(Ground beef guru Josh Ozersky, from a 2008 Nightline appearance)

Wednesday at approximately 4 p.m., culinary event planner Mike Thelin was driving around Austin in search of hardwood briquettes, trying to fill a last-minute request from one of the many chefs participating in the Texas Hill Country Wine and Food Festival. The 26th edition kicks off tonight with the Stars Across Texas Classic at the Long Center for the Performing Arts.

Local talent will be featured at the gala, including Austinites Tyson Cole (Uchi/Uchiko), Shawn Cirkiel (Parkside) and David Bull (Congress), new part-time San Antonioan John Besh (Luke) and current Texas Monthly cover star Tom Perini (Perini Ranch).

But Thelin and the festival staff have also wrangled an eclectic out-of-towner A-List for the weekend, including L.A.’s Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo (Animal), Australian chef and cookbook author Andrew Dwyer and several luminaries from his own home base of Portland, Oregon. (more…)

Tagged: barbecue, bbq, beef, food, hamburger, hill country, Josh Ozersky, pat sharpe, Restaurants, texas, wine

Last time I tried a sushi trailer, it was mid-June. The air undulated with heat waves, sweat beaded on my forehead, and even clocks melted onto the ground. “Uh-oh,” you say. “Food poisoning?” Surprisingly, no. Sushi A-Go-Go’s rolls were solid then and are now. But before the sweltering weather comes calling again and anything raw from an outdoor space sounds a little fishy, take this opportunity to try the new kid in town: SushiBox.

Don’t miss the tuna sashimi, a well-balanced lunch of seared tuna slices in a chili marinade, served over tsuma salad, a microgreens salad with shredded carrots, cucumber, and rich, caper-looking Japanese sansho peppercorns, accompanied by a ginger salad dressing and two crunchy, peppery lotus-root chips. Though the sansho peppercorns didn’t have quite the magical tongue-numbing effect I was expecting, the entrée was delicious and satisfying.

If you’re craving some sticky rice, pair it with one of their excellent rolls. I liked the spicy tuna, with a sizable, solid nugget of red flesh and crunchy cucumber, Japanese white onion, and a daikon sprout peeping out of each piece. The chili aioli sauce on top was tasty, though too mild. The avocado roll, with ground pink peppercorn, lemon zest, volcanic salt, and black and white sesame seeds, made a great vegetarian option, the fresh, lemony flavor brightening up a somewhat basic roll.

Even the octopus and soba noodle salad was nice and light, with flavorful, marinated octopus bites and long buckwheat noodles. The overly acidic yuzu sauce on top was a slight downer, but overall, the special of the day worked well.

And I’m always a sucker for salmon nigiri. Served with a dollop of wasabi hiding under the fish and a hint of lemon zest, the fresh fish and tasty rice packed a wallop of flavor.

Next time you’re downtown, stop by this chill (and chilled) recycled shipping container, constructed by the same folks who brought you La Boîte. Executive chef Ben Crockett, who has been rock and rolling with sushi for seventeen years and has worked in the food industry with heavy-hitters like Wolfgang Puck, spends all day in the trailer’s kitchen, churning out sushi that’s ready to go and/or made to order. I myself can’t wait to go back: Word on the street is that his next batch of sansho peppercorns is strong enough to tingle your tongue into a coma.

215 Congress Ave. (512-851-0001). Open Mon–Fri 11–3. Closed Sat & Sun.

Posted by Megan Giller

Tagged: downtown, sushi, SushiBox, Trailer Thursday

A Supa Fly Ho with Cheese at Fat Ho Burgers.

Waco’s Baptist sensibilities aren’t keeping the flocks of people away from Fat Ho Burgers. Since opening last week, the city’s newest burger shack has received more press than even Brittney Griner.  During the Monday lunch rush, a line of customers hungry for a Supa Dupa Fly Ho with Cheese snaked from the cashier to the door. A single paper menu was passed down the line from customer to customer. “You are what you eat,” the menu proclaimed proudly. Among the other available options are the Bad Mamajama, the Fat Chicken Ho, the Sloppy Ho brisket sandwich and, curiously, A Fat Ho Named Bertha. The younger (or just smaller) set can enjoy a Tiny Fat Ho off the dollar menu.

