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December 2009
The problem of the 12-ounce pint
In today’s review of the Highball, I brought up the problem of the 12-ounce pint.
This unfortunate measure happens when the bartender lets the foam rise to the top of the standard 16-ounce pint glass of beer, then pulls the glass away from the tap and serves it.
Here’s a picture of what that looks like. After two $4.50 pints came up short at the Highball, I experimented at home to see how much actual beer was in my glass. Using a standard pint beer glass, pouring beer from a 16-ounce bottle at a moderate rate (not super-slow, but not fast), I stopped when the foam hit the rim. When it settled down, I poured the beer into a measuring cup and came up with 12 ounces.
Given the way these glasses are shaped (thinner at the bottom, wider at the top), a short pour can cost you as much as 25 percent of the volume even if the foam makes the glass look full.
On another visit to the Highball when it wasn’t quite so busy, the beer was short of the rim by less than a quarter-inch, which I’d say is within acceptable ranges.
The problem of the short pour is hardly isolated. Same thing happened to me at the Ginger Man, where they know better and where I wasn’t shy about asking for a top-off.
But I’m begging beertenders around town to show respect for the customer and respect for the beer by making the pint right. We’ll love you for it.
(American-Statesman photo by Mike Sutter)
Bargain champagne for New Year’s Eve
As New Year’s Eve creeps up, it’s a good time to talk about bargain champagne. Last year, Twin Liquors wine specialist Ross Outon (above) gave us his recommendations.
Since we talked last December, Outon has been crowned the winner of the PBS reality show “The Winemakers.” That makes him even more wine specialistic, no? Here’s his list, revisited:
When it feels as if there’s less to celebrate, how can you celebrate for less? We gave Ross Outon the challenge of finding agreeable New Year’s Eve sparkling wines for around $10. Here are Outon’s choices and comments:
• Domaine Ste. Michelle Extra Dry, Brut and Blanc de Blanc (Washington): “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 Rose Brut (Spain). Regarding rose: “Americans are afraid of pink wine, and with good reason.” But he said rose has gotten better and “it happens to go with anything Texans like to eat.”
• Segura Viudas Brut Reserve and Rose (Spain): On cheap bubbly in general: “It’s perfect for a day off and a bottle of orange juice.”
• Trocadero Blanc de Blanc Brut (France): “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, say $15-$18?
• Gruet Brut, Rose Brut, Blanc de Noirs Brut and Demi-Sec (New Mexico): “Made by a true Champagne family.”
• Rocca Cerrino Brachetto (Italy): A sweet dessert sparkler “perfect for anything with berries.”
A year ago, all these wines were available at Twin Liquors Marketplace in Hancock Center, 1000 E. 41st St. 451-7400, www.twinliquors.com. Call ahead if you spot one you can’t live without.
(American-Statesman photo by Mike Sutter)
The Decade in Food: Instant reviews (just add Internet)
On Yelp.com, where anybody can say anything about anyplace, they can say this about Star Seeds Cafe: “So yeah… blah blah, attitude, blah, blah, loud music, blah blah migas.”
Ten years ago, if you wanted to know whether a restaurant was any good, you asked the people you knew. Now you can get 47 anonymous online strangers — on Yelp, Chowhound, Urbanspoon and others — to tell you how hot the waitress was, how much they hate hearing blues at a French place and how there was gravy on everything.
If you employ the Russian-judge technique from the Cold War of throwing out the highest ratings (the owner) and lowest ratings (somebody the owner fired), it’s possible to shake out kernels of truth about parking, wait times, killer barbecue and dirty bathrooms, along with flashes of poetic insight: (from Yelp, about Nau’s Enfield Drug) “I see women come in alone in an Armani suit and order a Coke float, and you know they are nursing a wound that will be healed by this childhood comfort.”
Tomorrow: American-Statesman food writer Addie Broyles weighs in with more food stories of the decade at austin360.com/food.
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Dining out for New Year’s
A sampling of restaurants open for New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Call ahead for hours and reservations.
NEW YEAR’S EVE
• Annies Cafe & Bar (319 Congress Ave. 472-1884, Ext. 4, www.anniescafebar.com)
• Barton Creek Resort & Spa (8212 Barton Club Drive. 329-7923, www.bartoncreek.com)
• Cru a Wine Bar (238 W. Second St., 472-9463; 11410 Century Oaks Terrace, Suite 104 in the Domain. 339-9463, www.cruawinebar.com)
• Eddie V’s (9400-B Arboretum Blvd., 342-2642; 301 E. Fifth St. 472-1860, www.eddiev.com)
• European Bistro (111 E. Main St., Pflugerville. 512-835-1919, www.european-bistro.com)
• Fabi and Rosi (509 Hearn St. 236-0642, www.fabiandrosi.com)
• Fino Restaurant Patio & Bar (2905 San Gabriel St. 474-2908, www.finoaustin.com)
• Fortune Chinese Seafood Restaurant (10901 N. Lamar Blvd., 490-1426, www.fortuneaustin.com)
• Green Pastures (811 W. Live Oak St. 444-4747, www.greenpasturesrestaurant.com)
• Hudson’s on the Bend (3509 N. RM 620. 266-1369, www.hudsonsonthebend.com)
• Lakeway Resort and Spa (101 Lakeway Drive. 261-2323, www.dolce-lakeway-hotel.com)
• Lamberts Downtown Barbecue (401 W. Second St. 494-1500, www.lambertsaustin.com)
• Max’s Wine Dive (207 San Jacinto Blvd. 904-0105, www.maxswinedive.com)
• North (11506 Century Oaks Terrace in the Domain. 339-4400, www.foxrestaurantconcepts.com/north.html)
• Opal Divine’s (Freehouse, 477-3308; Marina, 733-5353; Penn Field, 707-0237; www.opaldivines.com)
• Parkside (301 E. Sixth St. 474-9898, www.parkside-austin.com)
• Restaurant Jezebel (914 Congress Ave. 499-3999, www.restaurantjezebel.com)
• Roaring Fork (10850 Stonelake Blvd., 342-2700; 701 Congress Ave., 583-0000, www.eddiev.com)
• Roy’s of Austin (340 E. Second St. 391-1500, www.roysrestaurant.com)
• Sagra (1610 San Antonio St. 535-5988, www.sagrarestaurant.net)
• Simplicity Wine & Eats (4801 Burnet Road. 553-4844, www.simplicitywinebar.com)
• SWB Southwest Bistro (208 Barton Springs Road in the Hyatt hotel. 480-2035, www.austin.hyatt.com)
• Thai Spoon (3720 Gattis School Road, Suite 400, Round Rock. 512-733-2233 www.thaispoonrestaurant.com)
• 34th Street Cafe (1005 W. 34th St. 371-3400, www.34thstreetcafe.com)
• Threadgill’s (301 W. Riverside Drive, 472-9304; 6416 N. Lamar Blvd., 451-5440, www.threadgills.com)
• III Forks (111 Lavaca St. 474-1776, www.iiiforks.com)
• Trio at the Four Seasons Hotel Austin (98 San Jacinto Blvd. 685-8300, www.fourseasons.com)
NEW YEAR’S DAY
• Blue Star Cafeteria (4800 Burnet Road, C-300. 454-7827, www.bluestarcafeteria.com)
• Cru a Wine Bar (238 W. Second St., 472-9463; 11410 Century Oaks Terrace, Suite 104 in the Domain. 339-9463, www.cruawinebar.com)
• Eddie V’s (9400-B Arboretum Blvd., 342-2642; 301 E. Fifth St. 472-1860, www.eddiev.com)
• Opal Divine’s (Freehouse, 477-3308; Marina, 733-5353; Penn Field, 707-0237; www.opaldivines.com)
• Restaurant Jezebel (914 Congress Ave. 499-3999, www.restaurantjezebel.com)
• Roaring Fork (10850 Stonelake Blvd., 342-2700; 701 Congress Ave., 583-0000, www.eddiev.com)
• SWB Southwest Bistro (208 Barton Springs Road in the Hyatt hotel. 480-2035, www.austin.hyatt.com)
• Thai Spoon (3720 Gattis School Road, Suite 400, Round Rock. 512-733-2233 www.thaispoonrestaurant.com)
• 34th Street Cafe (1005 W. 34th St. 371-3400, www.34thstreetcafe.com)
• Threadgill’s (301 W. Riverside Drive, 472-9304; 6416 N. Lamar Blvd., 451-5440, www.threadgills.com)
The Decade in Food: The revenge of the Old Fashioned
Don Draper is a rainmaker, and the rain tastes a lot like a barman’s towel.
