January 30, 2012

Austin: Name-Dropping … Vince Young Steakhouse at James Beard House

Most famous for handing out prestigious awards, the mission of the James Beard Foundation is “to celebrate, preserve, and nurture America’s culinary heritage and diversity in order to elevate the appreciation of our culinary excellence.” So, chefs are invited to “perform” at the Beard House by presenting lunches, brunches, workshops, and dinners to Foundation members and the public. Recently, the chefs from Vince Young Steakhouse were invited to prepare a dinner.
 

Any questions about the legitimacy of a namesake steakhouse from former UT QB  should be alleviated by this invitation. When Vince Young Steakhouse cooked at the James Beard House last weekend in New York, Executive Chef Philip Brown said, “Cooking at the Beard House is one of those pinnacle moments, a bucket-list item for your career. It was an amazing experience for myself and my team and truly exceeded every expectation I had.”

Menu
Hors d’Oeuvre
Crispy Pork Belly with Fennel and Garlic
Braised Short Ribs on Grit Cakes
Duck Prosciutto Flatbread with Goat Cheese and Arugula
Pulled Pork Tacos with Pickled Onions, Cilantro–Jalapeño Crème Fraîche, and Margarita Shooters
Champagne Jean Pernet Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs NV

Dinner
Foie Gras Duo > Foie Gras Custard with Seared Foie Gras and Brioche
Domaine des Baumard Quarts de Chaume 2007

Farm-to-Table Salad > Roasted Local Texas Beets with Texas Blue Cheese and Champagne Vinaigrette
Siduri Sierra Mar Vineyard Pinot Noir 2010

Fish and Chips > Olive Oil–Poached Halibut with Parsnip–Apple Purée and Brown Butter
Tablas Creek Vineyard Côtes de Tablas Blanc 2009

Meat and Potatoes > Prime Rib-Eye with White Truffle–Gnocchi Macaroni and Cheese, Broccolini, and Bone Marrow–Red Wine Demi-Glace
V Madrone Old Vine Zinfandel 2007

Milk and Cookies > Brown Butter Financiers with Chocolate Ganache and Chocolate–Cabernet Sauvignon Milkshake
The Rare Wine Co. Historic Series Charleston Sercial Special Reserve Madeira NV

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January 27, 2012

Feel Good Friday 012712 [updated]

Feel Good Friday is a roundup of the things that made me feel good or that I’m grateful for all week. Join me and leave your Feel Goods in the comments!

  • Epic ski weekend last weekend. Lessons, pow, hot tubs, friends, double-blacks … oh yeah.
  • This paleo-ish cookie recipe. It’s amazingly delicious, memorized, and so much better than Paradise Bakery. Er. Well. Close. Better for me.
  • Sometimes I still cannot figure out why I choose to continue to live in Aspen. Then I walk through this on a casual stroll with Nali:
    snow tree tunnel
  • Giving blood.
  • Park City, Utah family vacation! Can’t wait to see mom, dad, bro, aunts, uncles, and cousins! And some celebs … hello Sundance. Oh, and to ski some new terrain :-)
  • Found out I’m part French! I started my life thinking I was mostly German and Czech, turned into a lot of Irish, now French … what’s next?! This is my great grandfather’s family crest—on a coaster: 
    Griffin crest
    [update] My aunt just arrived in Park City and told me the REAL story of our Griffin crest … it’s black Irish, which is thought to be Irish mingled with Spanish when the Spanish Armada wrecked off the coast of Ireland. Great grandpa Ditto is still Norse Irish, so we’re still giant European mutts, but with a Spanish flair rather than French…

See last week’s Feel Goods here.

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January 26, 2012

Aspen: X Games 2012 … it’s all about the music

Last year I was super psyched to go to X Games and really surprised no one would go with me!

… then I went.

… and now, I will probably not ever go again either. (I also happen to be in Park City this weekend, yay!)

It’s awesome, yes, that X Games are in Aspen. But it’s really crowded, the views are not awesome, and the lines for the buses are beyond ridiculous.

However, the music in town for X Games is also ridiculous. Ridiculous. So we have to appreciate that!

Saturday the always-free Hi-Fi Concert Series at the base of Aspen mountain features AWOLNATION, at 5:30p. Although I enjoyed Big Boi last year, AWOLNATION is definitely a hot-hot act right now and sure to please the X Games crowd.

Belly Up has some stellar acts, a few of which are already sold old (Deadmau5 sold out in a flash and caused a lot of drama to boot):

xgames belly up music aspen

Plus Sunday night TheGoodLife! & Louie Vito present Raekwon & Ghostface Killah with very special guests DJ Spider & 12th Planet.

