Eatr Austin

UCHIKO Last night I had the pleasure of trying Tyson...

Fri, 25 Jun 2010 10:10:04 -0500

cobia, mint, jalapeno, & cured cucumber

roasted pork belly & apple kimchee

sashimi

fried eggplant

UCHIKO

Last night I had the pleasure of trying Tyson Cole’s latest effort, Uchiko. The place was bustling and had a very diverse crowd. If Eastside Showroom feels like Brooklyn, Uchiko feels like Manhattan. Its a lot noisier than Uchi, but the food is just as good. They are still fine tuning the service and right now everything is 50% off except for drinks. We started with a light sushi dish consisting of cobia, mint, jalapeno, & cured cucumber. It had quite a bite yet was incredibly refreshing. We then had rabbit, pea, pear, mustard seed, and quail egg, which was slightly over salted and definitely over-egged, but delicious nonetheless. Our second meat course was a roasted pork belly and apple kimchee with applesauce (they called it something else). I really enjoyed the crispness of the apple juxtaposed with the melt-in-your-mouth pork belly. Our next vittles was fried eggplant with a spicy chile sauce, which was deep fried perfection. Our last course was sashimi, which reminded me why I pay the price to go Uchi over anything else. Their fish is simply the best. Will be 4 out of 4 once they get their service down.

Shout out to my buddy Bryan Perrault who joined me.

Burgers Invade Austin: to See & to Eat I guess you can say...

Thu, 17 Jun 2010 11:06:36 -0500

Burgers Invade Austin: to See & to Eat

I guess you can say we’ve been into burgers lately…visiting these first two paintings by a musician/ painter in a gallery on SOCO and then making it our job to try out the latest from Your Mom’s Burger Bar on East Cesar Chavez between Chalmers and Chicon (warning: do not follow google maps, as it has the location wrong).

While the paintings always please, the restaurant leaves a lot to be desired (in order of most to least severe pleas):

1. The atmosphere: get rid of the flies! It’s impossible to eat at the dive right now with them swarming everywhere, so make sure to take home or order delivery.

2. The sides: be transparent about what’s fresh and what’s frozen. The menu calls out that the fries are not frozen, implying that nothing else would be. This is misleading since the fried zuchini is in fact store-bought and frozen.

3. More on the fries: cut way down on the over-salting.

4. The sauces: make these fresh or find a vendor with better quality condiments; the current varieties taste artificial.

However…the John D. Rockefeller burger we had (pictured above) was delish and the order-taker was definitely spirited.

He says: Juan in a Million is still the king of this East Austin block

She says: There’s a rare chance I’ll want this burger delivered instead of pizza the few times a year we order in.

Fredericksburg, TX This weekend we voyaged to Fredericksburg to...

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 08:30:00 -0500

Sculpture Safari!

Fredericksburg, TX

This weekend we voyaged to Fredericksburg to avoid the annual ROT Biker Rally that comes to Austin. We anticipated walking around a charming Main St. and eating traditional German fare in a biergarten while watching the World Cup. What we got was truly a surprise. The highlight happened to be our pit stop before reaching our destination: the Benini Sculpture Ranch. Think one part safari (SUV recommended), one part Italy (very hilly, but use your imagination for Italian Cypress trees) and one part folk/ outsider art from various artists. Also make sure to check out the indoor gallery that showcases Benini’s painting. He’s a Milanese artist working in acrylic that concentrates on roses, geometric shapes and dimension.

And to the food and more in Fredericksburg proper…

Go to:

Rather Sweet for lunch and dessert with local ladies who are in the know

Chocolat for truffles filled with liquors- we can personally recommend the German chocolate cake concotion

Fredericksburg Gourmet Coffee and Tea (next to Chocolat) for specialty beans and to see where locals choose to pass the afternoon on their laptops

Nimitz Museum for Pacific War history in a world-class facility

Avoid:

Falling prey to shopping and eating in all other East Main St. tourist trap establishments!

