SouthAustinFoodie Adventures

Bits and BItes

2012-02-10T16:28:00.000-06:00

Open

-- Sort of open.... while Get Sum Dim Sum's spot at 44th and Lamar closed, Satay (it's sister restaurant) is currently serving dim sum on weekends.

-- Kebabalicious is moving from trailer to brick-and-mortar at 1311 E. 7th, opening later this month.

-- New trailer from the Peached Tortilla peeps, Yume Burger. Grand opening this weekend at Hops and Grain.

Trailers on the Move

-- Dock and Roll has left the Westlake area for the South First street spot, next to Izzoz and Gourdough's; 1503 S. 1st. Lobstah rolls.

-- Kate's Southern Comfort has gone east to 1604 E. 6th at Comal.

Closed

-- Red Door Pizza is on hiatus, and will apparently look for a new location; property bought by the Eddie V's/Moonshine/Hopdoddy people.

Events

-- A weekend of love with a $55/person three course dinner at Urban Grill, February 10 - 14.

-- Contigo having a non-Valentine's Day family style dinner, on V-day, $35/person.

-- SugarMama's Bakeshop will deliver on Valentine's day -- make your order/reservation now.

-- Celebrate Texas Independence in style at Jack Allen's, on March 7th with drink specials from Republic Tequila, a pig roast, and live music. Mmmm, pig!

-- Sagra is starting a Sunday Supper series, the third Sunday of the month. For $50/person, you get six courses, plus wine pairings; contact them to make a reservation. The menu looks delicious!

I am hearing GREAT things about Easy Tiger, especially the pain au chocolat! Need to go....

Lenoir

2012-02-05T17:40:00.000-06:00

My area of Bouldin Creek is becoming quite hip, and I am over the moon with the explosion of new eateries in the area. Now adding to the mix is Lenoir, in the old home of Somnio, on South 1st between Annie and Mary Streets. The prix-fixe restaurant is the work of Todd Duplechan, formerly of Trio at the Four Seasons Hotel, and his wife, Jessica Maher, a pastry chef and recent member of the Dai Due team.

Like La Patisserie and Elizabeth Street Cafe, Lenoir has taken one of the neighborhood's cottage houses and transformed it. As I had seen previously written, the interior is a combination of dark masculine wood when you enter, surrounded by the more feminine feel of off-white gauzy/lacy curtains. The tables and chairs are wooden, painted in a light coat of white, so the grain of the wood is visible. The taller, cocktail-style tables have leather and brass stud accents on the corners, while the ten-seat community table in the middle of the room sits under a bank of lights, giving it a modern chandelier look. I believe I counted a total of 33 seats -- 9 at the bar, 10 at the community table, and 14 at the 2 and 4-top cocktail tables. It's not very big at all. Our waiter and his witticisms was always present, but not hovering.

Lenoir's menu is divided into four areas: field, sea, land, dream (dessert); you can pick any three dishes for $30, and additional ones are $10. The menu changes with what's available seasonally and locally.

My first course was the upma polenta with Brussels sprouts and carrots. It's actually a semolina (wheat) polenta, as opposed to the traditional corn. (May be a problem for gluten-free eaters, as it's not listed as wheat on the menu.) It had a nice late-hitting spiciness to it, from mustard seed and I am not sure what else. The baby Brussels were seared, and the carrots tender.

The second dish I had was axis venison in a spiced broth with haikurei turnips, sunflower sprouts, daikon radish (they were cut very thin, like angel hair pasta), and rawa noodles, made from toasted wheat. I would call this their take on a pho bowl. The venison was cooked beautifully, and the broth really had a nice flavor to it, and the two together were wonderful. While the waiter named cinnamon and star anise as being in the broth, the lingering flavor was the heat from the Balinese long peppers (they look like miniature, long pine cones), a relation to black peppercorns.

For my third course, I had the chaubier cheese with almond nougatine, and grapefruit preserves from the local maker Confituras. And I apparently forgot to take a picture! Chaubier is a wash-rind, semi-firm goat and cow's milk cheese from France; I'd say a medium-strong cheese. It's creaminess was nice with the candied almonds and tart jam.

Other dishes my friend's had.... gulf shrimp with kabocha squash, kale and xo sauce. I was not familiar with xo before; it's made from dried fish, shrimp, scallops, along with chile peppers, garlic and other spices, and is often used in Cantonese foods. Lenoir is making their own, and it was fantastic. It really elevated this dish, giving it a great depth of flavor. (This dish was about to come off the menu, as kabocha is about out of season now.)

The chickpea panisse (like a polenta), oyster mushrooms, wilted winter greens, and a poached egg.

Red curry short ribs with scarlet runner beans

Chicken, shitake mushrooms, lettuce, carrots, and peanuts. While you wouldn't know it from it's description, this was a take on lettuce wraps.

Leftovers were packaged in a swan boat! (Maybe we'll call it a grackle instead...) On the table behind the swan was a black holder for a small vase of flowers, and also a salt cellar, with a flaky sea salt with lavender and herbs in it. It looked more like decoration until I looked more closely at it, and then tried it.

It's sort of hard to pin down the specific type of food that Lenoir is serving, and maybe that's their point. They have described themselves as making "hot weather food" -- spicy and acidic, and the Asian influences from the dishes I tried can attest to that. The name Lenoir refers to a varietal of French black grape, brought by the Spanish to Central America, and well-rooted in Texas, a parallel to the owners' own culinary journey. Glad their journey has brought them to our little neck of the woods.

Bits and Bites

2012-01-28T16:44:00.002-06:00

What I've come across this past week:

Re-Opening

-- Kerbey Lane has moved into their new, bigger home at 3005 S. Lamar, only 3 blocks from the previous location.

-- Can't remember if I have mentioned before that Sugar Mama's Bakeshop at South 1st and Mary is expanding into the space next door to them! The knocking down of walls is about to begin,with the hopes to have a "grand opening" in mid-February. More space = more sweets! Can't wait!

Happenings, etc.

-- Stubb's BBQ has created a line of ready-to-eat BBQ meats, available exclusively at the South Austin Costco, February 2 - 5. There's a big football game that weekend that those meats would be perfect for watching with!
-- Houndstooth Coffee will be hosting a pop-up vintage shop, Fridays in February, as they work with local on-line business, Hold Vintage. Drink good coffee, and experience this unique pairing!

-- Braise is debuting three and five-course prix fixe menus, though diners can still order a la carte.

-- Valentine's Day specials being offered at: Jezebel, Paggi House, Sagra. (The original Jezebel location burned in a fire, and Chef/Owner Parind Vora is utilizing the space at Braise, also his spot, for the Jezebel Valentine's event.)
-- Just need to enjoy the nice Austin weather? Eater Austin has a great list of restaurants with outdoor seating.

I'll be trying the new Lenoir this coming week! Stay tuned!

Fabi + Rosi

2012-01-18T09:09:00.000-06:00

Tucked away on a side street of Lake Austin Boulevard, in a quaint bungalow lies Fabi + Rosi, serving traditional European foods with a more modern flair, brought to you by a German chef. They will celebrate their third anniversary in May, and I don't know what has taken me so long to get there! I had a really lovely happy hour/dinner experience with some food blogger friends last week, and now I can't wait to go back again!

Thursday happy hour, bottles of bubbly are half price; I think their wine list is quite decently priced to begin with, but it was a no-brainer in picking a libation to go with our collection of appetizers.

Beginning with the Metzger Platte, chicken liver pate, wagyu beef tartare, and smoked duck breast with grainy mustard and cornichon. The pate was sitting on a mound of little wine jelly gems, which cut the fattiness nicely. I didn't get a whole lot of impact from the beef tartare, but the duck breast had a nice mild smokiness. Oh, and the aioli with the bread? Pure heaven.

The P.E.I. mussels were delicious, largely because the broth was so incredibly flavored with pinot grigio and garlic. (As opposed to the bowl of mussels I recently had at a popular seafood restaurant on SoCo....)

The escargot were ok, probably the least exciting thing that I had, and they weren't bad at all, just not as buttery and garlicky as I had hoped for. Maybe all the garlic went to the mussels and aioli!

The cheese board was a pretty simple, straightforward presentation, with a brie, a blue (valdeon), a semi-firm with a mild truffle infusion (sottocenere), and a sheep's milk (manchego). This board was a good example of selecting cheeses of different textures and types of milk.

For main course, I had the Loncito's Lamb Ragout. Cheese ravioli with the lamb, which had been simmered in a light tomato sauce. The pasta for the ravioli were a little dense, but the flavorful local lamb was outstanding. I've bought Loncito's at the farmer's markets before, and it never disappoints.

Three of the five diners at our table had the spatzle and schnitzel, because it is THAT good. Sorry that you don't really see the incredibly light spatzle in the picture, but trust me, it was delicious. And I can totally see ordering that in the future.

Our fifth diner had the Ich Liebe Tiere, or mushroom strudel, which really had a great meatiness to it. The cauliflower puree was so smooth, you really would think it was potato unless you knew better.

We split two desserts: crack pie with hooch cream and chevre cheese cake with gingersnap crust and candied lemon peel. The crack pie is like a cross between buttermilk or chess pie and a blondie; sweet and tasty, though a bit heavy. The goat cheese concoction, was really lovely, especially the lemon peel, which weren't bitter at all.

I think restaurants in old houses have such a charm to them, and Fabi + Rosi is no exception. There's also some tables out front, which, if the weather were warmer, would be a great spot for a cocktail. Our service was outstanding, and all the dishes were timed well. They are also committed to serving locally raised, sustainable, and organic-when-possible items. They have a garden for some of the greens, as well as chickens for their eggs; they also compost and recycle as much as possible.

And the name Fabi + Rosi? Chef Wolfgang Murber's nephew and niece back in Germany, Fabio and Rosalie. How lucky they are to have such a fine establishment named for them!

Bits and Bites

2012-01-17T20:07:00.000-06:00

Opening

-- Lenior, from Todd Duplechan and wife Jessica Maher, officially opens in the old Somnio spot on January 20th at 1807 S. 1st Street

-- Easy Tiger, a bake shop and beer garden from the folks behind 24 Diner, at 709 E. 6th Street, opening January 23. Bread and beer...potentially a celiac's nightmare and a carb-lover's dream!

-- Hillside Farmacy, from Sonya Cote of East Side Show Room, a soda fountain/bar/deli/grocery store /carryout kind of place. 1209 E. 11th. Sort of a Walton's Fancy and Staple for the east side?

Closing

-- El Greco's kitchen nightmare has come to fruition, and they have officially bitten the dust.

-- Get Sum Dim Sum has closed their 45th & Lamar location; apparently they are in negotiations for a spot close the UT campus....stay tuned!

Events/Changes

-- On January 24th, the Lone Star Paralysis Tequila Bash will be at Jack Allen's Kitchen, where five local chefs will be pairing their dishes with various tequilas. $200/person, which includes spirit pairings, in addition to tax and gratuity;100% of ticket sales will be donated to the Lone Star Paralysis Foundation
-- Austin Restaurant Week has tweaked their structure a bit. Restaurants will now be able to register on ARW's website, and $1 of each meal will go to the designated charity. Mark your calendars now for the spring cycle of ARW, April 1 - 4 and April 8-11. The new Austin Food Trailer Week will be May 6 - 13.
-- Valentine's Day at Braise for $99/couple.
-- The Texas Hill Country Wine and Food Festival is now the Austin Food and Wine Alliance. Their inaugural festival will be April 27-29, largely at Auditorium Shores.

Perlas

2012-01-13T19:28:00.003-06:00

I've only been to Perla's once before, a couple of years ago, during Austin Restaurant Week, so they had prix fixe menus with three set courses (previous post on it is here). I went for lunch with a friend earlier this week; we had the full menu available to us, and we took the opportunity to split all of our dishes.

Arriving for a late lunch around 1:30 pm, there was hardly anyone in the restaurant. They have erected a huge tent over their front patio, and given that they used clear plastic panels, it looked quite nice (no, I didn't take a picture, sorry!), and even though it was slightly colder outside, the temp was comfortable as we walked through.

We told the waitress we were going to share everything, and she did not ask if we wanted them all together or spaced out. And after what seemed like a bit of a lengthy time, given the lack of patrons at that hour, all three dishes came at once. PEI mussels steamed in Fireman's #4 Blonde Ale, with fennel sausage and tomatoes. Mussels were good, sausage was a great addition, but the broth had no zip to it, no real depth of flavor. With a good bowl of mussels, you should really just want to drink up the broth, and in this case, it mostly sat there. The accompanying ciabatta garlic toast was quite tasty.

Beer battered fish and chips with hand cut fries was unfortunately, an epic fail. Everything was soggy, not well-fried at all. And now looking at the picture, it appears that the pieces of cod were sitting on a cooling rack for quite some time, getting grid impressions in them. I like that the russet potatoes had their skins on, but they too, were on the limp side. Our waitress had come back to check on us early on, when we were still both eating the mussels, and then she was rather scarce. One of the other expediters/bussers cleared our table, and when our waitress finally reappeared, we told her the fish was under-fried. She apologized, and said she'd inform the kitchen. When she came back, she did tell us they would take it off the bill. I will still maintain that the best fish and chips I've had in town is at the Bits and Druthers trailer. (My post on them here.)

Our third dish was a pan-roasted crab cake with caramelized endive and sauce gribiche (not pictured, as it was in a pitcher on the side). The crab cake by itself was excellent -- almost all crab, very little if any filler. Well cooked, so it was nice and crispy on both sides. The endive was an interesting addition, but it didn't do a whole lot for me. And what, might you be asking is a sauce gribiche? I had to look it up, and my culinary school graduate dining companion wasn't familiar either. It's a mayonnaise-based sauce with chopped up hard-boiled egg in it, and often capers, cucumber, and some green herbs like tarragon or chervil. Neither of us particularly cared for the flavor profile of this one, and I am not entirely sure what the flavors were. Quite sure there weren't capers, but perhaps it was chervil....it was something I clearly can't identify. The tartar from the fish and chips was a little better match for the crab cake, I think.

Not really needing dessert, we were going to pass entirely until we saw a pear tart tatin and butterscotch pot de creme on the dessert menu; we opted for the later, which had fleur de sel in the dish on the side, and lovely coconut-oaty tuille cookies. Underneath all the cream was the thick and creamy (and rich) butterscotch, and when dipped in a teeeny bit of salt, it was delicious!

Our waitress was very friendly, though absent for various periods. Clearly she pegged us as "ladies of leisure," as the dessert also took a very long time to come out. (Were they harvesting the sea salt?) While there were some hits, like the crab cake and the dessert, we both left a bit disappointed in the food. I also wonder if the chefs and management are concentrating too much on the new Elizabeth Street Cafe, which is owned and operated by the same group (Lambert's too)? Despite the misses that we encountered, I don't think it will do much damage to Perla's...they're in just about the hottest location in town, in the middle of the SoCo strip. Visitors and locals alike will pay Perla's prices, and will continue to think they're getting outstanding food, but I'd say the luster of off the pearl.

Elizabeth Street Cafe

2012-01-07T16:32:00.002-06:00

When Bouldin Creek Cafe announced last year they were moving a few blocks south, I wondered what would become of their old home (it's actually the house that my friend's grandparents used to own many years ago) at the corner of South First and Elizabeth. I was excited when I heard it would become Elizabeth Street Cafe, an upscale Vietnamese boulangerie, brought to us by the folks from Lambert's and Perla's. And then even more excited when I heard rumors (and I think they have been substantiated -- renovations and parking lot paving are underway) that the long-vacant building on the north side of Elizabeth would become a Thai spot, from the La Condesa people. ESC opened about two weeks ago, and I was giddy with excitement -- as were my three companions! -- to go eat dinner there on Friday night. We were not disappointed!

I had heard good things and long waits at ESC through the foodie rumor mill. I anticipated a lengthy wait on a Friday, and was almost shocked when the hostess said it would (only) be about 30 minutes. Fortunately, it was a beautiful, warm January night, so sitting on the front patio to wait with a cocktail was no issue at all. We had the champagne punch, which comes in a large beaker with a strainer and stirring spoon; it's comprised of champagne, Lillet Blanc Passion Fruit, some lime, grapefruit and bitters, and had strawberries and blueberries in it. It needed a good stir to get the passion fruit flavor, but once I found that, I was happy.

