luggage512's Profile
The Egg and I in Northcross Center
At this point I've been twice. It's not fancy, but The Egg & I is a well-run, family-friendly restaurant with a cheerful atmosphere -- it reminds me a bit of a hotel breakfast room, in a good way. It's certainly a step up from IHOP and Denny's and their ilk and though the prices are a bit higher than those chains (figure on $10 per head), it's worth it. The menu is quite large and they messed up our order on both visits (forgetting to include things like toast and potatoes), but the waitstaff is friendly and does try hard to please. The Parisian Benedict and the Green Chili Chicken Hash are both awesome and should satisfy the largest appetites.
The Egg and I in Northcross Center
Has anyone been to this restaurant yet? It's part of a chain of breakfast-and-lunch eateries and features six different kinds of eggs benedict. The Austin location is on West Anderson Lane.
http://www.theeggandirestaurants.com/
Best bottled Barbecue Sauce
I do like the Salt Lick's 'Lauren's Spicy Recipe' BBQ sauce (you can get it in supermarkets in the Austin area at least, not sure about elsewhere). The label says it contains corn syrup, but not HFCS. It's got a bit of a kick but is not super-spicy.
Pizzeria Corvina Closed?
Well, the phone is still disconnected, although the web site is up. Guess I'll have to head over there soon to scope out the situation.
Organic vs. heritage vs. free range turkeys - worth the extra cost?
I've searched the boards and have yet to find a consensus on whether organic, free range, or heritage birds are worth the extra cost over a 99 cent/lb. frozen Butterball, assuming all other things are equal in terms of preparation and cooking. My local Costco (in Austin, TX) sells fresh Foster Farms organic turkey under the Coastal Range brand for $2.29 lb. -- heritage birds from a local farm typically sell for around $6/lb. I'd like to get some opinions from people who have tried various kinds of turkey as to whether it's worth paying two or three times the price for your holiday bird.
Grape Vine Market.
If you like GrapeVine, head down there by December 15, because they're closing for good after that...
http://austinist.com/2009/10/14/food_recession_news_grapevine_marke.php
~Cedar Park - Good Greasy Burger?
Moonie's will be soon opening a new branch in a strip mall near the intersection of 183 and Anderson Mill, in the former location of the Rhinos 'N Jocks Sports Bar. This isn't too far from where I live, so I'm much looking forward to it.
What a Find! Really Good Tacos: El Polloron Taco Trailer at Ponds Springs and Anderson Mill
Definitely try the half chicken; so juicy and flavorful. I live abut a mile and a half from the Polloron trailer and have never been disappointed by either the food or the friendly and quick service.
Peeves with Asia Cafe
I can't speak to the authenticity of the Xiao Long Bao (never having had them), but Asia Cafe has taken over the large space next door (formerly a comics emporium) and from the looks of things, they should have a proper, much-enlarged restaurant operational by mid-September. I look forward to revisiting them next month to see what, if anything, has changed. But I want to make clear that I still love the joint and don't see anything comparable to it in Central Texas.
Steiner Ranch Steakhouse
See this recent review in the Chronicle, by the usually reliable Virginia Wood, which would corroborate Krewe's report from the field:
http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/review?oid=oid%3A803237
I certainly won't be going out of my way to dine there.
Best bottled Barbecue Sauce
I'm looking for a bottled barbecue sauce that does NOT contain high fructose corn syrup AND tastes good. Nearly all of them have HFCS as a major ingredient. Any recommendations?
Best Posole and Cabrito in Austin?
El Azteca on East 7th is well known for its cabrito, which I've eaten and can recommend.
I ate at Texas Monthly’s Top 5 BBQ Pits in One Weekend.
I was wondering, is it considered improper etiquette to request fat to be trimmed off your brisket before they weigh it? Snow's brisket is the best I've had, but they do leave quite a layer of fat on top (I know, I know, that's where the flavor comes from, but, still)..
