SPIN Modern Thai

Way up in Cedar Park, amid the concrete flyovers and strip malls is SPIN Modern Thai, brought to us by veterans of Uchi and East Side King. Like the name suggests, they're putting a twist on traditional Thai food, and fortunately for those of us who are Thai enthusiasts, they are doing a very good job.

So what happens when three food bloggers and a spouse venture far from their South Austin homes in search of good food? And what happens when one of those bloggers who is taking pictures of the front door gets asked (in a friendly, congenial manner) by the host upon entering the establishment "Why are you taking pictures?" and the blogger (NOT me!) blurts out "We're food bloggers!". Well, so much for the sneak attack! We had a good laugh over this, and I think all three of us normally prefer to go to restaurants we are going to blog about "incognito" if you will, so we can judge the food as an ordinary patron. We were not expecting star treatment at SPIN, but the manager sent us his best waiter, and we were very well taken care of the entire meal.

We started with cocktails, in the back, the Thai basil mint white sangria, the tamarind lime mimosa, and pineapple mint sake. I enjoyed my tamarind drink very much, and we all agreed the sake was spectacular.

We started with a trio of appetizers, the fried Brussels sprouts, which were a little under done (still crunchy) and the sweet corn taro tempura with a sweet chili vinaigrette. Great flavor in the vinaigrette, but the tempura was a bit greasy. Also the moo ping, marinated pork with a Thai chili dipping sauce; I could have eaten my weight in these! Nicely grilled pork which had a ton of flavor on its own, but the sauce was a nice compliment to it as well.

For my main dish, I had the Pad Cha Soft Shell Crab, which was crispy soft shell crab with basil, cilantro,  green peppercorns, with a lightly sweet and spicy chili sauce. It was delicious. Such a nice burst of texture and flavor. I Tweeted this photo, and then subsequently showed it to a bunch of foodie friends, including a Thai friend who hasn't been to SPIN. Pretty much they were all drooling.

We also had at the table the Clay Pot Hot Pot with head-on shrimp, glass noodles, bacon, and a raw egg on top that the server mixes into the ceramic pot. There was a wonderful smokiness to the dish; I don't know if that just came from the bacon or if there was anything else giving it that flavor, but it was a savory and wonderful taste.

The Rib Ping, char-grilled pork ribs with a hoisin-like glaze on them. These were three very meaty spare ribs, with a side of balsamic glazed onions. There was a spiciness to the pork that was a little unexpected, as there were no "chile pepper" spiciness indicators on the menu.

And the Tiger Cry, which was asked for with a bit of extra spice, which it had! It's grilled beef sirloin, with cilantro, cherry tomatoes, radishes, onions, and toasted rice powder. I've had this dish at other Thai restaurants before, and this was a very nice approach, especially given the warm weather, more of a salad than a heavier beef dish.

Pretty much stuffed at this point, we were going to pass on dessert, but our very gracious hosts had other ideas in mind. They sent us two of their desserts, a coconut panna cotta with lemon gelee and a trio of ice creams (lychee, Thai tea, and chocolate). I was very impressed that the lychee ice cream ACTUALLY tasted like lychee! It and the Thai tea were my favorites.

I have heard outstanding things from foodies and professional food critics about SPIN in their year they've been open, so I don't think the high quality food or service that we experienced was too far from the norm. Overall an outstanding experience both food and service, and my only regret is that SPIN is in Cedar Park. I don't know when I will get back up there again, but it was absolutely worth the drive.

Bits and Bites

Events and Happenings

-- The Austin Food Blogger Alliance will hold their annual fundraiser, Cocktails and Cupcakes on July 19th from 6 - 9 pm at the Le Cordon Bleu Cooking School at the Domain; proceeds benefit the ARC Capital Area. AFBA member price $25/all others $35, over 21 only please. Sip on libations provided by Treaty Oak Distilling, T1 Tequila, and Hops and Grain. Cocktail themed cupcakes courtesy of Sugar Mama's Bakeshop, SugaPlump Pastries, Swift's Attic, Delish, and Crema Bakery and Cafe. Tickets available for purchase here. (Disclosure: I am a member of the AFBA, and am helping with this event! Come on out!)

