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December 2008
For Doña Emilia’s, a change of name and mission
New Year’s Eve will be the last hurrah for the Doña Emilia’s concept. On Friday, the Latin Café will kick in, featuring the same ownership and adding Tex-Mex and Caribbean options to Latin American offerings like the gaucho skewers, above. Laura Skelding photo.
Plans for the transformation of Doña Emilia’s have been slowed down by an Austin Energy construction project outside the restaurant, says Toucan Group partner Howard Kells. Ricardo B. Brazziell photo.
Doña Emilia’s, the Colombian restaurant that moved from its modest East Austin roots to a prime downtown location in 2004, is morphing into a more inclusive south-of-the-border concept called the Latin Café.
New Year’s Eve marks the final night for Doña Emilia’s, which opened on Seventh Street in 2002 featuring Emilia Hurtado’s interpretations of Colombian comfort food, such as empanadas and breaded pork loin with plantains. Hurtado left the operation shortly after the restaurant expanded and moved to its current location at 101 San Jacinto Blvd. in 2004.
The transformation of Doña Emilia’s menu into the Latin Café lineup began quietly in early December, said Howard Kells, a partner in the Toucan Group, which owns and operates Doña Emilia’s and its new incarnation.
The restaurant will be closed New Year’s Day, then reopen Friday as the Latin Café, though the sign and the exterior will remain the same. Plans for remodeling and new signage are on hold while the construction of a new water line by Austin Energy continues on the street just outside, Kells said.
Noise and dust from the project, which began in November, have hurt plans for the Latin Café switch, which Kells said has been in the works for six months. “It’s hard to roll out a new concept with a mining project going on outside your restaurant,” he said.
The new restaurant’s addition of Tex-Mex and Caribbean dishes is an effort to reach a broader audience than Doña Emilia’s Colombian and Latin American food could support. “For a 250-seat restaurant, it has to be more mainstream,” Kells said.
The new menu — overseen by Doña Emilia’s executive chef Heriberto Reyes, who will be staying on — includes jerk chicken, enchilada plates and a taco salad among Latin American dishes like gaucho skewers and beef picanha. Prices are more modest than Doña Emilia’s, with nothing topping $20, and mojitos, frozen margaritas and caipirinhas going for $5.
Latin Café plans to add breakfast service sometime in January, but for now the hours are 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily, with dinner service from 5 to 9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, then 5 to 10 or 11 p.m. Friday-Saturday, Kells said.
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Oh crepe! Flip Happy on a healing hiatus
Gingerbread, left, and Nutella dessert crepes at Flip Happy. Photo by Mike Sutter.
It’s Wednesday, and for the crepe-happy among you, that means it’s Flip Happy time over at the little trailer off South Lamar Boulevard.
Not so fast there, Francophile.
Looking at the Flip Happy Crepes Web site (www.fliphapycrepes.com), the copy desk ran across this note: “We are sorry for any inconvenience, but our savory chef is having hand surgery over the holidays. We hope to re-open our crepe trailer by Wednesday, Jan. 7. Please check back soon for more details. Have a Happy Happy New Year! The Flip Happy Gals.”
We wish all of them the best at the Little Trailer That Could, renowned for humbling celebrity chef Bobby Flay in a Food Network “Throwdown.” Check here for an update next week.
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Black-eyed pea stew, from Cissi’s Wine Bar executive chef Deegan McClung
1 lb. fresh black-eyed peas
2 smoked ham hocks
1 quart chicken stock
1 diced yellow onion
3 diced stalks celery
1 peeled, diced carrot
2 sliced garlic cloves
Half tsp. cayenne pepper
4 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper to taste
Roast ham hocks at 325 degrees for 20 minutes or until their color darkens to a deep reddish brown. Preheat the chicken stock.
Sauté all vegetables in the fat that renders from the hocks. Just before they are soft, add the cayenne pepper and sauté until fragrant.
Stir in the black-eyed peas until they are covered in pork fat and they have warmed through, then add chicken stock, herbs and ham hocks. Season with salt and black pepper.
Bring up to light simmer and cook until the peas are tender. Let the peas sit over night in the refrigerator. The next day, bring the peas back up to a simmer and remove the ham hocks. Pick all the meat from the ham hocks, then put the meat back in with the peas.
Remove from heat. Taste to check the seasoning, adjust seasoning and serve. Tastes great with warm baguette or on top of puff pastry.
— Deegan McClung, executive chef, Cissi’s Wine Bar (Photo by Faith Chan)
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Champagne taste on a 2008 budget
Economy sparklers for New Year’s Eve 2008, chosen by Twin Liquors wine specialist Ross Outon (pictured). Bottles from left: Segura Viudas Brut Rosé ($7.99), Trocadero Blanc de Blanc Brut ($9.99), Cristalino Brut ($9.99), Cristalino Extra Dry ($9.99), Cristalino Rosé Brut ($9.99), Domaine Ste. Michelle Extra Dry ($9.99), Domaine Ste. Michelle Brut ($9.99), Domaine Ste. Michelle Blanc de Blanc ($9.99), Segura Viudas Brut Reserva ($8.99). Photos by Mike Sutter.
