Arché Winery & Ancient Ovens, Saint Jo, Texas

THE PERFECT PAIRING

By Ellen “EJ” Sackett
Originally published in Edible Communities DFW, Spring 2010, www.edibledfw.com

Ancient Ovens and Arché Winery go together perfectly, just like the homemade artisan bread and the fine wine they serve. Together they form the ideal date night, just an hour-and-a-half drive northwest from Dallas and Fort Worth—away from work, kids and the hustle and bustle of everyday life.



Both are classic examples of “if you build it, they will come,” and the word is spreading about these hidden gems. Tucked away north of Saint Jo, they are located in what is unofficially called the North Texas Hill Country. Better known as the Red River Valley, the terrain resembles Central Texas with its gentle slopes and pastoral views.

Squint and you might even believe you’re in Italy.



Hosts for the evening are Howard Davies and Amy Sterling, owners of Arché Wines and Oak Creek Vineyards, and Denis and Susan Moody, whose home is the backdrop for Ancient Ovens. The two couples are not business partners, but good neighbors who live a few miles apart. Their combined vision is to create a memorable, magical experience for their guests.



The adventure begins at Arché. Visitors arrive at the winery in the late afternoon for a taste of red or rosé and a leisurely tour of the Oak Creek Vineyards. Arché sells its estate wine by the bottle or the case, and guests continuing to Ancient Ovens often buy some to complement their Old World Italian-style, oven-fired dinner.

Just five minutes away is Ancient Ovens at BlueDog Vista Ranch.



From the Lookout deck, guests enjoy being served a family-style, fivecourse meal while the sun slowly disappears over Devil’s Backbone.
Before long, strangers become friends. A light evening breeze crosses the valley and cools the night air. Under the tiny white patio lights, all the elements meld into one consummate, unforgettable evening.



Arché



Howard Davies’s first grape-growing experience began in his backyard when he was in his twenties, and his love for the grape followed him throughout his life. After a family vacation in Napa, California twelve years ago, Howard’s wife Amy encouraged him to pursue his passion and suggested a life of growing grapes commercially. They looked for land within a fifty-mile radius of their Plano home, but found it to be cost prohibitive, so they expanded their search. Finally they found what they were looking for—115 acres conducive to growing grapes, including an abandoned vineyard.



In three short months, they cleared the property of bramble, greenbriers and scrub oak trees and replanted the wild Venus vines inherited from the original vineyard. The forty-seven more rows of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, and Syrah grapevines were added, more than doubling the size of Oak Creek Vineyard, and there are plans to add additional rows this year.



Arché may well be the smallest commercial winery in Texas. The entire facility, including the tasting room, is all of 300 square feet. Visitors to Arché Winery literally walk into the factory, whatever stage of wine making is in progress. “At any given time, any number of winery operations might be going on,” says Amy. “We might be bottling, or pressing wine or doing some kind of chemical analysis.”



Remarkably, all of Arché wine is made from its own grapes. Currently Arché produces approximately 500 cases of estate wine a year, which are available only through the winery. Its varietals and blends are made from Syrah, Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon as well as the hearty, but less commonly known Roussane, Mourvèdre, Granache and Carignan grapes. Most of the rootstock came from California, but these grape varieties originate from the Bordeaux and Rhone regions of France and the northern regions of Italy.

“Those regions are more like our region,” Howard says. “These particular grapes can take the heat.” The wine choices vary because the grapes vary from year to year. This year’s wine choices are Syrah and Cabernet wines from the Ryan’s Red series, named for Howard and Amy’s middle son; Texas Rose, a popular semi-sweet wine; and Nouveau Montague 2009, a dry redblend table wine.



The art and science of growing grapes and making wine (not to mention the business of meeting federal and state regulatory standards) keep Howard and Amy on their toes twelve months of the year. The process is labor-intensive and never-ending.
Says Amy, “We start pruning in December, and we tend the vines into harvest,” which happens mainly in August, September and October. “Then we’re working pretty heavily making wine between harvest and pruning time.” Any one of a number of variables, like a draught, black rot, a late frost or a nearby 2,4-D crop dusting can send their best-laid plans plummeting.



