The Austin City Limits Music Festival (ACL) kicks off today, and it isn’t just the music scene that is attracting hoards of attendees to the festival grounds. The food lineup is just as alluring as the assortment of bands scheduled to play this year.

A myriad of Texas restaurants, including The Salt Lick, Second Bar + Kitchen, and Woodshed, will be just some of the many food vendors at the event. In years past, places like The Mighty Cone, Amy’s Ice Creams, and P. Terry’s Burger Stand have been the main culinary attractions of the festival, but this year there are some fresh talented faces in attendance, such as Pâté Letelier and Torchy’s Tacos.

To get an idea of what kind of preparation – not to mention anxiety – goes into an event like this, I reached out to a few of the vendors and asked them about the work that goes into the days leading up to ACL. You’ll see answers from them posted over the next three days of ACL. To start things off, David Bull of Second Bar + Kitchen explains how his restaurant is handling its first year as an ACL vendor.

What factors go into deciding what kind of dishes you’ll serve at an event like this?

We’re serving three different bánh mì sandwiches and our black truffle pomme frites. It was actually a long and grueling process to decide on the sandwiches. We surveyed our team on what they would want to eat, and we landed on something that was healthy-ish, hand-held, and had spice.

Avocado Bánh Mì

After a lot of brainstorming, we came up with the bánh mì sandwich, which is delicious, fresh, and hits all of the earlier points. Once we decided on the bánh mì sandwich, we then had to determine costs, yield percentage tests, and product availability, and most importantly, make sure it tasted great.

What sort of prep work and labor goes into an event like this? 

We’re preparing food for tens of thousands of people within three days; it’s crazy! By the time ACL hits, we’ll have been working for a week prior to make sure we’re prepped and ready. We’re bringing on extra hands from the Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts to help us prepare and serve at the festival – which will be invaluable experience for the students.

Pork Belly Bánh Mì

Are you going to catch any shows during ACL? If so, which ones?

If I get a chance to see shows, I will be extremely lucky!

Tagged: ACL, Amy's Ice Creams, Austin City Limits, bánh mì, David Bull, Layne Lynch, P. Terry's, Pâté Letelier, Second Bar + Kitchen, The Salt Lick, Torchy's Tacos, Woodshed

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

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

The position of pastry chef at Congress, the new and much-lauded fine dining venue in downtown Austin, didn’t stay open long. Thirty-one-year-old Erica Waksmunski has slipped into the opening left by the departure of Plinio Sandalio (who went to the Carillon, in Austin). She started on January 22.  Two days ago I sat down with Waksmunski to sample her wares (what’s the opposite of hardship pay?!) and chat about her love of making desserts and how she came to Austin for a visit and ended up with a job offer.

TM: How did you get started cooking sweet things?

EW: When I was a kid, my mom and I would begin baking at Thanksgiving to have gifts ready for everybody on our Christmas list, which included the mailman and the check-out clerk at the grocery store as well as friends and family. It was all scratch baking—breads, cookies, that sort of thing.

TM: What was the hardest?

EW: Rugelach! These are small rolled pastries filled with things like nuts and raisins. My mom is from New York—they are popular in the Northeast—and I remember spending hours and hours and hours rolling out that cream cheese dough.

TM: For you, was it always pastry, from the beginning?

EW: Actually, I cooked a lot of savory [unsweet foods] as a kid.  I remember a cooking show on TV taught by some German chef (at least, I thought he was German). I would watch it religiously, write down all the ingredients, and call my dad at work and tell him what I needed him to pick up on his way home. Then I would cook dinner.

TM: Where did you go to school and work before moving to Austin?

EW: I grew up in Virginia Beach and I went to Johnson & Wales University, which is a culinary school in Charlotte, North Carolina. After that I got an internship at Everest in Chicago—I was really lucky. I called the kitchen every single day until Chef Perry told me yes, and later I got hired there. After a couple of years, I went to Flyte World Dining & Wine, in Nashville, which was kind of crazy. I was so young in my career and it was a demanding job, but I told myself, it’s sink-or-swim time.

TM: How did you get to Texas?

EW: I had been working at Chez TJ, which is in Mountain View, in the San Francisco Bay area, and was visiting friends in Austin at Thanksgiving. I happened to be at a party talking to another chef, who mentioned that David Bull was looking for a pastry chef at Congress. I thought, Well, why not? I sent my resume on Monday night and on Tuesday morning, I got a call from chef Bull!

TM: That’s fast.

EW: It was crazy! We emailed back and forth, and then he said they were going to fly me out for an interview. I packed up some special or unusual things I knew I would need, in baggies, and got on the plane. I went straight to the restaurant and they threw me right in! I worked Friday service. Then I slept four hours, got up at 8 a.m., and made a couple of desserts for them to taste. Right after the tasting, he offered me the job.

TM: Do you fit the cliché of the pastry chef who’s a control freak?

EW: Once upon a time I would let the anxiety and stress get to me. But I took a step back, and at this point I feel like I have a way more laid-back approach to my food and management style. I’m not curing cancer; I’m just making people dinner, or dessert! (Laughs.)

TM: What is the best thing about your job—licking the spoon, plating the final result, or something else?

EW: All of the above! Come on, I make candy and sweets for a living. It’s great, it’s fun, it tastes good, and it makes people happy. I love it from start to finish.

TM: What do you think about bacon as a dessert ingredient?

EW: Oh, gosh, I am rolling my eyes here. That is a trend I find obnoxious. Yes, it’s funny. Yes, bacon tastes great with maple syrup. But, please, let’s leave bacon for breakfast.

TM: Which of your creations do you love right now?

EW: That yogurt and lime sorbet dessert. I like to end a multi-course meal on a light, palate-cleansing note. Your tongue has been bombarded, and you need to lighten it back up. That combination is fruit-forward and acidic and has punchy flavors. I’m pretty proud of it.  [Dear readers, she’s referring to her amazing Greek yogurt mousse with lime–Thai basil sorbet; they are accompanied by small cubes of compressed Asian pear in yuzu syrup, super-thin mango slices, dabs of mango purée, and feuillitine crunchies tossed with white chocolate and black lava salt. Your life will not be complete until you have it.]

TM: Last question: Dark or milk chocolate?

EW: Dark.

(Photo of Erica by Scott Walker; Photo of Dessert by David Bull)

Tagged: Congress restaurant, David Bull, Erica Waksmunski, Plinio Sandalio

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