On Wine and Food and Austin

Austin is a food city: Famed New York Times Wine Critic Eric Asimov declares itso

New York Times Chief WIne Critic Eric Asimov discussing wine with Lake AustinSpa guests.
Photo by Jessica Dupuy
Lake Austin Spa guests sipped and savored poolside Saturday evening with aspecial tasting of food and wine.
Photo by Jessica Dupuy
A delicate Oregon Pinot Gris was the perfect fit for chef Corinne Trang's tigershrimp with sweet and spicy peanut sauce.
Photo by Jessica Dupuy
A French white Burgundy was beautiful with chef Stephane Beaucamp's crepes andprunes while a rich and robust Carmenere from LaPostalle was perfect for hiscumin-crusted sirloin.
Photo by Jessica Dupuy
French Sancerre and an Oregon Pinot Noir hit the right notes with chef HossZare's Persian-inspired menu.
Photo by Jessica Dupuy

Last weekend New York Times chief wine critic, Eric Asimov visited Austin for few days at the invitation of Lake Austin Spa and Resort for a special culinary series and in many ways to catch up on Austin since his last residence here as a post-grad student in the 80s. As Asimov soon found, a lot has changed in Austin in the past 20 years—and all for the better.

The heralded wine and former food critic had the chance to acquaint himself with the nationally-acclaimed luxury destination resort and aid them in a special culinary tasting showcasing cuisine of their heritage with chef Corinne Trang author of Noodles Every Day and Essentials of Asian Cuisine featuring items with an Asian flare, chef Hoss Zare of Zare at Fly Trap presenting flavors of Persia, and Lake Austin Spa’s new executive chef Stéphane Beaucamp serving classic examples of French fare.

"When you’re talking about wine and food for a bunch of people, precision is the enemy of fun. If you’re too up tight about it, all you do is find flaws and problems." - Eric Asimov

The Menu:

Chef Stéphane Beaucamp

“Cervelle de Canut” (herbed fromage blanc) on Crostini

Seared cumin-crusted sirloin with Merlot blueberry gastrique

“Far Breton” with prunes (mini crepe cakes)

WINE PAIRING: Joseph Drouhin Saint-Veran, 2009 (Burgandy, France) and LaPostalle Cuvee Alexandre Carmenere (Chile), 2009

Chef Corinne Trang

Edamame and corn salad with walnut-miso dressing

Sour Mango Salad with five-spice pork

Tiger shrimp with sweet and spicy peanut sauce

WINE PAIRING: Willamette Valley Vineyards Pinot Gris (Oregon), 2009 and Barons de Rothschild Pauillac (France), 2006

Chef Hoss Zare

Cucumber linguini with smoked trout

Pistachio meatballs

Kashk Bademjoon (pureed roasted eggplant on crostini)

WINE PAIRING: Domaine Hippolyte Reverdy Sancerre (France), 2009 and King Estate Pinot Noir (Oregon), 2009

Though working for much of his stay here, Asimov did have a chance to check out a few Austin hot spots and get a pulse on the direction Austin’s food scene has taken in recent years. After listening to him explain the effects of the great phylloxera (grapevine pests native to North America) on the entirety of European wines in the late 19th century to a gathering of ladies clad in spa robes and slippers, I stole a moment with Asimov to catch up on his thoughts on Austin.

CultureMap: In your short trip to Austin, did you have a chance to try a few places to eat?

Eric Asimov: Yes, I ate at Franklin Barbecue, which was really good. I’m a big barbecue fan and I’d heard so much about it that I just had to try it. I loved it. I also ate at Barley Swine. It was good too, but not all of the dishes there really came together for me. We ate at Fonda San Miguel with the other visiting chefs here the other night. It was quite a scene. We sat in the big table in the middle of the lobby and had a great time. The food was fine, but it was more about being in that great atmosphere.

I also spent some time at Congress. I wasn’t able to eat there, but had a chance to speak with June Rodil [Congress Sommelier] for a while. Her wine list there is fantastic. She’s just terrific and I was very impressed with her knowledge and palate. I also had a great cocktail at the bar. They’ve got a great place over there and I look forward to trying it one day.

I have to say that the food here at Lake Austin Spa is great too. I had a chance to taste what the new chef is doing and I’m very impressed.

By no means was I able to do a thorough culinary tour of Austin. There is a LOT for me to come back and try. I really wanted to try Foreign & Domestic, but there wasn’t any time. I just can't believe how much the city has grown as a food city. When I was in graduate school at UT in the 80s it was nothing like this. You could get good barbecue and Tex-Mex, but that was about it.

CM: Tell me about how you selected some of the wines for the Exploring World Flavors tasting at Lake Austin Spa.

