I have not eaten there. but here is a review

http://www.putitinyourface.com/feast%...

I need some ideas on a thank you basket or meal delivery to send to a branch office of my new employer. I trained there last week and want to send them a thank you. I am in Houston now, so I need to be able to handle it over the phone and it needs to be delivered.

I was thinking of catering lunch or breakfast or sending some type of basket. These are people that enjoy good food, but they are not foodies. It does not need to be fine.

Any ideas?

Thanks,

EG

P.S. This is for 5 people.

Prices should be starting to come down with the warmer weather and post Easter demand drop. I checked the price for the guy that brings them from SE Texas for me and they have dropped nearly 40% in the last two or three weeks.

Also, you can order them from Seafood Lover in Beaumont. He Lone Star overnights them and they hold up amazingly well. I think the shipping cost something like $20 per sack.

Sichuan Garden in Round Rock has Jasmine Tea Smoked Duck that is ridiculously delicious. The middle aged lady that seems to run the place says it is the particular specialty of the chef. It tastes like it came straight from a Central Texas BBQ pittmaster's row of delicious meats.

I know nothing of authenticity of this particular dish, nor do I have anything to compare it to, but it is genuine smoky, tender, unctious ducky deliciousness.

It is also and enormous portion. Easily enough to feed two or three with soup and appetizer.

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Sichuan Garden
110 N Interstate 35, Round Rock, TX 78681

Their beer is often fantastic and their food is inedible.

Yes, I saw that on this thread or another and it is on the list.

The burger landscape in Round Rock is pretty dim. Little Red Wagon has a very nice 4.99 double, fries, and drink special for the value shopper. Honestly, my favorite burger in Round Rock comes from Short Stop. I grew up on Short Stop in SE Texas so sentiment may play some role there.

I still love Hat Creek for the skinny burger fix in Austin. Dan's and Fran's are definitely different and I much prefer Fran's.

I am still looking for a hole in the wall dive bar with some TV's and a delicious burger for non network sports viewing in Round Rock if anyone has any suggestions.

I believe Borrego de Oro at South Congress and Ben White is reliably open until 10 pm. The window at Home Slice is open late most nights it seems.

There is an Aunt Jennie's (or some female name) Country Cooking and Steakhouse opening at Sam Bass and 35 in RR. It is in the same center with Gatti's, Pok-e-jo's, Thundercloud, etc. Advertising Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

This place started as a food trailer next to Star Bar on W. 6th. The trailer has moved to somewhere in the west campus area (I think close to 24th and Rio Grande). The brick and mortar on Burnet just opened.

Dong Nai in the Target on Lamar and Ben White has good Vietnamese dishes. Flores Mexican on William Cannon and 290 has spicy salsa and good fajitas.

Imperial Beer is now at the HEB Plus! on Palm Valley in Round Rock for $6.99 per six pack. I can only assume this is not the only location in Austin that sells it.

Life is a circle. I am going to the wedding of one of my CR buddies this weekend.

I have courageously tested two randomly chosed six packs and lived to tell the tale. Now, if we can get Pilsen and two orders of Barba Roja's nachos . . .

Taqueria Arandinas is a gem.

Pozole - Red Jalisco style pozole served in half a bucket with cilantro and cabbage (they actually asked whether I wanted lettuce or cabbage, so beware if you don't speak up you might end up with the dreaded lettuce), and tasty small corn tortillas (i don't know whether they were made on the premises or not).

The soup was so loaded with hominy and chunks of pork that I only used half my allotment of cabbage. The rich red broth was the right balance of savory pork fat with a slight spice that builds on itself.

Chips with three different types of salsa that were all flavorful, though not necessarily to my taste. My favorite (the verde) appeared to be liquified hot chilis. It is very nice on tacos. A small bowl of frijoles a la charra is also complimentary and a solid tasty bowl of beans it is.

Carne Guisada is good enough for me to head there next time we have a cold and rainy evening. They are not San Antonio good, but they are in the upper class of the Austin guisadas.

