texas Hill Country - the home of Real Ale Brewing Company, where a dedicated team of brewers produces quality handcrafted ales. 830-833-2534; realalebrewing.com

Maine Root Handcrafted Beverages Old-fashioned black tea concentrate made using only real cane sugar, tea leaves and filtered water—a Texas family recipe dating back to 1940. 512-517-3158; 1000 E. 40th St. maineroot.com

Moonshine Sweet Tea We are based in Austin, TX and make fair trade certified organically sweetened soft drinks and lemonades available on fountain and in bottles. 888-793-3883 6500 River Place Blvd., Bldg.2 Ste. 102 moonshinesweettea.com

Paula’s Texas Spirits

Paula’s Texas Orange Liqueur and Paula’s Texas Lemon Liqueur—all natural and handmade in Austin since 2006. Available throughout Texas. paulastexasspirits.com

EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM

BOOKSELLERS BookPeople Texas’ leading independent bookstore since 1970. Located in the heart of downtown, BookPeople has been voted best bookstore in Austin for over 15 years! 512-472-5050; 603 N. Lamar Blvd. bookpeople.com

Spec’s Wine Spirits and Finer Foods Family-owned since 1962, Spec’s offers expert service and Texas’ largest selection of wines, spirits and beers along with gourmet foods and more! 512-366-8260; 4978 W. US Hwy. 290 512-342-6893; 10515 N. MoPac Hwy. 512-280-7400; 9900 S. I-35 512-263-9981; 13015 Shops Pkwy. 512-366-8300; 5775 Airport Blvd. specsonline.com

Tequila Herradura The tequila we bottle today is the result of over 140 years of dedication to craft, and the steps in the tequila-making process remain the same as the old. 972-620-5222; herradura.com

Hilmy Cellars

Vineyards, winery & tasting room. 830-644-2482 12346 E. US Hwy. 290, Fredericksburg hilmywine.com

Wedding Oak Winery

Texas Legato Winery A family owned & operated winery/ vineyard specializing in Malbec & Petite Sirah. Come enjoy the view while you relax on our patio with a glass of wine. 512-556-9600 2935 FM 1478, Lampasas texaslegatowinery.com

CATERING AND MEAL DELIVERY Pink Avocado Catering A custom catering company specializing in tailored menus, incredible food & surprisingly personal service. 512-656-4348; 401 Sabine St. Ste. B pinkavocadocatering.com

Spoon & Co. Catering It’s our business to delight you with the details, memorable events with mindfully chosen, prepared and presented food and a caring crew! 512-912-6784 spoonandco.com

DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION Texas Casual Cottages by Trendmaker Trendmaker Homes makes it easy to build a new home on your land. Come visit one of our two Model Home Parks in Round Top or Wimberley, TX. 512-392-6591; 6555 RR 12, San Marcos texascasualcottages.com

Texas Oven Co. The Austin Winery The Austin Winery is a boutique, urban winery sourcing grapes from premier regions of California and Texas to handcraft artisanal wines. 713-724-0942 9007 Tuscany Way, Ste. 100A theaustinwinery.com

Experts in designing and building woodburning ovens. Our handcrafted ovens are fire-breathing works of art. We are also a Forno Bravo pizza oven dealer. 512-222-6836; texasovenco.com

EDUCATION

Tito’s Handmade Vodka

Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts

Tito’s Handmade Vodka is handcrafted from 100% corn & distilled 6 times by Tito Beveridge in Austin, TX at America’s original microdistillery. Gluten-free! 512-389-9011; titosvodka.com

The Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts is teaching the next generation of chefs and pastry chefs the importance of sustainable and ethical choices. 512-451-5743; 6020-B Dillard Cir. escoffier.edu

OTE CR EEK COY Certified Organic Feed

ABSOLUTELY NO GMOS, NO HERBICIDES OR PESTICIDES, NO ANIMAL BY-PRODUCTS, NO PHARMACEUTICALS, & NO HORMONES.

The responsibility of sustainability.

NOW SELLING PELLETED FEED, & COMING SOON, ALL NEW ORGANIC FISH FEED!

