District Summer Menu Off and Running
We had a chance to sample some dishes from the Summer menu at the District at Escarpment and Slaughter. The Braised Pork Shoulder is a show stopper with exceptionally tender pork and roasted corn while the Cornish Hen is a smooth tasting delight. New on the appetizer front is the Grilled Caribbean Marinated Jerk Shrimp […]
Dripping Springs Vodka to Begin Saturday Tours and Tastings
Last Fall, Dripping Springs Vodka was voted Best Spirit at the Dripping with Taste Food Festival. On a much broader level, they remain the only American vodka to win the Gold Best in Class at the International Wine and Spirits Competition. It occurred to me that I had never seen their operation, even though I […]
New Fortune Chinese Seafood Is Open on North Lamar
Any dim sum fan worth their msg remembers T&S seafood on North Lamar. That was a regular Sunday place for us. Bob Spurck, former head of the Austin Diagnostic Clininc, turned us on to the spot and we were very grateful that he did. But the restaurant business is tough. And fortunes can ebb and […]
Food Friday to Move to 10am on the Todd and Don Show on 590 KLBJ-AM
Our popular Food Friday program which airs on the last Friday of each month on 590 KLBJ radio has a new time slot. Beginning this Friday, June 26th, the show will air at 10am on the Todd and Don show following the morning show with Mark, Ed, and Sam. I’m looking forward to this new […]
Billy Jean’s Burger Pub Rocking South Congress
Newish burger bar that has got the social media foodies very excited: Billy Jean’s at 6501 South Congress at William Cannon. It also has a full bar. Owner Christie White has cooked around Austin, and now she has her own place. And I’m part particularly glad that this rather arid area (food wise) is getting […]
Redfin Seafood Kitchen Opens on 620
Chef Mario Gonzales, formerly the exec at the W has opened Redfin Seafood Kitchen on 620 in Four Points. First visit was encouraging. Everything tasted very fresh and the service wasn’t bad at all (a good sign for a restaurant that opened on May 23rd). Looking forward to watching this place evolve! redfinseafoodkitchen.com
Lines Out the Door at New Via 313 in Oak Hill
Via 313, the Detroit-style pizza joint recently opened in Oak Hill at 290 and William Cannon, has been packing them in with lines out the door virtually every day. I went to school at Ann Arbor, and had many opportunities to drive down to Detroit for pizza, as well as Greek food. It took me […]
Vodka Fest Returns June 20th at Zed’s
One of my favorite evenings has always been Vodka Fest. From its beginnings at the late Cool River to its current home at Zed’s, it’s kind of like the Super Bowl for vodka fans. This year Zed’s will feature 40 vodkas from Austin and the world. There’s always good food for noshing, and a chance […]
Via 313 Opens in Oak Hill
The popular downtown Detroit-styled pizza joint Via 313 has opened a brick and mortar location in Oak Hill in the shopping center at the corner of William Cannon and 290. This is very decent pizza, and they made our top ten in last years Pizza Wars. The 313 comes from the original Detroit area code […]
Podcast: Dan Saccone
This week’s podcast features transplanted New Jersey native Dan Saccone. He landed in Austin almost twenty years ago with a passions for the pizzas of his New Jersey youth. And so he set out to start replicating those pies with the result being the first (and very welcomed) Saccone’s Pizza. Last year, he was […]
Il Forte Adds Italian Flair to Brazos
Brazos has a new Italian restaurant called Il Forte. Owner Cesar Navari describes his new place in terms that intrigue: simple, basic and delicious Italian food. And as foodies know, the best Italian dishes generally reflect the less-is-more philosophy. The address is 800 Brazos near 8th and Brazos. Open for lunch and dinner. Website coming […]
Updates on Restaurants Impacted by Shoal Creek
The nasty surge of water that came out of Shoal Creek in Monday’s storm caused the usual hassles for restaurants on or near North Lamar from 9th-12th streets. Shoal Creek Saloon and Bacon have temporarily closed to assess damage, but hopefully will reopen soon. Fresa’s Chicken al Carbon has already reopened along with Easy Tiger […]
The Leaning Pear in Wimberly Steps Up
Wimberly has had an extremely rough weekend. The flooding and historic rise of the Blanco River have led to widespread devastation. That’s why it’s so touching to see a local business like the Leaning Pear Restaurant jump in and help. Chef McCormick and his staff came in early Sunday and started preparing free family-style meals […]
Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares Show is Chopped
Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy, huh? The Scottish chef, who launched the show eight years ago under the premise of fixing failing restaurants, came off as an obnoxious bully and unrelenting prick. And the true irony of Kitchen Nightmares is that over 60% of the restaurants Ramsay purported to fix have since gone out […]
Verdes Opens 2nd Location in Round Rock
Some years ago, a young couple took on a Hamilton Pool Road restaurant site that had a history of failed restaurants (not unlike Jack Gillmore when he opened Jack Allen’s Kitchen in Oak Hill at around the same time). And like Jack, Joel Mungia and his wife were not about to be deterred and turned […]
