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Friday, October 16, 2009
Living the sweet life at La Dolce Vita
Maybe it was the beautiful weather. Or the smiling chefs serving bite-sized portions of their fine fare. Or the proud winemakers showing off their newest creations. Or the babysitter who made it so my husband and I could have a date night. Or spotting a smooch between Daily Juice co-owner Matt Shook and wife Kelly, who skipped out on the sitter and brought baby Annabelle along.
Something about last night’s La Dolce Vita was special.
Sure, parking was tough, it was packed and, like every year, they started to run out of wine and food toward the end, but the annual fundraiser at Laguna Gloria for the Austin Museum of Art was full of friendly folks who were getting more friendly by the bite (or, more likely, by the sip).
Chefs, such as Bhupender Singh Rawat of Taj Palace, above, handed out samples of dishes that represented their restaurants, which explains why the playful Kevin Williamson and Antonio Vidal of Ranch 616 served fancy Frito pie straight in the bag.
Some of my favorite wine of the night came from Spicewood Vineyards owner Ron Yates, whom I profiled for last year’s wine guide. Yates was eagerly pouring 2008 Touriga Nacional and 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon, two of his newest wines. The touriga in particular stood out from many of the wines we sampled.
Sao Paulo’s Restaurante had their own little surprise in the form of these little pumpkins, which were filled shrimp sauteed in red palm oil with cilantro and tomatoes and topped with crispy plantains.
By the end of the night, photographer Annie Ray didn’t have to try too hard to pull people out of their shells in her fun photo booth.
They were already having a good time; she just had the delightful job of capturing it.
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Ed and Susan Auler: What’s in Your Fridge Friday?
Ed and Susan Auler of Fall Creek Vineyards split their time between the winery in Tow, northwest of Austin, and the capital city, where they reside. Their winery, established in 1975, was one of the first in Central Texas, and it’s still a leader in the growing wine region.
Their Meritus is considered one of the best reds in the state, and they are so picky about which Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Malbec grapes they use that only five vintages have been released (the most recent in 2004). (At last night’s La Dolce Vita fundraiser for the Austin Museum of Art, I had a sip of Meritus for the second time, and it really is a Texas wine worth seeking out.)
The Aulers are busy folks, pouring at wine festivals and hosting dinners and events throughout the year. Most recently, they put on the Fall Fest in Marble Falls and Spicewood, which raises money for local charities and Texas wine and grape research.
Another Fall Creek fundraising project is two Mission wines, one of which you can see in the fridge. The wines — a 2007 Sauvignon Blanc and 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon — raise money for the restoration of the Alamo.
What three things are always in your fridge? Milk, oatmeal, which we make once a week and just eat every day. There is always a bag of shredded slaw, as Ed Auler likes to eat it several times a week with crumbled blue cheese and apple cider vinegar/olive oil dressing.
What’s your favorite condiment? My favorite condiment is Fall Creek Wine Foods Chenin Blanc Mustard.
What’s the first food/drink you pull out of the fridge in the morning? First beverage I have every morning is one percent milk with my steel cut cooked oatmeal and blueberries.
Fridge photo by Susan Auler; photo of the Aulers by Laura Skelding/American-Statesman staff.
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