Marc has been so busy with Easter and Opera, that you could imagine my excitement when he surprised me on a Thursday to say he had Friday night off.

We really wanted to try something new.  I have been reading about the “HOT” new restaurants in Austin, and Swift’s Attic kept showing up.  After calling the establishment, it was recommended to show up early – we did, and as always, Marc’s ROCK STAR parking place was waiting for him, less than a block away.

Swift’s Attic is on Congress Avenue, situated above the Elephant Room Jazz Club.  It is not a huge place, but it gives the illusion of space with clever décor and lighting.

The menu is set up like tapas – lots of small plates to share, in various categories: appetizers, salads, fish, protein and dessert.  They recommend 3-4 selections per person at the table.  Here is how our adventure transpired:

For wine, we decided on a bottle of Cleto Chiarli Lambrusco.  It was a perfect companion for the variety of dishes we selected.  You really can’t go wrong with great bubbles!

Since we are behind on our blog entries, I will do my best to remember as many details as possible (unfortunately the menu online is not the same as the one we selected from that evening, so I have no reference there).

We started with two appetizers:

* Charred edamame with chili oil and poprocks. I loved the smoky, grilled flavor of the edamame with the heat of the chili oil.  The salt/poprock mixture (served in a separate dish), however, did not cling to the pods very well, so that was a little awkward.  I did have to smile when they would come by frequently to empty the bowl that filled with edamame shells.

* Serrano Ham “dumplings”, wrapped around some kind of cheese, and served with the thinnest slivers of heirloom tomato and a beautiful basil pesto.  I hope I got that right.  Our server insisted that we get a little bit of everything in one bite for the “full” experience of flavors.  This held true through out the evening will all of our dishes.  Definitely yummy.

Salad:  * Grilled Romaine lettuce with avocado dressing and sweet corn.

Protein:

* Quail with blue cheese grits, spiced nuts (almonds?) and a cherry demi-glace.  I know I am not remembering all of the details here, but I do remember Marc and I licking the plate clean on this one – delicious!

* Antelope steak with chimichurri accompanied by pomme frites and tarragon yogurt sauce.  This was my first time with antelope.  It was a little chewy for my liking, but great flavor.  What blew my mind on this plate was the yogurt dipping sauce.  It was yellow, almost looked like a mustard, but with a surprisingly delightful, light texture and flavor.  If I could ask for ONE recipe from everything we ate that night, this would be the one I would beg for.  I am so NOT a mustard/ketchup/mayo girl, but I could get use to having this condiment on my plate.

Dessert:

* Chocolate empanadas with espresso gelato?  Help me out here, Marc.  I know he was underwhelmed by the chocolate aspects of this dish, but the gelato was a hit.

* Popcorn and a Movie.  How could I resist a dessert with that name?  The first words that come to my mind are CLEVER, CRAZY, FUN!  Little pieces of housemade chocolate candybar and salted popcorn gelato served on a plate sprinkled with caramel popcorn and little dribbles of rootbeer gel (not sure of the spelling on that one).  I smiled from first to last bite!

We both agreed that there was much to admire about our meal and the restaurant.  OK, so we were the oldest couple in the place until about 10 minutes before we departed.  It looked to be a popular spot for groups of same-sex friends and young professional couples.  It is also a very short drive to East End Wines, which is open until 10:00pm Tuesdays-Saturdays.  Yes, we made a stop on our way home to pick up a few bottles of a wine we fell in love with recently that they recommended to us on a previous visit.  We should do an East End Wines entry soon J.

Some dear friends invited me to join them for paella at Vino Vino on the occasion of Marc’s departure from the country.  We’ve posted about the amazing paella in at least one previous entry, so I will stick to sharing the wine and dessert.

We enjoyed a lovely bottle of r a pfaffl  “the dot” austrian pepper, ’11, stetten, austria  
gruner veltliner – dry citrus with fruity aromas and a lovely dry spice and pepper on the finish

For dessert we ordered the only “sweet” on the menu that I had not tried yet – the Almond Corn Cake with Pink Peppercorn Ice Cream.

The ice cream was uniquely delicious (and pretty).  The corn cake was more of a cookie texture – a little dry to be labeled a “cake”.  It was also difficult to eat due to it’s hard texture.  I suggested they might go for a corn cookie ice cream sandwich – now that would be fun!

