Dining In Austin

Culinary Innovations Fall Feast 2011

2011-12-06T21:11:00.000-08:00

It’s hard for me to not want to share the magically unique “Supper Club” experiences that I have been fortunate to be a part of over the course of this year. Andrew Stiver’s Culinary Innovations continue to impress and raise the bar, delivering a dining experience everyone should have the luxury to enjoy. Once again, Stiver and the very talented Scott Ota created an extraordinary evening that I have no choice but to rave about.

It takes a village. Stiver has wisely aligned himself with a Master Sommelier in training, Scott Ota. Scott has received his level two pin from the Court of Master Sommeliers and is currently scheduled to represent the Driskill Hotel (where he is wine captain/sommelier) at this year’s TexSom Conference-Texas’ best Sommelier Competition. He was responsible for pairing all of the wines/ beverages that were to accompany the 4 four course decadence our group shared.

At the beginning of each course, Stiver, describes the cuisine and Ota discusses the wine selection, including why each wine pairs perfectly with the food that has been prepared, the vintage, type of grapes used, weather that year, all the way down to how many stripes were on the bee that pollinated flowers that lived in the garden that grew the grapes in that particular region --HA! Simply put, Scott’s knowledge of his craft would impress the best and the brightest.

Kim and Jordan Caufield graciously opened their beautiful home to host this special evening that many had anticipated for weeks. Prior to the main event, guests were treated to a cocktail hour complete with seasonal microbrews and local spirits. As always, the table was beautifully set: white linens, formal dining utensils, wine and water stems, and tea light candles for ambiance. Appropriately, being a “Fall Feast” themed affair, scented pine cones, dried gourds and other fall décor set the mood for the feast that was to follow. The evening’s menu sat rolled with a red ribbon at each place setting as if it contained special instructions to send your palette to wonderful worlds undiscovered. In actuality, it did.

Course one was Baked Grits with Oyster and Wild Boar Belly paired with a 2007 Chateau Picque Caillou, Pessac-Leognan. You had me at grits. But then you had me again at oyster. At this point the boar belly is nothing more than icing on the cake. Be mindful that this icing delicately melts in your mouth the only way a flawlessly prepared piece of boar belly knows how. The oysters paired perfectly with the wine. The grits danced happily with the boar. The guests at the table, hardly food critics, but avid lovers of all things amazing, smiled and moaned with contentment between the constant flows of fork-to-mouth until all plates at the table looked as if they were waiting for the food to be dispersed. Even the skittish eaters among us cleaned their plates! All was right with the world and this was just the first course.

For the second act we were presented with quail two ways, butternut squash puree, brussels sprouts and roasted fig. Our wine selection was a 2007 Remo Farina/ Ripasso . Presentation was picture worthy as seen in high end culinary publications. The first bite I chose to indulge was the fig. The words from my mouth that immediately followed were something to the effect of “Andrew, that fig just changed my life!” The earthiness of the fig and brussels frolicked beautifully with the wine. The quail was prepared to perfection as the butternut squash puree brought all flavors together and provided the necessary link for this course to be as delectable as the last. Course two could have been the pinnacle of the experience, but we were only half way through as all ecstatic guests patiently conversed in anticipation of what was to follow. Forty-five minutes into the experience and I am once again reminded of the journey that meals prepared from heart are capable of sending you on. This is why I love food.

Round Three: Axis Venison Wellington with celeriac puree, wild mushroom with a red wine demi-glaze paired beautifully with a 2009 Qupe/ Syrah (aka: Shiraz). To some at the table this course might have gone down as the finest entree to have found its way into their lives. The generous portions of venison had been seasoned to perfection and skillfully wrapped in Swiss chard and puff pastry then cut into medallions. The medallions set on top of a celeriac (in the celery family; root vegetable) puree that had been drizzled in a very bold and powerful red wine demi-glaze. To me, everything about this course was right. Being an avid meat eater this treat was undeniably the highlight of the meal. Skipping joyfully through a meadow of celeriac root with a demi-glaze morning mist, a deer met a baker whose sole purpose in life was to create beautiful melodies for all who crossed his path. Coddled by the Shiraz, every succulent bite lined up perfectly as if the final piece of our savory puzzle had been laid.

It was time for sweets to bring this collaboration full circle!

DESSERT!! Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Bourbon Caramel served with a Black Chocolate Stout from the Brooklyn Brewery. As I undeservingly sit here contemplating that best way to describe this seasonal sweet that had found its way into my existence, I find myself at a loss for words. I then realize that sometimes simplicity tends to be overlooked in these moments. Again, Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Bourbon Caramel!! Do I really need to go much further? Errorless execution, simple presentation as some dining whispered explicative’s of ecstasy. Delicious! I might have found myself in the kitchen after the meal eating the edges from the pan that once housed the bread pudding exerts, maybe ;-P

To me, food is something much more than a process we must go through out of necessity. Food is
a creative passion where the possibilities are endless. There is no right or wrong when it comes to preparing a dish. Much like music, if it flows well, and creates happiness, then it is to be cherished. Any evening that consists of a handful of some of my closest friends and new faces sharing in barrage of enhanced senses and new experiences is pure bliss in my books. This meal was $60 per person and an evening that all who attended are eager to replicate as soon as possible. Align yourself with adventurous, creative minds, eccentric personalities and those committed to excellence and there will never be a dull moment in your life.

If you are ever looking for a perfect way to share in a special occasion, or just want to celebrate life with loved ones, reach out, pick up the phone and contact Andrew Stiver with Culinary Innovations to better understand how you don’t even have to leave the house to experience a memorable gastronomic adventure.

Nick

To contact Andrew @ Culinary Innovations call 817.774.8468 or visit http://www.culinaryinnova.com/

Manny's Uptown Kitchen

2011-08-23T20:26:00.000-07:00

9503 Research Boulevard
Austin, TX 78759-5817
(512) 794-0088

http://www.mannysuptownkitchen.com/

I was recently invited to taste the menu at Manny's Uptown Kitchen in North Austin. Some of you may remember it as the New York deli Manny Hatten's. Kind of kitchy, right? Well Manny's has been on a quest over the last 2 years to rebrand themselves. They've turned their deli counter into a wine bar.

Made the dining room less deli lunch and more upscale dinner.

And have totally redone their menu. They've kept the same old deli fresh sandwiches you've known and loved, but they've now added some interesting appetizer and dinner options. Which is what I was there to sample. I had been to Manny's a few months before for the Rueben Challenge they hosted (but thats a post for another day). And I had been a few times on my own when I came down with a craving for a fresh deli sandwich and I happened to be north (since most of you know I've been a southie for several years now). I had no idea, though, that they have been trying desperately to expand their menu (and clientelle) to include dinner.

We started out with a round of appetizers. First up were the Latkes. Now, Latkes, as most of you know, are shredded potatoes that are deep fried until crunchy and golden delicious. Some Latkes, however, can come out soggy and sodden in grease. But not these fresh Latkes, they were crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Manny's has even taken an innovative southern twist on their Latkes.On the normal menu, you can order Loaded Latkes, with bacon, sour cream, cheese & green onion, or Chili con Queso Latkes. They also served us a Mexican style Latke with guacamole and queso fresco. It was so fresh and delicious.

Up next, are one of my favorite new additions to the menu, the Pastrami Rueben eggrolls. Whats there not to like about pastrami, russian sauce and cabbage deep fried in an egg roll wrapper. Its a really interesting twist on two beloved New York dishes.

I went on this delicious dinner with Teddy of Fun with Your Food who is a Vegan/Vegetarian blogger. The next appetizer was her favorite new addition to the menu, Butternut Squash pierogies. They were incredibly delicious. A light pan fried crunch on the outside, and a soft tender butternut squash filling on the inside. Over the top was a light drizzle of thick balsamic vinegar and a light sprinkle of parmesan cheese.

Next we moved onto the entrees. The first offering was their Newcastle Pub Fish and Chips. Three large planks of perfectly golden fried cod with a house made tarter sauce. There was a curious glass of brown ale. We weren't quite sure if we should dip our fish in it or drink it. In the end, we did both. The beer helped cut the oil from the fish and the tarter sauce. It turned out to be a nice addition.

But what, do you ask, is the best new addition to Manny's dinner menu? The fresh, house-made pasta. Yes, folks, you read that right. They make their own pasta in house. And it is DELICIOUS. Probably the best pasta dish I've had in Austin. Seriously. We opted for the Chicken Marsala. The noodles were perfectly imperfect, coming in various shapes and sizes. the sauce, was a creamy, garlic alfredo with large chucks of perfectly sauteed mushrooms.

Throughout the meal, I was impressed by the freshness and quality of all the dishes. Each dish a small detail that was interesting and thoughtful. The guacamole on the latkes, the beer with the fish, the russian sauce in the egg roll. It's just different enough to keep even a hard core interested, but just pedestrian enough to make your grandma happy. Its a restaurant the whole family can enjoy.

Mariah ~ 8.5

iPic Theaters

2011-08-11T14:03:00.000-07:00

3225 Amy Donovan Plaza
Austin, TX 78758
512-568-3400

http://www.ipictheaters.com/

Do you like movies? Do you have a lot of money? Well you've probably been to Gold Class Cinemas at the Domain by now. It is the pinnacle of First World comfort and excess. Now you can not only watch a great movie, but you can do it in comfort and style with attendants to cater to your every whim. Seriously.
If you've never been to the Gold Class, then you have no idea how classy the movie going experience could be. First, you order your movie tickets online. But you don't just buy tickets to the movie, you buy a ticket to the actual seat you'll be sitting in.

The facility itself is not just a theater, its also bar and lounge. The atmosphere of the existing lounge area feels plush and luxurious, and well classy. Large drum lights add a soft, romantic glow, and custom sculptures dot the entire theater giving it an artistic panache.

You can grab a drink at the posh looking bar, and purchase a few last minute snacks from their grab and go counter (like a delicious looking cheese plate or some yummy high end candy).

You could have a drink made from the fresh ingredients displayed on the bar.

And then an attendant finds you at the bar and leads you through the beautiful stainless doors to the seat you had reserved.

And not just any movie seat, a large, over-stuffed, reclining seat that does all but massage your butt while you sit in it (did I mention one of the arms is hollow so so you can put your purse in it? Genius!).

While your enjoying the movie, you have an attendant assigned to you who is only a button push away. They will happily bring you blankets, should you get cold, or a pillow, should you need to prop your head up when you recline your awesome orange seat.

You can also order food, anything from Buffalo Chicken Spring Rolls to Filet Mignon sliders. And there are drinks, lots of lots of drinks you could order to make the movie going experience really... memorable.

It all sounds nice, doesn't it? Well unfortunately the reality just doesn't match with the potential this theater could have.

What you probably don't know, is Gold Class Cinemas was recently bought by the iPic chain (note the sign change below). They own several other small, upscale theaters throughout the US. I was recently invited by the new proprietors to tour the facility and discuss their upcoming renovations (even though the theater is only a few years old). I was greeted by the theater's general manager who led me on a tour of the facility.

iPic's vision is to turn the facility into a full service bar and restaurant in addition to a theater. They are trying to create an upscale gathering space for everyone, not just the movie going audience. They plan to expand the bar and add even more custom art work and fixtures to give the space a less posh feel but to make it feel more alive and full of energy. They have even purchased several new cool high tech wine dispensing kiosks do people can sit in the lounge and get their wine from a super cool machine instead of a person. They have also hired a new chef and mixologist to create a new custom menu of high end food and drinks.

At this point, though, there haven't been many noticeable changes from the old Gold Class atmosphere. In fact, I couldn't see any. Even the menu still said Gold Class across the top. And there are some flaws in the Gold Class menu.

We started off with an order of the Chinois Chicken Salad Rolls: roasted chicken, napa cabbage, radicchio, sesame ginger dressing, wrapped in rice paper. Sounds delicious right? Well, it really wasn't. The chicken was dry and tasteless. And the sesame ginger dressing was conspicuously absent (or at least I couldn't taste it). It just wasn't that appetizing.

Well, one bad dish doesn't have to doom a restaurant. Next we tried the Chicken and Pineapple sliders. I actually really liked these, but whats not to like? The roasted chicken didn't seem so dry here with the addition of a juicy pineapple and a sweet teryaki sauce. The Boyfriend, on the other hand, didn't care for them. So I happily left the Salad Rolls to him and ate the sliders myself.

We rounded out our dinner with the Chicken Artichoke pizza: creamy artichoke tomato sauce, spinach, roasted chicken and mozzarella. The pizza was ok. Pretty standard thin crust pizza fare. The ingredients were fresh but it wasn't really anything to write home about.

The real travesty of the menu, though, comes from the drinks. We ordered two delicious sounding martinis that were delivered to us in lovely glasses with fresh fruit garnishes. The drinks, however, were so syrupy sweet they were almost undrinkable. We choked them down more for the alcohol's sake than the drink's, but when we were asked if we wanted to order another, we both vehemently declined.

We opted to see Super 8, which was a really fantastic movie. But as we snuggled down in our large comfortable seats, trying to enjoy our food, the unthinkable happened. The movie stopped. And it didn't just stop, it repeated the same 1/2 second over and over and over and over and over for about 5 minutes. I'm not sure what took so long to fix the problem, but they certainly could have stopped the annoying 1/2 second loop while they did. I will forever have the sound of that half second seared into my conscience. If I'd have actually paid for that ticket, I'd have been pissed (I know, cry me a river, right).

So would I go back to iPic? Even with the technical difficulties, the atmosphere (and that chair) were so enjoyable, I could definitely go back. I'd be really interested to see how the iPic vision comes to fruition. In the mean time, I would definitely go back to see a movie, but I will stick with the cheese plate and wine until their menu is updated.

Foodie Photo of the Day

2011-08-05T11:33:00.000-07:00

Hot Scones at Salty's

Salty's on Alki
1936 Harbor Avenue Southwest
Seattle, WA
(206) 937-1085

Backspace

2011-08-04T12:19:00.000-07:00

507 San Jacinto
Austin, TX 78701
512-474-9899

http://www.thebackspace-austin.com/

Do you ever find yourself out and about on 6th and been hungry? I've been faced with this dilemma many times. It's totally a First World Problem, but the dining options on East 6th just aren't that great (the downtown part of E 6th, not the hipster side of E 6th). You could have a delicious meal at Parkside, but you'll spend $60pp for the privilege. You could have a burger at Casino El Camino, but what if your on a nice date, a greasy burger just isn't going to cute it. You could have trailer food, but god damn it's hot our right now and I want to surrounded by the loving embrace of AC, not sweaty man arms. So where can you go?

Recently, a nice, mid-priced dining option opened at 6th and San Jacinto that's a decent compromise between price, quality, and atmosphere. Backspace features in rustic Italian fare, specializing in wood fired pizzas. They don't offer any entrees, but they have a decent selection of Italian antipastis and pizzas. The space is small, no more than a half dozen or so tables and a large bar, but I've never had to wait very long for a seat.

The last time I went, we started out with an appetizer of prosciutto wrapped mozzarella and balsamic. The dish also had a strawberry puree which added a nice dimension. It was a little hard to share, requiring us to claim a piece and cut it. And while it tasted nice and authentic, there was nothing that really set it over the top.

For our main, we decided to split a pizza. Backspace has a small wood fire oven in one corner that emits a most delectable smell. I don't remember exactly what pizza we ordered but obviously it had prosciutto. Backspace specifically hand assembles their pizza's, which gives them an charmingly uneven quality. The crust may be extra crispy on one size, and there may only be cheese on 3/4 of the pizza, but with the quality ingredients they use, you never seem to mind. It ends up being the anti-Domnios.

It's not the best pizza I've ever had, not even the best I've had in Austin, but its a decent, high quality pie.

You've got an established career now, remember, you deserve a better dinner than late night 6th Street pizza. Go on, you've earned it.

Mariah ~ 7

Foodie Photo of the Day

2011-08-02T07:58:00.000-07:00

Chocolate Cupcakes!

Cupcake Royale
2052 Northwest Market Street
Seattle, WA
(206) 782-9557

Foodie Photo of the Day

2011-08-01T13:40:00.000-07:00

A bag of hot donuts at Salty's

Salty's on Alki
1936 Harbor Avenue Southwest
Seattle, WA
(206) 937-1085

Dining in Puerto Rico

2011-07-25T07:56:00.000-07:00

As most of you well know, I love to travel. I try to get away as often as possible. And now that I'm getting older, my vacation locales are getting ever more exotic. Well, exotic for a kid from the south anyway. Last year, I found myself on a long weekend trip with my friend Connie to Puerto Rico.

We stayed at a very nice resort and spent one whole day lounging about the beach. But by the end of the day, we realized we were getting bored. So being adventurous girls, we decided to brave the hazardous local driving conditions and rent a car. Thankfully, Connie, having grown up in Mexico, was very adept at maneuvering the tricky Puerto Rican locals on their less than stellar roads.

Luquillo Kiosks
Interstate PR-3, just west of Luquillo, Puerto Rico

We befriended our cleaning lady (who brought us unopened bottles of beer champagne, God bless her), told us we absolutely had to go to Los Kioskos for lunch. Los what? We spent a good 10 minutes on the drive over asking ourselves what a kiosko was. Until we saw it.

These are Los Kioskos. The Kiosks. Duh. Little strip mall store fronts entirely dedicated to food. I was in heaven! And this is only a quarter the strip mall. There are literally 30+ little restaurants in this place. Also note the teal Monster Truck. Only in Puerto Rico..

We soon realized that every Kiosko offered some variation of the same. Deep fried Latin goodness. Like Empanadas (Puerto Rican style)

Or Mofongo, a traditional Puerto Rican dish of smashed plantains and garlic, formed into a bowl, deep fried, and topped with shrimp.

We even stopped for a DELICIOUS Batida de Fruta, sort of like a creamy fruit smoothie. It came fully decorated with 3 different kinds of sauce drizzled over the top, 2 different kinds of fresh fruit and a big pink umbrella.

Los Kioskos are actually on the way to El Yunque, the only US tropical rainforest National Forest (apparently there are National Parks and National Forests). There is only one road in and out of El Yunque. The road climbs quickly in elevation from sea level up into the mountains in the middle of Puerto Rico. As you ascend, the temperature drops, and it starts to rain (it IS a rainforest). There are vines, waterfalls, chirping animals and everything else to make you feel like you're in the tropics.

One of the few eating establishments in El Yunque is El Bosque Encantado. If you make it to El Yunque, you should make sure you stop. They have the most amazing deep fried corn cakes, called sorullos, and fresh coconut milk. There even keep a pile of fresh green coconuts and mean looking machete just for your sipping pleasure.

Later that evening, we decided to venture out to the east side of the island to check out one of the natural wonders of the world, a bioluminescent lake. There are only a half dozen or so in the world and Puerto Rico happens to have two. To get to them, you have to kayak from the ocean, through a channel of mangrove trees into the lake. You have to snake your way through the channel in the pitch black with only a glow stick on the boat in front of you to guide your way. But when you emerge into the lake, it a glorious site. Every time your oar touches the water, the movement jostles tiny micro-organisms who emit a glowing compound to protect themselves. As you paddle through the lake, your boat leaves a ghostly glowing trail that is unlike anything I've ever seen before.

When we get back on land, we were Hungry (with a capital H). But unfortunately, we finished too late to catch dinner at any of the traditional dinner spots around Las Croabas. We asked some of the locals and we were directed to a trailer down the road. It looked a little suspect from the road, but we were famished, and it did seem pretty popular. I am SO glad we stopped. Connie and I still talk about this place. It is legendary to us.

Behold! The best restaurant in Puerto Rico, hands down (on PR-987 on the way to Las Croabas and the bioluminescent lake, sorry, those are the best directions I can give you, its Puerto Rico, nothing has an actual address there)

And what made it so wonderful? These:

Shrimp Arepas. They were fresh shrimp, onions, green onions and parsley in a thin but creamy tomato-vinegar sauce. They are seriously one of THE best things I have EVER put in my mouth. I still dream about them. In fact, they are the one recipe I have endeavored to re-create at home with smashing success (recipe to follow in a future blog, sorry!)

So if you come to Puerto Rico, stay off the beaten path and you'll find some real gems.

Foodie Photo of the Day

2011-07-19T07:25:00.000-07:00

Seafood Paella at Salty's

Salty's on Alki
1936 Harbor Avenue Southwest
Seattle, WA
(206) 937-1085

El Arbol Photo Tour

2011-07-18T15:13:00.000-07:00

El Arbol
3411 Glenview Avenue
Austin, TX 78703-1448
(512) 323-5177

http://www.elarbolrestaurant.com/

Picada - Cured meat, assorted cheeses and house olive mix

Provoleta - Oak wood grilled provolone with oregano and smoked paprika. Served with crostini

Empanada Espinaca - Spinach, onion, mozzarella and parmesan

Pastel de Choclo - Traditional spicy Chilean dish of sirloin, hard-cooked egg and raisins, topped with a corn purée and baked

Dining in Seattle

2011-07-15T08:48:00.000-07:00

I had a friend, that up until recently, lived in Seattle. I would go up once or twice a year to escape the heat and pretend to be one of the granola eating, Chaco wearing hippies of the great northwest. Whenever I go, I make sure to do 3 things 1) eat as much seafood as I can stomach 2) drink as much wine as possible 3) eat a giant brunch on Sunday.

14 Carrot Cafe
2305 Eastlake Avenue East
Seattle, WA 98102-3305
(206) 324-1442

Our first stop on Saturday morning is usually always to a delicious place for breakfast so I can begin to satisfy Seattle Food Rule #1, eat as much seafood as possible. It changes every time I go, but my friend Kasie always knows how to pick out a good place for breakfast. She believes eating eggs and seafood for breakfast is the best way to start off your day. And you know, I'm beginning to think she's right. Just check out the delicious Seafood Benedict I had:

Creamy hollandaise, big lumps of salmon, crab and shrimp all on a perfectly toasted english muffin. Perfection. 14 Carrot cafe also happens to have another treat particular to the Pacific Northwest, freezer jam. I had never encountered freezer jam until I started visiting Kasie in Seattle. Basically, freezer jam is jam that's not cooked, its frozen to kill any germs that might infect an improperly prepared jar of jam. When you want to eat it, you just thaw and enjoy. Now, it won't last very long, not longer than few weeks, since its made from fresh fruit, but good luck if you can get a jar to last that long in your house. They last about 2 days in my house.

Just north of Seattle proper, is a small town called Woodinville. For whatever reason, it has become the wine tasting capital of Washington. In a two square mile radius, you can taste wine from about 50 different vineyards from all over Washington State. All the little small volume mom and pop wineries rent spaces in several industrial strip malls all over Woodinville for your tasting convenience. Hence satisfying Seattle Food Rule #2, drink as much wine as possible.

