Dallas Treats: Scardello and Rise No. 1

Since the Chihuly exhibit at the Dallas Arboretum (see previous post) took only one morning, we spent a pleasant day sampling some fabulous Dallas food.

Scardello Artisan Cheese @scardellocheese has won the “best cheese shop” award for the past two years from Dallas Magazine, a well-deserved honor. 

Their cheese case includes around 150 varieties from Texas, US, and around the world. The friendly staff will offer you samples of anything, and he’ll put the label next to it so you can read about what you’re trying. (If you really want to annoy him, and I did, keep taking the small piece of waxed paper and wadding it up between tastings.) They’ll cut any size you want, even off the wheel.

Labels include the cheese’s name, type of milk, its maker, and a brief description. Just tell them what you like (“funky,” “your best blue”), and they’ll make a recommendation (along with a wine pairing to complement your selection).

They host wine tastings, beer and cheese pairings, and other events throughout the month. In fact, this weekend, our local friends from Ranger Creek @rangercreek will pair their La Bestia with a Gruyere.

Grab a loaf of crusty bread, some choices from their charcuterie, and a few brownies from Oh Brownie @ohbrownie (try the gourmet sea salt and caramel) to complete your meal.

We would have eaten lunch there, but we had reservations at Rise @risesouffle, a floating-away-good soufflé restaurant on Lovers Lane.

 

Styled after a French bistro, the menu includes traditional French appetizers, salads, and cheese, in addition to their ethereal soufflés. Play some Scrabble on the table while you await your appetizers.

Bruce’s artichoke Andrée (served steamed with “Hedda’s family sauce”) was earthy, and the creamy sauce nicely offset the leaves. He ate all the tender inner leaves, which got tougher as he moved outward.

Soupe a l’oignon grantinée? Yes please! This onion soup had a marvelous depth of flavor from the caramelized onions and would hold up just fine in France.

Their entrée soufflés run the gamut from traditional (like my jambon and Gruyere) to the more adventurous. Bruce’s salty and garlicky esgargot soufflé arrived on a traditional escargot dish. All of them were lick-your-bowl delicious. My sister worried that my ten-year-old nephew would wolf down their shared soufflé while she took the five-year-old for a potty break.

Your server will recommend that you order your dessert in advance, since soufflés do take time (and they’re all cooked to order). Our table communally devoured (hey, we’re family) soufflés of chocolate, raspberry, and a seasonal pumpkin selection.

Remember that soufflés take time to prepare. Summon your inner Frenchman and relax and enjoy the wait.

Alamo A La Carte Bulletin: 281 Frontage Closure This Weekend!

Attention drivers! The northbound 281 frontage road will be closed between the entrance ramp from Nakoma and Country Parkway this weekend (November 9-11) while crews install a drainage culvert. The closure runs from Friday at 10pm until Monday at 5am.

Read the latest update from TxDOT on the progress of Wurzbach Pkwy.

Texas Renaissance Festival: Lift Up Your Cares

Thirty-eight years ago, the Texas Renaissance Festival  @texrenfest opened with three stages and 15 acres near Magnolia (north of Houston). Today, the festival has exploded to 60 acres, seven themed villages, 400 shops, tasty food, live entertainment for all ages, evening fireworks, and just a jolly good time.

As you arrive at the site, you’ll notice many attendees in full costume. If your ten-year-old (or husband) just can’t bear the visit in her Hello, Kitty shirt, stop by the costume rental near the entrance. Dress code is, uh, flexible. You’ll see some folks (who should know better) in skimpy chain mail, as well as Star Wars stormtroopers and World War I uniforms. Go figure.

Bacon on a stick? Why, yes please!

While wandering through the grounds, you hear music from familiar sources (like brass ensembles) and period instruments (such as dulcimers). The aromas of roasting meat and grilled corn whet your appetite. Hawkers in nearby booths call loudly for your patronage. Costumed cast members enact vignettes tied to the weekend’s theme.

Our favorite shows (see my YouTube video for highlights):

 

• Cast in Bronze: Most carillons reside in stationary perfection atop bell towers. This 4-ton behemoth is mounted on a heavily modified gooseneck trailer. You won’t hear music like this in many places.

 

 

• The Ded Bob Sho: A snarky skeleton “dummy” and his masked companion Smuj. We missed his usual left-leaning political zingers. (Maybe he didn’t want to risk his substantial tip income in this heated election year.) Nevertheless, we always enjoy getting “Bobmotized.”

 

• Arsene: This French mime makes his show out of being a poor magician and good-naturedly harassing audience members. Warning: do not show up late or fail to applaud. You might lose your shoe!

 

• Royal Falconer: These beautiful birds demonstrate hunting skills (“meeses-pieces” serving as bait) and chase presenters around the stage.

 

 

 

Food choices include everything from turkey legs (of course) to pierogies to fried crawfish. Even at this meat-fest, vegetarians won’t starve, with choices like hummus, Greek salad, and falafel (hang out near the Greek Agora for the most options). The Brigadoon Brewery brews their Whiskey Barrel Ale right there on site. This dark and tasty brew is full of caramel flavor and very little hoppiness.

