First Look: Lunar Pizza (It's Outta This World!)

Editor's Note: Closed, fall 2019

Lunar Pizza has landed! While established as a mobile lunar rover, this new food trailer has planted it's pizza flag next to its sister Regal Ravioli at 1502 South First Street, across from Elizabeth Street Cafe. Earthlings rejoice!

The Lunar, aka cheese pizza

I was invited to try Lunar by owner Zach, who knows I have loved his ravioli trailer for years; previous post here. (Cheese ravioli with pecan pesto? Yes please! But don't overlook the sweet potato gnocchi with bolognese sauce.) So let's get this part out of the way, I was not monetarily compensated for this blog post and all opinions are purely my own.  I *dragged* two friends along with me, and we enjoyed a pleasant spring evening dining al fresco with our adult beverages we brought with us. And independently, we reached the same conclusion about Lunar Pizza: we loved it.

This is New Jersey-style pizza, which is known for a thinner and crispier crust and a little more sauce than its New York cousin. To me, the crust was the best part of the Lunar pizzas, and like a good apple pie, the crust MAKES a (pizza) pie.  Lunar's dough is thin, but not cracker thin, with a little bit of a chew to it, but not a doughy mouthful. It's unique and I dig it.

The deck oven in the trailer heats to 525 degrees. For a classic cheese pie, Zach spreads cheese over the dough and bakes for about 2 minutes, then adds sauce and more cheese before returning to the oven. This process helps the crust to bake to perfection. He recommends not putting too many toppings on the pizzas as it will overload the thin crust.

Zach, making pizza

There are a couple pies on the specialty menu, and Zach also brought us the Super Moon, a white pizza with garlic, olive oil, cheese, prosciutto, roasted red peppers and broccolini. A few red pepper flakes added a bit of zip, and this pie was outstanding. I always love a white pie, and as the song goes "When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that's amore." And for times when you don't want a whole pizza, you can also order by the slice.

The Super Moon pie

1502 S. 1st Street

Pro tips:

• Go directly to the Regal Ravioli trailer to order. All the orders and pick up is done from Regal and the Lunar trailer does all the prep and cooking.
• BYOB
• Order via Favor if you can't make it in person. (Not sure how well the crispness of the crust holds up.)
• Reheat your leftovers in the oven or toaster oven, don't make a soggy mess of the crust by putting it in the microwave.
• Monday - Saturday, noon - 10 pm; Sundays 3 - 10 pm

First Look: Phoebe's Diner

Phoebe's Diner, a comfort food spot, officially opened at South First and Oltorf on September 6th (533 W. Oltorf, on the southeast corner). Their sister restaurant, Winebelly is just a few doors down, along with Gilt, a nail salon. Quite the mini-empire being established! Phoebe's is open for breakfast and lunch, whereas Winebelly is open in the evenings so as not to compete with one another for parking spots or patrons.

The Cheeky Monkey, a 6-minute egg wrapped in sausage and potatoes with sage sausage gravy. 

Friends wanted to go to brunch this past Sunday, and they chose Phoebe's. Normally I try to avoid new places for the first month or two so they can work their kinks out, but I was excited to check out this new spot in my Bouldin Creek neighborhood.

We had the table right inside the door, which was nice and light-filled, though I never ventured more than six feet inside the door! The interior is modern farmhouse with trendy but timeless shiplap walls and subway tile. They have a variety of mimosas (beet?) which tied us over as we studied the menu. Our friendly waitress immediately asked if we wanted separate checks, which made it easier for all of us.

For the table, we started with the Peaches + Cream bowl, a twist on the traditional with burrata cheese and granola. I know that you can't get fresh peaches year-round, but a little disappointing that this is made with canned peaches. The flavors all worked together very nicely, and I could see getting this again, perhaps as a dessert.

Peaches and Cream, with burrata being the creamy factor.

But there were a few things that show the youth of Phoebe's.

Of our group of five, two people ordered the Benedict, one shrimp and grits, one fried chicken + grits, and one Cheeky Monkey. The Benedicts and fried chicken came a full five minutes before the other dishes, leaving that awkward "Go ahead and eat" conversation. I noticed that the table across from us which had 4 or 5 patrons all appeared to get their food at the same time, so it can be done!

Phoebe's Benedict, ham, eggs, + hollandaise over a biscuit with hash brown casserole.

