Rosso + Flynn: Nice to Meat Ya!

Red Wattle pork chops with pearled couscous, grilled peaches and pickled onions.

Rosso + Flynn are high quality, online meat purveyors in the Austin area. They contacted me via Instagram and asked if I would be interested in trying some of their products. Being a carnivore, I quickly said yes. They did not monetarily compensate me nor ask for a blog post, yet here I am of my own free volition. Opinions are my own, but you knew that anyway.

Maybe you don't like crowded grocery stores, or don't have the proper time for them. Perhaps the boutique meat shops which you know offer great quality just aren't compatible with your schedule or personal geography. Do the food delivery services appeal to you, and can you plan accordingly? Will you remember to leave a cooler on your doorstep on delivery days? If any of this sounds relate able, please direct your browser to Rosso + Flynn for amazing quality, Texas-sourced, fresh-never-frozen meat.  Here are some of their marketing points, per the email they sent me:

• All meat is delivered fresh, not frozen
• We support local, Texas ranchers
• All of our ranchers are eco-conscious and treat animals humanely
• All meat is pasture-raised, grass-fed, antibiotic-free, GMO free and soy free
• We offer Wagyu and heritage breeds that are raised in Austin, Texas
• You can seriously taste the quality!
• We offer free delivery for all orders over $25 in Austin, TX
• Nose-to-tail and zero waste or spoilage - This means that our ranchers use the whole animal and we do not order anything from them that has not been sold. Nothing goes to waste.
• Order by Thursday at 2 pm for a Sunday delivery (Sunday is their only delivery day)

They asked me what kind of meat I liked and I said I was partial to pork and lamb, and they selected the cuts. They have everything from Wagyu beef cuts to marrow bones to chicken feet to pork shoulder. (I am willing to admit I am glad they didn't send chicken feet! I know there are people who love them, so I am happy to let those people have at 'em!)

 I received Red Wattle pork chops, lamb chops, and bacon. I was a happy girl!

On my appointed Sunday, I left a cooler on my front doorstep and later in the day found a brown bag with individually wrapped parcels. They used the delivery service Drop Off and I was notified via email that my delivery was en route.

I immediately cooked up a piece of the peppered heritage bacon (Berkshire/Red Wattle from Peaceful Pork in Beeville) in my air fryer and froze the rest for later. The genius of the air fryer is it whisks away all the fat leaving an incredibly crisp piece of bacon. And yes, the golden pig butter has been saved for later.

For dinner that night, I cooked the pork chops from Smith and Smith Farms that you see pictured at the top of this post. These were inch-thick big ol' juicy pork chops, with an incredible clean and fresh taste. I just pan seared them and served over pearled (Israeli) couscous with grilled peaches and pickled onions. 

I also froze the lamb chops until I had more time to cook. This week, I pan seared them to a lovely medium-rare and made a quick fresh mint sauce (more like vinaigrette) to go with them. While I don't currently see lamb on R+F's website, ask them if they have any available. Oh, and the taste? Unbelieveable! Plus I love to gnaw on lamb chop bones.

What have we learned? If you want some of the highest quality meats available in Central Texas, look no further than your computer. Rosso + Flynn has it all and then some. And they deliver to your doorstep! They also offer giftcards which might be perfect for your favorite meat-eater.

So plan your menu, make an order and prepare to be wowed by the flavor. And don't forget to set a cooler out on Sunday. And if you need more incentive, they have offered me a promo code to share for $10 off your first order: SATXFOODIE

La Dolda Pasta

Editor's note: La Dolda closed January 2018.

I am a confirmed carboholic, so when I first heard about La Dolda Artisinal Pasta shop opening up in Westlake, I was excited! I have always enjoyed the fresh pastas from Pasta + Co on Kerbey Lane, but I just don't get up to that part of town too frequently, though they can be found at a couple farmer's markets too. So to have a new place -- owned by Italians -- south of the river is awesome. And while I didn't originally intend to write a blog post about La Dolda (and hence the photos aren't great), here we are. :)

Only open since the third week of May, the word of fresh pasta is quickly spreading. La Dolda (Facebook page) is located at 4238 Bee Caves Road; as you are headed west on Bee Caves towards 360, they are on the right, just a bit past the light at Camp Craft Road. Inside, there are a few tables and fresh and dried pasta all around. A nice glass case highlights the days offering of freshly made pastas, from the familiar linguine, tortellini, and raviolis to fun corkscrews and some tiny bean-like offerings. Plus a variety of sauces (pesto, ragu, pomodoro) to take home as well. Prices range per pound.