Made from the ﬁnest local grains grown by certiﬁed organic Texas farmers Like Like Us Us On On Facebook Facebook

www.CoyoteCreekFarm.com www.CoyoteCreekFarm.com

COYOTE COYOTE CREEK CREEK ORGANIC ORGANIC FEED FEED MILL MILL & & FARM FARM

VISIT VISIT OUR OUR SITE SITE FOR FOR OUR OUR LIVESTOCK LIVESTOCK EDUCATIONAL EDUCATIONAL GUIDES GUIDES

We believe in using locally sourced ingredients in our Culinary Arts and Pastry Arts Programs. We provide individualized hands-on instruction with the classic Escoffier foundation, The Farm To Table® Experience, and a focus on sustainability.

Visit our campus and learn more about our professional programs today.

6020-B Dillard Circle Austin, Texas 78752 Ph: 512-451-5743 farm2tableaustin.com / facebook.com / escoffierschool For more information about our graduation rates, the median debt of students who completed the program, and other important information, please visit www.escoffier.edu/disclosures.

13-0719_Escoffier_EdibleAustin_resize.indd 1

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9/13/13 1:20 PM

BEVERAGE 2014

edible MARKETPLACE

Old-school baking with a twist!

High quality, free-range venison, antelope and wild boar meat from truly wild animals. And Diamond H Ranch Quail!

• Local Ingredients • No Corn Syrup • Special orders Available Visit our Treat Truck at Native South 10106 S. Manchaca!

Order Online

pmstreats.com • follow us @pmstreats

www.brokenarrowranch.com

Secede Responsibly

Soup, Salads, Sandwiches, Local Beer & Wine Featuring 10 of Blanco’s Real Ale beers on tap Mon. - Thur. 10:30 am - 3:30 pm Fri. - Sat. 10:30 am - 9:00 pm

Our food is made fresh using premium products, local and organic whenever possible. 830-833-0202 / www.redbud-cafe.com

Hill Country Lavender

™

blanco, texas

Texas First Commercial Lavender Farm

Farm Store & Blooming Season

Opening May 16th - July Fri & Sat 10-4 / Sun 12-4 Come enjoy the beauty of our lavender field and full line of handcrafted lavender products.

Blanco Lavender Festival June 13th - 15th Visit our year round location at Brieger Pottery Mon - Thur 10 - 5 Fri & Sat 10 - 8 / Sun 10 - 4 call 830.833.2294 or check our website

www.whitehatrum.com www.facebook.com/whitehatrum

www.hillcountrylavender.com

Bringing nature back to civilization • Locally grown herbs and native plants • Greenhouse, labyrinth, gardens • Classes on herbs, gardening and cooking • Handmade comestibles, gifts 407 Whitney St., Fredericksburg • 830-456-9667

doslunascheese.com • 512-963-5357

BEVERAGE 2014

EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM

URBANherbal.com

Johnny G’s Meat Market Made especially for Johnny G’ s Meat Market 11600 Manchaco Rd. H, Austin, TX 78748 (512)280-6514

The Best Little Meat Market In South Austin.

512-280-6514 11600 Manchaca Rd., Suite H, Austin, TX 78748

johnnygbutcherblock.com

Fresh Organic Menu 32 Local Brews on Tap

AUSTIN ALE HOUSE Happy Hour 4-7 Sat.-Sun. 10 am-2 am Mon.-Fri. 11 am-2 am

Live Honeybee Removal Beekeeping Supplies • Consultation

www.AustinBees.com

Inside r

ter t e l s New

301 W. 6th Street www.TheAustinAleHouse.com

We make our wine from TEXAS fruit. TexasHillsVineyard.com 1 mile east of Johnson City 830-868-2321 Tasting room open daily!

for exclusive offers from our partners! EdibleAustin.com/insiders

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BEVERAGE 2014

Integrity Academy

Lone Star Farmers Market

in.gredients

Der Küchen Laden

The Integrity Academy at Casa de Luz, Center for Integral Studies is a small, secular, private, year-round school serving families and children ages 3—18. 512-535-1277 1701 Tomey Rd. integrityacademy.org

Providing fresh fruits, vegetables and quality products. Located at The Shops at the Galleria every Sunday from 10 am–2 pm in the Lowe’s parking lot. 512-924-7503 12611 Shops Pkwy., Ste. 100, Bee Cave lonestarfarmersmarket.com

