Lucky Robot

Last week, I caught up with a friend at Lucky Robot on South Congress; for a weeknight at the end of June, the area was buzzing (Netflix was filming something next door at the Continental Club) and the restaurant was full! We were fortunate to snag a table without a reservation. 

Brussels tossed in a lemongrass soy marinade

Tako (octopus) and pork belly "sashimi" bites

Summer cebiche with white fish, baby corn, watermelon, jalapeno with a watermelon
leche de tigre broth. Gorgeous plating, delicious and super refreshing!

Hira hira (yellowtail tuna) maki roll 

A lovely glass of Gruner Veltliner. And see the wooden bud vase?
That's an elegantly designed QR code!

The interior of Lucky Robot is certainly what you would call Instagrammable. (Or sensory overload, lol.) As June represents Pride/LGBTQ+ rights/visibility/equality, this bench seating is loud and proud and I loved it! (The photo also belies the crowded restaurant! This was taken right after the table next to us left.)

Side note, a friend and I had gotten carry out from Lucky Robot last summer that was also delicious!

Stunning carryout chirashi bowl from last year; a version of this is now on their brunch menu.

Also delicious were these pork belly buns

All in all, a successful venture out into the real world! What are your current summertime faves?

Aba: The Greatest Hits

Passion fruit gin + tonic. Yes, please! 

In the past month, I have been fortunate to go to Aba twice for lunch. The first visit was quite good, and the second trip even better! Aba is a Mediterranean spot on South Congress in the new Music Lane (read: upscale) development; the original restaurant is in Chicago and this is now their second location. Here's a rundown of our foods with a little commentary. 😀 

Whipped feta with pistachios and pita bread. If you only order one thing at Aba, make it this. OMG. So creamy, not overly salty, and a basket of  warm pita which is doughier + fluffier than your standard pita.

Hummus with short ribs was quite tasty.

I believe this was the farro salad with sunchokes; gorgeous presentation but to me it didn't have all the flavors the menu promised. (I actually don't see this version on the current menu.)

Grilled chicken kebabs with wonderfully juicy chicken. The zhoug sauce (like a cilantro pesto) was a bit flat and needed more acidity to really shine.

Frozen Greek yogurt with strawberry sauce was a refreshing palate cleanse at the end of our meal.

On to my second visit:

This ahi tuna tabouli was outstanding, and I am not one that gravitates to raw dishes. The tuna was like velvet, the pomegranate seeds offered the perfect texture and acidity along with a light bit of yuzu, and I like the mouthfeel of pearled couscous rather than cracked barley for a tabouli.

Very crispy potatoes, which I loved, served with a scallion crema.

Big Brussels sprouts, with almond dukkah (a sumac-based seasoning) and honey harissa for a touch of sweetness. Great flavors.

Slow braised leg of lamb wrapped in eggplant. I love lamb and would eat this again in a heartbeat! It was very tender, the tomato sauce full of cinnamon, which may sound strange (though very typical of Mediterranean food), but so good!

Plan your visit ahead as getting a reservation can be challenging. Both times, we went for an early weekday lunch and were able to get seated in the outdoor breezeway with no problem. The design of the place is beauitful with a huge deck with lounge areas, tables, and a full bar; the majority of the seating is outdoors, nestled between old trees and new buildings. My photos of the exterior don't do it justice and hence not posted, but take my word for it. They also have a gluten free menu, and to-go parking in the below-ground lot.  The scope of South Congress is changing, loosing its once funky vibe, but Aba is a welcome and VERY delicious addition to the scene. 

Have you been? What foods did you enjoy?

The Best New Restaurants in South Austin: The 2020 Edition

Click here to see the full City Guide!

Hello hungry readers! In the past I have written/updated a huge comprehensive guide to all the fantastic foods that can be found throughout South Austin. I would be THRILLED if you took at look at that post, so click right here, as there is lots of juicy, mouthwatering info and pictures over there. 😃

This time, I am giving you a post of the best new places in South Austin that have opened in the past year. So I invite you to sit back and try not to gnaw through the screen. In no particular order, here are my faves.