Feb. 14, 2013

The Texas Music Educators Convention convenes every February in San Antonio, Texas.  Many years we find ourselves there on Valentines Day as we did this past week.  After a little nudging, I talked my colleague into joining me for a nice dinner.  Since we were lucky enough to snag a room at the beautiful La Contessa Hotel, I made a reservation at Las Ramblas, the Riverwalk restaurant on the bottom floor of this elegant lodging.  Not thinking about V-Day being a busy one, I made my reservation late – therefore we had a very early seating.

Although our intentions were to share a few tapas and a salad, it turned out that the Valentine Special 4-course “couples” meal  was just too good to pass up.  I could shoot myself for not asking for a copy of the menu – I will try to remember as many details about the makings of this great dinner as possible.

FIRST COURSE – Seared Scallop with wilted greens, peanuts and banana.  Sounds a little crazy, but the combination of textures and flavors was a hit.  I thought the paired Spanish Cava (SEGURA VIDAS, ARIA, BRUT CAVA), was a good match, although my dining mate preferred the cava with the next course.

SECOND COURSE: Strawberry Gazpacho with prosciutto, watercress and infused oil (I think the flavoring was cumin, but can not confirm).  It was not the prettiest presentation, but the dish was definitely inspired by the holiday and satisfying. Not at all sweet, as I anticipated.   I did find myself craving a hot soup as I neared the bottom of the bowl (like the butternut squash bisque on the regular menu).

THIRD COURSE:  We were given a choice for the entrée.   My dining friend selected the Striped Bass with Roasted Cauliflower.  There also appeared to be some mushrooms in the mix (chanterelles?).

I chose the Lamb Chops with assorted Harvest Vegetables.  The chops were huge!  One was cooked perfectly, the other was a little rare for my liking (for those of you that know me, that is a rarity), but I was so full after the first, there was no need to complain.  The selection of vegetables included turnips, carrots (orange and yellow) and mashed potatoes.  I selected the 2010 Erath Pinot Noir from Oregon to pair with my lamb.  I enjoyed this fruit forward, light red with a long finish.  It was a very unassuming drink, which encouraged the relaxed dining experience we were enjoying.

FOURTH COURSE: Dessert!  A Nutella Cheesecake, embellished with cute little pink macaroons, whipped cream and cherries.  A home run!  The presentation was playful and the cheesecake featured the divine flavor of Nutella with good texture and no heaviness.  Chocolate type desserts are not usually my favorite (although that has never stopped me from eating them).  I give this one high marks.  In fact, I am already on the hunt for a recipe.

To finish off the evening, the manager (who came by our table several times during the dinner)personally thanked us for dining with them and presented us each with a beautiful rose.  It was a fun surprise!  We have been impressed with the kindness that all of the employees of this hotel have brought forth during our stay at La Contessa.

Now off to meet some friends at a wine bar Marc told me about that is just around the corner.  Stay tuned for another blog soon!

Marc found a great little wine bar during one of his recent visits to San Antonio.  Since our hotel was so close, I had to stop in for a glass.  One of my colleagues that I have regularly dined with at TMEA happened to have plans for dinner, so we decided to meet for a drink afterwards at this wine bar that Marc recommended.  At first, we went to DRINK – right across the street from la Contessa.  When I asked for the wine list and the waitress pointed to the lovely selection of mini bottles of Yellow Tail, I knew we were in the wrong place.  Thank goodness the correct destination was just around the corner.

The place was packed on our arrival, but after a short wait we were able to get two chairs at the bar.  After scanning through a pretty extensive wine list, we picked out three possible reds, then asked for a recommendation.  The bartender did not hesitate to select the Montepulciano.

2010 La Piuma Montepulciano d’Ambruzzo

I am so lousy at describing what wines taste like, but I can tell you that I really enjoyed this Italian Red.  There was a lot going on – and it was surprisingly satisfying as a stand alone drink (we were all stuffed from dinner).

We later moved to a table and were joined by two more friends.  It was a relaxing way to share conversation and to wind down from a very busy day of travel convention activity.  Zinc is really tiny (compared to Vino Vino, our usual hang out in Austin).  The atmosphere was fine except for the occasional aroma of cigars from the porch outside.

