taliesin15's Profile
Feb. Texas Monthly - The Greatest BBQ story ever told
yeah, read that--Mueller's new place on South First is really good, but is it really Franklin good? or Lockhart good? Pretty close IMHO...still would like to see someone else try mutton
John Mueller to open new barebecue joint in East Austin in July
I went to Mueller's place on Manor Road just once--the BBQ was good--but I also had some kind of experience where I felt like a contretemps was in the offing (hard to tell if he was joking or not)--but there's no doubt the man knows what he's doing...
Turkey sounds really good, and speaking of local places doing different kinds of Sausages (i.e. other than just another variation on Elgin-style), last time I ate at Sam's BBQ, we sampled a couple of experimental sausages--one was Turkey, and it far exceeded my expectations (Sage being a main flavor note, if memory serves)
The BEST Sausage I've ever had at a BBQ place or anywhere in the state of Texas for that matter, was a Jalapeno Sausage they used to make at Black's BBQ in Lockhart--then they went and messed it up (too many people were whining that it was too spicy, apparently) by putting cubes of Velveeta in it...what a tragedy...anyhow, the old stuff was best when it was smoked so long that it was relatively dry inside...this concentrated the flavors like you wouldn't believe...
In fact, the only Sausages I've had that could compete were in Europe, particularly real German Bratwurst (nothing at all like the phony Brats we have here)...sometimes you can find Spanish Chorizo that's close...
Best store for Japanese?
thanks for the info--maybe I'll try it when I start up my Fall herb garden
Justine's
Justine's is one of the restaurants in town that is universally praised (AFAIK) by back of the house restaurant staff--which is partly an endorsement of their food, and partly means that the owners don't treat their staff with disrespect--I went there recently, tried the charcouterie plate & escargot--utterly sublime!
I want to cook foie gras. Where to get it, though...
there's also some good stuff on foie gras in Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations show--the fact that these birds breath through nostrils on their beaks tends to undermine the opposition's arguments
I want to cook foie gras. Where to get it, though...
yeah, and sometimes Costco has good deals on other red meat such as lamb--however, Whole Foods definitely has the best quality--though I sure wish The Meat Shop was still around
Fonda San Miguel
I can certainly understand that as FSM is rather out of my price range these days--but so is Uchi, and they have some things in common--plenty of people will pay for high quality
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Uchi Restaurant
801 S Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78704
Any info about Shogun sushi on Slaughter?
wow, what an impressive detailed review...anyway, I myself haven't been to Shogun, but I've heard nothing but high praise for it...it isn't Uchi quality, but it isn't Uchi priced either...sounds like one of the best places to go in town...still pretty blown away that Kyoto is closed...one thing I rather like is eating sushi at Korean restaurants and having a bit of both cuisines...
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Uchi Restaurant
801 S Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78704
Good Dim Sum?
I've heard T&S is great, but I'm really seriously shocked nobody's mentioned the fabulous Pao's Mandarin House in this thread--best Dim Sum I've had in Austin...
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Pao's Mandarin House
2300 Lohmans Spur, Lakeway, TX 78734
Fonda San Miguel
I've never made (or had to) a reservation at Fonda San Miguel--though one time it did take a while to get seated...they usually have veggie options...the best time to go is definitely Sunday Brunch in my not so humble opinion
Best store for Japanese?
looks like you got it covered (I've been shopping at Asahi since the Reagan Administration)--but one thing one should point out, the best place for Sushi/Sashimi grade fish is Quality Seafood--one thing I have yet to see, however, is Shiso leaves...
My favorite things from MT Market
meat wise I always get some pork, duck and/or seafood--but the last 4-5 times I've been getting the packs of Baby Bok Choy--there's also usually some kind of version of Rapini or Broccoli Rabe that's WAY cheaper than any place else--also, I usually will get some kind of fresh greens there I've never had before--probably the cheapest source of Ginseng in Austin, fwiw...