The launch of Fat Ho Burgers feels like a soft opening. A temporary sign featuring the name in bright red letters flutters above the front door. Not much has been done to spruce up the interior—the mural of a mariachi band on the wall makes it clear that the restaurant has not received a fresh coat of paint since its last life as a taqueria. Mismatched chairs are pushed up to the tables, which are covered in plastic-coated red tablecloths.

Newly minted restaurateur Lakita Evans, 24, said the joint’s provocative name came to her when she was watching Mo’Nique’s 2006 film Phat Girlz. “I was trying to make myself laugh,” she said. “I knew the name would put a smile on people’s faces, so I just did it.” (more…)

Tagged: burger joints, Fat Ho Burgers, hos, waco

Fat Tuesday may have already flashed across Sixth Street this year, but you don’t need a holiday excuse to eat at Lee’s Hurricane Party, at the Longhorn Food Court, in West Campus. This Cajun trailer serves up some of the best gumbo and grub in town, year-round.

I started with the red beans and rice snack, a good-sized bowl of the traditional dish with hearty beans, white rice, smoky andouille sausage, big chunks of bacon, and green peppers. It could have used a bigger dash of spices and salt, but overall, it was satisfying. And the dark, deep-fried hush puppies that accompanied it were lagniappe.

If you thought Abel Gonzalez Jr. knew how to fry, then you haven’t tried Lee’s catfish. It may not be fried beer or butter, but the slightly salty, lush crust on the catfish was a nice golden color and the catfish inside flaky and fall-apart tender. I tried the mini po boy, served on a large garlic-buttered, toasted bun and dressed with lettuce, tomato, purple onion, and bread and butter pickles, with tartar sauce on the side, and couldn’t have been happier.

But let’s get to the real voodoo magic: the gumbo. My Louisianan lunch partner started bubbling when she saw the thick, dark roux stirring in the bowl, and on first taste, practically cried with excitement. Who could blame her? Not only was the roux homemade and done to perfection, the dish was swimming with tender okra, green peppers, celery, crawfish, baby shrimp, and even a whole blue crab. We found ourselves too busy with that blue crab, shrimp, and okra to bother with the white rice, fresh French bread, and green salad that come on the side, me eating big bite after big bite, my friend exclaiming that Lee’s recipe could compete with her grandma’s.

Lee has been so successful at bringing the Big Easy to Austin that he’s expanding. In a few weeks, you’ll find him in a big, shiny Airstream trailer (which used to be the now-defunct Salt Lick trailer), cooking up even more Cajun treats. I’ve heard blackened catfish and other less-fried delicacies are on the way. For now, be sure to show up on crawfish Thursdays, when the party includes crawfish po boys, crawfish salads, and fish, shrimp, and, most importantly, crawfish tacos. Something your grandma from Louisiana might serve? Probably not, but tasty all the same.

Longhorn Food Court. 1901 Rio Grande (512-574-7896). Mon 11–2, Tue–Thur 11–8, Fri & Sat 11–10. Closed Sun.

Posted by Megan Giller

Tagged: Cajun food, gumbo, Lee's Hurricane Party, Trailer Thursday

As they say, there’s good news and there’s bad news. The good news is that three Texas chefs are final nominees for the James Beard Foundation awards for Best Chef: Southwest–they are Bruce Auden (Biga on the Banks, San Antonio); Bryan Caswell (Reef, Houston); and Tyson Cole (Uchi, Austin). That’s three out of five slots, which is impressive. And several Texas food writers and bloggers are nominees for the Beard Foundation’s journalism and book awards, which I’ll get to in a minute.

The bad news is that no Texas restaurants or chefs made it to the finals in the REALLY big Beard awards like Outstanding Chef, Outstanding Restaurateur, or Rising Star Chef of the Year (the equivalent of Best Director and Best Picture in the Oscars). That hurts. Once again, the finalists come predominantly from New York, LA, Boston, Chicago, and San Francisco. Which, of course, I understand. But that doesn’t mitigate the disappointment.