So, in my dreams I get to dine at WINK 33 times, and as those who understand WINK know, each visit is a unique experience – always delightful to the palette, but never the same.  Oh well, a girl can dream.

Marc and I decided to celebrate Valentine’s Day early since he will be half way around the world in Africa on this day of love.  We already had tickets to see 33 Variations at ZACH Scott Theatre, so a pre-show dinner at WINK was destined to be a part of our special night out.

There is not much more I can say about WINK that I have not written about in the past.  Wink presents the “gold standard” dining experience in Austin, Texas.  Once again, we enjoyed innovative and delicious food, paired with exquisite wines.  The service is impeccable – from the presentation of the amuse bouche to the delivery of the check.  Here are a few pictures of our “eats” and “sips”.  Unfortunately, some of the pictures do not do these amazing dishes justice.

Buttercup Squash Soup – my favorite taste of the evening, and oh, so beautifully presented.  After I took my first spoonful I noticed that the crème created the image of a heart.

Marc’s Salad- Bib lettuce with roasted tomatoes

His Entree- Rabbit Loin with lima beans, baby potatoes, and romanesco.  What is romanesco you asked?  It was a new veggie to us.  Here is a definition:

Romanesco broccoli, or Roman cauliflower, is an edible flower of the species Brassica oleracea, and a variant form of cauliflower. First documented in Italy, it is light green in color and is a natural approximation of a fractal.

Lamb Chops with sweet potatoes, chanterelles and chicory

Our waiter batted a homerun (now that the Super Bowl is over, I know that baseball season is not far away!) with the wine pairings.  We both enjoyed a spot-on Cava paired with our first course.  I sipped a red blend from France with my lamb, and Marc smiled through his dinner with a Pinot.

WINK

If a perfectly orchestrated meal was not enough, I have to mention that we thoroughly enjoyed the play 33 Variations.  Esteemed pianist Anton Nel played some of Beethoven’s greatest keyboard literature throughout the play.  The script, staging and actors were are first rate.  We highly recommend this show to all of our friends.  Some of the best theatre we have viewed in a long time.

33 Variations at ZACH

Oh… and one more surprise.  We were driving out of the ZACH parking lot when a colleague texted me a picture of a bottle of wine.  Wouldn’t you know that he and his wife were enjoying a drink at House Wine – just blocks away!  We could not resist crashing their date to say “hey” and enjoy yet another great glass of wine.  What an evening!

HOUSE WINE

Wink Wine Bar

Fortune struck last night as our son’s soccer game location was changed to House Park.  Marc and I took that at as sign – it had been far too long since we had visited the Wink Wine Bar.  You can park at the stadium and walk to Wink in minutes.  It simple is a no-brainer.

This little spot of sophistication is truly what got us hooked on the wine bar scene in Austin.  Tucked away behind Whole Earth Provisions on Lamar and across from WINK, the gold standard of dining in Austin, the Wink Wine Bar is a perfect place to spoil your palette.  We like to sit at the bar – a great place for conversation with experts.  You can not go wrong with the large selection of wines by the taste or glass.  I was delighted to see an Arneis as an offering.  One sip and I knew that was the liquid gold I would be sipping with my dinner at the this evening. Marc took his time sampling several of the reds on the list.  I’ll let him share…

Food is available as bar bites, bar apps OR you can order off of the WINK restaurant menu.  All bar apps are ½ off between 5-7pm.  A sweet deal!  Since this visit was serving as our dinner, we picked the mini brie burgers and the mac-n-cheese.  Our friend behind the bar quickly replied “Oh, you want the happy meal.”  If you can rate “happy”, this meal would be off the charts.  The burgers are excellent, but the mac-n-cheese with black truffles is beyond explanation.  Just go and get yourself some.  You will be glad you did.

Since the varsity games don’t start until 7:45pm, we had time to share a dessert.  Marc is a big fan of the El Rey Chocolate Cake, which we enjoyed with a Petite Syrah from California (2010 Seven Sinners).  It is a pretty decadent dessert, but my favorite part is the cherries that come with the cake.  I am still waiting for WINK to “wow” me with a sweet offering that celebrates fruit.

