chispa_c's Profile
Suggestions for Mother's Day Meal?
I already selected Backspace for dinner. They had reservations and I've never been there. I thought the teens would enjoy it.
Suggestions for Mother's Day Meal?
I've been asked to pick a place and with all the options, I'm having a hard time. I'd rather do dinner than Brunch. It will be me, my SO and two teenagers who appreciate good food (17 & 14). Any and all ideas appreciated!
Is Lupe Tortilla Open?
We went on Sunday and were told that they were still in training mode but were happy to seat us. They said the would definitely be open in time for Cinco de Mayo.
The food was great and the service outstanding. It's easily accessible from the access road on Mopac, heading north, that goes past the interesection at Steck. You can turn right in to the parking lot before you get to the light at Great Hills.
Austin Burger Smackdown!
We drove past Hopdoddy on Anderson just this past Sunday and it looked closed. If they're open, I'm going! I really like their burgers. I just hope the line isn't out the door like it is on S. Congress.
Trader Joe's Coming - Seaholm
That's one thing I WOULD be impressed about...if they can pull off decent parking at Seaholm. It's a location that will be tricky to get in to no matter what time it is.
Prices will no doubt be lower because virtually all of their products are private label. So they get companies to remake their products slightly different, then put their own branding on it. Cheap isn't my priority, quality is.
Trader Joe's Coming - Seaholm
Inconsistent inventory and gourmet frozen food, can't wait!
Best Croissants?
Check out www.amitybakery.com
No mention of new retail space that I can find but you can sign up for her newsletter and purchase her products for pick up.
Via313 for Detroit Style Pizza
I read the thread on Detroit Style Pizza from November and saw the announcement of Via313. The website is awesome and I just read a Bostonian's blog who is in town for SXSW about this place. I have to go soon!
Has anyone been? Thoughts, suggestions, comments?
Casino El Camino
I went to Casino El Camino several years ago when it was all the rage and I thought it was awful then. It was never my idea of trendy, cool or good. I'm in to good, quality food and good service, not the latest gimick.
C.E.C is beyond gimick, it's just bad.
Olive and June opening night
I personally don't think a soft opening or an opening day for that matter is a good way to judge a restaurant. I have a friend who went on Thursday and was completely underwhelmed about the food and the service. I hope the get the links out soon.
That location continues to be tricky IMO. It takes a lot of people to staff.
Best Croissants?
Antonelli's Cheese Shop's latest newsletter said she was working on opening her own bakery. They now get their breads from Easy Tiger.
Best Croissants?
Another vote for Baguette et Chocolat.
Getting there past noon will probably leave you empty handed. These are the type of croissants that explode with flakey goodness towards the ends and melt in your mouth toward the center. You can see virtually every layer of dough too. Worth the time/drive imo.
Hungry for Fajitas
Agreed. I haven't found beef as tender and flavorful as they are here. If I recall, they serve their salsa warm. I love that.
Best meal in Austin with my wife suggestions please?
Justine's. Great food, cool vibe, great service.
Second Bar & Kitchen / Bar Congress
I disagree. About 3 years ago the praise about Casino El Camino led me straight there. The burgers were huge, sloppy, greasy and simply not flavorful of quality ground beef. That along with the "meh" attitude of the people that work there guaranteed that I'd never go back.
Plenty of other great burger places in town.
Olive and June opening night
I went with a friend to Olive and June last night. We made an easy, last minute reservation for 6:30 p.m. At 4:30 p.m. they still had reservations available for 7:30 p.m., btw.
The layout has changed a bit from the former El Arbol set up. Although I still love the bar/patio on the second floor, I think there are still issues with servers blocking the end of the bar (entry to bathrooms) and people gathering at the top of the steps to mingle. It's still an odd configuration up there. The main entrance has changed to be accessible from the back of the restaurant, from the small parking area, instead of from the front of the restaurant, which was fine except the new "reception area" is tiny. There were at least 4 - 5 young girls standing around and again, it's an awkward area for greeting, seating and eating. You can no longer access the 2nd floor bar from the parking lot. That stairway has been removed. I didn't make it to the 3rd floor but it's my understanding it's intended to be a private dining area not, as opposed to another bar/patio area.
Here's a link to the menu from eater.com: http://oliveandjune-austin.com/olive-and-june-dinner-menu.pdf
Note the $54 entree and the $24 1/2 chicken. Wow. I inquired about the $54 dollar option because at first glance, it appeared to be a pasta dish (served with gold?). I was told it was a steak dish. I'm not used to seeing prices like that from an Italian place but I was intrigued that they were so proud of their food.
We ordered 3 of the small plates. When i say small plates, I mean small; there was only enough served for 2 bites (2 pieces). We ordered the zucchini which was our favorite, the risotto which we both thought would be a serving dish of typical risotto but turned out to be 2 tater tot sized fried risotto things, and the artichoke. The risotto was unremarkable; it just tasted like fried pasta and the artichoke was better than I've had at other places, texture wise but very bland and a tad bitter.
After those 3 small plates, we both decided to skip an entree and went for the Escarole Salad and fried egg. The salad and oil dressing were good and fresh but my egg was a bit overdone (think crispy on the edges). This salad is served with diced bits of thick bacon that is warm, not crispy in any way. It was odd to eat bits of fat with my salad. It's an odd combination that I could've done without. The description said pancetta and I thought thin, crispy strips of pancetta would be sprinkled on the salad. Wrong.
