G'Raj Mahal - Austin, TX

For you to really appreciate this review and my feelings on this place, let me give you a brief history of my life.

I grew up in the slums of Mumbai with my brother, got locked in an outhouse, dove in poop, met a movie star, got his autograph, met a girl, ran away from cops, lost girl, got a hundred bucks, drank a Coke, found girl, begged for money, almost got my eye burned out, lost girl, rode on top of trains, found girl again, worked for her boss, lost girl again, worked for Time Life books, found girl again, got on a game show, got tortured, won twenty million rupees, met girl again at train station, danced with strangers, moved to Austin.  So you can imagine how excited I was to find G'Raj Mahal here in Austin, where I could finally get some good Indian food in a city with working plumbing.

Well, anyway, enough about me.

I finally made it over to G'Raj Mahal the other night, after hearing really great things about it.  Over in the Rainey Street district, this place is a food truck, but is much more a restaurant.  Entirely outside, with covered and uncovered tables, this is not one of those trucks you just walk up to and order at.  Rather, you see the hostess, she seats you, they bring you a menu and water, your order, they bring your food to the table, you eat, then they bring you a bill.

As far as atmosphere, this is the cream of the crop of Austin food truck scene.  Like I said, it's really more of a restaurant.  The trailer in back is visible, with a few long tables out front of it with the register, hostess, water, waiters, and all of the other things you'd find at a restaurant.  The "dining room" if you want to call it that, which I will, has a plethora of tables, each with a lit candle on it, in a nice setting under a silk curtain lined roof complete with ceiling fans.  It's an awesome spot that is fine to eat at, rain or shine.

As for the food, the menu contains a full range of authentic Indian appetizers and entrees, with your selection of meat for the various curries and kabobs, which are all very well described on the menu.  I opted to go with some garlic naan bread, lamb rogan josh, and a side of their raita, a seasoned homemade yogurt with carrots, scallions, cucumbers, and things of the like in it, which is similar to a Greek tziziki.

I've heard complaints about price and portion size here, but I have to disagree, I think it's a fine ratio, albeit pricier than I had growing up with mom and Jamal.  All of my food came out at once, which was great because it was all eaten together, and it was slightly more than I could comfortably eat by myself.

The garlic naan was fantastic.  Thin, light and crisp, this flap of dough was perfectly pan grilled, and covered, just covered, with chopped fresh garlic.  It worked perfect as a carrier for the rest of the meal, and I recommend at least a couple orders of it for the table.

The rogan josh was served separate from the rice in a styrofoam bowl, with the rice coming in a separate bowl of the like in equal proportion.  I ordered mine really spicy, and they, unlike so many Thai places around that don't, were more than happy to oblige, and they did an incredible job of nuking this stuff with Indian peppers and spices.  Chiles are eaten across the world in hot weather climates to cause you to sweat, thereby cooling your body down, and this dish did just that.

The flavor and heat of this dish was just excellent.  I don't know just how many ingredients go into rogan josh, but you can tell it is quite a few, which comes together in perfect harmony with incredible layers and depth of flavor.  My only knock on it was the lamb itself.  While having that unique lamb taste, the meat was like little bricks.  Lean and dense, but not chewy at all, it was not like the tender slow roasted melt in your mouth kind that I like and would have expected.  Still though, the flavor of the dish itself overcame the execution on the meat fivefold, and you won't hear any complaints out of me, nor will this keep me from getting it again.  I would recommend to anyone getting this to also get the raika, as it has a cooling effect, both in temperature and spiciness, while also adding some crunch if you drizzle it on each bite of naan-scooped rice and josh.  Perfect combination.

They do offer desert, and as sweat poured from the top of my head, I decided to go with some of their homemade cardamom ice cream, which came out in a pre-packaged little plastic container with some nuts and dried fruit crumbled on top.  The flavor was great, very mild, but the pre-packaging and refreezing did it no justice, as it combatted fiercely with my biodegradable spoon.  The temperature and packaging did it no justice and doesn't allow you to really appreciate the subtle flavors, as it never really gets soft, getting soupy on the outside and staying rock hard in the middle.  If it's ice cream you're looking for and craving, you'd be better off venturing over to Amy's, but this is a nice thing they offer to help you regulate your temperature after a spicy Indian meal.

I'll be returning here often enough to try out other items on the menu, revisiting the rogan josh fairly regularly though.  Last night was an early dinner, and I was flying solo, so I didn't have anything to drink, but like most food trucks in town, this one is BYOB but with a much better atmosphere to enjoy it in, and I can't wait to revisit with a bottle of good wine.

Summary

Atmosphere:   food truck/restaurant, outdoor seating both covered and uncovered, good for a date, good place to start or end an evening of drinking at the neighboring bars, good for groups

Food:  Indian

Dog Friendly:  yes

When to Go:  dinner, late

Crowd:  hipsters, 20somethings, 30somethings, old people, REAL Indians

What to Order for the First Timer:  naan bread, rogan josh with meat of your choice, raita

Haddington's Menu Update - Austin, TX

Stopped into Haddington's last night to have a cocktail, with the primary purpose of checking out the new menu.

I was relieved to see the menu hadn't changed all that much, it's the same high end pub food consisting primarily of meats and fish with just minor modifications.

Gone are some of the more UK items like lamb pie, lamb sandwich, rabbit fricassee, British meatballs and much to my dismay, the foie link, replaced with some more traditional additions of fish, including a fish of day, and more American meat like beef, pork and chicken.  While all of those others were absolutely fantastic, I'm guessing they didn't appeal to all customers, and were therefore slow movers, so no doubt they are making room for dishes of the same quality but which may be more popular here.

