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Pork BBQ in Austin
Ah, so up around Toy Joy. I tried to look at their site, but it looks like their domain reg has lapsed. I'll definitely go check it out, too. I love brisket and all, but there have been days here when I would've paid like 30 bucks for a great pulled pork sandwich. Good to know.
Foiled by Fonda San Miguel again.
Uchi does take reservations. Just go to their website.
Pork BBQ in Austin
Also, to clarify, I should've just said Carolina or just general Southeast BBQ instead of just SC. When I lived in Brooklyn, there was this guy who ran a shop called Pies n' Thighs- I think it's still around. He was this hilarious dude from Georgia who played/plays in the metal sludge band Harvey Milk. His sauce was SUPER vinegary, like face puckering... I wish somebody would do that kind of thing here, because it was damn good.
Pork BBQ in Austin
My favorite sauce for PP is really vinegary SC style, and I guess the closest thing we have to that in town is Franklin. I love their vinegar-based sauces, but they're a little different than what you'd find in SC. Plus you have to go at 10:30 AM.
I'm originally from Mississippi, and recently got a hankering for a good PP sandwich. I went to Green Mesquite, whose PP is better than most places I've been in town. I got a side of slaw and put it on the sandwich like they do back home. It wasn't perfect, but it did the trick.
Kome?
I realize I probably sounded like a pretty huge d**k, but I was just being honest. Believe me-- I'll make sure to try it, and like I said, I'm sure it's good. Sometimes my tone can get a bit too cynical.
Kome?
I'll try it, but it just sounds half-baked to me. Just Tonkotsu ramen, no Shoyu or Miso. Plus you have to pay for sides.
I know places in Japan probably specialize in one type, but this is Austin, not Hokkaido. I've never been to a ramen place in the states with such a narrow menu. Just look at Kome- they have all three kinds, don't charge for extras, and are cheaper. They also gave me a sesame mill and togarashi automatically. I'm not saying I suspect Michi to be bad- it's probably actually great, but I still think it sounds horsey.
Kome?
From what I gather from Michi Ramen's menu, you have to pay for "extra" things that should come standard, like a soft boiled egg. Plus it's a trailer... if that's your bag, go for it. I'm personally sick of the trailer thing, aside from when I'm drinking beers with my friends and wanna grab a snack at one of the East Side King locations.
Also FYI I wasn't knocking Kome... I'm sure their sushi is good. I love monkfish liver, and you'd probably catch me dead before I'd eat something called a "Texas Surf n' Turf Roll." I just don't think there's a question in the argument of Kome vs Uchi/Uchiko, unless money is a factor.
As for really good ramen and other Japanese stuff like Yakatori, curry, etc, we just don't have it yet. I have a feeling it's coming, but as for here vs. NYC, there's absolutely no comparison.
To end on an optimistic note, if you happen to end up downtown hanging out, there's a trailer called "Love Balls" (I know, horrible name) just east of 35 on 6th st. They serve Takoyaki - the pancake-esque balls stuffed with octopus in the center. It's worth a visit.
Kome?
Uchi takes reservations too, via OpenTable. I'd suggest booking one immediately at either restaurant if this is the route you wanna go.
Kome?
The only thing I've had at Kome is the tonkotsu ramen, which was great. BUT... even though I haven't had their sushi, I can't imagine that it would even remotely compare to Uchi/Uchiko.
If you want traditional sushi, then Kome might actually be a better option. If you're into something more unique and special though, definitely go the Uchi/Uchiko route. Don't order sushi at the latter- it's a waste of money. Stick to the small plates, particularly the specials. Several of the permanent small plates are also great- the Uchiviche at Uchi and Jar-Jar duck at Uchiko, plus both have great smoked hamachi dishes on the permanent menus.
So as said before, Kome's probably a good option for the usual sushi. Other ones would be Musashino ($$$) or Umi (less expensive, but in a strip mall in a not so exciting part of town).
I know it's been discussed before, but... Ramen?
Ah, just looked at their menu. It's awesome that they use the black garlic.
Curious, though... under "extra toppings" it has a marinated soft boiled egg for $1.50. Do the standard ramen dishes not include one? I've never had ramen that didn't automatically come with an egg. And no fish cake? I'm not bitching about the price, but the fact that it's charged as an extra really annoys me for some reason. Just doesn't seem right.
