Back Down South

Cheers from Houston!

Testing, testing. Anyone reading this? It may be the most overdue post in history, but here we are.

It’s been three years since I’ve created content for Back Down South. After moving to Houston it became apparent that if I continued with the format, this would become a Texas blog. And, though I love Texas dearly, I know the majority of my readers were spread all over the Southeast and would likely not find interest in a Texas – particularly Houston – focus. My hope was to always represent as many cities as I could, which was a blast when we were traveling around the Southeast on the regular.

It’s also obvious that Back Down South became very cocktail heavy towards the end. Which again, I clearly love, but didn’t feel like I wanted this to become solely that. So, I just took an indefinite break. I refused to force content for content’s sake, and as the break went on, it was pretty evident to me that it was time to move on.

I’m really proud of the work made here and so thankful for all of the connections it brought to us both personally and professionally. I literally made life long friends thanks to this platform and was able to launch an editorial career because of it, which in the beginning felt like a pipe dream of goal. I plan to keep this website active for two reasons. One, like I said, I’m proud of it and all the folks we celebrated here, and I want that to continue to exist. And two, well…you never know. I may come back?

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Drink This – Piper & Leaf

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When the weather gets crisp, I crave tea. Here in Houston, the cooler weather is coming and going every few days, and when it dips below 60 I officially declare it Hot Toddy weather. Last year I shared my Go To Hot Toddy. It’s still my ultimate favorite, but it’s a lot of work. When Alabama based Piper & Leaf reached out about partnering up for a post, the first thing that came to my mind was if I could use their tea to whip up a hot cocktail much quicker. Every one of their loose leaf artisan teas sounded delicious, and I chose a handful that I thought may pair well with liquor for a super fast and tasty Toddy. Get a look behind the company with founder and owner Caleb Christopher, photographed by White Rabbit Studios. And of course, don’t miss the two incredibly easy recipes for winter sippin’ to warm your bones. 

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A bit about yourself:
I always loved starting business even as a kid, and I did everything from lawn-care to web-design before Piper and Leaf. I was born and raised in Huntsville, AL and still live here with my wife who is also a co-founder of Piper and Leaf. We have 4 small children and one more expected any day. When we get the chance we enjoy hiking, camping, traveling, and cooking as a family. 

Tell everyone about how Piper & Leaf got started:
We got started as a collaboration between my wife, some of her siblings, and myself. We started by selling compost and compost tea at a farmers market in Huntsville, Alabama with our teas as a side product to hopefully attract attention to the booth. It did attract attention, so much so that we ended up ditching the compost and moving our focus to tea. We quickly expanded to several farmers markets in the area, and then opened up our first shop less than a year after our first farmers market. 

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What sets your tea apart:
Our unique process, which starts with farmers in our area. We source delicious fruits and herbs at the peak of ripeness and pair their flavors with various premium teas from around the globe. This results in a fantastic combination of flavors that you just can’t beat. 

Current favorite flavor offering:
Summertime Chai is my all time favorite blend. To me, it is the perfect compilation of natural sweetness and spice. Refreshing in the summer and soothing in the winter. 

With Christmas quickly approaching, what would you recommend to compliment seasonal eatings:
Mistletoe Grove is the perfect addition to any holiday meal. Hot, cold, or used as a mulling spice to create the ultimate cider.

In an 8 oz mug, steep 1 tsp of tea for 7 minutes in tea ball with boiling water.
Add rum and honey to taste, stir, sip.

The fruity flavors of strawberry paired with lemongrass make this black tea pair perfectly with rum. It has an element of a hot tiki drink to it!

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In an 8 oz mug, steep 1 tsp of tea for 7 minutes in tea ball with boiling water.
Add brandy, stir, sip.

This tea is a combination of honeysuckle blossoms, echinacea, oranges, jasmine, lemon verbena, lemongrass, and mint. There is a small amount of black tea in this otherwise herbal brew, contributing to its unique body and slightly caffeinating it.

Chef Woody – Table & Main

chefwoody01Photographed in Roswell, GA

Raised in:
I trace my roots to Louisville. That is where most of my cooking style comes from. Most of my family is from some part of Kentucky. I was raised in Upstate New York in Syracuse most of my life.

Lives in:
Roswell, Georgia. My wife and I love the small town feel but able to make it to the city whenever we want. 

Favorite dish on the current Table & Main menu:
When people ask me what my favorite dishes are on the menu its hard for me to give an answer. In some way shape or form they are all my babies and have some kind of story behind them in my life. The one that is closest to my heart are my pinto beans. It was something my grandmother always made for me when I went to their house. It is my comfort food with fresh green onions and crumbled cornbread. 

