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ROB'S BLOG Welcome to Rob's new blog. This
will feature wide-ranging commentary on dining trends, restaurants,
food news and gossip, wine and spirits, politics and even talk radio. September 4th, 2008. Sarah Palin fires chef. Bad move Pretty bold move from the McCain folks to select a complete unknown for the VP spot. But this feisty NRA poster woman showed at the convention that she could deliver a speech from the teleprompter as well as anyone: arguably far better than McCain himself. That being said, there are a number of things about this woman that alarm me. While painting a picture of herself as a champion of the people and an astute manager of municipalities and states, the facts speak otherwise. She was an enthusiastic pursuer of "earmarks" and she left her small town of 9,000 in debt when she retired as Mayor. She claimed to turn her back on the "bridge to nowhere" when in fact she was initially for the project. She actually tried to ban books in one of the school libraries and she referred to the war in Iraq as a "task from God." But since she is a true-blue conservative, most of that could be expected. What really alarmed me, shocked me beyond all belief, is that she fired the chef at the executive mansion when she was elected governor. I can see giving back the executive jet but firing the chef???? So are we to believe that this family of seven has dinner prepared for them each night by their super mom? That is NOT an example of efficient management. Leave the chef and focus on your gubernatorial duties. And even if her older kids are pitching in, the 17-year-old is soon going to be too pregnant to help out in the kitchen. We get it Sara. You are a tough cookie. But you're
unlikely going to have the time to bake any cookies for your brood
with the duties that you have to perform. Bring back the chef already!
The never-ending construction on Cesar Chavez Every time the city begins a road construction project in an area where restaurants are present, I literally hold my breath. I've seen the horror stories of the three-year improvement on Barton Springs that literally destroyed several restaurants. Or how about the debacle on Pecan Park that nearly finished off Freda's Seafood joint? Or the 4th St. mess that finished off the Empanada Parlour and the City Grill. Remember the mind-boggling inefficiency at Congress and Riverside that destroyed the Sonic on Riverside? But this latest project on Cesar Chavez is past amazement. Not only has the work dragged on forever, (and I'm still not sure what the hell the purpose of it has been), but they even manage to rub salt in the wound. Our plan was to have a steak at III Forks one Saturday night and then to adjourn to Taste Select Wines for some sipping and dessert. Imagine our shock when we got on Cesar Chavez exiting Mopac and found the entire street blocked off: this at 8pm on a Saturday night, traditionally the busiest night for restaurants. We were rerouted to some lame-ass detour which eventually took us back to Lavaca where we had to valet park on the corner. This took a good 15-minutes including a tongue lashing from one of the city's finest on a Harley who got very annoyed when we inquired as to the reason for the "detour." The valet kid finally told us that the street was being paved. ARE YOU KDDING ME??? The city chooses to pave Cesar Chavez on a Saturday night? Why not Sunday morning? The owners of Taste Select Wines, which happens to sit directly on Cesar Chavez and was completely inaccessible to vehicle traffic, must have been beside themselves: and I don't blame them one bit. You think the city is going to reimburse Taste Select Wines for lost business that night? Unlikely, but they darn well should. Moreover, they should plan these "road" projects more efficiently so that restaurants can coexist with the seemingly insatiable need for marginal infrastructure improvement.
Long-time American Statesman food critic Dale Rice is packing in his fork and knife and heading into a new career. I never got to know Dale very well but the times we did bump into each other at some food event or panel were always cordial. He seemed like a decent chap. I wish him well in his new endeavor! August 25th, 2008. Does the concept of a "jinxed" restaurant location really exist? At face value, one would think that the notion
that there are just some locations that will just never work for a
restaurant is true. Frankly, I think the "jinxed" notion is just a lot of romantic hyperbole on the part of those who see the occasional troll under the bridge. Austin has many spots that thrive in locations that would deter even the heartiest restaurateur. Take a look at the original Salt Lick in Driftwood. It is still out in the middle of nowhere, just as it was when it opened almost 40 years ago! Yet most nights it's packed. Why? Well, it would be reasonable to say that most people like the food. Same story for Wink on N. Lamar. You cannot see this restaurant from the street. Most restaurant owners would never pick this location. And yet, the tables are full most nights. Again, it is a very good restaurant. Another great example was the original Pao's Chinese downtown in the Commodore Perry building. You couldn't see Pao's at all from the outside of the building. No drive-by appeal whatsoever. But every time I went in there it was humming with business. And when Pao's lost its lease and moved out to Lakeway, despite the distance, they retained a number of their downtown customers. Ditto for the County Line, another out-of-the-way BBQ joint on Bee Caves Rd. that opened when there weren't many people driving on Bee Caves Road. Consider another location on Barton Springs that originally housed Good Eats back when Hoover Alexander was in the kitchen. When Good Eats closed, the building housed a succession of failed enterprises including Tex Mex and Japanese tepanyaki concepts. For what ever reasons, those establishments simply couldn't find a customer base. But then along comes Uncle Billy's Brew and Cue, a BBQ and beer joint and suddenly, this morose location is rejuvenated. Uncle Billy's is packing them in. I think the jinx notion perpetuates simply because some restaurateurs make really bad decisions about concepts and menus. And then it becomes almost a self-fulfilling prophecy. One mediocre restaurant follows another and the site itself gets blamed. Somebody is going to come in someday with
a menu and operation that will resonate with the picky Westlake crowd
and the Walsh Tarlton location will succeed. Rumor has it that a new
Italian restaurant is about to open there. We'll see. Ditto for Davenport
Village. White table-cloth BBQ was not the answer: but perhaps just
around the next corner lies a savvy operator who can make that spot
work. The restaurant industry has enough problems without having to
worry about "jinxed" locations. What operators need to worry
about are great concepts, terrific and approachable cuisine, and wonderful,
consistent execution. August 11th, 2008. What I expect from a good restaurant server I think that regardless of the pedigree of the
establishment, every restaurant patron should be able to expect competent
and efficient service from their waitperson. 1. Be polite and friendly. That is not meant to read overly solicitous and or casually cool. I've been called "dude" by a few too many times by younger servers. I am not your dude. And I am not your friend. I am a customer and ours is a business transaction. If you know me, address me by my proper name. If you do not know me, Sir will be fine. And please, no monologues or comedy routines after we've gotten to know each other just a bit. 2. Know your menu. One of the most frustrating things for a diner
is a server who is unfamiliar with either the regular menu or the
specials. Research shows that restaurant patrons, on average, spend
less than two minutes looking at menus. They quite frequently rely
on the server for recommendations. The server should have an almost
encyclopedic knowledge of that menu. This builds confidence in the
first time visitor to that restaurant. 3. Understand how to read your customers. This is a very important skill for a good server. If it's a romantic two-top lingering over a bottle of Caymus, don't approach every five seconds. If it's a rollicking evening with a six-top of three couples, the rules change a bit. But a great server knows when to approach the table and when not to. Paul Duce, who used to be the preeminent waiter at Fleming's, understood this beautifully. If you needed him, he was there in a flash. If you did not, he maintained his respectful distance.