We had remarked on how nice it would be to eat outside for our dinner, as we noticed tables on the north side as we waited. Lo and behold, that's where we were seated! About six small round tables dot the patio. A little tight for a table of four, but we're a cozy bunch, and had planned on sharing items anyway. Starting with a few apps, we had the #16 Niman Ranch Pork Belly Steamed Buns. I promise, there was some very tasty pork under all that cilantro! The bun part was a little doughy, and I can tell now from the picture, they are a little uneven in thicknesses; pretty sure I had the thicker one on the right.

Followed by the #10C Ginger Marinated Tofu with Radish, Thai Basil, and Serrano. These could have used more "oomph" to use a technical term. However, the dipping sauces are killer! Peanut (heavy on the coconut milk) on the right, sweet chili vinegar the clear one, and ginger-jalapeno the green. The green one I think may have some avocado in it, because it's very creamy...it was hard for all of us to resist not licking the little bowl!

And the #27 Kaffir Lime Fried Chicken Bahn Mi. Loved the presentation on the newspaper! To start with, this the most perfect baguette for this sandwich, and they make them in-house. It's got a nice crust to it, but it doesn't tear up the roof of your mouth, nor is it too thick. The chicken was nicely fried, but I thought it lacked in kaffir flavor. Would I eat it again though? Yes.

We then got the #31C Pork Belly, Pork Meatballs, and Soft Boiled Egg bowl of Pho, done in pork broth, of course. We had been smelling the pho as it had been delivered to other tables, and it was really tasty. It has a fairly strong scent of Chinese five spice powder, or at least the star anise, but the flavor of it is not over powering. There were a few slices of pork belly, which was nice, but what was totally amazing was the meatball -- so tender and flavorful. (They actually do a bahn mi with the meat balls....hmmmm....) I have some runny yolk issues, so my friends split the soft boiled egg in their bowls, and they said it really made it even more amazing, so next time, I will have to try it!

And the #40 Grilled McAllen Ranch Flank Steak Bun (noodle) bowl (pronounced boone) -- look at those vibrant colors! There was a small bowl of nuoc cham (seasoned fish sauce) that we poured over, but next time, I would ask for an extra bowl of it. The meat was a little salty (and you know, I LIKE salt!), and a little bit on the tough side, but it was cooked beautifully, and had good flavor, once you got past the saltiness. I just think the dish in general needed a bit more contrast from the fish sauce. Now, each table does come with a tray of condiments -- chile paste, sambal soy, hoisin,and fish sauce, so you can do some doctoring on your own.

Though we were ALMOST at our tipping point, there was just a little room left for Puffed Rice Profiteroles, with Vietnamese Coffee, Dark Chocolate, Creme Anglaise, and Candied Hazelnuts. Hell yeah! These were perfect, and when split amongst four people, it's just right.

Our server Kathleen was great. Very open with the suggestions, but totally understanding when our pregnant lady didn't show as much enthusiasm for the recommended octopus dishes (#18 grilled octopus salad and #48 octopus bun -- apparently the octopi is very nice and tender) or the bahn mi with pate. All the waitresses were in cute retro-ish print dresses. And what I will assume is a Vietnamese rice basket for a trashcan in the women's room, along with some Asian prints and an orchid on the counter to round out the Asian feel.

We also had one more round of punch cocktails, the Sake and Plum Wine Punch, which was maybe a little more cucumber than I was expecting. But all told, four people had Friday night dinner and drinks for $108 before tip. That's $27 each, and I really don't think that's at all unreasonable. We didn't leave feeling hungry, but Gourdough's and Izzoz's are in the lot next door if anyone was.

And then we walked back to my house, a mere five blocks away from Elizabeth Street Cafe. Very excited for such a great addition to the Bouldin 'hood! Oh, and they're open for breakfast!

Kome

2012-01-05T23:12:00.000-06:00

The new hot Japanese place that's getting a lot of buzz? No, not Uchi/Uchiko. Kome -- serving up authentic, home style food.

Open since the end of October, Kome is operated by a Japanese couple, who previously brought us bento boxes at the farmer's market, followed by the Sushi-a-Go-Go trailers. Take Asazu previously worked at Uchi, before he and wife Kayo launched their own food businesses. Executive Chef of Uchiko and current Top Chef contender, Paul Qui (also owner of the East Side King Asian fusion trailers), is also said to be very fond of Kome.

I arrived a few minutes ahead of my lunch companions, and asked our waiter if he had any favorite items on the menu. He said he was partial to the gyu-don, a rice bowl (donburi) with beef and onion, as well as the gyoza, which were filled with ground pork. I ordered some genmaicha tea (green tea with toasted rice) and studied the menu. My foodie friends and I all agreed to order a few different items and just share. It's always more fun that way!

We started with the recommended gyoza, which were some of the best seared I have come across! Forget steamed dumplings/pot stickers/gyoza, they all need to be like these, nice and crisp on one side, and soft on the other, and still steaming hot when you took a bite. The pork filling had nice flavor, with something a little zippy/tangy in them that I can't totally place. Yuzu (a type of Japanese citrus) perhaps? We also got the veggie tempura, which consisted of onions, zucchini, and slices of kabocha squash, which was certainly the best one of the three. Zucchini sort of has no flavor as it is, and onions are onions (think these were sweet onions of some sort). Kabocha is a nice winter squash, not unlike pumpkin in taste or appearance; it's used a lot in Japanese cooking during the cooler months. (I came across it a few times during my recent October trip to Japan.)

We chose two of the rolls, the #11 Rock 'n Roll (with tempura shrimp, avocado and carrots), and the #13 Spooky (with tuna, avocado and salmon). Both very fresh, and the larger one being a bit more difficult to eat!

And then the Tonkatsu Ramen bowl. This was downright fabulous! The broth is made by simmering pork leg bones for hours on end....the breakdown of the marrow is what gives the broth it's milky color and sumptuous flavor. From the 12 o'clock (okay, 11:55) position, that's a piece of nori (seaweed -- what is used for wrapping sushi rolls) sticking up, and next to it are some type of greens (chard? not sure what it was), corn, slices of pork belly, soft-boiled egg with fried onions or shallots, kamaboko (pressed fish cakes), and what looks like carrots on top is actually slices of pickled ginger. Oh, an while you can't really see them, there were a whole lotta nice fresh noodles under all those toppings. Really a delicious bowl! And the waiter had brought a sesame seed grinder and white pepper, which I had forgotten about until we were mostly through the bowl, but they do add a nice little extra dimension.

The serving dishes at Kome are a nice mix of your typical Japanese pieces, like the tea cups, and the small bowls for dipping sauces, and then your whiteware pieces like what the tempura and rolls were served on. Decor is sparse, but it emphasizes the clean interior lines. I liked how the vertical support beams had various Japanese labels on them, I think many from sake bottles. The staff was friendly, and our waiter helpful with suggestions. It definitely feels like a neighborhood hangout, nothing stuffy or pretentious about it.

Kome, which translates to rice, has recently been written up in Austin 360, mentioned by Eater Austin as one of the most exciting new places to open, and has been receiving a host of other press, well chronicled by their Facebook page. And I'd say it's certainly well-deserved. Their lunch and dinner menus are completely different, so I look forward to going back and trying new dishes with foodie friends who like to share.

Bits and Bites 2012

2012-01-05T16:45:00.000-06:00

Opening....

22 Trattoria and Wine Bar on West 6th near West Lynn

Closing....

La Sombra

El Greco -- reports that they've gone AWOL, but I have not confirmed

McCormick and Schmick -- really, M and S couldn't make it? Their happy hour was WAY too affordable, and it will be missed! That leaves a large vacancy in the Frost Bank Building.

Shoreline Grill

Newsy Stuff/Events.....

This week's food section in the Austin Chronicle has some GREAT lists, from 2011 food/restaurant success stories to savory and sweet favorites. All in all, 9 top ten lists to keep you well fed!

And, for more lists to keep handy, check out Eater Austin's quarterly list of 38 top places in town.

Chef Tyler Johnson out at Bacon...

A Torrid Affair's next event is January 16th at Springdale Farms, a six course offering from Barley Swine's Bryce Gilmore, and the drinks of Dwayne Allen Clark from Peche. Tickets are $100, and benefit the Dell Children's Medical Center and the Sustainable Food Center.

J Mueller's BBQ

2011-12-18T12:31:00.000-06:00

Pepper. Lots of pepper.

That's certainly how I would sum up the new J Mueller BBQ trailer on South First. As expected, the meats were delicious, and for a BBQ joint, the sides were okay. Fortunately, on a wettish Tuesday, we didn't have to wait in line, as we were the only ones there! At times though, they see big lines, and when they're out of food for the day, they're out!

They gave us a big bite of nice charred brisket as they were putting our order together. Tender, smoky, with a big black pepper bite to it.

Two of us split what you see below, which we brought home to eat: from the left, potato salad, sausage, pork ribs, brisket, squash casserole, and chipotle cole slaw.

The pork sausage has a nice coarse grind, also pretty peppery. The pork ribs were probably my favorite of the meats; great pink smoke ring, and not as much pepper (though you could see it in the rub on the exterior) as the brisket. Potato salad was my favorite of the three sides, creamy, with a few little chunks in it. The squash really didn't do anything for me (but I am generally not a huge fan of yellow squash), though my friend, who ate it all the time at the previous Mueller locations, was quite pleased with it. And the cole slaw had more of a black pepper taste than a chipotle taste to it... not as advertised.

Mueller's is directly across the street from what will be the new Elizabeth Street Cafe (and just to the south of this building is the lot for Izzoz Tacos), which will serve upscale Vietnamese. Too hard to get a decent photo, with S. 1st Street traffic, and the orange construction markers. When I drove past there last night, they had some Christmas lights up on the awnings. Getting close to opening, I hope!

And this building on the north side of Elizabeth is rumored to be a Thai spot.....

The meats of J Mueller's are a great addition to the trailers along S. 1st, and good BBQ is always a good thing. No offense to the Mexican Mile, but South First is finally turning into a REAL food destination!

Bits and Bites

2011-12-15T17:25:00.000-06:00

Now open:

-- Lucy's Fried Chicken, from the folks at Olivia. Mmmmm! Can't wait to try this one!

Make reservations for:

-- Paggi House is having both New Year's Eve dinners ($95 + up) and brunch on New Year's Day.

-- Parkside is having a New Year's Eve dinner ($60 + up) as well as a party upstairs ($100).

-- Contigo is having New Year's Eve cocktail pairing dinner ($115).

-- Sagra having a New Year's Day brunch buffet, $24 per person ($30 with mimosas).

Bacon

2011-12-13T22:01:00.000-06:00

It's pretty hard to go wrong with a place named Bacon.

From the door handle....

.....to the merchandise available for purchase....

...to the helpful eye chart on the back of the menu (you must be in good health to eat here!).....

... to the food (more on that in a sec), Bacon is a happenin' place.

I pick Sunday morning brunch as my first time to go visit Bacon. Fortunately, we were only a party of two, so it wasn't difficult to sit, because the place was certainly hopping. (Hard to believe this was the old Basil's restaurant, and more recently, the Screaming Goat.) You order at the bar/counter, you get your number so the food runners can find you, and find a seat. Both the gal taking our order and the guys running the food were super-friendly, and they all seemed genuinely nice, not just people working another service job.

I had the biscuits and gravy, which were really outstanding (yes, almost as good as my own!). The biscuits are large, and nice and fluffy, meaning the dough wasn't overworked. Good pieces of bacon in the gravy, and no wimpy chive garnish here!

And the corn fritters with bacon aioli. The fritters were ok. I think it's canned corn, and while they were nice and golden, there wasn't a ton of taste to them by themselves. The aioli was the one real disappointment of the meal. It tastes artificial, and I would almost bet they're using the Bacon Mayo, which I've had before, and hated it because it was entirely artificial. Fritters were better when dipped in gravy!

My friend had the butter lettuce salad with bacon and bleu cheese. (REALLY? I am getting b & g, and she's eating a salad?? Whatever.) Have to say, it was one of the prettiest salads, with what looked like a whole head of butter lettuce. Kind of your basic bleu cheese, but nice big pieces of bacon.

I've been the proud owner of a bacon wallet for about 4 years now; hard to tell in the picture, but it's one of the bacon memorabilia items available for sale. When I was paying for my food, the gal at the register commented "That's what inspired this whole restaurant idea!" A pretty good idea indeed! Now, if only someone can figure out how to make the wallet SMELL like bacon........

Bits and Bites

2011-12-08T10:04:00.001-06:00

-- I've been trying to figure out what the old Furr's Cafeteria on South Lamar is going to turn into. On my way to Target in the beginning of November (I think that's when it was), I saw two of the Stubb's BBQ trailers parked on the backside, by the old Lacks, and an inquiry on Twitter came back with one reply of a Stubb's rumor....so..... anyone want to confirm this?

-- Contigo, in east Austin, has winterized both their outdoor seating and their seasonal menu.

-- And speaking of BBQ, the County Line franchise will happily ship you some ribs (or other tasty items) wherever you'd like to send them! They also do gift cards, and even vegetarian options (!). See their website for info.

-- And then speaking of vegetarians, there's a new vegan queso on the market made by Food for Lovers and it's available for shipping! I've heard it's really good, but have not tried it.... I am curious, but I am a non-vegan, die hard Austin Slow Burn Green Chile con Queso kinda gal......

-- The Monument Cafe in Georgetown will be open on Christmas Day from 9 am - 2 pm, serving traditional holiday feasts.

-- Sagra will be holding New Year's Day brunch; reservations recommended.

-- A Torrid Affair is hosting a special holiday six course wild game dinner at Springdale Farm on December 19th. For more info and tickets, see their website.

Odds and Ends!

2011-12-05T20:18:00.001-06:00

Went 2 weeks ago to Luke's Inside Out, the trailer adjacent to the Gibson Bar; my first time at either place, actually! How can you not love a place that calls their sandwiches by what they are: The Pig, The Cow, The Cheese, etc. So of course, I had The Pig (duh!), which was quite a tasty little number. The full description: pulled pork, with bacon, mozzarella, chow chow, bbq sauce, and onion rings. Messy though! Very nicely done, and a nice contrast of sweetness with the addition of pickled peaches, I believe.

Last week, I got a slight wild hair and drove out to Baguette et Chocolate at 2244 (Bee Caves) and Hwy 71. Located in a non-descript newer retail/office park, they are a sophisticated French bakery that I have heard great things about. Apart from the fact they were out of almond croissants when I arrived for an early lunch, I was not disappointed, and it was delicious. I had a lunch of crepe complete -- a buckwheat crepe (traditional for savory crepes in France) with egg, ham, and Swiss cheese, with a small side of greens. A little to my surprise, it comes folded into a rectangle, but that had no affect on how tasty it was! Very nicely pan seared, not only so the cheese melts, but so the outer edges become crispy. They have a ton of savory and sweet crepe choices, it was hard to narrow it down! Must go back and try other varieties! I had picked out a chocolate croissant for the following day's breakfast (it got slightly burned heating it in my toaster oven, but it seemingly had a thousand little layers to it!), an order of choquettes, little light as air bite-sized cream puffs with coarse sugar on top, and a sourdough baguette to go with some soup already at home. Wished they had demi-baguettes, because that full loaf was addictive.Very cute little place, though too bad it IS such a drive!

This past Friday, I went to Chen's Noodle House, another favorite spot, even though it is WAY the heck up north! (Well, northwest.... 183 and Spicewood Springs). I was a little concerned that they'd be too crowded with no place to sit (it's a tiny spot), or they'd be out of the really good stuff. Fortunately, by the time we got there, close to 8 pm, it was only half full, and they were out of two items I wasn't as interested in. We started with the green onion pancakes, which are as fine as you will find anywhere. Crisp and flaky, slightly soft on the inner concentric circle layers.... Could have eaten a whole lot of those! We had the lamb skewers next; 8 metal skewers with 4 or 5 pieces of tender, succulent lamb on each. These were done with a spicy (and a bit salty) szechuan peppercorn rub, that also had some heat to it. They were grilled perfectly, and just melted in your mouth. In my excitement, I failed to take pics of the pancakes or the lamb, ooops! I had gotten a tip from a friend to try the noodles with black bean sauce, but to get them with the handcut noodles, which they did without hesitation when we asked. Such great flavor in the sauce, it was really perfect with those wider irregular noodles. We also had the thin noodles with ground lamb, which was quite good, but not quite as good as the first one.