What would your three course, final dream meal be:
My dream three course meal would start with a fresh pasta made cacio e pepe with white truffles, then a second course of a large tomahawk ribeye reverse seared in a cast iron skillet with foie butter over Liz Porter’s big fat grits with a heavy oatmeal stout. I’d probably finish it off with a good cheese course and an old port. 

Favorite spot in Roswell (besides Table & Main, of course):
Osteria Mattone for their fresh pasta and Foundation Social Eatery for Chef Mel’s California take on Georgia food. 

Now would ya look at that:
Table & Main‘s Executive Chef, Woolery “Woody” Back.

Sock Fancy

sockfancy010Founders Stefan Lewinger and Futhum Tewolde
Atlanta, GA

This is not the first time we’ve talked about our love for socks here. Mark and are I have always been huge fans of fun socks. A few months ago we had the pleasure of swinging by Sock Fancy in East Atlanta to chat with founders Stefan Lewinger and Futhum Tewolde and snag a few pairs of socks to photograph and rep in Houston. We’re excited to team up for y’all to get to know a bit of their story and give their subscription a whirl. It’s a blast!

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When the idea for Sock Fancy came to y’all:
We launched Sock Fancy in 2013 as a simple solution to a growing frustration. Finding the perfect pair of comfortable, durable, and awesomely-designed socks was often too difficult, too expensive, and too inconvenient. My co-founder Futhum Tewolde and I met when we were seven. We were lifelong friends, and later became roommates when we both wound up in Atlanta around 2011. Futhum always showed off his socks around the house, but lamented the fact that he often had to settle for poorly made socks from big box stores or pay an arm and a leg for a decent pair from the small selections at specialty shops (if you could find one). With my background in e-commerce and digital marketing, handling SEO and other matters (similar to https://victoriousseo.com/verticals/magento-seo/ if you’re curious) we saw a big opportunity to team up and create something really exciting. I built the first website within a few weeks, we placed our initial sock order, and started shipping off of our Ping Pong table from our house in the Virginia Highlands. Today, we’ve grown into a 5,000 sq ft warehouse/office in Cabbagetown, shipped over 200,000 pairs of socks, and most importantly, helped fellow socks addicts in 80+ countries around the world to step up their ‘sock games.’

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Why socks:
Socks are not only a great way to keep your wardrobe fresh, but the perfect instrument to express yourself. They provide an outlet to be playful, creative, and even a little funky with your style whether you’re in the boardroom or the bedroom. For many people, wearing crazy socks can even be subtle way to rebel against the uniformity and boredom of the workplace.

Tell everyone about how the subscription works:
At it’s core, Sock Fancy is a sock subscription that delivers awesomely random socks to your doorstep for as little as $11 per month. Simply hop on to sockfancy.com, customize your subscription options, and we take care of the rest. We create hundreds of small-batch designs each year in-house to ensure that you always get something new and exciting. If you are in a gift giving mood, you can even purchase 3, 6, 9, or 12 month subscriptions in advance. We never charge for shipping and you can even swap out any pair you’re not completely in love with.

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Favorite design or partnership to date:
We design hundreds of styles each year, so it is getting really tough to pick a favorite! However, I will say that some of our favorite designs tend to come from the collaboration projects we like to do with other artists, startups, and companies big and small. We partnered with Shock Top (Anhieser-Busch) this year to design a special promotional sock for a Father’s Day box they were putting together. The socks had funky orange slices all over them. It was great working with them and we we’re always excited to partner with brands that we were big fans of. The socks turned out great and were a big hit for them as well!

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Should customers be excited for anything new coming up:
As we continue to grow, we’re always looking for new ways to get our socks out there. Earlier this year, we launched our first sock vending machine concepts in a few locations to test the waters. We got a really great response from customers and we plan to start rolling these out in new locations in time for the holidays. We’re also expanding our product offering to include knee-high (just launched) and no-show socks (Spring 2017). Socks really are loved by so many people, and the quirkier the better it seems, from sparkly rainbow socks to custom face socks, the possibilities for gifts are endless.

Most played tunes in the shop lately:
Lately, we’ve had Chance the Rapper’s Coloring Book playing on repeat. But, the hands down all-time most played song at Sock Fancy is “Throw It In The Bag” by Fabulous. We are a subscription company that does a lot of picking and packing, so this song has a special place in our hearts.

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Drink This – Crystal Head Vodka

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I’ve always loved Halloween. I was born an hour and a half before October 31st, making 1985’s Halloween the first full day of my life. I dressed up as a newborn baby, and totally killed it.

