Food-o-File
Charity, rivalry, and Bribery
By Virginia B. Wood, Fri., Nov. 14, 2014
Jodi Elliott has finally signed a lease on the space that will provide a commissary kitchen and storefont for Bribery (2013 Wells Branch Pkwy.), her long-anticipated bakery project which will open in early 2015. She is also close to inking a deal on another space for the bakery and dessert lounge she's planning. We'll keep you posted.
It's Movember month – when guys grow mustaches to raise funds and awareness for men's health. Keep an eye out for special events such as the "Movember Movies" series on Thursday, Nov. 13 and 20 at Jo's Coffee (1300 S. Congress) when proceeds from the special "Stache Menu" benefit the Movember foundation, or the "MoSpeakeasy" chef's dinner at the League Kitchen & Tavern (1310 RR 620 S.) on Nov. 18, a multicourse meal with a speakeasy theme.
Frequent 'Chronicle' contributor Mick Vann was a judge at the 12th annual Paella Lovers United party last weekend, where about 500 people gathered off Webberville Road to enjoy huge pans of paella cooked in the true Spanish style: outdoors over wood fires. Topping the Traditional category was La Santa Inquisición with a "compellingly delicious squid ink version," while the Keep Paella Weird winners were We Da Bomba, who whipped up a "mouth-watering" mixta jerk Caribbean variety.
Speaking of contest winners, the Lone Star Vegetarian Chili Cook-Off awarded cash prizes to some talented cooks recently. The $400 first place prize went to Phillip Stiefer of Elgin for his East of Weird chili; the Natural Epicurean culinary school won $250 as the people's choice; Melody Gibson's Two Beans in a Pod chili got the $200 Engine 2 Award; and Vickie Stiefer took home the Best in Show trophy for her Pirates of the Chili Bean. Organizers plan to increase the prizes to $1,000 and $500 next year, so get to work on those veggie chili recipes now.
Mulberry and Weather UP executive chef Kristine Kittrell will make an appearance on an episode of the Food Network's Beat Bobby Flay entitled "Shaken, Not Stirred" on Thursday, Nov. 20 at 9pm. Kittrell and Italian chef Giulio Adriani will be working with celebrity chefs Michael Symon and Giada de Laurentiis to take down Bobby Flay.