The toast pots, Scotch eggs, fish and chips, and strip steaks are all still there, as well as the stew of the day and the soup of the day, so my opinion of this place hasn't changed a bit.  It's still fantastic.

Also, as they do periodically, the drink menu has some new items on it, and I was happy to see Tiffany's Stranger on the Highway has officially hit the menu.  A rye based concoction with marischino, bitters and a couple of other tasty ingredients, this drink is as smooth as Mr. Bean in a psych ward.

Cheers.

Summary:

Atmosphere - good place for the solo traveler, good place to belly up, good place to go with a group, good place to take a date, good place to meet after work, good place to meet new people, no tvs

Food - Excellent, Upscale English

Time to Go - happy hour, for dinner, or after dinner for drinks

Crowd - primarily 20somethings and 30somethings, groups of dressed up girls, groups of dressed up guys, mixed groups, attractive affluents, hotchicks, Irish hooligans

What to Order if You're a First Timer - Foie Gras Link, Duck Meatloaf, Fish & Chips, Duck Liver Mousse Toast Pot

Dog Friendly - most likely not despite outdoor area which you have to go inside first to get to

Giggling Goat - Austin, TX

When I grow up I want to live at the AMLI South Shore and work from home.

Shooting for the stars, I know.

But it's right next door to yet another incredible food trailer, the Giggling Goat, a place I'd surely hit up almost daily.

While this place has a pretty good sized menu for a trailer, it's specialty is burgers, with all different meats and great combinations of toppings.

With so many good looking burgers to choose from, after a few minutes at the chalkboard I narrowed it down to the Cabrito Burger, the Pig Burger, the Ribeye Burger, the Lamb Burger, and his special of the day, the Double Cheeseburger with Cheddar Cheese and a Fried Egg.  But my heart lies with the almighty Pig, so Pig Burger it was.

Fantastic combination of savory and sweet.  The burger was an incredibly flavorful combination of coarsely ground pork butt, bacon, and spices, the most notable (and visible) of which was fennel seed, though this tasted nothing like an Italian sausage.  While cooking, he bastes it with an homage to eastern Carolina barbecue, with a sugary twist.  Red pepper flakes, vinegar, and sugar, which gives the burger a spicy sweet glaze, and a nice caramelized color.  As if that's not good enough all by itself, he then tops it with an apple/feta compote, places it on a mixture of cabbage slaw and, in a nod to the deep south, a sweet and crunchy blend of pickled red onions and cucumbers.   Savory, sweet, juicy, spicy, cool and crunchy, all in between an incredibly soft section of halved french bread.

Each of the burgers is served with a side of hand cut Japanese sweet potato fries, which were really, really good, and not at all what I expected.   Seemingly fried, but without even a hint of grease, they're yellow Japanese sweet potatoes blistered brown, and if I wouldn't have seen the menu, I'd have guessed they were made with plantains, though they weren't nearly as sweet as that would be.  These pan out somewhere between a plantain and russet potato in flavor and texture, and are a great alternative to the standard sweet potato fries popping up everywhere else.

This, folks, is a winner, and I'll be back sooner than later to give the other burgers a try.  Guy who runs the spot is great too, a really nice guy who loves what he does, and likes to create.  Don't let the lake and I-35 keep you from crossing over to go see him.  The food is fantastic, and it's one of the better trailer park seating areas in town.  Once you go, you'll be back.  And if you head there for dinner, these burgers would go great with a nice bottle of wine, so bring one.

Summary

Atmosphere:  food truck, ample picnic table seating covered and uncovered

Food:  gourmet burgers

Dog Friendly:  yes

When to Go:  lunch, dinner

Crowd:  not sure, I went for a late lunch and it was me, another girl, and her dog

What to Order for the First Timer:  Pig Burger

Tonight's Dinner

Spicy Meatballs

Great American Hero - Dallas, TX

Nothing quite says "great sandwich" like a blond perm and a red leotard, right?  Thankfully the ladies working behind the counter at Great American Hero have neither, but the sandwiches they serve up are every bit as advertised.

An often overlooked hole-in-the-wall sub shop on Lemmon in Dallas, this place has been around for more than thirty years and does things right.

Yep.  Looks a lot like a circus, I know.

Roughly fifteen hot and fifteen cold subs, with several breads to choose from, great meats, and really fresh vegetables.  Today I went with the #1, Italian, which is my standby for subs.  Genoa, capicola, ham, and provolone on French bread, I got it with everything...lettuce, onion, tomato, oil, vinegar, spices and oregano, plus mayo, pickles, and jalapenos.  Great sandwich, and I particularly like that the pickles are the chilled Claussen variety, sliced lengthwise very thin, adding crunch, coolness and flavor to the sandwich.  Bread seems to be homemade, and the proportions of ingredients, though light on the meat, are great.

If you're in Dallas.  If you're in the mood for just a classic sub.  And if you can find it.  Maybe you should try, Great American Hero.

Summary

Atmosphere:  sub shop, tables inside and out, good for lunch

Food:  submarines, hoagies, grinders, cold cuts, depending on where you're from

Dog Friendly:  I'm guessing they wouldn't have a problem with one outside

When to Go:  lunch

Crowd:  assorted

What to Order for the First Timer:  Italian sub with everything, mayo and pickles

Thai Away - Dallas, TX

Lunch with a friend today at the relatively new Thai Away in Preston Center in Dallas.  Didn't realize it's almost entirely a take-out and delivery place, and thereby had no tables except for two small ones outside, which was fine, because we snagged one of them.

