topodrinko's Profile
He's Baaack! Where have you seen Bourdain in town?
He did an interview with The Sword and tried their hot sauce.
I know it's been discussed before, but... Ramen?
had the tonkotsu ramen at Kome a while back. I really enjoyed it, although I might not be the best judge, as I've only read about traditional Japanese ramens, but never eaten any.
I hope the picture below captures all the interesting items it came with. I ground some toasted sesame seeds on top with a device the waiter gave me. Very fun!
I'm looking forward to trying to the miso and shoyu, but have to find time to get out there on a weekday or lunch hours on Saturday.
Bun Bo Hue at Tan My
Had bun bo hue from Thanh Nhi last night. Got an order of nem nuong spring rolls (1B) to start, of course!
Broth: No distinct lemongrass flavor, not spicy, and not very oily or red/orange, but well seasoned in terms of salt/sweet/umami. Only needed a squeeze of lime. She offered some sa te, which addressed the oil and spice issue.
Ingredients: Round rice noodles, thinly sliced red onions, cilantro, fried shallots. I opted to not get pork blood or knuckle. Instead, I had pork roll, raw beef slices, and thin sliced tendon-y beef. Side of veggies includes bean sprouts, fresh jalapeno, thai basil, purple and green cabbage. No banana flower, but I'm okay with that.
I was thoroughly satisfied and happy with my small bowl. The owner was very elated and proud of this dish when I commented on how much I liked it. She's really great. Next time, I will take her up on adding some fermented shrimp paste/sauce to really amp up the broth.
p.s. I've eaten a number of items from this place and so far, I only suspect the pho and bun bo hue to use homemade stock. The other dishes often have a artificial sweetness and yellow hue that can't get down with.
P.S.S - Go to Pho Dan and get the BUN SOUNG. Peanuts, thinly sliced pork, shrimp, shrimp balls, thin round rice noodles. IT IS SO GOOD. they make the best shrimp balls.
Catering Tam Deli Banh Mi
we ordered 4 banh mi (cut into thirds) and 10 pieces of the nem noung spring rolls (cut in half) from Thanh Nhi for a small superbowl party. Both held up really well on the half hour car ride and throughout the night. The nem nuoung were excellent, even though the meat was at room temperature by the time we ate it.
Thanh Nhi's vietnamese sandwiches are more authentic than Tam Deli's IMO. It includes headcheese and possibly a more authentic mayonnaise. The nem nuoung are really exceptional. I don't know if anyone else sells them in town. It consists of green leaf lettuce, chive, mint, cucumber, carrots, crunchy cigar, and a grilled sausage patty rolled inside rice paper, served with a creamy spicy sauce that is hard to describe (not peanut sauce). i was shocked my snobby vietnamese parents loved it.
the last time i had Tam Deli's spring rolls, I was appalled by their gratuitous use of ice berg lettuce and dry noodles. Their sandwiches are good, but slightly different than what I grew up eating.
Rice Gelato
are you looking for rice milk gelato or gelato with rice in it?
Several years ago Teo had a rice pudding gelato that was weird, but good.
Juice cleanse
the austin chronicle just did a short article on a 10-day juice cleanse and mentions juiceland. it is available online right now. you could also see what whole foods and central market have to offer. too bad goodflow isn't around anymore. they had great juices.
Farmers Markets on Saturday Christmas Eve?
Taken from the SFC Farmers Market newsletter update I get on Wednesdays:
Special Wednesday Holiday Market
Wednesday, Dec. 21st with loads of vendors
Christmas Eve falls on Saturday, December 24th this year, so the SFC Farmers' Markets at Sunset Valley (SV) and Downtown (DT) will be combined in a smaller market at Sunset Valley, 3200 Jones Road. But to those that plan ahead (we still welcome you last minute at the Dec. 24 market at SV), we will have almost double the vendors at the Wednesday, December 21st Market at The Triangle to accommodate dozens of SV and DT farmers and other vendors in a special Holiday Market to get you all your goodies before the big rush. Hours 3 - 7 pm and free parking.
Market Open Christmas Eve Day! Saturday, Dec. 24
Only open at the SFC Farmers' Market at Sunset Valley, 9 am to 1 pm, with a limited amount of farmers and food vendors from both SV and DT. Lots of artisans, though, to fill out your last minute shopping list for those who were good! (Closed at Downtown location)
best dinner deals in town...
Santa Rita on 38th offers two for one fajitas on Tuesdays.
Take-out samosas
although i've never tried them, i've heard great things about the samosas offered at Ken's Donuts on Guadalupe/29th St.
Kala's cuisine offers their samosas at the Wednesday, Triangle Farmer's Market, too.
Dragon Fruit?
MT Market will most definitely have it. They may even have the frozen variety if fresh isn't available. I've also seen it at the HEB on Braker and 183.
I haven't purchased from either location so I cannot attest to their sweetness or succulence.