One thing that really annoys me is the server
who is a wanna-be chef or sommelier. If the patron doesn't like the
dish, take it back and replace it with no questions asked. And do
it quickly! 5. For God's sake, bring the check already! Nothing can spoil a great dinner faster
than the server disappearing into the night without presenting the
final check to his table. I have seen this repeatedly at Austin restaurants
and there is absolutely no need for this whatsoever! Look at it this
way: the party is done, they want to pay the tab (hopefully with a
nice tip) and then the restaurant gets to turn the table and you get
a crack at another nice tip! July 28th, 2008. Tough Times on E. 11th St. When Brenda McGowan, proprietor of Ms. B's on Mesa was lured over to the new E. 11th St. retail center several years ago, she was told by the non-profit Austin Revitalization Authority that she would anchor what would become a booming revival of what had once been a rundown and generally decrepit area. Two years later, Brenda is less than enthused with the way things have worked out. Her neighbor restaurateurs and retailers are apparently disgruntled as well. The ARA, formed ten years ago by the city of Austin to rejuvenate the 11th and 12th street areas, made big development and traffic promises to Brenda. But according to her, those promises have not been kept. On top of that, her restaurant, as well as other merchants in the development have been getting huge bills for past rent. The auditing procedures used to calculate these fees appear to be somewhat questionable. In the case of Ms. B's, the restaurant was hit with a bill of over $19,000. That type of unanticipated expense can be a back-breaker for a small business. Add in gas at $4.00 a gallon and you have the makings for an economic disaster. I've known Brenda and Billy McGowan for many years. They are good people. And both Ms. B's locations offer up terrific Cajun fare. But they are under the gun at this moment. The city keeps talking about its proactive stance toward small businesses. That does not seem to be apparent in this instance. I was pleased to see the blush on Brenda's cheeks
when she first showed me around after her opening. The place looked
great. She was genuinely excited. Yet, in a phone conversation several
days ago, I caught an entirely different tone in her voice: one of
resignation and disappointment. If Ms. B's becomes a casualty to the
indifference of the Austin Revitalization Authority, it will send
shock waves through the local restaurant community, further straining
what is already a difficult relationship between restaurant owner/operators
and the city.
California achieved another first recently: they became the first state to ban the use of trans fats in restaurant foods. State restaurants have got a year and a half, to Jan.1, 2010, to find alternate sources for shortenings, margarines, or frying media that contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. Ironically, donut makers were given an extra year to come up with an alternative. New York City and other municipalities have already had the ban in place but California's ban is of course, state wide. The ban was vigorously opposed by the California
Restaurant Association. Their contention was that this was a matter
for the FDA and not individual states. Chef Louie Ciola of Ciola's in Lakeway was more succinct in his reaction to the new California law: "we don't use any trans fats at Ciola's. Period." And a random sampling of chefs on our top 20 restaurant list echoed that same sentiment. So does Texas need the trans fats law? Probably,
because there will be more than a few operators who will lamentably
choose NOT to take the high road. July 14th, 2008. The Notion of Value: it's Importance to Restaurants and Customers With the sluggish and uncertain economy and the rising costs of gasoline, many businesses are strategizing over ways to retain customer loyalty and patronage. Austin area restaurants are certainly no strangers to this dilemma. But with supply costs rising, restaurants are simply not in a position to slash menu price points across the board. So what it comes down to is finding ways to remind customers that they are appreciated and valued, even while fighting the battle of rising costs. We spoke to a number of Austin restaurants and they are most concerned about offering value to their customers. Here's what some are doing. Chez Zee, for example, is offering five good bottles of wine for $10, each day of the week. We're not talking Boone's Farm here: rather wines like JP Tinto from Portugal, Papio Chardonnay from California, and Cruz de Piedra Garnacha from Spain just to name a few. Or how about The Bakehouse? Owner Carl Zapfe is offering an 8-oz. Prime Rib with soup or salad, potato and vegetable every weekend for only $12.99? The Bakehouse recently celebrated its 25 year anniversary and has achieved almost iconic status in South Austin as a genuine "joint". Another coup for seniors can be found at the delightfully eclectic Veranda off Andeson Lane. Adults 59 and over receive a 20% discount off all dinner entrees and a 30% discount off Sunday brunch. Now that's value! Downtown in the Warehouse district, Imperia is doing 2-1 Sushi each night until 8pm. Chef Tatsu is knocking them dead here with a variety of rolls and nigiri sushi. Had some of his rolls the other night and they were the bomb! In a serious stab at value, one of our favorites, Louie's 106 is discounting every bottle of wine (regardless of price) by 50% on Sunday evening. Also, on weekdays, happy hour has half-price appetizers and glasses of wines and cocktails for $1.00. That's right! You read it correctly. McCormick and Schmick's at 4th and Congress, while working to hold regular menu prices steady as a value to customers, has really ramped up the value in the happy hour bar menu. Here's what you can get from 4-7pm for $1.95: Cheese Quesadillas, Debbie's Good 'ole Chicken Wings, a Half-Pound Cheeseburger with Fries, Mediterranean Hummus, Flat Bread Pizza, Bruschetta, and a Trio of Satays. Cool River on Parmer Lane is running a 22-24 oz. bone-in prime rib Thurs-Sat evening with a wedge salad and choice of dessert and a side for $29.95. This represents a 30% savings and is good through Labor Day. They are also doing a half-price appetizer special nights from 10pm to 1am! The bottom line is this: Most customers don't expect restaurants to slash prices across the board. They know that's unrealistic. Heck, even holding prices steady is a real struggle as food costs rise incrementally. But as good business people have known for years, a little "value" goes a long way in building good will and patronage. June 26th, 2008. Our Readers Weigh In On What Bothers Them Most About Local Restaurants My most recent blog was designed to
serve two purposes: first, to let me rant a bit about the annoying things
I see most frequently while dining out at local restaurants; and secondly,
to give our readers a chance to weigh in on their biggest frustrations.
