FOOD & DRINK

All-time Austin favorites

A restaurant critic's picks of the city's best items

By Dale Rice
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Tuesday, August 26, 2008

After nearly 15 years of reviewing Austin restaurants, I'm trading in one dream job for another. I'm leaving a great restaurant scene and the American-Statesman to teach journalism at Texas A&M University.

Though I have produced weekly ratings and annual rankings of local dining establishments, I have never listed my all-time favorite Austin food items, the things I have gone back for repeatedly over the years. So today, in a fond farewell to Austin restaurants, I salute the items I will miss the most. Some might even call these items vices. I prefer to think of them as Dale's comfort food:

The marble cupcake at Upper Crust licks the competition without a drop of icing. Dark chocolate cake forms the exterior of this cupcake, cradling a cheesecake interior with a chunk of dark chocolate in the center. The only time I skip that cupcake is when I'm having a cinnamon roll for breakfast. Upper Crust Bakery, 4508 Burnet Road, 467-0102.

The Mexican vanilla ice cream, rich and creamy with a strong vanilla flavor, is the hallmark of Amy's Ice Creams, a business I've been frequenting since Amy Simmons' first days behind the counter in her own shop more than two decades ago. There's only one way to improve it, and that's with fresh strawberries crushed in. Amy's Ice Creams, 1012 W. Sixth St. 480-0673.

When I yearn for a fantastic burger, there's only one place that satisfies that longing: Hill's Cafe, where the classic burger is still the best in town. These perfectly seasoned, hand-formed patties are served on a slightly sweet kolache-style bun and come with a combo of regular and sweet potato fries. Hill's Cafe, 4700 S. Congress Ave. 851-9300.

The picadillo at Cisco's was one of the first Austin specialties I was introduced to upon moving here, instantly becoming a mainstay of any breakfast or lunch at this East Austin Tex-Mex spot. The freshly baked roll is cut in the center to form a pocket that is filled with seasoned taco meat. Add a good dose of spicy salsa and I'm in culinary nirvana. Cisco's, 1511 E. Sixth St. 478-2420.

The newest item on my must-have list is the salty caramel ice cream at Teo's in the 26 Doors shopping center. It's both sweet and savory, with bits of toffee that add a crunch to the best gelato I've found this side of the Atlantic (try the lemon sorbetto, too). Teo Espresso, Gelato and Bella Vita, 1206 W. 38th St. 451-9555.

Spend a few decades — or a few months — here and one of your breakfast staples is sure to be migas, the Tex-Mex combo of eggs scrambled with onions, peppers and corn tortillas. My favorite versions are at Enchiladas Y Mas, where the migas can be ordered with cheese or chorizo. Enchiladas Y Mas, 1911 W. Anderson Lane. 467-7100.

The Reuben ingredients at NeWorlDeli — corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and Russian dressing on rye — do not make a great sandwich by themselves. Two things must occur: The ingredients must be in the right proportions, with a sufficient amount of sweet dressing to balance the sour cabbage, for example, and those proportions must be consistent from month to month. Both happen here. NeWorlDeli, 4101 Guadalupe St. 451-7170.

The battered fries at Hyde Park begin with Idaho potatoes that are hand-cut, dipped in buttermilk and rolled in seasoned flour. Then they are fried in peanut oil to produce golden, lightly textured, crisp fries that are accompanied by an addictive, spicy, mayonnaise-based sauce. Hyde Park Bar & Grill, 4206 Duval St. 458-3168.

If you want to know just how good a slab of pork ribs can be, you need look no further than Artz Rib House. The baby backs are small, fall-off-the-bone-tender ribs with a crisp, almost caramelized exterior and a juicy interior. They are an Austin classic. Artz Rib House, 2330 S. Lamar Blvd., 442-8283.

The Hyde Park fudge cake at Texas French Bread is one of the simplest — and one of the best — cakes in Austin. Baked in a bundt pan, this dense, dark chocolate cake is covered with a thin layer of rich, dark chocolate icing. It is perfection without excess. Texas French Bread, 2900 Rio Grande St. 499-0544.