Recent Eats, part one

I got to celebrate my birthday at the end of March with my parents in town, which lead to many (ok, all!) meals out. So here's a recap of the highlights, as well as a couple of events I attended, and some other meals -- the good, the great, and luckily only one bad. I feel fortunate to live in such a great food city!

Birthday celebrations started at The Flying Carpet and Regal Ravioli trailers! Special thanks to Maria, Abdu, and Zach  -- these guys all do such great work (and both do catering!) -- go check them out and tell them I sent you!

Lunch at Sway, their tom kha soup had such a flavorful broth! It's also a clear broth, not a coconut milk-based one, and while it was still rich in flavor, it was relatively light. I could eat this everyday.

Brunch at Barlata; they have some traditional dishes like their take on French toast called Torrijas, with a wonderful array of fresh fruit, and this house-cured salmon was simple and tasty.

Dinner at Uchi, the one place my father HAD to visit while they were here, and I was more than happy to oblige. This was one of the nightly specials, perfectly cooked wagyu beef with sweet potatoes done three ways: pureed, roasted, and somehow made into light as air crisps.

An invite to Paggi House, to try their new spring menu. We were treated to a multitude of dishes, from delicious herbed butter with the bread to this tuna with coconut panna cotta (that's my interpretation of it at least) to braised veal cheeks over polenta (one of my favorites of the evening) to a marvelous grasshopper brownie concoction with "dirt" that was delicious. Plus during April, they are donating money from sales of their signature cocktails to the Glimmer of Hope Foundation for their summer camp programs. (I was invited to try their food, but was not paid for my opinion.)

Lunch with a friend at the new East Side King on South Lamar. I have really loved the trailers, but haven't been in a while. We opted for the old standbys from the trailers, and am sorry to say we were left disappointed. From top left, the Brussels sprouts hardly had any Brussels, it was mostly cabbage; the chicken kara-age was soft, no crispness to the pieces; the fried beets were soggy; and the pork belly bun was just alright. I Instagramed this same photo and expressed my sentiments; happy to say someone from ESK responded with apologizes and said they would notify the kitchen of the issues. Now whether things improve, that remains to be seen, and from comments left on the photo, others have noticed a decline in quality at the trailers as well.

A dinner meeting at Stiles Switch BBQ. I have heard very mixed things about this place from day one, and from various people who's food opinions I trust. They made Texas Monthly's Top 50 BBQ places in Texas,  and clearly Texas Monthly was there on a good day. I'd say this meal was ok, but nothing spectacular. I got the three meat sampler plate: pork ribs not bad, sausage had a really really fine grind, I like mine a bit chunkier, and the brisket on the right.... it was cut really thick, had no smoke ring, and was quite dry. Great BBQ is all about consistency, and based on this one meal, I don't see how they get the high marks. The service though was uber-friendly, and they do get kudos for that! 

Bits and Bites -- Food News

-- Austin Restaurant Week runs April 7-10 and 14-17, with this year's proceeds benefiting Meals on Wheels; check out their website for the listing of participating restaurants. Lots of options for prix fixe lunches and dinners!

-- Monday, April 8, Easy Tiger is hosting an 8-course tasting dinner with the brewmaster from Avery Brewing, $100/person.

-- Songkran, the Thai New Year celebration is coming up.
    -- Sway is offering a special menu from April 15 - 21, including duck laksa, Singapore clams, and larp moo, with wild boar, coconut cream, and cashews. Plus, they are now offering valet parking in the evenings.
    -- The Buddhist temple out in Del Valle, Wat Buddhananachat, hosts a big Songkran festival each year (April 20 this year), with TONS of Thai streets foods available. I always love going, even though I don't know what half the foods are!

-- April 25 is the Austin Food and Wine Alliance's annual Live Fire event at the Salt Lick Pavilion. An impressive listing of area chefs are participating in this year's event! Check out their website for tickets ($75) and to see the who's who.

-- Tuesday nights are all you can eat mussels at Sagra, including $4 sangria specials. 

-- Johnny Carino's are supporting autism awareness throughout the month of April. From their press release: "Guests who post to Instagram with the hashtag #carinosblue will join the Johnny Carino’s campaign; the restaurant is hoping to receive 30,000 hashtags to match the $30,000 being donated by Johnny Carino’s."

-- If you're itching to get into the food trailer business, come up with a business plan and prepare your best dish on May 4th at the Historic Scoot Inn, for your chance to win a six month contract operating the Zorro food truck, the latest entity from ATX Brands owner Doug Guller. If you want more details, email me and I'll send you the press release.


Openings....
-- Benji's Cantina at 716 W. 6th Street at West Avenue

-- Umami Mia Pizzeria (in the old Romeo's on Barton Springs) is shooting for a May opening. The eatery will seat close to 200 total, and in addition to pizza, will feature sandwiches and salads, all of which highlight the umami taste sensation -- savory, rich, and mouthwatering!