-- Austin Cake Ball is having a summer promo: buy one dozen cake balls, get one ball free!

-- Umami Mia Pizzeria is having a pizza eating contest on July 4th at 4 pm. Come HUNGRY!

-- La Condesa is hosting a Herradura Tequila tasting 4-course dinner, July 9th $100/person. Tickets here. Additionally, La Condesa's private lounge space, Malverde will no longer have bar/lounge programs to expand the private event space.

Openings and New Stuff
-- P. Terry's has opened their 7th area location, at 12301 North Mopac, and they hope to have a total of 12 spots by 2015. 

-- Uncle Julio's, a Mexican chain based in Dallas, will open in mid-July at 301 Brazos Street downtown; this is their 17th restaurant and first in Austin. At 9500 square feet, there will be seating for over 400 people.

-- Austin-based chain Johnny Carino's has partnered with Udi's Gluten Free Foods to create a new gluten free menu.  

-- Both locations of Jack Allen's Kitchen are celebrating new whiskey drinks, featuring their own Eagle Rare Single Barrel Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey, selected exclusively by Jack Gilmore himself.

-- Smashburger's milk shake of the summer is peanut butter and jelly, now through the end of September.

-- Justin Rupp is the new Executive Chef at Olive and June, where's he's creating light pasta dishes with seasonal ingredients for the summer.

-- Pasty Chef Taff Mayberry has returned to Olivia. 

-- PhoNatic is now open in South Park Meadows. 

-- Mettle is now open for lunch. 

-- Barlata, the new Spanish tapas bar from Daniel Olivella, opened last night

Local Publications
-- David Alan's Tipsy Texan: Spirits and Cocktails from the Lone Star State

-- Jarod Neece and Mando Rayo's  Austin Breakfast Tacos: The Story of the Most Important Taco of the Day

Royal India

I love Indian food, but apparently I am not having great luck with it in South Austin. Last fall I went to Asiana (see my post here) and was completely uninspired by the offerings (not to mention the decor), but have come to find out several foodie friends of mine like the place AND it made the Austin Chronicle's "First Plates" critic's picks list. Then last month, I tried Royal India, in the old Estancia Churrascaria location on the westbound Hwy. 290 access road, just before Brodie Lane in Sunset Valley. My friend and I met for an early Saturday evening dinner, and got there at 5:30 when they opened.

I ordered an iced chai tea which then took about 20 minutes to come. And when it did come, it was warm, and didn't have much flavor to it -- very little of the cardamom that I love about a hot or cold chai. So I told the waiter that. He said Indians don't drink it iced, only hot. And I understand his point completely (and no, there was not an iced option on the menu), but don't you think from the hospitality/customer service standpoint, that perhaps he should have said when I ordered it that it would essentially be a watered-down hot chai drink? Basically, we argued over the chai. He took it to the back and returned with more ice in it, but that didn't exactly help either. Fortunately, he did take it off the bill.

And on to the food. We shared an order of the vegetarian samosas, which I found to be bland. No cumin or coriander (or really any spice or salt) could be detected in the mashed potato interior.  Ironically, their online menu describes these as "well-seasoned."

My friend had the Aloo Gobi, a cauliflower and potato dish, which was fairly spicy; this was the best dish we ordered.

I had the lamb (kakori) kabobs from the Royal Tandoor portion of the menu. The ground meat was over-worked, and hence dried out. Tough meat is not very good meat in my book. I think the flavor was okay, though not memorable, but the execution was not.

I really wish I had better things to report. If you have been to Royal India and liked it, please tell me what you ate! I would love to have better things to write about.

