Austin Restaurants Finally Plow Through COVID-19 Crisis and Now Can’t Hire Anyone

Posted by on Jan 5, 2022 in COVID-19, News

I was talking to a restaurant owner several weeks ago. The conversation centered around an all too familiar subject – why Austin restaurants have been so short-staffed since early Fall. He told me he’d had difficulty hiring line cooks, servers, and various front-of-the-house positions. These shortages had often led to unplanned early closings and a […]

Rob’s Christmas Dining Memories

Posted by on Dec 20, 2021 in Holiday Dining

You know, at this time of the year I often recall some of our most memorable Christmas dinners at our favorite restaurants in Austin. And there have been some extraordinary ones. Delicious Christmas Day brunches at the Four Seasons. Classic dim sum feasts at Chinatown Westlake and fresh Maine lobsters at McCormick & Schmick’s. But […]

The McRib Is Back: Rob Has the Final Word

Posted by on Nov 28, 2021 in Barbecue, Burgers & More, Comfort Food, Ribs

After first being introduced forty years ago amidst amazing hoopla, the McDonald’s McRib sandwich is back for one of its periodic rollouts as they continue the cliched strategy of limited availability. Still the endless images on TV eventually piqued my curiosity. Now normally the only reason I ever go to Mickey D’s is for a […]

The Restaurant Revitalization Fund: Time for Our Government to Step Up!

Posted by on Nov 22, 2021 in News

As the pandemic devastated local restaurants last year, Congress responded with the creation of The Restaurant Revitalization Fund. The SBA was tasked with distributing the $28.7 billion allocated for eligible restaurants who had been financially impacted by the COVID crisis. And over 300,00 businesses immediately filed applications. Well, bravo to the government for responding in […]

How Much is an Oyster Worth?

Posted by on Nov 5, 2021 in Cuisine, Seafood

Being from New England where clams on the half shell are the default choice for slurping mollusks, I was always reluctant to try raw oysters. I think we’d all heard horror stories up there about salmonella and other oyster-related health issues. So when we first came to Austin I was still reluctant to try oysters […]

Dining Out in Dripping: A Sampling of Rob’s Recommendations

Posted by on Oct 19, 2021 in Best Of, Dripping Springs

Dripping Springs has grown from a sleepy country suburb of Austin where restaurant choices were very limited to a vibrant community where the restaurant scene has grown along with the town. Here’s a look at some of my favorites. TILLIE’SLocated on a hilltop overlooking the Hill Country, Tillie’s is an American-style restaurant with a thoughtful […]

Searching For Poutine in Austin

Posted by on Oct 13, 2021 in Casual, Comfort Food

I first tried Poutine on a business trip to Montreal in the early ’90s. The restaurant was a cozy spot called Moxie’s Grill. I asked my server for a recommendation (a good idea at a place where the waiters actually get to sample the food) and he instantly suggested the poutine. As I learned, Poutine […]

III Forks in Frisco: Rob Reviews the Sister Restaurant of an Austin Favorite

Posted by on Sep 7, 2021 in Reviews, Steaks

Those of you who frequent this website or who listen to my reviews on 590 KLBJ know that I’m a fan of local Austin steakhouse III Forks. So on a recent visit trip to Justin, Texas (outside Fort Worth) to visit my daughter Lauren and her partner Jade, we decided to head over to Frisco […]

Song La Bursts Onto the Austin Asian Scene With Taiwanese Street Food

Posted by on Aug 25, 2021 in Asian, Cuisine, Food Trucks, Taiwanese

If you’ve never had the opportunity to enjoy Taiwanese street food, you are in luck! Song La has opened on 23rd street near the UT campus, and my first bite of the braised pork belly told me all I needed to know. The slow cooking process imparts an amazing texture to this dish. And the […]

Will the Delta Variant Impact Indoor Dining in Austin?

Posted by on Aug 13, 2021 in 2020 Re-openings, COVID-19

Just when we all thought it was safe to get back in the water, so to speak, the raging Delta variant threatens to once again debilitate our local restaurants and their ability to provide indoor dining. The cruel irony of this surge is that it has struck just as some sense of normalcy has been […]

Why Austin’s Tex Mex Restaurants Are the Best in Texas

Posted by on Aug 11, 2021 in Cuisine, Tex-Mex

In my travels around Texas, I’ve tried many Mexican restaurants, including those that call themselves Tex Mex and I’ve come to the conclusion that Austin Tex Mex joints are at the pantheon of that particular cuisine. Why? Because in the many iterations of Tex Mex that exist, it all comes down to the core essentials: chili […]

Blasts From the Past: Rob’s TV Restaurant Reviews on KVUE and FOX 7

Posted by on Jul 13, 2021 in Reviews, TV

I never set out to do restaurant reviews. I had gotten my PhD at the University of Michigan to enable me to teach at the college level, first at UT Austin and then at California State Long Beach. While I very much enjoyed teaching, it soon became apparent that teaching courses in Broadcasting and Advertising […]

The Irresistible, Indispensable, Inordinately Intriguing Chinese Dumpling

Posted by on Jun 29, 2021 in Asian, Chinese, Cuisine

The Chinese dumpling is loved and appreciated throughout the world. The origin of this classic snack dates back hundreds of years and possibly thousands if one believes the numerous legends. (Look up Zhang Zhongjing.) Known as Jiaozi in China and dumplings (or potstickers) in North America, these crescent-shaped delicacies begin with finely diced pork, chicken, […]

One on One With Joe Cave, Founder of the Pizza Cave: A Renaissance Pizzaiolo

Posted by on Jun 17, 2021 in Interviews

Joe Cave is a Pizzaiolo by trade. Yet as the owner and driving force behind the very popular The Pizza Cave on 290 West (and the last stop on our Pizza Corridor) he is a man of many diverse talents and interests. I finally caught up with him a few weeks ago for this interview RB: […]

More One on One With Hyde Park Bar & Grill’s Bick Brown

Posted by on Jun 4, 2021 in Interviews

Bick Brown is, without question, one of the most creative and dynamic restaurateurs in Austin. He’s been at the helm of the enduringly popular Hyde Park Bar & Grill for 39 years and was involved with the opening of Chuy’s while also opening the highly acclaimed Zoot off Lake Austin Boulevard. RB: Bick, tell me about the […]

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