shelbyk's Profile
Fun places for a crowd to go out in Austin? Not food specifically, more drinkin'
I'd like to take you in a different direction...from Moonshine you could easily head to Lustre Pearl at 97 Rainey St. or even further east to the East Side Showroom on East 6th, or even further east to Justine's which is a new Austin gem. My husband and I only venture to the warehouse district or 6th street when coerced by music or mean friends. Have fun!
Napa Trip Report
I'm eager to explore the vineyards and restaurants of Sonoma. A lot of our friends who live in the Bay area have begun spending more time in Sonoma for reasons of service, accessibility and overall enjoyment. I can't wait to get rec's when we have a chance to visit!
Napa Trip Report
My husband and I had the joy of spending last Wednesday through Sunday in Yountville, and as much as we were excited about the wine, we were more than highly anticipating the food. After MUCH consideration we chose Terra, Bottega and Redd for what would hoped would be 3 truly elevated meals.
Terra: Very much liked the simple interior and warm room. We started with a kampachi 3 ways (sashimi, tartare, ceviche) that was straightforward, fresh and gently cooling. From there I moved on to a burrata while my husband had lobster/corn chowder. The burrata was beautifully creamy with fresh greens, locally grown heirloom tomatoes and nicely done croutons, while my husbands chowder had nice pieces of lobster and was well seasoned. For entrees I chose the lamb special which was slow braised lamb off the bone served atop sweet corn and green onion blinis drizzled with a lamb reduction with shaved green onion and pea leaves...SPLENDID!!! My husband had a tagliata served with fingerling potatoes and a baby arugula salad with shaved parmesan, lemon and olive oil...generally very good, but not exciting or great compared to others, not much flavor. The complaint: our sommelier was an integral part of the meal...very helpful, attentive and excited about the wine. Our waitress was, for lack of a better term, somewhat absent. Never rude, just not really around, and seemed to be giving much greater attention to two tables of older couples. Due to her absence we skipped dessert and a beerenauslese that I very much wanted to try.
Bottega: Beautiful room, but less personal and intimate than Terra. We started with a sugar snap pea and raw sweet corn salad with pecorino, marcona almonds and whole citrus vinaigrette. Truly a tasty, summery and refreshing dish. The peas were paper thin and still crisp! From there we split a bolognese with housemade pappardelle, procini mushrooms, veal and sausage...the house made pasta made the dish truly special. The ragu was beautifully seasoned and fortified by the mushrooms and wine, but was lighter than a typical bolognese...we left a pile of ground meat that didn't attach itself to anything very well. I chose the short ribs that were braised to a melting, rich succulence while also being caramelized to a deep red brown...they shredded perfectly. Some of the best I've had. My husband had the lamb chops served with polenta. The were a rare to the point of marginally undercooked, but were very well seasoned and exceedingly fresh, so the temp obviously wasn't a huge issue as they were devoured with a smack of the lips and unbuttoning of the jeans.
But then came dessert. We wanted 2 glasses of donnafugata and some strawberry semifreddo (which was part of a strawberry tiramisu). Upon delivering the wine, our waitress spilled much of mine on my lap. She laughed a little, said "oh, it could have been much worse!", left 1 full glass and one dripping half glass on the table, and ran off to get another glass of wine. This took her awhile. She then brought a HALF glass of donnafugata and didn't mention the incident again...she also didn't comp the wine or dessert. I thought about saying something, but at that point I was a little tipsy and a little amazed. Also, the meal felt rushed, as though they were pumping us through the bottega factory...
Bistro Jeanty: the beautiful, unexpected and leisurely lunch. We had enjoyed dollar oysters on Thursday and liked the atmosphere enough to go back. We ordered their signature creme de tomate en croute which was well worth the praise, creamy, delicious with flaky pastry. We then had a pear and endive salad that was refreshing and cool, and ended with a satisfying cassoulet...aaahhh cassoulet: duck legs, pork sausage, bacon and perfectly prepared white cassoulet beans...so homey. We enjoyed a great bottle of wine recommended by our very attentive, very pleasant waiter. I off-handedly mentioned fear of dehydration at the beginning of the meal and he kept our water (and wine) glasses fully for almost 2 hours. Without a doubt the best service we had while in Napa.
Redd: the hostess had soul, the kitchen definitely had soul, the waiter sucked. It was a beautiful night and we were happy to be seated outside. It took our waiter about 10 minutes to approach us, at which point our water glasses were empty and we wanted wine. After perusing the menu we placed our food order, and as I was about to ask for the somm or about wine, he scurried off only to return about 5 minutes later. Our squash blossoms stuffed with goat cheese arrived about 7 minutes before our first half bottle of wine...I waited to dig in, I waited a little more, then dug in at which point they had cooled considerably. Finally the wine arrived... yay. As we were enjoying our blossoms, the lobster risotto my husband ordered arrived and was pushed onto the table next to the blossoms...huh? Serve them at the same time or make them separate courses...I don't care, just don't feed me like I'm at Chili's. The lobster risotto was a perfect al dente and creamy, but soured by the service. For entrees I had the duck confit with foie gras meatballs served over black lentils...perfection! My husband had the NY strip which was a perfect medium rare served over chantrelles, green beans and bacon in a chianti reduction c braised short rib cannelloni. The steak was one of the most perfectly prepared pieces of beef I've ever tasted...perfectly carmelized, stunning color and melt in your mouth decadence. Bravo for the food! Once again, the waiter seemed a little bored and was definitely absentee. The kitchen made up for it.
