Local Coffee Shops Face Huge Hurdles From COVID and High End Chains
Americans and Texans in particular have always loved their local coffee houses. Long a place where people could meet friends and family for a cup of joe and perhaps for a quick snack, these corner comfort zones are rapidly becoming an endangered species. As Americans tastes in coffees have drifted toward the higher end side […]
An Array of Piadas About to Roll Out at the Pizza Cave
If you haven’t tried a Piada, you’ve been missing out. The Pizza Cave on 290 West is about to change that with the introduction of its own take on this Italian classic. A piada is classic Italian artisanal flatbread usually filled with cheeses, vegetables, cold cuts, and other meats. It’s essentially a street food served […]
First Tastes at Le Vacher on Highway 290 in Dripping Springs
I first stopped in at the new French brasserie Le Vacher last week and took a quick glance at the menu. One dish immediately caught my eye: the duck confit. The last time I’d had duck confit was at Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Bistro in Las Vegas at The Venetian. Keller personally prepared the dish for […]
New York City Restaurants Reopen at 25% Capacity
An announcement that has delighted restaurant fans in New York City was finally made this week: Indoor dining will resume at 25% capacity. Frankly though, I doubt that all of the restaurants are as delighted. Masks and temperature checks at the door will be mandatory. Each party must also leave the name of one person […]
Austin Restaurants I Miss
I often ruminate on restaurants that have come and unfortunately gone in the nearly 40 years I’ve lived in Austin. While I’ve only officially been talking and writing about restaurants since 1998 I’ve always been a foodie. So some of these go way back. LA VISTA AT THE HYATTAbsolutely the best fajitas ever. Most nights […]
Austin Restaurants That Emphasize Safety and Maintain Quality
Amidst the highs and lows of dining in Austin over the past four months, a number of clear consumer concerns have emerged. Most restaurant patrons are very concerned about safety. But they also want to enjoy a good meal. However, as restaurants have reopened, the two concerns have not always coincided. Some restaurants suffered because while […]
Tumble 22 Opens at Former Site of Magnolia Cafe on Lake Austin Blvd.
While I’ll miss the Martian Landscape, the Popeye Omelet, and other favorites from the iconic Magnolia Cafe, time does indeed march on. Tumble 22, a Nashville-style fried chicken joint has now opened at Magnolia Cafe’s old location on Lake Austin Blvd. They offer bone-in fried chicken ranging in various levels of heat from “wimpy” to […]
Creek Road Cafe in in Dripping Springs Closes
For quite some time, we enjoyed a number of memorable meals at Creek Road Cafe in Dripping. It featured high-end cuisine in a relatively casual setting. Chef Chae, who had overcome a lung transplant to work his magic in the kitchen, produced some of the best soups we’d found anywhere in Austin. Additionally he worked wonders […]
Austin Java Closes Three Stores
We awoke the other morning craving breakfast tacos and banana nut muffins, so I googled Austin Java on 290 which is a few minutes from our house in Highpointe to get their phone number. I was shocked and saddened to see “Permanently Closed” in stark red letters. We’ve loved Austin Java: the breakfast quesadillas, the muffins, and […]
Hope for Austin Restaurants: Customers Appear to Be Stepping Up on COVID Safety
Several weeks ago I posted an article blasting Austin restaurant customers for their lax attitudes and in many cases almost complete indifference to restaurant safety protocols. Since then based on what I hear from local restaurants things have started looking up. Of course this may be due to the dramatic spike in Austin COVID-19 cases […]