While at Chen's, we heard another customer talking to the man behind the counter (Chen himself?), and got the scoop: they are opening a LARGER location on Anderson Lane! Hopefully within 3 weeks (so right before Christmas?). And hot pots!!! It's in the same shopping center as Korea House and the Alamo, which will definitely make it closer for those of us down south!!!

After dinner, we walked across the strip center to the site of Sambet's Cajun Deli. Unfortunately, they had a fire at Thanksgiving, while deep frying turkeys. Their damage was heavy, and even spread a bit to neighboring businesses. Dynasty Chinese next door remains closed. Ann's Kitchen, a cake shop, is closed as well, but the note on their door said they are still filling cake orders, which could be picked up a few doors down at the pharmacy. Fortunately, Asia Cafe was spared any damage. And judging from the note on the door, it doesn't look like Sambet's will reopen.

And tonight, I just got home from a dinner with good friends at Enoteca, always one of my favorite spots, and here in the neighborhood. We shared everything: suppli, pork rillettes, duck confit salad, gnocchi, and carbonara, but with tagliatelle, not spaghetti. And wine. And polenta almond cookies for dessert. Now it's cold out, my plants are covered, and it's time to make more hot tea!

Bits and Bites

2011-11-27T14:48:00.001-06:00

I am admittedly behind on food news in Austin....ever since I've been back from Japan, I've had a ton of things to catch up on, and haven't been following Twitter as faithfully. If there is some big food news, event, restaurant opening/change, etc, that I should know about, please let me know!

Events

-- Coming up, December 3-10 is the 5th Annual Edible Austin Eat Drink Local Week, which helps raise money for the Sustainable Food Center and Urban Roots. From the press release: "Guests are invited to dine at over 50 participating restaurants that will feature a locally sourced menu, and to attend eight signature events throughout the week that raise awareness of Austin’s vibrant local food scene." Check their website for a list of participating restaurants and various events. Eat local!!!

-- On Wednesday, December 7th, Better Bites of Austin presents their holiday food fair at the Domain II. This event is also part of Eat Drink Local Week, and will showcase local food and beverage makers, and you can purchase their treats just in time for gift giving! (Why oh why does it have to be way up at the Domain though? Can't there be another event held down south??!)

-- Jack Allen's will be hosting a wild game dinner, paired with Treaty Oak Rum cocktails and other local spirits, on December 6th. The menu includes wild boar chili, achiote grilled quail and antelope osso buco; I have the full menu if you'd like me to forward it. $100 per person, reservations required (512.745.4713 or banquets@jackallenskitchen.com).

Phil's Ice House

2011-11-19T22:21:00.001-06:00

The fine folks of Amy's Ice Cream created the "Austinville 78704" retail triangle at South Lamar and Manchaca. All locally-owned businesses, including their own: a second installment of Phil's Ice House, this one an actual hybrid of Phil's and Amy's under one roof. A treat for big kids and little kids alike!

I think this location has been open for almost a year. Usually when I drive past in the evenings, the place is overflowing with cars, literally, as they park on the South Lamar shoulder. I have figured that lunch would be my best time to take a stab at Phil's. But, taking a chance on Friday night around 7:45, we were pleasantly surprised to find a few open parking spots in the lot, and there were a couple open tables inside, and plenty available outside. The noise level was a little high, as it is a kid-friendly establishment, but it soon quieted down some, and the noise from the kids playing outside didn't affect us.

The burgers mostly have neighborhood names, very catchy for Austin. They've also got dogs, frito pie, chicken sandwiches, and some vegetarian options. Cleverly, they have a sampler basket with three sliders, mini versions of their grown-up neighborhood namesakes. And that became my choice for dinner, cooked medium rare, along with onion rings. My dining companion chose what I believe was the Travis Heights burger, with Swiss, grilled onions and mushrooms; I don't see it on the online menu. The chatty high school order taker said it was her favorite, and suggested adding blue cheese, which he happily did.

Both the regular burger and my sliders were good sized portions. My slider basket consisted of (from top to bottom in the picture) the Crestview, with chili and cheese; the Rosedale with mesquite bbq sauce; and the Violet Crown, with blue cheese and grilled onions. The Crestview burger was cooked to more of a medium/medium well, and while there was enough chili to make it messy, there wasn't a ton of chili on it. The mesquite on the Rosedale was very sweet, and probably my favorite was the Violet Crown. Sort of surprisingly given the strength of blue cheese, it was the one where I could best taste the grilled flavor of the burger. All three were served on kolache-style rolls, as in, a sweeter bread, rather than just a traditional roll. (The large versions each come on specialty breads, like jalapeno cheese buns.) The onion rings were a nice thin cut, with a light batter, and were really good! Likewise the sweet potato fries. And there was no complaining about the Travis Heights burger, and the eater definitely liked the blue cheese addition.

So after burgers and beer, these big kids could happily take home a pint of Amy's Mexican Vanilla so we didn't have to overdo it at Phil's! Solid food, friendly, fun service. They've got a good thing going!

El Tacorrido

2011-11-19T18:11:00.001-06:00

They don't call the stretch of South First street from Gibson to Oltorf "the Mexican Mile" for nothing. There's El Mercado, Torchy's & Izzo's trailers, Jovita's, La Mexicana Bakery, La Reyna, Polvo's, Little Mexico, and Habanero, though it's squarely on Oltorf. (Did I forget any?) And now, adding to the list, we have El Tacorrido, which took over the former Baby Greens drive thru spot at the northwest corner of South First and Oltorf. Did we REALLY need another Tex Mex spot?

I'd say the jury is still out.

I ordered a gordita with carnitas and a salad, which I don't see listed on their online menu. The very friendly young woman who was working the window asked if I wanted any salsa with the gordita; I asked for her recommendation, and she picked the verde -- avocado, onion, cilantro, and jalapeno. Really nice and creamy, with a bit of a bite, but not overpowering. The salsa was the best part of the gordita! The carnitas meat was not all pulled apart/shredded. There were some chunks in there, and I hate to say it, I passed over a few of them, because they looked like they were a little past their prime, with a bit of that shimmery look to them. I sort of thought to myself "am I taking a chance here?", but I was fine, no illnesses to report. The gordita was fairly greasy, and the bottom portion of it was thick and soggy. Not the best gordita by a long shot.

The salad I saved til dinnertime. For $6, you get a bowl of spinach with tomatoes and avocados, topped with tortilla strips; you can add your choice of meat for $2 more, and I opted for the habanero-marinated chicken breast. Hate to say it again, but the honey chipotle vinaigrette might have been the best thing about it. Some of the greens were past their prime, and I didn't really get any habanero heat from the chicken.

For a Mexican/Tex Mex spot, I find their dessert choices to be a bit odd: ice cream sandwich (vanilla on chocolate chip cookies) or banana bread.

This location of El Tacorrido is the third installment around town, and it seemed like the site sat idle for months, with an "opening soon" banner on it. I have no idea who's behind these joints, and there's no additional info on their website. This was only their second day open, so I will give it a little time to shake down, and go back and try some of their al pastor and breakfast tacos. Their prices are reasonable ($2 for a breakfast taco with 3 ingredients, additional ones 25 cents each) and their hours are great (7 am - 10 pm, let's see if that lasts...). They also seem to be catering to both the traditional Mexican population as well as the gringos; there are some diverse meat options (cuerito, buche) on the board, as well as menudo on the weekends, and meat can also be bought by the pound.

Let's wait and see if the Mexican Mile can sustain another place....

Contigo

2011-11-12T19:02:00.001-06:00

Happy hour with my food blogger friends -- epicuriosities, Girl Gone Grits, Tequila Tracker, Austin Gastronomist, and Franish Nonspeaker! And now that the weather is decent enough to sit outside, it was a great opportunity to go to Contigo, an east Austin, all-outdoors spot, that is generating a lot of buzz, and now I know why -- the food and service was great!

Contigo has some covered seating areas, but let's be clear, it's still outdoors. I CAN'T imagine what it was like in the brutal heat of the summertime. They did install fans and I think some water misters, which have now given way to heaters, but when it's 100-and-whatever-degrees outside, no thank you. I will stick to the air conditioner. On a cooler November evening though, it was perfect. And when you put six food people together, everyone wants to share!

Like a dork, I walked out of my house without my camera, and as we know from past experience in low light, the camera on my cell phone is of no use. So a big *thank you* to the lovely Christy from epicuriosities.com for her willingness to share her photos! :)

Tempura green beans with sambal aioli.

PEI mussels in a kimchi and lemongrass broth.

Pigs in a blanket. French fries with aioli. Olives.

Foie gras with chestnut butter and apple gastrique with brioche toast. OMG!

Two different pates, a country (with apple and Dijon mustard; on right in photo) and a smooth (with tempura eggplant drizzled with honey; top left in photo).

S'mores with sweetened lardo....almost too sweet, but still amazingly good! Chocolate and pig fat! That's right.

Housemade ricotta with almond tuille, sort of a deconstructed cannoli. Light, and not real sweet, almost savory. (Would have been perfect with mini chocolate chips!) The tuille looks huge in this pic, and I guess it was....I could have eaten two bowls of that!

I feel like I am forgetting something, other than the two Moscow Mules that I consumed. They change their menu, because what is currently listed online only has about half the dishes we saw on the menu.

Before last night, I had a hard time wrapping my head around Contigo's location. The best way to describe it is the southern border of the Mueller tract. I took Manor Road east of Airport Blvd, and about another quarter mile down is Anchor Lane, and turn left. Contigo is on the left, and you can see Mueller houses on the right. A great spot for that part of town! And granted it was a Friday night, there were hardly any free tables; I'd say they're not hurting for business. And I'd happily return.

Chez Nous

2011-11-12T10:55:00.001-06:00

Chez Nous has been downtown Austin's reigning French bistro since 1982. I've been aware of it (and have wanted to go) practically since I moved here, in late 1994. Success!

The night before Halloween, we were brave enough to venture downtown; Chez Nous lies just off 6th Street on Neches, in the middle of all the hubbub. My dining companion had been there innumerable times over the years, and even knew some of the wait staff by name. The inside is more rustic than I had imagined. Very comfortable and casual, not at all "snooty" like the French and their establishments have a reputation for.

I had attended the Texas Monthly BBQ Festival at the Long Center earlier in the day, and was not starving. Side bar: I now know what all the fuss over the brisket from Snow's BBQ in Lexington is all about. It and Franklin BBQ easily were the best briskets on site. But back to French food. We split the pate for an appetizer, and my friend's salade Lyonnaise with poached egg is in the background of the picture. The pate looks more pink in the picture than I recall it being in person, but it was very nice and smooth, mild flavor.

For a main dish, I had the escargot and salade du marche, in an effort to eat a bit lighter after lots of bbq. The escargot (the middle dish, in the pic below) were a little difficult to find amongst all the mushrooms. The menu description says they are sauteed with traditional garlic and parsley butter, but to me, it had a very strong white wine flavor, and it hadn't been cooked off all the way. Have to say, I like the escargot at Justine's better, just pure garlic butter that makes you want to lick off the plate. My spinach salad was a nice combo with endive, haricot verts, roquefort, and lardon with a citrus vinaigrette. My friend had their menu du jour, which consists of an app, main course and dessert. Her main course was grilled rib eye steak, which was cooked a perfect medium rare.

For dessert, we had the chocolate mousse, which was underwhelming (gummy and with skin) and the crepe Normande, a slightly thick crepe with undercooked apples, but a really delicious caramel sauce that makes you want more. Overall, I found the service to be odd. The staff was friendly, but sort of aloof, and that's all 4 of the different wait people who took drink, food, and dessert orders, cleared plates, brought new silverware, etc. We couldn't tell if they were a bit short staffed or what the situation was, though my friend did say it wasn't usually like that.

So I can now say I've been to Chez Nous. It's comfortable, a good value, and overall, quite decent food. But I don't now that there was anything about it that makes me want to go back in the near future. Seeing how it took me 17 years (!) to get there in the first place, I can wait a little while before heading back over.

Bits and Bites

2011-11-04T09:09:00.001-05:00

I am slowly getting back on track in the Austin food scene after being in Japan....also, my regular desktop computer is in the shop, so I am working off my notebook, which gets old after awhile! I am sure there's plenty I've missed, but here's the latest Bits and Bites installment! Drop me a line if there's some good food news that needs to be shared.

-- Pastry chef Plinio Sandalio is leaving Congress for The Carillion.

-- Sagra is debuting a new menu.

-- The spot that housed the former El Arbol is being taken over by parkside's Shawn Cirkiel, for a Southern Italian restaurant named Olive and June, hopefully to open by March.

-- Farmer's market mainstays Tiny Pies are offering free delivery of their yummy pies through the holidays.

Around the Bouldin Creek 'hood, I've spotted construction progress at the old Bouldin Creek Cafe home, the soon-to-be upscale Vietnamese, Elizabeth Street. And directly across the street from it, in what's been rumored to be a Thai spot, the land has been cleared around the building for parking. That building has been pretty much non functional in the years I have lived around here, so anything would be an improvement at this point!

And I haven't been yet, but hear that Lick, the upscale ice cream place in the building next to Barley Swine on South Lamar has opened. My source said Pure Puck goat cheese ice cream with thyme. Yes, please!

An Incredible Journey East

2011-10-27T09:35:00.000-05:00

This is probably multiple blog posts rolled into a big one, but with a little bit of jet lag, a lingering cold and problems with my desktop computer, it's time to get it done! Japan was a wonderful experience. We had terrific tour leaders whose first-hand knowledge of the country, customs, and traditions proved to educate us all extremely well. Domo arigato goziamas to Davis, Matt, and Deborah!

Here are some of my favorite images from the 18 days I was in Japan. Please feel free to comment/ask questions, as I will fill in the captions as I have more time. Enjoy!

Food (real and fake)

Our sayings before and after each meal.

Hedgehog? (It's actually the outer layer of a chestnut.)

Recently harvested rice

Drying onions

Drying squid (or cuttlefish?)

Daikon radish

Making fresh tofu for breakfast! One of my new favorites!

Sashimi -- snapper, crab, calamari, Spanish mackerel (@Nishimura in Kinesaki)

Fresh tofu and enoki mushrooms

Vegetables for shabu shabu pot (@Benesse)

Market in Kyoto

Fake omelettes

Examples of platters available thru one of the fancy department stores

Crepes, from the food court of Takeshimaya, one of the big department stores.


Chestnut season (and one persimmon snuck into the picture!)

One of my other new favorites, grilled eggplant with miso....mmmmm

Breakfast at Kinmata Ryokan in Kyoto; a bowl of rice (gohan) is customary, with jako (itty bitty sardines to mix in the rice), as is miso soup. The white square in the middle was sesame tofu (REALLY good -- tasted a lot like tahini), in the top right, a tofu dumpling, grilled salmon, grapefruit, butterbeans, daikon pickles.

The chef at Kinmata, giving us a cooking demo; here's he's chopping a fresh chestnut to be used as a batter for shrimp.

Fresh caught ayu, or river trout

Chirashi, also known as chirashizushi. It's sushi rice, topped with various garnishes, and it can vary regionally. Here we have strips of nori (seaweed), the pink is pickled ginger, and the yellow is a very fine scrambled egg. Totally loved this!

This is just a portion of this meal (dinner in the mountain onsen); potato chips, kabocha squash, meiji mushrooms, ground chicken (at 3 o'clock.... it was pressed into a loaf form)

"Typical" breakfast -- hot pot with vegetables, egg to be scrambled and put in hot pot, salad with apple slices, trout, pickled veg, beans, plum paste, sauteed greens, rice.

From the Tsukiji fish market

My what nice eyes you have!

Art and Architecture

Part of the futuristic train station/subway/hotel/mall complex in Kyoto

Our view from the hotel room, with a yummy baguette in the front. (The hotel had a great French bakery!)

Gardens at Heian-jingu shrine

For handwashing at Heian-jingu shrine

Visiting the Moss Garden, also known as Saihoji.

Fushimi Inari Shrine

Fushimi's red torii gates

Tunnel to the Miho Museum

Looking back at the tunnel from the Miho entrance

Bamboo basket maker

Man we saw on a morning walk

Visiting a silk spinner's workshop

Handpainted kimono

We had a nice gathering with the temple priest.

Even the man hole covers are pretty! We saw tons of beautifully designed ones.

At Benesse, this wonderful Keith Haring original art work was in our hotel room. From his 1985 Apartheid series.

Love!

The view from the hotel/museum in Benesse.

