Recent Austin Eats

Here are some recent eats worth mentioning! If you follow me on Instagram < @southaustinfoodie > you may have seen some of these pics before.  :)

Blue Bell in Brenham
Last month, I took a little road trip to Round Top with the hopes of eating for the first time at Royer's, but they were closed because it was the week after the big market. And so we continued on to Brenham, to go to the Blue Bell ice cream plant! Now can you believe I was with some NATIVE Texans, who had never been there before? Heck, I am East Coast girl, and I had even been once before, many years back. Anyway, we had a blast. And I learned from our tour there that Blue Bell was the very first company to produce a cookies and cream variety of ice cream. Originally they used Oreos, but they eventually switched to making their own cookies. And employees can eat as much ice cream (or other Blue Bell products) as they wish when they are on their break! My mint chocolate chip was refreshing and delicious!

Wholly Cow Burger
I drive past this convenience store/burger spot all the time on South Lamar. Wholly Cow uses locally sourced, grass-fed, hormone-free beef from a farm in Fredericksburg, and also has many vegetarian, paleo and gluten free options. I had the burger and onion rings, and my friend the cheese steak and fries. Look at those gorgeous onion rings! It was a huge pile, and they were fried really well..... but I think they are using a gluten free batter, because there was no crispness to them. (I did try asking about the batter, but the guy at the counter was a rather evasive...) The burger is served on a King's Hawaiian Sweet Roll, which I like; the burger itself was fine, but I wouldn't say there was anything majorly special about it.

The fries unfortunately weren't a whole lot better; they too look like they'd be great, but they were undercooked, and rather starchy in the middle. Overall, a bit of a disappointment for me, but my friend really liked her cheese steak.

Peached Tortilla
The Texas Book Festival had a barbeque food court, and the Peached Tortilla trailer was serving items featuring brisket from Miller's BBQ. I had the sweet potato fries, with brisket, fried egg, and sriracha mayo, and it was pretty darn tasty. The meat was really nice, though it could have used more brisket; I would order this again if I came across it. My friend had the pork bowl with wasabi slaw, pickled cucumbers, and rice; I didn't try it, but it looked good, and he ate all of it.

Dong Nai (no website)
Tucked away by the Target on South Lamar and Ben White is Dong Nai, a Vietnamese place with some Chinese food options as well. It's been probably 2 years since I've been here, even though I've always liked it. They've changed their decor a bit, removing the booths along one wall in favor of regular tables. The chairs at our table though were on wheels which was a little odd for a non-carpeted environment. Prices have always been good, and food comes out quickly. Their pho has always had a wonderful broth, very aromatic. I am partial to their vermicelli, or bun, bowls, particularly the char grilled pork. It looked great, and everything was very fresh, but the pork wasn't as flavorful as I remember it to be. Hopefully it won't take me two more years to return.

Veracruz All Natural
On East Cesar Chavez between Chalmers and Chicon, you'll find the Veracruz All Natural trailer alongside Kerlin BBQ. My friend and fellow blogger Mad Betty is crazy about chilaquiles, and she had learned that on the first Sunday of the month, Veracruz serves them as a special. I was prepared to get the chilaquiles too, and figured one of us would get with red sauce, and the other with green. However, when I saw they were offering chicken enchiladas with mole for breakfast, all bets were off. You know I've been a on quest to find Austin's best mole, right? (And if you have suggestions, PLEASE leave them in the comments below!) I LOVE a traditional Oaxacan mole (aka mole coloradito, made with chiles, nuts, raisins, chocolate....), and I rarely pass up the opportunity to try a new one.

These were nice fat chicken enchiladas, with mostly shredded white meat. I could have lived without the raw onion slivers, but the fried plantains with their caramelized edges made up for it. And the mole sauce -- overall, not bad, though not my ideal. It was a thinner sauce in body, and was heat-forward, meaning the chiles were pretty much the first thing I tasted, and I didn't get the depth that I should get from the other ingredients, but still tasty. Plus this stunning plate was only $8.50. I've been to brick and mortar restaurants who have served smaller portions for twice the price. And, for a food trailer, notice they are using REAL plates!

