Film + Food + Focused on Good for Lights. Camera. Help. @NPFilm Nov. 4th.

It should be no surprise to anyone that the food community and food awareness in Austin is snowballing.  It should also be no surprise that the communities are joining together.  With the Austin Film Festival in our rear view mirrors, here's another event combing film, food, and good.


At this fantastic affair (one that you're significant other will approve!), you'll get to taste delicious locally, sustainably grown food from across Austin, prepared by gourmet locavore chefs.  You'll get to watch short films about important food issues.  And you'll get to learn from local food community leaders about the causes they support and how film has elevated the discussion. The event is on Nov. 4th from 6-9 pm at CTC Gardens (just east of I35 on Cesar Chavez).  Tickets are $20 online, and you can also donate directly to Lights. Camera. Help. if you like!  Get your tickets here: http://bit.ly/FFFoG

This event will feature The Wine & Food Foundation of Texas, The Sustainable Food Center, Farmhouse Delivery, The Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance, in.gredients, the Natural Epicurean Culinary Academy, Johnson's Backyard Garden, Slow Money Texas, Slow Food Austin, Greenling Organic Delivery, and HOPE Farmer's Market.

With Delicious Food, Wine, and Specialty Drinks from:
Deep Eddy Vodka, The Wine & Food Foundation of Texas, Amy Ramm of the Natural Epicurean Culinary Academy, Amanda Love- the Barefoot Cook, Amity Bakery, Pie Fixes Everything, Pate Letelier, austiNuts and more

Film + Food insights from:
Elizabeth Winslow of Farmhouse Delivery, Brad Stufflebeam of the Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance, Brian Nunnery of in.gredients, and more.

Get your tickets: http://bit.ly/FFFoG

Proceeds benefit all programs of Lights. Camera. Help.!

*I'm friends with the founders of Lights. Camera. Help.  I'll be attending the event.  And so should you!

Win Tickets to La Dolce Vita, Thursday Oct. 13th

La Dolce Vita.  Living the Sweet Life.  And yes, I do live the sweet life from time to time.  You too, can live the sweet life for a while on Thursday, Oct.13, 2012.  That sweet life includes tasting food from some of the finest chefs in the area and sipping on artisan spirits and fine wines.  Purchase Tickets here.   This year, you can also win a taste of the sweet life by supporting the 2012 participating restaurants and wineries.   The contest begins on Thursday, September 22 and ends on Sunday, October 9, 2011, and the winner will be announced on Monday, October 10. 
 
The rules of this contest has three parts:

• 1. Entrants must check-in on Foursquare.
• 2. Share their experience on Twitter by tagging @LaDolceVitaAtx. 
• 3. Include the hashtag #ilpalio to be qualified as a contestant. 

The contestant who dines and drinks at the most participating restaurants and wineries during the weeks prior to the event will be deemed the winner and receive two free tickets to the event ($250 value).  List of participating restaurants and wineries below. 

PARTICIPATING      A Taste of Italy in Austin            Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas       

RESTAURANTS:      Andiamo Ristorante                   Austin Cake Ball

Blue Star Cafeteria                    Cannoli Joes

                             Chez Zee American Bistro          Cho Sushi

Cuatro’s                                   Creative Creations

                             Cuvée Coffee                           Contigo Austin

Driskell Grill & Bar                     East Side Showroom                                              

Eddie V’s Prime Seafood            Eleven Plates & Wine

                             Flemings Steakhouse                 Imperia

J. Black’s Feel Good Lounge      Judges’ Hill Restaurant

                             Kerbey Lane Café                      La Sombra Bar and Grill

Malaga Tapas and Bar                Maudie’s Tex-Mex

Moonshine Patio Bar & Grill       The Melting Pot Restaurant

                             NoRTH Modern Italian Cuisine    Objects of Confection

Paggi House                              Palmer’s Restaurant Bar & Courtyard

                             Parkside                                    Ranch 616                                

Satay Restaurant                       Sao Paulo’s Restaurant

                             Get Sum Dim Sum                      Siena Ristorante Toscana

Sterling Affairs Catering             SugarPOP Sweet Shop

                             Sugar Tooth Bakery                    SWB Southwest Bistro at the Hyatt

Tacodeli                                   Taj Palace Indian Restaurant

Taj Mahal Indian Cuisine            TenOak Bourbon House + Lounge

Texas Coffee Traders                 The Backspace                         

The Belmont                             The Carillon Restaurant

                             The Roaring Fork                       Urban: An American Grill

                             VIVO Lake Creek                        Word of Mouth Catering

Zed’s Restaurant                       Whole Foods Market Lamar Culinary Center

                            

