Despite our most valiant efforts, we cannot predict the life events that await us around the corner. Before May of last year, Daniel Curtis – former food and beverage director of The Carillon – had every intention of continuing his work in the evolving Austin culinary scene. But when a diving accident on Memorial Day Weekend of last year left Curtis with a severe spinal cord injury, all of his prior life plans were derailed. His focus was no longer on cuisine; Curtis wanted to regain his mobility.

Daniel Curtis and Josh Watkins

After the tragic event, Curtis quickly realized the road to recovery would be long, hard, and certainly not cheap. Despite having insurance, Curtis’ medical bills were significant. Lucky for Curtis, though, he had some loyal friends, loving family members, and faithful coworkers that were looking out for him. A group of individuals, including Curtis’ best friend, Josh Watkins – executive chef of the The Carillon – rallied together with the Lone Star Paralysis Foundation and created a fundraiser on Curtis’ behalf. In the end, the event raised an estimated $70,000 that helped cover some of Curtis’ medical expenses.

Now over a year later, Curtis has made some significant progress in his recovery, but he still has a lot of work ahead of him. His goal is to walk again, but his recovery is still very much a work in progress. All the same, Curtis is steadfast in his commitment  to push forward and pay it forward. In fact, Curtis is repaying the life-altering gift that was given to him last year and has helped put together the Pay It Forward With Daniel Curtis Event that takes place tonight.

The fundraising event will help raise awareness and funds for individuals who, like Curtis, have suffered spinal cord injuries. Tonight from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the AT&T Executive Center, The Lone Star Paralysis Foundation hosts a night of silent auctions, live music from Kat Edmonson, and delicious cocktails and cuisine from some of Austin’s most talented culinary minds, including Josh Watkins of The Carillon, John Bates of The Noble Pig, David Bull of Congress, Shawn Cirkiel of Parkside, Callie Speer of Swift’s Attic, Philip Speer of Uchi and Uchiko, David Alan of Tipsy Texan, and several more.

To purchase tickets to this charitable event, see this link. Tickets can also be purchased at the door!

Tagged: austin, Callie Speer, Congress, Daniel Curtis, David Alan, David Bull, John Bates, Josh Watkins, Layne Lynch, Parkside, Pay It Forward, Philip Speer, Shawn Ciriel, Swift's Attic, the Carillon, The Noble Pig, Tipsy Texan, uchi, uchiko

Seven months ago, Austin was introduced to a new Italian restaurant – Trento – from former Congress chefs Alex Kahn and Andreas Exarhos. In the short amount of time this neighborhood restaurant has been open, Trento has been turning heads and catching the attention of palates across the city. Chefs Kahn and Exarhos talked with TEXAS MONTHLY about their new restaurant, Italian cuisine, and their hopes of becoming a fine-dining establishment.

How did you guys get involved with Trento?

Alex Kahn: I was at Congress when my dad started telling me that Donnie [Damuth], the general manager and co-owner [of Trento], was interested in opening an Italian restaurant. I asked if he needed a chef and found out that he did. I talked to Andreas [Exarhos] about it, and we both decided to come over here.

You guys have known each other a while, right?

Andreas Exarhos: Yeah, Alex and I met five years ago. I had just left The Driskill Hotel and he had just started there. We saw each other in passing a little over the years every once in a while. When David Bull opened Congress, I was part of the opening staff there and Alex started the first week we opened – four years after we had first met. I left Congress last November because we got the Trento space on November fifteenth, so as soon as that paperwork was taken care of and approved, I was ready to transition to Trento. At the beginning of October, we were doing a lot of investor dinners, so all our weekends were taken up doing that and I was still at Congress working full time. By the time we got the space, everything happened very fast.

What attracted you guys to the project?

Andreas Exarhos: The opportunity was pretty unique for both Alex and me because we are actually partners in the business. We have as much say as the other two owners, which from a chef’s perspective is pretty incredible. The whole time it was planned to be an Italian restaurant, but we kind of went through a series of ideas trying to decide if we wanted to do a regional Italian restaurant or something more broad in its scope, and after opening and getting feedback from our audience, we definitely had to make some changes. The concept has become more broad then I think we ever knew it was going to be, but we’re a casual restaurant in a family neighborhood. That can be difficult to accommodate at times, but that’s what we’re here to do. That’s what we enjoy doing.

One thing I’ve noticed about the Austin restaurant scene is that it’s not at the point where you can open something that’s too specific or too regional and succeed. 