A neighborhood grocer committed to zero waste, local and sustainable foods, and community. Beer and wine on tap, in.house prepared goods, and a garden! 512-275-6357; 2610 Manor Rd. in.gredients.com

Der Küchen Laden is for the little chef in all of us. We have gourmet kitchenware, tools, gadgets, coffees and teas (just to name a few). Come check us out! 830-997-4937 258 E. Main St., Fredericksburg littlechef.com

The Natural Epicurean

Sustainable Food Center

The place to go for a plant-based, comprehensive professional services training, plus public events and classes. Learn here—change your kitchen; change your life. 512-476-2276l 1700 S. Lamar Blvd. naturalepicurean.com

EVENTS Culinary Adventures at the Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts Culinary Adventures offers cooking classes, team building exercises and fully catered events in our beautiful garden and state of the art kitchens. 512-451-5743 myculinaryadventure.com

Edible Austin’s Sipping Social Saturday, June 21! Come to Fair Market for a rousing 1920s-themed celebration of all things beverage-related. Live music, artisanal food, hand-crafted drinks and a sprinkling of surprises! 1100 E. 5th St. edibleaustin.com/sippingsocial

Pinot’s Palette Join us for an unforgettable evening of fun, friends and fine art where you enjoy BYOB cocktails and we provide the canvases! 512-249-9672 13435 N. Hwy. 183, Ste. 306 pinotspalette.com/northaustin 512-326-2746 3005 S. Lamar Blvd., Ste. B106 pinotspalette.com/southlamar

FARMERS MARKETS Fredericksburg Farmers Market FFM is a weekly grower/producer-only farmers market in the heart of historic Fredericksburg. Farms, ranches, wineries and fresh food every Thursday 4-7 pm. 830-456-1204 Marketplatz, Fredericksburg fredericksburgfarmersmarket.com

HOPE Farmers Market at Plaza Saltillo Sundays 11 am–3 pm. Come celebrate local food, art and live music every Sunday at our unique East Austin market! We accept SNAP/WIC. Free parking. 512-553-1832 401 Comal St. hopefarmersmarket.org

SFC cultivates a healthy community by strengthening the local food system and improving access to nutritious, affordable food. 512-236-0074 400 W. Guadalupe St. 3200 Jones Rd., Sunset Valley 2835 E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. 4600 Lamar Blvd. 2921 E. 17 St., Bldg C (Office) sustainablefoodcenter.org

Texas Farmers Market Cedar Park (Saturdays, 9 am–1 pm, Lakeline Mall) and Mueller Farmers Markets (Sundays, 10 am–2 pm, the historic Mueller Hangar). Open year round, rain or shine. 512-363-5700 11200 Lakeline Mall Dr., Cedar Park 4550 Mueller Blvd. texasfarmersmarket.org

FARMS Boggy Creek Farm One of the first Urban Farms in the USA, BCF offers hyper-fresh vegetables at the on-farm stand, Wed. through Sat., 9 am–1 pm. Stroll the farm and visit the hen house! 512-926-4650; 3414 Lyons Rd. boggycreekfarm.com

Coyote Creek Organic Farm and Feed Mill Coyote Creek Organic Feed Mill produces certified organic, non-GMO feed for all types of livestock. We are dedicated to local, organic, and sustainable Ag. 512-285-2556; 13817 Klaus Ln. coyotecreekfarm.org

Urban Roots Urban Roots, a non-profit organization, uses sustainable agriculture to transform lives and increase access to healthy food in Austin. 512-750-8019 2921 E. 17th St., Bldg. D Ste. 4 urbanrootsatx.org

GROCERS Farmhouse Delivery We bring the farm to your door, offering home or office delivery of local produce, meat, dairy, eggs and local, artisanal products. 512-529-8569; farmhousedelivery.com

Greenling Greenling is a home delivery service of organic & sustainably produced local food! 512-440-8449; greenling.com

Royal Blue Grocery Downtown Austin’s neighborhood grocer—with dairy, prepared foods, beer and wine, Royal Blue has it all, in a convenient and compact format. Catering too! 512-499-3993; 247 W. 3rd St. 512-476-5700; 360 Nueces St. 512-469-5888; 609 Congress Ave. 301 Brazos St., Ste. 101 royalbluegrocery.com

