Not that I’m hinting or anything.

One of the benefits of being in a client-oriented business and being a food blogger is that I’ve seen a lot in this town when it comes to special dining. There’s plenty of good and unfortunately some bad. To help make things easier for anyone trying to entertain clients in Austin, I’ve put together this guide with my recommendations for the best places to take clients for fine dining, casual meals, and even a foodie adventure or two. I’ve also included links to the restaurants in town that I know deliver the best on private group events thanks to their interesting private room setups and their willingness to work with clients.

Because so much client entertainment happens in the downtown area, I’ve kept my focus on places that are within walking distance or a quick cab ride from downtown. The Take a Drive section highlights a few places I think are worth the effort to go the extra mile for.

If you’ve had a great experience entertaining clients at a spot not listed here, please let me know in the comments. The more options the merrier.

Fine Dining at Its Best

When the occasion calls for the best food and service, Austin has a collection of restaurants that will deliver each and every time.

• The Carillon – Chef Josh Watkins is putting together some of the best food in town and your guests won’t soon forget their dinner at his restaurant. This is a great choice if your group appreciates interesting food experiences and well-designed presentations. Every aspect of the restaurant oozes attention to detail. Prix fix menus make ordering easy and the beautifully appointed restaurant in the AT&T Conference center is well-configured for intimate dinners of 2-4 as well as larger groups of 6-10. The Carillon is just outside of walking distance from downtown but well within a reasonable cab ride.
• Congress – If you want to host an intimate and refined dinner for your client, put Chef David Bull’s Congress at the top of your list. The three course menu program is updated nightly to reflect the availability of local ingredients and an extensive wine program completes the package. The service is among the best you’ll find in Austin and the smaller size of the restaurant means your guests won’t feel as if they are part of the client dinner cattle call. The adjacent Bar Congress is the perfect meeting spot for a pre-dinner cocktail and possibly some last minute business discussions.
• Eddie V’s – When you need flawless service and food for a group with mixed experiences and palettes, Eddie V’s will never let you down. While they have all the hallmarks of a traditional steak and fish establishment, they stand well above the other options in town for consistency. Everyone in your party will be able to find a dish they will enjoy and the wine program is varied enough to accommodate an array of budgets and preferences.
• Trace – Situated in the newly built W Hotel in the 2^nd Street District, Trace blends the W experience well with all that is the Austin. From dishes made with ingredients procured by a local forager (that’s really her title) to a sophisticated ambiance with quality service, the W will deliver a unique experience clients won’t get anywhere else in the country. Be sure to plan time before or after dinner to enjoy one of the three unique bar areas at the W.
• TRIO – Dining at a Four Seasons restaurant is always a great experience, but we like to think that TRIO, is just a little bit better than every other Four Seasons restaurant. I suppose we’re biased, but Chef Todd Depluchan works some serious magic in the kitchen while the staff attend to each diner’s every need. Situated on the banks of Lake Austin, the view is beautiful, and for most of the year you can begin your evening with stroll along the lake with a cocktail or glass of wine in hand.
• Truluck’s – More seafood-focused than steak focused, Truluck’s is another option for taking a group with varied dining preferences. Their rich interior immediately adds depth to your dinner conversations. Located conveniently in the warehouse district Truluck’s can be a good jumping off point for clients who are interested in seeing a bit of the city’s nightlife.

Note: There are a host of other classic steakhouses around downtown that I don’t mention in this list: III Forks, Perry’s, Finn and Porter, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, and McCormick & Schmick’s. Each of these will deliver a very predictable experience and are good fallbacks if the spots on my list aren’t available. I’ve highlighted the above restaurants because they are a little different than your average high-end restaurant and I believe they are at the top of their game for the price point.

More Casual Fare

Often neither you nor your clients are up for a suit-and-tie sort of evening. When that’s the case, there are several spots around town that will deliver on great food and service in a much more relaxed atmosphere.

• Bess Bistro – Sandra Bullock’s restaurant is tucked away underneath a building which makes for a cozy and intimate atmosphere from the second you walk down the steps and enter the restaurant. With a menu of new American fare inspired by French and Southern traditions, everyone in your party will be able to find something they enjoy. Be sure not to miss the baked goods and pastries as they are a family specialty.
• Haddingtons
  – This Austin take on a tavern come gastropub features a rustic menu combined with strong cocktail, beer, and wine programs. Built like a tavern with several dining spaces, you can easily bring a party of 6-10 to the restaurant and expect a bit of privacy.
• La Condesa – If you’re thinking TexMex but really don’t want run of the mill TexMex, La Condesa may be right up your alley. Inspired by the cuisines of the interior of Mexico, the menu includes dishes like guacamole with pomegranate seeds, quinoa stuffed chile rellenos, and Negro Modelo braised short ribs. The bar area is sophisticated and a great stop for a flight of tequila or a pre-dinner cocktail.
• Lambert’s – What would a list of Austin restaurants be without at least one nod (and there are two really) to BBQ? Lambert’s is a self-described “Fancy BBQ” restaurant so expect goodies like wild boar ribs and anchiote seared chickpeas on the appetizer menu. Once you get into the meat of things (pun intended), you’ll find pulled pork, lamb chops, and fresh market fish on the list. Desserts include fried pies and who doesn’t like a fried pie?
• Maria Maria – The brainchild of Carlos Santana and Chef Roberto Santibanez, this restaurant offers a sophisticated and open environment where goodies like duck tacos and chicken mole tortilla casserole are served alongside live music (most nights). Perfect for a drink and small plates to be shared or a full sit-down dinner, Maria Maria is another way to enjoy the flavors of Mexico in a client-appropriate setting.
• Moonshine – Focused on comfort food in a homey setting, Moonshine is a great way to introduce your clients to Texas and Southern traditions like chicken fried steak, catfish, and red velvet cake. Their large patio is great on spring and fall nights and they are nicely positioned within a couple of blocks of the convention center.
• Parkside – While I’d usual recommend staying as far away from 6^th street as possible with clients, the single exception to that rule is Parkside. Featuring an extensive raw bar as well as refined dishes made with local ingredients, the food at Parkside is some of the best you’ll find in a casual environment. Start with oysters and champagne in the bar and then move into the main dining room for fresh fish, house made gnocchi, and more.
• Roaring Fork – Located on Congress in the heart of downtown, Roaring Fork is one of my go-to places for client meals. Their menu is a little bit Texan and a little bit Southwestern, but anyone can find a dish they will enjoy. And the ambiance is exactly what you’d expect from a restaurant just down the street from the capital: leather, horns, and lots of stars.
• Second Bar + Kitchen – From the brilliant mind of David Bull, the chef behind Congress, Second Bar + Kitchen is a casual and fun spot for entertaining smaller client groups and creating a dining experience they won’t soon forget. Chicken fried olives, black truffle pomme frite, buratta with oxtail marmalade, and beef short rib pizza are just a few of the delectable items on the menu. If you are entertaining foodie clients, this is absolutely the place to go. Second Bar + Kitchen also features a beautiful balcony with a lush Astroturf flooring (it’s really cool – trust me) for enjoying a drink and people watching when the weather is particularly glorious.