Well, did our readers ever weigh in! And I hope the restaurants are
listening!
JC writes:
AG writes:
AC writes:
Rob responds: Another thing that kills me is when the manager walks around to each table in succession and asks "is everything OK?" Yet, from my extensive experience, especially at chain restaurants, if something is NOT okay, that manager is probably not prepared to act on it. My advice to restaurants: don't have your managers ask that question unless they are empowered to immediately act and solve customer problems. What the Demise of Castle Hill Means for Downtown Dining Each time an owner-operated restaurant like Crimson, Cibo, Café Caprice and most recently, the beloved Castle Hill is forced to close, it's another nail in the coffin of upscale downtown dining. For every great little restaurant that closes, it's an excuse to put up another chain like a Taverna or a Rio Grand Café. I understand the economic dynamics that forced Castle Hill owner Cathe Daley to make the changes to the Mexican-themed Corazon. And I wish her the best on the new venture. But don't expect to see many more new owner-operated ventures like Imperia, Parkside and Taste Select Wines anytime soon that don't tilt toward either Mexican or smoked meats! The stakes are getting too high
and the downtown rents are soaring. The rising costs will make it virtually
impossible at some point for new bistro-type restaurants go get off
the ground. June 12th, 2008. Things That Restaurants Do That Annoy the Hell Out of Me 1. Tell me you're "slammed" when I call to make a reservation. Worse still, be smug about it. As the customer, I could give a rat's ass that you're "slammed". I want to eat there. I want your help: not your immature condescension. So instead of telling me how "slammed" you are, tell me you'll try like heck to fit me in later in the evening. Or ask me if I'd mind sitting at the bar. Inevitably, the day will come when you're not "slammed" and your customers will remember. (There are many restaurants in Austin that get this ostensibly simple point; alas, there are many others that do not.) 2. Have your wait person rattle off all the night's specials (if there are more than two). There's a new invention called the Laser Printer. Instead of making the poor server regurgitate a seemingly endless list of the night's specials, print them out and insert into the menu. Then you won't have a situation where the customer is saying "what was that 4th dish you mentioned again??" 3. Having teen age girls answer
the phone. Now I adore teen age girls. I raised two of them. But
many restaurateurs need to realize that sometimes the first and only
line of communication between them and a potential customer is whoever
answers the phone. I've called restaurants that have sweet young things
answering the phone: unfortunately, sweetness does not equate to knowledge,
maturity, or ability to communicate. 4. Menus that are the size of the
Buda phone book. I agree with Tony Bordain on this one. Give me
a restaurant where the chef has a small number of dishes that he/she
is passionate about. I want to know that I am getting the very best
that this professional has to offer. I don't want to have to choose
from 34 salads (a la The Cheesecake Factory) or 18 different Cajun pastas.
Give me a break! What's your biggest gripe? Email
Rob... May 23rd, 2008. Trademark Bloodbath on 10th St: Chico's (from El Paso) vs. Chuco's! In my other life as head of a market research firm, I do a fair amount of work as an expert witness in trademark infringement cases. Sometimes you run across some lawsuits that are petty, vindictive, and totally lacking in any kind of understanding of trademark law. We have our own example here in Austin with the situation of the former Chuco's on 10th St. (where Basil's and Café Caprice used to be) which has been forced to change its name to 10th St. Tacos! Here's the deal. A smallish restaurant chain in El Paso with a fiercely loyal fan base named Chico's hired a swank Dallas law firm to sue Chuco's claiming they infringed on their brand and their trademarked beef taquito. In truth, Chico's cannot legally enjoin Chuco's from making a beef taquito and calling it beef taquito. But you know how it is when you first get that law suit: kind of a sinking helpless feeling arises along with pictures of large amounts of money headed out the door in the hands of some attorney. So Chuco's decided it wasn't worth the fight and changed its name to 10th St. Tacos. The new sign's going up today. But this is so silly it's laughable. What in the name of the Big Serrano in the sky could some little taco joint in El Paso care about a company 600 miles away choosing a somewhat similar name? I went there today and I think I see the answer to what really made Chico's so litigious. The place on 10th st. makes really excellent taquitos and tacos. Everything is made from scratch and the flavors are terrific. I tried the Veggie Taquitos with Tomatillo sauce and they were, crispy and wonderful: and totally inexpensive as well. Owner David makes the six different salsas himself and they are very tasty. I liked what he calls "the red sauce" (although it's not red) the best. Now it's unlikely that I'll ever go
to Chico's in El Paso. But with the quality of 10th St. Tacos in Austin,
why would I need to? To paraphrase a certain English bard: "What's
is a name? A taquito by any other name would taste as good." The
website for 10th St. Tacos for now is www.chucostacos.com There has been a tremendous amount of discussion and speculation about the relationship between surges gas prices and discretionary spending for things like dining out in a restaurant. We like feedback from the readers
of www.diningoutwithrobbalon.com. What's your
take on this? Have gas prices altered your dining out habits? Is there
a tipping point for gas at which your own personal household budget
for discretionary spending will change? Or are you just such a foodie
that the last thing you'd give up is a meal at your favorite restaurant.