-- Also in late May, Daniel Olivella's new Barlata Tapas will open at 1500 S. Lamar.
 
-- The Brew Exchange has over 100 beers on tap, and their prices are constantly fluctuating depending on demand; their motto "buy low and drink up". They are also offering beer cocktails, which seem to have fixed prices.

Sway

I was invited to a media tasting at the new Australian-influenced modern Thai spot Sway, at South First and Elizabeth Streets. I have lived in the Bouldin Creek neighborhood for a number of years, and as long as I can remember, the spot Sway took over has been an abandoned, gray, cinder block building. It is exciting to see new life in the neighborhood, and when you see Sway from the inside, it's hard to imagine why and how it sat dormant for so long. 

The building was redesigned by award-winning local architect Michael Hsu, who is responsible for quite a number of eateries in town, including Sway's sister restaurant downtown, La Condesa. The interior of Sway is spacious and open, with a somewhat hidden outdoor patio as well. You also get great views of the kitchen staff at work, and counter seating is available to watch your food being made. By and large, it is communal tables that can seat up to twelve. They don't take reservations, unless you're a group of ten or more.

We started off with some drinks, and Sway has quite a range, from sake to kombucha to tea. I was not familiar with "drinking vinegars" and our server explained while they are not uniquely Thai, they are found throughout southeast Asia. Sway serves the brand Pok Pok Som, and I had the tamarind, which is mixed with Topo Chico (sparkling mineral water). Nice and refreshing, and I would have loved a little more tartness in mine! 

The tasting began with the Prawn Miange -- betel leaf, shrimp, toasted coconut and cashews, lime, fresno chili, grapefruit, and dried shrimp. I occasionally see betel leaves in Asian groceries in town, and these are being brought in from Thailand. You just pick the whole leaf up, and pop the whole thing in your mouth for a great medley of flavors and textures.

Raw oysters were next, served with a wonderful sauce they call nahm jim and crispy shallots. Not sure specifically where the oysters were from (we were told east coast), but they went down easy with a light brininess. I loved the sauce, and asked what was in it; they were nice enough to print me the ingredients, and they make two versions, a red and green. I will assume this was the red nahm jim, which consists of Thai red and fresno chiles, garlic, cilantro, lime juice, palm sugar and fish sauce. SO GOOD!

Som tam, or green papaya salad with Thai red chile, cucumbers, green beans, and tamarind. I liked the flavor and texture of this salad -- spicy, a bit twangy, but still light and refreshing.

The next was Pad Thai Jay, which is much sweeter than a normal pad thai. The jay is also vegetarian, while the regular has shrimp. Not sure exactly what contributes the sweetness to this dish, but the more bites I took, the more I realized just how sweet is was. Staff at the tasting said it is something they have been made aware of by their customer base, but as of yet don't have plans to change it. Of all the dishes we sampled, this is really the only one I wouldn't order again.

Now the Kai Yaang, or charcoal rotisserie chicken, was fabulous! It was marinated in the delicious nahm jim sauce before cooking. The result was a tender, moist, and very flavorful chicken. The darkened skin was rendered nicely, and extremely hard to resist.

The Salt and Pepper Tofu used silken tofu, and had a nice sweet chile sauce. Thought the blocks of tofu could have been a touch crispier.

Finally, the Jungle Curry -- Texas Wagyu beef, red chile, eggplant, kaffir lime leaves, baby corn, green peppercorns, and coconut cream on top. The beef was fork-tender, and while the curry had some heat, you could temper it with the coconut cream. Not pictured are the jasmine and sticky rices that accompanied these dishes, and were great for soaking up some of the curry sauce. This and the chicken were my two favorites of the meal, and I can't wait to try them again!

For dessert, we had Jasmine Tea Panna Cotta. It had an extremely subtle jasmine flavor, accompanied by red grapes and lychees, holy basil caviar dots, crunchy amaranth, and coconut-lychee sorbet. Look at the bowl, it's a beautiful presentation! The sorbet and crunchy amaranth bits (something new to me!) really shined.

If you look at all the pictures, you'll notice that each one is topped with at least one thing for flavor and particularly texture, whether it's dried shrimp or shallots, toasted coconut or crunchy amaranth. All the plates are presented well with these little touches, and the flavors are bold and exciting. This is not your standard Thai fare, and that's a good thing, just as Sway is a great new thing in the neighborhood.

Bits and Bites

-- It's F1 weekend in town! A reminder that the Austin Food Blogger Alliance has a GREAT restaurant guide, all prepared by your local food bloggers! My contributions are food trailers in the south part of town, as well as restaurants.