Two walls have shelving of nothing but bags of dried artisan pasta, and another wall had a big case of Italian condiments like balsamic vinegars and truffle oil.

If you're there between 11 am - 4 pm, you can eat a meal there; here are some of the offerings.

I got two different fresh pastas, plus a dried pasta as a birthday gift for a friend.

With the paparadelle, I tossed it with some mascarpone, fresh lemon juice, parmesan cheese, sugar snap peas, a bit of basil and toasted pine nuts. It was thick and hearty, and next time, I would do it with a ragu.

The tortellini I choose was filled with prosciutto and parmesan. I just tossed this with olive oil, parmesan, and wilted spinach. Owner Matteo said not to salt the pasta water, because the pasta was salty enough. Valid point! And I am sure he has all kinds of tidbits about preparing his different pastas.

This is not your average grocery store pasta; everything is hand made and the prices and quality reflect that.  And absolutely worth it! Benvenuto a Austin, La Dolda! Buon appetito!

Pinthouse Pizza -- South Lamar

As with many things, the adage "if you build it, they will come" holds truth. The new Pinthouse Pizza on South Lamar in the Brodie Oaks shopping center is certainly no exception. It's sister location on Burnet Road has always been well-liked by friends, but I have never made it there myself. This brew pub/pizza joint opened in South Austin in late October, and when I went the beginning of December, it was packed.

Five of us decided to meet there on the first Thursday in December. I was the last to arrive at just after 6 pm, and I walked into a buzzing hive. Fortunately, my friends already had a table (or, a spot within the bank of picnic tables), AND one of them had been there before, so she knew how it worked. And thus, here lies my rub with Pinthouse: there's no host/hostess, so it's up to you to stumble in and figure it out for yourself. There are two separate lines you will have to get in, one for beer and one for food. Or maybe you only want one, and not the other, which will save you time. My friends had already ordered this flight of beers when I arrived; I liked the holder and the chalkboard for names.

We were ogling our neighbors nacho tray, and they gave it high marks, so we started with that. Very tasty queso and nice thick tortilla chips, and I think a decent quantity for just under $8.

The wedge salad was a disappointment, as the blue cheese vinaigrette was very weak in flavor, as it really lacked the promised blue cheese. It just tasted like an oil and vinegar dressing. But it was very fresh iceberg lettuce.

We got three 10" pizzas so we could try a variety. So they're not quite Neapolitan-style pizzas, but they are a thicker, doughier crust. They come in 10", 14", and 16" sizes. Three small pizzas plus the nachos and salad were perfect for five people.

The pepperoni and basil turned out to be my favorite; the meat was sliced really thin, so it was a bit crispy around the edges and not at all greasy, plus there wasn't too much tomato sauce (I am not a fan of heavy tomato sauce on a pizza).

The Armadillo pizza with sausage, poblano, ricotta, and cilantro. I love a white pie, but this didn't do it for me. In my book, it really really needs a drizzle of a balsamic reduction or some other acidity on it to really make it stand out. Fresh and good quality ingredients? Yes. Great tasting pizza? No.

And this other white pizza, with mushrooms and arugula; I think this was a build your own option, I can't remember and someone else did the ordering. This too suffered from lack of acid, whether it's balsamic or tomato sauce or fig jam. Overall is their pizza good? Yes, but just not as good as it could be to my discerning palate.

But hands down, the best thing we had was the chocolate fudge brownie with Amy's ice cream. So rich! And smooth, and really chocolaty. And when split five ways, even better!

I was real glad to have a "veteran" with us, who knew how the system worked, as walking into a new place for the first time can be a tad overwhelming when the place is packed. And a beer and pizza joint with ample parking is sorely needed in this area. They are really good about updating their Facebook page regularly, and I see that a house-brewed "Hefewhyzen" will be tapped later this month (one of my favorite beer varieties). Plus the January pizza of the month is a Thai peanut chicken, which I know won't appeal to everyone, but it does to me! Now I feel that I can enter Pinthouse with confidence, as I at least know how the system works. If my one weeknight experience is any indication, they have no trouble attracting business.