The Herb Bar Best place to cure what ails you and a healing resource center since 1986. Our Optimal Health Advisers are highly trained, knowledgeable and compassionate. 512-444-6251; 200 W. Mary St. theherbbar.com

Serve Gourmet

Wheatsville Food Co-op Serving up local, organic, sustainable and humanely raised food since 1976. Full service deli, hot bar, salad bar, espresso bar and eating area with wi-fi. 512-478-2667; 3101 Guadalupe St. 512-814-2888; 4001 S. Lamar Blvd. wheatsville.coop

Whole Foods Market Selling the highest quality natural & organic products. 512-542-2200; 525 N. Lamar Blvd. 512-345-5003; 9607 Research Blvd. 512-206-2730 12601 Hill Country Blvd., Bee Cave 512-358-2460; 4301 W. William Cannon wholefoodsmarket.com

Fun and functional finds will make the casual cook look and feel like a celebrated chef. Gadgets to simplify, or tablescapes to mystify can all be found, in one spot. 512-480-0171 241 W. 3rd St. servegourmet.com

LANDSCAPE AND ENVIRONMENTAL Austin Water Austin Water is committed to providing for Austin’s current and future water needs in a reliable and sustainable way. 512-972-0101 austintexas.gov/department/water

Barton Springs Nursery

HEALTH AND BEAUTY Peoples Rx Austin’s favorite pharmacy for more than 30 years, Peoples integrates nutrition, supplements and medicine with natural remedies and custom Rx compounding. 512-219-9499; 13860 Hwy. 183 N., Ste. C 512-459-9090; 4018 N. Lamar Blvd. 512-444-8866; 3801 S. Lamar Blvd. 512-327-8877; 4201 Westbank Dr. peoplesrx.com

Remedy Center for Healing Arts, Inc, Claudia Voyles, LAc Come to Remedy for natural wellness. Restoring health and balance through Chinese medicine, acupuncture and herbs and other oddities. Claudia Voyles, LAc. 512-322-9648 4403 Manchaca Rd., Ste. A remedyhealing.com

HOUSEWARES AND GIFTS Callahan’s General Store “Austin’s real general store!” From hardware to westernwear, from feed to seed... and a whole lot more! 512-385-3452; 501 Bastrop Hwy. callahansgeneralstore.com

Locally grown Texas native plants. Organic pest management. Environmentally friendly soil amendments. Beautiful gifts. 512-328-6655 3601 Bee Caves Rd. bartonspringsnursery.net

Countryside Nursery & Landscape Specializing in Texas native plants with the largest selection of shade trees. Find everything for organic gardening plus gift shop and bonsai trees. 512-249-0100 13292 Pond Springs Rd. countrysideaustin.com

The Great Outdoors Nursery A garden store and so much more! 512-448-2992 2730 S. Congress Ave. gonursery.com

It’s About Thyme Garden Center Top quality culinary herbs for chefs, and native plants for gardeners. A nursery with expert staff and pocket-friendly prices. Free lectures most Sundays. 512-280-1192 11726 Manchaca Rd. itsaboutthyme.com

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Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Marble Falls/Lake LBJ Chamber of Commerce & CVB

The Wildflower Center is a native plant botanic garden, a university research center and one of the 1,000 places to see before you die. 512-232-0100 4801 La Crosse Ave. wildflower.org

Visit Marble Falls, adventure by day, romance by night and an array of activities in between—wineries, lakes and caves, golf, shopping and more! 830-693-2815 100 Avenue G., Marble Falls marblefalls.org

Natural Gardener

New Braunfels Parks and Recreation

We are a garden center and teaching facility dedicated to promoting organic time-tested gardening practices. 512-288-6113 8648 Old Bee Caves Rd. naturalgardeneraustin.com

LODGING AND TOURISM Blanco Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Bureau Discover the fun and beauty of the Texas Hill Country in Blanco. We are your source for where to eat, shop, stay and play in Blanco. 830-833-5101 312 Pecan St., Blanco blancochamber.com

Brenham/Washington County CVB Visit Brenham and Washington County, home of the Birthplace of Texas, Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site. Scenic drives, wineries, great lodging. 979-836-3696 115 W. Main St., Brenham visitbrenhamtexas.com

