First Look: The Meteor

The Meteor on South Congress Avenue

New on South Congress, just a few blocks past the hip and trendy stuff is a new spot called The Meteor. But what would you call it? Is it:

•  a) a coffee shop
•  b) an eating establishment
•  c) a wine bar
•  d) a bicycle repair spot
•  e) all of the above

If you guessed "e" you are correct and win a chain lube along with your morning coffee!  (Just kidding, no prizes being offered, but thanks for playing!) The Meteor's beautiful outdoor sign says "Espresso Champagne and Chain Lube" to which I might update to say "Breakfast Booze Bikes". It's not an identity crisis, but to me, a kind of an odd pairing of food/drink with bike services, and yet it appears to be working.

When I arrived for a solo late lunch on a recent weekday, the place was at least half full, mostly with people on their laptops or reading. There were a couple people in the bike area, (the far back in the photo below) but I didn't really pay attention to what was going on in there. I love the big windows and sunlight pouring in.

I initially was going to get a grains bowl, but I saw a freshly made quiche cooling on the counter, and opted for a piece, plus a piece of their za'atar focaccia which I intended to save for later.

Quiche of the day

Za'atar focaccia

Both were amazing. Hats off to whomever the chef or pastry chef is, because they know what they are doing! The crust on the quiche was actually crisp on the bottom, which tells me they are probably blind baking the crust before adding the egg filling to it. Plus it's a super-tall piece. This had a couple of cherry tomatoes in it but an almost entirely egg filling, and perfectly cooked at that.

If you're not familiar with za'atar, it's a Middle Eastern spice blend (like a curry powder, every grandma has a different recipe) usually consisting of sesame seeds, thyme, oregano, sumac powder, and salt. I've always loved the flavor, and have used it with meats before, but also it's just good in olive oil for dipping. You can buy some from the spice jars in the Bulk Department at Central Market. Anyhow, this focaccia was dense but still had that airness and holes you expect in a well-risen focaccia. I ate more of this than I intended with the quiche, but did save the rest to go with a salad I had for dinner.

Pastry offerings

Pizza offerings 

There was also a nice selection of pastries on the counter, and they sell their pizza by weight rather than by slice.  While I am trying to watch my carbs, I am coveting all the baked goods I saw at Meteor! Unfortunately, not a place that's gluten-friendly at least for the baked items. Also the service at the counter was super friendly!

Other than being very pleasantly surprised about the quality of the items I had, The Meteor is not far from me, on the edge of the Bouldin Creek neighborhood, so I look forward to future visits. I should think about buying a bicycle so I can work off the carbs and get the bike serviced while I eat more of them!

Bao'd Up is Open in Sunset Valley!

Pork belly guabao, one of my favorite items at Bao'd Up

BIG THANKS to Bao'd Up for 1) opening in South Austin 😊 and 2) having me out for lunch. This is a sponsored post, but all opinions are my own. I was not monetarily compensated for this post, nor was one requested from me. I am here to spread the good gospel of Bao'd Up!

Tables

I met my friend Rebecca of The Honest Foodist (check out her blog and especially her Instagram Stories!) for lunch at Bao'd Up on Friday, where we sampled a number of items on the menu.  They are located at 5207 Brodie Lane, right next door to Tarka and down from Petsmart.

When you walk in to Bao'd Up, there are four self-serve terminals on your right.  You do your own ordering, and it gives you options to customize like rice instead of noodles on the bowls. 

There are even options with the boba or bubble teas, from different flavors, to bases, to sweetness options. You can also place a to go order online. Once you pay, your receipt will have a bar code, or if ordering online, you'll receive a confirmation code. Don't throw your receipt out!

There are a couple screens inside the restaurant that show your name and order status. Once your order is ready, it is placed inside one of these lockers and it shows "completed" by your name on the screen. You either scan your receipt or enter your code on the keypad, and a locker door pops open.

Ta dah! There's your food! (And so if you're ordering online, you may never have to interact with staff at Bao'd but that doesn't mean you should forgo a tip.)

Yum yum! More explanation on what everything is, coming up!

Alex the manager admitted sometimes it's even hard for him to tell the pork bao apart! 😉 

Dang, I can't make this video larger. Here's Rebecca breaking bao (BBQ pork).

