Foodie Rave

Throughout the Italian countryside you can see posters advertising local sagras. A sagra is a celebration of the bounties of the earth-meaning food, of course. Austin has its very own sagra at 17th and San Antonio, named for the small town festivals that are so popular with the food-obsessed Italians.


I don't know why it has taken me so long to discover this place, but thanks to the briliant recommendation of my friend, it has become an instant favorite. Housed in a vintage cottage with outdoor patio tables lining the front walkway, this trattoria with its deep red awning looks very inviting. If you have never been to Sagra, you are in for a treat.

Freshly cut flowers on crisp white tablecloths and apricot walls bathed in soft lighting give off a warm and romantic ambience. The feeling is relaxed as you
pore over the menu with a glass of wine, and sample the warm house bread. Everything on the menu sounds appealing from the argula proscuitto pizza made in their wood burning oven, to the braised short ribs served over a creamy polenta. I opted for the chicken stuffed with apricots, pistachios and a goat cheese ricotta with a decadent cauliflower risotto on the side. I have to say it was the best chicken dish I have ever eaten, anywhere, including Italy. 

Believe me, this photo does not do justice to the stuffed chicken

                      

 Sagra is open for lunch, and happy hour is from 4 to 7 with half price pizza. Dinner reservations are recommended.

An Uncommon Eye

Laguna Gloria recently featured some installations by artist Steve Wiman, owner of the quirky SoCo shop, Uncommon Objects. Steve, a former antique dealer has shaped his lifelong love for simple and utilitarian objects into art that goes beyond the traditional concept of art as canvas and paint. With an eye for texture and a passion for humble bits that others might eschew, Steve's assemblages transform the ordinary into something extraordinary.

His South Congress store is home to dealers whose inventory runs the gamut from whimsical to nostalgic. There is something here for collectors of every sort.

You can see Steve's current San Antonio exhibit, "There's More Where That Came From", at Sala Diaz, 517 Stieren.