Manny's Uptown Kitchen

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

Foodie Photo of the Day

Spinach and Mushroom Pie at Boomerang's

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

Antonelli's Cheese Shop

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!

Rio Rita

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...

Tal Ronnen Serves Up Vegan at the Texas Culinary Academy

When I received an invite to attend a free cooking demonstration featuring Chef Tal Ronnen at the Texas Culinary Academy I had to read it three times to make sure I understood it right and then pinch myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming. I awaited the date and excitedly told friends only to hear back "Huh?", "Who?" and "Good for you, never heard of him."

I would reply "Tal Ronnen is the chef who spent 21 days cooking up vegan food for Oprah."

Mariah's response to this was "Oh, working the day time TV circuit, eh?"

At this point I just shook my head and sighed to myself.

Chef Tal Ronnen is one of the top vegan chefs working today. His recipes are creative, inventive and cutting edge. His innovative work and humble demeanor is doing wonders for reforming America's negative diet trends.

Not only is he the guy who cooked for Oprah, he also catered Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi's wedding, Arianna Huffington’s party at the Democratic National Convention, and the first vegan dinner at the U.S. Senate. He's worked in top vegan restaurants all over the U.S. and assisted Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders in opening her restaurant, VegiTerranean in Akron, Ohio. Yes, even Akron, Ohio is going vegan.

On this particular day, Tal was conducting a master vegetarian workshop (as he often does) for students and staff at Le Cordon Bleu College/Texas Culinary Academy. After driving around and around the Domain lost and in a panic, I located the Texas Culinary Academy and found my way to rows of chairs set up for culinary students and media.

Chef Ronnen demonstrates his culinary technique.

After Tal imparted his wisdom on us, small samples of his creations were served up by Texas Culinary Academy students.

Stomachs started growling and small samples were not alleviating the situation. Luckily, TCA staff invited a few bloggers to join them in a luncheon prepared by their students and featuring four courses from Chef Ronnen's new cookbook. I tried to stifle my fan geekdom and graciously accept the invitation.

First Course: Celery Root Soup with Granny Smith Apples and Chive Oil.

The apple chunks accented the light celery flavor of this creamy soup.

Second Course: Ricotta Tortellini with Saffron Cream Sauce

The tortellini was handmade and featured silken tofu with red palm oil instead of egg. The sauce was heavenly rich thanks to a generous helping of cashew cream.

Third Course: Gardein "Chicken" Scaloppini with Shiitake Sake Sauce, Braised Pea Shoots and Crispy Udon Noodle Cakes

The udon noodle cake was a little tough but the rest of the dish was off the chart. Gardein is one of the best meat substitutes out there. Although there was one omnivore at our table who testified that he wouldn't be fooled into thinking it was real chicken, to me the texture and flavor was perfect. My philosophy is that meat substitutes don't have to taste exactly like meat, as long as they taste good. Having said that, I must confess I remember the essence of what chicken tastes like but not the nuances. The shiitake mushroom sauce was a perfect complement to the Gardein and the pea shoots gave the dish that necessary bit of green flavor and color.

Chef Ronnen helped develop Gardein, which is made from vegetables and slow cooked grains. Currently it can be ordered from the distributor for restaurants. For people like you and me, we can pick up seasoned Gardein products at Whole Foods and Central Market. Boyfriend and I tried the hot wings which were very spicy. We forgot to consider if there was gluten in them which boyfriend is mildly allergic to and whoops, we found out there was. So if you've got a gluten allergy I wouldn't recommend trying Gardein. I am disappointed that average individuals can't purchase the product in it's unseasoned form and that the already seasoned portions one can buy are a little on the pricey side. The buffalo wings ended up being about $5 for 8 wings or two portions. For us it would be cost prohibitive to try and serve these products at a get together or party.

Why would a vegetarian or vegan want to eat something that tasted like meat? So many of our food habits and cravings come from the experiences we had in childhood. Certain tastes and textures can invoke feelings of comfort, connectedness, or just being taken care of.

My childhood diet involved a lot of rich foods and animal products. Although I love vegetables and I haven't had chicken in about six years, I often miss the hearty texture and savory nature but do not want to eat actual chicken. Is it moral, environmental or health reasons that steer me away from meat? It's all of the above but mostly I am just uncomfortable with current factory farming practices and how far our society has placed ourselves from the actual food process. We go to the grocery store but we have no idea how the animal was treated, where it came from or what hormones were injected in it. Also we have so much variety to choose from today. Never in history have humans had such varied diets. Why not just choose more vegetables and grains? They are healthier for us and the environment anyway.

Fourth Course: Oven roasted Banana Rum Cheesecake with Spiced Pecan Crust and Maple Rum Sauce

I have tasted some terrible vegan cheesecakes in the past (I'm looking at you Somnio's Cafe) but this was amazing. The texture was smooth and creamy and the banana flavor was finished with a lovely combination of maple syrup and toasted pecans.