With the precarious life of a viticulturist, a sense of adventure comes with the territory. There’s a bit of the daredevil in both Howard and Amy, who met while racing motorcycles competitively. They left their stable jobs and suburban lifestyle to pursue their dream in the country and downsized from a 2,600-square-foot house to their current 350-square-foot home. “The easy part was making the decision,” says Howard. “The hard part was doing it.” Even making the decision about what vines to plant is a gamble, as there is no guarantee what will thrive. But the risk is also the thrill and what keeps it interesting. “We experiment to see what works,” says Howard. “Everything changes every year, and we have to be ready for it.” Howard and Amy’s sons were also bit by the bug. Patrick is the winemaker at Eagle Castle Winery in Paso Robles, California. “He’s my authority,” says Howard. Ryan helped plant many of the grapevines in record time and designed the Arché label logo, and youngest son Grayson works part-time for his parents and is currently pursuing a degree in horticulture with a concentration in viticulture at Texas Tech.



A spirited conversation about the particulars of viticulture comes with the tour. Howard and Amy love to share what they know. For four years Howard was the Region 2 Vineyard Director for Texas Wine and Grape Growers Association, covering 54 counties in Texas. He also authored a booklet, “The Starting Point”, which explains how to start a vineyard in Texas. Says Howard, “This booklet tells you everything.
It tells you where to go, who you should talk to, what region you’re in, who to contact…” With a smile he adds, “I’ll tell you more than you want to know. Amy will tell you exactly what you need to know.”

The time flies by and dinner awaits. Head back from whence you came, turn left at the next gravel road. Look for a black, bashed-in mailbox on your right. Another episode is about to begin.
’

Ancient Ovens



The centerpiece and the reason to visit Ancient Ovens is the wood-fired oven itself. Denis built the oven in three months and finished it in February, 2007. Surrounded by rock and brick, it stands nearly ten feet tall, eight feet deep and six feet wide. The inside space, which includes the walls, hearth and arches, can handle as many as five pizzas or twenty loaves of bread at one time. Constructed from 330 fire bricks that retain the heat necessary for this Old World method of baking, the oven can heat up to 850 degrees, baking the pizzas to a bubbly crisp within minutes. Denis tends the fire and cooks the meal here, while Intrigued onlookers sit on benches under the covered pavilion.



Denis always dreamt of building an outdoor wood-fired oven like those he saw in his Navy days when he was deployed to Italy for extended stays. “The food is just so good coming out of them,” Denis says. After he retired from the military, he looked for something else to do. One day when Susan was surfing the Internet, she stumbled upon North House School of Folk Learning in Grand Marias, Minnesota, which offered a seminar in how to build the ovens. Denis immediately took the class.



At first Denis intended to build the ovens as his main enterprise— “for other people’s backyards,” he says—but when the housing market tanked, so did his plans. Meanwhile, he built the Lookout, a large deck beyond the oven overlooking the valley.



Susan, who had no previous formal training as a baker, went to North House to take a four-day, wood-fire method baking class. “A lot of it is trial by error and just learning the feel of the oven,” she says. “I can stick my hand in it and without even looking at the thermometer, know if it’s too hot to bake bread. I can just sense it.” They hosted parties for family and friends and soon were getting requests to host large gatherings at their home. In April, 2009 they officially began doing business full-time as Ancient Ovens with help from their son Chris, who has also learned the art of wood-fired baking, and daughter Eryn, who helps with the preparation and serves the guests.



They perfected what is now their standard five-course meal, which has been modified over time. “Like a lot of restaurants in Italy, we serve one type of meal,” says Denis. “That’s our staple, and we’ve served it for close to a year-and-a-half now. People keep coming back and coming back.” This meal at Ancient Ovens is bread-based, starting with Susan’s rustic artisan country bread, made from an 80-year-old starter, and served with a rich spinach and artichoke dip glazed with garlic butter in a hot cast iron pan. Next is Susan’s own creation, Italian Teardrops, made with olive cream cheese and spices wrapped in a pasta pastry and seasoned with garlic, butter and herbs. For the main course, guests may choose one of the thin-crusted Neapolitan-style pizzas, topped with a variety of ingredients depending on what is fresh and available. (With prior notice, Ancient Ovens can accommodate dietary concerns. For example, if someone is lactose intolerant, they will substitute olive oil for the cheese.) The meal is finito with a decadent dark chocolate hazelnut dessert pizza made with Nutella. Magnifico!



Many of the ingredients used to make the meal come from Susan’s organic garden, including Roma tomatoes, basil, oregano, rosemary and garlic. They compost hay and add vegetable scraps to worm castings to enrich the soil. “We want to get more sustainable, more local and be more mindful of where our food comes from,” says Susan.

