Torchy’s Tacos is quickly making the rounds in Texas. The taco madness all began at a small trailer in Austin. That little trailer helped sprout several brick-and-mortar locations. Over time, Torchy’s grew and is now exploding onto the Dallas and Houston culinary scenes. The taco establishment seems to be opening a new location every month and shows no signs of slowing down. So what’s the secret behind the restaurant’s statewide success? Michael Rypka, founder and executive chef of Torchy’s Tacos, says it’s the restaurant’s commitment to honoring the local Austin roots that helped the business grow from the very beginning. Rypka chatted with TEXAS MONTHLY about the unique growth of Torchy’s Tacos, resisting any and every urge to franchise, and his upcoming plan to create a “secret” menu for all his diehard taco fans.

Michael Rypka in front of the trailer that started it all. Photo taken by Cort McPhail.

What made you know it was time to go to Houston?

The main reason was that we had a lot of customer requests asking us to be out there. We also have a lot of requests to have more stores in Dallas as well. I should mention Dallas is the main focus of our future expansion. We’re headed that way in the next six to nine months.

Why is Dallas the main focus?

Again, it’s all customer requests. Dallas is our most popular area outside of Austin. We picked up, headed out there, and decided to see what would happen, and so far everything is going really great. We want to keep that up.

A lot of restaurants shy away from expanding into other cities in fear that the quality of their cuisine might go down. How do you guys handle that?

It has a lot to do with training and hiring people that have the same vision as you. We put them through rigorous interviews and training when they join our team. I’ve been in the restaurant business my entire life. I’ve never not done anything but restaurants. It’s in my blood, and it’s something I’ve always been around. I know what works and I know what doesn’t work. I think that’s what has kept us so successful all these years.

I know you are opening a second location in Houston soon. Are you going to stop at two locations in Houston and then focus on Dallas? What’s your plan?

I would imagine that we would explore more locations in Houston if the second one does as well as the first. What I’m really most excited about is next month we’ve got the SMU location opening in Dallas. I think that’s going to be a really great store for us.

Tell me about the differences you see between the Houston, Dallas, and Austin culinary markets.

Good food is good food. It doesn’t matter where you come from, or what city you are in – you know it when you taste it. I hope we do well in all of the cities we’re in. I think the culture in Austin, being such a locally focused culture, has really helped us expand over the years. We’ve tried to maintain those roots in our organization. That’s why I won’t ever franchise. I like keeping it privately held and staying involved in the day-to-day business.

Where do you draw culinary inspiration from for your tacos?

I’m the chef of the company. A lot of the inspiration comes from me. Sometimes it’s that I have a dish at a restaurant somewhere that’s really great and it sparks an idea. It might be a suggestion from an employee or customer and that sparks an idea. Sometimes it’s just me sitting around at night and something hits me upside the head and I go and make it. It is all pretty random most of the time, which is good. I think if you try to force creativity it never turns out well.

This is going to be an unfair question, but which of your tacos is your personal favorite?

That’s not unfair. My two favorites are the green chile pork and the baja shrimp.

Austin’s culinary scene has really evolved in just a few short years. Where do you see the city and yourselves going in the future?

I hope we’ll be around for years to come. There are a couple of stores we’re going to be opening in the outlying ares of Austin in the future. Again, that’s from customer requests. I think we need to keep staying on our game. One thing we do right now is our taco of the month, which I think keeps things fresh and new. I’m working on a secret menu that will just be for the people who are really in-the-know about Torchy’s. I hope the menu will eventually get out there and more people will learn about it. I don’t know if you know this, but In-N-Out Burger has an animal style burger that’s not on their menu, but a lot of people know about it. We want to do something like that. I think when you do that kind of thing it keeps people interested in everything you do.

Tagged: austin, dallas, Houston, Layne Lynch, Michael Rypka, Torchy's Tacos

In 2010, Restaurant Jezebel – one of Austin’s most popular upscale restaurants – unexpectedly caught fire. The timing couldn’t have been worse for the beloved restaurant. Along with a small handful of other Austin eateries, Jezebel had been gaining tremendous media attention for its elegantly creative cuisine.