Overall we were gluttons, and it was worth every bite. What amazed me was the general lethargy in service. To have the privilege of working with such fine kitchens should be exciting and engaging, but most of our servers seemed slightly disinterested and detached...such a pity. I do have to say, however, that my parents (who are in their late 60's) enjoy Napa and were amazed by our sad stories about service since they've been to all the same restaurants and received "fabulous" service. Who knows? What I do know is that we plan on returning often and dining well!
Napa Recommendations
Thank you all for wonderful rec's. One of my goals for this trip was very little scheduling, lots of relaxation and lots of good food and wine...gratefully all 3 goals were achieved. We toured Pride and Thursday, and I have to say I was very pleased! The winery itself is lovely in its placement at the top of the hill, and the tour was very educational and fun! We toured with one other couple, tasted some great cab's, cab franc and merlot (not generally much of a merlot drinker!), and were generally very impressed. We ate a picnic after the tour and had a chilled, pleasing bottle of Pride Voignier. The next morning we toured Schramsberg, which was fantastically informative and cool (temp-wise, it was 100 degrees in the valley). On Saturday we had a leisurely visit to Sinskey (so sad to just have read about Elizabeth Spencer as we were parked right outside and contemplated going in...next time) and then to Whitehall where we tasted some good cabs.
The Pride rec made our trip, and next time we plan on doing more
Napa Recommendations
On the gemstone website they say they don't do tours or tastings...
Napa Recommendations
My husband and I are taking our first trip to Napa Aug. 26-30. We have tastings scheduled at Schramsberg and are planning on visiting Robert Sinskey. We are in desperate need of relaxation, so are trying to schedule as little as possible, and what we schedule we want to be good. Oddly, we don't drink a lot of cabs, but instead opt for old world wines. That being said, in general we just love a good bottle of wine, so a great cab tasting: "hell's yeah!" What are your favorite vineyards for wine, the best ones for architecture, and the best overall experience? (I do, of course, understand that often these things might be in opposition). Oh yeah, if there is a vineyard with a stunning food/wine tour that anyone can recommend we would be much obliged.
THANK YOU!!!
1 more meal in Napa
My husband and I will be in Yountville for 4 nights and have three dinners planned: Terra, Bottega, and Redd. It's dinner the first night we arrive (Wednesday) that we can't quite decided on. We want it to be a more casual meal, but are open to all suggestions. I'm interested in Ubuntu, but my astoundingly carnivorous husband is resisting. We talked about Ad Hoc, but my contentious hubby is wary of the fixed menu. We'll be there late Aug., so is there a venue with great outdoor seating? What about Auberge du Soleil? Does their bar/bistro area have outdoor seating? Thanks for any suggestions!
Best Treat Delivery
A good friend took me on a super fun outing last Friday and I would like to say thank-you by sending something edible and tasty. I know about Tiff's Treats, and I know you can send cupcakes, but what else is there? I'm thinking sweet but would be open to any ideas that are thrown out there...
Mighty Cone a Disappointment?
Not hospitable. If people are unaware of the etiquette/rules/fine points of this board (ie most people), it's good to let them know...nicely. This board has gotten snarky.
Need Advice on Napa Wineries
My husband and I will be in Napa for 3 full days May 25-27 and need help planning our tasting. We love old world reds, and would love to do no more than 2 wineries a day. We're hoping for a mix of small vineyards and maybe some larger ones with stunning scenery/architecture. We're staying in Yountville and are just looking for great experiences. Thank you!
napa 4 days/3 nights
Thank you so much for your detailed reply. Like you said, there are many great places in Napa, and when I started reading through all the post, it was just a little overwhelming! I know most places in Napa necessitate a dinner reservation; do I need them for lunch, too?
napa 4 days/3 nights
My husband and I will be arriving in Yountville (from Austin, TX) to stay at the Vintage Inn beginning Sunday May 24 and departing Thurs. May 28. This is a food, wine and decompression vacation for us...ie, no more than 2 wineries a day and some really great long, leisurely meals. I want to know what those in the know believe to be "can't miss" experiences (aside from TFL, that's a known by all). We eat everything, can go high end to low end, and don't have specific cuisine in mind...we just want to know where the best meals to be had are in the Napa Valley. I've searched the board, and the information is pretty spread out. Also, if anyone has some wineries that they especially love for generally great experience, please throw those in as well. Thank you in advance for any suggestions
Counter Cafe
My husband and I went for dinner last spring. It took us about 15 minutes to place a drink order (sitting at the bar with 1 other table in the whole place). I ordered wine. My wine arrived in a dirty, greasy glass. It was gross. When I mentioned this to the guy behind the counter, he gave me a dirty look, inspected the glass, shrugged his shoulders as though he had no clue as to what could be offending me, THEN proceeded to pour my wine into another glass. We walked out and haven't been back since.
