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Interview: Jeff Blank of Hudson's on the Bend [Food & Wine Fest]
His cooking has brought plenty of media attention and awards, including the Distinguished Restaurant Award from Conde Nast Traveler magazine and an Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator magazine.
Blank has extended his work in Hudson's kitchen with a pair of cookbooks - “Fired Up: More Recipes and Adventures from Hudson’s on the Bend” and “Cooking Fearlessly and Other Adventures from Hudson’s on the Bend” - a series of cooking classes, and a line of sauces bearing the restaurant's name.
Austinist is a proud media sponsor of the 2009 Texas Hill Country Food and Wine Festival, which runs April 16-19 at venues throughout Austin. [Homepage|Participants|Locations|Tickets]
You've been with the Hill Country Wine and Food Festival since the beginning. How has it changed over the years?
It has gone from a small fest to a large one, which is OK, but there is a lot more out-of-state influence and a lot more hard-liquor influence, which I don't think is a good thing. The food has remained mainly Texas, which is good. I liked it more when it was mainly Texas vineyards. They're here, but you have to look.
Hudson's on the Bend has been at the forefront of the Austin restaurant scene for more than 20 years. How would you assess the current Austin scene? What are the biggest changes you've seen during that time?
Austin's taste buds have matured. The bar has been raised for the quality of the food served -- not only the food, but what and where it is served: [from] better quality glassware, flatware and china to the atmosphere it is served in. Austin still loves and embraces its funkiness, but better quality is served in a relaxed way.
Just when you see the downtown/cosmopolitan scene grow and begin to take over, the old Austin relaxed T-shirt crowd pulls it back in. It shows Austin will remain forever young.
Has the economy affected the restaurant business? You've positioned yourself with other types of revenue (books, classes, sauces). Does that soften the impact?
The economic challenge affects high-end, expensive restaurants more than [the] other end, which in Austin appears to be Tex-Mex food. People still eat out, just less [often] and at less expensive restaurants, and they eat and drink less. Our reserved wine list is gathering dust.
The multi-revenue streams (books/cooking school/catering) all help, but they are not the answer alone.
I have had Hudson's for 25 years. We opened in a recession and are celebrating our 25th in the biggest recession. You have to re-invent yourself. That is the inspiration for our trailer food on South Congress, "The Mighty Cone," from high-brow to low-brow.
Speaking of the trailer, what kind of reaction have you received from The Mighty Cone?
It's been great. The first week was SXSW, now we are serving Austin, which has embraced us.
For the Hudson's menu, what do you consider when balancing the more exotic (rattlesnake) with the more traditional (beef tenderloin or snapper)?
We are unique. We are known for the strange and unusual. People have learned to trust us. We don't do balance well.
