2012

Friends, as a new year begins I think I'm going to change the focus of the blog a bit. 

2011 was full of amateur reviews, critiques, and overall bullshit. 

I think it's time I let my hair down and stop taking things so seriously. What do you say?

Aviary: Not your typical wine spot

I love living in a city where you can sip on wine, enjoy some cheese, and shop yourself silly - all in the same spot.

I went to Aviary with my Latin girls and fell in love.

Their menu is small but inviting. A little cheese plate and Malbec and we were happy.

Luke: a Chef John Besh Restaurant

I love chef John Besh. Not only is he a James Beard winner, but he's a down to earth family man who also loves to help out the community . I had yet to try Luke (his first venture outside of Louisiana), so Italianini and I made our way to San Antonio's river walk.

Getting a table was no problem, the place was empty. There were maybe four tables in the huge dining room, and not a soul in the also large mezzanine or in the patio.

Service was formidable, didn't miss a beat. 
Here's the food:

Pâté of rabbit and quail livers
truffle-perfumed. And get this-- watermelon pickles, pickles, mustard, and nopalitos gelee. It was amazing.
I really enjoyed the sharp pickled bites mixed with the subtle and smooth flavors of the pate.

Jumbo Gulf shrimp “en cocotte”
McEwen and Sons creamy white corn grits. One of the more pricey items on the menu. Rich, soulful, filling, and delicious. Definitely feels like you're in Louisiana.

I had the Texas raised herb roasted chicken. It's served over whipped potatoes in its natural jus with bacon. Seriously? Do I even need to say anything else? 


The feel of the restaurant is not my favorite. The decor is really lacking, I just think the space is too big for what they are trying to accomplish... and, let's get real here, it connects to the Embassy Suites lobby. 

La Sombra

 

After much debate (with myself) we went to La Sombra for dinner not too long ago. 

I'm not sure what I was expecting...a Peruvian slap in the face as I walked in? Papas a la Huancaína?

The decor is simple and cozy. The space is small, but the proportions are smart. We were in a booth in the back corner, next to a table with a large party... and I never felt crammed, overwhelmed, or like I couldn't hear myself think. It was well done. 

The food is good overall. We stuck to the apps, but I've had many of their dishes through my Leadership Austin class since they have catered dinner twice! (I love generous, philanthropic people).

El Alma

Well friends, another restaurant has "opened" in my 'hood. El Alma, formerly El Chile, has re-opened with a new face and a new-ish menu on Barton Springs.


Joel Mozersky re-decorated the interior, but the changes are minimal. It's a cleaner space, with great colors, but the same old tables and chairs which are hideous. 

For drinks I ordered a michelada and Italianini and LiveSTRONG man got the house margarita. The michelada was the best I've had in Austin simply because I don't like mine too spicy and with lots of lime, but the marg was just bad!

We were greeted by complimentary chips and salsa.The green salsa was really good (I'm pretty sure it's avocados, tomatillos, serranos, lots of lime and prepared raw). Then we ordered apps. We started with the Gringas (with Pastor) and the classic ceviche. The gringas are not worth the calories, the pastor was chewy and not properly seasoned. The ceviche was good, a little dry and too chunky, but a nice refreshing bite in this unbearable heat. 


I ordered the Camarones a la plancha: Shrimp with garlic ancho butter, corn relish, and avocado. The shrimp were good and cooked perfectly. The relish was sort of a slaw and it didn't impress.


LiveSTRONG man ordered theParrillada Gringa: Grilled steak and shrimp with melted cheese, rajas and guacamole.The meat was so tender and who doesn't love anything smothered in cheese and rajas?


Italianini tried the Roasted duck enmoladas: Shredded duck with pasilla mole and almonds. The mole was good and not too strong; however, it tasted EXACTLY like the Doña Maria mole my roommate and I used to 'make' in college.


The price point is perfect for a chill dinner with friends if you don't want the hussle and bussle of downtown. Their happy hour is longer than most (3-7p.m.), the prices are pretty cheap for drinks and bites, and you can enjoy their patio if you're up for this ridiculous summer heat.


No working website. Happy eating.

TRACE at the W Austin

You know the saying 'don't judge a book by its cover'? So true when it comes to restaurants...

The W Austin finally bridged the two main sections of 2nd street district, sure, but it also brought a new restaurant, bar, spa, and a shiny stage for us to play in.

Having had the opportunity to tour it and played in it early on, let me give you a couple of pointers on this new playground.

The bars are nice and spread out. The service sucks. The people are pretentious and remember it is a hotel bar, so you will still see the douche bag trying to score some local fresh catch with his flashy Ed Hardy shirt and Ferragamo loafers along with the unassuming couple wearing bermuda shorts. The pool is small and very shallow (designed to show off those fake tatas you paid $3000 for) complete with private cabanas (like 4) and wet bar. The spa really is amazing, you should check it out.

And then there is TRACE. Ambitious people work in this kitchen. Not only does it serve the restaurant and bars, but it also serves rooms and residences for 24/7 Whatever, Whenever service. Maybe that's why the flavors and quality are seriously lacking here? Who knows, the point is, drink all you want, splurge on the $15 glass of prosecco, but if you like good food, don't bother eating at TRACE.



Also, glass has STOPPED falling from the skies, so it's totally safe to venture into one of their watering holes.

Hillcountry Food and Wine Festival: Stars Across Texas

It's no lie that I'm a slacker.
Here are some pics from the Stars Across Texas Classic.

Don't worry, I met John Besh.

Oh and fear not, I'm sure Austin Food and Wine Fest will keep some version of this awesome event.

Homemade Spam?