May 2nd, 2008. The Demise of Cibo I'm really bummed about the closing of Cibo. This restaurant at 10th and Congress was the pride and passion of Chef Will Packwood. Everything he knew about Italian cuisine he poured into Cibo. He had actually spent a couple of years cooking in Italy (north of Venice) and every night some new taste extravaganza with its genesis firmly anchored in Italian culture rolled out of his kitchen. My favorite dish was the Braised Pork Shank with a side of risotto. But then again, every dish was my favorite. But he didn't serve spaghetti and meatballs! Imagine that. Of course, that is the dish that epitomizes Italian cuisine for many uniformed people. But Italian cuisine has many facets, and spaghetti is hardly the universal dish. So Packwood went ahead with his esoteric and splendid menu (lots of meat and fish dishes) and tried to maximize his profits by building a core customer base of serious foodies. But he just couldn't get it done. There are people who will say that
this is his third failure: the other two being Emilia's and 7. But that's
not true. Emilia's closed because the owner demanded price points that
were not realistic in the Austin economy of 2001. And so another fine dining restaurant in the River City bites the dust. Like Crimson, Collin B's, Jean Luc's, Girasole, Demi Epicurious and many others before him, Packwood's decision to digress from the tried and true cost him. At this point, we will probably lose him to a larger city that will have an appreciation for his huge talent, and that's too bad. Meantime, that ole' never ending salad bowl at the Olive Garden will keep packing them in. Dining Out and Gas at $3.60-$4.00 a Gallon? I was filling up the old gas guzzler
this morning when I heard this profane muttering from the other side
of the pump. Curious, I leaned closer and thought I heard this lady
talking on her cell phone to someone. She was unleashing a tirade of
invectives regarding gas prices. But she was talking only to herself.
In my best Bill Clinton accent, I leaned across the pump and said: "I
feel your pain." Point taken. The pain of spiraling
gas prices has been well documented by just about every damned blogger
in the country so we might as well add one more opinion to the mix.
The truth is, short-term pain notwithstanding, I'm in favor of rising
gas prices. Because at some point, the American public is going to demand
from our pathetic Congress that they unhook themselves from the gigantic
pipeline of cash that flows from Exxon etc to capitol hill. In the meantime, I'm sure that
people will continue to dine out in the River City. They may be looking
for a bit more value and restaurants will have to buck up on this point.
And they will. But dining out is too deeply ingrained in the Austin
culture. People will figure out a way to do it even if they have to
split an entrée. And life will go on. April 15th, 2008. Gordon Ramsey Decides Not to Dance with the Bakehouse It looks like bad-boy Fox TV chef Gordon Ramsey has really delivered the ultimate slap in the face to the south Austin icon, The Bakehouse. Ramsey, well-known for his mercurial rants, has apparently passed on doing one of his "Kitchen Nightmares" segments that would have focused on a drastic makeover of this 30-year-old establishment. Owner Carl Zapfe is philosophical about it: "I probably would have really pissed him off anyway" said Zapfe! Ya think?? It's too bad because I was really looking forward to this one. Josh Watkins Exits Driskill Grill to Open His Own Restaurant No sooner had I finished praising The Driskill Grill's Josh Watkins and the way he had guided the seamless transition from outgoing Chef David Bull last year than I find I have to write another "departure" story. It's unusual for a restaurant of the Driskill's stature to lose two seriously good chefs in under two years. But Watkins, the former Sous Chef under Bull announced his resignation last week. He's going to open his own place. I'm a huge fan of Watkins' work in the kitchen. But the Driskill seems to have been a veritable revolving door of upper level executives lately. When long-time manager Jeff Trigger left, his replacement, Sergio Ortiz barely lasted six months before giving way to new Managing Director John Spomer. I don't know. Is something going on at the venerable old Austin hotel that we are not privy to? Jonathan Gelman, Director of Culinary Operations for the Driskill is subbing for Waktins in the grill. But that's not permanent. No news yet on who will replace Watkins. We'll keep you posted. The Driskill has been a long-time fixture in our Top 20. Sure hope it stays that way. It's one of the few, really classy old-school restaurants that we have in the city. It's Time for Another Restaurant
"Poll" A poll is a randomly selected
sample of a larger population that is designed to be able to reflect
the attitudes or characteristics of that population. The truth of the matter is simple:
The publications/web sites that conduct these polls do so mostly for
sales purposes. Restaurants that win "best something" are
much more likely to buy advertising so they can brag about it in the
publication/web site. Now I don't have anything against making a buck.
But come on: enough with the bogus methodology and the seemingly endless
categories. I'm sure it's only a matter of time before someone starts
adding categories like "Best Doorway", "Best Ceiling
Tiles", "Best Barstools" and "Largest Napkins!" March 31st, 2008. SXSW: Not So Kind to Fine Dining Restaurants? Much is made over the millions of dollars that SXSW brings into the Austin economy each month. But an informal poll we conducted with owners/chefs at fine dining restaurants revealed a segment of the Austin economy that was not blessed with the magic dust that SXSW seems to spread around each year. Most high-end restaurant folks we spoke to say their business was down during the week: some by as much as 40-50%. This was particularly the case when the film and interactive events closed and the bands took over the city. It's not hard to understand why. Access
to many downtown restaurants was limited due to the sheer scope of the
musical events going on. And many of the fine-dining restaurants did
not stay open late enough for the revelers who developed appetites around
1am. "If we had stayed open to 3am each night it might have worked
for us, but that's just not practical," said Will Packwood of Cibo,
an Italian restaurant on Congress. Rick Dietrich of Vin Bistro was another
who noticed a downturn during the week. And those sentiments were echoed
by many other restaurateurs. A number of the fine dining places also complained that they didn't see any of their regular customers for the entire length of the festival. As we all know, regular patrons are the life's breath of a fine dining restaurant. Far be it from me to criticize the whole uber-music thing but perhaps it would be wise to scale things down a bit. I mean, 1700 bands? How would it be humanly possible to see even a fraction of those? And what about the urban sprawl that all that humanity creates? I love music and my daughter and I play regularly around town. But the sheer size of SXSW seems a bit counterproductive. When one component of the local economy suffers while others print money, is that not incompatible with the "great for the whole city" goals of the festival? Just my opinion but I'm sticking to it. March 18th, 2008. Cabernet Sauvignon: The Grape of Destiny In most upscale restaurants across
Austin, you will usually see an extensive part of the wine list usually
devoted to cabernet sauvignons. The cabernet sauvignon grape is the
most widely grown in the world for wine production. Many think that
this is an ancient grape but in truth, a DNA analysis in the 1990's
proved that it's actually a hybrid of Sauvignon blanc and Cabernet franc
that dates back about three hundred years.
