Food-o-File

Important Numbers

I obviously suffered a serious attack of number dyslexia two weeks ago and screwed up two important phone numbers in that week's column. As always, we regret the errors, and off with my head. Should you want to make reservations at Beth Pav's new avocational cooking school, Cooking by Design, in the Village of Bee Cave, the correct number is 431-8751. And when you call to make reservations for Crimson's (407 Colorado) first anniversary dinner party to be held on Monday, March 22, the correct number there is 473-2700. Chef Misty Lowe will be serving a special four-course anniversary menu for $40, and the regular menu will be available, as well.

More Sushi News

What would we do without the very cool Austin Sushi News (www.austinsushi.com) to keep us abreast of the happenings in the burgeoning local sushi scene? No sooner had we published five columns of sushi listings than the News announces even more new places! One juicy tidbit they shared is that the recently infamous and shuttered Pango has re-emerged under new ownership with a new name and no hidden cameras. One tipster on the site writes that the new owner, Yuan Nash, retained the services of both the original sushi chef and bartender, so folks who were fans of the food and drinks there should drop into Silhouette (718 Congress, 478-8899) and try things out. The site also educated us about the newest outlet for Japanese fast food, another health-conscious trend growing in local popularity. It's a place next to Amy's Ice Creams in the Arboretum called Wiki Wiki Teriyaki (10000 Research Blvd. Ste. 139, 349-9454), where the teriyaki sauce is an old family recipe; there are a variety of attractive Bento boxes, and the light, tasty food items are made fresh when you order them to eat in or take out.

Annual Pilgrimage

For those of you visiting this week for SXSW, when you make your annual late-night or early afternoon pilgrimage to the Magnolia Cafe west (3204 Lake Austin Blvd., 478-8645) to fortify yourself with reliable, affordable victuals, congratulate them on their recent 25th anniversary! Twenty-five years is quite a milestone in any business, let alone when it means surviving that long in food service. Well-deserved kudos to Kent Cole, Diana Prechter, and their entire Magnolia family for keeping the eggs and pancakes coming our way.

Eat, Drink, Watch Movies

In keeping with the tradition of pairing well-respected foreign-language films with fine foods of the world for a great evening's entertainment, our next Eat, Drink, Watch Movies screening will feature the Academy Award-nominated Indian musical epic Lagaan with a custom menu designed by Ajay Behl of Taj Palace. The event is scheduled for 7pm, Monday, March 29, at the Alamo Drafthouse Downtown, and is probably the only opportunity that local film buffs will have to see this lush historic Bollywood musical on the big screen. Make reservations now at www.drafthouse.com.

Great New Flavors

In the past couple of weeks, good friends introduced me to some wonderful new foods that are sure contenders for my annual "Best Bites" listing. Thanks to Kimmie Rhodes for turning me on to the delectable Crawfish Pies from Cajun Creations Specialty Foods (19402 Hwy. 26 N., Jennings, LA 70546; 337/824-6628). Imagine a perfect crawfish étouffée encased in a delicately flaky lard crust – one bite and your eyes roll back in your head from pure satisfaction, cher. Order by phone with credit cards. Former Chronicle contributor Ronna Welsh e-mailed from New York to introduce her good friend, baker Barrie Cullinan, who recently relocated to Austin and started a wholesale cookie operation, Glory Bakery (444-4470). Crisp-cookie monster that I am, I immediately fell in love with Cullinan's Pure * Simple Shortbread biscuits that come in Classic, Super Chocolatey, Sugar & Spice, and Cherry Almond flavors. At the moment, the divine little morsels are available only by special order from her or at Babbo's Italian Gelato & Coffee in 26 Doors, but Cullinan's making the rounds with her new product, and I predict that they'll be showing up in coffee shops and retail stores any day now.