Now that is what I call the perfect beginning to a lovely evening.

The weather was perfect – not wet, not too cold – kind of a surprise for this time of year.  The boys played well and won 3-0.  After three goals I almost have our new German victory song down.  I’m almost memorized Henrike!

Spontaneous gatherings with friends have to be some of my favorite moments.  Especially when they are willing to be my “guinea pigs” for some new recipes. vWe are in the thick of soccer season, so my time at home today was limited.  Therefore, a simpler meal was the goal.  Enter Joy the Baker.

Let me take one step backwards.  One of my favorite food blogs is Brown Eyed Baker.

Everything she bakes sounds incredible, and every recipe I have tried from her blog has been fabulous!  She also has great recommendations for other blogs to check out.  This week, she mentioned a recipe for scones from Joy the Baker.  When I went to check it out, I spotted a picture of a tomato basil polenta dish.

I have made polenta before, with mixed results.  This recipe called for baking the polenta, instead of cooking it on the stovetop.  I was intrigued.  When trying to decide on a protein, I was reminded of some chicken jalapeno sausage I had in the freezer.  Those quickly went into the fridge to defrost.  Now all I needed was a veggie side.  I decided on a salad from the same blog.

This dinner turned out AMAZING!  Comfort cuisine at its finest.

The Salad:

Slightly altered from the recipe to use up ingredients I already had on hand – a combo of fresh spinach and arugula, roasted cauliflower (sub for the broccoli), sliced Fuji apple and pumpkin seeds (sub for sunflower seeds).  The honey mustard dressing was extremely flavorful.

Honey Mustard Salad

The entrée – Baked Polenta with Tomato-Basil Sauce and Sausage:

Marc started the polenta while I was at the soccer game.  The tomato sauce was easy to make ahead of time.  The chicken sausage came from Sprouts.  It is delicious, but packs some heat.  The creamy polenta was a perfect partner.  Don’t skimp on the cheese and fresh basil.  The entire dish felt so clean and fresh – a definite winner!

Baked Polenta

I am really excited about the success of the baked polenta.  I can see it as an accompaniment for several other entrees, including stew, sautéed shrimp, and chili.

Now to find time to try out some of Joy the Baker’s sweets – these cupcakes are at the top of the list:

Dulce de leche Cupcakes

Speaking of dessert, I have to mention the cheesecake our guests brought for dessert.  The chocolate cheesecake from Upper Crust Bakery

( http://www.theuppercrustbakery.com/index.cfm  ) provided a perfect ending to our fabulous dinner.  Unbelievable texture and rich chocolate flavor.  Of course, our friend had to mention the cinnamon rolls… now I won’t be able to drive by the Upper Crust without stopping the next time I am in the neighborhood J.

Cold weather and the first weeks back to school call for a change in the weekly menu.  Out comes the crockpot from its perch on the 2^nd fridge out in the garage.  Here are two easy recipes (new to me).

Crockpot Italian Turkey Meatballs

from the blog skinnytaste.com

I was skeptical about the potential texture of the meatballs (since I chose to go the quick route and not brown them before adding them to the crockpot – why bother with the crockpot then?).  The meatballs were fine.  The sauce was nothing exciting; some additional seasonings might do the trick.  The ricotta is a must!  It added that little touch of elegance to the dish.  It was really nice to come home, boil the pasta, toss some salad, and have dinner ready.

Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas

from the blog skinnytaste.com

Talk about EASY – check this recipe out!  I used a 3lb chunk of pork loin, a pretty lean cut of meat.  All I had to prepare when I got home were the fixin’s for tacos – sautéed onions, sliced avacado, salsa, tomatoes, cilantro, thinly sliced radishes, cheese and sour cream.

Oh yes – I also defrosted a small stash of our New Year’s Mole Sauce.  It provided the perfect punch of flavor to take these tacos to the next level.

And for a wine- In a pinch, I walked into Spec’s, find a wine person, told him:

1.  Type of dinner- pork tacos
2. Sauces- mole, traditional Spanish/Mexican
3.  Preferred Red
4.  Price point- $15-20
5.  Thinking Italian, since it is a great “food wine”
(I let him to the work in making a great pairing selections, then I approved)

Result: