Posts tagged ‘wine’

July 6, 2010

Austin: Free Bottle of Wine …

… with the purchase of two lunches or dinners at Fogo de Chao on Wednesdays all summer.

Ironically, you’ll choose between two Chilean wines from Casa Lapostolle, the Merlot (2005) or the Cabernet Sauvignon (2007). Fogo de Chao is a Brazilian steakhouse. But hey, it’s all South American!

And it’s really the perfect excuse to eat loads of meat, get a little day-drunk (ok, the dinner option is good too), and have a perfectly marvelous summer Wednesday. The only catch? You have to make reservations by entering WINE 2010 into the comments box when making your reservation online at fogo.com, or mentioning it to the reservationist when calling 512.472.0220. Oh, and you have to be 21, obvi.

Downtown at 3rd & San Jacinto, Visit http://www.fogodechao.com/wine-dine-austin for more details.

June 17, 2010

Aspen: Um, duh? Food & Wine Classic Weekend

It’s this weekend, kids. If you didn’t have the $1,185 to buy the big tickets, or even the $295 to buy a 1-day pass (steal! if that’s your cup of tea anyway), you can still enjoy the Food & Wine melee with the rest. Word on the street is that there are over 100 private parties in addition to the official Food & Wine events, and the shops and stores along the mall are pulling out all the stops to get people inside (read: free wine and food).

Since I didn’t win two free passes from the plastics site, I’ll be wandering around town looking for cool stuff to participate in. I pretty much equate this to a fancier SXSW, where you don’t need anything but your own two feet to walk around and get into some fun parties and events.

I mean, Aspen is a small town. There are only so many places for celeb chefs Jacques Pepin, David Chang, Giada DeLaurentiis, Michael Symon, Morimoto, Thomas Keller, and Top Chef judges Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons to go …

From my short time here, I’d recommend they:

  • Get chippers at Paradise Bakery
  • Try Brexi Brasserie – it’s just across the street from the main part of the fest, and it’s AWESOME
  • Eat a burger + sweet potato fries from J Bar or Belly Up, both feature free-range meat and crisp fries
  • Get the Kale Salad at Peach’s Corner Cafe. People watch. Eat your delicious, refreshing salad.
  • Hike Aspen Mountain. You need to burn calories, and the view cannot. be. beat.
  • Visit Carl’s Pharmacy. A General Store throwback if I’ve ever seen one. You must go upstairs too.

Also, the newly-expanded Saturday Farmer’s Market opens this weekend. It’s located on E. Hopkins from Hunter to Galena and features produce, meats, and artisan crafts from across Colorado. I can’t wait to hit it up!

Last bit of advice for Food & Wine, from a festival-going, wine-drinking pro: Pace yourself. Drink lots of water. FIJI water is owned by an Aspen family and freely distributed within the festival, take advantage of it. Also, wear a huge, fashionable hat and sunscreen. Waking up hungover AND sunburned just adds insult to injury.

May 28, 2010

Austin: Memorial Day Weekend’s What to Do

FareCompare had me write a Guest Post on what to do for Memorial Day Weekend. Part of it is excerpted below, and I’ve got two more shindigs added to the bottom of the list:

Memorial Day weekend in Austin means one thing: the lake. Austin’s hot summers call for long days spent in and on the water, and Memorial Day is the official unofficial kickoff to boating season. Most of the revelers will take to Lake Travis, where Devil’s Cove is wall-to-wall boats and nary a shirt is in sight, because the city’s in-town lake, Lake Austin, usually bans personal watercraft.

Boat

Hop on a party barge, like the one thrown by Austin Sports & Social Club. Rent a boat from Just for Fun–make reservations in advance. Or trailer your boat down if you’re road-tripping, there are plenty of public-access boat ramps.

Eat

All that time in the sun is sure to make you hungry, and Austin has no shortage of lakefront eateries. On Lake Travis, boat in to the newly-revamped Ski Shores and grab a legendary burger, or hit the landmark Oasis, though know that you’re there for the view and margaritas, not the food. On Lake Austin, try an Austintini at Hula Hut, where wait times can be over 2 hours but it’s more than worth it, or Abel’s on the Lake (they’re neighbors). Any of these spots is worth seeing even if you’re not planning on getting your feet wet.

At Night

Wanna see the sights but not down for $2 jaegerbombs at Latitude30 with the college kids? Walk the (in)famous East Sixth Street to get to Alamo Drafthouse at the Ritz, a movie theatre-restaurant where you can get a bucket of beer–or Jack and Coke–with your giant bowl of popcorn. If you’re still up for going out, be sure to check out Austin’s Kung Fu Saloon on West Sixth Street, the kind of bar that would only make it in Austin. It offers free skee ball–naturally.

