salsera's Profile
Fabi and Rosi Report
I've eaten at Fabi several times since July and never fail to be impressed.
The black-and-white-with-grey-and-sage decor and ambience is elegant, classy, unobtrusive and comfortable. Yeah, yeah, so some of the furniture looks Ikeaesque, so what. There are lots of charming little touches (like the "wall" of glass ornaments hung by fishing line, occasionally containing tropical leaves in water but usually tealights) that accent the blend of sleek modern with jazzy decadence. Definitely a good date restaurant, but also good for a group like a shower or rehearsal dinner. And I've enjoyed stopping by just for dessert after a late night at the office.
The food is reliably good. I've had the mussels, the pork belly salad, the lobster ravioli, the steak frites, the duck confit, the cassoulet, the charcuterie plate, the trout and the truffle risotto. A consistent favorite is their fresh bread and garlic aioli (there's no butter in that, just heaven.) The portions are just enough to make you feel satiated and just shy of uncomfortably stuffed. The wine list is carefully thought out and very reasonably priced (around $20/bottle) and two can have appetizers, entrees, a bottle of wine and desserts for about $70. The desserts are very tasty-- personally I love the Belgian chocolate mousse and the chevre tart with candied Meyer lemon peel.
The service has always been very knowledgeable, prompt, friendly without being chirpy or unctuous. Wolfgang, the owner and chef, often comes out to greet the diners at the end of their meal.
Make reservations if you're coming at a peak hour on Friday or Saturday. Oh, and parking is simple-- right across the street in a nice lot. They also offer outdoor seating on the front patio, when the weather warms up.
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Fabi and Rosi
509 Hearn St, Austin, TX
Brooklyn Pie Company 1501 Park Ln #101 Georgetown, TX 78628
Had lunch with a friend on a Sunday after not having eaten here in at least 5 years. Off the beaten path little place, used to have a better vibe. Now with the renovations and whatnot, it's lost its NYC edge... the chairs and tables scrape the floor, tables too short for the chairs so you bump your thighs all the time, and it feels too brand-spanking new (though the renovation was 3 years ago.) Obviously someone decided to fancify the decorations, adding silk grapevines over the windows, but it doesn't do much for the ambience.
The place was empty but it still took quite a while to get our order which was relatively simple-- a cheese slice, a pepperoni slice, and 10 wings. (When asked how "New York style wings" differed from "normal" ones, the guy behind the counter was lacking in answerage.) Maybe 15-20 minutes? Yikes.
To their credit-- the slices are ENORMOUS (think approximately a third of a big pizza. Cut a little haphazardly, but no question, at least the equivalent of two-three "normal" slices.)
Would have been better if it was hot, which you'd expect. It was comfortably warm, but not crisp. Good tasting crust, excellent texture around the rim but the center was soggy/gooey. Nice flavor to the cheese and sauce; maybe a little too much cheese? I didn't try the wings but my friend said they were okay.
Hmmm.
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Brooklyn Pie Company
8127 Mesa Dr Ste B202, Austin, TX 78759
Fabi and Rosi
We decided to try this lovely little gem because my friend Silas just started working here as chef alongside of Wolfgang. I was delighted with the experience.
First, the decor is a pleasing blend of 1920's sophistication, Victorian charm, and modern sleekness, featuring a black-and-ivory color scheme with mirrors, touches of sage green, and transparent glass accents. There are a few nooks for smaller groups, some of which can be closed off with curtains for privacy. Fun jazz/R&B playing in the background at just the right volume. Tiny succulents on each table are planted in pewter votive cups.
We made reservations for Saturday night and were seated promptly at 6:15. By 7 it was full, so I would definitely call ahead.
Our server was attentive and friendly, and he knew his menu items well. We had a jug of very cold water at our table so refills were handy. Before our appetizers, the waiter brought an amuse bouche of carrot-ginger mousse, which was "meh" for me but "yum" for my husband. I'm just not that into mousse which isn't chocolate, I guess.
My husband had the shrimp bisque and the escargot for appetizers, and the duck confit entree; I had the spinach salad with pork belly and blue cheese, followed by the steak and pommes frites, with a glass of French pinot noir.
The bisque was very flavorful with a lovely texture and scent. The escargot were great, according to my husband. My salad offered the classic flavors-- baby spinach, cider vinaigrette, walnuts *and* pecans, a hearty, tangy, creamy blue, fresh sliced pears with a smooth buttery texture, and the crispy-chewy pork belly (which had an unusual but fitting added flavor of cinnamon.) I would have liked more spinach and blue but that may just be me.