OK, OK, enough whining. Here are the rest of the Texas-based folks nominated in other areas: Diana Kennedy (who lives part time in Austin) is nominated for the Best International Cookbook award for her Oaxaca al Gusto: An Infinite Gastronomy (UT Press). Rick Bragg, Francine Maroukian, and Robb Walsh are nominated for the article “The Southerner’s Guide to Oysters” in Garden & Gun magazine. Hanna Raskin, formerly of Dallas, is nominated for her posts in the blog “City of Ate” in the Dallas Observer’s online edition. Alice Laussade is nominated for the humorous article “OK, Who Put Food in My Beer?” in the Dallas Observer. Katherine Shilcutt is nominated for “Designer Meats” in the Houston Press.

When will we find out who won? The winners of the restaurant awards will be announced Monday, May 9, at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall in New York City. The winners of the book, broadcast & journalism awards will be announced at Escape in New York City on Friday, May 6. Wanna go to the May 9 deal? Sure thing. It’s open to the public; tickets are $450 a person, $400 if you’re a member of the Beard Foundation. A complete list of nominees can be found a www.JBFAwards.com.

On Tuesday, the line for the Foo Fighters stretched from Stubb's all the way to I-35.

SXSW is not just about the music. Let’s be realistic: It’s about waiting in line. But anyone can wait in line, anywhere. The doctor’s office, H-E-B, Six Flags. Oh, but how to cozy into the cool queue rather than trail in the terminal tier! Don’t worry. With a round-up of the best, hippest trailers in Austin, you’ll look as good waiting for your lunch, dinner, or two a.m. snack as you did rocking at that secret show and afterparty last night.

1. East Side King. The Uchi chefs who started their own trailer in the back of Liberty bar know what they’re doing (according to certain sources, Anthony Bourdain thinks so too). My favorite dish? I can’t ever decide between the Thai Chicken Karaage (crunchy fried chicken nuggets in a sweet-spicy sauce, with fresh herbs and onions) or the “fried” brussels sprout salad (a bed of purple cabbage, fresh cilantro, basil, and jalapeños topped with crispy brussels sprouts and a sweet and spicy sauce). The fried beets and steamed buns will blow your mind even more than that last band blew your eardrums. At the Liberty bar. 1618 E. 6^th. Open 7 days a week, 7 p.m.–1:45 a.m.

2. Old School BBQ and Grill. The brisket smoked in this yellow schoolbus may be more Southern than Texan, but the style they’re sporting tastes lip-smackingly delicious. They have a special South By menu, so you may not get to try the macaroni-and-cheese wedge or pork ribs, but you can bite into a juicy steak burger or a chopped brisket sandwich stacked higher than Joan Holloway from Mad Men. Be warned, though: Their sausage tastes overwhelmingly smoky, and their barbecue sauce is way too sweet. So ask for your sammy virgin and lay off the sauce. At least until your friend hands you another Lone Star. E. 6^th and Waller. Check Facebook and Twitter for hours.

3. #19 Bus. You can’t get much more punk rock than this. The #19 Bus is a blindingly red double-decker monstrosity straight from the U.K. whose name hails from the Clash song “Rudie Can’t Fail.” No one there is named Rudie, but it’s true that this food could never fail. The enormous, plush eight-ounce burgers with all the fixins; famous cheesesteaks, loaded with zesty beef straight from Philly and roasted peppers, onions, mushrooms, and cheese; and simply delicious hot dogs, served on a sweet bun, would satisfy a bear. Or anyone who’s been partying for ten hours straight. E. 6^th and San Marcos. Tues & Wed 12–4 & 7–10. Thurs, Fri, & Sat 12–4, 7–2:30. Sun 11–4.

