My cell phone rang while I was fumbling around with my credit card paying for a Greek salad at lunch today. It was Andrew Weissmann, chef/ower of Le Reve in San Antonio. “Are you sitting down?” he said. The only acceptable answer to that question is, “I am now.” “Well,” he said, “I’m closing Le Reve.” Bombshell! For those of you who haven’t read the lavish praise in the  New York Times and Gourmet (and Texas Monthly, mais oui) over the last decade-plus, Le Reve is the best French restaurant in Texas. Period. No arguing. No ifs, ands, or buts. “I’ve got an opportunity to go to the next level,” said Weissman. Meaning that he’s starting a Texas restaurant empire. (He already has a brand-new Italian restaurant named Il Sogno, the Sandbar Fish House and Seafood Market, and a coffee shop called Sip.)

Il Sogno is located in the happening new Pearl Brewery development on Broadway, and soon Sandbar will be moved there, too, from downtown. (by the way, Pearl is the baby of San Antonio power broker Kit Goldsbury, a good man to know.)

Weissman has been in the kitchen at Le Reve, personally cooking (not just making the occasional cameo appearance), the entire eleven years it has been open. “That has pretty much kept me from doing anything else,” he said. But if he frees himself up from that responsibility, he can use his time to open–perhaps–a Spanish restaurant. Then who knows what else. Weissman is forty, so it’s a perfect time for him to make a move. What does that mean? For one, it means all of us better make a reservation NOW to get in on the final month of Le Reve (the closing is scheduled to happen between October 25 and November 1, the exact date undetermined). Au revoir, Le Reve. Bonne chance, Andrew.

I know: There are more “restaurant weeks” than you can shake a stick at. But the one that’s coming up, sponsored by the Texas Department of Agriculture’s “Go Texan” program, is an especially good one because it benefits local food banks.  It’s happening Sept. 28 through Oct. 2 in all the major cities and many smaller ones across the state. Participating restaurants will have special fixed-price meals or special courses featuring Texas food products and wines. So if you’re going to dine out anyway, please click on this link and look for a participating restaurant. Might as well help out the hungry while you’re supporting Texas farmers and ranchers and enjoying yourself. That’s win-win-win if I ever heard it. (Pictured is chef Joe Welch at Kerbey Lane Cafes in Austin, a Go Texan restaurant ambassador.)

Every town needs a cocktail to call its own. New York has the Manhattan (and for a good few years in the late ’90s, the Appletini), New Orleans has the Sazerac, and Milwaukee has, what else? Beer. When it comes to signature cocktails, Austin is no different. Except that instead of claiming just one “cocktail of all time,” this city of creative thought, live music, and generally keeping things weird, likes to name a new signature cocktail every year at the Austin Cocktail Throwdown.

In the past the town has seen the spicy-yet-controversial (long story) “Batini” from Lamberts, and more recently the “Fire In the Hole” from Ranch 616, which was simply a shot taken from a whole jalapeño filled with Tito’s Vodka, Paula’s Texas Orange liqueur, and lime juice, which is then followed by a chaser of Lone Star beer. (It doesn’t get more Austin-y than that!)

This year more than 20 local restaurants and bars entered their best concoctions into the 6^th Annual Austin Cocktail Throwdown hosted by the Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau and sponsored by Tito’s Vodka.  The mission was simple: design a cocktail that has a distinctive “Austin” feel showcasing local ingredients and capturing the personality of this city. (Oh, and they had to use Tito’s vodka, of course.) The original entries were anonymously judged and narrowed down to a consummate top 5. (The most points were awarded for creativity, feasibility to be made year-round in a busy bar, and menu appeal.)

This year’s finalists:

·         Mole on the Rocks, by Fino

·         The Enlightened Austin Martini, by La Condesa

·         The Lady Bird, by the Stephen F. Austin’s Bar & Terrace

·         The Redbud, by Paggi House

·         Shirley Bird Tea, by Hyatt Lost Pines Resort & Spa

Last night more than 200 of Austin’s curious cocktail lovers assembled at the Gibson Guitar Showroom on South Congress to vote for the best of the finalists. It was a tough call. The tart and tangy “Lady Bird” made with Tito’s, Paula’s Texas Lemon liqueur, St. Germaine Elderflower liqueur, fresh lemon, and pear liqueur had a nice bite that was smooth and sweet. The “Mole on the Rocks,” designed by Fino’s Bill Norris, was a “big boy” drink that almost tasted like a bourbon-based beverage, but was layered with Tito’s, Treaty Oak Rum, Paula’s Texas Orange, and a handmade cinnamon-y Mole syrup. Though it was definitely a favorite, it felt more like it should be enjoyed with a ginger snap cookie while cuddled up around a crackling fire during the holidays.

