(And why you won't find Houston on Food Wars any time soon.)
If 2005-2009 could be described as the era of Houston wine bars then 2010 should probably be identified as the year the whole trend fizzled out. The Tasting Room, Corkscrew & Wine Bucket Gone. (or going) Luminaries such as Block 7 morphing more into a restaurant w/a retail wine component than an actual "wine bar" in the traditional sense. Gone is the wine bar trend, to be replaced with the gourmet cocktail trend already manifested in foodie fave/rave Anvil. If this comes as a surprise to you, then you're really not paying attention to the food and drink scene in Houston.
Houston is a trend-based town. This is not, in and of itself, a bad thing. New York is a trend-based town as are (to a lesser extent) London, Paris, Chicago and pretty much every other major food city in the world. Why is it then that the passing of a trend in Houston is greeted with wailing and gnashing of teeth? (To varying degrees)
My theory is that, unlike other food cities, Houston is lacking one important ingredient: A soulful base that's so entwined in the community, with a deep history and almost fanatical devotion, that it defines the City as someplace unique on the culinary landscape.
Think about it....New York? Thin-sliced pizza, Jewish Deli's and Italian food from Little Italy. Chicago? Italian Beef Sandwiches, Deep Dish Italian Pies (they're great, but they ain't pizza) and the Chicago dog. Philly? The Cheese steak.
Houston? Er.....
Not all of this is the fault of Houston. Unlike the other cities mentioned above Houston has no long-time demographic from which to draw culinary traditions. What identity you do find in Houston is relatively new, as pointed out by the New York Times. Houston is also lacking a signature food Mecca a fact bemoaned by Alison Cook in her ruminations on Philadelphia's Reading Terminal Market.
Identity and longevity don't mesh well with Houston's trendy, cutting-edge mentality. This is a City that doesn't blink twice before tearing down an old building to replace it with a shiny new boutique hotel, or a mixed-use development offering the 'latest and greatest' in urban living. It's a slick, image conscious City along the lines of Miami, except without South Beach and a strong, dominating ethnic community.
Not that Houston is lacking ethnic diversity. It has more than most cities. But Houston's ethnicity is of the passive-aggressive type, not deeply entwined in local history and tradition and relatively new to the scene in relation to those of other locales. Houston's Asian community is large and thriving, but they've not the same roots as New York's Little Italy. Houston's Asian district doesn't have the cohesive (almost stereotypical) identity if you will. Again, not a bad thing, just a thing.
All of this goes to explain why you don't see Anthony Bourdain in Houston (he's already tasted our food elsewhere) and why you won't see the new show Food Wars make a Houston stop. Our archetypal, legendary, local dish that splits the community would be?
That's exactly my point.
A point that I make not to denigrate Houston's food scene (believe it or not) but to encourage people to fully embrace what Houston has, minus the "I wish" style that comes across so often. One of the great things that I discovered once I abandoned the idea of upscale, world class Houston cuisine was the discovery of an ethnic food explosion outside Beltway 8. Some of Houston's best food is currently being served out of establishments that barely qualify as restaurants. Most often this food is considered ethnic, and very often reflecting of the wonderful things that dedicated people can do with low-cost product such as unpopular cuts of meat etc.
Houston should be proud of this, and less ashamed that they aren't like every other City. Putting aside the personal issues between chef Brian Caswell and I, what he's doing re-inventing Houston cuisine is something to be proud of. Monica Pope is leading the charge on another front, as is Johnathan Jones over at Beavers. Maybe Gulf Coast Regional cuisine will give rise to a signature dish?
Now, if we could just do something about the terrible state of wine retail options in Houston we'd be set. Ah well, one issue at a time I guess.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Meh....You saw this coming.
Appeals court upholds Texas Wine Sales Method.
(Associated Press, Chron.com Jan, 28, 2010 9:03AM)
Big Texas liquor distribution companies pay a LOT of money to elected representatives and judges to guarantee this sort of outcome.* Since Texans don't pay much attention to who's paying to play (NOTE: The problem is not that the liquor companies are paying, it's that people aren't paying attention.) consumer choice is the first thing to get washed down the drain of Texas' dumbed-down economy.