When it feels like there’s less to celebrate, how can you celebrate for less? We gave Twin Liquors wine specialist Ross Outon the challenge of finding agreeable New Year’s Eve sparkling wines for $10 or less. Outon, whose credentials include being a contestant in the upcoming PBS competition-reality show “The Wine Makers,” rose to the task with dry, sweet and rosé selections from France, Spain and the United States. All the wines are available at Twin Liquors Marketplace in Hancock Center, 1000 E. 41st St. 451-7400, www.twinliquors.com. Here are Outon’s choices and comments:
• Domaine Ste. Michelle Extra Dry, Brut and Blanc de Blanc (Washington state, $9.99 each): “One of the best in Washington state and the West Coast. A bubbly you don’t have to wait for a special occasion to use.”
• Cristalino Extra Dry, Brut and Rosé Brut (Spain, $9.99 each). Regarding rosé: “Americans are afraid of pink wine, and with good reason.” But he said rosé has gotten better and “it happens to go with anything Texans like to eat.”
• Segura Viudas Brut Reserve and Rosé (Spain, $8.99 and $7.99, respectively): On cheap bubbly in general: “It’s perfect for a day off and a bottle of orange juice.”
• Trocadero Blanc de Blanc Brut (France, $9.99): “Crisp, light, citrusy and dry, with a little bit of that bready quality.”
But what if you’d like to splurge (albeit modestly) on something more interesting?
• Gruet Brut, Rosé Brut, Blanc de Noirs Brut and Demi-Sec (New Mexico, $14.99 each): “Made by a true Champagne family.”
• Rocca Cerrino Brachetto (Italy, $16.99): A sweet dessert sparkler “perfect for anything with berries.”
Inset photo: The “splurge” tier of economy sparklers. From left: Gruet Brut ($14.99), Gruet Rosé Brut ($14.99), Rocca Cerrino Brachetto ($16.99), Gruet Demi-Sec ($14.99), Gruet Blanc de Noirs Brut ($14.99) .
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Christmas in New Braunfels, with barbecue
A reader e-mailed to say she’s headed to New Braunfels for Christmas, and she wanted to know her barbecue options.
So I made a few calls along the barbecue trail from Austin to New Braunfels, and what I’m finding is that most all of them are closed Christmas Day. I imagine that’s because they’re family owned and operated, and they’re spending that day eating, opening presents and fighting like the rest of us.
So here’s my strategy:
Two good places in New Braunfels are open on Christmas Eve until 2:30 p.m. So get there, buy the ribs and brisket and everything else, then put everything in the fridge for Christmas Day. Not the same as getting barbecue smoke on your clothes on Dec. 25, but it’s not a bad way to spend the day.
Here they are:
— Cooper’s Old Time Pit Barbecue (the one in New Braunfels):
1125 Loop 337, New Braunfels. 830-627-0627‎. I called, and they said they’d be open until about 2:30 or 3 p.m. Christmas Eve, but they’re closed Christmas Day.
— Rudy’s Country Store and BBQ
936 Loop 337, New Braunfels. 830-609-3337‎. Same story. Open until about 3 p.m. Christmas Eve, closed Christmas Day. A chain, but good people and reliable barbecue.
You can’t go wrong with either one.
Merry Christmas, barbecue fans.
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A sampling of New Year’s Eve restaurant events
(Top: Cissi’s Market. Left: Flying Saucer Draught Emporium. Right: Jasper’s.)
New Year’s Eve is the last chance for restaurants to show off for (and pull some profit from) the holiday season. So special parties abound, and here’s a sampling. If your restaurant has a New Year’s Eve event, please post a comment on this blog to let Forklore readers know about it. See the latest comments here.
Ararat will celebrate its reopening at Eighth and Red River (above the Headhunters Club) starting at 8 p.m. Details at www.myspace.com/araratrestaurant.
Chez Zee American Bistro (5406 Balcones Drive. 454-2666, www.chezzee.com) will feature its regular menu, plus specials, live music and a champagne toast at midnight. On New Year’s Day, brunch begins at 9 a.m., and dinner is served until 10 p.m.
Chon Som Thai & Sushi Bar (2013 Wells Branch Parkway, Suite 109. 989-5559, www.chonsom.com) will offer a five-course sushi or Thai pre-fixe menu for $40 from 5 to 10 p.m. Call for reservations.