There are several wine-o strip malls, but there is one in particular that I always head to. It's on 144th Ave NE. It doesn't even have a name, its just a strip mall, but there are literally 20 delicious wineries in one convenient strip mall. Just make sure you come with a designated driver. Trust me.

Salty's on Alki
1936 Harbor Avenue Southwest
Seattle, WA
(206) 937-1085

Sundays are generally travel days when I take weekend trips, but I always make sure to catch an afternoon flight so I can have brunch in Seattle. We always go to Salty's on Alki (don't go to the other Salty's, just the one on Alki). It's expensive, at $45 per person, but it's well worth it. First, you get to enjoy THE best view of Seattle from across the sound.

Second, you get to pig out on over 30 delectable dishes. This is half the buffet.. Really.

Did I mention they have THE best smoked salmon on the planet (check out the block of artisan cream cheese).

And if you thought the last seafood benedict looked good, check out this one:

Did I mention there's a French Toast Station (along with the waffle, omelet, pancake, and meat carving stations)

Probably the single best part of the brunch at Salty's is the Dessert Bar. The dessert bar was so big I couldn't get it all in one shot. This is HALF the dessert bar. ZOMG, death by sugar. But it would be a sweet death. Do you see now why Seattle Food Rule #3 is eat a giant brunch??

And finally when I'm all full and happy with a (checked) suitcase full of wine, I head home with fond memories of cool afternoons and nippy evenings; of salmon and cupcakes; and little jars full of freezer jam.

Foodie Photo of the Day

2011-07-14T18:10:00.000-07:00

Cupcake Royale

2052 Northwest Market Street

Seattle, WA

(206) 782-9557

Foodie Photo of the Day

2011-07-13T08:23:00.000-07:00

Yummy guisada tacos at El Papalote.

El Papalote
2803 S Lamar Blvd
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 804-2474

Fadó Irish Pub

2011-07-12T09:31:00.000-07:00

214 West 4th St
(512) 457-0172

http://www.fadoirishpub.com/austin/

The first time I went to Fadó's, it was back when I was in college (cough) 10 years ago. My mom, who loved her Irish heritage, would love to go sit on the patio and drink Irish Coffees. Back then, they had an Irish band that would play a few nights a week. So while you had your whiskey coffee, you could hear lightly wafting Irish music, and really feel like you'd been transported to Ireland. In the last 5 years, though, I feel like Fadó's has somewhat settled for a different crowd. Gone is the Irish music, the quint feel of an Irish pub, and the over educated 50-somethings discussing politics over a pint of Guinness. Instead its now filled with rock bands and booze guzzling 20-somethings trying to hook up with one another. I think Fadó's even stopped serving food for a while back in the mid-aughts.

I've been hearing recently, how they've been trying to shed their binge drinking image and embrace their Irish heritage again. So when I was invited to attend an Irish trivia night there, I thought, why not. I'll drink some beer and maybe find someone to hook up with.

I originally had the intention of drinking my dinner by way of 4 or 5 pints of Guinness, but my friends were quick to point out that Fadó's actually has some decent bar food now. And it's even Irish inspired. Who knew?

During our first round of trivia, we nibbled on Cheese Dip and boxty wedges. For those of you not familiar with Irish cuisine (I'm assuming most of you), boxty is a traditional Irish bread. A sort of cross between a potato pancake and potato bread depending on who's making it. The boxty wedges here, at Fado's, were like thin, crisp, deep-fried potato pancakes. The cheese dip is, I'm guessing, an Irish take on queso. It was a thick, peppered cheddar more resembling a fondue than queso. It was pretty delicious, though, as far as bar foods go. When we were finished with one, we ordered a second.

During the second round of trivia, we moved onto the Smoked Salmon bites. These seemed pretty pedestrian, at first, but the substitution of boxty instead of bread for the crustini made for a nice change of pace.

Turning sandwiches into egg rolls seems to be a popular bar food trend right now (go to Manny's for the Reuben Egg Rolls if you haven't yet, YUM). These corned beef rolls were drizzled with a creamy mustard and topped with a crisp cabbage slaw. It was pretty tasty (if not a little greasy), but really, when isn't deep fried meat delicious?

Finally, we tried the Chicken Boxty Quesadillas. Chicken and cheese between two crisp sheets of the potato boxty. It was basically a potato pancake with cheese and chicken. When they first came out, they were crisp, but like any fried potato product, the potatoes got limp over time. The oil just became a little too overwhelming.

There you have it, Irish inspired bar food. All in all it was pretty tasty. They also have a 3 items for $10 happy hour (plus a beer), so I will definitely be coming back again. And be sure to try their Irish Coffee. Its still the same no matter if your drinking with your 60 year old mom or a 21 year old co-ed.

Mariah ~7

Foodie Photo of the Day

2011-06-14T13:50:00.000-07:00

Chocolate grasshopper cupcakes at Salty's on Alki in Seattle

Salty's on Alki
1936 Harbor Avenue Southwest
Seattle, WA
(206) 937-1085

Dining in NYC - Day 2

2011-06-10T08:54:00.000-07:00

So I am going through my backlog of old blogs I never got around to finishing and realize I never posted the blogs I wrote on some of my fabulous vacations last year! Whoops. I guess I was so busy vacationing that I forgot to post! Some of you may remember an older post Dining in New York - Day 1, which detailed some of the culinary adventures my friend Sarah and I had on our last girls trip New York. Well we did so much and ate so much delicious food, that I had intended to break the post up (hence the Day 1). Well here is the second half.. Day 2!

Ess-A Bagel
831 3rd Avenue, New York
(212) 980-1010

On Day 1 in NYC, we stuffed ourselves with an everything bagel with Nova from H and H bagel. On Day 2 of our NYC bagel challenge, we decided to try the #2 bagelry in NYC, Ess-A. The nova from H and H was so fresh and delicious and while the bagel was doughy, I felt like they had cheated me a little by not including as much of "everything" on my everything bagel as I would h ave liked. The everything bagel at Ess-A was much more up to par. Thick and bready, the toasted crust on the outside gave a satisfying crunch. We opted for garden spread this time instead of nova. What can I say, I love a savory bagel in the morning (surprising since i had such a horrible sweet tooth). I have to say, when I compared H and H to Ess-a, it was a draw. H and H's bagel was so doughy and delicious, but I like the crust on the Ess-a bagel better.

As an FYI, did you know you can get H and H bagels from Manny's Uptown Kitchen? They fly them in every day.

Ippudo
65 4th Avenue
New York, NY 10003-5220
(212) 388-0088

After our delicious bagel breakfast, we met up with some of Sarah's friends who now live in NYC for a quick tour of the Modern Art Museum. They happened to have an.. interesting... human art exhibit feature naked people doing odd tasks. Like riding bikes and running into walls. Leave it to the New Yorkers to be so bored with normal art they invent crazy new art.

After lunch, Sarah's friend insisted we go to lunch at Ippudo, a Japanese ramen house down by NYU. There was a horribly long line, but the friend was adamant that we had to try this while we were there. I am SO glad we stayed. The ramen soup I ate at that place was so wonderful and delicious that it will forever be the best bowl of soup I have ever had, from now until the end of my days. It was THAT good.

Now for those of you who may not know, ramen is a cuisine and an art form in Japan. Its not just the crappy packs of noodles and packets of dried spice that we all lived off of in college. In Japan it is treated as a revered cuisine that people spend years learning to master (you can get a good idea of it in the movie Ramen Girl with Britney Murphy - don't laugh, its a good movie). I haven't come across a ramen-ya, a restaurant specializing in ramen, in Texas yet. A shame really.

But at Ippudo, the Ramen is really the star of the show. I ordered the Akamaru Modern ramen soup with miso paste, garlic oil, pork chashu, bean sprouts, kikurage and scallions. The soup that came to me, was nothing less than perfection. The broth was perfect and velvety, a complete emulsification of fat and liquid. The pork chashu was a delicate, fall-apart soft pork belly that blended perfectly with the broth. The oils and miso added a delightful thickness to the broth. This isn't a soup. It's a meal!

Crumbs Bakery
37 East 8th Street, New York
(212) 673-1500

After our delictable soup lunch, we continued our quest for the perfect NYC cupcake and stopped at Crumbs. We had been seeing their ads everywhere so when we happened to walk past one, we decided to pick ourselves up a cupcake sampler. They let us pick 4 of any of their 20 or so flavor varieties. They were all so beautiful that we didn't quite know which to pick. We opted for chocolate cupcake with cream filling, margarita cupcake, vanilla with M and Ms, vanilla with chocolate frosting. We stole them back to our hotel room (and we had to fight off several people on the subway who were eyeing them in a predatory way) and dug in. Ugh, we were so disappointed. Despite how lovely they looked, they were just gross. The cake was dry and unappetizing and the the cupcakes as a whole were so over-sweet, that we literally took 2 bites of each and then threw out the rest.

Momofuku Ssam Bar
207 2nd Avenue
New York, NY 10003
(212) 254-3500

After our horribly unsatisfying cupcake debacle, we decided to head out for dinner. I've been hearing for years about how great the Momofuku restaurants in NYC are, so I couldn't take a try there now not try one. After looking over the menus, we opted for the Ssam Bar, which also happens to be one of the 50 best restaurants in the world (I'm not sure by what authority, but its still nice to say I've been to at least one restaurant on that list).

We started out with the cured hamachi with edamame, horseradish, and pea leaves. The hamachi was tender and paired nicely with the accompanying spring-y pea puree. The pea leaves added a nice delicate flavor (and also visual interest light green and dark green are so nice together).

Next, we ordered the Hawthorn Valley Buttermilk Soup with fuji apple dashi, market herbs and pine nuts. I ordered it specifically because it looked pretty and sounded interesting. The thick congealed buttermilk dollops (I don't know a better way to describe it) paired well with the savory broth. And the flowers added a bitterness that couperbalanced the soft fuji apple pieces. The texture, though, did leave a bit to be desired, Sarah didn't like it, but I happily took one for the team and finished it off.

Probably the best dish we had were the Steamed Buns with Pork Belly, hoisin, cucumbers, scallions. I love m some pork buns, and these were delicious. More of an asian pork bun taco than a traditional bun. But boy were they delicious. We liked them so much we ordered a second plate.

All in all, Momofuku Ssam was a great experience. It was alive and humming with New York's trendiest. However, after teating there, I have to say that Austin's own Uchi and Uchiko are every bit as delicious and innovative as Momofuku. They could really be one in the same restaurant.
Alice's Tea Cup
220 East 81st Street, New York
(212) 734-4832

The next morning, we met up with Sarah's friends again for a lovely breakfast at Alice's Tea Cup. It's a cute little breakfast and lunch restaurant that really caters to little girls. Every little girl gets a pair of sparkly fair wings to wear while she eats there (where are the adult fairy wings, I ask). The inside is covered in pastel murals of Alice in Wonderland. The food is served on antique, mismatched china and every tea pot has a cozy.

I had Alice's Curious French Toast, french toast bites infused with apricot brandy tea with fruit coulis and vanilla creme anglaise. It was an interesting french toast. It was baked bread pudding style. It was very sweet and wonderfully warm, the perfect complement to a hot cup of tea. We also ordered a plate of scones for the table. The scones at Alice's Tea Cup are amazing. Well worth a stop if your in the NYC area.

After we had breakfast Sarah and I headed to JFK airport. This should have been a simple $40 cab fare, but it turned into the trip from hell. While we were eating breakfast Sarah's friend mentioned there was a subway only 2 blocks away that went straight to JFK for only $5. So we though, hell why not, we've got plenty of time, lets save a little money. So we drag our luggage down road 2 blocks, but don't see a subway, so we keep walking, maybe its really 3 blocks.

While we're walking, this crazed tweeker starting following us a half block behind us. We got a little nervous so we ducked into a 7-11 and got a bottle of water. When we emerged, the tweeker had passed, so we continued on. Before I know it, the tweeker spins around, runs towards us and hawks a giant lugie and spits on me. It was probably the single most disgusting thing that's ever happened to me. We hurry up and run past all while concerned New Yorkers turned to ask if I was ok (yes, apparently, there are concerned New Yorkers still). I doused myself in hand sanitizer and we continued on our way to the subway station... Which turned out to be *10* blocks away not 2. But whatever, we were there.

We get on the appropriate train which says its going to JFK. While we're on the train, though, we start hearing unintelligible announcements. "(crackle) mrah muh mrah mah JFK mrah ma muh mra mra (crackle)." Well shit, the conductor was trying to tell us something about JFK. But what was it. All the other passengers looked confused and a few started to become outwardly agitated. Once we were in Queens, it started to become very apparent that the train wasn't going to JFK. One lady on the train started yelling and a little old Japanese man started rocking back and forth. That's when I got really nervous. A creepy looking gentleman on the train offered to go get his car and drive us to the airport. We said thanks but no, I don't want to get raped today, thank you very much.

When we get to the last stop, Sarah and I had already decided we were going to call yellow cab and have them come pick us up. But, no, our Queens adventure was just beginning. At that last stop, a very large woman with the MTA walked through the train car telling us all to get out, you didn't have to tell me twice. When we got to the street level, we discovered there were buses, lots and lots of buses and they all had JFK on their marquis. Sarah and I had a brief pow wow. We could get on the bus that says JFK or we could wait for a cab. As we looked around and the urban squalor around us, we opted to follow the stream of people getting onto the buses.

Our bus wound its way through Queens stopping randomly to let people off. I followed our progress on my iPhone and noticed we were headed in the general direction of the JFK station. The bus trip wouldn't have been so bad, but no one on that bus knew the subway was closed and everyone was all pissed off and irate. Sarah and I ended up being a bunch of scared looking white girls on a bus full of angry people from Queens. I'm ashamed to say it, but we were those girls.

After 6 or 7 stops we finally arrived at the JFK subway station which has a skytrain over to the airport. But no sooner had we gotten off the bus then we were immediately accosted by 10-15 large men. They followed us as we got off the bus, "Give me your subway ticket". "No" we said as we stared straight ahead and tried to walk the 200 feet to the skytrain. "Come on, you don't need that ticket, I got to get home, let me have it". "No!" At this point poor Sarah was almost in hysterics. But we stuck to our goal and kept walking. I will tell you, I was never so relieved in my whole life, than when we finally got on that skytrain. At the time the debacle of our trip to JFK seemed horrific, but I've finally gotten to the point where I can look back and laugh. It is kind of a good story, and I learned a valuable lesson, always take a cab to the airport.

Fabi + Rosi

2011-06-03T10:09:00.000-07:00

509 Hearn Street
Austin, TX 78703
(512) 236-0642

http://www.fabiandrosi.com/

Hello fellow foodies. Did all of you get a chance to check out someplace tasty for this last restaurant week? I did. Teddy of Fun With Your Food and I decided we needed a Restaurant Week Girl's Night this year. So we rounded up a few of our favorite ladies to check out my favorite German fusion restaurant Fabi + Rosi. Three courses for $30 and all of it delicious.

The restaurant is in an old house (where Zoot used to be back in the day) with modern furniture. There are hand blown glass bowls holding little candles, black and white paisley wallpaper, that sort of thing. It's very cute, and very romantic (very dark). So romantic, we had problems taking photos of our food, I mean, what else do food bloggers do?

I started with an appetizer of baby octopus with mirepoix, smoked paprika oil. A touch on the bland side considering it had mirepoix and smoked paprika. But the baby octopus was fresh and well prepared. I do believe Teddy licked her plate clean.

I chose the Zwiebelrostbraten, a wagyu sirloin, grilled onions, and German potatoes for my main. How could I go wrong with a name like Zwiebelrostbraten? I can't even pronounce it! Zv-eye-bel-roast-bra-ten maybe?However you pronounce it, the steak was perfect, melt-in-your-mouth delicious. And the french fried onions on top added a nice textural crunch. I wasn't as big of a fan of the potatoes, I thought they were a little over done, but two of my lady friends seemed to love them and even ate some of my leftovers.

I got the Strawberry + Rhubarb Compote with basil ice cream. First, I will say it was incredibly fresh. But after my heavy steak I was looking for a warm cooked compote to top off my meal of decadence. What I got instead was fresh strawberry and rhubarb and a cold sorbet. It was tart; very, very tart. Like mouth sucking tart. I ate it, but just wasn't as happy as I would have been with a strawberry rhubarb cobbler with a creamy ice cream or something of the like. Teddy, though, thought it was amazing. So much so, that she still talks about it. I think you have to be Vegan friendly to love it, though.

~Mariah: 8

Carillon Photo Safari

2011-06-02T11:09:00.000-07:00

The University of Texas at Austin

1900 University Ave

Austin, TX 78705

http://www.thecarillonrestaurant.com/

I was recently invited to the Carillon to preview what is now their current menu. If you've never been, you're in for a rare treat. I consider the Carillon one of the best high end restaurants in Austin. The food is delicious and innovative. Plus, they have a killer (read cheap and delicious) Happy Hour. Just remember to park in the garage and have your voucher stamped for free parking.

Nairagi Napoleon - smoked chevre with texas ruby grapefruit, cucumber, and lemon zest

Miso Marinated Mero - with wilted spinach, maitake mushrooms, and carrot-ginger reduction

Olive Oil Poached Beef Tenderloin - with potato puree, artichoke-fennel frito misto, and peppercorn sauce

Culinary Innovations Supper Club

2011-06-01T08:16:00.000-07:00

Mariah: Today I am excited to post a blog entry for one of our distinguished guest writers, Nick! He attended a delectable supper club and we are fortunate enough to get to read about it:

It’s always exciting to witness the transition of someone’s vision into a full-blown flawlessly executed delectable work of art! I would like to start out by thanking Andrew Stiver and Chris Kirby of Culinary Innovations for their impressive display of culinary expertise and their undeniable passion for quality, creativity and professionalism shown at the first, of many, underground Southern Supper last Tuesday.

Having said that, let’s paint a picture.. For those of you aren’t familiar with the concept a supper club is when a group of people who enjoy and appreciate extraordinary food get together at a pre-determined location to share in an adventurous dining experience prepared by skilled chefs. The menu is set, so you must go into the event with an open mind. Depending on the arrangement, paired libations can be included in the experience, but not a necessity. Fortunately for us, course appropriate beverages were included in our experience.

Dinner was set to start at 7:30, but guests started to arrive around 7:00. Stiver and crew had graciously set out an array of liquor and mixers to enjoy as guests were arriving and the chefs were preparing for the feast. Everyone seemed pleasantly surprised as they showed up and funneled their way into the back yard of the host (Leslie Briggs) to find a 12- top table covered with white linens, elegantly pre-set with silverware, wine glasses, and most importantly, the evenings menu. If presentation is 90% of any dining experience, it’s safe to say that the odds were definitely in our favor.

Service began promptly at 7:30. A beautiful young lady had been tasked with the evenings serving duties. Our first course of Cold Corn Soup topped with a Friend Corn Fritter was accompanied by a 2009 Macon Villages, Cave de Lundy Chardonnay. Service graciously filled all the guests wine glasses and began to dispense the soups. Visually, the soups display was stunning. Sometimes, simple creativity can be considered more complex than bold articulations. Some guests were very vocal about their level of contentment with the first course, while others shared mmmm’s of delicious delight. Without question, the chardonnay paired perfectly with the first course. Finger streaks in the bottom of the finished bowls gave strong evidence that we were off to a great start with much to look forward to.

Round Two: After clearing the first course, glasses were filled with a 2009 Yalumba Viognier Shiraz. As many of us became acclimated with this exotic blend of crushed raspberries, violets and cinnamon, others anticipated the Fried Green Tomato Salad with Fresh Ricotta Cheese and Basil Aioli. The first course set the bar high, yet again, Stiver was able to keep the self-proclaimed-adventurous, delectably engaged. The presentation of our second course was just shy of a work of art. Personally, there was a small level of reluctance into cutting & smearing together the angelic tomato, aioli, ricotta cheese offering that sat in front of me. I quickly got past this moment and savored my first bite of delicately fried tomato covered in a heavenly basil-ricotta medley of love. It was of no surprise that my preconceived expectations were everything I thought they would be. Paired with the Shiraz on the palate, it was party-time, and we were in flavor city. Two down, three to go…

If the words bold, complex, spicy, buttery, garlicy, tomato-lovin-goodness-crustacean-delight, are words that would entice you into ordering a dish, then you would have cherished the third course. Having said that, to pick a star out of a meal of this magnitude is a daunting task. But, because I would be enticed by the previously described, the third course was revered. It all started with our adorable server removing the Shriaz glasses (most of them were empty) and replacing them with stemmed Pilsner glasses filled with Abita Springs Amber. Cold beer poured into a fancy glass by a pretty girl always excites me, so we were already off to a good start. Immediately, I associated this pairing with spice; I was fine with that. I don’t know that many of us at the table knew what to expect when reading the description of the third course, but I can say that everyone was pleasantly surprised. Butter Poached Crawfish, Sauce Romesco (roasted red peppers, almonds, garlic and tomatoes), smoked sausage, red bliss potato and roasted corn. This was cioppino meets grandmas famous made-from-scratch sausage, meets Louisiana, meets Spain. Regardless, every bite was everything that it was suppose to be. Unquestionably, this course was visually stimulating and stayed on track with everything that led us to this point. I have definitely had moments in my life where my table-side etiquette was questioned. Given the fact I sucked the heads of everyone’s crawfish within arm’s reach, reprimands from Miss Manners would have been in order. The reward undoubtedly outweighed the consequences. The third course was stellar.

As if we weren’t stuffed enough, we hadn’t even got to the main course yet. There was a small, yet necessary lag, between our third and fourth offering. Dishes were cleared; glasses were filled with a ROCO, Rollin Soles 2006 Pinot Noir. Pinot traditionally pairs nicely with Cornish Game Hen, but when it’s done two ways, everything becomes twice as nice! Beautifully combined with Brussels, Escabeche and a Honey Coriander Glaze, course four truly sent this meal over the top. Honestly, I don’t think that we expected such generous portions given everything that led us to this point. At the same time, I feel as if I have mastered the art of gluttony so finding room became a non-issue. Without sounding like a broken record, each variation of bite you chose to create possessed every element you’d expect from a meal of this caliber. This was not a trial and error course for Stiver, this combination had been tested and perfected. Wowed again and we still haven’t had desert. Life does not suck!

Upon arrival at the house I had cheated a little and opened the refrigerator. What I had seen were tear drop shaped serving dished beautifully decorated with strawberries and strawberry purée. What I didn’t realize was that these strawberries gems sat on a meticulously prepared Panna Cotta (cream, milk, sugar, and gelatin). Desert was paired with a 2010 Adriano Adami Prosecco. This was that desert you see on the desert tray when you are walking into a nice restaurant, you don’t know exactly what it is, but you know you are going get it at the end of the meal; just to find out it’s their signature desert and they have been using the same recipe since the 1700’s..or something like that…you get the point. Sweet, creamy, fruitastic, splendid! The icing on the proverbial cake; and it was good icing.