In 2007, the anti-hero at the heart of the cable drama “Mad Men” made it seem perfectly normal to mix a drink at the office (well, to do pretty much anything at the office).
His cocktail? The rightly named Old Fashioned, the same mix of sugar, club soda, bitters and whiskey your parents drank.
Coincidentally, absinthe became legal in the United States that same year.
Not coincidentally, a movement to resurrect classic cocktails that had been gaining momentum among monkishly devoted mixologists exploded into the mainstream that year, too.
Suddenly, it became important to know the right way to make a Sazerac, to know the difference between a silver (made with egg white) and a royal (the whole egg) and to know the wonders a basil leaf can perform in a glass of gin.
In Austin, places to sip cocktails in a gray suit with Brylcreem-slicked hair include the pre-Prohibition wonderland called the East Side Show Room, the absinthe-minded Peche, the dark-and-stormy nightscape of the Good Knight and the indoor European sidewalk cafe called Annies.
And send Peggy for some more ice.
Tomorrow: Instant reviews (just add Internet)
(AMC photo)
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The Decade in Food: The only good carb is a no-carb
In July 2002, The New York Times Magazine asked the question, “What if fat doesn’t make you fat?”
The Atkins Diet had been around since the ’70s, skirting the fringes with the counterintuitive notion that eating food that’s rich in fat and protein but low in processed flour and sugar can help you lose weight.
But with its new, high-profile media stamp of validation, the anti-carb revolution all but swept bread from the family table overnight.
At the grocery store, desperate Atkins acolytes scrambled for low-carb candy bars, ice cream, pasta — anything to delay the onset of the next lettuce wrap. Even Chili’s rolled out a low-carb menu.
The mania peaked sometime in 2007, but denial diets flourish still, for reasons that are by turns medical and fanciful. We’re gluten-free, dairy-free and in the case of the raw-foods movement, cooking-free.
But those days at the all-you-can-eat steak trough? Priceless.
Tomorrow: The revenge of the Old Fashioned
(American-Statesman photo)
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The Decade in Food: One man’s trash is another man’s trailer
Five of the decade’s meatiest food stories, Part 2.
“If you follow an Airstream long enough in this town, they’re likely to pull over, open the flaps and sell cupcakes and tacos.”
That’s how KVUE meteorologist Mark Murray characterized Austin’s growing armada of food trailers during a KGSR radio show.
In this bread-and-water economy, anybody with a short-term lease on failed condo land and an ambition to cook can find an audience for honest food at an honest price.
By official count, Austin has more than a thousand licensed mobile vendors. By unofficial count, 900 of them sell tacos.
The rest sell, well, everything else: chicken cones, gourmet doughnuts, frozen yogurt, sushi, mini-burgers, chicken and waffles, noodle bowls, cupcakes, grilled cheese, crepes, cake balls and in the case of three chefs from Uchi, fried beets with kewpie mayo.
Tomorrow: The only good carb is a no-carb
(American-Statesman photo of the Flip Happy Crepes trailer by Mike Sutter)
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The Decade in Food: The edible security blanket
Sometime between the decade’s bookended fears of terrorism and financial ruin, Americans lost their fear of fried chicken.
The same can be said about hamburgers, bacon, macaroni and cheese and the other arteriosclerotic comfort foods we remember from our childhoods, or at least from lunch.
Comfort food is everywhere, telling us that everything’s going to be OK, just as soon as we get to Mighty Fine — or Five Guys or P. Terry’s or Hill-Bert’s or TerraBurger or any of Austin’s expanding burger chains.
Mac and cheese has shown up as an alternative to fries at 24 Diner, Cover 3, Red’s Porch and other new places. There’s bacon in the bourbon at the downtown hot dog house called Frank.
And fried chicken has become a point of pride even for upscale joints like Paggi House, Olivia and Max’s Wine Dive (pictured at right).
On his way out of the job, New York Times restaurant critic Frank Bruni said, “In New York right now, it seems like you can’t walk two paces without bumping into a piece of fried chicken.”
Who can say whether we’ll get to take those two paces tomorrow? Today, I’ll have the three-piece box and a biscuit.
Tomorrow: One man’s trash is another man’s trailer
(American-Statesman photo by Mike Sutter)
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Dining out for Christmas, plus New Year’s Eve events
An updated list of possibilities. Call for hours and availability before you go.