South First (vegan-friendly) Brunch Haunts Bouldin Creek Love...

Tue, 04 May 2010 13:55:22 -0500

South First (vegan-friendly) Brunch Haunts

Bouldin Creek

Love the “Oven Cake Breakfast” pictured here. It’s an enormous slice of blueberry cornbread served with agave for a dipping. Tofu can be substituted for the eggs. A little protein and a lot of sweet makes an Austin morning!

Somnio’s

When the line at Bouldin is out the door (around 11 am on Saturdays and Sundays), head down the street to all-organic Somnio’s. There’s 1 dish to order: the Breakfast Bowl. Hash browns on the bottom, topped with eggs (or tofu) and 3 meat and veggies picking of your choice. Ask for the homemade salsa to brighten then entire thing.

Maker’s Mark Blogger’s Lunch at Frank How could I...

Fri, 16 Apr 2010 13:27:00 -0500

The Set-Up

Bill and I

Maker’s Mark Blogger’s Lunch at Frank

How could I pass this up? While drinking one of my favorite bourbons at my favorite Austin lunch spot, the CEO of Maker’s Mark, Bill Samuels, gave us an advance preview of his newest, and ONLY Maker’s spin-off, Maker’s Mark 46.

Prior to taking the helm of the family business 30 years ago, Bill went to law school and got his masters in physics. After a misadventure in rocket science resulting in him blowing up his bosses office, Bill returned to Kentucky and has done everything not to “f*ck up his old man’s invention”, as he so eloquently put it.

Now, I will quote one of my favorite movies - the Goonies - “Their time! Up there! Down here, it’s our time. It’s our time down here.” Bill has held up his end of the bargain and has built Maker’s Mark into a billion dollar business, but he wanted to improve on the family recipe and make something to put on his tombstone.

After brainstorming with the master distiller, he has successfully taken the alcohol notes out of the original recipe through an advance in wood treating technology, and the result is spectacular. The new Maker’s 46 is the most drinkable whiskey I have ever tasted, and it will be available in stores late this summer. An interesting fact: the whole process was done in a vacuum - no business or marketing folks were able to muck it up. Bravo Bill.

We're Eating Again...and mostly out of trailers

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 12:00:00 -0600

Last night we tried East Side King and loved every flavor packing bite. The pork belly buns are nearly as good as Momofuku’s. The Veggie Meshi is the perfect crunchy yet soft roasted fried brussels sprout/ garlic rice combo with just the right hint of sweetness. Hands down, he shining star of the meal was the beet home fries. Don’t let the name fool you…they’re the traditional round slices and not chopped up. Ideal for dipping in the cool, thick flavored mayo dollop they come with. We think we could even give up french fries for these!

One request East Side King, please re-park on Rainey. We’ll visit much more often. You’re the only reason to walk through Liberty Bar right now and that’s the low point of your brand experience.

Chi’lantro BBQ Did you miss us? Sorry we haven’t been posting...

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 12:29:00 -0600

Chi’lantro BBQ

Did you miss us? Sorry we haven’t been posting lately, as we’ve been too busy eating at all of the amazing Austin trailers including two of our favorites: G’Raj Mahal (yeah Rainey Street!) and Gourdoughs. Thanks to @tastytouring, let’s add another to that list: Chi’lantro BBQ. The fries are awesome, but I would probably skip them next time to make room for another delicious Korean-Mexican fusion taco. The concept is borrowed from Kogi of LA, but is well executed, especially for Austin. Follow @chilantrobbq for their roving destination. It’s well worth it!

Sushi Showdown

Sun, 27 Sep 2009 16:52:00 -0500

After having a great experience at Pirhana next door to Max’s we thought we’d try Zushi Sushi next to Mean Eyed Cat. Pirhana:P Terry’s::Zushi:McD’s. In other words if you are looking for downtown sushi, skip Zushi and head to Pirhana which is an all around better experience.