Comanche Chamber of Commerce & Agriculture Nestled in the hills of Central Texas, Comanche boasts of antique and gift shops, great restaurants and lodging facilities, an art gallery, plus lots more. 325-356-3233 304 S. Austin St., Comanche comanchechamber.org

Fredericksburg Conference and Visitors Bureau Visit Fredericksburg, a small gem nestled in the Texas Hill Country. Enjoy eclectic shops, diverse lodging, amazing restaurants and Texas wines. 866-997-3600 visitfredericksburgtx.com

The Parks and Recreation Department operates the city’s recreation programs, athletic programs and leagues, aquatic programs, and golf course along with maintaining 33 parks comprising over 500 acres. 830-221-4350 nbtexas.org

Onion Creek Kitchens at Juniper Hills Farm Cooking school, private dinners, luxury cabin rentals. 830-833-0910 5818 RR 165, Dripping Springs juniperhillsfarm.com

San Saba Economic Development Corporation Be a part of San Saba’s community and economic rebirth. Award-winning winery, olive oil co, gourmet dining, antique mercantile, historic shops & pecans! 325-372-8291 303 South Clear, San Saba sansabatexas.com

Travaasa Experiential Resorts Experiential Resort. 512-364-0061 ; 13500 FM 2769 travaasa.com

W Austin Unleash your inner soul man, rock god or indie hipster with a stay at the latest destination sensation in Austin— W Austin, featuring Trace & Away Spa. 512-542-3600; 200 Lavaca St. whotelaustin.com

Our luxurious Texas wilderness escape outside Austin is home to Wolfdancer Golf Club, Spa Django & Stories Fine Dining, featuring locally-inspired fare. 512-308-1234 575 Hyatt Lost Pines Road, Lost Pines lostpines.hyatt.com

East Side Pies

Located in the Texas Hill Country, housed in a historic early 1900’s bank. Work by national & regional artists. Figural work, Impressionistic landscapes and more. 830-693-9999; 200 Main St., Marble Falls martastaffordfineart.com

We’ve got homemade, thin crust pizzas with local veggies and meats. Glutenfree options, too! 512-524-0933 1401 Rosewood Ave. 512-454-7437 5312 Airport Blvd., Ste. G 512-467-8900 1809-1 W. Anderson Ln. eastsidepies.com

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES Austin Label Company Custom Labels up to 10 x 20 on paper, foil, synthetics, multiple adhesives, embossing, hot foil and UV coatings. Proud members of Go Texan, FTA and TWGGA. 512-302-0204; 1610 Dungan Ln. austinlabel.com

Nunnally and Freeman Dentistry Holistic dentists known the world over for excellence. 830-693-3646 2100 Hwy. 1431 W., Marble Falls healthysmilesforlife.com

The Purple Fig Cleaning Co. We are a local company providing green cleaning services, producing green cleaning products and offering green living workshops to adults and children. 512-351-1405; cleanfig.com

REAL ESTATE Land & Ranch Realty, LLC Assisting buyers and sellers in Texas land transactions involving ranches, farms and live water recreational properties. 210-275-3551; 382 Hwy. 83 S., Leakey landandranchrealty.com

RESTAURANTS Barlata Tapas Bar

PHOTOGRAPHY AND ART

Located in the heart of South Lamar. Barlata offers a variety of tapas, paellas, regional Spanish wines and cavas. Come and enjoy a bit of Spain with us. 512 473-2211 1500 S. Lamar Blvd., Ste. 150 barlataaustin.com

Blanton Museum of Art

Buenos Aires Cafe

The Blanton Museum of Art, one of the foremost university art museums in the country, offers all visitors engaging experiences that connect art and ideas. 512-471-7324 200 E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. blantonmuseum.org

The Contemporary Austin Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa

Marta Stafford Fine Art

The Contemporary Austin reflects the spectrum of contemporary art through exhibitions, commissions, education, and the collections. With two locations and the Art School, The Contemporary aspires to be an essential part of city life. 512-453-5312; 700 Congress Ave. 512-458-8191; 3809 W. 35th St. thecontemporaryaustin.org

Austin-grown Argentine restaurant. We use only the freshest ingredients available and make an effort to support local farmers. Food made with love daily. 512-382-1189 1201 E. 6th St. 512-441-9000 13500 Galleria Cir., Bee Cave buenosairescafe.com