In the end there was a clear winner. A not-too-sweet Texas watermelon sipper designed by chic downtown Mexican restaurant, La Condesa: the “Enlightened Austin Martini.” A combination of simple flavors, this martini is made from Tito’s, St. Germain Elderflower liqueur, fresh watermelon juice, agave nectar, and a squeeze of lime. Though the name certainly implies a mind-altering experience, this silky concoction definitely delivers on a haze of freshness and fruity flavor, but the hint of lime at the end brings you back to down to earth with a nice finish and of course, the urge to try one more.

Congrats to La Condesa and the “Enlightened Austin Martini”. It may not be as edgy in name as last year’s “Fire in the Hole,” but at least for this year, it can claim the locally-coveted title of Austin’s signature cocktail.

I get more  free cookbooks at the office than I could use if I cooked ten meals a day for the rest of my life. It’s an occupational hazard of being a food writer. I give a lot of them away, but this is one I think I’ll keep for myself: Grady Spears’ new book, Cooking the Cowboy Way, which he co-authored with June Naylor (full disclosure: I know both Grady and June). The two went all over the country, with a heavy emphasis on Texas, of course, drawing inspiration from cooks on and around ranches large and small. They then took these recipes and adapted them for regular kitchens and modern uses (i.e.,  dinner parties and backyard cooking). The results sound great:  cayenne-rubbed ribeye with lime butter, lamb tenderloin with green olive jam, a pecan-and-pear crisp. Oh, and a Bloody Maria made with tequila and jalapeno Tabasco! The photography is fun, too. It’s never too soon to start stockpiling ideas for Christmas gifts. $29.99 (less on amazon and other web sites, of course); Andrews McMeel Publishing.

Tagged: cooking the cowboy way, grady spears.

Stopped in at Asti for a quick lunch, got the daily panino, expecting a good basic sammy. Wow! Homemade focaccia, toasty, slathered with house mozzarella & thin-sliced salami with a tart-sweet rosemary balsamic reduction. What a treat! They don’t have it every day but I’ll bet if you begged, they could do something similar. Well, at lunch at least.

Tagged: asti trattoria, austin.

Austin diners will be devastated: Mark Schmidt (formerly of Cafe 909 in Marble Falls), has left his gig at Annie’s (formerly Apple Annie’s). Man, that didn’t last long. And it seemed like such a perfect match. I’ve asked what the deal is, haven’t had time to hear back yet.

Tagged: annie’s, austin, mark schmidt.

The Observer newspaper in London has picked up our barbecue story from May 2008, where we listed Snow’s (in the Central Texas burg of Lexington, Texas) as number one in the state. On Sunday, Snow’s was included in the Observer’s fun wrap-up of “the fifty best things to eat in the world and where to eat them.”  It’s number ten: “the best place to eat Texas Barbecue.” Right on! (If you decide to go check Snow’s out in person, rememer that it’s open only on Saturday mornings from around 8 to noon, and they tend to run out of brisket pretty early on.)

Tagged: london observer, snow’s barbecue.

Austin folks, if you’re not out running around naked in the rain (hallelujah!) this Saturday, you could do a lot worse than check out the Asia Food Fest at the Texas Culinary Academy. It’s really fun, with a ton of activities including an Iron Chef-style contest (full disclosure: I’m one of the judges); an Asian marketplace; cooking demonstrations; a sake tasting; and more. A lot is free, some events cost a nominal amount, for instance $10 for the sake tasting. Here’s a link for tickets and more info.

If you’re the type who MUST be first with everything, today would be a good time to check out chef John Tesar’s new restaurant in the Woodlands (north of Houston). It’s opening, yes, today, so you know the poor guy is probably ready to set his hair on fire about now. Tesar’s has an upscale component (steaks, whole fish, emphasis on organic and naturally raised meats). And it’s got a downscale element (a burger bar). The burger bar is open at 3 p.m., the restaurant at 5 p.m. The address is 1701 Lake Robbins Drive (across from the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, in the Woodlands; 281-465-0700). They promised to take a picture tonight and send it, so I will post that soon, like tomorrow. Who’s Tesar? He was chef at the Mansion on Turtle Creek in Dallas, most recently.