One of the pumpkin installations by Yayoi Kurasama.

Exploring on the island of Inujima (day from from Benesse)....a fabulous modern art island, mixing old and new. Here, walking down the steps of an old shrine.

Back at Benesse, another pumpkin.

It may only look like a concrete bunker, but it was a beautifully designed museum by Tako Ando.

Moonrise over Benesse in the early morning.

Cascading waterfall at the Benesse hotel/museum

The Oval at Benesse, where our rooms were.

Toyota Municipal Museum of Art in Takayam. The digital installation scrolled through many different sayings, in both English and kanji.... this one said "Stupid people shouldn't reproduce."

The exterior, designed by Yoshio Taniguchi

Visiting a master sword maker

At the ryokan (inn) of a cormorant fisherman's family, a dying art.

Morning view from our room

In Takayama, to the NW of Tokyo. This statue was on a bridge, opposite one with really long arms; they are said to be greeting travelers near and far.

The Zen temple in Takayama.

At the Matsumoto City Museum, which featured works by the pumpkin artist, Yayoi Kusama.

Real flowers! Some of the gorgeous displays we saw.

Textures/Patterns (you can probably figure these out, but if you have a question, just ask!)

Japanese Food...Lots of Small Dishes!

2011-10-13T17:50:00.001-05:00

Breakfast Monday at Okehase, at the Granvia Hotel, a traditional Japanesemeal that began with fresh carrot juice and hojicha tea. We were then presented with our own trayswith several smaller dishes; this is considered a meal of temple traditions.

Starting at 12 o’clock, a puree of white fish and pumpkin, in a slightlysweetened and thickened dashi-style broth. To the right, and dashimaki, or egg,roll. Just below them, miso soup. In the bottom right, was a dish with finelyminced scallions, which could be mixed in with the natto (fermented soybeans)in the bottom right corner. The large bowl in the middle is gohan, which meansrice. This was sort of a porridge style, and the pitcher to its side, asweetener for it, but not all that sweet by our Western ways of thinking. Tothe left of the gohan was freshly made pickles (Kyoto is well known for itspickle varieties), and on the far side, kombu (seaweed) and itty bitty driedfish; both of these dishes could be mixed into the gohan. At 9 o’clock, there’sgreens with shaved bonito, steamed salmon, and in the top left corner, was asmall pureed chicken ball with carrot, daikon, and kabocha squash that wascarved into the shape of a leaf.

Lunch was on our own, and we found a noodle house and I had my first udonwith tempura.Yumyumyum!

Group dinner was at a place near the Gion district. This wasessentially a kaiseki dinner, or meal of multiple small, seasonal dishes.

Starting with,at 9 o’clock, squares of freeze dried tofu, middle one black rice, 12 o’clock,fiddle head fern greens (watercress?), 2 oc –kobocha squash, 3 oc – purplepotato, 5 oc – a potato salad, 7 oc – eggplant with miso, 11 oc – miso withwinter melon; in the middle, hijiki seaweed.

Then was asashimi course, a young red hamachi. Octopus. Mackerel.

Tempura withfish puree (kamabuko); these were particularly nice, as they had rice“crispies” on the outside, and kabocha squash.

Noodles(nu-men) with sesame, scallions, ginger.

Faux tofu,made from sesame seeds (tasted like tahini).

Gohan (rice)with the itty bitty fishes, pickles, and miso.

Bancha tea. Tapioca andred beans with soy and coconut milks.

Leaving Kyotoon Tuesday morning, we headed to the north east to an indigo dyer, who dyes usingtraditional methods. Along the way, saw both sorghum and buckwheat that hadrecently been harvested, as well as rice.

We had lunchnot far from his village and were treated to freshly made (that morning!) greentea soba noodles.

Firstpresented with kabocha squash with pickles, followed by the new season’s ricewith mushrooms, also in season. And thenthe delicious cha-soba noodles with a dipping sauce of dashi and shoyu.

We continuedto the north to the ryokan (inn) of Miyamasa, a 3-starred Michelinestablishment, complete with ofuro, or hot, communal baths. Apparently, theplace does not book many foreigners, our tour group has been going for a numberof years, and the staff appears to be genuinely pleased to have their repeatbusiness. It’s apparently a vacation spot mostly for Japanese

We had a smallwelcoming ceremony upon arrival, with akebe (sp?) tea (really a tisane, as itdidn’t contain tea leaves; it’s a local plant, had a nice light bitterness toit), horse chestnut mochi, and then matcha tea. ~~{Oooops, I wrote most of this post when we didn't have internet connections, and I realize now, I don't have the photos downloaded; will have to add them in later, sorry!}~~

Dinner was aproduction, to say the very least! We were seated on tatami mats on the floor;fortunately, our little chairs had backs to them, as dinner lasted over 2hours. As each dish as brought in, the young women who are our waitresses comeand sit down on their knees in front of you, bow slightly to you, and ask ifthey can take the previous dish away. In between dishes, they are constantlyrefilling sake cups and water glasses, as it’s impolite to pour them foryourself.

1 – Ginko nutsand miso with mushrooms, served on a magnolia leaf, over an individual charcoalgrill; one of my favorite dishes of the evening; and kabu, or pickled turnip;these first two were served with handmade chestnut chopsticks, which Is whatshogun would use before going into battle – very auspicious!

2 – Shiro misosoup with kobocha squash and a tiny bit of mustard; so incredibly fresh andcreamy – I’ve never had a miso that creamy before. Paired with koi sashimi,which was fresh, but a bit rubbery, and without much flavor.

3 – Mukago (arhizome/tuber) with kuzu sauce

4 – The smallcup had delicious tofu made from walnut milk. Small dish on right had an eggyolk pickled in miso. I am not a yolk person (unless they’re scrambled in withthe whites), but I forced myself to try it. Smooth, gelatinous, sticky. Faintyolk flavor, and I nearly gagged on it, sorry. Crysanthemum something. Ayu, ariverfish, prepared roasted, a bit bitter. Roasted chestnut. Boiled peanut.Roasted edamame. Crawfish, Small white square you can’t really see, we thinkit’s a jerusalem artichoke, and it was really good. Koneyaku is the jelly-likepaste made from the konjak (?) plant, with horse chestnut breading.

5—Mackerelwith sushi rice (gohan) and ginger.

6 – Matsutakemushrooms (seasonal) with yuzu -– delicious! They make a bonito broth, and thenadd mushrooms, greens, and eel. When serving, add a piece of yuzu fruit to thepot, and pour out the liquid into a cup, then eat what’s left in the pot. Thebroth was so rich tasting!

7 – Ayu withroe, grilled on cedar planks; great smell, rather granular with the roe.

8 – Mushroomhot pot, with 4 kinds of mushrooms, lotus, mochi. Good, but not as good as themushroom and yuzu.

9 – Gohan withchestnut, with seaweed and cucumber pickles.

10 – Jelliedakebe fruit, with grapes, persimmon, and Asian pear.

Lots of small dishes! Would hate to be the dishwasher in these parts. But such a beautiful meal, not just this one, but the other ones we have taken part in, and it's been great to experience traditional Japanese foods and cultural traditions.

Gochiso sama desh'ta! It was a feast!

Japanese Meals

2011-10-10T08:58:00.000-05:00

Our group had it's "welcome meal" last night. Many things I have not experienced before!

Starting with sea grapes and tofu with smoked bonito flakes and cucumber with sesame sauce, and bonito flakes. The "grapes" had a really lovely texture, sort of like eating caviar -- little bursts popping in your mouth.

Salad with burdock root strips, and cucumber with sesame sauce and dried bonito.

Gyoza with yuzu and pepper sauce.

Okinawa bitter melon with bonito flakes (very bitter!).

Shishito peppers with miso (what was interpreted was miso, but it would have been another soy form).

Sashimi -- kompachi with sesame, soy, and sake, with nori on top (too much sauce, couldn't really taste the fish).

Two types ramen noodles: the more traditional in a lighter dashi-style broth, or the scorched. The latter is Okinawan style, and not as readily available. I believe what they said was they scorch the miso paste in a pot, and then add the broth, noodles, etc. I really loved the depth of flavor from the scorched. Could have eaten the whole bowl if we had not had these other courses beforehand. Will have to figure out how to make this!

Ask me about breakfast! (Yes, that's breakfast!)

In and Around Kyoto

2011-10-09T16:36:00.001-05:00

My previous post had pictures of the Heian Jingu shrine and the Ginkakuji shrine. There are TONS of shrines and temples here, one of the reasons Kyoto is famous, plus it is the old imperial capital.

We've also seen the Ryoan-ji Temple Rock Garden. The 15 rocks were placed so that you cannot see all of them at once (from ground level) unless you achieve enlightenment.

Fushimi Inari Shine.... I went by myself this morning, and lo and behold, ran into a fall festival on the grounds, so it was teeming with people. Loved the feel of the place though!

And the Moss Garden, also known as Saiho-ji. One of the most magical places I've seen! It was so serene. There are apparently 120 types of moss growing.

Today was a trip outside of Kyoto by a little more than an hour to the southeast to the IM Pei-designed Miho Museum.They literally cut away the mountain and built the museum into it, and then rebuilt the mountain. Over 90% of the complex is underground. You walk up a long path/tunnel to get to the main building. The architecture is really stunning.

And a fabulous meal last night -- more on that later!

Greetings from Japan!

2011-10-07T17:53:00.002-05:00

Hello! I am not in my normal South Austin neighborhood -- I am in Japan for a couple of weeks! We are currently in Kyoto, seeing some of the beautiful old temples and shrines, and eating well along the way.

Entering the Heian Jingu shrine.

The manicured gardens at the Ginkakuji shrine, also known as the Silver Pavillion.

Green tea soba noodles.

The window outside the noodle shop, where you could go and point to what you wanted.

Sweets in the department store; the Isetan Department Store has a whole level of just prepared food items. Unfortunately, I don't know what most of them are!

Soba noodles in dashi broth, tempura, pickled veg.

Shrimp tempura over rice, soba in broth with seaweed, tofu skin, carrot.

Buddha at the Ryoanji Temple.

The Rock Garden at Ryoanji Temple.

Ryoanji translates to Temple of the Dragon at Peace.

Austin Bakes

2011-10-01T08:29:00.002-05:00

I have been making buttermilk biscuits for Austin Bakes, a community-wide bakesale that will donate all proceeds to The Austin Community Foundation Central Texas Wildfire Fund, which is supporting the victims of some of the recent wildfires in Bastrop, Spicewood, amongst others. The bake sale will have seven locations throughout town, and local bakers, both individuals and professional businesses are donating baked goods to the sale.

Austin Bakes was created this spring, with a bake sale that supported Japan's tsunami relief efforts via the AmeriCares organization. With only a couple locations, they raised over $11,500! Today's event is poised to smash that amount! The amazing organizer behind Austin Bakes? The spunky and tireless Kathryn Hutchison, also known as Austin Gastronomist!

Thank you Kathryn for all of your work!

Mai Thai

2011-09-29T16:51:00.000-05:00

Finally had a chance to go to Mai Thai the other night, after a couple previous failed attempts (on my end, not theirs). It's a new Thai restaurant on San Jacinto between 2nd and 3rd, or more specifically, between Max's Wine Dive and Piranha Killer Sushi. The interior has nice clean lines, rich red walls, and some cool looking light fixtures hanging from the ceiling. (They don't really seem like "chandeliers".) I didn't take any pictures of the decor, but there are a few to be viewed on their well-designed web site. There was only one host/server, but it wasn't busy, and he did a great job of refreshing water glasses, and checking in on us throughout the meal.

We started with mee krob, an old favorite of mine that I don't often see. It's vermicelli rice noodles that are deep fried til crispy, and tossed with a tamarind sauce. The one I had growing up in Washington, DC had a really great sweet twangy sauce that was drizzled over, as opposed to tossed all together like this one. I liked the egg strips and little tofu cubes, as it cut back a bit on the sweetness.

Next was somtum, or better known as green papaya salad. What a great summertime dish! Well, really an anytime dish, but there's something about being hot outside and eating a hot but refreshingly cool salad. Along with the green papaya, this had carrots, tomatoes, peanuts, and some cabbage on the side. I would have liked a touch more fish sauce to really bring out the intensity of the different Thai tastes, but it was a very nice, fresh, presentation.

Followed by lard nar, stir fried wide rice noodles (which you can't see) with a brown soy bean paste gravy and Chinese broccoli. I am a sucker for the fresh rice noodles.... they're made in sheets and then cut into strips for various dishes. While Mai Thai doesn't use MSG, I think there was a lot of sodium in this one. It didn't seem like it at the time, but when I woke up in the morning, my fingers were definitely swollen.

And to finish it off, sweet rice with mango. I was pleasantly surprised by the strong coconut milk flavor in the rice.

Everything was fresh, and the dishes came out from the kitchen well-timed. There are many other dishes on the menu, particularly on the special dish section that I would love to try. They've also got some more mainstream Chinese-influenced dishes, I am sure to keep some of the non-Thai enthusiasts at bay. I should try their pad thai, as it's often a go-to dish when I try a new Thai place, sort of my measure of their abilities. It was a pleasant atmosphere, and I hope the place will succeed; it seems like a good location for an Asian restaurant that's NOT a national chain (PF Chang's is around the block). They've been active in social media, and offer happy hour specials. If you're looking for a new Thai spot, give Mai Thai a try.

Bits and Bites

2011-09-26T07:46:00.001-05:00

Last week was not a good one for several area restaurants. Right after I published last week's installment of B & B, the info started spreading via Twitter and Facebook of some unforeseen closures.

-- El Arbol, near 38th and Jefferson

-- The Belmont, on 8th between Lavaca and Guadalupe

-- Hickory Street Bar & Grill, at 8th and Congress

-- Graze, on E. 6th, near Chicon

In better news:

-- Eater Austin reports that a smallish chain called Noodles and Company is expanding into the Austin area. Carbs = good!

-- Expanding her Rainey Street empire, Bridget Dunlap has opened Bar Ilegal, adjacent to Clive, a mezcal-only watering hole. (No website of their own, as of yet; the above link takes you to Clive.)

Events:

-- Austin Restaurant Week is underway!

-- Saturday, at SEVEN locations around town will be Austin Bakes for Bastrop, a bake-sale fundraiser for the Bastrop community that was devastated by fires a couple weeks ago. If you'd like to get involved as a baker or to assist at a bake sale location, or to make a financial donation, go to their website. I will be making biscuits for sale (all sales are on a donation basis) for the Hotel San Jose location on South Congress. Bring your own gravy.

-- This weekend is the 7th Annual Texas Fall Fest and Wine Auction in Marble Falls.

-- 24 Diner will hold a beer pairing dinner with Real Ale on October 5th, tickets are $60/person. The five course menu sounds amazing; I can forward it to you if you'd like. And speaking of 24 Diner, it was officially announced that Chef Drew Curren is one of the Top Chef contestants this upcoming season along with the long-rumored Uchi/Uchiko sous, Paul Qui. Congrats guys! How awesome to see Austin represent! New season begins in November!

Taverna

2011-09-25T09:13:00.003-05:00

Friday night, tickets to Erasure (yes, I still love them after 20-something years!) at Austin City Limits Moody Theater. Needed an easy place to meet my friends for dinner, and thus we hatched a plan: park at City Hall (at only $5, it's a bargain downtown), walk across the street and eat at Taverna, and walk across the street once more to ACL. It worked perfectly!

We arrived just after 6:30 pm, and Taverna had seating availability on their covered front patio. Our table was right by one of the misters, and it was a pleasant atmosphere to people watch. It was sort of like being a tourist in our own town, as we saw the mild hustle and bustle of what's become downtown Austin -- there were concert goers in their Erasure t-shirts, (actual) tourists, people walking their dogs, a group of young women ALL in short black dresses and one in white (bachlorette party?)....fun to watch.

Food-wise, we started with the bruschetta and frito mixto plates. Warning: the photos were taken with my cell phone, as you can't take real cameras into ACL; everything's got a blue tinge to it....The bruschetta was very vibrant, and wasn't over-dressed. The frito mixto had calamari and shrimp, as well as shoestring carrots and zucchini; very well-fried, not greasy, though maybe a touch over-salted for some (not me!).

I had the risotto al vin santo, with asparagus, prosciutto, and pecorino cheese on top. This photo completely washes the dish out, and it tasted much better than it looks! Could have used a hint of acid, perhaps from some white wine, but I ate the entire bowl.

