The restaurant scene has been busy of late:

• Genghis Grill, the Mongolian barbecue chain, has opened a second San Antonio location. It is at 8603 State Highway 151, Suite 109, which is near Sea World. Call (210) 647-KHAN (5426).
• Burger Bistro has opened at 2267 N.W. Military Hwy., in the space that once housed Del Sol. Burgers, salads, chicken and more are on the menu. Call (210) 366-9061.
• Jason Dady sent out a tweet recently saying he was interested in talking with the owner of the Fairmount Hotel about taking over the space last occupied by the now-closed Luca Ristorante. Its sister restaurant, Tresca in the Stone Oak area, closed earlier this year .
• Fogo de Chao, a Brazilian steakhouse, will open in late August in the Rivercenter Mall, 849 E. Commerce St., next to the Marriott, according to the restaurant’s website.
• Audry’s Mexican Restaurant, 601 Camden St., has closed.

Need to stretch your food budget this month? Angel Food Ministries can help.

This mission, which started in Georgia in 1994 and is now in 35 states, offers low-cost food packages to anyone who wants to place an order.

According to the non-profit agency’s website, www.AngelFoodMinistries.com, “Angel Food is available in a quantity that can fit into a medium-sized box at $30 per unit. Each month’s menu is different than the previous month and consists of both fresh and frozen items with an average retail value of approximately $60. Comparison shopping has been done across the country in various communities using a wide range of retail grocery stores and has resulted in the same food items costing from between $42 and $78.”

The August menu shows that $23 will bring an assorted meat box consisting of 1.5 pounds New York strip steaks, 2 pounds Boston butt pork chops, 2 pounds lean hamburger meat and 1 pound Italian sausage with cheese. A menu of senior and convenience meals is also offered, as is an allergen-free box for those avoiding peanuts, gluten, milk, eggs, fish, shellfish and tree nuts.

“Generally, one unit of food assists in feeding a family of four for about one week or a single senior citizen for almost a month,” the site says. “The food is all the same high quality one could purchase at a grocery store. There are no second-hand items, no damaged or out-dated goods, no dented cans without labels, no day-old breads and no produce that is almost too ripe.”

You can read the menus and place your order online. You can also find out where the closest distribution center is to your home. A few in the area include Whole Life in Converse, Shepherd King Lutheran Church and Rolling Oaks Baptist Church in San Antonio, New Life Fellowship in Universal City and Branches of the True Vine in Kirby.

Food stamps are accepted.

Texas Pride Barbecue in Adkins is helping to raise funds for Operation Comfort, a non-profit organization that has assisted more than 3,000 wounded military members and their families.

To that end, the restaurant is donating proceeds from its Operation Pride 2009 Big Chopper Giveaway. For $5 a ticket, participants will have a chance to win a Big Dog Motorcycle soft-tail chopper with an American flag paint job, a production custom bike valued at $32,000.

The contest at Texas Pride, 2980 E. Loop 1604, will run 6:30-9:30 p.m. Thursday, July 30, and Saturday evening, Aug. 1, when the winner will be drawn.

Ten finalists drawn at each event since May 7 will bring a total of 350 finalists at the finale on Saturday.

According to a press release, every Thursday evening is Bike Night at Texas Pride. The free event attracts 300-500 motorcyclists — including many veterans and current members of the military — and up to 1,000 people gather each week to admire the machines, listen to classic rock and have a good time.

The Big Dog Giveaway is the fourth fund-raiser Texas Pride has conducted for Operation Comfort. Together, those events raised nearly $20,000 for Operation Comfort, but Texas Pride owner Tony Talanco hopes to reach $50,000 with the Big Dog Giveaway.

“Instead of getting an expensive artist for a show, I wanted to do something to raise more money, and with Texas Pride being so popular with motorcycle enthusiasts, this is the perfect way,” said Talanco, who owns two bikes.

“These guys did not just get shot in the arm, but they’ve lost one, two or three limbs and some have burns over 80 percent of their bodies or severe head traumas,” he said. “They have to live with this stuff the rest of their lives.

“Anything we could ever do to help is not enough to repay them.”

Call (210) 649-3730 or click here for information.

Wednesday morning came early for Blanca Aldaco.

The restaurateur got up at 3:30 a.m. so she’d be bright-eyed and ready to shake up some of her signature cocktails. That may seem an odd hour to start drinking, even one of her zesty margaritas with its vitamin C kick.

But Aldaco was appearing on NBC’s “Today” show, which was in town for a live broadcast from the Arneson Theatre on the River Walk as part of its ” ‘Today’ Takes a Vacation” series.