Pretty straightforward Thai menu with some Chinese options.  Several types of noodles, fried rices and stir-fry, with your choice meat, as well as each type of Thai curry.

I went simple.  Spicy Basil Noodles.

Introduced myself as Ty Land, and told them to give me the heat from the homeland, and none of that American palate junk.  My bearded white friend behind the counter laughed, said they were the real deal, and that medium was very spicy and recommended.

I ordered extra extra hot.  We settled on extra hot.

Could have gone a couple of notches higher for sure, didn't even break a sweat.   So, the way I figure it, either the real stuff isn't nearly as hot as I imagine it to be, or my habanero eating habits have rendered me completely unable to measure heat.

Anyway, the noodles.  Tons of 'em.  I got mine with pork and they were very well done.  Vegetable mix was fresh, sauce and spice flavorful, and the vegetable egg roll I got on the side for an extra buck was also good, served with a small portion of Thai chili sauce.

Now, as for the place.  Don't let the fact that there are no or just a few tables out keep you from going there for lunch.  Whatever you see, just ask the guy if they've got any more tables, and one may just appear.  As for dinner, I'd recommend getting it carry out or delivered.  Good spot.  Give it a shot.

Summary

Atmosphere:  small storefront carry-out

Food:  Thai, Chinese

Dog Friendly:  no

When to Go:  lunch, carry-out or delivery for dinner

Crowd:  local business

What to Order for the First Timer:  I recommend the spicy basil noodles

Piroshky Piroshky - Seattle, WA

Two and a half hour flight from Seattle to Los Angeles

Two hour layover in Los Angeles

Three hour flight from Los Angeles to Austin

What would you do immediately before leaving?

I booked it down to Piroshky Piroshky at the Pike Place Market and had myself a beef and onion piroshky.

No one ever accused me of being smart.

So as much as it may not have been the best choice before a day filled with air travel, it was a perfect spot for a breakfast to go while I walked around the market.

Piroshky Piroshky is an authentic Russian bakery, serving up all sorts of piroshkys and pastries, both savory and sweet, in a tiny little shop on Pike Place with nothing more than a counter a just a few stools. Man, everything looked incredible here, everything, and while I wanted to try more than one thing, there's absolutely nothing small.  So I decided I'd go savory, and the beef and onion looked the best.  The piroshkys are all a little bit different, not the same type of crusts with just a change of fillings.  While the beef and cheese looked tempting, its sturdy looking, egg-washed pastry didn't look nearly as good as the soft flaky crust of the beef and onion.

This and a coffee was right around $4, and fit the bill perfectly.  Just enough to fill me up and get the day started, but not too much.  The insides were moist and flavorful, without being kicked up with too much spice.  The pastry was exactly as it looks, a flaky outer crust and incredibly soft and slightly sweet inner layers.  A great combination, and a fantastic breakfast on the run.

As for the effect on travel...it worked out just fine.

Summary

Atmosphere:  bakery, just a few stools and a counter

Food:  piroshkys, pastries, coffee

Dog Friendly:  sure, its take-out

When to Go:  breakfast

Crowd:  tourists, Russians

What to Order for the First Timer:  I liked the beef and onion, but it's breakfast, you call it

Tonight's Dinner

Soy Glazed Black Cod with Vegetable Dumplings and Hot Chili Dipping Sauce

Tavolata - Seattle, WA

Back to my Seattle trip.

After my classic cocktails at Zig Zag Cafe prepared by the Best Bartender in America, I made the difficult decision to forego classic Seattle seafood and venture on over to Tavolata, an authentic Italian restaurant opened by 2011 James Beard nominee for Best Chef in the Northwest, Ethan Stowell.

What can I say?  I put Italian food above all else, and I couldn't pass up a pasta from a place that really takes pride in it.

This place is THE perfect place to hit on a solo venture to Seattle, but is also a fantastic place to go with a date or loved one, or any sized group of people.  Tavolata means "to gather around a table" (ok, I wish I just knew that, but no, I just learned it while I was there), so the place really caters well to groups.  As a soloist though, I was hitting the bar, which is huge, and manned by knowledgeable and friendly bartenders.  The whole place feels what I'll naively call "Seattle trendy" that mix of trendiness and the classic grunge that you associate with the city.  Hardwood floors.  Concrete walls.  Concrete ceiling.  Minimal decoration and lighting.  The ceiling height and the hard surfaces turn this place into a loud and lively restaurant that puts your mind back in Italy.

So I had to have some sort of seafood, being in Seattle, so I decided to start with the grilled octopus with crispy farro, fresno peppers and mint pesto.  Wow.  The flavors were excellent.  Fantastic char grilled flavored octopus which was a little on the chewy side (but come on, it's octopus, manage your expections) with a coolness supplied by the mint pesto and, oddly, the fresh fresno peppers.  But what made this dish was the farro, which gave this dish an incredible texture along the lines of rice crispies, a snap, crackle and pop in every bite.  Flavor, and texture, perfection.

Seafood quota fulfilled, I turned to a pasta for my meal, and ordered the potato gnocchi with rapini, duck egg, and mint.

Wow.

Never have I had gnocchi so perfectly done.  Unbelievably delicate in composition and flavor, it was offset by the bitterness of the rapini and made even more creamy than it was on its own when I pierced the poached duck egg and magically turned it and the mint into the simplest of sauces with an incredible richness and flavor that stuck to every bite of the airy, pan-finished gnocchi.