Cissi’s Market (1400 S. Congress Ave., 225-0521, www.cissismarket.com) has seatings starting at 6 p.m. for a $45, three-course, prix fixe menu ($75 with wine pairings). E-mail kwallace@cissismarket.com for reservations.
Cool River Cafe (4001 W. Parmer Lane. 835-0000, www.coolrivercafe.com) will be open 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Live music by Radio Star begins at 9:45 p.m. Balloon drop at midnight with party favors. Bar booth rental available. $2 midnight champagne toast. $20 cover in advance, $25 at the door. No cover for dining guests
Cru a Wine Bar (238 W. Second St. 472-9463, and in the Domain at 11410 Century Oaks Terrace, Suite 104. 339-9463. www.cruawinebar.com) will serve a four-course dinner. Two early seatings (5:30 and 8 p.m.) are $37.50 per person. Gala seating, with a champagne toast at midnight, begins at 8:30 p.m.for $65 per person.
At European Bistro in Pflugerville (111 E. Main St., 835-1919, www.european-bistro.com), the festivities include a drawing for a one-week stay at the owners’ condo in Budapest, Hungary.
Flying Saucer Draught Emporium (815 W. 47th St. 454-8200, www.beerknurd.com/stores/austin), which has a full pub menu in addition to a killer draft-beer lineup, will feature party favors and a free champagne toast at midnight. Admission is free.
Jasper’s at the Domain (11506 Century Oaks Terrace, Suite 128. 834-4111, www.kentrathbun.com) will offer a special four-course menu. $55 per person plus tax and gratuity. Reservations required.
Lamberts Downtown Barbecue (401 W. Second St. 494-1500, www.lambertsaustin.com) will serve lunch 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and dinner 5:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. Lambert’s Upstairs opens New Year’s Eve 10:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. $100.
North (11506 Century Oaks Terrace, Suite 124 at the Domain. 339-4400, www.foxrestaurantconcepts.com) will be open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. New Year’s Eve and noon to 9 p.m. New Year’s Day.
Paggi House (200 Lee Barton Drive. 473-3700, www.paggihouse.com) offers reservations on its skyline-view patio for $25 per person with a champagne toast or a prix fixe menu for $100 per person.
Parkside (301 E. Sixth St. 474-9898, www.parkside-austin.com) will serve a four-course prix-fixe dinner for $60 a person and host a dance party with open bar and hors d’oeuvres for $100.
Ranch 616 (616 Nueces St. 479 7616, www.ranch616.ypguides.net) will offer specials and the regular menu with two complimentary glasses of champagne during dinner, with a third glass during dessert or as a toast at the stroke of midnight. Reservations suggested.
Sagra (1610 San Antonio St. 535-5988, www.sagrarestaurant.net) will serve a five-course Italian dinner ($38/$58 paired with wine for the first seating; $58/$78 for the second seating, with jazz and a champagne toast).
Starlite (407 Colorado St. 374-9012. www.starliteaustin.net) will be open 11 a.m. to midnight. A New Year’s Eve pre-fixe menu (starring seared Hawaiian tuna or grilled prim rib-eye) is available for $75 per person, $95 with wine.
III Forks (111 Lavaca St. 474-1776, www.iiiforks.com) will be open 11 a.m. to midnight.
Whisk Handcrafted Cuisine (4238 Bee Cave Road. 329-6405, www.whiskaustin.com) will host a five-course paella dinner at 8 p.m. $60 per person. $90 with wine pairings. Also available for takeout.
Wyndham Garden Hotel Austin (3401 S. Interstate 35. 448-2444, www.wyndhamaustin.com) is offering a New Year’s Eve steak and lobster sdinner pecial, $149, which includes a room for two and two dinners.
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Christmas dining update
The Christmas dining options keep rolling in. Here’s an updated list. If your restaurant is open Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day, post a comment below and let Forklore readers know about it. See the latest list of comments here.
OPEN CHRISTMAS EVE AND CHRISTMAS DAY
Chon Som Thai & Sushi Bar
2013 Wells Branch Parkway, Suite 109. 989-5559, www.chonsom.com.
Open 4 to 9 p.m. Christmas Eve, noon to 9 p.m. Christmas Day.
Asian food and a movie part of your Christmas Day tradition? You’re in luck.
El Chilito Tacos y Cafe
2209 Manor Road. 382-3797, www.elchilito.com.
Open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
A casual stop on Manor Road’s restaurant row for soft tacos filled with cochinita pibil, puffy tacos with picadillo and coffees to warm the spirit.
European Bistro in Pflugerville
From their press release: “Our Regular menu along with some special favorites will be available Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Christmas Eve 5p.m. to 9p.m.
Christmas Day 11 a.m. to 9p.m. 512-835-1919.”
