Tag: austin

Austin Foodie Adventures

Franklin BBQ

My fiance and I are lucky enough to have to visit Austin multiple times this year in preparation for our wedding there. On this particular trip, we had time to explore restaurants we’ve been wanting to try. One of which is the world famous Franklin BBQ. Especially since it made a juicy appearance in the movie Chef and Obama visited the restaurant recently.

We didn’t want to wait in line so we had two failed attempts of hiring someone to wait in line for us. The third time was a charm due to taskrabbit and it’s reliable people. In the meantime, we tried another bbq spot, Micklethwait, during the two failed attempts. The ribs and moist brisket definitely satisfied us for the time being.

Micklethwait BBQ

Finally, on our last day, we had success in someone waiting in line for us. No, we’re not lazy, we’re just efficient 🙂 We ended up waiting an hour on top of the taskrabbit person waiting 3 hours. It was well worth it, see below. We went a bit crazy and ordered something like 5 pounds of brisket, 2 pounds ribs, 2 pounds, sausage, 2 pounds turkey, small scoop of potato salad and a pint of cole slaw. We made a dent in this but we were able to take a lot home to Houston and share with family (lucky them!)

Franklin BBQIn comparing the two bbq places, they were pretty close. Franklin does have crazy hype for good reason but Micklethwait was pretty amazing too. Their ribs fell off the bone and the brisket was moist, juicy and had a nice smoke ring. I think both are worth trying. If you don’t mind waiting 4 hours, try Franklin BBQ. If you don’t care about the name and hype, definitely try the later bbq place. You won’t be disappointed.

Paloma at Josephine House

After having many wedding planning meetings, we needed to cool off with a refreshing drink. Josephine House was our pick and it was so adorable. Not only was the design perfect but the attention to detail with the wait staff and presentation was comfortable yet chic. I would love to go back and have a meal there but this time I got the paloma which was perfectly crafted and refreshing on a hot summer day.

I secretly (not such a secret) want a slate of this marble…. this would be perfect for future foodie chef pics.

Ramen Tatsuya

Since we had a reputation of waiting in lines on this trip, we thought, what the heck, what’s one more line?

I’ve been hearing about Ramen Tatsuya for quite some time now. A friend of mine raves that it’s the best ramen in the US, aside from Ippudo in NYC. I agree, Ippudo is hands down the best I’ve ever had.

The ramen was tasty yet it was missing something. Compared to a local place in Houston, Kata Robata, I liked theirs better. Kata’s creamy soup is just indescribable. Tatsuya was missing that umami flavor. Don’t get me wrong, I was full and happy but locally, Kata Robata, is more my thing.

Sugar Mama's

Lastly, we had our cake tasting. At this point we were just full of red meat and soup. Just a bite was enough for us which is not my normal mo. Sugar Mama’s was our place of choice and it is on point.

Having gone to pastry school, I’m really picky with my desserts. I don’t like them too sweet or dry and these were just right. They have a valrhona cupcake, I was sold immediately! They also have flavors named the elvis and baklava which I love the interesting variety. We quickly chose our cake flavors and can’t wait to enjoy them at our wedding!

 

The Great Get Away :: Austin ::

It was time for a trip. When life gets repetitive, there’s a huge need for a foodie adventure! Austin is only a few hours away so it’s not a bad ride. Our trip was kind of last minute but before going, I posted on facebook asking friends for food suggestions. We hit some of the top spots and to my surprise, Austin has become so hip and trendy that there are almost 2 hour waits at restaurants. Wait, what?! I wish we planned a bit better but the lesson was learned!  We missed out on places like Midnight Cowboy.

Austin

The first stop was Elizabeth Street Cafe. I’m not usually one to try trendy asian food as I love hole in the walls. I absolutely loved the decor and style of this place. They had the cutest uniforms and their logo can’t be beat. I hate to say it but I liked the way this place looked better than how the food tasted.  It was just missing that authentic flair. I did like one thing… a delicious spicy and tangy drink, Year of the Dragon. It’s made with beet sake, orange sherry, ginger brew, fresnos, falernum, and lime.

Year of the Dragon

The next day we set out on our adventure to have a fulfilling breakfast but light enough to do some hiking. We ended up at the highly recommended,  Bouldin Creek Cafe. I had been there previously but I went out on a limb this time to try some vegetarian/ vegan fare. Everything on the menu seems to have a healthy vibe to which I love! I ended up getting the Renedicit. The small print says “available before 1pm while it lasts.” If a menu item has info like that, I must try this dish. It comes with… grilled ciabatta served open faced and topped with baby spinach, 2 over-medium cage-free eggs, local tomatoes, tofu ‘bacon’, and homemade vegan Hollandaise. So. Freaking. Delicious. I could eat this meal every day. Who knew vegan fare was this amazing?

Bouldin Creek Cafe

After an easy hike around McKinney Falls and a relaxing hour of canoeing on Lady Bird Lake, we had to fill our tummies with yet another delicious meal. This time we chose Noble Pig. It was, like my friend had said, a tad bit far from the hip area but so worth the trip. I took the advice and was blown away. Everything on the menu looked amazing. In the cold case, they had freshly made pate, bacon fat,  house made pickled veggies (holy moly), and more. I settled on the special, house made shrimp sausage wrapped in bacon, pickled veggies, crispy bacon on a challah bun. Holy heck! This was maybe one of the best sandwiches I’ve ever had. The combinations of flavors and textures all together made my tastebuds dance like crazy.

Shrimp Sausage

            nom nom nom

Shrimp Sausage

Our tummies were full and extremely happy. {nap time}

As the evening came, we started the night off with a drink at Weather Up. Ok, ok, I know I keep saying each meal is the best i’ve had. Seriously though, this was the best cocktail. In Houston, we have wonderful cocktail bars like Anvil, which is still one of my favorites. But Weather up, wow. Just on another level of cocktail bars than I’ve experienced. Apparently they don’t buy bags of ice. Instead, they have a huge  block that they chip off of. Each drink requires a different “cut” of the ice. Talk about time consuming work.. Anyway, the entire menu was unique but the waitress helped me find my drink of the night, Peach Blow Fizz. No, this drink didn’t have any peach in it, kind of misleading…

Weather Up

Ok so let me tell you why this drink is so amazing. The absolutely perfectly whipped egg white. Having a pastry background, one can appreciate perfectly whipped whites. It tasted like a boozy strawberry shake without the milk and not overly boozy! It was light and fluffy which was the perfect texture for this flavor combination. I was in heaven.

Peach Blow Fizz

Next stop, Foreign & Domestic. This place was made for the adventurous foodie, one who eat pork jowls and such. The menu was tiny and so was the restaurant.  It’s a good thing though, it gives the chefs a chance to hone in on their skills, use quality ingredients and make each dish amazing. I got the short ribs and the bf got the monsterous kobe burger. Both set us in food comas. ’nuff said.

Short Ribs

 

Kobe Burger

 

All in all, it was a successfull (pun & misspelling intended) foodie adventure to Austin. Lessons learned: plan 2 weeks ahead and make reservations.