sgarland's Profile
Trio's tasting menu
Trio has an apparently underutilized $35 three course prix fixe early dinner menu that is fabulous! We went tonight and the manager said that they may discontinue it soon since it hasn't really drummed up a following. My salad, chicken, and molten chocolate cake was spot on and my partner had mussels and short ribs that he raved about. We were also able to get happy hour prices on the wines. Go while you still can...http://www.triorestaurantaustin.com/news/
Trio's tasting menu
Trio has an apparently underutilized $35 three course prix fixe early dinner menu that is fabulous! We went tonight and the manager said that they may discontinue it soon since it hasn't really drummed up a following. My salad, chicken, and molten chocolate cake was spot on and my partner had mussels and short ribs that he raved about. We were also able to get happy hour prices on the wines. Go while you still can...http://www.triorestaurantaustin.com/news/
New Latin American Bistro in my north central hood - Al Sur
I fell in love with their cuban sandwich and wanted to return the next day to get it again. We also had an interesting potato/hominy dish with an amazing sauce. The salsa is also stellar. Come on Crestview neighbors, let's not lose this gem like we lost Fuego's!
What is the best dip you ever had and the recipe?
This is my go to dip. It's good with pita chips, red bell pepper strips, carrots, and other veggies. I don't really have a recipe but it's so easy and you can make it to taste...
Rosemary Feta Dip
Combine in a food processor..
fresh chopped rosemary
cow's milk feta (seems milder but regular feta works also)
enough milk to thin
salt and pepper to taste
Anyone know of a place to teach kids cooking/nutrition classes?
AISD offers Prime Time classes at some schools. Often teachers and staff teach them but sometimes they bring in outside teachers (ex. dance, nature, cultural classes). That may be a good way to get started. Check with AISD for more info. Good luck!
Lunch recommendations near the zoo?
We are passing through Houston tomorrow and stopping by the zoo. Any casual lunch recommendations (possibly ethnic)?
Zi Pizza
Well the owners are super nice (carried out my pizza to the car for me since I had my baby with me and it had started raining while we were waiting) and it's very affordable but the pizza was not very good. We ordered a veggie and one with chorizo, pastor, and other stuff. Both had a very off taste that we couldn't place. The crust was decent but the sauce was weird- not pizza like at all. I really wanted to like the place since its walkable from my house but as nice as the owners are we won't be going back.
Texas Monthly's top 50 burgers
Counter Cafe's was listed as the #2 burger in Texas. Any thoughts?
http://www.texasmonthly.com/blogs/eatmywords/
Austin food adventures
If you are lucky enough to be in town on Saturday make the trip to Lexington to Snow's. Best in Texas hands down but get there before noon- they sell out quickly...
http://www.texasmonthly.com/2008-06-01/feature5.php
http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/story?oid=oid%3A751730
Chuy Bakery/Panaderia off Ohlen and 183
I discovered a new panaderia tucked into the corner shopping center off Ohlen and 183 this morning. They just opened and are wonderful! I loaded up on empanadas, a chocolate pastry type thing, and a loaf of fresh baked bread an didn't spend more than $4.00. They also sell coffee, breakfast tacos, tortas, and wonderful looking slices of cake. I feel like I am back in San Antonio! The address is 8716 Research Blvd.
Texas Hill Country Food and Wine Sunday Fair???
I won tickets to the Sunday Fair but have a baby. Is this a kid friendly event? The tickets say 21 and up but some online postings from past Sunday Fairs mentioned that 12 and under were admitted free? I'm running across contradictory information in my online searches and hate to get a sitter if it is a family event. Has anyone gone in the past? What's the vibe?
Road trip- Austin to Houston (stop in Brenham?)
Does anyone have any recommendations for lunch spots along the way from Austin to Houston? It seems like Brenham is about half way and we would like to stop for lunch there.
take out for thanksgiving?
I am pregnant and due the Sunday after Thanksgiving. That being said 7 members of my family (one is Vegan) are coming up to Austin for the holiday and waiting around until the baby makes his debut. I don't think I'm up for cooking. Does anyone recommend a restaurant (moderately priced) in addition to your take out suggestions?
ACL food options
As if I didn't have enough trouble deciding on who to see, the food options seem beyond the regular festival fare. Has anyone tried the Hot and Crunchy Avocado Cone from Hudson's on the Bend , Aquarelle's Black Pepper Fries or Vespiao's Hoagie? Hopefully the food will be as good as the music but I would love recommendations.
http://www.aclfestival.com/foodandart_foodcourt.aspx
Restaurant week review
I am trying to narrow down the choices for KGSR's Restaurant Week. Has anyone tried any of the offered menus? What were your impressions?
http://www.kgsr.com/promos/index_restaurantweek.aspx
The Frisco
There seems to be alot of attention given to the reopening of the Frisco at it's new location. History aside, how is the food?
Lambert's
I'm not a big meat eater but their sides are wonderful and have never disappointed- green chili cheese grits, corn with poblano butter, mac and cheese- yum! Also the achiote seared chickpeas and goat cheese appetizer is fabulous. Texas Monthly snagged the recipe
http://www.texasmonthly.com/2007-03-01/recipe.php
The Sanchez drink with jalapeno infused Tito's vodka keeps me coming back. Give it a try preferably when The Kat's Meow is playing upstairs.
Snow's BBQ... Texas Monthly was right.