Manny Hattan’s
From their press release: “Join Manny Hattan’s NY Delicatessen & Restaurant for breakfast, lunch or dinner on Dec. 25… We’re serving our entire eight-page menu, starting with H&H bagels, Belgian waffles, pancakes, custom omelets & corned beef hash and much more for freakfast starting at 8 a.m… Manny Hattan’s is located at the corner of 360 & 183 in the Gateway Shopping Center (next to Crate & Barrel).”
They’re also open Christmas Eve from 8 a.m. to 2:30 or 3 p.m.
SWB
208 Barton Springs Road (at the Hyatt Regency Austin). 480-2035, www.austin.hyatt.austin.
Open 6:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Christmas Eve, 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. for a Christmas Day buffet.
The Christmas Day Buffet at the new Southwestern bistro at the Hyatt will include a dozen antipasto, cheese and salad choices, a seafood station with crab claws and sushi, a carving station with prime rib, pork loin and ham, plus desserts, a glass of champagne and more. $52 for adults, $27 for children 5 to 12. Reservations required.
Threadgill’s
6416 N. Lamar Blvd. 451-5440
301 W. Riverside Drive. 472-9304, www.threadgills.com.
Open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Home cooking (chicken-fried steak, pecan-crusted chicken, fried catfish, meatloaf), with dozens of vegetable options, including jalapeno cheese grits and San Antonio squash.
Trio at the Four Seasons Hotel
98 San Jacinto Blvd. in the Four Seasons Hotel. 685-8300, www.fourseasons.com.
Call for hours and reservations.
An upscale steakhouse with a dizzying array of chops and seafood dishes, many starting in the low $30s and going into the high $40s. One lower-cost avenue is the $27 braised short ribs, which are out of this world.
Wyndham Garden Hotel Austin
3401 S. Interstate 35, www.wyndhamautin.com.
From their press release: “Christmas Day Brunch served in ReVive! Restaurant 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. $29.50 adult/ $12.50 children 12 and under. Reservations 744-4841.”
OPEN CHRISTMAS EVE, CLOSED CHRISTMAS DAY
Blue Star Cafeteria
4800 Burnet Road, C-300. 454-7827, www.bluestarcafeteria.com.
Open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Christmas Eve, closed Christmas Day.
Comfort food with a fine-dining pedigree: shrimp cocktail, filling desserts and a decadent pork chop with macaroni and cheese.
Chez Zee American Bistro
5406 Balcones Drive. 454-2666, www.chezzee.com.
Open 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Christmas Eve for brunch.
Chez Zee does so many things well, and brunch is at the top of the list.
Ciola’s
1310 RM 620 S., Lakeway. 263-9936, www.ciolas.com.
This reliable Italian restaurant in Lakeway is hosting dinner on Christmas Eve called “The Feast of the Seven Fishes,” with a four-course seafood menu to celebrate the Italian tradition. The cost is $50 per person (a limited version of the regular menu, plus the kids’ menu, will be available as well). Seating begins at 4 p.m., with the last seating at 8 p.m.
Cool River Cafe
4001 W. Parmer Lane. 835-0000, www.coolrivercafe.com.
Open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Christmas Eve. Closed Christmas Day.
An enormous space with an equal appetite for a boisterous bar scene and a refined menu with steaks and seafood.
Cru A Wine Bar
From their press release: “Cru will be open on Christmas Eve and will offer a three-course dinner priced at $32 per person in addition to our normal dinner menu. Reservations can be made for our location downtown on Second Street by calling 472.9463 or for our location at the Domain by calling 339.9463.”
Eddie V’s Edgewater Grille
301 E. Fifth St. 472-1806, www.eddiev.com.
Open 4:30 to 10 p.m. Christmas Eve, closed Christmas Day.
One of Austin’s strongest seafood restaurants, with a bar scene to match.
El Chile Cafe y Cantina
1809 Manor Road. 457-9900, www.elchilecafe.com.
Open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Christmas Eve, closed Christmas Day.
A nuevo-hip clientele packs the place for shrimp and beef fajitas, the chile relleno stuffed with pork and the shrimp in a chipotle barbecue sauce.
Hayashi Modern Japanese Cuisine
1335 E. Whitestone Blvd. 986-7176, www.hayashigrill.com.
Open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Christmas Eve, closed Christmas Day.
Cedar Park is becoming a growth corridor for restaurants modest and fancy. This falls into the latter category.
Kenobi Restaurant and Sushi Bar
10000 Research Blvd, Suite 138-A (at the Arboretum). 241-0119, www.kenobiaustin.com.
Open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Christmas Eve, closed Christmas Day.
Upscale Asian favorites and sushi in a welcoming embrace of earth tones in the Arboretum.
Lamberts Downtown Barbecue
401 W. Second St. 494-1500, www.lambertsaustin.com.
Open 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5:30 to 11 p.m. Christmas Eve, closed Christmas Day.