Take a Drive

If you happen to have access to a car and want to expand your horizons a bit beyond the downtown area, these spots are worth the trip.

• FINO – Inspired by the flavors of the Mediterranean, FINO offers tapas, small plates, and a nice collection of main courses that utilize the best of in-season ingredients. They also have a very strong cocktail program if your clients are interested in the revival of mixology. FINO is great for smaller groups of 4-6, but they also offer a large communal table for larger groups of 10-12. If you’re truly comfortable with your client and want to create a more communal dinner experience, FINO’s menu and shared plate philosophy are just perfect.
• Foreign and Domestic – Tucked away in one of Austin’s fun neighborhoods, Foreign and Domestic is a small restaurant delivering big on some of the most interesting food in town. From chicken leg confit to lacquered Texas quail and parsnip ravioli, this is the perfect destination if you want to take your client on a true foodie adventure. I wouldn’t recommend trying to take a large group there, but a party of four would do just fine.
• Salt Lick – This is one of those “Austin experiences” that everyone wants to have at least once. The Salt Lick is a two-building destination in Driftwood Texas, about 30 minutes outside of downtown Austin. They don’t take reservations so you just show up and wait, but they are also in a dry county so you can bring your own alcoholic beverages of choice. You eat lots of Texas BBQ (chicken, brisket, sausage, and more) while seated on rough benches. And while true Texas BBQ experts will tell you Salt Lick is just okay BBQ, you’re really headed out there for the experience. Be prepared to arrange for transportation and alcohol, to bring cash to pay, and to have some good client bonding time while you wait.
• Uchiko – Helmed by nationally recognized Tyson Cole, Uchiko is one of Austin’s top restaurants. With a focus on Japanese farmhouse dinning, this is cuisine may be unlike any experience you and your guests have had. While fish (both raw and cooked) is plentiful, the preparations are unexpected and quite amazing. The menu changes daily based on the availability of fish and local ingredients. Be sure that your entire group is willing to be somewhat adventuresome and open minded as they review the menu. Located outside of downtown, but not unreasonably so, Uchiko is easily accessible by cab and has plenty of parking if you choose to drive there yourself.

Private Group Dining

If you want to host a more private dinner in reserved space, each of these restaurants has a place just right for the occasion. All of them will help you establish the right menu and manage to your budget. What’s great about this list is the restaurants are different enough that you can create any one of a variety of experiences for your clients without offering them the same ol’, same ol’ dinner.

• Congress – To take one of the best dining experiences in town to the next level you can reserve the private dining room with a view of the wine cellar.
• Fleming’s – If you need to host a large dinner with the ambiance and quality food you’d find at a steakhouse, Fleming’s is one of the best options in downtown. They can partition a significant portion of the restaurant to accommodate your crowd.
• La Condesa – Host your group dinner in the historic cellar underneath La Condesa’s main restaurant for a truly private experience.
• Lambert’s – Take your event upstairs to the private room and bar. This space is great if you want to arrange a mix-and-mingle dinner with a buffet or just accommodate a larger crowd at a seated event.
• Sullivan’s Steakhouse – With the feeling of a secret room in a restaurant in Chicago or New York, you can create an intimate affair even if the guest list is 40 or more.
• Truluck’s – Host your dinner in the private room downstairs at Truluck’s. Reminiscent of a private club, their dining space is great for business meetings followed by dinner.

Not that I’m generalizing or anything.

Valentine’s Day is a week away and if you are in Austin and want to go out, you need a plan. Austin Food Lovers’ Companion to the rescue! I’ve rounded up the details on interesting and fun menus at some of the best spots around town to help you narrow down your choices and create the perfect evening.

Since early January I’ve been warning you – no begging you – to make your reservations for Valentine’s Day in advance so you can get the seating time of your choice at the restaurant of your choice. If you haven’t headed my advice and still don’t have a plan, I’m not sure how many more ways I can say MAKE ONE NOW. IF you’re without a reservation you’d better be ready to fire up the stove or prepare to spend some extended quality couple time waiting in line for the next available seat.