EA: We have three French, two American and one from Chile. They’re all great value wines. One that I’m particularly fond of is the Oregon Pinot Gris from Willamette Valley Vineyards. I think Pinot Gris from Oregon is one of the most underrated wines. It’s a great value and they’re just so fresh and young. They’re just beautiful.

This is sort of a rough pairing. When you’re talking about wine and food for a bunch of people, precision is the enemy of fun. If you’re too up tight about it, all you do is find flaws and problems. The truth is food is so versatile and so are wines. They go with a lot of different things.

With food you have a lot of different flavors. If you think about having dinner at home, you don’t have one flavor on your plate, you’ve got a meat, a starch and vegetables and a salad. You’d drive yourself crazy trying to pick just one thing that goes with everything. You need to pick something versatile and then just enjoy being with your family and friends drinking good wine.

CM: Have you had a chance to try any Texas wines while you’ve been here?

EA: Texas wines are really hard to find in New York, and I really wanted to have a chance to visit a few vineyards while I was down here. But I’ve had to work most of the time during my stay. Unfortunately, it’s not really a vacation for me.

I’ve had wines from Becker Vineyards in the past and those have been nice. I have had a Texas Riesling that I thought was really good, but I can’t remember the producer. [Asimov and I believe we narrowed it down to the Merrill’s Vineyard Riesling from Messina Hof.]

I will say I think that many of the regions that are unexplored as far as American consumers are concerned hold a lot of potential. I’ve had great Riesling in Michigan. Upstate New York makes great wine as does Virginia. I always tell people to keep their minds as open as possible and taste these different wines. They shouldn’t write them off because they haven’t heard of them.

CM: In the next couple of weeks, I’m writing a story on the state of fine dining in Austin. Living in New York, do you feel the concept of fine dining has changed at all? Do you think it’s dead? Or just redefined?

EA: I would say that it’s been evolving for about 25 years. I would say the era of top restaurants being defined by formal service is long gone. You still see that and restaurants like that, it’s a joy to experience that kind of pleasure. But they’re very few and far between. In the same way that men don’t dress up in suits and ties and a hat to go on an airplane or to work every day. And women are not wearing dresses and suits and so restaurants have loosened up a little bit. It’s great to have a place like that for when you are in that mood. In New York you have pioneers like Danny Meyer who pioneered the idea that everyone could be more relaxed and looser without being casual and service at his restaurants is impeccable. But it’s not uptight.

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Lord of the wings

16 Austin restaurants face off in CultureMap's Ultimate Wing Showdown

Photo courtesy of Pluckers

Chicken wing-lovers have their own preferences, but only one can win.

Nothing says getting together to watch sports with friends quite like a big plate of wings. As part of The Tailgate presented by Verizon — CultureMap's all-out party devoted to everyone’s favorite way to get in the gameday spirit — we’re asking a simple question:

Which bar, restaurant, or food truck in Austin serves the best wings?

To answer that question, we’ve created the Ultimate Wing Showdown. CultureMap editors have selected 16 nominees that we think have a shot at the title. Just like we do for the CultureMap Tastemaker Awards Best New Restaurant tournament, we’re asking readers to vote in a bracket-style, head-to-head tournament that will produce Austin's ultimate wing joint.

True to the diversity of Austin, the nominees cover a wide range of styles and cultural influences — everything from a classic crispy Buffalo wing to wings coated in Sichuan pepper or even powdered sugar. Read on for more about the nominees, then click here to vote for your favorites.

People may vote once per day, and the results will be closely monitored to ensure a fair outcome. We’ll reveal the winner on stage at The Tailgate event on Thursday, December 12 at Distribution Hall.

The night will also include celebrity appearances, games, food from local restaurants, and drinks from the event’s sponsors. Verizon and CultureMap are even giving away a VIP trip for two to Super Bowl LIX*. More details on how to enter here for a chance to win.

Read more about The Tailgate here, and follow all the details in our special editorial series. You won’t want to miss it, so get your tickets today.

Here are the nominees in the Ultimate Wing Showdown:

Spicy Boysvs.Tommy Want Wingy
The only thing hotter than Spicy Boys' chicken is its reputation, having won several awards and become a go-to for chicken lovers who want something just a bit outside of the norm. The Asian flavors like Indonesian sambal were a hit, but will voters rally behind a current focus on boneless options? "Nugs" are $10.99.

Tommy ain't the only one who want Wingy. This food truck "take[s] all the fuss and mess out of the chicken wing" by shaping it into a "lollipop." Sauces start pretty standard and move into more unique territory, like the Spicy Pineapple with Sriracha or the Holy Schnikes, which comes with a warning: "Painfully hot!" Combos start at 5 pieces with fries for $15.68.

