Posted by johngl
I love going to the historic Driskill Hotel, especially when they host an event featuring close to 70 red wines, about 20 different kinds of bubbly, and food from 22 of my favorite restaurants. How could this possibly be a bad thing?
The Big Reds & Bubbles event is put on by, and for the benefit of, the Wine and Food Foundation of Texas. The most glorious spousal unit and I joined the Foundation last fall after attending one of their events and oddly enough, I am now a member of their advisory board. How did that happen? I suppose I should pay my dues so that I might continue to advise.
Anyway, the Driskill is kind enough to open their doors each year to host the soiree.
One just feels, well, lifted somehow, just by walking in. I headed up the stairs and turned right.
Whoa. Funky. I wonder if this is what it feels like to live in a palace.
Enough about the hotel for now, we came here to eat, drink, and pretend we’re fabulously wealthy. It’s really great fun. Live vicariously through yourself.
Always being the foodie, I wanted to check out which restaurants were in the house. Right off the bat, I ran into chefs Stewart Scruggs and Mark Paul, co-owners of Zoot and Wink.
These guys were working on a Tuna Nicoise served in a cute little square-shaped cup.
Later in the evening, I wandered back to the Wink/Zoot station and chatted with Mark Paul. We spoke of farm life and the need to get back to knowing the food we eat. It’s really a mission for Wink and Mark actually keeps his own garden and supplies greens to the restaurants. Good people. Great food.
Wandering to the other side of the building, I noticed Josh Watkins, tucked away in a far corner, representing the Carillon. He almost seemed happy to see me again. He gave me a quick demo:
His practiced hand sliced the fish with a flourish; cutting and plating in a well choreographed movement.
He quickly tossed some greens:
And served up the finished product. Marvelous!
Hamachi Crudo Toasted Hazelnuts, Celery Salad, and Ponzu
Then, I tried the beef:
Braised Beef Short Ribs with Celery Root, Apricot Glaze, Asparagus Tip, and Black Pepper
This was amazingly delicious and melt-in-your-mouth tender. I could have eaten a dozen of these things.
By the way, the most glorious spousal unit, the most glorious mother-in-law, and I will be going to the Carillon for their Thanksgiving buffet. Stop in and see us.
I think it is time for some wine:
Take a look at that shot of the Nickel & Nickel Cabernet. This was my favorite red on the night. Sadly, it sells for around $80 a bottle and that is just a little too rich for my blood, at least with any regularity. That is one of the reasons I go to these kinds of events: to experience wines I might not otherwise afford. It’s really a great way to develop one’s palate without breaking one’s budget.
It is really, really difficult not to just run around and try all the wines. The trouble is, there are just too darn many of them. The folks are very friendly, too. It can be a bit frustrating turning down friendly folks offering good wine.
While I was sampling the Nickels, I wandered off to the left and found my friend Michael Vilim representing Streat, his latest offering to the local restaurant scene.
Streat is to be a new concept restaurant featuring street food from around the globe. Stay tuned for the grand opening. Meanwhile, be sure and visit Michael at Mirabelle.
Making another round into the main room, I couldn’t help but catch a whiff of fresh black truffles. It is an unmistakable scent: earthy, pungent, the stuff of which dreams are made. Lo and behold, this wonderful fragrance was emanating from a booth hosted by David Garrido representing, what else, Garrido’s.
David’s place is one of my favorite new spots in town because you can sample all sorts of things without emptying your savings account. It’s a really great concept and I hope it catches on around town.
Just check this out:
Ancho Duck Tostada with Manchego Cheese topped with Fresh Blakc Truffle
For a one bite taste, you really can’t ask for much more of a heady experience. The duck was rich and flavorful, the tostada, no doubt freshly made, offered a resounding crunch. And what can one say about the added punch of the truffle. May I have another?
Time for some local color.
People seemed to be having a good time between bites and sips.
A couple of young women politely asked me for a photo:
Dear ladies, I have no idea who you are but here you go!
And then there were the folks that were drinking wine and providing me with wonderful opportunities to catch them off guard.
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Enough of all this drinking and merry making, it is time to get back to the food!
North’s Pan Seared Scallop over Mushroom Polenta
The scallops were seared on site and wonderfully cooked. The mushroom flavors in the polenta didn’t overwhelm the delicate seafood flavors. Very tasty!
This triple threat of homemade Oreo-style cookies, shrimp bisque, and a spicy deviled egg topped with caviar was presented by Lamberts.
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The Oreo knockoffs were pretty good and “double stuffed” as all Oreo-type cookies should be. The shrimp bisque had a nice piece of shrimp in with it, but the soup didn’t taste shrimpy enough to me; it was more like a tomato bisque with shrimp in it. The deviled egg was simply awesome, but it needed more caviar. Not really, I just wanted more caviar.
It was hammer time at Truluck’s Seafood, Steak, and Crab House.
The tap-tap-tapping of the guy bustin’ the crab was quite apparent when walking by and it kept up for quite a while. The folks from North were right next to Truluck’s, but didn’t seem to mind. I’m guessing the North guys ate a lot of crab Thursday night.
Florida Stone Crab Claws with Spicy Mustard Sauce
Stone crab claws are almost environmentally sustainable. I mean, only one claw is removed from the crab and it is thrown back in the water. The one-clawed crab isn’t disabled for too long as it grows back another. I say almost sustainable because I’m betting the crab ain’t liking it much. Until we see marches in Washington protesting the unethical treatment of stone crabs, the practice isn’t likely to change. I am not advocating a march on Washington; a few decades ago, when I lived in Florida, I ate stone crab claws frequently. I have no moral issue with crab dismemberment.
Truluck’s crab claws were delicate and sweet, the mustard was a nice offset. I still prefer plain old clarified butter though.
Following the surf, I had to have the turf…
Smoked Beef Tenderloin with Bacon Marmalade on an Herbed Crouton
Perry’s Steakhouse & Grill enticed me with it’s beef tenderloin/bacon pairing. This is simply good basic food. I might try the bacon marmalade the next time I sous vide a tenderloin.
Going around the horn again, I ran into the wine guy from Kenichi who talked me into trying a miso cured beef tongue taco:
I don’t know why things like tongue put people off. Expand your horizons. These were tasty, especially when paired with a hearty red!
They also had torched escolar:
This is another sashimi-type dish and a really tasty bite! Clean, fresh, and simple.
All in all, it was a really good evening. The music, provided by jazz guitarist Don Leady, was soothing and not in the least bit over amplified. The purveyors of food and wine seemed to have good supplies on hand so no one went without. I heard lots of laughter and there was plenty of conversation.
A lot of people made new friends. A festive mood was set with the house bubbly.
And the elegance of the Driskill will bring me back again and again.
The best things in life should be shared!
Tags: local food
Thanks John for this post – missed seeing you there- this is a great event. Your commentary makes the mouth water and look forward to next year’s event.