RubySue's Profile
Can I get an update on Justine's?
Went last week and it was pleasantly air-conditioned. Quite crowded already on a Monday at 6:30, but able to take our walk-in two top.
Overall, it was a pleasant, if pricey, experience. Sweet interior with lovely marble tables. A bartender actually playing records at the back wall. Very attentive, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic (not annoyingly so) waitress. She recommended two nice glasses of wine: a rosé and pinot grigio from a concise but respectable wine list. They were poured generously. We were brought bread and olive oil, which was good. I wasn't expecting it at a "French brasserie". I shrugged and figured either a) I just don't appreciate that this isn't an entirely Italian move or b) They had decided not to be precious about the whole affair.
Salad was a special: local tomatoes, "handmade" croutons, and hardboiled egg with basil and a cream sauce. The tomatoes were wonderful, if sparse - but the crouton and egg were just... well, what they always are. The sauce however was really divine, and definitely supported the other flavors quite gracefully.
We also got the scallops, which were cooked well, preserving a nice texture that contrasted with the mesculin that accompanied them. But the meat (bacon?) around them and the lack of much other interesting flavor left the whole dish simply salty and oily. I punctuated it with the mustard aioli that came with a side of fries we ordered and it all worked out. Once again, the fries were fries. Nothing revelatory.
Skipped dessert & more wine, but definitely left feeling sated and doted on, if not blown away.
Hard Hat Report Vol. 4
Smells good too- but when I went by no one came to the window. Lights were on, signs were up...But no one there to feed me!
butchers?
Bryan, the butcher at Wheatsville, has always been able to special order me any of the special cuts I've requested. (Most recently, he got me local, grass-fed tongue!) He seems to have a close relationship with his suppliers, so he can ask for things they might not normally sell.
Vegetarian Austin
Wheatsville Coop popcorn tofu po' boy or vegan frito pie. & an orange dream smoothing!
Best milk in town
I get the Skim Remember When and make yogurt - with great results. I also add dry milk and a plain, storebough 8 oz for a starter. I get my Remember When @ Wheatsville, but they're out for the summer (rendering the name ironically appropriate).
Rural Gastronomy, Northeast Spain
After a quick stay in Barcelona this February, we will have a few days free before heading down to Castellon. I would love to take a cuisine-driven excursion to some smaller towns if possible.
My heart skipped a beat when I thought we could go to Valls for "La Gran Festa de la Calçotada" - basically the grilled-green-onion fair - but it looks like we'll be several weeks late. Regardless, that's the type of thing I'm looking for, be it seaside or inland. Any recommendations on noteworthy towns food-wise (fairs, markets, restaurants) would be greatly appreciated.
We'll be doing the fancy stuff in Barcelona and Valencia, so no need to get haute-cuisine here. Renting a car is a possibility, and I'd be happy to go as far north as Girona/Figueres if it's worth our while.
Extraneous recommendations on Valencia (city) and Castellón (province) would be great as well.
Blue Dahlia Bistro
We went by last night just to peruse the menu and check out the revised interior. What a pleasant transformation. The Dandelion annoyed me with it's entire kindergarten/lunch box aesthetic: Little containers of fruit loops? Bright plastic dinnerware? Big wedges of raw, red delicious apple on a salad? I felt like they should provide crayons and peanut butter for dipping on every table...
Thankfully, where Dandelion was awkwardly juvenile, the Blue Dahlia seems gracefully sophisticated. Without having tried the food, the interior and menu are warm and refined without being "prissy." Long wooden tables and a nice wall treatment lend a French Provincial attitude to the space.
No full endorsement yet...but I'm excited nonetheless.
Tasty variations on Iced Tea?
I'm in Austin too- so I feel your pain...Here's my standby:
Nile Valley Hibiscus (you can purchase it in bulk from Wheatsville), made ultra concentrated. I really put a ton of flowers in a let it steep for a while. Then I strain out the tea, and keep it in a big bottle in the fridge. To serve, pour over half an ice tray of ice, dilute with water, and sweeten with liquid stevia to taste.
Making a big strong batch helps minimize stovetop use. NuNaturals stevia, which comes in a dropper bottle, has a distinct herbal sweetness that - while terrible in coffee - combines beautifully with most teas.
Variations: Add peppermint while steeping or use ice cold Topo Chico to dilute.
P&K Grocery
At least the guy behind the counter was working hard! When I went, he grudgingly came forward. I asked how the soup special was, and he kind of grimaced. I suggested a sandwich and he shrugged. Finally I asked what was good, and he admitted that the chicken coconut soup was "okay." I ordered one, but he couldn't find a top for the container. I told him it was fine if he just used saran wrap, which I saw sitting on the counter. He refused to give up the search, and five minutes later (there were maybe six impatient people behind me in line at this point) TAPED a lid that was completely the wrong size on top of the soup cup.
The soup was tasty enough because coconut milk and chicken stock is an inherently good combination, even straight from the cans - but there was hardly any chicken and no vegetables...
I can't believe they don't even recycle.
Needless to say, I'll not return.
P&K Grocery
The hot dogs & sandwiches are indeed incredible. Don't miss the fresh squeezed lemonade on the weekends - occasionally made with fresh blueberries! Admittedly, it's not the 78704 place to buy groceries (Farm to Market is more affordable and comprehensive), but they have a lovely selection of housewares and candy.
The thing I find baffling is the existence of Cissi's so close to Farm to Market. The quality of their prepared foods range from unappetizing to inedible while the grocery selection is arbitrary to the point of useless. Meanwhile, the employees seem distracted and uninformed - a sharp contrast to the consistently warm, attentive, and experienced service at both P &K and Farm to Market.
Help! Romantic Williamsburg, not Moto? [Moved from Manhattan Board]
My boy and I are visiting Brooklyn this week. After plouging through the boards, I finally chose Moto as the perfect restaraunt for my date this Saturday, only to find out that it was the one restaruant in Williamsburg he'd already been to - with an ex-girlfriend no less!
So, back to the drawing board. I looked at Diner & it seems great, but I read so many comments about poor service on gothamist that I hesitated. Should I be worried about a condescending waiter ruining the evening there? Is there somewhere else I should consider?
I'm not stuck on any particular type of cuisine. Budget-wise, entrees below $20 would be preferable. Locations within walking distance (from N. 7th Street) are ideal.
Turn me on to that intimate restaraunt & delectible meal that I've overlooked?
