Good Eats

The Austin Culinary Crawl explores downtown's unique food experiences

With Austin's culinary scene constantly on the rise, now's the time to celebrate our tasty town. But in the midst of so many new hotspots popping up down south and on the east side, we sometimes forget about the gems found in the downtown corridor.

Joseph McMahan aims to change that with his new Austin Culinary Crawl, a one-night event where 100 foodies and friends will hop onto charter buses to explore some of downtown Austin's most notable restaurants. The crawl, which takes place Thursday, February 7, will take attendees to a selection of three restaurants, which will be announced that night. At each, guests will be served a full meal — yes, appetizer, entree and dessert — and get to chat with the chef or owner about the fare.

McMahan, who runs traveler concierge service Sherpalux, hopes the Culinary Crawl will introduce locals to some of the unique, eclectic food experiences Austin has to offer. "I find that the some locals either don’t have the time or know about all that that the city has to offer," he says. But the experience is about more than just food.

"It’s just as much about getting out with some friends, enjoying a night out on the town and the convenience of not having to plan any of it or worry about reservations, parking or transportation," he continues. We caught up with McMahan ahead of the event to get the details on the first ever Austin Culinary Crawl, benefiting The Austin Children's Shelter.

CultureMap: Where did you get the idea for the Culinary Crawl?

Joseph McMahan: The idea began a few years ago when I attended a fundraising event out in West Texas that was hosted by a couple of restaurateurs. I had an incredible time and loved experiencing how the evening transformed over time. Since many people didn’t know each other, the evening began fairly calm, but by the end of the night everyone was best friends and having a ball!

I quickly realized that many people love the idea of sampling multiple restaurants in one evening. It definitely becomes more of an experience versus just going out to dinner. A few good drinks and some music at the end of the night always help as well!

CM: How did you choose the restaurants for the first event?

JM: The restaurants I’ve chosen (Pelon’s, Russian House, Imperia, Fino, Garrido’s and Swift’s Attic) to participate in the event have all proven to provide a wonderful dining experience for their guests. The food obviously needs to be great, but the environment and service is just as important.

CM: What's different about going on the crawl than visiting the restaurant on your own?

JM: From the moment the bus departs, your experience is going to be quite different than normal, because you will be dining with 50 of your friends (well, they will be your friends by the end of the night)! I’ve observed on my outings that when a large group of people are moving around town and dining together it’s difficult to not be the envy of others observing from afar.

Knowing you are part of the party is a great feeling. Specifically though, each restaurant owner and/or chef will visit with the group to not only discuss the menu, but also share information about the restaurant and why it’s unique.

CM: How will the evening progress?

JM: Sign-in begins at 5:45 p.m. inside the W Hotel at Trace Restaurant and the buses will depart promptly at 6:30 p.m. The environment on the bus will be very festive so we are encouraging everyone to get there early! Each bus will be going to three restaurants and no one will know at which restaurants they will be dining until the bus arrives. After dessert, the two buses will return to the W Hotel prior to 10:00 p.m., and for those looking to continue the party, that is definitely an option!

CM: I hear there's a big after party at the W…

JM: The after party is designed to bring everyone back together. The after party is open to everyone and a specialty cocktail is prepared and offered at a discount. A DJ will be spinning until the late hours providing for a fun, party atmosphere! The Living Room at the W also provides the perfect setting if the guests wish for a quiet wind down to cap off the evening.

CM: What plans can you unveil for the next Austin Culinary Crawl?

JM: The plan is to offer this entertaining event every quarter so the next Austin Culinary Crawl will be in the spring (May) and will benefiting the Austin Parks Foundation. The summer and fall events will be benefiting Austin Pets Alive! and the Capital Area Food Bank.

My plan is to mix up the restaurants and after party locations each time to keep it fresh and provide for a one-of-a-kind experience for the guests each quarter. I’m already looking forward to the spring event since we will be able to take advantage of Austin’s awesome outdoor venues.

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Tickets to the Austin Culinary Crawl are available for $65 per person. Ticket includes food and transportation; liquor not included.

The Russian House

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Cake News

Austin chef launches cottage bakery devoted to vegan olive oil cake

Courtesy photo

Hooniecakes

An Austin chef has launched a cottage bakery and now it's vegan cakes for everyone. Called Hooniecakes, the enterprise is by chef Hannah Nichols, who founded it as a side project in July.

Austin has plenty of vegan baked goods, but Nichols has created a unique niche by specializing in olive oil cake, a recipe whose origins are said to date back centuries in Mediterranean countries.

More recently, olive oil cake has become a foodie trend, found on menus of upscale restaurants such as Flower Child and Tillie's in Dripping Springs.

Nichols is doing three cakes: original lemon, plus two seasonal flavors, currently cherry and green Chartreuse meringue. Following a popular model observed by cottage bakers, she hosts the business on Instagram where customers can place orders by sending her a message. Prices range from $40 to $50 per cake, depending on variety, and are available for delivery in Austin only with a 1- to 3-day turnaround; no shipping for now.

Olive oil cake is revered by bakers and diners alike because of its sophisticated, not-too-sweet take on dessert. Most olive oil cakes, Nichols' included, are served unadorned — no gobs of frosting to distract from the pristine pleasure of the cake on its own.

Nichols began baking olive oil cakes on the side while working as a sous chef at restaurants such as BBQ Tatsu-Ya and Tiki Tatsu-Ya.

"I'd bring them in for family meals and everyone loved them — it was a way to bring happiness," she says. "Eventually I made a vegan version for a friend who's vegan, and found the vegan version was actually better than the non-vegan."

Conventional bakers rely on butter, cream, and eggs for making pastries and desserts, but one thing that vegan bakers have found is that those ingredients are not required to make a great vegan treat — especially vegan cake. Despite the lack of dairy or egg, vegan cakes often have a nicer, springier texture than non-vegan cakes.

Nichols uses favorite vegan tricks like applesauce in place of eggs; the olive oil replaces the dairy. Her cakes are 9-inch rounds, about 2 to 3 inches high, with the trademark subtle fruity flavor that olive oil cakes have, as well as a moister "crumb" that gives the cake a longer shelf life. You can have one sitting around for a few days and, unlike regular cake, it won't dry out.

One thing her cakes are not is gluten-free; her recipe relies on the inclusion of flour.

"You do get gluten-free requests, but my operation is so small that I'm staying focused on one niche for now," she says.

That niche: a simple, sophisticated cake that appeals to people who don't like icing and also happens to be vegan.

"I wanted to make a cake that is great for any occasion," she says. "It's not a birthday cake — it's a cake that can be enjoyed casually any time of the day."

chefs vegan desserts