The duck is presented on a bed of crisp-tender green beans with Italian herbs and lightly roasted, halved grape tomatoes. It was tender, juicy, not greasy and overall, very nice. My steak was cooked to order and perfectly done. The cognac-green peppercorn sauce perfectly accented the mild, meaty taste of the tenderloin. The frites were just right-- crispy, with just enough salt and a lovely mealy taste inside. And the roasted tomato with garlic was a nice touch. I enjoyed my glass of wine as well. The wine list is small, but well-chosen and moderately priced.
Our meal ended up being $75 which isn't bad considering I felt pampered the whole way through *and* my tenderloin was big enough that I brought half of it and the frites home for another meal.
This is a great date night, rehearsal dinner, birthday dinner, etc. I can't wait to come back!
Lunch/Brunch Idea for Sunday?
Las Manitas Avenus Cafe on Congress between 2nd and 3rd... unique atmosphere, love their beans, yummy cheese quesadillas, and to die for aguas frescas...
What Austin-y gift would you send someone?
Pecans from Berdolls in Bastrop (esp. their milk chocolate-caramel pecan clusters and their cinnamon-sugar pecans)
Flavored agave nectars by Agasweet (Chef Achim, made here in Austin)-- so good on scones, in tea or coffee... esp. like the lavender agave in a glass of champagne!
Rose hip syrups by Venus Love Arts, again made here in Austin... yum on pancakes and toast...
Peach preserves from Fredericksburg (close enough)
Lunch
What part of town? What type of food?
My first thoughts were:
La Madeleine (esp. near the fireplace, or in the back)
Steeping Room in the Domain (fabulous tea menu, yummy sandwiches)
Cafe 1886 at the Driskill
Casual rehearsal dinner near(ish) Northcross?
Thanks everybody! I, too, am happier when not thinking of Buca, xalapenocharlie, and your comment made me laugh. As it turns out, we'll have about 55-60 people at the rehearsal dinner. We are probably going to go with Brick Oven. I love Houston's but too expensive; not crazy about Mirabelle; Chez Zee is lovely but pricey; I walked inside Veranda and was not impressed with the ambiance so I didn't stay to eat. We haven't checked out NXNW yet, but if Brick Oven's room looks too small, that's our next stop. Many thanks everyone for the suggestions (and keep them coming...)
French Dip
Perhaps I will be slammed for this... but I enjoy La Madeleine's version. Faster and less expensive than Houston's, so don't have the same expectations, but it's fine for brunch on a Sunday after church. The bread is crispy with a nice chew, but not too hard or tenacious. The meat is nothing special, but at least acceptable-- not excessively fatty, no gristle or metallic aftertaste that is common with lesser places. The au jus is variable-- I have had it delicious! and then once it was definitely over-salted. But my favorite part (besides the availability of a nice fried potato cake on the side, or a lemon madeleine after) is the horseradish sauce. It puts a nice bite into the melted cheese. I get extra horseradish on the side.
Catering?
Try Blue Trout Catering... Frauke Baylor is the head chef, and she's amazing! Fresh, healthy, anything from ethnic to comfort to nouvelle Continental... and very, very reasonably priced. She's doing my wedding reception in April and I've already had her food at two other events. I was very impressed.
Casual rehearsal dinner near(ish) Northcross?
Hey-- getting hitched in April. The church is very close to Northcross Mall. Looking for a decent, casual (not expensive, so sushi is out, dang!) place to bring a big crowd of out-of-towners, relatively handy to the church. Failing that, somewhere on the way up north to the 183/Oak Knoll area would be OK too. No BBQ (I can't stand Texas 'cue, I'm a Virginia gal.)
I considered Trudy's North Star, but they don't do any reservations/roping-off/separate room stuff. Suzi's Chinese was considered, but the food the following day will be mainly Filipino, so I don't want to overdose the non-Asian guests with Asian food. Brunch the day after will be at Freda's Seafood Grill.
What do you think of Buca di Beppo? (I have searched for and read the Buca posts, thanks, just curious about specific opinions for this specific context. We'll have at least 30-40 people so I don't think we can fit in the Pope table.)
We thank you in advance for your suggestions!!
New Restaurants at the Domain
My fiance and I just had lunch at the Steeping Room. Overall a very pleasant experience though a bit pricey. I had the roast beef sandwich on wheat-- toasted, with carmelized onions, roasted red pepper, and basil mayo. It was warm and very flavorful. We both preferred my sandwich to his, the "TBLT" with turkey on a standard BLT. The sandwiches came with a green salad and sesame-balsamic vinaigrette. The tomato-roasted garlic soup was delicious, and we shared a pot of Irish Breakfast tea. My only complaints-- the salad was small, the teacups transmitted the heat painfully well necessitating only half-full cups, and his TBLT was rather bland. But we'll definitely go back to try the astounding tea variety. Plus I'm hoping they make a half-decent scone.