While not an exhaustive list of your options, I think these are some of the best. Reservations are required at every single one of these places, so if you see a listing that strikes your fancy, MAKE ONE NOW.

• Alamo Draft House Valentine’s Day Feasts – For a fun take on dinner and a movie, visit your local Alamo to watch a romantic movie and enjoy a paired menu. It’s certainly not your typical Valentine’s Day date. Choose from West Side Story at North Lamar, Chocolat at Lake Creek, or Eat Drink Man Woman
  Downtown. Sadly, Princess Bride at The Village is sold out. $75/person.
• ASTI specials – This romantic Italian spot in Central Austin will have their regular menu plus a gulf crab bruschetta, local beet risotto in a lovely red to celebrate the day, grilled Texas quail, and a cherry semifreddo. You can enjoy these special menus Friday, Saturday, and Monday (they are closed on Sunday).
• Barley Swine gets cozy – Barley Swine typically embraces a communal dining experience, but for one night only they will create a more intimate environment for sharing their wonderful local food with your sweetheart. The special seven course dinner includes baked oysters, beet borscht, grilled mushrooms, black bass, foie stuffed quail, braised short ribs, and opera cake. $80/person.
• The Carillon Valentine’s weekend menu – Chef Josh Watkins serves up an amazing experience at every turn, and Valentine’s Day promises to be no exception. Featuring escolar sashimi, lobster and scallops, seared foie gras, apple wood smoked ribeye, and blueberry donut bread pudding, your date will remember this dine for many years to come. $75/person.
• Chez Zee specials and prix fixe menu – If you’re looking for a cozy and well-priced four course prix fixe menu ($40/person) for Valentine’s weekend, Chez Zee has you covered. They will also have specials like Chateaubriand and Oysters Rockefeller along with their regular menu, so the options are almost limitless. And, as a final bonus, they will have live music and extended dinner hours so you have more opportunities to get a reservation.
• FINO specials – Like its sister restaurant ASTI, FINO will offer its full menu along with special dishes like truffled manchago croquetas, beet gazpacho, grilled lamb chops, and white chocolate cake. If you want a casual yet relaxed dinner with small plates perfect for sharing, FINO is your spot. (FINO is also closed on Sunday.)
• Fleming’s colorful weekend menu – For all of Valentine’s Day weekend Fleming’s will offer a special dinner for two especially designed for sharing along with their regular ala carte menu. Choose from filet mignon and crab stuffed shrimp ($99/couple) or New York strip steak and shrimp scampi ($90/couple) and follow either with red velvet cake and chocolate dipped strawberries for the perfect ending to the perfect night. With their extensive wine by the glass menu as well as their extensive cellar, you can enjoy a special wine experience along with your special meal.
• Fonda San Miguel HAAM Benefit – When you celebrate Valentine’s Day at Fonda San Miguel, you’ll also be supporting an important local charity, the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians. Fonda will donate 10% of food sales to HAAM in memory of local musician and founder of HAAM Robin Shivers. Your someone special will not only appreciate the wonderful food and ambiance on this special day, but you’ll feel great knowing you’re giving back to the community as part of your evening out.
• Foreign and Domestic special service – This intimate spot is usually closed on Mondays, but they will open up in honor of Valentine’s Day and offer a special four course dinner featuring selections like Waygu beef or duck fat poached halibut. If you want a dining experience that’s just a little unexpected but oh-so-amazing, this is a great choice. At $45/person it’s also a great value.
• Hudson’s on the Bend 25^th Valentine’s Day celebration – If you are looking for an Austin-style splurge out on the edges of the Hill Country, Hudson’s on the Bend will help you create a truly memorable evening. Their special $100/person menu includes a variety of tasty and unexpected options including oysters, foie gras, lobster, rattlesnake, chorizo enchiladas, grilled pheasant, back strap of venison, Meyer lemon cheesecake, ménage á trois of créme brulee, and more.
• Monument Café weekend specials – Out in Georgetown, Monument Café will offer a different special each night of Valentine’s Day weekend. Down home favorites like pecan crusted pork tenderloin, NY Strip Steak, and tortilla crusted tilapia will warm the soul as you relax with your date. And of course, Monument’s amazing desserts like chocolate pie, banana pudding, and peach-strawberry cobbler are perfect for sharing, so be sure to ask for two spoons.
• TRACE at the W prix fixe menu – If a hip and stylish Valentine’s Day is more your taste, choose from two different options at the new W Hotel’s restaurant. Start with a drink in one of their interesting bars then order from the full menu for the first seating starting at 5:30 pm seating (just before the Willie Nelson ACL show), or from a special four course prix fixe menu for the 8:00 pm seating. If you opt for the special menu you can look forward to grilled scallops or smoked trout, goat cheese ravioli, beef duo or grilled lamb, and chocolate cheery stout cake or strawberry shortcake for dessert.
• NXNW dinner and brews – If a relaxed brew pub is more your style for this romantic occasion, NXNW is offering a special chef-crafted meal, a holiday-themed brew and music by the Suzanne Smith Trio. The special menu will include options like cream of smoked mushroom soup, grilled lobster ceviche, stuffed trout, grilled beef tenderloin, and pumpkin cheesecake. And to round out the dinner you can enjoy a special red-tinted brew that is aged in wine barrels and blended with cherries for a unique experience. $45/person or $80/couple. The regular menu will also be available.
• Paggie House prix fix menu – For an in-town splurge in a beautiful space, try Paggie House’s prix fixe menu any day of the weekend (including Sunday when they are usually closed). This special experience from the chef will include choices like scallop and foie, Wagyu tartare, surf and turf, lamb rack, goat milk cheesecake, and chocolate terrine. $95/person. On Friday and Saturday you can also choose from their regular menu.
• Parkside special dessert menu – Sporting what I think is one of the most inventive Valentine’s Day special menus I’ve seen, Parkside is offering a special $21/person dessert tasting menu as their weekend special. Feast on champagne and strawberries, spiced donut holes, ‘smores, and petit fours as the perfect way to end your evening. Start with a light dinner from the Parkside raw bar and then splurge on this amazing set of confections. You’ll even leave with a coffee cake muffin for breakfast the next morning.
• Zed’s food and flowers – One of Austin’s newest eateries is not only going to make a great dinner easy as pie, but they will even order a personalized flower arrangement for your table ($35/half dozen or $60/dozen roses) so you have all of the angles covered. The prix fixe menu includes a shared appetizer, two entrées, two sides, two desserts and two glasses of champagne for $75 per couple. Your menu options includes Calamari, tossed with fried banana peppers and served with spicy ranch and cocktail sauces, beef tenderloin filet with poblano béarnaise, a fudge brownie with Amy’s Mexican Vanilla ice cream topped with jalapeno glaze or homemade crème brulee. They will also offer a reduced version of their regular dinner menu.