CHRISTMAS EVE
• Barton Creek Resort & Spa (8212 Barton Club Drive. 329-7923, www.bartoncreek.com)
• Blue Star Cafeteria (4800 Burnet Road, C-300. 454-7827, www.bluestarcafeteria.com)
• Cedar Door (201 Brazos St. 473-3712, www.cedardooraustin.com)
• Chez Zee American Bistro (5406 Balcones Drive. 454-2666, www.chez-zee.com)
• Ciola’s Italian-American Restaurant (Feast of the Seven Fishes at 1310 S. RM 620. 263-9936, www.ciolas.com)
• Cru a Wine Bar (238 W. Second St., 472-9463; 11410 Century Oaks Terrace, Suite 104 in the Domain. 339-9463, www.cruawinebar.com)
• Driskill Grill (604 Brazos St. 391-7162, www.driskillgrill.com)
• Eddie V’s (9400-B Arboretum Blvd., 342-2642; 301 E. Fifth St. 472-1860, www.eddiev.com)
• 1886 Cafe & Bakery (614 E. Sixth St. 391-7066, www.1886cafeandbakery.com)
• European Bistro (111 E. Main St., Pflugerville. 512-835-1919, www.european-bistro.com)
• Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar (11600 Century Oaks Terrace, Suite 140 at the Domain, 835-9463; 320 E. Second St. 457-1500; www.flemingssteakhouse.com):
• Fonda San Miguel (2330 W. North Loop Blvd. 459-4121, www.fondasanmiguel.com)
• Fortune Chinese Seafood Restaurant (by reservation only at 10901 N. Lamar Blvd., 490-1426, www.fortuneaustin.com)
• Green Pastures (811 W. Live Oak St. 444-4747, www.greenpasturesrestaurant.com)
• Hudson’s on the Bend (3509 N. RM 620. 266-1369, www.hudsonsonthebend.com)
• Jack Allen’s Kitchen (opening this month at 7720 W. Texas 71, www.jackallenskitchen.com)
• Katz’s Deli & Bar (618 W. Sixth St. 472-2037, www.katzneverkloses.com)
• La Madeleine (Until 6 p.m. 701 S. Capital of Texas Highway (Loop 360), Suite G, 306-1998; 5493 Brodie Lane, 287-4081; 9828 Great Hills Trail, Suite 650, 502-2474; 4401 N. Interstate 35, No. 2005, 512-863-0889; www.lamadeleine.com)
• Lakeway Resort and Spa (101 Lakeway Drive. 261-2323, www.dolce-lakeway-hotel.com)
• Lamberts Downtown Barbecue (401 W. Second St. 494-1500, www.lambertsaustin.com)
• Luby’s Cafeteria (seven area locations; www.lubys.com)
• Manny Hattan’s Deli and Restaurant (9503 Research Blvd. 794-0088, www.mannyhattans.com)
• Marie Callender’s (9503 Research Blvd., 349-7151; 5601 Brodie Lane, 899-1000, www.mariecallenders.com)
• North (11506 Century Oaks Terrace in the Domain. 339-4400, www.foxrestaurantconcepts.com/north.html)
• Opal Divine’s (Freehouse, 477-3308; Marina, 733-5353; Penn Field, 707-0237; www.opaldivines.com)
• Perla’s Seafood & Oyster Bar (1400 S. Congress Ave. 291-7300, www.perlasaustin.com)
• Restaurant Jezebel (914 Congress Ave., 499-3999, www.restaurantjezebel.com)
• Rocco’s Grill (900 RM 620 S., 263-8204, www.roccosgrill.com)
• Roaring Fork (10850 Stonelake Blvd., 342-2700; 701 Congress Ave., 583-0000, www.eddiev.com)
• Ruth’s Chris Steak House (107 W. Sixth St. 477-7884, www.ruthschris-austin.com)
• Sagra (1610 San Antonio St. 535-5988, www.sagrarestaurant.net)
• Santa Rita Tex-Mex Cantina (1206 W. 38th St. 419-7482, www.santaritacantina.com)
• Simplicity Wine & Eats (4801 Burnet Road. 553-4844, www.simplicitywinebar.com)
• Thai Spoon (3720 Gattis School Road, Suite 400, Round Rock. 512-733-2233 www.thaispoonrestaurant.com)
• Threadgill’s (301 W. Riverside Drive, 472-9304; 6416 N. Lamar Blvd., 451-5440, www.threadgills.com)
• III Forks (111 Lavaca St. 474-1776, www.iiiforks.com)
• Torchy’s Tacos (all four locations until 3 p.m. www.torchystacos.com)
• Trio at the Four Seasons Hotel Austin (98 San Jacinto Blvd. 685-8300, www.fourseasons.com)
• Truluck’s (400 Colorado St., 482-9000; 10225 Research Blvd., Suite 400, 794-8300, www.trulucks.com)
• Wyndham Garden Hotel Austin (3401 S. Interstate 35. 744-4838, www.wyndhamaustin.com)
CHRISTMAS DAY
• Barton Creek Resort & Spa (see above)
• Cedar Door (see above; opens at 7 p.m.)
• European Bistro (see above)
• Green Pastures (see above)
• 1886 Cafe & Bakery (614 E. Sixth St. 391-7066, www.1886cafeandbakery.com)
• Katz’s Deli & Bar (see above)
• Lakeway Resort and Spa (See above)
• Luby’s Cafeteria (8176 N. MoPac Blvd. (Loop 1) location only, 346-6040)
• Manny Hattan’s (See above)
• Marie Callender’s (9503 Research Blvd. location only, 349-7151)
• SWB Southwest Bistro (208 Barton Springs Road in the Hyatt hotel. 480-2035, www.austin.hyatt.com)
• Thai Spoon (see above)
• Threadgill’s (see above)
• Trio at the Four Seasons Hotel Austin (see above)
• Wyndham Garden Hotel Austin (see above)
NEW YEAR’S EVE EVENTS
• Lamberts Downtown Barbecue (401 W. Second St. 494-1500, www.lambertsaustin.com): Riverboat Casino party with buffet, band, DJ and open bar. $135.
• Parkside (301 E. Sixth St. 474-9898, www.parkside-austin.com): Four-course dinner. $60/$95 with wine pairings. Separate party with DJs, open bar and food. $100.
• Sagra (1610 San Antonio St. 535-5988, www.sagrarestaurant.net): Five-course dinner. $49/$74 with wine.
First Impressions: 24 Diner
At just three weeks old, 24 Diner merits an early look for a few good reasons:
• Austin needed another 24-hour spot to compete with Kerbey Lane and Magnolia Cafe. Options beyond Denny’s and IHOP are always welcome.
• This site at Sixth and Lamar housed one of the original Waterloo Ice House locations. As that franchise outgrew the modest space, Waterloo’s Scott Hentschel teamed with Bob Gillett of Paggi House and Key Bar acclaim to reimagine the space as a progressive diner. In that sense, 24 represents a juncture between old and new Austin culture.
• The contemporary design raises the bar for after-hours decor. The colors are gray, black and slate blue. The front counter looks as much like an Apple store or a cosmetics counter as it does a diner hub, with a glowing wine fridge and well-ordered shelves.
Molded plastic chairs of orange and jade curve like your backside, and the banquette backrests are covered in material the exact color and pebble grain of a new football. The salt-and-pepper caddies are welded from steel the weight of drill pipe.
The kitchen is run by Houston native Andrew Curren, a Culinary Institute of America-trained chef whose recent credits include the New York City restaurants Barbuto and Madeleine Mae.
Curren works with local farm-to-table expert John Lash to build daily specials for what he calls ‘elevated comfort food’ in this decidedly urban space. (Glamorous, right? He works a graveyard double shift.)
And the noises here are appropriate for an urban-style diner. The soundtrack grinds with rancorous guitar and angst-driven vocals. From the kitchen pass-through window, you can hear the expediter barking: ‘Meatloaf! Chicken pot pie! Three roast chicken all day!’
The menu veers South with chicken and waffles ($9.45) and deviled eggs ($4.95), meatloaf with sweet onion gravy and two sides ($12.95), a pork belly sandwich with a side ($11.65) and a patty melt with Gruyere cheese and a side ($9.45). Sides include mashed sweet potatoes, bacon-braised greens and macaroni and cheese.
I’ve had just one dish so far. I can report that the breakfast hash was on the dry side, a barely seasoned fry-up of potatoes, onion, bits of bacon, crumbled sausage, cheese and the barest hint of jalapeno, served with two soft-cooked eggs, thin wheat toast and a garden-variety fruit salad of apples, grapes and pineapple for $8.85. A modest diner staple, with better-than-modest Owl Tree Roasting coffee and friendly but overburdened service.
More reports will come about the food. Right now, it’s all about the style points. And 24 has those all day.
24 Diner. 600 N. Lamar Blvd. 472-5400, www.24diner.com. Hours: 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Open Christmas Eve, closed Christmas Day.
(American-Statesman photos by Mike Sutter)
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One Dish Wonders: Shoal Creek Saloon
‘Austin’s Best Pork Chop’ ($9.29, available Tuesdays and Wednesdays)
Right now, it’s good to be from New Orleans if you care about football. The Saints are rolling with QB Drew Brees and 12th-ranked LSU plays Penn State on Jan. 1 in the Capital One Bowl.
Shoal Creek Saloon cares about football, in case the Smart Car-sized Saints helmet on the awning out front didn’t tip you off. Or the TVs. On the back porch alone are five screens in an array that looks like the command center of a battleship.