Andreas Exarhos: I think that’s fair to say.

Alex Kahn: I agree. It’s difficult. Austin is catching up to the trends out there, like using the whole animal as opposed to just parts of it. We were working on a lot of things that we changed, but we have to work with the audience that we have.

What is the direction of the menu? 

Andreas Exarhos: Our menu, for the most part, is pretty consistent. We don’t make too many changes to the printed menu, but we have specials for lunch and dinner every single day. That’s where Alex and I, as well as our cooks, get to be more creative. We work with some really great purveyors who let us know what they have coming and what’s fresh. It gives us something we can play with, and that keeps things creative for us. It’s been a lot of fun to do that every day.

Was working with local purveyors and farmers something you planned to do from the beginning?

Alex Kahn: Absolutely. Especially in Austin, everybody loves to go local, use local, support local, and all that stuff. And I agree with that direction. I think working with farmers and purveyors and using Texas products is great. We definitely go with that standard because that’s what people expect from restaurants these days.

I hardly ever see a restaurant that has two head chefs. How do you guys work together so well?

Alex Kahn: Like Andreas always says, we kind of balance each other out. I’m out of my mind and Andreas is really….not out of his mind. He’s calm; I’m not calm.

Andreas Exarhos: Our energy manifests very differently.

Alex Kahn: There you go!

Where do you guys want to go in the Austin culinary scene? Do you see Trento becoming something like Congress or Uchi?

Alex Kahn: For the location we have right now, I think it’s actually going to get more casual down the road. I’m not sure yet. We’ve just been open for seven months. Everything has been great, but I think our second location is going to be smaller. I think we’ll be able to be more fine-dining like, so we’ll be able to be on that level with restaurants like Congress. It’ll let me and Andreas shine because we have those fine-dining backgrounds. We are happy where we are now, but it’s a casual family restaurant in a fancy neighborhood, so it’s hard to play with a lot of things like Uchi and Congress can. They can do all kinds of crazy stuff, and nobody shies away from them when they do it.

What are some of your favorite menu items at Trento?

Andreas Exarhos: I have a couple favorites. The caprese salad is one because it’s very simple and traditional. We use imported buffalo milk mozzarella. We get these great tomatoes, fresh basil, and olive oil from Con’ Olio, and that’s it. It’s really simple. It’s something I ate when I lived in Rome, and it’s been awesome to bring that here because so many caprese salads aren’t made the way they would be in Italy. The spaghetti carbonara is great, too. It has a very authentic preparation that relies on a few key ingredients to come together and make everything taste incredible.

Alex Kahn: I have a couple of favorites. We get fresh mussels in almost every day. We cook them with white-wine sauce and mint pesto. It’s just so refreshing and not overwhelming, which a lot of mussels tend to be. My other favorite would be the salmon. It’s a fresh Scottish salmon with some red sauerkraut, hazelnut leeks, and a little watercress salad. It’s our best seller and I just love it.

Tagged: Alex Kahn, Andreas Exarhos, austin, Congress, Layne Lynch, Trento

Uchi and Uchiko together swept the first annual Austin CultureMap Tastemaker Awards gala on Thursday night at the Driskill Hotel, taking three prizes out of seven. The two sibling restaurants won for best restaurant, best decor and atmosphere, and best pastry chef (Philip Speer). The crowd in attendance at the lively upstairs venue, with music blasting away, was composed of the usual Austin foodies, the restaurant, wine, and bar community, and a young, new, rather dazzled-looking contingent that caused the old-timers to mutter, “Who are these people?”
Other winners were David Bull of Congress for best chef (pictured), June Rodil of Congress for best wine and beverage service, and Chauncy James of East Side Showroom for best mixologist.
The winner of the “new restaurant challenge,” a people’s choice award, was Contigo.
The awards ceremony was preceded by the usual walk-around-and-eat-and-drink-till-you-drop affair, with very impressive food and drinkies presented mainly by the nominees; the Driskill Hotel’s executive chef Jonathan Gelman, befitting his role as host, pulled out all the stops with duck tamales with mole, charred corn, foie crema, and apple relish, tied up in teeny corn husks. Best Chef David Bull’s fabulous short ribs were no slouch either. For dessert, the Driskill passed a series of cordial-filled chocolates, which almost caused a stampede.
The winners were determined by a secret ballot of journalists and writers who cover food and drink in Austin, honorary chairs being chefs Robert Del Grande of RDG in Houston, and Andrew Weissman of Il Sogno and Sandbar in San Antonio. The awards were sponsored by CultureMap web site and will benefit the newly formed Austin Food & Wine Alliance, a new nonprofit organization that gives culinary-related grants. It will sponsor the tremendously popular Live Fire! cooking event featuring award-winning chefs on April 26 at the Salt Lick Pavilion, kicking off the Austin Wine & Food Festival.

