catarata's Profile
Best Lunch Food near I-35 and 45 (near La Frontera)?
I used to work in RR, and, somewhat surprisingly, there are some good options.
Teji's (near 620 and I-35, one exit north of 45) has delicious Indian food. I love their biryanis, and some of the curries are incredible. Sweet owners.
Friar Tuck's Pantry in downtown Round Rock is a great sandwich spot with great pastries, too. Try the bacon and brie sandwich, and follow up with some caramel shortbread.
Main Street Grill, also in downtown Round Rock, is also quite tasty. I love Monica's Salad, and have had some good fish dishes there. A bit pricey though.
French Quarter Grille - I've only been once, but enjoyed the crawfish etouffee.
Taste of Ethiopia in Pflugerville is probably about 10 minutes away, and delicious. I got the girls from work to go with me there exactly once, of which I was very proud.
I've also heard great things about Ho Ho Chinese and Bombay Express, not too far from you on Parmer Ln/I-35.
Good luck!
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Main Street Grill
118 E Main St, Round Rock, TX 78664
Teji's
1205 Round Rock Ave, Round Rock, TX 78681
Taste of Ethiopia
1466 Grand Avenue Pkwy, Pflugerville, TX 78660
New Orleans for Four Days - help me make my ultimate dining itinerary !
Hello New Orleans Chowhounders! First of all, I'd like to thank y'all for the comprehensiveness of this board. It has been VERY helpful.
We are foodies from Austin who love to eat, drink, and listen to live music. We are hoping to do all of the above during our four nights in New Orleans. We want to have some of that delicious cajun food (gumbo, po boys, etc.) but not for every meal. Austin is severely lacking in good Italian and Spanish food, so any places with that would be nice. We are also serious cocktail drinkers and would like suggestions on the best places for New Orleans specialties -- especially Gin Fizzes and Sazeracs.
We'll be staying uptown, FYI, but we'll have a car and are willing to use it. I would love your feedback and suggestions:
wed
* dinner - not sure where, suggestions? I'm not sure when we are getting in, but it will
probably take us til 9 PM or so to get settled. Anything open late would be helpful
thur
* breakfast - la boulangerie (croissants)
* lunch - shrimp & oyster poboys @ parkside tavern
* dinner - August
* drinks and music - Les Bon Temps
fri
* lunch - galatoires
* dinner - Brightsens ? Cochon?
* drinks & music Maple Leaf Bar OR Tipitinas Uptown
sat
* lunch: mr b's? (bbq shrimp) or Domilise's (poboys) or brunch @ commander's
palace?? or, is there a nice restaurant with great lunch specials that we should try?
* cocktails: Napolean House (FQ) &/or Old Absinthe House
* snack: cafe du monde
* dinner: Mimis (Marigny)
* drinks/music: Preservation Hall
sun
* sunday brunch -- is there anywhere particularly special?
Dragged Kickin and Hollerin Into Chuy's on North Lamar
I was never a believer in Chuy's until I had the shrimp relleno with hatch green chile sauce (at the Barton Springs location). Good lord. Crispy, spicy, tasty. More, please.
Austin's Best Happy Hour Deals
I dream of their buffalo lamb chops...are those on HH special?
Chile con Queso in Austin
Tom, that's because you ordered the wrong queso. Get the queso flameado with chorizo next time... it's a grease ball, but pretty tasty.
Some places known for their chicken wings
I like the wings at Habana on Soco. On Thursdays, they are only 25 cents, and they are marinated in lime juice and spices. Pretty darn tasty.
No more jager bombs and vodka redbulls!
Yes! I love Houston's drinks - their fruit is always ripe and fresh. I've never been disappointed there!
Ristorante Bellissimo
MMM.. that fennel salad *is* delicious. I haven't been there in over a year (and agree on the sad state of the entrees) - but the mere description of it made me salivate.
