Food for Thought

Grits: Not just for breakfast anymore

A spicy sauté of shrimp, mushrooms, bacon and scallions over cheese grits atOuisie's Table
Sushi Raku's pork jowl over grits and topped with a fried egg
Photo by Katherine Orellana
Good ole' fashioned, downhome, tummy-warming grits

I was pleasantly surprised last week while lunching at The Rockwood Room when my old pal, Dayna Steele, offered to share her fried chicken and cheddar grits.

I mention this because the former rock-diva-turned-author-and-speaker has a hearty appetite and, lucky girl, the metabolism of a hummingbird. Of course, she did get fries in return.

But the taste of chef Michael Dei Maggi’s grits reminded me of just how far this simple corn mush has come from its truck stop days as a breakfast staple that had to be smothered in butter and salt to be palpable. Today, this Southern dish is turning up in some surprising gourmet dishes.

If you’re new to the South and not familiar with this wonder food, than you should check out grits.com for the complete history and some good home recipes. Grits have been around forever and have been featured at menus from Waffle House to white tablecloth eateries. Houstonians know that Ouisie’s Table has been serving up excellent shrimp and cheese grits for years to discerning diners, while The Breakfast Klub’s catfish and grits is a comforting foodie favorite. But almost every new restaurant I’ve tried lately has some version of grits on the menu.

Over at the new Bistro Alex, Executive Chef Juan Carlos Gonzalez uses them in his Beef Short Rib Osso Bucco dish, which comes with goat cheese stone-ground grits, oyster mushrooms and melted leeks with truffled bordelaise. And you can just get these elevated grits as a yummy side dish for any entrée.

Chef Robert Del Grande mixes his grits with bacon (and why the hell not?) for a sea scallop dish at RDG + Bar Annie, while Mark Cox likes his chicken with Mississippi-style grits at Mark’s.

You can even find grits on Japanese menus now. Chef "Taka" Sekiguchi at Sushi Raku does a delicious slow-braised Berkshire pork belly, or jowl square, with mascarpone grits and kishu ume (Japanese pickle plum) topped with a sunny side up quail egg.

Whether cheese grits, bacon grits, grits with chicken, shrimp or just a big ol’ bowl by itself, Texans love grits. As Steele says, “I travel a lot, and I know I’m home when I can get grits at a restaurant and they don’t look at me funny.”

And don’t worry about all that fresh butter and cheese and truffle oil that might be in your grits.

“They’re healthy, right?” says Steele. “I mean, they’re made with corn!”

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cheers to that

Texas bourbon named one of 2024's top 10 whiskies

Still Austin Whiskey Co. Red Corn Bourbon Whiskey

Still Austin Whiskey Co./Facebook

Now if only we could snag a bottle...as a Christmas gift, of course.

Three cheers for Still Austin Whiskey Co.! The distillery's Bottled in Bond Red Corn Bourbon Whiskey was recognized as one of Whisky Advocate'sTop 20 Most Exciting Whiskies of 2024.

Every year, Whisky Advocate's expert panelists rank hundreds of whiskies based on their quality, availability, value for the price, and "X-factor," meaning an excitement-inducing component like a unique flavor or an innovative idea. An international panel also reviews contenders through several blind taste tests without knowing each whisky's producer, origin, age, or price.

The magazine ranked Still Austin's five-year Red Corn Bourbon No. 7 on the list with a prestigious score of 94 points. The Red Corn whiskey, which was released in June 2024, has mash bill consisting of 36 percent Jimmy Red corn, 34 percent white corn, 25 percent rye, and 5 percent barley.

According to panelist Shane English, tasting notes start big and bold with cracked pepper, dusty leather, and cocktail cherries, before moving on to a palate of chile pepper, caramel, and buttery cornbread.

"Each sip is electric — the pepper gives this whiskey a zing balanced by poundcake and glazed doughnuts," English said. "Charred oak fades to chocolate, coffee, and pecan pie on the finish."

Still Austin had the only Texas product on the list, which was fitting given the brand's recent boasting that it could match any Kentucky Bourbon. As a game day stunt when the Texas Longhorns played the Kentucky Wildcats in November, Still Austin refilled empty Kentucky Bourbon bottles with its own Cask Strength Bourbon for just $1.

When the brand isn't playfully antagonizing Kentucky fans, its Red Corn Bourbon sells for a retail price of $85 per 750-milliliter bottle, falling nearly in the middle of the price category out of all 20 bourbons on the list, with eight others priced for less.

For additional context, none of the top five bourbons fall under a $100 price tag. In fact, the most expensive bottle on the 2024 list is the Angel's Envy 2023 Cask Strength Port Wine Barrel Finished Bourbon, which ranked No. 12 and retails for $230 per bottle.

"Our top 20 whiskies represent a curated collection that deserves your attention. Each whisky on the list stands out for its superb taste, representing the pinnacle of a year filled with remarkable tastings," said executive editor David Fleming in a release. "This list features whiskies offering exceptional value, leaders in their respective styles, and superbly made expressions that are well worth seeking out."

Whiskey Advocate's 2024 Whiskey of the Year is Laphroaig Elements 2.0 Cask Strength Scotch Single Malt, which earned 95 points and retails for $165 a bottle.

whiskey bourbon distilleries awards lists