Deep in the Heart of Texas

Austin may fool you into thinking its not like the rest of Texas most of the time, but hit up the Broken Spoke to be reminded that you are, in fact, in the Republic of Texas. Don boots you snagged at Allen’s Boots on the drag or Heritage Boots downtown, button up your pearl snap, and learn the two-step. It’s easy.

More Austin faves you need to check out:

Fancy dinner: Olivia, Uchi, Wink, or TRIO
Outside: Run Lady Bird Lake, throw a frisbee in Zilker Park, or walk South Congress
Snacks: Cupcakes at SugarMama’s Bakeshop or daily special from Odd Duck Trailer

All Weekend: Wine & Music Festival at the Domain

http://www.austinwineandmusicfestival.com/tickets.html

Sunday: $15 all-you-can-eat Crawfish at Gibson

And you KNOW you can eat a LOT of crawfish.

File it under WTF: Memorial Day Weekend Saturday

I can’t do this event justice, so I’m copy-pasting the email (original colors, spelling, and formatting preserved. Literal copy-paste here). If you can figure out what it means, probably means you’re cool enough to attend?

In the BACONATOR storyline, frynet was originally installed into the U.S. military mainfryer to control the national gravy supply. Shortly afterward it gained sentience and the panicking high ranking skilets, realizing the extent of its abilities, attempted to pull the plug. Frynet perceived the attempt to deactivate it as an attack and came to the conclusion that all of the outdated household appliances would attempt to destroy it. To defend itself, it came to one conclusion: Humanity must be baconated.

Before it could be deactivated, Frynet launched The Thingamabots under its command at Russia, to which Russia responded in kind by fryering as many of its breakfast sausages as possible back at the United States and its allies. As a result of the food fight, over three billion humans were killed in just minutes. Governments around the world collapsed and anarchy descended.

1215am Built By Snow
1115pm The Seas -CD Release
1030m STEREO IS A LIE
945pm Red Falcon
900pm Wave Hands Like Clouds
8pm DJ Czech + BACONATOR – Debut on the turn tables!!!!!!!!!!!!

FOOD FIGHT to commence in the outside area of ND.

Free Bacardi Mojitos from 8pm – 10pm!!!!!!!! FREE Sweet Tea Vokda 10pm -11pm!

Special EP Listening Party for The Seas new EP!!!!

RSVP for $5 Entry at Do512: http://do512.com/event/2010/05/29/baconator-vs-the-thingamabots

and just because I love CrossFit so much:

The South Central Regional at GSX in Fort Worth will be streaming live coverage all day Saturday and Sunday at http://live.crossfit.com.

May 27, 2010

Aspen: Plastics Make Food & Wine Possible?

Honestly, this is probably the number one thing people said to me as I started talking about being in Aspen for part of the summer — “Oh, are you going to Food & Wine?”

PMIP Aricle Image[1]

Well, no. Hopefully we can spring for a locals’ tasting, or at least hit up a cool afterparty. Unless, of course, I win this Take the Aspen Challenge! Plastics Make It Possible ticket giveaway. [Insert Graduate joke here]

Just answer: “How do you use plastics to create your favorite foods or memorable parties?” Post a comment about your favorite tools and techniques for using plastic for food preparation, storage, or entertaining for a chance to win two passes to the FOOD & WINE Classic in Aspen, June 18-20 AND $500!

The contest closes at 11:59 p.m. MT on June 3, and the winner will be announced at 5:00 p.m. MT on June 4. Contest rules and restrictions here.

January 26, 2010

Texas Hill Country Wine and Food Festival

Making it to 25 is a huge milestone–while I was pretty sure I’d see 25, I had some friends I was worried about. The Texas Hill Country Wine and Food Festival is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year with some really cool events and a really cool deal–tix to Sunday Faire are only $25!

If you’re a Wine and Food newbie, here are the top five events (check the site for all the others):

THURSDAY APRIL 15 Texas Culinary Masters 6:30pm – 9:30pm   BUY NOW – $150
The Four Seasons Hotel – Lakeside Lawn

The grandaddy of events always features masterful chefs and multiple courses. This year, nationally-acclaimed chef Kent Rathbun (of Abacus and Jaspers in Dallas), Stephan Pyles (of Stephan Pyles Restaurant in Dallas) and Brian Caswell (of Reef restaurant in Houston) will join TRIO’s Elmar Prambs and Naomi Gallego to create an amazing dinner under the stars. If you’ve got the dough, go. Sells out quickly.

