Two Hot Mama's Grill

I have always enjoyed the Two Hot Mama's product line: salsas (rojo, verde, and a combo one called mambo combo), the creamy cilantro dip, and particularly the roasted almond chimichurri -- great for chip & dip, as a salad dressing, in tacos, on fish...you get the idea! They have always won awards at the Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Festival, amongst others. Now one of the Hot Mamas has branched out to her own eatery, the Two Hot Mama's Grill in Lakeway. (Geeez, wasn't I just in Lakeway right before Christmas?!)

So it's really only about 15 miles from my 'hood in South Austin, and on this warm, cloudy January day, it was actually an easy drive.....but I wouldn't want to do it in rush hour! Located at 620 at Lohmann's Crossing, it's just behind the Compass Bank building, which is easily visible from 620 when headed northbound. The place is painted with nice bright colors, a couple of flat screen tv's, and free wifi.

From the menu, you choose whether you want a burrito, tacos, tostado, etc. and on what type of tortilla. Then you pick your meat and 4 toppings, plus salsa. It's a lot of picking! I settled on a beef fajita burrito on a whole wheat tortilla with black beans, rice, cheese, black bean & corn salsa (okay, I got a little redundant with the black beans), and my favorite roasted almond chimichurri sauce. Everything tasted very fresh, the meat was nice & tender, and I ate all of it, except a bit of the tortilla. My friend got the soup of the day (which they post on their Facebook page; so far no website), which was chilled avocado & cilantro, and soft tacos, one with pulled pork and the other with veggies. All of it was delicious! The soup was VERY thick & creamy, but had a great flavor -- you could taste the cilantro, but it wasn't overpowering, like cilantro can be. It was thick enough that I think it would be great on grilled chicken or fish, or even as a cole slaw dressing.
I wish it was closer to Austin, as I would certainly go back with regularity. It's a family run business, and owner Genevieve was refilling customer's glasses with tea, and chatting with people as they came in. It's in a great location, right on the edge of the shopping center's driveway, so it has great visibility. Screw the national chain restaurants, and give some good local businesses your business!

Chez Zee

Chez Zee is one of those Austin restaurants that seemingly has been around forever. I remember hearing about it not long after I moved here in 1994, as it was (and presumably still is) known for it's huge desserts. The last time I was there was almost 4 years ago for Easter brunch when my parents were in town; I remember it being jammed packed, and while I think my memory of the food was favorable, I have no idea what we ate. So tonight I met one of my best friends and her two elementary school aged boys for an earlyish dinner.

At about 5:50 pm, there were maybe two tables seated, and a trio of ladies at the bar. We asked for a table with a bench seating, as was easier with the kids. The host asked our preference on seats, and upon hearing it didn't matter to us, he escorted us to the table against the back wall. And while the boys were extremely well behaved, we might not have always been the quietest of tables, so the back was probably a good plan. I returned from the restroom to find the lights had dimmed. Great! Mood lighting with children. My friend asked if I wanted to split the "Zee Best of Platter", and I agreed, and I also ordered a side Caesar salad, asking for light dressing. The boys were getting grilled cheese and mini-cheeseburgers.

Now what follows here is cut and pasted directly from their website. While it will give you the description of our meal, please take note of the typos within it, again, straight from their website.
ZEE BEST OF PLATTER Hand Cut center cut Filet Mignon (4.oz) served on a bed of creamed spinach, One Grilled Lambchop, One ‘Southen’ Maryland Crabcake. Served with Sweet potato pudding, jalapeno cornbread stuffing, grilled asperagus and garic mashed potatoes. Served with a side of black cherry dipping sauce. 28.95
Now my friends and co-workers know that I am totally anal about proofreading and editing (so I better edit this submission well!). It is taking ALL that I have not to print their entire online menu, circle the errors in red, and mail it to them. I would be embarrassed if I were the management at Chez Zee.