-- Thanksgiving is only a week away! Comprehensive listing in the Statesman as to who will be open. Also, places like Easy Tiger have their dinner rolls available for pick up before Thursday, and Max's Wine Dive has several of their side dishes available too. Central Market and Whole Foods offer fully-prepared meals.  And whether you're grocery shopping for your ingredients or going out -- PLAN AHEAD! You're not the only one out there looking for organic pumpkin pie filling. Don't wait til the last minute. (And if you do, don't get grumpy when you can't find what you're looking for!)

-- Speaking of Thanksgiving, I was "invited" to a Thanksgiving pot-luck. A virtual one! My friend The Kid Can Cook organized her blogger friends to each write a post on one of their favorite Thanksgiving dishes, including my pecan pie! You see all the dishes here, and you may find a new favorite to try this year. 

-- Eater Austin has their (well, the readers picks) picks of the top trendy spots, the 2012 Eater Awards. 

-- Fonda San Miguel is holding a wine and port pairing dinner on December 5th with Niepoort Wines, $85/person.


Openings/Reincarnations
-- The Cutie Pie Trailer is back in business at the Bouldin Creek Food Park, 1209 S. 1st Street. 

-- Zen, the Japanese fast food restaurant is changing concepts, becoming Lucky Robot, which will officially open November 28, emphasizing Harajuku fashion styles, iPad ordering, and a lot of Japanese street food, most of which will be priced under $10/dish.

-- Out in Fredericksburg, well-known pastry queen Rebecca Rather has opened her new spot -- The Pink Pig, open for B, L and D. No link yet on the website to the menu, but from the copy I've seen, it looks fantastic, I just wish it was in Austin! Their Facebook page has a little more info regarding hours, etc.

-- New Thai spot Sway to officially open December 9th at 1417 S. 1st Street; check out their tasty looking menu too!


Closings/Transitions
-- Sagra has sadly announced they are closing (though looking for a place to relocate); their current landlord will not renew their lease. Read Sagra's letter posted on their homepage. 

-- La Boite, the food "trailer," made out of an old shipping container (before it was cool!) is closing due to their inability to find a suitable wholesale baker for their needs. 

-- Uncle Billy's Brew and 'Cue on Lake Travis, by the Oasis and Soleil.

-- Collie's Burgers, formerly part of the South Austin Trailer Bazaar has apparently closed with the closure of this trailer park.

-- Chef John Bullington and the Alamo Drafthouse have parted ways. No word yet on what's next in store for him, but he's got lots of love around town!

Bits and Bites

-- Along South First Street, longtime mainstay La Reyna at Mary Street has recently closed. New management took over within the past year, but I guess that wasn't enough to save this notch along the "Mexican Mile."  I live nearby, and will be incredible curious to see what happens to the property in what's becoming prime real estate. Sway, a new Thai spot at Elizabeth Street (from the La Condesa restaurant family) is still not open...


-- California Pizza Kitchen at the Domain location only will donate 20% of your check to Stiletto Stampede, an organization that promotes breast cancer awareness, on Wednesday, October 17; you must have a flyer to present to CPK. If you're interested in the flyer, please email me at southaustinfoodie@gmail.com, and I can forward it to you. 

-- I Spy Pie will take place at Central Market on North Lamar on Saturday, October 20 from 12 - 3pm. Local bakeries will be competing for best pie, as picked by both judges and audience. The event benefits Creative Action, formerly the Theatre Action Project; pie tasting tickets are $5, and it's a family-friendly event.

-- Tuesday, October 23rd, Lucy's Fried Chicken will have a pig roast in the parking lot beginning at 6 pm,  $17/person. These pigs have been feed a special diet, which includes (512) Brewery's brewers mash; southern side dishes and (512) beer will be served. 

-- Two upcoming events at Easy Tiger, a five course pairing with Ommegang beers on October 23rd, $70/person, and the Real Ale brewmaster will be present on October 25th with six casks of beer from their collection.

-- Uncle Billy's Brew and Cue will have a five course beer and food pairing at the Barton Springs location on November 4, 6 pm, $50/person.

-- Already a huge list of restaurants who are donating soup to this year's Empty Bowl Project, where your $20 donation gets you a one-of-a-kind ceramic bowl made by a local artist, you get it filled on the spot with a bowl of soup, and proceeds go to the Capital Area Food Bank and Meals on Wheels. Stop by Marchesa Hall (in Lincoln Village, across from Highland Mall) on Sunday, November 18th from 11am - 3pm.

-- You may have seen my recent post on dinner at The Carillon, which was absolutely fantastic. They are continuing their 3 course, $29 prix fixe menu during October when you dine before 6:30 pm. The courses: grilled Bandera quail with miso, Broken Arrow Ranch antelope with butternut squash, and sweet potato beignets. They are currently my new favorite fine-dining restaurant!