shan's Profile
Looking for places that have Pureed food - any help?
Handshakes has gotten really good press for some of its unusual milkshakes... one of their specialties is a pancake milkshake.
two foodie girls eating their way through austin...
If you want a decadent milkshake, I'd check out Handshakes (its in the Cheer up Charlies lot).
two foodie girls eating their way through austin...
I'd suggest Lick Ice Cream... its really amazing. It's also next to Barley Swine which you should really try if you can get in.
Noble Pig serves great sandwiches... they also have a supper club if you are in town... check their website.
I'm also a fan of Stiles Switch BBQ. They are making some really great BBQ and the lines are no where as long as Franklin's.
I'd recommend checking out some of the food trailers... Yume burger is making interesting Japanese burgers, Chilantro and Coreanos both make Korean/Mexican fusion, Peached Tortilla is Asian(usually Vietnamese)/Mexican/American fusion (think Bahn Mi tacos as well as sliders)... there's also Pig Viscious, Three Little Pigs, etc. Yume and Chilantro are usually downtown Thurs-Saturday nights and easy to find. Peached Tortilla is usually at the Star Bar and easy to locate.
Bacon makes pretty good casual food. The burger (with the bacon in the meat grind) doesn't live up to expectations in my opinion, but they have a pretty solid breakfast menu. I'd probably suggest Bacon or Galaxy Cafe for the breakfast/lunch options.
Jack in the Box isn't horrible, but its a chain burger place. They aren't all that bad for what they are, but if you have to do chain burgers, I prefer Whataburger. Jack in the Box tries to occupy the same headspace that attracts teenage boys to Taco Bell and Burger King at 1am to eat there.
I think Big Top Candy is a bit overrated for what it is... but its on South Congress and there are alot of neat things nearby... directly across the street is a food trailer park... I haven't been to that location lately, but Mighty Cone usually gets generally positive reviews. If you want cupcakes, Hey Cupcake is in there, but I'm not a fan... I think they are too sweet and usually overmixed... great marketing, lousy cupcakes. I usually prefer to head over to Sugarmama's on South First.
Close to Sugarmamas is another BBQ place/trailer that gets alot of love... JMueller's. I picked up brisket the other day and it was amazing.
I did eat at Frank's last weekend... a word of advice... they don't serve the hot dogs on Sunday brunch so if you are going there for those, pick another time... they do make a pretty good Chicken and Waffles for brunch though... as well as a decent Tex/Mex selection... you may want to try their Bloody Mary which they make with a bacon slice.
If you only want the beer flavored ice cream at Amy's you need to email them and see if they will have it when you are in town and also which location... they have a rotating selection and every location is not the same.
Foreign and Domestic specializes in offal and I have also had some really nice meals with sweetbreads at Parkside. I'd recommend either place as a great meal. Uchi and Uchiko do other things beyond sushi and both make a good meal.
I don't like Chuys, but I'm not a fan of most TexMex... I usually take people to Curra's when they want to eat casual Mexican.
Austin restaurants that use natural ingredients
Our favorite BBQ at the moment in Austin is Stiles Switch. If you are looking for something in the Stubbs area, there's also Ironworks... its not my favorite place, but the BBQ is pretty solid. I don't know much about how they prepare the food.
I haven't had the French Toast at Eastside but I seem to remember liking it at 24. My husband is partial to the French Toast at Bacon which may also work for you but I'm not sure.
Austin restaurants that use natural ingredients
I also thought of Wild Woods Cafe... they are in the process of moving locations but they specialize in Gluten free and trend towards all natural ingredients.
Daily Juice also has alot of natural items and I'd suggest Sweet Ritual which is a vegan ice cream place.
There's also Mr. Natural and I think P.Terry's uses alot of natural ingredients in their burgers and may hit your requirements
Austin restaurants that use natural ingredients
There are a bunch of places I'd recommend.... East Side Cafe is probably mostly if not all natural. I know they emphasize fresh and local so my guess is they shy away from artificial anything, but you could call and check.
Conscious Cravings is probably almost all natural... its a vegetarian trailer http://consciouscravingsaustin.com/ They have a location by campus on weekdays and their stuff tastes like it doesn't have anything artificial in it.