I ordered the fried chicken and grits, which also comes with a biscuit. Except mine arrived sans biscuit, so I of course piped up. Our waitress had to grab a menu and look to see if it actually did come with the biscuit, and she said that she had been serving them all day without the biscuit. And this was at 1:30 pm. No one has asked for their biscuit yet?? Pay attention people, don't forget your biscuit! (Uh, hold that thought....)

Fried chicken, goat cheese grits, and biscuit.

Well, the very large biscuit arrived a moment later. It's huge, about 4 inches square and 2 inches thick, nicely browned on top, and fluffy. However, when you get into the middle of the thing, it was undercooked. Under a Benedict, you wouldn't really notice, but on it's own, you do. I could squeeze it together, and it made a little dough ball like you used to do with Wonder Bread when you were a kid. A few more minutes in the oven, please. Fortunately the chicken was expertly fried and I think all of our eyes rolled back in our heads a bit when trying the goat cheese grits. Goaty and corny and rich. Same grits with the Shrimp + Grits dish, though I think it's even more grits!

Gulf shrimp and goat cheese grits, with green chile hollandaise. Love the sauce pan as a serving dish.

Overall though the food was quite good, and I think all plates were pretty much licked clean. They don't have an actual website up and running yet, so the link above (and here) is to their Facebook page. Here's a shot of the menu in case you are curious. I thought that everything was well-priced, and it's nice to see a variety of gluten-free items. My mother would probably bemoan the lack of fresh vegetables, but I don't think anyone ever called a salad "comfort food." Sorry, Mom. But yes, there is a house salad and a bowl of fruit available.

So a few rough patches, but all in all a great new addition to South Austin! Welcome to the 'hood, Phoebe's Diner!

Toss Pizza: New York Style Pizza in South Austin

There are no shortage of pizza places in Austin, but last summer welcomed Toss Pizza into the mix. This New York-style pizza place is at 2901 South First Street, and offers on-site parking and an outdoor, dog-friendly seating area.

Somewhere between a restaurant and a bar, there was a laid-back vibe on a recent weeknight. Multiple televisions are positioned throughout, but fortunately they were not blaring. Each day has a different drink/happy hour special, and there's also a window to the kitchen where you can watch them toss pizza dough.

I started with beer and my friend and I split the garlic knots. Looking back at the menu, it says "choice of garlic butter, marinara or ranch." I realize now, the waiter didn't ask our preference, and just brought all three sauces with the order. Except the ranch wasn't ranch; it tasted more like an alfredo, though it congealed quickly, making me now wonder if it was the beer cheese that's mentioned in the pretzel appetizer. But it tasted more like an alfredo than a beer cheese. Oh well. The garlic butter was my favorite of the three.  Who doesn't like soft chewy bread and melted butter?

Toss makes big 20" pies. That's the only size. Fortunately, you can order a HALF pie. So we picked our own toppings with sausage and roast garlic, though some of their specialty pies sound delicious. As you can see, the half pie is still four very large slices, so we each ate one and took one home. I really liked the pizza. It was sort of easier to eat it with a fork and knife, at least initially, but it's also very foldable for those who like to eat their pizza that way.  Crust is pretty thin on the bottom, with a decent edge to it, almost like a Neapolitan. It crisped very nicely in the toaster oven when I reheated it.

We also ordered the warm Brussels sprout salad, with beets, pancetta, walnuts, and balsamic. The flavors were fantastic, but the execution was poor. The Brussels were completely soggy, and after a few bites, I just couldn't do it, and we set the tray to the side. I told the waiter, who sort of apologized, but didn't really appear to take any corrective action, and left them on our check. So I was about to leave a little disgruntled when someone who I assume was a manager came over to the table. He said the waiter told him what I said about the Brussels, so he went back to the kitchen to check, and  sure enough, he felt they were sub par. He apologized and gave us a card for 10% off our next visit. I felt vindicated, and appreciated the manager's efforts, and that of the waiter for reporting it.

You can order online for pick up or delivery; this will come in handy. I will happily return to Toss for the pizza. So while I hope the kitchen gets the Brussels perfected, the pizza is pretty much perfect as is.