The fire forced Jezebel to close, and while other restaurants in Austin continued to grow in popularity through time, Jezebel had to sit on the sidelines waiting for its opportunity to rejoin the game. In the two years since Jezebel’s closing, restaurants like Uchiko, Barley Swine, La Condesa, and Foreign & Domestic have basked in the glory that Restaurant Jezebel most certainly would have been a part of.

In a few months, Parind Vora, chef and owner of Restaurant Jezebel and Braise, will reopen Restaurant Jezebel at a new downtown location with a number of changes and additions. Vora has not only revamped the Jezebel menu, he has also added a new restaurant/bar into the mix. Bar Mirabeau will feature breakfast, lunch, and dinner in a space alongside Jezebel. Vora talked with TEXAS MONTHLY about what we can expect from the new Jezebel, creating a thorough prix fixe menu, and what it was like to have Jezebel out of commission for two years. 

Bar Mirabeau’s Logo.

Tell me a little bit about the new Jezebel space. 

The space is pretty massive. The whole thing, including the bathroom, dining room, kitchen, bar, and patio is 10,000 square feet. Three-fourths of it is the bar and grill, and 2,400 square feet of it is the patio. Bar Mirabeau is 4,000 square feet.

What made you decide to take on so much space?

It worked out that way. I needed to do Jezebel and I knew I wanted a central downtown location. I was on the lookout, but still hadn’t found anything. The CEO of Cirrus Logic, [Jason Rhode], used to come into Jezebel all the time, and one day we chatted formally at Braise. He said, “Look, I don’t want junk food being served to my employees. We want something in the building where our employees can get good made-to-order food. Why don’t we work out a deal where you rent this space from us?” It just went from there.

A rendering of the new Restaurant Jezebel space.

How will the new Jezebel be different from old Jezebel?

At the beginning of 2009, we came up with the prix fixe menu at Jezebel in addition to the à la carte menu. By the time the fire happened, we were having one of the best years we had ever had. We were doing so awesome, so I was like, “Wow, this had to happen now?” The new Jezebel will just feature the prix fixe menu without the à la carte menu. Our prix fixe menu is actually very unique. We have full liquor at Jezebel now, where as before we only had beer and wine. When you order a cocktail, somebody will come out with a cart and make it table side, so it’s going to be a lot of old-school touches with a cheese cart, dessert cart, and bar cart. The prix fixe courses are set in that you can do three courses for $75, four courses for $85, or seven courses for $125. If you want to do a four-course vegetarian or vegan meal, that’ll be $75. The interesting thing about the menu is that the waiter will tell you what’s available on menu and ask if there is anything you don’t like, don’t want on your plate, or if there is something you really want to try. They’re going to go through and fill out this little questionnaire I’ve put together, figuring out if you are allergic to anything, how you like your meat or fish cooked, what kind of spice level you enjoy, etcetera. They’ll fill out the sheet telling me what each diner likes and doesn’t like, and using that questionnaire, i’ll make up dishes on the fly. It’s going to be very avant-garde. What i’m known for is doing really interesting combinations, big-flavored food, and nothing overly subtle.

In the time that Jezebel hasn’t been open the Austin culinary scene has expanded and grown tremendously. What was it like for Jezebel not to be a part of that?

Yeah, I have to admit I was kind of jealous not to have Jezebel in that, but I’m still really happy for Austin. The restaurants that have opened up here have been very stellar and world class.

What will the design of the space be like at Jezebel?

We are picturing something tropical and modern. We’ll have some plants and I’ll bring some paintings from the same artist over at Braise. Jezebel will be very opulent and elegant. We wanted clean lines and hints of opulence in little things all around the space. We planned to create an old-school feeling, but with a lot of modern touches.

When are you projected to open?

We are looking at right after Labor Day Weekend. If everything works out, that’s when it’ll be. So far, we seem to be headed in the right direction.

Tagged: austin, Bar Mirabeau, Layne Lynch, Parind Vora, Restaurant Jezebel

Cushioned in the middle of Brenham, Texas, amongst the rolling hills of bluebonnets stands a deliciously creative corporation named Blue Bell Creameries. For over one-hundred years, Blue Bell has been a force behind some of the most beloved ice creams on the market today, including Homemade Vanilla, Cookies & Cream, Mint Chocolate Chip, and numerous other flavors.