Sometimes though, an intimate dinner in is just what the love doctor ordered. If you want to create your special night at home, but aren’t quite up for the cooking, Central Market is offering special Dinners for Two paired with a bottle of wine. Menu options include oven roasted lobster tail, beef tenderloin and grilled shrimp, and chicken saltimbocca. Stop by your local Central Market, grab your dinner, the wine, and some fresh flowers for the table, and you’ll be all set for a lovely evening. To be sure your dinner is ready when you are, call ahead (512-206-1000 N. Lamar or 512-899-4300 S. Lamar) by early on the 14^th to place your order.

No matter how you spend your special day, I hope it’s full of love and good food. Happy Valentine’s Day from the Austin Food Lovers’ Companion!

Trying to find the perfect gift for the foodie in your life is a quality dilemma. As you peruse this guide, consider for moment that there are thousands in Central Texas who worry every day about where their next meal will come from. They don’t have the luxury of considering a local food experience or artisanal gift because they are food insecure and simply don’t have money to buy food. The Capital Area Food Bank does all they can to ease the burden of our neighbors who don’t have enough to eat. Consider making a donation in the name of your favorite foodie to truly celebrate the joy that food can bring to someone’s life.

Food Gifts They’ll Truly Enjoy

We’ve all been the recipient of questionable gift baskets full of processed and overly-sweet food that we end up “sharing” in the office kitchen or with unexpected holiday guests. While these food gifts have the best intentions behind them, they pale in comparison to the array of locally created and procured options avaialble around town.

• Farmers Market Finds: Spend a couple of hours on a Saturday at one of our local markets to assemble a collection of artisanal goods anyone on your list will truly appreciate. For a breakfast-inspired basket, combine fresh country breakfast sausage from Dai Due and duck bacon from the Kocurek Family with sweet preserves from Confituras and a loaf of bread from Texas French Bread. Or fill someone’s pantry with bottles of goodies from Texas Olive Ranch and Round Rock Honey. The combinations are endless and it’s truly hard to go wrong shopping for food gifts at a local market.
• The Ultimate Cheese Plate: Help make holiday entertaining easier by giving the gift of a custom-created cheese plate from Antonelli’s Cheese. Stop by their lovely shop in Hyde Park and put yourself in their capable hands as they walk you through the process of crafting the perfect cheese combination. Pick up a nice bottle of wine and some crackers and you’ll be on your way.
• Spicy Fun: Herbs and spices can turn any ingredient into a new and interesting dish in no time flat. I know a whole host of seasoned home cooks who love receiving new and interesting spices to fuel their kitchen experimentation while kitchen newbies often find spice blends to be an easy way to safely expand their horizons. The newly opened Savory Spice Shop has an extensive collection of unexpected spice varieties of cinnamon, vanilla, chiles, and more along with custom spice blends, salts from around the world, and quick fix dip mixes. They have pre-packaged gifts that you can pick up in just a few minutes or they’ll spend the time to create the perfect custom gift set for your favorite cook.
• Mixing Oil and Vinegar: All olive oils aren’t created equally. Beyond the question of virgin and extra virgin pressings, there’s the issue of the country of origin (Italy, Greece, Spain, the US and more), and what wonderful ingredients might be infused (truffles anyone). And don’t even get me started on the variety of flavor profiles balsamic vinegars can have. In fact, the world of oil and vinegar is so vast that it’s worthy of an entire store. Enter Con’ Olio, a fun little shop tucked into the Arboretum and devoted to selling the best olive oils and vinegars. You can taste every oil and vinegar in the store if you so desire, and they’ll help you put together the perfect gift basket for that special someone.
• Sweets for Your Sweets: If your fav foodie has a sweet tooth, a whole collection of local artisans are ready to feed it. Austin Cake Ball and Holy Cacao craft tiny bundles of cakey goodness you can deliver to your sweet friend. A dozen or so will keep them well supplied for the days leading up to Christmas and they’ll think fondly of you each time they take a bite. If cupcakes and pies are more your food lover’s style, Sugar Mama’s Bakeshop has you covered. While they do make excellent traditional chocolate, white, and red velvet cupcakes, their holiday and specialty flavors (the Hemingway and Odd Couple are my favorites) will be unexpected and thoroughly enjoyed. Stop by to grab a few to go or order a collection of mini-cupcakes to share with friends. For the chocoholic in your life, Delysia Chocolatier hand-crafts exquisite chocolates like those you’d find in a shop in France. From classic flavors like mint, caramel, and mousse to chocolate infused with the likes of cayenne, Fleur de Sel, and balsamic vinegar, you’ll find the right mix for even the most difficult to shop for foodie.
• A Little Help from Your Friends: When time is of the essence and you need some assistance putting together a gift basket that most definitely won’t find its way to the office break room, the experts at Central Market have you covered. They’ll work with you to craft a basket that’s just right for the recipient (and they’ll even ship it anywhere in the country). Consider an all-Texas basket, an all-organic basket, a breakfast basket with coffee and goodies, or a munchies basket for your favorite snacker.