Paila Peruvian?
panko, the same thing happened to us! The sewer smell (ick!) and the ridiculously expensive tab at the end -- $50 bucks in our case (1 app, 1 app that never came, sodas, and 2 entrees). We tried to order the tripe and beef heart but they were "out"
This place is just no good. :(
Good Tex-Mex at Jorge's
I have been looking for good West Texas style Tex-Mex since I arrived in Austin, only to be continually disappointed by ranchero sauces, thin chips from a bag, flavorless refried beans, and fake cheese (ew!) I love the real Mexican food I can get in Austin at places like Arandas and Tacolote, but I've been longing for the simple pleasures of food from my childhood.
Last week I discovered I've finally discovered the place, and it's in my own backyard.
I tried Jorge's a couple of years ago and wasn't really impressed (reading an old thread, it sounds like that was the consensus). But, something has changed there, and it's now absolutely delicious.
First off, the chips are thick and house fried, which is always a good start to a meal.
The star of my meal was my cheese enchiladas. Jorge's enchiladas are served with 1.) good, thick chile con carne sauce (not tomato based), with a bit of a kick and 2.) real cheddar cheese, both crucial for good Tex-Mex.
The refried beans that came with the meal? They were loaded with bacon grease and were absolutely delicious. Although I love my many vegetarian friends dearly, one element of Austin-style-Tex-Mex that I'd come to live with was the typical vegetable-oil based beans -- which are hardly worth the trouble, really. These are the best I've tasted in years.
We went to Jorge's on a Friday night and it was packed -- inside and out, a testament to the fact that people have discovered it's newfound yumminess.
Oaxacan Tamaleo
I think Tamaleo has the best mole in town. It's spicy (but not too spicy) with a complex flavor, and it's always served over *dark* meat (not breast meat, like so many other places in town --*ahem* Manuel's)
I think we've tried everything on the menu there and have never been disappointed! Honestly, I think the tamales are the worst thing on the menu, and they're pretty darn good, so that's saying something. I wish they'd come back closer to town, but am glad you get to enjoy it!
Jezebel
Last time I went to Jezebel, the food was unbearably salty. The food looked beautiful but was hardly edible. It was a huge disappointment and we haven't been back ! Maybe it is a sign of "chef fatigue", which is too bad.
Bloody Mary's in Austin?
The BM's at El Gringo are pretty tasty. The BEST were at Paggi House when they had "create your own" bottomless bloody Mary's for $12. Those were some drunk Sundays.. :)
restaurant jezebel review
Great review. I am the one person who's written a review of the place until now (that hasn't been removed, anyway), and I've had some amazing meals there. But, last time I went, it was so salty that I couldn't even eat my appetizer or the main course (which would have been a perfect seafood risotto). That combined with a similar experience to Carter ($17 for a piece of cake, in my case...yes...you heard that right...$17) and the fact that they are no longer BYOB has taken them off my list, even though I think there is some great food to be had there.
Alamo Drafthouse
Me, too! I was shocked at how yummy it was. But yeah, just toss the tortillas.
An Austinite's trip to Boston
I have no idea, but it seems that he wasn't there that night (which was Sunday, I think). The service was extremely slow and lackluster. It just seemed like no one cared about anything, period, which is always annoying. Showed in the food, that's for sure.
An Austinite's trip to Boston
Oh, and I forgot to add that I had a great experience at 10 tables. I went with 5 of my colleagues on vegetarian tasting menu night. It was so much fun! I've never had a tasting menu where everyone gets something different, but that's how they operate -- for example, half of us got a fennel salad and the other half got a mixed greens salad with goat cheese on the salad course. I enjoyed the restaurant a lot, even though all of the courses were not right on. The wild mushroom risotto and the gnocchi were both fantastic.
An Austinite's trip to Boston
lol that's okay. I kind of was interested to see how long it would last. Are Lucia and Lucca on the same scale? Both bad? It's a shame but it seemed like many of the North End places were just tourist traps
That Popcorn Place
Wow, those sound delicious. I can't wait to try them on my next visit. I want them to come up with a lemon flavor that is not candied and is really sour with maybe a hint of sweet. Mmm.
Wait, how is toffee different from caramel? Can you explain?
An Austinite's trip to Boston
Dear Boston Chowhounds,
This is a revised post with a slightly shorter version of my rant about Clio. I think my rant was too ranty, so you'll just have to read the short version here and draw your own conclusions.
