Greenway Plaza/Tuscany Coffee

Tuscany Premium Coffee in Greenway Plaza is great. I'd rank it as one of the better places for coffee (considering just the coffee) in ALL of Texas.

I had not been in several months until earlier this week. It looks like some things have change so I can't give you a definitive answer. It's mainly a place to get a good cup of coffee. Not really much of an atmosphere as it on the edge of a food court, but there is a slow bar where you can sit and chat with the owner David Buehrer. You can get coffee prepared pretty much anyway you could imagine: espresso, drip, vacuum brew, etc.

*Do they sell beans they roast themselves?
It didn't look like it earlier this week. At some point the past, I bought beans from here. Catalina is a better bet for beans and the proprietor of that establishment Max roasts them himself under the name Amaya Roasting Company. If I recall correctly, the beans I bought from Tuscany were roasted by Amaya.

*Pastries, sandwiches?
Not really. There were some pre-packaged biscottis.

Free validation for the Greenway parking too which is great.

David also moonlights at Anvil on Sunday, but I haven't caught him there yet. Not sure if he does just coffee cocktails or if straight coffee/espresso is available then too.

nk. in Houston

Espresso in Austin

I've never seen a better or more accurate post on here.

One nice touch at Once Over that hasn't been mentioned is the complimentary San Pellegrino that comes with espresso. It was unfortunate that Medici stopped doing this long ago.

nk. in Austin

R I P

Not the original poster, but Pad Thai is excellent. I've been about 7 times since the first week they opened with the latest being last night.

Comparable to the quality for Titaya's and for some things I think better--papaya salad, but I haven't really explored the menu yet. There are some items I haven't seen anywhere else on their newish menu.

It looks like their beer and wine license application fell through so I suppose they are still BYOB.

nk. in Austin

Crawfish boil at home - where to get 'em?

UT turtle pond?

nk. in Austin

Empire Cafe in Houston - gotta try

Empire has been there forever. They became much more popular after they received their full liquor license.

I like it as a cafe, but I hardly eat there or drink coffee there--I mostly go for the cake. The espresso based drinks are generally disappointing to me as they don't really know how to pull a shot. Drip coffee used to be a good deal, but I'm not sure if this is still the case. The "minestrone" soup which is purported to be vegan is usually pretty good. Some of their specials are good too.

Don't forget that Monday is half-priced cake day--all day. The slices are usually a little smaller than other days, but it's still worth it. I think my favorite is the elusive Chocolate Italian Cream. Unfortunately they raised their regular price for cake so a slice on half priced cake day is almost 3.50 with tax.

nk. in Houston

Best Thai in Austin

Sorry to revive an old thread.

There's a fairly new Thai place in the shopping center on I-35 near Parmer-( the same shopping center that houses Byblos) that no one has mentioned yet.

It's called Pad Thai and is located directly adjacent to Byblos.
Food is excellent and rivals Titaya's, but it's different. The Som Tom has repeatedly stood out as one of the freshest tasting versions I've ever tasted. Haven't tried curry here, but other stir fried dishes, soups, and seafood dishes were also excellent. A fair amount of heat if you ask for it.

Ambiance isn't that great--the place has a cavernous feeling, but otherwise its nice. It's fancy compared to its neighbor Byblos. Last time I went, they didn't have a liquor license and were BYOB which is always a plus. Prices are comparable to Titaya's.

nk. in Austin

best Indian food

budgethound,

I'm not even sure to begin making a case for the assertion. I can only suggest that you make a several day trip down to Houston and experience the food for yourself. Don't get me wrong, there are some good places in Austin, but even something middle range in Houston would be considered good in Austin. I have yet to have a particularly memorable or striking Indian/Paki experience in Austin.

I've not heard for La Sani, but I used to frequent Himalaya at least a couple of times a week when I was living in Houston. Himalaya really does live up to its reputation. Kaiser's specials really stand out. His food is truly perfectly spiced/prepared (most of the time) and I enjoy the spicy kick (though this has seemed to wane as Himalaya has become more popular). I regret not attending the Houston Chow get together last week, but ce la vie. The best special in memory was a roast beef curry that I've only ever seen once. It was topped with a mustard heavy Indian pickle (homemade?) that was the perfect compliment to the rest of the flavors. Crowd is mostly Indian/Paki at night or during the weekend. More diversity at lunch.

Kirans and Indika are in a class of their own. Most memorable thing at either was a Watermelon Seabass Curry at Kiran's. I ordered that special because I couldn't fathom how it could work, but had had excellent experiences in the past. It was perfect and the small amount of coriander (citrus notes) brought it together very well.

