This past weekend was a time to celebrate anniversaries, 25th anniversaries that is! Not only was it the 25th anniversary of the Hill Country Food and Wine Festival, but it was also my 25th birthday! I could think of no better way to celebrate than with being with my friends enjoying delicious food and wine. I started off the weekend by having a tasty three course dinner at Hudsons on the Bend with Luke. I went with the girls for restaurant week in the fall and knew that Luke would love it for all the unique meat choices. I knew I wouldn't be disappointed when we chose the Luigi Bosca Reserve Malbec - a smooth, excellent complement to the meat (especially the pecan grilled venison Luke had for the main course).
We started with the infamous Rattlesnake Cakes - paired with a smoky chipotle sauce, they were delicious, though sadly (or maybe not!), I couldn't really tell I was eating rattlesnake. The three courses were just the right balance of flavors, textures leaving me quite full, but not disgustingly so. A wonderful birthday meal!
I'd been looking forward to the wine festival ever since the delightful time we had last year, resulting in delicious free Whole Foods produce. Last year, our stand-out favorite was Siena from Ferrari Carano Vineyards and Winery in California, and it was a favori
te again. The food vendors seemed to be few and far between and the tasting sizes were disappointing, except for Spec's who definitely delivered. Overall, it was a fantastic day to enjoy local and national food and wine along with some classic Texas music and hospitality.