La Dolce Vita

Ah, fall. The departure of summer in Austin always has us all breathing a sigh of relief - particularly this year, when the relentless parade of 100+ degree temps coupled with one of the worst droughts Central Texas has ever seen had us all wondering whether summer would ever leave again. But sure enough, the temperatures have magically dropped (to the mid-80s, mind you), which means it was time for another round of one of my favorite fundraisers in Austin, La Dolce Vita.

I have previously blogged about this fantastic event, so I won't go into all the gory details, but it is for sure one of the best food events in Austin. Hats off to the amazing folks who put together the staggering list of fabulous restaurants and wine & spirits purveyors who participate every year.

I didn't take a lot of photos this year; juggling a plate, a wine glass, a camera, and my nerd lights in the midst of what is always a pressing crowd is a little harrowing, to say the least. But I did at least manage to snap a pic of my favorite bite of the evening, a stunning pork belly and foie paté banh mi from a restaurant that has yet to open, Swift's Attic. They are currently under construction in the space that formerly housed Kyoto, and hope to open in December of this year. If this bite of utter decadence was any indication, it should be well worth a visit.

I also loved these salmon rolls from Imperia - nori pastry cones filled with miso salmon tartare and topped with cured salmon skin and ikura (salmon roe).



Other favorite bites: duck two ways over a wonderful quinoa from Paggi House (their panna cotta was also to die for); and braised short ribs over pumpkin puree from Moonshine.

Here's my Instagrammed photo of the band, which was excellent - does anybody know who they were?



I ate and drank myself silly. This performance artist from last year's La Dolce Vita perfectly summarized how I felt by the end of the evening.