Ironically, many women tend to shy away from cabs because they are perceived to be "big" wines. The truth is, I've always felt that the term big is a misnomer for this wine. Rich, full-bodied, bold all work for me. And what's wrong with that ladies? What's more, as cabs age and the tannins diminish, aside from being an elegant accompaniment to steaks and chops or seafood dishes with a burre blanc sauce, a good cab will pair nicely with damned near anything! And it drinks just as well sans the accompaniment of food. Right now, some of my favorite cabs
are Callifornia based: Caymus Special Selection (the '03 is incredible)
is nothing short of remarkable. Silver Oak is quite good as well
but I feel that Opus 1 (which gets enormous publicity) is good
but overrated. The Shafer Hillside Select Cabernet may be the
best of the lot. And film fans will find that Francis Ford Coppola knows
a thing or two about wine as well: his 2003 Rubicon is equally
delightful. And do try the amazing cab blend from South Africa, the 2005 Ernie Els Stellenbosch. This wine is getting better by the day and in a few years, it will be too expensive for casual consumption. But it's ready and totally drinkable now. Twin Liquors on 71 at Bee Caves has some in stock. Of course, the beautiful Bordeaux's from France also feature the cabernet sauvignon grape. Of course, the history here is remarkable. The classic names are steeped in antiquity: Chateau Margaux, Chateau Latour, and the always astonishing Chateau Haut-Brion. 2,000 was a fantastic year for these great wines along with many others in Bordeaux and these are now hitting the shelves. If you can get your hands on a bottle, split it with friends if you have to. But if you're a wine fan, you will enjoy a bottle of one of the all stars. Tasting: You don't have to be a wine snob to enjoy a good bottle of Cabernet sauvignon. Enjoy it for what it is. Have fun with it. When you first open the bottle and the sommelier pours it for you, gently swirl it around in your glass. This will increase the surface area of the glass that the wine makes contact with and will enhance its natural aroma (very critical in the first impression of a Cabernet). Then put your nose to the rim of the glass and inhale deeply. If you detect an aroma of a moldy newspaper or a wet dog, there's a good chance your bottle is corked. That does not mean that it has pieces of cork floating in it; rather, a corked wine is one where the cork has been affected by a bacterium which then taints the entire bottle of wine. Your odds of opening a bottle that's corked are about 1 in 30 so it shouldn't happen often. Normally, you'll get very pleasant aromas from your deeper inhalation (often known as the nose or boquet). Wine expert Stacy Slinkard suggests what to do next when you're ready for the first sip. Start with a small one and let it roll around your tongue. Then allow a small breath of air in through your lips (this takes a bit of practice) and let the wine mingle with the air. This is called swirling. And it will let you taste the flavors even more fully. As you begin to enjoy your wine, pay attention to what's known as the "finish". This is how long the flavor lasts. Also tilt your glass to the side and see if there are any rivulets running down the glass. These are known as "the legs" of the wine and are an indication of the wine's alcohol content. Most cabs have fairly high alcohol contents. So there you have it. The Cabernet sauvignon is my favorite wine: either as a French Bordeaux or it's Napa valley cousin. Remember, the younger cabs, as a rule, are going to have fairly high levels of tannins. Give these wines extra time to open after uncorking. If you're fortunate to have an older cab, well then just sit back and enjoy the ride. Twin Liquors has a number
of excellent value-priced Cabernets along with a good selection of the
more notable bottles. March 4th, 2008. Westlake Restaurant Scene Continues to Defy Logic You've all heard me rant about the ongoing paradox that characterizes dining in Westlake. I've mentioned the Bermuda triangle of restaurants more than once in this blog: so then what happens? Two new restaurants open within a few months of each other and they are both packing them in. I'm referring of course to the fast-casual
Zu Zu's on Bee Caves Rd. next to
the Capital One Bank building. This place hit the ground running and
its message of lard-free healthy Mexican cuisine is resonating with
Westlakers. Even more interesting is the overnight success of Zu Zu's
next door neighbor, The Grove. This is a wine bar with outdoor dining
available and an Italian theme to the cuisine. The Grove has had waits
of as long as 2 hours on the weekend which is virtually unheard of in
this area. The Grove is about the 10th restaurant that owner Reed Clemons
has started in Austin, and as is the case with most of them, (Granite
Café, Mezzaluna, Bitter End, Capitol Brasserie, Reed's Supper
Club to name just a few) they start out very strongly. Could one reason for the success be that the restaurants are located on Bee Caves Road (across from the County Line) outside the dreaded 360 Loop? One wonders how they would have done in that almost totally inhospitable environs of the Village Center mall down the street that housed Ruggles, The Four Corners, Austin's Cheesecake Kitchen, Canyon Café, and several other failed restaurants? And upscale Italian cuisine has never worked in Westlake unless you mistakenly place The Macaroni Grill in that category. The excellent Café Spiazzo bombed on Bee Caves Rd as did Madame Nadelini's and Vincent's at Davenport Center. So all of a sudden up pops the Grove and it's killing them. Well, I couldn't be happier for both Zu Zu's and The Grove. Let's hope they can continue their hot streak. And as for Reed Clemons, let's hope he maintains his enthusiasm for his new venture. Some industry wags claim that he enjoys opening restaurants more than operating them. I don't necessarily totally agree with that assessment but it would be nice to have him stay the course with a popular restaurant. Westlake could use a few more stars in the firmament. Josh Watkins is in fine form at The Driskill One of our traditions in the Balon family is to stay home on Valentine's Day (would you believe home-made Philly Cheese Steak hoagies) and dine out the evening after. Such was the case with our last meal at The Driskill Grill. Josh Watkins, who took over the
reins from David Bull last year, was in the kitchen that night as we
worked our way through a delicious 10-course tasting menu. Some
of the highlights included a stunning Poached Lobster Salad with
Bibb Lettuce, Tasmanian Honey, Radish and Rosemary butter. Equally superb
were the Australian Prawns done with Grilled Chorizo, (a perfect
offset to the shrimp) Charred Tomatoes, Coriander and Corn Butter. At
first bite these reminded me of Dan Haverty's Shrimp Harisa at
the Shoreline Grill which is a dish that features flavors of North Africa.