The dessert corporation doesn’t stop with its signature line of flavors, however. Every two months, Blue Bell rolls out a new flavor for customers to scoop and sample. The few lucky ice creams that gather a devoted following are sometimes even invited to stick around permanently. This July, which happens to be National Ice Cream Month, Blue Bell introduces its newest flavor, Summer Strawberry Pie, to dessert lovers around the state. TEXAS MONTHLY talked with Brenda Valera, director of research and development for Blue Bell, about the creamery’s newest flavor, the flavor creation process, and the return of Christmas Cookies… in July.

Tell me how about the new flavor Summer Strawberry Pie. 

The ice cream is similar to a traditional strawberry pie. It’s a play on those pies people make with fresh strawberries and whipped cream. We made a strawberry ice cream, put some pie crust in it, and incorporated a whipped topping swirl.

Touch on the flavor-creation process for me. 

We think about new flavors all the time. It’s part of what we do. Whenever we are in restaurants or looking at dessert menus, looking at food blogs, food journals, cookbooks, or what’s popular these days, we come up with ideas. We have a program where we gather around two-hundred ideas, and from amongst those we take about twenty-five ideas and start working on samples. From those twenty-five samples, we narrow them down to about ten or twelve samples to submit to meetings that our staff force has to evaluate for use in the coming year. From those ten to twelve, we narrow it down to five or six new flavors for the coming year. We have a new flavor coming about every two months.

You guys once came up with a pickle ice cream. Did that make its way to production?

I’ve been here over thirty years, and that happened before I came. I don’t know how that all played out, actually. [Laughs].

One flavor I was surprised to hear didn’t take off was the Peanut Butter & Jelly. I thought that would be a huge hit. 

It was actually a very good tasting ice cream, but for some reason the name just wasn’t appealing. I think people didn’t buy it because they related it to peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. It had a great flavor to it, but it just did not sell.

Are there any other new flavors, beside the Summer Strawberry Pie, that are coming out soon?

Another flavor that’s coming out in July is called Christmas Cookies in July, and it’s only going to be available in the month of July. When we released it this last fall, it was called Christmas Cookies. It has three different types of cookies in it – chocolate chip, snickerdoodle, and sugar cookie – with red candy cane sprinkles, and a green icing swirl. People loved it so much that we knew we had to bring it back.

Tagged: Blue Bell, Brenda Valera, brenham, Christmas Cookies in July, ice cream, Layne Lynch, Summer Strawberry Pie

CapRock Winery in Lubbock

By now we all know that the Napa Valley of Texas is the Hill Country—at least in appearance. The winding roads that bend around ranches and homesteads and lanscapes of live oak mots and cedar-post fences. And every now and then, you come upon rows and rows of vineyard. Of course, it’s on a significantly smaller scale than the vineyards you see in Napa. And if you judge by the amount of wine many of these wineries are selling, you can quickly estimate that there’s no possible way these vineyards are supplying all of the juice these wineries need to fill these bottles.

And you would be right. As we’ve discussed before, the Hill Country is where people GO to see vineyards, but the High Plains (near Lubbock) is where most of the grapes are actually grown for Texas wine. (And California, too. But that’s an entirely different story.) Unless you’re from that area, or unless you’re a die-hard Texas Tech University Red Raider fan, chances are, you probably don’t make it up to the High Plains very often.

But what it you want to check out where the heart of the Texas Wine agricutlure really is? Are there wineries up there that you can visit? Absolutely, though they are few and far between. In fact, three primary spots I’d point you too can be all be visited in a single day and they include: McPherson Cellars, Llano Estacado Winery and CapRock Winery.

McPherson Cellars and Llano Estacado are regular names to Texas wine fans. Both for their host of affordable and well-made wines, but also for their longevity and history in the Texas wine story. (Both wineries have won myriad awards and many of their wines have been selected as Texas Wine of the Month including the McPherson Cellars Roussanne Reserve in May 2012  and Llano Estacado’s 1836 Red Table Wine for June 2012.)

