Our Favorite Cajun Dining Spots Around Austin
Most people I talk to about Cajun cuisine, particularly those from Louisiana, have very strong feelings about all the various dishes and recipes that make up the bulk of what one sees on menus in Austin area restaurants. Some prefer a dark roux, others a lighter (blonde) roux. Boudin evokes all sorts of passionate preferences […]
Tough Sledding Around Austin for Many High End Restaurants
Restaurants come and go with some rapidity in Austin. Everyone acknowledges that it’s a tough business. But no place is it tougher than in the higher end of fine dining restaurants. The recent closing of Kenichi got me to thinking about how many great places we’ve lost around Austin in the past couple of years. […]
Daryl Wittle: Running a Chain Like it’s Not a Chain
I love to go to high-end restaurants and savor the byproduct of the usually seamless partnerships between the front and back of the house. And that’s why we so much enjoy Fleming’s at the Domain. Yes, it is a chain. But for my money, you could call it “Daryl’s” after owner/partner Daryl Wittle. Truth be […]
Rudy’s Bar-B-Q: The Guys Behind the “Sause”
We want to thank all of you who submitted their top ten pizza lists as part of our Pizza Wars 2014 feature from last week. It was easy to tell that a lot of thought went in to your lists. And thanks to the many foodies who took the time to read our lengthy story […]
Porter Ale House and Gastropub Drawing the Late Night Crowd
Mention pork belly sliders to me, and I’m yours. Mention Cheese Pierogis, and I am even more committed. Thus my passion for the Porter Ale House and Gastropub 3715A South First. It seems like we have a plethora of gastropubs these days around Austin. You know what? It’s fine with me. I love neighborhood joints […]
A First Dinner at laV
Since the demise of Aquarelle and Mirabelle, Austin foodies been pining for an elegant and beautifully appointed French restaurant. The recent debut of laV on East 7th should make a lot of those foodies happy. As many of you know, I don’t like to rush to a new restaurant. So our first meal at laV […]
What Are Your Top Ten Pizza Places?
A lot of people read our Pizza Wars 2014 story over the weekend. You saw Rob’s top ten list. The list is obviously a function of his tastes and dining experience. And because tastes in pizza can be quite subjective, we’d like to know what your top ten list is in Austin pizza. Email us […]
Homespun Kitchen and Bar Introduces Sunday Brunch
Man, am I glad to see this. Dripping Springs is not exactly awash in a sea of quality weekend brunches. So the recent addition of a Sunday Brunch from 10am-3pm at Homespun Kitchen and Bar is great news. I’ve grown to really appreciate this mother/daughter-operated place at 131 Mercer just off 12 and 290. The […]
7 Characteristics of Highly Effective Restaurateurs
Stephen Covey wrote a book over twenty years ago that revolutionized the business world and advanced the notion that success in business and in life were interdependent. I reread the book earlier this year, and began to think again of the applications of its principles for the hospitality industry. Here’s my take on it with […]
Do Presidential Perks Extend to BBQ Lines?
Big brouhaha yesterday when President Barack Obama, after finishing up a DNC fundraiser and speech at the Paramount, decided to jump the line at the intergalactically famous Franklin Barbecue on East 11th. The hue and cry on social media was immediate and in many cases, downright vitriolic. Of course, Obama made a gesture by paying […]
Winner of Zed’s Chef’s Dinner
One of the fun aspects of Vodka Fest at Zed’s this year is that we picked out one lucky ticket. That person gets to invite a friend, and together they’ll join Rob for a five-course dinner prepared by chef Adrian. Champagne, wine and cocktails (especially some vodkas) will also flow. If this dinner is anything […]
Fourth of July Weekend: Burgers and Q
As we approach the Fourth of July weekend, all red-blooded central Texans are hunkering down for fireworks, get togethers, and of course, whether at a restaurant or at home, burgers and barbecue. The two go together like apple pie and ice cream, Rick and Anita, even Obama and Boehner (well, on second thought…). So here’s […]
Get Ready for Our Annual Pizza Wars Feature
Coming very soon will be one of our most anticipated yearly features: Pizza Wars. This will be our 8th year of the piece and man how things have changed since then. Indeed there have been changes since last year’s piece: more openings and closings. And a major shakeup in the Top 5. How’s that list […]
What’s in a Name? The Story of Cedro
One of the more complicated and interesting aspects of the restaurant business is the actual naming of the establishment. Some names work well and last a long time. Others (Peso and Bucks, Rival’s Steakhouse, Sardine Rouge, Demi Epicurious for example, while well-intentioned, don’t seem to last long at all). Now I’m not saying the names […]
Downtown Density and Dining Out
When Will Wynn (great name for a politician) was serving as mayor, his most frequent mantra was downtown density. The idea was to create an enterprise zone where a significant amount of potential retail and restaurant customers actually lived and worked downtown. With all the residential and business construction in the past five years, we […]