Okay, back to the food. If the salad had "light" dressing on it, I'd hate to see what the regular amount is. I didn't detect any anchovy flavor, in what they describe as their "unique" Caesar dressing. I guess I should ask if it is supposed to have anchovy in it, but their fat free version is described as being without anchovy or oil, so.....one would think the regular version has it. Though it occurs to me now, maybe the waiter thought I was asking for the light/fat free version, as opposed to a light amount of dressing on my salad. The romaine was fresh, the croutons crispy, but I miss the typical Caesar flavor. We asked for an extra plate when we ordered so we could divvy the Platter up ourselves. It is quite a medley of food, and while eating it, it kinda reminded me of Thanksgiving, with a little of this and a little of that (plus the sides were all Thanksgiving-y). The filet was wrapped in a piece of fatty bacon, and cooked on the medium side of medium-rare; fairly good. The lamb chop was medium rare, and quite tasty (probably the best thing on the plate). The black cherry dipping sauce was heavy on the horseradish though. The crab cake was more breading than crab. Sweet potatoes seemed more mashed than pudding style; the mashed potatoes were very pureed, and there was jalapeno in that stuffing? That was stuffing? The very fat asparagus were cooked nicely, not overdone. And there was another sauce that came with it too, something between regular mayo and an aioli. The french fries that came with the grilled cheese were lightly seasoned and nice and crisp, not greasy, and apparently they also make their own potato chips which came with the burger.

In the interest of watching our post-holiday waistlines, the adults passed on dessert (though the cakes looked yummy in the case, they didn't look nearly as tall and imposing as I remember), and we got vanilla ice cream for the boys. Well, what arrived wasn't vanilla, and the boys wouldn't eat it. We both tried it, and it had a familiar herbaceous quality to it. When the waiter came by to get the check, we mentioned it to him, and his response was "well, we only have one kind of ice cream." Well, it turns out they DO have two. He apparently scooped from the wrong container, as it turned out to be cardamom (not like cardamom I've tasted, and I love cardamom!), but he did bring the actual vanilla, and all was well.

Leaving about 7pm, the place, in all it's garish holiday decor (life-sized Nutcracker still outside, gaudy glittery stuff inside, heart ornaments hanging above their piano....), was about half full, which I'd say is not bad for a Tuesday in January. It looked like a mix of couples, families, and happy hour ladies. I am wondering if I should have just skipped dinner and just had dessert. That answer is yes. Next time.

Asia Cafe

Another good authentic Chinese spot is Asia Cafe, formerly inside of Asia Market at 183 and Spicewood Springs. Sometime last summer they moved the restaurant into the space next door to the grocery store. I had been to the old location, I think twice, but not for probably close to two years. I remember the pea shoots and crispy whole flounder as being fantastic.

So I met two friends up there for lunch yesterday. Both foodies, and both much more into the organ meats than I. One ordered stir fried beef intestines (though I don't see it on the menu... somewhere in the #787-790 range, though those are all pork, I thought he ordered beef), and another dish that I don't see listed online, which was essentially pieces of coagulated beef blood; both dishes done Szechuan style, with lots of Szechuan peppercorns & chiles. I did try them both, and honestly, they weren't bad, but I am not sure I could eat a whole bowl of them. It was sort of amusing, because after about 2 bites, both my companions looked at the intestine dish and said "that's not tripe that's tongue." Where there was a brief break in the line to order, he asked the order taker, who went to check it out with the kitchen. She came back to our table and said they were out of tripe, so they substituted tongue, probably thinking the Caucasian dude wouldn't notice, but of course he did. He still ate it all.
My other friend ordered what I believe is #699, Combination Seafood Pot with Pork Intestines. It was a HUGE pot. Think mixing bowl. There were a few stares from both Asian & Caucasian people who were waiting in line to order. There was cabbage and broth in the bottom, and just covered with tripe and nicely battered and fried pieces of white fish throughout. Also lots of peppercorns & chiles, but very flavorful. We shared the #129, Zhong dumplings, which are probably some of the best I have ever had. They made their own dough for them, and once steamed, it comes out to be a really soft, tender, lightly chewy dough, that is perfect with the pork filling. They come bathed in a garlicy soy sauce, which is I think what makes them "zhong". I really love pan-fried dumplings, so on my next visit, that's what I want to try, assuming they are also done with the homemade dough.
We also got #675, the salt & pepper fried squid. A great light batter (rice flour?) around slightly thicker pieces of squid tubes, they kind of looked like gnocchi/fried cauliflower, and were delicious. Would have been nice if they came with a little sauce to dunk them in, but there were plenty of broths & oils on the table to do so. I ordered #568, spicy & sour sweet potato noodle, which turned out to be one of my least favorite items. It was okay....a broth of mostly chile oil, with the cellophane sweet potato noodles, a bit of ground beef, and fresh water spinach leaves. Hard to eat (at least politely), and the broth didn't have the depth of flavor that like the seafood pot or even the intestine/tongue dish had. But I could have eaten a plate of those dumplings!