WINE & SPIRITS      Becker Vineyards                       Brennan Wineries

PARTICIPANTS:       Fall Creek Vineyards                  Inwood Estates Vineyards

                             Llano Estacado Winery              McPherson Cellars

                             Paula’s Texas Spirits                  Pedernales Cellars

                             Pleasant Hill Winery                   Republic Tequila

                             The Vineyard at Florence           TipsyTexan                     

Torre De Pietra Vineyards           The Vineyard at Florence          

Twin Liquors

And now for some photos from last year. *I attended as a media guest. 

Sweet cars go along with the sweet life.  Wasn't it gracious of me to lend them my daily driver for the event?

And there's my other car. Not only is does this event have fantastic food and drink, the location is pretty awesome. 

Lamb chops from Roaring Fork.  This and the green chile pork stew are probably my two favorite dishes at the Roaring Fork.

And the carving of a large piece of meat always makes me happy.

I found some macarons towards the end of the night.

And then there were these things.  I'm not exactly sure what they were meant to be called, but they were 1. neat 2. different 3. purple and 4. slightly creepy. 

Photo courtesy of Bread and Butter PR.
I'd have more photos of the event, but I was likely too busy stuffing my face to take photos before the sun went down.  That is the sweet life.   Hope to see ya there!

Texas Hill Country Wine and Food Festival is Imminent

The Texas Hill Country Wine and Food Festival is underway, and there's still time for you to get tickets to some of this year's hot events.  Though some of my top picks have already sold out, there's still time to squeeze in an event or two.  My plans for this year's festivities include the Live FIRE! Supremacy over Flames.  Emphasis on the FIRE! please. I have no shame in showing my excitement for beef (please hold the rated pg-13 comments).  With chefs like Andrew Dwyer of Australian's Outback, Brad Farmerie of Public Restaruant in NYC, Andy Ricket of Pok Pok in Portland, along with many local favorites, you'd be swooning too. 

A giant thank you to the ever wonderful Carillon, ATT Center, and Chef Josh for inviting @windaddict/@hopsafari and myself to attend the Star Power event.  This night with Kyle MacLachlan & Animal Restaurant brings out the giddy in me.  Graced with the skills of Chefs Jon Shook, Vinny Dotolo, Josh Watkins, and David Bull, there's no secret to why this event was sold out.  I'll be spending several hours at the Veloway prior to dinner that night.  

I'll also be attending the Sunday Fair to be held at the Mexican American Cultural Center.  I know the complaints from last year was that it was muddy and the lines were long.  I'm usually not the type that enjoys crowds or lines.  But for some reason, when it is in Texas, in a muddy field, and there is copious amounts of tasty nibbles and sips, I don't mind.  I find it kind of fun and adventurous.  I haven't visited the Mexican American Cultural Center before, so it'll be a new experience for me.  Here's some photos from this year's media event at Hotel Saint Cecilia.  It was my first time at the venue, and I'm having a crush on it. 


This parked in front of me there, so that's already a big bonus.


A majestic tree, an old car, and a bright green grass brings character to the location.


A view from the upper porch. 


Andrew Dwyer smoking up some tasty corn in a giant wok.  He was the cutest thing at the party.  He walked around serving people at the party in that wok that was bigger than he is. 


Tasty, moist, slightyly sweet, raw, vegan, AND gluten-free morsels of happiness from Hail Merry.



Hot ladies at a Haute Party.  Thank you for the wonderful event! 

CakeWrecks visits Austin!

I'm in Alabama right now, resting after a rough day of dog show judging. Since I couldn't make the CakeWrecks book tour at Book People today in Austin, I sent MisoHungry's skilled photographer, John Knox, to capture the fun on his Canon. So here's the link to the rest of his photos, and here's some fun ones.

The winner of Wrecklica!

 Runner up - the poop cake.

 

 

Navigating Food and Music Festivals like a Professional

I proudly admit that I'm a festival junkie. From vino to music to gigantic dog shows, I've become a veteran at navigating crowds, feeding my stomach, and having fun. Here's a few tips and tricks I've picked up. Enjoy and I hope to see you at some of the upcoming events.