Yay for them. Boo for those of us who aren't happy with the jammy, chemistry wines that are currently flooding the Texas (and Houston especially) market.**
C'est la vie.
*I give it 12 hours before some low-level PR hack for the liquor distributors comes on here and casts personal insults my way. It's their MO after all, since they can't argue the fact that they're buying an awful lot of influence through the Texas Liquor Wholesalers Association PAC. (The existence of which only proves that there was already plenty of corporate money in politics)
**Yes, I'm aware the many of the plaintiffs in this suit were purveyors of said plonk. The point is you take the bad with the good. What I'd really like to have access to are wines of the type offered by Louis/Dressner. Your taste may vary.
(Associated Press, Chron.com Jan, 28, 2010 9:03AM)
A federal appeals court has sided with Texas in a dispute over buying wine and efforts to control its quality.
The Dallas Morning News reported today that the recent ruling by the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals allows Texas to continue regulating alcohol sales under its current system. The California-based Specialty Wine Retailers Association had challenged the Texas law.
The decision “chose to limit Texas consumers' ability to access the wines they want, but which they cannot find in the state's wholesaler-controlled marketplace,” said Tom Wark, association executive director.
Attorney Dee Kelly, representing Glazers Wholesale Drug Co. and Republic Beverage Co., welcomed the ruling.
It is a “good decision for consumers as well because it maintains strict control of how liquor is distributed in Texas and the quality that comes into the state,” Kelly said.
Big Texas liquor distribution companies pay a LOT of money to elected representatives and judges to guarantee this sort of outcome.* Since Texans don't pay much attention to who's paying to play (NOTE: The problem is not that the liquor companies are paying, it's that people aren't paying attention.) consumer choice is the first thing to get washed down the drain of Texas' dumbed-down economy.
Yay for them. Boo for those of us who aren't happy with the jammy, chemistry wines that are currently flooding the Texas (and Houston especially) market.**
C'est la vie.
*I give it 12 hours before some low-level PR hack for the liquor distributors comes on here and casts personal insults my way. It's their MO after all, since they can't argue the fact that they're buying an awful lot of influence through the Texas Liquor Wholesalers Association PAC. (The existence of which only proves that there was already plenty of corporate money in politics)
**Yes, I'm aware the many of the plaintiffs in this suit were purveyors of said plonk. The point is you take the bad with the good. What I'd really like to have access to are wines of the type offered by Louis/Dressner. Your taste may vary.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
For your consideration....
Since I've been sick now, on and off, for two months I've been watching a LOT of food television. Because of this I've got a few things that I'd like to mention regarding the enjoyment of the viewing experience....
1. "Party in my mouth" has got to go. For good. Not only is it overused, but it's not as scandalous as you think.
2. Death to "authentic". - You name it, and someone on food television is gushing about how 'authentic' their food experience is. If 'authentic' isn't strong enough, then they go on to say....
3. "This is just as good/better than what I had in...." - No, it's not. It's not as good (or better) than what you had in the home country, you're just saying that to get on TV.
4. The secret to every restaurant is 'fresh ingredients', even the one's that aren't obviously using fresh ingredients. It's time to put an end to this....for good.
5. Of course you drove forever to get here, that's because you have no life. It's time to stop playing mine's bigger when it comes to food traveling, please.
The winner is when you can find a fresh, authentic ethnic restaurant who's food is fresh, locally sourced, the best you ever had and who's sauce creates a party in your mouth. (I actually heard that on one show)
It really needs to stop....soon.
1. "Party in my mouth" has got to go. For good. Not only is it overused, but it's not as scandalous as you think.
2. Death to "authentic". - You name it, and someone on food television is gushing about how 'authentic' their food experience is. If 'authentic' isn't strong enough, then they go on to say....
3. "This is just as good/better than what I had in...." - No, it's not. It's not as good (or better) than what you had in the home country, you're just saying that to get on TV.