The owner of Aldaco’s Stone Oak poured a series of drinks for hosts Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb over the course of the broadcast, showing them what patrons of her restaurant already know: If you want a great margarita or a cool cucumber martini with your Mexican food, Aldaco’s is the place.

Aldaco wasn’t the only restaurateur to squeeze into the crowded theater for a few minutes of air time.

Chef Jason Dady was on hand to demonstrate how he makes his cherry-glazed baby back ribs at Two Bros. BBQ Market on West Avenue.

He was glad the morning was cool. Well, at least cooler than it was during Tuesday afternoon’s rehearsal. “Yesterday was brutal,” he said. “It was so hot out here.”

Plus, he was demonstrating a cooking technique that required a sizzling hot smoker, which added to the heat wave.

Yet the impact of a national television appearance far outweighed any complaints about the heat. “You almost never know the true impact of an appearance,” he said. Some people who see the show may not visit San Antonio for months, but they may show up at Two Bros. because of the Wednesday appearance.

Dady, who also owns the Lodge Restaurant of Castle Hills, Bin 555 and Tre Trattoria, said there “was definitely some irony” in his appearance on the show for his barbecue as opposed to the French- and Italian-influenced fare at his other places.

Yet “barbecue is a way of reaching a mass audience,” he said.

It certainly hit the right note with the show’s hosts. “Stop it,” Gifford said about taking her first bite. “I want this for breakfast every day.”

The two women continued eating their ribs into the next segment, a live performance by country sensation Lee Ann Womak.

Segments on San Antonio and the surrounding area were interspersed with the day’s headlines, largely about Michael Jackson’s doctor, and regular features, such as the health alert.

While the national part of the program aired, Gifford and Kotb, in cowboy hats and Texas garb, flashed their mega-watt personalities for the packed house. They also mingled with many, posing for photos and signing autographs.

“They’re coming to us at 4 in the morning with margaritas – now’s that’s a health alert,” Gifford told the crowd in her signature deadpan.

The food took up plenty of room in the Arneson, which also featured mariachis, dancers, barges full of soldiers from Fort Sam and tourists alike.

That’s as it should be. As Dady said during his segment, “We’re very passionate about our food here.”

So, Aldaco was scheduled to talk about her celebrated tres leches cake, while caterer Don Strange was there to show off his Grilled White Wings, pieces of chicken breast with jalapeño and Monterey Jack cheese wrapped in applewood-smoked bacon. And Michael Cortez had a basket of Mi Tierra’s candies, a colorful mixture of pralines, leche quemada and coconut flags, that looked and smelled great.

Many in the crowd brought their own food and drinks, books and chairs to keep comfortable during the long morning. No one seemed to mind “going crazy,” as one crew member called it, whenever the spotlight was on them.

It was why some arrived as early as 5 a.m.

“I wanted good seats, so why not?” said Theresa Rodriguez.

“This is so cool,” said Kori Posey. “I never have done one of these things before.”

Rosé is the quintessential summer wine. The crisp, dry versions, being made in virtually every wine-producing region of the world, are perfect for summer sipping and summer foods,  from seafood salads to barbecue.  On Aug. 15, head up to Becker Vineyards in Stonewall to enjoy tasting a series of rosés, along with tastes of foods to pair with them.

A panel of wine professionals, including Dr. Richard Becker and myself, will lead the tastings and informal discussion.

Ramblin’ Rosé is a summer event from the New World Wine & Food Festival. There are three sessions this year. The first is at noon, the second at 2 p.m. and the third is at 4 p.m. The charge is $20 per person.

It you’d like to attend, go to www.nwwff.org for more information and to sign up. For information about Becker Vineyards, go to www.beckervineyards.com.

If I thought the flavor of Wiener Schnitzel in Vienna restaurants would be a revelation, I was wrong.  It was ambience in that historic Austrian city that gave us our money’s worth.

Wiener Schnitzel is a simple dish, made of thinly pounded veal scallops, breaded, fried and served with wedges of lemon. In Vienna, it was much like what I’ve had in the United States, and something like what I’ve made at home— only bigger,  much bigger.  It filled the plate and draped itself over the sides.  I’ve seen  chicken-fried steaks in Texas that would look puny in comparison.

But where the dish fell short of our expectations, the atmosphere took over.  On our first night in Old Vienna, my sister, Marcia, and I claimed a table outside on the sidewalk area at Café Leopuldo. Under a big, striped awning, we had glasses of cold Grüner Veltliner, Austria’s famous, crisp white wine and watched the stylish Viennese hurrying home from work, or out to play. Having both come from the drought-parched Western United States we lingered as long as was decent, soaking up the coolness of the evening and enjoying a light rain that came and went.