If you care about food, it’s always good to be from New Orleans, no matter how the Saints are doing. And Shoal Creek Saloon cares about food: gumbo, etouffée, crawfish, shrimp, catfish, po’ boys, burgers, chicken-fried steak.
But on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, it’s mostly about the 1-pound ‘Austin’s Best Pork Chop’ special.
Curious what a piece of meat that big looks like? Look around. At lunchtime, there’s one on every table and two more gliding by on the waiter’s tray at any given moment, weaving through the wood-paneled dining room in front, bathed in the reddish glow of neon beer signs.
I heard about the pork chop at my neighbor’s office Christmas party, where I was surrounded by guys for whom Tuesdays at Shoal Creek have become a midday ritual. For them and about half the area work force, it looks like. You could sell raffle tickets for parking spaces.
Out back, the covered porch tilts precipitously toward Shoal Creek, which has risen up a time or two to swallow the saloon. With the rain this fall, the creek could pass for a bayou, the overhanging trees creating a sheltered Travel Channel riverscape just off congested South Lamar Boulevard.
My pork chop came from the fat side of the T-bone, just shy of two inches thick, barely sharing the plate with a scoop of buttery mashed potatoes, peppered gravy and green beans cooked just past done with a little bacon. The chop glowed like toasted gold, a crusty sear helped by a touch of rubbing spices, the fat charred to a perfect depth.
The meat was a cinch to cut, an abalone white basted by clear juices. It tasted every bit like a barbecue pitmaster’s prize chop without that oversmoked dryness.
Hard to believe it’s only $9.29. Hard to believe you could finish it in one sitting. But man, people big and small were putting it away. Happy people. It was like eating at a church picnic, Saints and all.
Shoal Creek Saloon. 909 N. Lamar Blvd. 474-0805, www.shoalcreeksaloon.com. Kitchen hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays through Wednesdays. 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays.
(American-Statesman photos by Mike Sutter)
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Trailer Treasure: Gourdough’s
Update 3/13/12: New location at 1503 S. First
One sure way to get people’s attention is to say ‘bacon doughnut.’
It’s likely that Ryan Palmer and Paula Samford knew that very thing in October when they opened Gourdough’s, a gourmet doughnut shop in a silver Airstream trailer.
For two people who between them have backgrounds in law, graphic design, construction and the Samford Group real estate company, the next logical step would be to open a doughnut trailer in South Austin. This is just common sense, right?
The land at 1219 S. Lamar Blvd. was the now-demolished home of Holland Photo, which has moved down the road. A condo development planned for the site didn’t materialize, and now the plot is home not only to Gourdough’s, but a coffee-and-smoothie stand called Austin Brevita and Odd Duck Farm to Trailer, which popped up just two weeks ago.
The doughnuts are fried to order, so expect to wait a few minutes under the umbrellas at the tables on the white gravel lot. When it’s dry, gravel dust will powder your shoes and creep up your pant legs like a chalky version of the black goo from ‘Spider-Man 3.’ It’s the price you pay for doughnuts al fresco.
The doughnut itself takes some getting used to. It’s dense and absorbent, almost like a shortcake or a crumbly biscuit, about the size of a CD. No angel-wing glazers here. They’d collapse under the weight of the over-the-top concept, not to mention the crumbled Oreos, vanilla wafers or Canadian bacon.
The 25 or so varieties come filled with cream, dusted with cinnamon, dressed with habanero jelly and rolled in coconut. Doughnuts are $3.25, plus a dollar if they have meat. One is plenty; two might require a shot of insulin (not on the menu just yet).
One sports chunks of batter-fried chicken and a kiss of honey butter. Granny’s Pie is an indulgent tumble of sweet nostalgia, with caramel, pecans, bananas and crumbled graham crackers, inspired by Samford’s grandmother. Miss Shortcake plays it simpler, with sliced fresh strawberries, cream-cheese icing and a hit of whipped cream.
Here’s the part where I say ‘bacon doughnut.’ The Flying Pig carries three strips of curly bacon arranged like a crunchy crown on sticky maple syrup icing.
After midnight on a two-beer buzz, you’d probably think it’s the best thing you’ve ever eaten. Because Gourdough’s is open until 2 a.m. every single day, you have plenty of time to find out.
Gourdough’s. 1503 S. First. www.gourdoughs.com. Hours: 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily.
(American-Statesman photo by Mike Sutter)
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Mighty Cone, Annies in Food & Wine; Elevation Burger shakes up good students
• In other Food & Wine magazine news, Annies Cafe & Bar landed a mention in the December issue for its dinner-menu fried calamari salad. Writing for Food & Wine’s ‘10 Best Restaurant Dishes 2009 $12 and Under,’ Texas Monthly food editor Pat Sharpe said, “Chef Tony Amplo makes it extra-great with thin slices of battered, fried cherry peppers and lemon. He serves it all over arugula with a powerful, creamy Sriracha chile sauce dressing for $10.” The piece puts Annies in company with restaurants in food cities such as New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Portland, Ore.
• Through Jan. 10, Elevation Burger (9828 Great Hills Trail. 608-4054, www.elevationburger.com) will give a free milk shake to schoolchildren who bring in their latest report cards showing an “A” or “B” average, improvement over previous grades or proof of perfect attendance.
(American-Statesman photo by Mike Sutter)
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‘Yes We’re Open’ Report #9
• Open: East Side King (above), an eclectic Asian food trailer run by three chefs who also cook at Uchi, in the back lot of the Liberty Bar, 1618 1⁄2 E. Sixth St. Open 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. Thursdays through Saturdays.
• Open: The Star Bar, renovated by the team behind Austin’s Ranch 616, at 600 W. Sixth St.
• Open: Royal Fig Catering, with catering by chef Dan Stacy and event planning by Kristen Stacy, in the former West Lake Hills home of Whisk at 4238 Bee Cave Road. 814-9743, www.royalfig.com.
• Open: Fresh Cup Frozen Yogurt, a self-serve frozen yogurt-and-toppings shop in the Wal-Mart plaza at 13000 N. Interstate 35, Building 11. 339-1333, www.freshcupfrozenyogurt.com.
• Open: Frutii FroYo, a frozen yogurt store at 1007A S. Congress Ave.
• Coming soon: Quattro Gatti, a second location of the Italian restaurant in Manhattan, at 908 Congress Ave.
• Closed: The Dimassi’s Mediterranean Buffet location at 4301 W. William Cannon Drive.
(American-Statesman photo by Mike Sutter)
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Cheap wine, by the book
The tasters who contributed to “The Wine Trials 2010” (Fearless Critic Media, $14.95) chose their wine and 149 others that cost less than $15 in blind tastings against bottles costing much more.
Put together by Robin Goldstein and Alexis Herschkowitsch of the Fearless Critic restaurant guide series, “The Wine Trials” reports, for example, that a $12 Domaine Ste. Michelle Brut sparkling wine was preferred over a $150 bottle of Dom Pérignon champagne by 41 out of 62 tasters when the bottles were hidden.
The book, a sequel to the 2008 edition, explains the methodology (tasters included wine experts and casual drinkers alike), analyzes the industry’s penchant for arbitrary pricing and includes “nose,” “mouth” and “design” notes for dozens of wines you’ve seen on grocery-store shelves.
The $9 bottle of Fetzer chardonnay that won its category? “Complex and delightful, with citrus, mineral and apple aromas.”
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Season for Caring: P. Terry’s
On Saturday, Dec. 19, P. Terry’s Burger Stand will donate all profits from its three locations to the American-Statesman’s Season for Caring campaign.