For an Ex - South Austinite that needed a go to Mexican - Tex Mex place, this is a very welcome find.

The last I heard they were anyday. I would espect them open by November 1st at the latest.

I just moved right there, but I thought that place was closed. This gives me hope.

The second location will be on Burnet. They also sell burgers out in front of UT Basketball home games.

I am a fan. Good skinny burger. Excellent fries.

If I am in that area (S. Lamar), then Hat Creek or Sandy's get my skinny burger dollar before P. Terry's. Hat Creek is also fresh never frozen, but with seasoning and excellent fries.

No kidding. The Reader's Choice is sickening.

This is true. They DP and Big Red.

Poodie Locke, Stephen Bruton, and Bud Shrake in the last couple of weeks.

Red Onion Market on Sam Bass Rd in Round Rock has Dublin also. Red Onion Market is a delight.

Hurrican Ike and the Drought west of Houston have hit the Texas crawfish industry pretty hard.

No, but I driven by it in the evenings and wondered.

Purging them won't kill them.

If you had seen the massive purging tanks with flowing freshwater used at some crawfish farms, and the water that comes out of the tank, then you would want them purged as well as possible. I am not particularly worried about what is inside as I am about what is outside.

I purge them myself if I have to, but it just ends up making a mudhole, and never works as well as when they have been purged by an operation with good tanks and free flow fresh water.

Just curious if anyone else had tried it, so I am bumping this sucker up.

I have not been to Snow's yet, but City Market is the most consistent brisket excellence that I have found. It is the only place I have been where I have not yet hit a bad day or time.

Also, in comparing the best I have head there with Mueller's in Taylor, Smitty's, Black's, Kreutz's, and Cooper's, I would give them the nod.

Most Consistent and Best Fastball,

I have not been to Snow's

I don't know anything about Asian food, and I live South, so I have spent the last several months trying to self educate by driving my happy ass up to the North side and eating somewhere for dinner once a week. That is the tone of my 2008. And to that I owe:

Most happy that you exist in 2008: Asia Cafe. Unbelievable. I just wish I knew what I was ordering.

Saddest 2008 moment: the horible dismemberment of La Regiomontana. I have guilt because I live mere blocks away and did not fully utilize this unbelievable asset. I weep for Tacos Banados.

Happiest Rebirth: Regio or Rico or whatever your Pollo is called, I am glad you survived the chow McCarthyism that took down your siamese twin. 7 bones for half a yardbird, that green salsa, and all the trimmings is still one of the best around.

Most logical and enlightened change of policy: El Borrego de Oro for serving breakfast all day. I will gladly pay the extra bone to be able to eat breakfast at 2:30 in the afternoon if the previous nights antics make it necessary. Why all breakfast serving restaurants do not have such enlightened policy, I will never understand.

Trend in chow that I love: Heirloom fruits and vegetables at farmers markets. I love that I must use my own wilds to chose a quality piece of produce instead of choosing the least boring out of many genetically engineered to always be ripe robofruits. I think the possibility of epic failure is fun for all ages.

My single favorite dish in Austin for the third year running: Roberto's Special-Habanero's- What can I say? My love is total and complete. If Habanero's ever starts serving homemade corn tortillas or good refried beans it would be an unstoppable monster tilted on world domination.

Imperial has sold distribution in the US for several states (Cali, AZ, PNW, and NE mainly), and it is distributed there. I inquired about purchasing the distribution rights for Texas last year and was told that they are basically under option and that they anticipated Imperial being available in Texas some time in the summer of 2009.

This was right after going to a wedding in the Cayman Islands where it had just become available. I gorged myself for 4 days, especially since Stingray had gone out of business.

The closest thing I have found is the Fried Plantain Breakfast at the steeply declining El Sol y La Luna.

You can buy Lizano in the states now.

Beaumont: Chaba Thai Cuisine
Beaumont: Richard's
Bevil Oaks: Vautrot's
Oakville: The Oakville Mercantile
Sommerville: The Somerville Steakhouse or Inn I can't remember