Upscale barbecue in the Second Street District, with desserts that include chocolate friend pie with sour cherry bourbon sauce.
Mighty Fine Burgers
10515 N. MoPac Blvd. (Loop 1), No. 205. 524-2400, www.mightyfineburgers.com.
Open 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Christmas Eve, closed Christmas Day.
Having been through a few burger-stand Christmas Eve rushes myself, all I can say to the mighty fine Mighty Fine burgermeisters is good luck trying to close at 3 p.m.
North
11506 Century Oaks Terrace, Suite 124 (at the Domain). 339-4400, www.foxrestaurantconcepts.com.
Open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Christmas Eve, closed Christmas Day.
The Domain’s Italian presence scores with grilled artichokes, a pizza with gig and proscioutto and short ribs “osso bucco” style.
Roaring Fork
701 Congress Ave. 583-0000, www.eddiev.com.
Open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Christmas Eve, closed Christmas Day.
Steaks and drinks beside a fireplace in an upscale rendition of Texas ranch-house chic.
Rudy’s Country Store & Bar-B-Q
2451 S. Capital of Texas Highway (Loop 360). 329-5554, www.rudys.com.
Open 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Christmas Eve, closed Christmas Day.
There’s plenty of country kitsch to go along with the regular sausage, which has a little zing, and the smoked pork loin with its distinct peppery coating.
Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse
107 W. Sixth St., 477-7884, www.ruthschris-austin.com.
From their press release: “The lounge will open at 4 p.m. with $5 martinis and half-price appetizers. The dinning room opens from 5:15 to 9 p.m. Reservations are recommended.” Closed Christmas Day.
Sagra
1610 San Antonio St. 535-5988, www.sagrarestaurant.com.
From their press release: “Sagra, a casual, yet elegant Italian enoteca and trattoria, will be open 11:30 am to 10:00 pm on Christmas Eve. Executive Chef/Owner Gabriel Pellegrini’s menu boasts new renditions of Old World classics that feature wood-fired pizzas, homemade mozzarella, house-cured meats and homemade pastas.”
Santa Rita Tex-Mex Cantina
1206 W. 38th St. 419-7482, www.santaritacantina.com.
Open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Christmas Eve, closed Christmas Day.
In addition to its central location in the 26 Doors shopping center, folk-art ambience and patio seating, Santa Rita offers top-notch Mexican food.
34th Street Cafe
1005 W. 34th St., 371-3400, www.34thstreetcafe.com.
Open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Christmas Eve, closed Christmas Day.
Executive chef Justin Raiford’s creative and beautifully prepared menu includes duck confit pizza and an exquisite plate with beef tenderloin, a short rib and a deconstructed cauliflower au gratin.
III Forks
111 Lavaca St. 474-1776, www.iiiforks.com.
Open 5 to 10 p.m. Christmas Eve, closed Christmas Day.
The beauty of the prime steaks here is that they arrive on a fully loaded plate. Freedom from a la carte can be a gift in itself.
Wink
1014 North Lamar Blvd., Suite E. 482-8868, www.winkrestaurant.com.
When I spoke to them last week, Wink still had seats available for Christmas Eve. The last seating will be at 8:30 p.m. They change their menu all the time, but you can count on top-quality seafood and American-bistro dishes anytime.
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The new pie guys on South Lamar
(At Pie Slice bakery on South Lamar Boulevard, which opened just this past Friday, you can buy apple pie whole or by the slice, made from scratch by chef-owners Vicente Jaramillo, left, and Martin Abundis. Their repertoire includes chocolate coffee pie and tres leches cake with coconut. Photos by Mike Sutter.)
Over by the Horseshoe Lounge on South Lamar Boulevard, the parking-lot sign for the brand-new Pie Slice bakery fights for attention. At night, the backlighted mobile marquee doesn’t have to fight too hard. “Pies, cakes, soup & salads,” it shouts, along with “breakfast tacos 99 cents.”
Pie Slice — owned and operated by Chez Zee restaurant and bakery alumni Martin Abundis and Vicente Jaramillo — opened Dec. 12 in the building where Amelia’s Retro Vogue used to be.
By morning (and that means starting at 6:30 a.m. most days), the shop is a grab-and-go place for coffee and 99-cent breakfast tacos on homemade flour tortillas. The rest of the day (until 10 p.m. most days), Pie Slice is a takeout-only bistro-bakery, with pie and cake by the slice and a select menu of salads, pizzas and pastas.
There’s a counter and a few chairs, but those appear to be more for waiting than for eating, an observation reinforced by the fact that they didn’t have a plate for the cake and pie slices we photographed.
Pies — including apple, coconut, key lime and chocolate coffee — run about $4.25 a slice. Among the cakes ($4.95 a slice on average) in the display case on Monday night were a coconut tres leches (drenched, densely crumbed and decadent), carrot New York cheesecake and raspberry chocolate polkadot cheesecake. Muffins, brownies and cookies fill out the bakery menu.
