Construction Update: Dough Pizzeria

On a recent visit, I asked Nancy about the progress of the renovations at the San Antonio Dough Pizzeria (@doughpizzeria). The only sign of construction is the blacked-out windows of the former State Farm office next door. From inside, there's no indication of construction.

Nancy said their number one reason for building the expansion was to "get people out of the heat." The new space will have several hi-tops for waiting customers. The hostess stand will also move into the new space (you'll enter through the old State Farm office), and they plan a few more tables, both inside and out.

The current wine wall will be torn down and replaced with a wine wall in the new space.

They hope to open the new expansion in April.

A New Addition to the Hwy 290 Wine Trail: Messina Hof

On our most recent wine tour with friends Tom and Mary, driver (and hubby) Bruce spied a billboard for Pedernales Falls Winery that provided needed directions. Simultaneously, Tom and I both shouted, “Messina Hof!?!” (@messina_hof #mhhillcountry ) Bruce was baffled; “it’s just a billboard” he thought. “TURN AROUND!” we both told him. “There’s a Messina Hof back there!”  So turn back he did. (We visited Pedernales, one of our favorites, later that day.)

We discovered that it didn’t open for another half-hour, so we planned to visit Pedernales, then come back. As we walked back to our car, general manager Steve Warren popped his head out and said, “We’ll open early for you!” in his gentle Texas drawl. He didn’t have to ask twice.

We adore Messina Hof’s wines, but even for us Aggies, their main location in Bryan puts it out of range for a day wine trip from San Antonio. So we were ecstatic to find a new, nearby location.  With the Texas Hill Country ranking as the second most visited wine region in the US (behind Napa), owner Paul Bonarrigo executed a genius business move by opening here.

They opened three months ago, and it’s clear from the site that they have further building plans. Four small B&B cabins sit out back (pictured at right), and they soon begin work on their on-site winery building. Once spring rolls around, some landscaping will make the place even more inviting. They just planted their first vines (Lenoir).

Five tastes and a souvenir wine glass cost $5—a tough decision with 45 to choose from. I focused on whites, while Bruce tried a variety of their excellent ports. The aromas of French oak permeated the rich and buttery chardonnay. The Beau (a blend of shiraz and muscato) is fruity and light, a perfect summer sipping wine.  With the exception of their sparkling wines, all their grapes come from Texas (at this location; not in Bryan).

Their large tasting room features two tasting bars and a small seating area. They also have a special events room available for reservation.

Messina Hof is known for their ports; unfortunately, neither Tom nor I enjoy ports or sherries. But Steve (that's him on the left) was persistent. He insisted that we both try the Solera sherry. We were both floored (and both came home with a bottle or two). I have rarely tasted a wine with so many complex flavors—vanilla, cherry, almond, creamy, and some chocolate. It was quite simply amazing.

You will definitely want to plan a visit soon to this new addition.

The New Twin Liquors Marketplace

Twin Liquors recently opened its newest Marketplace in the old Conn’s building (on the west side of 281 between Bitters and Nakoma). This impressive 15,000-square foot store provides an excellent selection of beer, wine, liquor, cigars, and barkeeping tools and accessories.

We began shopping at the Twin Liquors at the Alon Center when it opened a few months ago. Their pricing can’t be beat; on most items, “case pricing” applies if you buy two of any item. They also have weekend specials .The staff at both locations is very friendly and helpful, without being intrusive.

The large, open entry area at the Marketplace invites you in; on the first visit, it’s difficult to know where to start browsing. (Oddly, both stores, the Marketplace and Alon, smell of insecticide.) The many racks of wine line up smartly in straight rows, like a squad of marching Marines.



The humidor stocks a wide variety of cigars, as well as premium scotches (arranged on high shelves to prevent accidental breakage). I can’t abide cigarettes, but the aromas of cigar and pipe tobacco take me back to my grandfather’s house. The Marketplace hosts “Wine 101” classes in their spacious classroom (separated by a glass wall) on the first and third Wednesdays of the month from 6:30-8:00. On Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 3:00-8:00, they sample a variety of wines and liquors at their tasting bar (which even has a little seating area).

They stock “fine wines” (roughly $75/bottle and up) in a glassed-off room at the right rear of the store. Their current selection is a little thin (especially from France), but they plan to add more. Frankly, we just can’t see spending several hundred dollars on one bottle of wine or scotch, I don’t care how rare or divine it is.

Some up-front displays of Texas liquors would be a nice addition. Ranger Creek .36 anyone?

The building holds an additional 7,000-sf of storage, and they plan to open wholesale operations after the first of the year.

I always like to see a big, long-vacant building claim a new tenant. Driving by the near-deserted Olmos Creek Center (NW Military and Huebner, where the old H-E-B used to be) is just a bit depressing.

