Rob’s Favorite Tex Mex Places
When I first came to Austin over 30 years ago, I had never heard of Tex Mex. But I was a fast learner, and soon we had become addicted to the unique flavors of true Tex Mex. Your cardiologist may not approve, but I look at this as a guilty pleasure more than worthy of […]
Podcast: Freda Cheng of Freda’s Seafood Grille
Freda Cheng is a proud member of one of Austin’s family restaurant dynasties. As proprietor of Freda’s Seafood Grille, she has teamed with brother Ronald Cheng (Chinatown) to bring the River city a diverse array of excellent food. It’s hard not to like Freda. Her bubbling and energetic personality have endeared her to many […]
Thanksgiving 2014 Dining Recommendations
Next to Valentine’s Day, Thanksgiving is Austin’s other favorite dining out day. And as always, we’re posting a list of restaurants that will be open for Thanksgiving and contact information for those restaurants. We’ll also be updating our list with Thanksgiving menus as they come in. Book your reservations early: whether it’s for a higher […]
Big Reds and Bubbles: What You Missed
The Driskill was buzzing last Thursday night as the Wine & Food Foundation of Texas staged their 12th annual fundraiser Big Reds and Bubbles. Guests were noshing and sipping a variety of restaurant food offerings, and of course some wonderful Big Reds. A particular favorite was from Angelo Sassetti Pertimali: a 2008 Brunello di Montalcino […]
Podcast: Mitch Ellengold of Rudy’s Bar-B-Q
Hard to believe it’s been 20 years since the first Rudy’s Country Store and Bar-B-Q on Research opened its doors. Three friends from the insurance business, including Ken Schiller and our guest for today Mitch Ellengold, were behind the initial collaboration with Phil Romano and the acquisition of the greater Austin territory. The rest, […]
Podcast: Margarito Maldonado of Los Pinos
This week’s Podcast features Los Pinos owner and chef Margarito Maldonado. Maldonado has combined his training cooking under Jack Gillmore at Z’Tejas and Michael Vilim at Mirabelle. You don’t find many Mexican chefs with this tenure, and his multicultural culinary background shows in every bite at Los Pinos. His first location on Hudson Bend […]
Podcast: John Thompson of Stinson’s
This week’s podcast guest is John Thomspon, who along with his wife owns and operates two charmiing bistros: one at 45th and Burnet called Stinson’s Rosedale, and the other on Lake Austin Blvd. called Stinson’s Deep Eddy Grill Pizzeria and Bar (at the former site of Pizza Bistro). The Rosedale location began as more […]
The Dog and Duck to Close on October 31st: Plans to Reopen in February at Webberville and E. 7th
The Dog and Duck Pub, one of Austin’s most popular and iconic “joints” at 17th and Guadalupe will close its doors on October 31st. Proprietor Susan Forrester and her staff had seen this coming, but didn’t expect it till the end of December. So they had to launch into some speedy discussions with various landlords, […]
Podcast: Amir Hajimaleki of District
This week’s Podcast shows what can happen when a guy born in Iran and educated at an Austin Culinary School opens a New American restaurant at Slaughter and Escarpment. Amir, just 29 years-old, started at Freda’s Seafood grill at the tender age of 17. He also worked in various capacities for the Kona Grill, all […]
Podcast: James Sun of Cedro
This week’s Podcast features James Sun, founder and proprietor of Cedro at Lakeline Mall adjacent to the Alamo Drafthouse. James hails from Shanghai, and attended Hotel/Restaurant school in Switzerland. He later finished up at the prestigious Johnson and Wales U in Rhode Island. He may have been from Shanghai, but he preferred to cook […]
Rating the Vodka at Zed’s Recent Vodka Fest
Along with Chef Adrian’s snacks, one thing I really enjoyed about the recent Vodka Fest at Zed’s in Tech Ridge Center was seeing the preponderance of attractive Austin women happily sipping their vodkas. The marketers are not wrong: women account for 64% of the US vodka market, and the ratio of women to men that […]
Podcast: Ronald Cheng
Ronald Cheng has made perhaps the most significant impact on Chinese cuisine than anyone in central Texas. His amazing first restaurant, Chinatown on Bee Caves in Westlake which opened over 30 years ago, blew me away with its creative approach to regional Chinese food styles and its lovely, beautifully garnished presentations. He would open […]
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. […]
Podcast: Chef Ben Nathan of Café Blue
This week’s Podcast features Chef Ben Nathan, Executive Chef of Cafe Blué at the Galleria. He also opened the Belmont, taught at the local culinary school, and worked at several fine dining restaurants in Boston, which is his original home. Ben makes what I consider to be the BEST clam chowder in Austin, along […]