Live Oak Barbecue in East Austin
I went there a couple of months ago on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon. It was rather empty inside, but there was a small group of people horsing around, shooting the dart gun at the cow image outside. I liked the secluded location and ample parking. We sat on the patio and were swarmed with flies. I don't think it was quite 145 degrees at the time, but close enough.
We ordered brisket, pork ribs, and sausage. I also got some potato salad, coleslaw and bread.
I've haven't had Franklin, yet, so I can't compare, but I can say that the brisket at Live Oak was not dry, had a good smoke ring, and was sliced nice and thick. It was probably 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch. A lot of other places slice it so thin that it practically dries out on the way to the table. The pork rib was not good. I remember it being seasoned with cumin and red pepper. They said it didn't get much color, but in actuality it just needed more time. The meet clung to the bone too much for my taste and was a bit pale for BBQ. The sausage was sliced for us and was okay -course ground, but I don't recall if it was house made or any other characteristics. I suspect that sauce is made from the cooking process. It has the same flavors as the ribs with a layer of red grease floating on top. It helped the ribs go down, but I generally prefer a sauce with a bit more body to it. The potato salad was great, mayo based and lots of egg. I love eggs in my potato salad. The slaw was a bit bland, but fresh, simple, and most importantly - not soupy.
What i found weird about the process is that they didn't put the food on a tray and I didn't see any that I could grab myself. I don't want to sound like a princess or anything, but everything was on individual sheets of butcher paper and paper trays. There were way too many things to carry/spill. The guy was nice and helped me out, but I felt bad taking him away from the serving/cashier station.
They were out of pork shoulder, which I hear they slice instead of shred. I will get this next time.
I think they are a great alternative for BBQ in the city. I will be back again, but in the cooler months and hopefully when they have trays.
Caldo de Res
yucca? or maybe chayote? yucca seems to fit the description better with the stringy potato like-ness, but chayote is more squashy, can be creamy like a potato, and is sometimes stringy if you don't peel it right.
I thought it was so cool that you got to walk through the kitchen to get to the back patio at Las Manitas..
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Las Manitas
211 Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78701
Caldo de Res
About 4 years ago, I had a bowl of caldo de res for lunch at Taqueria Arandas on Burnet. That was the first time I'd tried it and I was weirded out by the large vegetable chunks and cheap cut of meat... the giant bowl. Hesitant at first, I remember learning to enjoy it when I saw my co-worker dig in with gusto.
However, that's as far as my experience goes. I think La Casita on Anderson has a CDR. Never tried it, though. I like their very basic tortilla soup and crave it even on hot summer afternoons. They have menudo and caldo de pollo, too.
Fun reading your post!
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La Casita
400 N Magnolia Ave, Luling, TX 78648
Aranda's
2129 E 7th St, Austin, TX 78702
Hanger Steak
Annies Cafe & Bar is currently running a special on Tuesdays for Steak Frites that uses a hanger steak - 3 courses for $15. It comes with a lot of fries and a bernaise sauce. The bernaise was runny and bland, but I thought the steak was cooked wonderfully. (First course was a fried green tomato salad with arugula, goat cheese, and crispy proscuitto. Dessert was choice of lemon tart or chocolate/caramel/sea salt tart.)
Texas French Bread has "Onglet" Steak Frites from time to time - I've had it when it was Waygu, but don't know if it's always. (Their fries are good and they source as locally as possible. Definitely a plus. Check their menu as it changes daily)
Texas French Bread for dinner?
i've purchases a groupon every time they've had the deal going and was happy with my experiences. However, plan to have a long dinner as service is a bit slow. The food is simply prepared to really highlight the fresh, local ingredients.
the menu changes daily, but so far, i've enjoyed the butterscotch budino, the mussels, redfish, and hanger steak. the fries and garlic aoili are great, too. the sardines and smelts look awesome, but i haven't made it to dinner when those are special. corkage fee is only 6 bucks and they gave us free pastries on a couple of occasions!
I've never had to wait for a table, but i usually make it a point to go on a weekday. they send out a newsletter and are usually pretty good at keeping folks in the loop about upcoming and expiring groupons
Butcher shops and farmer's markets in north austin?
there's a farmer's market in cedar park and in round rock. both of these are north austin to me.
http://cedarparkfarmersmarket.com/
http://www.discoverroundrock.com/round-rock-farmers-market/
Locally Grown Potatoes Locally Grown Pinto Beans
I picked up some little gold potatoes yesterday from JBG at the Triangle farmers market. They were $4/lb. The sign said they were hand dug the day before. I haven't tried them yet, but they look delicious - thin, smooth skins, and some with stems still attached that didn't show any signs of shrivel - FRESH!
Buying Heavy Cream?
Try Way Back When Dairy. I know they sell milk at Natural Grocers and Wheatsville, but you may want to track them down at SFC Downtown market or SFC Sunset Valley for more products.
Share your not-so-traditional Valentine's
got two dozen oysters, gumbo, and lots of fried things at captn benny's off N IH-35. we sat at the bar and had excellent, non-intrusive, prompt service. a great no-fuss valentine's day dinner.
Your favorite vegan dishes in Austin?