A couple of notes: we got there at 11:30am, and by about11:50am there was a line at the register where you order that pretty much didn't stop. They give you a number when you order, and then call it out when the food arrives. Sometimes difficult to understand the man calling out numbers & dishes. Also, if you're not accustomed to Szechuan peppercorns, don't be alarmed if your mouth and/or tongue goes numb while eating and everything tastes a bit different than normal. It goes away once you're done eating. Finally, there's a cupcake place down to the right of the restaurant.... what's the name? Begins with a "C"... anyway, I got one cupcake to go (quite tasty, but no Sugar Mama's), which was packaged in what looks like to be an inverted sundae container. It seems to be the perfect way to contain one cupcake, rather than risking it tipping over in a paper bag. Kudos!

Asia Cafe is in the same shopping center as Chen's Noodle House. Both places are supposed to have killer lamb dishes... need to do a taste test and find out for myself!

Buenos Aries Cafe

As the saying goes, you can't judge a book by its cover, and that would certainly be true of the Buenos Aries Cafe on S. First Street, just south of Oltorf. For four years, this little Argentinian gem has operated out of a fairly non-descript cinder block-ish building between a pawn shop and liquor store. But from the moment you walk in, its intimate setting and smells from the kitchen immediately let you know it's gonna be all okay.

The place only seats about 30 inside; there is some seating on the front patio, and fortunately, they have some heaters going. My two companions and I arrived a little past 7:30 on a weekday night, and there were only two tables available, and fortunately, one was a four-top. We were seated, and began perusing the menu. It's been a year maybe since my last visit (Why has it been so long since I've been there?? it's only down the street from my house!), and I have a warm place in my heart (and stomach) for the Pastel de Papas (shepard's pie), and have tasted some of tender pillows from the magnificent Gnocchi Quartet. But then the Milanesa a la Napolitana was sounding tempting as well. What do to? After perusing the menu, one of the two waiters came over and asked if we had heard about the evening's specials. We hadn't. One was an osso buco and the other a surf & turf. After a little more agonizing, all three of us made some decisions.

We started with two of the empanadas, the carne picante (spicy beef) and pollo (chicken). To me the dough on their little pockets of goodness is quite good, as it's a nice flaky pie dough-type recipe. There have been some other places in town over the years that serve empanadas, but to me their dough has always been like a tasteless cardboard. These are baked to a nice golden brown, and again have a nice flakiness about them. The beef was quite good, little bit of kick to it; the chicken didn't do as much for me, but it could also be because as we split them, I cut each one into three pieces, and since I took an end piece, it didn't have much filling in it. I would be tempted to try it again though, but I can certainly vouch for the beef!
After much deliberation on my part, I decided on the osso buco special, and my companions both got the surf & turf. Neither dish disappointed. My veal shanks were just how you want them to be: totally tender and falling off the bones. They prepared it with carrots, celery & onions in a tomato-based sauce, but the richness of the meat really shone through. Really just divine. The perfectly round ball of mashed potatoes struck me as sort of funny, given the sort of "floppiness" of the meat, but they were a fine accompaniment. My companions' steak was cooked to a perfect medium rare, and given they both cleaned their plates, I'd say they were happy too. The Argentinian red wine we picked, the Cava de Weinert Carrascal blend of Malbec, Merlot, and Cab, was a great wine for all of our dishes.
Feeling full, but not wanting to miss out on a dessert opportunity, we decided to share one, going for the Pionono, but it was sold out for the evening. We opted for the Panqueques, which I recall being scrumptious, and the little crepes stuffed with dulce de leche mousse did not disappoint either.
This past year, Buenos Aries Cafe has opened a second location in east Austin. Don't know if the building is any more aesthetically pleasing on the exterior, but surely one hopes the food is as memorable as it is in their original location.

