Monday, May 21, 2012

Austin Burger Wars: First Edition

Breathes there a man with soul so dead who never to himself hath said, “Man, I am craving a burger.” With apologies to the famous poem by Sir Walter Scott, it’s hard to deny that each of us has been touched, some more than others, by  Continue Reading »

Rob’s Best Dishes: The Best in Austin

After 14 years of dining and wining around the River City. I’ve become very partial to a number of great dishes at a variety of restaurants. To me, these offerings are the best in category. Of course, the list is subjective: no attempts at the various  Continue Reading »

Austin Pizza Wars: 2012

Welcome to the 6th installment of the recurring series we have fondly come to know as Pizza Wars. This has evolved from a rating of both chains and locally-owned joints to almost exclusively a detailed report on owner-operated spots in Central Texas.  Continue Reading »

Rob’s Favorite Dishes – Appetizers

The smashed Guacamole at Jack Allen’s Kitchen. The flavor in this is augmented with pumpkin seeds and cilantro and it’s so good I often eschew the chips and just eat it with a fork. The Charcuterie Platter at Vince Young Steakhouse. I get  Continue Reading »

Rob’s Favorite Mexican Restaurants in Austin: Part 1

One thing we lack no shortage of in Austin is tasty Mexican restaurants: both the simpler Tex Mex and the more complicated tastes of Interior and Coastal Mexican cuisines. I do have some favorites in both genres and in no particular order, here they are. Azul  Continue Reading »

Lakeway: The Hottest New Dining Scene in Central Texas

I can remember just a few short years ago when dining anywhere near Lakeway meant Hudson’s on the Bend, The Oasis, Rosie’s, and Ciola’s and Pao’s. Wow, has that changed. While Hudson’s still holds forth as the area’s  Continue Reading »

Paul Qui of Uchiko is the Top Chef

Chef Paul Qui Watched the last episode of Top Chef Texas on Bravo yesterday and was delighted to see that Austin’s own Paul Qui of Uchiko came out as the big winner. Congratulations, Paul. I don’t really know Paul but was touched by his demeanor  Continue Reading »

David Burton Sanchez Revitalizes Soleil at the Oasis

When Soleil first opened several years under the helm of famed Texas chef Robert del Grande, there was genuine excitement in the Austin foodie community. Here was a Mediterranean restaurant high atop Lake Travis with fine-dining sensibilities and a kitchen  Continue Reading »

Rob’s Top Ten Comfort Food Restaurants in Austin

Ever since 9/11, when the national craving for comfort foods made a dramatic comeback, foodies have been rediscovering all those simple yet memorable tastes from their childhoods. And restaurants have been alert to what might have been called a fad for  Continue Reading »

StarChefs.com Names Austin “Rising Star” Winners

Starchefs.com, an online culinary magazine with a national scope has given several Austin chefs to its “Rising Star” award. The magazine’s editor says, “Austin is an incubator for ideas in the music and tech world, and chefs are following suit.”  Continue Reading »