“How do you not read these articles and not just get on your knees,” said Patrick Terry, who owns P. Terry’s with his wife, Kathy.
Past recipients of profits from the chain include the Capital Area United Way, Big Brothers/Big Sisters and the Austin Children’s Shelter.
“People in this town have embraced us. It’s good to give back,” Terry said.
P. Terry’s locations: 404 S. Lamar Blvd., 473-2217; 3303 N. Lamar Blvd., 371-9975; 4228 W. William Cannon Drive, 358-0380. www.pterrys.com.
(American-Statesman photos by Mike Sutter)
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Sushi avatars: Tomo in Milwood
Three days of seeing your neighborhood through the eyes of your local sushi bar. If you live in Cedar Park, congratulations. You’re one spicy crawdad. West Lake Hills? Love your cucumber camisole. Austin, you’re an enchilada enigma wrapped in rice paper. Your edible avatars await.
Monday: Nagoya Steak & Sushi in Cedar Park
Tuesday: Izumi Japanese Sushi & Grill in West Lake Hills
Wednesday: Tomo Sushi in Milwood
TOMO SUSHI
It’s hard to pin a neighborhood identity on the stretch of Parmer Lane that houses Tomo.
But considering that the area is anchored by a core of long-timers who rolled the dice on living here when Milwood was a world away from downtown, I’d call it a pioneering enclave of people who know how to work smart and relax hard. Hello, Tomo.
Inside this small, spartan place, where a glowing blue aquarium of ersatz jellyfish greets you at the front door, the sushi bar itself rests like a lacquered horizontal Stonehenge. The booths, banquettes and bar are populated by a mixed-age demographic that included a group of tattooed Goths and a ‘you-might-be-a-yuppie-if’ couple next to us.
Any number of factors might have lured them to Tomo: the party-hardy guy making the sushi between shots of beer, the good-natured waitstaff or the dizzying list of fresh-catch specials that included live eel, live scallops and abalone.
But I’m guessing the sushi rolls have more to do with it. More specifically, the single-entendre, PG-13 names of those rolls: Sex on the Beach, Double D, Say My Name, Ex-Girlfriend.
Tomo is a flag-carrier for the nonsense nomenclature of the specialty roll, where image is everything, puffed up with tempura and cream cheese — two things that don’t belong in a conversation about serious sushi.
But forget being serious for a minute and consider the Austin Roll (you annex us, we’ll annex you right back). With calamari tempura, eel, scallop and ahi for $13.50, it rolled along like an enchilada, the creamy fish standing in for cheese, the rice paper like a tortilla, the assembled flavors inexplicably building for a No. 2 Plate thrill. Tomo makes a Mexican roll, too, but it’s a familiar blend of cream cheese and jalapeño, something you see on a host of sushi menus under many different names.
Meanwhile, back at the frat house, the Who’s Your Daddy Roll ($13) packed eight big pieces with a dense blend of spicy tuna and asparagus, wrapped generously with fresh salmon and dressed with a spicy cream sauce. For that pulse-racing protein punch of good sushi, Daddy rocked.
Placing our order for an eight-piece sushi dinner ($18), we asked Tomo to challenge us, that we were ready for anything. What we got was a fresh but unchallenging scattering of snapper, escolar, octopus, double pieces of salmon and tuna and a piece of leathery shrimp, plus an average spicy tuna roll.
The midlevel experience continued with a baked dish called Dynamite ($9.50) in a glutinous sauce that tasted like mayonnaise holding together bits of indistinguishable seafood. The swimming portion of the program was redeemed in part by sweet-and-smoky seared eel nigiri sushi ($4.50 for two pieces).
Oddly, the sushi refusenik at our tabled fared better, with backyard-tasting grilled chicken teriyaki ($14) and decent tempura-fried broccoli and asparagus ($2 each for two pieces). I can’t recommend the stiff, dry pumpkin tempura, though, and both the teriyaki and tempura seemed overpriced for what we got.
Our tough-shelled tempura cheesecake ($6) was a leaden disaster, but our lone dissenter scored again with creme brulee ($6), with luscious vanilla flavor and a bite of ginger.
Online, Tomo has been mentioned in the same breath as a South Austin neighborhood sushi joint that rhymes with ‘smoochie.’ But that’s a G-rated kiss at best.
Tomo Sushi
4101 W. Parmer Lane, Suite E. 821-9472, www.tomosushiaustin.com.
Rating: 6.2 out of 10
Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 5:30 to 10 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. Noon to 10 p.m. Saturdays. Closed Sundays.
Prices: Nigiri sushi averages $4-$6 for two pieces. Traditional sushi rolls $3.50 (cucumber) to $12 (rainbow, caterpillar). Specialty rolls average $12-$14. Teriyaki $14 (chicken) to $20 (steak).
Payment: All major cards
Alcohol: Beer, wine and sake
Wheelchair access: Yes
(American-Statesman photos by Mike Sutter)
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Sushi avatars: Izumi in Westlake
Three days of seeing your neighborhood through the eyes of your local sushi bar. If you live in Cedar Park, congratulations. You’re one spicy crawdad. West Lake Hills? Love your cucumber camisole. Austin, you’re an enchilada enigma wrapped in rice paper. Your edible avatars await.
Monday: Nagoya Steak & Sushi in Cedar Park
Tuesday: Izumi Japanese Sushi & Grill in West Lake Hills
Wednesday: Tomo Sushi in Milwood
IZUMI JAPANESE SUSHI & GRILL
The newcomer Izumi recently carved out a narrow niche next to the H-E-B Westlake Market. This long, narrow space used to be a La Salsa franchise, but you’d never know it from the warm wood tones, the clean lines and the red walls, one with a textured rendering of a sinewy tree right out of a Japanese print.
Nigiri sushi sets the tone here, some of the most elegantly cut fish in the city, fluidly draped over perfect rice, the flavors as clean and fresh as the presentation, especially in translucent Japanese snapper ($5.25 for two pieces, above right) and silky albacore ($4.25). Eel nigiri ($5.95) was seared to a delicate, sweet crispness outside, smoky and fresh inside. Excellent omens.
The omens rang true in the Westlake Hill Roll ($11.95, above left), probably more subtle in flavor than Westlakers and their mighty Chaps might like to be characterized, but showy in a way I imagine they’d be OK with, a tall sail of cucumber steering a circled flotilla of kaleidoscope slices on a ponzu lagoon. Imagine cutting a cucumber into an even blanket of wrapping paper and you get a sense of the skill behind this roll’s exterior. Inside, asparagus and minced crab worked with fresh tuna, salmon and yellowtail to create flavors smart enough to fit the presentation.
The Geisha Roll ($11.95) wasn’t quite as pretty, with three earth-tone sauces on a seaweed roll filled with a crazy quilt of eel, tuna, salmon and yellow radish. The flavor matched the look, unfocused but satisfying, with sweet, savory and vegetal tones playing tag.
For the aforementioned sushi-phobe, the salmon teriyaki bento box dinner ($17.95) was a sampler of Izumi’s bells and whistles. The crisp and flaky tempura rang out (especially a patty of shredded vegetables), and an eight-piece spicy tuna roll whistled melodically enough to interest anybody who likes fish in any form.
The seared salmon at the heart of the box had a pedestrian flavor, surprising in this house of serious fish, and the pan-fried dumplings broke no new ground, but with miso soup and a simple salad, the box was a solid value and will please your meat-and-potatoes people.