Need additional input for Austin itinerary
Three Little Pigs, most definitely--Al Pastor's taco truck on East Riverside is an also ran--personally, I think Bombay Bistro is exceptional (the spices taste like they've been roasted and ground that day), I've only been to the Brodie Oaks location--some say the best Sunday brunch in town is still Fonda San Miguel (another place with bright fresh spices), but I haven't been there in 3 years--I'd echo many of the places folks are recommending--another brunch possibility is Pao's Mandarin House for Dim Sum, but like the Bombay Bistro reco, if yr from a big city like NYC or something, it might not impress you all that much--in any case, the best Vegan food I've had in my life is at Pao's, and I used to live in the Bay Area, so hopefully that's saying something
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Pao's Mandarin House
2300 Lohmans Spur, Lakeway, TX 78734
Bombay Bistro
10710 Research Blvd Ste 126, Austin, TX 78759
Fonda San Miguel Restaurant
2330 W North Loop Blvd, Austin, TX 78756
I want to cook foie gras. Where to get it, though...
on Whole Foods vs. Central Market I think this totally depends on what you're shopping for--Duck & Mussels, definitely the best place in the Austin area to get it for quality and value is Central Market--for every kind of red meat, Whole Foods has the best quality, and in some cases, better prices--that's the problem with Central Market, much of their stuff is HEB quality with Whole Foods prices--as far as Seafood goes, avoid BOTH Central Market and Whole Foods, Quality Seafood is way better quality wise (and value)...
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Central Market
4477 S Lamar Blvd Ste 100, Austin, TX 78745
Austin Coffee--some thoughts
that's just it--the places you mention (Medici, Houndstooth, Once Over) I was eager to check out and very dissappointed with--mainly due to the quality of the coffee--Once Over has nice ambience with their deck and is close to where I live--one Medici is conveniently close to UT--but why bother buying Espresso there when I can get the real thing at Russell's (Anderson's Coffee) or Ruta Maya?
Austin Coffee--some thoughts
For the nearly 30 years I've lived here I've seen many coffee purveyors/roasters come and go but there's some things that remain the same. Anderson & Co. remains the king of the hill, though there are some places that come close to being as good. Ruta Maya in particular comes to mind--I especially give them props for dark roasting their Central American coffees.
One other thing that hasn't changed is that there always seems to be at least one local company that not only roasts beans but offers a maintenance deal to coffee shops and restaurants that buy their beans. Ten years ago I noticed that Texas Coffee Traders was pervasive in the scene. Now, it seems to be Cuvee. I am rather surprised by the situation, in part because the coffees themselves don't stand up quality wise. Especially galling is when coffee shops use a light roast (typically a Viennese type roast) for espresso. I like a bit of experimentation. I like that many micro-breweries do things like make a dark lager, for example. But I've never once tasted a light roast coffee that works for espresso. Maybe that's just because that's what Italians (who invented the process) use? Every coffee shop I've been to in Europe used a dark roast for their espresso--same goes for Turkish coffee (another fine grind).
The problem is clearly one with the coffee shops (or restaurants) themselves. Cuvee produces some very excellent dark roasted coffees which I've had, same territory as Anderson's and Ruta Maya--it makes me serious wonder why coffee shops go with the light roast. My guess is it probably has something to do with the wholesale price? Though, when I worked in a coffee shop ten years ago that at the time bought their beans from Texas Coffee Traders, I found out that TCT's wholesale price was only slightly higher (something on the order of 5 cents/lb.) than Anderson's. Talk about penny wise pound foolish.
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Texas Coffee Traders
1400 E 4th St, Austin, TX 78702
Franklin's Update
went there Friday with a friend visiting, still in town for SXSW from South of France--if you want the ribs, you gotta get in line by 10:30--we got there more like noon, I ended up getting a pound of brisket that is still, for my money, the gold standard for BBQ Brisket--or perhaps tied with Smitty's in Lockhart--albeit I have not been to Snow's in Lexington--I love Sam's for the Mutton, but otherwise, this is the best BBQ in Austin, by far....
Buying Heavy Cream?
there's GOT to be someone at the Farmer's Market who can hook you up
Need Fresh Oyster Advice Please - Post Oil Spill
irregardless of point of origin, I should say at this juncture for those who don't know, the perfect pairing with Oysters, especially Raw Oysters, is a Stout or Porter--especially if it is a dry/savory Stout/Porter like Guinness--some also eat them with Champagne, but I think Stout works better (and there's an old history of this in the UK)...
