Austin Way Magazine - GreenGale Publishing - There is a place beyond the crowds, beyond the ropes, where dreams are realized and success is celebrated. You are invited.
Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/367813
from left: Peanut butter pie; Opitz (left) and Hallagan in the homey dining room at Hudson's on the Bend. "Oh, my gOsh, this [crunchy ruby trOut] tastes the way yOu wish chicken nuggets wOuld taste." —steph opitz we were confirming people who worked for Netflix series like house of cards and Orange is the new black before they were even released. We guessed those shows were going to take off; luckily they did. [appetizer: Venison prosciutto with salmon curing on a salt block with jalapeño oil and red chili oil. crab cake with sesame-almond crust, fire- roasted corn sauce, herb ricotta cheese, avocado, chipotle lime ver blanc.] SO: What are some of the themes you've seen recently? EH: This has been going on for a while, but the emergence and acceptance of the antihero, protagonists who are likeable in their unlikableness. You see it more in television because you get the opportunity to explore a character over a trajectory of a series, like with mad men. SO: Well, Don Draper goes back and forth, which is pretty impressive. EH: It's such a layered story, and that's where the craft is really powerful [mad men creator Matt Weiner is being honored by the festival this year]. And you see it in true detective, and we have the director [Cary Fukunaga] coming in. [main course: crunchy ruby trout with mango habanero aioli and corn- bread pudding, sweet corn risotto with roasted beets, balsamic-marinated tomatoes and grilled zucchini, and a cilantro pesto.] SO: Oh, my gosh, this tastes the way you wish chicken nuggets would taste. EH: Are there certain topics or genres that you outsource to your committee instead of choosing yourself? SO: I'm a Minnesotan and therefore did not take Texas history in high school, so I rely heavily on the committee to know which of the hundreds of Texas books are the best. [sinful dessert arrives: delicious peach and blueberry cobbler and the peanut butter pie.] SO: I can't believe this is our first time here. We've licked all the plates! Where else do you like to go? EH: I've been frequenting the East Side. I go to Contigo weekly, I love Foreign & Domestic, and one of my favorites is Justine's. The manager, Jardine Libaire, is a beautiful writer who has hosted a few writers groups; you feel like you're transported back in time. We're also cooking more because there are so many great farmer's markets, including the one at Mueller, and we like to sup- port Green Gate Farms. It's become a culinary exploration. SO: We do the Johnson's Backyard CSA. We're in SoCo, so we like Snack Bar, and The Backspace is close to my office down- town. I adore the Micheladas at Hotel San José. Since I'm still so new to town, I basically go wherever someone suggests we meet. EH: I really love dive bars. I feel like a night where you go to Lucy's Fried Chicken and then Ginny's Little Longhorn Saloon, the music there is always so good... you can't go wrong. SO: Oh! I went there for Chicken (Expletive) Bingo! My friend's child got baptized, and then we went there. EH: Ha! Welcome to Austin. AW Austin Film FestivAl October 23–30; Film & Food Fundraising Party, October 22, 7 pm, at the driskill; tickets $100; austinflmfestival.com (see "Festivalia," page 62.) texAs Book FestivAl October 25–26, with authors such as martin amis, edan lepucki, and lawrence wright. First edition literary gala, October 24, at Four seasons austin; tickets $500; texasbookfestival.org AUSTINWAY.com 101