Izumi is an intimate and ambitious place, still new enough to care. The waitress and floor manager took turns serving us sake and luring us with creative options for the night’s fresh Spanish mackerel. We were saturated, but because West Lake Hills can be an over-the-top place, we topped out with a totally out-of-place tempura ice cream dessert ($4.50), fried to a blissful crunch like a baseball-sized waffle cone. Nothing exceeds like excess.
Izumi Japanese Sushi & Grill
701 S. Capital of Texas Highway (Loop 360), Suite 550. 328-3333, www.sushiizumi.com.
Rating: 7.8 out of 10
Hours: 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 to 10 p.m. Mondays through Fridays (until 10:30 p.m. Fridays). Noon to 10:20 p.m. Saturdays. Closed Sundays.
Prices: Nigiri sushi averages $4-$6 for two pieces. Traditional sushi rolls $3.95 (cucumber) to $10.95 (rainbow, dragon). Specialty rolls average $10-$13. Teriyaki $11.95 (tofu) to $15.95 (salmon).
Payment: All major cards
Alcohol: Beer, wine and sake
Wheelchair access: Yes
(American-Statesman photos by Mike Sutter)
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Sushi avatars: Nagoya in Cedar Park
In the World of Warcraft, Mr. T’s avatar is a Knight Elf Mohawk. In the World of Centex Sushi, your avatar is whatever your neighborhood sushi dojo rolls up and christens with a geocentric label.
If you live in Cedar Park, congratulations. You’re one spicy crawdad. West Lake Hills? Love your cucumber camisole. Austin, you’re an enchilada enigma wrapped in rice paper.
How do I know this? Because I picked three dots on the expanding map of stop-drop-and-roll houses around town and came up with Nagoya Steak & Sushi in Cedar Park, Izumi Japanese Sushi & Grill in West Lake Hills and Tomo Sushi in Northwest Austin.
Along with the main-attraction morsels of raw, seared, smoked and artfully contorted fish, each place carries a carnival array of bells and whistles: grilled teriyaki and hibachi entrees, bento boxes, spring rolls, noodles, dumplings.
What, no pizza? Maybe not, but Tomo has ‘Japanese Lasagna.’ (I don’t even want to know.)
For comparison, we ordered nigiri sushi (fish on rice), sushi rolls, teriyaki and tempura from each of the three. Why teriyaki and tempura? Because show me a diehard sushi fiend and I’ll show you that person’s significant other who’d rather starve than eat bait. And they’re weary of being lectured in the Ways of the Dragon Roll, so let them eat their chicken in peace. This, after all, is their neighborhood, too.
Monday: Nagoya Steak & Sushi in Cedar Park
Tuesday: Izumi Japanese Sushi & Grill in West Lake Hills
Wednesday: Tomo Sushi in Milwood
NAGOYA STEAK & SUSHI
Nagoya is clean and bright, with splashes of color, comfortable booths, a few too many TVs, plenty of parking and mass-market signage. From the outside, it could pass for a Steak ’n Shake.
The atmosphere is friendly and unassuming, comfortable with itself without being arrogant. There’s room to stretch out, like Cedar Park itself.
Nagoya’s nod to the neighborhood is the Cedar Park Roll ($10.95, above left): cooked crawfish, spicy orange mayo and chopped crab rolled in rice and seaweed and poorly fried. Tempura vegetables ($6) already had set the tone for a night of bad frying. Fried zucchini was slick and wet, the greasy breading slipping right off, right in line with oily and undercooked broccoli and sweet potato pieces.
We know this isn’t you, Cedar Park. Maybe something smoky and flavorful, something with pepper and personality. But not this.
But our waiter was enthusiastic about the food, professional and courteous, with a sense of humor. So we took two of his suggestions: filet mignon carpaccio and the Out of Control Roll.
The carpaccio ($10) was homely, to put it humanely, an amoeba of thinly sliced beef splayed across the plate, with a sheen of what looked like blood and oil across the top. ‘Like Hannibal Lecter’s amuse bouche,’ my guest said. The taste rose above the cosmetic flaws — light, savory saltiness with a rich undertone — but it underperformed, given the pedigree of the cut.
The tuna, salmon and yellowtail inside the Out of Control Roll ($12.95) suffered sensory smoke damage from the torch applied to the layered fish on the outside, like it had been blazed with a Zippo lighter, leaving the impression of petrol on the tongue. The mismatched yuzo, spicy mayonnaise and brown sauces offered no relief.
For a restaurant with half its space dedicated to Benihana-style show-grill stations, I expected a better job with seared meat. No luck. A mixed teriyaki dish of chicken and beef ($14.95) looked and tasted exactly like airplane food, back when airlines served food, with gristly beef, blanched chicken, syrupy teriyaki sauce and an apathetic tumble of vegetables. The dish was lying on its bed watching TV instead of doing its job — which in this case should have been distracting us from the fish.
Nigiri is the canary in any sushi place’s coal mine, and ours looked apprehensive (above right). The yellowtail ($5.50) tasted fine, two unevenly cut pieces on top of rice with no intention of staying together. Octopus nigiri ($4.50) was clean, generous and predictably chewy. Unfortunately, so was the white tuna ($4.50). But even a sticky, sweet sauce couldn’t mask the noxious fish taste that lingered long after the seared eel nigiri ($5) left the palate.
In a place with such good intentions, such warmth, such resolute energy, such Cedar Park-iness, I wondered how the food could be so out of step.
Nagoya Steak & Sushi
11630 RM 620 N. 258-9988, www.eatnagoya.com.
Rating: 4.5 out of 10
Hours: 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 4 to 10 p.m. Mondays through Fridays (until 11 p.m. Fridays). Noon to 3 p.m. and 4 to 11 p.m. Saturdays. Noon to 3 p.m. and 4 to 10 p.m. Sundays.
Prices: Nigiri sushi averages $4-$5 for two pieces. Traditional sushi rolls $3 (avocado) to $12 (rainbow, dragon). Specialty rolls average $12-$14. Teriyaki $12.95 (chicken) to $16.95 (shrimp and scallop combo).
Payment: All major cards
Alcohol: Beer, wine, sake and cocktails
Wheelchair access: Yes
(American-Statesman photos by Mike Sutter)
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Dining out for Christmas, updated
It’s time to make plans for dining out Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Here’s an updated list of possibilities. Call for hours and reservations. If you have recommendations, especially for Christmas Day, please e-mail msutter@statesman.com.