Noble Pig makes alot of their food from scratch. http://www.noblepigaustin.com/
I know there are a bunch of places at the Farmer's markets that are natural... at the downtown market (on Saturdays) Dai Due serves food that I'm pretty certain lacks artificial ingredients... they even make their own hot sauces and other condiments from scratch... Cake and Spoon at the market makes alot of pastries, tarts, cakes, etc. All their stuff tastes natural (and amazing) and you can talk directly with the people who make it if you have questions...
I know the Cuban trailer Miguel's The Cubano makes their bread from scratch and I'm pretty certain everything else is fresh too. The guys are super nice and I love their sandwiches.
Lick Ice cream makes everything fresh and don't think they use anything artificial.
Counter Cafe tends to be very local and so is 24 Diner. 24 makes the best veggie burger in town (IMHO) and its is from scratch... however, if you don't like beets, I'd skip it.
Where is the best Spicy Fried Chicken in Austin on par with Prince's in Nashville
I don't think its spicy, but Hyde Park Bar and Grill used to do Fried Chicken a couple times a week (the south location). I'm actually partial to Furr's fried chicken when it is fresh. It's one of the few reasons to go to there IMHO.
Have you looked into Korean fried chicken? Spicy fried goodness.
LA Hound coming into town; any help would be greatly appreciated.
If you are going to be here on a Saturday morning, I'd recommend heading over to Republic Square farmer's market. There are alot of vendors and many of them are really great. Dai Due makes amazing food... http://daidueaustin.net/ they always have some freshly made to order dishes too. Cake and Spoon are always there on Saturdays and I've lately become I bit obsessed with them http://cakeandspoon.com/ They make amazing chelsea buns, scones, quiches(I like the swiss chard one), desserts(the chocolate hazelnut tart is delicious). They have some of the best pastries I've had in Austin lately. I really like the Ginger Kombucha from Buddha's Brew. It is hands down the best Kombucha I've ever had. Texas French Bread, Taco Deli, the Tamale stand, the Thai stand are all really good. Last week, I saw a coffee purveyor there who I hadn't noticed before... they travel down to Brazil and pick their own beans from small farms to bring them back to Austin to roast. They sell by the cup and also fresh beans. I picked some beans up and have been very happy with them...
Of the restaurants you listed, I like Foreign and Domestic and Barley Swine best... however, I did get a tweet today from BS saying they are closed until January 8 for a deep clean... I don't know if that affects your plans. Uchi and Uchiko are great but just pick one... I haven't been to Congress, but I've been to Second twice.. the first time was really good, but the second time was solid, but nothing spectacular. I'm not a big fan of Olivias... I think its overpriced for the quality. Parkside is great... but I agree with your assessment, but they do pretty amazing things with their food... though they tend to like to incorporate a 'soil' into many desserts... I'm a bit over that trend personally. I haven't been to Franklins but I've heard great things about the food. If you are up late, you may want to look into some reverse happy hours around town too.
If you do go near Barley Swine, you should try Lick which is in the same parking area. Lick is making some really cutting edge flavors http://ilikelick.com/ which are all high quality and there will probably be at least one you haven't tried before (Beet and Mint, anyone?).
Another highlight for me lately has been the Noble Pig http://www.noblepigaustin.com/ They have a dinner on Jan 7 you may be able to get reservations for if you are interested.. the menu is up on their website.... regarding their regular menu, I love their duck pastrami sandwich and their BLT... I know, I know... BLT? well, its really a Pork Belly LT. If you want a good quality sandwich, this place is among the best in town lately no matter what you try.
Personally, I prefer Austin Cake Ball to Holy Cacao... ACB has recently opened up a restaurant front in the Domain... http://www.austincakeball.com/kitchenandbar I haven't tried their food lately, but their salted caramel cakeball is one of my favorite small bites in the city.
I'm going to cook a bone-in leg of lamb... where do I get one?
It's Loncito's Lamb...
http://www.homesweetfarm.com/loncito's_lamb.htm
I'm going to cook a bone-in leg of lamb... where do I get one?