This was not a cheap meal. When you make a substantial financial commitment to enjoy a nice meal, you have certain expectations, and my expectations were undoubtedly exceeded by the exorbitant attention to quality and detail. If any point is missed, be it ambiance, service or quality, it detracts from the entire experience and you feel cheated. Stiver and Kirby not only hit on all necessary points to substantiate the investment, they provided the key elements that will keep guests coming back for more: adventure. It was agreed that much of what was served throughout the evening might not have ever been ordered by some of us had we had the ability to choose. There was not one person at our table of 10 who picked at or rejected any of the evening’s offerings, even if it was outside of their general scope of liking.

To me, the real intrigue of this type of dining experiences is to step outside of your normal realm, appreciate food for the art that it is and leave the entire experience up to the professionals. Align yourself with those who have proven to deliver and have faith that you are in good hands. If you leave the experience still able to remember the beauty presented on every plate, the smells that filed the room and the bites that accompanied them, you have experienced more than a meal, you have been taken on an adventure.

I give Culinary Innovations my self-proclaimed-foodie seal of approval. It was definitely “fork-worthy” to those who have followed previous blog entries. The next time I am looking to provide an extraordinary dining experience for a small intimate group or a large party of peers, it would be foolish for me to reach out to anyone else. My only hope at this point is that an invitation will be extended to me for the next private supper. Well done gentlemen, well done!

Andrew Stiver and Culinary Innovations can be reached at 817.774.8468 or http://www.culinaryinnova.com/

Foodie Photo of the Day

2011-05-23T20:29:00.000-07:00

Lemon Curd Tarts at Salty's on Alki in Seattle

Salty's on Alki
1936 Harbor Avenue Southwest
Seattle, WA
(206) 937-1085

Cafe Blue

2011-05-19T08:56:00.000-07:00

8714 Lime Creek Road
Volente, Texas
(512) 996 - 8188

http://www.cafebluetx.com/

I feel like I've always had a restaurant conundrum here in Austin. We live next to one of the most beautiful lakes in Texas, Lake Travis. But for years, if I wanted to treat out-of-town visitors to a meal overlooking the lake, I had subject them to a crappy menu. I would feel ashamed of my city, wherever we ate on the lake, while constantly apologizing for the objectionable quality of the food.

When my Dad told me he had found a great, new place to eat on the lake, I cringed in disbelief. I thought, 'Austin is just can’t support a place that has great food and a great view. It has to go messing up one or the other.' But, I love my Dad, so I decided to humor him one Saturday and meet my parents for (a very early) dinner. Apparently when your parents turn 65, five o'clock stops being happy hour and starts being dinner. Besides, it was a beautiful day, like every day has been since it stopped raining. A drive by the lake would be love. Plus, I had a secret, crafty, ulterior motive. I wanted my parents to spend some one-on-one time with my new boyfriend away from the hoards of family we always have around at holidays.

I turned on some indie rock, set the car to paddle-shift manual mode, and programmed in the location on my GPS. When I looked at the map, it seemed like this place was just past 620 on 2222. It would take us a half hour max to get there. After we crossed over 620, I told the boy, "pull up the map on the GPS so we don't pass it." He laughed at me and said "I think we have a ways to go." To which I replied, "Poppycock! It can't be far." But we continued to drive. And drive. And drive. And drive some more. Finally, after a solid 45 minutes of driving, we reached the ends of the Earth, I mean Volente, where Cafe Blue is located.

When we approached Café Blue, we were instantly confused about where we were supposed to park. There were two driveways, one pointing down towards the lake with the official Café Blue sign, and one pointing up a very steep hill that said Café Blue parking. Being lazy, and knowing the Café was on the water, we opted to try the low road. There was a parking lot at that lower level, but there a big sign that said it was reserved for the Marina next door to Café Blue. Um, how would they know? We opted to be.. safer.. and parked (where everyone else had parked including my very rule abiding father) on the steep sloping drive down to the parking lot. You’ll thank me for that tip. Trust me. Well, we were parked, but we didn’t see a restaurant. We did see a large statue at the start of a rock stair path leading down and decided to give it a try. Down we climbed on steep rocky stairs, over tree limbs, under branches. The boy commented, “this place is well hidden” to which I replied “yeah, don’t bring Grandma here, geeze!”. The bottom of the path finally opened onto a wooden deck with a tin roof where a hostess greeted us. It was a harrowing experience, but we had made it.

Café Blue is nicely situated on the waters of Lake Travis, backed by a giant rocky hill (which we had just climbed down). There isn’t any indoor seating, it is basically a giant covered deck. But do you really need anything else when you’re eating by the lake?

I was hot after that climb and ordered a frozen Margarita (or two) and settled in with my family and my menu. It was (around) Mother’s Day so I gifted my mom with 2 new vegetarian cookbooks. She’s recently gotten on the farm CSA bandwagon but calls me about once a week “Mariah, I got XXX veggie in my basket, what do I do with it”. I think it was really more a gift for me, this gift of her silence, but whatever. We can both win from a present can’t we?

Café Blue has a large selection of delectable sounding appetizers, so the boy and I decided to order 3 or 4 and share them so we could try more. The Coconut Shrimp was really delicious. But then, can you tell me if you’ve ever had bad coconut shrimp? Its deep fried shrimp in coconut. The only thing that would make it fattier would be to coconut batter bacon wrapped filet mignon.

The ahi tuna left a lot to be desired. The tuna just wasn’t all that fresh and it ended up being rather stringy. I had one piece then let the hoover, I mean the boy, finish that one.

My favorite item were the Aloha sliders. I love me some pineapple, and adding it to a burger (or pizza) makes me even happier. These soft little sliders were sweet and savory all at the same time. The boy didn’t care for them, but I say too bad to that. It left two for me!

My mom ordered Antonio’s Stuffed Shrimp, crab stuffed shrimp topped in a garlic cream sauce. Those were pretty tasty. I would totally go back and order them. My dad ordered Shrimp Brochette, jalapeno stuffed shrimp wrapped in bacon. Those were delicious too. But while both were good, they were nothing outside the ordinary, which is kind of how I felt about all of Café Blue’s food. Good but nothing spectacular. That being said, it is leaps and bounds better than most of the other restaurants around the Lake. I will definitely be returning now that the weather is nice.

As we finished up our meal, I was secretly dreading the climb back up to the parking lot. When we left the restaurant, that’s when we discovered the secret to Café Blue. You don’t have to climb up and down a trail to get to it, it has a funicular! I’m sorry I didn’t think to take a picture of it, but it’s really spectacular. You stand on the platform and are carried up the side of the hill to the parking lot. It is seriously, seriously awesome. Totally worth the trip (and that, my friends in tip #2 – you’ll thank me later for that one too).

Bottom Line: Decent food by the lake, and a funicular!!

Mariah ~ 7

Frank

2011-05-08T05:17:00.000-07:00

407 Colorado St
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 494-6916

http://www.hotdogscoldbeer.com/

Hello, my foodie brethren. It's been a while since I've had time to join Mariah and Laura in their culinary endeavors and help keep everyone informed of the great food and great times to be had around our wonderful city. Please forgive me, but there have been many hours of work laden lately, my new role as a super dad for the PTA at Austin's elementary school, and of course let's not forget the new girlfriend that I've been pretty jazzed about being able to spend time with lately. I have felt amiss in letting so much time pass without sharing something with the Dining In Austin community. Fortunately, I was shocked into an awakening today at lunch, and I had to post something when I got struck by a muse of food and blogging. OK, I'm not sure there really is such a muse, but let's just pretend...

Anyhow, I first need to say that I can't tell my tale today without mentioning the new girlfriend, Michelle, who is simply amazing, charming, intelligent, and gorgeous. But, besides that, she's also an event coordinator by trade. Yeah. I know. What better person could a foodie be dating, huh? Some of the side benefits started to emerge earlier this week. Michelle let me know that Sullivans was trying to woo her into sending some business their way and wanted to treat her and someone to a free lunch so that they could show off a little bit. Well, I was all over the idea for being "and someone" and readily cleared my calendar for the outing. Well, unfortunately, after some missed calls and scheduling conflicts, we had to reschedule the free chance for a restaurant to impress us to another day. Fortunately, right down the street from Sullivans was someplace that I've been wanting to check out.

I've heard about Frank through the grapvine and have been checking out the menu on line in eager anticipation. I feel the need right now to admit that I am midly addicted to several reality TV shows, with most of my excitement being around food related shows like Hell's Kitchens, Kithen Nightmares, and The Next Food Network star to name a few. I think the challenges on those shows that I like the most are when the contestants are told to take a common everyday and put a new gourmet twist on it. I think it hits home with me since I'm always trying to reinvent any dish I make at home. Nevertheless, when I saw the menu at Frank, I was excited because of a chance to see the classic American hot dog reinvented. It didn't take much to convince Michelle and we were off for the alternate lunch plans.

Frank is on Colorado, near 4th Street downtown in the old Starlight. Walking in, I was pleased already. The environment and the decor seemed pretty minimalistic and just cried "Austin" to me. The restaurant, as of today, hasn't been open for even three weeks yet, but it was pretty much packed. In fact, even on the very late end of the lunch hour (pushing up against 1:00), we were seated at the very last open table in the place.

I liked the menu. It was quite simple and to the point. There was no doubt what Frank's niche was. I drooled seeing some of the options on the menu. Save for a few options, it appears as if Frank's strategy for reinventing the hot dog stemmed from replacing the components of your traditional sausage on a bun with higher end ingredients as well as offering little twists like coating any hot dog on the menu with a cornbread coating before putting it on a bun. There was one option on the menu, though, that caught our eyes and we immediately had to try. The Jacklelope dog was described as an Antelope and Rabbit sausage with a Huckleberry Compote and spicy aioli. Yum! It tasted even better than it sounded. I hope, though, that no one makes the same mistake I did today and wears a white shirt there. Even though the french roll that housed the sausage was dense and crusty, it could little compete with the compote and I made quite the mess.

I also ordered a large order of waffle fries. Now, while I can't say that the fries were anything that was outstanding and overly memorable, I do like the option of sauces presented for dipping.

On the flip side of the menu was a veritable menagerie of cocktails that all sounded amazing. With an evil grin, we decided that we'd split the Manhattan...in the interest of research, of course. It wasn't just a drink. It was a flavor journey, and quite amazing at that. The Manhattan started off smooth and mellow, but finished strong with as the flavors of the bitters and cherry came through. But, it was the aftertaste that I found to be remarkable as the Bacon infused bourbon really make its presence known. Quite impressive.

I only really noticed one really distressing thing about Frank when I talked to the waitress for a bit. The restaurant does not have a kids menu and that shocked me. I mean...REALLY shocked me. It seemed just too easy for a place with hot dogs and fries on the menu to just whip one together, especially with a great potential customer base of kids and their parents with the children's museum just down the street. Anyhow, I'll digress this time on the rest of my kids menu soapbox. While I couldn't find kids menu, I did notice a couple of vegetarian options including a Portabello Cheesesteak, which I think I'll get on my next trip back. That sounds delicious.

I found the service to be outstanding and efficient, too. It wasn't long at all before we were walking back to Michelle's office building and enjoying the warm Texas weather as of late.

Lee - 8.75
(7/16/09)

Mariah Update: This is a post Lee wrote back in July of 2009. I've decided to repost for a couple of reasons. First, you fine readers will be pleased to know, that in a few short weeks, he will be marrying Michelle, the woman he is newly dating in the post above. Second, I revisited Frank recently as one of the first dates with my new boyfriend and updated the pictures. We, at Dining in Austin, were a little more ghetto in the picture department back in 2009.

I've been to Frank on several occasions over the past few years and I've grown to really appreciate it for what it is, a greasy, late night dining spot. There have been nights where, after having a few drinks, you just want something dripping in fat and deliciousness. Thats why Frank has become one of my go-to late night spots. Now, when I go, I only ever get two things, the Jackalope and Poutine (though Poutine isn't on the late night menu, you have to go before 10 to get it).

Lee pretty accurately described the Jackalope above, but I will add that, though its messy, the sweet, savory combination of the antelope sausage and the huckleberry compote really make for delicious late night noshing. I could write novels about the deliciousness of the poutine too. Crispy waffle fries covered in brown gravy with melted cheese curds on top. I know if sounds totally gross. The first time I had it, I thought I was going to hate it, but trust me, its the best thing on the menu.

Last time I went, my date ordered the Notorious P.I.G., a pork jalapeno sausage covered in mac and cheese and BBQ sauce. The whole combination was just too overwhelming. First it was hard to get a bite without sauce covered mac and cheese falling all over the table. Second, the mac and cheese didn't really add a texture or flavor component that was very notable. I think its one of those should-be-great-in-theory-so-lets-put-it-on-our-menu-to-wow-people kind of foods.

Overall, I like Frank for what it is, late night delicious greasiness.

Mariah ~ 7
(5/8/11)

Austin Restaurant Week - Spring 2011

2011-04-07T21:06:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again; time to clean your palate and exercise your stomachs. It's Austin Restaurant Week (the Spring version anyway). Between April 10-13 and April 17-20, eat at any of the participating restaurants and a portion of the proceeds will benefit the Capital Area Food Bank and Meals on Wheels. The best part? Everyone is offering special menus!

I know there are so many dining weeks now that its hard to keep track of them all. Thankfully you have me to do that for you. But knowing when they are is really important. There really is no better way to experience some of Austin's finest restaurants for no more than $35. It's really a steal (at some places). But where to go and what to eat? Fear not, my fine foodies. I've reviewed all the menu's so you don't have to. Here is my list of this (semi) year's best:

Aquarelle - $35 dinner - (menu) - How can you turn down something as delicious sounding as Beef Tenderloin In Cinnamon Demiglaze, Farro With Sundried Cherries And Marscapone, Wilted Spinach, Parsnip Curls. What a great spin on a middle eastern tangine.

Braise - $35 dinner - (menu) - A newcomer to the Austin restaurant scene. But with options like Dark El Rey chocolate crusted Atlantic salmon with a garlic caper infused olive oil or Spicy Jamaican Jerked pork shoulder over crock pot black beans with cilantro gremolata how could you NOT check them out?

El Arbol - $35 dinner - (menu) - The food at El Arbol is generally pretty good, but this menu is drool worthy. Vieiras Doradas - day-boat scallops, avocado, fried brussels sprout, yucca chip, saffron-cayenne aioli, citrus gastrique and a dessert of Bacon-Brioche - Bacon gelato, brioche bread pudding, poached raisins, walnut streusel, brûléed bananas, whiskey-vanilla sauce. You had me a bacon gelato.

European Bistro - $25 dinner - (menu) - I haven't heard much about this new place, but I've always felt there has been a hole in Austin cuisine for Eastern European/Germanic food. Looks like that might be closing considering they offer an appetizer of German Potato Dumplings - Two potato dumplings with Hunter’s Sauce and an entree of Chicken Kiev served with rice and medley of peas, carrots, and onions. The price point is nice to try if out if you haven't yet, though!

Fabi + Rosi - $25 dinner - (menu) - Also in the Eastern European/fusion cross over category is the delicious and out of the way Fabi + Rosi. I'm putting then on this list specifically for one of their Entree offerins - Zwiebelrostbraten - Wagyu Sirloin, Grilled Onions, German Potatoes. I can't even say it, but I sure want to eat it! Plus, the atmosphere is really nice. $25 is a real steal if you want a cheap date.

Fino - $35 dinner - (menu) - Fino is always delicious and, really, they have one of the best patios in town. If the weather's nice, head over and try an entree of Rainbow Trout Navarra with jamon Serrano, fingerling potatoes, lemon, and herbs and a cheese plate from Antonelli's for dessert. Mmmm.. (P.S. They're also offering a special brunch menu for $20 that includes a delicious cocktail and 2 course)

Kenichi - $35 dinner - (menu) - Kenichi has been quietly upgrading their menu for the last year. It's no longer just a place for the pretty people in Austin to snack on sushi before going out. There's some real substance to their (non-sushi) dishes now. I want to try them for the sweet barley miso roasted halibut with avocado mousse, asian pear, yuzu, crispy potato alone!

La Sombra - $25 dinner - (menu) - Tucked away up north, I always seem to forget about La Sombra, but the food is pretty interesting and the drinks are delicious. If you want to stay away from the crowds downtown, this might be your bet. Try the Feijoada con Codorniz - Whole roasted quail with a Brazilian style cassoulet of black eyed peas, sausage, and hearts of palm

Olivia - $35 dinner - (menu) - I've always thought the food at Olivia is good, but sometimes uneven. However, I totally want to try the appetizer Pork Rillon Fondue - Crispy Pork Belly with Apple Butter and Grafton Cheddar Cheese Fondue

Paggi House - $35 dinner - (menu) - Everyone I know who's eaten at Paggi House always complains about the horrible service. However, it might be worth braving the inept servers for an appetizer of Oyster Fennel Soup - Crispy oyster, lemon crème and an entree of Tea Brined Duck Breast with Asparagus Quinoa Slaw, Orange Gremolata, Foie Gras Jus

Parkside - $35 dinner - (menu) - Parkside is one of my favorite restaurants in Austin hands down. And they don't disappoint with the restaurant week menu. An appetizer of herb papperdelle with sofrito, fennel, sunchoke, fava bean an entree of meyer lemon risotto with mascarpone, grilled asparagus, almonds and a dessert of frozen meyer lemon soufflé with raspberry gel, bruleed raspberry, lavender cream, honey foam.

Uchi - $35 dinner - (menu)
Uchiko - $35 dinner - (menu) - How exciting to have Uchi and Uchiko on the Restaurant Week list this year! I don't need to tell you how delicious both of these places are and what a good deal with is. If there are any open slots, you need to take one no matter what they're serving. The Sweet Corn Sorbet at Uchiko is worth the $35 alone!

Zandunga - $25 dinner - (menu) - I don't know much about Zandunga. It replaced my old Italian favorite, Primizie (which I'm still bitter about). But I might be closer to coming to closure if Zanduga offers Puerco dulce - Braised Pork Belly with Mole Dulce paired with Yucca- plantain and bacon hash. I am consolable with mole

There you have it. This year's list of the best of the best. Now call those restaurants up and go eat some cheap food!

Foodie Photo of the Day

2011-04-01T06:12:00.000-07:00

Duck Soft Tacos at Maria Maria

Maria Maria
415 Colorado Street
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 687-6800

SXSW Free Foodie Parties

2011-03-16T09:18:00.000-07:00

Ok I'm going to come right out and say it. I'm a SXSW addict. For the last 2 weeks I've been obsessively RSVPing for SXSW. It was a bad habit last year and I told myself (I TOLD myself) I wasn't going to do it again this year. I was going to be happy and content with my shiny wristband and be done with it. But no. Someone sends you a link for a party with free booze and food. Then you get another link. And before long your a growling, snorting, (and ironic hipster sneering) SXSW RSVP monster. I've heard myself utter the words, "no free booze, no RSVP" and "they want me to PAY for this crap??". I know, it's a problem.

It's going to take me a while to ween myself off the obsessive link clicking. But until then, I thought I'd offer up what I feel are going to be the best free food and drink parties of SXSW. Now we all know the Paste and Brooklyn Vegan parties are the best, but lets face it, who wants to stand in line to see the same bands you can see at smaller less traveled parties (if you know where to look). So you won't see any big name giant parties on this list. Most of these should be pretty do-able and a little more low key:

Wednesday 3/16
11a-6p Allsaints Spitalfields - Shangra-la - Free Sailor Jerry's drinks all day.. Totally day-drunk worthy
11:30-6:30 BridgeCan Jam - Liberty - Free beer, (not free) Eastside Kings and BRAHMS at 3:45
12p-6p DC Does Texas - Lovejoy's - I've never heard of any of the bands, but they have free Dogfish Head!
12p-6:30p BAAMO - Free beer, alligator chili, black beans, yellow rice and cuban bread (and music)
12p-6p Terrorbird Day Party - Red 7 - Toro y Moi and Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream!
12p-6p Hello Music - Rusty Spurs - No clue who the bands are, but free BBQ and beer
12p-6p San Diego Invades Austin - Lustre Pearl - Free beer and tacos
1p-6p Saint Arnolds SXSW - Music, Saint Arnolds and (supposedly) frito pies
7p-1a Past Future Records - Liberty Bar - Free apps and some of the best bands around (and its being sponsored by my friends, it helps to know people!)

Thursday 3/17
11a Prefix Day Party - 5th and Brushy - Show up at 11 and you'll get free tacos and listen to Bass Drum of Death. That'll kick start your day.
11a-6p Brooklyn BBQ - Hotel Vegas - Brooklyn Brewery beer, BBQ, and some GREAT bands
11a High Five! Party! Party! - Elysium - Or better yet, show up at 11 for a full Irish Breakfast and stay for the free drinks
12p-5p Nacho House - Beauty Bar - Free nachos (and music)
12p-6p Trumer Pils Afternoon Social - Some free Trumer Pils and the BEST music. I swear. Honeymon Thrillers, the Lonely Forest, Tahiti 80! I'm on cloud 9!
12p-6:30p MTV Garage - 9th and RR - This will probably be packed, but theres free BBQ, fried snickers, and funnel cake, might be worth waiting in line for

Friday 3/18
10:30a-1p BMIs Acoustic Brunch - Four Seasons - I don't know if there will be food (it DOES say brunch), but they have Andy Grammer AND the Civil Wars playing!
12p-9p Sin City's Cosmic American Roadshow - Maria's Taco Express - Free burritos, beer and music (no one I've ever heard of before though).
12p-6p Brooklyn Vegan Day Party - Barbarella - Free vegan tacos from Izzoz, snacks from Sensible Portions and Honest tea. Oh btw, you get to see the Dods, Dolorean, David Wax Museum, and Deer Tick...If you want to deal with the crowds.
12p-7p Muzzle of Bees Backyard BBQ - Liberty - Free beer and BBQ plus Lost on the Trees

Saturday 3/19
11a-6p Detox to Retox - Valhalla - The Vandelles, Leila Broussard and free Barefoot Wine (maybe not the best hangover remedy, though)
12p-6p Smoke and Sand - Rusty Spurs - Free red hook and Waterloo Icehouse BBQ. Yum! Go early at 1pm and see The Wandas.
12p-6p Vita.mn's Music Showcase - Beauty Bar - Free food and Vitamin water. Go at 2 to see Doomtree at stay to see Jeremy Messersmith
12p-8p Axis of Audio Day Party - Rumbler Lounge - No food, but where else can you see the Gay Blades, Le Butcharettes, Ezra Furman, and Jukebox the Ghost?

Friday 3/11-Sunday 3/20
7p-2a Pure Volume House - 504 Trinity - Always a good place to disappear to for a few hours. The bands are generally good but if their not, who cares, the booze is always free!