I had the priveledge of meeting Tal and getting my copy of The Conscious Cook signed. I am already looking forward to recreating his recipes and making them mine.

Swad

9515 N Lamar Blvd

#156Austin, TX 78753

(512) 997-7923

The first time I met my now good friend Hannibal, he mentioned this restaurant in North Austin called "Vegi Food." All of a sudden our friend Supna burst out laughing. "You mean SWAD!" Apparently the sign on the strip mall establishment in North Austin has a confusing design.

I've been disappointed by Austin Indian restaurants in the past, but Swad is the real deal for vegetarian South Indian cuisine. My favorite dishes are the thali and the chhole bhature - chickpeas in a spicy sauce served with fried puffy wheat flour bread. The spices are terrific and you'll leave stuffed for $8 - $15. I always order way too much food. The atmosphere at Swad is a little sparse (order at the counter, no frills decor, pour your own water jugs on the table next to the cash register). I try to think of that as part of the charm.

I went to Swad once with a friend who has worked in the restaurant industry. He noted that there was no soap in the bathroom and pointed out that this means the staff probably doesn't wash their hands. I suggested that they may use a sink in the kitchen to practice proper hygeine. He just gave me that "Oh you are so gullible" look as I tucked into my food anyway. Ignorance is bliss or do you think I'm safe?

Chhole Bhature

Thali Plate

Bottom Line: Authentic South Indian Vegetarian Food in North Austin.

Laura ~ 8

Farmhouse Delivery

914 Shady Lane

Austin, TX 78702

512.529.8569

http://www.farmhousedelivery.com/

Although I have been known to express my love for fried foods, I do make an honest attempt at being healthy. My diet usually consists of lots of whole grains and vegetables and I love to cook. This is why I've always wanted to join some sort of food / farm co-op. I would have already if it weren't for a fear of vegetable commitment.

Farmhouse Delivery started showing up on my radar about a year ago. I ordered once from them last summer and had a good experience. When they announced that they were soon to become a members only group with a 10 week commitment, I decided to order before their policy change took place and actually document it for Dining In Austin.

Farmhouse delivery gathers vegetables from local farms, bundles them up and delivers them to your door. I received the Seasonal Farm Bushel. It is described as "an incredibly fresh assortment of the best from local farms" containing "a variety of 7-10 items of delicious just-harvested produce." You can add herbs, cheeses, meats, baked products, jams and so on. I chose to just stick to the basics for my first time around, but this time I indulged in the addition of unfiltered olive oil, blue cheese, shitake mushrooms, jalapeno tortillas, a half dozen eggs and goat milk yogurt.

The food was delivered to my door on the designated day for my zip code in a big reusable plastic container. Farmhouse Delivery requests but does not require that you leave the old plastic container out for them to recycle next time.

I was excited about my order all week. I kept wondering what would be in my bushel. When I opened the box, it felt like Christmas. I discovered green beans, turnips, butter lettuce, radishes, apples, lemons, acorn squash, pumpkin, cucumber and bok choy. Some of these ingredients I am very familiar with while others left me flipping through cookbooks and websites.

Seasonal Vegetable Bushel + a Few Extras

Reusable Insulated Bag Containing Temperature Sensitive Items

Nom, Nom, Nom, Shitake Mushrooms

Olive Oil, Blue Cheese, Plain Yogurt

The Olive Oil ($13) was terrific. The blue cheese was a little too serious for me. I can be timid when it comes to intentionally or accidentally moldy cheese. The yogurt was amazing. It is frustrating that one has to search to find a yogurt without sugar, gelatin or gelatin substitute in most grocery stores. I like my yogurt plain and non gelatinous. This yogurt was perfect.

Tortillas were a little pricey at $4 but delicious.

The first thing I did after putting away all of my groceries was make myself a salad. The butter lettuce was out of this world.

Butter Lettuce Salad with Radish, Apples, Blue Cheese and a Lemon/Olive Oil Dressing

A green lemon? The list of vegetables said it was indeed a lemon, not a lime.

Here are a few other dishes I made over the next 2 - 3 weeks.

Breakfast of Fried Egg on Tortilla.

Lots of Stir Fries. This one with bok choy and turnip greens, green beans, garlic and shitakes.

Stir Fry

Baked Acorn Squash stuffed with Quinoa.

Faux Gyro Wraps- Grilled Seitan and Onions with Cucumber and Dill Tzatziki Sauce Wrapped in Butter Lettuce - SO GOOD!

It was my first time working with turnips in the kitchen so I got in touch with my adventurous side and a few online recipe websites. I settled on Faux Bombay Potatoes for the roots and a dish I usually make with rainbow chard for the greens. I recommend the Faux Bombay Potatoes, but the greens were a little too iron/vitamin rich for me. Turnip greens are a big step up from collard greens or rainbow chard.

Turnip Greens Topped with Purple Onion, Toasted Pine Nuts and Reduced Balsamic Vinegar

Faux Bombay Potatoes- Turnips Par Boiled and Sauteed with Tumeric and Mustard Seed.

