Max's Wine Dive

I had heard great things about Max's Wine Dive from several people at work that had been to the Houston location, so I caught some dinner with the Ferrari man there last week.

First of all, I couldn't even find the door...did I mention it was raining?
Then, I was greeted by their we-tried-too-hard-to-make-it-like-it's-a-real-warehouse "decorations" AND the place is so dark, I almost tripped over them...ugh!

Whatever, Ferrari man got there and we got our table. A tiny little table by the window.
It was so loud I couldn't hear the waitress to order, much less any of Ferarri man's entrepreneurial words of wisdom. Whatever, let's just order some of their famous cheap wine and get some food. Um, first of all the cheapest glass is around $9, and our bottle was $45.

We started with the pan borracho. They take a french baguette, chop it up, mix it with prosciutto, garlic and yellow onion and they soak it in a white wine custard with gruyere, mozzarella and Grana Padano cheeses. They bake it. The cheese melts and bubbles, the prosciutto hardens, and the bread gets super soggy. It was alright...although I did eat more than half of it(I was starving).

I ordered the kobe burger and decided to add the avocado thinking it would be in addition to the triple cream brie, and jalapenos, tomatoes and lettuce that come on it. So, for 3 extra dollars I got a little bit of avocado, no cheese, and two jalapenos.

The meat was overcooked and overall it was pretty tasteless.The fries were way too salty, couldn't finish them.

Ferrari man had the fried chicken and liked it, except for the chipotle honey...too spicey. Oh and per the Ferrari man: Don’t add an extra piece (a $3 option) unless you are REALLY hungry.

We shared the ginger funnel cake with a scoop of coffee gelato on top. It was o.k. We still ate way too much of it. Left really full.

Here's what the Ferrari man had to say about it: Max’s Wine Dive delivers what it’s name promises… upscale wine paired with down-home cooking. The resulting atmosphere is more happy hour than haute cuisine.

It's a bar that serves food.

(sorry...no pictures, it was too dark)

http://www.maxswinedive.com/austin/menus/index.php

Frank

I was a little sentimental walking into former Starlite but happy to walk into brand new, two-week-old, Frank---
AND super excited to finally catch up with one of my besties (The Austinite) after months of conflicting schedules getting in the way.

I was late, so The Austinite had already ordered chili-cheese fries and a nice cold Breckenridge Avalanche Amber. The huge waffle fries were perfect, just enough salt, and crispy. The chili, on the other hand was...what's the word....mmmmreeaaghhh. I've tried ranch and blue cheese, but I had never had chili-cheese fries with sour cream...a little weird...


Our server recommended the Jackalope and told us that there was only 4 left of the special (definitely a good sign).
So, I had the Jackalope: Antelope and rabbit sausage topped with huckleberry compote, sriracha aioli, and applewood smoked cheddar.
Where should I begin?
1. The first bite was so hot, I'm pretty sure I won't be able to taste food for the next year or so 2. The huckleberry compote was extremely sweet with a bitter after taste and 3. The aioli was very spicy
I finally took out the sausage, stabbed it onto my fork, ate it with some of the cheddar and chugged my beer.

The Austinite had the special: Buffalo sausage topped with avocado-mango relish and crema fresca. The mix of sweet and tangy flavors and the peculiar gamey taste of the sausage made a great match. He inhaled it.

A lot of bread, not enough sausage

The service was great, considering we were one of about four tables.

The space needs a lot of work...Let's just call it a two-week soft opening. Everything is still under construction, including their menus, partly because they are missing a couple of permits from the city to complete their back and upstairs. Their plan is to open a general/grocery store in the waaaay back that caters to the future residents of the Austonian and guests of the W Hotel. They're shooting for a one-stop shop for your Texas goodies like books, canned goods, jellies, etc. As for the upstairs, they want a lounge vibe with vintage pinball games and such.

They will soon have a late night window open until 3 a.m.

I want to meet their chef. From what I hear, he's their designer's younger brother, Matt, and is a young culinary explorador willing to take some major risks in the kitchen.

Overall, I wasn't blown away, but I'll give it another go once the dust settles.

http://hotdogscoldbeer.com/

Hot Dog a la Sexi-Mexi

If you like hot dogs...Here's yours truly's original:

You pick the actual dog---turkey, beef, German sausage, whatever floats your boat...