Thursday 3/17-Sunday 3/20
12p-9p South by San Jose - San Jose Hotel - I don't think there's free food, but there are some reall great bands all weekend at the San Jose. You can pop back and forth between here and Homeslice for a really great afternoon
1p-7p Music by the Slice - Homeslice Pizza - The food isn't free, but the pizza is great. After going for two afternoons and hearing great music both days, I swore I was going to spend more time at Music by the Slice this year. I suggest you do the same (particularly Thursday).

Foodie Photo of the Day

2011-02-21T05:28:00.000-08:00

My fingers and a salmonberry in Seattle

Foodie Photo of the Day

2011-02-10T04:24:00.000-08:00

Pacific Scramble at 14 Carrot Cafe

14 Carrot Cafe
2305 Eastlake Avenue East
Seattle, WA 98102-3305
(206) 324-1442

Dining in NYC - Day 1

2011-02-08T21:40:00.000-08:00

Back in May, I went on a little whirlwind our of the US. At the start of May, I spent a weekend in New York City with my girlfriend Sarah. Then two weeks later, I spent a weekend in Seattle for my friend Kasie's graduation. Then 2 weeks later I went with my friend Connie to Puerto Rico. Needless to say, by the end, I was quite happy to stay home and veg for a few months (but we won't mention the trip to Egypt I took in November). What can I say? I get bit by the travel bug from time to time.

I've been to New York a couple of times now on various weekend trips. Each time I go, though, I feel like I have a completely different type of vacation. You could go to New York City 100 times, and each time would be so unique and different. This time, when I went with my friend Sarah, we decided to do a complete tourist weekend. We went to a lot of the kitschy places we'd read about but hadn't manage to make it to on our previous New York excursions.

So what was the first thing we did in New York? Get a bagel! We decided each of the two mornings we were there, we'd do a bagel challenge between H and H Bagel and Ess-a Bagel. These are two of the most well known New York bagelries. The first morning we chose H and H Bagel. And what better way to enjoy an everything bagel than with Nova, onions and capers

The Nova was really fresh and delicious, but the bagel left a little to be desired. See how lacking in "everything" that everything bagel was? But the whole combination tasted delicious. And we got to take great photos of each other stuffing our faces (which I won't post for the sake of anonymity and to prevent future blackmail should I ever decide to run for Senate).

We spend the morning at the MET ogling beautiful works of art, and when decided we'd walk the 15 blocks down the side of Central Park to our pre-selected lunch destination. We did a lot of research beforehand to maximize the culinary awesomeness we could experience in a city such as NYC. I'd been hearing great things about it. Tons of celebrities are sighted eating there (I should know, I read US Weekly) and in the last year, it's gotten itself one shiny Michelin Star.

Rouge Tomate
10 E 60th St
New York, 10022
(646) 237-8977

For my lunch entree, I opted for something I can't get often in Austin, Duck Sous Vide! I love Austin cuisine, don't get my wrong, but the whole molecular gastronomy movement just hasn't caught on here. So when I always jump at the change to try it when I travel. For those of you who haven't heard of it, Sous Vide is a method of cooking where meat is vacuum sealed with some sort of marinade, then cooked in water at a constant temperature on an induction cooktop. Sealing the meat means that, unlike braising, roasting, or grilling, the flavors of the cooking method aren't imparted on the meat you're cooking.

And the Long Island Duck Sous Vide with farro piccolo, strawberry, endive, pistachio-rhubarb vinaigrette didn't disappoint. It was tender, and flavorful, and delicious. Not tough, rubbery, or fatty like so many of the duck dishes I've had at other places. And the strawberries were a delightfully playful addition to the normally dark, gamey duck.

My friend Sarah got the Alaskan Halibut a la Plancha, artichoke barigoule, cranberry beans, arugula pistou. She really loved it. I couldn't care less though, I was too busy making love to my duck.

After lunch, we decided to show our way down 5th Avenue. What better way to feel like chic New York bitches, than to lunch and shop? After a long afternoon of shopping (hey, shopping is hard work!), we decided to treat our hungry bodies to a little cupcake treat.

Magnolia Bakery
1240 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY
(212) 767-1123

We stood in the LONG line (even at 4pm) at the Rockefeller Center Magnolia Bakery. Everyone has told me how these are the greatest cupcakes in the world, so we had to try them. The shop is certainly adorable. I opted for a chocolate cupcake and Sarah for a vanilla. We both enjoyed them, but to be honest, we both felt like we'd had better cupcakes in Austin (like Sugar Mamma's or Delish). All New York chocolate cupcakes have this odd chocolate flavor that I just didn't care for. I could never quite put my finger on it, but it doesn't taste like the chocolate cupcakes we get here.

Our afternoon shopping turned into evening shopping. I was floored when I turned the corner onto 5th Avenue and saw a real Japanese Bakery. I LOVE mochi. It's one of my dessert weaknesses. I've even tried making it at home (to disastrous results, just buy it, trust me). So I grabbed Sarah by the arm, and dragged her in with me.

Minamoto Kitchoan
608 5th Avenue
New York, NY 10020-0028
(212) 489-3747

While Sarah rolled her eyes, I spend a good 20 minutes investigating the different Japanese dessert offerings. Everything was so nicely packages and so.. Japanese! Even the women working behind the counter were so hygienically Japanese.

I picked out 5 or 6 different desserts to nibble on for the next few days. I loved every single one, but Sarah tried a red bean paste wrapped mochi type dessert and immediately spit it out. To each his own I guess. Oh well, more for me!

Foodie Photo of the Day

2011-01-28T20:38:00.000-08:00

Soy (1/2 caf) Latte at 14 Carrot Cafe

14 Carrot Cafe
2305 Eastlake Avenue East
Seattle, WA 98102-3305
(206) 324-1442

Chi'lantro

2011-01-26T21:18:00.000-08:00

http://www.chilantrobbq.com/

With all the trailers popping up over Austin, which ones should you try first? The trailer that usually pops into my head first is Chi'lantro. It's sometimes tricky to locate (you have to check their website schedule), but once you do, you'll be pleasantly surprised by the innovative trailer food.

The Koreans have always been known for their delicious BBQ and fermented veggie sides. Who would have thought the two together, wrapped in a tortilla, could be so wonderful? You get a choice of beef, pork, chicken or tofu in your taco, topped with delicious Korean salad, onions, cilantro (and you all know how I feel about cilantro), salsa, and sesame seeds. Trust me, it will be the best $5 meal you can get in Austin. But stick to the beef or pork tacos. The tofu tacos aren't very flavorful.

Laura's note: Dude I love the tofu tacos! They are plenty flavorable for my palate. The chili fries are awesome too but very spicy so beware. Chi'lantro was a major part of my weeklong SXSW 2010 diet. It's so convenient, cheap and yummy.

Beef tacos and a chilsung cider

Korean and Mexican. What a great fusion of two different completely different ethnic culinary traditions. Before you know it, someone will have a goulash waffles or bacon donuts.. Oh wait..

Mariah - 9

Jack Allen's Kitchen Wine Dinner

2011-01-24T17:03:00.000-08:00

I recently had a delicious dinner at Jack Allen's kitchen. Now, I know it's down in the great unknown territory of south-west Austin (be careful, there be dragons there), but if you haven't made it down there yet, you really should.

I've eaten there as a regular, run-of-the-mill diner several times now, but those reviews are for another day. This post is about the wonderful wine dinner dinner they invited me to. And I will disclose that I was invited to this fine dinner and hence didn't pay for it (thanks FTC and your new fabulous rules).

First of all, Jack Allen's Kitchen is way way out in southwest Austin. Basically, you go to the Y at Oakhill, take the 71 branch and go a mile. My parents live in that neck of the woods, so its not too far out of the way for me. I can imagine, though, how it might be on the other side of the planet for someone from Pflugerville, but it's well worth the trip. Jack Allen's is the brain child of ex Z-Tejas chef Jack Allen (surprise surprise). He took over the old space where the Y Bar and Grill (then Nunzia's) used to be, and you long time readers will remember how Nunzia's felt about us. So I'm really glad to see something reputable and delicious in it's place.

Like so many of the new mid-dollar restaurants popping up over Austin now, Jack Allen's really focuses on using local ingredients. Their menu is a laundry list of local farms and food producers that brought a little tear to this foodie's eye when she first read. The food is mostly southern and southwestern inspired. It's kind of like everything Z Tejas wishes it normally were but can't be because it's a chain now (and I'll caveat that by saying Z Tejas wine dinners and special menus are delicious, it's just their normal menu that suffers a little).

But enough about other restaurants, it's Jack Allen's you really want to know about. The wine dinner they invited me to a few (cough) months ago was really delicious and interesting. First of all it was multi course, which I am always a sucker for and second, they didn't offer just one wine pairing with each course, they offered two. Now before you accuse me of being a lush, let me describe how awesome this wine pairing was.

The wine portion of the dinner was hosted by local Texas wine producers. For each course, there was one varietal and two wines, one Texas wine, and one other wine that is thought to be a good representation of the varietal. But did you know which was which? No! It was a blind tasting. You would get two small pours of each wine and you had to figure out which was the Texas wine. Sounds like a pretty awesome party doesn't it? It was.

Our welcome wine was a Vermentino. A Vermentino is not a wine you come across a lot, but it's a lovely Italian white wine. It's bright and acidic and is usually made in Corsica. The two Vermentino's they brought were Mandola's and then Gagliardo Favorita.

Mandola's: Fun, popped in my mouth, crisp and acidic, with a nice mineral content, and notes of grapefruit and golden raisin
Gagliardo Favorita: A Sardinian wine. Fruit forward wine with strong flavors of apple, apricot and honey but it had a soapy undertone

Now, I love Texas wines. I am a huge advocate of them. I know a lot of people poo poo them, but I think Texas wines are really unique and interesting. Most of them have such strong and powerful characters, just like everything else in Texas. But sometimes when you compare it to an old world wine, like a Vermentino, with a Texas wine of the same style, the Texas wine just doesn't hold up. So I was really surprised that I enjoyed the Mandola's Vermentino so much. It's bright acidity and mineral notes really made it stand out over the soapy Sardinian wine.

The first course was a Cold smoked and grilled jump shrimp with blackberry and lemon thyme aioli. This shrimp was delicious. It all of the rest of the meal had been horrible (which it wasn't), it would have been worth going to for this shrimp alone. What surprised me the most was how well the thyme, shrimp, and blackberry were together. It's a really different but spectacular combination.

The wine pairing they chose for the shrimp was a Chenin Blanc. They compared a Beringer Chenin Blanc to the local Fall Creek version.

Beringer: Sugary with a mineral overtone and a taste of apricot, melon, and pear
Fall Creek: Golden and red tinged wine with a strong flavor of lemon, golden raisin, dates and candied fruits and a light pear aftertaste with a distinct chemical overtone

Ok, I have to admit, I usually turn my nose up grocery store table wines. But the Beringer Chenin Blanc totally blew me away. It was sweet without being cloying and had nice fruit tones. It paired very well with the shrimp. I gotta tell you folks, for $6.99, thats a great bottle of wine for a light summer dinner (of shrimp of course).

The second course, however, wasn't as strong as the first course of shrimp. It was a Seared Texas Redfish with Texas Citrus Mojo and Wilted Arugula. It just didn't work very well. The taste was rather bland and the textures ended up being homogeneous.

The wine offerings for this course is one of my favorite types of white wine, a Viognier. For having such a fancy, French name, I would argue that most of the great bottles of Viognier out there today are American. California has a few good Viogniers, but the real US Viognier winner are the wineries in Washington. Trust me. The Viogners they chose for this tasting, though, were the Zaca Mesa from Santa Barbara and the local Becker.

Zaca Mesa: A wine from Santa Barbara with flavors of apricot, violet and lavender. High in alcohol content.
Becker: A local Texas wine that's grassy, with a lilac overtone and tastes of green pepper and dill.

In this case, the Texas wine was the winner. The lilac and dill tones of the wine made for a deliciously complex flavor. Plus, I didn't care for this fish course as much, BUT it did pair nicely with the Becker Viognier.

The third course was a Moroccan spiced Texas quail with toasted almond couscous and caramelized peach-honey glaze. The quail was cumin heavy, the couscous was hot and spicy and the glaze was sickly sweet. Individually, each one was too heavily spiced or flavored, but together the heavy spices combined well together. The was the favorite course of my dinner guest and boyfriend. He would NOT stop talking about how awesome this dish was. I thought it was pretty good, but I thought I'd comment that he thought it was amazing.

They paired this spicy, and flavorful course with two wonderful roses, a great selection for this kind of food. This course paired nicely with the Texas rose, the ever present Texas winery, McPherson. It was sweet, with a pop of cherry summer berries and watermelon. The non-Texas comparative Rose, was just not worth mentioning.

The fourth course was a Pecan wood-fired beef tenderloin with shaved yellow grilled corn and cotija. The beef had a salty, smoky crust and a tender texture. The shaved corn with cotija had a casserole-like texture. I felt like I was eating elote casserole and it was delicious! This was a spectacular dish. I've come to find out, they sometimes serve the awesome corn as their veggie side. Make sure you ask for it if you ever go.

They paired this beef course with two Sangioveses. Both were lovely, and to be honest, I couldn't decide which one I liked better. But since I was (cough) getting a little drunk off all he wine, I didn't catch the name of the Chianti Classico vineyard, so we'll have to say the Flat Creek wins, simply because I remembered it.

Flat Creek: Floral with butterscotch and leather undertones
Chianti classico (vineyard unknown): Herby and astringent with heavy tannins. Tasted like a bouquet of flowers with pepper.

After so much decadence, we had to be let down a little by the dessert course. It was a simple but delicious Chocolate truffle. Buttery, smooth, and melt in your mouth delicious. I guess I was looking for something I could really sink my teeth into, but hey, I'm never going to turn down chocolate!

They paired the chocolate with two Bordeaux Blends. The one that stood out the most was the Inwood Estates Magellan. It was herb-y, leathery, smelled of tobacco and had strong, tongue sucking tannins. A very nice Texas wine.

Jack Allen's Kitchen - 8

Foodie Photo of the Day

2011-01-23T15:03:00.000-08:00

Cupcakes at Crumb's Bakery

Crumbs Bakery
37 East 8th Street, New York
(212) 673-1500

Foodie Photo of the Day

2011-01-17T20:46:00.000-08:00

Artisan Mochi at Minamoto Kotchoan in NYC

Minamoto Kitchoan
608 5th Avenue
New York, NY 10020-0028
(212) 489-3747

Odd Duck Farm to Trailer - A Photo Tour

2011-01-13T22:12:00.000-08:00

1219 S. Lamar
Austin, TX 78704

http://oddduckfarmtotrailer.com/

The Odd Duck Farm to Trailer is one of the best examples of Austin trailer food. Everything is locally sourced and the menu changes daily based on what's available and in season. The food is excellent and when the average price is $5 for a small plate, why not try them all!

Beets, goat feta, arugula and sweet onion

Grilled zucchini bread, peaches and goat cheese

Green beans, tarragon crema, rabbit belly and goat ricotta

Sip and Savor 2011

2011-01-12T16:46:00.000-08:00

http://www.sipandsavoraustin.com/

Sip and Savor is upon us. It seems like these days, there are so many wonderful weeklong dining events, that it’s hard to keep track of them all! From the 16th to the 30th, tons of restaurants around town will be featuring special menu’s or food events. Here is a list of some of the best:

Prix Fixe Menus 1/16/11 through 1/30/11:

Mangia - $20 for 2 – (menu) - You get a salad, a 10” stuffed pizza and a delicious dessert. Talk about a cheap date!

El Arbol - $35 for 4 course - (menu) – Empanadas, an oak smoked trout salad, seared Escolar with herb manchego gnocchi and Coconut Dulce De Leche

La Sombra - $28 for 3 courses – (menu) – The salad alone makes it worth trying: Frisee Salad, Pork Belly, Roasted Beets and Potatoes, Peanuts, Salsa Criolla, and an Orange Citronette but throw in an entrée of Braised Lamb Shank, Pepion de Choclo, Sauteed Kale and a dessert of Seasonal Citrus Curd with Meringue Cookie. Mmm, yes please!

Sagra - $35 for 3 courses – (menu) – I consider Sagra like one of my boyfriend’s old college friends. He likes him a lot and wants to see him all the time, I think he’s ok most of the time but from time to time has a moment of brilliance. But this menu looks really tasty, an appetizer of Tuna Crudo with Fennel, orange, capers and a blood orange vinaigrette a second appetizer of Grapefruit & Campari Sorbet (can you say YUM), an entrée of Pan Seared Scallops with Riso nero, roasted fennel, lobster broth and for dessert Flourless Chocolate Cake with Blood orange sorbet, salted caramel.

Urban - $35 for 3 courses – (menu) – Most of the menu seemed pretty ho hum, Sweet corn bisque, shrimp and grits, etc until I got to the dessert: Avo tres leches – Moist sponge cake soaked in three milks topped with sundried tomato creme fraiche.. Um say what.. Sun dried tomato crème fraiche.. One of you HAS to try this and tell me what you think.

Whole Foods - $25 for 5 courses – (menus) – Whole foods is doing something really different. 3 of their restaurant kiosks (which I never knew until today actually have names) will be offering 5 course dinners – the North Side Trattoria, the 5th Street Seafood, and the Good Greens Raw bar. I LOVE the Whole Foods raw bar, but it’s usually so expensive. This is a really stellar deal.

Food Deals:

Max’s Wine Dive – 1/16, 1/23, 1/30 – On Sunday’s this month, Max’s will be offering ½ off their burgers. What a tasty good deal.

Food Events:

The Meat House – 1/17 5:30-8:00 – The Meat House (which has been open for several months) will be having their Ribbon Cutting Ceremony. They’re going to set up a bunch of grills on the sidewalk to offer samples of their wares.

Snack Bar – 1/17 9:00-12:00pm – The Snack Bar will be showing Sideways in addition to offering their normal menu. Get a bite to eat and watch a movie!

Frank – Frank Donneybrook Latte Competition – 1/26 7:00 – Frank will be hosting a competition for local baristas. See some true baristas at work and get all you can drink coffee (note: please don’t kill yourself on caffeine)

Frank – Bourbon, Beer and Brat’s – 1/26 7:00 – Boy, Frank’s going to be having a busy night. For $10, you get a sampling of their sausages, AND complimentary Live Oak beer and Maker’s Mark cocktails. Plan on seeing me here. It’s guaranteed.

Frank – Frank Rec Room – 1/26 9:00 – Ok, Frank’s is REALLY going all out. That same evening, they’re also doing a Twin Peaks showing with Mexican Loteria and Ping Pong games AND 2 great live bands, including one of my local Austin faves L.A.X. I am NOT missing this!

Foodie Photo of the Day

2011-01-09T08:24:00.000-08:00

Empanadas at a Puerto Rican food cart in Fajardo.

Day Trip to Fredericksburg, TX

2011-01-04T11:08:00.000-08:00

Teddy and I like to hike. Despite living in Texas most of my life and her living in Austin for the past few years, we managed to never make it to Enchanted Rock. This seemed like a situation that needed to be remedied.

On a random Tuesday while the good people of the world were suiting up and going to work, Teddy and I day tripped to the Texas Hill Country. First we needed to arm ourselves with supplies. And by supplies, I mean breakfast tacos.

Giovanni's Pizza Stand is located inside an unassuming Valero station on South Lamar. They make the best breakfast tacos. We geared up here.

Giovanni's Pizza Stand - For the record, they make damn good pizza and pasta too.

Armed and dangerous, we began our drive. We passed several wineries on the way toward Enchanted Rock and mentally noted their locations. Some appeared open, others did not. Enchanted Rock was the main priority, but a few wineries after our big hike could make an excellent reward.

After about two hours of driving, we arrived. We paid our $6 each and made our way to the trail head. I have to admit, it was a steep climb.

Teddy at the trail head.

Enchanted Rock is just one of a few domes in the area. There are several trails you can take to explore the area with interesting geology to keep you engaged. The top crust of rocks are broken and split and have shifted from gravity and erosion. They coat the top layer of the dome with flat chunks. There are also massive rock structures that make interesting visuals. It's fun to image how they got there and then at the same time not want to be around during a landslide or heavy rain.

On the dome

Woohoo, celebrate! we made it to the top.

Now that we felt all accomplished, it was back to Fredericksburg for some winery shenanigans. We pulled up to the main drag and popped into the first place we saw offering tastings. We decided to go for the 6 tastings for $5 from a man who didn't know what to think of us fast talking girly city slickers. He mostly mumbled and gave us the stink eye. Oh well, we got to try some great wines. General consensus is that these can be purchased cheaper at Whole Foods and most bottles in this store were overpriced. However, the tasting was a screaming deal. Out of this lot, the McPherson was our favorite.

The clear winner - McPherson Cabernet Sauvignon

As we grabbed our jackets and went to the register to pay, we struck up a conversation with a younger gentleman sitting at the bar. He was obviously financially invested in the wine store but I never really got it clear whether or not he was the owner. The man who had been serving us suddenly perked up as the Fredericksburg wine schtick was explained to us. This strip is considered a historical district. Historical districts in Texas can apply for permits that allow people to drink on the streets. We were welcome to get roadies and cruise the area.

We also asked for a recommendation for food. We had engaged in some decent exercise and a little wine, yet we had not ate since Giovanni's. Unfortunately it was about 3 pm and most places (including the recommended places) were not serving lunch. We were really unlucky to have picked Tuesday for our outing as most of the strip was closed on Tuesdays.

We ended up at the Fredericksburg Brewery for lunch. Food wasn't great but the beers were home brewed and excellent.

Beer at Fredericksburg Brewery

There was time for a few more samples of Texas wine and some window shopping before everything shut down around 5 or 6 pm. Some of the shops were tacky Grandma's house Texas handicraft, but there were some cool designer-y stores too.

Texas Pinot Noir

Teddy checking out fabric at the uber cute Red In Fred design and furniture shop.

We stopped into House. Wine. for one final glass (not tasting) before heading back to Austin. We were grateful to take a break from Texas wine for this French lovely. The change in atmosphere from tasting to wine bar was welcomed too.

Break from Texas wine at House. Wine.

Sunset over historical Main Street in Fredericksburg, Texas.

My advice for a day trip to Fredericksburg?

Start in the morning. Clear your entire day. Check the weather. Hydrate. Hike Enchanted Rock. Stop in on Main Street for lunch and wine tastings. Designate a driver. Check out Red in Fred for a short break from the wine. Go to House. Wine. if you want a break from Texas wines. Don't go on Tuesday. Cash makes things easy.

Let me know how your trip goes!

New Years Eve 2011

2010-12-27T15:46:00.000-08:00

If you're anything like me, you're probably a last minute Holiday planner. So as New Years is fast approaching, I thought I'd review with you some of the delectable dining options for New Years Eve. I mean, you really should have one more night of Holiday excess before you attempt to fulfill your New Years Resolutions to eat better and go to the gym.