Corazon
Has anyone tried Corazon (the new restaurant that took over the Castle Hill location)?
There Can Be Only One:Your Single Favorite Taco In Austin.
potato, egg, cheese, ham at La Guerra on Mary/Lamar. The tortillas are light and fluffy, perfect balance of the four ingredients...craveable. Reminiscent of Maria's when she was still a cart.
Late Night Albuquerque
The western style hashbrowns covered with "stew" (the green chili in the big soup pot) are my favorite...cover everything with that stuff, it's amazing. I live in Austin, now, but crave the frontier daily.
Olivia (S. Lamar near Oltorf)
Pretty much like Vespaio. Entrees $18-30, starters $9-14, salads $9-12, and wines by the glass varying between 7-15...the prices are an estimate (can't remember exactly).
Olivia (S. Lamar near Oltorf)
For an inexperienced kitchen staff, my husband and I were impressed. We split the vichyssoise, which was well flavored and light, and the "beautiful salad" with green apples, fennel, greens and a lemon-tarragon viniagrette...we both loved the flavor of the tarragon. He had the summer coq au vin, which we both loved due to the quality of the chicken and the flavor of the apricot and olives (only problem was the potatoes, which were a minor part of the dish, were undercooked). I had the spaghetti alla chittara with escargot and bread crumbs, and I thought it was well executed. The housemade chittara was well done and cooked a nice al dente. We finished with the duck egg creme caramel, and it's now my favorite dessert in town...creamy, not too sweet and a little addictive. I agree with a previous observation that this fills a restaurant void in Austin, and I wish them the absolute best.
El Greco
Husband and I went to El Greco at 31st and Guadalupe last night craving Greek food. My personal favorite in Austin has always be Athenian Grill...he always liked it, but had misgivings about their pastichio (sp?). My first clue should have been that there was nothing spinning on the spit, but not cluing in, I ordered a chicken gyro (the only other option was pork. Pork?). It was fajita chicken, not shaved, and they had baby greens on the gyro, and thin slices of onion, once again, like fajita onions. Not what I wanted at all. We also ordered french fries, which I think were fried in olive oil, which doesn't take that kind of heat well.
I don't know about this place. The older Greek lady working there seemed really nice, but the whole experience made me miss the hell out of Athenian Grill. What's the word with them re-opening?
Sushi Quest
I love Uchi and Musashino, without doubt, but I noticed no one's mentioned the Finn and Porter in the Hilton downtown. My husband and I have been there numerous times (at first to avoid crowds, then to enjoy the food), and we've noticed that their fish is very fresh and the preparation great. We asked one of the sushi chefs once about the fish and he said that b/c of the buying power of the Hilton corp., their rep is able to shop at the Tsukiji market daily and has good relationships with the sellers. Also, b/c of the size of their operation, they can ship the fish directly.
Is Brandy Ho's Hunan Going Downhill?
I used to live in SF and was visiting this weekend. When I lived there I used to love Brandy Ho's b/c it was so close and pretty well priced. We had a great meal there on Sat. (plenty spicy by the way, and I have no fear of heat)...actually, the waitress asked us how spicy we wanted our dishes. We had the house cured ham with garlic which was great, and then the deep fried dumplings (guilty pleasure, but so good). Also had the stir fried string beans which never disappoint. I've always known that it didn't get much love on this board, but among my friends who lived there it was popular.
Best Breakfast Place In Town??
Speaking strictly to the eggs: the scrambled eggs with biscuits and gravy small plate at Lambert's brunch blew my mind the last time we ordered it. I can't imagine the amount of butter and cream used in those eggs, but they are delectable. They were cooked just right, not over-scrambled or dried-out, and they are actually craveable.
Downtown eating: not expensive, Mexican or chain?
Maybe my only reservation about Zax is that they occasionally have a band playing and it can be a little loud inside. I've had a couple of really good burgers there, but you might want to check ahead to see if they have live music the night you're going.
Austin Vodkas?
Innominate, I just have to disagree. In its price range, Tito's is my choice. If I'm going to sip vodka "up", I might choose something of a different pedigree, but if I'm drinking it with soda or a mix, I would happily put Tito's up against any vodka in it's price range.
Salt Lick BBQ
In truth, my husband and I eat a lot of bbq, and the only time we eat Salt Lick these days is at the airport, and that usually has to do with the idea that if for whatever reason it turns out to be my last meal, I want it to be TX bbq. The last time we flew we had chopped brisket sandwiches at 10 a.m. (and say what you will, but I love the salt lick bread), then had a lay-over in Memphis where we had to try the Jim Neeley's? Interstate bbq in that terminal. That experience confirmed for me that a lifetime of "rub" has spoiled me...the Memphis bbq was just a little too saturated in sauce for my taste.
