Wine & Dine

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Wine & Dine

GO TEXAN Wine & Dine – provides the latest in Texas food, wine, restaurants and recipes.

July 2011

Hundreds of Texas restaurants and wineries are serving their best Lone Star fare this month during the 2011 GO TEXAN Restaurant Round-Up, presented by Farm Credit, July 25-31. Your dining experience will also help a good cause, as part of proceeds go to help Texans in need.

"Our farmers, ranchers, winemakers and fishermen make it easy for chefs to serve fresh Texas fare," Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples said. "The GO TEXAN Restaurant Round-Up celebrates the farm to table connection while Texans enjoy local products and support local food banks."

Restaurants across the state are participating in this year's Round-Up, including Garrido's Restaurant in Austin, The Vintage House Restaurant at Messina Hof Winery and Resort in Bryan, Cocina del Caribe in Mission, Grumps in Granbury, Mercado Mayapán in El Paso, The Barbed Rose Steakhouse and Seafood Co. in Alvin, Luke in San Antonio, Shockley Market in Corpus Christi and AVIA Kitchen and Lounge in The Woodlands.

"I'm excited to show our local communities that we care about serving fresh local food and authentic Texas wines," said Jim Baron, owner of Blue Mesa Grill and TNT/Tacos and Tequila in Dallas, Fort Worth and Austin. "Our customers, more and more, are interested in where their food comes from and appreciate fresh products from local farms and vendors. This is a great opportunity for Texas restaurants to partner with local food producers and give to local food banks."

Texas winemakers are getting excited about Round-Up as well. Award-winning wines ranging from traditional Rhone varietals like Cabernet and Merlot to up-and-coming Mediterranean varietals like Viognier and Tempranillo will be paired with Texas culinary creations.

Texas Hills Vineyards owner Gary Gilstrap's wines will be featured in establishments around the state. While his favorite wine pairing is his Toro de Tejas Tempranillo with smoked meats - "It goes well with anything off the grill," he said - his advice to Texas chefs is to start with the best food and wines, and to think outside the case.

"If the food is good and the wine is good, and they're better when you put them together, then you've found the perfect pairing," said Gilstrap. "It's not always going to be traditional."

As you approach this week-long Texas dine-out experience, don't be afraid to explore the GO TEXAN Restaurant Round-Up site and map out your dining adventure and sign up for your chance to win one of our Texas-size giveaways.

GO TEXAN or Go Thirsty
It's Not Hard. Leave a Card.

GO TEXAN or Go Thirsty is a fast and simple way to support the Texas wine industry. All you have to do is leave a GO TEXAN or Go Thirsty reminder card on the table where you dine. Each card has two boxes: one thanking the restaurant for serving Texas wine, and another requesting Texas wines be added to the wine list. There's even a space for you to write in a wine suggestion.

It's a simple, effective way to remind restaurateurs that no wine list is complete without Texas wines.

To download your card, click here. Print out the cards and take them to your favorite restaurants.

Recipe of the Month

Sizzling Sirloin Kabobs on a Bed of Orzo
Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 pound boneless Texas top sirloin steak, cut 1 inch thick
2 green, red or yellow bell peppers, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 T. fresh Texas basil, chopped (or 1 tsp. dried)
1 T. prepared Italian dressing
2 large cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper

Orzo:
1 cup orzo pasta, uncooked
2-3 T. fresh Texas basil or parsley, chopped
2 T. Parmesan cheese, shredded
2 tsp. Texas olive oil

Instructions:

Soak eight 8-inch bamboo skewers in water for 10 minutes. Cut steak into 1-1/4-inch pieces. Toss beef and bell peppers with basil, Italian dressing and garlic in large bowl. Alternately thread beef and peppers onto skewers.

Cook orzo pasta, according to package directions. Add orzo ingredients to pan; keep warm.

Place kabobs on grill over medium, ash-covered coals. Grill, uncovered, about 8 to 10 minutes (over medium heat on preheated gas grill, covered, 9 to 10 minutes) for medium rare (145° F) to medium (160° F) doneness, turning occasionally. Season with salt and pepper, as desired. Serve with orzo.

Special thanks to the Texas Beef Council for sharing this delicious beef recipe.

Texas Wine and Food News You Can Use
Get linked to the online media world of Texas wine and food:

Texas Chefs Wow Judges and Crowd at Food and Wine Pairing Competition

West Texas Wine Visionaries' Story Told

San Antonio Chefs Meet Farmers and Ranchers to Go Local

Hill Country Wineries Deep in the Heart of Texas

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Wine & Dine Social Media Corner

Your monthly social media space spotlighting Texas purveyors of local food and wine.
Follow the links and tips below to get the latest news from your favorite restaurants and wineries.

Twitter: Garrido's, Barking Rocks Winery, Auden's Kitchen, Duchman Winery, WaterStreet Wine Bar

Twitter tip: Use the #GOTEXAN and #TXWine hash tags to share your local food and wine tweets.

Facebook: Navajo Grill, LightCatcher Winery & Bistro, Molina's Cantina, Flat Creek Estate Winery and Vineyard, Novrosky's Hamburgers, Etc.

Join the conversation on Texas Twitter Tuesday, when GO TEXAN hosts Texas wine experts, including winemakers and vintners. The event is the first Tuesday of every month at 7 p.m. Use the #GOTEXAN hash tag.

Go local with GO TEXAN on Facebook and Twitter.

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Go to www.gotexan.org/ for more information about the GO TEXAN program.