For the bistro side, Abundis said prices will range from $6.95 to $9.95 for items like Maytag blue cheese pizza, raspberry balsamic salad and veggie alfredo pasta.
Coffee to go is $1.35 for small, $1.75 for large. For who-knows-how-long, buy either size and get a free cookie. The snappy-crisp oatmeal raisin is a good introduction to what we can expect from the piemen of South Lamar.
(Pie Slice, 2024 S. Lamar Blvd. 444-6644. 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday-Friday, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday.)
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The hosts of Christmas present
(Mighty Fine Burgers is sponsoring an exhibit at the Trail of Lights to feed your spirit this year. On Christmas Eve, they’re open to feed your body until 3 p.m. Photo by Mike Sutter.)
Following up on an earlier post about restaurants that will be open on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, here are some more options. If your restaurant is open Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day, post a comment below and let Forklore readers in on it.
OPEN CHRISTMAS EVE AND CHRISTMAS DAY
Chon Som Thai & Sushi Bar
2013 Wells Branch Parkway, Suite 109. 989-5559, www.chonsom.com.
Open 4 to 9 p.m. Christmas Eve, noon to 9 p.m. Christmas Day.
Asian food and a movie part of your Christmas Day tradition? You’re in luck.
El Chilito Tacos y Cafe
2209 Manor Road. 382-3797, www.elchilito.com.
Open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
A casual stop on Manor Road’s restaurant row for soft tacos filled with cochinita pibil, puffy tacos with picadillo and coffees to warm the spirit.
SWB
208 Barton Springs Road (at the Hyatt Regency Austin). 480-2035, www.austin.hyatt.austin.
Open 6:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Christmas Eve, 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. for a Christmas Day buffet.
The Christmas Day Buffet at the new Southwestern bistro at the Hyatt will include a dozen antipasto, cheese and salad choices, a seafood station with crab claws and sushi, a carving station with prime rib, pork loin and ham, plus desserts, a glass of champagne and more. $52 for adults, $27 for children 5 to 12. Reservations required.
Threadgill’s
6416 N. Lamar Blvd. 451-5440
301 W. Riverside Drive. 472-9304, www.threadgills.com.
Open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Home cooking (chicken-fried steak, pecan-crusted chicken, fried catfish, meatloaf), with dozens of vegetable options, including jalapeno cheese grits and San Antonio squash.
Trio at the Four Seasons Hotel
98 San Jacinto Blvd. in the Four Seasons Hotel. 685-8300, www.fourseasons.com.
Call for hours and reservations.
An upscale steakhouse with a dizzying array of chops and seafood dishes, many starting in the low $30s and going into the high $40s. One lower-cost avenue is the $27 braised short ribs, which are out of this world.
OPEN CHRISTMAS EVE, CLOSED CHRISTMAS DAY
Blue Star Cafeteria
4800 Burnet Road, C-300. 454-7827, www.bluestarcafeteria.com.
Open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Christmas Eve, closed Christmas Day.
Comfort food with a fine-dining pedigree: shrimp cocktail, filling desserts and a decadent pork chop with macaroni and cheese.
Ciola’s
1310 RM 620 S., Lakeway. 263-9936, www.ciolas.com.
This reliable Italian restaurant in Lakeway is hosting dinner on Christmas Eve called “The Feast of the Seven Fishes,” with a four-course seafood menu to celebrate the Italian tradition. The cost is $50 per person (a limited version of the regular menu, plus the kids’ menu, will be available as well). Seating begins at 4 p.m., with the last seating at 8 p.m.
Cool River Cafe
4001 W. Parmer Lane. 835-0000, www.coolrivercafe.com.
Open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Christmas Eve. Closed Christmas Day.
An enormous space with an equal appetite for a boisterous bar scene and a refined menu with steaks and seafood.
Eddie V’s Edgewater Grille
301 E. Fifth St. 472-1806, www.eddiev.com.
Open 4:30 to 10 p.m. Christmas Eve, closed Christmas Day.
One of Austin’s strongest seafood restaurants, with a bar scene to match.
El Chile Cafe y Cantina
1809 Manor Road. 457-9900, www.elchilecafe.com.
Open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Christmas Eve, closed Christmas Day.
A nuevo-hip clientele packs the place for shrimp and beef fajitas, the chile relleno stuffed with pork and the shrimp in a chipotle barbecue sauce.
Hayashi Modern Japanese Cuisine
1335 E. Whitestone Blvd. 986-7176, www.hayashigrill.com.
Open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Christmas Eve, closed Christmas Day.
Cedar Park is becoming a growth corridor for restaurants modest and fancy. This falls into the latter category.