I had a taste of the chilaquiles (with red sauce) which were quite good, and Mad Betty seemed very pleased. Check her blog, as I am sure she'll be writing it up soon.

The local 7-Eleven had a two pound Rice Krispie treat! And they even had "recipe suggestions" on the back! I am not even that big of a fan of these things, but I just marveled at the sheer size of this thing, and think it's pretty genius, especially for those who can't make their own. Though I think for the cost of $11.99, you could make two batches.

And finally, all the recent rains brought a bounty of snails to my front porch (seeking higher, drier ground, perhaps?) Escargot, anyone?

Bits and Bites -- ATX food news!

Let's Celebrate!
 -- Celebrity chef Mario Batali has a new web series called Batali Cooks 4, where people Tweet him four different ingredients and he comes up with a recipe. For his fourth installment, he picked cauliflower, anchovies, walnuts, and Parmesan submitted by my friend and foodie mentor, Elaine DiRico! Click the link above to see what he created.

-- Congrats to Les Dames d'Escoffier of Austin for raising over $12,500 in their recent Food Fight online auction, for culinary scholarships and farm to table initiatives. 

Events + Happenings
-- Hops and Grain is having a Halloween party on October 31st; $5 at the door, which includes a beer glass.  Costumes encouraged!

-- The second annual Austin Oyster Festival will be November 3rd at Shoal Crossing Event Center, tickets are $50-75, and will get you various raw, grilled, and fried oysters as well as a bloody mary bar!

-- Epicerie and Jester King Brewery are teaming up for a cheese and beer pairing class as part of Austin Beer Week, November 3rd at 6:30 pm at Epicerie. Tickets are $35. 

-- Jack Allen's Kitchen (Oak Hill location) will host a bourbon pairing dinner with with Buffalo Trace Distillery, November 5th at 7 pm. Tickets are $75. 

-- A new concept restaurant,  Vox Table will debut next spring, and until then, they will host a series of pop-up dinners. The first will be November 6th, at 7 pm, on the 55th floor of the Austonian Building (the view of the city from up there is stunning!), tickets are $60, and benefit No Kid Hungry, a non-profit striving to end child hunger.

-- The Austin Food and Wine Alliance's annual Wine + Swine, a celebration of all things pig, is November 10th from 11am - 4 pm at Ceres Park. Tickets $75 - 95.  Check their link for the awesome list of local chefs participating. (And yours truly will be out there volunteering!) 

-- The first Austin Meatball Festival will be held at Winflo Osteria on November 23rd; several area restaurants will be competing for the best meatball title. {Have to say, the best meatball I have had in town has been from Patrizi's, who is sadly not on the list of participants.}

-- From the press release:  "The Rattle Inn (at 610 Nueces St.) will soon unveil three murals on the exterior walls of the bar inspired by vintage Topo Chico ads....Kevin Williamson, who owns Ranch 616, Star Bar and Rattle Inn, has long been a fan of Topo Chico and commissioned this project to pay homage to Topo Chico’s rich history...Williamson hired Show Goat Mural Works for this project to showcase the history of Topo Chico, which has been sold in Mexico since 1895 with an important presence in Austin and sold across the United States."

Openings + Menu Updates
 -- Italian gelateria Dolce Neve will be opening in Bouldin Creek along South First Street between Mary and Annie Streets in December. They are Italians who have come to Austin to make their handmade gelatos, using locally-sourced ingredients like Mill-king milk. I live in the neighborhood, and CANNOT WAIT!!!

-- Local chef Shawn Cirkiel (Parkside, the Backspace, Olive + June) will transform the TGI Friday's at the Radisson Hotel on Cesar Chavez into a contemporary southwestern restaurant, opening in early 2014. 

-- TacoDeli will debut two new spots in 2014, one in Crestview at 7301 Burnet Road and the other in the Village at Westlake at 701 South Capital of Texas Hwy.  

-- New York-based Shake Shack will open their first Texas location alongside the rebuilt Alamo Drafthouse on South Lamar. Look for it in late 2014. (I've never been to one, but it sounds like Hopdoddy to me. Yes/No?)

-- Also late next year, the team behind Stubbs BBQ will open a new bar/restaurant at 615 S. Lamar, in the old Ridgeway Reprographics building.

