RESTAURANTS
Honoring Family
TAKING DAD OUT TO DINNER for Father’s Day? Sure-but what if Dad’s in the restaurant business himself? What to do?
Restaurateur Gene Street (who founded The Black-Eye Pea and now owns the Velvet E) treasures the homemade cards his kids give him. But son Gene Jr., gleefully laughing, says his favorite present for his dad was a trophy naming him a lifetime member of the P.T.A., since his six children range in age from 5 to 35.
Frederique and Stephanie Calluaud, daughters of Guy Calluaud, give their father what many dads would love to get from their kids: help. Both daughters have worked in Calluaud’s Bistro when needed, although Frederique is now in Waco attending Baylor University. As for “real” presents, Calluaud says “they give me so many…little personalized things I keep in a box.” Never wallets and never ties, he says, but “special key chains, money clips, things like that,” personalized with his initials. And also: “always a nice card insulting me for not sending the allowance on time.”
The three children of Francesco and Jane Secchi, Ferrari’s owners, gave them a swell anniversary present that would also make a good Father’s Day gift: They laid a trail of rose petals leading from their parents’ bedroom to the dining room, where a sumptuous homemade feast awaited them, with everything from fresh-squeezed orange juice to pancakes made from scratch. Now what dad wouldn’t melt at that?
-Suzanne Hough
SHOPPING
Have Your Cake and Decorate It, Too
IS YOUR INNER CHILD A FRUSTRAT- I ed artist with a sweet tooth? Classes in cake decorating and candy-making at Richardson’s Cake Carousel can satisfy both needs. Try a class in basic cake decorating, or a candy-making demo, then move up to gingerbread houses, choo-cboo trains made of candy, or cake sculptures, Bring junior artists or dessert junkies here for a birthday party/lesson, or consider “summer camp” at this caloric mecca for those in the 9 to 15 age range who are eager to get their hands into sugar.
At the Cake Carousel you can buy or rent everything you need for cake and candy projects. Look lor just the right cake pan or candy molds, and spend hours choosing the exact figurine to top your cake.
The current owner of the 22-year-old store is Carole Nance Maxwell, who entered the sweet life via a cake-decorating class. A certified medical assistant, Maxwell began giving away the creations she made in class to coworkers, who liked her cakes so much, they started placing orders.
Maxwell’s family prefers her homemade cookies over her cakes, she says. Nevertheless, she recently sculpted a bunny coming out of a magician’s hat for daughter Melissa’s sixth birthday party. -S.H.
Cake Carousel. 1002 N. Central Expwy., Ste. 511, Richardson, 690-4628.
GRAPEVINE
CALIFORNIA WINE PRICES SOAR
A battle of 1991 Jordan
Cabernet Sauvignon from California’s Alexander Valley sold for $27.95 last year at Marty’s on Oak Lawn. When the 1992 vintage arrived this winter, the price had jumped to $33.
An isolated price hike on a high-caliber California red? Hardly. California wine prices have surged anywhere from 5 to 30 percent across the board, especially on reds from Napa and Sonoma.
Heavy interest in a couple of specific varietals accounts for some of the increase, says John Rector, vice president of sales and marketing at Sigel’s. Add to that severe shortages due to bad weather and phylloxera, a root louse that slowly kills grapevines.
The Wine Institute, California’s leading wine trade organization, confirms the supply shortages and the increase in demand for premium wine.
What’s a wine lover to do? Many consumers demanding quality and value are shifting to wines from Washington State, Chile, Italy, Australia, South Africa, Eastern Europe, and especially varietal wines from France. “Customers are comfortable buying wines in certain price ranges,” says Marty’s wine director Jasper Russo. “A customer might say ’I like good chardonnay at $10 to $12 a bottle.’ But when your favorite chardonnay jumps to $15 or $17, you find another favorite.” -Mark Stuertz
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