Special NYE Menus:
Mulberry - $50 pp + $20 Option Wine Pairing - Three Course Pre-fix NYE Menu with champagne specials and a complimentary midnight toast. They're even going to cram a funky vinyl DJ in that small place!
http://www.mulberryaustin.com/

Carillon - $65pp (5 Course), $75 (7 Course), $90 (9 Courses) + $32-46 Optional Wine Pairing - Kumomoto Oysters with Ostera Caviar, Butter Lettuce Cream and a Saltine Tuille for an appetizer, Butter Poached Lobster with a Lobster Deviled Egg for the 2nd Appetizer, Pork Steamed Bun with Pickled Pear and Pineapple Mint for the 1st Entree, a Beef Tenderloin and a Raviolo of Braised Short Rib with Parsley Gremolata for the 2nd Entree, and a Chocolate Walnut Tart with a Corn Ice Cream! OMG, Food orgy! And that's just the cheaper 5 courses, click and see whats in the 9 course menu!
Carillon NYE Menu

Parkside - $60pp with optional Wine Pairing - Want the best of both worlds? Want a delicious 4 course dinner, then to party till down on 6th for your NYE? Why not try Parkside. They're offering a 4 course dinner with such delicious offerings as a Raw Fluke, truffle and meyer lemon appetizer, a Onion Tart with Animal Farm Greens for an 2nd appetizer, Apple Miso Ravioli with brown butter for an entree and a "Smore" with graham cracker ice cream, chocolate ganache with a side of fluff. How can you say no to that?
Parkside NYE Menu

Bess Bistro - Various - Bess is offering reservations for a special NYE prix fixe dinner and at 10, they're clearing the place out, and offering a 1920's themed NYE party with a champagne toast at midnight
Bess NYE Party

Trio - $95pp - Want a truly decadent NYE option? Try the Trio prix fixe menu. Champagne and caviar, duck confit, poached lobster, and a Delice of Strawberry (whatever that it, but it sounds fancy). Can you get any more old school New Years than that? There is also apparently going to be a party in the 4 Seasons Lobby (which sounds a little less awesome, but after that meal, are you really going to want to party that much?)
Trio NYE Menu

Max's Wine Dive - Various - Max's is serving a special NYE menu so you can stuff your face then go to 6th and party up. My favorite menu option the "Why the Hell Not" with their delicious fried chicken, gator beignets, and crispy catfish.
Max's NYE Menu

Asti - $65 (3 Course) $85 (4 Courses) - Want to stay completely away from downtown and still get a great meal? Why not go Italian? An appetizer of Lobster zuppa, Main Lobster Risotto, and Spice Glazed Duck Breast with Fig & Pear Mostarda for an entree. Sounds delicious
Asti NYE Menu

Urban - $99pp - Want another option that keys you way the hell our of downtown? Try Urban Grill up at the Domain. I haven't eaten there yet, but I've heard nothing but praise from the other bloggers who have gone. They don't have a menu posted but they do say it will include "Roasted Lobster Bisque, Rosemary Crusted Lamb Loin, Maple Glazed Scallops, Lobster and Smoked Grits and Seared Breast of Duck", a champagne toast and a live band.
Urban NYE Menu

Aviary - $25pp - Want something cheap, low-key, but probably still pretty awesome? Try the sushi dinner and champagne toast at my favorite wine bar Aviary. And I just have to say, the sushi chef's name is Chill Pillsbury. How can that NOT be awesome??
Aviary NYE Party

NYE Parties with the Possibility of Good Food:

Parkside - $100pp - Apparently Parkside is also offering a party option if you don't want a 4 course dinner. They're also offering finger food and sweets with an open bar and DJ Thunderball. I've had their finger food, it's pretty delicious.
Parkside NYE Party

Lamberts - $100 pp - Gets you an open bar, late night breakfast tacos, a champagne toast and DJ Chicken George. Kind of spendy, but I'm sure there are some of you out there who can drink enough to justify that price tag.
Lamberts NYE Party

Belmont - $75 (in advance) - A slightly cheaper open bar option for all you alcoholics, you also get late night snacks, party favors, a champagne toast and a GIANT balloon drop (their emphasis, not mine, but I thought it was worth noting)
Belmont NYE Party

Annie's West - ??pp - I'm not a huge fan of Annie's West. It's kind of like a 30-something meat market. BUT for NYE this year, they're offering up food by Aquarelle, a Champagne bar (and a shot block for all you really classy drinkers).
Annie's West NYE Party

La Sombra - $95pp - La Sombra and Tribeza magazine are pairing up for the NYE bash. They'll be South American style food, El Jimador tequila drinks and live Latin music. I went to a drinks and food included party at La Sombra and I gotta tell you, it was pretty spectacular. Those guys know how to entertain a crowd. Don't look this one over because its not downtown.
La Sombra NYE Party

Stubb's Inside - $35pp - While I'm not a huge fan of Stubb's BBQ, $35 is a great price to enjoy a BBQ buffet, a champagne toast and one of my favorite bands, T-Bird and the Breaks!
Stubb's NYE Party

House Wine

2010-11-18T15:04:00.000-08:00

Have you guys been to House Wine hidden behind the P Terry's on Lamar on a little street called Josephine? It's in a really cute old house with a great patio. The decor is fun with paintings from local artists and couches placed throughout. It manages to be cozy and remain urban. Ever a plus, there's some parking in the back.

Leslie and I stopped into House Wine for a drink. I was hoping for some happy hour specials, but House Wine only offers happy hour between 5 and 7 on Friday. The woman behind the counter suggested one of their $5 glasses that they offer on a regular basis.

At this point we had become distracted by something shiny. Or perhaps I should say sparkly. Sparkling wine cocktails? Did you think I was going to say no? Was that ever even an option?

Leslie chose a sparkling wine and pumpkin cocktail (how very autumn) and I went with a sorbet and sparkling wine concoction. I highly recommend both.

After our initial cocktails, we lingered over one of the $5 glasses of wine. The sparkly drinks were around $10 each and neither of us are currently involved in any financially lucrative pursuits. I guess that's why we have time to sit around and drink wine.

As we looked around, we began to notice that the place was full of people on girl dates. It was swarming with girls who had settled into a table or couch with their BFF to discuss life, work, grad school plans, dating, family and all the rest. Yeah, we were totally fitting in. I also imagine its the kind of place you meet up with your book club to discuss the latest by Jonathan Safran Foer.

The food at House Wine isn't very extensive. There are some pricey but delicious cheese plates and that's about it. You can sneak over to P Terry's and bring some in, but I worry that my french fries are going to stink up the place.

Leslie and I were so enamored by our drinks that a week later we took a trip to Specs to try and recreate the pumpkin drink. Alas, the Specs employee informed us that restaurants buy up that type of pumpkin liquor and it doesn't get sent to the stores. We bought pumpkin flavoring and praline liquor to make up for it. We then went home and made a total and utter disaster. Seriously kids, take it from us and don't try this at home.

Bottom Line: Nice atmosphere for a glass of wine. Try 1/2 price drinks on Sunday if you want a deal- they knock the price down on whatever bottle is still open from Saturday night.

Foodie Photo of the Day

2010-10-17T01:30:00.000-07:00

Spinach and Mushroom Pie at Boomerang's

Boomerang's
3110 Guadalupe Street
Austin, TX 78757
(512) 380-0032

Austin Restaurant Week - Fall 2010

2010-09-26T15:35:00.000-07:00

Folks, it's that time of year again. A time that makes us all joyful, festive, and full of happiness. No, it's not Christmas, it's Austin Restaurant Week! This year's menu options sound delectable and interesting. Check one of these fine establishments out and if you try one, please let me know what you thought! These menu's are available Sunday the 26th through Wednesday the 29th.

Aquarelle - $35 (menu) Dinner only
Appetizer: Rabbit Terrine with green olive salad, pistachio, chili oil
Entree: Wild Stockeye Salmon, braised fennel, pernod butter, spicy tobacco onions
Dessert: Plum, Berry Timbale, caramel and red coulis

Carillon - $35 (menu) Dinner only (our review)
The Carillon is closed Sundays and Mondays, so they offer their menu Thursday and Friday too. What a good way to get in a few more days of good eating!
Appetizer: Crisp pork belly, asian pear, diablo glaze and fried mint
Entree: Brioche crusted rack of lamb with english pea risotto whole grain mustard and tomato confit
Dessert: Cherry Vanilla Bread pudding with limoncello gelato and salsa de agrumi

Cipollina - $25 (menu) Dinner only (our review)
Appetizer: Antelope Tartare, paprika, crispy capers, microgreens
Entree: Duck confit tortellini, consomme, oyster mushrooms
Dessert: Ginger cake

Corazon - $25 (menu) Dinner only
Appetizer: Chicken Flautas - Fried corn flautas filled with roasted chicken, Hatch green chiles, and cotija cheese.Served with crema espesa, and a spicy avocado salsa Cruz
Entree: Voodoo Shrimp with Caribbean Mango Sauce - Coconut crusted and fried large Gulf shrimp served on a generous bed of spicy Caribbean-style mango and habanero sauce . Served with a banana and corn pone filled tamale and tfresh papaya and pineapple relish and an electric lime and mango puree.
Dessert: Bread Pudding with Mexican Brandy Espresso Sauce - A bread pudding made from bread, eggs, fried bananas, canela, raisi Served with caramelized Mexican brandy espresso sauce

Eastside Showroom - $35 (menu) Dinner only (our review)
Appetizer: Lamb Rillettes with tomato, radish sprouts, mustard
Entree: Chicken Fried Rabbit with cayenne, celery, frites
Dessert: Bartlette Tartlette with housemade ice cream, lavender,
brown sugar

El Arbol - $35 (menu) Dinner Only
Appetizer: Ceviche Criollo - Citrus cured seasonal Gulf Red Snapper, tomato, red onion and spicy Peruvian peppers
Entree: Falda de Cerdo - Smoked pecan porter braised Richardson Farms pork belly, membrillo compote, sweet potato risotto and baby arugula
Dinner: Dos Natillas - Honey gelato, crispy vanilla custard, blackberry and port reduction

Fabi + Rossi - $25 (menu) Dinner Only
Appetizer: Horseradish – Buttermilk Mousse with apple speck
Entree: Pan Roasted Turbot with sautéed zucchini + crawfish velouté
Dessert: Bienenstich Cake

Fino - $35 (menu) Lunch and Dinner (our review)
Appetizer: Albondigas with Black Truffle Cream
Entree: Moroccan spiced vegetable cazuela with Chorizo with Roasted Eggplant, Butternut Squash, Garbanzos and Tomato Cous Cous, Marcona Almonds Preserved Lemon Yogurt
Dessert: Gianduja semifreddo with a dark chocolate and hazelnut crunch

Frank - $25 for 2 people (menu) Dinner Only (our review)
This menu is really the biggest bang for your big and trust me, it will be deliciously, unhealthy but well worth it. I've written about how wonderful the Poutine is at Frank, now's you're change to try it!
Appetizer: Canadian Waffle Poutine - Fries with brown gravy and cheese curds
Entree: Jackalope - Antelope and Rabbit sausage, huckleberry compote, sriracha aioli, smoked cheddar
Dessert: Cheries Jubilee - Cherries flambéed with Kirschwasser, served over vanilla ice cream

Garridos - $25 (menu) Dinner Only
Appetizer: Pork Bocaditos with watermelon, goat cheese, and pumpkin seeds
Entree: 3 coffee marinated pork tacos
Dessert: Chocolate Tres Leches

Green Pastures - $35 (menu) Dinner Only (our review)
Appetizer: Sake Bombed Lobster Tail - BBQ Kirin Tempura Lobster Tail with Black Pepper Ginger Sake Butter and Sesame Scallions
Entree: Texas Hydroponic Redfish - Coriander Spiced Redfish, Steamed Crab Cake, Coconut-Jasmine Rice, Fried Cilantro, Curried Cashews and Lime-Long Pepper Butter
Dessert: Helen Corbitt Texas Pecan Ball - Large Scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream Rolled in Crushed Pecans and Homemade Fudge Sauce

Imperia - $25 (menu) Dinner Only
Appetizer: Yuzu Crusted Oysters Wasabi crème friache
Entree: Grilled Sake w honey mascarpone and sake lees
Dessert: Sticky Banana Cake with vanilla bean ice cream and brown butter caramel

La Sambra - $35 (menu) Lunch and Dinner
Appetizer: Guasacaca - a venezuela style guacamole with corn arepas, chifles, and queso fresco
Appetizer 2: Sopa de platanos with homini, fried yucca and cilantro
Entree: Sancochado a savory peruvian stew with corn, rice, potatoes and veggies
Dessert: Arroz con leche

Lambert's - $25-$35 (menu) Dinner Only
Appetizer: Beer Battered Florida Rock Shrimp with Texas Ginger and Honey Glaze
Entree: Brown sugar and coffee rubbed beef skirt with house pickled escabeche

Mansion at Judges Hill - $25 (menu) Dinner Only
Romantic, but a pretty ho-hum menu (and the same as last year).
Appetizer: Boudin Balls with spicy creole remoulade and scallions
Entree: Fig and port braised short ribs with a parsnip and potato puree, swiss chard and a red chile fig marmalade
Dessert: Trio of Texas Miniatures

Max's Wine Dive - $25 (menu) Dinner Only
A nice, inexpensive, homey dinner downtown. This is downright inexpensive, too, compared to Max's normal prices.
Appetizer: Max ‘N Cheese - Cavatappi pasta tossed in truffle cream with mozzarella, white cheddar, gruyere, and Grana Padano cheese blend
Entree: Southern Fried Chicken - Three pieces of chicken with MAX’s own jalapeno and buttermilk marinade, deep fried slow and low and served with chipotle honey, mashed potatoes and collard greens
Dessert: Ancho Chili Brownie - Served with Bacio gelato and chocolate sauce

Olivia - $35 (menu) Dinner Only
Appetizer: Foie Gras Creme Brulee
Salad: Beet Salad with pure luck chevre and tarragon
Entree: White Wine Coq a Vin

Paggi House - $35 (menu) Dinner Only (our review)
The rest of the menu is pretty boring, but this appetizer intrigues me.
Appetizer: Peppered Aha Tataki with Horseradish Ponzu, Cucumber, Mache

Parkside - $35 (menu) Dinner Only
Though I haven't written
Appetizer: Grilled Texas Quail with blue cheese, celery and apple
Entree: Loup de mer with poached faro and oven roasted tomatoes and herbs
Dessert: Peach upside down cake with creme fraiche ice cream, blueberries and almond tuille

Perlas - $35 (menu) Dinner Only (our review)
Appetizer: Grilled octopus with papas bravas, capers, herbs and saffron aioli
Entree: Oak grilled loch duart salmon with cucumber yogurt, chickpea tabouli and lemon pepper jam

TRIO - $35 (menu) Dinner Only (our review)
Appetizer: Beef Carpaccio with farm egg, truffled arugula, manchego
Entree: Basil-Roasted Red Snapper and herb broth
Dessert: Black & White Creme Brulee with chocolate, vanilla and raspberry beet gelee

Uchiko - $35 (menu) Dinner Only (our review)
Appetizer: roasted golden beets with skyr yogurt, bitter greens, acacia honey
Entree: shiki sakana - seared sea bass with grilled tomato, shiso, brandy, and lemongrass
Dessert: Sweet corn sorbet - polenta custard, caramel salt, and lemon

Z'Tejas Clos la Chance Wine Dinner Photo Tour

2010-09-16T08:08:00.000-07:00

I recently went to a delightful wine dinner at Z'Tejas with Teddy of Fun With Your Food. The fine folks at Z'Tejas were hosting a wine dinner spotlighting the California Winery Clos le Chance. Though neither the food nor the wine were outstanding, we still have a great time with our table mates. In the end, I grew a finer appreciation for Z'Tejas's cuisine. Sometimes they have a winning dish, sometimes not so much. But the things they excel at, Southwest, spicy, pepper infused dishes, they really knock out of the park. None of the food featured here is on their regular menu, but it was all tasty and paired decently with the wine. They do them on a regular basis, and I'd recommend it for a fun date night thats a little out of the ordinary.

Enjoy!

Spicy smokey shrimp gazpacho with a tomato cruda served with an herb-crusted crouton tuile with sauvignon blanc

Fried green tomato topped with lump crab meat drizzled with pineapple and mango infused oil with chardonnay

Chili crusted beef tenderloin topped with cherry glaze with smoked cheddar grits and haricot verts with caramelized pearl onions with merot

Crispy duck breast with guajillo peach sauce served with sweet potato mashers and grilled summer veggies with zinfandel

Chocolate truffle with Amy's coffee ice cream topped with raspberry coulis with cabernet

Taste of North Austin

2010-09-10T12:26:00.000-07:00

There are some food events in Austin that are pretty awesome (can anyone say the Hill Country Food and Wine Festival?) and there are some that fun diversions, like the Taste of North Austin. Sponsored by The Domain, it's an afternoon of live music, cooking demonstrations, and food tastings. Most of the participating restaurants live at the Domain, but there are a few others that come out to contribute the festivities.

How does it work? You go to the Domain and purchase a wristband for $20, which gets you 10 samples of food from one of the available vendors. So who is participating?

- Buca di Beppo
- Con’ Olio Oils
- Cookwell & Company
- Cool River Café & Steakhouse
- Crú - A Wine Bar
- Daily Grill
- Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar*
- Gloria’s
- Jasper's Gourmet Backyard Cuisine*
- Kona Grill
- Lick It Bite it or Both
- madCakes
- Maggiano’s Little Italy
- Marie Callender’s
- McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurant
- Newk’s Express Cafe
- NoRTH
- Orange Cup Yogurt
- Tiff's Treats
- Truluck's Seafood, Steak and Crab House
- URBAN – An American Grille*
- Viva Chocolato

I went a last year with Rachel of Boots in the Oven and we had a good time going to the cooking demonstrations and sampling some of the food. However, we did eventually end up at Jasper's eating blue cheese potato chips. It's an enjoyable way to spend a few hours on a Saturday afternoon. Check it out!

Uchiko - A Photo Tour

2010-09-07T21:05:00.000-07:00

4200 N. Lamar Ste. 140
Austin, TX 78756
(512) 916-4808

www.uchikoaustin.com

I recently went for a nice, romantic dinner at Uchiko. The food here is interesting, tasty, innovative, and expensive - just like at Uchiko's sister restaurant, Uchi. I've given Uchi a rating of 9 and I still stand by that rating, and I would give Uchiko the same. So instead of boring you with a bunch of words on something you already know is amazing, I thought I'd do a picture tour.

Akami te - big eye tuna, watermelon, cilantro, coriander

Hiramasa tataki - seared amberjack with fennel and fuji apple

Edamame

Hot rock with Yellowtail

Salmon negiri

Eel negiri

Toledo Roll with big eye tuna, bitter greens, chorizo, avocado, almonds and grilled garlic

Sweet corn sorbet, polenta custard, caramel salt, lemon

Fried Milk - chocolate milk, toasted milk, iced milk sherbet

~Mariah: 9

Foodie Photo of the Day

2010-09-03T02:48:00.001-07:00

Picnic of Grapes and Spring Rolls at Red Rocks Amphitheatre near Denver, Colorado

Dining for Life

2010-08-30T11:17:00.000-07:00

A big special thanks to my friend Michelle who let me know about this!

On September 13th and 14th, if you eat at any of the participating restaurants listed below, and they'll donate a portion of your check to Aids Services of Austin. Everyone listed is participating for dinner, but the restaurants with stars next to them are donating for lunch too! There aren't any special menus, but if you're planning on eating out anyway, why not try one of these fine establishments?

Mon Sept, 13
34th Street Café
Asti Trattoria
Blue Star Cafeteria
Chango's South Lamar
Chango's Guadalupe
Chez Zee American Bistro
*Chuy’s Arbor Trails
*Chuy’s Barton Springs
*Chuy’s North Lamar
*Chuy’s Round Rock
*Chuy’s 183
Eastside Café
FINO Restaurant Patio & Bar
Guero's Taco Bar
Hoover’s Cooking – Manor Rd
Hyde Park Bar & Grill - Duval
Hyde Park Bar & Grill – Westgate
Jack Allen’s Kitchen
Magnolia Café – S Congress
Magnolia Café – Lake Austin Blvd
Manuel's at Great Hills
Manuel's Downtown
Maudie’s Café
Maudie’s Too
Maudie’s Hacienda
Maudie’s Milagro
Maudie’s North Lamar
Maudie’s Hill Country
Mirabelle Restaurant
Moonshine Patio Bar & Grill
Mother’s Café
Olivia
Ranch 616
Sago Modern Mexican
*Shady Grove
*South Congress Ave Café
*Snap Kitchen – 6th & Lamar
*Snap Kitchen – The Triangle
*Trudy’s – Central
*Trudy’s – North
*Trudy’s – South
Urban: An American Grill
Wink Restaurant & Wine Bar

Tues Sept, 14
Annie’s Café & Bar
Clay Pit
Enchiladas y Mas
Fonda San Miguel
Galaxy Café South
Galaxy Café on West Lynn
Galaxy Café at the Triangle
Garrido’s
La Sombra Bar & Grill
Magnolia Café – S Congress
Magnolia Café – Lake Austin Blvd
Ruby’s BBQ on Guadalupe
Sago Modern Mexican
Santa Rita Cantina - 26 Doors
Santa Rita Cantina - Circle C
Shoreline Grill
*South Congress Ave Café
Snack Bar
*Snap Kitchen – 6th & Lamar
*Snap Kitchen – The Triangle
*Trudy’s – Central
*Trudy’s – North
*Trudy’s – South
Urban: An American Grill
Vivo Lake Creek
Vivo Cocina
Zocalo Café
Zoot

Foodie Photo of the Day

2010-08-27T14:38:00.000-07:00

Pollo Empanada at Los Kioskos in Luquillo, Puerto Rico

How to Taste Wine*

2010-08-26T06:14:00.000-07:00

*Or at least pretend like you know what you're talking about

Many of you may have noticed that we at Dining In Austin don't rate only food and restaurants. From time to time we also rate wines. If I have a particularly good or bad glass of wine with a meal then I feel it's my duty to tell you about it. When I was in my early 20's though (yeah that's going to date me), I used to drink wine with a rather binary approach, either I liked it or I didn't. When I started to write about food a few years ago, I decided to take a few wine tasting classes so I could talk the talk and walk the walk when it came to wine. This, my fine foodie friends, is my organized, engineer-like breakdown of how to taste wine based on the notes I've taken from 10 or so different wine tasting classes.

Appearance
1) Tilt the wine glass to a 30 degree angle. Inspect the color and clarity. If its murky or cloudy, then say so, also note if its a thin or a vibrant color. Now don't just say "It's a red wine", snooty wine drinkers don't like it when you state the obvious. Say "It's a rich garnet red color" or "It's a light raspberry red color". If its a white wine, see if there's a tint of a secondary color. Say "This white wine has a reddish tinge"? You have to add a descriptive word or two to the obvious color of the wine. It's like identifying colors in kindergarten, only with alcohol. It's fun!