Explore Austin’s Newest Hot Spots Together

Austin is about to explode with new restaurant goodness! There are no fewer than six chef-driven restaurants opening in Austin in the coming weeks. Some will open their doors just before the holidays and others just after. All promise to be great experiences for any foodie. Treat your food lover to a dinner out together, even if you have to give them an IOU until one of these spots opens.

• Second Bar + Kitchen and Congress: David Bull, formerly the Executive Chef at the Driskill, comes home to Austin from Dallas to open not one but two restaurants in the new Austonian. Congress will be a sophisticated restaurant with a prix-fix menu inspired by fresh, seasonal ingredients. Second Bar + Kitchen will offer a neighborhood dining experience that makes use of the same seasonal ingredients in a more casual environment. Between the two restaurants Bar Congress will be a lounge that offers drinks and dishes that combine the best of both restaurants. Chef Bull’s new restaurants are some of the most highly anticipated in town and many of us believe they will take dining in Austin to an entirely new level. Every food lover in town will be clamoring for their first tastes of his creations and you’ll be very popular with your gift recipients if a trip to Chef Bull’s establishments is wrapped in a bow under the tree.
• The Backspace: Local favorite Chef Shawn Cirkiel of Parkside is opening a pizza place in a space just behind Parkside. And really, it’s not fair to call it a “pizza place” because it will feature Shawn’s trademark showcase of high-quality ingredients in preparations designed to make them shine. Surprise your holiday gift recipient with a fun night of pizza and a movie or night on the town.
• Barley Swine: Bryce Gillmore of Odd Duck Farm to Trailer fame is (finally) opening a full-scale restaurant so h e can serve his exceptional dishes that feature locally sourced ingredient to a larger crowd each night. Expect an array of dishes that celebrate the best products available in the Austin area.
• Haddingtons: From the owner and chef duo that have made Mulberry a local hot spot comes an American tavern with British influences and a strong cocktail program. Chef Zach Northcutt takes his inspiration for the menu from the time he spent in England last year exploring the gastropub scene there. I expect that any dinner at Haddingtons will be a roarin’ good time filled with laughter and fueled by great food.
• Trace: As you might expect, the new W Hotel in downtown will have a superb restaurant to feed locals and visitors alike. While Executive Chef Paul Hargrove isn’t a local chef, the folks at the W have wisely hired forager Valerie Broussard to source local ingredients for all of the food prepared at the W. This shows a strong commitment to supporting our local producer and artisan community. An evening at the W promises to shower your gift recipient with careful attention to detail along with a great meal.

And if you’re one of those folks who like to let a restaurant get its feet wet before you give it a try, there are plenty of established spots that will treat your foodie friends well this holiday season. My personal favorites include TRIO, FINO, Asti, The Carillon, Eddie V’s, Mizu, Jeffrey’s, Uchi + Uchiko, Foreign and Domestic, and Wink.

Share the Bounty of a Local CSA or a Home Garden

There are a bevy of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs around town that deliver fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables to members on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. A CSA is one of the best ways to keep the focus on local food in a home kitchen and they give home cooks the opportunity to find new and interesting ways to prepare ingredients that grow naturally in our area. Instead of sending a year’s worth of fruit baskets or a wine club membership to your food lover friends, consider giving the gift of a CSA from Johsons’s Backyard Garden or Greenling.com. The recipient will be truly surprised and these gifts are the epitome of “keeps on giving”.

For those on your gift list who have green thumbs or who, like me, are trying to find their green thumb, consider giving the gift of their very own backyard garden. Austin Urban Gardens has DIY raised bed garden kits or will come and install the gardens for you. They also have earthboxes for those without backyards. Who knows, a gift from you may just help give a would-be gardener the gentle push they need to take the next step and plant their own garden.

Give the Gift of Learning

I’m often amazed at how many great opportunities there are in Austin for the casual home cook or foodie to learn about all things related to cooking, eating, and drinking. Both Central Market and Whole Foods offer a wide range of classes for students of all skill levels. They have staffs that regularly teach classes that run the gamut from knife skills to baking basics and the ins and outs of international cuisines. They also partner with well-known chefs to give you a chance to learn from the pros as well as winemakers from all around the world for wine dinners. Speaking as a devotee of the Central Market Cooking School in particular, I can promise you won’t go wrong if you pick up a gift certificate to either school.

If you’d like to create a more customized cooking school experience for a group of friends, Beth Pav of Cooking By Design will work with you to craft a unique learning experience. Your foodie friends will be beyond surprised when they find you’ve taken the time to plan a one-of-a-kind experience.

