Bits and Bites -- Austin Food News

Events
-- Friday, July 24th, Art + Tequila at Mexic Arte Museum, $20/person in honor of National Tequila Day.

-- Summer Rose dinner at Lenoir, $110/person, Friday, July 24th.

-- Saturday, July 25th, 11 am - 5 pm, Hops + Grain's Bike Affair, $15/person, benefiting 1400 Miles, a non-profit that educates about prostate health.

-- TenOak hosts a Russell's Reserve whiskey pairing, Wednesday, July 29th, $30/person.

-- The Hill Country Food Truck Festival will be Saturday, August 1st in Luckenbach.

-- Saturday, August 1st is the 3rd Annual White Linen summer party, in the 2nd Street District downtown; $30/advance, $50/VIP, the event benefits Urban Roots and white attire is encouraged. Participating establishments: Austin Eastciders, Bob's Steak+ Chop House, Bribery Bakery, Cantina Laredo, Con Olio, CRU, Finn + Porter, Frank, Goose Island Brewery, Hilmy Cellars, Karbach Brewing Company, Numero 28, Spicewood Vineyards, TenOak, The Bonneville, Twisted X Brewing Company, and W Hotel Living Room.

-- Gardner hosts a 6-course dinner Tuesday, August 4th, with Chef Matt McCallister of Dallas, $75/person with optional $35 for wine pairings.

-- Central Market celebrates its 20th Hatch Chile Festival at both Austin locations, August 5 - 18. Both locations will have all kinds of in-house made products from scones in the bakery to meatballs at Chef's Case to commercially made products like Austin Slow Burn's Green Chile on Queso in the Dairy; regular demos throughout the event and the North Lamar Cooking School will have various cooking classes featuring the famed New Mexico green chiles.  

--The 5th Annual  Pay it Forward with Daniel Curtis at the AT+T Conference Center, benefiting the Lone Star Paralysis Foundation, $75- $125/person, Thursday, August 6th. 

-- Sunday, August 16th is the annual Slow Food Grub Trivia event at Saengerrunde Hall.

-- The annual Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Festival is August 23rd.

-- Thursday, September 17th, the Wine and Food Foundation of Texas present their annual Tour de Vin wine tasting event at Fair Market, $70/person.

-- This year's Austin Fermentation Festival is scheduled for Sunday, October 25th at Barr Mansion; tickets start at $20.

-- A number of East Austin eateries have joined together for Eat East, every Tuesday through Labor Day, with cocktail and appetizer specials; join The Hightower, La V, Silo, Salt + Time, Gardner, Tamale House, Spartan Pizza, Gemelli Gelateria, Buenos Aries Cafe, Weather Up, and Jacoby's.

-- Antonelli's Cheese is offering more than just cheese classes in August. Check out their Adult Summer Camp series on their calendar of events for classes in shrub/bitters, chocolate and fermented vegetables, all with local experts. 

-- Full schedule of the Sustainable Food Center's cooking classes at the Happy Kitchen is online.


Openings/Misc
-- Billie Jean's Burger Pub, 6501 S. Congress just north of William Cannon.

-- Dine from David Garrido at the Town Lake Radisson (old Chavez spot).

-- Lick Ice Cream opened a second location at 6555 Burnet Road.

-- Frozen banana shake currently available at Hopdoddy through August 2nd.
-- 4 courses for $38 at Gardner, Tuesday - Sunday for a summer prix fixe.

-- Corner Restaurant at the JW Marriott now offers weekend brunch from 11 am - 3 pm.  

-- Monger's Market + Kitchen, Wednesday oyster specials and happy hour.

-- Estancia Churrascuria is now offering lunch on Saturday & Sunday, 11:30 am - 3 pm, $29.95 for the full meat experience or $19.95 for the salad bar.

-- Gusto Italian Kitchen offers a Sunday Antipasti Buffet for $16.75/person. 

-- Rocco's Grill in Bee Caves is now holding Tuesday's Ladies Nights and Sunday brunches, as well as live music on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday.