Brisket bao, a tasty Texas twist!

My favorite of the baos was the pork belly guabao (taco style) that's pictured at the very top of this post. The pork belly was so tender, it fell apart like pulled pork. And the flavors were phenomenal, though messy to eat!

This was my other favorite of everything we had, the spicy pork bowl with soft boiled egg and veggies. We got this with rice, but I will SO be getting this again with noodles! The pork had such a wonderful flavor and a nice medium spice level.  I am kind of drooling thinking about it right now! I loved this. 

I think this was Rebecca's favorite, the braised chicken bowl, which we got with gluten free glass noodles (I think they were Korean sweet potato noodles). The chicken must have cooked for ages because the meat fell off the bone and had a light Chinese five spice seasoning to it. She said it reminded her of her family's home style Vietnamese food.

Top left is the crispy fish guabao, where they use barramundi, a Pacific ocean fish, also known as Asian sea bass. It was nicely fried, meaty, and really good. Top right is the pork belly guabao, and at the bottom is chicken katsu (fried chicken cutlet). 

Not pictured is the egg cream bao, which I remember from their Mueller location, because it made me a fan of  them! And this one did not disappoint. Sunset Valley is now the third location for Bao'd Up, with Mueller as the original, and they opened on Rio Grande + 22nd Street earlier this summer. I am so thankful Bao'd Up has come to South Austin, as I honestly don't know a place down here that serves bao. A wonderful new spot for us Southies to enjoy! More Asian food, please!

Thanks again to Alex and the Bao'd Up team for having us for lunch!

Mural, part of the fun vibe at Bao'd Up. There's a similar one at the Mueller location too.

First Look: The Git Out (But you should git in!)

A trio of tasty treats!

New spot at 4930 South Congress, between Ben White and Stassney called The Git Out. Beers, cocktails, burgers, and some nice variety of tasty food stuffs. While in a new strip center, there's outdoor seating and plenty of parking. Staff was friendly and the food we had was great!

Vodka lemonade on tap, this month's flavor is watermelon which went down REAL easy!

Potato Puffs, basically mashed potato balls coated with something akin to cornflakes, and fried to perfection, not a lick of grease. Crispy on the outside and nice and squishy in the middle. Nice chipotle ranch dipping sauce too. 

Pork Popcorn -- hello pork belly nuggets! Lightly fried, well-rendered, bit of a smokey flavor.

Brussels + Bacon, great flavor with a little sriracha, balsamic and cotija cheese, but the Brussels
 could have been crispier, which is my only critique of the food we had. 

Fun and random wall art.  From their website: "Our truly #Austin decor is inspired by our owning partners passion for American made motorcycles, hot rods and various unique #petroliana…" Makes sense!

Liked the wood paneling and again the random objects d'art. Nice tall ceilings with a bunch of
old chandeliers that have been painted and given that shabby chic look.
 Very light-filled too (at 5 pm), which their photos online portray a darker bar so don't be fooled.

Props to my friend @cooperandclaire who tipped me off about the Git Out. He said the Phatty Melt was pretty much other worldly, so that's on my list for next time. Yes, there will be a next time!

First Look: Super Thai

In the revolving door of restaurant openings, we now have Super Thai, formerly Krua Thai and the original Barley Swine location before it. Located at 2024 South Lamar, it is just south of the intersection of South Lamar and Hether/Mary Streets, and now literally being overshadowed by a multistory building being constructed at the corner.

Krua didn't last but five months or so. Then Sap's (former partner to Madam Mam's and now with two locations of his own) took over the Krua space stating it would be a different menu/focus than the other Sap's restaurants. So now we have Super Thai, which I hope will last (though realistically, I do wonder how long it will.....).

The exterior is a bit non-descript, but I liked the interior space, especially the screen right behind the hostess stand. Lots of natural light at the front of the restaurant.