Tickets:

• For expensive festivals such as Austin City Limits Festival, Fantastic Festival, or SXSW, you can always opt to buy a wristband early for a cheaper price. If I'm bent on seeing many shows, this is the route to go. 
  
• If you'd like to go to a particular show, but not dying to go, I suggest that you play Russian roulette with some economic principles. This is where supply and demand come into play. According to what I learned in ECON304 (I made an A in that class back in 2000), you have to play the game early in the show or late. Also, our grades were dependent on how we played these economics games in class, so needless to say, I was motivated to make good deals. 
• Playing early means that you're going to go the safe route and buy a ticket or wrist band when they go on sale, even getting codes to presales. You can usually easily Google the show name and the word "code" to get some hits. Playing late in the game is riskier, but can yield better deals. 
• Take Fantastic Fest2008's preview of Zack and Miri Make a Porn and the Air Sex Championships for example. I played the game early, and I played the game late. I secured a ticket, but I was pretty unhappy with my seat (WAY up in the balcony). Luckily, I tried to buy another ticket later, and low and behold, some front row seats were released. I snagged one for the low price of 26.50.  You can see me here at 3:28.  It was pretty easy for me to get rid of my original ticket since demand was still sky high. 
  
• I also played the late game at ACL 2009. I had a wristband, but due to work, I decided to sell it. When I finished up work early on Sunday, I decided to try my luck at a ticket. The game now is in my favor. There is little to no demand for tickets late on Sunday. Unused ticket prices should drop as they are a sunk cost, with little demand. After parking in a free spot just a 3 minute walk away from Zilker Park, I stopped the first person I saw and snagged a free ticket. I offered to pay, but he refused. Go back and brush up on economics. It'll come in handy.My ACL rocked.
  
• If tickets to the festival you want to attend is out of your price range (i.e. most wine and food festivals), volunteer for the event. Usually, shifts are fairly short, you'll get to know the vendors better (always a plus), you'll get to attend other festival events and activities, and you'll probably get a free tee shirt. Houston Cellar Classic has GREAT perks for their volunteers.

Food:  This is an important topic for all of us. If you only hit up one festival a month, you'll probably stay in relatively good health. If you hit up one festival or food event per week (or four in a single week), keeping yourself at a healthy weight can be a challenge. I've been asked many, many times why I don't weigh 400 lbs. These are my tips for staying in shape.

• If you're going to a festival with subpar food (not tasty or healthful), eat prior. That just goes without saying or bring your own. I've never been stopped from bringing my own food to an outdoor festival. Indoor festivals can be trickier, but I've still never had a problem.
• If you are going to a food festival where free samples will be offered, do not eat before. The old tip of "eat a little so you won't be too hungry" is a joke in my professional opinion (as a social psychologist). The problem with food samples at a festival is NOT eating unhealthful foods (though they usually are). IMO, the problem is with over-eating because one wishes to try all the samples. If you're going to over eat, you're going to over eat. You're not going to stop eating simply because you're not hungry. Most of us are opportunistic eaters. I keep this problem at bay with a few tricks. 
• I have a rule about what foods I eat. I only eat foods that are really good for me, or taste really fantastic. When I sample foods, I take just a big enough bite so I know what it tastes like. Enjoyment from eating a particular food drops off after the second bite, so it's not like I'm really enjoying that 3rd, 4th, or 5th bite. If you've been to food event with me, you'll notice I'll end up with a plate of food with only one bite missing.
  
• If you don't like it, you can discretely spit it out. Don't waste stomach space and calories on food you don't like. 
• If you do come home with a plethora of food, get rid of it quickly. I came home with a gigantic box of chocolates from the Austin Chocolate Festival this year, and it left the house as quickly as it came, in someone else's stomach.
• Exercise on a regular basis regardless of whether or not you are a festival junkie.

Rules, Regulations, & Tidbits:

• Make sure that you check all the rules and regulations of the venue. Some common rules are no backpacks, no strollers, no dogs, no gigantic cameras, no outside drinks (especially alcohol). Many festivals will check your bags. Make sure that you abide by the rules to prevent getting the boot. 
• If the event is free and open to the public, be assured that food will run out and parking will be a pain.  Get there early to get in on the fun, or else go hungry, thirsty, and park five miles away.
• Bring a festival partner.  You may need someone to drive you home, or you might need someone to help you tag team the long lines.  At Taste of Austin, my sister would stand in the longest lines while I got food from vendors with no lines.  By the time I had my hands, bags, and mouth full, she was already at the front of the long time.  I'm efficient all the time, not just when I drive.
• Use websites like Yelp, Do512, Facebook, and other local event bloggers to find unofficial events and specials that are going on along with the festival.  I follow AustinEavesdropper & This is Life in Austin. 