Excellent, excellent post. I'm on my yuppy way next weekend minus the vintage shirt, coffee, and Vampire Weekend sound track but yes the camera comes!
Coconut Cake [split from Austin]
(Note: this was split from the Austin board at: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/530036#3791837 -- The Chowhound Team).
Forget buying one- bake one! My family makes this for every special occasion. Just make sure you use cake flour and toast the coconut and pecans before adding them. Add additional toasted pecans and toasted coconut as decoration on top of the icing. Totally worth it!
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Italian-Creme-Layer-Cake/Detail.aspx
Skinny on Indian mangoes?
I agree with rudeboy: this is incredibly useful. Thanks for the info, ridgeback.
FWIW, they were 5 bucks per mango last year at Central Market.
Skinny on Indian mangoes?
Anyone have the scoop on where I can get Indian mangoes this season? Haven't seen them at Central Market this year, Whole Foods doesn't carry irradiated produce, and my local Indian grocer--MGM on Burnett--says they were just too expensive to stock this year.
BBQ road trip to Taylor + pie?
After reading the Texas Monthly write up on BBQ we've decided to go to Taylor today to try out both The Taylor Cafe and Louie Mueller. In addition to BBQ, I would really like some great pie (preferably pecan). Does anyone know of a place in Taylor we can't miss?
Argentine Chorizo and Provoleta
After a trip to Argentina where we had it at least twice a day, we have tried unsuccessfully many times to recreate provoleta. We have tried tons of different types of aged provolone from CM and Fiesta but always end up with a grill full of melted cheese. There must be some secret trick to making it that we haven't discovered. If anyone knows, please share...
Flying Saucer to Land in Austin!
The Flying Saucer is open.
We just got back. Like the San Antonio location, they have a wide selection of beers, frat boy atmosphere, and waitresses in "Hooter's length" skirts. In all not my style, although tonight all food is free. Draught House your still my favorite neighborhood bar!
Avoid Iron Cactus Brunch!!
Hey, go easy on Luby's! Any native Texan worth his/her salt knows that Luby's is an institution (it's the source of LuAnn Platter's name on King of The Hill for goodness sakes). It may not be the best but I have fond memories of eating there on "shopping day" with my mother as a child and it was the only restaurant my father-in-law could tolerate when he was fighting cancer. It may be a chain and feature gut food, but to working class Texans all over the state, it taste like home (and the mac and cheese isn't to shabby).
San Antonio Tex Mex
Ugggg. Chacho's is drunk late night college food (they use Everclear in their Margarita's- effective but not good per say). A better bet would be- Los Barrios for authentic Mexican food, Rosario's for salsa and enchiladas verde (ad salsa dancing!), Alamo Cafe for homemade tortillas and fajitas, and the place off Hildebrandt and 35 (turn towards downtown SA from the highway) with burglar bars and a picture of a dude with a mustache painted on the wall for awesome, big as your arm, eat with a fork tacos. I think the place is called Juan's but I left SA in 2004 so I'm not sure. Taco's Tacos is good for breakfast tacos as is any place recommended by Texas Monthly Taco expedition...
http://www.texasmonthly.com/preview/2006-12-01/feature
Happy eating!
Mediterranean festival
I have to say, my wife and I were immensely disappointed by the festival and its offerings. It seemed usurious having to pay 5 bucks to enter, only to face wildly inflated food prices. The 15 dollar Mediterranean plate was, it looked, less weighty than simply purchasing items a la carte, which were egregiously expensive as well. We dropped 30 bucks within 30 minutes. While we were excited by the promises of exotic--read rare--beer and wines from the region, many were no different than those peddled at a vanilla HEB. Most of the food was OK, but failed to rival the offerings of Phoenicia or other Greek restaurants in our area. I found the distinction between Eritrean and Ethiopian food laughable, an obvious attempt to elicit exclaims of "ooh, Eritrean food!", when the distinctions--particularly what was presented (injera is hardly exclusively Eritrean)--are slight. What is more, and perhaps most objectionable of all, is the shameless use of the festival to advertise name-brand, hip liquors (Bacardi?) and drinks (Mojito? No ouzo? Come on...) with diaphanously-clad bartender-vixens whose bloomers, and bosoms, were prominently displayed, a bizarre mixture of Coyote Ugly with the superficial trappings of Mediterranean dress (of course, with the gleamingly blond hair, none looked Mediterranean to me). This festival, it seems, has become a victim of its own success, and, as someone who has was not there for its earliest versions, one wonders if the purity and authenticity of the festival has not been subverted by greed. How much does a small Greek-Orthodox congregation need?
Cafe inside Han Yang market on Lamar
Great for takeout! This was my first experience with Korean food and the cafe did not disappoint. Loved the Kim Chi and the attached market always has interesting (and yummy) finds. The "sneakthief sign" is the best and is now an inside joke in my house. "Wheres the remote? Must be the sneak thief. Darn that sneakthief".
Recipes You've Never Heard of Outside Your Family
Pasta and egg anyone? This dish is irresistible to anyone under the age of five in my family and has sustained countless scores of "too skinny" cousins for generations. My economical grandmother basically boils pasta, saves some of the water with the noddles in the pot, and then wisks in an egg.
Gross to all who have passed puberty but for some reason the kids can't get enough.
Marisco Grill off Burnet
55 MPH- The waitress spoke perfect English. The lack of service seemed to stem from inexperience rather than a language barrier or cultural miscommunication.
