Poco-Cocoa

Yes, we eat here almost every week. And yes, we still love it. And yes, I’m going to post it AGAIN. Get over it.

We had dinner at FINO on Friday with Rachel and Logan. Our wonderful waiter/wine guru Josh picked out our menu… he just brought dish after dish until we said, “Uncle!” And then we moved over to the bar and had drinks with Bill. Because he rocks.

Here’s what we had (sorry the pictures are kind of dark… it was quite dim and romantic-like in there):

Bill’s drink special for the weekend was the Bad-Ass Manhattan. Really, that’s what it was called. It’s made with Rittenhouse straight rye, Antica Formula vermouth, aromatic bitters and a house-preserved cherry.

Pork belly croquettes with saffron rice and sliced apples. We had these at the FINO Gourmet happy hour last week, and I was happy to see them make a reappearance.

Blistered padron peppers with sea salt & espelette. Ohmyga. This is my new favorite thing, EVER. I first saw blistered peppers as an appetizer here, and I’ve been craving them ever since. And wouldn’t you know? They’re the best thing ever.

The small plate special was beef tartare with crostini and pickled red onions. We all thought this was a bit too spicy… not hot spicy, but just really flavorful, and so it overpowered the raw beef. Still, it was good.

Gulf prawns with cilantro-lemon chermoula. These were amazing. The prawns were perfectly cooked, not rubbery or chewy, and the lemon-cilantro sauce was a perfect compliment.

Quail with chickpeas and a fried quail egg. The quail was succulent and dainty, but my favorite part was the chickpeas doused with runny egg yolk.

Pork belly with roasted pearl onions. I didn’t see this on the menu, but it was amazing. Well, you know me and pork belly. I do love it so.

Harissa beets and apples with lime yogurt and spiced pepitas. I loved this… it reminds me that I seriously need to start roasting some beets around here. And eat them with apples. And yogurt.

Dressed butter lettuce with a Parmesan crisp. I didn’t see this on the menu, either, but it was so nice and refreshing after all our meaty small plates. And then, we moved on to meat. Again.

The dinner special was a mixed grill with sumac onions, parsley butter and crispy fingerling potatoes. We argued with Josh a bit, because it was really just a grill, not a mixed grill. But still, the beef was delicioso.

The dessert special was a zucchini spice cake with cinnamon ice cream and walnut brittle. For some reason it seemed brave to me for FINO to put a zucchini cake on the menu as a dessert. It was moist and tasty, and a nice end to our meal.

I now return you to your regularly scheduled non-FINO obsessed day. 🙂

So I’ve already let you know how devastated I am that Gourmet magazine has folded. It turns out that there are plenty of other Austinites (like David and Jenna and Kristi and Rachel and James and Marshall and Mando and lots of others) who are also saddened by this loss, and we all gathered Tuesday night at FINO for a Gourmet Wake. FINO provided tapas and a classic cocktail for just $20, plus extra cocktails at $5 each. Not a bad deal, if you ask me.

David Alan brought a few of his vintage Gourmets from the seventies, full of liquor and cigarette ads and recipes for aspic and mocha baked Alaska. Addie Broyles brought a few of her newer issues, gorgeous things with candied apples and ice cream sandwiches on the covers. FINO/Asti owner Emmett Fox and I flipped through them and lamented the loss of such a wonderful, inspiring magazine. Oh, and we also ate.

Chef Jason Donoho made some delectable treats inspired by vintage Gourmet recipes:

• Truffled popcorn prepared in duck fat (You think you don’t like popcorn? That’s because you’ve never popped it in duck fat.) and Za’atar potato chips with preserved lemon yogurt (homemade potato chips + yogurt dip = happy tummy).

• “PB & J” montadito – basically crostini topped with almond butter, sherry roasted grapes and scallions (Yum).

• Deviled egg with aioli, Spanish tuna and white anchovy (I’ve never met a deviled egg I didn’t like).

• Saffron rice croquettes with pork belly and apples (little fried balls of rice are always a good thing).

Bar manager Bill Norris and Tipsy Texan David Alan were whipping up drinks pulled from the pages of old Gourmet cookbooks and magazines. They set up a makeshift bar out on the patio, and we were able to taste a few different cocktails.