4. Counter Culture. Sick of all that downtown noise? Tired of eating hamburger after hamburger? Check out this vegan and raw foods trailer on North Loop for a tasty meal that might even do your body some good. I lust after the PacMan Caesar salad, with kale and carrots. For a hearty sandwich, look no further than the garbanzo “tuna,” with chickpeas, lettuce, and tomato on a nice wheat bun, or the Philly seitan, with a big hunk of seitan, creamy cashew cheeze, onions, and peppers. Much better than the cheesy indie rockers who were hitting on you at that day party yesterday. 120 E. North Loop (at Avenue F). Wed–Sat 12–8. Sun 12–6.

5. Lucky’s Puccias. Are you ready for the most mouth-watering Italian sandwich you’ve ever had in your life? Lucky, who hails from the Puglia region of Italy, has brought the best sandwich bread to America. Called a “puccia,” it’s like pizza dough in the shape of a pita, but better. Did I mention that Lucky bakes it in the back of his trailer, in a special wood-firing oven, on the spot? Prepare to be amazed by the Puccia Arrostita, with roast beef, arugula, tomato, mozzarella, and walnut spread, or the Lucky’s Puccia, with prosciutto, mozzarella, arugula, tomato, and basil oil. Complete your meal with the peanut-butter-and-Nutella dessert puccia. It may be St. Patrick’s Day, but you’ll have forgotten all about the leprechaun, his pot of gold, and the Sixth Street parade of frat boys drinking green beer by the time you bite into one of Lucky’s golden sandwiches. At the Tiniest Bar in Texas, 817 W. 5^th. Special SXSW schedule: 7 days a week, noon–midnight.

Posted by Megan Giller

Tagged: #19 Bus, Counter Culture, East Side King, Lucky's Puccias, Old School BBQ and Grill, SXSW, Trailer Thursday

As mentioned in previous Texas Wine Posts, you’ll soon become accustomed to hearing about Tempranillo in Texas. Originally a Spanish varietal, the Tempranillo grape is commonly used in Rioja and Ribera del Duero. (Primarily in Northern Spain.) But it also does particularly well in the Texas Hill Country. (No surprise as the climate and soils are very similar to that of Northern Spain.)

In 2010 we introduced two rather rich and full-bodied Tempranillos from Inwood Estates and Fall Creek Vineyards. This month we have another Tempranillo for you. It comes at the suggestion of Brian Phillips, beverage director and sommelier at Haddington’s in Austin a fairly new Rustic American Tavern serving upscale pub food and an array of hand-crafted cocktails and specialty beer and wine. Phillips recently served me a glass of this at the restaurant and I was amazed at its full, rounded flavor as well as its levity. (Almost like a Pinot Noir.) It stood on its own as a great sipping wine. This selection is very different than the other Tempranillos we’ve shared in the past, and it’s worth discovering for yourself.

This month’s Texas Wine of the Month is: Pedernales Cellars Tempranillo 2009. Pedernales Cellars is a small family vineyard and winery in Stonewall owned and operated by the Kuhlken Family. The grapes for this wine are hand-harvested from the family’s Kuhlken Vineyard just a few miles down the road and the wine is made in the same manner as “old world” Riojas of Spain. For those aficionados out there, the family uses the method of open-top fermentation with manual punch-downs. The wine is then aged 12-18 months in 50% French and 50% American oak.

Why does Phillips like it? “This Tempranillo is well balanced and has a bright and slightly tart finish because of its great acidity,” says Phillips. “That and the moderate alcohol balances the leathery, sweet tobacco and dark berry flavors commonly found in Tempranillos.”

And, it’s great balance makes it a very food friendly option that would go well with any grilled steak, game, or poultry.  This would also be a great way to sample a progression of Texas Tempranillos. Try all three–Inwood, Fall Creek, and Pedernales–and taste the difference. You won’t be disappointed.