-- NoVa on Rainey Street is now doing Sunday brunch.

-- Kenichi Austin has debuted their fall menu, with items such as lamb chops and sea bass with grapefruit truffle miso.

-- Finn + Porter also has a new menu with seasonal items beef cheek ravioli and signature sushi dishes such as Tuna + Chocolate.

Winebelly

Here in South Austin, the South First/Oltorf/South Lamar food corridors have gotten a lot more interesting  in the past couple months. First Barlata on South Lamar, a Spanish tapas bar (see my post here), and now Winebelly at South First and Oltorf, also a tapas bar, but serving a wider range of cuisine. (And I would be remiss if I didn't mention the Austin Beer Garden Brewery, just east of Lamar on Oltorf with their various beers brewed on site and delicious pizzas.) I tracked the openings of both Barlata and Winebelly and waited a good six weeks for things to shake down before trying either one. Verdict: worth the waits.

Winebelly took over the Green Muse Coffee Bar; it's on the south side of Oltorf, just east of South First, with sort of a disparate grouping of businesses (the gas station/convenience store on the corner, Pizza Patron, two financial services, Austin Rebuilders and Habanero). Fortunately, once inside, you don't feel like you're in a (quasi) strip center. The bar is directly in front when you walk in, with table seating around to the right and back, including what looked to be a nice patio area outside.

We started with some cocktails, I had the John Lee Hooker, a very tasty concoction of Gewurstraminer, Cava, agave nectar, ginger, and a dash of hot sauce. Winebelly presently offers only beer and wines, no liquor.

My friend started with the panzanella salad, which was beautiful and delicious! Lacinato kale dressed in a light sherry vinaigrette with watermelon radishes, idiazabal cheese (an aged Spanish sheep's milk cheese), and crisp bread cubes, which I much prefer over soggy ones often found in a panzanella.

I had the cauliflower soup, which was creamy and velvety beyond belief. It's topped with smoked trout and trout roe, and what you can't see but was an amazing addition was little bits of lightly tart apple at the bottom of the bowl. All the flavors were extremely well-balanced.

This is the specials board, which I didn't see when we walked in; it's on the wall to the left of the door when you walk in, but the hostess stand was to the right, so I missed it. We had a great waitress who was knowledgeable about the menu, and didn't hesitate to name her favorite dishes when I asked. Her only miscue was when describing the pork belly special, she said "summer squash puree" which sounded odd to me, and I even repeated it back to her. Clearly it didn't stop me from ordering the pork belly, and fortunately, it was with a sweet potato puree, whose sweetness countered the savory nature of the pork belly. The belly was nicely crisp on top, but still fatty -- without seeming fatty -- in the middle, you know what I mean? The Brussels were good, though I am having a hard time remembering how they were seasoned.

The meat balls was the one dish that neither of us were real impressed with. It's a decent enough serving of five not quite golf-ball sized  pieces, and they are a combo of pork, veal and beef. The flavor was okay,  however something was off with the texture. They held together, but were too....loose? Squishy? Undercooked, but not raw? Can't quite put my finger on it, but we didn't finish them.

We both wanted dessert, but presently Winebelly is only offering sorbets and gelatos. Something toothsome like cake or a brownie is what we both were craving.....hopefully in the future, they will offer more of a selection. The place has a great vibe, shabby chic decor, though a little dark even in the daylight hours (had to use the flash on the food pictures). I look forward to sitting out back and sipping on some wine for my next visit. Or perhaps some bubbly! The Mark Twain quote was inside one of the bathroom stalls.... might have to sneak a peak inside the men's room to see what inspiration is in there. Cheers to a great new addition to the neighborhood!

I believe Winebelly does a seasonal menu, so all items I described might not be on the menu when you go! Another side note, the owners are the Tran family that owns Hai Ky on East Oltorf.

Bits and Bites -- Austin Food News

Lot's of dinners and events coming up in Austin!

 

 -- Five course tequila-pairing dinner at Jack Allen's Kitchen (Oak Hill) with local tequila legend Lucinda Hutson, October 8th, $75/person.

-- Tuscan wine dinner at Olive + June, October 8th, $85/person.

