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