CHRISTMAS EVE
• Barton Creek Resort & Spa (8212 Barton Club Drive. 329-7923, www.bartoncreek.com)
• Blue Star Cafeteria (4800 Burnet Road, C-300. 454-7827, www.bluestarcafeteria.com)
• Cedar Door (201 Brazos St. 473-3712, www.cedardooraustin.com)
• Chez Zee American Bistro (5406 Balcones Drive. 454-2666, www.chez-zee.com)
• Ciola’s Italian-American Restaurant (Feast of the Seven Fishes at 1310 S. RM 620. 263-9936, www.ciolas.com)
• Cru a Wine Bar (238 W. Second St., 472-9463; 11410 Century Oaks Terrace, Suite 104 in the Domain. 339-9463, www.cruawinebar.com)
• Driskill Grill (604 Brazos St. 391-7162, www.driskillgrill.com)
• Eddie V’s (9400-B Arboretum Blvd., 342-2642; 301 E. Fifth St. 472-1860, www.eddiev.com)
• 1886 Cafe & Bakery (614 E. Sixth St. 391-7066, www.1886cafeandbakery.com)
• European Bistro (111 E. Main St., Pflugerville. 512-835-1919, www.european-bistro.com)
• Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar (11600 Century Oaks Terrace, Suite 140 at the Domain, 835-9463; 320 E. Second St. 457-1500; www.flemingssteakhouse.com):
• Fonda San Miguel (2330 W. North Loop Blvd. 459-4121, www.fondasanmiguel.com)
• Fortune Chinese Seafood Restaurant (by reservation only at 10901 N. Lamar Blvd., 490-1426, www.fortuneaustin.com)
• Green Pastures (811 W. Live Oak St. 444-4747, www.greenpasturesrestaurant.com)
• Hudson’s on the Bend (3509 N. RM 620. 266-1369, www.hudsonsonthebend.com)
• Jack Allen’s Kitchen (opening this month at 7720 W. Texas 71, www.jackallenskitchen.com)
• Katz’s Deli & Bar (618 W. Sixth St. 472-2037, www.katzneverkloses.com)
• La Madeleine (Until 6 p.m. 701 S. Capital of Texas Highway (Loop 360), Suite G, 306-1998; 5493 Brodie Lane, 287-4081; 9828 Great Hills Trail, Suite 650, 502-2474; 4401 N. Interstate 35, No. 2005, 512-863-0889; www.lamadeleine.com)
• Lakeway Resort and Spa (101 Lakeway Drive. 261-2323, www.dolce-lakeway-hotel.com)
• Lamberts Downtown Barbecue (401 W. Second St. 494-1500, www.lambertsaustin.com)
• Luby’s Cafeteria (seven area locations; www.lubys.com)
• Manny Hattan’s Deli and Restaurant (9503 Research Blvd. 794-0088, www.mannyhattans.com)
• Marie Callender’s (9503 Research Blvd., 349-7151; 5601 Brodie Lane, 899-1000, www.mariecallenders.com)
• North (11506 Century Oaks Terrace in the Domain. 339-4400, www.foxrestaurantconcepts.com/north.html)
• Opal Divine’s (Freehouse, 477-3308; Marina, 733-5353; Penn Field, 707-0237; www.opaldivines.com)
• Perla’s Seafood & Oyster Bar (1400 S. Congress Ave. 291-7300, www.perlasaustin.com)
• Restaurant Jezebel (914 Congress Ave., 499-3999, www.restaurantjezebel.com)
• Rocco’s Grill (900 RM 620 S., 263-8204, www.roccosgrill.com)
• Roaring Fork (10850 Stonelake Blvd., 342-2700; 701 Congress Ave., 583-0000, www.eddiev.com)
• Ruth’s Chris Steak House (107 W. Sixth St. 477-7884, www.ruthschris-austin.com)
• Sagra (1610 San Antonio St. 535-5988, www.sagrarestaurant.net)
• Santa Rita Tex-Mex Cantina (1206 W. 38th St. 419-7482, www.santaritacantina.com)
• Simplicity Wine & Eats (4801 Burnet Road. 553-4844, www.simplicitywinebar.com)
• Thai Spoon (3720 Gattis School Road, Suite 400, Round Rock. 512-733-2233 www.thaispoonrestaurant.com)
• Threadgill’s (301 W. Riverside Drive, 472-9304; 6416 N. Lamar Blvd., 451-5440, www.threadgills.com)
• III Forks (111 Lavaca St. 474-1776, www.iiiforks.com)
• Torchy’s Tacos (all four locations until 3 p.m. www.torchystacos.com)
• Trio at the Four Seasons Hotel Austin (98 San Jacinto Blvd. 685-8300, www.fourseasons.com)
• Truluck’s (400 Colorado St., 482-9000; 10225 Research Blvd., Suite 400, 794-8300, www.trulucks.com)
• Wyndham Garden Hotel Austin (3401 S. Interstate 35. 744-4838, www.wyndhamaustin.com)
CHRISTMAS DAY
• Barton Creek Resort & Spa (see above)
• Cedar Door (see above; opens at 7 p.m.)
• European Bistro (see above)
• Green Pastures (see above)
• 1886 Cafe & Bakery (614 E. Sixth St. 391-7066, www.1886cafeandbakery.com)
• Katz’s Deli & Bar (see above)
• Lakeway Resort and Spa (See above)
• Luby’s Cafeteria (8176 N. MoPac Blvd. (Loop 1) location only, 346-6040)
• Manny Hattan’s (See above)
• Marie Callender’s (9503 Research Blvd. location only, 349-7151)
• SWB Southwest Bistro (208 Barton Springs Road in the Hyatt hotel. 480-2035, www.austin.hyatt.com)
• Thai Spoon (see above)
• Threadgill’s (see above)
• Trio at the Four Seasons Hotel Austin (see above)
• Wyndham Garden Hotel Austin (see above)
‘Yes We’re Open’ Report #8
• Open: Odd Duck Farm to Trailer, a trailer serving quesadillas, sandwiches, soups and other food with a farmers’ market flair. 1219 S. Lamar Blvd. 695-6922, www.oddduckfarmtotrailer.com.
• Open:Spartan Pizza, a pizza trailer in the parking lot of Red Shed Tavern at 8504 S. Congress Ave. 484-0798, www.spartanpizzaaustin.com.
• Open:Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, the third Austin location of the California-based coffeeshop at 1000 E. 41st St., Suite 180. 351-8676, www.coffeebeanaustin.com.
• Open:Old School BBQ & Grill, a trailer housed in a school bus at Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Clifford Avenue, serving burgers, brisket and pizzas.
• Open:G’Raj Mahal, a trailer serving Indian food until 3 a.m. at 91 Red River. 480-2255.
• Open:Pearce Cafe, a Thai restaurant at 17097 Pearce Lane. 247-9612.
• Open:Trailer Perk, a trailer serving coffee, sandwiches and pastries for breakfast and lunch weekdays and Saturdays, with late-night weekend hours. 1602 E. Sixth St.
• Renamed:The Elroy Sausage Co. has changed its name to Wild Bubba’s Wild Game Grill. Same ownership, now focusing on burgers made from exotic meats: buffalo, cabrito, antelope, ostrich, bear, yak, kangaroo and elk. 13912 FM 812, Elroy (about 14 miles souteast of Austin. 512-243-1333.
• Moved:DeFresh Mode, the vegetarian sandwich trailer that John Johnston and Kelly Carter opened in June near Zilker Park, to 2801 Manchaca Road. www.defreshmode.com.
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Old Pecan Street Cafe moves across 6th Street
Owner Bob Woody — who owns, operates or holds leases on more than 20 businesses around town and on Sixth Street — said the move will allow him to bring in a higher-volume business to pay the rent at the original location.
That business, an upscale theme bar called the Trophy Room, should open by the end of the year, Woody said.
The cafe’s bakery and banquet room will remain on the second floor of the Sixth Street building.
The cafe’s hours at the new location are 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. Sadly, no more dinner hours, but Woody said the menu still carries the same quiche and crepe classics, plus five kinds of eggs Benedict and an expanded bakery case. 478-2491, www.oldpecanstcafe.com.
Parkside mourns its general manager
Parkside chef Shawn Cirkiel shared some sad news via e-mail of the passing of the restaurant’s general manager, Eddie Del Valle. Here’s what the letter said:
This past Sunday parkside and the Austin restaurant community lost Eddie Del Valle our General Manager. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family. Eddie is survived by his wife Zaira Rivera and children Sebastian 7, Jean Carlo 6, and Camila 4. “Eddie was great friend and valuable employee and our hearts go out to his wife and children.”
We will be holding a service at the restaurant on Thursday December 10th at noon. In lieu of flowers we are asking for donations to help the family through this difficult time.