Click on the restaurant's name to get to their website; links to my blog posts also included.

Salt Traders (my post here), 1101 South Mopac
Located at Mopac and Bee Caves, this sibling establishment to Jack Allen's hits all the coastal notes.

Chowda fries. I need more of this in my life!

Velouria (my post here), 3801 South Congress Avenue
Lovely cocktail bar with lush green velvet chairs and frozen espresso martinis on tap!

Cheers!

El Naranjo (my post here), 2717 South Lamar Boulevard
They moved from Rainey Street this winter, and I am glad they did! So not a "new" restaurant, but new to South Austin! This interior Mexican spot specializes in moles, fresh salsas, and traditional dishes like cochinita pibil and masa empanadas with huitlacoche.

Mole with duck breast

Shore Raw Bar + Grill (my post here), 8665 Highway 71 
A little ways out on Highway 71 (past Jack Allen's), but a welcome addition to the area with their seafood-centric dishes.

Exquisite snapper crudo

The Meteor (my post here), 2110 South Congress Avenue
Who would have thought a coffee/wine/snack bar and bicycle repair shop could happily co-exist?

Artipasta (my post here), 7800 South First Street in the Thicket Food Park
I only wish they weren't so far from me! Delicious pastas, all housemade.

Carbonara

The Git Out (my post here), 4930 South Congress Avenue
Very well-prepared pub grub.

Potato Puffs

Bao'd Up (my post here), 5207 Brodie Lane 
Fast casual, sibling to the original spot in Mueller and another new one on the Drag. This one is in Sunset Valley next door to Tarka (my favorite fast-casual Indian spot), and their gua bao can't be beat for price or taste!

Pork belly gua bao

Other new South Austin spots on my radar:
-- Carpenter Hall (my post here), didn't love it or hate it
-- Carve, but I haven't been yet
-- Tuk Tuk, this Thai spot closed for a while, renovated, and are now reopened, but alas, I haven't been

What have you been eating in South Austin? Tell me your favorite places and dishes!

First Look: The Git Out (But you should git in!)

A trio of tasty treats!

New spot at 4930 South Congress, between Ben White and Stassney called The Git Out. Beers, cocktails, burgers, and some nice variety of tasty food stuffs. While in a new strip center, there's outdoor seating and plenty of parking. Staff was friendly and the food we had was great!

Vodka lemonade on tap, this month's flavor is watermelon which went down REAL easy!

Potato Puffs, basically mashed potato balls coated with something akin to cornflakes, and fried to perfection, not a lick of grease. Crispy on the outside and nice and squishy in the middle. Nice chipotle ranch dipping sauce too. 

Pork Popcorn -- hello pork belly nuggets! Lightly fried, well-rendered, bit of a smokey flavor.

Brussels + Bacon, great flavor with a little sriracha, balsamic and cotija cheese, but the Brussels
 could have been crispier, which is my only critique of the food we had. 

Fun and random wall art.  From their website: "Our truly #Austin decor is inspired by our owning partners passion for American made motorcycles, hot rods and various unique #petroliana…" Makes sense!

Liked the wood paneling and again the random objects d'art. Nice tall ceilings with a bunch of
old chandeliers that have been painted and given that shabby chic look.
 Very light-filled too (at 5 pm), which their photos online portray a darker bar so don't be fooled.

Props to my friend @cooperandclaire who tipped me off about the Git Out. He said the Phatty Melt was pretty much other worldly, so that's on my list for next time. Yes, there will be a next time!

First Look: Velouria Cocktails + Coffee in South Austin

Liquid libations are always a good thing, and when an establishment combines the worlds of coffee and cocktails, that's generally an excellent thing. Meet Velouria, a new lounge/bar/coffee shop/ whathaveyou on South Congress and Alpine Road. {Yes, directly across Alpine from Expose in the Davis SoCo building...hopefully this is different clientele!}

Velouria opens early for coffee and pastries (from Crema Bakery) and stays open late for cocktails and on some evenings, a live DJ.