4. The secret to every restaurant is 'fresh ingredients', even the one's that aren't obviously using fresh ingredients. It's time to put an end to this....for good.
5. Of course you drove forever to get here, that's because you have no life. It's time to stop playing mine's bigger when it comes to food traveling, please.
The winner is when you can find a fresh, authentic ethnic restaurant who's food is fresh, locally sourced, the best you ever had and who's sauce creates a party in your mouth. (I actually heard that on one show)
It really needs to stop....soon.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
More Texas Bubbly on the way....
Pretty soon everyone is going to have one.
The wife just received an e-mail from Brushy Creek Vineyards, a small vineyard located to the North of the Metroplex on Hwy 87, that they will be releasing their version of a Texas Sparkling wine (presumably a Brut) sometime in March.
Given this winemakers lack of reluctance to release wines that are young, I'm surprise they didn't up the date to before Valentine's Day, but I'm guessing they're doing this in the Champagne method which requires one to adhere to fairly strict time-tables.
So far, the best wines that I've had from Brushy Creek are their fortified wines and a Chambourtin that was outstanding. They also make some quality blends, both red and white, that are worth the money. Hard to find, your best bet is stopping by the winery if you're in the Dallas area, but worth the trip.
The wife just received an e-mail from Brushy Creek Vineyards, a small vineyard located to the North of the Metroplex on Hwy 87, that they will be releasing their version of a Texas Sparkling wine (presumably a Brut) sometime in March.
Given this winemakers lack of reluctance to release wines that are young, I'm surprise they didn't up the date to before Valentine's Day, but I'm guessing they're doing this in the Champagne method which requires one to adhere to fairly strict time-tables.
So far, the best wines that I've had from Brushy Creek are their fortified wines and a Chambourtin that was outstanding. They also make some quality blends, both red and white, that are worth the money. Hard to find, your best bet is stopping by the winery if you're in the Dallas area, but worth the trip.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Our Food Supply is Killing Us.
Interesting story on Yahoo! News about the potential effects of antibiotic overuse in our food supply. Not only are drug-resistant bugs an increasing threat, but there's also the reality that, in many cases, these animals are being given these drugs to counteract health issues cased by conditions in meat pens. Add to that the health problems for cows associated with a corn-based diet and that steak you're buying from the grocers may have more hidden health-hazards in it than you could imagine.
Fifty years ago it would have been unheard of to feed cows corn, sorghum and ground up meat product. The idea that a cow should eat anything other than grass was foreign. Steak, during that time, was a luxury item to be eaten, at most, once per week but more likely once or twice per month. It's no secret that, as meat consumption rose, so did obesity and other health problems.
This isn't to say that Vegan, or vegetarian is the answer. For some, mainly due to ethical reasons, it's a viable lifestyle choice but for most of us, including myself, it's not practical. If nothing else, the presence of cuspids and bi-cuspids in our mouths demonstrate that our bodies are hard-wired to consume animal products. In short, we're omnivores and should act like it. That being said, most omnivores in nature subsist mainly on a diet of vegetables, fruits and nuts, with meat being an occasional indulgence, typically consumed sporadically. The point is there's no clinical evidence that a pure vegetarian diet is superior to an omnivore diet that's properly balanced.
For 2010 I'm going to focus this blog not only on quality restaurants outside the Beltway, but also on how to live in the suburbs and eat in a healthy sustainable manner. Until now most sustainable living writing has been focused on either an urban or rural setting. The idea seems to be that the suburbs and exburbs have little interest in improving their health and well-being through diet. To some extent this may be true, but for most suburbanites that saw is dulling. It had better start dulling rapidly....
Because we're killing ourselves with our 'World-Class' food supply. We had better learn to provide healthy food cheaply as well, or we're going to make it even harder for the poor to extract themselves from their current position.
Fifty years ago it would have been unheard of to feed cows corn, sorghum and ground up meat product. The idea that a cow should eat anything other than grass was foreign. Steak, during that time, was a luxury item to be eaten, at most, once per week but more likely once or twice per month. It's no secret that, as meat consumption rose, so did obesity and other health problems.