Yeah, so I see why this chef is a James Beard nominee.  His creativity and execution are fantastic.

Summary

Atmosphere:  warehouse trendy, great for groups, great for flying solo, good for a date, huge bar, noisy

Food:  Italian

Dog Friendly:  no

When to Go:  dinner

Crowd:  Seattle's Best

What to Order for the First Timer:  whatever you feel like is most likely fantastic, but I'd go for the potato gnocchi if you're unsure

Lumi Empanada & Dumpling Kitchen - Dallas, TX

Had a chance to break out the skin tight black shirt today, as I had a scheduled lunch at this trendy new place in Uptown.

Actually, I can't knock this place.  It's one of three places which have been developed on a stretch of McKinney that I always thought was a terrible waste.  Old houses between Hall and Lemmon, which for years have housed worthless retail ventures, have long been ripe for being turned into a series of restaurants to complement the Quarter, Primos, and those in West Village.  I'm extremely glad to see that it's been done, and am sorry that it has taken me this long to get over there.  With these in place, it's easy to make an evening of just this block.

Destination.  Lumi.

You're right.  I didn't take this picture, though I do take most of mine.  Dark = night.  Light = day.  Simple rule of thumb.

I had lunch there.

So remember this picture, and I'm going to ask you all to close your eyes.  I want you to listen to me.  I want you to listen to yourselves.  Go ahead.  Close your eyes, please.

This is a story about a little restaurant on a previously underdeveloped piece of land.  I want you to picture this little restaurant.

Suddenly, a car races up.  A six foot white guy jumps out and walks up to the porch.

He looks around.

No one is there.

But it's only 11:20.

He sits down on the porch.  He's given a menu.  He's given silverware.

Now comes the ice water.  It's cool.  It's refreshing.  It's everything that the guys in the street jackhammering are not.

His friend shows up.  She sits down.  They just can't handle the jackhammering.

So they stand.  They walk into the dining room.  They sit down.

They're given menus.  They order.

Can you see them?  Their stomachs pained with hunger?  The expressions on their faces yearning for the savory tastes of the dumplings they just ordered?

Can you see them?

I want you to picture those two people, sitting in that dining room.  Sitting.  Waiting.  Waiting for their dumplings.

Can you see them?






Now imagine it's light.





Thank you, Counselor.

Anyway sorry, this place has had a decent amount of fanfare when it opened which, in Dallas, always makes me a little skeptical that it will overpromise and underdeliver, becoming one of those places that is more see and be seen than eat and be ea...well, eat and be satisfied anyway.  I will say though, more of these places have surprised me to the positive in the last couple of years, so I need to quash those fears, because Dallas seems to be evolving to the good.

This place is exactly what it needs to be for the location.  Great porch, great little bar, spacious dining room, and food that isn't going to make you uncomfortably full as you start an evening of social drinking nearby.

The menu looks great, and after taking a look at their website, I understand it's supposed to be Vietnamese South American fusion.  Several good looking soups and salads, a couple of sandwiches, and a focus on homemade dumplings and empanadas.

I decided to try a couple of their dumplings, and my dining companion tried one of the ones I didn't.  With six to an order and nothing accompanying them, I figured two orders was the way to go, and think I was right.  I walked away satisfied, but not too full.  And I probably could have comfortably gone with one more order, or a salad or soup to start.

Classic Pork and Chive Dumplings, served with house sauce, and Chinese 5 Spice Duck and Leek Dumplings, served with spicy plum sauce.

Both excellent.

I'm not sure which was my favorite.  The duck had more aggressive flavors, the pork was mild, and both went perfectly with each of the sauces they were served with.  I recommend both.

The other one shown here was the Shrimp, Cilantro, and Jicama Dumplings, served with sweet and sour sauce.  I'm told it was great, but as much as it pains me to say it, I don't do shrimp.

As long as I'm in Dallas, I'll be back here.  It's a great spot for lunch but I think an even better spot to grab a drink, some food, and then head down the street to the Quarter for the evening.

Summary

Atmosphere:  old house converted to restaurant, bar to sit at, plenty of outdoor seating, good for a group, great for a date, great for a start to the night, good place to see, good place to be seen

Food:  dumplings and empanadas

Dog Friendly:  doubtful, despite outdoor seating, Dallas sucks

When to Go:  lunch, happy hour, dinner

Crowd:  typical Uptowners, hotchicks, businesslunchers, 20somethings, 30somethings, trendsters, Dallasites

What to Order for the First Timer:  Duck Dumplings, Pork Dumplings

Wenzel Lonestar Meat Company - Hamilton, TX

Why did I take the long way from Austin to Dallas yesterday?

Butt when?

Of course it is.  Yes, the people of Wenzel Lonestar Meat Company are some savvy marketeers, and they're also good butchers and decent cooks.  Wenzel's is a little butcher shop off a side street of the main square in the small town of Hamilton, which is known primarily as the burial place of Brushy Bill Roberts, aka Billy the Kid as self-proclaimed.  Wenzel's deals in meats...jerkeys, sausages, bratwurst, steaks, and things of the like.  Any given day of the week you can stop in and get a deli sandwich, even a reuben, but on Fridays they stack 'em deep with the promise of pulled pork.

  

They do a nice sandwich here.  A healthy amount of pulled pork on a soft, toasted bun with their homemade barbecue sauce, regular or spicy.  Pork was tender with no visible fat or bark, and given the location, I'm assuming it's smoked, but the flavor showed very little smoke flavoring, just good old pig.  I chose the spicy sauce, which was good, but really not hot.  It had a flavor similar to Arby's sauce, otherwise known as Open Pit Original, with a little more originality and a bit more zing.  