Wheatsville has a deli with several vegan options made to order or in their deli case.
Bouldin Creek has really delicious food that can be vegan or vegetarian. it would also expose your guests to "south austin" even though their new location is new and shiny.
Cheer up Charlies offers vegan goods, drinks and entertainment.
Then there is Daily Juice, Soup Peddler, Whip-In and possibly the Ethiopian places around town.
I believe all the places above serve non-vegan foods.
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Soup Peddler
501 W Mary St, Austin, TX
Daily Juice
1625 Barton Springs Rd, Austin, TX 78704
Falafel/Lebanese cuisine in Austin?
the place near Urban Outfitters is called kismet cafe.
tom's tabooley has good falafel and for a great deal too. $4.99 for falafel wrap with handcut fries.
arpeggio grill does awesome falafel, but i've only had the ones at the airport location. can't speak for the guadalupe location.
don't ever get them from tino's. they're not even round, but instead flat patties that are soggy and flavorless. so awful.
before it closed, Obee's on Anderson had good falafel with whole cumin seeds. they also served a really delicious shish tuwaq (sp?) and another spiced beef wrap, both had pickles and lots of fresh parsley. it's too bad they're gone..
The Worst Fish and Chips in Austin?
the austin chronicle and the austin american statesman both reviewed black star co-op this week, which is a new-ish establishment that carries fish and chips amongst other choices. lots of beer to choose from. the first time i tried the fish and chips, i thought they were pretty good. the batter seem to melt in my mouth, yet had a satisfying crispy crunch upon biting into it. you get 3 gnarly 6-7 inch chunks of redfish, locally raised. the chips are plank style, served with a malt vinegar aoili which has a zing. the second time i tried it, it was a bit fishy and oily, but was still satisfying. they have a number of house brews and 20 or so others.
the atmosphere is sterile, ikea-esque. go outside and enjoy the lamar/airport traffic whilst sitting in darkness. it's better than being inside.
Today's Austin Food-Related Groupon
The yelp reviews didn't seem so bad and i saw that over 1600 people purchased, so I decided to buy it. THEN that Statesman review was posted right after wards. Chowhounders have little to say about the place. We shall see!
Got a notice today saying Groupon messed up - the expiration date is really May 12, 2011.
Smoked pulled lamb? what a treat
this sounds awesome. i'm gonna try to check it out this weekend and will report back.
good food, dog friendly restaurant?
Here is a comprehensive list of restaurants that are dog friendly:
http://romanreign.com/austin_dog_friendlyrestaurants.htm
Website is run by a local foodblogger MisoHungry Now
Among those that could be considered "classy" are Cipollina, Mulberry, Paggi House, Urban, Moonshine, and Perla's
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Paggi House
200 Lee Barton Drive, Austin, TX 78704
Homefield Grill
they are participating in Austin Beer Week which might be a fun time to check them out. http://www.austinbeerweek.com/profile.php?ID=HomeField+Grill
Anyone know of a place to teach kids cooking/nutrition classes?
you should talk to folks at Capital Area Food Bank. I know they do cooking classes/demos in low-income neighborhoods. Some of those classes include kids. Maybe you guys can work together and come up with an awesome variation of that program. I've been trying to volunteer for prep work, but the hours of the classes don't work for me. I would totally volunteer for something in the evening..
Blackstar pub
oh yeah - all prices include tax and tip. tips are not accepted. all the staff get paid the living wage
regarding the prices to be a members - i believe it will go up from $85 to 100 something once they have their grand opening, i.e. make their own beers available for purchase and get furniture
Blackstar pub
I had a few beers there this past weekend. A friend got the fish and chips, which were really delicious. They use redfish which I've never seen before as a fish (of fish and). It was dark outside so I couldn't really tell what the batter looked like, but it was flaky and the fish was so moist it was practically melting on my tongue. The chips are not true English style, more like flat dominoe-esque shapes, not that crispy but still tasty. That all was served with a zesty malt vinegar aoili. Other menu items looks promising, although the person running food said the grilled cheese is "meh." The burgers looked like the squatty, fatty kind resembling more of a meatball than patty.
They aren't serving their own beers yet. We paid $14 for a pitcher of Live Oak Pils or $4.50 for a glass (not sure if its a pint). Lots of other selections, but I didn't look too closely.
The decor sucks, quite frankly. Reminded me of a sterile hip yogurt shop. They don't have much seating, everyone is spaced apart. They ran into a furniture problem said the food runner.
I'll be back though cause it's a leisurely walk or quick bike ride away from the house, or right off the 1M/1L stop if you feel so inclined.
Today's Austin Food-Related Groupon
i went last week to use the groupon that was offered a while ago and thought it was really great. i had the black drum and the bf got the waygu flat iron. both proteins were cooked perfectly. the butterscotch budino was very interesting. service was kind of slow, but we expected that after reading a few reviews. I am definitely going to buy as many of those groupons as i can tomorrow. maybe they'll give us a bunch of leftover danishes again, which were proclaimed the best danishes ever! thanks for the heads up
