Allison L.'s Profile
Besides Amaya's, who has crispy tacos?
I've been a fan of the crispy tacos at Amaya's for as long as I've lived here. My kids, who used to order the least Mexican things on the kids menu have now grown up enough to appreciate them too, and bug me to go there all the time. I'm actually sick of it. So my oldest says to me "well where else can we go for these kind of tacos?" So can you help my little chowhounds branch out?
Also, if we decide to road trip to SA to do puffy tacos, where should we go?
The brussel sprouts at La Condesa
What are the chances that I would be reading this post with a plateful of raw prepped Brussels sprouts in front of me? Had to try the V notch trick after reading this, but gotta say I didn't really taste any difference. Thanks for the tip about La Condesa though, just one more reason I need to get my butt down there - I've never been!
Where to find N.O. Brew Iced Coffee?
It was at Costco for a short time. It was a one-time thing though - once they ran out that was it. Glad you were able to get some. It was 7.99 (a dollar cheaper than Whole Foods) and it was just the straight coffee flavor.
I looked at their website recently and it lists that they sell it at Fresh Plus. I haven't been over there yet to check it out but I'll report back. Ordering it off the website (even with free shipping) is more expensive than at the store. They charge $60 for a case of 6 large bottles. It's $9/bottle at whole foods.
My favorite things from Whole Foods (downtown)
Tried the Burrata yesterday and loved it - it's $5.99 right now. Burrata is a fresh mozzarella that is stuffed with a mixture of mozz and cream. I chunked it up into a salad of tomato and cucumbers with basil and good balsamic. The creamy part dissolved into the dressing which I sopped up with bread. So good. Will definitely buy again.
Some other things I can get only there:
* N.O. Brew Cold Brewed Iced Coffee: A concentrated coffee which I love all year but especially in this heat. Very smooth. Wish they sold it elsewhere.
* Pretzel breads: They don't always have these, but when they do I always pick one up. They usually have a plain pretzel baguette but sometimes they have cheesy ones. So good with mustard, cold cuts, even pb & j.
* Braising mix: In the produce department you can buy heartier greens in bulk. The mix has kale, chard, escarole, frisee - stuff you can saute in a pan (I don't know about braising it - I always do a quick saute). Anyway I appreciate being able to buy a prewashed handful of this stuff - makes for a super quick veggie side.
* 365 almost anything: The private label stuff is almost without exception, reliably good, and well priced. No HFCS, no artificial colors, cans that are coated on the inside, etc. Plus they really seem to pay attention to how things taste. Love all the cereals, vitamin water, condiments, coconut oil (cheap!), peanut butter, and frozen fish in particular.
* Mediterranean Feta Salsa: It's on the bulk bar near the olives. Love this stuff on crackers or even as a pasta sauce - it's feta, olives, tomatoes, herbs.
* Black Forest Bacon: At the meat counter. Good with the aforementioned braising mix. Just sayin.
* Seeduction bread: Just sweet enough, and I love those little pieces of millet that go pop-pop in your mouth when you eat them!
Raw Milk? Cow Shares? Goat Shares?
No need to drive out there if you can get a spot in Green Gate Farms coop. That's how I get it. Contact Green Gate or visit their farm (969 & Decker Ln).
Raw Milk? Cow Shares? Goat Shares?
It does need to be sold at the farm. There is ongoing legislation on that point (the dairy farmers would like to be able to sell raw milk at farmers markets for example). The raw milk I buy comes from Stryckly dairy farm.
This is by no means a scientific answer, it's just the way I look at it. Raw milk can certainly be dangerous, but to me it is a very small risk to take. Stryckly is a working dairy farm and raw milk is only a percentage of their business. They also sell pasteurized milk to manufacturers. Because of this, the regulatory bodies are all up in their business. Their equipment must be sanitized and best practices followed for all their milk. The raw milk just skips the pasteurization process. Knowing this is what makes it safe in my mind, but that's a risk you need to weigh for yourself.
Cuban Sandwich Cafe: Run By Cuban Chef From Miami Florida
Just had a real cafe con leche from there. Made the way it should be with evaporated milk and lots of sugar. Made me miss Miami just a little bit less.
