Bits and Bites

-- February 22 marks National Margarita Day, and Jack Allen's Kitchen (both locations) is celebrating all week with various margarita specials.

-- Beginning March 3rd, Swift's Attic will be open Sundays for brunch, complete with a make-your-own Bloody Mary bar. The food will not be your standard brunch fare, but Swift twists, like antelope steak frites with egg, foie gras PB+J pancakes, and forbidden rice bibimbop.

-- Bacon, bacon, bacon! One of my favorite topics! :) The Bacon Takedown will be Saturday, March 9th at Hickory Street, from 2 - 4pm. Enter your most creative bacon recipes or just stop by to see what crazy things other people came up with!

-- Restaurant Jezebel is holding a five course wine pairing dinner on March 10th with Scholium Wines, $250/person.

-- Three awesome local pie companies are working together to offer mini-versions of some of their signature pies for $3.14, in honor of National Pi/Pie Day, March 14th. Send in your orders by March 11th, and all of the proceeds are going to the Capital Area Food Bank! Check out their offerings:

• Cake & Spoon -- Four-and-a-half inch Buttermilk and Lemon Chess Pies
• The Pie Society -- Five-inch pies of Pecan; Oh My Guinness Pie and Strawberry Kiss (strawberry, rhubarb and basil)
• Tiny Pies -- “Pie of the Month” individual Key Lime Tiny Pies

-- I've been over the moon with the news that 1) Hill's Cafe has new investors and is off the chopping block; they're going to bring in former Artz's Ribhouse owner Art Blondin to revamp things, which then leads to 2) the investors will help Art reopen his old Artz location (South Lamar and Bluebonnet)! My favorite baby back ribs may live to see another day!!!

-- Argus Cidery is now open for tastings on Saturdays only (and by reservation). Check out their website for specifics on making a reservation and the variety of apples used in their production.

Casa de Luz

Yes, I am a carnivore, but I do enjoy vegetarian food in many forms.  I am not so sure about macrobiotic foods though. For those not familiar, macrobiotic foods are a plant and grain-based, vegan diet that are believed to nourish the whole body. From Wikipedia: "Followers of the traditional macrobiotic approach believe that food and food quality powerfully affect health, well-being, and happiness, and that a traditional locally based macrobiotic diet has more beneficial effects than others. The modern macrobiotic approach suggests choosing food that is less processed."

Casa de Luz, on Toomey Road, just north of Barton Springs Road is the first place I was ever introduced to the concept of macrobiotic. I ate there once or twice at least a dozen years ago, with a friend who really enjoyed the cuisine; I recall the food being several shades of beige and brown, and not overly flavorful. Now as a "foodie," I am always looking for new food experiences, and it was high time to try it again. I enlisted the companionship of a friend, and she had been to Casa de Luz within the past couple years. They are open B, L and D, and it's a fixed price per meal, all you can eat.

It's in a beautiful setting, sort of a holistic compound, though you kind of have to know where you are going to get to the actual restaurant. So from the street, enter through this gate and follow the stone path all the way to the end. When you enter the building, there's a counter to your right, where you pay for your meal before eating. I was really glad I had my friend with me, because the young woman at the counter wasn't exactly overly friendly. We walked in, and I said there were two of us for lunch. She said it was $24 for both, I said, Oh, do we pay now, I haven't been here in a number of years. She said yes, you pay now, was this together or separate? She took our payments and walked off. No "thanks," no "have a seat wherever," no "do you know what to do from here?" It didn't bother me at the time though I know she heard me say that I hadn't been there in a long time, but now it really irks me! Fortunately, my friend knew what to do! In the picture below, the main door and register are on the back left, opposite from where this was taken.

At the counter, they also have the menu posted. You get your beverages, soup, and salad at the counter behind where the woman with the bandanna is standing. It's open, communal seating. We actually opted for one of the small tables for two, as we wanted to catch up with one another.

The soup was minestrone, filled with beans (azuki beans? red like kidneys, but they didn't have the consistency) and root vegetables. It was lightly sweet, but lacking in a lot of flavor; it was pretty dense though, and would be easy to fill up on. The salad was described as having fresh basil and dill, though I didn't taste any; unfortunately, I did come across several pieces of lettuce that were past their prime. They do use all organic ingredients in their cooking.