Fresas Chicken al Carbon

I was excited to hear that Fresa's Chicken al Carbon was coming to my Bouldin Creek neighborhood, taking over the old Freddie's location at 1703 South First Street. I've always enjoyed the food at the original location at Lamar and 9th Street, though have never frequented it.  The team behind Launderette is spreading their wings so to speak with a full-service restaurant and expanded menu. How did my first experience stack up?

My neighbor and I wandered over one recent warm weeknight. The expansive patio has undergone a beautiful transformation, and with a table open near a cooling fan we opted to sit outside. Currently, there are no happy hour specials, but hopefully that will change! We had the Rose Sangria and the Smoky Paloma, and were both quite happy with the quality of the drinks.

Their kids menu says items are for kids of all ages, so we took advantage of the tiny-sized chips and queso offering, which turned out to be the perfect size for two people knowing other food would be involved. It was a very nice queso, gooey enough, but not slick like Velveeta.

We split the La Mari shrimp taco, which I am not sure I would get again. The shrimp were room temp, and it doesn't really seem like an item that shrimp should be lukewarm, though I could be wrong. The pickled onions and greens were nice, but the whole thing left me cold.

The chimichurri skirt steak plate is available in different sizes, depending on the number of eaters. We got the smallest plate, which at 1/4 pound of beef is the suggested size for one person. The beef was good, still pink, and maybe a touch tough. But the real standout was the chimichurri sauce, which was nice and bright in color and flavor. Copious amounts of grilled onions. The disappointment though was the corn tortilla, which was very gummy, possibly from the condensation of being served in tin foil.  I think they should ditch the foil and just serve them in the cloth tortilla warmers.

And we also had the Mexican street corn, with cotija cheese and a touch of chile powder. Very tasty!

Topping things off was the Tres Leches Tropical cake for dessert, with a coconut lime sponge cake and exquisite mango passion fruit curd. Really, don't pass this by!

I think we can all agree that the hallmarks of any good restaurant are the quality and consistency of the food and the caliber of the customer service.  I thought our server was quite decent up until the point he accidentally knocked the water carafe off the table as he was clearing our main course dishes. It hit the chair where my purse was sitting and the glass broke. I immediately grabbed my purse and started drying off the strap, which was wet, but not damaged. Our young server's comment was "Oh, how did that happen?" though he must have known he clipped it while clearing plates.

There was no apology for the mess or wet purse strap from him nor the other two servers/bussers who came to sweep up the glass (or an inquiry as if either of us had been cut). Nor was the carafe replaced automatically, and said server knew we still had dessert to come. We had to flag down someone who was carrying a tray of five carafes to ask for one, to be given a slightly dirty look (seriously, my neighbor and I both caught it) and the response that those were for another table, and she'd get us one when she could. Oh my.

While not every restaurant has to exhibit the gold-star Uchi levels of service, it would be nice if more restaurants paid attention to service from the get go and made it more of a priority. I spoke to my neighbor today, and she's been back to Fresa's since our visit, and she said both the service and queso were mediocre. Which is a shame, because my last experience at Launderette was delightful in every way. Yes Fresa's is only a couple weeks old, so let's hope they're still just in the growing pains stages as far as service.

But as far as value, I am not sure it's there. I also got a quarter of a chicken, with rice and beans to take home, and while it was tasty for lunch the next day, it was certainly a small portion of meat. I remember when the drive through first opened several years ago, its hallmark was hormone and antibiotic free chickens. And it said so on the website. Now I don't see it listed on the menu or online (and they don't pay much attention to their Facebook page). So I called as I was writing this up, and was told that yes, they are hormone, antibiotic free, and sourced locally. Then why not proudly say it where all can see it? Though looking back on my 2012 blog post on Fresa's, I forgot they were under different ownership then. Times change.

So kind of like the shrimp taco, I'd call this whole experience lukewarm. I'll give Fresa's another shot though. But not the taco.

First Look at Alcomar

Last week, I was invited by Alcomar to come try their menu; I was not paid for a blog post and opinions are purely my own. Fortunately, it's all good things to report!

I live in the Bouldin Creek neighborhood, so I was surprised earlier this year to hear that the El Chile at South First and Mary Streets was going to change its concept to become at Latin seafood spot, as El Chile always seemed popular. Chef Alma Alcocer-Thomas of sister restaurant El Alma, and Chef Jeff Martinez of El Chile teamed up to form Alcomar, and barely a month in they're making waves (bada bing!) in the Austin culinary scene.