The last item left was the pumpkin. I thought about making pumpkin tarts or pumpkin pie. When I opened my recipe book, I turned straight to the page for pumpkin tofu thai curry. I took this as a sign from the universe.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds- my boyfriend got to them before my camera did.

Tofu and Pumpkin Thai Curry

The curry was great except for the pumpkin. The texture was mushy and chewy at the same time. In the future I will use the water the pumpkin was boiled in for a pumpkin laced broth and add it to the curry. The actual chunks of pumpkin I will puree for making tarts.

There were lots of positive things that came out of this experience. For one, I was forced to be creative and try lots of different recipes and vegetables I normally would not have explored. I saved money by not eating out. It did become a struggle to get through all the vegetables before they went bad, but it forced me to eat healthier. I think I even lost an insignificant amount of weight in the process. Also, I ate locally for a few weeks which has tons of benefits. I couldn't imagine getting a shipment on my own of this size every other week and actually using all of the vegetables. A biweekly seasonal bushel is the appropriate size for two adults.

If you are interested in joining Farmhouse Delivery, they are currently taking orders for Farm Memberships for the 10 Week Early Spring Season, which runs January 4th-March 12th. The deadline for signing up for the early spring season is Friday, January 1st. Space is limited.There is a one-time $20 set-up fee. Returning members will not be charged the set-up fee. Cost is currently $35 per delivery for weekly members and $37 per delivery for biweekly members. Check out their website for more information. There are a few additional perks to being a member including member only garden parties and get togethers.

Peace, Love, Gardens and Vegetables.

Laura

Zoe's Kitchen (Giveaway!)

10000 Research Blvd

Austin, TX 78759

512-372-9080
http://www.zoeskitchen.com/

I was lucky enough yesterday to roll out of bed around 11 am, completely exhausted from ACL and think to myself "What is it I've planned to do today?" Oh yeah! Meet Maggie at Zoe's Kitchen for a preview!

Zoe's Kitchen is a new order at the counter casual Mediterranean restaurant in the Arboretum. Remember the days before the Domain when people regularly shopped at the Arboretum? Well, the place has had a lot of changes in the past few years, but one change I really appreciate is the restaurant additions (such as Kenobi opened in January 2008). Back in 2002 I lived nearby and the neighborhood was basically relegated to TGI Friday's and Z Tejas.

The restaurant is a chain that started in Birmingham, Alabama by a lady actually named Zoe. The cuisine reflects that as a southern take on broad generalized Mediterranean food.

A trip to Zoe's will get you vegetables, chicken, feta cheese, and olive oil served as a salad, skewers, pasta, pita or sandwich. It was good- but it was variations on a theme. If you aren't into those major ingredients, Zoe's isn't the place for you. I must admit, they have the vegetarian base covered, but they don't clearly mark the sneaky items. Beware of chicken broth in the rice pilaf, braised white beans and tomato soup.

Zoe's is optimal lunchtime material if you work in North Austin or if you are just too tired to cook and live in the area. You can order individual items or pick up meals for four or how ever many you want to feed. I could also see ordering this into the office meeting when you need to bribe your coworkers for their attendance. Here's some of the dishes we tasted on Monday.

Left: Steak rollups, rice pilaf. Center: Hummus salad plate. Right: Chicken skewers, salad.

Grilled chicken plate

Pita sandwich with pasta salad

Left: Reuben sandwich. Right: Grilled chicken Salad

I also ordered a Grilled Veggie stack (not pictured). The veggie stack is grilled portobello and zucchini, mozarella, caramelized onions, tomato, feta-parsley spread on focaccia. I give the feta-parsley spread two thumbs up. The focaccia bread was really thick, so be prepared for a carbfest.

Left: Order of hummus. Right: Veggie pita pizza.

The hummus was good, but the pita had much to be desired. Thank goodness it wasn't the normal pita bread they use. They told us their shipment hadn't arrived yet and that the bread they will be using is of much better quality. The pizza had a thin crispy crust just the way I like it. I think this would be my item of choice.

Spinach rollups served with salsa and side.

I wanted to like these spinach rollups, and I did... except for those damn canned mushrooms. HUGE pet peeve.

Chicken salad sandwich with side of braised white beans

Chocolate cake for dessert.

My vote on the cake? Fits the bill on chocolate-y and moist, but overall not really worth the calories.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention they have a small patio.

Proof that a small patio does exist.

Want to check out Zoe's for yourself? I'll give away coupons for two free entrees to one random commentor. You have until Friday to comment. I'll pick the winner by closing my eyes and then pointing to a random name on the screen. Don't forget to enter your email address. Posting as anonymous won't allow me to contact you. Good luck! And tell me something interesting!

Bottom Line: Generic Mediterranean food, perfect for quick lunch up north, easy take home or ordering mass quantities into the office.

Laura ~ 6