Kenobi Restaurant and Sushi Bar
10000 Research Blvd, Suite 138-A (at the Arboretum). 241-0119, www.kenobiaustin.com.
Open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Christmas Eve, closed Christmas Day.
Upscale Asian favorites and sushi in a welcoming embrace of earth tones in the Arboretum.
Lamberts Downtown Barbecue
401 W. Second St. 294-1500, www.lambertsaustin.com.
Open 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5:30 to 11 p.m. Christmas Eve, closed Christmas Day.
Upscale barbecue in the Second Street District, with desserts that include chocolate friend pie with sour cherry bourbon sauce.
Mighty Fine Burgers
10515 N. MoPac Blvd. (Loop 1), No. 205. 524-2400, www.mightyfineburgers.com.
Open 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Christmas Eve, closed Christmas Day.
Having been through a few burger-stand Christmas Eve rushes myself, all I can say to the mighty fine Mighty Fine burgermeisters is good luck trying to close at 3 p.m.
North
11506 Century Oaks Terrace, Suite 124 (at the Domain). 339-4400, www.foxrestaurantconcepts.com.
Open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Christmas Eve, closed Christmas Day.
The Domain’s Italian presence scores with grilled artichokes, a pizza with gig and proscioutto and short ribs “osso bucco” style.
Roaring Fork
701 Congress Ave. 583-0000, www.eddiev.com.
Open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Christmas Eve, closed Christmas Day.
Steaks and drinks beside a fireplace in an upscale rendition of Texas ranch-house chic.
Rudy’s Country Store & Bar-B-Q
2451 S. Capital of Texas Highway (Loop 360). 329-5554, www.rudys.com.
Open 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Christmas Eve, closed Christmas Day.
There’s plenty of country kitsch to go along with the regular sausage, which has a little zing, and the smoked pork loin with its distinct peppery coating.
Santa Rita Tex-Mex Cantina
1206 W. 38th St. 419-7482, www.santaritacantina.com.
Open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Christmas Eve, closed Christmas Day.
In addition to its central location in the 26 Doors shopping center, folk-art ambience and patio seating, Santa Rita offers top-notch Mexican food.
34th Street Cafe
1005 W. 34th St., 371-3400, www.34thstreetcafe.com.
Open 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Christmas Eve, closed Christmas Day.
Executive chef Justin Raiford’s creative and beautifully prepared menu includes duck confit pizza and an exquisite plate with beef tenderloin, a short rib and a deconstructed cauliflower au gratin.
III Forks
111 Lavaca St. 474-1776, www.iiiforks.com.
Open 5 to 10 p.m. Christmas Eve, closed Christmas Day.
The beauty of the prime steaks here is that they arrive on a fully loaded plate. Freedom from a la carte can be a gift in itself.
Wink
1014 North Lamar Blvd., Suite E. 482-8868, www.winkrestaurant.com.
When I spoke to them last week, Wink still had seats available for Christmas Eve. The last seating will be at 8:30 p.m. They change their menu all the time, but you can count on top-quality seafood and American-bistro dishes anytime.
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Mall-food extra: Bootlegging Dublin Dr Pepper
(Rosanne and Jim King own Completely Nuts at Lakeline Mall, where they sell original cane-sugar Dublin Dr Pepper. Photos by Mike Sutter.)
The Kings say some shoppers zip right past the nuts (the pecans taste like a handful of pecan pie) to buy six-packs of Dublin Dr Pepper as Christmas presents. At $1.50 per 8-ounce glass bottle, that works out to $9 a six-pack. But that seems reasonable for a forbidden taste of Dr Pepper the way your parents (or you) drank it as kids.
For more mall-food options, see my sampling of choices at Lakeline, Highland and Barton Creek Square malls here.
Completely Nuts sells cashews, almonds and pecans at $4 for a snack size and for $14 a pound. Lakeline Mall. 258-0463, www.completelynutz.com.
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Mall-food roundup: A second helping
(Marniki Hornsby, left, and Diana Conde own Be My Cupcake at Lakeline Mall. Photos by Mike Sutter.)
In Yesterday’s Life & Style section, I wrote about finding food at three of the big-box malls in town.
One commenter said it was sad that this passes for a food story at the American-Statesman. I see the point, but we’ve all gotta eat, and sometimes we’re trapped at the mall. Better to let you know the options.
But other comments raved about Be My Cupcake at Lakeline Mall. So here’s a second helping about that locally owned bakery where a dozen mini-bites are only $5, the stealer’s deal of my entire 18 hours of grazing at the malls.