Heading to the actual X Games? Map below:

Buttermilk Mountain Winter X Games Aspen 2012 spectator map. Click here to download the large version of this map.

EatAspen has a list of all the X Games deals in town here.

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January 26, 2012

DIY: Beachy Mantel with Painted Driftwood

Operation Beach House is in full swing in my abode in Aspen, Colorado. I realize it might be a contrast to be building a beach house mantel on the mantel that sits over my real, wood-burning fireplace, but I am nothing if not a study in contrasts.

beachy mantel aspen colorado

Beach pics + driftwood + happy collage = beachy mantel

hula hut frame

I spray-painted a thrift store frame blue, then framed a Hula Hut post card in an homage to both the tropics and my beloved hometown.

painted driftwood

Spray paint FTW! It took lots of coats because the wood soaked up the paint, but the end result is a faded-but-bright look I adore.

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January 23, 2012

Easy Tiger! Bake Shop & Beer Garden Opens Today

Someone go try it for me please?

Bread and beer. Things I shouldn’t eat but happen to love. [Sidenote: there's a new bakery in Aspen on the mall under the Psychic called Annette's and the bread there is TO DIE FOR, so to speak, as I ate almost half a loaf and spent the rest of the night with sores in my mouth and farting. Sorry that's gross. But I'm pretty sure I can thank the high gluten factor for that. But there's sourdough...] Back to Easy Tiger, 709 E. Sixth Street, the long-awaited new bake shop and beer garden (this post has it opening in May … of 2011)  from the 24 Diner people.

The key players:

Bread: Artisan baker David Norman [creds: Grand Central Bakery (leading artisan bakery in Pacific Northwest), TriBakery (supplying NY greats such as Tribeca Grill and Nobu), Ecce Panis (NY, NJ) and Bouley Bakery (NY)]. Breads: baguettes, French country levain, rye bread, German pretzels, Danish, turnovers and more all day long.

Beer: Billy Caruso [creds: CIA graduate and 24 Diner sommelier] Cocktails, wine, unique bombers, and 30 craft beers on tap: local Real Ale and Jester King and boutique domestics such as Avery, Lagunitas and Ommegang.

Meat: Andrew Curren [creds: CIA valedictorian, worked for top New York restaurateurs Danny Meyer and Jonathan Waxman, nom for People’s Best New Chef from Food & Wine magazine/CNN’s Eatocracy, Top Chef: Texas] House-cured meats: housemade sausages, jerky, corned beef and pastrami, as well as homemade krauts, relishes and peperonata.

Decor: Veronica Koltuniak [creds: clients include Madonna, Courteney Cox, and Jennifer Lopez] The Royal Tenenbaums: “Turn-of-the-century building meets end-of-the-century kitsch.”

Seriously. Someone go and report back. I can’t put myself in another gluten coma.

easytigeraustin.com / twitter.com/EasyTigerATX / facebook.com/EasyTigerATX

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January 23, 2012

Austin & Aspen: Blind Cafe Dinners

That’s right, a Boulder-based company is hosting two visiting events in the two cities I call home. The parallels!

The Blind Cafe comes to Austin January 26-28 and Aspen February 14. The Blind Cafe is a completely dark dinner, live music, and speaking experience. For more on the individual events in each of the cities, read on.

AUSTIN Blind Cafe

Keynote speaker Richie Flores will lead a Q&A and discussion on life with blindness. Richie is the president of the National Federation of the Blind in Austin, runs The BELL program (helping young blind children learn valuable life skills) and will also be doubling as a musician in the band.

Dinner is a delicious multicourse vegetarian/vegan meal prepared by local Chef Brian Henderson and includes a decadent, dark chocolate dessert. Then, guests indulge their ears during a full set of live music by Rosh & One Eye Glass Broken. Proceeds from The Austin Blind Café will be donated to support The BELL Program (a two week workshop for blind children in Austin).                        

Where: The Church of Christ (1903 University Avenue)

When:  January 26th, 27th & 28th  (Thursday – Saturday)

Thurs & Fri: (6:45pm check-in / 7pm seating)

Sat: (5:45pm check-in / 6pm seating)

Tickets: Available by calling 1-800-838-3006 and online at brownpapertickets.com/event/212981

Cost:  *Special pricing note: Guests are asked to ‘pay what you can’ from $45-$95 (suggested ticket cost is $55) to keep the event accessible to all. Group rates (8+ people) call 720.495.7797

theblindcafe.com/austin-blind-cafe.htm

ASPEN Blind Cafe

Make this Valentine’s Day something extraordinary: spend an evening in an event completely unlike anything else. Visit the Sky Hotel in for a delicious three course meal, full concert and community awareness event in complete darkness. The servers at the event are blind and guests have the special opportunity to explore darkness with their keynote speaker, Gerry Lerry, who will lead a Q&A and discussion on life with blindness. Gerry has been blind since birth. He was a car mechanic for over 40 years and then shifted gears to pursue one of his great loves, coffee. Gerry taught himself the roasting industry and opened his own coffee roasting business and café, The Unseen Bean, in Boulder, Colorado.