So...I think this place is on par with Gusto quite frankly. Good idea, nice place, food is ok. The prices here make me more cautious about what to order. Hopefully they will have a rotating menu.
I will say that they have 100% improved the bar chairs at the bar on the second floor. The wire ones from El Arbol were very uncomfortable. The new ones at Olive and June are cushioned with backs. Maybe I'll just drink wine next time!
Carillon sitting at the bar
FINALLY went to the Carillion and ate at the bar last night. We went to Fino first but it was packed and we just weren't feeling it with the crowd.
Since we're both from Austin and went to UT, We both agreed that the Carillion 'felt like home'. The decor was very updated UT. We spent time after dinner at gabriel's bar, across from the Carillion looking at all the cool UT history photos.
We really enjoyed sitting and the bar and having our meal. The bartender was working her tail off and really took care of us. We had the goat cheese tater tots as an app. I just could not pass that up. While I could taste that they were truffle oil infused and they were super crispy without being greasy, there was hardly any goat cheese on them. I has the Maro (actually had to look it up that it was Sea Bass, not from Chile but from Japan) with wilted spinach and a carrot ginger sauce. Loved it! My bf had the lamb chops with the cucumber sauce and he thoroughly enjoyed his meal as well. We were offered an amuse bouche prior to the meal (compliments of the chef) and 2 small nutello bite sized desserts that were outstanding at the end of the meal (again, compliments of the chef).
One thing I really liked and appreciated about the dinner was it's portion size. It wasn't so huge you ended up with leftovers and not so small that you were still hungry. I tried their garlic ciabatta too. That was lovely. More dense than a typical ciabata but very good with a crunchy crust.
Atmosphere wise, we were casual, both in jeans. There were certainly plenty of men there in sports coats and women in nicer clothes, but we were comfortable. The place was not packed so the service was spot on.
We inquired what it was like on game nights. We were told that most folks go to gabriel's for pre-game (we're usually located in the Ex Center - by one of the bars) and then to The Carillion after the game. They said that after the Carillion closes on game nights, they start serving food from gabriel's there. I like the idea of hanging out there until the crowd is gone, then grabbing a cab.
Anyway, glad we went and I know we'll be back. I didn't realize there was an actual hotel located in that AT&T center on campus. We definitely agreed that it would be a blast to put our San Francisco up there for a game night and then all hang out there before and after a game. We'll be back, no doubt.
Hillside Farmacy to open in March
All this pharmacy/restaurant/bar talk begs the question...should they serve Purple Drink?
Gusto
Had the polenta fries and meatball appetizers; both very good. bf had the pork shank with polenta and kale. The flavor was excellent, it was fork tender.
Gusto
It's the same guy/group that owns Santa Rita, 34th Street Cafe and I think Blue Star too.
Gusto
La Sombra was the previous restaurant. Same owners, new concept. Was Brazilian (South American), now italian bistro.
Gusto
I went on Friday, after work to meet a friend. I was there by 5:30 and was able to find a parking spot easily. I ordered the olives and the calamari. The olives were great; not too salty, more fruity. I like them that way. The calamari was very tangy. It had thin friend onion rings and very thin slices of lemon that were fried as well. The dipping sauce was lemon based. I prefer my calamari more spicy, but this wasn't too bad. It was a bit greasy toward the bottom of the basket.
There was an older crowd from the neighborhood (early 40s - late 50's I'd say) and a few families. Same staff as the other place. the decor is similar as well except for the new stencil, spray paint art on the walls. I believe they were playing records - a la Justine's.
This place is good for a weekend that you don't feel like making the scene or searching for a parking spot downtown. Seems consistent with options and prices. Won't knock your socks off but a good place in the hood to hang out.
Cabo San lucas and San Jose del cabo Restaurant recommendation...
Thanks for the 411! We'll be back in June and will certainly check out the other places you mention.
Gusto
Has anyone been yet? I've seen a few reviews on Yelp and their lot seems full when I drive by in the evenings.
PhoNatic
I went last night and ordered a 'regular' size of noodles and added some steamed veggies to it.. I had one full serving and have enough left for yet another full size serving either for lunch or tonight.
I ordered mine to go and was given bean sprouts, onions, basil, cilantro, jalapenos and 2 sauces to add to my soup. The steamed veggies were also served on the side so I could choose what I wanted to add to my soup. It was all very fresh and very good.
The manager was very kind and I was told this place is family owned. I'm glad they are doing well.
Gluten-Free Italian?
Red Brick Oven on 35th Street (across from former El Arbol) has a decent gluten free menu.
Cabo San lucas and San Jose del cabo Restaurant recommendation...
Add Edith's to your list. You will not be disappointed. We went there twice in one trip. They also offered to cook any fish we caught. Best service we experienced in Cabo.
Man Bites Dog
I'll second that. The folks at the counter and in the kitchen communicate often about the order and making sure everything is covered.
Man Bites Dog
I've had the Greek Dog a few times and really like it. We always share an order of the fried pickles too. My son is a Hair of the Dog fan and more recently the one with pulled pork on it. I can't eat like that but it works for him. I think they are kind of expensive, but good.