Beautiful dark teal interior with gold accents and luscious green velvet chairs.  In this photo, bar is on the far side with lounge and table seating in the near.

All coffee drinks are made with local Austin Roasting Company beans, including this frozen espresso martini with vanilla vodka and coffee liquor. Straight from the slushee machine on tap, and extremely delicious, even though having caffeine at 5 pm might not have been the best choice. 😅 I'll do the frozen Mai Tai next time!

Charcuterie board with meats and cheeses from Antontelli's Cheese Shop; love their collaborations with all these local businesses!  Three cheeses, two meats, sweet and savory spreads, a few olives, and a few marcona almonds. My one complaint (apart from there only being like 4 almonds) is the almonds tasted like they had come from the fridge so there was no snap or crispiness to them. I mentioned this to owner Sara who commented on my Instastories picture of our cocktails, and she said she appreciated the feedback, so hopefully the almond quality will improve! And while she may be the owner (along with husband Tim), she was a wonderful barista/cocktail waitress. They also own the Brixton and Drinks Lounge in East Austin, so not their first rodeo....or cuppa coffee.

We also had the chicken salad on croissant, which was fine, but not overly exciting. I hope they'll consider expanding their cocktail hour food offerings.

If you're looking for a place to kick back in South Austin with a variety of beverage offerings, check out Velouria.  Also their website has handy and very helpful parking info! There is outdoor patio seating, which would be lovely in the mornings, but those green velvet chairs inside are just calling my name...

First Look: Joann's Fine Foods

How fine was Joann's Fine Foods, the new Mexican/California foods entry from local hospitality group McGuire Moorman? Pretty fine! I am honestly a bit surprised to say I liked the food as much as I did.

This retro diner has moved into the South Congress spot that was previously Snack Bar (and El Sol y La Luna for those of us who have been living in Austin for more than a hot minute), adjoining the Austin Motel. So given their pretty central location in the midst of trendiness and tourism, and their pedigree (the team behind June's All Day, Josephine House, Clarks...) the menu prices are on the high side. Like $32 for chicken fried steak....it better be a huge portion!

Having studied the menu before visiting, I was a touch apprehensive given the pricing but knowing they can command those prices due to their physical location. But folks, Happy Hour is the time to go! {Weekdays, 4 - 6 pm, 25% off all food as well as drink specials.} My friend and I had liquid libations and an early dinner.

Lolita Sunrise, which matches the colors of the bar. 😉

Hash brown nachos were kind of a revelation, especially for my friend who is ALL about potatoes in all varieties of dishes. Nice textural combo of the toasty hash browns, firm beans, silky queso, sour cream(y), and fresh pico.

Grilled corn + zucchini squash with a green goddess dressing, cotija cheese, and jalapenos. And the acid
from the lime was perfect. Looking at the menu, it also mentions dill, which I see a tiny bit sprinkled on top.
If I were a dill lover I would have been disappointed, but I did not miss it at all.

Beef picadillo enchiladas, which aren't really photogenic, but fortunately they were delicious. The rolled tortillas were crisp and the picadillo had some nice zing to it! Add queso and yum! 

We don't really pass up the opportunity for dessert and this coconut tres leches hit the spot.
 Not too rich, though I wish the coconut on top had been toasted. 

The beautiful bar counter, complete with old-school plastic letter sign board. 

The booth area, as seen from the restroom alcove.

And from the booths, looking towards the bar. There's also a large outdoor seating area to the back left in the photo.

All in all, a very successful outing, and I was even shocked to find (albeit annoying) back-in parking right out front. Open since October, Joann's serves food from 8 am - midnight daily, and will undoubtedly be a destination for many during SXSW and beyond. 1224 South Congress, across from the Continental Club.