THURSDAY APRIL 15 Texas25 7:00pm – 9:00pm   BUY NOW – $25
Whole Foods Market – Rooftop Plaza

A brand new event this year, the brainchild of a new executive director is a $25 event featuring 25+ reasons we love Texas—all related to food and drink. The perfect intro to the Texas Wine & Food festival!

FRIDAY APRIL 16 Stars Across Texas Grand Tasting 7:00pm – 10:00pm   BUY NOW – $100
Stars Across Texas VIP Lounge
Long Center for the Performing Arts

Like the Culinary Masters dinner, this is an amazing feast from celeb chefs. But unlike the more intimate dinner, Stars Across Texas is a gala affair on the patio of the Long Center, with sweeping vistas of downtown and sweeping gowns all around. Also … it gets lively once the wine starts flowing!


SATURDAY APRIL 17 Local Focus: Texas Wine & Cheese Pairing – $50
10:00 AM – 11:30 AM
Whole Foods Market Culinary Center

For cheese lovers, this is a can’t-miss event. World-renowned cheese expert Cathy Strange of Whole Foods will teach you the synergy and sense in pairing Texas wines with Texas cheeses. It’s art, so learn it.

SUNDAY APRIL 18TH
Sunday Fair
12noon – 5:00pm   BUY NOW – $25
The Vineyards at The Salt Lick

Everybody’s favorite low-key wine and food event is the cheapest it’s been in years–just $25! Head out to Driftwood for booths filled with wine, food, and goodies from local wineries, restaurants, companies, and more. It’s a grown-up festival that’s fun rain or shine (trust me, last year was rain and it was still a muddy blast!)

Go here to order tix or check out any of the other events: http://www.texaswineandfood.org/

December 21, 2009

Last Minute News: Free Wine-Tasting Tonight at MAX’s

The Black Door (I’m thinking the HauteLook/GiltGroupe/ideeli/ruelala of wine) brings you a delicious free wine tasting TONIGHT!



Head to MAX’s Underground (the cool basement of Max’s) for a very special tasting of wines featured in The Black Door‘s 
unbeatable retail wine deals.

Today, Monday, 5-7pm

Incredible deals on amazing wines, taste and purchase:

Dollium Reserve Malbec
Gaja Camarcanda
Dellamotte Champagne 1999
Two Hands Bella’s Garden
Sterling Three Palms Merlot
Mer Soliel Chardonnay
Provenance Sauvignon Blanc
Etoille Rose
Orogeny Pinot Noir
Morey Blanc Mersault

Food
 like fried chicken drummettes
, crab cakes, swordfish and black bean nachos, salmon tartare, and 
MAX’s famous Sliders (yum, check ‘em out here)accompanies the wine. Last minute holiday gifts!

207 San Jacinto at 3rd St.,
512.914.0111
, www.maxswinedive.com

December 2, 2009

TRIO’s 3 for $39 December Dinner is Tres Divine

It’s finally cold in Austin (for now anyway) and it couldn’t be a more perfect time to warm up with TRIO’s 3 for $39 December Dinner. They’ve been offering these amazing prix fixe meals for a long time now, and I’ve been talking about how amazing they are for some time now. But trust me, everyone who goes agrees and asks why I didn’t tell them about TRIO’s prix fixe deals sooner. Um, hello? And here too? And don’t get me started on happy hour.

TRIO's Pheasant with mushroom au jus

Anyway, the holiday meal outdoes itself with great apps, gigantic portions of entrees, delicious delicious delicious brussel sprouts and sweet potatoes on the side, and desserts … sigh, desserts.

MENU:

Choice of Appetizer
Winter Squash Salad – Pine Nut, Raisin, Farm Cheese
Seafood Soufflé – Tarragon, Saffron
Pork Belly – Cranberry, Napa Cabbage, Mustard

Choice of Entrée
(Served with Maple Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Brussel Sprouts)
Pheasant – Mushroom Jus
Wild Salmon – Crimini Mushrooms, Lingonberry
Prime Ribeye – Horseradish, Red Wine Sauce

Gingerbread Cake

Choice of Dessert
Gingerbread Cake – Marzipan, Tangerine Gel, Dried Fruit Purée, Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream
Peppermint-Chocolate Baked Alaska
Trio of Sorbet – Mango, Lemon, Raspberry

Available December 1-30, 2009 (excluding December 24, 2009). For more information or reservations, please call TRIO at 1 (512) 685-8300 or reserve your table online.

