Austinist

Food: Last Minute Find - Bonbons & Bubbly At The Carillon Tonight

Tom Thornton — 2012-02-09T15:20:55-06:00

While sifting through restaurant emails this afternoon, we noticed an event tonight we'd initially overlooked: a cocktail, champagne, and dessert pairing evening at one of our favorite spots, UT-area fine dining beacon The Carillon. Tickets are $32.50 per person and the event kicks off at 6pm (in about three hours.) Better late than never? [ more › ]

Food: Bourdain To Film "No Reservations: Austin" In March

Tom Thornton — 2012-02-09T08:38:30-06:00

Sources don't come much better than this: last night at the Paramount, Anthony Bourdain announced that his Travel Channel show "No Reservations" will film an Austin episode within the next 4-6 weeks. Speaking to a packed house along with good friend and decorated Le Bernadin chef Eric Ripert, Bourdain mentioned that the Austin segment of the "Heartland" episode from 2010 wasn't quite enough about Austin and that they'd made the decision to return this spring. One suspects that the filming will coincide with Bourdain's SXSW 2012 appearance on Tuesday, 3/13 for his "Digital Debauchery" panel (where his social media team will also appear.) So it appears that TV audiences may see Austin in the full throes of SXSW music and interactive party mayhem. [ more › ]

Food: StarChefs Rising Stars Revue Coming To Driskill on 2/21

Tom Thornton — 2012-02-08T11:37:58-06:00

February isn't traditionally a big month for Austin's food scene, but Anthony Bourdain and Eric Ripert aren't the only thing going this month for Austin's food nerds. In January, the culinary website StarChefs.com announced that their regional "Rising Star Awards" would be making a debut appearance in Austin in 2012 - each year, the site selects four metro areas and interviews and reviews a multitude of restaurants and chefs before making their top picks. [ more › ]

Food (And Charity): Chef's Table Austin Auctions Fine Dining For African Relief Efforts

Tom Thornton — 2012-02-07T16:45:25-06:00

Austin-based charity Water To Thrive raises funds to build water wells in rural Africa. In their five-year existence, they have funded over 230 water projects providing water to 100,000 people. To promote the organization and to raise funds, the group is launching "Chef's Table Austin." The project is a two week auction of large multi-course meals at some of Austin's finest restaurants. While an invite-only event at The Austonian will kick off the bidding tonight, they're not leaving out the rest of the city - foodies can head to ChefsTableAustin.org to bid on one of the many dinners available. [ more › ]

Celebrate Valentine's Day at Hotel Saint Cecilia

Paige Maguire — 2012-02-07T11:48:57-06:00

This one will sell out fast, folks. If you and your honey love beautiful places, incredible food and wine, and romantic music as the backdrop to your evening, you're in luck: Hotel Saint Cecilia is planning a very special Valentine's Day event, and you're invited. [ more › ]

Food: Free Antonelli's Cheese Plates This Week

Tracie Chan — 2012-02-06T12:00:04-06:00

In honor of Antonelli’s Cheese Shop’s second anniversary, various restaurants throughout Austin will be offering free cheese plates all week at the dates and times listed below. To prepare for this cheese extravaganza, we checked in with Kendall from Antonelli's to learn more about how to pair cheeses with wine or beer. [ more › ]

Drink: Alamo Drafthouse Launches Movie-Inspired Wine Line

Ginny Bell — 2012-02-06T10:01:46-06:00

After conquering its quest to deliver the ultimate full service movie going experience, Alamo Drafthouse is venturing into unchartered territory with a recently announced signature line of wines. [ more › ]

Drinks: Sam Adams Crowdsourced Beer to Debut at SXSW

Tracie Chan — 2012-02-02T11:03:47-06:00

For those of us who always wanted to customize a beer and lacked motivation to brew our own, Sam Adams has a unique solution. The brewery teamed with social media enthusiast Guy Kawasaki to release a Facebook app that allows fans to crowdsource a new beer. [ more › ]

Food: Red House Shuttered; Hopdoddy Owners To Take Over Location

terrymtz — 2012-02-01T16:50:22-06:00

Red House, the Manor road pizzeria, has closed for what they are calling a "brief break" following the sale of the property they were leasing. [ more › ] ]]> Wondering who snatched up the prime Manor road location? None other than Larry Foles and Guy Villavaso, owners of Roaring Fork and Hopdoddy. Speculation that they will open Salty Sow, their newest concept that has remained shrouded in mystery since its announcement on Culturemap.com, has already begun.

Image via Red House press release.

Beef Prices On The Rise, Waistlines And Wallets Expected To Shrink

andrewhilbert — 2012-01-31T13:26:11-06:00

Because of the lack of rain, grazing lands for cattle have dried up and the cost of feed has skyrocketed necessitating the sale of over 600,000 cows. With fewer cows in Texas today, that means fewer calves tomorrow. According to the Agrilife Extension, there was a 12% decline in beef cattle nationally with next year's decline being forecast at 4%. [ more › ]

Interview: Chef David Bull On Year One At Congress + Second (Part Two)

Tom Thornton — 2012-01-28T14:10:23-06:00

2011 was a banner year for David Bull and his Congress Austin concept. Less than three months after opening, the restaurant vaulted from hot newcomer to king of the mountain status after receiving the Austin American-Stateman's first five-star review in several years. The crowds arrived, and more praise followed. Texas Monthly named it the "best place to eat right now." Celebrities like Jimmy Kimmel, Rachael Ray, and Billy Gibbons were spotted catching late-night meals. The New York Times and Wine Spectator both suggested that tourists make it a point to stop by. And so it went. Aside from a few benefit dinners and food festival events, Chef Bull and his ace team mostly spent the year with their noses to the grindstone, tweaking the Congress, Second, and Bar Congress menus and working to meet the huge number of covers that came in. [ more › ]

Food + Drink: H-E-B Opens "Mi Tienda" Concept Grocery in North Austin

Amy Kritzer — 2012-01-27T14:00:40-06:00

When H-E-B set out to renovate their North Lamar Boulevard and Rundberg Lane store, they assessed the demographics of the area and decided it was the perfect spot to bring their Hispanic-influenced Mi Tienda concept (“my store” in Spanish) to Austin. [ more › ]

Food + Drink: Hillside Farmacy to Open on East 11th this March

Ginny Bell — 2012-01-27T08:45:00-06:00

East Side Show Room Chef and Owner Sonya Cote’s hotly anticipated new specialty grocery and eatery Hillside Farmacy is expected to open its doors just in time for the annual invasion. For Cote, the farm to table movement is not just the latest culinary craze; it’s at the very core of her as a chef. [ more › ]

Interview: Chef David Bull On Year One At Congress + Second (Part One)

Tom Thornton — 2012-01-25T13:12:26-06:00

Food + Drink: Austin's First Kosher Food Trailer Now Open

Amy Kritzer — 2012-01-25T12:30:00-06:00

Moses Falafel - Austin’s first kosher food trailer - is now open off Far West Boulevard in the parking lot of the Dell Jewish Community Center. They serve Israeli-style falafel that is both gluten free and vegan. [ more › ]