Texas Hill Country Wine and Food Festival Interview: Emmett Fox of Asti and FINO

This year's Texas Hill Country Food and Wine Festival will be the 18th for Emmett Fox. The onetime president of the festival moved to Austin in 1992 with his wife, Lisa, a noted chef herself. Mr. Fox worked as the Executive Chef at Bitter End, Mezzaluna and Granite Cafe, before opening Asti Trattoria with Lisa in 2000. The Hyde Park-based Italian eatery has become known for its sophisticated, creative fare and extensive wine list. In 2005, Emmett and Lisa opened FINO, serving Mediterranean, Spanish and North African- style tapas and small dishes designed for sharing. We recently discussed Austin's evolving food culture, the culinary benefits of travel, and working with loved ones with Emmett.

You’ve been involved with the Austin restaurant scene for the better part of two decades now. How would you assess the current food culture in Austin? And how has it changed in that time?

Things have grown rapidly, and not just at the higher end, but ethnic restaurants, trailers - the diversity of all the different places is amazing. In 1992, there was one place to get dim sum, for example - now there are four or five really good, recommendable places. Everything has evolved along with the population to be stronger and better. You have a restaurant like Uchi, which is one of the more unique restaurants in the country, and you have something like G’Raj Mahal, in the same city. That level of diversity is wonderful.

How did you first become interested in food and being a chef?

When I was living in Memphis, I worked at John Grisanti’s, an Italian place. My then-girlfriend’s father owned the place. I was 18 years old at the time, and since it was a family-operated restaurant, everyone helped out. Everything was handmade. Us kids worked in the back making the tortellini. From there I went to the Culinary Institute of America [located in Hyde Park, New York] and got to take trips into New York City. The Union Square Farmer’s Market had like ten stalls then. I went to Chinatown, Little Italy, etc. and just absorbed everything I could.

After graduation I moved to Houston and worked at Café Annie, from 1981-85. About that time in Houston, a company called Fine Foods, Inc. began using DHL to import fresh ingredients to the United States. They were really the first company to start bringing in quality, fresh ingredients from overseas. Some of us [at Café Annie] became friends with the owner, and he would bring us stuff to check out - arugula from Italy, eels from Spain, foie gras, French truffles, and so on. A lot of that stuff is common now, but back then it was new. That part of my career was unbelievable; I probably learned more during that time then when I was at the Culinary Institute.

I’ve read that you and your wife travel in the Mediterranean a lot. How has visiting the bistros, vineyards, and restaurants there influenced your cooking? What have you taken and used in your own cooking?

That’s always an interesting question because before we traveled, we had some idea of what we wanted to do. I’d say our travels have mostly confirmed that what we’re doing is in the right kind of spirit. That we’re doing it correctly. Any new ingredient we could fine overseas, we probably couldn’t get here anyway. For example, last time we were in Italy, we tried a mozzarella that was produced, cut and served in a single day. It was the softest, most amazing mozzarella I’ve ever had, but you can’t really duplicate that experience here. The magic would be gone. Later I went to a coffee shop in Naples. The owner was serving a kind of sugar that looked equal parts like that “Sugar in the Raw” you find in every restaurant in America (ed. note: Turbinado sugar) and like heavy cream or something. It was unbelievable. But he wouldn’t tell me what it was!

Internationally, no matter where we go, we typically connect with people when they find out we’re in the restaurant business. There’s like an international code of chefs taking care of other chefs, which can be as simple as the house cook sending out an extra dish or drinking after hours with the owner.

What are some of your favorite dishes to serve?

At Asti, the rigatoni amatriciana (crushed tomato, pancetta, garlic, red chili flakes and pecorino romano), and at FINO, the baba ghanoush, the roasted red pepper, walnut and pomegranate spread, and our Greek salad. And the paella - that’s probably our signature dish.

What are some of your favorite restaurants in town?

Uchi, Wink, Trio, Kim Phung, G’Raj Mahal, Julio’s, Musashino, 24 Diner, Enoteca, Homeslice for their sandwiches…I could keep going.

What do you enjoy about participating in the Texas Hill Country Food and Wine Festival?

For me, all of the events are great, but it’s really about getting to see all the other restaurants and chefs involved. Typically a group of us will all hang out afterward to share a drink and some secrets. I don’t really do [the Festival] for the publicity - it’s all about getting out into the food culture here, seeing what others are doing. That’s beneficial for my staff and for me - everyone out in public, trying to do their best work.

You’re somewhat unique among area chefs in that you get the privilege of working with your significant other. What are some of the advantages of that?

It’s really wonderful. We’ve been married for twenty years and in business for over ten. I have my strengths and weaknesses and she has hers. There’s a great balance: I’m a people person and she’s a fabulous business woman. As she says, it’s her job to make sure we make money. But I’d also put her up against any chef in the city.

And she’s good looking. That is a definite advantage.

Emmett Fox will be serving up a signature dish at the Stars Across Texas event on Friday, April 16 at The Long Center. For tickets, click here

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