Austin: The Best City for…
Lately, it seems that Austin has won just about every national accolade possible for livability, business environment, music and lifestyle, entrepreneurship, housing, food trucks, and well, the list just goes on. Problem is, the more the country hears about how affordable housing is around here, the less affordable it actually becomes! Then I noticed that […]
Are Austinites Average Tippers?
According to an informal poll of local restaurant servers, Austin dinners are about average (20%) to somewhat below average on the tipping front. The poll was in no way scientific, but did bring up some interesting points. First, some of Austin’s best known and wealthiest business moguls are apparently basically crappy tippers. Again, this is […]
Not All Hospital Food Sucks
I have viewed many a hospital meal over the years as I have accompanied my wife (many times) and other family members through a few somewhat longer stays. And I must admit that I was underwhelmed (to put it mildly) by the appearance and presentation of the food. The reviews from the patients who actually […]
Local DJs converge on Spec’s Deli at Arbor Walk for Colossal Burger Challenge
I’ve hosted a lot of food and wine related events for charity over the years. But none were wilder than having to MC the challenge of 20 local DJs taking on the Spec’s Deli Colossal Burger at the Arbor Walk in support of the Food Bank. The competition was simple. Be the first to eat […]
Kirk Watson Wants to Blow the Lid off Lobbyist Wining and Dining of Legislators
I’ve known many downtown restaurateurs who literally planned their budgets around each legislative session. Why? Because they could count on a jump in sales as lobbyists wined and dined all too willing legislators. And the beauty of the system was that the $114 spending cap per lobbyist before names of legislators had to be reported […]
Inside the Mind of Elmar Prambs
I’m delighted that we began our Podcasts this year. It’s given our readers a chance to get a more in-depth look at interesting people in the Austin restaurant community. And I’ve learned a lot as well. Consider this week’s Podcast with Elmar Prambs, the Executive Chef of Trio at the Four Seasons Hotel. With 37 […]
Building a Podcast: Adventures in Technology
I’d always wanted to have a podcast on our website. A place where we could have complete control to conduct in-depth interviews with fascinating people in the central Texas hospitality/restaurant community. Be careful what you wish for. After some serious searching, I purchased the PRO FX8 board from a company in Oregon. It had four […]
Rob Commits a Take Out Faux Pas
In my line of work, something like this is bound to happen. In fact, it’s happened more than once. Tried out a newish pizza joint the other night: 360 Pizza at 2222 and 360.. The pizzas were excellent, especially the Pennybacker with artisan pepperoni. It was a very well made pie. Of course we couldn’t […]
Ronald Cheng’s Impressive Comeback
I’ve known Ronald Cheng and admired his work for over thirty years, since he and former wife Linda began the original Chinatown on Bee Caves Road in Rollingwood. Ronald almost single-handedly raised the bar for Chinese cuisine in Austin. No more #6 with egg rolls and fried rice on his menu. You could sample food […]
Austin Restaurant Attire
Austin has a reputation as a city where if a guy puts on a long sleeved shirt for dinner, he’s said to be dressing up. Only one restaurant in the city (Restaurant Jezebel) has a formal dress code and they’ve only got eight tables. I don’t care to wear a jacket and tie when I […]
Tipping on Wine: The Argument Rages On
I have been writing for this web site for 12 years and one constant thread of disagreement among area foodies is whether or not or how much to tip on wine when wine represents a larger part of the total bill than the food. It’s been simple for me. I’ll tip 20% on the total […]
Dressing Sexy for Valentine’s Day???
Among all the important things we need to worry about, 1,000 women were asked about how they planned to dress for Valentine’s dinner. The issue seemed to be sexy vs. demure. Women were asked how much cleavage they planned to expose, and 53% said at least 4-5 inches. 22% said 2-4 inches, while 21% said […]
A Memorable New England Christmas Dinner
Yes, even restaurant critics dine at home occasionally, and one of the special days for our family has been Christmas. Since we were brought up in CT, we carried many New England traditions with us for Christmas dining. Stuffing made with oysters instead of cornbread, baked or steamed Maine lobsters instead of turkey, and of […]
Smoke’n Hops BBQ on 290 Offers Up Some Creative Dishes
Most BBQ joints, when they deviate from the norm, usually do so by adding a whole lot more sides like, say, Pok-e-Jo’s. (And their sides are terrific.) But the new place out on 290 just north of Dripping Springs called Smoke’n Hops has taken ‘cue creativity a step farther. First you have to try the […]
Unmitigated Extravagance and Big Bucks for Austin at F1 Weekend
I’m not and have never been a fan of any kind of auto racing, be it Nascar, The Indy 500, Formula 1 or Demolition Derby. Hence, I was not excited when the breathless announcement was made several years ago that Austin would play host to a Formula 1 race. But the sheer glut of excess […]