-- Art Bites, an evening of art-inspired culinary creations by top local chefs is October 10th at Russell Collection Fine Art (1137 W. 6th), $25/person.

-- El Monumento in Georgetown is hosting a cocktail class on October 12th, followed by a seasonal dinner with drink pairings on October 22nd; both $65/person.

-- Russia House is having a 1st Anniversary celebration on October 19th.

-- Dames Across Texas on October 24th celebrates the wineries, restaurants, and artisan food products of over 20 local members of Les Dames d'Escoffier at the AT+T conference center; proceeds benefit their culinary scholarships. $55/person.

-- La Dolce Vita, the annual food event at Laguna Gloria is also October 24th.

-- The Hotel San Jose is now offering brunch on select Saturdays, October 26 and November 24 coming up.

-- Eden East, the pop-up locavore eatery at Springdale Farm, will be expanding their hours beginning October 24th to include a Thursday night 4-course service for $45; Friday and Saturdays still $65 for 6- courses, reservations required.

 -- Truck by Truck West, a food trailer truck event, is coming up at the end of October. If you buy a badge, you get a tasting from about 60 different trucks; proceeds benefit Austin Food for Life, and you can help pick the truck most deserving of a $10,000 bonus.

-- La Condesa is debuting a taco truck, El Cubico, which will primarily work events/festivals and is available for hire.

-- Finn + Porter, in the Hilton Hotel downtown, unveils a new fall menu with many locally sourced items, such as Lockhart quail.

-- The Gateway Guesthouse, a B & B at 1001 E. Riverside Drive is now offering cooking classes, including some designed to ease the stress of holiday meal planning.

-- Dan's Hamburgers on Ben White at Manchaca is undergoing a renovation. I haven't driven past recently, but was told the old building is totally gone. Website says it's reopening in late November.

-- Suggestions for holiday parties, either for available space or catering (hint: book NOW!): Contigo, Epicerie, Lucy's Fried Chicken, Argus Cidery, Jack Allen's Kitchen, The Bonneville, Houndstooth Coffee, drink.well, Hops and Grain.

-- In case you missed it, both Wheatsville Co-op on South Lamar and Trader Joe's on Bee Caves are now open.

-- A really unique Kickstarter campaign has come to my attention. Piq Chocolates, based here in Austin, is trying to get funding for their own 3D printer to expand production, which allows them to make custom-shaped chocolates.  Take a look at their website & their Kickstarter!

Recent Austin Eats

Manuel's
When I used to work downtown, we would frequent Manuel's for lunch or happy hour. Their interior Mexican food has always been consistently good. I hadn't been in a couple of years, and a friend held a birthday celebration there on a Saturday night in August. We had a reservation for about 12 people, and while the food was overall fairly good, the service was not. Clearly the waiter knew that with a party that size, he was guaranteed an 18% tip, and our consensus was, because of that he didn't try very hard at all. Drinks took 30 minutes to come, lemon that was asked for when the fish dish was ordered took an extra 10 - 15 minutes to appear after the dishes were served, and he was in general absent for long periods of time. Yes it was busy, and there were other large tables, but the place was not a zoo, nor did they appear to be short handed. Anyhow, no surprise that I ordered the mole chicken enchiladas. I've always liked their mole in the past, and while I do still find it good, it didn't wow me. Not a lot of depth to it. Still on the quest to find the best mole in town, and sorely disappointed I missed Scumptious Chef's Oaxacan pop-up dinner in September.

Hopdoddy
Hadn't been to Hopdoddy in a long time either, and met a friend for an early dinner. I had the Greek burger, which is made with lamb, and my friend and I split the parmesan truffle fries and a milkshake. Delicious. Have to give props to the staff, as when we arrived at about 5:45 pm, there was a  line to order food, but their credit card machines had just gone down. They had someone working the line with a big tray of fries, and letting people know there was an ATM around the corner. Fortunately for them, they got the machine back up and running pretty quickly.

Bonneville
I was invited by Citygram Magazine to participate in their Twitter chat at the Bonneville. We had a great evening of various cocktails, and a couple complimentary appetizers, the salt cod fritters, and this arugula and banana pepper pizza, which was surprisingly really good with the peppers.