Oh, and I would say it was a little pricey-- two sandwiches, a pot of tea, and we sampled the soup (free) was $23 before tip. YOWCH.
Freda's Seafood Grille
Yummy brunch! Took a girlfriend and her toddler. My advice is get there early, we arrived at 10:15 and all the food was delightfully fresh, and the place was empty. I agree, I do not care for the buffet server dishes with the steamy insides and heavy lids. I did enjoy the coconut shrimp, crab legs (not terribly big snow crabs but still), the u-peel shrimp, the bourbon pasta and shrimp... the prime rib was good... my friend enjoyed her omelette though when we went (two weeks ago) the omelette chef seemed a little new/hesitant. We were not offered our complimentary mimosa but didn't intend to have it either. Tea selection was lovely. For $20 it's a nice deal especially being up north.
Any places with good cornbread?
Please don't flame me, but I enjoyed the cornbread at Boston Market the other night.
Kosher Turkey, Rubashkin's Aaron's Best-where to find? Or recommendations
PLEASE do not eat that turkey... I know Cook's Illustrated recommends it highly, but if you do a quick google search you'll see the horrific way those birds are produced. Worse than "normal" factory farms by far.
Instead you should consider getting a local nonfactory fresh turkey-- Alexander Family Farms in Del Valle. They're also easily found with a google search (and far yummier. Just brine your bird before you bake.)
downtown -- good (quick) lunch options?
I second the Hog Island Deli comment-- their subs are to-die-for. I have to say I prefer Texadelphia's philly cheesesteak, but that's because I'm addicted to their mustard sauce. I like Hog Island's too, and the chicken cheesesteak gets rave reviews.
Also you should consider Texas Chili Parlor-- I don't care for the chili, but the burgers are decent. They're at Lavaca just south of the intersection with 15th.
Finally, Arturo's (between Lavaca and Guad, on about 17th? same side street as Dog & Duck) has good wraps, burritos, and salads. I especially like the garden salad, with ginger sesame dressing. They include whole wheat garlic toast with all the salads and it's quite yummy and cheap.
Registry Help!
I absolutely can't live without my Kitchenaid stand mixer and recently bought the ice cream maker attachment (on Amazon.com for about $40) and now I can't live without that either. I'm not the biggest ice cream fan in the world but it's very easy to make and all my friends are inviting me to make ice cream for them. My fiance is addicted to chocolate ice cream with Andes mints crumbled in-- and I love the key lime pie ice cream. Plus I think they're more fun to buy as a wedding gift than, say, a place setting of china, which is somewhat anonymous.
Another suggestion: a high quality waffle iron.
Have fun and congrats/best wishes!
Cake
My cake experiences:
1. Cherole's Cakes and Catering in Round Rock is the undiscovered gem for wedding cake in Austin. She will make real butter buttercream if you specify that you don't mind a not-pure-white look... tender crumb with the right amount of moist chew... fantastic fruit fillings. And it's CHEAP!
2. Ann's Kitchen Cakes (183 and McNeil/Spicewood): Great if you just want a quick slice, but disappointingly small selection if you want to special order a cake. (Lemon cake is not that complicated, folks.)
3. MadCakes (Spicewood and 360-ish): Heavenly lemon bundt cake, not too lemony or sweet, nice dense crumb but not as heavy as pound cake, with stripes of cream cheese frosting on the sides (so you don't overload on frosting.) Unfortunately no buttercream! But many flavors available.
4. Upper Crust makes a fantastic Gateau Marisa.
5. My favorite cake in all of Austin is the 1886's Pistachio Crunch. The cake is tender and light, the currant-raspberry filling and light frosting adds the perfect proportion of creamy sweet flavors, and it comes as a darling little round cake-ette.
Is 14,000 BTU enough?
Why are you fixated on a duel fuel range? Have you considered induction? I always swore by gas, but in my new house, it would have been too expensive to run a gas line in to replace the old electric cooktop. As a result, I had to switch to induction, and I can't say enough good things about it. I would never go back to gas now! Go to www (dot) theinductionsite (dot) com I think... you can learn so much there.
Best carbonara
I'll be hounded off the boards for saying this, but I have always liked the carbonara at Picolo Cafe (off Guadalupe and 29th? near a Texas French Bread, one block west of Guad)... Picolo used to be Mamma Mia's years ago, and it's gotten more expensive, but I still like the carbonara.