I'd like to thank you all for your great recommendations for my trip to Boston. I spent about 10 days in Boston and ate..and ate..and ate. I wish Boston was willing to take back the 10 pounds I gained by constantly eating. Any takers? I am only including the restaurants I really remember here (for better or worse), but we really enjoyed eating in your fine town.
The good:
--Neptune Oyster: We sat at the bar and got wonderful food and wine recommendations and great conversation from the excellent bartender. The food was excellent. We tried every oyster available and were impressed that Neptune had wild-caught oysters (from Martha's Vineyard). They were all fresh and delicious. We also had bacalao, a tasty mix of salt cod and potato. If I hadn't known the bartender was on the ball, there was no way I would have ordered this. It was excellent. The standout of the meal were the fried clams. Wow. They were so fresh and tasty and fried in a perfectly seasoned, light batter. I still have dreams about these!
--Toro: We were able to eat at the bar facing the windows, which was a great spot in this VERY crowded restaurant. We saw why it was crowded, though, as each dish was better than the last. We probably tried about 10 dishes and none disappointed. Standouts included the foie gras, the beef tounge, and the corn. Everything was excellently paired with sherries (we have a VERY limited sherry selection in my hometown, so it was fun to try several different types). The service was friendly and wonderful.
--Trattorria Il Panino: We ate here for lunch and had an excellent Caesar salad and a lovely pasta with homemade ragu sauce. It was a delicious, hearty sauce, and it was great!
--Street and Co Seafood: OK, this place is in Portland, but I had to include it on this post because it is only a 2 hour drive and I think it might be worth it. I had a portuguese-style stew with a delicious spicy tomato broth, shrimp, mussels, cod, and other delights. It is the other thing I still dream about from my trip. My boyfriend had the Sole Francaise, which was simple but wonderful--it melted in my mouth.
The Bad:
--Legal Seafoods: Oh my goodness, this place is just awful. I went here with some work colleagues (and thus had no choice over which restaurant to choose). Luckily, having read your chowhound reports, I was prepared, and I ate a huge snack before going. I ordered the oysters rocakfeller, which is one of my favorite appetizers. Unfortunately, their version included TINY oysters, bland cheese, and mushy frozen spinach. Yuck. I also tried a few of my friends' entrees, with the same results. The coconut crusted shrimp were the best thing I tried, but it would be a stretch to call them "good". On the plus side, they had White Star by the glass for a reasonable price.
--Lucia: (I am pretty sure that is the restaurant's name, but there is another one with a very similar name. This one is pretty far north in the North End and is on the right). Again, I went here for a work related dinner. Our waiter was sweet, but sadly clueless. I asked if they had prosecco and she just looked at me blankly and told me it was her first night. I ended up ordering the lasagna, which is a specialty of the house, and it came out lukewarm to cold. It was also bland and boring. I ate about 4 bites, dreaming of the wonderful pastries I would get at the bakery down the street. (PS: Boston Chowhounds -- when people ask for Boston specialties, be sure to point them to the Italian bakeries--they are truly wonderful and unique to the area!)
--Tamarind Bay: This place was recommended by several chowhounds for excellent Indian food. I was surprised to find with was not the case. First, we had the quail, which were fine, but nothing special. For entrees, we had a version of goat korma that we had to send back because the goat was ice cold inside. It seemed like we were just getting re-heated food (and clearly, food that was not reheated well). We traded that for a chicken dish that our waiter highly recommended. It was "OK", but not very good -- it just seemed to lack the complexity I expect with Indian food. We were shocked to see our bill was 80 bucks after the underwhelming experience.
--Clio: This was one of the most awful restaurant experiences I've ever had in my life, which was sad, because I was expecting it to be the best. Let me set this up for you by saying that we had already eaten at two of the "good" restaurants mentioned above and had decided that Boston was a dining mecca. We were 100% positive that this restaurant, so well reviewed, would be food nirvana. Sadly, we were quite mistaken.