Dinner is a delicious three course meal that includes a decadent dark chocolate dessert that will be prepared by the Sky Hotel’s star chef. Full set of live music by founder Rosh & One Eye Glass Broken. Then there is the Black Box. It’s something special for this Valentines Café. While in the darkness guests will open their Black Box. What’s inside? To figure that out, they’ll have explore their senses of smell, taste and touch!

The Blind Café is also committed to giving back and improving the lives of sight limited individuals in our communities and will donate 10% of proceeds to Challenge Aspen to help their efforts supporting the blind.

Where: Aspen’s Sky Hotel

When:  February 14th  (Two times: 5pm or 8:30pm)

Tickets: Call 1-800-838-3006 or online at brownpapertickets.com/event/215857

Cost:   $195

theblindcafe.com/aspen-blind-cafe-valentines-day.htm

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January 20, 2012

Feel Good Friday 012012

Feel Good Friday is a roundup of the things that made me feel good or that I’m grateful for all week. Join me and leave your Feel Goods in the comments!

  • My all-girls basketball team, Box and 1. We’re good.
  • 14+ inches of new snow, an extended season pass, and upcoming Locals Clinic lessons … Bumps and Steeps here I come!
  • New (to me) couch! You are so comfy, mr. sectional. (more pics to come of entire home office soon!)
    sectional
  • Great feedback from friends and fam on the upcoming release of the coolest thing I’ve ever done. Stay tuned.
  • Happy chili with friends after a grueling game of basketball.
  • Dinner at the Pullman in Glenwood Springs. It definitely deserves the hype.
  • Dog farts. Seriously, is there anything funnier?

See last week’s Feel Goods here.

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January 19, 2012

DIY: Updated Home Office Desk Table

I’m busy setting up my home office space in preparation for the big project I’m in the middle of launching right now. Instead of a traditional desk, I wanted a giant table so I could spread projects out. I went to the Habitat Restore and picked up a $25 table, then took to it with purple spray paint.

Here are the pieces (leaf and table top, legs removed):

spray painting the table purple painting purple table

Unfortunately, there was a little mishap with some melting snow, so it ended up creating a really cool water-splashed look on the top of the table. With DIY, I never expect perfection and embrace the unique designs accidents give me.

snow issue

Using screen + snuggie to block more snow from melting onto table while it dries … getting creative …

snuggie protector

Badass workspace!

home office with purple table

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January 18, 2012

Houston: Houston Uchi Opens Feb 2

… but they start taking reservations today! I used to cover the Houston restaurant scene for a luxury magazine, and let me tell you, competition is fierce in one of the fattest cities in the nation. I say that lovingly, as I think Houston is one of the best cities in the nation if you know where to go and what to do. Nonetheless, I think there’s little doubt the Houston outpost of Austin’s most famous restaurant (too bold a claim?) will be a success. Reservations at www.uchirestaurants.com or 713.522.4808.

The second location of Chef Tyson Cole’s critically-acclaimed restaurant, Uchi, will open to the public on February 2nd.  In the iconic former Felix space on Westheimer near the corner of Montrose. Offerings from the kitchen and sushi bar showcase his signature style of combining unexpected textures and flavors, pushing the boundaries of Japanese cuisine, drawing flavor inspiration from numerous points around the globe and mixing traditional master knife work with cutting-edge techniques.

Acclaimed pastry chef Philip Speer ends things on a sweet note with his ground-breaking desserts that showcase familiar flavors in completely original forms and combinations. Chef Cole is pleased to name Kaz Edwards of the original Uchi as chef de cuisine in Houston.  Monica Glenn, longtime protégé of Philip Speer, will be pastry chef.

The transformation of the building from the Felix space was helmed by (obviously) Michael Hsu, who also designed almost every impressive restaurant space in Austin including Uchi, Uchiko, Malverde, and so on.

“We have been looking forward to becoming a part of the Houston community for many months,” says Chef Tyson Cole, recent winner of James Beard Foundation Best Chef Southwest. “It’s a thrill to open our doors.”

904 Westheimer / Houston, Texas 77006

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January 17, 2012

Austin: Grand Opening of Hiatus Spa + Retreat Tonight

Remember the awesome massage I had a few weeks back? The spa, though it has been open about two months, is having its grand opening tonight with lots of treats, including wine, cocktails, spa experiences, giveaways, discounts, and more. Stop by and check it out!

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