And while CapRock Winery has certainly been around for a while in Texas—it was originally Teysha Cellar in 1988 and later named CapRock Winery in 1992—the winery itself, as well as the wines, have had a rather rocky story throughout most of its life. That was until it almost literally fell into the lap of Catherine Bodenstedt in July of 2010, when she purchased CapRock in a public auction.

“It was sort of a fluke,” says Bodenstedt. “I didn’t have any expertise but for people that like wine, this is one of those dreams you have. It was certainly not planned, but it’s been a nice surprise.”

Bodenstedt moved from her home in San Antonio to the Lubbock area and jumped straight into the role of winery owner. Of course, it didn’t hurt that she had a very capable general manager, Phillip Anderson who had already been with the winery for some time as well as winemaker Michael Vorauer who was keen to turn CapRock Winery around as one of the premier wineries of Texas.

“Most of the plan had to do with deciding what to do with inherited wine,” says Bondenstedt who was eager to get started with a blank slate of new wines from CapRock but soon found there were a lot of details to organize first. “The first harvest we had was in 2010 and we had a consultant help us with those wines, getting our labels and marketing up and running and getting someone on board for distribution.”

Whatever little bits of magic fairy dust Bodenstadt may have had up her sleeve in the short time she has owned CapRock seem to have done the trick. The winery is now producing around 20,000 cases of wine with a goal to eventually be at 40,000 cases or more in the coming years.

I recently had a chance to sit down and sample a handful of wines in their portfolio—all of which are available throughout the state. Of the ones I tried, my favorites included:

2010 Roussanne: One of my favorite white grapes for Texas right now, and this is a world class example of what this “Goldilocks”varietal can do. With tropical fruit, white flowers and a little citrus on the nose, this crisp, dry wine has a touch of honey on the palate without being at all sweet.

2010 Dry Granache Rosé: For the summer sipper, this dry rosé is sure to please. With raspberry, cranberry and a touch of cotton candy on the nose, the fruit dominates in this wine but remains dry throughout its medium-long finish. Though perfect for a backyard barbecue dinner (use lots of pepper), this wine would also be great in the fall for Thanksgiving dinner.

2010 Tempranillo: In Texas, everyone’s got a Tempranillo in their lineup. It’s true that this Spanish-based grape has made quite an impression on winemakers here and you’re seeing this grape presented in a number of retail price points from $10-$40 depending on the producer. Thankfully, this one is at the $10 mark and stands strong with dark fruit, cherry cola, mocha, and a touch of warm earth. Try it slightly chilled with fajitas for an alternative to the typical margarita.

2010 Sweet Tempranillo: I almost shutter to suggest a “sweet” wine, as it’s just not my style. But for those that do like a little bit of sweetness as well as for those who prefer bone-dry wines, this is a great compromise. There’s less than .3 percent residual sugar on this Tempranillo and you’ll find hints of framboise, banana and even bubble gum on the nose, but I’d suggest giving it a try if you’re among friends with different palates. Chances are, you’ll all be happy.

Orange Muscat (Non-Vintage):  If you like dessert wines, this one shows very well—especially paired with cheesecake for dessert. With yellow flowers, orange blossom and a touch of honey on the nose, this dessert wine is both crisp and creamy at the same time and makes the perfect end to a summer dinner.

2010 Pinot Grigio: This wine should see retail shelves in July. It’s one of the winery’s newest releases. I’m not typically a Pinot Grigio consumer, but if you’re looking for a crisp, dry wine to go with grilled fish, this will definitely do the trick. (Although I would challenge you to put this one and the Roussanne side by side to see what different nuances you find.)

All of the wines above are produced from 100% Texas grapes in the High Plains AVA. They’re also all in the $10-$15 range. CapRock will have between 14-16 wines released by the end of the year, some of them will include California fruit until they can get what they need from Texas grapes.

“We are going to be 100%,” says Bodenstedt who has already developed relationships with some of the High Plains’ top growers including VJ Reddy and a few smaller producers. “We feel strongly about grapes like Tempranillo that are growing well here in Texas and we’re also excited about our recent release of Pinot Grigio, which can be hit or miss a lot of times.