Public Service Announcement: Max's Wine Dive

Sat, 26 Sep 2009 16:56:37 -0500

We went to Max’s to try to their new “lunch” yesterday and found out its not lunch at all, but rather their regular dinner menu. Their prices are high to begin with and especially for lunch when everyone else in town has a separate lunch menu. Don’t be fooled.

Homemade, healthy fish & chips Panko crusted cod with sweet...

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 19:59:11 -0500

Homemade, healthy fish & chips

Panko crusted cod with sweet potato fries. See, we do cook!

Counter Cafe The recent Texas Monthly hype over Counter’s...

Sun, 30 Aug 2009 14:07:47 -0500

Counter Cafe

The recent Texas Monthly hype over Counter’s burger (they rank it #2 on the top 50 list) has made it even more difficult to snag a table at this tiny Lamar diner. Neverthess, it’s a fun place for lunch/ brunch when you’re not in a hurry. We haven’t tried the burger yet, but Nick’s parents did and loved it. They recommend the wheat bun and to definitely go for sweet potato fries as the side. Their endorsement is good enough for us and we’ll be trying the burger soon since we are already fans of the pimiento cheese sandwich. Our one complaint is that the the cafe’s tagline, “Local Food, Global Love,” doesn’t exactly apply to the loveless, bare bones service…par for the course in Austin though.

Thai Fresh We tried Thai Fresh located in the heart of 78704 on...

Sat, 29 Aug 2009 11:34:35 -0500

Thai Fresh

We tried Thai Fresh located in the heart of 78704 on South Fifth for lunch yesterday and were quite pleased. They only serve prepared foods from a case, think Whole Foods, but exclusively thai cuisine. The pricing options perplexed us so we tried both ways. One is by number of entrees/sides and the other is per pound. We each had 3 dishes, 1 protein and 2 sides. By the pound, it was $8.50 and the “choose 3” was $10.29, a curious price.

All 6 dishes were very well done and even reheated tasted great (they nuke the dishes for you). They source all of their ingredients locally though the sriracha is straight from Thailand, and better than the famous green capped Huy Fong, made in LA.

He says: Hippy meets Hua Hin at this Southeast Asian Southside Austin no frills high flavor establishment.

She says: The flavors were satisfying allowing you to eat less but be fulfilled.

Bennu Looking for a 24 hour coffee shop near dowtown? Bennu is...

Sat, 22 Aug 2009 20:54:15 -0500

Bennu

Looking for a 24 hour coffee shop near dowtown? Bennu is located on East MLK a mile or so east of the UT ballpark. It has pizza from Hoboken Pies and other tasty snacks from various local purveyors. Their ‘bennu iced coffee’ roasted with pecans is delish.

Frank Bruni Interview

Fri, 21 Aug 2009 10:00:44 -0500

Big thanks to Mike Sutter (Austin American-Statesman food critic) for asking Frank Bruni (New York Times food critic) a question for us in a recent interview.

Mike Sutter: We asked readers through Twitter if they had questions for you. Here’s one: ‘I would love to know what unique characteristics are common among great restaurants. What makes what might be an otherwise “good” restaurant “great”?’

Frank Bruni: This isn’t a particularly original answer. But the characteristic that is most common to great restaurants is they approach every dinner service and they approach every order they get as a chance at perfection. They set the bar really high.

Check out the full Q&A here: http://www.austin360.com/food_drink/content/food_drink/stories/2009/08/0819bruni.html

Piranha Killer Sushi We tried Piranha for lunch today which...

Thu, 20 Aug 2009 13:22:00 -0500

Piranha Killer Sushi

We tried Piranha for lunch today which opened recently next to Max’s Wine Dive. (1) I must say, best fish I have had in a long time. At least as good, if not better, than Uchi. Don’t get me wrong: I am not talking about decor (which is quite nice), service (which was quite average in absolute terms but better than average in Austin) or the rest of the menu, but strictly the sashimi, which was transcendent. The escolar, salmon and tuna literally melts in your mouth. The $12.95 sashimi bento was worth it because of the proteins but the “daily salads” (one of which the waiter forgot to bring, but offered a dessert on the house after the fact) and the california roll (imitation crab!! and poorly rolled) were ho-hum. That being said, I think this is the best sushi in downtown Austin - leagues above Maiko, Kenichi and Kyoto (duh) and a little better but more affordable than Yu Sushi Izagaya.