Salt and Time

About a month ago, I had lunch at the new Salt and Time Butcher Shop + Salumeria at 1912 East 7th Street. A long time staple at the area farmer's markets, the owners used a Kickstart campaign to help fund their brick and mortar mecca to all things meat. When you walk in, you're on the butcher side of the place, with fresh and cured meats staring at you. To the right is the bar and eating area, where the daily specials are posted on the wall. Sorry, but this is not really a place for vegetarians!

My friend had the Roast Beast, which she proclaimed to be one of the best sandwiches she had ever had. 

I had the Pulled Pork,which I thoroughly enjoyed, however, my one critique is that the menu says caramelized onions, and this is clearly cole slaw with maybe an onion or two in it. But it was delicious and I ate all of it! The bread is perfect for the sandwiches, as it's just chewy enough, yet tender and strong enough to hold up to its contents. They have an in-house baker who also sells the breads.

I took some pancetta (top) and bacon home..... yeah, both are fatty, but fat equals flavor, right?! They slice these nice and thick.

And that night, I had a lovely carbonara dish with the pancetta, which renders up very nicely.

Check their website for butchering classes, meat specials, and monthly menus. If you appreciate the art of meat, whether fresh or cured, go check out their offerings!

Bits and Bites

If you follow me on Facebook (and if not, please do!), you'll know that the Austin food community lost Austin Slow Burn founder Jill Lewis to esophageal cancer last week. Jill and her husband Kevin were/are personal friends of mine, and we're still in shock as to how quickly she was taken from us to the big queso bowl in the sky. There's a great tribute from Virginia Woods in the Austin Chronicle, and an online fundraiser is available through June 20th to help offset some of the medical expenses (even if you can give $5, every thing will help!). Another tribute/fundraiser will be held at Stubbs on July 28th. The entire line of ASB products from the award-winning queso and sweet heat jams to jerk marinade and good ol' salsas are available at Central Markets in Austin, as well as other local retailers. As Jill would say "Best damn queso in the world!" and indeed it is! 

Openings
-- Boardwalk Burgers has opened at Tech Ridge, at 500 Canyon Ridge Drive, on Parmer just east of IH-35. The fries are inspired by those found along the boardwalk in Ocean City, Maryland, where you splash them with apple cider vinegar. I grew up on the east coast, so these are a nice memory of my youth!
-- Mettle, the latest offering from Bridget Dunlap has opened at 607 Calles Street in East Austin (what, not on Rainey!?). The French bistro-inspired menu is the work of Andrew Francisco, formerly of Olivia.
-- P. Terry's is opening a location at Mopac and Parmer. 
-- Daily Juice has opened a second location in Westlake at 3300 Bee Caves Road.
-- Food trailer Sweet Heat Meat, the winner of ATX Brands first "truck-off" has opened at the Scoot Inn, 1308 E. 4th Street.
-- drink.well has expanded their happy hour to Tuesdays through Fridays, 4 - 6 pm, with discounts on select tasty beverages, bar snacks, and sandwiches.
-- Jeffrey's and Josephine, the newer offerings from the Larry McGuire family of restaurants are now both open for Sunday brunch.
-- El Chile has officially opened/relocated in the former La Reyna at South First and Mary (and closed their spot on Manor Road). I went earlier this week for happy hour, and really enjoyed the decor -- very clean lines and big windows. Happy hour til 6pm! And my neighbors report a gelato place is going in on South First as well! 

Events/Misc.
-- Olivia will kick off their annual Summer Dinner Series with a "Whole Beast" dinner on June 20th with pairings from Hops + Grain; $75/person.
-- Salt + Time is also pairing up with Hops + Grain for a seven course dinner on June 26th, $60/person.
-- Con Olio will celebrate their one year anniversary downtown at 215 Lavaca with an event June 29th from 2 - 5 pm with Lucky Puccia's.
-- On July 6th, P. Terry's will celebrate their 8th anniversary with a t-shirt giveaway to customers (while supplies last) at all seven locations.
-- The Austin Chronicle has unveiled their "First Plates" list -- their critic's picks for favorite restaurants and trailers in town. What are your favorites?