FOOD MATTERS

News from Sentelli's Specialty Cakes and Fine Pastry

Also, Steele Farms, Gumbo's, Central Market, Trio, Shuck Shack, Kitchen Door and more.

Pastry cooks join forces at Santelli's

The world of Austin bakers is pretty small. When Tony Sansalone, the executive pastry chef at the Driskill Hotel, was working at the Four Seasons Hotel downtown in the late 1990s and early 2000s, he taught Mike Sentelli how to go from a bread baker at the Bitter End to a more refined pastry cook. Now, with the help of former Four Seasons pastry cooks Shawn Bonifay and Christina Hernandez, Sentell has turned Sansalone's bakeshop into Sentelli's Specialty Cakes and Fine Pastry , 814 W. 12th St., which opened this week. While Sansalone is concentrating on his work at the Driskill, Sentell will be serving breakfast pastries such as danishes, muffins, kolaches and croissants. He's also selling cakes by the slice and whole cakes that his staff can personalize or decorate. You can also order wedding or other specialty cakes ahead of time. Open Monday through Friday, 6:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. 236-1720, www.austinsweets.com.

- Addie Broyles

Seguin farm offering freedom of choice, delivery in Austin

Steele Farms in Seguin, which is run by a family that has been farming in Central Texas for 150 years, has launched a produce delivery program in addition to its weekly booth at the Austin Farmers' Market. Company official Trey Steele says customers sign up for four, 10 or 40 weeks of produce, which is delivered in a reusable shopping bag from the Austin company Blue Avocado. What makes this system different from a traditional community-supported agriculture program is that each week customers can go online and add extra items or take away produce they don't want, Steele says. There's also a recipe section online where subscribers can share ideas and tips. Information at www.freshtexasproduce.com.

- A.B.

Openings and closings

• Open: Delish!Shakes , a milkshake trailer at Congress Avenue and Second Street (delish shakes.com ).

• Open: Shuck Shack, an oyster and seafood restaurant at 1808 E. Cesar Chavez St. (shuckshack.com ).

• Closed: Both locations of the Kitchen Door, the sandwich shops at 3742 Far West Blvd. and 221 W. Sixth St. in the Chase Building. In their farewell note at thekitchendoor.com, the owners said, `The cost of doing what we have always done - fresh homemade sandwiches and baked goods - could no longer be done without us changing our recipes and not making our own bread.'

- Mike Sutter

Go west for cajun food at second Gumbo's location

Gumbo's, the downtown restaurant specializing in Creole and Cajun cooking, is set to open a second location in September. The new Gumbo's at Westlake, at 3600-D N. Capital of Texas Highway (Loop 360), will take over a former Chili's location in the San Clemente development across the highway from Davenport Village. The menu will be similar to the downtown location (710 Colorado St., Suite 100), with main-course sizes adjusted for lower prices, a spokesperson for the company said.

- M.S.

Restaurant news

• From 5 to 9 p.m. today, the Westgate location of Central Market (4477 S. Lamar Blvd.) will host "Barbeque , Bock and the Blues," with $2 Shiner Bock pints, barbecue specials and live music from the Texas Eastside Kings. The event is scheduled to run each Wednesday through the fall with other musicians, including Venson and Lee and Mike Milligan and the Altar Boyz .

• For the Aug. 12-30 run of the musical "Wicked" at Bass Concert Hall, Trio (98 San Jacinto Blvd. at the Four Seasons Hotel) is offering a $39 pre-theater, three-course dinner that includes free valet parking and a VIP parking pass for the concert hall. Make reservations for seatings from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. for most evening shows at 685-8300 or utpac.org/support/dinner_form .

• Starting at 4 p.m. Aug. 12, Gabriel Pellegrini will serve a free family-style dinner in honor of lavender at his Italian restaurant Sagra (1610 San Antonio St., 535-5988, sagrarestaurant.net ). The "sagra," a traditional Italian feast celebrating seasonal foods, will feature salad with lavender vinaigrette and a whole roasted pig with vegetable tiella and polenta. Lavender lemonade will be $2, and house wines will be $4. No reservations will be accepted. Dinner is first-come, first-served until the food runs out.

• The Dallas area is the place to be for wine people in Texas this month:

On Aug. 15, the Go Texan DrinkLocalWine.com Conference at Le Cordon Bleu Institute of Culinary Arts in Dallas will bring together wine writers and bloggers for panel discussions and a Twitter Taste-Off, where participants will taste 40 Texas wines. Their votes will select the top four favorite wines. $35 advance, $45 at the event. Details at drinklocalwine.com .

Aug. 16-17, the Texas Sommelier Conference at the Four Seasons Hotel in Las Colinas will feature classes, tastings and the announcement of Texas' Best Sommelier. Event prices vary, and many are open to the public. Details at www.texsom.com/registration.

- M.S.