I would say that the appetizer menu is two-thirds Chinese dishes: egg + spring rolls, dumplings, shu mai, wings. We ended up with the chicken and shrimp shu mai and the fried Brussels sprouts with a black vinegar sauce. The shumai where very dense and plump, and the dipping sauce had the flavor of kecap manis, a sweet, thicker soy sauce that I believe originates in Indonesia. The sauce on the Brussels was a bit heavy, and they were also sprinkled with pine nuts, which I happen to like, and they added a nice crunch. {It's funny, I know that China is a large producer of pine nuts, yet I rarely see them in Chinese cuisine.}

For mains, my friend ordered the Tom Yum Goong, which she asked for extra spicy. This clear-broth lemongrass infused soup was not for the faint of heart and was filled with shrimp, oyster mushrooms (the half moons in the photo are the mushroom stems), tomato and cilantro. I took a tiny taste and it did have amazing flavor, just too spicy for me! She likes it HOT and was very happy with it.

I ordered the larb moo, which is a room temperature salad so to speak, made of ground pork with chile, cilantro, mint, and toasted rice powder. This one was served with some lettuce, cucumbers, and kabocha squash on the side and a grilled rice ball/patty. Fearing the two chile pepper spice rating that was stated on the menu, I asked for it to be toned down a bit. It was still spicy, but had really good flavor to it, and the accompanying vegetables were helpful to cool down your mouth. I ate half and saved the rest for lunch the next day.

We split the mango with black sticky rice for dessert, and it was amazing! Loved the rice with coconut milk.

The menu has lot of excellent sounding proteins like rack of lamb with lemongrass sauce, tamarind duck, and tiger cry with wagyu beef. I would definitely like to try some of these!  I was saddened by Krua's departure, as it did seem to have a good following from the neighborhood. Super Thai did appear to have a steady stream of customers, so hopefully they survive the construction next door and become an area fixture.

First Look: Kicked Up Grub

Editor's note: closed April 2019. This location is cursed!

The restaurant industry is notoriously tough, and even in booming cities like Austin, we see the waves of openings and closings. The newer multi-use developments around the revered Broken Spoke dancehall have seen a lot of turnover in their short years. I would wager the foot traffic isn't at expected levels in addition to what I am sure are high rents. The corner unit directly south of the Broken Spoke at 3403 South Lamar is now on it's third restaurant incarnation in about the last nine months. aRoma was there for a couple of years, and ManinPasta could barely make it six months.

Newcomer Kicked Up Grub has just recently debuted in their place, and based on this one visit so far, I'll give it a thumbs up! And cross my fingers that they can last.  Calling themselves a farm to table gastropub, their website says the place was created for people who love food and drink, and with a mix of heavier and lighter options, with plenty of vegetarian choices. Following in the footsteps of their predecessors, I see a lot of Italian influence on the menu.

We arrived at 5 pm when they open; currently they are not doing a happy hour, but hopefully that will change soon. They are actually open earlier in the day for breakfast and lunch, 7 am - 2 pm, and then reopen at  5 pm; closed on Mondays.

Hibiscus Martini and Watermelon Daiquiri, both extremely drinkable especially on a hot day!

Very nice and crispy calamari with a panko breading, and a killer lemon aioli sauce.

Beet salad?

We ordered the beet salad;  the waiter came back to us a few minutes later, and apologized that the beets weren't finished marinating and would figs be okay? I was a little confused at first because I thought to myself "a full salad of figs?" along with the goat cheese and walnuts? The menu description doesn't state there are salad greens involved, so once our waiter clarified the description, yes, we agreed figs would be fine. {And while I am positive he said marinating, looking back now at the original menu description, maybe he meant roasting?} It was a tasty salad, complete with a pomegranate dressing, which fortunately was not over-used.

Bechamel Pie, a white pizza with sausage, olives, and mushrooms. The pizza oven was inherited from the previous restaurants, and are close to a Neopolitan style.The leftovers were also quite tasty reheated for lunch the next day.

Cannolis for dessert. The shells were a bit on the thick side, so while they were sturdy and held up well to the ricotta filling, they were almost TOO sturdy.

I spy on the menu that their pasta is handmade so I will certainly be back to try that! And maybe the actual beet salad too. 😊 I should add our server was pleasant and did seem to know the menu. Hope Kicked Up Grub lasts a good long while!