Closings
-- Barley Swine announced they will close their South Lamar location when they open their new, larger space at 6555 Burnet Road later this year; they will continue to use South Lamar for events. 

Garducci's New York Style Pizza

Pizza comes in many different styles: thin or thick crust, how much tomato sauce (if at all), meats, cheeses, various toppings, and on and on. There is no end to the variations of what's become an icon in American foods, and everyone has their favorite. One of the best known styles of pizza is New York style, characterized by a thin crust that's pliable but still firm and crusty around the edge, light tomato sauce, and large slices which can be folded in half for easier eating. There's a new New York style pizzeria in South Austin called Garducci's, and they invited me out last week to try their pie. Disclosure: I was given a pizza but not monetarily compensated.

Garducci's is located at 730 W. Stassney Lane (the northwest corner at South First Street), in the strip center near the Baskin Robbins and Sonic just to the west. There are two high tables, but no chairs; it's very cute inside! They are take out only! No single slices, just whole pies, though they do have a meatball sub and a couple salads.

They only offer one size of pizza, and that's an 18" pie, cut into 8 pieces -- the traditional New York way.  I put in my order for a sausage and mushroom pizza, which owner Paul made himself.

While the pizza baked in a 500+ degree oven, Paul and I chatted for a few minutes, and he gave me one of his meatballs to try. He has a culinary degree, and lived in New York City for a number of years, which got him well-acquainted with the pizza there. A variety of culinary jobs in some high profile establishments kept him busy over the years in Dallas, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles. Paul heard of the opportunity here in Austin to open his own pizza place, and moved here in February.  Garducci's opened up in May.

Paul gave me one of his meatballs as we were talking. It's a traditional beef, pork, and veal, with a great oregano flavor. The meatball was super-tasty and tender! While I've never been a meatball sub person, they do offer just a side of meatballs or you can get them on your pizza! I could SO eat a side of them right now.

Once the pizza was ready, I took it to my friend Mad Betty's house. She's a New Jersey native, so I figured she'd be a good judge of Garducci's pizzas. And while I am not a New York style expert, neither of us were disappointed. I was particularly impressed with the large chunks of sausage and the generous amount of toppings. Mad Betty noted the crust was nicely charred on the bottom, and the dough was nice and thin. The edge of the pizza was quite crisp, and there was not too much tomato sauce, which I appreciate. We both agreed that there was too much cheese on the pizza though! Paul did tell me he's using whole milk mozzarella, and he's certainly not skimping. While not a bad problem to have, on my return visit, I would ask for a pizza with about half the amount of cheese than normal. And looking at his 4.5 - 5 star Yelp reviews, the cheese seems to be the only complaint.

Thumbs up Garducci's! That area of South Austin now has a great neighborhood pizza joint to call their own, something that was sorely lacking. So call in your orders, go pick up your pie, and sit back and enjoy an authentic New York style pizza pie experience. Mangia!

Garducci's Pizza
730 W Stassney Lane, #165
512/707-1155
Sunday - Thursday 11 am -  10 pm
Friday - Saturday 11 am - midnight
Facebook page

Guantanamera

In honor of the US and Cuba re-establishing diplomatic relations and the opening of embassies, it's time I finished this post on Guantanamera! This new Cuban spot in a strip center at the northwest corner of Westgate and William Cannon, is a welcome change from your standard Tex Mex or sub sandwich shops, and a friend and I recently met for lunch. The Cuban owner previously worked at Habana, the long-time staple on South Congress.

We both started with mojitos, which were tasty, but a bit on the weak side. As an appetizer, we picked the cheese and beef empanadas. While fried, they weren't greasy, and the beef one in particular had great flavor.