There a guy at the downtown farmer's market on Saturdays that specializes in lamb. If he doesn't have one on hand, I'm sure you can reserve one
Any suggestions for good yeast rolls for Thanksgiving?
I'm not... it makes me feel better about suggestion another place I thought of... Furr's.
Any suggestions for good yeast rolls for Thanksgiving?
I'd get them from Great Harvest Bread... there's one on Bee Cave. you need to check their website for the days though.. i think they only sell them on MWF
Best Cupcakes?
Its Shannon, and yes. She taste licked it and then opted to ignore it...
Birthday dinner....nicer restaurant?
I'd go with Parkside myself. If you don't know the area, location could also be a deciding factor. Parkside is on E 6th street, aka the largest bar strip in town. If you want to check out a bar afterwards, go to a movie at the Alamo Ritz, or people watch, Parkside is the place to go. However, parking can be an issue (though you should be okay on a Thursday night before about 7-8) and you take that into consideration. The food at Parkside is amazing and I really like the place.
Wink is tucked away in a small stripmallish location close to the downtown Whole Foods. It is probably easier to get in and out of but its more of a place you will drive to and not poke around the nearby places afterwards. Wink has a solid menu, but its not one of the trending places in town nowadays though good when its on.
Best Cupcakes?
Hey Cupcake is the only cupcake place in town I refuse to spend anymore money at because of the lousy quality of their cupcakes. Is the strawberry one a new flavor for them? I'm willing to give them another try, but I threw my hands up after even the dog refused to finish one from there.
Need Austin rec for Xmas gift certificate
I think it depends on what they like. I'd suggest looking up the following places and deciding what works best. I don't think you could go wrong with any of them, but its more of a style thing. Uchi and Uchiko: get amazing press and are really very good. They are Asian influenced and usually packed. The chef at Uchiko is on Top Chef this upcoming season. Foreign and Domestic: upscale casual, great food... I love this place but it also specializes in offal, so if you are creeped out by seeing offal, probably skip it. However, they have some amazing dishes on the menu and is considered one of the rising stars in the area IMHO. Barley Swine: its the brick and mortar brewpub that grew out of the Odd Duck trailer. The food is amazing, the place is usually packed and you have communal tables. It's become one of the 'must try' places in town. Congress (along with Bar Congress and Second) were named one of the Best Restaurants in Bon Appetit for 2011. I've been to Second which is the brewpub casual side, and the food was excellent. Congress is the upscale, formal restaurant for the location and I've only heard amazing things about it, but I haven't made it over there yet.
There are plenty of places in town beyond this list that are really excellent, but I don't think you could go wrong with a gift certificate from any of them.
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Uchi Restaurant
801 S Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78704
Barley Swine
2024 S. Lamar, Austin, TX
Odd Duck
1219 S Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78704
Uchiko
4200 North Lamar, Austin, TX 78756
Bar Congress
200 Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78701
Best Cupcakes?
My favorite places are Delish and Sugar Mamas. Delish does an amazing chocolate cupcake (the cake part) and Sugar Mamas does some really great cupcakes and Icing... (I like SM's icing better). I really like SM's vegan cupcakes and I am in no way, shape or form a vegan. I don't think you could go wrong with either place
christmas in austin - food trucks open??
I agree... most of these places are small businesses and I would expect all of them to be closed Christmas Day and most of the to be closed Christmas Eve... several of them are already closed on Mondays so I'd expect them to take a long weekend. I'd suggest emailing or tweeting the places you are interested in and ask if they have a schedule yet.
Trappistes Rochefort 8 and 10 set to release in Austin
I've been keeping an eye out since I heard it was coming back in June... I haven't seen it yet...
Dirty 6th Area Restaurants
I moved over in the same area in May. I like Hoboken Pizza, Parkside, Backspace... Parkside, Finn and Porter and a bunch of other places near by have really good Happy Hours so you can always try those. McCormick and Schmidts is supposed to have a good happy hour, but i haven't been there yet.
I like the trailers. Naan Stop is open Wednesday-Saturday and they have good Indian food. They tend to open a bit earlier than other trailers and have nice vegetarian options.