In addition to growing herbs and vegetables, they also raise cattle and free range chickens. Susan uses the eggs in her baked goods and sells them to the local feed store, and they have processed their own chickens as well. The Moodys frequent Fischer’s—“one of the most happening small grocery stores in Texas,” according to Denis—which sells local produce, especially in the spring and summer. Ancient Ovens also buys its Italian sausage and Canadian bacon from Fischer’s, which processes and packages its own sausages and cheeses. He adds, “By patronizing local stores in the community, we’re helping them sustain themselves. It works hand in hand.”

Traveling around the world as a naval officer to 23 different countries during his thirty years of service gave Denis perspective. “Quite a significant portion of the world’s population still lives like this. This is their norm. It made me think,” says Denis. “We lived quite a few years in Euless, and we thought, ‘This is just not us. We’ve got to get out and get some more room,’” says Denis. “I don’t think either one of us ever had a plan to be here, at this level of earthiness, but we sure like it!” Ancient Ovens is primarily an outdoor venue, but over the past winter, Denis and Chris, with help from Howard, built a kitchen, a teaching space for Susan’s baking classes and an indoor dining room surrounded by glass. This new addition will also include a second wood-fire oven And year ‘round seating and protection from inclement weather.



Rather than driving home late at night, visitors might consider turning the trip into a short staycation by booking a room at the quaint Texas King’s Hotel, directly across from Saint Jo’s historic town square. Guests stay in one of five charming guestrooms at the inn, renovated from two turn-of-the-century buildings. Because the hotel does not keep regular hours and is only open by arrangement, reservations must be made well in advance.



Finding Arché Winery and Ancient Ovens isn’t easy, but follow the map we’ve included, then remember that once you are on Hwy 677 and you stumble upon your first breathtaking vista, you’re almost there.

Arché Winery
228 Wagner Road, Saint Jo, Texas 76265
214-908-9055 or 214-536-6330
www.archewines.com
Hours: 11 a.m. to dark, Wednesdays through Sundays and by appointment. Wine can be purchased by the bottle or by the case for a 10% discount. No reservations required. Children are welcome but must be supervised.


Ancient Ovens
At BlueDog Vista Ranch, 857 Childress Road, Saint Jo, Texas 76265
940-366-4255
www.ancientovens.com
Hours: 7 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays and by appointment
Advance reservations by telephone required.


Texas King's Hotel
104 S. Broad Street, Saint Jo, Texas 76265
940-995-2565
www.texaskingshotel.com
Hours: By appointment only
Advance reservations required.
Call or e-mail: reservations@texaskingshotel.com


Originally published in Edible Communities DFW, Spring 2010
www.edibledfw.com

Cafe Du Luxe, Denton, Texas

MUGS AND WINE GLASSES HOBNOB

By Ellen "EJ" Sackett (for Denton Record-Chronicle)

Cafe Du Luxe isn’t Denton’s best-kept secret. Since it opened five months ago, the word is spreading: It’s a great place to meet friends for conversation and a cup of coffee, a light meal or a glass of fine wine. Owner David Carles describes his cafe as “upscale casual” and says it “provides a choice that raises the quality” in the area. That choice includes freshly roasted coffee beans, both familiar and relatively unknown wines, and healthy yet inexpensive menu items for breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert. “We appeal to the North Texas business and medical professionals and give them another alternative to Starbucks and coffeehouses that largely appeal to students,” he said.

Cafe Du Luxe is located in Market Square at Unicorn Lake, where it’s a logical stop for a bite before or after a movie at Cinemark Denton. In addition to convenience, the cafe offers happy hour from 4 to 7 p.m. on weekdays, featuring half-price appetizers and $1 off house beer and wines.

Commuters can whip into the drive-through for a specialty coffee fix, brewed “the old-fashioned way,” Carles said. “We use authentic Italian espresso equipment. We grind and dose and tamp and pull the shots by hand. None of it is automated.”

The coffees are designed around a music theme, named after the voices in a choir — the lighter the roast, the higher the voice. The beans come to the cafe extremely fresh.

“We order our coffee from our roaster on Monday; they roast for us on Tuesday; our coffee arrives here Wednesday or Thursday,” Carles said.

Cafe Du Luxe specializes in some “high-quality but relatively unknown” Chilean wines that can’t be purchased at the local grocery, Carles said. The wine list offers a variety and appeals to those who lean toward the familiar as well as aficionados who are more adventurous. Beer drinkers shouldn’t feel left out: Domestic and imported brews are available, too.