Growing up, the majority of my birthday parties were Halloween parties, and wearing costumes brings me just as much joy now as it did when I was ten.

Now that I’m a “grown up” – a fact that I often like to ignore – I’m quicker to reach for a cocktail than a piece of candy. As a lover of skull decor, Crystal Head Vodka had caught me eye on multiple occasions in bars and liquor shops. Founded in 2008 by actor Dan Aykroyd, Crystal Head is made from Canadian corn and pristine water from Newfoundland. It goes through four distillation processes and is filtered seven times, the last three though Herkimer diamonds. Long story short – it’s a really smooth vodka.

As someone who is not a huge vodka drinker, I typically only use the spirit when making a Bloody Mary. Since that’s not a great option for Halloween evening, I did a little searching around for a boozy concoction that could sipped slowly while passing out candy. Look no further than James Bond’s shaken, not stirred, Martini – the Vesper. Though it’s gin forward, the vodka is key, and like any cocktail, the quality of each ingredient is incredibly important. Crystal Head does the job this classic twist perfectly.

My adapted version (made with Lillet Rosé instead of Lillet Blanc) is named after a fellow martini loving friend, Jess Graves. We sat together Friday evening at The Mercury drinking gin martinis and she mentioned that she’s always wanted a cocktail named after her. This one’s for you, Jess.

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THE GRAVEYARD:

Shake ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled glass.
Garnish with a grapefruit twist.

 

*Thank you to Crystal Head Vodka for sending us a bottle to sample and enjoy this Halloween!

Eric Collins – Cobbler Union

ericcollinsPhotographed in Atlanta, GA

Raised in:
Marietta, Georgia

Lives in:
Decatur, Georgia

Favorite Cobbler Union design:
Definitely our Miquel whole cut oxford in mustard patina. Miquel is a classic with a twist – as it’s finished, burnished and patina added all by hand. 

Spot you most frequent in PCM:
Hop’s Chicken! The chicken sandwich, side of mac & cheese, then add the mac & cheese to the sandwich, a little hot sauce & a little gravy – it’s pretty epic. 

Now would ya look at that:
Meet Eric Collins, man in charge of retail operations and in-store experience at Cobbler Union in Ponce City Market.

Drink This – Second Self

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Before we left Georgia, we wanted to try as many local beers that we likely wouldn’t be able to get our hands on in Texas. Second Self, Georgia’s fastest growing brewery in Atlanta, was one of those. Hats off to these guys for not only making great beer but for winning the branding game. I was sold before I cracked them open!

Thanks to Co Founder Jason Santamaria for answering some questions about the brewery. Keep up the great work, guys. Georgia friends, if you haven’t yet, go grab some Second Self! 

Happy almost 2 year birthday! What’s been the most exciting thing about these first two years of Second Self:
Seeing my dream come true. My Co Founder Chris Doyle and I have been working on Second Self since 2010. There were many moments when I did not think it would happen, and now, here we are, planning our second year and looking at further expansion in our third year. It was not until this year that I was able to quit my day job at IBM and run Second Self full-time. That is both very exciting and terrifying, cutting the corporate lifeline and truly going out on my own.  

Favorite beer currently pouring:
This is always a hard question because I’m a very mood-dependent drinker. I get this question a lot, and I always have to give a similar answer: each one of these beers is like a child to me, with a lot of memories around tasting, inspiration, recipe development, and ingredient sourcing. So it is hard to pick. However, the oldest and youngest tend to get preferential treatment, so Red Hop Rye (our oldest beer) and Molé Porter (our latest seasonal release) are what I am finding myself drinking more than the others right now. The Red Hop is just so good fresh, and I’ve been waiting for Molé season since last year. 

Just have to say, you win BIG for coming up with the Maverick & Gose pun and branding. Would love to know when/how this came to whoever is responsible:
This story actually goes back a year. In 2015, we released three different gose beers in the tasting room. Because the name and beer type are unfamiliar to a lot of people, most were pronouncing it as “goose”. We decided to take that and run with it. We had a few alternative ideas, but it was when Chris said “Maverick and Gose” that I knew we’d found to the one. We are all pretty big film/pop culture nerds, so it was a natural progression when we were coming up with names. From there the art was going to be easy as well. We went to Tex Grubbs, our designer, and what is on the can was his first drawing. It was just right the first time. 

Matt Crawford – State of Grace

mattcrawfordPhotographed in Houston, TX

Raised in: 
Greenville, South Carolina

Lives in:
Houston, Texas

Favorite thing about your move to Houston:
Definitely the people!  So much authenticity and generosity in this town. The restaurant and sommelier community here is fantastic and just like Atlanta everyone is really supportive and happy to see each other succeed! Also, the humidity is great for my skin I’m told!