Quick Look: Soto South Lamar

Continuing on my unintended Lamar Union restaurant tour, we have Soto, which has expanded from their Cedar Park location.  My neighbors and I recently went for happy hour which we quite enjoyed, but given the very few tables that were filled (early evening on a Tuesday), I do hope Soto will survive. A bottle of Weingut Brundlmayer Gruner Vetliner was perfect with all of our dishes. 

Miso soup (the large spoon didn't really fit into the narrow bowl)

The brought an amouse bouche of edamame mouse, which I wasn't in
love with at first but then I finished the whole thing off! 

Fish + chips, one of their signature dishes, said our waitress. And I can see why! Super thin potato chips with salmon sashimi, lemon aioli and truffle salt. Very addicting.

Chicken karaage without a lick of grease. And loved the plating.

Somewhere under there is hamachi! Beautifully presented plate with scallions, fried jalapenos, ponzu and edible flowers.

Wagyu carpaccio....mmmmm.  These four items were on the happy hour menu and ranged $7 - 14.

Soto South Maki with torched toro; this one was $18

Real California Maki with snow crab for $13

In the later part of our meal, we did order a couple of cocktails, but found the cocktail menu to be overly fussy. It was heavy on sake and whiskey/bourbon drinks, which is not unexpected for a Japanese restaurant, but there were a lot of complicated ingredients even to my friend who is a wine/spirits rep. (I didn't take a picture of the cocktail menu, nor do I see it online, so you'll have to take my word for it.😉) 

I will most certainly go back to Soto! I posted the fish and chips picture on Instagram, and a friend said the tuna tacos on the happy hour menu are fabulous, and there are other things I spy that I am interested in trying. While I still think it's a bit odd that Soto opened just a block from Uchi, it's a much different vibe. And unlike my experience at Mandala (see my previous blog post) directly across the driveway from Soto, our service and food was on point from the moment we walked in. Fingers crossed that Soto can make it in South Austin!

First Look: Krua Urban Thai

Editor's note: Krua closed in March 2018

Krua Urban Thai has moved into the old Barley Swine location at 2024 South Lamar. I had heard about their yummy crab fried rice from two different people, so it was time to go check it out for myself. My neighbor and I visited on the Friday before Thanksgiving, arriving a bit after 6 pm. We had no problem getting a table, but by the time we left the place was full and there were people waiting outside.

We decided on a variety of dishes to share, and told the server to send them out in whatever order they were ready.

Krua's Brussels sprouts were tossed in a bit of fish sauce and a basil vinaigrette. Nice and crispy with excellent flavor.

The crab fried rice, one of their signature dishes. Great flavor, but I thought it needed more uumph to it
 and the saucer with chili fish sauce did in fact help. 

Pad see ewe (or pad se ew) is one of my favorite Thai noodle dishes, as I love the wider rice noodles. This was quite good, though I think my favorite in town is still at Thai Taste in Oak Hill for the fact that theirs contains a touch more sauce.

Pork belly pak ka nar -- this pork was amazing. While it doesn't look it, it had a nice crispness to it

Overall, no complaints about the quality of the food. What did bother us though is the timing. The Brussels, which are an appetizer item, did come out first and relatively fast. And then we sat there for about 15 minutes until another dish came out. Then the other two dishes came fairly quickly after that. At a small two-top table, it is virtually impossible to have three large plates on the table. The tables are also fairly close together, which gave us the opportunity to admire the pad thai to one side of us (and to learn it was the father and young son's second or third time there, which for a place barely open a month says something), and the diners on the other side of us inquired about our food.

Pros: food was for the most part, delicious; more Thai variety in South Austin is great; online ordering coming soon. I took my leftovers to work the next day and my Thai friend Bee tried the fried rice and pork belly dishes. While she said it was not the same type of crab they use in Thailand, she did give her blessing to both dishes, and she and I are making plans to come back to Krua. Service was friendly though perhaps not highly experienced, though I guess we could have specified "keep the dishes coming in whatever order" rather than "whatever order they come out is fine."

Cons: the timing of the dishes, noise level (there's nothing to buffer the interior rock walls), decor was lacking (I can't really understand why there are two New Mexico chile ristras hanging over the counter), they were out of one of the wines we ordered.

Verdict: thumbs up! Will certainly be back!