Tagged: Chauncy James, Congress, Contigo, CultureMap, David Bull, East Side Show Room, June Rodil, Philip Speer, Tastemaker Awards, uchi, uchiko

Dining Room at Congress, Austin. (Photo Ryann Ford)

Starting in 2002, I have eaten my weight in lamb chops, roasted beets, pork belly, and micro-cilantro every year to come up with Texas Monthly’s annual list of the most innovative, exciting, and delicious new Texas restaurants. For 2012, our feature “Where to Eat Now” runs the gamut from a glittering, high-style dining room in downtown Austin to a causal sushi-and-sake bar in Fort Worth.

The full story can be found in the March issue and online. The top ten and runners-up are below.

Pumpkin cheesecake, Barley Swine. (Photo Jody Horton)

The number one slot was captured by Congress, a secluded enclave on the first floor of the swank Austonian condo tower. Since it opened on New Year’s Eve 2010, outfitted in icy crystal lights and cushy booths, Congress has become the city’s default location for special occasions of all types.

(Tip: Congress is also an excellent  choice if you forgot to send candy and flowers on Valentine’s.) Austinites will remember executive chef David Bull when he was a rookie making a name for himself at the Driskill Hotel a few years ago. Now (after a sojourn in Dallas) he’s back in town, at the top of his game.

The year just passed is notable for bringing several dining trends into sharper focus. Chief among them is what I call the offal truth, a.k.a. nose-to-tail eating. Locally sourced ingredients are also the rule these days. Pigs are big, which is observation about both their size and their popularity on menus.

Casual and small-plate dining are more prevalent than ever (several of the top ten choices have beer gardens and community tables). But fine dining is hardly on the way out (three spots are formal with a vengeance). As for culinary style, it’s all over the map: four of

Duck Three Ways, Marquee (Photo Kevin Marple)

the top places are American melting pot, two are classic French, two are Italian, one Indian, and one Japanese.

Here is the list, in order: 1. Congress, Austin. 2. Barley Swine, Austin. 3. Marquee, Dallas. 4. Coppa, Houston. 5. Philippe, Houston. 6. The Monterey, San Antonio. 7. Contigo, Austin. 8. Lucia, Dallas. 9. Pondicheri, Houston. 10. Shinjuku Station, Fort Worth.

The five runners-up (listed alphabetically by city) are Mesa Veracruz Coastal Cuisine, Dallas; Private Social, Dallas. Revolver Taco Lounge, Fort Worth. Feast, San Antonio; Restaurant Gwendolyn, San Antonio.

The restaurants in this year’s story opened between November 1, 2010, and November 1, 2011.

Tagged: Andrew Wiseheart, Anita Jaisinghani, Barley Swine, Ben Edgerton, Brandi Key, Bryce Gilmore, Chris Shepherd, Congress, Contigo, Coppa, David Bull, David Uygur, Erica Waksmunski, Feast, Indika, Jarry Ho, Jennifer Uygur, Lucia, Marquee Grill, Mesa Veracruz Coastal Cuisine, Michael Sohocki, Olga Reyes, Philippe restaurant, Philippe Schmit, Pondicheri, Private Social, Quealy Watson, Raul Reyes, Rebecca Meeker, Restaurant Gwendolyn, Revolver Taco Lounge, Robert Cain, Shinjuku Station, Stefan Bowers, the Monterey, Tiffany Derry, Tre Wilcox, Where to Eat Now 2012

There’s nothing like a bandwagon. No sooner did Food & Wine and Bon Appétit fall all over themselves to give Austin a whole lotta love than StarChefs.com (an online magazine for chefs and culinary insiders) decided to hold one of its four national awards ceremonies in Austin this year.  Their editorial board scoured the landscape for the top talent in Texas’ capital city (and in San Antonio, too) and recently announced more than a dozen winners in nine categories.

As a result, in February, a gaggle of the hottest chefs in Austin and San Antonio are going to be in one place at one time, offering samples of their best bites. And there will be some choice wine and cocktail sips too.

Here’s what you need to know: The tasting will be held on Tuesday, February 21, from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Driskill Hotel. Tickets are $85 for regular admission, $125 for VIP, and can be purchased online at starchefs.com/tickets or by calling 212-966-7575.