And can I get an A-F-ing-MEN for an ATX yakitori restaurant? Hopefully Paul Qui will include something along those lines with whatever he's concocting for his brick and mortar location.
Is the food at Austin's Strip Clubs any good?
Haha, yeah it's a gross concept, and I've experienced it. Some coworkers and I took out another to Exposé for her birthday. We all got lunch; it wasn't that bad, more just kind of what you'd expect. Chili's/Applebee's type fare. Regardless of the food, eating in a strip club is a weird, weird experience that I don't plan on repeating.
I'm not much of a strip club guy anyway, so the next time I go for a bachelor party or something, I'm going to stick to what I normally do: get drunk and avoid talking to strippers trying to sell me lap dances.
Meatball subs?
Update: I ate Enoteca's meatball sub, and it's awesome. Plus they serve it at lunch and dinner contrary to what I said earlier. Here's the description:
PORK POLPETTE: pork meatballs w/ arrabbiata,
grana padano & melted fresh mozzarella $11
Granted 11 bucks is a little more than I'd like to spend on a sandwich, but I think it's worth it, and some people (myself included) could easily make two meals out of it.
One of the things I miss the most about living in NY is that most every corner mom n' pop pizza place had great utility stuff like meatball subs, eggplant chicken/parm and manicotti to go. Enoteca's might be a teeny bit fancier than those places, but I swear it's damn close. I'll have to check out some of the other suggestions on the list as well.
Also, forgot to mention... Southside Pizza's sub, though I like all of their other offerings, was pretty disappointing as well. I feel like in most of the bad cases I've had, it's all about the sauce, and they all were just bland.
du Puy Lentils--where to buy in ATX?
They have these at Central Market and Whole Foods. Not sure if they're actually grown in France, but they're the typical French green lentils and taste great. I cook with them all the time.
Meatball subs?
And to clarify, there's not penne on the sandwich. It just uses the same meatballs and sauce, melted mozz. I figured y'all probably understood that but just figured I needed to double check, haha...
Meatball subs?
Yep, Thundercloud's is awful, and so is Home Slice's. I'd personally rather eat Subway's than either of those.
Enoteca has a great pork meatball & penne dish; I know they serve a sandwich version at lunch. I've personally never had it, but the pasta version is awesome. I bet the sammich is definitely worth a shot.
Picturing casual gourmet, fresh seafood and veggies, creative, good
Oh yeah- I'm sure they could. I'm not really nuts about linguine either, not sure why. I've had great spaghetti and bucatini there; I also know that they make some (if not all) pasta in house.
Picturing casual gourmet, fresh seafood and veggies, creative, good
The Linguini Misto Mare at Enoteca is great. Just looked on the menu... for some reason I remember it being spaghetti, but I guess my memory's just failing me.
Anyway, it's got clams, shrimp, calamari, and I think sometimes mussels. It's in their arrabbiata sauce (which I'm pretty sure they use as their only tomato sauce- it's tasty). I've never been disappointed with it, plus you've got a nice vibe, good wine, not too expensive, nice staff. So there's my suggestion!
PS pretty much everything else on the menu there is great, too. I'd recommend the melanzana entree as another delicious option.
RIP V
Oof, that sucks! I live right by the Oltorf store, but s**t... how can a restaurant supply go out of business in Austin when there's a new restaurant opening seemingly every day? There must be some explanation. Hopefully just relocation or something.
Food and wine fest
That's unbelievable. If I had $850 to blow on a really amazing dining experience, I could pay for a ticket to NY, go to Le Bernardin and still probably have a little change left over. Sounds a lot more fun than standing around under Austin's mid-day sun, waiting for little bites of food.
Food and wine fest
Also, s**t– you shelled out for the VIP; I wonder how crappy it must have been for the people who just opted for the $250 (!!!) hoi polloi price.
Food and wine fest
Eek. Yeah, that sounds like a bummer, man. Maybe if people voice enough similar experiences, F&W will get a clue. My whole opinion from the very beginning was that I really would love to go, but it was WAY too expensive. Surely they could charge a little less... if not, step up the game and make it worth the ridiculous price.