Be sure to ask for a glass of Texas’ Best Sommelier Mark Sayre’s personal blend of Va Piano wine. It’s smooth, rich, and delicious.

Tips: My picks (what I’d order if I went back again)?
App: Winter squash salad
Entree: Pheasant
Dessert: Baked Alaska
(and naturally, I’d eat about 5 popovers)

July 23, 2009

Cheese: a preview, and why you should host a party

I love cheese. I love cheese and wine. And now, I even love cheese and beer.

Let me explain: I popped by Whole Foods for a preview of some of the cheeses they’re having at the American Cheese Society’s Festival of Cheese here on August 8–Marshall wrote about it here. Long story short, the main event is August 8 and there are cheesemaker events leading up to the big day starting on Wednesday. If foodies are called foodies, is this event for Cheesies? Anyway, the actual Festival is from 5:30-9pm on August 8, and the next morning features a bargain sale of all the cheeses from 10am-1pm.

But lucky me, I got to taste some of the cheeses ahead of time. I tasted the world’s best cheese from a year or two ago, a Cabot Clothbound Cheddar aged at Jasper Hill Cellars in Greensboro, VT (that Vermonster boy would be so proud). This cheddar comes from a Holstein cow and has hints of toasted nut, toffee, and cooked fruits. Let’s be honest, I have no idea what that really means or tastes like, but this cheese was GOOD. Very mild, but strong enough that I wouldn’t want to waste it melted over a nacho or something, I’d want it all by itself.

At this preview, they also interestingly paired beer with some of the cheeses, like a Le Merle Saison Belgium style farmhouse ale from Borth Coast Brewery with the Cowgirl Creamery Mt. Tam–my second-favorite cheese. The beer was hefeweizen-y but creamy too. With that triple creme cheese produced with single-herd organic milk, mellow with an earthy flavor reminiscent of white mushrooms, the beer was pretty great.

Can you tell I took notes?

Other impressive cheeses included the Pure Luck chevre, which we all already know is good because it’s from Dripping Springs and the goats are happy and the cheese bright and fresh. The Roth Kase Gruyere Surchoix was also awesome–but Gruyere is my new favorite cheese, mainly because I think it sounds fancy. This one also tasted fancy, so of course I loved it.

Bottom line: Cheesie or no, cheese, wine, and beer are three things that make most people happy, and make for a very fun, social atmosphere. Two of the favorite parties I’ve ever thrown for friends (and I’ve thrown my fair share) were cheese-and-wine parties, because it just lets people sip, nibble, and relax. My advice? Go to the sale, buy some fancy cheese, and host a cheese-and-wine party.

June 26, 2009

Uncorked One-Year Anniversary: Big Wine Party

Uncorked Invite

Flyer says it all. Free wine and food. Delicious food. Delicious wine. From the cute little house atop the hill just on the other side of 35 on 7th Street. Do it.

When else do you get offered free booze on a Saturday night from 5pm-close??

June 18, 2009

Exclusive Max’s Wine Dive/Penfolds Moonlight Tasting

Max's Wine Dive's penfold's moonlight tastingSo there’s this fancy-pants Penfolds’ Grange Shiraz that’s aged for at least three years after bottling in order to develop into an immensely complex and seductive wine with richly textured flavors, so wine enthusiasts salivate over the chance to try it. The Grange 2004 vintage will make its debut at Max’s Wine Dive’s unique Moonlight Tasting event.

In addition to the 2004 Grange Shiraz, Penfolds wines to be featured at the Moonlight Tasting include the 2006 Yattarna Chardonnay, the 2006 RWT Barossa Valley Shiraz, the 2005 St. Henri Shiraz and the 2006 Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon.

Max’s Wine Dive is doing a good job of bringing its Haute Dog and Champagne upscale hangout bar theme to Austin, and funky events like this are no exception. Next Sunday night, they’ll unveil this groovy wine, and it’s sort-of free for you to attend.

The elite Moonlight Tasting is limited to 75 guests, and the event may be Austin wine lovers’ only opportunity to purchase these distinguished Penfolds wines all year. A non-refundable $100 credit card deposit is required as part of guests’ reservations for the Moonlight Tasting, and it will be applied to the purchase of any Penfolds products made during the event. So if you plan on buying some wine, the event is basically free. For $100. :-)

RSVP to Nicole Fabian at Nicole@MaxsWineDive.com, or (512) 904-0111.

Max’s Wine Dive, 207 San Jacinto Blvd., www.MaxsWineDive.com

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