Ultimately you want to get good enough to say "This white wine has a vibrant straw color with a hint of red". Wine drinkers love that, that'll get you in the door.

Some wine drinkers will tell you to swirl the wine and look at the "legs", the drip lines to see how sugary/alcoholic a wine is. Basically, the thicker and more syrupy the legs are, the higher the sugar/alcohol content is. However, I've never really seen any use to this. A taste test tells me so much more about the sugar and alcohol balance of a wine than the legs. But, a lot of snooty wine drinkers do this, so if you're in a group of them, feel free to comment on the legs.

Aroma
This is my favorite part of wine tasting (aside from the actual drinking). You can know absolutely nothing about wine but look like a Master Sommelier with a few simple tricks.

1) Swirl the wine, this is very important, it agitates the wine and releases the aromas, plus it looks cool

2) Smelling for Fruits: Stick your nose way, way, way down into the glass and smell. This is where you'll smell the fruit aromas. All wines will generally have one fruit smell thats pronounced and a couple of secondary fruit smells. Most of the time when you smell a wine you can pick up the aroma of at least one fruit, but if you can't, who cares! Pick a couple of fruits off the list below and throw them out there. No one will know. Trust me.

White Wine Fruits - lemons, limes, green apples, apricots, pears
Red Wine Fruits - cherry, blackberry, raspberry, strawberry, currants

3) Smelling for Plants: Stick your nose just inside the bottom rim of the glass (the side of the rim closest to you) and smell. This is where you'll smell the floral bouquet of the wine. Not all wines will have a distinct floral smell, but a lot of them will. Some wines will also have a vegetal smell. Whites might smell green peppery or grassy while reds might smell of camphor or eucalyptus.

White Wine Plants - orange blossom, honeysuckle, grass
Red Wine Plants - lavender, rose, violet, lilac, camphor

4) Smelling for Minerals and Spices: Stick your nose just inside the top tom of the glass (the side of the rim farthest from you) and smell. This is where you'll smell the minerals of a white wine and the spices of a red wine.

White Wine Minerals - seaspray, chalky, flinty, toast, straw, butter, nutty
Red Wine Spices - chocolate, leather, tobacco/smoke, licorice, vanilla, pepper, butterscotch

5) Smelling for Overtones: Stick your nose over the rim and wave the glass back and forth under it. This is where you'll smell the overtones or chemical notes of a wine. Now, just because you might smell something odd in an overtone doesn't mean that its in the wine. Sometimes a really odd overtone makes the wine seem special or different. But trust me, now that you know to look for them, you'll notice some weird ones.

Wine Overtones - burning rubber, cat pee, gunpowder, sulphur, barnyard, tar

Here's the best part about smelling wine. Everyone smells something different. And 9 times out of 10 if you throw out something you think you smell in the wine, someone at the table will agree with you. The power of suggestion will work to your advantage in wine tasting.

Taste
The actual tasting of wine is highly overrated at an snooty wine tasting. 80% of wine "tasting" is smelling and wine snobs will spend a lot more time analyzing the smells of the wine than the tastes. But, you spend 90% of your time drinking a wine and not analyzing it, so enjoy it.

Now wine drinkers have a special way they drink wine when they're analyzing it. They call it "aspiration" and it looks incredibly silly and pretentious, but it does kind of work. Basically you take a sip of wine (but don't swallow), purse your lips like you're about to kiss your mom, stick your tongue between your teeth and suck in some air. It makes the wine bubble on your tongue and brings out the flavors of the wine. I generally don't do this when I sample wine, I mean, a girl's gotta have her dignity. But snotty wine drinkers do it, so I feel like I have to give you fair warning.

The qualities you analyze when you actually taste the wine fall into two categories: judging the body, and judging the flavors. Steps 1 through 4, below, will help you judge the body. Step 5 will help you judge the flavors.

1) Tasting for Acidity: Basically, this is a binary choice. Does the wine have crisp or zingy quality, indicating a higher acidity, or is it kind of smooth, indicating a lower acid content. This part of tasting will be especially important with white wines. Easy!

2) Tasting for Sugar: Again, this is a binary choice. Does the wine taste sweet, indicating a higher sugar content, or more dry or bitter, indicating a lower sugar content. This might be a little harder, because people confuse "fruity" and "sweet". But not you. You know the difference now.

3) Tasting for Alcohol: Basically, does it burn your mouth. If so, its got a lot of alcohol. People don't comment on alcohol content of wine much, well, until they're a few glasses in.

4) Tasting for Tannins: You only have to do this with red wines. When you take a sip of wine, does your mouth feel desiccated or dried out? If so, then the wine has a lot of tannins.

5) Tasting for Flavors: This is the most enjoyable part of wine tasting. You're going to taste the wine and see if you taste the aromas you smelled. So swish the wine around in your mouth and see if you taste the fruits, florals, minerals/spices, and overtones aromas you noticed when smelling the wine. You'll want to take a sip for each prominent aroma you smelled above to see if you can taste it. I know that's going to be hard. Then take a few sips and see if you taste anything different from the aroma.

If the wine tastes like it smelled, say something snotty like "The palate matches the bouquet nicely". If you think the wine's going to taste a certain way and then it doesn't, say "wow, that is an unexpected surprise!" Don't you sound smarter already?

The Finish
"The Finish" is a fancy way of saying "The Aftertaste." Wait a minute or two after you've tasted a wine and note the feel of your mouth and the flavors you taste. Is it bitter, cloyingly sweet, tanniny, fruity, floral, clean? Pick one and run with it. Also note how long the flavors and feel of the wine stay in your mouth. Did it disappear quickly or did it linger a while. This would be referred to as a short or long finish.

This is also a great time to tell people your overall impression of the wine. Does it seem balanced to you? Or were you under-whelmed by the smell or the flavors. Did the wine smell like a french whore's bottom? Does it taste like the sweetness of your first kiss? Here is the time to pull some great metaphor out of your arsenal and really impress your wine snob friends (it helps to have a few prepared if you're really worried).

There! I have imparted my snobby wine knowledge onto you. You, at least, can try to sound like you know something about wine. Please, take it and run; go impress your uppity in-laws or your new sugar momma's snobby boss. You hold the power now.

Foodie Photo of the Day

2010-08-25T20:09:00.000-07:00

Artisan Mochi at Minamoto Kotchoan in NYC

Minamoto Kitchoan
608 5th Avenue
New York, NY 10020-0028
(212) 489-3747

Green Pastures

2010-08-24T20:05:00.000-07:00

In my family, we like brunch. Ok, that's a lie. We LOVE brunch. Every birthday, anniversary, and celebration, seems to surround some sort of brunch. We even have brunch once a month, just because. But last month was my Aunt Mickie's birthday, so what did we do? We went to brunch. And since it was a super special occasion, we decided to go to THE super special occasion brunch restaurant, Green Pastures.

I've heard different opinions of the food at Green Pastures which will be discussed at length in a minute. Say what you will about the food, but Green Pasture's reputation as a special occasion restaurant is so ingrained in Austin history that it's a force to be reckoned with. People have been coming to Green Pastures for birthday's, anniversaries, engagements, and other special occasions for well over 50 years. And for good reason, the restaurant is in a huge, lovely Victorian and the grounds are well manicured and beautiful.

One of the things they are well noted for, is their huge Sunday brunch buffet. It's one of the larger brunch buffet's in Austin and it's high class all the way. With silver chafing dishes, white linens, ceramic name plates, the class at Green Pastures is in the details.

The buffet is huge. Huge. There is an appetizer table, a small plates table, a salad table, a veggies table, a entrees table, a meat table AND 3 dessert tables. Each table is laden with numerous trays, plates, and cups filled with delectable treats. I'll try my best to review what I've had on my trips to Green Pastures, but their buffet offerings change every week, so you just have to trust that the food is generally pretty good. Some dishes are better than others, the food isn't too horribly original, but all in all the quality of all the food is consistently pretty high.

Here is the small plates portion of the huge buffet table. Check out all the food! Sesame tuna, smoke trout, smoked salmon, little cups of soup or dip, and just different kinds of seafood.

The tomato soup was ok, the white bean dip was pretty awesome (my dad had 2 little cups of them). The seafood is always tasty. Their smoked salmon is always very good, but the trout was a little lacking this time around.

Here is the salad selection on the buffet. I loved the mini wedge salads. What can I say, I'm a sucker for blue cheese and bacon. Sue me. Everything else was just ok. Save your stomach room for the veggies and entrees.

Here is the veggie table. Now, the veggies I've had at Green Pastures have always been really really good. Everyone will attack the buffet and fill up on meat and desserts, but the veggies are the true gems of the buffet. Here are Green Beans, Ginger, Red Pepper and Sweet Corn with Edamame. The sweet corn and edamame was so so tasty. I went back for seconds!

And what fancy schmancy buffet wouldn't include some classic brunch fair. Take these Eggs Benedicts. When is an eggs benedict ever bad? These are pretty typical versions.

Mixed in with the classic brunch entrees are some not so classic brunch fair. Take this roasted pork loin with andouille sausage and fried basil (you had me at fried basil).

It was pretty good, but didn't compare to the best dish on the whole (large and generously laid) table, the Sauteed Flounder with Shrimp, Lobster, Arugula and Fried Capers. Creamy with the flavor of fresh seafood, it melted in my mouth. And the pop in flavor the capers left in my mouth was a nice surprise. D.e.l.i.c.i.o.u.s.

There's even an old school roast beef carver. I think buffet roast beef is overrated and only there because it looks cool, so I didn't bother trying it (but the carver was very nice).

And what huge brunch buffet wouldn't have an equally huge dessert bar? This is only part of the dessert table. It was like 4 times the size of this one picture. Everything I tried was delicious, if a little bit conventional.

And of course when you're done with brunch, you can wonder the beautiful grounds and try to spot the peacocks and peahens. I even saw three little peachicks following a peahen (yeah they're really called peachicks, I googled it).

Next time you're in need of a special occasion brunch and a little peachick spotting, check out Green Pastures.

~Mariah: 8.5

Foodie Photo of the Day

2010-08-19T15:13:00.000-07:00

Cupcakes at Magnolia Bakery

Magnolia Bakery
1240 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY
(212) 767-1123

The Jalopy

2010-08-18T09:28:00.000-07:00

The Jalopy
15th and San Antonio
(512) 817 – 8554

http://jalopyaustin.com/

I recently had dinner at the Jalopy food "trailer" in downtown Austin. I say "trailer" in parenthesis, because it's not the typical airstream or food cart we Austin-ites have come to associate with trailer eating. It's an honest to God semi. Smoke stack and everything. Really.

I was invited to dine there by owner/head chef Nick Patrizi when Jalopy had just opened a few months ago (sorry Nick for taking so long to get to this). If you haven't dined at Jalopy, you should, just to meet Mr. Patrizi. He's a really larger than life personality. If I could just bottle his energy and sell it to all the groggy middle-aged office workers of the world, I'd make a mint!

The Jalopy is primarily a sandwich shop specializing in rotisserie chicken and pressed panini sandwiches.

All the sandwich fillings are made from scratch, including these delectable mushrooms. That's Nick, btw.

What makes the Jalopy special, aside from the fact that it's a giant semi, are the attention to artistic detail. The trailer is covered in incredible art hand painted by local artists.

Unfortunately, at the time we visited the Jalopy (and granted, this was several months ago, and when it first opened), the only way to order sandwiches was to climb a rickety looking staircase made of shipping palates. Not knowing to expect this, I wore some killer platform high heels (black with a sexy ankle strap, thank you). And I had to remove my heels before I could attempt to climb the stair to order a sandwich. I'm hoping that in the few months since I visited, the stair problem has been solved with a little sturdier solution.

To balance out the rickety staircase, however, was this awesome sammich shoot. When your sammiches are done, they send them down this crazy shoot.

But you're saavy restaurant patrons. You can't be swayed by a nifty sammich shoot and cool art. You want to know about the food. I'm a little sad to say, the food falls a little short of the awesome trailer.

Most of the sandwiches are made with chicken meat from rotisserie chickens. They are hand roasted in the trailer and are delicious and flavorful. Nick could make a nice business selling his tasty chickens on the side. Who doesn't love a rotisserie chicken on a lazy weeknight. I know I do.

To whet your appetite, Nick serves some delicious veggie chips. They can be dusted with bbq, salt and vinegar, chili lime, parmesan garlic, sea salt, creamy dill, or margherita pizza flavoring. We opted for parmesan garlic and happily munched away while he prepared our sandwiches.

I went to Jalopy with my friend Connie, who is on a perpetual healthy eating kick. This time she was trying to eat low carb. And even though Jalopy is a sandwich place, Nick, graciously, made her a low carb version of his Son Hong sandwich. Rotisserie chicken in a spicy chili sauce with pickled onions, cucumbers, and a cilantro salad. I took a bite and it was every bit as hot as it looked. Connie loved it, and gobbled it down. Just looking at it made my heart burn though, so I stuck with a more traditional sandwich.

I had a Jalopy Original - rotisserie chicken in a demi-glace with a red onion marmalade. The red onions are cooked down with a balsamic reduction, sugar, cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg. And the demi-glace is made with the chicken bones from the rotisserie chicken served on most of the sandwiches. The sandwich had a nice subtle flavor, but was hoping for an explosion of awesome in my mouth and what I got instead of was a pop. The texture of the sandwich left a little to be desired too. The demi glace sauce soaked through the break creating a sloppy mess before I was even half way though.

Now, while we were eating, Nick talked to us about some sandwich experiments he was running and mentioned he was trying sandwiches with a juice soaked inner piece of bread so the juices wouldn't drip to the outter pieces. Here's hoping he's perfected that technique.

Connie and I also went with Teddy of Fun with your Food, a 90% vegetarian. At the time we went, all the Jalopy sandwiches had chicken, so Nick made her a special off-menu veggie sandwich. She really liked it. Since then, I see, he's added 3 veggie sandwiches that all sound amazing.

And while it wasn't available at the time I went, I see there is a Chicken and Waffle sandwich now which totally intrigues me and I definitely will be going back to try.

~Mariah: 7

Foodie Photo of the Day

2010-08-17T08:53:00.000-07:00

Cakes at Magnolia Bakery

Magnolia Bakery
1240 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY
(212) 767-1123

Foodie Photo of the Day

2010-08-15T11:43:00.000-07:00

Oyster Nachos at Max's Wine Dive

Max's Wine Dive
207 San Jacinto Boulevard
Austin, TX 78701

(512) 904-0111

Food Fight! Lockhart BBQ Challenge

2010-08-13T14:46:00.000-07:00

One reason I love my friends: they're foodies too. One hot sunday afternoon, we all decided to carpool down to Lockhart and conduct a thorougly scientific comparison of the Lockhardt BBQ joints. Upon reaching Lockhart, we were disappointed to learn that Kruetz's Market is closed on Sundays so we had to do a comparison of the 3 remaining BBQ joints, Black's and Smitty's.

At precisely the same time, a carload of us went to Black's and a carload of us went to Smitty's so the BBQ would be fresh and purchased at the same time. We decided, at a minumum, to get brisket, ribs, sausage, potato salad and cold slaw. We could also make an executive decision to get other additions we thought looked tasty. Then, we'd all meet up at the city park for a delicious picnic of BBQ.

I was in the carload that went to Black's. When we arrived, I was stuck by how old fashioned the whole town looked. There was a beautiful old courthouse and town square. But unlike Fredricksburg, there weren't kitschy country stores in the town square. It had a slightly depressed old Texas feel. Clearly, the only thing people come to Lockhard for is the BBQ.

Black's looks much like the rest of Lockhart. Old, a little run down, and 100% Texas country. The exterior looks more like a deer feed/hardware store than a BBQ restaurant.

But once you step into Black's, it's an oasis of Texas BBQ. The first thing you'll notice are the impressive selection of home cooked sides. Many more sides than I've seen at any other Texas BBQ joint.

The meat is kept in an ingenious meat locker and is cut fresh when you order it.

Once we had procured our meat and sides, we went to the municipal park to conduct our thoroughly scientific taste test. In this picture, the Black's offerings are in the front and the Smitty's offerings are in the back.

And so you can get a sense of the aesthetics, here are the Black's meats:

And here are the Smitty's meats:

So the results!

Sausage - Winner: Tied
Smitty's was meatier, almost gamey, while Blacks was creamier, with a finer blend. We were all split down the middle, some liking one more than the other. While I usually like a finer blend sausage, this time around I, liked the intense meaty flavor of the Smitty's sausage better.

Brisket - Winner: Black's
Black's outstanding brisket was the winner of the whole meal. It was moist, soft and tender, fell apart. Smitty's was dry and lack-luster.

Ribs - Winner: (Begrudgingly) Black's
The Smitty's ribs were moister but were covered in a sickly sweet red sauce. The ribs at Blacks had a better smoky flavor, but were dry. In the end, most people preferred smoky over sweet. But neither offering was all that great.

Potato Salad - Winner: Smitty
I liked the Blacks better, though, but I got overruled by the masses. Black's potato salad is chunkier with large pieces of potato. Smitty's potato salad is creamier, but in my opinion is, too mayonnaise-y. I got my fill of mayonnaise potato salad living in the Midwest. I want some mustard in mine now. Oh well.

Cold Slaw - Winner: Smitty's
Smitty's slaw used 3 different types of cabbage, carrots, and had a pleasant a peppery aftertaste. It was much more complex (well, as complex as cold slaw can be) than Blacks which only had 1 type of cabbage but was tangy.

Other Sides - Winner: Black's
While none of the other sides at Black's were all that spectacular, it won out in sheer volume of available sides. Smitty's offered potato salad and cold slaw, that's it. However, Black's had yams - sweet and gelatinous and all together pretty bad. And creamed corn - much better than the yams, nice and creamy with a hint of tarragon. They also had mashed potatoes - peppery and good with the cream gravy. And macaroni and cheese - basic and not that great.

Overall - Winner: Blacks

The better selection of sides and the clear win in the brisket department let Black's nose ahead of Smitty's. However, I must state for the record that neither was the best BBQ I've ever had. Except for Black's brisket. It was quite good, and may possibly be the best brisket I've had in Texas (yet).

~Smitty's - 7
~Black's - 8

Ambhar Tequila and Cover 3

2010-08-12T09:17:00.000-07:00

Cover 3
2700 West Anderson Lane #202
Austin, TX 78757
(512) 374-1121

Did you know Austin has a tequila company? I sure didn't before I went to a tasting they held at Cover 3 a few weeks ago. It's called Ambhar Tequila. And while it's made in Jalisco, where almost all tequila is made, it is imported by a company here in Austin. So it's kind of an Austin product.. Kind of. Apparently it's distilled 5 times, which seems to be the hot new trend in boutique distilling. While most whiskey is generally distilled 3 times and some vodka is distilled up to 12 times, Ambhar is the only tequila distilled 5 times. But all that handling comes with a hefty price tag, over $100 a bottle! Tequila has come a long way from the wormy mezcals we're so used to seeing.

As I've mentioned, most tequila is made in the Jalisco region of Mexico. The area of Jalisco where most tequila is made, is at a higher altitude and fairly arid. But what makes Jalisco so well suited for producing tequila is its volcanic soil. This soil is particularly well suited for growing the agave plant from which all tequila is made.

The part of the agave plant used to make tequila is called the pina (pronounced PEEN-ya). The pina is a huge 40-60 pound ball with thick, long, tapering stalks radiating from the ball. Jimadores, or agave farmers, remove the pina from the larger agave plant and chip away the stalks with a special tool called a coa. When the stalks are removed, the pina resembles its namesake, a pineapple. The pinas are mashed, sometimes by hand, and their juices, or musto, are pressed out. The musto is then fermented into tequila.

Bottles of Ambhar Tequila

If you're not familiar with tequila, it generally comes in three different levels based on how long the tequila is allowed to age. At the bottom is Blanco tequila. Blanco tequila is clear and unaged. It is the sharpest and most vegetal tasting tequila. The middle level is the Resposado tequila. Resposado tequila is usually a light golden color and is aged in oak barrels for less than a year. The upper level is Anejo tequila. It is a usually a rich amber color and is aged at least a year, but usually is aged around 3 years.

Of the different levels of tequila, I generally like Anejo better. I prefer the complex flavors of a longer aged tequila. But the star of Ambhar's distillery is their smoky yet peppy Resposado. It is bright and lively and would fly out of your glass and do a little salsa dance in your mouth if it could. I think the problem with Ambhar is the 5 distillations. Tequila isn't vodka where more distillations result in a cleaner more pleasing flavor. Good tequila is smoky and complex with a real bite. I think Ambhar's slightly aged but still complex Resposado manages to take the best of the 5 distillations and still be bold and unique.

But enough about tequila, let's talk food at Cover 3. I've been to Cover 3, now, a few times, and I have to say, they're one of the better upscale sports bars in town. I even took my dad there for Father's Day this year after I found out their burger was rated #12 in the state of Texas by Texas Monthly. You may not know this about me, but, like my father, I LOVE a good hamburger. And I've been a little disappointed by the hamburgers I've had in Austin. They're all rather plain. So I am in a constant search to find the perfect hamburger in Austin. I'll take any recommendations you give me, by the way.

Anyway, Cover 3's hamburger is one of the better ones I've had in Austin. But it didn't wow me enough to bestow the best burger in Austin title to it. I'm still holding on to that.

However, the Ambhar tequila event, in particular, only featured a few things off Cover 3's regular menu. They seem particularly well set up for hosting private events and I'm guessing the some of the appetizers we tried are reserved for private event.

I don't quite remember, but I think these are some sort of ceviche nacho. It's not on their normal menu, but was refreshing and light.

I don't think this is on their normal menu either but it was delicious. I believe it was beef on toast in a horseradish cream sauce with candied onions. I think I had 4 of these.

I'm generally not a huge fan of bar food and sports bars, but I have to admit, Cover 3 has a great hold on the upscale sports bar market. If you need a place to have a casual but nice lunch with a client, a happy hour with co-workers, or you want to watch the game AND get a great meal, this is the place for you. You just have to deal with the suburban-Dallas feel of the place. That being said, I've been here many times and will continue to come back, particularly if they add those beef on toast appetizers to their main menu (hint hint Cover 3).

~Ambhar: 7 (when you factor in the price)
~Cover 3: 8

Foodie Photo of the Day

2010-08-12T08:21:00.000-07:00

Tea at Alice's Teacup in NYC

Alice's Tea Cup
220 East 81st Street, New York
(212) 734-4832

Foodie Photo of the Day

2010-08-11T20:20:00.000-07:00

Meat lockers at Black's

Blacks
215 North Main Street
Lockhart, TX 78644-2121
(512) 398-2712

Shuck Shack

2010-08-10T08:26:00.000-07:00

I've been eating at Shuck Shack, on occasion, since it opened, and I'm really surprised I haven't gotten around to writing about it yet, so here goes.

