BIts and Bites

What's new this week?

-- Backstage Grill, new trailer of fusion foods on Rainey Street

-- Workhorse Bar, at 100 E. North Loop, featuring over 50 beers on tap

-- Max's Wine Dive is debuting a new spring menu

-- Fonda San Miguel will be hosting a four course dinner paired with South African wines; April 25th, $75/person. The dinner will feature the head of Cape Classics, the largest importer of South African wines in the US.

-- A new website, Culinary Programs, designed to show where culinary schools nationwide are located. I tested it by entering my zip code, and while it does come up with local schools as well as online programs, it did not pull two local cooking schools that I know of here in Austin, one of which is in my zip code. I've emailed the creator of the site back, asking how the site pulls data. 
-- A number of local businesses & restaurants will be participating in Give 5 Day on April 21st, in honor of Earth Day, where they give 5% of proceeds to a collaboration of environmental organizations (Hill Country Conservancy, Texas Land Conservancy, Tree Folks, Sierra Club, Clean Water Fund, & Friends of Barton Springs Pool). Just a few of the restaurants in South Austin include: Bouldin Creek Cafe, Phil's Ice House, Red's Porch, and La Boite; see the full list. So go eat or shop at these places, and know that your money is going to a good cause!

The New Chen's Noodle House

It has finally opened! The second location of Chen's Noodle House, on Anderson Lane, by the Alamo Village theater. Or more precisely, facing Anderson, next to Cover 3 and Chipotle, not far from where the new Hopdoddy's is going in. The original spot is a hole in the wall in a strip center at the intersection of Spicewood Springs Road and 183. With mismatched tables and chairs, the whole place (kitchen included) can't be much more than 200 (150?) square feet, but there's a total charm about it, and the food always rocks, so I've had no problem going to far northwest Austin for good eats, especially when it involves Chen's hand cut noodles.

For the new location, Chen's clearly had some financial backers with ample resources, because this place is swank by comparison. Modern clean lines, nice wood tables and chairs, carts to transport hot noodle bowls, and waitstaff dressed in all black attire. Minimal decor, except for a few plants, and very low-lighting rounds it all out. (I did not use the flash on the camera, so some of these are a bit fuzzy.)

It's also an expanded menu, though I am still glad to see my favorites on there, like the lamb skewers. We didn't get them this time, but if you like lamb, they're amazing.

We started with an order of the green onion crepes (pancakes), which I could eat my weight in -- they're light and crispy, with just a touch of elasticity to them on the inside. I love these!

And something new for us, the sesame pockets, with soy-marinated pork inside, sort of a Chinese pita pocket sandwich. Bread was a little dense, but the meat was quite good.

This new spot is offering hot pots, and there's a large menu of available ingredients to put in your hot pot, from meat to tofu, and every veggie in between.

There's a choice of four different broths, and we opted for the spicy broth, with lamb, enoki mushrooms, and bok choy. It also comes with three dipping sauces, a hoisin, a garlickly oil, and I am not sure what the third was, possibly a fermented soy, as it had a very earthy, miso-like flavor. So they bring the food, and light the sterno underneath the pot. Within a minute, the broth is bubbling away. The lamb was cut into extremely thin slices, so it cooked in about 10 - 15 seconds. It's fun communal eating! The broth does get very hot though, and we finally asked our waitress to extinguish the flame; in the future, I might ask to keep the sterno lid at the table so we can do it ourselves when ready.

Our final dish was the spicy pork loin in broth. On the menu, it comes with rice vermicelli noodles. I asked if we could have it with the hand cut noodles instead. (At the original Chen's I have asked for noodle substitutions in the past, because the hand cut are SO good. More on those in a minute.) Our waitress explained that Mr. Chen was about to leave for the evening (it was around 8 pm), and he was the only one who knew how to make/cut those noodles. Excuse me? This is a restaurant with several menu items with the hand cut noodles, and only one person can do it?! She further explained they had purchased a machine to cut the noodles, but Mr. Chen wasn't happy with the quality. Without being argumentative or disrespectful, I re-stated what she had said "So if Mr. Chen isn't here, no one can have the hand cut noodles?" That's correct. I asked her about the original location, and apparently Mr. Chen's wife is there, making the noodles. Oh, and Mr. Chen is supposed to go on vacation in May; they better have their noodle situation figured out by then! I did ask her to pass along the feedback that I would be a very unhappy customer if I was coming here just to have the hand cut noodles, and was told they weren't available.