Ranch 616

Ranch 616 is kinda a guy's place. There are dead stuffed things on the wall (bison, something else with antlers), and the silverware is completely over-sized and heavy. Comfy leather booths, and various western-themed paraphernalia decorate the walls. But then there are the funky chandeliers, modern-retro light fixtures, and a plethora of glittery ball ornaments hanging from the ceiling. The women's room has a deer head mounted in one of the stalls, with rolls of toilet paper on it's multi-pointed rack. A longhorn steer head is mounted in there too, with tp on both of its horns. Very tongue in cheek. (Speaking of which, I sat directly under the bison head in the corner booth, and couldn't help but feel like I was going to get slobbered on all throughout my meal.)

When we arrived around 6:15 pm, I think there was one other table seated, and a few patrons at the bar. Our server was friendly and helpful throughout the night, but unfortunately, the food was not always up to par. I started with a $9 sangria, and while it did have a smidge of brandy and Paula's Texas Orange liquor in it, it wasn't exactly large or potent enough for what I consider a good $9 cocktail. All of the drinks seem to be on the pricey side.

For apps, we ordered the fried oysters (apparently one of their signature dishes) and calamari. Both come with a chipotle tartar sauce (I'd call it aioli) and a green goddess dressing. The calamari was thicker sliced tubes, but no tentacles that I could tell, but fried well. The oysters though, were a bit on the soggy side, like perhaps they'd been sitting around a bit. And they needed salt.

There were a number of dishes on the nightly specials list. The most intriguing was Lamb Three Ways, which I opted to split with a friend. Two of each Australian lamb chops, in three different styles, a rosemary grilled, a tamarind glazed, and a chicken fried, on "fresh mint mashed and roasted fingerling potatoes, with demi-glace, and sauteed green beans." We asked for the chops to be medium-rare. What came was a huge disappointment. Only the 2 chicken fried were tender and approaching medium rare. The other 4 were well done, and a bit tough. Furthermore, there was not a hint of tamarind to be tasted, nor mint in the potatoes. The rosemary one was fine, but again, over cooked. The demi-glace was rather tasty, but when 2 people split a plate (which we had told the waiter up front), it would have been nice to bring the plates out already split, because someone (in this case, me) is going to miss out on the demi, as it's not really something you can spoon onto your share. I did dip one chop into it as my companion raved about it, but certainly didn't get to experience enough of it. Not sure I understand the description of the potatoes; there were no roasted fingerlings on our plate, so were the potatoes first roasted THEN mashed? But that's not how the menu description read. At least the green beans weren't overcooked....

Two diners had the Tenderloin 616, which they both proclaimed to be fabulous, and another had the Jalapeno Maize Trout, in which the skin was left on, then the fish was breaded & cooked. The skin made it a bit unappealing, and slightly hard to remove from under all the tortilla chips it was crusted with.

We discussed it, and ultimately did tell the waiter about the lamb issues when he came by to pick up our plates. In retrospect, I wish we had told him sooner, and had the plate redone, but we were a group of 6 and had such a fun-filled evening, that it would have been a buzzkill all around. We had previously arranged for two of their dessert specials (Callebaut chocolate & banana fried pies with Amy's Mexican vanilla ice cream) to be brought with candles for a birthday surprise for one member of our party. They were tasty! The waiter told us at the end that he had spoken to the chef about the lamb, and they comped the desserts as an apology, which was gracious and appreciated.

It was a fun evening, with 5 dear friends and a lot of laughter. Our waiter was patient and helpful, but if the food isn't 1) what was advertised 2) prepared how you asked for it, and 3) really remarkable, what is my impetus for returning? The decor was worth it though!