Cuban Sandwich Cafe: Run By Cuban Chef From Miami Florida
I just ate here for the first time today and enjoyed it very much. Had a cuban sandwich - figured I should get that out of the way. The bread is homemade and they press it till it's shatteringly crisp. Love that. It was also piled high with ham and roast pork - not really my preference - I would have preferred it to be flatter that way the meat doesn't slide out when you bite into it. But the taste was good and I like that they dress it with mustard and mayo instead of only mustard.
I also ordered the yuca con mojo, which I thought was going to be yuca frita with a mojo sauce (it was listed right under yuca frita on the menu, my own mistake) but it was actually boiled yuca dressed with a very oily mojo which only faintly tasted of garlic. The texture of the yuca was pretty gluey. It's much lighter in texture when fried. Anyway, it also came with some pickled onions were a nice contrast.
I'll definitely be back - I would really like to try some of the specials. Today was ropa vieja, lechon asada... can't remember the rest but everyone's plates looked great!
Which Phil's Ice House better for kids??
Ugh - that fish sandwich! When they first opened, it was actually (as described) a real filet - one of the best fish sandwiches I've ever had. It was batter fried, not hand breaded. So crispy and fresh tasting that I was looking forward to it the last time I was there. Then I got the dreaded puck. I'm not a sender backer, but I sent it back. Stay miles away from that thing. So disappointing.
The burgers can be good - charred and juicy. But I've found that to be the exception lately as the last few burgers have been charred and dry. Love the sweet buns (that's been talked about on the boards before) but usually take one cap off. It's a lot of bun. And I think the onion strings are nice - I don't see those thin stringy onion rings too many places.
Passover Coke is at Target
Corn is considered a grain. I thought only leavened grains were forbidden, but corn exists in a sort of questionable category. Here's a quote from Mark Strausman in yesterday's HuffPo:
"By the way, why is HFCS kosher, but not considered kosher for Passover, you might ask? HFCS is made from corn. Corn isn't exactly chametz, (which means "leavened," and applies to grains that can be made into flour and baked and so are forbidden at Passover, except in the form of matzoh) during Passover, but corn is on kind of a second tier of Passover forbidden foods, kitniyot ("small things"), which in at least one ancient Rabbi's opinion might be confused with chametz. Observance of kitniyot varies among observant Jews, but I guess Coke isn't taking any chances."
Passover Coke is at Target
It's probably at other places too, I just happened to see it there. Coke changes their formula back to sugar-sweetened to make a few batches kosher for passover. The passover bottles have a yellow top. "Retro" sugar sweetened soda is around in a few brands now, so I guess it's not a huge wow, but I do always mean to pick up a bottle at this time of year, so there's your reminder!
Chinatown-Mopac, Asia Cafe, or Din Ho tonight for excellent food?
I second Pao's - good suggestion for that side of town. But I wanted to add that Pao's normally hands us the standard Americanized Chinese menu (gooey entree/fried rice/soup/eggroll). Their dimsum menu is a sheet of paper which you need to ask for. During the week make sure you ask for the Chinese menu.
Nova Lox in Austin Somewhere?
I could swear I've seen whipped cream cheese at Central Market - not TempTee but another brand. Wholy Bagel has scallion cream cheese but it's not whipped.
About the nova lox - I hope I don't get slammed for saying this, but try Costco. As someone who grew up having to tear lox into tiny pieces so everyone could have some, it's been one of my adult pleasures to lay a couple of slabs of lox on a bagel with abandon like I do when I buy it from Costco. They have a wild salmon and an atlantic salmon - both are around $20. I think the wild you get less in the package. The atlantic is a pound and a half. The wild is slightly salty - the atlantic is not salty at all, more like nova lox. It's not Zabar's but I think for a crowd it would be perfect.
Best ny/nj pizza in austin
No more pizza for Hog Island, btw. Their location at 4th and Lavaca is long gone. I should get out more. Still, give Hoboken a try.
Where to get home-grownish tomatoes?