Food and drink aren’t the only reasons to come to Cafe Du Luxe; another is the atmosphere. One wall is dedicated to displaying work by regional artists. The exhibit changes monthly, with an artist’s reception every third Sunday. On Saturday evenings, Bill Metzger and Perrin Grace perform light jazz on electric guitar and upright bass. Book clubs, church groups and writers meet regularly to exchange information and ideas.

People can “come in jeans or come in a suit, either way,” Carles said.

It took four years from conception to completion to create Cafe Du Luxe, and it came out almost exactly as Carles envisioned it.

“People are still trying to figure out who we are and what we do,” he said. “We want the word to get out [because] we have something unique to offer.”

$

CAFE DU LUXE
3101 Unicorn Lake Blvd., Denton, TX
940-382-7070
Hours: Monday through Thursday, 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday, 5:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Saturday, 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sunday, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
www.cafeduluxe.com

Originally published in Denton Record-Chronicle, January 21, 2010

III Forks Restaurant, Dallas, Texas

III FORKS GETS FOUR STARS

By Ellen "EJ" Sackett

At III Forks, you'll find the grandeur one comes to expect from a high-dollar Dallas steakhouse. It's a manly man's restaurant, classy and comfortable with an aura of elegance, decorated with brass and elk horn chandeliers, high ceilings and dark wood, leather-cushioned chairs, and tables covered in white tablecloths. I half expected to see J.R. Ewing show up with his entourage; rather, here's where real-life power negotiations and boardroom deals go down.

Through a twist of circumstances, my family and I ended up at III Forks for Thanksgiving dinner and enjoyed a near-perfect experience with a few surprises. The first was its price—$42.95 for adults and $14.95 for children under 12—meager compared to other fixed-price meals in town. This four-course meal included soup, salad, a choice of two entrées and one of four desserts. We were told there were reservations for 2,300 on the books for that day. Fortunately, III Fork's sixteen dining rooms, named after Texas war heroes, are spacious enough to handle big crowds without feeling crowded.

To put us in a festive mood, we started with a holiday twist on the Mimosa: a combination of champagne and cranberry instead of orange juice aptly named "Poinsettia." Soon after we placed our dinner order, the thin, broth- not cream-based tomato basil soup arrived, closely followed by a spring green mix topped with blue cheese crumbles, slices of green apple and III Forks' delectable maple walnut pecan vinaigrette. The slow-roasted turkey dribbled with Grandma's giblet gravy wasn't memorable, but the juicy Chateaubriand with Bordelaise Sauce was tender enough to cut with a fork. Both meals came with crunchy, lightly-coated snap peas and whipped potatoes with chives and scallions. The turkey dinner included orange-infused yams, a healthier substitute from the standard syrupy marshmallow-coated recipe, a hearty sausage cornbread dressing, and a tart cranberry puree dollop. The generous portion of steak came with off-the-cob creamed corn that was as much cream as corn. It was such a hit that our waiter brought an additional family-style portion of the for us to share.

Our waiters, Duane and Brandon, were on top of their game, rarely beyond calling distance for our every need. Duane's recommendation to go with the Pumpkin Pie Cake with homemade whipped cream was a good call, although I was tempted by the Chestnut Ice Cream with Chocolate Orange Sauce. A few bites of the Kentucky Bourbon Pecan Pie were enough to satisfy my sweet tooth, as dense as it was rich. The other choice was Cheesecake with Raspberry Sauce.

I checked out III Fork's pricey but choice evening menu, which features USDA Prime beef and fish, accompanied by the III Forks salad and the off-the cob creamed corn we had at Thanksgiving. I'll be going for the Bone-in Rib Eye or the Veal Chop, or maybe I'll give the Australian or Southern Fried Lobster Tail a go. Next time we'll make a point to order from III Fork's impressive wine selection that offers over 900 varieties. We don't need any excuse, like another holiday, to make another trek to III Forks. Any meal at III Forks would be a special occasion.

$$$-$$$$

III Forks Restaurant
17776 Dallas Parkway
Dallas, TX 75287
972-267-1776
www.iiiforks.com
(Additional locations in Austin, Texas and Palm Beach Gardens, Florida)

Hours:
Open 7 days a week, closed for lunch
Sunday, 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Monday through Thursday, 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Friday and Saturday, 5 p.m