So, is StarChefs.com on the mark as far as their choices go? In my humble opinion, absolutely. They considered around 60 candidates (which they found through talking to local media and doing their own research, followed up by in-person tastings and interviews).

OK, it’s time to cut to the chase. Who won?

In the chefs category, it’s David Bull, Congress; Ned Elliott, Foreign & Domestic; Aaron Franklin, Franklin Barbecue; Bryce Gilmore, Barley Swine; Rene Ortiz, La Condesa; Paul Qui, Uchiko; Quealy Watson, The Monterey, in San Antonio; Andrew Wiseheart, Contigo.

In the pastry chefs category, it’s Plinio Sandalio, Carillon; Philip Speer, Uchiko. In the sustainability chef category, it’s Michael Sohocki, Restaurant Gwendolyn, in San Antonio. In the hotel chef category, it’s Josh Watkins, Carillon. In the artisan category, it’s John Bates and Brandon Martinez, Noble Pig. In the restaurateurs category, Tyson Cole, the Uchi group; Jason Dady, Bin 555, Tre Trattoria, Two Bros. BBQ Market, all in San Antonio. In the sommelier category, it’s June Rodil, Congress. In the mixologist category, it’s Jeret Peña, The Esquire, in San Antonio.

The host chef is  Jonathan Gelman, Driskill Grill. (By the way, the photograph is from a StarChefs.com  gala held in New York last year.)

Tagged: Aaron Franklin, Andrew Wiseheart, austin, Barley Swine, Bin 555, Bon Appetit, Brandon Martinez, Bryce Gilmore, Carillon, Congress, Contigo, David Bull, driskill grill, Food & Wine, Foreign & Domestic, Franklin Barbecue, Jason Dady, Jeret Pena, John Bates, Johnathan Gelman, Josh Watkins, June Rodil, la condesa, Michael Sohocki, Ned Elliott, Noble Pig, Paul Qui, Philip Speer, Plinio Sandalio, Quealy Watson, Rene Ortiz, Restaurant Gwendolyn, san antonio, StarChefs.com, the Monterey, Tre Trattoria, Two Bros. BBQ Market, Tyson Cole, uchi, uchiko

(The famous Perini Ranch mesquite-smoked peppered beef tenderloin. Photo by Pat Sharpe)

Editor’s Note: This guest post is by longtime Texan Jim Shahin, now a resident of Washington, D.C…. and “craving Central Texas barbecue almost every minute of every day,” he says. The “Smoke Signals” columnist for the Washingon Post, Shahin was also a contributor to our 1997 barbecue Top 50.

Ten years ago this month, Tom Perini arrived in Washington D.C., from his ranch in Buffalo Gap, Texas, proud to be catering the annual Congressional Picnic at the White House.

The event was a huge deal for the Texas cowboy who started his career in 1973 as a chuck wagon cook for hungry ranch hands. In 1983, he had opened Perini Ranch Steakhouse, which developed a reputation for excellence far beyond Buffalo Gap, a town of about 400 outside Abilene. Academy Award-winner Robert Duvall had found his way to the remote restaurant, as had Billy Bob Thornton, who told Men’s Journal that Perini’s smoked brisket was the best he ever ate.

Perini’s culinary fame eventually reached the Texas governor’s mansion, where he regularly catered barbecues for George W. Bush. “When he ran for president, I remember fantasizing about cooking at the White House,” recalls Perini.

In May 2001, he got his chance when President Bush asked Perini to cater the 2001 Congressional Picnic in the fall. The gala would be a Texas-themed, and Texas-sized, party that would feature country music’s Ray Benson and Asleep at the Wheel.

In June, Perini arrived in Washington to work out details with White House chefs. “I told them we were going to have bread pudding, green chile hominy, Southern green beans and beef tenderloin,” Perini, 68, recalls. “And the chef from the White House said, ‘You’re in Washington, and you have to cook chicken.’ I said, ‘I’m sorry, but I’m not serving chicken.’

“The room got real quiet. ‘When you are serving a Texas chuck wagon meal, you serve beef.’ I said, ‘If you want another meat, I’ll do catfish.’”

After some discussion, and a later conversation with the president himself, the entrees were set: mesquite-smoked peppered tenderloin and fried catfish. (more…)

Tagged: 9/11, bbq, Beef Tenderloin, buffalo gap, Catfish, Congress, George W. Bush, September 11, tom perini