What to Pack:

• If the event is dog friendly, make sure you bring some water for your puppy and clean up supplies in case he/she needs to make a potty.  Check the weather, and leave Fido at home if the festival is in direct sun or over 80 degrees.  Make sure your puppy is also well-behaved and read these guidelines. 
  
• If the event is outside, wear sunblock.  It doesn't matter if it isn't sunny, wear sunblock.  Skin cancer isn't fun.  If it is rainy, bring a poncho or umbrella and carry a ziploc bag for your cell phone.  Water logged cell phones don't work.  
• Ladies, pack light.  You don't need 30 lbs of make up with you.  Sunblock, sunglasses, and lip gloss is all you really need. After five hours of walking, your tiny purse is going to feel like a cinder block. 
  
• If you bring your children, make sure they are under control.  Kids should not be allowed to run amok grabbing food off of tables and playing chase in crowded areas.  

What to Wear: 

• Dress for the weather.  If it is going to be 60 degrees outside, leave that cute little black dress at home unless you want to suffer from hypothermia.  
• If the event is going to be 100 degrees, wear shorts because heat stroke isn't cool.  No pun intending.  The EMS isn't going to care about how fashionable you look when they are trying to save your life. 
  
• No high heels, unless you want to break your ankle or suffer from blisters.  Remember, it's a festival, not a fashion show.  Save high heels for the run way.  Wear something comfortable.
  

Getting to know the vendors: 

• Don't be afraid to bring your own business cards if you make a connection with a vendor you like.  If you see a musician, food vendor, or artist that you'd might like to see again, give them your card.  
• On the other hand, only take promotional items from vendors you like.  If you'll never buy their products, please don't grab the expensive promotional fliers and brochures.  You'll just throw it away anyways.  It's a lose-lose situation. 
  
• If you stay late, you might be able to get donations from the vendors.  They don't want to take home all their extra products.  I had vending space at the Eukanuba Reliant Dog Shows for many years, and at the very end, I would get massive amounts of dog and cat food donations as I was trying to load my equipment.  I took those donations to local rescue groups and animal shelters. At food events, you might go home with boxes of sandwiches, tacos, burritos, or pizzas.  I'd freeze it, and feed myself for a month. 

Searching for Deals: 

• Local restaurants and hotels might run deals during large festivals.  For SXSW 2009, many local restaurants offered dishes at half off.  Check those out here. Yes, indeed.  
• Uchi (I've visited again and had a wonderful time since my last post) was running deals so good that I ate there twice during SXSW and once during ACL.  The average price per diner across these three visits was a mere $20.  I'm very happy to see that Uchi had my favorite roll at half off.  Shag me, baby!
• For very large festivals like SXSW, someone somewhere on the internet will take time to sort through all the event and activities into an easy to use spreadsheet.  Check out this spreadsheet from SXSW 2009.  Thank you to who ever made this wonderful guide. 
• Book your hotel ASAP, especially for SXSW. You can always cancel, but once they are booked, you'll be sleeping on the sidewalks or in a hotel lobby.
  

*This guide was previously intended for a website I had many moons ago: howtosurvivegradschool.com. 

Tour De Vin - Thursday, Oct. 8th at Whole Foods Downtown Plaza

^This one is for all you wine and food lovers out there.  Tour De Vin is right around the corner, and a great opportunity to tasty fabulous wines and a variety of a cuisines from around the world.  The Wine & Food Foundation of Texas, in partnership with Whole Foods Market and Marquee Event Group, is gearing up for a whirlwind tour of fine wine and food, Tour de Vin. Benefiting The Wine & Food Foundation of Texas, Tour de Vin is a get-your-passport-stamped style wine and food tasting featuring the best domestic and internationally-inspired cuisine in Central Texas.

