Austin American-Statesman from Austin, Texas • 103

if Saturday; October -Austin American-Statesman It Dining 1)1 ii IHUM. 1 til L. it fvk 11 is 1 By Linda Anthony Special to the American-Statesman FV ining at the Magic Time I Machine requires three I I I tmnSs its patrons: pa-I 1 tience, a love of kitsch and a sense of humor especially the ability to laugh at yourself. Bizarre isn't too strong a word to describe the shenanigans at this eatery hugging the banks of Town Lake. Right off the bat you know you're in for something out of the ordinary when Tarzan greets you at the door, Wonder Woman escorts you to your table and Tinkerbell flits by bearing a tray of food.

Apparently the Magic Time Machine's formula for frolicking fun plays well; the place has been packing them in (standing room only on weekends for a restaurant with a seating capacity of 350) since it opened in 1973. And it's a godsend for parents who want a night out but must take along kids who need to be constantly entertained. The costumed staff aims to please and they do so with zest and zaniness. So don't be surprised or put off (it happens to everyone) if your seemingly discreet inquiry into the whereabouts of the rest-room is greeted with a giggle and a shriek of glee as your waiter announces to everyone within earshot that you have a weak bladder and are in need of a "trip to the potty." You may even be unwillingly escorted there. The restaurant's layout is serpentine, with many dining nooks offering unparalleled views of Town Lake and downtown Austin's skyline.

Others are more intimate, with tables for two or four tucked into makeshift toadstools or teepees. Restaurant review Magic Time Machine Address: 600 Riverside Drive Telephone: 444-3537 Hours: p.m. seven days Credit cards: MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Diner's Club Wheelchairs: accessible Reservations: available except Friday and Saturday Ratings: food service -k-k-k'A, atmosphere stuffed mushrooms, cheese sticks and shrimp cocktail. The crab-stuffed mushrooms are a misnomer and better left unordered. Amid a tepid mass of breadcrumbs, we found an occasional flake of crab.

The mushroom caps were small, soggy and swimming in a sea of butter. Things improved with the arrival of our entrees, but only slightly. The ri-beye ($15.99) was juicy, flavorful and perfectly broiled to a rosy medium rare. But'the prime rib combination plate (served with a choice of chicken, strip steak or shrimp for $17.99) was another matter. The prime rib was a massive slab of palid, tough and dry beef, and the accompanying chicken breast had overstayed its welcome on the grill.

The restaurant definitely caters to children with its selection of desserts featuring banana splits, ice cream sundaes, cheesecake, hot fudge cake and crepes. The hot fudge cake is indeed hot, but not terribly fudgy. While the Magic Time Machine is not a place for upscale dining, it is a place to go when you're after some spirited hijinks. I I Photo by Marc Fort Batman and the Cheshire Cat set up tables children and adults who want entertainment at the Magic Time Machine, which caters to with their meal. The menu is pretty basic: steaks, prime rib, grilled chicken and seafood.

It's also fairly expensive, with entrees ranging from Children's plates are $5.99. All entrees are served with rice pilaf, vegetables and a trip to the soup and salad bar, which is uniquely displayed in a red MG convertible. Make sure to grab a handful of the crisp and buttery cheese wafers they're delicious. Appetizers include stuffed jalapenos, chicken fingers, crab-stuffed mushrooms, cream cheese- Governor designates October as Texas Wine Month The wine i ll -I K1 wOJ Bob Lowe ternational distribution, though it's an ego trip for a winemaker to be on wine lists in fine New York or Parisian restaurants. There's lots of room for expansion right at home, and that's the message in the governor's proclamation that we have wines of our own to be proud of, and when we shop for that bottle of wine for our next dinner, we might give a little more thought to selecting one with a Texas label.

Texas Department of Agriculture Commissioner Rick Perry isn't sitting with his feet perched on his desk waiting for Texas wines to expand into his vast market. Incorporated in his Make It Texas agricultural marketing program, he takes a proactive stance in promoting Texas wines along with other Texas edibles by meeting key local buyers, hotel food and beverage managers, retail store managers and similar consumer groups on a face-to-face basis. Austin's Susan Auler, owner and director of marketing and communications for Fall Creek Vineyards, joins the ef fort as one of the 14-member Make It Texas executive committee. The Texas Grape Growers' Association, now re-named The Texas Wine Grape Growers Association, has fielded the Friends of Texas Wine initiative and the Texas Wine Ambassadors, the former creating an association for laymen with an interest in Texas wines and the latter formed by membership nomination of persons associated with the industry. Both will endeavor to expand public interest in Texas wines.

Development of active interest In the Texas wine industry, starting with the governor, can't help but fuel the engine and get a more coordinated expansion program under way. The industry depends on this interest, and it's up to the industry's friends out there in the wine market you and me to give it a push. For information on Friends of Texas Wines contact the Texas Wine Grape Association at 1033 La Posada Drive, Suite 220, Austin 78752-3824, or call 454-8626. Gov. Ann Richards, on June 20, designated the month of October as Texas Wine Month.

In her official memorandum, the governor stated, "In recent years, the wine industry in our state has grown tremendously, and the quality of wines being produced today in Texas is comparable to the best wines produced in America and other countries throughout the world. "In 1975 there was only one Texas winery, and today there are over 20 in our state. Texas wine production and the economic benefits this new industry provides for our citizens are expected to experience dramatic growth in the years ahead." The governor has a right to be proud. The Texas wine industry has come a long way, but it has a long, long way to go. With 24 wineries producing more than half a million gallons per year, it is barely an emerging player on the national scene, shouldered out of second place (after California) by New York's overwhelming 23.7 million gallons and shoved out of the third spot by Washington, Oregon and Ohio.

Yet Texas is the world's target market. Texas' positive increase in consumption is the highest in the United States at a time when consumption has declined in many major markets, and Texans spend more per bottle (average $8.01) than residents of other states. Though Texans' per capita consumption is right at the nation's lowest, total consumption exceeds 20 million gallons. If we Texans drank every drop of Texas wine production which we don't it still would amount to only 2.5 percent of the gallonage we annually imbibe. The Texas wine industry doesn't have to concern itself with national and in.