The kitchen staff brings you your main plate of food, and it's a beautifully vibrant-looking assortment! Eat the rainbow, indeed! Starting at the 7 o'clock position, we have rice with a tamari (like soy sauce), mushroom, and onion gravy that was delicious! The lentils to the back were meh. They really needed some form of seasoning, and while I prepare my beluga lentils with pancetta and leafy greens, some sort of spice -- cumin, chile, garam masala -- would have added loads to the lentils. The perfectly blanched greens at high noon were kale and I think collards, and while the almond-basil sauce on top of them looked suspect, it was amazing. So full of flavor! The shock of pink is sauerkraut that was very vinegary. The sauteed veggies on the right were said to have curry powder and garlic on them; I could see tinges of yellow, probably from the turmeric in the curry powder, but the taste did not come through. And you're expected to bus your own table at the end of your meal.

I don't know if I'd adequately explained what macrobiotic is all about. This food experience was much more positive than what I recall from years past, and while I may not flock to Casa de Luz, I won't wait another dozen years to try it again. They do have homemade tortillas on their breakfast menu, which might just be something to go back for!

El Alma Cafe

El Alma Cafe is the latest reincarnation of the corner spot at Dawson (South 5th) and Barton Springs Road. I've stopped counting how many different restaurants have opened in this spot, and I thought we finally had a winner with El Chile. Then, in summer 2011, it seemed somewhat abruptly El Chile announced they were turning the kitchen and hence menu over to Chef Alma Alcocer-Thomas, a veteran of places such as Jeffrey's and Fonda San Miguel. So El Chile morphed into El Alma. I was invited to an opening tasting, and I had drinks and apps last summer, but not a full meal.

It was a warmer February night so we took advantage of their great rooftop patio. El Alma has generous happy hours, from 3 - 7 pm on weeknights, and 3 - 6 pm on weekends; there are some drink specials, and the regular appetizers are half price. And while the pricing of the sangria and house margarita was good, neither were exceptional drinks; the sangria really didn't have any kick to it, and the margarita had too much -- all sweet and sour mix. (My sangria from last summer was certainly better!) Our friendly waitress told us of some evening specials, which turned out to be quite delicious!

There was a creamy mushroom soup special, with cauliflower and scallops, which we all thought was pretty killer! Great deep flavor from all those umami mushrooms, and just super creamy. Not sure what else was in it (almonds?), but all three of us agreed we'd eat it again in a heartbeat. 

The shrimp chelada from the regular menu was less successful, as the shrimp were "overcooked" by the lime juice (it's ceviche-style), and were tough and very salty.

The other appetizer special was gorditas with chorizo, potato, crema Mexicana, and topped with chicarrones. The flavors were really good, as the chorizo did not overpower the other items. The gordita shells were crispier than I have had them before, but it was a nice texture contrast with the other ingredients. They kind of filled me up for the time being though, and I knew I wanted to try more of their food.

I ended up ordering the Duck Enmoladas to go -- duck enchiladas with their mole sauce. Yes, I am on the quest to find the best mole in town! El Alma's was quite good, but I am still searching! ;) Theirs is made from pasilla chiles, almonds, and the waitress said they use ground animal crackers as the thickener! It had a nice sweetness, some chocolately notes, and some heat to it! I also loved the pickled onions that were on here as well as the shrimp chelad, and at $15, a reasonable price, given that it is duck.

The upstairs patio practically doubles their seating space, and I know from past experience it can get a bit loud in the main room. The colorful artwork gives a nice visual pop to the interior stonework. It's also a good spot if you're coming to an event at the Long Center or Palmer Auditorium, as they are right across the street. Go sit upstairs while the weather is nice and enjoy the views of downtown. And pay attention to the dishes on the daily specials, or you might just miss something quite tasty! It's nice to have a semi-upscale interior Mexican spot in the neighborhood.

Mercury Pizza

Pizza is one of those very subjective foods. Thin crust, thick crust, little sauce, lotta sauce, one topping, multiple toppings, meat/vegetables....it goes on and on! I like a variety of pizza styles; mostly though, I just want it to be good. Like a dessert pie, the foundation of a pizza pie is the crust. So it is with great regret that I found the crust of Mercury Pizza's White Noise pie to be completely bland.