After some deliberation, we just picked two items and agreed to share everything. Starting with the ropa vieja, which was a very generous serving of stewed beef. And it was all the things it should be: tender, moist, and tasty, though a bit heavy on the salt. The rice, known as congris, however was a different story. Super dry, and nothing going on with it. Pretty certain this was last night's rice, which is a shame. This could have been a superb dish with the proper rice, although perhaps our pick of sweet potato fries as a side wasn't the best, as they were on the dry side too. (I have since spoken to one other person who has eaten there and encountered the same issue with the rice, but another person has said their rice was fine.)

And the Cuban sandwich, which I am no expert on, but both of us ate every bite of our respective halves. It was pressed nicely, and the roasted pork wasn't dry. We got a side of maduros with the sandwich, and they were good, but at five small pieces, it seemed... small.

Now when we arrived for lunch, there was one big group of about 10 - 12 people, and a few other filled tables. There were two servers there, if memory serves, so busy, but not slammed. But we had ordered the tostones as an appetizer, and they never came, so we had to ask for them. They needed salt for sure, and a little bit of salt right when they came out of the fryer would have been a bit more beneficial. But they were decent.

So while the rice was a major issue, and a few other issues like a weak drink and having to ask for the tostones, I would definitely go back. I'd love to try some of the other dishes like the lechon asado and see if the rice and salting issues have improved. But certainly a welcome addition to the South Austin food scene, just as a thaw in diplomatic relations is a blessing for the Cuban people.

Bits and Bites: Austin Food News

Events
-- Patika is hosting a Pan-Asian supper club dinner, Friday, June 26th, $50/person
-- Seventh Flag Coffee celebrates their one-year anniversary on Saturday, June 27th from 12-4 pm with live music, beer + kombucha tastings, and food from neighboring trailer Regal Ravioli.
-- Six course dinner at Gardner with guest Chef Steven Satterfield from Miller Union in Atlanta; $75/person + $35 with optional wine pairings, June 28th
-- The Hightower and Hops + Grain get together on June 30th for a five course dinner with beer pairings, $55/person
-- Jacoby's is hosting a five course local farm dinner on July 10th, $100/person.
-- Counter 3.FIVE.VII is hosting a 15 course dinner, Monday, July 13th, $180/person or $300 with wine pairings.
-- Trailer Food Tuesday will be July 7th  at the Long Center. Food trucks galore!
-- The annual Pay it Forward with Daniel Curtis, benefiting the Lone Star Paralysis Foundation, returns to the AT+T Conference Center on August 6th, $75-125/person.
-- Mark your calendar (and save up your pennies) for the first Austin Alfresco Culinary Retreat at Carson Creek Ranch, October 16-18. Spend the weekend with some of the areas top chefs, with culinary demos, food and wine tastings, outdoor activities, and much more. See the website for further details as they become available. $975+/person


Openings
-- Tim Love's Lonesome Dove opens this week at 419 Colorado (old Kenichi).
-- Michi Ramen has opened a take out operation at 3005 South Lamar (by Kerbey Lane and Torchy's)
-- Juliet will serve Italian fare at 1500 Barton Springs Road beginning July 1st (the old Romeo's and Umami Mia).
-- Stella San Jac will open at the corner of 5th and San Jacinto in the new Westin Austin Hotel on July 16th, and will serve Austin-inspired Southern foods.
-- Geraldine's at 605 Davis in the Rainey Street district, will open later this summer with Uchi alum Chef Frank Mnuk at the helm, serving contemporary Austin food.
-- Rocco's Grill has moved from Lakeway to Bee Cave, 12432 Bee Cave Road (FM 2244); the new space featured a covered outdoor dining area and an oyster bar.
-- Lady Luck Food Truck, a new Southern foods-inspired food trailer is parked outside of Hard Luck Lounge at 3526 E. 7th Street
-- Gino's East will be serving up authentic Chicago deep dish pizza at 214 E. 6th Street.
-- This fall, 51 Rainey Street will become home to Emmer + Rye, serving rustic cuisine along with dim sum carts as a regular part of their service.
-- Crepe Crazy is coming to 3103 South Lamar (the old Boardwalk Burger + Fries)
-- Snarf's Sandwiches opening at 1400 S. First Street later this fall.