But no, Josh's prawns were unique and easily the rival of the Shoreline's
superb dish. February 15th, 2008. Paris Hilton gets burned at Benihana The Roach Report finds a new home on KVUE It used to be KXAN-TV that carried the torch for all the hue and cry regarding reports of restaurants that were regarded as "unsafe" by the Austin-Travis county health inspectors. Now KVUE, Channel 24, home of the seriously cute Christine Haas, has stepped into the breach with a feature entitled Eat, Drink and be Wary! While I applaud the fact that the station believes it is performing a public service, I often question how the scores that these restaurants receive are calculated. A failing score is anything less than a 70. And while it's one thing to observe roaches and rodents running around, mold on the ice machine, or proper temperatures not being maintained (and I certainly want to know these things), a number of the scores, according to restaurants I've spoken with, are highly subjective. Many claim the scores can literally depend on the mood of the inspector on the day they visit the restaurant. And isn't it interesting how the restaurant that flunked almost always seems to get a higher score on the "follow-up" visit? I happened to be in an Asian restaurant
one day and heard that a food inspector was there. I had been in the
same kitchen he visited only moments before and had observed numerous
fruit flies. So when that week's "failing grades" came out,
I was sure I'd see that restaurant on the list. But they were not there.
They'd passed. Another problem that's been alleged by restaurateurs is that many inspectors have no real restaurant background. And some, restaurants claim, flat-out don't know what to look for or overreact to other minor problems. It would be my contention that
the health department post two scores from two unannounced visits by
different inspectors and average them out before stating, and then plastering
across the TV screen, that someone has "failed". I have no
problem with reporting the findings on TV. I just think we need to revisit
the process and clean it up (no pun intended) so that the public can
be best served. February 4th, 2008. Gordon Ramsey coming to The Bakehouse??? If you've seen Ramsey's show, the plots are fairly simple. Ramsey takes on a restaurant that he deems to be in, how do we put this politely, disrepair. He then moves in with the cameras following his every move, assaults the ownership, cooking staff, waiters, equipment even the vendors as he attempts to retool and reboot these festering turds other wise known as restaurants. The result is a U.S. knockoff of Ramsey's wildly popular UK show called Kitchen Nightmares. Ramsey, well known for his pit bull-like personality (does Simon Crowl on American Idol come to mind?), is also an acclaimed chef having garnered several Michelin stars. The question then becomes: how much of his bullying and brow-beating can the featured restaurant put up with?
The show has
not yet been totally green lighted. But Zapfe tells me he is leaning
in that direction. What the hell, if you subscribe to the notion that
no publicity is bad publicity, this is a no-lose deal for the Bakehouse.
They might even get a brand new kitchen out of it, courtesy of the show.
But can Austin put up with Gordon Ramsey? We shall see, and we will
keep you posted. January 21st, 2008. The 2008 Presidential Candidates:
You Are What You DON'T Eat??? But each of the above presidents was a known entity. We know less about the current crop of candidates. So can we learn anything useful about them by the foods they eat, or perhaps even more interestingly, by the foods they avoid? Recently the Associated Press, in what was apparently an attempt at a lighter moment, asked the 2008 presidential candidates to name their least favorite foods. Hilary Clinton's response: "I
like nearly everything. Just don't like things that are alive." The republican candidates didn't fare
much better in their responses. OK, tongue in cheek of course, but you get the idea. Politicians really can't say much without offending someone, even when commenting on something as innocuous as food. By Dr. Robert Balon January 3rd, 2008. Fine Dining in Austin: Too many restaurants for too few customers? We are extraordinarily fortunate to have the variety of fine dining experiences that are available in Austin. I have been to many cities of comparable size that don't have a fraction of what's available here. Still, were I to council someone contemplating the opening of a new restaurant, I would discourage them from heading down the fine dining path. Why? Well, the truth of the matter is that Austin has been unable or unwilling to support many of the upscale restaurants that have opened, and unfortunately closed in the past six-seven years. The names of the fallen roll off the tongue in a depressingly long list: Girasole, Collin B's, Emilia's, Sardin Rouge, Demi Epicurious, Café Caprice, Seven, Ruggle's Grill, The Four Corners, Crimson, Mezzaluna, Reed's Supper Club, Jean Luc's, Noodleism, Ararat, Y Bar and Grill, Houlihan's, The Thistle Café, Selene's Bistro, The Little Bistro (in Buda), Baron's, Vincent's, Tuscany, JC's Steakhouse, Ray's Steakhouse, Rocco's on W. 6th, Mimosa, Monica's 701, Juan Mario's, Tintinnio (great Italian joint at 183 and Burnet), Cathy's Steakhouse, West Lynn Café, Hyderabad, Café Spiazzo, Belgian Restaurant, The Holiday House, Pacific Blue, Canyonside Café, Fuji, Tocai, Pao's Downtown, China on the Avenue, Lemongrass, Café Mia, Kaya Blue, Star Canyon, Jean Pierre's, El Dorado, Café Bleu……and so many others that we would virtually run out of space had we listed them all. There were some very good restaurants on this list that expired without even enough time for the proverbial cup of coffee. Bear with me here. How many Tex-Mex or BBQ joints have gone out of business in the same time? You could count them all on one hand. Does this mean that Austin diners disproportionately desire Tex Mex and BBQ? Perhaps. It could also mean that the simple truth is that we are NOT as sophisticated a food city as we like to think we are. I remember sitting at the late Girasole one night (now 219 West) and watching as a party of lawyer-types came in. They wanted spaghetti and meatballs. The owner tried to explain that Girasole was northern Italian: and that he had some lovely risotto and gnocchi. But instead of trying something different, the well-dressed GQ types all got up and walked down street to the Spaghetti Warehouse. I've seen this scene repeat itself at Cibo, the gifted Will Packwood's third and probably last attempt at restaurant success. Likewise at Parind Vora's Jezebel, a fine restaurant next door that could be doing better. Vin Bistro is another restaurant that should be packed every night. They have a remarkable chef and a great wine list. It's not that there's anything wrong at all with these places: indeed, they are excellent. But to stay alive, they require the support of a clientele knowledgeable enough to know what fine dining really is. And watching these fine places remain half-empty on many nights suggests to me that there simply may not be enough people in Austin who really enjoy or understand fine cuisine to support all the excellent little restaurants we have. There's a lot of what I call "default dining" that goes on in Austin. People go to places they see on TV a lot because they're hungry and because there's a certain comfort zone there. That's the only thing that explains the ongoing success of the Olive Garden, Red Lobster, Joe's Crab Shack, et al. But if they would just take the time to sample the Linguine Carbonara at la Traviata or the Butterfish at Roy's, or the Risotto at Cibo, they would find a world of amazing tastes and textures at price points comparable to what they'd spend at the OG or RL. But in all likelihood, that's not going to happen. So when I addressed a hundred or so would-be restaurant operators at the City of Austin's small business seminar last spring, as much as it was against my own selfish instincts as a foodie, I told it like it is. Austin has rarely ever met a burger joint, Asian buffet, Tex Mex restaurant or BBQ place that it hasn't liked. (Would that the same could be said for our fine dining operations.) I told them not to overestimate the inclinations or predispositions of the dining public in central Texas. Dire implications for us foodies,