Cafe Leopuldo’s Wiener Schnitzel was dramatic in size but flat in taste. Lots of lemon juice and some salt made it more palatable.

The following evening, after a concert and a long walk through narrow streets, we came to  Zwölf Apostekeller, a restaurant in an old house at Number 3 Sonnenfelsgasse.  Once again the meal would consist of Wiener Schnitzel, this time accompanied by big plates of German potato salad. The folks who had planned our concert tour of several Central European cities had chosen this venue. Wiener Schnitzel was served to us all; once again, it was a plain, straightforward dish that I’d guess ranks among that country’s comfort foods rather than its haute cuisine.

But the place where we dined was remarkable.  After dozens of us crowded into the structure, we were led down several flights of stairs. We came to the cellar, then kept going. Finally, in a sub cellar, we found our seats for the late meal. Tables lined narrow aisles that ran the length of the space. Strings of twinkly lights cast a glow in the subterranean gloom.  Above us was the awe-inspiring sight of a brick vaulted ceiling, said to be part of a rebuild of this cellar in 1561. The house itself dated back to 1100.  Wrapped up in that kind of history we really weren’t overly concerned with food.

Later, describing Austria’s famous dish to friends, I mentioned that the breading was bland. I’d have added some salt.  Of course, Americans are famous for their salty food, which Europeans visiting here sometimes have trouble with.  So, it probably was just a matter of taste.

And let’s face it, where in the U.S. can we sit down to dinner in a house built more than 900 years ago?

Wiener Schnitzel

1 1/2 pounds sliced veal scallops, pounded thin (see note)
1 1/2 cups flour
1-2 teaspoons salt
Pinch of white pepper
4 eggs
1 1/2  sleeves Saltine crackers, crushed, or 3 cups cracker meal
1 teaspoon salt, if desired
Canola oil, for frying
2 lemons, cut in wedges, for garnish

Note:  I like to order a piece of veal and slice it at home, then pound it thin. I think this makes a more tender cut than the ultra-thin slices of veal scallopine you find already cut at the store. If you don’t want to slice your own, just ask the person at the meat market for slices between 1/4-and-1/2-inch thick.  Flatten with a mallet and put slices on a plate.  Veal is expensive. If you want to spend less, you can substitute pork for veal.

Put the flour in a large, flat bowl or plate; add salt and pepper and blend in well.  Scramble eggs in a large, flat bowl.  Put crushed Saltines or cracker meal on a large plate and blend salt, if using, in well.

Pour oil to the depth of about an inch-and-a-half in a good-sized skillet. (Preheat oven, too, to 150 degrees. This is so that if you are doing the schnitzel in batches, you can put the fried pieces on a large plate or baking sheet in the oven to keep warm. Don’t stack pieces on top of each other and don’t cover them; they’ll get soggy.)

To bread the veal pieces, press each piece in the flour, turning to flour both sides. Shake off excess. Dip each piece in the beaten egg, to thoroughly coat.  Then, press each slice into the cracker meal, turning to coat all sides.

When the oil is hot, but not smoking, gently slide the bread pieces into the oil. It should sizzle energetically, but not foam up or threaten to fry over the side of the skillet.  Fry one side of each piece to a deep golden color, but not to dark brown.  Turn, and fry the other side until it is gold. Each side will take a minute or more.  Take out of the oil and blot lightly on paper towel.  Sometimes, if the oil gets too thick with crumbs that have fallen off, I pour the oil off, clean out the crumbs with a wadded up paper towel, and then reheat the oil. If you leave crumbs in the pan they will get brown and bitter, and stick to your veal cutlets.

When all the pieces are fried, put on plates, garnish with lemon wedges and serve.

Serves 4.

The leeks this summer have been exceptionally sweet and tangy, forcing me to expand my repertoire on how to prepare these milder members of the onion family.

For those with not much experience with leeks, here’s a little history via “The New Food Lover’s Companion”: “Nero believed leeks would improve his singing voice and is said to have eaten prodigious quantities to that end. In the sixth century A.D., the Welsh made leeks their national symbol because they were convinced that the leeks they wore on their helmets to distinguish them from their enemies strengthened them and helped them win wars.”

Thinner leeks are said to be more tender, though the large ones at the supermarket have great flavor, even if you often have to peel back the first couple of layers.

You can eat the white part of the leek and the pale green that lies underneath the dark green outer leaves. Peeling the leeks varies from person to person. All want you to remove the bottom, then the advice begins to vary.