What recession: how many anticpated restaurants can open in Austin in one month?
aren't there two other places opening soon at the Austonian as well? There's a number upscale to slightly upscale places that have opened close to the Austonian in the last year or so, in part gambling on the money soon to be flowing from there--not sure how many units have been sold there though--the first three you mention of course are offshoots of successful local places (I guess Uchiko belongs in the same category)--I'm sure Franklin got Ben's Longbranch for a song--which is part of the story here, the real estate market has crashed somewhat--and of course Austin is somewhat immune to the recession--and don't underestimate the power of the upcoming Texas Legislative Session, those expense accounts will be open soon, especially at places close to downtown
I have 24 hours in Austin, what's your favorite breakfast, lunch, and dinner?
Tom, I used to think that about La Mexicana, but there's been a major sea change over there--last 8-9 times I've been there in the last year, the Barbacoa has been outstanding--plus some of the complimentary sides (escabeche with nopalitos, dark red salsa) are amazing--that said, I would NEVER buy any of their pastries, just not my thing
as to the stuff about how the other half live (including myself), I was responding to a comment earlier about Tacos El Rico being a taco truck in a parking lot of a laundromat in one of Austin's poorest neighborhoods--personally, I don't see how any of that is germane, but some people rarely go outside their gated communities, and there is so much irrational fear about being around the "great unwashed" with some people that these things could be a motivation for complaining about things like folding chairs and table to sit on while you eat
Local Gluten Free products
there's so many places offering gluten free products nowadays, it's hardly possible to go anywhere and not find them! How about *any grocery store* or Farmer's Market, just for starters?
Any good Chinese food in SW austin?
I'd have to agree with Hao-Hao at the SE corner of Manchaca & William Cannon...
Now there's one place west of SW Austin, in Lakeway, that is arguably the best Chinese restaurant (certainly for Dim Sum) in all of Central Texas--Pao's Mandarin House in Lakeway about a mile north of the Backyard--which also happens to have the best Vegan cuisine I've ever tasted anywhere (American Vegans who are skeptical should remember that the Chinese have been doing Vegan cuisine for several Millenia, American Veganism is still in its infancy)--you'll want to order from their "Chinese menu" (which does have English translations) and show up around 11am Saturday or Sunday--seriously amazing food...
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Hao-Hao Restaurant
1901 W William Cannon Dr, Austin, TX 78745
Best Austin tamales?
found out there will be some very traditional style tamales by the dozen for sale at a Christmas bazaar on Saturday, noon-6pm, at Resitencia Bookstore, South First and Mary...
I have 24 hours in Austin, what's your favorite breakfast, lunch, and dinner?
I think what's going on is some of us are food purists, while others are as much into the vibe of a place, the decor and all of that--I've had a fair amount of street food around the world, and places like Tacos El Rico are the equivalent of that here in Austin--it's just that Tacos El Rico happens to be the best one according to a large number of people here and elsewhere--I can name many other fantastic taco trucks that are better and way cheaper than Maria's or Izzoz--one excellent one is Pastor, on E. Riverside--another idea for anyone who might be interested in not only getting some really good local cuisine, but interested that seems like a home cooked meal, based on long traditions handed down by generations, and even a sense on how the "other half" (i.e. those of us on the wrong side of the American Dream) eat and live, check out La Moreliana (S. Congress north of Ben White), La Mexicana or any La Michoacana store as they all serve tacos, including breakfast tacos, and they are all excellent and cheap. The Barbacoa at these stores is almost as good as Tacos El Rico.
BBQ in Austin better than Lockhart?
interesting news about Franklin moving to Ben's Longbranch former location--speaking of one of the only places around that did BBQ Mutton, Sam's BBQ (which still does mutton, of course) has started making some of their own sausage--last time I was in there I tried a Turkey sausage that was amazing...
Now if only someone could do something like Black's Pork Jalapeno sausage--they ruined it about 6 years ago when too many Mama's Boys were crying that it was too spicy for them, and started adding chunks of Velveeta or something to them--anyway, the good version was made better by longer cooking time, so that it was very concentrated in flavor, and not really juicy---almost like a slow smoked dry sausage--amazing...
Hard Hat Report Vol 6
was a bit bummed last week about Thai Kitchen on Wm. Cannon closing, but now I have some good news, though I am of course sad for the workers who lost their jobs
Furr's Cafeteria on South Lamar near Ben White has closed...
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Thai Kitchen
3103 S Fort Hood St, Killeen, TX 76542
