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36 peace through pie initiative 38 melvin’s deli comfortFOODAngel Donuts & Treats8300 FM 620 N. Ste. A-200Mon.-Fri., 6:30am-9pm; Sat.-Sun., 7am-9pmwww.angeldonuts.comIt’s midway through January, which means you can walk backthose New Year’s resolutions with impunity. Cancel the monthlypayment on that shiny new gym membership and reinstate sugarinto your diet posthaste, because there are some damn fine treatsto be had in this town, and Angel Donuts & Treats has upped theante on indulgence.Open since late summer, Angel Donuts is a family affair, startedby two UT-alum brothers and their spouses (one of whom, Angela, isa friendly, patient presence behind the counter) who decided to turntheir baking hobby into a legitimate business. Located in the burgeoningTrails shopping center on 620, Angel Donuts offers a sweet,locally owned counterpoint to the cluster of fast-food chains populatingthe immediate area.While the shop’s title suggests that the showcase sweet here isdoughnuts, apart from a serviceable glazed old-fashioned (85 cents)that is appropriately crisp and light, and a maple bacon donut($1.75 and undoubtedly an homage to Portland’s iconic VoodooDoughnut) that effectively balances those very strong flavors, thereal winners here are the cake balls ($2.25 each). The display caseis a dizzying array of simply but elegantly decorated globes in flavorsboth traditional (chocolate, red velvet, carrot) and adventurous (chai,s’mores, chocolate orange). My personal favorite is the chai, subtlyspiced and not too sweet, the vanilla coverture cracking pleasantlyDuckhorn WinesThirteen years ago, in one of my firstarticles for The Austin Chronicle, I hadthe opportunity to taste through severalwine and food combinations withDanielle Smith, director of food and beveragefor the Four Seasons. At the endof the night, both Danielle and I agreedthat the one wine thatmatched up with everyby weswineofweekthemarshallsingle dish we triedwas duckhorn’sSauvignonBlanc. It wasa glorious winewith racy acidity,low-keytropical fruitaromas, and adense mouthfeel.Meal Times Jan. 18-24› WarM Saké and a MovIe begins with a demo on how towarm sake, followed by a presentation from their Toji on theTexas rice used to make their product. Kids can play in abouncy fort, Fresh Off the Truck will sell food, and guests canrelax in their own lawn chairs to watch My Neighbor Totoro.Fri., Jan. 18, 6-9pm. Texas Saké Company, 5501 N. Lamar.› Supper FrIendS dInnerS Three guest chefs finish out themonth in the Supper Friends kitchen: Dustin Koerner presentsa Latin Fusion meal on Fri., Jan. 18, at 7pm; Josh Venne’sguests will Experience Spain on Wed., Jan. 23; and Eric NelsonBrown will prepare Classy Texas Comfort Food, Fri.-Sat., Jan.25-26. As always, reserve by phone and BYOB. Swoop House at2 Dine 4 Fine Catering, 3012 Gonzales, 467-6600. $65.when bitten. The s’mores cake ball, while described as containingmarshmallow fluff and graham crackers, betrayed no trace ofthose ingredients, suggesting that the balls might have been overmixed(but no less tasty). In addition to doughnuts and cake balls,the menu also features cinnamon rolls, apple fritters, kolaches,coffee, and bubble tea.It’s clear that the proprietors of Angel Donuts & Treats wanttheir shop to be a destination for folks to hang out and socializeor study. Situated across the street from Concordia University,the space is populated with sleek tables for individual or groupstudy sessions, and comfortable seating for more casual visits;Concordia students, faculty, and staff can get a 10% discountwith their school IDs. Since the road to hell is paved with goodintentions, thank goodness places like Angel Donuts are around tokeep us on the highway to heaven.– Melanie HauptIt had one major drawback: price. At$30, you’d have to be a successfulattorney to casually pop the top.Dan Duckhorn took pity on the rest ofus and started a new label called decoy.The name is a play on the ducks adorningthe label, but the good news is, youcan buy this Sauvignon Blanc for as littleas $13-15 a bottle. There are two maindifferences between the Duckhorn andthe Decoy. The Duckhorn blends someSémillon into the mix, and its fruit is fromNapa. The Decoy is 100% SauvignonBlanc, and the fruit comes from SonomaCounty. Duckhorn’s version tastes likewhite Bordeaux on steroids, while theDecoy tastes like a near perfect versionof Californian Sauvignon Blanc.Of course, Duckhorn’s fame comesfrom its napa Merlots. These wines› port & paIrInGS The 12 wineriesof Wine Road 290 will feature portwines paired with delicacies suchas dark chocolate, brownies, andcheese. No tickets necessary; normaltasting fees apply. Sat., Jan.19, 10am-5pm. Freder icks burg WineRoad 290. www.wineroad290.com.