Parkside is at 301 E. Sixth St. Our condolences to the Del Valles and the extended Parkside family.
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First Impressions: Red’s Porch
When the hot dog trailer next door is more visible from South Lamar Boulevard than your place, you have to work harder. That explains the red, white and faded blue sign the size of a drive-in movie marquee proclaiming Red’s Porch, which opened in late November.
Red’s is hidden behind the Citibank building, where it captures a sweeping view of the Barton Creek Greenbelt from a covered second-story patio and two more patios on ground level. The tiered design, with brown and green wood slats and wire screens, suggests an urban chicken coop. Inside, it’s all fun and board games on the walls, with TVs here and there and a mix of white tablecloths and fat lacquered wood. The effect is both contemporary and vintage.
The sprawling menu touches on all three corners of the South Austin canon — burgers, Tex-mex and chicken-fried steak — but saves room for exotics such as gumbo, po’ boy sandwiches and New Orleans chocolate bread pudding.
The Smokey Goat Burger ($9.95) is a double-handed, half-pound monster with crumbly goat cheese, dense bacon and fried onion strings. From a choice of whole wheat, sourdough or jalapeño buns, we ran with the last one. It was dense, fresh and slightly sweet, and the peppers aren’t in there just for show.
Here’s what sold us on Red’s early prospects, though: The burger price includes fries, but you can sub for one of the other sides — among them Southern green beans, creamed spinach and red potato salad. We picked macaroni and cheese, so for $10, we got that burger plus a big baking dish of creamy mac with a toasted cheese top.
You could split that dish between two people, and each of you can get a bottle of the best ginger ale I’ve ever tasted from Maine Root.
Instead of an unidentifiable, tenderized piece of beef, Red’s Porch uses rib-eye in its chicken-fried steak ($10.95), and from the first bite, you’ll notice an improved texture and flavor in this Texas staple. With a well-seasoned, crispy crust, this chicken-fried steak outshined the bleu cheese and horseradish-laced smashed potatoes and even the gravy spooned over the top.
In addition to gumbo, Red’s Porch offers a smoked chicken corn chowder that at $6.25 for a bowl is one of the cheapest and most delicious ways to fill up on a cold wintry day.
Even nonvegetarians will flock to the Veggie Veggie Enchiladas ($8.50), topped with an arbol cream sauce that doesn’t overwhelm the perfectly grilled vegetable medley inside the tortillas.
With almost as many cocktails as beers on tap, Red’s is a drink-lovers’ paradise. You’ll recognize plenty of local companies on the drinks list, and the cocktails are heavy on the classics, such as the Dark n’ Stormy, Mint Julep and Salty Dog, plus margaritas as well as a red and white sangrias.
For dessert, the fried Snickers are fun, but not nearly as tasty as the banana pudding or Derby Kahlua Pie.
‘Red’ could be short for ‘redneck’ here, and that vibe feels a little forced. But with modest prices and a bountiful bar, this South Austin playground from North by Northwest’s Davis Tucker shows clear potential to rise above the artifice.
And Chris’ Little Chicago next door will be glad to know there aren’t any hot dogs on the menu.
3508 S. Lamar Blvd. 440-7337, www.redsporch.com. Hours: 11 a.m. to midnight daily, until 1 a.m. Saturdays.
(American-Statesman photos by Mike Sutter)
Dining out for Christmas, Part 1
If you have recommendations, especially for Christmas Day, please e-mail me at msutter@statesman.com. I’ll be updating this list on Forklore and in print as often as I can.
CHRISTMAS EVE
• Blue Star Cafeteria (4800 Burnet Road, C-300, 454-7827, www.bluestarcafeteria.com)
• Chez Zee American Bistro (5406 Balcones Drive, 454-2666, www.chez-zee.com)
• Ciola’s Italian-American Restaurant (Feast of the Seven Fishes at 1310 RM 620 S., 263-9936, www.ciolas.com)
• Eddie V’s (9400-B Arboretum Blvd., 342-2642; 301 E. Fifth St., 472-1860, www.eddiev.com)
• Fortune Chinese Seafood Restaurant (by reservation at 10901 N. Lamar Blvd., 490-1426, www.fortuneaustin.com)
• Hudson’s on the Bend (3509 RM 620 N., 266-1369, www.hudsonsonthebend.com)
• Jack Allen’s Kitchen (opening this month at 7720 W. Texas 71, www.jackallenskitchen.com)
• Lamberts Downtown Barbecue (401 W. Second St., 494-1500, www.lambertsaustin.com)
• Perla’s Seafood & Oyster Bar (1400 S. Congress Ave. 291-7300, www.perlasaustin.com)
• Restaurant Jezebel (914 Congress Ave., 499-3999, www.restaurantjezebel.com)
• Roaring Fork (10850 Stonelake Blvd., 342-2700; 701 Congress Ave., 583-0000, www.eddiev.com)
• Santa Rita Tex-Mex Cantina (1206 W. 38th St., 419-7482, www.santaritacantina.com)
• Simplicity Wine & Eats (4801 Burnet Road, 553-4844, www.simplicitywinebar.com)
• Threadgill’s (at right) (301 W. Riverside Drive, 472-9304; 6416 N. Lamar Blvd., 451-5440, www.threadgills.com)
• III Forks (111 Lavaca St. 474-1776, www.iiiforks.com)
• Trio at the Four Seasons Hotel Austin (98 San Jacinto Blvd., 685-8300, www.fourseasons.com)
CHRISTMAS DAY
• Threadgill’s (see above)
• Trio at the Four Seasons Hotel Austin (see above)
(American-Statesman photo)
Open for Christmas? Tell us about it
It’s time to make plans for Christmas and New Year’s dining out. If your restaurant is open Christmas Eve, Christmas Day or New Year’s Day (most everybody’s open New Year’s Eve), please send me an e-mail with the days, the hours, special menu options and prices. Include your address, phone number, and Web site, and I’ll start posting these online and in print.
A Christmas cocktail, family-style
In our Austin360 magazine, we take off our eggnog goggles to explore Christmastime cocktails from seven Austin restaurants.
Bar columnist Dina Guidubaldi, beer writer Patrick Beach and Food Team intern Amira Jensen bring the buzz from Sullivan’s, Eddie V’s, Peche, the Ginger Man, Opal Divine’s and the Good Knight.
I saved the seventh one for myself, because it’s the best. And because you don’t have to show ID to get it.
Peppermint Chocolate Chip Milk Shake at Chick-fil-A
Don’t laugh. I like Christmas cocktails as much as the next red-nosed reindeer.
But if I’m driving this time of year, odds are at least one of my passengers can’t pass for 21. Or even 12. Chick-fil-A makes all of us happy with the decidedly alcohol-free Peppermint Chocolate Chip Milk Shake, a swirl of soft ice cream, peppermint syrup, bits of chocolate and crunchy little crystals of peppermint candy.
It’s like pulling your Christmas stocking over your head and taking a deep inhale, if you and your stocking were in a walk-in freezer. The large is $2.99. The whipped cream and the candle-wax cherry are free. The kids like the unadorned fried-chicken sandwiches and love the waffle fries, no matter how much you want them to get the fruit cup instead.
It’s cheap, it’s never far away, and plenty of nice bars and restaurants could learn something about customer service from the young crews at Chick-fil-A.
701 S. Capital of Texas Highway (Loop 360), Suite L400, West Lake Hills. 329-9171. Other locations: More than a dozen in the area. See www.chick-fil-a.com.
(American-Statesman photo by Mike Sutter)
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