Marniki Hornsby (at left in the photo) and Diana Conde — both of whom are also moms with day jobs — launched Be My Cupcake six months ago at Lakeline Mall, three and a half years after the two friends tasted cupcakes in New York City and decided they could do better. Now, the cupcake movement washed over Austin a while back (Hey Cupcake, Polkadots), but Hornsby and Conde said the time was ripe to park a shop in Cedar Park. So they pulled together family recipes, and Conde designed the charming logo (which looks just right on the hoodies for sale at the shop).
Now let’s talk about those 12 snack-bites for five bucks. The red velvet with buttery white icing tasted as deeply red and prettiful as it looked. Both the strawberry and lemon (topped with a wee bit of lemon chew-candy) were bursting with fruit flavor, and the carrot cake with cream-cheese frosting had enough ribbons of carrot to qualify as a vegetable. I’d also recommend the pumpkin and the chocolate-espresso. My kids went straight for the “confetti” cupcake with white icing and sprinkles.
Traditional-size cupcakes cost $2 (a dollar on Mondays), and the monster size runs $3.75. The shop also bakes cookies and cakes. Lakeline Mall. 996-0271, www.bemycupcake.com.
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Mars restaurant will close
Opened in 1992 as a cozy bungalow on San Antonio Street, Mars turned heads when it moved in 2007 into a modern space in the new 04 complex that includes Cissi’s Market and By George. A group that includes a restaurateur and a nightclub owner plans to open a casual seafood restaurant in the space, a spokesperson for the group said Wednesday.
Mars manager Daniel Myers attributed the closing to a bad economy and said he wasn’t aware of plans to relocate the restaurant.
Mars gained a following with pork tandoori, glazed and grilled baby-back ribs, pot stickers and a dessert called “coffee and doughnuts.” Myers said the restaurant’s business was strong for six months after the move to SoCo, but that “over the past six months, it’s definitely been slower.”
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Where can we eat for Christmas?
(Top: Threadgill’s. Left: Trio at the Four Seasons. Right: Wink. American-Statesman photos)
Welcome to Forklore, the restaurant blog from American-Statesman and austin360.com restaurant critic Mike Sutter.
Let’s start by getting the word out to people who don’t want to cook (or clean up) for the holidays. If you’re a restaurant owner and plan to be open Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day, please post a comment here or send me an e-mail at msutter@statesman.com. Please include your holiday hours, plus your restaurant’s address, phone number and Web site, if you have one. Try to keep your information to 100 words so we can squeeze in as many as possible
Last month, a teacher from Killeen asked me where she could eat when she visited her family in Austin on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Here are a few options I found for her. Only fair to let you in on them, too.
OPEN CHRISTMAS EVE AND CHRISTMAS DAY:
Threadgill’s
6416 N. Lamar Blvd. 451-5440
301 W. Riverside Drive. 472-9304.
www.threadgills.com.
Old Austin at its coolest, only cleaner. Music posters, murals, friendly waiters. Home cooking (chicken-fried steak, pecan-crusted chicken, fried catfish, meatloaf), with dozens of vegetable options, including jalapeno cheese grits and San Antonio squash. First-come, first-served. (Reasonable, affordable, reliable.)
Trio at the Four Seasons Hotel
98 San Jacinto Blvd. in the Four Seasons Hotel.
685-8300, www.fourseasons.com.
Reservations accepted.
It’s an upscale steakhouse, with a dizzying array of chops and seafood dishes, many starting in the low $30s and going into the high $40s. One lower-cost avenue is the $27 braised short ribs, which are out of this world. They’re served with softball-sized hot popovers. Appetizers include a good roasted-beet salad. We had a really fun peanut-butter-and-jelly dessert. The place is nice, with dark earth tones, leather seating, lots of waitstaff, who are quite pleasant. Order the iced tea: it’s poured tableside over ice cubes that are made of frozen tea and served with a little carafe of sugar water to sweeten. It’s the least-expensive way to feel fancy. (Expensive, but aren’t you worth it?)
OPEN CHRISTMAS EVE (CLOSED CHRISTMAS DAY)
Wink
1014 North Lamar Blvd., Suite E.
482-8868, www.winkrestaurant.com.
I just spoke to them today, and Wink still has seats available for Christmas Eve. The last seating will be at 8:30 p.m. They say it’s a wonderful night at the restaurant, with multigenerational family groups and some holiday touches on the menu. They change their menu all the time, but you can count on top-quality seafood and American-bistro dishes anytime. (Expensive. But a source I trust told me she had her best restaurant meal EVER at Wink just two weeks ago.)
Ciola’s
1310 RM 620 S., Lakeway.
263-9936, www.ciolas.com.
Reservations accepted.
This reliable Italian restaurant in Lakeway is hosting dinner on Christmas Eve called “The Feast of the Seven Fishes,” with a four-course seafood menu to celebrate the Italian tradition. The cost is $50 per person (a limited version of the regular menu, plus the kids’ menu, will be available as well). Seating begins at 4 p.m., with the last seating at 8 p.m.