My friend and I each started with some sangria roja, and they brought fresh tostadas, a habanero-pumpkin seed salsa called siklipak and some pickled veggies (yes it was habanero, but no, it wasn't that hot). Beautiful color and flavor on the sangria, and that was just a preview, as everything we had looked and tasted fresh and vibrant.

We started with the snapper ceviche, which has mint, olives, serrano and jicama in it, and is served with yucca chips. Loved just the hint of mint!

My friend had the scallops Veracruzana; and if the scallops themselves aren't fabulous enough, it comes with a cauliflower flan, which was as decadent as the name flan implies.

I opted for the crab cake from the appetizer menu as my main dish, and also ordered the cauliflower a la carte. The tortilla crusted crab cake was loaded with crab, and the plate had tomatoes, sweet potatoes, beets, and a grilled lemon aioli which popped with flavor.

For dessert, there was the dark chocolate tart with Bolivian sea salt and what I think was cajeta (goat's milk caramel). Love the star burst presentation, and this was over the top delicious!

And bunuelos, fried flour tortillas (I think) dusted with sugar, and a highly edible coconut tequila crema alongside.

The interior was completely revamped to give it an upscale Mexican beach feel, and my friend who lived on the Mexican coast for several months was immediately transported.  Each window has a different rope curtain and the simple light fixtures are covered with huge open-weave baskets. And the ever-present octopus graces the north wall, both on the interior and exterior.

Alcomar is a great addition to the Austin food scene, as I don't know of another Latin place like this in town. Catch the wave and go try it for yourself! Mariscos y mas, con sabores fabulosos! Gracias a todos, Alcomar!

Alcomar
1816 South First Street
open 7 days a week, 11 am - 9 pm (til 10 pm on T/W/Th and til 11 pm on F/Sa)

La Patisserie -- Sweet AND Savory!

Just a few yards from the hustle and bustle of South First and Annie Streets lies a charming little house,  La Patisserie. This French bakery opened their renovated bungalow in the fall of 2010 at 602 W. Annie Street  (just a few yards west of South First), and has been going strong ever since. I was invited to come try some of their new lunch items, and had a wonderful chat with owner Soraiya Nagree.

Regular offerings include the always-popular (and colorful!) macarons. I am partial to the toasted almond variety, as it was my winning suggestion for a "new flavor" contest they had back in 2011!

There is always a case full of sweet breads for breakfast, such as croissants and morning buns, which is like a cinnamon roll, but without the goo. They have a new flavor, orange almond, which is one of the items Soraiya sent me home with. See the little burned spot on top? Yeah, that's from my toaster oven -- this this was so tall, it hit the heating element! I know you can't gauge the size of it here, but this was about baseball-sized. I've always loved the contrast between it's crusty and slightly caramelized exterior and the wonderfully soft buttery crumb inside.

Speaking of butter, La Patisserie uses Plugra, which is a European-style butter, meaning it has a higher butterfat content than your standard American butters. And while 2% difference may not seem like a lot, it is! Everything just tastes a little bit richer. That was evidenced in the mushroom savory tart I took home. When I heated it in the toaster oven my kitchen just smelled of butter. They're making a great crust on the tarts, as it puffed lightly and was nice and flaky, and of course buttery. (And I am picky about my pie crusts!) They were also the perfect size for one person; add a salad and you've got a nice meal. Right now, they have mushroom, turkey swiss and tomato ricotta tarts.

Other new lunch options include chicken salad and rosemary cream cheese "croissant-wiches". And of course, there's always a great selection of desserts, such as eclairs and the Paris brest, which my friends and I were dying to try after seeing La P's Instagram picture earlier this spring, and it did not disappoint!

La Patisserie is also available for private rentals -- a great place for a shower or tea party. More information about rentals and special orders is available on their website. So whether you need something for breakfast, lunch, dessert or just a pick me up snack like these strawberry pop tarts, there is something for everyone over at La Patisserie!

Guide to South Austin Food Trailers

Click here to go to the entire 2015 AFBA City Guide!

Welcome to the South Austin Trailer Guide, part of the Austin Food Blogger Alliance's 2015 City Guide! This post is a roundup of food trailers/trucks in South Austin with permanent locations; I am (mostly) focusing on the area bordered to the north/south by Town Lake to William Cannon and east/west by IH-35 to Mopac.

