Food-o-File

Had a delightful evening with Wes and Emily Marshall at one of the Roaring Fork's (Seventh & Congress, 583-0000) "soft opening" dinners last week, dining with a great view of the Congress Avenue nightlife. Chef/owner Robert McGrath, partners Larry Foles and Guy Villavaso, and PR maven Paula Biehler were busy working the room, making sure guests sampled the distinctive huckleberry margaritas and wonderful green-chile stew. From appetizers to desserts, we had a very good meal -- plenty of robust, authentic Southwest flavors that hearkened back to the days before blue corn met foie gras and Southwestern cuisine fell victim to fusion confusion. Here's hoping they do well in that strategic corner spot... On Friday night, April 25, the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce hosts Sound Bites, a celebration of Austin music and fine dining beginning at 7pm at the Austin Music Hall (208 Nueces). Tickets are $25, and more than 10 Austin restaurants will be represented in the tasting event, which will feature music from Beto y Los Fairlanes and Ian Moore & Action Company. To purchase tickets, call 800/SOL-DOUT, 322-5613, or go to www.austinchamber.org... On Saturday, April 26, from 10am to 1pm, the Westgate Farmers' Market (4100 Westbank Dr., 280-1976) celebrates their seventh anniversary in the Westlake High parking lot with more than 40 booths of spring produce, pastries, breads and cheeses, chips and salsas, tamales, empanadas, Ethiopian food, and cooking demonstrations from chefs Stewart Scruggs and Mark Paul. There will also be live music, face painting, crafts, and farm animals for kids to see... Also on Saturday, April 26, the Austin Parks Foundation and HEB host the Official Texas State Barbecue Championship Competition from noon to 5pm at Auditorium Shores. The competition is free to the public and is an International Barbecue Cookers Association sanctioned event. All barbecue-competition teams in this event are previous award winners on the circuit this year and will vie for $15,000 in cash prizes and the title of "Best Barbecue in Texas," in categories of brisket, chicken, and pork spare ribs. Local Austin chefs and dignitaries will act as judges. There will be live music and children's activities, as well as food and beer booths. For more information, visit www.austinparks.org... After recently publishing a "Second Helpings" about smoothies, we received an urgent e-mail from the owner of the brand-new Daily Juice (1625 Barton Springs Rd., 480-9501) announcing his new business in the former Juice Joint location. Keith Wahrer says they're open every day from sunrise to sunset, selling juice drinks and smoothies made exclusively with fresh-squeezed fruit and vegetable juices, so brave the construction on Barton Springs Road and drop by to see him... Hurry to get those tickets for our upcoming Eat, Drink, Watch Movies screening of My Big Fat Greek Wedding with food by the Pyramids restaurant on Monday, April 28, at the Alamo Drafthouse North, www.drafthouse.com... Regular customers at Austin's Quality Seafood (5621 Airport Blvd., 454-5827) were saddened to hear of the recent death of chef James Caldwell. If you enjoyed the great gumbos, po'boys, and other delectable prepared foods over the past five years at the casual cafe there, you witnessed chef Caldwell's culinary artistry. Our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and co-workers.