Best electric skillet? wafflemaker?
My aunt has an electric skillet (rectangular, about 9x13) that she gets a lot of use out of, and I'm thinking of adding one to my probably-overfull cabinets. That and a wafflemaker. Any recommendations?
Thanks,
Salsera
Kitchen countertops that don't look like rocks? No stainless, please.
Glass. Laminate sucks if you ever plan to put down something hot (or plan to accidentally need to do so...?) and no matter what anyone says, laminate looks cheap.
your one kitchen design tip
Couple of thoughts:
1) INDUCTION cooktop/double oven. Go to www.theinductionsite.com for a brilliant review of why induction cooking beats gas hands down (don't even need to compare with electric, they're obviously yucky.) And induction captures the pluses of a smooth cooktop surface-- plus no residual heat to burn messes on the stove or little fingers-- plus way more energy efficient-- kitchen stays cooler during cooking-- etc etc.
2) Make sure you wire for the electric demands of tomorrow. Don't put in 10 wire/30 amp circuit breakers just because that's what your CURRENT oven requires. Put in that 6 wire/40 amp circuit, which allows for someone, someday to put in a 50 amp breaker for something that needs more juice. I'm facing a potential $15k rewire in my kitchen, or having to downsize my dream, to fit within the current 30 amp "footprint" and it's enough to make me want to kill the builder. Like someone else said, cheap during the build but hugely expensive later.
3) Window seat if possible. Great place to hang while watching someone cook, or to wake up while waiting for waffles, or to chat during a party. Always the most popular seat in the house (and a great location for some big storage drawers too.)
Gas range safety
If you can avoid a gas range and instead get an induction cooktop, DO.
1. Induction = magnetism, meaning less heat wasted, less energy used, and when you move the pot, the heat source also moves (making it safe for dogs' noses, kids' hands, etc) Also most induction cooktops have a safety sensor so they won't turn on if you put a spoon, etc on the burner-- only a pot. And they usually have an auto shutoff.
2. Induction = electric, so you can have an electric oven instead of gas, = more even baking.
3. Induction = FAR FAR more responsive heat than gas! It's a chef's dream!
Go check out www.theinductionsite.com for more info. Sorry for my preaching :) I'm sold on induction!
cast iron grill pan ok on flat-top stove?
Don't assume that because you're stuck with an electric cooking surface (instead of gas) that you're stuck with a cra**y electric stove! Investigate induction cooktops-- they'll amaze you. Pricey, but worth it. Check out http://theinductionsite.com/ for more info.
Phil's Ice House (AUS)
I love Phil's! I get a "build your own" burger with pickles, onions and mustard only... as rare as they can do it... it's heaven. The bread is crisp and toasty, but far from stale. The meat is flavorful and juicy. I love the fries (half and half regular potato and sweet potato) and their onion rings are great too. Not thick, good oniony flavor, not overly salty, good crunch.
Advice: induction cooktop, downdraft, Fr-door fridges
Thanks for the input, I appreciate it. I would put in an overhead, but it's just not financially possible to do that great of a remodeling job. The current owner has an electric cooktop (UGH) with a downdraft built in, so I am hoping to piggyback off the ductwork already in place. I rarely fry foods, and while I cook for huge crowds a few times a year, I can't justify a 20k remodel with that in mind.
THANK YOU!
cheap and labor-intensive food-- do you do it?
Lumpia are Filippino eggrolls. Usually small, about the size of your pinkie finger (the way my mother-in-law and Titas-in-law (aunts) make them anyway). They're SO GOOD. In our family, they don't contain cilantro or mint, and are made with egg roll/dumpling wrappers instead of rice paper, and with pork and/or chicken.
Advice: induction cooktop, downdraft, Fr-door fridges
Buying a new house that has an electric cooktop in an island with a downdraft vent. I will be replacing it with an induction cooktop (no way to put a gas line in there, and no way in heck will I cook with electric.) Also in the market for a new fridge.
Questions:
1. I guess I have to have a vent with the cooktop, even though I admit I rarely turn one on unless I have something smoking/burning. Resale would require a vent, right? So what are my options: an overhead hood is better, I know, but would require such serious remodeling of the ceiling etc. that it's just out of the question.
2. That means a downdraft. Anyone have any experience with an induction cooktop and a downdraft? I'm hoping I can find them coming together as a package.
3. I've read earlier posts on French door/freezer bottom fridges. My requirements aren't even for a french-door style, but my fiance prefers them. We do need a fridge with an interior water filter/icemaker, and freezer on the bottom. Experiences/suggestions welcome.