As for visiting the winery, you won’t be disappointed. The facility is beautiful—perfect for a High Plains wedding or special event. And throughout the summer there are a number of live music concerts to enjoy—with a glass of CapRock wine, of course.

“The bad part of being in Lubbock, is that we are not Fredericksburg,” says Bodenstedt. “There is not a winery every 20 feet, but we think Lubbock deserves a lot more attention, especially because most of the grapes in Texas come from this part of the state.”

The CapRock Winery and tasting room are open for visits Monday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m and 12:30-5:30 on Sundays. Tours are conducted between 12:00 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 12:30 p.m. on Sundays to 4:00 p.m. daily. See website for more details.

- Jessica Dupuy

Reality television got a gourmet taste of Austin cuisine when Paul Qui won Top Chef Texas, and now it wants more. The Food Network show Chopped  is coming to Austin in July to cast for upcoming episodes of the popular James Beard Award winning show. We talked with Beth Schiff, a casting director for Chopped, about scouting Austin talent and why we’ll be seeing more Texas chefs on the show in upcoming episodes. For those interested in applying to be on the show, see the links below. 

Why are you casting in Austin? Is there something specific about the city or the Texas culinary scene that appeals to casting?

Chopped traditionally focused on New York City chefs and restaurants, but in more recent seasons we’ve had the opportunity to explore new culinary communities across the country. It’s very exciting. After casting chefs from San Francisco, Miami, Portland, Atlanta, and New Orleans – just to name a few – it’s only fitting that we would hit the Southwest. Austin, in particular, is very attractive to our team because it is known for being an artistic hub of the Southwest and having an experimental, creatively progressive atmosphere. In initially researching Austin, one thing we noticed is that many of the chefs seem pretty fearless in creating out-of-the-box dishes. Chopped is all about left-field thinking and a healthy lack of fear in the face of new challenges, so Austin seemed like a perfect fit. We’re excited to see what Austin has to offer. We’re also excited to meet talented chefs who work in kitchens that make more traditional Southwestern fare.

What kinds of chefs are you looking for during casting?

We are looking for creative, dynamic chefs who can elevate our basket ingredients and thrive under pressure. These chefs should be ready to put their skills to the test in a challenging environment and create inspirational dishes. Not only do you have to deal with mystery ingredients, time constraints, and critiques from our judges, but you also have to interact with our host as well as work in the studio environment with lights and cameras. It’s not a competition for the faint of heart, but that’s why so many people apply. We get chefs who love the adrenaline rush associated with kitchen, and Chopped is the ultimate culinary adrenaline rush.

What does the casting process entail? What will chefs be expected to do?

The first step is filling out an online application at ChoppedCasting.com. If you are professional chef, you fill out the standard application. If not, you can potentially apply for one of our special applications. We review all applications, and if we feel someone is a good fit for the show, we schedule them for an on-camera interview while we are in Austin in early July. We submit these applications and on-camera interviews to our producers and go from there. We ask that chefs are very thorough in answering the questions on the application. Our team really needs to get a sense of the chefs’ personalities, styles, and passion for cooking.

What can we expect in the upcoming episodes of Chopped? Anything new or exciting?

We have several special episodes that we are currently casting. We are looking for amateur cooks who aren’t in the kitchen and haven’t gone to culinary schools [but] can hold their own against anyone in the kitchen; military chefs who can throw down; chefs from the same family, blood-related or through marriage, who are willing to go up against each other and others for a Chopped family battle; chefs who have a great personal weight loss story; and moms who have a huge passion for cooking to the point where they would rather be nowhere else but in the kitchen.

Is it likely we will see more Texas chefs on the show?

You will definitely see Texas represented on the show, as soon as this summer in fact. We are excited by the research we’ve done so far in terms of culinary talent, so we have high expectations.

Tagged: austin, Chopped, Food Network, Layne Lynch, Ted Allen

Ever since winning the Top Chef Texas crown, Paul Qui has been riding a wave of celebration, travel, and fame. For the past few months, the former Uchiko chef has been traveling the world to places like New York, Paris, London, and Tokyo, amongst numerous other destinations, while hungry patrons wait for the Uchiko chef to return home to Austin and execute his own restaurant projects. 