Green Pastures Located in old South Austin a mile-anda-half south of the river on 5 acres. Offering lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch. Catering and events on and offsite. 512-444-4747 811 W. Live Oak St. greenpasturesrestaurant.com

Hoover’s Cooking From scratch Texas home cooking. Serving comfort food favorites like CFS, meatloaf, and Southern style veggies, vegetarian options available. BBQ, Sat. and Sun. breakfast. 512-479-5006 2002 Manor Rd. 1303 Comal St. hooverscooking.com

Jack Allen’s Kitchen Texan in spirit and local in source, Jack Allen’s Kitchen serves up Texas-inspired cuisine, fresh cocktails, cold beers and good times daily. 512-852-8558 7720 Hwy. 71 W. 512-215-0372 2500 Hoppe Tr., Round Rock jackallenskitchen.com

Kerbey Lane Cafe Kerbey Lane Cafe has proudly served comfortable food at a reasonable price since 1980. Come into any of our 5 Austin locations for a taste! 512-451-1436; 3704 Kerbey Ln. 512-445-4451; 3003 S. Lamar Blvd. 512-258-7757; 13435 Hwy. 183, Ste. 415 512-477-5717; 2606 Guadalupe St. 512-899-1500; 4301 W. William Cannon kerbeylanecafe.com

The Leaning Pear Café & Eatery Serving the Texas Hill Country fresh and seasonal favorites using local ingredients. 512-847-7327; 111 River Rd., Wimberley leaningpear.com

Chez Nous

Lenoir

A casual french bistro, serving Austin since 1982, Chez Nous offers a delectable selection of regional french cuisine and wines in a relaxed, convivial and intimate atmosphere. 512-473-2413; 510 Neches St. cheznousaustin.com

Lenoir is an intimate, family-run restaurant offering a weekly, local prix-fixe menu, great wine and friendly service. 512-215-9778 1807 S. 1st St. lenoirrestaurant.com

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MARK BITTMAN  ANNA LAPPÉ  TOM PHILPOTT JOAN GUSSOW  PAUL GREENBERG  JANE BLACK DANIELLE GOULD  BRIAN HALWEIL ...and many more from our food and drink community. EDIBLE COMMUNITIES PRESENTS

edible INSTITUTE

MAY 10–11, 2014 • NYC JOIN THE MOVERS AND SHAKERS OF THE FOOD MOVEMENT at a two-day celebration and discussion of where it’s at and where it’s going. This annual think tank, part of the meeting of Edible magazine publishers from around the US and Canada, will feature talks and panels by farmers, chefs, drink makers, journalists, investors and food and drink enthusiasts (like you).

ATTENDEES ENJOY two days of discussions at The New School in Manhattan, food and drink tastings, as well as invitations to selected events during the weekend, from walking tours of Brooklyn’s rooftop gardens and bus trips to Hudson Valley wine country to a live FoodTech meetup.

EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM Tickets: ediblemanhattan.com/events More information: edibleinstitute.com

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Magnolia Cafe

Wink Restaurant & Wine Bar

Come to Magnolia Cafe! Fresh food cooked with passion in a comfortable setting, kind of like your favorite aunt’s giant kitchen, if she had one. Open 24/8. 512-478-8645; 2304 Lake Austin Blvd. 512-445-0000; 1920 S. Congress Ave. themagnoliacafe.com

The daily menu is based on local artisans. Wink happily embraces omnivores, vegetarians, vegans, pescetarians and special dietary issues. 512-482-8868 1014 N. Lamar Blvd. winkrestaurant.com

Otto’s German Bistro

SPECIALTY MARKET

Otto’s offers German-inspired fare in Fredericksburg, Texas. Featuring locally sourced produce & meats. Local beers & wines on tap, handcrafted cocktails. 830-307-3336 316 E. Austin St., Fredericksburg www.ottosfbg.com

Roadhouse Bastrop Roadhouse has been voted Best Burger in Bastrop County for the past 10 years! Serving burgers, chicken sandwiches, huge salads and homemade desserts! 512-321-1803 2804 Hwy. 21 E., Bastrop roadhousebastrop.com

For Goodness Sake Natural Foods Family owned and operated health food store featuring high quality supplements, all-natural and organic bodycare plus unique grocery items. 830-606-1900 1306 E. Common St., Ste. 101, New Braunfels fgsnb.com

Cakes | Sculpted Designs Small Bites | Cake Bars Cupcakes | Popper Shots

Completely Custom & From Scratch!