Italianini and I grabbed mid-week dinner at Uchiko (to show support and that we're not afraid of "radiation" by eating their Japanese fish, pfff). 

Chef Paul Qui sent us two dishes we were super surprised by. 

One was 'homemade spam': terrine of pork belly and other delicious parts of the pig grilled over a mustard emulsion and pickled ramps. This was one tasty bite. Strong flavors, great texture, and definitely NOT Spam. 

The other dish (I apologize, no photo) looked like tangled, thin branches topped with tiny greens sitting on a black puree that was intriguing. They were fried enoki (?) mushrooms over a huitlacoche puree and fava beans topped with sunflower sprouts. It was a bizarre sight and a wonderful dish. I think we were the guinea pigs... and I think you will soon see it on the menu.

SFC Chef Series: Spring Bounty

SFC Chef Series: Spring Bounty took place this past Sunday eve at La Condesa.

Following tradition, chefs hit us with a delicious array of dishes that are seriously worthy of better quality pictures... so, please be sure to check out La Condesa's Facebook album.

Ned Elliott (Chef and Owner) of Foreign & Domestic kicked the night off with Richardson Farms Pork Liver Custard with piquillo syrup, nasturtium salsa, and sherry caramel.

It was subtle and amazing...and a healthy serving for each person at our table.

Paul Qui (Executive Chef) of Uchiko surprised us by going vegetarian...or so I thought...

Spring onion dashi, spring vegetables (squash blossoms, baby zucchini, baby carrots), goats milk ricotta..... AND dehydrated Uni.

It's hard to describe what I experienced as I ate this dish. The ribbons of vegetables were light and crunchy, while the broth was thin yet flavorful. The Uni was the perfect seasoning and the bowl was NOT big enough. Seriously, I could have eaten 5 more.

Shawn Cirkiel (Chef and owner) of Parkside gave us Sloan Farms Crispy Rabbit with green garlic, pecans, glazed spring carrots, and red wine sauce. Isn't this plate gorgeous? A great display of Spring ingredients...and colors!

Bryce Gilmore (Chef and Owner) of Barley Swine --and Odd Duck Farm to Trailer--served a Milago Farms Soft Egg with elephant garlic puree, and pancetta shitake vinaigrette danube. I really enjoyed the runny yolk all over my pancetta. Is it because I love breakfast?

David Bull (Executive Chef) of the trio of restaurants at the bottom floor of the Austonian (Congress Restaurant) gave us Grilled Lockhart Quail with red romaine, candied orange, and cardamon yogurt. The quail nicely cooked and the yogurt gave a nice balance to the charred romaine.

Zack Northcutt (Head Chef) of Haddingtons and Mulberry ended our savory courses with a Windy Ranch Osso Bucco with polenta. This blew my taste buds away. I was very glad this powerful, flavorful, succulent dish came last! Delicious.

Laura Sawicki (Pastry Chef) of La Condesa served her most complex dessert yet-- Soncrest Farms smoked egg parfait with marcona almond, Oakhill Farms strawberry, quinoa, pickled mustard seed, and smoked sea salt. 

I have to say that this is one of my favorites (top three with her James Beard House dessert and the pie she served at Outstanding in the Field) 

Every dish was paired with a magnificent wine or beer, but this dish was paired with this: Del Maguey Crema de Mezcal, honey liqueur, cream, and house-made Froberg Farm strawberry soda. Kudos to Nate Wales for an amazing cocktail.

It was an outstanding meal. I think my favorite yet. It's amazing how much talent grazes the kitchens of our very own Austin's restaurants. I feel very lucky to have witnessed and tasted such delicious morsels. 

Arancini

I had never heard of Arancini until one random night I came home to a kitchen full of them.

Native to Italy, they are amazing little balls of heaven. I actually mention here except for Red House calls them Risotto balls....You basically make some meat sauce, rice, and make sure to have fresh mozzarella around. You form the rice into a ball and stuff with a bit of sauce and a piece of mozzarella. Roll it in a little egg wash, dump it in some bread crumbs and fry the heck out of it!

So when a trailer rolls into Austin actually called Arancini, we had to check it out.

The trailer is ADORABLE and the table set up I wanted to have in my own yard. They hand-picked tables and chairs from around Austin and painted them adorable turquoise and brown colors. Cute.

To Italianini's surprise they had sold out of Arancini, so we tried the Meatball Slider, the Roasted Veggie flatbread, and the Fried Artichoke Hearts with Lemon Aioli.

The Meatball Slider was weird. It was a meatball stuffed with Mozzarella and topped with chopped pork? It was charred on the outside and juicy on the inside, but the flavor wasn't incredible. It hit the spot for sure, though.

The Roasted Veggie Flatbread consisted of artichoke hearts, asparagus, onions, and a teeny bit of mozzarella. It was large and could definitely be a meal in itself. The Fried Artichoke Hearts with Lemon Aioli were delicious. It's a great little snack and they totally count as my veggies for the day!

Prices are SUPER reasonable and the owners are lovely people. 

Give this place a try.

http://eatarancini.com/

I'm back

Yes, I have abandoned you for far too long... but I'm back!

I haven't been slacking, promise, but I have been in transition mode. 

I just got a new job, my U.S. citizenship, AND I met John Besh. Yes, I made a fool of myself at the Hillcountry Food and Wine Festival and asked him for a picture. It was great. 

I haven't stopped eating (if you can tell by my Tweets--- oh yeah, and FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER!), and now I'm ready to post again. 

Coming soon: SFC Chef Series Spring Bounty at La Condesa -- TONS OF NEW CHEFS! Get excited. 

xoxox!