The Shuck Shack isn't really a restaurant, it's a plot of land over in East Austin. On it is an adorable old-style southern building, an outside patio surrounded by dense foliage and large yard filled with typical southern lawn games.

Generally all they serve is seafood. And not just southern deep fried seafood as the name would imply. There are typical seafood selections from all coasts. East coast crab cakes and calamari live hand and hand next to ceviche and mahi with a soy glaze.

When I went a few weeks ago, I was in the mood for one thing, deep fried seafood. My friend Connie and I had both had bad days at work and wanted to indulge ourselves in some deep fried goodness. But being foodies, we didn't want to stoop so low as to eat at Red Lobster or Long John Silver's (and don't get me wrong, there's a time and a place for both of those, but it's generally when you're on the road). So we decided to head to Shuck Shack.

We started out with a plate of calamari with lemon. The calamari where tender (for calamari) and perfectly deep fried. I think we ate the whole basket.

And being a good southern girl, I had to get hush puppies. Hush puppies are how I judge a good southern restaurant. If they take the time to make good hush puppies, then the rest of their food will probably be decent. Shuck Shack's hush puppies, while not the best I've ever had, made a strong showing.

Probably the best savory dish we had all night were the Shrimp Diablo. Now, how can anything associated with bacon, shrimp, and jalapeno be bad? It really can't, but Shuck Shack's Shrimp Diablo were a tasty treat.

My absolute favorite thing I tried at Shuck Shack that evening was the Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie. It was delicious! It's worth going to shuck shack for the pie alone! In fact, when I was done with one slice, I ALMOST ordered a second. It took a monumental act of willpower to keep myself from getting another.

While we ate, we had a nice show watching the other restaurant patrons play lawn games. They have large, well groomed playing fields set up for horseshoes, washers and bocce ball. When the weather gets a little cooler, I fully intend on going back for a game of bocce and another Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie.

~Mariah: 9

Note: The Shuck Shack is now closed. Too bad, it was a really decent place to eat. One more casualty of the Great Recession.

Foodie Photo of the Day

2010-08-09T13:07:00.000-07:00

Carrot Cake Dessert at Rouge Tomate in NYC

Rouge Tomate
10 E 60th St
New York, 10022
(646) 237-8977

Foodie Photo of the Day

2010-08-06T13:10:00.000-07:00

Charcuterie at Rouge Tomate in NYC

Rouge Tomate
10 E 60th St
New York, 10022
(646) 237-8977

Foodie Photo of the Day

2010-08-05T11:57:00.000-07:00

Black's BBQ Sauce

Blacks
215 North Main Street
Lockhart, TX 78644-2121
(512) 398-2712

Foodie Photo of the Day

2010-08-04T21:34:00.000-07:00

Chinese food at Fortune Restaurant

Fortune

10901 North Lamar Boulevard
Austin, TX 78753-3696
(512) 490-1426

Baguette House

2010-08-04T11:26:00.000-07:00

Baguette House
10901 N Lamar Blvd
Austin, TX 78753
(512) 837-9100

http://www.chinatownaustin.com/menus/BaquetteHouse.pdf

Now that I'm a respected member of the Austin food media (I know, I can't say it with a straight face either), I get invited to a lot of food events around town. Some of them are awesome, some of them I'm kind of left scratching my head over. Like wedding expos. I get invited to alot of wedding expos now. I can kind of see the connection, weddings have food, food is provided by caterers and there are caterers at wedding expos.. but its a stretch.

Recently I was invited to one such expo at Fortune restaurant waaaay up north in the hinterlands at the Chinatown market on Lamar. I met Teddy of Fun with your Food who had also been invited. We thought we were going to get to sample all sorts of delicious food from Fortune, which I haven't had the opportunity to try yet. When we got there, though, we found an odd mish-mash of wedding vendors. A couple of photographers, a couple of cake vendors, a photo booth, a whisky distillor, and oddly enough, an asian costume vendor. Odd right?

Well, we made the best of the odd event and sampled some high end whisky, looked at cake samples, commented on the asian costumes, and tried some of Fortune's delicious chinese food. But when it was all said and done, we were still hungry so we decided to walk over with Michael of Cooking for Enigneers and his wife, to the Baguette House for a bánh mì . Teddy swore up and down Baguette House has the best sandwiches in Austin, so I though 'why not'.

Now, I'm sure by now, most of you foodies have heard of the delicious Vietnamese sandwich known as the bánh mì. It's become quite popular in the last few years, and for a good reason, it's delicious. It also has a long and interesting food history. The bánh mì started out in the French countryside as a simple meat and veggie sandwich on a baguette. And being French they would also add pate and mayonaise. When the French colonized Vietnam, they brought their yummy French sandwich with them. The Vietnamese said "Hey, thats a delicious sandwich, but lets add pickled carrots and cucumbers, cilantro, and chili sauce." And that, my friends, is how the bánh mì was born. Since then, it's migrated all over the world with Vietnamese immigrants and now its a much loved sandwich everywhere.

Bánh mì's come in all sorts of varieties, but they all generally are on a baguette, have pickled veggies, pate, and mayo on them. The main difference between bánh mì's comes in the selection of meat. Common types of bánh mì's that you might encounter are the bánh mì gà, with chicken, the bánh mì xíu mại, with meatballs, the bánh mì thịt nướng, with ham, and the famous bánh mì đặc biệt with sliced deli meat and headcheese! Please don't ask me to pronounce any of these.

When I went to Baguette House, I thought, if I'm going to go, go big, so I ordered the #1, the bánh mì đặc biệt or the House Special Combination. Headcheese be damned! What I got was a delicious sandwich on a perfectly crisp baguette. The bread had a soft golden crust on the outside but was moist and chewy on the inside. There were several types of chilled cold cuts, pate and, yes, headcheese. The veggies were crisp and freshly pickled. The bread to meat ratio was a little uneven, but since the bread was so delicious, I didn't mind that it was a little on the bready side. All in all it WAS a delicious sandwich, bánh mì or otherwise.

We also decided to try this alien looking drink they offered. The owner said it was a mint jelly drink with basil seeds. I like mint and a like basil, so i thought why not try it out. Apparently, basil seeds, when soaked in water take on a gelatinous quality thats popular in asian desserts and drinks. The texture was very odd between the gelatinous mint jelly and the equally gelatinous basil seeds. And the whole drink had a rather herbatious, medicinal quality to it. Which I guess is great, because Teddy, the Macrobiotic Chef, told me they are good for constipation and help.. um.. manly problems. Boys take note. But I didn't really care for it, and will skip it next time.

I have a hard time getting to Bagette House normally, since they're way up north and are only open till 7. You have to be around the area at lunch or want an early dinner to have the pleasure of eating one of their delicious sandwiches. But if you can, please go, the sandwiches are delicious. And did I mention cheap? A wonderful $3 sandwich is a bargain in my book!

~Mariah: 9

Foodie Photo of the Day

2010-08-02T07:35:00.000-07:00

Chinese food at Fortune Restaurant

Fortune

10901 North Lamar Boulevard
Austin, TX 78753-3696
(512) 490-1426

Foodie Photo of the Day

2010-07-30T09:17:00.000-07:00

The Olivia
As mentioned here.

East Side Pies
1401 Rosewood Avenue
Austin, TX 78702
(512) 524-0933

Save the Date - Fall 2010 Restaurant Week

2010-07-29T10:34:00.000-07:00

I'll post more on this later, but I just wanted to remind y'all that we have the two fall 2010 Restaurant Weeks coming up in the next few months!

September 19 - September 22 & September 26 - October 1 Restaurant Week Austin

September 27 - October 1 Go Texan Restaurant Round-up

Start your dieting now so you can indulge for 2 whole weeks!

Cousin Leroy's BBQ Sauce

2010-07-29T10:05:00.000-07:00

Folks, this is Cousin Leroy:

He is a local BBQ sauce purvey. I first met him at The Gibson Bar a few months ago. He was a kind-looking man sitting at the bar holding a few jars of BBQ sauce. Now, I'm not going to lie, when I saw a strong, black man sitting at a bar, holding BBQ sauce, I'm going to go up and talk to him. He proceeded to tell me all about his BBQ sauce business.

Cousin Leroy is the proud owner of a Cousin Leroy's BBQ Sauce, a saucery that makes 5 different kinds of BBQ sauce: A mild, a sweet, a spicy, a hot-spicy, and a mustard sauce. He's been making the sauces for over 30 years, and recently decided to bottle it and try selling it to local restaurants.

Turns out his mustard mop is what The Gibson Bar is using for they honey mustard dipping sauce. It was incredibly strong. If you like mustard, you're going to LOVE Cousin Leroy's Mustard Mop.

Cousin Leroy was so kind to give me a sample of the Mild BBQ Sauce. I used it a few weeks ago to make pulled pork. I threw a 1/2 a jar of it into a crock pot with a pork shoulder (a boston butt works too), a sliced onion, and some beef broth (or root beer if you've got it) to cover the roast. I cooked it for 8 hours,shredded the pork, and covered it with the remaining 1/2 jar of sauce. Bam, you have amazing pulled pork.

I made it for my friend Jen's birthday float down the Comal. You've gotta have sammiches while you float, and what better sammich to each while your floating than a delicious pulled pork sammich. Everyone raved about them and none were left at the end of the float.

Great sauce Cousin Leroy!

The Gibson Bar and Trailer

2010-07-28T10:04:00.000-07:00

I was recently invited to the opening of the Gibson Bar and Trailer on South Lamar (not to be confused with the Gibson Room which is above Maggie Mae's). The bar is the square charcoal colored building across from Alamo South. When I drove up, I was kind of.. underwhelmed. The outside of the building is quite stout and not very attractive. And there's not alot of parking. You end up having to park on a side street between the bar and the railroad tracks next to some questionable looking abandoned lots. My advice to you is not to inspect the abandoned lots too closely. When I was walking from my car, I noticed a man passed out in a passenger van parked a few hundred feet into one of the lots. There was even a little clothes line strung up.

The inside of the bar is much nicer than the outside would lend you to believe. Its dark, modern and rather generic, but looks clean. There are several nice, large booths that can fit moderately large drinking parties. But, to warn you, there's no sound dampening in the place, so it can get rather noisy. All in all, though, a pleasant place to spend a few hours drinking.

Bar, itself, doesn't serve food. They've actually figured a rather fun and ingenious way to incorporate food, with an permanently attached airstream trailer, called interestingly enough, The Trailer. The Trailer is actually where the food is ordered and made. Its even one of those fun silver bullet airstream trailers. The Trailer, however, takes up most of the outdoor space at The Gibson Bar. Which is unfortunate, since the view out the large picture windows is nice, and a large deck would have been a great addition to the place.

When I went, they had a sample of some of the treats from their menu. The first thing I tried were the chicken fingers and buttermilk battered french fries. I normally don't care for thick cut french fries, but these big hunks of potato were pretty tasty. The honey mustard was crazy strong and apparently made by a local merchant by the name of "Cousin Leroy" (more to come on that). The batter on the chicken fingers was nice, but the batter to chick ratio was close to one. I would have preferred a little meatier chicken tender.

The second thing I tried was the chicken sandwich. It was really just your basic chicken sandwich. Only ok. And unfortunately, with the thick slices of Texas Toast, I felt like I was eating a chicken sandwich at the local DQ. Skip the chicken sandwich.

The famous donut burger. I've been hearing about this donut burger for months. You heard that right folks, a burger on a donut. On a delicious, toasted Round Rock donut no less (with cheese abd bacon to top it off). Now, the top and bottom of the donut are sliced off, so the "donut bun" is more reminiscent of Hawaiian Bread. There really isn't the sugary glaze on top that you'd expect of a "donut bun". All in all it's actually a really tasty, if decadent treat. The clear winner on the menu.

I'm not going to lie. By the time I had the hot dogs, I was starting to get a little "greased out". The donut burger kind of did me in and I didn't know how much more grease and fat I could take. So when I tasted the bacon wrapped hot dogs below, I really wasn't that impressed. Now that could be a function of me being fed up with all the deep fry or it could be because they were just legitimately gross. A hot dog, wrapped in bacon, topped with french fries and covered in queso, sour cream and chives. I thought it was a gross overkill.

But nothing compared to the disgusting overkill of a beef hot dog wrapped in bacon and covered in cheese and a fried egg. A heart attack on a bun and really not all that tasty. I could feel my heart seizing while I ate it, and for once, my mouth wasn't all that impressed with the decadence. I mean, if I'm going to eat something that monumentally bad for me, I want it to taste like an orgasm in my mouth. This did not.

So I've been hearing a mixed bag of reviews of The Gibson Bar off the grapevines. Some people love it, and some people hate it. Apparently they don't offer draft beer, but they do sell wine by the half bottle. I guess I'm somewhere in the middle. It wasn't that great, but it really wasn't that bad either. When I'm looking for a good heart attack inducing fried treat, I'll really consider going back for the Donut Burger and some of their tasty steak fries.

~Mariah: 6

Foodie Photo of the Day

2010-07-27T08:00:00.000-07:00

Trattoria Lisina
13308 Farm to Market Road 150 West
Driftwood, TX 78619-9274
(512) 894-3111

Trattoria Lisina Revisited

2010-07-26T15:16:00.000-07:00

13308 Farm to Market Road 150 West
Driftwood, TX 78619-9274
(512) 894-3111

http://www.trattorialisina.com/

A few weeks ago my friend Kasie flew all the way down from Seattle to visit me. We decided the perfect way to spend Sunday afternoon would be to drive out to the Hill Country with my family and have a wonderful meal at Trattoria Lisina the restaurant at the Mandola Estates winery. I'll spare you a full review, since I've already reviewed it, here. I gave it an 8, and after this meal, I still stand by my assessment.

We first enjoyed a fine bottle (or two) or Riparosse a Montepulciano d’ Abruzzo. It was full bodied with fruity hints of blackberry and cherry. It is a great wine for a table of low level wine connoisseurs (not that we are, but I'm noting for any of you who happen to bring your wine ignorant family for a nice day in the Hill Country).

The ciabatta and dipping oil was so tasty. I had to keep myself from eating too many!

The bruschetta trio. There was one with dried cherry and; pear mostarda and prosciutto, one with wilted arugula and Gorgonzola, and one with cannellini bean puree with pancetta and pickled shallots sauteed mushrooms with taleggio. All were tasty, but the cherry and pear was the best.

The Antipasto Misto. Always a good start to a family meal. Who can turn down meat!?

The Fettuccine con Prosciutto e Funghi. This was probably the best dish of the evening. You should definitely try it if you're out there - even if it doesn't look like much.

The best side dish of the night, the Aspargi Gratinati. This asparagus was incredible; perfectly charred and cheesy.

My ravioli di giorno. I forget what exactly was in it, but I know it had lingua!

The Capesante al Giovanni. Pan seared scallops in a cheesy polenta.

The risotto special of the day:

The Melanzane pizza with fontina, mozzarella, feta and Romano cheeses, topped with roasted eggplant, tomato, black olives and onion.

~ Mariah

Foodie Photo of the Day

2010-07-23T13:08:00.000-07:00

Chinese food at Fortune Restaurant

Fortune
10901 North Lamar Boulevard
Austin, TX 78753-3696
(512) 490-1426

The Aviary

2010-07-22T12:25:00.000-07:00

2110 S. Lamar
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 916-4445

http://www.aviarydecor.com/

So I have recently discovered what has quickly become my favorite wine bar in town. It's in a rather unassuming strip mall on South Lamar, but when you go inside, you quickly realize its more than just a strip mall wine bar, it's a furniture store too!

Is it a bar? Is it a furniture store? It's both! The home decor is so fresh and modern, it really adds to the atmosphere of the wine bar. And really, what a great way to add a revenue stream to a business that would normally close its doors at 7pm. More stores and restaurants should pair up like this!

There is all sorts of fun, interesting art. And wine. Did I mention the wine?

They also offer a Charcuterie and Cheese Menu from A Noble Beast which is some of the best charcuterie in town. I'm sure most of you have heard the word charcuterie (shar-COO-ta-ree) by now, but if you haven't, its just a fancy French word for prepared meat. Things like sausages, salamis, prosciuttos, pates, bacons, terrines and roulades fall under the umbrella of charcuterie. But I swear, if there was one food trend of 2009 that wasn't cupcakes or bacon, it was charcuterie. It's everywhere now!

The Aviary generally have 6-8 meats or cheese to choose from. We let the server pick 5 of his favorites for us. We ended up with 2 meats and 3 cheese, all delicious.

The meats and cheeses are always served on a fun and interesting plate. Because they only do wine and charcuterie, they really pay attention to the details. Our bill was delivered to us in the library card pocket of an old book. How cute is that?

The wine selection is also delicious. Their selection isn't the longest list in town, but what they do have is quality and reasonably priced. You can buy a glass, a bottle, or do a wine flight. What's nice about their wine flights, are that you create them. $10s buys you 3 samples of any 3 wines on their menu. Your choice. Really!

We chose a bottle of 1150 Malbec. I first had it at a wine dinner at the Apothecary and really enjoyed it. Its a nice mellow Malbec from a newer vineyard in Argentina. Yum!

Just a hint, go there on Wednesday for 1/2 priced bottle of wine and a DJ.

~Mariah: 9

Foodie Photo of the Day

2010-07-21T21:46:00.000-07:00

The chalk board menu at The Shuck Shack

Shuck Shack

1808 East Cesar Chavez Street
Austin, TX 78702-4404
(512) 472-4243

Foodie Photo of the Day

2010-07-21T11:46:00.000-07:00

Texas caviar with black eyed peas, red onions, green bell peppers, cilantro, lemon zest, and olive oil.

Frank's
407 Colorado Street
Austin, TX 78701-2918
(512) 494-6894

Fino Happy Hour

2010-07-20T10:04:00.000-07:00

I recently had a delightful Happy Hour at Fino. Their patio is one of the nicest in Austin, in my opinion and their food is generally pretty good. However, Fino and I have a rather love - hate relationship. I love some of their dishes, but hate others. Sometimes their food is so fresh, innovative and delicious. But other times, I feel like they "over innovate" and their dishes come off as pretentious and not that tasty. But now that I've been to Happy Hour at Fino a few times, I know how to tiptoe through flavor minefields in their perilous menu.

Piquillo Peppers stuffed with Gulf Crab - Quite tasty. Get a few.

Fried Anchovy Olives - Hands down the best (and smallest) thing on the Happy Hour Menu

The Ginger Apricot Daiquiri - A tasty cocktail for a summer afternoon

The Badass Manhatten - Is certainly badass. It had a rich, complex flavor that made me feel I was in an episode of Mad Men

Mussels Escabeche - Only ok. Stick with the peppers. But they do look pretty.

Things to avoid:
The spreads - They always sound delicious, but they've always underwhelmed me
Fried Goat Cheese - Sounds wonderful right? Its not
Fried Calamari - The calamari itself is pretty average, but the mojo sauce served with it is simply disgusting.
Tortilla Espanola - Its like a frittata. I know its a dinner dish in Spain, but I just can get excited about a happy Hour frittata.

I still assert that the most delicious thing on the Fino menu is their Seafood Paella. It's wonderfully addictive. Trust me. So if you go, order some peppers and olives and a drink for Happy Hour and then stay for the paella. You'll thank me.

P.S. Since I see Bill, the Bar Manager at Fino, reads these posts, I will also say that Fino has some of the most innovative drinks in Austin. Every time I go, I get excited when I see what delicious treats are offered up on the drink menu. Keep up the good work Bill!

Foodie Photo of the Day

2010-07-19T08:10:00.000-07:00

The Eastside Kings trailer

Eastside Kings
The Liberty Bar
1618 E 6th St
Austin, TX 78702

Antonelli's Cheese Shop

2010-07-16T08:31:00.000-07:00

Antonelli's Cheese Shop

Did you know Austin has a dedicated cheese shop? Most of you dedicated foodies have probably heard the news long before now. But have you been yet? I'm a little ashamed to admit, its taken me a few months to make my way all the way up to Hyde Park to check it out. Now that I live downtown and work south, anything north of 38th street is practically Waco! But, curiosity got the better of me one afternoon and hopped in my car to pay a visit to Antonelli's.

I'd met the proprietor and "Head Cheese" monger John Antonelli at Tasty Touring's Beer and Cheese tasting party ages ago. Their shop hadn't quite opened yet, but the delectable cheese they offered to pair with 512 brewery's delicious beer was a combination too yummy to even describe. Who knew cheese and beer go so well together!

The Antonelli's are a sweet couple who are very, very passionate about cheese. If you come to their shop, they will give you little samples of whatever cheese you want on tiny little spoons. They'll explain what all the different types of cheese are and their properties. They'll tell you what makes a good cheese, and like wine, what you should be tasting in each cheese.

And their selection, while not the biggest in town, is definitely the most well chosen. There isn't a bad cheese in that store!

Have you ever seen anything more beautiful than a glass case full of delicious cheese??

The Antonelli's are really big into cheese education too. Their shop is adorned with informational signs on cheese. This sign describes the 7 main categories of cheese! As an engineer I appreciate any effort to categorize and classify things (with the ultimate goal to organize and improve). It makes my heart all warm and fuzzy. So when I saw this sign, I got a little weak in the knees.

They even had a sign to illustrate how the different types of cheese have varying levels lactose. Being lactose intolerant I totally appreciate being told up front which cheese I'll be enjoying later and which will leave me unhappy in an hour. I always knew there was a reason I love a good aged cheese more than the fresh ones!

In fact, their whole store is full of educational boards! If you go to Antonelli's, you will learn something while you eat a wonderful cheese. How can you lose??

Is cheese not enough for you? There's also a meat and olive case, so you can balance out that cheese meal I know you all are considering having. You can't live on cheese alone!

There's even a store pet, Mr. Pig.

If you get a chance, you should really check out Antonelli's, particularly now that it's picnic season!

Foodie Photo of the Day

2010-07-15T06:53:00.000-07:00

Broccoli side salad with toasted almonds, bacon, red onion and dressing.

Frank's
407 Colorado Street
Austin, TX 78701-2918
(512) 494-6894

La Hacienda de los Barrios

2010-07-14T10:13:00.000-07:00

18747 Redland Road
San Antonio, TX 78259-3569
(210) 497-8000

http://www.lhdlb.com/

My friend Connie and I recently took a trip down to San Antonio for a lady's shopping Saturday. We decided to stop for some tasty Mexican food while we were down there. While I usually visit Mi Tierra while I'm in SA (mm, pan dulce), this time I was persuaded by Lee to try La Hacienda de los Barrios on the north side of town. Its in an unassuming suburban neighborhood, so we were a little thrown off driving up, but when we got there, we were immediately excited by the patio alone. It was huge, shaded, and quite lovely.