Thank you! That sounds so good - and very much like a sandwich I had in Boston at Salumeria Italiana. They drizzle the most wonderful balsamic over your basic caprese on focaccia. Gotta make this soon!
Where to get home-grownish tomatoes?
Would you mind sharing more about this "baked sandwich thing"? I got some grape tomatoes at Boggy Creek Farm last week that were not so sweet - planned to roast them and make a bread of some kind, but haven't done it yet.
Friday Afternoon bar-b-que?
If you are traveling, as in, flying - that makes it a whole lot easier to go to Lockhart since ABIA is on the way. You are correct that it may be too late, as places do run out of food. However, I've found that if you call ahead, sometimes you will get lucky and they will save a pound of this or that for you. They have definitely done it for me at City Market in Luling (15 more minutes past Lockhart on 183), don't know about the others, but it's worth a try.
S-H Donuts in NE Austin
Just wanted to put in a good word for these hard working folks putting out some better than average donuts in my 'hood. It's run by a super friendly vietnamese family who chose to open a donut shop about 6 months ago on not the most attractive stretch of Manor Rd. (above 51st Street, next to the big yellow convenience store). It's a freestanding building that used to be a gas station, which they painted white with a cheerful hand-printed menu down the side of the building.
But the lack of glitz the from the outside will not prepare you for the sparkles that are sure to be coming out of your eyes as you take in what's in the two giant cases of baked goods. To the left, sweet. Donuts, eclairs, cinnamon rolls, apple fritters. Donut holes got into my bag through no request of my own. The star for me was the cinnamon crumb donut. I wanted to try EVERYTHING, and there was a LOT! All lined up in neat, shiny, rows.
Oh no, right side of the cabinet - I didn't forget about you. You are refrigerated. You have kolaches, and things called kolaches that look like buns. Rows of breakfast tacos! Egg - cheese- sausage - chorizo, oh, I can't remember it all, I only had eyes for left side of the cabinet today. Tomorrow, right side of the cabinet, you're all mine.
A couple of boxes of these babys on the way to work and there would be no greater hero at your office. I love that they are here, and I want them to stay!!!!
Wholy Bagel carries Manhattan Special
Re the lox, I ordered nova lox on a bagel with cream cheese and tomato. He asked if I wanted thinly sliced onions, capers, and do I want that to be scallion cream cheese... yes, yes, and hell yes. I nearly cried - this guy is speaking my language! I love that this place is here. As to the authenticity of the bagels, they are acceptable. I love the crusty outside, and for that reason, will always return - because you just can't find that anywhere else. But the flavor of the bagels and the texture of the inside don't really measure up to my Brooklyn memories, nor to the might-as-well-be-Brooklyn bagel shops near my parents house in Boca Raton. The dough is undersalted and the texture of the inside is too fluffy. Will I still eat them? With pleasure. But I'm happy with frozen H&H ones from Central Market too, which I think taste better. I just like the experience of being able to get a decent hot bagel, and all his other NY imports - the Manhattan Special, etc.
Blue Bell Ice Cream
We just went to that tour yesterday! It's nothing super special, but it is fun if you like seeing giant machines, a la "unwrapped" - which I do. At the end of the tour you get your choice of ice cream, and it does taste better there. I don't buy it in the store because I'm not really into Bluebell - I like denser ice cream - but at the factory it sure tasted good. You can sample all the flavors you want, too. They are not open for tours on the weekends. If you go, you must hit up the mighty Country Inn #2 for lunch/dinner. Awesome homemade food. Even my kids' (usually nasty) chicken strips were hand breaded. Skin-on mashed potatoes, non-frozen fried okra, thick, chargrilled burger - lunch was better than the factory tour!
Sweet Tea in Austin
I got a sweet tea at Chick Fil-a the other day and it was toothache sweet. That's to me though, I didn't grow up on the stuff so I'm curious if that's the level of sweetness that people here are talking about - is it sweeter than that?
Whole Foods - Lunchtime Best Kept Secrets and Deals?
I've been in this situation many times - I used to work there years ago and even with the discount it still took a chunk of change to eat lunch every day if you weren't careful. Here's what I did, and still do.