Winery: Pedernales Cellars

Price: ~$30

Availability: Select retail shops and restaurants in Dallas, Austin, San Antonio and New Braunfels and at the winery

Tagged: Brian Phillips, Fall Creek Vineyards, Haddington's Austin, Inwood Estates, Pedernales Cellars, Texas Tempranillo

Who cares how the sausage gets made? We’re back in Austin this week, and Man Bites Dog’s beef franks, brats, and sausages are so scrumptious that you’ll soon find yourself shoveling them in as if you’re part of a one-man hot dog eating contest.

The front-runner was My Big Fat Greek Dog, a zesty Merguez lamb sausage, surprisingly boudin-like with its flecks of rice, loaded with fennel seed and garlic, without a hint of Windex in sight. Golden, light bun? Check. Creamy tzatziki sauce and decadent feta crumbles? You got it. Black olives, diced tomatoes and onions, and crunchy cucumber slices? Athens, I think we have a winner.

And the dogs don’t stop there. If the snooty eatery’s cuisine in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off had been anywhere as good as the Abe Froman entrée here, there’s no way the sausage king of Chicago would have been late for his reservation. A split, grilled Vienna beef frank, yellow mustard, onion and tomato dices, pickle relish, and celery salt on a fluffy, grilled bun, topped with a dill pickle spear, there are no surprises, only a Chicago dog done to perfection.

Frankly, the only slight disappointment was the special, a Live Oak beer brat with spicy brown mustard, tangy sauerkraut, and chopped onions on a pretzel bun. Delicious in theory, yes, but the pretzel bun proved too soppy, and the haphazardly squirted mustard overwhelmed the other flavors. But at the end of the day, it’s still a brat, which is pretty hard to dislike.

If you’d rather scarf your sausages in the comfort of four walls, you’re in luck. Man Bites Dog is opening another location in the spring, this one a brick-and-mortar restaurant with the best brat accompaniment you can think of. No, not accordions. Beer! If you’re a trailer purist like me, though, don’t wait in line at Torchy’s on South First with all those other fools; instead, eat like a sausage king in half the time at the Man Bites Dog trailer next door. After all, you only have four months to train to beat Takeru Kobayashi and Joey Chestnut at this year’s Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest.

1311 South First (512-445-5591). Mon–Thur 11–8. Fri & Sat 11–10. Sun 11–8.

Posted by Megan Giller

Tagged: bratwurst, hot dogs, Man Bites Dog, Trailer Thursday

Gabrielle Hamilton owns Prune Restaurant, in New York. You might have even eaten there. A tiny, awkward place in the East Village. Very much a stop on the food-lover’s circuit. Well, now she’s written a passionate, pull-out-the-stops, utterly intense memoir of her life as a chef, and I cannot put it down. In fact, I can hardly finish the post for wanting to stop and just finish reading. Before I forget, Hamilton is giving a cooking class at Central Market in Austin at  1 on this Sunday. There were four seats left about 15 minutes ago, so you might want to register fast. And in Dallas on Saturday. Forget that one; there’s a waiting list. But even if you can’t get to one of the classes on her book tour, you can still buy the book, Blood, Bones & Butter, and you definitely should. I can’t quote a long passage (publishers frown on that), but here’s an  excerpt: This is about the “stampede that is Sunday brunch.” “We do a little over two hundred covers on a Sunday in five hours with only thirty seats, if that tells you anything. . . . The kitchen for its part is hunkered down, the two full rails packed with tickets that all look exactly the same because it’s all pancakes, eggs, and bacon . . . . We do not wait patiently while the customer enjoys a section of the New York Times over a nice bowl of homemade granola before firing up his sour cream and caraway omelette. We do not. We are sometimes laying down omelette pans on the flames by the half-dozen, and delivering that many omelettes in as many minutes . . . [on a weekend that adds up to] 1,440 eggs. This is nothing compared to a hotel or even a big restaurant; the only thing that makes it  monstrous is that we are doing it in a kitchen the size of a Lincoln Continental.” There’s so much more–her relationship with her semi-nutty, glamorous French mother, and her husband, and her new baby. . . all honest and bare and in your face. You’ll understand more about what it means to be a chef and own a restaurant after reading this book than any other book I can think of, and there are a lot of cheffy books out there. It’s the distaff side of Tony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential.  Random House. $26 list price.