This is the pear and gorgonzola fiocchi (tortellini), with walnuts, arugula, and a cream sauce. It was rather sweet from the pear, but it all went together nicely.

And, linguine pasta with chicken, mushrooms, truffle oil in a cream sauce, very rich!

All of us cleaned our plates, and then went to the concert to dance it off! I had been to Taverna in early spring for drinks and appetizers with friend, but it had been a long time since I had a full meal there. They seem to be doing quite nicely for themselves, and from their website, I learned they have locations in the DFW area, and appear to be part of a larger Italian restaurant family. They do seem to know what they are doing, and they're positioned in prime real estate downtown to attract whomever is walking by.

Bits and Bites

2011-09-20T14:49:00.000-05:00

Events

-- Today, Hopdoddy is donating 100% of their proceeds to the Bastrop fire victims.

-- Cannoli's Joe's is hosting a cooking demo with wine pairings, the Friday, September 23rd, at 6:30 pm, $45 a person, and includes a recipe book.

-- On September 25th, Odd Duck Farm to Trailer will also host a benefit for the Bastrop community; Black Sheep Lodge and Jack Allen's will also be providing food. For a minimum $30 donation, it's all you can eat, between 12 - 4pm.

-- September 25th is also the first day of Austin Restaurant Week! Sept 25 - 28, and Oct 2 - 5.

-- Click here to see the locations that will be hosts for the Austin Bakes for Bastrop community bake sale on Saturday, October 1st. They will be in seven spots all over town, so please consider baking and donating your goods or purchasing for a great cause.

-- Sagra will celebrate their 4th anniversary (and overcoming this year's fire) on October 8th with dinner discounts of 20 - 100%! Each table will receive a sealed envelope to be opened at the end of their meal, with a surprise discount inside. Neat concept! Darn, I will be out of town for that one....

Openings

-- While sadly, Somnio's on South First has recently closed, there will be an exciting new tenant -- Todd Duplechan, of the Four Season's Trio, and his wife Jessica Maher, have announced they will be taking over the space, to be called Lenoir.

-- I can also report of much construction at the old Bouldin Creek Coffee House, site of the incoming Elizabeth Street Cafe, an upscale Vietnamese spot. The building on the north side of Elizabeth Street, which has sat vacant as long as I can recall has been rumored to also be a new restaurant, and as I drove past there yesterday, noticed the presence of small bulldozers clearing land, perhaps for a parking lot?

-- Kohana Coffee has bottled their cold brew, and it will soon be available at Central Market! I am not really much of a coffee drinker, but I've had this stuff and it is SMOOTH!

Closings

-- The iconic gay bar, Charlie's closes on October 3rd, after 27 years.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And a newly released poem by one of my favorites, Shel Silverstein:

Italian Food

Oh, how I love Italian food.
I eat it all the time,
Not just 'cause how good it tastes
But 'cause how good it rhymes.
Minestrone, cannelloni,
Macaroni, rigatoni,
Spaghettini, scallopini,
Escarole, braciole,
Insalata, cremolata, manicotti,
Marinara, carbonara,
Shrimp francese, Bolognese,
Ravioli, mostaccioli,
Mozzarella, tagliatelle,
Fried zucchini, rollatini,
Fettuccine, green linguine,
Tortellini, Tetrazzini,
Oops—I think I split my jeani.

Live Oak BBQ

2011-09-15T15:32:00.001-05:00

My friend Squidley lives near E. 2nd and Pleasant Valley, and had alerted me this spring to the opening of Live Oak BBQ. He had given me good reports on the meats, and now it was time for me to see for myself. Walking in around 6pm on a Saturday, I felt like I was opening the door to a total dive (which it was...the former Mis Amigos beer joint), but the smell of the smoker immediately made me happy.

Squidley had recommended the pork steak, and you know me, pork makes me happy. But pork steak? I asked the guys working there about it, and they said it's a shoulder cut that is smoked, and he likened it to a smokey pancetta. Umm... yes please! So we got some of that (the back left in the picture) and some brisket, along with potato salad, slaw, and of course some pickles.

So I am now definitely a convert to this pork steak creation! It was juicy and tender, meaty and a bit fatty.... oh yeah, and smokey! The brisket was good, but not as juicy as Franklin's, and the sides were okay. Live Oak does some meat specials on the weekends, but unfortunately, we missed out on the Korean short ribs that day. Their bbq sauce was different too -- in a good way. It's dark and vinegary looking, but it doesn't have the strong bite that vinegar does. I can't figure out what's in it.... secret's in the sauce, I guess!

Here's a close up of some leftover pork I ate the the next day; you can really see the pink smoke ring! Yes, as good as it looks. And as their painted fence and website say: eat meat!

Garrido's

2011-09-15T15:13:00.000-05:00

Sometimes your choices of where to eat are pretty much made for you, like when you have an expiring Restaurant.com coupon. Such was the case for last week's lunch trip to Garrido's, on the street level of the 360 Building at 3rd and Nueces. While the choice was *made* for us, it proved to be worthwhile!

Even though it was a hot day, we decided to sit on their patio; it was quite comfortable out there! It was partially covered, and overlooks the Shoal Creek trail (I think that's what that's called....). When we arrived around 11:45 am, we were some of the first diners there for lunch, and the place was at least half full when we left. We started with the lamb pops, served with plantain chips and an ancho sauce. While they had a very strong grilled flavor, they were delicious! Off to a good start!

Garrido's had some nice $12 lunch specials: pick an app, main course, and a dessert, and while the choices were from an abbreviated menu, it was still a good deal. There were three of us, and three appetizer choices, so we got one of each the guacamole, salsa, and a mushroom and corn quesadilla.The guac could have used a bit of lime, and the salsa was a touch flat, but the quesadilla was tasty.

I ordered the tilapia fish tacos, which was a decent sized portion, and very nicely breaded and fried. The rice had a slight greenish cast to it, and I asked the waiter what was in it, and he said they put in a touch of tomatillo sauce. Neither the beans nor rice were particularly special, but the fish made up for it.

One friend had the pork carnitas tacos, with nice pineapple chunks; she chose a salad rather than beans and rice. The pork was tasty.

And the other originally ordered the brisket tacos, but the server came back to say they were out of brisket, so he picked the beef picadillo relleno. He enjoyed it. Looking back at the picture now, they shoulda wiped that plate down! ;)

There were two dessert choices, creme brulee, with mango habanero honey, and a chocolate truffle on top of a chocolate mousse, and buttery cookie. Both were really really delicious! The topping on the creme brulee was a nice twist on the standard, and the flavors really popped. Would love to try their chocolate tres leches next time.

We were very pleased with the food, and I would happily go back, even with no coupon/groupon to dictate the necessity. As it should, the food speaks for itself. Oh, and the guava and watermelon margaritas would be nice to go back for as well!

El Greco -- an update

2011-09-12T21:44:00.000-05:00

I had a great dinner at El Greco about two months ago; you can read that previous post here. A couple of weeks ago, El Greco participated in Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares show on FOX, where the rather belligerent Ramsay comes to "rescue" a failing restaurant. He spends time in the restaurant, yells a bunch, makes some changes, and leaves -- all in the name of television ratings, I am sure. Or at least so I am told that's how it goes, as I have never watched the show. (I couldn't take all the yelling and insults he hurls on Hell's Kitchen.)

My dining companion wanted some good healthy Mediterranean food for lunch, so it was off to El Greco. Apparently we were the first diners for Saturday lunch, arriving a bit past 11:30 am. We were immediately greeted and told to sit wherever we wished. As we sat, I could hear some yelling in the kitchen; something about "put the meat in the oven" and I could hear the word "dumbass" but don't know the exact context. I could hear the overtones of yelling or some sort of grumbling at least one other time during our meal. (I am fairly certain these were coming from the chef.)

Our greeter/server came right over, welcomed us, and introduced himself as Dustin. We started chatting about the newly designed menu, and he gave us a few tidbits about their experience. He said it was grueling, but he felt worth it in the end. The owner and chef, Jake, had actually applied to the show over 3 years ago on a whim, but didn't hear anything until 8 months ago. FOX sent a camera crew out, and they took a bit of test footage of the kitchen, and then back to what I presume would be the show's producers. Once El Greco was officially chosen for the makeover, each person who works for the restaurant had to fill out a 14 page questionnaire. The restaurant also had to sign a contract agreeing to abide by the new menu items. Previous customer favorites, like dolmas, were removed, and can no longer be served, and I believe he said they used to do catering, which currently they cannot do. No word on how long these freezes are in effect.

I really like the new look of the menus, very streamlined and clean; the previous was a bit cluttered. (At this writing, the old menu is still up on their website.)

The interior decor doesn't seem all that different, though there are now Greek statue head profiles painted on the walls, and everything is in white and blue.

I ordered the lamb pita sandwich, and my friend the Greek salad with grilled shrimp. Unfortunately, Dustin came back to say the lamb wasn't ready yet. So I went with the gyro.

Once you got past the shrimp, there wasn't a whole lot to the salad. My friend, who has watched the show, said that Gordon is all about downsizing the portions and that seemed pretty evident with her salad. Also, she asked for no onions, and it did come with them, My gyro was okay...the meat a bit dry, and a little more bread than meat. When Dustin came to clear our plates, he asked how things were, and I told him it was on the dry side. He did apologize (again) for the lamb not being ready, as that was one of his favorites.

Overall, the menu looks decent, not that different than the old, with the exception of two new hummus appetizers, a chipotle and Hatch (New Mexico green) chile. We were told they were proving to be very popular, but the thought of a green chile hummus in a Greek restaurant makes me cringe, sorry! Our server was great, but I'd say the jury's still out on the food changes at El Greco. The show is supposed to air in October.

Bits and Bites

2011-09-10T15:58:00.001-05:00

Of note:

Events

-- In my August 30th posting, I wrote of an upcoming benefit dinner hosted by A Torrid Affair on September 26th. Proceeds will benefit the Dell Children's Medical Center, and here's a link to the menu, with thanks to Michael Menley of A Torrid Affair for passing it along in weblink form! :)
-- Do you really really like coffee, or are just starting to get into your morning java, and want to learn more? Houndstooth Coffee will be offering a class, beginning Sunday, September 25th for 3 sessions.
-- Austin Restaurant Week is coming, Sept 25 - 28 and Oct 2 - 5. Sixty-four of Austin's finest will offer prie fix (and affordable) menus, with two-course offerings at lunch, and three-course at dinner. Eat up!

Openings
-- eleven plates and wine will be opening in Davenport Village on 360 on September 25th. They'll be open for lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch. Owners Mike and Kelly Swartz own the Austin Melting Pot restaurants, and they consider their new venture to be "upscale casual".
-- Juiceland is the new name for the Daily Juice and Juice Box juice joints. There's an expanded menu too, with more salads, cleanses, detoxifiers, and of course juice and smoothies.

El Alma

2011-09-08T22:11:00.000-05:00

I attended a media tasting last night of the new El Alma (the former El Chile) at Barton Springs and Dawson Road, headed up by Executive Chef Alma Alcocer. We were seated in the upstairs terrace patio area, which, given the late summer heat, was still quite comfortable, and you don't really hear the noise from the street. The white-washed walls and how it's built into the hillside evoke an image of Greece!

It started with the Guacamole al Chipotle, on the right, and the Ceviche on the left. I really liked the sunflower seeds on the guac, and while ceviche isn't usually my first love, this was done with black drum, and was nicely prepared with pickled onion, and not at all "overcooked."

Next was Sopecitos with beef, which was delicious! It's not a regular menu item, but it's worth getting if you see it on their specials. The masa cake was nicely done, not overly dry or heavy.

Then the Gringas quesadillas with mushrooms and caramelized onions, with a nice sauce, that if memory serves, I think was chipotle.

Followed by the crab cakes, also a non-regular menu item. They were pure crab with whole corn kernels on the inside (no filler!), with a heavy tortilla breading on the outside, served with remoulade and pickled onions.

And a pork taco al pastor that had nice flavor.

Finishing with a bite of Tequila Lemon Cream Cake!

I have it on good authority that the duck relleno is fantastic, so I know what I will be ordering from the entree menu when I return! Nice to have another quality establishment in the neighborhood!

Recent Eats

2011-09-06T21:16:00.000-05:00

So here are a couple places that I've eaten recently, and clearly haven't made the time to write full posts!

Had lunch at the Whip In, the combo Indian food/bar/convenience store spot on the southbound frontage road of IH-35 between Woodland and Oltorf. I seem to remember it from years ago when it was still mostly convenience store. Now, when you walk in, you're immediately faced with a somewhat jumbled chalkboard menu. As you keep walking straight back, you have some bar stools at the counter, and the store merchandise and refrigerated cases behind you when sitting.

After studying the board, and hearing they were out of samosas (problem with the fryer, I think), I picked the Travis Heights sandwich -- samosa-style potatoes, peas, carrots, cilantro chutney, and provolone cheese grilled in naan bread, and my friend had the curried ratatouille.

All in all, not bad. Mine could have used more of the chutney, or something to jazz it up a bit. Would be interested to try some of their meat dishes. They do get creativity points for their menu, a fusion of Indian and American cuisines, with things from biryanis to South Asian Frito Pie. And they source locally!

A last minute meet-up with a friend found us at Red House Pizzeria on a Friday night. We walked in through the bar area, which was packed, but across the covered patio and into the restaurant portion found no waiting. GREAT happy hour specials, which were available in the restaurant -- a few different drinks at half or reduced price, and the appetizers were half price.

We both started with the house punch cocktail, and then shared the garlic bread, meatballs, Greek salad, and Gorgonzola and bacon pizza. The meatball description says they have a touch of truffle oil, which I couldn't taste at all.

The pizza was a little underdone for my liking. I had one leftover piece that I ate for lunch the next day, which I heated it in the toaster oven, and the crust did get nice and crispy.

Certainly decent food, great happy hour prices, and a very friendly, efficient waiter, named Ross. Would I go back though?

And then brunch this weekend at the very popular 24 Diner. Fortunately, it was only about a 15 minute wait (after being told 45 min), and we were seated in the back room, which was a hair quieter than the main room.

Three of us split the heirloom tomato salad, which was delicious.

I had the French toast with vanilla cream and blueberries, with sides of egg and sausage. Yum!

One friend had the ham and Gruyere frittata, and the other the hash, all very tasty. We had wanted to split a milkshake for dessert, but were too full!

Bits and Bites

2011-09-06T18:06:00.002-05:00

-- The Next Food Network Star will be holding a casting THIS Saturday, at the Hyatt Regency at 208 Barton Springs Road, from 9a - 1p. Could this be YOU? See the link for application and requirements.

-- On Thursday, September 8, dine at Tarka and a portion of the proceeds benefits Dine Out for the Cure, and on September 13, it will benefit Dining for Life.

-- The Blanton Museum of Art will be hosting a talk by cookbook author Patricia Quintana, "Moles: The Aromas and Flavors of Mexico" on September 13th at 6 pm.

-- Savory Spice Shop is opening a second location in Austin on September 15th, this one in the Arboretum, next to Con Olio (the olive oil shop). More info to be had on their Facebook page.

-- J Mueller BBQ will open their new trailer on September 26th at 1502 S. 1st Street. At present, their webpage doesn't have any info on it, but hopefully, the menu will soon appear! Very excited for this one, as it will be close to my house!

Bits and Bites

2011-08-30T19:05:00.001-05:00

Okay, what things have we come across lately?

Events

-- The Alamo Drafthouse and Parkside restaurant are hosting a screening of Ferris Bueller's Day Off on September 11th at 7:30 pm, at 6th and San Jacinto. Admission is free, but a $5/person donation is suggested, and it benefits the 6th Street Austin Association. For more info, go here.

-- Beginning September 13th, you can learn the secrets of mixology with the guys from Tipsy Texan! For more info and to register....

-- The Blanton Museum of Art and the Capital Area Food Bank are hosting a panel discussion and screening of Dive! Living Off America's Waste, at the Blanton on September 15th at 6:30 pm. The documentary looks at the paradox between wasted food and record-levels of hunger in America. To RSVP and for more info.