(1) Max’s mini review: good for happy hour but not much else.

Trip to Lockhart with the Parents We recently were convinced by...

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 10:04:00 -0500

Trip to Lockhart with the Parents

We recently were convinced by Nick’s parents to make the quick juant from Austin to Kruez Market in Lockhart. It took a little nudging since we love the bbq joint that’s two steps from our place, Iron Works, and can’t get enough of their two bbq sauces and brontosaurus ribs.

The verdict is in though and Kreuz is well worth the trip. One can go without sauce when the meat is salted properly. The tender pork ribs and spicy jalapeño cheese sausage are stand outs. The sides lack vibrancy though, so we recommend sticking with the meat. A few last tips: 1) make sure to dress lightly or bring a friend to fetch your meat for you…you order and pick up that meat at unbearably hot bbq pits (pictured above) and 2) BYOP…P for plastic silverware if you don’t want your fingers to smell smoky for a good few days.

He says: Best pork ribs I’ve ever had - loved the peppercorn crust - save the trip and stay in Austin for brisket.

She says: It’s the perfect cure for sleep deprivation. After eating, I immediately passed out for two hours. There’s got to be something dangerous in that dry rub!

Garrido’s Since Las Mas closed there has been a gaping...

Fri, 24 Jul 2009 18:28:00 -0500

Garrido’s

Since Las Mas closed there has been a gaping hole in the Mexican category downtown for reasonably priced not fussy Mexican fare. Garrido’s fills that gap. Everything on the menu is under $10 and their happy hour margs and paloma’s are only $4 until 7pm. Two of us got out of there with an app, 2 entrees and 2 drinks for under $30. The space has a nice ambiance without being too uber-chic and the patio overlooking downtown is an urban oasis. The tuna tacos were light and fresh while the skirt steak tacos had some serious kick. The guac was just average but for $2.50 who can complain?

EASTSIDE SHOWROOM Wow. WOW! As some of you have noted in the...

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 22:37:53 -0500

EASTSIDE SHOWROOM

Wow. WOW! As some of you have noted in the comments to this blog it is hard to impress us. But its not impossible. Showroom did it tonight (well just me…he). The owner, Mickey, whose identical twin sister also works at the joint, opened up in Brooklyn initially but decided Austin was the proper home for this gem. Everything in this place is homemade. From the furniture (welded by Mickey) to the soda (that’s right, no coke for you, but the house cola is incredible). All of the food ingredients come from no greater than 150 miles away and the freshest of which are listed on a chalk board by the entrance. The bar menu is also unique and is the only real challenger to Fino I have come across. I think Bill Norris might even agree (though he did also create the new bar menu at Annie’s). The staff couldn’t be more friendly and knowledgeable. The head bartender and some of the other barbacks are ex-Lambertites (another favourite). Our lamb and goat burger (with chevre and homemade mustard) was paired with carrot mashers and a parsley salad. We also tried the liver pate with candied bacon, which though far from kosher, was transcendent. With a capacity of 52, I am not sure how they are going to manage the demand, but I hope they remember me, because I plan to be a regular.

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf comes to Austin Check out their...

Sun, 12 Jul 2009 18:58:41 -0500

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf comes to Austin

Check out their first location (owned by Nolan Ryan) here at 221 South Lamar. It has a pleasant and welcoming feel- a 3rd space that is in between a local coffee house and franchise operation. The staff couldn’t be nicer and the parfaits are heaping with endless ingredient options.

Appropriate food trailer? Discuss amongst yourselves.

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 20:47:24 -0500

Appropriate food trailer? Discuss amongst yourselves.