| |
|
|
Food
News & Commentary
|
Celebrity
Sightings
Restaurant
Events
|
Openings
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Changes
in Rob's Top 20
Click
here to see the new additions to our Top 20.
Congratulations to these restaurants that have been moved into our
Top 20:
The Roaring Fork, La Traviatta, Finn and Porter
(at the downtown Hilton), Musashino, and Green Pastures.
Our Top 20 updates periodically and is
designed to reflect what we feel is the best current value in upscale
dining in the city.
6/22
|
The
Scoop on Father’s Day Dining: Still Reservations to be Had but move
fast!
 |
Mixed reviews on options for Father’s
Day dining. But the bottom line is this: Dad deserves his
day as well. So take pops out to dinner.
Apparently the Driskill does not agree
with this because they have not scheduled a Father’s Day brunch.
They only do Mother’s Day. (Kind of sexist, no?)
|
The
Café at the Four Seasons, as usual, is just about sold
out but there may some openings available.
Still some available at Green
Pastures, The Salt Lick
at Davenport Village, Sullivan’s,
McCormick and Schmick’s,
the newly reopened Paggi House,
Truluck’s in the Warehouse
District and the north store on 183 (both with openings).
Also availabity at Romeo’s on Riverside, The
Louisiana Longhorn Café in Round Rock (which if you live
anywhere near there and like Cajun you should try) Moonshine
Patio Bar and Grill, Freda’s
Seafood Grill on 620 at Pecan Park, Iron
Cactus (both locations) and Dona
Emilia’s across from the Four Seasons.
And if dad likes Sushi, take him to Sushi
Japon I-35 for some very cool sushi and Japanese fare. Or for
some great Chinese at Chinatown
Mopac on Greystone or at T&S
Seafood on N. Lamar for the best Dim Sum in town.
6/16
|
|
Be the first person on your block to get
your free subscription to Food for Thought, Rob's exciting and timely
monthly newsletter. This is not your father's newsletter. No way.
Fresh, provocative and insightful commentary from the Austin area's
leading Foodie. The content is unique. You won't find it anywhere
else on www.diningoutwithrobbalon.com,
nor will you hear it on radio or see it on TV.
All we need is your name and your email address and you'll receive
your exclusive newsletter each month. This is good stuff.
6/14
|
|
Why
is D.K. Lee Smiling?
 |
Seoul Sushi is one of
our more unique and bizarre sushi restaurants. But it is the
quintessential Austin deal. The nigiri sushi is fresh and good,
the rolls are creative and tasty, and Monday night is the infamous
Disco Sushi night where proprietor D.K. Lee dons a black afro
and holds forth over an evening of Sake Bombs and bad karaoke.
|
Disco Sushi is not
for the faint of heart. DK can be R rated on occasion, but he is
genuinely funny at times and the Sake bombs (kind of like an Asian
boilermaker with sake and beer) and the sushi just seem to go together.
They also have some neat Korean dishes like Bulgogi and kimchi.
The joint gets rocking on Mondays at about 7PM. Get there by 6:30
PM if you want a seat. The address is 6400 S. 1st St. in a little
strip mall just before the William Cannon intersection. Phone is
326-5807
6/9
|
|
Breaking
News: The Oasis on Lake Travis Devastated by Fire-But Food Service
to Continue
The bad news: Beau
Theriot's niece began frantically pounding on her uncle's door early
Wednesday morning, June 1. The reason: Beau's restaurant of 24 years
and a legendary Austin destination spot overlooking Lake Travis
was engulfed in flames. By 7am, despite the best efforts of firefighters,
the Oasis had burned to the ground. The fire, apparently triggered
by a lightning strike, tore through not only the 40 outside decks
that comprised the bulk of the dining area but wiped out countess
invaluable antiques that Beau had collected and that were dispersed
throughout the restaurant.
Luckily there were no injuries.
The good news: the Starlite Area where the live music acts perform
was not affected by the fire. And the majority of the kitchen was
left intact. So probably by the weekend, appetizers and snacks will
be available at the Starlite area, which can easily seat 400-500
people.
 |
Theriot estimates the damage
to be between $1-2 million dollars but he is confident that
the original restaurant will re-open in six months. Knowing
Beau Theriot as I do, this is not a claim to be taken lightly.