After the event, a few of us stuck around and ordered dinner. I had the bacon and egg ravioli in brown butter. I could have used more bacon (duh), and probably even more brown butter flavor, but the pasta looked freshly made and was nice and light. Throughout the evening the staff was welcoming, and I really want to return for their Sunday brunch.

My Fit Foods
On a recent weekend, I was running errands on Bee Caves Road, and realized I was starving since I hadn't eaten lunch. Not totally knowing what I was getting myself into, I decided to try My Fit Foods, hoping to get a quick bite. I was given the whole explanation of their meal program by one of their staff; in short, when you sign up, you meet with their nutritionist to design a healthy eating program. They make pre-packaged meals in two sizes (basically for men or women, depending on what your calorie intake should be), and they really did have quite a variety. I picked the Chargrilled Crazy Chicken, with green beans and sweet potato puree. They have microwaves to heat the meals up, and you can eat on site (which I did), but everyone else I observed during my time there was buying a few meals to take home. I would have called this poached chicken, as I didn't see any indication that this chicken ever sat on a grill, and it was pretty bland. I could tell even before we popped it in the microwave that the green beans were overcooked, and sure enough, soggy, tasteless green beans. The sweet potatoes were tasty, though definitely sweet. This whole meal was 240 calories, 21 grams of protein, and 6 grams of fat. And completely lacking in flavor, which could be easily remedied by the use of spices, which wouldn't add calories! I've also kept their menu for inspiration for some good healthy home cooked meals.

The Flying Carpet
One of my all-time favorite trailers, The Flying Carpet, recently did an evening of pastilla, a traditional Moroccan dish of chicken with ground nuts, a touch of sugar,  and some egg, wrapped in phyllo dough.  They took a while to arrive, because they had to switch commisary kitchens as the oven in their regular kitchen broke, but it was worth the wait.  I had a salad and fries with their famous L'Afrique sauce in the interim -- make sure you try some when you go, and tell Abdu and Maria I sent you. :)

Austin Beer Garden Brewery
I was invited to the media preview of the new ABGB, located on Oltorf, just east of Lamar Blvd., next to the railroad tracks. Their brew masters come with a lot of industry experience (Live Oak and Uncle Billy's, amongst others), and they will always have 6 regular beers on tap, and another 5 or 6 taps of seasonal or special brews. Plus, they've got a kitchen producing good salads (you could take the anchovy in the Caesar salad dressing), and nice pizzas (good crisp crusts). I've driven past a couple times and the parking lot has been packed, and surely once the weather cools down, their outside areas will be extremely popular. If you build it, they will come -- and they are!

LA Barbeque
A friend bought it, and I only took a bite, but OMG! This is LA Barbeque's El Sancho, with pulled pork, sausage, and onions. Must go and get one of my own.

Olivia
I met a friend at Olivia for brunch, and realized I hadn't been there in over two years, which is a crying shame, especially since they're in my neighborhood. I had the MacDaddy, the upscale take on an egg breakfast sandwich, this with crispy pork belly, scrambled eggs, and mustard glaze. The glaze was a bit sweet, but otherwise, a very tasty dish. My friend had the bison burger, which was huge!

Ikea
What does one eat when one visits Ikea? The Swedish meatballs of course! This was my first time trying their famous meatballs, and I have to say, I am sort of on the fence about them. Something was a bit strange about their texture, but I can't put my finger on it.... not dense, not gummy....over-processed? I liked the lingonberry sauce a lot, and the little flag is a great touch. And I would guess a Texas Ikea store is one of a very few worldwide that offers hot sauce as a condiment.

Local Yokel
Over at the Moontower Saloon, there are three trailers in residence, but on a recent Tuesday, the Local Yokel was the only one open. There were three items on the menu: bratwurst, quesadilla, and cheesesteak. I had the beef fajita quesadilla with caramelized onions and their housemade jalapeno sauce. I think they're pressing them, rather than grilling, because this was one of the best, crispest quesadillas I've ever had! Great flavor, and again, super-crispy, and perfect with beer. Thankful the weather is starting to cool down -- time to visit more trailers!

So this will give you something to chew on for awhile! What have you eaten lately?