La Sani is on the list of places to hit during my trip back next week.

I haven't done Houston's Indian food seen justice--go experience it for yourself!

nk. in Austin

Byblos vs. Zorba's

I love Byblos, but note that the quality of the falafel makes a sharp decline later in the day. I think Byblos is best before 6pm. I've been served some pretty stale falafel after 6pm--so not always fresh, crisp, and delicate.

nk. in Austin

Best French Fries in Austin

I ate at Five Guys on Friday too.

Fries were awesome and definitely the best part of the experience. Large Cajun Fries resulted in an overflowing cup and another two handfuls in the bottom of the bag. Also was glad to see they had malt vinegar.

However the burger was a little lack-luster. It just didn't really do it for me. I guess I'll skip out on the cheese as that seemed to be part of it.

I'll definitely be back for the fries at the very least!

nk. in Austin

Casino El Camino

I've also had the a similar experience 3/5 times in the past two months--medium-well or well instead of medium rare. One time they admitted it and were apologetic about it and gave me an extra basket of fries. The other two times they didn't say anything.

Things that seem to result in disappointment are ordering more than one burger at a time especially if you don't mention that both are medium rare. If one is unspecified and one is medium rare, they tend to cook them together. Going during peak times (Thu-Sat) is also a bad idea for other things too. I seem to have the most luck Mon-Tue night.

nk. in Austin

best Indian food

You're the only one who mentioned Rangoli so I'll respond to you.

I know that it received terrible reviews when it first came out mostly due to service, but I was pleasantly surprised when I ate there several weeks ago at the Sunday lunch buffet. It wasn't spectacular, but compared to most of the stuff that passes for Indian food in Austin, it was a very welcome change. Rangoli is about as good as Houston average in terms of food (i.e. anglicized). Veggie items were very good, the two fish items were not-so-good, and the goat curry was quite nice.

I detest the rest of the one * places on your list so you might give Rangoli another try. Maybe they are simply inconsistent or have come along way recently?

Is Teji's really that good? I've never been able to convince anyone to make the drive with me.

"Non-traditional"/Indian inspired doesn't necessarily mean bad as evidence by Kiran's/Indika of Houston. Most of what is cooked at home in America these days would also fall under this category.

Houston >> Austin for Indian food especially. :/

nk. in Austin

bahn mi

Do you know if they have a Tofu sandwich?

nk. in Austin

Crave (at 21st and Guad)

Many local Thai places use the correct noodle. Titaya's and Exotic Thai are the two that I am absolutely sure do and would recommend.

I need to try this place still. Do you refer to the Thai Spice chain that has many locations in Houston?

nk. in Austin

bahn mi

Gah!

Thanks for clearing that up.

I was talking about Lulu B's on S. Lamar next the Office Supply Store.

Lily's is good for meat eaters, but their vegetarian sandwiches are pretty terrible.

nk. in Austin

Budapest Wine Festival

I looked around for you, but I couldn't find much information in English. Search results in Hungarian were better but not much.

English Description from Frommers:
http://events.frommers.com/sisp/index.htm?fx=event&event_id=20228

Event Calendar in Hungarian:
http://www.aborfesztival.hu/index.php?page=hir&id=42&a=0

If you'll be there between September 8-14, you should be able to catch most of it.
I haven't attended so I'm not really sure what each event really entails. I understand that the coolest stuff happens at the Castle (var).

nk. in International

Fish & Chips/Awesome Tea Room

Thanks for the heads up. I'll make the trip as soon as possible and see if it's anything like the fish and chips in the East Neuk.

I hate to ask since it's a tea room, but do you know if they are BYOB?

nk. in Austin

bahn mi

Do yourself a favor and *don't* go to Lily's (that trailer that everyone's been buzzing about).

I wouldn't say that it's bad, but for $5 dollars a sandwich, it is truly disappointing. It wasn't even that tasty either. You'd be much better off at Than Nhi. That'd buy you almost two sandwiches.

nk. in Austin

Ethiopian in Austin (really Pflugerville)

I think the poster was referring to an Ethiopian version of "Foul" which is a Lebanese dish made with fava beans.

Aster's has unfortunately been slipping. I hope this guy is taking an extended vacation or something. I'd really like to try it.

nk. in Austin

Trip to Corpus Christi & Port A - Will I Starve?

I guess I should have had a disclaimer that it's been several years since I've been to Water Street. Sad to hear that it has gone downhill.

nk. in Texas

[Houston] Best Of List

Next time you're back, try some of the gelato at Raindrop Chocolates.
It definitely beats the chocolate bar.

nk. in Texas

Trip to Corpus Christi & Port A - Will I Starve?