Tagged: dallas, jeff tesar, woodlands.

A Few Texas Wine Facts:

Texas is the 5th largest wine producing state in the country.

Texas is the 4th largest wine consuming state in the country.

Texas has more than 3,500 acres of vineyards planted throughout the state.

Texas has more than 180 wineries across the state, a few of which are producing award-winning wines that are standing up against California, French, and Spanish wines.

Last weekend Texas winemakers, grape growers, sommeliers and food and wine writers met in Dallas for two important conferences, The Go Texan Drink Local Wine Conference and the 2009 Texas Sommelier Conference. For four days the world revolved around wine, wine, and more wine.

Texas Wine: Eat Local, Drink Local

The Go Texan Drink Local Wine Conference commenced Friday evening with a festive winemaker’s dinner at Le Cordon Bleu and continued Saturday with a few panelist seminars focusing on how to get more people to drink Texas wine.

You may not know it, but Texas winemakers are winning gold and silver medals in wine competitions nationwide. In recent years, Texas wine quality has significantly improved as winemakers have started to move from growing the Bordeaux and California basic three (Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Merlot) and have experimented with grapes that are less well known, but better in the Texas soils. Grapes such as Tempranillo, Sangiovese, Malbec, and a handful of other Rhone, Italian, and Spanish varietals.

“Texas makes the best Texas wine in the world,” says conference panelist Greg Bruni, executive wine maker for Llano Estacado Winery, which has been at the forefront of growing Texas-friendly grapes in the state. “But you have to go in with the game plan to grow what works best here.”

But how do you change the perception that Texas doesn’t know how to make good wine? Yes the French have been doing it for centuries, but many forget that in the 1960s, Robert Mondavi was trucking around with his bottles of wine begging people to just take a taste. It wasn’t until the 1973 that a little Chardonnay from Chateau Montelena and a robust Cabernet Sauvignon from Stag’s Leap blew the minds of the French when they won a very highly publicized blind tasting.

Of course, gaining national recognition is secondary to simply getting Texans to drink their own wine.

You don’t go to Italy to taste Spanish Rioja and you certainly don’t go to France to drink Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. It simply makes sense to drink to local product. But while we’re proudly savoring our Texas-grown vegetables, artisanal cheeses, and grass-fed meats that restaurants are so fervently serving, it would be great if restaurants were supporting their local wine-producing farmers as well with a few Texas bottles on the wine list.

Texas Twitter Taste-Off

Having discussed these challenges for Texas wines for the better part of the day, the next step was to actually taste a few of them. Well ok, more than a few. There were 45 of them. And just to add a little spice to the festivity, the tasting was presented as the first-ever “Texas Twitter Taste-Off,” which had more than 50 conference panelists, writers and bloggers, and wine enthusiasts tasting and “Tweeting” their way through the Texas-sized list of featured wines. Of course, the “Tweets” got more and more interesting as the one-and-a-half hour event went on. The taste-off winners included:

Best White Wine – Dry Division: Flat Creek Estate, Pinot Blanc, 2008

Best White Wine – Sweet Division: Haak Vineyards & Winery, Madeira Blanc du Bois, 2006

Best Red Wine – Dry Division: 
 Inwood Estate Vineyards Tempranillo-Cabernet, 2005

Best Red Wine – Sweet Division: 
 Sandstone Cellars IV Red Port-style wine, 2006

Texas Sommelier Conference 2009

On Sunday, the conference shifted from local to global with the kick off of the 5th Annual Texas Sommelier’s Conference at the Four Seasons Las Colinas in Irving Texas. Here, more than 150 sommeliers and wine aficionados from around the state convened for a series of tastings and informative seminars on everything ranging from Spanish Riojas and Austrian Grüner Veltliners to the increasingly popular rice wine, Sake and yes, even Texas wines had a special preview.

While the conference was taking place, there were also 21 Texas sommeliers competing in a blind tasting for the award of Texas’ Best Sommelier. The prize includes round-trip tickets, tuition, and a scholarship for a Court of Master Sommeliers certification program.

The winners: John Honefenger of Tony’s restaurant in Houston won 3rd place, Anibal Calcagno of Brenner’s Steakhouse in Houston took 2nd place, and June-Ann Rodil of Uchi in Austin stole the show with first place.

Tagged: brenner’s steakhouse, flat creek, haak vineyards, inwood estate, llano estacado winery, sandstone cellars.