I use french bread, also your call, just make sure you toast it!

Slice an opening down the middle of the dog (lengthwise)---don't split it in half! Just enough to stuff it with your favorite cheese. I mix it up...sometimes is Manchego, sometimes Oaxaca, or just plain ole Monterrey Jack.

Cook the stuffed dog on a skillet until it's a bit brown and the cheese has melted.
Here's what you'll top your dog with:

-Avocado (duh!)
-Diced tomatoes
-Onions
-Jalapenos (Use the canned, pickled kind. La Costena brand are really good and you can find them anywhere)
-And then pour a little bit of the jalapeno vinegar (left over in the can) on top...trust me on this one.

Provecho!

Austin Restaurant Week

September 13-16 & 20-23

...Get ready!

ANNIES

So, my beloved DVH owed me some major quality time and promised me a nice dinner so, I picked the new Annies on Congress.

If you love France...or the upper West side in New York City just stroll down to 319 Congress Ave and find a mix of both.
Annies, a product of a 20+ year catering business and an underground deli (former Apple Annies), is fantastic.
The ambiance really is just like Pastis in NYC, or a zinc bar in Paris, but with the unmistakable Austin edge.

This brasserie's windows, the lighting, the tables, the deli cases, the awesome bar, and the huge paintings on the walls just captivated me.
Really, all that was missing was Eartha Kitt's C'est Si Bon playing in the background...

Let me first say that the service was great.
You know how you can totally tell when a restaurant has just opened by how many mistakes they make, or missing details there are? Well, none to be found here. Our server was on top of it. We had a great experience.

I had to have the rabbit.

The perfect portion comes on duck egg spätzle, carrots and peas and whole grain mustard jus. The rabbit is covered in the mustard, not too strong, just right. Yes, it sounds so normal, but it's scrumptious.

DVH had the halibut on sweet corn risotto and green tomato relish on top. The green tomatoes were a little too intense (then again I'm not a huge fan of pickles or anything in that family), but mixed with the simple halibut and the sweet and creamy risotto it was so good.

...the halibut didn't stand a chance.

We shared the mac and cheese. It was the perfect amount of creamy, cheesy goodness with just a hint of (what seemed to be anyway) white wine.

We ended our fabulous meal with the frozen pistachio parfait desert, a Mark Schmidt original, with burnt honey and caramel.

Here's what I love about this place, everything is organic and local following their "farm-to-table" philosophy, and that their bar is so friendly. It makes for a great place to meet up with friends before or after downtown.

Yep, late night menu my friends. It seems pretty extensive, and much better than your typical slice of sucky pizza. I'm so intrigued by their Tortilla Española with octopus...hmm...and, of course, all the soulful side dishes like the mac and cheese.

For those of you downtown residents, they will soon deliver their delicious food to your home! Their website is still under construction...so your best bet is to call.
(512) 472-1884

Eat Good, Do Good

One of the things I love about Austin is how most businesses stick to local products and produce and help each other out.

Do Good Deli is no exception.

They use products like, Bakerman’s Bakery, Segovia Produce LTD, Sweet Leaf Tea™, Richard’s Rainwater from Dripping Springs, TX, Good Flow Honey Co., “Dirty”® Potato Chips, SASS™ Fresh Dressings, and All NaturalPromised Land™ Milk.

I first heard about it at work--- we had lunch delivered and I ordered the "Two-step Turkey" with chips and a banana. The chips are Dirty Chips, a Louisiana favorite and are delicious.
The meat was sliced so thin I could see through it, but it was piled so high my mouth could barely get around the sandwich! The multi-grain bread was amazing and---get this, it had NO CRUST! It's like a little kid's dream.

Oh speaking of little kid's dream... they have what they call a "Vegan Velvet Elvis" which consists of peanut butter, bananas, and honey. Yummy yummy for my tummy!

Their menu also includes:
-Glazed and confused ham and cheese
-Rockin' Roast Beef
-Groovy Tuna Salad &
-Keep Austin Veggie

Here's what I love about this place, 100% of their proceeds go to Caritas of Austin. You gotta love the opportunity to get good karma...in the words of David Wooderson that's alright, alright, alright.

Oh yeah, note that they have a well-defined delivery area, but they make a couple of exceptions. Follow the instructions on the menu :)