huh? December 17th. A Christmas Birthday Memory Today is December 17th. Christmas is looming, retailers are fretting, and everyone is starting to get that warm, toasty, fuzzy inner glow that seems to start manifesting itself this time of year. It's also my father's birthday. Edward Joseph Balon would have been 90 today. There was never a man that enjoyed life more than my dad. His appetites were huge: he loved wine and a good single malt scotch. True to his New England heritage, he loved Maine lobster, fried clams and raw clams on the half shell. He could tear into a good Ribeye with unparalled gusto and like me, he loved great bratwurst, chicken paprika, and adored my mother's cooking. Toward the end of his life, he took
great pleasure in bragging to his friends about his son in Texas who
had recently become a food critic. He got the radio and TV parts down
but never had time to come to terms with the Internet. It's too bad
because I know he would have enjoyed reading the reviews: he had an
opinion on just about everything, food included. No day was inclement enough to keep him from at least 9 holes. I recall one day in January where we played this little 9-hole course near his home in CT. It was cold as hell so he grabbed these huge muckluck gloves that would have kept Nanook warm and off we went. I asked him how many strokes I had to give him (we always played a $2 Nassau). And he just looked out across the course, pointed to the pond on the first hole which was frozen over, and grinned broadly. "Don't need any today," he replied. He was easy to shop for. "Just get me another one of those Barton Creek sweaters," he'd say. And he never complained about the fact that Christmas and his birthday almost overlapped; because for him, it was all about giving, and not receiving. How ironic that his grandson-in-law, whom he never got to meet and who shares so many of his finer traits, has an almost identical birthday. And he loved my wife and his grandchildren. And they loved him back. Grandpa Ed was special to them. His death at 83 was untimely and accidental. I never had the opportunity, living 1600 miles away, to get there in time to say goodbye. But someone like my father had a presence that was so large that it created its own vacuum: a vacuum that transcended his passing. So every time I step up to the first tee on any course I play, I feel he is watching. If I smoke one down the middle, or not, I smile and think of him. And when I hoist my glass of red wine at dinner that evening or crack open a huge lobster claw at our favorite seafood place, I can see that ear-to-ear grin that he was his trademark. As Charles Dickens once observed of a re-born E. Scrooge: "He knew how to keep Christmas well." My father had the same talent. Christmas was his favorite holiday. And so it is at this time of year, like so many of us Baby Boomers who have lost parents, that we miss them the most. Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday Dad/Grandpa.!!! Love,
Writing about food is not without its hazards. I once was almost attacked with a clever by a chef who mistook me for another critic who had been more vindictive-unnecessarily so in my opinion-toward his establishment. Luckily, cooler heads prevailed. Another observation: while I enjoy going to see a movie at the Alamo Draft House, I have learned that eating there once the lights go out has its perils. This is particularly true if you are wearing black and trying to dip chips into a bowl of queso. Upon emerging from the movie, my shirt had streaks of queso in various configurations. After taking the shirt off and looking at it, one queso manifestation seemed to bear an uncanny resemblance to a caricature of Bill Clinton. I was dining with some long-term Benchmark clients from New York who were unaware of my second life as a food critic. About half way through dinner, a woman approached our table, smiled at me, and proceeded to reach down and rub my stomach. Stunned, I sat there mute as did my clients. "I've always wanted to rub your tummy since I first saw you on TV," she said by way of explanation. As she left I couldn't help but imagine what would have happened had I approached her table and started rubbing her stomach. Ah, the old double standard is alive and well. How often one encounters servers who don't listen! In a nice Austin bistro the other night, I asked my waitress to allow me to remove a piece of polenta from the serving plate and put it on a side plate where it could receive a resounding dose of ground pepper. Instead, she ignored my plate and proceeded to inundate the serving plate with more pepper than anyone in my party but me would enjoy. She later asked why the tip was only 15%. "What?" I replied. Has this ever happened to
you? For some strange reason the other morning, I found myself desiring
a Sausage/Egg/Cheese McMuffin from McDonald's on Barton Springs. This
happens rarely: perhaps once a year. But when it happens, I must fulfill
my craving. So I pulled up to the drive-thru at about 10:25am (so said
my cell phone)...
December 7th. Restaurant Etiquette 101 on 6th St. We all know that Austin is a town where the restaurant noise level can sometimes be a bit more than people are comfortable with. I do get a few complaints occasionally on this from readers. But one has to stop and consider that we are a youngish, booming, seat-of-the-pants kind of town. Couple that with the way most restaurants are designed for acoustics and you have the potential for a higher than desired noise levels. But I had an experience at Katz's Deli
the other night that was off the charts not just with regards to noise
but also with respect to basic customer rights. No father likes to have to endure such
boorish behavior in the company of his daughter. My first impulse was
to walk over and swat the cell phone out of the moron's hands. But instead
I asked my waiter to tell the guy to tone it down. My waiter replied
that that was not his job. Okay. Fair enough. So I asked for the manager.
She arrived at my table and seemed annoyed that I had summoned her.
I have unfortunately seen egregious breaches of etiquette in restaurants before-on the part of unruly customers. But never have I witnessed a scene where management chose to totally ignore such atrocious behavior. We paid our bill and got the hell out of there. I cannot imagine for a moment that proprietor Marc Katz, had he been on the property, would have handled the situation as poorly as his manager did. But he wasn't there and the entire event left a bad taste in my mouth that no amount of the best pastrami could diminish. The sad thing is the idiot at
the adjoining table was so drunk that even were he to read this blog
in the light of sobriety, he probably wouldn't remember a thing regarding
his loathsome behavior. He'll probably pull another stunt like this
the next time he gets wasted because he thinks that acting like a complete
tool is part of the "keep Austin weird" zeitgeist. Perhaps
on that next occasion the offended party will not show as much restraint
as I did. And that would be just fine with me. November 26th. Pangaea Opens on Colorado
This must be the year for the way-too-cool
nightspots in and adjacent to the Warehouse District. First
We had a blast. Couldn't hear a damned thing anyone was saying, but the beat was infectious and drinks were flowing freely (love those media preview parties). I believe this was the same event that caused one of our local TV anchors to be later detained by the gendarmes. Ah well. Saw uber DJ Brian Beck from KGSR-FM. He is one really nice guy. And I saw AAS humor columnist John Kelso there furiously scribbling notes on a yellow pad. It was comforting to know that someone at the party was older than me.