This is clearly a family run operation, and the place has an incredibly homey feel to it and little touches that make it feel more like you're at a friendly neighbor's house than a store.  Though it is first and foremost a store, and in addition the meats they offer, there is an array of sauces, rubs, pickled vegetables and jams.  

Orders are taken at the counter and food is brought out to your table with a thank you and a "if y'all need more napkins, just holler".  A pickle spear in a zip lock bag completes the meal, unless you add chips and a drink for another dollar, in which case you can grab a cup, scoop some ice out of the blue travel sized cooler, and fill up with some tea or a soft drink.  

Good place to stop if you take the leisurely route between Dallas and Austin.  While there is better barbecue around, the sandwich here is a good one, the atmosphere is great, and you can pick up some things to stock the pantry.

Summary

Atmosphere:  butcher shop, a few tables, good place to stop for lunch on a Friday

Food:  deli sandwiches and pulled pork sandwiches

Dog Friendly:  no

When to Go:  lunch on Fridays

Crowd:  locals

What to Order for the First Timer:  pulled pork sandwich, spicy

Zig Zag Cafe - Seattle, WA

Down some stairs toward the Puget Sound from the famous Pike Place Market...

...is the Zig Zag Cafe.  Home to this man, Murray Stenson, Best Bartender in America last year as named by his fellow bartenders around the country...

My teriyaki lunch came at around two in the afternoon, so dinner was going to be a later one.  At the recommendation of a friend, I wandered around until I found this place, to grab a cocktail or two before dinner.  The evening started out a little shaky.  With my iPhone in hand and Google Maps on the screen, I swear I was standing in the place, but I was out on the street in the pouring rain with no sight of a bar in sight.  It took the website to figure out which stairs to walk down, which I finally found.  Opening the door, I was first greeted...well, blocked actually...with a velvet rope, and a "how many?" while I continued to stand outside in the rain.  Looking past the gentleman at the door, through the red glow of this cocktail bar, I could see it was a good crowd, but certainly not packed.  I rolled my eyes, answered "one", and was told to hang on for a second.   The attendant surveyed the room, and invited me in, indicating that he had a seat for me available.  The "seat" was a standing spot at a short wooden table, more like a rail, with four complete strangers, all of which were just as oddly struck by this procedure and their seemingly final destination as I was.  Unsure of whether or not to walk two feet to the bar, or wait for a waitress, I was about ready to abort, when I was greeted with a cocktail menu and a "what would you like?".

I ordered one of their house cocktails, a mixture of rye, cherry heering, and Angostura bitters.  As I waited for my drink at my little spot of rail, I was once again approached by the velvet rope keeper and was informed that should I want it, they had a spot at the bar reserved for me.  Hell.  Yes.

I was greeted by Mr. Stenson at the bar and had nice conversations about a variety of spirits and cocktails.  Given my affinity for absinthe, he introduced me to a couple that I hadn't had, allowing me to sample an original recipe from Pernod, as well as a local absinthe made in Washington state, and then made me an absinthe julep, which is a relatively unknown use of absinthe but was popular a long, long time ago.

He's the kind of bartender that loves to size up your tastes, and can, and then whips you up a classic cocktail that fits the bill.  My next drink was just that.  Morning Glory.  Rye, sweet vermouth, cognac, orange curacao and absinthe.  Sweetness of a Manhattan, smoothness of a Vieux Carre, and bite of a Sazerac, all wrapped into one.  He nailed it.

Oh, and here's a funny side note.  In our conversations, I mentioned I lived in Austin, and he asked me if I'd been to Haddington's, that he'd heard great things.  For those of you new to the blog, yes.  Haddington's is one of my favorite watering holes, and I'm glad to see that it's getting recognition not only from 2,500 miles away, but by somebody in the know, the best bartender in America.

As far as food, there is some, along the lines of appetizers and sandwiches, but go here for the cocktails, and try to get a seat at the bar.  Great atmosphere and great drinks.

Summary

Atmosphere:  classic cocktail bar, good for a pre- or post-dinner drink, good place for a date, good spot to belly up

Food:  cocktails

Dog Friendly:  no

When to Go:  happy hour, late

Crowd:  young and old, somewhat dressy, locals, only a few touristy types despite the location

What to Order for the First Timer:  talk to Murray

Sunny Teriyaki - Seattle, WA

Chicago has its hot dog.

New York City has its pizza.

Austin has its breakfast taco.

And Seattle has its teriyaki.  

Every bit the phenomenon as these other places, teriyaki is Seattle's own.  Not quite Japanese, not quite fast food, these places dot the map as abundantly as Hello Kitty backpacks in an Osaka elementary school.  I'm actually quite surprised these teriyaki shops aren't out in force elsewhere in the nation, as they are GOOD, and a reasonably healthy alternative to typical fast food.

Headed to Seattle this week, I consulted the only person I know from Seattle on what I had to have while I was up there, and this was it.  No particular shop, just yelp a good one nearby and get either the chicken or the spicy chicken.   I settled on Sunny Teriyaki, kind of up in the Magnolia section of town.

First off, this was the only sunny thing about Seattle the two days I was there.  Stereotypically, it rained the entire time, but I did witness thunder as well, which I understand is rare up there.  Second, the teriyaki.  There are plenty of things on the menu at a teriyaki joint, but I did as instructed and stuck to the second item on the menu, the spicy chicken.