This isn't to say that Vegan, or vegetarian is the answer. For some, mainly due to ethical reasons, it's a viable lifestyle choice but for most of us, including myself, it's not practical. If nothing else, the presence of cuspids and bi-cuspids in our mouths demonstrate that our bodies are hard-wired to consume animal products. In short, we're omnivores and should act like it. That being said, most omnivores in nature subsist mainly on a diet of vegetables, fruits and nuts, with meat being an occasional indulgence, typically consumed sporadically. The point is there's no clinical evidence that a pure vegetarian diet is superior to an omnivore diet that's properly balanced.
For 2010 I'm going to focus this blog not only on quality restaurants outside the Beltway, but also on how to live in the suburbs and eat in a healthy sustainable manner. Until now most sustainable living writing has been focused on either an urban or rural setting. The idea seems to be that the suburbs and exburbs have little interest in improving their health and well-being through diet. To some extent this may be true, but for most suburbanites that saw is dulling. It had better start dulling rapidly....
Because we're killing ourselves with our 'World-Class' food supply. We had better learn to provide healthy food cheaply as well, or we're going to make it even harder for the poor to extract themselves from their current position.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
A new way for the new year.
For Christmas, my Mom bought each family within the extended family (the families of me & my brother and sisters) meat. To be exact, a whole lot of meat from Yonder Way Farm in Brenham, TX.
The good thing about this? It's all grass-fed, organic and raised locally. It's as green as meat can be. (That being said it's still not green enough for the eco-mentals, who want to stop us from eating anything that might possibly taste even remotely good, ever again)
The bad thing? Yesterday the wife and I had to rush out and purchase a chest freezer, which we now need to store over 100lbs of beef and pork. We've got enough protein in the works that I'm guessing we'll not be breathing on the meat counter at the local HEB (where we do the bulk of our shopping) for quite some time, possibly all of 2010.
We've also fallen in love with the yard eggs one can buy at Debbie's Garden on Hempstead Hwy just to the South of 290. If I could find local, non-pasteurized milk anywhere outside the Beltway I'd be happy. Unfortunately, due to the FDA's close-minded thinking on milk (choosing to view everything through the unhealthy, mass-produced prism, such things will probably remain very hard to find in today's America.**
So now, I've got a year's supply of protein, farmers markets that are close to home, and a source for eggs. After much searching I'm just short milk and cheese. If I can find those (the cheese being of primary importance) I'll end the need of driving down to the farmers market @ Buff. Spdwy and Richmond once and for all.
If, like me, you live outside of the Beltway and are tired of having to go inside to obtain locally produced food, this is a good thing.
**Not that I blame the feds, after all, probably 99.999% of Americans get their milk from mass-produced sources. You can't legislate to a small, small minority after all...too unweildy
The good thing about this? It's all grass-fed, organic and raised locally. It's as green as meat can be. (That being said it's still not green enough for the eco-mentals, who want to stop us from eating anything that might possibly taste even remotely good, ever again)
The bad thing? Yesterday the wife and I had to rush out and purchase a chest freezer, which we now need to store over 100lbs of beef and pork. We've got enough protein in the works that I'm guessing we'll not be breathing on the meat counter at the local HEB (where we do the bulk of our shopping) for quite some time, possibly all of 2010.
We've also fallen in love with the yard eggs one can buy at Debbie's Garden on Hempstead Hwy just to the South of 290. If I could find local, non-pasteurized milk anywhere outside the Beltway I'd be happy. Unfortunately, due to the FDA's close-minded thinking on milk (choosing to view everything through the unhealthy, mass-produced prism, such things will probably remain very hard to find in today's America.**
So now, I've got a year's supply of protein, farmers markets that are close to home, and a source for eggs. After much searching I'm just short milk and cheese. If I can find those (the cheese being of primary importance) I'll end the need of driving down to the farmers market @ Buff. Spdwy and Richmond once and for all.
If, like me, you live outside of the Beltway and are tired of having to go inside to obtain locally produced food, this is a good thing.