The crust appeared to have suffered from a lack of salt, lack of oil, and an overabundance of kneading. The edges were crisp, but had NO flavor and the texture of a dry bread stick. But I should give you the "back story" first. I knew I was going to be way up north that day, and looked at their website in advance to plan this out, so I knew they opened at 5 pm. I called at 5:05, ordered one pizza for pick up, and was told it would be 45 minutes. I verified the length of time as it seemed a bit excessive, and said okay. I arrived at Mercury about 35 minutes later; they had my pizza ready, I paid, and drove approximately one mile home. I will say, the staff were totally friendly, and the place is cute. When I opened the box on my kitchen counter (so about 6 minutes from leaving Mercury), the pie was lukewarm at best. Really, 45 minutes? If I had waited that long to pick it up, it would have certainly been cold.

These are such oversized pies -- 20" to be exact -- it doesn't exactly fit in the box! There were 8 huge slices, and I ate one of them, lukewarm and all, out of the box. The White Noise description is olive oil, fresh garlic, Romano, spinach, ricotta, and mozzarella. I really didn't taste much garlic, and like the crust, the whole thing could have benefited from a bit of salt. I will say the crust in the middle of the pie stays crisp. For my second piece, I doctored it with some red chile flakes, parmesan, and some gremolata (lemon,  garlic and parsley) oil, and reheated it in the toaster oven. Definitely better, but I shouldn't have to drastically enhance a pizza to make it taste decent. 

Mercury's location at South Lamar and Kinney is a bit awkward, and competing with Black Sheep Lodge for parking is a pain. I feel for the residential neighbors. Two friends of mine have had mixed experiences at Mercury. Is there someone who can tell me about a great pie they had from there? Please share if so!

Pho Thaison

I had to run errands down in Southpark Meadows last week; I still bemoan the existence of this behemoth strip mall (Road Rash, as my mother would say). For those of you who weren't here in the late 1990s, Southpark Meadows was a somewhat remote, lovely, open piece of land where outdoor concerts were held. I saw Dave Matthews and Lilith Fair, and now I see Wal-mart, Super Target, and a ton of restaurants. *Sigh* 

Glad I looked at the map of SM before I left home so I could plan my errands. I find the signage and navigation down there difficult, especially when you're not real familiar with the area. Fortunately, Pho Thaison is on a corner with a big sign, so it's an easier landmark to find. A friend has told me about the location near Mopac and William Cannon; they actually have six locations in the Austin area!

At about 1 pm, there were a couple tables of patrons, but within 10 minutes, I was the only person in the restaurant. (I swear I didn't smell bad!) I ordered the B2 bun bowl to eat there, and a pork banh mi sandwich and C6, Singapore beef, to go.

The B2 is grilled pork with a crispy egg roll over the vermicelli rice noodles; a kicked-up fish sauce is served along side. For $8, there was a LOT of pork, and it was really good. Sliced thinly, probably marinated, and then grilled, it's tasty. A little on the tough side, but the sweetness from the sauce, and the grilled flavors really come through. Egg roll was fairly bland, but not greasy, and the carrots lightly pickled.
When I got home, I unwrapped my other dishes. The banh mi was very large; ok, I know you can't tell from this picture, but it was probably a good 8 - 9 inches long! It's filled with the same pork and pickled carrots, along with some cucumber, jalapeno, and cilantro. It could have used a touch more mayo or sauce on it, but again, their pork is delicious. The bread was perfect for this kind of sandwich, because it was a bit crusty and flaky on the outer part, but not so it tears the roof of your mouth up. The banh mi do no appear on their regular menu; there was a sign holder at the table with a few banh mi offerings, and I think this was under $5 -- SO worth it!

Now for as good as these two pork dishes were, the Singapore beef fell short. Way short. I picked it because my friend has told me she really likes their Singapore dishes, but I couldn't remember which protein she usually gets it with. (Probably the pork!) I was a little hesitant to order it because it's on the "burning spicy" section of the menu. See all those red chile flakes in the picture? Got you nervous, huh? There was literally no flavor to this dish. And I ate it the following day, so you'd think the heat would have intensified a bit. Nope. It's basically beef with broccoli in a thin, (tasteless) brown sauce. I didn't eat much of it. And the beef was tough.

Pho Thaison was very clean (including the restroom), and the food came fast. Of the four people I saw who worked there, they were all Latino/Hispanic, not a Vietnamese or other Asian in sight. I asked how long that location had been open, and apparently it's been there four years. If you're in the Southpark Meadows area, it's definitely worth checking out, just stick to the pork dishes.