Isn't this patio lovely? The inside was nice, but not as breathtaking as the patio. Sorry!

The inside of the restaurant.. in case you're totally stupid and want to sit inside..

Connie got an order of the deep fried quesadillas. Corn turn-overs filled with white Mexican Cheese and Poblano pepper slices, fried to a golden crisp. These little corn pockets were amazing. I've never had deep fried quesadillas, but Connie assured me her Mexican momma used to make them this way.

I got an a la carte plate with a Famous “S.A.” Puffy Tacos and a Quezataco. The Quezataco is a handmade Corn Tortilla filled with beef fajita, bacon, and white cheese, garnished with guacamole. The "famous" puffy taco was totally gross. It was greasy and tasteless. It was so unappetizing that I only took two bites before putting it down. The Quezataco on the other hand was sheer taco perfection. I've never had bacon on a beef fajita taco, but is was a great combination And the homemade corn tortilla was wonderful. The perfect bite and so flavorful. I still have slightly inappropriate dreams about this taco.

As we sat and enjoyed the lovely afternoon, we noticed a waiter with several water glasses perched at precarious angles. Thats when we had an a-ha moment. You know the the little notches on the bottom of some plastic water glasses? They actually serve a purpose. You can stack them! We saw one waiter with a stack of glasses that were 3 high. Woh.

For dessert, we tried the Empanada de Guayaba - a deep fried turnovers filled with guava and cream cheese. It was only ok. The guave was served in chunks and was too subtle a fruit to stand up to the creamed cheese. The chunks also added an unappealing texture next to the soft creamed cheese and the soft crepe-y empanada wrapper.

This place is also family friendly. Check out this awesome playground. How'd you like to have played in that as a kid?

Bottom Line: Some great home cooked Mexican food, some not so great, but its all served on a lovely patio.

~ Mariah: 8

Foodie Photo of the Day

2010-07-13T07:59:00.000-07:00

The Bee's Knees at The Good Knight

The Good Knight
1300 East 6th Street
(512) 628-1250

Dan's Hamburgers

2010-07-12T14:45:00.000-07:00

4308 Manchaca Road
Austin, TX 78704-7532
(512) 443-6131

I'm always on the look out for new places to have lunch in South Austin. There are just so few quality lunch places. So when Lee suggested we try lunch at Dan's I said, 'Sure! Why not'. I've been a little under-whelmed by the burgers I've had in Austin. After eating a grease soaked Tommy's burger in Fort Worth every Friday for 5 years, I got a little spoiled. None of the burgers I've had in Austin I feel have measure up. No one seasons their burgers here! Its like a burger travesty. Give it a little flavor people!

I decided to go with a basic cheeseburger and curly fry. The burger was actually pretty good. Probable one of the best I've had in Austin (but still not as good as Tommy's).

The fry's were ok. Kind of mealy. I prefer the Mighty Fine crinkle cut fries - but I like my fries a little on the crispy side.

~ Mariah: 7

Foodie Photo of the Day

2010-07-12T07:30:00.000-07:00

Belgian Fries with Chive Garlic dust and Fine Herb Aioli from Frietkot

Frietkot
7th and Nechez
Austin, TX 78701

Foodie Photo of the Day

2010-06-29T07:11:00.000-07:00

The rooftop patio at One 2 One Bar

One 2 One Bar
121 E. 5th St.
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 473-0121

Foodie Photo of the Day

2010-06-24T11:08:00.000-07:00

Free popcorn at The Fader Fort at SXSW

Foodie Photo of the Day

2010-06-23T18:57:00.000-07:00

The Ice Cream Man delivers Good Pops at SXSW

Rio Rita

2010-06-22T05:37:00.000-07:00

http://riorita.net

1308 East 6th Street
Austin, TX 78702, United States
(512) 524-0384

Somehow I always end up at Rio Rita's on my birthday. It just seems like a nice place to gather and a good meeting point for East Austin. Perhaps it's also the promise of Eastside Pies which they will gladly serve to you by the slice. Oh man, I could really go for a slice of Olivia right now. Pesto base, eggplant, artichoke, garlic, kalamata, black and green olives, and feta. So good.

The atmosphere is lovely with mismatched furniture and curtains, games and a back patio. Plus it's a good place to meet people if you don't know if they drink or not, as Rio Rita is a coffee shop too. However, if they don't drink alcohol they are sure missing out on this amazing Bloody Mary. Eh, their loss.

-Laura

Mariah's 2 Cents: I also love hanging out at Rio Rita. It's got a divy but not too divy feel to it. Plus, their Bloody Mary is one of the best I've ever had. It's like 5 servings of veggies in a glass.. with vodka...

Foodie Photo of the Day

2010-06-21T02:51:00.000-07:00

The Pate Aisle at a Grocery Store in Quebec

Foodie Photo of the Day

2010-06-14T10:49:00.000-07:00

Picnic Breakfast in Quebec (with Maple Cream!)

Foodie Photo of the Day

2010-06-07T08:16:00.001-07:00

Filet Mignon Sliders at Society Cafe in the Encore Hotel, Las Vegas

Foodie Photo of the Day

2010-06-04T12:46:00.000-07:00

Coffee with Cream in Quebec

Sailor Jerry's Dinner at Frank

2010-06-03T14:16:00.000-07:00

407 Colorado Street
Austin, TX 78701-2918
(512) 494-6894

http://hotdogscoldbeer.com/

I recently had a really great dinner with the folks at Sailor Jerry's Rum over at Frank restaurant. They were doing a sneak preview of the Hori Smoku documentary on the life and times of tattoo artist Sailor Jerry and invited a few of us food bloggers out for some hot dogs and Sailor Jerry cocktails. How could I say no!

We started out with a few appetizers including the Bacon Cheese Fries. Bacon and cheese and waffle fry? How can that trio be wrong? It's not.

Some SUPER garlic-y hummus (I wouldn't recommend it).

A chilled pasta salad. Kind of average as far as pasta salad goes.

The real star of the appetizers were the basket of Canadian Waffle Poutine. OMG. I know I made fun of those crazy Canadians when I first heard about poutine. How can anyone ruin a waffly fry with brown gravy and cheese curds?? But I'm here to amend my previous opinion and officially declare victory to the Canadians. Poutine is awesome. Especially Frank's poutine. I wouldn't let the server take the basket away, even after it was cold and congealed. It was still good.

Waffle Fry Nacho's. While I didn't like them as much as the Poutine, they were still greasy, tasty happiness. Yum.

We settled into our seats with our Sailor Jerry's Perfect Storm cocktails. A combination of Sailor Jerry's rum, ginger beer, bitters, and lime juice. It was really tasty and would make for the perfect refreshing drink on a hot summer's day.

As we drank our Perfect Storms and ate some appetizers, we talked with the director of the documentary we were about to watch. He talked about all the crazy characters he met while filming and some tricks he used to film on a shoestring budget.

I ordered a Jackelope dog as my main course. Local antelope, rabbit & pork sausage, huckleberry compote, sriracha aioli, applewood smoked cheddar, um how could I say no? It was really delicious. However, after gorging on the poutine, I didn't have much room in my stomach. I was only able to eat half, but I really wish I could have eaten the rest. It was very tasty.

The documentary was really great. It was about Norman "Sailor Jerry" Collin's life. Did you know Sailor Jerry (before he was a rum), was a famous tattoo artist from Hawaii? It explored his life and influences, where he got his ideas and how he radically altered the art of tattooing in the 50's and 60's. It also discussed his influence on other, modern, tattoo artists. Like did you know that Ed Hardy, before he designed clothing for the fist-pumping residents of the Jersey Shore, was a famous tattoo artist? He studied with Sailor Jerry, before traveling to Japan to study traditional hand-tap tattooing.

If you're interested in seeing the documentary "Hori Smoku, the Life and Times of Norman 'Sailor Jerry' Collins", the folks at Sailor Jerry's are hosting a free screening. It'll be at Alamo Drafthouse on Sunday, June 13th and Monday, June 14th at 10pm. All you have to do is RSVP! It's a great movie and I highly suggest you check it out.

~ Mariah

Blue Note Bakery

2010-06-02T17:55:00.000-07:00

Blue Note Bakery
4201 S. Congress Ste. 101
Austin, Tx 78745
512-797-7367

http://www.bluenotebakery.com/

A few weeks ago, I went to the Hill Country Food and Wine Festival. It was a great day - food, wine, sun, mud - how can you go wrong? We even decided to up the ante and rented a limo to drive us safely (and stylishly) home. We spent a wonderfully drunk afternoon walking from booth to booth sampling the wine and food fares. That, however, is a post for another day.

One of the fine food vendors I happened to meet that day, were the lovely folks at Blue Note Bakery. They had provided delicious samples of their homemade smores and heavenly bourbon balls to all us hungry and drunk fair go-ers. As I stuffed my face with bourbon balls, I talked to the ladies that run Blue Note, and we hatched a deviously delicious plan. I would supply a few food bloggers and local business people and they would give us a tour of their bakery. Dastardly!

I was able to talk a few of the local food bloggers into taking a tour with me. There was Addie of Austin360 Relish, Teddy of Fun with Your Food, Rachel of The Friendly Kitchen, and Kristina of Girl Gone Grits as well as a few of my friends and more faithful readers (just a reminder to check my Facebook Page, I post fun activities there from time to time). We all met up a few weeks ago at the Blue Note Bakery's office and kitchen on Ben White and South Congress. We were immediately barraged with beautifully decorated sample cakes and a case full of delectable to-go desserts.

We met the head "The Cake Artist" and "Confection Composer”, Angela Jiles. She's been a pastry chef all over town (like Vespaio and an instructor at The Culinary Academy of Austin). After the meet and greet we were shown into the kitchen where the magic happens.

We were introduced to, what I will refer to affectionately as, the line of cakes. Angela had arranged for us to have a slice of their seven favorite cakes. There was the tie-dyed vanilla (featured in Rachael Ray Magazine), a gluten-free chocolate hazelnut, a carrot cake, a pistachio cake with an espresso butter cream and a honey rum fondant, a chocolate cake, a red velvet cake, and a chipotle chocolate cake with a salted caramel butter cream.

The "line of cakes". Have you ever seen anything more beautiful? It brought a tear to my eye.

I tried each cake individually. They were all excellent. The tie-dyed vanilla was so innovative and Austin-y. Have you ever seen a tie-dyed cake? The gluten-free chocolate hazelnut was nice with a wonderful crumb. Totally unlike any gluten free cake I've had before. The carrot cake was tasty and the pistachio cake was so different. Who would have thought pistachio and espresso would go so well together? The red velvet was amazing, one of the better I've had. The chocolate was moist and delicious. However, the real star of the show was the chocolate chipotle cake with the salted caramel butter cream.

I have a confession. I love salted caramels. Its been a bit of an obsession of mine for a few years. So when I tried their chocolate chipotle cake with the salted caramel butter cream, the world started spinning, fireworks went off, and my chi became officially aligned. It was amazing.

But it didn't just stop at the cakes. Blue Note also let us sample their butter creams. There weren't just a few butter creams, there was a line of over 10. Everything from American Vanilla to Orange Dreamsicle.

There were also those delicious chocolate bourbon balls. I stuffed 2 in my mouth when no one was looking. Shh.. Don't tell anyone.

We set about doing a purely scientific cake tasting - I am an engineer, you know. I tried to dot each of the cakes with as many flavors as I could muster. My cakes ended up looking less like slices of cake and more like cake dominos.

Most of you would only ever encounter Blue Note Bakery if you were ordering a custom cake from them. If you do, this would be the sample plate they'd let normally put together for you to try. Makes you want to order a cake from them, right?

When it was all said and done, I had eaten eight slices of cake with every combination of icing imaginable. So what combinations went well together? The tie-dyed vanilla went well with every flavored butter cream. The gluten free chocolate hazelnut went well with the Bailey's Irish Cream butter cream. The carrot cake and red velvet went best with the creamed cheese butter cream, big surprise there. The chocolate went best with the raspberry or the fresh strawberries. And the pistachio didn't go well with really any of the butter creams, but that was ok, it was tasty all by itself. And what was my favorite? Still just the plain old chocolate chipotle with salted caramel butter cream. It was and still is the mark of cake perfection. But I totally took one for the team and tested all those combinations just so you'd know which ones were the best.

The cake carnage.....

~Mariah

Foodie Photo of the Day

2010-06-01T12:26:00.000-07:00

Eggplant Caprese

The Carillon
1900 University Avenue
Austin, TX 78705
(512) 404-3655

Lee's 1st Annual Crawfish Boil

2010-05-26T20:28:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, my friend, and sometimes Dining In Austin contributor, Lee, decided to have a crawfish boil. In true Lee fashion, he went big. And when I mean big, I mean 30 pounds of crawfish for 15 people. There were so many crawfish, he had to cook them in 3 batches.. in a turkey fryer.

A giant pot of crawfish, shrimp, corn, andouille sausage, potatoes

One of three piles of cajun goodness

Fun with your food!

The food was amazing and the company was even better. I hope Lee does an another boil next year!

Foodie Photo of the Day

2010-05-20T23:41:00.000-07:00

Hamachi Crudo

The Carillon
1900 University Avenue
Austin, TX 78705
(512) 404-3655

Foodie Photo of the Day

2010-05-20T07:06:00.001-07:00

A delicious bag of pão de queijo from Rio's. Yum!

Rio's Brazilian Cafe
408 N Pleasant Valley
Austin, TX 78702
(512) 828-6617

Louie Mueller Barbeque

2010-05-19T05:01:00.000-07:00

206 West 2nd Street
Taylor, TX 76574
(512) 352-6206

http://www.louiemuellerbarbecue.com/

So foodies, alot has happened in the last few months. For your information, I am no long a swinging single woman in the city. I now have an awesome boyfriend who doesn't seem to mind when I drag him to new restaurants and out of the way places. So, one beautiful Saturday last month, when he mentioned he was craving BBQ, I said "let’s go someplace different!" He had been telling me for months about the BBQ blog he read (yes, fellow foodies, he reads a food blog!) called Man Up about a group of guys who review Texas BBQ joints. We reviewed the list and decided to pick one of the BBQ joints outside of the city limits recommended by Man Up. BBQ in the country, what an adventure!

We chose a BBQ joint called Louie Mueller's up (and over) in Taylor. Its about a 45 minute drive from downtown Austin, but it’s all highway, so the drive seems faster. My shiny new boyfriend also has a shiny new Smart Car (which I don’t particularly like, but you can’t pick a man based on his car) with a shiny new convertible top (which I do love, and almost makes me forget I’m in a Smart Car). We relished driving with the top down, the air in our hair, the sun on our skin, all the way into the sticks dreaming about filling ourselved with tasty BBQ.

There’s something about Taylor, not because its particularly picturesque, but because people there love BBQ. Seriously LOVE BBQ. As soon as you cross into the city limits you immediately smell the smoky aroma of charred meat. It brought a tear to my eye - though that may have been the smoke – but I like to think it was for town-wide dedication to something so awesome (and tasty) as BBQ.

As soon as we walked into the rather unassuming door at Louie Muellers, we couldn’t help but immediately notice the line..

Yes that line. And for your information, it’s a rather slow moving line too. True to it being “a little bit country,” no one at Louie Mueller's seems to be in a hurry. This isn’t the 360 Rudy’s where you’re queued up and 8 people behind registers scream your order and toss containers of sides to each other. This is a place where you wait.. and wait.. and wait.. You keep staring longingly up at the order counter smelling the BBQ, wanting to satiate your hunger with a little bit of sausage.

(Thats me looking longingly at the order counter... )

And when I say the smell is everywhere, I mean it’s everywhere. It permeates everything. The walls are covered in the pitch black soot that's accumulated from all the years the smell has lingered in the air. But it is delectable, and it leaves you really, really wanting some BBQ. REALLY.

But, the people in line are friendly. And when you finally do get to the front of the line, you see the grand old hand-written menu that’s served this place so well over the decades.

This is the smoker where the magic happens (or at least where the magic is kept). I’m not sure whether this is the actual smoker they use now. When we were there, they pulled parchment wrapped bundles of meat out of the smoker. But it sure adds a nice effect.

So Louie Mueller’s has been operating in Taylor for almost 50 years. And, to be honest, it doesn’t look like this place has changed much in 50 years. Soda’s and ice cream are still served out of old timey coolers. You truly feel like you’ve been transported back in time.

Ambiance, however, is only part of the equation for a good restaurant. 'What about the food,' you ask. Well that’s where things start to fall a little flat. 'What's the BBQ at Louie Mueller's like,' you ask (you're a persistant rhetorical questoner, aren't you)? No matter what type of meat you get, the answer is always the same. Its incredibly greasy, but very tasty.

I've eatten a lot of BBQ in my life, BBQ from all over the country, too, and I've never encountered a greasier BBQ in my life. Even the turkey managed to be greasy, and thats a feat! You kind of look past all the grease and enjoyed the BBQ anyway, though. Maybe its because you waited in such a long line that you refuse to believe this BBQ will be bad. Maybe its because you've waited so long and are so hungry that the paper wrapper would taste good. I'm not sure what it is, but ultimately, the greasy BBQ does taste good. Be forewarned, though, if you eat too much, too quickly, you WILL regret it later. The grease has mind of its own and tends to expand rapidly with no warning.

All the meat, brisket, sausage, ribs, and turkey (oh yeah, we totally tried everything), had a deliciously oaky flavor that perfectly complimented the smell of the restaurant. I particularly enjoyed the smokey jalapeno sausage. It had a dense liver-like texture that was enjoyable and the flavor was strong without being too overpowering. The sides were all rather forgettable, but you had to eat them to keep the grease to food ratio in your stomach from reaching critical levels.

While we ate, we enjoyed the ambiance of the place. Including the wall of soot covered business cards that has probably been there since the beginning of time (we even added ours to the display).

Also be warned, if you venture here in the summer, you will sweat like a pig. Louie's doesn't have AC, just these giant (and surprisingly photogenic) fans.

All in all, a great atmosphere, slow service, and ok BBQ. I like it well enough, but will I go back? Probably not.

~Mariah: 7

Hoover's

2010-05-03T15:58:00.000-07:00

2002 Manor Rd, Austin
(512) 479-0889

13376 US Highway 183 North, Austin
(512) 335-0300

http://www.hooverscooking.com/

I helped my friend celebrate her birthday a few weeks ago. And where did she decide to go? Hoovers. Now I love me some good ole, rib stickin, southern food as much as the next, and at this point in my life, I consider myself somewhat of a connoisseur of chicken fried steak and collard greens. And I have to admit, I’ve had a surprisingly hard time finding quality southern food in this town. When I was a kid, you could go a 100 places in Austin and get a good Chicken Fried Steak, now, I’m hard pressed to name you 5 places that offer it. Maybe that’s a byproduct of people trying to eat healthier today than they did 20 years ago (oh wow, did I just date myself) or maybe it’s a byproduct of Austin’s gentrification. But, Jesus, can’t a girl get a good Chicken Fried Steak anymore??

Anyway, I let my diet barriers drop for one afternoon and had myself a nice, fat, deep fried, hunk of meat covered in cream gravy. It was good, but it wasn’t great. It was much better than that gristly and tasteless Chicken Fried Steak they serve over at Threadgill’s (is it just me or has the quality of food gone way down over there in the last 10 years??). But it paled in comparison to my friends exquisite Chicken Fried Chicken. I swear on everything that is holy that Hoover’s Chicken Fried Chicken is one of the best I have ever eaten. The crunchy flour breading was perfectly deep fried and help up well to the de-crisp-ifying effects of the gravy.

The sides at Hoovers are also worth mentioning (mostly because there are 1000 of them). The Jalapeno Creamed Spinach is amazing. Only one of us ordered it and after the rest of us had tried it, it disappeared quickly. The mustard greens and okra were both very good. The okra breading was crisp and not at all greasy. And the greens were smoky with a little hint of spice to kick it up (a notch, har har). They are, however, on par with what I’ve had at other places around town. The corn bread gets a big thumbs down for being gross and dry. The mac and cheese is tasty, but pretty basic. The yams were ok. And the green beans were yummy, but mostly because they were flavored with my favorite southern ingredient, bacon. Mmmm..

(A random broiled fish one of my friends got, not worth writing home about)

Sooooo, all in all, if you pick your meal properly, you’ll have a great experience at Hoovers. Chicken Fried Chicken, Jalapeno Creamed Corn, Mustard Greens, and Okra are the winners. Enjoy!

~Mariah: 7

Red's Porch

2010-04-28T17:20:00.000-07:00

3508 South Lamar Boulevard
Austin, TX 78704-7934
(512) 440-7337

www.redsporch.com

I recently had dinner with my family at Red's Porch. The food is only OK, but, I have to say, the view is spectacular. It's on South Lamar down by Ben White behind a bank. But it backs up to one of the best view's in town, the Barton Creek Greenbelt. Why no one has taken advantage of this great location before is beyond me, but I'm glad there's finally a bar there.

They have a lower level patio (that's dog friendly) and an upper patio. The upper patio, obviously, has the best view. I went back in February when it snowed, thinking this would be a great place to watch the snow fall on the greenbelt. It was, only it was pretty frosty. Despite the fact that the upper patio is enclosed, and there are heat lamps everywhere, the the wind and cold come in through the cracks in the deck. This is definitely a warm weather hang out.

Check out the lower patio. The trailer is a fun touch, but it just serves as a very large tv stand. Really. Thats a tv on it. They could have turned the trailer into an awesome food cart to give it a little less corporate feel and more "indie food" panache.

They've really put some thought into how to bring the outside in. Check out these garage doors.

So onto the food. It only Ok. It has a sort of upscale Chili's feel to it. As far as appetizers go, the queso is decent and the biscuits and gravy are pretty good. The fried olives were ok, but they just don't compare to Fino's (I will forever compare all fried olive's to the Fino gold standard of fried olive awesomeness). There are vegetarian options, but they skew heavily to side salads and deep fried appetizers. And fear not, parents, there is a kid's menu (including a 2 veggie plate, that SHOULD be on the adult menu too!).

The Smoked Chicken Corn Chowder (pictured below) is pretty good. It had a nice smokeyness that wasn't overpowering. It wasn't unique, but it was nice and homey. I'd definately order another bowl if I went there. The Spinach Salad with feta dressing was good but rather basic. The pickled onions added a nice touch but didn't make the salad pop as much as they should have.

My dad's enchiladas were, I have to say, your rather basic gooey enchilada. Nothing special about it.

My sister-in-law's burger. It was piled high with stuff, including a fat avocado. The meat had a nice flavoring. I'd recommend it if you're in the area, craving a burger and can't stomach going to Fudruckers.

My brother's tacos. I don't remember which tacos they were though. Sorry!

All in all, decent food, a great view, and a lovely patio (and porch) make Red's Porch an enjoyable al fresco destination in South Austin.

~Mariah: 7