They have a sandwich at the sandwich counter on a ficelle (a long very skinny baguette) - they don't display them in the case anymore, or even have them on the menu, but they used to be $1.99. They will still make it for you - I got one recently and I think it may be $2.99 now. It's goat cheese, pesto, and roasted tomato. That and a fruit or a yogurt is definitely enough for lunch and comes in under $5.
Also, you can make your own fancy salad for less than the packaged ones with items from the store. A bag of salad, a small chunk of blue cheese, and dried fruit and nuts from the bulk section. Grab a cup of dressing from the salad bar or just keep olive oil and balsamic at your desk like I do.
The soups at the back of the store near the meat counter are pricey but really filling. There is a cheesesteak soup that is nothing but a cupful of heart attack - heavy cream, cheese, brisket, with a couple of peppers in there for decoration. That is one of my favorites.
One more thing to try - this is something I do for my kids often - you don't have to get the meat & two at the counter. They will sell you any of that stuff by the pound. So you can get a small cup of mac & cheese, or roasted vegetables, or whatever - and it usually comes in around $2.00.
Wholy Bagel carries Manhattan Special
It's the only place I've ever seen it for sale in TX. Manhattan Special is a coffee soda that's actually made in Brooklyn, not Manhattan. It's strong, black, and not too sweet. I personally can't stand the stuff (my kind of coffee drinks lean closer to the milkshake category) but my husband misses it terribly and orders cases from time to time. Glass bottles - expensive shipping. So I am glad there's a place to get it locally now! And darn it I forgot to ask how much they were - just added it to my order, so I apologize for not having that information.
Best ny/nj pizza in austin
Hoboken Pie on Red River & 8th Street is a reliable flat, greasy slice. That's my go-to now for a NY/NJ style pizza. Also, it's been a while, but Hog Island Deli over in their warehouse location sells pizza and it also fits into that category. Haven't stopped there in a while though. Both those places are only open at night.
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Hoboken Pie
718 Red River St, Austin, TX 78701
Hog Island Deli
407 Lavaca St, Austin, TX 78701
Good food on the waaay east side?
Don's BBQ on 969 just east of Decker is a favorite of ours. Reliably good BBQ, and super friendly staff. I actually love their breakfast more than the BBQ - you haven't lived until you've tried their brisket & egg taco which is chock full of brisket trimmings (mostly the "sugar cookie" brisket crust). Two kinds of homemade salsa. Good pancakes too. Cinnamon in the batter I think. For lunch they have a bunch of specials. Stay away from the chicken fried steak (frozen patty) and stick with the smoked meats.
Walking food
Thank you - and yes you're right, even though I will probably walk the Mission, one thing I'm not lacking in Austin is great Mexican food!
Walking food
Austin 'hound here visiting SF this weekend and so excited! I love Austin but as a native New Yorker, one of the things I miss most is the walking... and of course the eating... the eating while walking, or the walking, quick stop to eat, and then walking some more.
I have only been to SF once before on business and I didn't have a lot of free will as far as food, but this time I do and I'd like to do (and eat) as much as possible. My trip is Saturday through Tuesday - I plan to hit the Ferry Bldg Farmer's Market on either Saturday or Tuesday (if you have recs as to which one is best I would appreciate it).
I'd love to get some recommendations that would tie in pleasant or interesting walks with places to stop for a quick bite or food stop. I remember doing this for people all the time when they came to NY (whether they wanted it or not, my sightseeing instructions always included "... you'll be right near XXX so stop in to YYY and get a ZZZ"). So that's the kind of thing I'm wishing for. Thanks!
Freezing Rugelach Dough
What I usually do is prepare the entire recipe and roll all the cookies. Bake off the ones you want to bring to the party and freeze the rest already assembled. One sheet at a time, put the assembled rugelach in the freezer until they are firm enough to dump into a ziploc bag. On the day you want to bake them, arrange them on a cookie sheet, brush with beaten egg, and then bake. It's so much work cutting and rolling them - I find it's easier to just do it once!