Go-to cocktail order at State of Grace:  
The two on our specialty cocktail menu right now that are my favorites are the Southside, Antique and the La Parilla. The Antique is our play on a classic Southside cocktail with local Texas Waterloo barrel aged gin with citrus, fresh mint, and grapefruit bitters. The Parilla is our spin on a smoky margarita with Reposado Tequila that has been infused with blistered Serrano chiles, grilled lime juice, smoked salt rim, and a Mezcal float. 

From start to finish, what’s your take on the perfect dinner from the current menu:
The twice fried Korean style hot chicken has to be on the table along with the Gulf crab hushpuppies (they’re like dessert!) along with Chef Bobby’s hearth roasted Spanish octopus with Thai curry vinaigrette that is hands down the most tender octopus I have had. Of course we would need something to bring all of that into balance and I would pair that with our Schloss Gobelsburg, “Gobelsburger” dry Riesling from the Kamptal in Austria that we offer by the glass. Moving into an absolutely necessary mid-course of our new to the menu Caramelle pasta and the Lasagnette di Crespelle. The Caramelle is house made pasta with a confit duck filling on a bed of kimchi folded in with butter, daikon radish, and crispy garlic, while the Lasagnette is essentially a mushroom lasagna with house made crepes used instead of pasta ribbons. Would need to have our Solena Estate “Grand Cuvee” Pinot Noir from Willamette Valley, Oregon to pair with that. For entrees you have to go with the Sticky, Smoky Beef Rib! It is Jurassic in size and has the flavor to match. It literally falls off of the bone and comes with pickled watermelon rind, an herb salad and house made Malaysian Roti bread to deliver all of that deliciousness! I would have to see how our by the glass, 1998 Saint Emilion Grand Cru Bordeaux(Chateau Queyron Pin du Fleurs), paired with that! For dessert I have to go with the Sticky Toffee Pudding!  

Now would ya look at that:
Meet Matt Crawford, General Manager of Ford Fry’s State of Grace. We don’t even live in Houston yet and have eaten here twice in it’s year of business. Chef Bobby Matos’ heavy Gulf Coast menu grounded in Texan roots celebrates it’s anniversary on October 23rd and we’ll be there! 

Corey Phillips – Bellina Alimentari

fullres_coreyphillips01Photographed in Atlanta, GA

Raised in:
Suburbiaville, Georgia

Lives in:
Resident ATLien, Inman Park

How you landed at Bellina-Alimentari:
I guess it was an alignment of the cosmos that brought me here. I had just left One Eared Stag, which holds a very special place in my heart, in search of a new adventure. One of my great friends and regulars, Sue Collins (editor at BuckHaven Mag) reached out to me to see if I was interested in a new concept that would be opening later in the year at Ponce City Market. I had been very interested in the development over the years and when I met with our owner Tal, I knew this was going to be something special and I had to be involved.

Favorite cocktail on the menu:
Hands down the Pagliaccio, which translates to Rodeo Clown. I used to watch this classic film, “My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys,” starring Ben Johnson, Scott Glenn and Gary Busey with my Nanny Granny Shirley. One of my first childhood dreams was to be a cowboy or rodeo clown. Not to say the dream is no longer a possibility, but this cocktail will be my representation for now. Each ingredient plays its own role and really adds an intriguing depth of flavor as the great characters do for this film. It’s boozy but still a light, low alcohol aperitif cocktail that’s great for those patio evenings moving into the fall season. The 2006 Radikon Oslavje has a considerable amount of tannin, given the long maceration that the grapes see, and lends a beautiful coppery color. It also provides a needed silkiness to round out the slighty bittersweet Gran Classico. The Carlo Alberto Riserva Vermut Bianco adds a bright, light feel to the drink that won’t give you any hesitation about having another.

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Pagliaccio Recipe:
1 oz Radikon Oslavje 2006
1 oz Gran Classico Bitter
1 oz Carlo Alberto Riserva Vermut Bianco
Expressed lemon garnish

I stir this cocktail and then strain over some fresh cubes. This works great without ice as well but I prefer it over rocks.

Guilty Pleasure Drink:
Ice cold Budweiser

Spot you most frequent in PCM:
I had to ban myself from El Super Pan because it became a daily ritual. Cubans, red beans and rice and Orange Fanta (aka heaven in a glass bottle). And those little piggy cookies get me every time. The pastelillito’s are like if God made hot pockets. Spiller Park hits the spot, too.

Now would ya look at that:
Meet Corey Phillips, Bar Manager of Bellina-Alimentari in Ponce City Market. 

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