Corpus Christi: Water Street Grill.

There are two actually located across the way from each other. You want the "party" one, not the tile lined family-friendly one--I got sick from the decor when I walked in here.

Last time I went, food, service, and price were all excellent. They make a killer blackened red fish. Not exactly romantic, but still intimate.

nk. in Texas

The state of coffee in Austin

The Clover is the only redeeming thing about JPs. I've never been served an acceptable espresso or espresso based drink here. Atmosphere/attitude is terrible too.

nk. in Austin

Falafel

Tom's aren't too bad, but I refuse to buy anything from them since their other offerings Tabouli, Hummus, etc. are absolutely vile.

Sara's definitely wins the contest for best falafel in Austin. It's pretty unique--I haven't had any other falafel quite like it. It tastes like it is flavored with anise.

In Houston, I think that Zabak's is the best.

nk. in Austin

Anniversiary in Houston

I'll throw in Antica Osteria. It's definitely at the higher end of the scale and perhaps some would consider it fancy, but it's simply really well prepared Italian food. It has a great atmosphere and service has always been excellent. Actually, my last anniversary dinner was here.

nk. in Texas

Thanh Nhi: What a find!

Thanks for the tip on the veggie bahn mi. I stopped into this place on a late night a couple of months ago and saw only meat sandwiches so I dismissed it.

After your post, I dragged my dining companion up there. Their tofu bahn mi is pretty good. They also made tofu spring rolls for me which were also excellent. Owner suggested a couple of vegetarian dishes at the end. Better than the bahn mi at Tam's for sure. Not as great as one of the places that I go to in Houston, but definitely the best in Austin so far. I like this place a lot.

nk. in Austin

New Place to Eat in North Austin-DiMassi's

When was the last time that you went to Dimassi's in Houston? They are all now and as far as I can remember have always been all you can eat style buffets. Just in case you go back, the one in the Village is no longer.

Dimassi's (in Houston) would never be my first choice for food. It's not terrible, but it's not spectacular and in Houston there are many many better places. While Dimassi's may be a welcome change for Austin since there aren't too many places with Lebanese food, it is pale in comparisons to what you can find at some of gems in Houston and some of the places in Austin. I'll stick with Sarah's and Byblos (even though it's started to go downhill).

nk. in Austin

Best Thai in Austin

I figured I should chip in since I've eaten at a bunch of Thai restaurants recently.

I like Titya's. It's been excellent since they've first opened, but they're menu is more more extensive than it used to be. Place feels nicer than it used to as well. Good is still pretty good. It's a tad more than I would like to pay for dinner, but it does have a relatively central location. Lunch is cheap and service has always been really good. They actually make things relatively spicy here.

I recently tried Exotic Thai--it's awesome. I'm surprised there aren't more reviews yet. Pad Kee Mao was not as saucy as other places, but still had tons of flavor. Vegetables were cooked perfectly--most places overcook them for my tastes. And the shrimp tasted very fresh. While the food was excellent, the ambiance is almost non-existent. I suppose that's why most customers seemed to do take out. Service was okay. I'll definitely be back here for the food though. They have some interesting dishes I had not heard of before.

I really like Little Thailand. It reminds me of one my classmates mom's cooking. It's nothing fancy, but it's pretty delicious.I don't make it here as often as I would like.

I don't like Thai Passion (Downtown location). The food is bland and uninspiring.
I don't like Madam Mam's except for a couple of dishes which aren't really Thai anyway.

Does anywhere in Austin (or in Texas) serve dishes with fresh young/green peppercorn? Is it banned for import even though crops that used to be are now routinely available thanks to irradiation?

nk. in Austin

The Hobbit Hole Cafe - Houston

You revived a terribly old thread, but I want to say something about the Hobbit so thanks.

I stopped into the Hobbit the other day with a friend since he wanted to eat there. We both knew what we wanted, but decided to peak at the menu anyway. They have/had raised the prices by 1-1.99 on everything. A burger which used to cost 6-7 depending on options is now more like 9 dollars. We walked and went elsewhere figuring for that much money we could get food faster (including the drive) and in a nicer environment.

nk. in Texas

New to Houston- does what we're looking for exist here? Good Thai, Indian, unpretentious American?

Da Vino is on West Alabama not Bissonnet.

That vegetarian place is called Madras Pavilion.

Thai Spice is quite possibly one of the worst places for (authentic) Thai food in Houston.

Indika is now located inside the loop on Westheimer in Montrose.

I'll second Raven Grill though. But I don't think it's what the OP is looking for...

nk. in Houston