Introduce Them to a Whole New Kind of Cookbook

For those on your list who enjoy cookbooks, you might introduce them to a new way of thinking about cookbooks. Austin-based Keeper Collection offers a collection of interactive cookbooks by popular chefs like David Bull, Paul Petersen, and Monica Pope. Because these cookbooks are electronic, they can be updated with new recipes or annotated with your notes. You can also easily scale the recipe to fit the number of servings you plan to make. Buy a gift certificate for a year’s subscription for your favorite technology-inclined foodie and surprise them with an unexpected cookbook experience.

Embark on a Culinary Adventure

If you want to go beyond a simple gift and create an experience for the most important food lover in your life, you’ll find that the options are plentiful. To help jumpstart your own brainstorming, here are a few adventures I’ve come up with (largely because I’d like to go on all of them myself).

• Take a trip to historic France with Petite Peche. In a remodeled church in East Austin, Chef Danika Boyle recreates the food and music salons that hearken back to earlier times in France. In what can only be described as a truly Austin experience, attendees at the Petite Peche Salons experience a long, relaxing dinner with courses punctuated by exceptional music. There’s plenty of time to enjoy everyone’s BYOB favorites and to get to know fellow diners. These dinners are a true opportunity revel in a love of food and good company.
• Relax and enjoy the food. Lake Austin Spa has been rated the #1 Destination Spa in the country to Conde Nast Traveler and as part of their commitment to a quality food program, they offer several Culinary Experiences throughout the year that feature guests chefs and food-centric activities. While any visit to Lake Austin Spa is a special splurge, if you really want to treat the foodie in your life to an incredible experience, this is one of the best ways I know of to do it.
• Roadtrip! Just down the road in San Antonio, John Besh of New Orleans fame just opened a Luke restaurant on the River Walk. A true son of the South, Besh has been hailed as a culinary trailblazer and worked tirelessly in the rebuilding of New Orleans after Katrina. Until now, your favorite foodie had to take a trip to NOLA to taste Besh’s wares, but now his food is just 90 minutes or so down the freeway. Hop in the car and whisk your special gif recipient to San Antonio for a culinary weekend. While you’re there, be sure to enjoy one or two of local favorite Jason Dady’s restaurants and make a stop at the newly refurbished Pearl Farmers Market. It will be a weekend neither of you will soon forget.
• Give an IOU for an Austin experience in 2011. Not a week goes by that there aren’t many opportunities for food lovers to celebrate their passion in our great city. Thinking forward to supper clubs like Dai Due, Restaurant Week, or the Hill Country Wine and Food Festival, give the gift of a to be determined experience later in 2011. Keep an eye on my blog for the weekly Foodie Bits post that lays out all of your options, and make Christmas last all year long as you give the gift of Austin food experiences long into 2011.

Do you have a favorite gift you’re giving to the Austin Food Lover in your life that I didn’t mention here? Or does one of this ideas stand out to you above the rest? Share your great ideas in the comments.

Happy shopping!

Make a Donation

As I mentioned in my last podcast, the Austin Food Bloggers are working in conjunction with the Capital Area Food Bank to raise awareness about hunger in Central Texas. To refresh your memory (because you did listen diligently to my last podcast didn’t you), 48,000 people need help from the food bank each week, and a mere $5 from you can buy $25 worth of healthy food to help those in need. What’s $5? A drink at happy hour? An extra sushi roll? One less visit to Starbucks? Is it really that hard to find an extra $5 to turn into $25 of sustenance?

Throughout the last week, my fellow bloggers have some done some pretty amazing things with a collection of staples similar to those found in a typical food pantry bag. They’ve made a lasagna soup, a Spanish tortilla, and cold chicken salad on garlic toast just to name a few. In the mean time, I’ve had my lunch eaten (no pun intended) by life, so my grand plans to contribute my own unique and interesting take on the food pantry supplies have been thwarted. However, because this challenge is important to me, I’ve taken a somewhat different approach to our campaign. In continuation of my challenge to you to find a spare $5 per week you can convert to $25 of meaningful food for your hungry neighbors, I’ve hunted down a collection of frugal yet thoroughly epicurean recipes. You can make these, feel great about what you’re serving for dinner, and give the proceeds to your local food bank. Everybody wins.

• Sirloin-Snap Pea Stir-Fry
• Chicken Thighs with Creole Mustard-Orange Sauce
• Gorditas
• Poblano, Potato, and Corn Gratin
• Feta, Herb, and Sun-Dried Tomato-Stuffed Chicken

These recipes are just examples of how you can take a frugal ingredient like chicken thighs, masa, and yes, even ramen noodles and create a fun and dare I say fancy dish. What are your favorite frugal epicurean dishes and what are you doing with the money you’re saving when you make them? (Hint: donate it to the food bank).

Related links

• Donate to the Capital Area Food Bank
• Food Blogger Posts

The 2011 update to this guide is live! We’ve posted it over on our new Austin Food Blogger Alliance page. Please visit it there for the latest and greatest information from Austin’s food blogging community.

2010 in Retrospect

One of my favorite things about being a food blogger in Austin is that I’m in such great company. Austin has an amazing array of talented food bloggers who focus on the whole spectrum of local food and wine, from eating sustainably to finding the best drinks to inexpensive eats and more. As a group, we spend what might be considered an inordinate amount of time exploring the local food scene. If there’s a good, interesting, or fun food experience to be had in Austin, we make it our business to learn about it. We’re also very proud of what Austin has to offer for all food lovers, and we like to do all we can to support our local restaurants, bars, and purveyors.