-- On September 24th, the Texas Craft Brewers Festival will be held at Fiesta Gardens. This non-profit event benefits the Austin Sunshine Camps.
-- A new non-profit supper club, A Torrid Affair, will host their inaugural dinner on September 26th at 7:30 pm at Springdale Farms; proceeds benefit the Dell Children's Medical Center Tickets for the 5 course meal are $175/person, and can be purchased here. {The PR company forwarded me a press release with menu info; email me if you want me to forward it. I don't see a weblink to it, or else I'd post it.....I will say the menu looks divine!}

Opening

-- Dock and Roll Diner, a trailer just past 360 on Bee Caves, at 6416 Bee Caves. They will feature "globally inspired sandwiches." Nicely done website, especially for a trailer!

-- Austin Java and Austin Chill (a frozen yogurt shop) have opened next to each other at 6550 Comanche Trail, in the Oasis, Texas Village.

-- Estancia Churrascaria, the Brazilian-style meat house, is opening a second location at the Arboretum in September. Mmmmeat!

-- Cazamance, Austin's only Senegalese food that I am aware of, has expanded to a new place at 1102 E. Cesar Chavez. So while's it's not far from their original trailer on Rainey, this ~~brick and mortar~~ spot is open 10 am - 5pm daily. {Update on 9/1 -- I emailed them for clarification, and the word back is: "(it's) a trailer attached to an event center, in a beautiful garden." I stand corrected!}

Waitress/SafePlace/Alamo Followup

2011-08-30T18:21:00.000-05:00

Thanks to those of you who either donated pies or came out to the Alamo's screening of Waitress on August 21st. I am a member of the Philanthropy committee for the Austin Food Bloggers Alliance, and I am excited to share that we raised over $2000 for SafePlace! The follow-up post I wrote for the AFBA blog can be seen here.

Thank you! If only life COULD be as easy as pie!

Bits and Bites

2011-08-18T19:50:00.000-05:00

I know I've mentioned it before, but it's right around the corner! The Austin Food Blogger's Alliance is holding a screening of the movie Waitress at the Alamo South Lamar on Sunday, August 21st at 1pm. We've (yes, WE, I've been helping put together this event) got donations of pies from several local bakeries, which we will sell on a donation basis at the end of the movie. All the movie ticket and pie sales go to SafePlace. We've already gotten word that we sold out the smaller 80-something person theater at the Alamo, and they're moving us into a larger theater! We'd really like to sell out!!! And we'd really like for you to come and buy a pie! Get your tix here!

With many thanks, we have donations from: Bluebonnet Cafe, Cake & Spoon, Dagar's Catering, Flemings, Pie Fixes Everything, Royer's Round Top Cafe, Silver Whisk, Sugar Mama's, SugaPlump, Texas Pie Kitchen, The Pie Society, Tiny Pies, Upper Crust, the Wine & Food Foundation.

Newsy things:

-- Vodka Fest, on Wednesday, August 31st from 7 - 10 pm (really, in the middle of the week?), will be held at Cool River Cafe. Locally produced Dripping Springs Vodka will be the only local vodka out of thirty participants.

-- Estancia Churrascaria will celebrate Brazilian Independence Day on September 7th. Caipirhinas will of course be featured, as well as a fruity cocktail version thereof, called the caipifruta.

-- Fonda San Miguel will hold a wine pairing dinner featuring wines from Copain, a vineyard in California's Russian River Valley, on Wednesday, September 14th. Tickets are $85/person for the five-course pairing, and can be purchased by calling the restaurant. The menu and wine pairings can be viewed here.

-- Faraday's Kitchen Store in Lakeway will hold a gadget extravaganza on September 24th, from 10 am - 4 pm. Your chance to oooh and aahhh over lots of COOL toys!!!

Opening/Renovations/Reinventions

-- R.D.'s BBQ (Fri & Sat only) is in the Bouldin Creek Trailer Park on S. 1st.

-- Bennigan's will resurface... but I can't remember where I heard it was to be located.

-- The Driskill Grill will be closed for remodeling.

-- Sadly Aquarelle will be closing, but the owner will be reopening it as a Latin-influenced place, called Chonita's.

-- In the same location with the same chef (and other teammates?) that was The Good Knight on East 6th, will become Sputnik, a ~~Russian~~ burger and hot dog place, opening in the not too distant future.

-- An ice cream shop called Lick, is apparently coming to the building next to Barley Swine (as I spotted the sign after dinner at BS the other night). I like the logo!

Closing

-- Somnio's on South 1st decided not to renew their lease; sad that a quality placed, dedicated to locally-sourced foods couldn't survive in this economy. I am feeling slightly guilty for only having eaten there once, as they are located pretty close to me.

-- Dog Almighty on South Lamar; the doors are apparently locked by the landlord. Man their hand-dipped jalapeno corn dog was killer! And the tater tots too. Bummer.

And finally, please take a second to visit my new Facebook page! Thanks! You can see the pictures of my Barley Swine meal!

The Flying Carpet, a guest post for MarocMama

2011-08-16T20:55:00.001-05:00

I traveled to Morocco in fall 2008, and spent two and a half weeks with a tour group exploring this beautiful, culture-rich country. This trip was one of the primary reasons that I started this blog, so I could keep my friends and family up to date with what we were seeing, doing, and of course eating. When I got into Twitter about a year later, one of the users I came across was @MarocMama, who blogs under the same name. She is an American married to a Moroccan, and they live with their children in Wisconsin. She's a prolific social media user and blogger (great Moroccan resources on her blog!), and we've had occasional Twitter conversations, but have never met in person.

MarocMama became aware of The Flying Carpet, a Moroccan-inspired food trailer that had opened here in Austin by Moroccan-born Abdu and his American wife, Maria. MarocMama asked me many moons ago if I would be willing to write a guest post for her blog on them. (I have written about them before for my blog, which you can see here.) Of course! And with apologizes to her, it's taken me forever to get back to TFC. One of my coworker friends is a cousin to Maria, so I've gotten to know her and Abdu a little bit, and they are great people. We've been trying to juggle the schedules of four of us from work who wanted to go, with TFC's schedule. We've had several dates picked, going back to June (maybe even May...), but something would come up and we'd reschedule, and then Abdu was called back to Morocco when his grandmother passed, and now with the Texas heat, they've limited the days they are open. It's almost been a comedy of errors, but we have persevered, and went this past week. Ahhhhh.

The Flying Carpet, a Moroccan foods trailer, has been open a little more than a year, and in a crowded food trailer scene in Austin, they stand out. They've been about the only constant presence at the food court on South Congress and Gibson Streets, in the heart of the trendy SoCo area. Fortunately, TFC has been able to move under the canopy of a live oak tree, for at 7:45 pm when we arrived, it was still in the low to mid 90s. Abdu was flying solo that night, and he had one customer sitting on the "patio".

The trailer has it's homey touches, from the plants to the Moroccan lanterns to the painted sign with images of the Moroccan skyline above the trailer. (I was able to recognize the Hassan mosque, in Casablanca, one of the top five largest mosques in the world, as the image on the far right!) Their menu satisfies meat eaters and vegetarians, and they can even do some vegan dishes. Austin is a town with a LOT of vegetarian diners, so I don't think a food establishment could survive if it didn't at least try to cater to that population.

I was set on having The Moroccan again, their version of a burger. They take fresh ground beef, and form it kefta-style (think: small fat cigars), and grill it on the flat top, served with a fried egg that's really more of a scrambled egg (fine by me, I have issues with runny yolks!).

But after looking more closely at some newer menu items, I asked Abdu about the La Dajaj Maghrebi, a marinated chicken dish wrapped in flat bread, and he easily convinced me to try it. My friend, and cousin-in-law to Abdu, had the Sleek Vegetarian, an eggplant and falafel wrap. We also got an order of fries, just so we could have a device to get their yummy L'afrique sauce into our mouths! It's a tangy, slightly spicy (from harissa, I presume) concoction that is good on just about everything! They should bottle and sell that stuff!

My chicken wrap was delicious! Everything was so fresh, and even in the horrible heat we're experiencing, not a piece of lettuce was wilting (they have refrigeration in the trailer, but no AC). The chicken is marinated in a combination of onions, cilantro, cumin, turmeric, cayenne, ginger, and lemon juice, and was cooked perfectly in the trailer -- still juicy, not dried out. The thin fries are always perfect, not a bit greasy. My friend also loved her vegetarian wrap.

For dessert, we had the dates stuffed with almond butter, and sprinkled with sea salt. Totally divine! And while dates are something you see in multitudes (and multiple varieties) all over Morocco, this little dessert is not a typical Moroccan dish -- but it works extremely well. The sweetness from the dates, the savory (with some sweetness) from the almond butter, and the salty all play very nicely together.

After a small flurry of customers, Abdu came and sat with us. He puts it best when he says "If it's not made well, I don't want to eat it". The Flying Carpet doesn't take shortcuts; they work hard to present outstanding food. Everything is made fresh to order. Abdu and I have both experienced trailers that cheat a little bit, like using canned ingredients instead of fresh. I am sure that makes it easier, especially for working in a trailer, but it doesn't translate to a quality product. The Flying Carpet was also recently featured on a Cooking Channel episode of Eden Eats, which has brought in some new business for them since the show's airing in July. (Reruns in September, so look for it!)

If you're here in Austin, please stop by and check out my friends at The Flying Carpet! MarocMama, maybe you should start a Moroccan trailer in Wisconsin -- The Flying Carpet has set a great precedent!

New Facebook Page!

2011-08-15T18:27:00.000-05:00

I had been thinking about it, but on Sunday, I finally did it. I created a page on Facebook for this here blog. You can click here to go directly to the South Austin Foodie page, and please "like" it! When I have a few minutes, I'll attempt to figure out how to put a widget or gadget or something on my homepage that links directly to Facebook. But for now, this will do!

Thanks for your support! And happy eating!!

Las Palomas

2011-08-13T14:52:00.000-05:00

Tucked away in a strip mall corner in Westlake is Las Palomas, a Mexican establishment that's been around for years. It's been at least 12 or 13 years since I last dined there (and before I was "really" into food), so it was a little bit of a blast from the past when I met a friend there for lunch recently.

They still had a decent crowd at 1 pm on a Tuesday; the restaurant is very large, though it doesn't feel like it, until you start looking around for the restroom, located towards the rear. You pass some smaller dining areas that would be good for private events. It's a little dark in the main room dining though, and that's during the daytime.

My friend and I started with the rajas from the appetizer menu. Strips of poblano peppers are sauteed with onions and served with a nice melty cheese and tortillas. Their version was quite good, others I've had in town end up being rubbery, but Las Palomas has picked a good cheese to use. (I swear it wasn't as greasy as it looks in the picture.)

I picked the chicken mole enchiladas from the lunch menu, which came with a choice of soup or salad; I chose the corn soup over the tortilla, and wasn't disappointed. It had a nice velvety texture, and good corn flavor. I don't know if it was fresh corn or not, but it at least didn't taste like canned corn. Maybe a touch of heat (spice, not temperature) would be a nice addition.

The enchiladas were a disappointment. I often pick mole when I go to an interior-style Mexican restaurant (as opposed to a Tex-Mex spot), because I love a good mole for what should be it's flavor nuances. This one was flat, very little notes of chocolate, nuts, or much else for that matter. It had a little bit of sweetness to it, but was pretty much a one-note dish. The refried beans weren't much better. My friend had the fish tacos, which were deemed okay, but certainly nothing spectacular either.

To give Las Palomas a shot at redemption, we ordered flan for dessert. And we were very happy we did, because it was terrific! It was served in a wedge, like pie, rather than unmolded from a custard cup, which is more typical. It was smooth and dense, but not heavy. Now the online menu says it is prepared with Gran Marnier, and while I don't recall tasting that at all, I didn't miss it. Good choice!

Looking at their website, they do have info on facility rentals and catering, and extensive information on the family that founded and still runs it. The website seems fairly modern, with Open Table reservations added, whereas their printed menus seemed a bit dated. They had praise from an Austin American-Statesman food critic who I have never heard of (and I've been in ATX awhile....). Maybe the lunch specials are just meant to be quick in-and-out meals for the business diners, which could be why they both seemed to fall short. I'd be real curious about some of the other traditional Mexican plates like the cochinita pibil or Veracruzana. They do also have a menu with gluten free offerings, which is nice to see. And in this day and age of Facebook and Twitter, Las Palomas doesn't appear to have either accounts, but after more than 25 years in business, it looks like they don't need to.

Froyoyo

2011-08-13T13:48:00.000-05:00

If you hadn't noticed, lots of frozen yogurt shops have been popping up all over town. For ages, all we had was TCBY near the Drag, but now it looks like every area of town has at least one. And there's at least one franchise that is trying (and I think succeeding!) in setting themselves apart: Froyoyo on Bee Caves in the Westwood Shopping center.

I chatted with owner Joan over multiple samples of their different yogurts. They offer three distinct varieties: 1) uber-creamy, 2) a low calorie/carb, fat free, no gluten version called Only 8, and 3) a tart one (and here's where they are leading the pack) produced with locally made White Mountain yogurt. I love tart yogurts, such as the White Mountain (which is made with a lot of probiotics in it) and Greek yogurt, so it was no surprise to me that I found the original tart and pomegranate tart flavors to be absolutely delicious. Pomegranate actually tasted like the fruit, and Joan said they do other fruit flavors like mango and passion fruit. Many other yogurt shops have a tart yogurt, but it's made from a pre-made mix, rather than from real yogurt.

I was pleasantly surprised by the Only 8, in that it didn't taste like something made with artificial sugar (which I am very taste-sensitive too).... because it's not! It's named Only 8 because there are only 8 calories per ounce of it, and usually they have 3 flavors available. It's certainly not as rich as the creamy yogurts, but really, if you didn't have the regular in front of you to compare it to, you wouldn't really know the difference. All of their flavor selections vary -- they've got a huge range they can choose from, but typically, they'll have vanilla and chocolate in the Only 8, and the original tart flavor.

At Froyoyo, you pay by the ounce, rather than by a standard cup size. So you can get a little bit of yogurt with a ton of toppings on it (and, yes, there ARE a ton of toppings!) or you can get a lot of yogurt with just one topping, and still pay the same price per ounce. And in this hot weather, we can all use a little extra something to help cool us down without weighing us down!

Ooops, I forgot to actually take a picture of the yogurt! That's ok, you can use your imagination. Or better yet, go try some yourself!

New Mexico Green Chiles

2011-08-09T13:01:00.000-05:00

Okay, time to vent, people.

There is no such thing as a "Hatch chile" -- let's just get that straight RIGHT NOW, as we're getting into the chile season. They are all variations on New Mexico green chiles, and in New Mexico, they are known as GREEN CHILES. They are predominantly grown in the Mesilla Valley, which stretches about 40ish miles from Las Cruces to the northwest on Interstate 25, to the little town of Hatch. It's a fertile agricultural region, that also sees pecans, lettuce, cotton, onions, all within Dona Ana county.

This whole "Hatch" thing is something that's become trendy here in Austin from the fine marketing people at places like Central Market and Whole Foods -- places where you can buy large quantities of them, and who will dedicate a week or more-long festival to them. Also, the town of Hatch is known for it's Hatch Chile Festival every Labor Day weekend. But they can call it "Hatch" because they're IN Hatch!

Why is this such a pet peeve of mine, you ask? Because, my grandparents were farmers in Las Cruces, and one of the things they raised were green chiles. Furthermore, my great-uncle, was a researcher at the Chile Pepper Institute at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces. Known as "Mr. Chile," he developed several varieties of green chiles, including Big Jim.

Sandias are bred for their heat -- they're long and pointy. Big Jims were bred to be meaty -- a mild to medium flavor, and good for stuffing, like for chile rellenos. Other popular ones are the NuMex 6-4, Rio Grande, even the ordinary Anaheim. A good history of green chiles can be found here.

There's also a movement to preserve the heritage of the green chiles grown in New Mexico, as much of the green chile that's on the market now comes from Mexico, where it's cheaper. NPR even ran a story on the local growers and the NM Chile Association.

The pictures here are ones I took in 2005; the top one is of chile fields, with Picacho Peak in the background. To the east, are the beautiful Organ Mountains, this taken from outside my aunt's house.

Enough on this soapbox (or rather, sack of chile) for the time being. Now, ask me what "Christmas" means in New Mexico.