Steiner Ranch Steakhouse
The restaurant opened last weekend. The phone number is (512) 381-0800.
Steiner Ranch Steakhouse
How much should one expect to spend per person for dinner here (assuming a couple splits a bottle of wine costing no more than $50)?
vin bistro
According to their website as of yesterday (Sept. 23), Vin Bistro has closed for good.
Emerald
Has anyone been to the Emerald more recently than a year and a half ago? Has the place improved?
Thinking of moving from Brooklyn, NY to Austin--what would I be in for, foodwise?
If you miss Jersey pizza, head straight for Hoboken Pie at 718 Red River ('in the drinking district'), across from Stubb's. Great, authentic pies. Their website is at www.hobokenpie.com. (Call in your order ahead, as there's usually a 20-30 minute wait.)
Pizza in Austin
If you like NY/NJ style pizza, head straight for Hoboken Pie at 718 Red River (across from Stubb's). It's just a small, no-nonsense place that's only been open since May, and I've just been there once but will be coming back. A large (20") regular pie with one topping runs about $18 with tax, and they also sell slices at the window. There are a couple of small tables inside, but it's mainly a takeout joint. When I brought home a large-with-extra-cheese to my wife, a proud North Jersey girl who's rather particular about her pizza, she took one look at it and exclaimed, "Now, that's pizza! That's a Jersey pie!" They're generous with the toppings, and the crust has a nice firm char to it that you don't see a lot in Austin pizza. Their website is at www.hobokenpie.com.
-----
Hoboken Pie
718 Red River St, Austin, TX 78701
European Bistro-Pflugerville
I don't go to European Bistro frequently -- it's not cheap, it's old-fashioned (by design) and it's more of a place for a special occasion when you don't have to hurry through your meal -- but this restaurant (and the hostess/co-owner, Anni) are so charming and likable that I gladly forgive servers who occasionally botch your order and I don't mind driving to Pflugerville to have a decidedly different dining experience. The owners, Anni and her sister Piroska (who creates fantastic old-world desserts) are Hungarian-born and raised, and the Hungarian and German dishes are particularly good and authentic. I like to order the fried cauliflower or cucumber salad; chicken paprikas or pan-fried catfish; and Austrian dumpling for dessert, but by all means, go with your own preferences and try something you wouldn't otherwise sample. It's also a great place to go for Mother's Day, Father's Day, Thanksgiving and so forth, when they have special prix-fixe menus for about $50 p.p. As a former resident of Central Europe, I'm glad to have a place reasonably nearby that reminds me of that ambiance and culture.
Hainanese Chicken Rice?
Does anyone have a lead on a place in Austin that serves a good approximation of this dish (as served in Singapore, where it's considered one of the national dishes)?
Here are a couple of relevant links for the curious:
http://liaoyusheng.com/archives/food_drink/20061117_six_singapore_hainanese_chicken_rice_in_60_hours.php
http://chubbyhubby.net/blog/?p=205
El Greco
In my experience, the servers at El Greco have always been extremely helpful and polite, despite occasional glitches (quickly rectified). I do think the food, although above average, is overpriced for what it is, and the breakfast/lunch menu is priced rather like the dinner menu in a hotel dining room ($8 for two eggs, toast, a slice of feta and some Greek salad? $6 to $7 for 8 ounces of dip with pita bread? $13 for moussaka? $16 for four lamb shanks? (Not to mention that if you'd like rice pilaf or fries on the side, it's $3 extra.) Even the desserts are expensive ($4 for a small piece of baklava is excessive, even if it's grandma's recipe).
I'm well aware that it's very costly to run a restaurant, and I might find these prices acceptable were the ambiance a bit more refined, but El Greco is basically located in a large, charm-free diner. It might be fun going out after work here with a bunch of people, but I don't see how the owner can justify these prices.
cedar park?
