Pat’s Pick
Zoë-Italian
ZOË-ITALIAN
Z BEAT GOES ON
First there was Zolon. Now, just around the corner, comes sister restaurant Zoë-Italian. Fort Worth is the lucky recipient of the first two in a projected series of dining places from the restless imaginations of chef-owner Zolon Wilkins III and chef Carl MacPherson. Whereas Zolon offers a variety of cuisines in a casual bistro setting, Zoë is a pure Italian ristorante with a sophisticated, modern look. My friends and I were so struck by the design—a soaring sky-blue ceiling, warm woods, massive concrete columns—that we could hardly focus on the menu. But when we did, we were rewarded with a wonderfully simple combination of linguine and clams tossed with sautéed onions and bell peppers, a crisp-crusted pizza topped with wafer-thin grilled vegetables drizzled in a balsamic dressing, veal saltimbocca that would have benefited from less salt and cheese and more sage, and a fantastic lemon panna cotta that was the apotheosis of cream. Wilkins hopes to take both Zoë-Italian and Zolon beyond Fort Worth. After that, well, he has other ideas in the oven.
Open-Faced Ravioli and Balsamic Roasted Chicken With Black Olive-Tomato Butter
ON THE ROAD
CAT’S MEOW
“Where the heck is that?” everybody said when I announced I was headed to Carol’s at Cat Spring. Good question. Physically, the historic German community (population: 76) is some fifty miles west of Houston. Spiritually, it’s in a world of its own. Winds rustle the live oaks, empty horse trailers go rattling by, and nothing much happens from day to day except changes in the weather. In the midst of this rural nirvana is Carol Davis’s nine-month-old restaurant, where country and city meet. In the lodgelike dining room, the walls are upholstered in smooth leather, and fresh flowers grace every table. In the kitchen, executive chef Doug Atkinson, formerly of Ruggles at the Ballpark, in Houston, prepares a bevy of sophisticated dishes. A wide-ranging tasting wowed me with tender pork chops topped by homemade apple butter; crab cakes in a drizzle of crème fraîche; a bison filet (from Davis’s ranch) served with port wine sauce; maple-syrup butternut squash; and a slice of irresistible jalapeño cheesecake. Carol’s is putting Cat Spring on the map.
SEASON'S EATING
A MOMENT OF EPIPHANY
After you're done with turtledoves, maids-a-milking, and the other ten days of Christmas, you can celebrate el Día de Reyes (Epiphany) on January 6. Commemorating the day the magi arrived bearing gifts for the infant Jesus, the Day of the Kings is observed in Latin cultures with the making and eating of a rosca de reyes, a sweet yeast bread. Decorations vary, but most likely you'll see swirls of icing, sprinkles of colored sugar, or pieces of candied fruit, and the usually ring-shaped bread hides a tiny plastic baby, representing the baby Jesus, inside (yes, Louisiana's Kings Cake is the same thing, with a Gallic twist). According to tradition, if you get the slice of rosca with the baby in it, you'll be blessed for the year. You will also be required to throw a party on Candlemas, or February 2, which is celebrated as the day that Jesus was presented at the temple and is traditionally the day that candles are blessed in the Catholic Church. Vast quantities of roscas are sold in most Mexican bakeries on and just before January 6. In San Antonio you can find them at both Bedoy's Bakery locations (210-434-9290), in Dallas at Panadería y Pastelería Cantinflas (214-391-2374), in Austin at La Mexicana (512-443-6369), and in Houston at all the Arandas Bakery locations (713-941-0100) and at La Victoria (713-921-0861). To make your own, try out La Mexicana's recipe. Either way, have your cake and eat it too. Just don't swallow the baby Jesus.
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