So, as you can see here and as I understand the typical teriyaki to be, we've got a grilled boneless chicken thigh smothered with a sweet and spicy teriyaki sauce, sliced into bites and served with rice.  Very, very good, with decent heat from the sauce, a great char flavor on the chicken, and moist and tender meat.  

When traveling to Seattle, sample its cuisine and put teriyaki on your list.

Summary

Atmosphere:  bland, counter ordering, eight tables, good place for a quick lunch or dinner, but not a place to hang around

Food:  teriyaki

Dog Friendly:  no

When to Go:  lunch

Crowd:  everyone

What to Order for the First Timer:  spicy chicken teriyaki

El Pollo Rico - Austin, TX

Seven dollars and eighty-nine cents?

Check.

Keys?

Check.

Handgun?

Check.

Now you're ready to roll.  To...

EL POLLO RICO!!!!!

TELL THEM WHAT THEY'VE WON ARTIE.......

Located on faaaaaaaaaabulous East Riverside, in the heart of Austin, Texas is this faaaaaaaantastic little hole in the wall...

(formerly an El Pollo Regio, obviously)

Complete with barred windows, daaaangerous seating and NOOOOOOOOO microphone or speaker, this little drive-thru is serving up faaaaaaaantastic roasted chicken at a faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaantastic price!


Yep.  For just under $8, you can get a half a chicken, broken down into breast, wing, thigh, and leg, rubbed with Mexican spices and charcoal grilled to juicy perfection, along with a roasted whole onion, Mexican rice, charro beans, white corn tortillas, a mild red salsa, and a bright green creamy verde salsa.

The place is in the middle of a parking lot on the south side of Riverside east of I-35.  Not well lit and not necessarily a particularly safe location, so the best bet is to roll up your windows, lock your doors and hit the drive-thru, but don't drive around looking for a speaker, just drive straight up to the window.  You order at it and pick it up, and it's quick, and generally pretty healthy.

The rice is relatively run of the mill Mexican rice, a little on the dry side, but the beans are very good, with just a bit of tooth, and a great smoky meat flavor, enhanced by chunks of smoked sausage.  As for the salsas, I wouldn't bother with the red, but savor the green, and it might be a good idea to ask for an extra.  Tortillas?  Warm and basic white corn, but hold together well when folded or rolled.  I'm a dark meat guy, so ate the thigh and leg as they were, also ate the wing, but then I pulled the breast, added it and a little rice, as well as some of the flavorful roasted onion to a tortilla, rolled it into a taco and dunked it in the green sauce, which has great, but not overly powerful heat.

Short story.  A great cheap and relatively healthy meal that is quick and easy to pick up.  A whole chicken combo is just $12.69 before tax, so can feed anywhere between two and four depending on appetite for cheap.  Great spot to swing by on the way home from work with dinner for the family.

Summary

Atmosphere:  parking lot drive-thru, don't eat there

Food:  Mexican char-grilled chicken

Dog Friendly:  yes, so long as your dog is locked in the back seat with the windows up

When to Go:  lunch, dinner

Crowd:  primarily Latino, mostly in cars

What to Order for the First Timer:  chicken combo

Azul Tequila - Austin, TX

Austin for $500, Alex.

The answer is...immediately right of HobbyTown USA, immediately left of Herpeton Exotic Pets, and right across from Dong Nai.

What is the worst possible place to put a Mexican restaurant?

DINGDINGDINGDINGDING!!!!

Seriously, Herpeton Exotic Pets? Would you buy a pet at a place with an STD in its name? Does it concern anyone that the exotic pet store is right across the lot from a restaurant called Dong Nai? I'll take my chances at HobbyTown, thank you.

It's this location that has kept me out of this place though I have wanted to try it for it's supposedly authentic interior Mexican cuisine.

Nestled amongst these three booming businesses, in Texas's blandest stucco strip mall, in the middle of the world's largest Target parking lot, is this little piece of the Yucatan. I arrived at 12:30, and the place was half full, which I'm confident is solely a function of location. Not much to brag about inside, as it's rather sterile, but it does have a small bar with several stools and a flat screen. This is where I settled. Today on Jerry it was "I'm Leaving You For A Stripper". Yeah.

I'm going to get right to it. The food was good, but nothing I'd drive out of the way for as there are comparable options in better locations. That said, next time I'm down picking up some model cement, I'll probably stop back in.

I started with chips and salsa and some queso. Chips were fine, thin and warm, and the salsa was pretty mild but fresh, with an interesting tomato and black pepper flavor. The queso was Austin variety, American cheese based and incredibly creamy, and though it lacked any heat, containing only a few tomato and poblano chunks, it was very good.

I opted for the cochitina pibil...achiote coated slow roasted pork in banana leaves, which came with tortillas, roasted bananas, pickled onions, habaneros, and black beans. I'll be quite honest in telling you I don't have a clue what makes a great cochitina pibil, but I do know that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. With this dish, you need it all, and they did a really good job here. The earthy sweetness of the tender pork was enhanced in flavor and texture by the perfectly caramelized banana. The bright pink pickled onions provided the necessary salt, tang, crunch and temperature variance, and the tiny slivers of raw habanero provided the perfect intense and sweet heat, with the size of the slivers being just the right size to provide that without any lingering burn. Very well done.

The beans were nothing special, just black beans in a mildly flavorful watery broth, cooked to a good point of not being mushy but also not too firm. It's clear these people know what they're doing, it's just a bad location. It was a very good meal, and if you're in the area around lunch or want to meet someone from the south halfway, give it a shot, you won't likely be disappointed.

