Long-Time Hut’s Location on 6th Street Has a New Occupant: Sammie’s Italian
Our last visit to Hut’s, one of Austin’s true icons, was memorable. We did our usual Buddy Holly burger along with fries and the gigantic onion rings and of course the essential strawberry shakes. We took some silly photos with me holding the rings like ski goggles, recalled all the great time’s we’d had there […]
Our Readers Weigh in on the Best Steaks in Austin: The Winner? III Forks
We’ve been polling our readers periodically about restaurants for their favorite foods in Austin. Normally the results come back in on kind of a bell shaped curve with most scores falling within two standard deviations of the mean. But in the case of Best place for steaks, the bell-shaped curve was blown to bits! Hands […]
While Downtown Steakhouse III Forks Has Reopened for In-House Dining, Takeout Service Is Still an Option
Look at this pork chop! Imagine it’s on a beautiful plate at III Forks. But this chop is on a plastic container that we took home the other night. It was savory and tender, as one would expect in the restaurant’s dining room. But it travelled beautifully to our dining room (along with the crab cakes, […]
III Forks Reopens Curbside Takeout with Aplomb
A few weeks ago we regretfully reported that III Forks downtown had suspended their curbside takeout services and deliveries. But almost immediately they began working on a plan to reopen those services as soon as they felt they could safely serve their customers. Then came the announcement late last week that they had resumed services. […]
Chinese New Year at Chinatown North is an Amazing Celebration of Food and Fun
Ronald Cheng, the owner of Chinatown, knows how to throw a party. The recent Chinese New Year party there was a riotous event, replete with firecrackers, dancing dragons and amazing food. The menu included Beijing Duck , crab soup, Cantonese style lobster, and many more favorites from the Chinatown menu. This celebration was characteristic of […]
There’s a Reason Why the Pasta Dishes at Emmer & Rye are So Popular!
Chef Kevin Fink and his team at Emmer & Rye on Rainey St. make some amazing pasta dishes. The restaurant takes its name from emmer, a hulled wheat that contributes to artisanal breads and pastas and has a long history of cultivation in Europe. My first sample of the pasta at this multidimensional restaurant was […]
In the Midst of Remodeling, III Forks Still Delivers a Killer Ribeye
We had this ribeye Thursday night at III Forks on Lavaca. They are remodeling the restaurant, which will undoubtedly embellish the always comforting and inviting decor. But the 18 oz prime bone in ribeye was as good or better than ever! III Forks 111 Lavaca St Austin, TX 78701 (512) 474-1776 www.3Forks.com
Ciclo At Four Seasons Maintains the Tradition of the Best Sunday Brunch
The Sunday brunch at Four Seasons has long held the acknowledged top spot as the best in the city. The transition to Ciclo as the main restaurant has done little to change that. Executive chef and major-domo Elmar Prambs and his crew continue to shine. Our last visit there was delightful. The antipasto and Caprese […]
Texican Cafe Opens Fourth Location in Kyle
One of Austin’s most iconic and popular Mexican restaurants, Texican Cafe, has opened it’s fourth area location in Kyle. The El Paso style Texican is well known for its amazing cabrito, Hatch chiles, queso flameado, delicious sour cream enchiladas, shrimp flautas and appetizers like the stuffed jalapeños with genuine jalapeño jelly. Their weekend breakfasts are […]
Scott Roberts Leads Salt Lick from BBQ to Wine
I had an enjoyable meeting last week with The Salt Lick BBQ honcho Scott Roberts. We tasted some astonishingly good new dishes like bison ribs and (yes, you’re reading this this correctly) smoked tofu. But the biggest takeaways for me were the wines from Salt Lick Cellars. The Tempranillo was exceptionally balanced with great mouth […]
Poke Austin Breaks out the Best: 100 Pounds of Copper River King Salmon
Man, what a way to sample the best tuna in a poke bowl! Starting Thursday at Poke Austin on Brodie until they run out. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to miss this!! Poke Austin 5601 Brodie Ln #1200A Austin, TX 78745 (512) 891-8368
Saltillo to Open on East Side
A new mixed-use concept with an emphasis on restaurants is in the works. Saltillo is coming soon to East 5th. It will house one of my favorite restaurants, Poke Austin. This will be their 2nd location with the original to remain on Brodie. We’ll keep you posted on the opening date.
Jennifer Ling and Trent Schneiter: From High Finance to Poke Austin
There’s a great back story to how Poke Austin on Brodie Lane got started. Trent Schneiter worked in high finance where he first met Jennifer Ling, who hailed from China and had an MA in economics from UCLA. Trent had always enjoyed cooking and dining out. Jennifer also had family in the restaurant biz in […]
Gino’s Vino Osteria Recreates Old-Time Hospitality in a New Round Rock Restaurant
One of the long lost traditions from my old days of eating Italian food in New Haven (aside from authentic Naples coal fired pizza) was the congenial and seemingly ever present owner who worked the room like a Las Vegas host and virtually presided over every patron‘s table. You usually walked out of one of […]
Numero28 Rocks 2nd St with Excellent Prosciutto Pizza
It had been awhile since our last visit to Numero28 Pizzeria & Vineria. They made the Top 10 in our last Pizza Wars and I’m pleased to report that Bernardo Nolfo and his crew still have the place in fine form. The pizza was a smash. Ditto for the Eggplant Parmesan and the irresistible Cannelloni! […]
