Food-o-File

To enjoy most movies, there is some point where suspension of disbelief is a necessary element. The conscious mind makes a decision to just go where the filmmaker wants to take it. From the opening scene of My Best Friend's Wedding, I had a severe problem suspending disbelief. Julia Roberts as a food critic? Give me a break. A food critic who announces the substance of her review of the meal to the waiter? Never happens. Celebrated Chicago chef/restaurateur Charlie Trotter in a movie? Well, actually, the frantic chef in the opening scene was the famous Trotter in a cameo role, but his eponymous restaurant is in Chicago rather than New York, where Roberts the critic supposedly reviewed it. All that aside, the rest of the movie was a scream and Julia Roberts never mentioned food again until near the end of the film when she described her rival, Cameron Diaz, as "crème brûlée" and herself as "Jell-o."

Sun Harvest Grocery and the Texas Department of Agriculture team up to present a Taste of Texas Taste Fair this Saturday, July 19, 11am-5pm, in all Sun Harvest locations statewide. The event will feature samples of products affiliated with TDA's "Taste of Texas" program, giveaways, prizes, and demonstrations. Each store will hold a drawing for prizes, including a $100 Southwest Airlines gift certificate, a copy of Texas, The Beautiful Cookbook by Patsy Swendson & June Hayes, a Taste of Texas Grocery Gift Basket, Wine Basket, Brew Basket, and Sun Harvest gift certificates.

The Belgians are coming... again! Belgian cooking instructor Christian Echterbille is once again bringing the graduating class of Brussels' The Ceria Cooking School to Austin for an end-of-school field trip. This Monday, July 21, 6:30pm, Echterbille and the grads will prepare a Beer Dinner in celebration of Belgian Independence Day at the Belgian Restaurant (3520 Bee Caves Rd., 328-0580). The dinner, sponsored by Manneken-Brussel Imports, will feature a five-course Belgian meal in which each course will be paired with fine ales imported from Belgium and Germany. Tickets are $35 and can be purchased at the restaurant, Austin Homebrew Supply (306 E. 53rd, 467-8427), and Manneken-Brussel (320-0038). Belgian Restaurant chef/owner Jean-Louis DeHoux will host an informal gathering of Austin chefs that same evening.

Satay, the Asian Cookery celebrates its 10th anniversary on Thursday, July 24, 4pm-10pm, with a charity bash benefiting the Children's Advocacy Center of Austin. The "For Our Children" party will feature Thai dancing, live traditional Thai music, a silent auction, door prizes, exotic tropical drinks, and menu selections from Satay's multiple award-winning menu. Satay opened in the summer of 1987 as the brainchild of food scientist/restaurateur Foo Swasdee, Ph.D. These days, Foo is busy promoting a wildly successful line of Thai sauces and condiments that were all developed over the past 10 years in the restaurant using the legion of loyal customers as taste testers.

The Hyatt Regency-Austin welcomes new executive chef Jeff Rosenhoover and restaurant chef Greg Griffin. They've recently upgraded the menu in the hotel's La Vista restaurant, famous since 1982 for its sizzling fajitas. The new guys have no intention of messing with success; in fact, they've added a Fajita Pizza on a thin, crisp crust to the new menu which also includes steaks and seafood, soups, salads, sandwiches, and pasta dishes.

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