The restaurant itself is beautiful, and was set off by a view of falling snow through the window (I can't believe you get snow in April!). The food was also beautifully presented on all our dishes. But, sadly, the taste of the food was not as beautiful. I had the asparagus with a two-hour-egg as an appetizer. First of all, this thing was a bear to eat: it was served on a plate which rose in the center (to hold the egg) and in the "well" contained asparagus that were incredibly thin--so thin, in fact, that piercing them with a fork was almost impossible to eat them. The asparagus were slightly overdone and were covered in a sauce that was WAY too salty. The two hour egg would have been wonderful, but it, again, was too salty. It was served with ginger paper and some sort of foam. I can't remember what my boyfriend had, but I do remember that it wasn't bad, but wasn't great either. The meal was already a disappointment.
The dinner portion of the meal was a terrific disaster, and was too bad to even talk about on here. I would like to say that Clio is horribly overrated, even without disasters. I also would like to say that I've told my disaster story to several people who work in the restaurant industry in Boston and they told me more -- of lobsters served half-frozen, of wagyu beef overcooked and salty, and all with a pretentious attitude.
I feel like I’m ending on such a negative note, so let me say that overall, the food we ate in Boston was great and we are excited to go back. There were so many places that we wanted to try (like B&G Oysters and L'Espalier) that we missed and can't wait to try.
We’d also like to say that Bostonians are some of the nicest people we’ve ever met. We can’t wait to see y’all again! Thanks again for your help!
That Popcorn Place
rudeboy, I just got a big sack of the dill pickle yesterday. It was gone in about 10 minutes. It is wonderful -- sour and salty, but not TOO salty or too sour. MM..
I want to put in another recommendation for this place. This is a family owned operation--mom, dad, and two daughters, and they are the nicest people you will ever meet. They cheerfully let my friend and I try as many samples as we wished (which, as another poster mentioned, are quite generous), and were so sweet about it. The ability to get multiple samples really made me try things I wouldn't normally try (like the dill pickle, which I thought would be gross, but was great!)
Here are the flavors I tried:
-dark chocolate covered popcorn -- the chocolate was delicious and went incredibly well with the slight saltiness of the popcorn
-chicago style -- an interesting mix of caramel and cheese popcorn. I typically can't stand cheese popcorn but this is the real deal. MM!
--dill pickle (see above)
--cherry -- this is candied popcorn (imagine caramel, but with a cherry flavor). Not my favorite but good if you love sweet popcorn
--cinnamon roll -- delicious but very sweet
They have something like 45 flavors, including texas chili, hot cinnamon, white cheddar, kettle corn, and many more I can't wait to try.
If you like popcorn, I bet you'll love this place, and you should support these wonderful people!
Best Restaraunts in Austin
Hi mapep,
I went to Aquarelle a couple of years ago for my birthday (hopefully someone has had a more recent experience!) First of all, I think the atmopshere is phenomenal. Aquarelle is located in a small house just west of downtown, and the decor inside is beautiful. I thought the waiters were pleasant, knowledgeable, and did everything they could to make sure we were well fed and comfortable.
The food, unforunately, did not live up to the same standard. It was good, but not great, and I feel that if you're paying 300 bucks for dinner, you should have at least one or two bites that make your eyes roll back in your head.
Maybe it was an off night, but I think that's one of the reasons it's not super-popular on this board. Anyway, I don't think you'll go away thinking it was an awful experience, but I think there are better options in Austin. Wink is one of my favorites (though read others posts--some have had bad experiences), as is Eddie V's for happy hour (all night Sun/Mon delicious half price apps)
Estancia Churrascaria is open. Who'll take the plunge?
I went on Friday night and really enjoyed it. Although the salad bar may not be as good as Fogo de Chao's (which I've never been to), it is solid, with a wide selection of tasty veggies like bell peppers, hearts of palm, and artichokes. There was a wide selection of meat as well, all of it was quite tasty (though the outer cuts were a bit salty). The lamb and tenderloin, in particular, were delicious. I loved the plantains, the fried yucca, and the pao de queijo.
Service was great. We never turned our card to the "green" side, but a curious look at one of the meats would bring a server (or two!) to the table.