Will I be a regular at Pangaea?
Probably not. I'm a bit out of the target demographic. But I will certainly
pop in now and then. The place just oozes cachet.
November 16th. Finally, Fogo de Chao Opens After months of anticipation and unmitigated hype, Fogo de Chao, the huge chain of Brazilian steak houses or churrascarias has opened on 3rd St. next to The Melting Pot and across from the convention center. I dined there at their preview dinner last week and had a very pleasant evening. Aside from seeing the usual suspects one sees at these dinners-the very talented Virginia Wood and Wes Marshall of the Chronicle-I had the singular pleasure to dine with my own culinary interpreter of sorts, Magna Sampaio who aside from being the owner of Sampaio's on Burnet is Brazilian through and through. Fogo has a humongous salad bar that dominates that center of the restaurant. The items range from hearts of palm to fresh asparagus, tabouli salad, sautéed peppers, a variety of greens and much more. The idea is to start with the salad bar which we did. No problems there. Then you put up the green sign on your table for espeto comido or continuous dining and the real fun begins. Waiters dressed in gaucho garb come to your table and offer you various grilled meats on huge skewers. Having been to other churrascarias around the country including our own Estancia Churrascaria which opened in April in Sunset Valley, I had developed some favorite meats. I like the Picanah or top sirloin which is the favorite cut in southern Brazil where this "cowboy" cuisine developed. I also love the Alcatra and Cordiero (young leg of lamb). Alas, I found the Picanah to be lacking
in that sensual, juicy flavor I'm used to. Ditto for the Alcatra. There is another plus to Fogo's concept in this time-challenged environment we life in. You can enjoy the salad bar and the meats, have a bottle of wine, and be out in and hour and a half. Or linger longer if you choose. The fee for this continuous dining is about $40 per person which includes the salad bar, side dishes, and the meats. Drinks and desserts are extra. But after first blush, at $28
per person for almost identical fare (and a slightly smaller salad bar)
Estancia Churrascaria must be considered an extremely viable dining
alternative. And I'm hoping that Fogo will also raise the bar for aware
of all Brazilian cuisine in Austin: thus directing more diners to the
exquisite Sampaio's as well. There used to be a time in this country when finding a restaurant to dine in on Thanksgiving was virtually impossible. Thanksgiving meant a huge family dinner with a variety of family members, nuclear and otherwise, and yes, even crazy Uncle Albert who got a one-day pass to come home from the Institution (that no one ever acknowledged). It meant the men drinking beer and hunkering down to watch football and the women cooking, sipping wine and gossiping in the kitchen. And in most houses, the kids always had their own special little table. This enforced seating presupposed that all the little brothers and sisters and cousins would get along for an hour or two. You bet! Times, to say the least, have changed. More Americans then ever are dining out on Thanksgiving these days. Does this signal the end of a cultural epoch? Has one of our most cherished Clark Griswoldian traditions fallen victim to the siren's cry of an afternoon of relative serenity outside of hearth and home culminating in somebody NOT having to do the dishes? No, I think not. The simple reason is because we Americans have more disposable income than ever before. We're dining out because we're able to! And because a great premium has been placed on time. Many see a Thanksgiving dinner at a restaurant as a way to maximize the interaction potential for the day. Instead of cooking and cleaning, the entire family-Uncle Albert included-- can eat and drink to their heart's content. And another ugly little truth has also fueled this holiday dining surge: quite a few Americans really suck at cooking! There was a giant disconnect between mom's of the WWII generation and their daughters with regard to skills in the kitchen; and a even larger gap between Baby Boom moms and their precious darlings. As a result, fast casual restaurants have leaped in to fill the knowledge gap. Thanksgiving is no difference: overcooked or undercooked turkey and runny mashed potatoes can send even the most devoted family into a mood altering tailspin. So don't feel guilty over the next week if you suddenly decide that 9 hours of kitchen labor on the 22nd is not for you. Log on to www.diningoutwithrobbalon.com and check out our copious list of restaurants that will be open on Thanksgiving. And if they're on our list, you know you don't have to worry about the cook.
November 1st. Restaurant news and gossip: Miguel Rovago, Brad Womack, Tyson Cole, Sharon Watkins, Beau Theriot and more! We went to Fonda San Miguel for brunch last Sunday and I was surprised and delighted to see Chef Miguel Rovago back behind one of the serving stations. Miguel had announced his retirement last year and had planned to teach at a cooking school in Spain. But to our good fortune, he's rotating between Austin and Europe and will continue to be a presence at my favorite interior Mexican restaurant in the city. Some of you will recall that a few
weeks ago, for a few short days, we ran on DOWR a picture of Austinite
"Bachelor" Brad Womack's old girl friend and our family
friend Laurel Kagay. Since Brad is in local the hospitality business
(he owns college bars like The Chugging Monkey) and starring in a national
reality show, we thought we'd have a little fun with the story. Well,
you can imagine my surprise when somebody from a national website that
focuses on TV called a few days later and wanted to know about the baby
that Brad and Laurel had, and if the girls on the "Bachelor"
knew about this. I couldn't believe this woman had asked the question.
I told her that there was no baby as emphatically as I could: and she
seemed disappointed. Ran into Tyson Cole of Uchi fame at La Dolce Vita last week. He was just back from his Iron Chef competition in New York. He wouldn't fess up as to whether or not he had won, but there seems to be a standard order of business on this show. If you go up against Mario Batali or Bobby Flay, regardless of your talent, you're going to lose. I watched the episode where the former exec chef at the Driskill Grill, David Bull, went up against Flay. The surprise ingredient was Wild Boar (right in Bull's wheelhouse). In my opinion, Bull flayed Flay. But the lame celebrity judges they had didn't see it that way. Their comments were so inane that I chuckled through the last part of th |
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