Please remember with trailers, they can move! They might be at a weekend event, and then back in their regular spot during the week. Some are amazing at keeping up with their social media, and kudos to them! Many are weather-dependent, and even personnel dependent, e.g. only one person can run the food line, so if that person is sick or injured, the trailer may not be open. Hours can vary so check their social media or website.  

They are all small, local businesses, so please show them your love! Trailers listed by geographical area. Apologizes for those who I have inadvertently overlooked; please add in the comments section below.


Along South Congress (from the river heading south)

• Mrs. P's Electric Cock @1101 S. Congress -- fried chicken 
• Burro Cheese Kitchen @ 1221 S.Congress  -- grilled cheese sandwiches 
• Juice Austin @ 1221 S. Congress -- fresh juice + smoothies
• Fat Cactus @1318 S. Congress -- delicious sweet and savory Navajo fry breads
  
• Gemma Love Jamaican Cuisine @1318 S. Congress -- Jamaican
• Crepes Mille @1318 S. Congress -- crepes
• SoCo Burgers @ 2400 S. Congress (in the HEB parking lot) -- burgers
• Hoek's Death Metal Pizza @ 3808 S. Congress -- pizza

Along South Lamar

• Luke's Inside Out @ Gibson Bar, 1109 South Lamar -- sandwiches
• Texas Cuban, 1700 South Lamar -- Cuban sandwiches, like the El Cubano
  
• Brown's BBQ @ Corner Bar, 1901 South Lamar-- barbecue; really loved the chicken thighs
  
  
• Taco Baby @ Bluebonnet Flea, 2323 South Lamar -- tacos
• Wasota @ Bluebonnet Flea, 2323 South Lamar -- African cuisine

The Picnic -- 1720 Barton Springs Road

• Chi'Lantro -- Korean/Mexican fusion; just opened a brick and mortar on South Lamar and have a couple of roving trucks
• Hey Cupcake -- cupcakes
• Hey You Gonna Eat -- sandwiches
• Kebabalicious -- Turkish meat wraps; the picture doesn't do this beef and lamb kebab justice; they have other locations too, including brick and mortar on E. 7th
  
  
• Mighty Cone -- food in a cone
• Skinny Limits -- juice + smoothies
• Tapas Bravas -- Spanish, tapas
• Turf n Surf -- po'boys

South Austin Social -- 415 Jessie Street

• Beirut Austin -- Middle Eastern foods
• Boca Foods -- Spanish, tapas
• Brunch Haus -- Southern-inspired brunch items
• Unity Vegan -- vegan 

Bouldin Creek Food Court -- 1207 S. 1st Street

• Bombay Dhaba -- Indian
• Little Thai Food -- Thai
• Pitalicious -- Middle Eastern

Torchy's Trailer Park -- 1311 S. 1st Street

• Conscious Cravings -- wraps, salads, smoothies
• Holy Cacao -- cake balls and desserts
• Torchy's -- *damn good tacos*

Next to Elizabeth Street Cafe -- 1503 S. 1st Street

• Dock 'n Roll -- lobster rolls
• Gourdough's -- *big fat donuts*
• Mellizoz Tacos -- tacos
• Shwarma Point --  Middle Eastern

Across from Elizabeth Street Cafe -- 1502 S. 1st Street

• 40 North -- Great Neapolitan-style pizza! This was a special with butternut squash + caramelized onions.
  
• Regal Ravioli -- They are one of my favorite trailers; here's the roasted beet ravioli with pecan pesto; I also LOVE the sweet potato gnocchi with bolognese sauce.
  

Next to La Mexicana -- 1906 S. 1st Street

• The Pizza Shop -- pizza

South First Food Court (at Live Oak) -- 603 W. Live Oak

• Bananarchy -- frozen banana desserts (they're seasonal though, roughly March thru November)
• Crepe Up Delicious -- sweet and savory crepes
• Gravy-- biscuits and gravy (almost as good as my own biscuits!)
  