We left stuffed and happy. I think that Estancia is a terrific value for 25 dollars each. And it's BYOB!
UT Eats
scrumptiouschef; I listed Chipotle as an alternative to the horrendously bad (in my opinion) Moe's. It's about a block away and world's better. I don't agree that deliciousness is not found there, I think it's pretty darn good. When you are on the UT campus without a car, are in a hurry, and need something that everyone will eat, Chipotle doesn't look so bad.
New Restaurants at the Domain
Kona Grill:
The atomosphere was corporate and plasticy, but had some nice elements -- there are beautiful fish tanks with lovely tropical fish, and a nice bar area. It could be very tranquil, but any hope of tranquility was completely destroyed by VERY loud pop music (Justin Timberlake et al.) that penetrated every corner of the restaurant.
The Spider Roll (8.95) consisted of 5 tiny, tiny rolls that were fine but unimpressive. There was one (tiny) shrimp tail in one piece. You get bigger, nicer rolls than this at Banzai. The Miso soup was okay (although it had a bleachy flavor from the bowl). Upon asking what was fresh tonight, our very cheerful and ditzy waiter said, "Oh, I dunno, I don't like sushi!" We ended up deciding on an albacore tuna dish that was horribly mushy and unappetizing. When we told the waiter, "This tuna is really mushy, and that's usually a bad thing when it comes to raw fish," she said, "I've had a lot of compliments on that dish tonight" and walked away. She wasn't being rude, but she was clearly missing the point. We could have called her over again and demanded something else, but we were hurrying to make a movie and decided that it wasn't worth it. We walked out saying, "We should have known" and vowed never to return.
The Lineup Card
Twill, I've never tried the Mojo de Ajo at Guero's, I'm excited to have something new to try. And I'll remember Khuroos-E-Tursh the next time we go for lunch at the Clay Pit. Thanks!
Boston advice [Moved from Austin]
Thanks, Boston board. I feel relieved! I'll give a full report when we get back.
The Lineup Card
I like this game! I've tried to organize by category, but restaurant picks are in no particular order.
Polvo's: Pescado al Mojo de Ajo
Pappasito's: Tableside Guacamole (extra jalapenos, hold the onions and tomatoes), Mexico City Soup
Taqueria Arandas: Quesadilla Regular with Steak, Tacos de Pastor
Jorge's: Chicken in New Mexican style verde sauce (forgot the name)
Angie's: Carnitas tacos (obvious)
El Zunzal: Tamal de Pollo
Oaxacan Tamaleo: Pollo con Mole
Tacolote: Gorditas, Tacos al Pastor
Gueros: Margaritas, Quail
Wink: Foie Gras (my favorite dish, period!), Pork Belly, Vension
Enoteca Vespaio: Beet appetizer, gnocchi
Jezebel: Lamb, Steak Tartare
Capitol Brasierrie: Salade Lyonnaise
Eddie V's: Broiled Oysters, Caesar, Bread Pudding ( like the merengue the best)
Gene's: Oyster Po-Boy
Madam Mam's: Pad Sea-Ew (w/beef, flat noodles, extra spicy); Panang Curry, Tom Kha
Pappadeaux: Oysters Pappadeaux, Mahi Mahi with Yvette Sauce, Pappas Salad
Tam: Boiled Shrimp Sandwich, Cream Puffs
Sam Paio's: Feijoada (tell them to hold the salt)
I'm interested to hear other's favorite picks -- in particular Clay Pit & La Traviata
Boston advice [Moved from Austin]
Boston board, I have another important question. I don't mean to perpetuate common stereotypes of Texans, but my boyfriend wants to wear nice jeans, a nice button up shirt, and cowboy boots to our "fancy" place for dinner. He will not wear khakis or any other type of formal outfit except for a suit, which he doesn't want to pack.
In Austin, many people dress to the nines at nice restaurants, but the above outfit is perfectly fine, as well. The thought that it might not work in Boston didn't even occur to me until I looked at L'Espalier's website, which says, "Jacket and tie most comfortable, but not required."
So, Boston, will "Texas formal" work in your city? Are there of the above restaurants that we should skip, considering what we're packing?