On the other side of 35, there's a food trailer park with Miso Hungry, Love Balls and some other options
Speaking frankly about Frank
third the buns. I went there and they served a blase Chicago dog on the wrong bun. I was told I was wrong and they always come on regular buns.
haven't been back.
Christmas in Austin
Austin isn't that cold at Christmas compared to other places in the country. I would think most of the food trucks are open Thursday to Sunday. However, most trucks are (at the end of the day) Mom and Pop shops so they may take time off to spend time with their families. It's a bit too early to tell.
Pies: Cutie Pies is great and I'd also recommend Texas Pie Kitchen. Central Market and Whole Foods do pretty good holiday food prep but you probably want to purchase it ahead of time (you can holiday order ahead of time). I get alot of stuff at farmer's markets at the holidays. Pecans grow in Texas and I always pick up fresh ones for holiday meals. Full Quiver is located at the Barton Creek farmer's market and they make fresh cream cheese (flavored and plain). I always pick up a couple for holiday meals (that and crackers are an amazing appetizer). There are some really nice charcuterie places at the farmer's markets too. Dai Due is at Republic Square, and Kocurek Charcuterie is at Republic Square and at Barton Creek. Both serve amazing pates and I often pick some up for special occasions. The Kocureks also make a duck bacon that I served last Christmas that everyone raved about. Both have weekly mailing lists and can reserve items ahead of time to pick up at the markets.
Galaxy Cafe also allows you to order sides for the holidays. I've never tried them, but I eat there on a regular basis and I think their food is quite good. Lots of people eat tamales during the Christmas holidays.. I know yelp has some old threads about locating some in the city.
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Texas Pie Kitchen
Austin, TX, Austin, TX
Central Market
4477 S Lamar Blvd Ste 100, Austin, TX 78745
Meyer Lemons this Year?
Central Market had them last week... I picked a couple up. Not cheap, but not insanely outrageous as I recall
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Central Market
4001 N Lamar Blvd Ste 100, Austin, TX 78756
Restaurant:Impossible w/ Robert Irvine
I've been very suspicious of the 2 day time line... in part because they are wandering into all sorts of cities and towns around the USA... sometimes dealing with structural issues and sometimes with kitchens and wiring... depending on where you are at...these things are code issues and you can't always get an inspector there to sign off in 2-3 hours... or weeks.
Scrapple anyone?
I'm fairly certain I've seen it in frozen foods in Central Market North.
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Central Market
4001 N Lamar Blvd Ste 100, Austin, TX 78756
RIP part 4
Especially that Marie Calendars. It is easily the worst restaurant I ever went to in Austin. ever. It's a pretty good location and I'm hopeful interesting goes in there. What places are underrepresented in that part of South Austin? pizza? fish?
Chronicle Restaurant Reader's Poll 2011
I hear you... as I read through the reader's poll I thought it was compiled by people with the palette of 5 year olds. I couldn't believe Plucker's got the nod for best chicken dish. That's like saying Captain D's serves the best seafood in your city.
Placing the Bratwurst at Best Wurst over than the Pork Belly Slider at Odd Duck is depressing. The brat is just okay for drunk food, but the slider is really something special.
After I finished reading the poll this year, I pretty much said I was done with it... its more sad than anything else IMHO
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Odd Duck
1219 S Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78704
SEAFOOD IN AUSTIN??
I stopped going to Threadgill's for fried oysters after I picked about 5 pieces of shell out of my mouth and was afraid I chipped a tooth. I go to Flying Falafel and Po'Boys on the Drag for my seafood nowadays. They always clean their oysters multiple times and I've never had a problem.
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Threadgills Restaurant
301 W Riverside Dr, Austin, TX 78704
Good fish sandwich??
I like this burger too, but the reason I didn't mention it is I think they make up the wasabi avocado from scratch and sometimes its great and sometimes its strong enough to clear my sinuses out for a week. It's a great piece of fish in a bun though...
Good fish sandwich??
I'm partial to the fried fish sandwich at Jim's and the fried fish sandwich (and fish wrap) at Galaxy Cafe.