The Oasis will be back, and probably better than ever. In fact,
he is offering his home as an alternative to couples who have
upcoming weddings at the Oasis. Now how classy of a gesture
is that? And it's safe to say that he's not simply going to
let his 280 employees stand out in the cold. |
So, in review, the view is still there. And
there's still going to be food and music. So come enjoy all three
at the Oasis. Stay tuned to www.diningoutwithrobbalon.com
for more details.
6/1
|
|
Click here to find archived
Openings, Closings, and Food News & Commentary
|
Celebrity
Sightings
|
|
The
controversy rages on: did Keanu Reeves really use his hands to eat
the steak at Austin Land and Cattle?
 |
First, it started
with letters from readers at www.diningoutwithrobablon.com.
The rumor was that when "most excellent" actor Keanu
Reeves visited Austin Land and Cattle recently, that he picked
up the NY Strip that he ordered and devoured it sans knife
and fork: he held it in his hand caveman style.
Well, no less of an authority than Scott
Mescal, manager of Austin Land and Cattle, and the man who
actually cooked the steak for Reeves that night says NO WAY.
He used a knife and fork just like everyone else. Scott added
that Keanu was a very gracious guest. So, thus ends another
urban legend.
|
Personally, I could have seen the Bill and Ted
vintage Keanu doing the hands thing, but not the savior of the universe
from The Matrix. No, he might have used a virtual knife and fork
but definitely a knife and fork.
06/14
|
|
Click here to find archived
Openings, Closings, and Food News & Commentary
|
|
|
Zyng
Asian Grill Opens in Cedar Park
Owned by a husband
and wife team, Zyng has opened in Cedar Park. It has been described
by numerous readers of www.diningoutwithrobbalon.com
as a kind of Asian fusion restaurant characterized by interesting
aromas and flavors. Zyng blends cuisines from China, Japan, Vietnam
and Thailand with an emphasis on noodles.
Zyng is a chain that appears to have its origins
in Canada. But there are plans to build over thirty new restaurants
in the US including the one that just opened in Cedar Park. Phone
is 260-8808 Address is 601 E. Whitestone Blvd. (actually 1431) Suite
300.
Website is www.zyng.com.
06/30
|
|
The
Oasis is Back in Business-Serving Full Dinner Menu
Talk about fast. The
Oasis was up and running, serving snacks and drinks at the Starlight
Terrace section of the restaurant within 48 hours of the fire that
devastated this Austin landmark.
And now the Starlight, which can seat up to
700, with just a few exceptions, is serving the full menu for lunch
and dinner while the rest of the restaurant rebuilds. There is also
entertainment 7 days a week.
Mr. Theriot and the gang have produced
a minor miracle, if you ask me.
06/27
|
|
Dot’s
Is Serving Up Food Again
Good news. Dot is back!!!!
From a small trailer in front of what used to be her famous restaurant,
Dot’s Place, the inimitable Dot is back, serving up mounds of comfort
food from a trailer. Lunch is on weekdays from 11-AM till 1:30 PM.
Heard from a reader who had catfish, green beans, yams, coconut
cream pie, all the good stuff that gave Dot such a large customer
base for all those years until the tragic fire.
So get out there. Rumor has it that her
church is helping her rebuild the restaurant (sans any help from
the city a la Midtown) but she needs all the financial help she
can get. You can help yourself by heading out there and loading
up on some of Dot’s famous food.
06/27
|
|
Tino's
Greek Café Opens at Anderson Mill and 183 [13450 Research]
Tino's is a dine-in
take-out little gem where you can satisfy your craving for a Gyro
or a Kabob or some Tabouli and do it in a hurry. Another restaurant
in the rapidly growing fast-casual category, the venture is jointly
owned by Jeff Nouri of Zorba and Mohammed Kosari of Alborz, two
guys who know Middle-East cuisine. To see their menu, go to our
Menu section and click on Greek or Gourmet
Takeout.