  
• Mama Mal's -- Italian 
• Snolabs -- shaved snow desserts (also seasonal)
• Tommy Want Wingy -- chicken lollipops (wings) with choice of sauce
  
  
• El Primo -- directly across S. 1st @  2101 South 1st. -- tacos

South First and Oltorf  -- 504 W. Oltorf Street

• Cheke's Takos -- tacos
• Pie Plante -- pies; I've only had their coconut cream pie, but it was heaven!
• The Flying Carpet -- Moroccan souk food; the owners have become friends of mine, and their food is delicious and unique. They also have indoor space where you can eat, and it's available as a rental for private events (they've got a great catering menu!). Pictured below is the Moroccan: beef kefta with scrambled egg, and a savory tomato sauce. Don't forget the L'afrique sauce for your wrap or fries!
  
  

Along Barton Springs Road

• Nuha's Sinful Sweets -- cookies (by Terry Blacks BBQ @ 1017 Barton Springs)
• Short Bus -- subs/sandwiches (by Austin Energy @ 801 Barton Springs)
• SnoBeach -- snow cones (@ 801)

The Barn -- 6218 Brodie Lane

• Fishey Bizness  -- fish and chips (huge portions!) and po'boys
  
• Hey Cupcake -- cupcakes!
• Nutter Buster BBQ + Comfort Foods -- pulled pork and brisket sandwiches

The Midway Food Park -- 1905 S. Capital of Texas Hwy (360)

• The Celia Jacobs Cheesecake Experience -- cheesecake
• Coolhaus -- ice cream sandwiches
• Dock 'n Roll -- lobster rolls
• Gregorio's -- Italian
• One Taco -- breakfast tacos (not just for breakfast)
• Royal Roots Juices -- fresh juice and organic salads/wraps
• Thai Kitchen Express Food Truck (aka Eat Thai or Die) -- a fairly new Thai trailer; these are Phuket pork buns, which were really nice.
  
  
• Widespread Daves -- "the best of what's around"

Manchaca Road

• Veracruz All Natural @ Radio, 4208 Manchaca -- tacos, tortas, juices

40 North Pizza

In the past couple years, South First Street from Barton Springs Road to Oltorf Street has become a bustling hubbub with various eateries and hip stores continually popping up. I've lived in the area for over 15 years, and it's nice to have so much within walking distance, especially when it comes to good food. 

The latest addition to the Bouldin Creek food scene is the 40 North food trailer, specializing in Neapolitan-style pizza. They are directly across the street from Elizabeth Street Cafe, and share the lot with Regal Ravioli, which has always been one of my favorites. I was invited by 40 North to try their pizzas. 

They offer six regular pizzas and then a couple rotating weekly specials, as well as some salads and dessert. Owner/chef Clint says once the weather is warmer, he hopes to expand some of the salad and other offerings. He was a lawyer in New York before deciding law wasn't his thing, and went to Italy to study the craft of pizza making in Naples (hence the name, as Naples is at the 40⁰ latitude mark), and then returned to Brooklyn and worked in a pizza shop there, before moving to Austin in 2011.  He hopes for a brick and mortar spot down the road!

Their trailer contains a wood-burning oven, which takes up almost half the trailer space. On this blustery February day, we were invited inside the trailer to check it out, and to see the oven first hand. You could immediately feel the heat! Those beautiful coals are burning at over 900⁰, and they actually had to cool it down a bit before serving pizzas; 850⁰ is more the ideal temperature, and pizzas cook in about 90 seconds.

The first one we tried was one of the specials, butternut squash with caramelized onions, ricotta, a bit of thyme, calabrian peppers, and a drizzle of Mike's Hot Honey (honey infused with chiles). Loved it! I am a sucker for sweet and savory, and all the components together worked extremely well. The crust which is very lightly charred at the edges, had a very nice chew to it without being overly dense.

Then we tried the hot honey pizza, which is a regular menu item; with a base sauce of San Marzano tomatoes, it has hot coppa salumi, ricotta, and a drizzle of the hot honey as well. The coppa crisps up nicely, and again with the contrast of the honey, it makes for a tasty pie.

Beautiful and delicious pizzas. 40 North knows what they're doing and they're doing it well. I definitely suggest you go check them out! They have live music on some Saturdays, so check out their Facebook page or website for updated info. A fabulous addition to the neighborhood!

Full disclosure: I was invited by 40 North to check them out, but was not paid for my opinion or a blog post. But I am happily and honestly providing one that I hope will make you want to go try them!