To that end, several local bloggers have worked together to produce a series of posts designed to provide a comprehensive guide to food and wine in Austin. Whether you are an Austinite on the hunt for new experiences or a visitor looking for guidance as you plan your time with us, we’re excited to help you navigate the best that Austin has to offer and expand your food horizons.

Food lovers one and all, I present to you the Food Bloggers’ Guide to Austin.

Food, Pure and Simple

• Overrated Spots to Avoid – Tasty Touring
• Asian Food in Austin – Foodie is the New Forty
• BBQ – Man Up Texas BBQ
• Breakfast Tacos – Taco Journalism
• Gluten-Free – ATX Gluten-Free
• Pizza – Austin Epicurean
• Tacos – Citizen Taco
• Vegan – Lazy Smurf’s Guide to Life

Unique Austin Experiences

• 24 Hour Eats – Tasty Touring
• Boiled Down List of Awesome – Boots in the Oven (and they KNOW awesome)
• Breakfast Joints, Austin Style – The Cosmic Cowgirl
• Dining Out Sustainably – Austin Farm to Table
• The Newest Food Trailers – Tasty Touring
• Local Favorites – The Rebeccamendations
• Street Food – Austin Food Carts
• Upscale Dining – Foodie is the New Forty

Beer, Wine, and Cocktails

• Drinks Around Town – Fabulous Drinks Austin
• Happy Hours – Misohungry Makes it with Moonshine
• Where to Whet Your Whistle – Misohungry Makes it with Moonshine
• Wine Wednesdays – Fabulous Drinks Austin

A map of the Austin Food Bloggers' Gowalla Trip

More Resources

• For those who are Gowalla inclined, we created a special trip with our top 20 must-visit spots. It’s a quick and easy way to find good dining options right from your phone.
• Every blogger who contributed to this guide is on Twitter, and as a group our tweets offer great insight into what’s hot in food and wine in Austin at any given moment. I’ve created a Twitter list to make it easy to follow all of us at one time.
• Each post in this guide is the creation of a local food blogger and is only a sampling of the kind of information you’ll find on that blogger’s site. After you’ve read their post, spend a few minutes exploring their blog for more interesting and tantalizing information.
• This guide is a living and evolving entity, so we’ll be adding posts to it. Is there a topic you’d like to see added to the guide? E-mail me at Natanya {at} gmail {dot} com and I’ll look for a volunteer in the group to write about it.

Antonelli's Cheese Shop - the New Cheesemonger in Town

I love cheese in just about every possible incarnation. What’s better than a great bite cheese paired with a lovely bite of bread or fruit, or even a nice sip of wine? In Austin we’re lucky because we have good resources for cheese in both Central Market and Whole Foods. Not only are their cheese selections extensive, but they are dedicated to matching their customers with just the right cheese. And just when I thought being a cheese lover in Austin couldn’t get any better it did.

Enter Antonelli’s Cheese Shop.

A Couple with a Passion for Cheese

Back at the end of 2009 Alanna and I visited the Pure Luck Goat Farm on a tour set up by Jodi Bart of Tasty Touring. While we were there we met John and Kendall Antonelli, a couple deep in the throes of opening their own cheese shop. When I talked to them about their approach to cheese, they talked extensively about wanting to help Americans develop a love of American-made cheeses. It’s not that they don’t respect (and sell) cheeses from Europe, but they wanted to share the best American-made cheese offerings with Austin cheese lovers. Their plan was to open a shop in a small spot in Hyde Park, near Austin favorite Captain Quackenbush’s and Asti, a personal favorite of mine.

From that initial meeting, I (and my fellow Austin food bloggers) followed the build-out of the cheese shop with great expectation. When they hired Kelley Sheehan, the same cheese expert who helped me write my post on building a cheese plate, I knew they were setting themselves up to be one to the top sources for cheese in town. John and Kendall shared their adventures with us on Twitter and Facebook, and when they opened on February 11, Alanna and I visited them at the end of the first day. We arrived just before they closed, and it was very cool to be there as they celebrated their first full day of business. They let us taste a broad selection of cheese and worked with Alanna to understand what kinds of cheeses she likes and then patiently helped her expand her cheese horizons. A woman came into the store looking for some cheese for a basket, and they worked with her to understand the recipient’s personal style so they could craft a unique gift.

Before they opened I’d e-mailed them asking for some advice on building a cheese plate for a Mardi Gras dinner party I was hosting (more on that specific plate later). Not only did they give me great advice, they special ordered a cheese from Louisiana to have when they opened so I could have it for my party two days later. It’s that personal service and true passion for supporting cheese lovers that I think will make them successful. They are also truly nice and good people – just the sort of entrepreneurs that will make our community a great place to live and eat.

Not Just Cheese

In addition to carrying a wide variety of cheeses from around the US and from Europe, they also offer olives and charcuterie selections. They will special order any cheese and go out of their way to help their customers meet any cheese need. Their extensive cheese knowledge and their commitment to personal service make them an amazing resource for Austin Food Lovers. Next time you are in the Hyde Park area, stop by, say “Hi”, and taste their wares. I’m pretty sure you won’t walk away empty-handed.