Killer week in Austin for Newbie
I'd personally nix Wink. You've got a couple of other restaurants on the list that fit in the same category (Olivia esp comes to mind). This is just my opinion, but for me, Wink was like one of those movies you watch that you didn't mind, but never care to see again. There was nothing really bad to say about the food; it was tasty, but it wasn't anything particularly amazing. It was way too expensive, and the vibe seemed snobby yet dated. Hey- maybe I'm too young, but it was just a little too West Austin yuppie for me. The parking lot was literally ALL BMWs. Certainly nothing wrong with that, just not my style.
One place I'll throw in that might draw some ire on here is Justine's. It's a pretty polarizing place on the Austin CH board. I'll agree that its food is nothing amazing; it's typical French brasserie type stuff- duck confit, steak tartare, yada yada. BUT... it's tasty, cheap (typically everything on the menu is in the $15 range) and, most importantly, fun. Great atmosphere, good people watching... sit outside and have some drinks, maybe play a game of petanque. It's noisy, bustling, interesting. Call me crazy, but I'd take that place over Wink any day, period.
One other place I'd recommend in the lunch/brunch zone is Blue Dahlia. Very tasty, nice vibe, nice people. Their egg salad tartine is one of my favorite things in town. Simple, delicious, perfect.
Best Thing YOU Ever Ate, Austin
I think it might just be a comparative thing for me... the Jar Jar Duck definitely has a cool presentation, and the flavor's good, but I just prefer the fish offerings at Uchi/Uchiko probably 95% of the time. The JJD had a really hefty, overpowering flavor, which makes sense seeing that many people describe Uchiko as being the masculine to Uchi's feminine.
I have, of course, had plenty of non-seafood items at both places that were awesome. The foie options are usually great, and I had a great rabbit dish at Uchi one time as well, just to name a couple. At the end of the day though, I mainly go for their amazing seafood witchcraft.
Best Thing YOU Ever Ate, Austin
Really? Jesus... somebody was saying something similar about J.Mueller the other day, that three short ribs cost like 30+ bucks. Can somebody explain the logic behind this? Must be some damn fine ribs.
Best Thing YOU Ever Ate, Austin
Ahhhh never heard of this place. I'm up in that area a lot because a couple of good buds of mine live off of Manor. Will most DEFINITELY check out goat barbacoa!
Best Thing YOU Ever Ate, Austin
Haha this is silly, but I have to ask- do they serve single ribs? I just imagine the Chris Rock scene from "I'm Gonna Get You, Sucka" and giggle.
Best Thing YOU Ever Ate, Austin
Thankfully, I think we're blessed with a lot of places with more than one hit wonders. Someone mentioned East Side King below... I'd definitely check that out while you're here. Each one has a slightly different menu though, but they're all very close together. You could do a little crawl.
As far as the trailer scene goes, I'd say beet fries and curry buns at ESK Liberty Bar, pork belly at ESK Grackle. Pretty much everything I've had at all of the ESK trailers has been delicious, and I know that they just changed the menu at Shangri La. Other notables I've had lately have been Takoyaki at Love Balls (awful name, good food), and Neapolitan pizza at the trailer right across from it (I forget the name). Finally, the Goan fish dish at G'Raj Mahal is fantastic- order it spicy if you can take it.
Visiting from California
I'd also agree with Optimista above that Polvos is a lot better than Curra's. The avocado margs at Curra's are really good, but I think Polvos surpasses it in every other department. Plus their plain ol margaritas are great.
Visiting from California
I think La Condesa or Fonda are in completely different stratospheres than Curra's or Polvos; it just depends on what you're looking for. It's just a matter of opinion, but I'm always disappointed by fancy Mexican places. I like their food, but I always can't help but think that I could be eating something better in some hole in the wall place.
The last time I ate at LC, the best thing I had was an appetizer of charred shisito peppers, which is basically taking some peppers and throwing them in a cast iron pan with some lemon juice. Not Mexican (not like it has to be, but that's a bit more Provencal/Spanish), super simple preparation, overpriced. Don't get me wrong; they were delicious. I bought a whole bunch at Central Market several times over the next few weeks, in fact, and made them myself for a fraction of the price.
I'm not a scrooge, either; I really don't mind splurging big time every once in a while. It just seems to me that when I pit those fancy Mexican places against a taco stand, the taco stand always wins. Once again, just an opinion.