06/17
|
|
Masala
Wok Opens in The Shops at Tech Ridge at Howard Lane and I-35
Masala Wok is the first
restaurant in the Austin area to offer Indo-Chinese cuisine along
with more familiar Indian and Chinese Dishes. This is a restaurant
in the fast-casual category that has just opened. There are three
cooking stations which pretty much sum up the offerings: the tandoor,
the sautee station, and the wok station. To see their menu, go to
their web site, www.masalawok.com
06/17
|
|
The
Venerable Paggi House Reopens Under New Ownership
One of Austin’s most
popular restaurants over the years, the Paggi House, (which closed
in the summer of 2004) has reopened as a joint venture between the
owners of Austin Java (Rick Engel) and Austin’s Pizza (Clay McGlauglin).
The opening was soft and very casual, but the staff is ramping up
for a big weekend. The menu is upscale and eclectic: (Charred Lamb
Chops, Tempura Rolls, Coriander Crusted Pork, and other goodies)
and the emphasis appears to be on food and fun.
The bar will also play a larger role in this
iteration of the Paggi House with liberal use of libations designed
to match certain dishes.
The chef is George Thomas, late of Truluck’s,
and the book on him is young, passionate, and innovative. Sounds
good to me. I’m looking forward to this. The Paggi House is on South
Lamar Blvd at West Riverside Drive across from Zachary Scott Theater.
06/08
|
|
Click here to find archived
Openings, Closings, and Food News & Commentary
|
|
|
Events You Might Have Missed:
|
|
A
Taste of Spain at Doña Emilia’s
On Tuesday, June 28,
2005 at 7:00 PM Doña Emilia’s South American Bar & Grill
will host a A Taste of Spain Wine Dinner. You can join them in tasting
six highly acclaimed Spanish wines from Terra Verus Trading Company
while enjoying some of their delicious Latin appetizers and Spanish
entrées. Throughout the evening, guest speaker Steve Lawrence
will share his expert knowledge of his Spanish wines. The Austin
Wine Merchant will be offering super special discounted prices by
the bottle and case for the purchase of these wines that we will
be enjoying at the wine dinner. Greg Soechting the owner of the
Austin Wine Merchant will be in attendance and he will be prepared
to take any orders you may have.
No Taste of Spain could not be complete without
the passion of flamenco. Tierra Adentro will be performing the four
elements of flamenco-singing, guitar, percussion and dance. Tierra
Adentro is a flamenco cuadro (or ensemble) featuring dancer Olivia
Chacón, guitarist and singer Isaí Chacón and
percussionist John Gronbeck-Tedesco. Tierra Adentro unites music,
emotion, and pure beauty for a memorable flamenco experience.
Tickets to this event are limited and the wine
& food events at Doña Emilia’s often sellout in advance,
so make your reservation early by calling 478-2520. The cost of
the event is $60, with a portion of each ticket sale benefiting
the future Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas. You
can also get information at their web site http://www.donaemilias.com.
06/22
|
|
Cooking
for a Cure at The Café at the Four Seasons
What is your favorite meal? Is it your grandmother's
apple pie or a dish you sampled at a restaurant during a family
vacation? The Café at the Four Seasons Hotel asked the same
question to local community leaders. The result is a new program
called Cooking for a Cure.
 |
Each month, a notable Austinite
creates a special four-course dinner menu, executed to perfection
by Chef Elmar Prambs. The menu includes their favorite dishes
and utilizes some of their own family recipes. A portion of
all proceeds from the Cooking for a Cure dinner menu is donated
to the Seton Shivers Cancer Center at Brackenridge.
The program features a variety of prominent residents and kicked
off in February with Governor Rick Perry and First Lady Anita
Perry. In March, University of Texas head football coach, Mack
Brown and his wife, Sally, wrote the menu. Bud and Robin Shivers
wrote the menu in April and Mort and Bobbi Topfer created the
menu in May. |
This month, Deborah and Larry Peel wrote the
menu. The Larry Peel Company, Austin-based since 1977, develops
apartment and condominium communities in environmentally sensitive
areas. Deborah Peel, MD, a physician, psychiatrist and psychoanalyst
for over 25 years, is active in bringing media and public attention
to mental health care issues.
For more information, call Tiffany Clerc at 512.682.8048.
06/02
|
|
Click here to find archived
Openings, Closings, and Food News & Commentary
|
|
--------
About Us --------