Bits and Bites

2011-08-09T10:50:00.001-05:00

Yours truly is a member of the Austin Food Blogger's Alliance, and one of the organization's missions is philanthropy. I've been sitting on that committee, and am excited to share an upcoming event, open to the public! The Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar is holding a screening of the movie Waitress, on Sunday, August 21st at 1 pm. The movie centers around Jenna, a diner waitress, trapped in a bad marriage, who dreams about having her own pie shop. We'll have a table outside the theater with pies donated from local businesses that will be available for sale (on a donation basis) after the movie. Proceeds from the ticket and pie sales will benefit Safeplace. Advance tickets can be bought here. Come down and see us!!

The food bloggers will also have representation at the first Slow Food Quiz Bowl, this Sunday at the Highball. Local food peeps will compete for the title of foodie geek, in a food-based trivia challenge, hosted by Statesman food writer Addie Broyles.

From a recent Twitter conversation between @BarleySwine and @tomcolicchio, it appears Tom dined at Food & Wine Magazine's Best New Chef Bryce Gilmore's place at the end of July, with Tom saying he'll most likely be back in town for September's ACL fest. But this lends more proof to the pudding that Top Chef has been filming in the area. Another rumor recently seen somewhere online was that Uchiko Chef and East Side King King, Paul Qui is apparently doing quite well in the competition....

Local food blogger Austin Gastronomist compiled a fantastic list of some of the top movers and shakers in Austin's food circles who are under the age of 35. The 35 Under 35 list is a great reference and resource, and a lot of hard work was spent compiling it!

Opening/Moving/Closing/Etc.

-- GoodPops All Natural Frozen Pops is launching a pop-up location (pun intended?) near South Congress and Riverside Drive through October. The locally sourced pops are also available at Whole Foods and Royal Blue Grocery. No high fructose, refined sugars or artificial junk!

-- The now defunct Screaming Goat at Lamar and 10th is about to become a restaurant called Bacon. Drool. Seriously, this has the potential to be amazing!!!!

-- Kerbey Lane moving a hair south, for bigger location, more parking. The Statesman reports they are moving to 3001 S. Lamar, where Torchy's and Half Price Books are located. Since Baker Street Pub took over the Old Aligator Grill spot, I think this is the old Blockbuster video locale.

-- Guess I am behind the times, because I wasn't even aware that Vivo had a second location; I haven't been to their original spot on Manor Road in a number of years, but I never felt their food was extraordinary. Now, there may be reason to check out the newer spot up at 620 and 183 -- Paul Peterson is now the executive chef. After time at the Gage Hotel in Marathon, and a stint on The Learning Channel's Pittmaster BBQ road show, he's back in Central Texas, where he belongs!

-- A new upscale pizza wine bar (yes....) is expanding from Dallas to the trendy 2nd Street District; Coal Vines is scheduled to open on August 29th, at 314 W. 2nd, right across from City Hall.

-- The only Austin location (Burnet and 183) of Benihana's has closed.

Bits and Bites

2011-07-26T12:27:00.000-05:00

Cue music: It's too darn hot!

And yes, therefore I've been slacking on the blog, and not paying a whole lot of attention to Twitter lately. (There, I said it....sometimes it's just too darn hard to keep up with Twitter!) So here's what's up in ATX that I am immediately aware of.

News/Events

-- Going on right now, is the Go Texan Restaurant Round up, where local foods are being cooked up and proceeds donated to area food banks. We <3 local!

-- SugarMama's Bakeshop will be hosting Australian baker Jess Pryles on Sunday, July 31st, and she'll be doing some guest baking!

-- The Gypsy Picnic Trailer Food Festival returns on October 22 to Auditorium Shores. Hopefully it's better organized than the first go around!

-- Local mixologist extraordinaire Bill Norris will be joining the Alamo Drafthouse to head up their beverage program. Cheers!

Openings

-- Cha Thai, a recent addition to the trailer scene, on Jessie St., near South Lamar & Barton Springs. Two Thai sisters serving "modern Thai fare". Excited to go try, but not in this heat!

-- Also, Mai Thai, a new restaurant downtown at 2nd & San Jacinto. Very nice website!

-- Eater Austin had reported in their email newsletter that the east side new home for John Mueller's BBQ had fallen through, and they would be going for a trailer on S.1st Street. I can't find any further info on that, nor where along S. 1st they're looking, so stay tuned!

Closings

-- Iggi's Texatarian vegan foods trailer

Okay, that's what I got for now!

The Weekend

2011-07-12T23:06:00.000-05:00

It really was such a lovely weekend, I feel compelled to share, even though I've written about all these eateries before!

Saturday started off with lunch at Hopdoddy. I had the Greek burger, a lovely lamb patty, cooked medium rare, with a nice topping of feta. Their french fries aren't too shabby either. And what really pushed the whole meal over the edge is their caramel + sea salt milk shake. O.M.G.

That evening, was Lobster Fest at Asti, in celebration of their 11th anniversary. Two dear friends are the mother and aunt of Executive Chef Jason Donoho, and along with some other food-loving friends, we ate very well.

It started with stuffed mushroom caps, with a light goat cheese and just a touch of truffle oil.

A roasted ruby and golden beet salad with fresh chevre and pickled onions.

Caprese salad. While it may seem cliche, it really is the perfect summer bounty. And that moz was amazing.

Pizza bianca, with prosciutto and another perfect little amount of truffle oil. I do not like heavy amounts of truffle; both of these applications were sheer perfection.

And NOW, we finally get to the lobster. They prepared it two ways: in a corn risotto (the plate in back) and a fra diavolo (spaghetti with tomato sauce and toasted breadcrumbs). Both were great, but I particularly loved the risotto.

Dessert -- tiramisu, with an almond brittle sprinkled on top, and a watermelon granita -- so light and refreshing!

Our waitress, Claudia, was fantastic, and she also recommended the La Bambina rose wine we had with dinner, after our prosecco starters. Cin, cin to the food, wine, and company!

I was expecting Sunday to be a quiet day, and probably just do stuff around the house. Well, friends called a little after 11am, wondering if I wanted a ticket to the Davis Cup tennis match at the Erwin Center that started at 2 pm. Um, YEAH!!! Davis Cup is the tournament of countries, as opposed to individual players, like Wimbledon. This round has been the US versus Spain, and the first team to win three matches advances to the next round. Spain was up 2-1 after Friday and Saturday; this match was David Ferrer (ranked 6th in the world, so not too shabby) and Mardy Fish (ranked 8th).

It was a LONG 4 set match, with Ferrer winning after almost 4 1/2 hours, 7-5, 7-6 (3), 5-7, 7-5 (5). I hadn't been to the Erwin Center in years, and was almost immediately reminded how uncomfortable the seats are because of their narrowness! But it was a fun, raucous crowd, and a great event for Austin to play host to. Former US great Jim Courier was the team coach, and had Fish won, Andy Roddick would have been able to play on his home court, but it was not meant to be.

Both guys played great, but Ferrer was able to capitalize more when it counted.

After the match, we went to Hoover's for dinner. While I somehow missed on their menu that the meatloaf was covered in tomato sauce, it was still very tasty. The gravy on the mashed potatoes was certainly made with bacon fat!

And thus concluded the weekend excitement, and now, yes, Mom, on to some meals with vegetables! :)

Bits and Bites

2011-07-09T18:46:00.000-05:00

Events

-- Contigo hosts a gin tasting on July 11th with Death's Door Spirits, who make gin, vodka and white whisky. $45/person, purchase tickets here.
-- Sagra is having a free food extravaganza, July 13th, until food runs out.

-- The Carillon and the AT&T Conference Center are hosting a benefit for their injured assistant director of food and beverage, Daniel Curtis, also on July 13th, $75/person, with a great local chef line up.

-- Bourbon 101 tasting classes continue on the second Wednesday of the month (yes, July 13th) at tenOak for $25/person.

-- The Austin Museum of Art, Edible Austin, and the Tipsy Texan, David Alan are teaming up for a cocktail tasting and discussion on "Cold War, Cold Cocktails" on July 28th.

-- If you're in need of some rock 'n roll, and maybe a few bruises, Fado will sponsor a fundraiser for the Texas Rollergirls on August 5th.

Misc

-- Eater Austin lists their top 38 current restaurants around town. Nice to see the Noble Pig at the top.... now I just need to go back up there....

Openings

-- Trace and it's home, the W Hotel, reopened today, after almost 2 weeks of being closed due to falling glass from the high rise. Reportedly, the hotel was paying the salaries of all employees during the interim period, let's hope that was the case.

-- Hopfields, a gastro pub, is coming to 3110 Guadalupe, with lots of beer and French-inspired street foods.

-- Restaurant Jezebel, which was closed due to fire last year, will rise through the ashes at a new location, in the being built building of Cirrus Logic, at 800 West 6th. Look for it next summer.

Closings/Reinventions

-- The Fried Green Tomato trailer in the South First food court (at Live Oak) apparently has morphed into Azafran, a Mediterranean/tapas trailer by the same chef/owner. Need to check it out, but I'll miss the fried green toms!

Hut's Hamburgers

2011-07-09T18:01:00.000-05:00

Hut's Hamburgers is one of the first places I remember eating when I moved to Austin in 1994. My friends and I would go on Wednesday nights, when the burgers are buy one get one, provided both burgers are the same variety. So then you'd have to figure out a burger that two people would agree upon, AND there's 20 different ones to choose from. It's probably been at least 10 years since I was last there, and it doesn't look like it has changed a whole lot.

After attending a tasting at Haddingtons (see previous post), just two blocks east, we were still a little hungry, so we wandered over to Hut's. I was quite tempted by the blue plate special of the evening, which was meatloaf. But after studying all 20 of those burger descriptions, I decided on #7 Hut's Favorite -- lettuce, tomato, mayo, American cheese, and bacon.

It was a decent burger; the bacon could have been a touch crisper, and unfortunately, the fries seemed off. Not stale, but just not crisp either. But it was fun.... a little touch of nostalgia for me, and it's an Austin institution. I can only imagine what it's like for people who remember it way back in 1939 when they opened!

Haddingtons

2011-07-09T17:40:00.000-05:00

In a few short months, Haddingtons has generated a buzz in the local foodie community. Located on West 6th and Nueces, in the home of the former Thai Tara, the building has been transformed into a tavern with different dining rooms. It's been on my short list of places to go and have a meal, but I haven't quite made it yet. But with thanks to the PR/marketing firm of Crave Communications, who specialize in the local food service industry, I was invited to a tasting from their new chef, James Corwell.

The event was set up in the Fox Tavern room, a dining space complete with it's own bar, where the bartenders worked furiously throughout the event, and the waitstaff were gracious to hold plates as some of us jumped in (yes, somewhat frantically) for pictures. It was a crowded room, and fortunately, I ran into Miss Smart and a friend of hers who was visiting from out of town, along with Aimee Wenske, a local food photographer. We pretty quickly realized we were on the wrong side of the room, and needed to be closer to the entrance if we had hopes of getting some of the bites of food, much less decent pictures! And while I was able to succeed in the former, the latter was much more difficult (for me at least!). Because we were standing, it was hard to juggle my Moscow Mule and take a picture while other people were grabbing the bites of food that were being passed.

It all began with Miss Smart running back over to the bar with a couple of gougere -- think savory cream puffs, these with parmesan and pepper. From there, we had the corn fritters that had just a tiny sliver of cured salmon and the heirloom melon balls with duck prosciutto and a jellied duck consomme. The fritters were very light, and great by themselves, but that salmon really pushed it to a new level! And a nice twist on a typical melon and pork prosciutto.

Along came peach, melon, and ginger aqua frescas. I didn't really get much ginger essence in mine, and while I liked it, it would be a great summertime refresher had it been really chilled.

Next was a crostini with duck liver mousse and an apple salad. I liked this flavor and texture combo. Then the duck and fois gras meatball, with a dried (or fresh, but poached?) cherry on top. My first one didn't have the cherry, but the second piece did, and the cherry gave it a nice pop. (And a photographic failure, unless you'd like to see the dark, blurry image.)

The plate in the back had the fantastic lamb merquez sausage bites on a little savory cream puff; I don't think these were the same as the gougere. Loved these, but I do love lamb! The plate in front are chunks of fried green tomatoes, done with a wonderfully light breading (panko?) and a chili soy dipping sauce. These two dishes I'd say were the stars of the evening, along with the corn fritter and melon ball.

There was also a tuna tartar, done in little cucumber cups; the menu for the event said it had a meyer lemon creme fraiche on it. It was a small little bite, and something texturally didn't work for me, nor did I get a lemony flavor. (Sorry, no decent picture.) And the strawberries with a honey gelee, which were interesting, but consensus in our little group was the gelee was too thick.

Finally, the milk punch capped off the tastings, a combo of brandy, nutmeg, and frothy milk, not unlike eggnog, except milk, not egg. I think of milk punch as a very southern drink, so I am not totally sure if I'd call it a tavern drink. Ahhh, but the chef is most recently from New Orleans, so there's the connection!

I briefly met the chef, though didn't get a chance to talk with him, but nice he was out of his chef whites and milling about the packed room. So I still need to get to Haddingtons for a real meal, though I now have a much better sense as to what all the fuss is about. Thank you to Haddingtons and Crave for a tasty evening!

El Greco

2011-06-30T21:45:00.000-05:00

I've always enjoyed Greek food, but it's not something I've ever eaten a whole lot of, and there aren't a lot of Greek places in Austin. I have heard good things about El Greco, at 31st and Guadalupe, and it was finally time to go check it out with two of my girlfriends.

The place is a little more casual inside than I expected; they have a counter with a register, and perhaps they use that for order taking during lunch or busy times. Otherwise, it's a seat-yourself place, and there was once hostess/waitress managing the floor. She was warm and friendly from the start, and was patient with us as we chatted and looked at the menu. We all had a different glass of wine, and we started with the tiropita appetizer, phyllo dough filled with feta cheese. Unfortunately, I could tell from the moment they were brought out that they were anemic. They were undercooked, so there was not a great deal of flakiness to them, and the layers on the bottom were more raw than those on top. One of us commented that it needed a drizzle of olive oil. We noticed later that most of the other tables did in fact have a bottle of oil on them, but ours did not. We did eat the whole thing, but it needs some more time in the oven, for certain.

We decided to get a couple different dishes and just share everything. First came the pastitsio, also known as Greek lasagna. It's tubular noodles with seasoned ground beef, in a bechamel sauce. Not overly rich, it had nice flavor, and we got a Greek salad with it. Maybe a little disappointed that their Greek salad doesn't have nice chunks of feta cheese, but rather a sprinkling on top. The pita, while not necessarily necessary with a pasta dish, was very nice and soft.

Next was the Greek meat plate for two along with a bigger Greek salad, and an order of "Greco peas" -- English peas in a very light and mild tomato sauce; quite tasty too. Let's cut to the chase though, the meats were fantastic! From left to right in the picture you have: beeftekee, two lamb chops, pork souvlaki (kebab) and chicken souvlaki.

The beeftekee is ground beef, mixed with herbs and spices, shaped into a loaf, and grilled. Well seasoned, and just a bit of feta on top. The lamb chops, while well-done, still had great lamb flavor, and I had no qualms about picking the bone up and eating it with my fingers. Both of the souvlakis were tender, moist, and grilled perfectly. Again, the meats are by far, the star of this show. On their website is a video segment on how they prepare the lamb chops -- cut them, soak (brine?), drain, marinate, grill, with the soak, drain, and marinate taking a couple hours each. Tasty though!

For dessert, how can you pass up baklava, especially when billed as "Chef Jake's grandmother's recipe"? This was in a spiral, with a lot of sweet syrup poured over top, so it kind of lost it's flakiness. It's interesting how many different forms baklava can take! I think I prefer mine with nice crisp layers, lasagna style, rather than rolled up or even shredded.

I would hope El Greco would update their website to accurately reflect the prices now being charged on the menu, and that the prices redacted on the printed menus at the restaurant would be filled in with the current rates. Also, I heard the waitress talking to the table next to us, saying they no longer serve breakfast because they didn't have enough business. It's still listed on the web, as is a coupon for free coffee with breakfast. It is nice, though, that they have a gluten free menu online, as well as plenty of vegetarian options. Would be a shame though, to miss out on those meats.

The Highball

2011-06-28T18:39:00.000-05:00

I met a friend for dinner recently at the Highball before another friend's karaoke birthday celebration. If you aren't familiar with the Highball, they are a combination diner/bowling alley/karaoke club/live music venue, owned by the Alamo Drafthouse people. While karaoke isn't really my thing, it was a good opportunity to try out their main dining room, and get the birthday girl a cocktail before they partied into the night.

