Thursday, January 27, 2011

What a Chef! Sicola's in Austin



I need to take time today to have a "commercial" for Sicola's: A Culinary Experience in Austin, TX. Last night I was at a Journal Club meeting there, and the before our talk, the waitstaff was circulating with luscious looking appetizers. Since I am still GF (Gluten Free), I will admit to feeling a bit deprived as I politely passed them up. Not wanting to appear rude for turning down multiple choices, I told one of the waitresses that if I were not gluten-free, I'd grab them in a moment.

Within a few minutes, the same lovely waitress returned, letting me know that indeed, the rest of the evening's menu was completely GF. I was pleased she would go to that trouble, and happily sipped my wine. However, that was not all. A little bit later, another waitress came over and told me that the chef was excited to CREATE a GF appetizer just for me! Can you believe that? In the throws of preparing a gourmet meal for fifty people, he stopped and literally experimented simply to allow someone with a special diet to enjoy an appetizer. Amazing!

I wish I could tell you exactly what the appetizer was, but I CAN tell you that it involved goat cheese and a non-wheat crumb coating, and it was DELICIOUS! I have never felt so pampered. Apparently, Stephen Sicola (the amazing chef) is creating specialized dishes to cater for all kinds of special diets, including youth with diabetes. Very cool!

BOTTOM LINE: If you live in Austin and have a private dining party to plan, call Sicola's and book it now!
PS. If you follow a special diet, it never hurts to ASK for something a bit off the menu when you dine out, so give it a try!

2 comments:

Jessica Meyer said...

Don't you love it when Chefs go out of their way to cater to our gluten-free needs? It is wonderful. Living in Austin is such a blessing, because so many restaurants are open to the gluten-free lifestyle. Glad you enjoyed your dinner! Also, glad to stumble upon another blog that is gluten-free. -- Jess @ ATX Gluten-Free

Jill Grimes, MD said...

Thanks, Jess-looks like you have a great blog, too!
The appetizer was a lentil, goat cheese, chicken, walnut cake, BTW. Sooooooo delicious!