Closings
-- Freddie's on South First closes this weekend; a new location of Fresa's Chicken will take over this fall. 
-- Crepes Up trailer at South First and Live Oak
-- Hill-bert's Burgers on 35th Street


Misc
-- Help local farm El Cruz Ranch with a Kickstarter project so they can buy a food trailer to sell prepared Mexican foods on the go! 
-- From the press release: "The GRACE Communications Foundation today launched its new Eat Well Guide, the largest online directory of sustainable food vendors in the country with 25,000 listings of restaurants, farms, farmers’ markets, food co-ops and more across the United States." Great resource!
-- Farmbox Direct is now shipping boxes of locally-sourced produce to its subscribers in a customizable CSA box. (I received a vague response when I asked what Texas farms they were working with.)
-- A new chocolate bug collection from Delaysia Chocolatier; crickets, meal worms and grasshoppers, oh my!
-- Olamaie will start lunch service on July 1st. 
-- Shake Shack will have corn dogs and Blueberry Pie oh My Concretes from Thursday, July 2 – Sunday, July 5. And starting Thursday, July 2, their summer seasonal Peach Lemonade will be available. 
-- Salvation Pizza has new menu items including wings, arancini, new subs and desserts.
-- Maple bacon waffle cones now available at Hopdoddy through July 4th.

Trailer Food Tuesdays: Guest Post from Everfest

Guest post from Everfest -- a new site to help you locate festivals all over the country -- on one of my favorite topics: food trailers! The first Trailer Food Tuesday of the summer is tonight (June 9th) at the Long Center.

Trailer Food Tuesdays…om nom nom 

While Austin has long been established as an iconic culinary destination for foodies and chefs alike, it is the local food truck scene that has come to dominate the food-sphere in recent years. Characterized by drool-worthy culinary crossovers and gourmet street eats, the fleet of Austin food trucks is ever expanding, with new trailers constantly popping up around the city each month. In addition to satisfying the appetites of hungry Austinites on a daily basis, many of these trucks have become staples at the numerous festivals held in The Live Music Capitol of the World. 

 

One such food-centric event is the upcoming Trailer Food Tuesdays, which will play host to some of Austin's finest eateries on wheels over the course of three days this summer. Featuring outstandingly innovative dishes and some of the city's finest food truck chefs, this fest is truly a celebration of culinary creativity. Check out some of the participating trailers below, and be sure to add this festival to your calendar of fun!

1. The Peached Tortilla

Combining elements of Asian cuisine with the down-home flavors of Southern comfort food, this Austin staple specializes in dishes such as Chinese BBQ sliders and bacon jam fries.

Spotted At: Austin Food + Wine Festival, Austin City Limits Music Festival

 

2. Dock and Roll

Serving up a menu solely focused on creative interpretations of the classic New England lobster roll, this truck will have any seafood lover coming back for more.

Spotted At: Trucklandia

3. DFG Noodles

This Malaysian and Singaporean-inspired truck has truly become a favorite of Austin foodies, because who doesn't want to dive into a steaming bowl of Damn Freaking Good (DGF) Noodles.

Spotted At: Euphoria Music and Camping Festival, Tour de Vin

4. Burro Cheese Kitchen

An entire menu of gooey, oozing artisanal grilled cheese... 'Nuff said.

Spotted At: Levitation, Fun Fun Fun Fest

As an Austin startup, we at Everfest are lucky enough to have some of these delectable delights right in our neighborhood and just couldn't resist giving a shout out to one of our favorite lunch spots!

Everfest Staff Pick: Chi'Lantro

Whether you stop by for lunch or after a night on Dirty Sixth, this Korean Mexican fusion truck is dishing out some of the very best eats around. We, as a staff, have agreed that we would simply have kimchi fries every single day if it was socially acceptable.

South Austin Foodie Note: All the food trailers featured here will be at the Long Center tonight, as well as about 10 more! Thank you to Everfest!