Cheese Champs

Big cheese: Top winners announced at Mohawk's Quesoff 2012

The team from Frank celebrate their second win of the Meaty Queso category in arow.
Photo by: Jessica Alexander
Two of Mandy's Mens with their special mention 5-Meat Queso.
Photo by: Jessica Alexander
The Quesoff Grand Champions from Papi Tino's.
Photo by: Miguel Angel
Veggie Queso winners Siena Magallanes and Jaimie Gard, otherwise known as TheThunda from Furmuda.
Photo by: Miguel Angel
The Chief Justices of the Underground Queso League (l to r): Mayor LeeLeffingwell, Michael Graupmann, Matthew Odam, Tim League, Matt Bearden.
Photo by: Miguel Angel
Hungry Quesoff crowds happily sample the competing cheese dips.
Photo by: Arden Ward
The highly coveted Quesoff 2012 trophies. And a bag of chips.
Photo by: Miguel Angel

Heavy is the burden of the Quesoff judge.

Deciding between the best melted cheese concoctions from the bounty of Austin's most eager queso makers is enough to make any (lactose tolerant, non-vegan) Texan's head spin and mouth water.

Beyond my wildest dreams, Cheese Christmas came early this year and I had the incomparable honor of being one of the five Quesoff 2012 judges, known more affectionately as the Chief Justices of the Underground Queso League by event coordinators Transmission Events.

I joined the proud ranks of Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell, stand-up comedian Matt Bearden, Alamo Drafthouse owner Tim League and Austin American-Statesman restaurant critic Matthew Odam for the second annual event that happened Sunday afternoon.

Gathered together on the Mohawk stage with plenty of tortilla chips and Lone Stars, my fellow judges and I had the impossible task of deciding whom among the 30 contenders of the day offered us the most glorious melted cheese dips in three categories: Meaty, Veggie and Spicy.

How do you even start to compare the virtues of one cheese to another? It's like choosing one child over another; the worst Sophie's Choice scenario I can imagine. (Sorry, Sophie.)

Of the three winners, a grand champion would also have to be chosen to represent Austin at the World Cheese Dip Championship in Little Rock, Arkansas this October. Yes, that is a real thing; and you should probably go buy a plane ticket right now.

Before the winners were announced, however, hundreds of queso enthusiasts braved the heat to circle the multi-layered floors of the Mohawk like vampires hungry for the thick, yellow life blood of Austin. Mohawk owner James Moody's soundtrack for the day included yacht rock and classic hair band favorites, requested specifically by Mayor Leffingwell.

In the end, four quesos rose to the top of the cheese-skinned surface, winning pairs of tickets to the upcoming Fun Fun Fun Fest and gift certificates to the Alamo Drafthouse.

In the Meaty category — the largest for the day, including samples made with sausage, brisket and perfectly prepared pork belly — the big winners, for the second year in a row, were Frank Restaurant with their pork belly, guacamole and pesto queso blend.

A special mention was made to the team Mandy N' Her Mens, who provided us with their 5-Meat Queso: fully prepared fried chicken wings covered in queso, sausage, brisket, bacon and pork belly. Yes, it was as beautiful as it sounds.

In the Veggie category, the winners were, ahem, The Thunda From Furmuda, an excited duo of home chefs who went out on a limb to create a duo of meatless quesos. The first was a chilled, raw white queso that held its shape on a chip, and the second was a smoked gouda that made all of the judges sit up and take notice.

Finally, in the Spicy category, it was the very first queso of the day from Papi Tino's Cantina that made an unbeatable impression in the judges' mouths and lingered like the memory of the best milk-based lover throughout the competition. I don't even remember what was in it. I just know that I want to have it in my mouth all of the time.

Beating out their fellow finalists, Papi Tino's Spicy Queso entry was declared the Ultimate Grand Champion for the day, and received a giant round of cheese-fueled applause along with the giant rubber cheese trophy from Mayor Leffingwell.

Drunk on cheese and power (and Lone Star), the Chief Justices of the Underground Queso League descended from our position of authority and joined the party already in progress. There were still many queso-filled crock pots to go before this night was through.