Summary

Atmosphere: in-line retail flanked by a pet store and anchored by a Target, rather bland, good spot for lunch, bar seating

Food: interior Mexican and Tex-Mex

Dog Friendly: maybe outside, but you probably don't want to sit there

When to Go: lunch

Crowd: random

What to Order for the First Timer: cochitina pibil

Lambert's - Austin, TX

Here's something I really love about Austin. As the city continues to reluctantly and aggressively evolve, good proprietors do everything they can to cater to the existing Austin culture, one full of burgeoning artists, musicians and entrepreneurs, many of whom are in the early, and not yet lucrative, points in their career. They accept these people, they hire these people, and best of all they have specials to get these people in the doors. All of these give newer, and most of the time higher priced, places and comforting atmosphere that is Austin.

Sure these places attract some world class douchers, but they can be easily outnumbered and ignored.

Case in point, Lambert's. Upscale barbecue.

Dinner entrees range from $14 to $20 for barbecue, and $25 to $40 for oak grilled items (all of which are worth it if you have the means), but that's even ala carte, and a family style side, which is the only way they come, will run you $6 or $7 each. Per person then, starting with a salad or appetizer, an entree, a side, and a glass of wine (and come on, who's NOT going to have a drink with the incredible food that they dish out) will run between $40 and $70. Pricey, particular for a barbecue dinner.

I filled up there for $20 last night, inclusive of tax and tip. Lambert's Happy Hour, People of Austin. People of Austin, Lambert's Happy Hour. Doctor, Docter, aaaannnnd Doctor. Say hello. Half price bar food and discounted wine, beer and liquor everyday, including weekends, between 5pm and 7pm.

I started with an ample sized classic wedge salad, roughly a third of a head of cold, crisp, iceberg lettuce topped with homemade blue cheese dressing, crumbled blue cheese, crispy bacon and cherry tomatoes. $4

From there I narrowed it down to the Oak Grilled Hanger Steak, served with a fried egg in the hole, charred jalapeno butter, and steak tomato for $8, a Barbecue Plate with choice of meat and choice of two sides for $7 ($4 to add an extra meat to that), and Crispy Wild Boar Ribs for $6. No skimping on portions on these deals either, they're full sized and filling.

I opted for the latter and was taken completely by surprise...in a good way. Somewhere between exiting the chopper after gunning this thing down and putting it in front of me, Lambert's executive chef got confused along the way, resulting in a buffalo chicken wing meets Thai sweet chili meets slow cooked and spiced feral hog. A spin on the classic chicken wing served with blue cheese and a celery and daikon slaw, with each of the eight meaty ribs cleaned of enough meat on the end to give you a clean grip as you go to town like a wild boar on a raccoon carcass. Not at all what I expected to get, but a very, very welcome surprise.

I opted for a $6 stroooooong pour of wine over their classically themed cocktails, bringing the pretax bill to $16. Worth every penny in a place that is worth every penny for a $50 meal.

Atmosphere here is second to none for a high end place. Very Texas feel, two great bars with great bartenders and regulars who can guide you in the right direction (though there isn't a wrong one) and make your evening truly enjoyable.

Five to Seven

Every Night

Do it

Oh, and on my walk home I stopped in Haddingtons for a Stranger on the Highway, a whiskey based cocktail creation by the lovely Tiffany, and leaned, though I've never seen advertised, that they too have half priced appetizers and sandwiches from five to seven. Another great spot, and another great deal.

Summary

Atmosphere: understated classy, Austin, two bars with plenty of seating, concerts at the upstairs bar, good for a nice dinner, great for happy hour, good for groups, good for a date, good for shooting the shit with strangers, good if you're flying solo, outdoor seating

Food: upscale barbecue ang grilled meats

Dog Friendly: maybe outside

When to Go: happy hour, dinner, lunch

Crowd: locals, regulars, out of towners, groups, families, couples, hotchicks

What to Order for the First Timer: barbecue plate, green chile cheese grits

Buenos Aires Cafe - Austin, TX

When you see a sandwich advertised as "The Best Sandwich in Austin" by The Onion, it's really hard to figure out just what youre going to get. Best Sandwich? Worst Sandwich? Best or worst bowl of soup? Or does the restaurant even exist? I decided to put it to the test and hopped over to Buenos Aires Cafe on east 6th to find out.

Restaurant? Check. And a pretty nice one at that in this up and coming area of town. Contemporary, new, and clean on the inside, this place blends new Austin with old, featuring colorful paintings from local artists on the wall with information aboutthe artists. The place is one spacious room with some large flatscreens (though not in positions to view from the bar, and given that they were turned off when I was there I don't know if you can catch a game or if they show anything youd want to watch or if's all soccer, sport fishing and Argentinian soaps), and a full bar with ample Argentinian wines lining the shelves. This seems like a great spot for a business lunch or a casual dinner before hitting the bars.

At 11am I was the only person in the place but I had to eat early to clear room for my dinner at Luby's with the Gerries tonight. Didn't even look at the menu just asked for The Onion's gamechanger.

Sandwich? Check. And a good one at that though I'm not sure it is THE best sandwich in town. It's a beef tenderloin sandwich on a French baguette. The steak is sliced to a thickness of about a quarter to half an inch before cooking and is then grilled to a perfect medium rare, more red than pink. Tender as hell, this thing has a great grilled flavor and tastes of high quality meat. It's topped with tomato, and I opted for no cheese though provolone is an available option, and then finished off with their own fresh chi Michigan (hmm, that's an interesting autocorrect for chimichurri, thank you iPhone). All in all a good sandwich, and though pricey at $12.99, it's filling and provides you with the best, and healthiest, piece of the cow.