I had really wanted a 512 Wit beer, but unfortunately, they were out. Our waiter suggested and then brought me a taste of the Avery White Rascal, and then I got a pint. It was good, but not as crisp as the 512 Wit; still good for sipping though. I appreciated that he brought me a taste of it before making me decide.

For food, I ordered the Wedge salad and asked for the dressing on the side, and the Dr. Pepper Ribs. My friend ordered the blue plate special for the day, which happened to be Thanksgiving dinner. There seemed to be some miscues/miscommunication/mistakes from either the waiter and/or the food runners. The salad arrived (fully dressed, but okay, I let it slide), but we had no silverware, so I asked the runner for some when she brought the food. She sort of made a face and went over to the waiter, who was finishing at another table, and then one of them brought over the silverware. Little odd.

The salad, fortunately not too badly drenched, was quite good. Nice and crisp iceberg, nice twang to their house-made Thousand Island dressing. Some blue cheese would have been a perfect addition!

Then our main plates came. The Dr. Pepper ribs are "spice infused, Dr. Pepper glazed pork ribs with toasted peanuts." What that description doesn't tell you straight up is that they are a sticky mess! To me, ribs are meant to be picked up with your fingers and eaten straight off the bone (my father sits there with a fork and knife.... I don't get it!), so that just compounded the messiness. The flavor of the glaze and the meat was good, kind of a deep caramelization without being too sweet, but the ribs were sort of tough. They definitely need to be cooked longer to tenderize and make more succulent.

(The ribs just don't photograph well; I took a couple pictures, and this is as good as it gets. There were five ribs, stacked log cabin-style)

As we finished eating, the birthday girl came and joined us for a bit, and also ordered the Thanksgiving plate to go along with her cocktail. Same thing happened. The food arrived, and there was no silverware. I *think* it was the same runner who had previously brought our food, but this time, it took a little longer than it should have for the silverware to materialize. I didn't pay enough attention while there to look at other tables to figure out if it's the host/hostess' responsibility to bring silverware when they seat you, the waiter's job, or the food runner's. It didn't seem that either the waiter or the runner were brand new, but who knows. It left a little bit of an off-impression in my book.

I would easily go back and try some of the other items on the menu. But even me, and my love for pork, I don't think I'd get the ribs again if they're prepared the same way. Just too tough. And messy. One other drawback, it got REALLY loud in there when the band started playing. We were sitting at a table by the front windows, on the far side of the room from the stage, and you had to practically yell to talk to your table companions. I expect that at a concert, but not at a dining establishment. Maybe it's quieter on the bowling side. It was interesting to see that the dinner crowd was a total mixed bag of younger hipsters, older couples, girl's night out, and everything in between. That's South Austin for ya.

Bits and Bites

2011-06-23T10:46:00.001-05:00

-- The Q Card is hosting a launch party for Sugar Shack BBQ on Saturday, June 25th. Admission is free, but donations are encouraged, which will go towards victims of the recent Texas wildfires.

-- Bon Appetit magazine has declared Franklin BBQ "the best BBQ in America," at least for their brisket. You can read my recent post here..... Franklin was also just featured in Edible Austin. It WAS darn good brisket, and the pork ribs were fall-off-the-bone tender and tasty. But is it the BEST BBQ?

-- Look for the Austin Beer Guide to make its way into stores any moment now.

-- Now calling themselves TenOak Bourbon Bar + Lounge, their back room lounge, Elixir, opens next Friday.

-- Parkside is showcasing their summer raw oysters with bubbly pairings from sommelier Ashley Gaas. Stop in for half price oyster platters during happy hour, Monday - Friday 5 - 7 pm.

-- Haddingtons (where I still need to check out) is hosting a beer and cheese pairing event on Monday, July 25th; tickets $65/person call the restaurant to reserve. North Coast beers will be paired with cheeses selected by Cathy Strange of Whole Foods, and includes a five course tasting dinner.

-- Sagra is opening their doors to a free family-style feast on Wednesday, July 13th, beginning at 4pm. Guests will be seated on a first come, first served basis, and they will serve until food runs out. The menu includes: insalata misto, porchetta, vegetable tiella, and potato fennel gratin. Sagra has also recently revised their cocktail menu, moving away from simple syrups, and utilizing their bounty of fresh herbs from their own garden!

-- And you know you've arrived when a new hot dog gets it's own press release! From Frank (and I do love their dogs), comes the Sonoran Dog -- a 100% Vienna beef dog, "porked" (wrapped in bacon and deep fried -- something that can be done to any of their dogs), the split down the middle, and topped with white American cheese, pinto beans, grilled and fresh onions, tomatoes, mayo, mustard and jalapeno sauce.

-- Opening: at 1712 Lavaca Street, Lavaca Teppan, a Japanese grill restaurant. Looks like it's right next door to the Women and their Work gallery.... No links yet functioning on the web page.

-- Closing: The Screaming Goat and the Good Knight. Sorry, I never knew either of you, but heard good things....

Bits and Bites

2011-06-15T09:33:00.000-05:00

-- Tribeza magazine announces their Summer Solstice Chef's Table series, with a variety of local chefs preparing special tasting menus based on the summer bounty, June 27 - 29. It's a fantastic list of participating chefs/restaurants: Haddington's, TRIO, Foreign and Domestic, La Sombra, Jeffrey's, Shoreline Grill, Trulucks, Parkside, and La Condesa. Most of the menus are on the website, and you can buy tickets through the site as well. It will be a great chance to meet some of your favorite chefs and talk to them about their inspirations for the menu.

-- There's a new FREE iPhone/Pad app out called Texas Monthly BBQ Finder. And guess who developed it, yes, Texas Monthly. For each BBQ joint, it lists their hours of operation, how TM rated it, and a place to add your personal rating. Can we get an Android version, please?!

El Meson

2011-06-12T16:48:00.000-05:00

The second location of El Meson opened last fall, and while it's not that far from my house, last week was my first time going. I was really struck by the interior of the building, with beautiful tile work on the floors and even in the bathroom! Unfortunately, I think because of the tile, noise bounces all around, and it was fairly loud for a little bit. But we were also surrounded by two tables with young children, but good thing they left not too long after our arrival.

My friend was there when I arrived, and also at the table was a fresh melon "ceviche" that was very tasty. Nice amuse bouche palate cleanser, with melon and cucumber diced very finely.

For entrees, I had the chicken with mole rojo, and my friend the chicken enchiladas with verde sauce. Mole is often the standard dish I get at interior Mexican restaurants. I love the complexity of flavors it brings, and having made it before, I appreciate the work that goes into it. Our waiter said it's 22 ingredients, and continued to say that it tastes the same -- consistent -- every day. It was a good mole, I will certainly agree. However it lacked the depth and aforementioned complexity of a great mole sauce (or even my own mole sauce...). So thumbs up, particularly if you're not too familiar with moles. The verde sauce on the enchiladas had the requisite tomatillo tartness to it. Their sides of rice and beans didn't really excite me, not a ton of flavor in either. They actually aren't pinto beans; the waiter said they are a close cousin, but I can't remember the name.

For dessert, we split a piece of tres leches cake, which was quite good. Not overly sweet.

The biggest complaint I have heard about the South Lamar location is their pricing; apparently it is higher that at the original Burleson Road spot (I haven't been there either). From their incomplete website, I think Burleson serves breakfast and lunch, whereas South Lamar is lunch and dinner, which may account for some of the price differences. I wish their website would post the menu for the SoLa location. Would I go back? Yes. But given the choice between El Meson and their neighbor one block north, Sazon, I would pick Sazon.

IACP Wrap Up

2011-06-12T15:37:00.000-05:00

Last week was the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) conference at the Hilton in downtown. I volunteered on Saturday, and got to sit in on a couple sessions.

-- Cooking from the Edge of Vietnam and Texas, with Chef Duc Tran, a Vietnamese refugee who grew up in Texas, but has returned to Vietnam and opened his restaurant, The Mango Rooms. He prepared some Asian fusion foods -- seared ahi tuna on top of a bed of mango salsa. Students from one of the local culinary schools had assisted by pre-making the mango salsa. Chef Tran then seared the tuna pieces, and they passed out samples -- delicious!

-- The Science of Baking, with chemist Shirley Corriher. I actually got to chat with her a little prior to the Vietnamese session above. Shirley's class was using the same ballroom, where a demo kitchen had been erected, and she was a touch concerned about the limited amount of time for set up between the two sessions. She and her husband were rather delightful, and had enjoyed their time in Austin thus far. For those who are fans of Alton Brown's Good Eats show, you may recognize her as the food scientist who occasionally shows up to explain the food chemistry. For her session at IACP, she had a nice handout with baking tips, as well as the recipe for an extremely light buttermilk biscuit that was served with raspberry chambord butter. Yes, we all swooned when we tried the tender biscuit!

-- Let There Be Light! Harnessing the Right Light for Digital Food Photography, with married photographers Diane Cu and Todd Porter. This engaging couple really had some great tips on how to look at lighting when you are photographing something, and they emphasized trying to use inexpensive props to bounce or diffuse light when doing a shoot. I took some good notes, which I need to review and see what I can incorporate.
-- On Saturday evening, there was an optional event for conference participants: Up in Smoke, held at Boggy Creek Farm. The event was co-sponsored by IACP and Foodways Texas, with proceeds benefiting the Sustainable Food Center. Dai Due roasted a feral hog onsite, Hoover's had pork ribs and beans, Trace restaurant had various sides, El Naranjo made lamb barbacoa...and more, those were just the ones I tried! It was a delicious finish in a lovely setting!

Sushi Zushi

2011-06-11T09:19:00.000-05:00

If you've been reading these here pages, you know that I recently went to Beets Raw Foods Cafe in the relatively new 5th Street Commons building, between Mopac and Lamar. At the time, I was more concerned about figuring out parking that I didn't really notice the western-most tenant (as in, the business you past first, as you're headed eastbound on 5th) Sushi Zushi. So when a group of friends suggested meeting there for happy hour, I at least knew where the building was, and where to park! (There is a little bit of street parking right in front, but fortunately, there's ample parking, much of it indoors, behind the building. And if you park in the indoor garage, most of the retail businesses have an entrance from the garage and street sides.)

Never really having heard of Sushi Zushi, I checked out their website before our happy hour. They appear to be a Texas-based chain, with 4 locations in San Antonio, 1 in Dallas, and 2 here; the other Austin locale is up north at the Domain. Their website says it best: "Sushi Zushi is all about variety. With an ever-growing menu of delightful sushi, as well as cooked items, there is something for everyone." And I must say: their menu is massive. Almost overwhelming, because there are so many choices. If you click on the menu link on their website, you'll open a seven-page PDF file. So if you don't like raw fish, there's noodles, grilled skewers, and little fried things, to name a few.

And, for happy hour, they have GREAT prices! They have a variety of food items that are nicely priced, and I believe all of their signature cocktails are $5. It's a big list of Asian-influenced cocktails, like a lycheetini and a basil yuzu drink (below). Unfortunately, neither their happy hour menu nor the cocktail menu are posted on line (boo!), so I can't remember the names of everything we had!

House seafood udon noodle bowl with salmon. Very nice dashi broth, hearty noodles.

Roll with tempura shrimp; the shrimp were nice and crisp with a light batter, and not greasy.

Bacon-wrapped asparagus on the left, and a roll that I am blanking on completely...We also had edamame and one of the yakimeshi stir-fried rice bowls.

For dessert, mochi ice cream (vanilla, chocolate, and mango) and tempura fried bananas with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce.

The layout is flowing, I'd say curvi-linear, with clean lines; also a private dining room for large groups. Our waitress attentive but not obtrusive. And I particularly liked the zori shoes (the wooden clogs that were the precursor to flip flops) hung on the bathroom doors indicating W or M -- just a fun touch! I do wish their expansive menu would have a bit more definition or description of what certain category of dishes are, and even more specifics within the line items too, like what is Tampa Bay sauce?

Overall, the quality of our food was quite good, especially for the volume they are producing. It's certainly no Uchi/ko, or even Yanagi, but it was tasty, and a fun/affordable place for a gathering.

Franklin BBQ

2011-06-04T21:03:00.000-05:00

You'd think that a Thursday at 11:30 am would be a good time to meet friends for lunch. Get in, get out, without getting too caught up in the lunch crowd. In essence, that's a good plan, unless you are going to Franklin BBQ for that lunch. This was the line when I arrived at 11:30 am.....

...snaking around the front of the building. (And I know, you can hardly tell from this picture how the line was, but TRUST ME, it was a line.) Fortunately, there's shade most of the way, until the last brutal 10 minutes as we waited to get the last 10 feet into the building. All told, it took a little over an hour from when we got in line to when we sat down with our plates.

Was it worth the wait? Yes. Though I'd say some meats were better than others. Upon arriving at 11:45, two other friends decided not to stick around, so it was just two of us, me and my trusty eating buddy, M. She had the bright idea that we each get a two-meat plate, and that way, we'd cover all four of the meats on the menu.

My plate had the brisket and the pork ribs, along with potato salad and beans.

Hers had pulled pork and sausage, with potato salad and cole slaw.

The ribs were incredible. The meat fell off the bone instantly, and was even easy to extract from the cartilage bits. They had a very thin crust on the outer portion, and a little bit of a pinkish smoke ring, after being smoked for 6 hours. A touch greasy, but full of porky goodness flavor.

The brisket was extremely good too. These are smoked on oak for 18 hours, and they do ask you if you want lean or fatty when you order (we went fatty!). Great char on the outside, but not as crispy as it could have been. What's the name for those crispy, burnt ends of brisket? When I had previously visited their now-defunct trailer about a year and a half ago, they gave me a bite of that crispy goodness. Franklin's brisket is considered by many some of the finest in the region.

The sausage was a nice medium grind, and had good snap to the casing, and a bit of black pepper flavor, but could have benefited from some jalapeno peppers.

The pulled pork was kind of lacking in flavor, sad to say. Very tender, but this particular pig didn't have a whole lot going on. Franklin makes 3 different BBQ sauces which are in glass bottles on the tables, and the pulled pork definitely needed something to help it along.

Of the sides, I think the cole slaw had the best flavor. The red cabbage was very crisp, with a light mayo-vinegar dressing. Clean and bright. The potato salad I thought needed a bit of salt; I looked around for some at the condiment area and didn't see any, so it's a good thing I carry a bit in my purse! The beans were fairly bland too; they may not be using any pork in them.

I will say, as we waited outside in line, a guy kept coming out, checking on people, asking if they needed water or other drink while they waited. And of course, he was gauging the line to know how much more food they could serve out. But it was a nice customer service touch on a hot day. This is the sign we faced as we approached the door...

...but customers were still arriving at 1:15 pm with the sign still up, and only having to wait about ten minutes. So you can get there early (apparently people start lining up at 10:30am) and wait, or get there later and chance it that Franklin will still have food. I would certainly go back, and have heard their smoked turkey is fantastic; they were out when we got to the counter, or else we would have gotten a small piece to try. However, I think I'd be inclined to get meat only, no sides. And a beer would be good.

Oh, and make note that they still haven't updated their website to reflect their brick and mortar location; it's 900 E. 11th Street. The web has their old, now defunct trailer address, but clearly, the lack of proper info isn't hurting their business any.

Bits and Bites

2011-06-02T15:39:00.000-05:00

-- From the makers of Dripping Springs Vodka, comes ROXOR Artisan Gin, the first Texas gin and first spirit created by a chef.

-- Monument Cafe in Georgetown has opened Monument Market, an organic, local, and seasonal market which is open daily. (Too bad I don't live north, or I'd go check it out! But GO Georgetown!)

-- Some delicious sounding chef dinners coming up at Olivia.
-- 24 Diner named one of the best "destination diners' (as in, upscale) by Bon Appetit magazine.

-- International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) is holding their annual conference at the Hilton downtown this week. I'll be volunteering there on Saturday, and a meeting was held Tuesday evening for the volunteers. Upon leaving the Hilton, I briefly met and chatted with Dorie Greenspan, who was trying to finalize her notes for one of the panels she was on. She was super-pleasant and was worried about what she was going to wear!

-- The annual Cupcake Riot 3.0 is this Saturday; it's a mash up of technology, beer, and cupcakes, with proceeds going to Texas Craft Brewers Guild and Keep Austin Dog Friendly. Competitive eater Hungry Todd Rungy will also be attempting to eat 6 sugar-free cupcakes in under 58 seconds to promote diabetes awareness.