 

 

 

Between shows and food, browse the nearly 400 shops. Whether you fancy ethereal wind chimes, delicate jewelry, or soft leather moccasins, you’ll find something to suit your taste.

 

Logistics:

• Unless you enjoy excessive heat and humidity, choose a weekend in late October through mid-November (Thanksgiving weekend attracts half the city of Houston).
• You can purchase a two-day pass, but one day works just fine. To make a weekend of it (and you should), visit the wineries in nearby Montgomery, Southern Star Brewing in Conroe, and The Woodlands for more great shopping.
• You’ll find plenty of hotels in the Magnolia and north Woodlands area; plan on a half-hour drive to the site. You can camp onsite, but expect rowdy crowds and a general lack of facilities (other than Porta Potties). Warning from personal experience: carefully minding the speed limit in Magnolia is an excellent idea.

 

 

 

• Print a schedule online (or purchase a program onsite), and spend a few minutes planning your day so you don’t miss a favorite performance.
• Purchase your tickets online so you don’t waste your time at the ticket booth queues.
• Parking is free. “King’s Preferred” close parking costs $10 and is a wise investment in post-event walking avoidance if you arrive around lunchtime or after.
• Make wise clothing choices based on the weekend’s weather. Only a couple of pubs feature “ice dragons” (air conditioning), and the site provides little cover (and swamp-like conditions) during rain. And did I mention that Houston mosquitoes can carry off small animals?
• The festival runs every weekend in October and November (plus the aforementioned to-be-avoided Thanksgiving Friday).

 

Alamo A La Carte Bulletin: West Ave. is Open!

Happy day! West Ave. (between Nakoma and Interchange Pkwy) is now open! TxDOT (@TxDOTSanAntonio) plans lane closures for finishing work, and the road will have occasional overnight closures for overpass work. But this particular bottleneck should interfere with your daily commute no more!

Here's a newsletter with the latest update on Wurzbach Pkwy progress.

Tips for a Successful Wine Tour

The wines of 4.0 Winery

Looking for a fun day trip, regardless of the weather? Try the Texas Hill Country Wine Trail!  @texaswinetrail 

 

Some lessons we’ve learned while leading tours for our friends: 

• Save your nose: Don’t wear perfumes or other strong scents. “If you do not smell a wine…very little information goes to the brain, and not surprisingly, you have trouble deciding what the wine tastes like,” writes Karen MacNeil in The Wine Bible. I want to smell my wine, not the trendy fragrance your cousin Martha just brought back from France. Strong colognes impede that sense and annoy others. 
• Breakfast and hydration: Eat a filling breakfast, and bring water to stay hydrated between tastings. 

Our group at 4.0 Winery

• Always bring a cooler: Heat and wine do not play well in the same sandbox. Why spend all that money on a nice bottle of wine, only to allow a hot car interior to destroy it? 
• Plan your route to minimize driving: While you can enjoy the beautiful rolling scenery of the Hill Country, the goal is to taste and compare wines. Use online resources (like the Texas Hill Country Wine Trail map, see link above, or CatchWine) to plan an efficient route. We target four to six wineries but stay flexible to meet the needs of the group.

 

Monarch migration season at Messina Hof

• What’s for lunch: Our group packs a cold lunch and stops at a winery for a picnic. Ask the staff if you can use their seating area; some wineries are more hospitable than others. TABC rules require that you consume only that winery’s products on their premises, so no opening bottles from down the road. If you stop at a Texas state park, they mean it when they say “no public consumption of alcohol.” Small town restaurants offer another dining option.
• Dealing with crowds: Buses and limos lurk in winery parking lots, which means a big group (or two) has beaten you to the tasting bar. The Texas Hill Country Wine Trail attracts over 5 million visitors annually, and sometimes, you’ll swear all of them are there on your afternoon. Many wineries increase their staff on weekends to accommodate these large groups. However, on our recent tour, Mendelbaum Winery had only two staff scrambling to serve over 40 people. We waited nearly an hour, and half our group never tasted. If you notice an overtaxed staff or too-crowded tasting bar, move on to your next location before the rest of the crowd does.

Pouring a sample at Hilmy Cellars

• It’s OK if you don’t like one: All wineries provide dump buckets, and no one takes offense if you jettison a sample. Life is too short to drink a wine you don’t enjoy.
• Buy local: Ask which wines you can get only at the winery…and buy them! You can always get that Becker Viognier at H-E-B. Support local business!
• Designate a driver: All those little tastes add up (not to mention the glass of wine with lunch). Designate a driver who’s responsible enough to know when it’s time to stop tasting.

Many thanks to Four Point Winery @fourpointwine , Messina Hof Hill Country , Hilmy Cellars  and others for a fun Saturday. I hope you’ll visit one of the Texas Wine Trails very soon!