› MaCallan SInGle Malt taStInGThe first Quaich Club event of2013 features four editions ofMacallan whiskys along with foodfrom chef DJ. Seating is limited;reserve by phone. Tue., Jan. 22,7pm. Opal Divine’s Marina, 12709MoPac N., 733-5353. $75.sell out quickly and run $65-85. Whilethe price is high, there are few Merlotsanywhere in the world that can matchthem. The Decoy version is a Sonomawine, but it also gets great barrelsand much of the winemaking skillthat goes into the Duckhorn wines.The quality and reputation of thesewines make the $25 price tag seempretty accessible. It’s certainly not acasual drink, but if you want an ideaof what makes the Duckhorn Merlotsmagical, starting with the Decoy is agreat way to get a relatively economicalintroduction to the house style.Both Duckhorn and Decoy wines sellout quickly after release, so it’s bestto contact your favorite wine shop tocheck on availability. Any fine wineshop can order them. – Wes Marshall› dISHCraWl tourS In auStIn This nationalsocial media start-up now offers tours inAustin: the tour Tue., Jan. 22, will visit foureateries Downtown; the tour Wed., Jan. 23,will visit four spots on South Congress.Reserve online. 7pm. $45. www.dishcrawl.com.› BreWS WItH BateS CollaBoratIve dInnerChef John Bates of Noble Sand wiches,Executive Chef Nadine Thomas, pastry chefJanina O’Leary, and libationist JoyceGarrison present a dinner paired with localcraft brews and beer cocktails. Cocktails at6pm, followed by dinner and music.Proceeds benefit the Sustainable FoodCenter. Reserve by phone. Wed., Jan. 23.Trace at the W, 200 Lavaca, 542-3660. $50.j o h n a n d e r s o nfood-o-fileby v irginia b . Wood@ACFoodI finished last week with a serious case of culinarywhiplash, ricocheting from one vital part ofour diverse scene to another. First, I was a guestat one of the four Indie Chefs dinners Thurs dayat Foreign & Domestic. It was fascinating towatch a group of talented young people take astep beyond the “virtual camaraderie” they developedvia Twitter and become a cohesive unit, puttingout eight very different courses and styles offood. Each chef introduced his or her own course,and the open kitchen and small dining roommade the dinner guests feel very much a part ofthe action. It was a much more immediate andsatisfying experience than sitting in a tent, watchinga Food Network celebrity prepare a dish noone will ever taste, and I’m pleased the Elliottsand their fellow sponsors plan to make IndieChefs Week an annual event. Look for more ofmy reaction to that dinner and some inside infoabout what some of the chefs did while they werein Austin in our On the Range blog.No sooner had I recovered from the tastingmenu marathon than I found myself in a longconversation with radio personality and restaurateurBob Cole. Readers had been emailing meabout Cole all week, and we finally got to chaton Friday. Earlier in the week, Cole told his earlymorning KOKE-FM listeners that he had justused the last $18,000 of his savings to coverpayroll at Hill’s Cafe, and he had serious concernsabout the future of the iconic South Austineatery (4700 S. Congress). The news was allover social media by the end of the day, andCole said he was gratified and humbled by theoutpouring of public support, which translatedinto some increased business at the restaurant.However, our conversation revealed problems afew extra customers may not be able to solve.For those who aren’t familiar with Hill’s, the businessdates back to 1947, when a 20-seat coffeeshop was built to serve the customers at theGoodnight Motel. Over the years, the Good nightfamily expanded the business, and by the timeCole took over in 2001, it was an aging buildingwith dining and kitchen facilities that couldaccommodate 500 people. That’s an enormousamount of space to heat and cool; Cole saysthe utilities alone run about $10,000 a month.And though the parking lot is often full, whenyou’ve got cooking and dining space for 500,and you’re rarely feeding that many, it’s tough tobe profitable. Cole said Hill’s had always been alabor of love that didn’t really make any money,but the economic downturn and changing tasteshave had it running in the red for too long now.Cole said he’d love to keep the place open andbuild up the special event and catering parts ofthe business in order to maximize the potential.He also said he’s in conversation with a localrestaurant group that has shown an interest inthe property in the past. I’ll admit, I hadn’t eatenat Hill’s Cafe in years and really had no ideawhat to expect when I dropped by Saturday. I’mpleased to report the food is perfectly respectable– not cutting-edge trendy, but well prepared,flavorful, and reasonably priced. Find out moreabout that on our blog as well. And for all thosefolks who loudly lament the loss of iconic, quintessentiallyAustin places, get on down to Hill’s.a u s t i n c h r o n i c l e . c o m JANUARY 18, 2013 T H E A U S T I N C H R O N I C L E 35