Eater National pulled Qui aside during the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen to ask the question every Qui fan’s mind: What’s next for the newly famous chef?

Well, Qui wouldn’t confirm any firm details, but said that he is planning on “two to three surprises in Austin” and an upcoming pop-up restaurant in New York. Sorry Qui devotees; you’ll have to wait just a little longer for any specific details.

Tagged: Eater National, Food & Wine Classic Aspen, Layne Lynch, New York, Paul Qui, uchiko

Photo taken by Bill Baker.

Rainey Street wouldn’t be the same without Bridget Dunlap. The savvy businesswoman transformed the Austin bar scene by envisioning and delivering Lustre Pearl, Clive Bar, and Bar 96. Each of these three projects defied all norms and expectations of typical Austin bars. For those who hated Sixth Street, drunken pedestrians, and dubstep, Rainey Street became the perfect safe haven.

Dunlap’s bars have their own personalities, their own styles, their own narratives. Lustre Pearl embodied that beautifully carefree hippie you always admired. Bar 96 was the know-it-all jock you loved to hate. And Clive Bar? It’s like that loyal friend you knew you could always count on when the occasion called for it.

In just a few months, Dunlap is closing a chapter with her newest and final Rainey Street project – Container Bar. Here, Dunlap talks with TEXAS MONTHLY about Container Bar, her three “children,” and what’s next on the list for her.

What made you decide to use containers as the materials for your new bar?

I have an obsession for containers, and I thought they would be easier and cheaper to utilize than they actually turned out to be [laughs], but I still think the aesthetic of them is really profound, simple, and absolutely beautiful.

Bridget Dunlap. Photo taken by Bill Baker.

How did you visualize putting it all together?

I knew I wanted to create space, and we knew we couldn’t do a bar with just one trailer, so that’s where the idea of stacking them and surrounding it with a patio came from. We wanted a good outdoor space with the pretty aesthetics of containers.

Is this your last bar in Austin?

No, it’s just my last one on Rainey Street.

Why did you decide to make this one your last?

Well, this will be my forth one, and I started it all on Rainey Street. I’m just kind of done with it.

What’s next for you?

I’m moving in a different direction, and once you’ve done four projects on one street, you kind of just want to move forward. I want to do other fantastic projects, but just not on Rainey Street.

Which one of your bars has the most connection with you?

Lustre Pearl is my alter ego. Clive is her boyfriend, and 96 is their lovechild. I love them all differently, but I think of them as children. It would be weird to say which one mattered most to me. They all represent something different, and they all bring a different characteristic to Rainey Street.

What is going to be the alter ego or personality of Container Bar?

Sleek and foxy. A little more sophisticated. Still a comfortable atmosphere, but just a little more sophisticated.

How many industrial shipping containers did it take to put it all together?

Eight in total.

What comes next for you?

I have a restaurant I’m working on, and a few exciting things that I can’t quite reveal yet. Stay tuned.

When will Container Bar open?

I have been planning on the exact date, and I think October 3 is going to be the day. That’s the opening day, and I’m sticking to it!

Tagged: austin, Bar 96, Bridget Dunlap, Clive Bar, Layne Lynch, Lustre Pearl, Rainey Street

Texas Wine fo the Month: Llano Estacado Winery 1836, 2008

Of the many battles fought on the vast Texas soil, there are a few that rate as pivotal moments in Texas history. One such skirmish was the famed Battle of San Jacinto. On April 20, 1836, in a part of northern Mexico known as “Tejas,” a group of settlers won a decisive battle leading to the formation of the Independent Republic of Texas, and eventually independence from Mexico. This month’s Texas Wine of the Month was made in celebration of those who fought for the Republic: Llano Estacado Winery 1836 Red Table Wine, 2008.

This month’s selection comes from the suggestion of Suzanne Pike, general manager and wine steward for Bin 555 Restaurant in San Antonio. A long time lover of wine, Pike took note of the 1836 the second she tasted it. “I like this wine because of its balance of flavors,” says Pike who detects hints of blueberries, currant, nutmeg, mocha, and a little smoke.