• Admiral cocktail – with Citadelle gin, cherry Heering and lime
• Artillery punch – a strong concoction of Old Overholt rye, Smith & Cross Jamaica rum, Claret, black tea, Citadelle gin, cognac, benedictine, orange and lemon
• Chartreuse champagne cocktail – with sparkling wine, green chartreuse, Pierre Ferrand cognac and bitters
• St. Cecilia Society punch – a lighter punch made with cognac, Smith & Cross Jamaica rum, green tea, apricot brandy, sparkling wine, pineapple and lemon

It was a great night with great food and drinks. Goodbye, Gourmet. I will always love you.

RIP Gourmet Magazine
1941 – 2009

Last night I was lucky enough to be included in an online media event at the Four Seasons downtown. Their goal was to show off all of the holiday offerings at the hotel, and we were able to check out the venue, the food, the cocktails, and spa treatments for free. Yes, I’m aware that I’m spoiled rotten by wonderful hometown.

The event was held in a gorgeous ballroom, with stations for cocktails, dinner, dessert, and hand massages, as well as a “live blogging and tweeting center” with laptops and wireless internet access. I have to say, I was very impressed with the event itself… these folks really know how to show off their assets. We were treated like kings and queens from the moment we arrived, and everything was impeccably planned.

Here’s the lowdown on the holiday goodness (can you believe it’s November? Sheesh!):

The Spa at the Four Seasons has a few new offerings, including a Peppermint Pedicure and the Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh Body Treatment. I had a wonderful hand massage with gold-flecked body oil and a dusting of gold powder… my hands were super soft and twinkly afterward. I’m seriously considering giving myself a spa day for Christmas. It’s so decadent! So girly! So relaxing! I forget about spas and massages and the like, but I do love them.

We were able to taste five different holiday cocktails (we had tiny tastings, but there were full cocktails on display so we could see how they’d actually be served).

We tried:

• Mistletoe Mojito – made with cranberries, rum and mint. This was really refreshing and light.
• Yule-thyme Martini – made with herb-infused vodka, scotch and a Hen of the Woods mushroom garnish. I thought this was so interesting… it was actually inspired by stuffing! It had a strong thyme and sage flavor, and was definitely a drink to be sipped and savored slowly.
• Brandy Melt – made with coffee, brandy, amaretto and white creme de cacao. This was like a warm cup of dessert. So cozy and delicious.
• Flute Cocktail – Made with Prosecco, melon liqueur and grapes. This one was so pretty! And of course, you can’t go wrong with Prosecco.
• S’more the Merrier – made with Godiva dark chocolate liqueur, vanilla liqueur and cream, then topped with vanilla bean marshmallow creme with a cinnamon graham cracker crumb rim. This was thick and sweet and rich, but so much fun.

I was so glad that Chef Todd Duplechan was around to chat about food and life and the search for a perfect after work hang-out. He stood by while we sampled dishes from the holiday menu. Pastry chef Naomi Gallego was also on hand to show off her amazing desserts. Trio actually has a $39 fixed-price menu, which is a great way to taste some of Todd’s dishes. There is a fall menu in place now, but starting December 1, it will be switched to the holiday menu. I think Justin and I might have a holiday meal here… a reason to dress up and get fancy and have a good meal. 🙂

We were able to try all the dishes on the menu, but I only have pictures of some of them.

Appetizers:

• Winter squash salad with pine nuts, raisins and farm cheese (the squash was incredibly sweet and flavorful)

• Seafood souffle with tarragon and saffron (I somehow missed out on this one, but I heard it was great)
• Pork belly with cranberries, napa cabbage and mustard (oh, how I love pork belly)

Entrees:

• Pheasant with mushroom jus (I love, love, loved this… who knew that I would love pheasant? Chef Todd Duplechan, that’s who)
• Wild salmon with crimini mushrooms and lingonberry (Mmmmmm)
• Prime ribeye with horseradish and red wine sauce (So tender and juicy)

Desserts:

• Warm gingerbread cake with marzipan, tangerine gel, dried fruit puree and vanilla bean whipped cream (Wow… marzipan baked INTO the gingerbread? Wonderful)

• Chocolate-peppermint baked Alaska (holy moly… cold and clean and minty)

• Trio of sorbets (mango, lemon and raspberry)

They really pulled out all the stops, and I’ve come to expect nothing less from the Four Seasons. Sometimes I forget that it’s there, since I’m never really looking for a hotel in my hometown. But it’s such a posh getaway for a day (or just for happy hour)! We’ll definitely be back – during happy hour to visit Todd, of course – but maybe for a holiday meal, too.