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).