SWB Community Table delights

I don't even know where to begin to describe the joy I experienced last night at SWB. What is SWB you may ask? It's short for Southwest Bistro, located on the 2nd level of the Hyatt, downtown on Lady Bird Lake.

This gem has an incredibly special adventure for any foodies looking for a unforgettable dining experience. It's called the 'Community Table.' Chef Kevin and Javier will pick up fresh ingredients, based on your customized menu preferences, from the local Farmer's Markets in the area and prepare an unforgettable meal for you and up to 9 guests. What a fantastic way to celebrate an anniversary, birthday or just an excuse to get local, mouth-watering cuisine prepared in the finest manner possible!

Now back to the food!!! Sorry to keep you waiting....

It was a pleasure meeting @SweetJohn,@Supertsai,@Austinfarm2tbl and Justin B. You can't ask for better company than passionate foodies!

Look at this menu, if you mouth hasn't begun to water you may need to re-read it a few times.

Oh these beautiful seared scallops were pure heaven. Served with orange, arugula and grilled onion salad I secretly wished for a plate of these to myself.

Wild mushroom raviolis served with a morel sauce. Cutting into the ravioli was amazing. I made this sound - Mmmmmmm



For the entree, I chose the mushroom and brie stuffed quail with cranberry gastrique, blue cheese mashed potatoes (sigh) and roasted asparagus. I'll let the picture speak for my opinion on the quail.

Look at all that goodness stuffed inside!

Here's a glimpse of the swordfish. Sarah was kind enough to offer me a generous bite. At first glance, it looks like tomatoes are mixed in with the arugula - but it's not. That's watermelon. The combination of fish and watermelon was exquisite...something I have never tried or pondered.

Here it is, the superstar of the night. Strawberry shortcake with Pure Luck goat cheese, covered with an almond scone.

OMG so delicious!

I hated it, couldn't you tell?

Intrigued? You can call 512-480-2035 for more information and to schedule your dinner.

Want to win a guest spot to judge Go Texan Chef Showdown II?

Of course you do! Who doesn't love a contest that pays you with free food and wine? Check out the details right here:

And here are the important details on Chef Showdown II:

Last year was simply amazing. The food and atmosphere was incredibly fun and the food was delicious. My word of advice if you will be attending - wear some stretchy pants and eat an early lunch. You will be sampling many delectable dishes this year - and our secret ingredient is pork.

A few pictures from last year's event:

Sushi coming to Marker 10 Bar

Happy to report that the Marker 10 Bar, located inside the Hyatt Regency Austin is bringing in a fabulous sushi chef and station - serving to the public - starting this Wednesday from 5pm - 9pm.

Last week I sampled a few offerings on the menu, which is sure to make the mouth water, the eyes glisten and the tummy gurgle with glee. I give two thumbs up on the sushi and can't wait to see the menu grow with even more creative selections.

Come, my dears....let's look at some of the pictures I took.

Salmon Ceviche - elegantly served in a martini glass. At first I was hesitant, as I dislike peppers. But one taste of this ceviche had me back for more.

Seaweed and Cucumber Salad

Spicy Tuna Hand Roll - I was very impressed with the size and shape of this roll. It looks like a cone, which means more tuna chunks oozing out. The tuna had a pleasant kick to it - A+

Buttery salmon, oh my!

The Tuna Tataki was, by far, my favorite selection. Quite an interesting combination of ahi tuna, avocado, and shaved onions. The presentation in a chilled martini glass not only added a touch of sophistication, but improved the taste of the tuna. My favorite part was the taste of the top pieces and bottom pieces had such a different range of flavors.

Marker 10 is soon to become a favorite stop in my sushi locales. Saki and Asian beers are also on the way. Can I make this more enticing? The bats on the Congress Bridge have also returned. There...I did it. 3 fantastic reasons to try out Marker 10.

The Hyatt Regency Austin Gingerbread Village

In case you haven't had a chance to look at my Facebook or Twitter account - here are some pictures from the unveiling of the Gingerbread Village this morning. Chef and his crew went above and beyond your average gingerbread house and created this gorgeous recreation of the UT Tower, Capital and the Hyatt. It really looks so incredibly life-like - with little people figurines, a moving train and a lake.

Here is the story:
The Story of the GingerBread Village at the Hyatt Regency Austin


We started to build the village in October…

It is composed of the following buildings:
Capitol Building
Hyatt Regency Austin
UT Tower
Chef Javier’s Chateau House

The total time it took to build the village is over 200 hours,
Time worked by our Engineering, Stewarding, and Culinary teams.

The village is comprised of:
50lbs of icing
80lbs of assorted candies
Jelly Beans
Candy Canes
Tropical Punch Pop Rocks
Strawberry Punch Pop Rocks
Watermelon Pop Rocks
Swirl Lollipops
Mini-Pops
Psychedelic Pops
Spree
Mike & Ikes
Key Lime Mints
Peppermints
Over 200 trees

Go Texan Chef Showdown

Note to self: Do not stuff your face and try to take amazing photos. I had one hand on my never ending wine glass and the other on the fork. My photography had to suffer. Sorry guys.

Congratulations to Chef Todd for winning the judges choice! Our own Chef Kevin won best guest appetizer. Lemme tell you why I don't have very many pictures of the butternut squash...it's because I had my face down in the bowl....licking every ounce of it. It was fabulous. I almost wanted to cry.