The 30th Annual Taste of Mobile is coming on the evening of Thursday, Nov. 1 from 6:30 – 9:00 p.m. at the Mobile Convention Center. Hopefully there will be some participation from more local restaurants, but I do understand it is hard for a small, local operation to be able to afford to give away a great deal of food, and staff the event on a Thursday evening.

I have enjoyed the event in the past, and for $25 you can have everything from appetizers to desserts. Tables for 10 can be secured for $250, but pre-payment and reservations for tables are necessary. You can pick up the individual tickets at Wintzell’s or Mobile Fixture just south of the Festival Centre. There will be a silent auction to benefit the America’s Junior Miss Program and Goodwill Easter Seals, in addition to a drawing for a five night cruise on the Holiday out of Mobile for two people.

Jubilee coming

And yet another event, the annual Junior League Christmas Jubilee will be held Nov. 8-10 at the Mobile Fairgrounds. This year, in addition to the many and various vendors, the preview party is really going upscale. On Wednesday Nov. 7 Chef John Besh of Restaurant August and La Provence – both in Louisiana – will be the chef in charge.

His La Provence has been written up so many times as one of the best in the country it is now an accepted fact. The current issue of Gourmet Magazine lists La Provence as one of the top farm-to-table restaurants in the country for using local meats, seafood and vegetables. In 1998, Food and Wine named John one of the Top Ten best Chefs in America, and his talent has been recognized in Conde Nast Traveler, Travel+Leisure and The New York Times. Last year he won the James Beard Award for Best Chef in the Southeast.

The preview party tickets are $50 and include admission for the entire weekend to the market. Also, they have some unbelievable silent auction items such as a Dream Kitchen sponsored by SubZero and Mobile Appliance; a $500 gift certificate to Ruth’s Chris; Sony LCD Flat Panel HD TV and a Big Green Egg. The event is from 7-10 p.m. and there is also an open bar.

I will have an opportunity to spend time in the kitchen and interview the chef close to the day of the event. You can buy your tickets online at juniorleaguemobile.org or by calling 471-3348. Another event of interest is a “girl’s night out” on Friday the 9th from 6:30 – 9:00 p.m. with open bar, champagne and martinis, a DJ and food from Carabba’s, along with a shopping and a fashion show. What a great idea, these ladies know when the drinks start flowing, the credit cards will come out!

Yet another festival

The Gulf Coast Antiques, Food and Wine Festival is another event coming soon to the Mobile Convention Center, the weekend of Oct. 19-21. The organizers have focused on and have had success getting a lot of reputable antique dealers from across the country to come sell their wares, along with wine sampling from local distributors and sampling from local area restaurants. Friday night will be a sneak preview with complimentary wine, liquor and food from 5:00 – 9:00 p.m. ($75) and Saturday will have a cigar tasting from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. ($50) with wine, liquor and food. General admission is $8 in advance, $12 at the door. Children under 12 are $5 and under 2 are free. You can buy your tickets online through frontgatetickets.com or call 694-0457.

Food participants at press time were still in the process of being finalized. Hopefully many will come out to this event, spend some money and make this an annual successful weekend. The quality of antiques alone provide the opportunity to bring in visitors from all over

Flay me

Speaking of chefs, Bobby Flay, the Food Network staple, is of course coming to town for two shows at the Mobile Civic Center on Saturday, Nov. 3 – one at 11 a.m. and another at 3 p.m.

Tickets for the shows run $39 to $69. Guests will not have to pay to enter the specialty shopping area set up in the Civic Center, featuring holiday cooking demonstrations and food samples. The market area will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Flay owns two New York restaurants and is an award-winning cookbook author. His TV programs include “Boy Meets Grill” and “Throwdown with Bobby Flay.” Tickets can be purchased by calling 208-7906 or visiting www.ticketmaster.com.

Have you always wanted to ask Mr. Flay a question? If so, e-mail me quickly, as I will have the pleasure of speaking with him on the phone soon. Hit me up at kphillips@lagniappemobile.com.

Tex-Mex on Dauphin

I was running down Dauphin Street and saw a sandwich board outside the Bike Shop announcing that on Saturdays and Sundays beginning at 11 a.m. they are serving “Authentic Tex-Mex food.” The Dauphin Taqueria chalkboard menu has fresh salsa, guacamole, beef, tuna, chicken tacos, fried jalapenos and a quesadilla with chorizo, cheese and potatoes. I plan to try it out soon.

Fall changes

The Trellis Room at the Battle House has changed its menu, and plans to do so once a season to show off the chef’s capabilities. I had an awesome grilled cheese and bacon with tomato basil soup, perfect for Fall/Winter along with some of their incredible fries.

Just down the street at Veet’s, look for me to go back and try some other items on their menu beyond their terrific fries and a burger that is among the best in Mobile.

Kinnon Phillips is Lagniappe cuisine editor. Contact him at kphillips@lagniappemobile.com.

Archives