In addition to fine wine presented by Republic National Distributing Company, this globetrotting culinary showcase and community favorite brings out a vast selection of sweet and savory bites from Central Texas eateries, including Aquarelle, Buenos Aires Café, Primizie Osteria, Satay, Z’ Tejas and many more. Cienfuegos will also be featured as the live music guest. For a complete list of participating restaurants and wineries, visit www.winefoodfoundation.org. Tour de Vin is open to the public, but space is limited and attendees are strongly encouraged to register early. Tickets are $50 per person for Foundation members and $75 per person for the general public. To purchase Tour de Vin tickets, or to become a Foundation member, visit www.winefoodfoundation.org or contact the Foundation office at 512-327-755   The date is Thursday, October 8, 2009, 6:30 PM to 9:00 PM at Whole Foods Market Rooftop Plaza at 6th & Lamar, 525 N. Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX. The Wine & Food Foundation of Texas, in partnership with Whole Foods Market and Marquee Event Group, is gearing up for a whirlwind tour of fine wine and food, Tour de Vin. Benefiting The Wine & Food Foundation of Texas, Tour de Vin is a get-your-passport-stamped style wine and food tasting featuring the best domestic and internationally-inspired cuisine in Central Texas.

Austin's Best of party at a Best of Austin winning bar, The Gingerman

I'm still in shock that I wound up as the Austin Chronicle's Best of 2009 Most Diverse Portfolio.  With that said, @windaddict thinks it is high time that we celebrate the recognition by having beer and food made beer.  The eats menu has not been finalized, but I'm guessing that there will be cupcakes.  :o)  This party is not just a celebration, but a big thanks to those who helped get Keep Austin Dog Friendly, Austin Drive Clean, and MisoHungry where it is now.  We hope for many more fun-filled years to come.

Location: The Gingerman 301 Lavaca St Austin, TX 78701 (512) 473-8680 
When: Sunday, Sept. 20th, 2009, 5-7 pm
Why: Because we love you.
What to bring: yourself and some cash for booze, also some room for grub.

Below is @windaddict's facebook event. Feel free to RSVP, but not necessary.  This event is also dog friendly.  Hope to see ya there!

Come celebrate Jennie's Best of Austin '09 Award at a Best of Austin '09 winning bar. To thank all of you for your support, Jennie will bring a selection of her beer creations for everyone to enjoy. We hope to see you there!

Read about Jennie's award:

"Most Diversified Portfolio: Jennie Chen
What would your life look like if you could focus your energy on your favorite things and then become an expert in all of them? With a résumé that reads like a Choose Your Own Adventure novel, MisoHungry Makes It With Moonshine blogger and veritable modern Renaissance woman Jennie Chen might know exactly what that feels like. MisoHungry is primarily foodie-focused, touching on topics such as cooking and baking with alcohol, specifically local craft brews, as well as restaurant reviews, food event notices, and cheerleading her own favorite delicious finds. She's probably best known for throwing this year's Cupcake Smackdown, pitting local purveyors of the delightful nibblies in a copious contest of crumb. But hold on to your leash! Chen is also the force behind Keep Austin Dog Friendly, an informative website listing dog-friendly restaurants, businesses, off-leash park locations, dog events, and more. Not impressed? Chen also created the Austin Drive Clean group, open to anyone "who wants to learn how to live green and drive clean." And dig this: While Chen's not practicing fuel-efficient driving, spending time with her pooch, or flashing her local foodie-finess, she splits her time as a DNA collector for the University of North Texas Health Science Center, through which she has worked with the Texas Attorney General and state law authorities, and as a research assistant and graduate lecturer at Texas A&M. So you have a choice: Look at what Jennie Chen has accomplished as inspiration to follow your own dreams, or sink deeper into that couch, potato, and give up now. misohungrynow.blogspot.com, austindogfriendly.blogspot.com, www.austindriveclean.com "

http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Awards/BestOfAustin?Year=2009&BOACategory=Politics%20%26%20Personalities&Poll=Critics

Dining for Life, Stand up by Sitting Down to benefit AIDS services of Austin

From the AIDS Services of Austin:

The 17th Annual Dining for Life is scheduled for Monday, September 14 and Tuesday, September 15, 2009. Please join us as restaurants all over Austin unite in the fight against HIV and AIDS. As thousands of patrons fill their plates in support, these restaurants will be graciously donating a substantial portion of each diner's check to AIDS Services of Austin (ASA). Their generosity - coupled with your appetite - will make a very real difference in the lives of thousands of men, women and families throughout the Austin community.

This year our goal is to raise $30,000 and we need your help!

Just dine at any of the participating restaurants on one (or both) of those evenings and a percentage of your dinner proceeds will be donated to ASA! It will be one of the most satisfying meals you ever eat.

Link to participating restaurants here.