What Others Are Saying

Antonelli’s has generated some good buzz among local food lovers. Take a gander at what others have to say about them:

• Relish Austin: Antonelli’s Cheese Shop brings artisan cheese to Hyde Park
• Austin Food Journal: Go Get Cheese Now
• Thrillist: Diary dreams do come true
• Left-Field Leguna: Fantastic Fromage at Antonelli’s Cheese Shop
• Stetted: Antonelli’s
• Foodie Girls: Antonelli’s Cheese Shop
• Yelp

Citrus is a bright spot in the cold of winter, giving us a sneak peak of the fresh fruits and vegetables waiting for us in spring and summer. And while oranges and grapefruits probably come immediately to mind when you think of citrus, there are many interesting and fun varieties to choose from, including Satsuma mandarins, tangelos, and yuzu. Citrus is also a source of important nutrients, including the ever-critical Vitamin C. With so much going for it, there’s really no good reason not to add more citrus to your diet.

Celebrating Citrus with Central Market

As I started to see more citrus show up in my market’s aisles this past holiday season, I really had citrus on my mind. I absolutely love Satsumas and I buy them by the box in December for healthy snacking during the fat- and sugar-laden holiday season. Needless to say, I was very excited when the wonderful folks from Central Market invited me to attend a special olive oil tasting and kickoff to their annual Citrus Fest. The event was amazing and I learned a lot about olive oil, so much so that it will get its own post next week, but I was truly inspired by the citrus dishes we were served. Citrus was party of every dish in our tasting but it played a different role in each, truly showing off its versatility. I’ve scanned back through my notes and gone on the search for recipes similar to those we enjoyed at the tasting with the hope that you’ll be as inspired as I was to get your citrus on this winter.

Shrimp and Grapefruit Salad with Fennel: This lovely cold salad featured perfectly cooked shrimp, crisp fennel, slightly sweet grapefruit, and a drizzle of light olive oil. The tastes and textures were well balanced to allow each ingredient to shine without overshadowing the others. To put a similar dish on your table, try Sautéed Shrimp with Spicy Grapefruit.

Baked Salmon with Citrus Goat Cheese and Roasted Cauliflower: I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t like salmon as much as I should. I don’t dislike it, but I don’t love it, which is not a good thing because salmon is so very good for us. This year I promised myself I’d find ways to like salmon, and this dish will help me get there pretty quickly. The chef topped a perfectly cooked piece of salmon with goat cheese blended with herbs and citrus. The balance of creamy goat cheese, tangy citrus, and earthy herbs was a fantastic companion to the fresh salmon. To try a dish similar to this one, whip up a recipe of Citrus Broiled Alaska Salmon and then mix some fresh herbs and citrus zest into goat cheese as a garnish.

Key Lime Tart: I love key limes in every possible incarnation: pie, tart, cookies, or sorbet. You name it, I like it. As you might imagine, I was most excited to see our tasting end with a light and creamy tart. Sometimes creamy pies and tarts can be too heavy so the citrus is almost muted, defeating the entire purpose of the dessert in the first place. Not so in this case – it was really fantastic. Having tried several key lime recipes in my day, I can highly recommend Martha Stewart’s Key Lime Tart. While it may be difficult to get key limes other times during the year, they are in abundance right now, so go out, get some, and make a tart!

If these three recipes recommendations aren’t your cup o’ tea (or cup o’ juice), you can find even more citrus inspiration in these recipe collections:

• Central Market
• Epicurious
• Saveur

When I left class I was inspired to come up with my own citrus recipe to share here. I had the goat cheese salmon on my mind and the staff at Central Market said their blood oranges are amazing this year, so I decided to combine the two and create a blood orange and goat cheese crostini. These little bites come together in a matter of minutes. Supreming the orange is the most arduous task but is well worth it. They are perfect for a light lunch or as an appetizer before a meal. The citrus is the star of the show here and this recipe really lets it shine. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Recipe: Goat Cheese Crostini with Greens and Blood Oranges

Details

• Difficulty: Easy
• Serves: 8 as an appetizer, 4 as light lunch
• Prep Time: 20 min
• Cook Time: 15 min

Ingredients

• 1 baguette, sliced on a diagonal into 16 pieces
• Olive oil for drizzling
• Salt and pepper
• 2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed blood orange juice
• 1 Tbsp. champagne vinegar
• 1 medium shallot, minced
• 1 tsp. honey
• 2 Tbsp. good olive oil
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. pepper
• 3 cups baby greens
• 4 oz. goat cheese
• 32 segments from 2-3 blood oranges

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place the baguette slices on a baking sheet about 1 inch apart. Drizzle evenly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until crispy.
4. Combine the juice, vinegar, shallot, and honey in a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Continuing whisking and slowly stream the olive oil into the bowl. Season the vinaigrette with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust for seasoning with more salt and pepper if necessary.
5. Add the baby greens to the vinaigrette in the bowl and toss gently to coat the greens.
6. To assemble the crostini, spread baguette slice with a thin layer of goat cheese, top with a small bunch of the dressed greens and two blood orange segments.

Recipe for Success

• If you can’t find blood oranges, regular oranges will work as a substitution.
• Be sure to taste your vinaigrette for balance before you coat the greens with it. Some blood oranges may be more tart than others, so you may need to add a touch more honey to account for that tartness.
• Create the orange segments using the supreming technique. If you’ve never supreme citrus, watch Ming Tsai’s video for a great overview of the technique. The process is a little time consuming but the beautiful segments are well worth it.

As a preview of the kind of resources I’ll include, and because I think it’s important for my native Texas food blog to support native Texas wines, take a look at these first two videos in a series the GO TEXAN folks are producing to help demystify Texas wines. There will be five in total, and I’ll link to them all once they are available. For now, enjoy these two. The first features Susan Alder from Fall Creek Vineyards. I’ve had the great pleasure of taking tasting classes with her and she is amazing. The second discusses Viognier, one of my favorite varietals.

What’s your favorite wine resource?