So we had the vermicelli bowl, the original way it was listed on the menu. The broth was incredibly hot (more so temperature than spiciness, but it certainly had a kick), and while tasty enough, I felt that the vermicelli noodles got overcooked from the heat of the broth, because they developed a soft, almost mushy texture, which becomes unappealing to me.

Back to the hand cut noodles, or dao xian mian. You don't find these just anywhere. The noodle master makes the dough that is shaped into a loaf, like bread dough. Holding the loaf, the noodles are masterfully cut with a special knife into a pot of simmering water or broth. The texture of the noodle is uneven, thin along the edges, and thicker along the middle, giving them a bit of a chewy consistency. Here's a brief video from YouTube. At the original Chen's you could see Mr. Chen from the order window shaving the noodles. This is a picture from 2010 at Chen's; look at the stir fry dish in the back, and you can sort of tell what the noodles look like. 

The new Chen's is extremely nice, and again, there's an expanded menu. However, for a few miles more, I think I may stick to the charm that is the tiny spot in the strip center. As long as I can get my hand cut noodles, I will be happy, so I really hope Mr. Chen shares the secrets of the noodles with a protege.

Travaasa Spa

I hadn't intended to write about my stay at Travaasa Spa when I went last week for the first time. But it was such a wonderful experience, I feel that everyone should know what a great place it is! Mostly, I'll let the pictures speak for themselves....these are all from my camera phone, as I didn't take my real camera.

My food blogger friend Christy, of Epicuriosities won an overnight stay for four people through a contest on Mix 94.7 -- thank you Mix! Each person received a $125 spa credit, and we had all of Travaasa's daily classes available to us, as well as the pool, hot tub, and sauna. So Christy, her friend PJ, our food blogger friend Kristina of Girl Gone Grits, and myself had about 24 hours to indulge at Travaasa. Formerly known as The Crossings, Travaasa has new ownership, and will celebrate their first full year in May. (To get to Travaasa (map), take 2222 west of 620, where it turns into Bullick Hollow; this dead ends into FM 2769, go right, and it's about a quarter mile on the left.)

For me, it started with a 50 minute hot rocks massage at the spa. This is the first stone massage I've had, and this one is designed to balance your chakras. A nice and relaxing way to get away from it all! The spa does facials, massages, and body treatments; I think next time, I will try the avocado body wrap! The radio station hosted a happy hour in our honor, so we were treated to Gruet sparkling wine and some healthy appetizers, mushroom caps and lettuce "tacos" with a mushroom saute inside. 

Travaasa's general manager, Tim, chatted with us on the patio with a gorgeous view overlooking Lake Travis -- nice to see some water in it! He said that most of the visitors are people from within driving distance -- Austin, San Antonio, and Houston, but they are working to get the word out. They are currently rated the number one spa in Austin by Trip Advisor, no small feat, given the fame of Lake Austin Spa nearby, so congrats! Granted our time at the spa was comped, but I feel the prices for Travaasa are more affordable than that of Lake Austin. And Kristina put it very well, Travaasa has the feel of an intimate bed and breakfast. All of the staff we encountered were so genuinely friendly and welcoming!

We checked into our rooms which had great canyon views, and luxurious beds and linens! Our rooms were in the Longhorn building, to the left of the main check in.

The restaurant, known as Jean's Kitchen, is a great big huge room with an open grill and prep area at one end, and a lounge (where we had happy hour) at the other. I started with a mixed green salad. We had a bottle of Matsu Tempranillo, and nice big red, that complemented everything extremely well.

For my main, I had the antelope scallopini, my first foray into antelope, and it was delicious! It was pounded thin, and served with a bit of goat cheese and pecans, and served with mashed sweet potatoes. I would SO eat that again!

Kristina had the grilled mahi over kale, both cooked perfectly, and Christy and PJ each had the ribeye, which was a little fatty and smoky, but beautifully grilled, and good flavor.

For dessert, we had the chocolate chipotle tarte.... this was my fave of the three -- it was a perfect chocolate and spicy balance, and the flavors even more enhanced by the tempranillo.

 ... the blackberry pie.... the top crust had been baked as a separate piece, and then added -- smart!

And the pound cake with soft fruit (on the inside).

Hearing we were "food people," the food and beverage director, Edward, sent over glasses of port to go with dessert. Turns out, it's a Bogle Petit Syrah port, that none of us were familiar with, and it was extremely tasty, though a touch sweet.

After dinner we took advantage of the hot tub, sauna, and pool, and chatted with some of the other guests who were doing the same. In the morning, various classes were available (yoga, challenge course, horseback riding, cooking class...), and Kristina and I went to the chakra meditation, which was held in a beautiful building with huge wooden doors, medieval chandelier, and a calming garden outside.