4201 S. Congress #101 512.797.7367 bluenotebakery.com

Gluten Free Available!

Make It Sweet At Make It Sweet, you can find tools, supplies and ingredients to make cakes, cookies and candies and learn fun, new techniques in the classes offered. 512-371-3401 9070 Research Blvd. makeitsweet.com

Snack Bar Chef-driven, globally inspired & locally sourced menu with eco-vineyard wine, craft beer, artisan coffee and tea in a stylish relaxed space. Bring the dog. 512-445-2626 1224 S. Congress Ave. snackbaraustin.com

The Turtle Restaurant Your destination for food prepared from locally available, seasonal ingredients. 325-646-8200 514 Center Ave., Brownwood theturtlerestaurant.com

ThunderCloud Subs For fresh, fast and healthy, head on over to your neighborhood ThunderCloud Subs, Austin’s original sub shop. Now with 30 locations in Central Texas. 512-479-8805 thundercloud.com

TNT/Tacos and Tequila Fresh, handmade, and local describe this southwestern grill and tequila bar. 2013 Zagat listed TNT #1 in their top ten places to sip tequila in the US. 512-436-8226 507 Pressler St. tacos-and-tequila.com

Mission Restaurant Supply Mission Restaurant Supply is a fullservice dealer for top of the line food service equipment and supplies. Come shop with us. We are open to the public! 512-389-1705 6509 N. Lamar Blvd. 210-354-0690 1126 S. St. Mary’s St., San Antonio 361-289-5255 1737 N. Padre Island Dr., Corpus Christi 956-467-1295 3422 N. 10th St., McAllen 817-265-3973 2524 White Settlement Rd., Ft. Worth missionrs.com

Boggy Creek Farm Market Days: Wednesday through Saturday 8 AM to 1 PM www.boggycreekfarm.com

Paramount and Stateside Theatres Non-profit arts organization dedicated to preserving Austin’s most historic venues, entertaining audiences & outreaching to over 20,000 at-risk students. 512-692-0519 713 Congress Ave. austintheatre.org

COOKBOOKS FOR EVERY KITCHEN For information on advertising and listings in the directory, email dawn@edibleaustin.com.

Willie G’s Seafood & Steaks Seafood & succulent steaks. Fantastic patio & happy hour with live music. Locally sourced features. Business lunch $15. Downtown, free valet parking. 512-236-9600 401 Congress Ave. (Frost Bank Tower) williegs.com

• Bookstore • Giftshop • Coffeehouse 9 am - 11 pm everyday shop online at: www.bookpeople.com

EDIBLEAUSTIN.COM

603 N. Lamar 472-5050

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Orly Genger, Conceptual rendering for Current, 2014. Courtesy of the artist.

ART DE TERROIR

Orly Genger May 3 – August 24, 2014 Current at Laguna Gloria Good Taste: Spinning Plates Thursday, May 29

7:30 – 10:30 pm Laguna Gloria

Co-presented by Edible Austin

This quarterly series connects the art on view with local and sustainable food. Come celebrate restaurants as sites of creativity and community at a film screening amidst Orly Genger’s cascading installation, Current. Join us for light bites and cocktails provided by local restaurateurs, and a screening of the sumptuous film, Spinning Plates, in the amphitheater of Laguna Gloria. Film starts at 8:30 pm. Advanced tickets recommended. $18/$12 for members and available at thecontemporaryaustin.org/events

Jones Center 700 Congress Avenue Austin, TX 78701 512 453 5312

Laguna Gloria 3809 West 35th Street Austin, TX 78703 512 458 8191

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Art School 3809 West 35th Street Austin, TX 78703 512 323 6380

SEAFOOD, STEAKS & STYLE

Locally Sourced Features Austinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Best Happy Hour 4pm-7pm Every Day Live Music Thursday-Saturday Two-Course Business Lunch $15

williegs.com | 401 Congress Ave. | Frost Bank Tower | 512.236.9600

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JUST OFF MOPAC, NORTH OF BRAKER LANE GATEWAY SHOPPING CENTER

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WILLIAM CANNON AND MOPAC HILL COUNTRY GALLERIA