Last week marked a big event in Texas wine. In the first-ever “Texas Sommelier Tasting,” nearly a dozen sommeliers and wine experts blind tasted more than 100 Texas wines to select their favorites that best represent Texas. From Blanc du Bois grown in Coastal sandy soils to Mediterranean varieties like Tempranillo, Sangiovese and Vermentino that are flourishing in the High Plains, Texas sommeliers were challenged with the task of giving a read on the state of Texas wines.

“This tasting showed the strength of the Texas wine industry and how well Mediterranean varieties are doing,” said Drew Hendricks, MS, director of beverage education and wine for the Houston-based Pappas Restaurant Group and one of the sommelier tasters. “There are many new and exciting wineries as well.”

Below is a list of favorites among the wine professionals:

Chardonnay

Llano Estacado, 2009 Unoaked Chardonnay

Fall Creek Vineyards, 2009 Chardonnay

Viognier

Lone Oak Winery, 2010 Viognier

Brennan Vineyards, 2009 Viognier

Blanc du Bois

Haak Vineyards and Winery, 2010 Dry Blanc du Bois

Lone Oak Winery, 2010 Blanc du Bois

Enoch’s Stomp, 2009 Off-Dry Blanc du Bois

Haak Vineyards and Winery, 2010 Semi-Sweet Blanc du Bois

Pinot Grigio

Texas Hills Vineyard, 2008 Pinot Grigio

Riesling

Bell Mountain Vineyards, 2007 Late Harvest Riesling

Other Whites

Duchman Family Winery, 2009 Vermentino

Llano Estacado, 2009 Viviana

Landon Winery, 2010 Gewurztraminer

Rosé

Driftwood Estate Winery, 2010 Dry Rosé

McPherson Cellars, 2009 Rosé of Syrah

Messina Hof Wine Cellars, 2010 Sophia Marie Rosé

Rhone and Bordeaux Blends

Becker Vineyards, 2009 Prairie Rotie

Inwood Estates Vineyards, 2006 Magellan

Messina Hof Wine Cellars, 2006 Paulo Bordeaux Blend

Merlot

Grape Creek Vineyards, 2008 Merlot

Pedernales Cellars, 2008 Merlot

Syrah

Brennan Vineyards, 2007 Syrah

Petite Syrah

Torre di Pietra Vineyards, 2008 Petite Syrah

Tempranillo/Tempranillo Blends

Inwood Estates Vineyards, 2008 Cornelius

Inwood Estates Vineyards, 2007 Tempranillo-Cabernet

Pedernales Cellars, 2008 Tempranillo

Red Caboose Winery and Vineyard, 2007 Tempranillo

La Buena Vida Vineyards-Springtown, 2005 Smith Estate Tempranillo

Cabernet Sauvignon

Crump Valley Vineyards, 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon

Brennan Vineyards, 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon

Kiepersol Estates Winery, 2007 Texas Cabernet Sauvignon

Red Blends

Brushy Creek Vineyards, NV Trois Amis

Pedernales Cellars, 2008 Kuhlken Vineyards Reserve

Red Caboose Winery and Vineyard, 2008 Lenoir/Tempranillo

Sandstone Cellars, 2009 X

Llano Estacado, 2007 Viviano

Fall Creek Vineyards, 2006 Meritus

Other Reds

Duchman Family Winery, 2009 Dolcetto

Duchman Family Winery, 2009 Montepulciano

Messina Hof Wine Cellars, 2009 Private Reserve Cabernet Franc

Sandstone Cellars, 2009 VII

Dessert/Port

Enoch’s Stomp, 2009 Sweet Lenoir

Grape Creek Vineyards, NV Port

Pleasant Hill Winery, NV Tawny Rosso Forte

Texas Hills Vineyard, 2008 Moscato

Stone House Vineyard, NV Scheming Beagle Port

McPherson Cellars, NV Chansa Solera Reserva Sherry

Enoch’s Stomp, 2009 Ellen’s Sweet Song