What I was really impressed by though was the fries. Slightly larger than Wendy's but smaller than typical steak fries, these things were perfect on the outside, fluffy on the inside, and screamed with flavor leading me to believ these things are deep fried in te same oil as their beef Milanese, infusing it with incredible beef flavor, ala McDonalds of the mid-80s and prior. For straight up potatoes, not dependent on sauce, these very well may be the best in town, and are an understated must when ordering.

Summary

Atmosphere: new, modern, sit down restaurant, lock your car, good for groups, good for business lunch, good if you're alone

Food: south American

Dog Friendly: no

When to Go: lunch, dinner

Crowd: me

What to Order for the First Timer: tenderloin sandwich and fries

Amy's Ice Cream - Austin, TX

Hit up Amy's again after dinner last night. Good as always. I sampled the Barbie Q and Shiner Ice Creams but opted to go with strawberry topped with hot fudge.

The Barbie Q was interesting, and I wasn't sure whether or not this was going to be smoke flavored like meat from the pit, or sweet and/or tangy like a bottled sauce. The answer was the latter, leaning toward the sweet side, as if you put a little KC Masterpiece or Bulls Eye on your favorite sweet cream ice cream and mixed it together. I didn't think it was bad, which was contrary to popular opinion, but it also wasn't one could have a lot of to answer the cry of a refreshing dessert.

The Shiner was much better and if you hadn't told me I'd have never guessed it was beer flavored. Just a subtle hint of Shiner Bock beer but otherwise just a good sweet ice cream that you could easily eat a cup or cone of.

My strawberry wwas excellent, but I think next time I'd go back to either Mexican vanilla or sweet cream, mashed up with fresh strawberries and then the hot fudge. The chunks of strawberry with their high quality basic ice creams just tastes a little better and more natural to me. Still though, not a bad trip down the street at all, especially since I got to see a scoop and ball of ice cream bounced off of the ceiling, separating the two, with the ice cream landing neatly in the cup.

Summary

Atmosphere:  funky ice cream shop

Food:  ice cream, shakes, sundaes

Dog Friendly:  yes

When to Go:  hot afternoon, after dinner, late

Crowd:  everyone

What to Order for the First Timer:  Mexican Vanilla

Tonight's Dinner

Pan-Roasted Achiote Halibut with Cilantro Lime Vinagrette

The Peached Tortilla - Austin, TX

Oh Wow

Is this place ever incredible. This is a food truck to seek out, at any point but it really hits the spot after an evening at the bars and you can usually find it late on weekend evenings parked inconspicuously behind Star Bar on west 6th. The first time I saw this and had it was several weeks ago when some friends were in town and we were imbibing at it's next door neighbor. A combined 700 pounds of us (just three of us) were in desperate need of a food fix and The Peached Tortilla was a convenience call, and I had full expectations of it serving up overpriced and underwhelming food trying to capitalize on the trendy drunk freespenders of this upscale watering hole.

WRONG

My hopes heightened when I looked at the menu and saw it full of incredible combinations of half snack, half meal items focused on tacos, sliders and fries all of the fusion persuasion, though no set genre. Still though, I couldn't help but think, are they just teasing me with items like pork belly tacos and sliders, pimento cheese fries, and brisket tacos, or would they produce. Well they produce. They produce some of the best trailer food in a city full of trailers, which is why last night in a haze of Makers Mark I dragged MLWMG out of our way to go there for some tasty treats. Once again, they did not disappoint.

We started with an order of Belgian Fries, and I left it to them as to what to serve or toss them with...peach mint, truffle mayo, bacon ranch, smoky roasted peach BBQ, sriracha mayo, or their own pimento cheese spread. They chose the latter. Dark deep fried fries not overly doused with a terrific pimento cheese spread and served in a cardboard tray perfect for eating on the run. These things were incredible and the perfect way to sop up any excess liquor still trying to be absorbed into the bloodstream.

From there we opted to sample a few of the other items, first and foremost the bahn mi tacos. Vietnamese braised pork belly with pickled daikon and carrot salad, sriracha mayo and cilantro. The pork was incredibly tender and flavorful and though certainly laden with fat, not greasy or fatty feeling at all. The daikon and carrot salad was a perfect compliment to it, adding a crisp, fresh, and cool crunch to the taco, as well as a cooling effect to the spicy sriracha mayo. I daresay this is probably the best trailer item in town. Mrs. Gordo was very impressed, as was I.

We decided to compare it to the slider of the same name, which was exactly the same, with same great flavors and textures, but served on a small, fresh, warm bun. Incredible too, though I think I'm partial to the taco version. We rounded it out with the BBQ brisket taco, a mix of tender-as-all-hell beef brisket, creamy slaw and a smoky roasted peach BBQ sauce. Do I really need to tell you how it was? Alright I will. IT WAS DAMN GOOD!

These guys really know what they're doing, and I urge you to hit their website, figure out where they are, and seek them out wherever they are when you're in the mood for a sampling of highly innovative and perfectly executed cuisine for lunch, dinner, snacking or late night. I know there is fantastic food truck fare in Austin, but for all I've had so far, this one marks the top of my list.

Summary

Atmosphere: food truck, no seating

Food: southern, Mexican, BBQ, Asian, Belgian fusion

Dog Friendly: it's a truck

When to Go: after the bars, lunch, dinner

Crowd: the sober-challenged, locals, trendsters, hipsters, 20somethings, 30somethings

What to Order for the First Timer: bahn mi tacos and pimento cheese fries