Llano Estacado Winery has been a long time player in the Texas wine industry offering a wide range of Texas (and non Texas) wines at affordable prices throughout most of our commonly known retail outlets. But they also focus on premium wines as well. In fact, in 5 out of 12 years one of their other top red blends, Viviano (~$30), has walked away with one of the prestigious “Grand Awards” as Texas Best Red Wine in the Lone Star International Wine Competition.

The 1836 is just as worthy of such praise. It is a red blend of Texas grapes primarily sourced from the Mont Sec vineyard in West Texas. (In the Chihuahuan desert.) The primary blend is 50.9 percent Cabernet Sauvignon and 31.1 percent Syrah with smaller percentages of Petite Verdot, Malbec and Sangiovese—giving the wine an extra juicy kick of fruit.

The diverse variety of grapes each bring a different element to the wine. Perhaps its the spirit of the battle for the Republic that has been bottled in this wine, which exudes bold structure from the Cabernet Sauvignon, a smoky meatiness from the Syrah, ripe fruit from the other varietals and crisp acidity, perhaps from the hot days and cool nights and elevation of the Chihuahuan desert.

“To me it is the perfect summer BBQ wine,” says Pike who suggests that the 1836 would be perfect with grilled ribeye or smoked brisket or ribs. “This is an example of how Texas wines have come a long way. We’re starting to see beautiful fruit, and well-balanced wines that could stand side-by-side next to the wines of California. Everyone who enjoys a good glass of wine should really try what Texas has to offer.”

Though it’s certainly a heartier wine than the lighter summer whites and rosés that are often suggested for this time of year, don’t shy away from a wine like this. Just be sure to chill it for about 15-20 minutes in the refrigerator before serving—trust me, you won’t regret it.

Wine: Llano Estacado Winery, 1836 Red Table Wine, 2009

Retail Price: ~$30

Availability: At some Spec’s locations throughout the state as well as at some restaurants including Bob’s Steakhouse (Dallas), Four Seasons Resort & Club (Las Colinas), Charivari Restaurant & Bar (Houston), Kata (Houston), Bin 555 (San Antonio), Hudson’s on the Bend (Austin), Marritt at Horseshoe Bay (Marble Falls)

Tagged: Bin 555, Jessica Dupuy, llano estacado winery, Lone Star International Wine Competition, Texas Wine of the Month

What Texan could forget this season’s disappointing premiere of Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” after Guy Fieri and Matthew McConaughey collectively butchered the very meaning and essence of King Ranch Casserole?

Tonight, Fieri bravely ventures his way back to Texas, but this time it’s for a less quintessential Texan meal, so I guess we can give the enthusiastic, bleached-blonde foodie another shot. Right?

Photo taken by Marshall Wright

Fieri stops by Noble Pig in Austin for a new episode entitled “Serious Sandwiches,” which focuses on some of the nation’s most deliciously crafted sandwiches. To catch chefs John Bates and Brandon Martinez of Noble Pig discussing their artisan sandwiches, tune in at 9 p.m. CT tonight on the Food Network. Let’s just hope Fieri leaves any mention of King Ranch Casserole out of this episode….

Tagged: austin, Diners Drive-ins and Dives, guy fieri, Layne Lynch, Matthew McConaughey, Noble Pig

In a previous post, we highlighted an opportunity to virtually hangout with Tyson Cole of Uchi and Uchiko in Austin. Today, Google+ and Zagat join forces again to present yet another virtual culinary gathering. But this time, the excitement stems from Dallas’ culinary scene.

Tre Wilcox

Tre Wilcox, executive chef of Marquee Grill & Bar in Dallas, will host a live cooking demo on the Zagat Google+ page at 1 p.m. CT. You may recall Wilcox from his 2007 Top Chef appearance, as well as his restaurant’s mention in TEXAS MONTHLY’s Where to Eat Now issue as one of the top ten new restaurants of the year. To snag one of the nine available spots, visit Zagat’s Google+ Page and comment on the following post.

Tagged: dallas, Google+, Layne Lynch, Marquee Grill & Bar, Top Chef, Tre Wilcox, Where To Eat Now, Zagat