Congrats to all the que-testants that entered this year's Quesoff. Your cheesy contributions will hold a special place in my heart. At least for the next day or so...

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News You Can Eat

Highly anticipated bakery and queso contest up the ante in Austin food news

Photo by Chad Wadsworth

Amanda Rockman's new bakery is opening Friday, October 11.

As Austinites fight through the ACL Fest crowds — both at Zilker Park and surprisingly far away — snacks help keep up morale. Thankfully, there are plenty to go around with a star chef's new bakery opening, a queso competition, and a pickleball tournament watch party. See you on the other side!

Openings and closings

Bakeries don't tend to be as highly anticipated as restaurants in Austin, but pastry chef Amanda Rockman has broken the baking mold. Her first solo bakery with her name on it is opening October 11 at 2400 E. Cesar Chavez St., Suite 200. This is an ambitious effort. Rockman Coffee + Bakeshop will operate in five "pillars," according to a press release: caffeine, gluten, sugar, butter, and booze. Most notable are the chocolate chip cookies with halva; bagels and creative cream cheese; and churro croissants. Learn more about what's available at the counter here. In Rockman's first week, it'll be open Friday through Monday (October 11-14), closing on Tuesday for any needed tweaks. It'll be back for daily service Wednesday, October 16, from 7 am to 7 pm. Weekend hours will be 8 am to 7 pm. Customers can also order for pickup on online after two weeks of business, with catering coming "soon."

Could sit in this airy shop all day.Photo by Chad Wadsworth

A worldly duo of chef brothers, Haru and Gohei Kishi, are bringing their experience to the Austin Proper Hotel. Proper Sandos promises "a delicious merging of Japanese tradition and Parisian elegance," according to its website. These picturesque Japanese-style sandwiches will feature tamago (Japanese omelette), crispy chicken, pork katsu, A5 Wagyu, and potentially more, and guests will get to enjoy them in a full-service restaurant. It'll be a temporary residency starting in 2025, located on the first floor of the hotel at 600 W. 2nd St. Hours are 11 am to 8 pm daily.

As promised more than a year ago, Honest Mary's is finally ready to move into its new Mueller location. Specializing in "healthy grain bowls," this fast-casual restaurant at 2021 Aldrich St. will open October 27 with a very grand opening event from noon to 2 pm (timed to line up with the nearby farmers market). There will be free bowls for everyone, prizes for the first 200 people (like gift cards of up to $500), live music, free face painting for kids, balloons, and free tote bags. Honest Mary's will be open daily from 11 am to 9 pm.

Other news and notes

Austinites will strong opinions about the perfect queso recipe will have lots to think about at Quesoff, an annual competition at the The Mohawk. Contestants — both professional chefs and home cooks — will compete in four categories: Meaty, Spicy, Veggie and Wild Card. There will also be a Best in Show award for the overall best dish. The event taking place October 13 will benefit the Central Texas Food Bank. Tickets ($20) are available on Eventbrite.

The emerging sport of pickleball has nearly taken over Austin, and now there's a major league and even watch parties at local restaurants. One such party will be held at cool sports bar Victory Lap, where guests will watch the Texas Ranchers (Austin) play against the Dallas Flash in a tournament on October 15. The party will run from 6-8:30 pm, with free ranch waters for the first 100 guests and games like PaddleSmash and PaddlePong. Plus, pickleball lovers with a strong constitution can compete in a pickle eating contest sponsored by Suckerpunch, with a $500 prize. Register for the free event at sweatpals.com.

Eberly Atrium Eberly's Atrium will host a creative dinner with visual artists.Eberly/Instagram

Contemporary American restaurant Eberly is taking advantage of its beautiful space again to host Artists in the Atrium on October 15 and 16. The event will show off visual art by Texas artists B Shawn Cox (who works in a sort of pin-up style featuring cowboy and cowgirl portraits) and Cruz Ortiz (who works in an updated cubist style), which was made for the occasion. Executive chef Sarah Seghi will interpret the works through food in a menu for those nights only. This artsy dinner takes place from 6-10 pm each night. Tickets ($132.25 after fees, plus $79.75 for beverage pairings) are available at ticketleap.com.

bakery openings desserts chefs visual art pickleball queso