Then to breakfast, which was good, but not as good as dinner. My fritatta with mushrooms, potatoes and turkey sausage were all well prepared; the polenta French toast could have been crispier. Did have a bite of an apricot scone which was exceptional!

I wish I could have had some time by the pool, but it was then time for a shower, and gathering my stuff up. Hard to leave this lovely place! And now that my chakras have been (apparently!) balanced and mediated upon, I need to find out what that all means! Very excited to come back later this year, as -- *lo and behold*-- there was a coupon on Travelzoo for Travaasa this past week, so I am already plotting my return trip to this little bit of paradise a mere 20 miles from home.

Bits and Bites

As I posted yesterday on my Facebook page, I am dismayed at the closure of Artz Ribhouse. It's always been my favorite spot in town for BBQ, especially their baby back ribs. I am crossing my fingers and hoping and praying a pig will rise from the ashes, and Art Blondin will be able to continue on, whether it's at this current location, or somewhere else close by. Yes, us food people have certainly given attention to some of those "other" places now in town, but Artz, with it's food and live music, is a true South Austin mainstay.

Openings

-- With a bit of disgust, I see there is a Chipotle under construction on South Lamar, just a hair north of Artz, in the old Golf Shop location. Really?? While I haven't eaten at a Chipotle in a couple years, I have thought their food to be decent..... I am just not in the habit of supporting national chains, even if they are using good quality meats.

-- Urban Wine + Liquor in the Austonian building at 200 Congress Avenue.

-- Cenote Coffee at 1010 E. Cesar Chavez
-- Bahn Bahn, a new Vietnamese place, at Jessie Street Eats.

Closings

-- East Side Drive-in, a trailer park eatery on East 6th, just past IH-35, is closing to make way for the development of apartments/condos. Even though I've only been there once I constantly rave about Bits and Druther's fish and chips. Hopefully all the current tenants will live on....when I hear where they've landed, I'll let you know. 

-- Kick Butt Coffee at the Triangle.

Events/Happenings

-- A beer collaboration, to be unveiled tonight at Drink.Well -- a beer from the brew masters of Hops and Grain and Thirsty Planet, an imperial Belgian brown ale.

-- A five-course beer pairing dinner with North Coast Brewery at 24 Diner on Monday, April 2; $65/person.

-- Austin Beer Guide Spring Release party, Monday, April 2, at Black Star Co-op beginning at 6pm.

-- Easter brunches (yes, it's NEXT weekend!) at Urban Grill ($45/person), Paggi House ($35), Sagra ($24).

Bits and Bites

Opening

-- Con Olios is building a second oil and vinegar store, this one smack downtown, at 215 Lavaca. Opening soon, here's the link to their Facebook page.

-- Fresas Chicken al Carbon, a Mexican rotisserie chicken joint, from the Lambert's/Perla's/Elizabeth Street Cafe people, at 915 Lamar Blvd (old Emerald City Coffee). Chickens, tortas, salads, and homemade ice cream will be available at the drive thru.

Closed

-- Estancia Churrascuria, the Brazilian meat house, on Hwy. 290 by Brodie Lane

Events/Happenings

-- Foodways Texas annual symposium is March 23 - 25, here in Austin. It "will explore the ways we preserve Texas (as a region, as an idea) in our food and the ways we preserve food in Texas." More info, including tickets, on their website.

-- Sagra's Sunday Supper Club is in full force, another meal this Sunday, March 25th, 5 courses for $55 with complimentary wine pairings. And they will have Easter brunch coming up as well.

-- Slow Food Austin is holding an Austrian dinner with food from Wolfgang Murber of Fabi + Rosi, March 27th at Springdale Farm. More info and tickets. 

-- The first Texas VegFest, on March 31st at Fiesta Gardens. Lots of vendors!

-- CultureMap Austin's 2012 Tastemaker Awards will be held April 12th at the Driskill. Tickets available.

-- Tickets have gone on sale for Live Fire!, part of the Austin Food and Wine Alliance's annual Festival. Live Fire takes place April 26th at the Salt Lick Pavilion, and features some of the best meat-masters around, including Aaron Franklin (Franklin BBQ), Bryce Gilmore (Barley Swine), Andrew Wiseheart (Contigo), John Bullington (Alamo Drafthouse) and a whole bunch more! The Festival is April 27-29.
-- San Marcos is home to an on-line bakery (via Etsy) and local catering company, called Um, Yum! They are looking to expand their business by converting ("up-cycling") two shipping containers into an actual storefront, a la La Boite here in Austin, and recently launched a fund drive via Kickstarter!