Pluckers vs. Wingzup
If there's a classic Austin wing, it's at Pluckers. The popular chain started at the University of Texas and has expanded to dozens of locations as far away as Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Some interesting flavors outside the classics include maple chipotle and Dr Pepper. Five wings start at $8.75.

Wingzup is similarly committed to the art of the wing, with more than 20 sauces and rubs to choose from. That list goes all the way from a classic garlic parmesan to a Jamaican jerk, Korean gochujang, or even ghost pepper. Guests who win the ghost challenge get a $20 gift card and a shirt. Five wings start at $8.49.

Tiki Tatsu-Ya vs. hiwings
Tiki Tatsu-Ya is perhaps the most unexpected pick on the list, which really goes to show the strength of its wing game. The mochiko wings are coated in sweet rice flour, then a mapo-miso glaze and Karashi mustard. These aren't as spicy as they are mouth numbing; they'll rearrange your tastebuds. An order upstairs at The Nest is $13.

Hiwings are also made with sweet rice and other flour, and patrons can choose among 10 sauces, plus more for dipping. They can also opt for "naked" wings, which have no flour coating at all. Hiwings says those are how wings are "supposed" to taste; voters will be the judge of that. Five wings start at $9.99.

Halal Wingsvs.The Potluck
Austinites don't have to commit to a halal diet to enjoy these very crispy wings. These chefs create spice blends for their take on wings from several cuisines, including Mexican, Chinese, Mediterranean, and Cajun. But the Halal Hot is the pinnacle for those brave enough to try it. Six wings start at $7.99.

The Potluck food truck and catering company is known for one wing above all: the crack wing, which is dusted with powdered sugar. It has plenty of other obscurely named flavors, plus sides you don't usually see at a wing place like shrimp étouffée and rice and beans. Six wings are $10.66.

Nickel Cityvs.Industry East Side
A great wing is paramount, but good atmosphere elevates everything. Nickel City offers both, and it's natural that the Buffalo, New York-inspired bar would have a solid wing on offer. Most important, it doesn't get too flashy with sauces — it's just the classics, plus Franklin Barbecue sauce. A pound of wings (about six) is $12.69.

Industry, an East 5th Street bar and restaurant that largely courts hospitality industry workers as clientele, keeps wing-lovers' options open with mix-and-match platters. Combos can be made with Buffalo, lemon pepper, barbecue, blackberry-habanero, and plain flavors. Six wings are $12.

Stiles Switch BBQ vs. Home Slice Pizza
A barbecue joint may not be most people's first choice for wings, but Stiles Switch is out here converting nonbelievers. Since it would be a crime to cover up the flavors of oak smoke, it makes sense that the only four flavors are pretty simple: garlic parmesan, Alabama white sauce, Buffalo, and honey barbecue sauce. Six wings are $14.

Austinites can't be blamed for having a one-track mind at Home Slice Pizza, but just ordering pies means missing out elsewhere on the menu. One of its incognito menu items is a plate of wings in the style of Buffalo's Anchor Bar, served with blue cheese dressing and celery. Home Slice's version is known for being very crispy. Six wings are $10.50.

Anchor Bar vs. Haymaker
For Buffalo wings, Austinites can go back to the source — or at least an outpost. There are now 16 descendants of the New York restaurant where the recipe was invented, and one is in Round Rock. Anchor bar won't pigeonhole itself, though. It serves wings with 25 sauces and rubs. Ten wings are $17.99.

Haymaker is mostly known for its laid-back environment, but its elevated pub fare also draws customers in. Like most of the nostalgic menu items, its crispy wings are kept simple: mild Buffalo, hot chipotle, garlic parmesan, Carolina gold barbecue, lemon pepper, and tangy teriyaki. Half a pound of mixed pieces is $10.

Casino El Camino vs. Thunder Chief
Casino El Camino is a surprising foodie favorite considering its downtown dive bar status. In addition to great burgers, it has solid Buffalo wings served with celery, carrots, and blue cheese or ranch dip. Although it's just one style, they come in four heat levels from mild to "downright explosive." Eight wings are $14.50.

Thunder Chief, the kitchen inside the Lavaca Street Bar on South Lamar Boulevard, has balanced the arts of both heavy and carefully crafted foods, including its tea-brined chicken wings. They're crispy without breading, meaty, and elegantly plated. Adventurous flavors appear on a rotating basis. Five wings are $9.

Made up your mind? Vote here for your favorites.

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The Tailgate is presented by Verizon and sponsored by HOWDY, Houston Powder Coaters, EIGHT Beer, and more to be announced.

*The NFL Entities shall have no liability or responsibility for any claim arising in connection with participation in this sweepstakes or any prize awarded. The NFL Entities have not offered or sponsored this sweepstakes in any way.

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