Some will have you cut the leek in half, removing all of the green; others will have you peel in small circles upward, so you can get to the edible green near the top. Slicing them in small pieces or larger pieces will depend on your preference.

Whatever cut you desire, you have to clean the leeks before cooking to remove any grit between the layers. You can rinse the pieces by hand, running your fingers through them to remove any dirt. I like soaking the pieces in water for 10 minutes or so, careful to remove only the leeks from the top of the water. The dirt will settle at the bottom.

You are now ready to cook.

Mye new favorite recipe this summer is a variation on a French classic: Steam the leeks, let them cool and then top with an herbal vinaigrette. You can find a version of this at Damien Watel’s new Bistro Bakery just off the Olmos Circle.

But something happened with my first attempt. I cleaned the leeks and cut them into 3-inch pieces before steaming, yet that was too fibrous and ungainly for friends to eat comfortably.

For my next attempt, I took a large bunch of leeks and sliced them thinly before steaming. This worked on texture, but it was also strange to see the leeks reduce greatly in size. One large bunch produced one medium bowl.

Still, the flavor was intense and cooling on a hot day, which has led me to make it several times.

Steamed Leeks With an Herbal Vinaigrette

1 bunch leeks, trimmed, cut into 1/8-inch slices and rinsed

Vinaigrette:
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
1 tablespoon chopped capers, rinsed
1/2 teaspoon minced shallot
1 teaspoon dill pickle relish, optional
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

Steam the leeks until tender, about 10 minutes. Stir them around the steamer once or twice. Let drain, squeeze some of the water from them. Refrigerate until cool.

About 30 minutes before serving, make the vinaigrette by mixing vinegar, oil, parsley,  capers, shallot and dill relish. Add salt and pepper to taste, then toss with leeks and let marinate before serving.

Serve cold or at room temperature. It goes well with grilled meats from burgers and sausages to steaks or seafood.

Serves 6-8 as a side dish.

Q: My family likes garlic, but sometimes the pungency of fresh garlic (in salads or in garlic butter) is too sharp for them. Is there a way to give them garlic but cut down on the sting?

A: I’m happy to hear you have a garlic-loving family. In time, they may do as a friend of mine does when he feels a cold coming on: He peels a half-dozen or more garlic cloves and chews them up whole. He adds peeled chunks of fresh ginger to this medicinal feast and swears it knocks out what ails him.

Of course, you don’t want to knock out friends and family with garlic breath, either. So, I will pass along a tip given to me recently: If you put peeled cloves of garlic in cold water in a saucepan, bring the water up just to a boil and let the cloves simmer for a couple of minutes, they will taste milder.  Cool them down and use as you would fresh garlic. Roast garlic has been another way to reduce pungency as well, leaving a buttery, slightly nutty garlic flavor.

Did you know you can “roast” garlic in the microwave? In “The Great Garlic Book,” author and garlic grower Chester Aaron offered this method, below (though he did say the oven-roasted method was his preference).  The book is packed with good information on garlic and many recipes as well.

To roast garlic in a microwave oven, trim stem ends of the garlic head to expose the tops of the cloves.  Use a 2-cup (non-metal) measuring cup for one head.  Pour in 1/4 cup chicken broth and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Cover with microwave plastic wrap and cook at 100 percent power. Remove garlic from microwave and let stand, covered, in the cup for a few minutes.

A good Key lime pie recipe is a joy forever, as owner Roger Arias has discovered at Earl Abel’s. The restaurant is now selling the pie, originally developed for Father’s Day. Arias says it will be on the menu permanently.

Other news from Earl’s includes two meat recipes chosen for San Antonio appetites and added to the menu.  Arias says the Beef Ribs are made with his wife Di-Anna’s recipe for barbecue sauce. The other dish is Kiolbassa Sausage, split and grilled, then served with German potato salad, red cabbage, mustard and horseradish.  Arias expects this dish to have particular appeal to his customers.

Earl Abel’s is open daily at 1201 Austin Hwy.

Q. We are driving down to Port Aransas to find some good fried shrimp tomorrow. Can you tell me a couple of good places to try?  -Kathy

A. I have always enjoyed the fried seafood at Snoopy’s Pier, 13313 South Padre Drive, south of Corpus Christi. Another place worth investigating is Marcel’s Restaurant, 905 Hwy. 361. It is largely known for its fine dining and German cuisine, but people have praised its fried shrimp.

If you have a dining question, e-mail griffin@savorsa.com. If you have any further suggestions on places to get great fried shrimp in Port A, post them below.