I'll second the thumbs-up for Moonies Burger House at 200 South Bell (near Ace Hardware). I stopped in for lunch today a bit past 2 (the place was almost empty) and had the swiss-and-mushroom burger with sweet potato fries. Fast, friendly service; great toasted, squarish buns with plenty of sauteed shrooms and cheese; roomy booths with country music on the sound system. (It's nice to leave Austin and visit Texas every once in a while.) The sweet potato fries are super, as is this burger joint. Support local entrepreneurs over chain eateries whenever you get a chance, folks.
Food from ex-Yugoslavia (Bosnia, Croatia, Montenegro, etc.)
OK, didn't there used to be at least one restaurant in Austin serving foods from the former Yugoslavia? I'm especially hoping for a place that serves shellfish as they prepare it on the Croatian coast. Food from Montenegro and/or the (former Yugoslav republic of) Macedonia would also be welcome. Help, anyone?
Food options in NW Austin/Cedar Park
I've been to Shandeez Grill once and enjoyed the Joojeh-Kabob (one skewer of marinated chunks of bone-in Cornish hen, served with grilled tomato and basmati rice) -- moist and tender, in contrast to the rather dry rice, along with some Maast-o-Khiar (yogurt-cucumber-mint dip) for additional flavor. The service was attentive and friendly; I'd definitely return for more grilled meats. I haven't eaten at the Filipino restaurant in the same strip mall, but it's called Mang Dedoy's, and it's basically a grocery store with a few tables for dining in (the same business model as Asia Cafe, but on an even smaller scale).
The attraction of Reale's is a mystery to my wife and myself -- we're both transplants from the NY/NJ area and our one visit, about two years ago, was a disaster. It is a poor imitation of a real Northeast Italian-American old-style red-sauce restaurant. We ordered a pizza which came to our table barely cooked, and when we sent it back to the kitchen it was kept in the oven so long it came back burnt. The so-called antipasto platter ($10) bore no resemblance to any other such antipasto platters in our experience -- instead of nicely rolled marinated, spiced meats, we got big chunks of nearly inedible foodstuffs. Our waiter was nowhere to be found when we needed him, and never even checked back to see if our food was to our liking.
The only thing that came close to being OK on our visit to Reale's was the Sinatra impersonator who sat on a stool and crooned Frank's tunes to pre-recorded instrumental backing. That guy wasn't half bad. On the other hand, if you're looking for good Italian food in Austin there are far better places for it.
Good restaurants by Avery Ranch (far NW)?
Thanks for the tips. (The Parmer/McNeil crossing is actually much closer to where I live than A. Ranch.) I've been to "Curra's Long-Bar" a couple of times (always for takeout only) and thought the food much better than Claudia Alarcon's review in the Chronicle last June would suggest, although the atmosphere is much different -- postmodern, rather cold -- than the branch on Burnet (I've never been to their South outlet on Oltorf). It's hard to go wrong with anything from Curra's brunch menu. As for Woodrow's, it's a fine place to hang out and have a beer; I don't know if their food is any good or, indeed, if they serve food at all.
Good restaurants by Avery Ranch (far NW)?
I don't actually live in this Great Northwest Development, but am much closer to it than downtown (plus the traffic's a sight better). Can anyone recommend good restaurants in this stretch of the (ex) woods, say, Parmer/McNeil to Avery Ranch Land? For example, those signs I see for the Sunset Grill at the A. Ranch Golf Club -- is this place open to the unwashed public? And what about the Hunan Ranch restaurant? (Of course it's in a strip mall -- everything is in a strip mall out there.)
Best Hunan restaurants in Austin?
Well, there's the Hunan Ranch out on Avery Ranch Blvd. in the far northwest...haven't been, just know that it's in a strip mall. But they have a website online with menu.
Dinner in the vicinity of Lakeline mall
I'd go to Hoover's Northwest location on Research Blvd. -- it's a few miles from Lakeline Mall itself, but it's very family-friendly and the food (Southern/New Orleans homestyle cooking) is pretty reliable. It's casual, but definitely doesn't have a 'dive' atmosphere.