**Not that I blame the feds, after all, probably 99.999% of Americans get their milk from mass-produced sources. You can't legislate to a small, small minority after all...too unweildy
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
What the wholesalers want....
If there was ever any doubt that the Texas Alcohol & Beverage Commission (TABC) existed to serve the interests of the large liquor wholesalers, and not the citizens of Texas, This Dale Robertson piece on new restrictions for online wine purchases should put them to rest fairly quickly....
Not for reasons of "public safety" (you can have out of state wineries ship you wines after all) and not for reasons of "tax revenue" (major out of state suppliers are registered and pay taxes). The only reason this is being done is because the Texas Liquor Wholesalers Association wants it to be done. They're view is that the less competition they have to face, the more they can restrict consumer choice to generic products that have a high turn-over rate and higher profit margin.
Not that there's anything wrong with profit maximization. I'm all for that. Provided it's being done in a free and open market. What the wholesalers are doing is using the government as a lever by which to artificially inflate their profits by limiting choice and artificially controlling the market. It's the same thing they've done to microbreweries in Texas, by not allowing them to sell their beer directly to the customer.
Neither of these policies, and throw in the corkage ban as well, do anything to improve the customer experience, selection or competition. Their sole design is to artificially increase the profits of a few big, wholesaling companies. Maybe I missed something in civics class, but government isn't supposed to operate in that fashion.
The thing is, you don't even have to be much of a drinker to be offended by this law. What happens when this model is expanded to crack down on organic produce, or to provide additional benefits to GM over other car manufacturers. Political pundits for and supporters of the party currently in power will always insist to you that this cannot happen. Except that it's happening right now, right here in Texas.
The good news is there's an election coming up, and something can be done to address this. The bad news is: A majority of Texas voters aren't educated on state or local issues, so the chance of getting something done is slim. Still, slim is still a chance. So crank out the e-mails and letters to your elected representatives. If they reply with a form letter then reply to that. Let them know that you're not going away until the TABC is sunset, or totally revamped to serve the public interest.
There's a plenty big market in Texas for the big domestic beers and chemistry wine that the wholesale distribution companies are going to be just fine.
The state of Texas has recently re-tightened the screws on buying wine online just as the biggest shopping season of the year arrives. So don't be surprised if your Christmas order gets refused. Both UPS and FedEx have been told to cease and desist shipping wines from out-of-state retailers, or they risk losing their licenses to ship any alcohol into the state.Why is this happening?
Not for reasons of "public safety" (you can have out of state wineries ship you wines after all) and not for reasons of "tax revenue" (major out of state suppliers are registered and pay taxes). The only reason this is being done is because the Texas Liquor Wholesalers Association wants it to be done. They're view is that the less competition they have to face, the more they can restrict consumer choice to generic products that have a high turn-over rate and higher profit margin.
Not that there's anything wrong with profit maximization. I'm all for that. Provided it's being done in a free and open market. What the wholesalers are doing is using the government as a lever by which to artificially inflate their profits by limiting choice and artificially controlling the market. It's the same thing they've done to microbreweries in Texas, by not allowing them to sell their beer directly to the customer.
Neither of these policies, and throw in the corkage ban as well, do anything to improve the customer experience, selection or competition. Their sole design is to artificially increase the profits of a few big, wholesaling companies. Maybe I missed something in civics class, but government isn't supposed to operate in that fashion.
The thing is, you don't even have to be much of a drinker to be offended by this law. What happens when this model is expanded to crack down on organic produce, or to provide additional benefits to GM over other car manufacturers. Political pundits for and supporters of the party currently in power will always insist to you that this cannot happen. Except that it's happening right now, right here in Texas.
The good news is there's an election coming up, and something can be done to address this. The bad news is: A majority of Texas voters aren't educated on state or local issues, so the chance of getting something done is slim. Still, slim is still a chance. So crank out the e-mails and letters to your elected representatives. If they reply with a form letter then reply to that. Let them know that you're not going away until the TABC is sunset, or totally revamped to serve the public interest.
There's a plenty big market in Texas for the big domestic beers and chemistry wine that the wholesale distribution companies are going to be just fine.
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