I highly recommend a stop at the Marketplace!

Second Edition: Glutton's Tour of Houston--Unexpected Surprises

I love coming across unexpected surprises when I travel—even to very familiar places like Houston. On the one hand, I enjoyed (most of) the restaurants we visited, but situations I didn’t anticipate led to some of the best moments. Here are a few from our recent Glutton’s Tour:

• “Dinner and a show” at El Real Tex-Mex @ElRealTexMex : No, I’m not talking about the silent Western movie or football game inside. Sit outside, close to the front rail along Westheimer, and enjoy watching the parade of humanity. A not-particularly-fit woman runs for the bus at the curb up the street (and makes it!), the cyclist jumps out of his skin when he hears the squealing car tires (he avoids catastrophe), a couple of drug addicts cautiously step off the bus just in front of the restaurant (there’s a fence and they move along). Make a game of counting the car honks (we heard four) and screeching tires.
  
  
  
  
  
• Meeting the chef @thefrenchcowboy: After a marvelous meal (see future post) with a very knowledgeable server at Philippe Restaurant, Chef Philippe Schmit left the kitchen and stopped by our table to chat. He is quite personable (with that charming French accent) and was truly pleased that we enjoyed the meal.
  
  
  
• Finally breaking my hex on sports: Regular readers know of my love for the Tour de France. I even play along a own fantasy team. This year, I expected the Cyclists Union to ring my doorbell and ask me to quit choosing riders for my team. By the time they reached Paris, only five riders on my team of ten remained upright on the bike. Complete carnage. Then along comes the American League Championship series. I turned off a couple of games when the Texas Rangers went south upon my tuning in. My friend Shauna enjoined me to switch off and offered to text me the score. Upon returning to my hotel on Saturday night (a week ago), I hesitantly tuned in….and happily watched the Rangers decimate the Tigers 15-5 to win the pennant. Finally I am no longer the bane of professional sports.
  
  
  
  
  
• Watching and learning from the crepe chef at Melange Creperie @melangecreperie: You can't often see the chef prepare your food in most restaurants; even “open kitchens” provide only a partial view. But we enjoyed watching our crepes (and the orders ahead of us) come together—from bubbling dough on the griddle to slicing the bananas to folding the finished product into perfect thirds.

Next up: Failing to meet expectations

Second Edition: Glutton's Tour of Houston--The Sweet Stuff

My sister Robyn and I recently embarked upon another Glutton’s Tour in Houston. (She also posted about the trip on her blog The Burbanist.) We grew up there and enjoy visiting every once in a while. Neither one of us miss the traffic, which snarls worse on every visit. I wonder when they’ll pave over the entirety of west Houston to make IH-10 25 lanes wide….and it would still jam up. We generally confine our visits to the fun and funky areas inside Loop 610, though, so we avoid the worst of it. Over the next several posts, I’ll share the highlights of the trip.

I usually eschew desserts at the end of a meal. But on this trip, the sweet stuff provided the culinary high points.

Banana Nutella Crepes from Melange Creperie @melangecreperie : We patiently stood in front of the small cart on the corner of Westheimer and Taft with ten other people (and one enormous but laid-back dog) while noisy traffic whizzed by behind us. Our chef took individual orders and prepared the crepes fresh, two at a time. Given the serving size (and our plans to visit several other places that day), we decided to split one. We watched in awe as our chef ladled out the batter and spread it thin over the griddle. He expertly flipped it after a few seconds (my attempt to do so would resemble a wadded-up piece of paper), then added the fillings. Our crepe was perfectly thin, with crispy edges, a tender center, and pleasantly warm to the touch. The sweetness of the slightly overripe bananas paired well with the Nutella. Get there early. His small cart doesn’t hold much, and once his ingredients are gone, you’re out of luck. ht

French Cowboy Churros at Philippe Restaurant @thefrenchcowboy : Churros? At a French restaurant?? Why, yes. After a marvelous meal of monkfish, foie gras, and soup in this elegant restaurant on Post Oak, we split an order of cinnamon churros, salted caramel ice cream, and spicy chocolate sauce. The churros were airy and light, and not oversweet. We alternated dipping the churros into the luscious ice cream, then the sauce, which had just the right “kick.” We left not a crumb.

Petit Fours from Moeller’s : I’ve posted about Moeller’s previously. This small shop was my Frannie’s “go-to” spot when she didn’t feel like fixing dessert on her own or needed a girly birthday cake for one of her three granddaughters. Based on past experience, we arrived early on Saturday morning so we could snag the coveted white petits fours and a tray of cheese straws. Over twenty boxes on the table at the rear held pre-ordered cakes ready for pick up. When I asked my husband if I should bring back vanilla or chocolate, he replied “yes.” They didn’t last two days.

Next up…. unexpected surprises.