MGucci's Profile
House Pizzaria
I don't think there is an expectation to find exact replicas of NY-style pizza. There's only hope of a similarity. :) Plus isn't there something in the water that makes NY Style pizza NY Style pizza?
House Pizzaria
My hubby's from Brooklyn and he didn't think Salvation Pizza or Eastside Pies had a true NY Style pizza crust. He thought the pepperoni pizza at House was the closest to NY style in Austin. Home Slice in his opinion was second after House Pizzaria. The chewy texture of the thick crusty edge of the pie was what he was searching for in addition to a thin crust for the body of the pizza.
best Korean
Yay! We went to Korean Grill for lunch today and it was delish! We had Yukejang, Jangpong, and Pork Bulgogi. The banchan (side apps) were tasty and fresh. Thanks Budgethound for the recommendation.
best Korean
I'll have to check out Korean Grill. My last visit was to Korea House last week. I felt that most of the Banchan apps were a little too old to be served. I still think about the time I was in Vancouver- the Korean place we went to had such fresh, high quality food- I felt I was in the middle of Seoul.
I'm not sure why so many Korean places in Austin are mediocre.
My vote for best non chain moderate to inexpensive restaurant in Austin
I frequent Sunflower also- just because they have the best spring rolls (and good quality peanut sauce- not a brown, tasteless sauce like most Vietnamese places) and I particularly crave their Pho Chay (#20)- chicken broth/ vermicelli noodle soup with al dente chinese cabbage, broccoli, bean sprouts, basil, cilantro, straw mushrooms, lightly fried tofu, and green onions. Its a hole in the wall though, and most of the waitstaff do not speak English. But that doesn't stop me from going on a regular basis.
Good Middle Eastern?
Next to Curras on Oltorf is a new Lebanese place (looks like a former Taco Bell building), called Tarbouch Lebanese Grill. I got food to-go- Lamb Kebab Plate and Veggie Plate. Very fresh, tasty and the prices are great.
Perla's?
I was very impressed with the Fresh and Simple Oak Grilled Whole Loup de Mer (a Mediterranean Sea Bass) $26. This was enough fish for two people, really. The red Chimchurri sauce on the side was not needed. The flavors of the fish with the olive oil, salt and pepper was perfect just as it was. The calamari appetizer $12 was huge- enough for 4 people to share. What does need improvement was the clam, white bean, sausage chowder $8. It was more like a Thai hot and sour soup with fish sauce - the end result was too much saltiness. I'd really love a New England style chowder next time though. I'll be back for the whole fish experience!
Best Fajitas in Austin?
I'm craving beef fajitas. My favorite is at Pappasios- the beef is high quality and so tender.
Are there any other places I am missing out on? Who's fajitas are the best tasting in Austin?
Dim Sum, Lamar Blvd.
I went last night and so curious about the menu, that I ordered nearly half of every item they had. With my work schedule, I am unable to go to the normal Dim Sum establishments, so the concept of 7 days a week is very accessible for me. I will affectionately call this place Dumpling Dynasty. The dumplings have either the wheat flour or rice flour wrappings. The steamed dumplings made of the rice flour have a gelatinous texture- different and delicious.The pan fried dumplings with the vermacelli and veggies inside are yummy also. The Chinese Broccoli was cooked perfectly. I liked also the open faced dumplings w/ veggies and ground chicken. The BBQ Bun was the only item I felt needed improvement. The meat to sauce portion was more sauce - and the sauce looked like corn syrup. I'm not an expert, but I wanted a tad more bbq with a rich bbq sauce. The desserts were authentic and tasty- egg custard tart, coconut roll, sesame balls w/ sweet bean paste (fried), buns with sweet bean paste. I will be back and am so happy this place opened in Central Austin. Every dish was made fresh to order at dinner time and was piping hot. The manager and staff were very friendly and went out of their way to make me feel welcome.
Austin Thai War
No, I haven't veered off of NS15 yet, but perhaps I will try NS14 next time :)
Austin Thai War
I concur with femmenikita, my favorite dish at Madam Mam's is NS15 - Tom Khlong- with flat rice noodle(you get to select one of three different noodles). My mouth is watering just thinking about this sour, lemongrass/lime, spicy hot soup. Its an acquired taste, but I am addicted. My hubby likes the beef curry w/ jalapeno slow roasted with the large onion half as the garnish. I'm thrilled that they will be opening at Lincoln Village.
We love Titaya's also, their curries (green, red, you name it) are very delicious and complex.
ACL Fest Food - who ranks supreme?
I was surprised and delighted to see that Vespaio/Enoteca had a food booth at ACL, but were sadly disappointed. The calamari ($7) was overcooked, stale, and smelled fishy. The pork meatball sandwich ($8) was premade- my hubby had that- and because it was not made to order, the bread was soggy. Very, very sad. Hopefully they will try something different next year...
We then went back to our usual favorite- Hudsons on the Bend for their spicy chicken and avacado wrap ($8) and death by chocolate ($5). They currently rank supreme in my book although they didn't have venison sausage on their menu this year. They did though add a spicy fish wrap to their lineup.
Tonite we will try Aquarelle's. Any other recommendations?
Amy's Ice Cream - my hubby had a milkshake- but sadly it was pretty melted and was more like a creamy milk drink.
AUSTIN Happy Hours
Imperia (where the old Mezzaluna's used to be) has the best happy hour to date.
$5 list of specialty cocktails (Texas pour) , $5 appetizers, and 2 for 1 sushi, sashimi, and specialty sushi rolls. This is not listed anywhere on the Imperia website nor the menu. Just ask the waitress, and she will point out the specials. M-F 5-7p. I've been going every other week. Its awesome!
Also Sullivans on Thur nights and Sunday nights at the bar- $5 specialty cocktails, and everything on the bar menu is $5. The most popular item is their burger with blue cheese potato chips, made to order. I got mine medium rare ( it turned out more rare but charred, what the heck, it was $5) and delicious it was. My friends go there every week, this was my first time. I'll definitely go back there again... for the burger of course!
party size
Pappasitos Caters - they have the best beef fajitas. We had our wedding rehearsal dinner at our home, with Pappasitos - chicken and beef fajitas and chicken enchiladas as the main entrees. It was affordable and delicious!
5 Days in Austin...HELP US PLAN!
Hi Stacy,
Try Vespaios, Imperia, Mikado, Eddie V's, North, Taste Select, Finos, Madam Mams, Olivias, Uchi, Jeffreys, Zoot, The Salt Lick, Moonshine, WineGrove, Sienna, Hudsons on the Bend, and Bess.
Olivia (S. Lamar near Oltorf)
Went last night, had the cheese plate appetizer ($18), arugula salad ($10) , duck confit w/ risotto ($26) and ginger lemon cake. Everything was delicious, the ambiance was nice( although a tad bit warm inside)... but the entree portion size was simply too small. The duck confit was shredded and mixed into the risotto. I wager there was only 2 oz. of duck in the entire dish. I've been in France and had duck confit before, so perhaps my expectation was too high. Either way, I would go back and give this restaraunt a second chance. The potential is there...
