David Bull Storms Back into Austin at the Austonian
Now this is something to get excited about. One of my favorite chefs to have graced the river city is coming back. David Bull, who turned the Driskill from a mediocre hotel restaurant reduced to doing Mystery Dinner Nights to one of Austin’s top three restaurants in less than a year is slated to open […]
One Really Good Reason to Head to Kyle: Bordeaux’s
Trust me, I really get very little pleasure out of crawling my way south of Austin on IH 35 on a Friday evening during rush hour. There is virtually nothing that can induce me into such madness. But there is one thing: dinner at Bordeaux’s in Kyle. This little gem is worth congestion on a […]
Food Friday Rocks the Austin Food Scene
For those of you who enjoy a rollicking hour of central Texas restaurant, wine, and food talk, then make an appointment for the last Friday of each month from 9-10am on 590 KLBJ-am. There are other radio stations around the country that run food programs, but our show is the ONLY one that runs in […]
The Art of Being a Restaurant Critic
As is inherently obvious, there are many user generated websites where critics-in-waiting can hold forth on anything that pleases them. Some say that this abundance of verbiage obviates the need for professional critics like myself or Virginia Wood or Pat Sharp. Needless to say, I disagree. I have put many years into the process of […]
New Restaurants Load Up at the Ever Changing HEB Center at 360 and Bee Caves
The Lion and Rose Pub is the third restaurant to occupy the space next to Macaroni Grill and Chick Fil A.. Then most previous occupant was Ruggles (out of Houston) which then segued into Austin’s Cheesecake Kitchen before closing. Neither restaurant could establish any gravitas with the picky Westlake audience. Now into the mix comes […]
4th Quarter Reports for National Chains Not Good
Financial analysts, looking to the hospitality sector to lead an economic recovery, got some disappointing news as year-to-year figures were released for a number of chain restaurants. Most were flat or in a state of decline. And even the usually reliable fast food segment reported drops in same-store sales. For example, Sonic Corp was down […]
Austin Cold Wave Proves Conservatives’ Point: Global Warming is a Hoax!!!
Just kidding! Wanted to get your attention. What this recent cold snap really proves is that we all need to know where to find a great bowl of hot soup. Here are some suggestions. The Pho Tom (shrimp) at Non La in Lakeway is my favorite: wonderful beef broth, rice noodles, plump shrimp and the […]
The 590 KLBJ Roundtables
I had the opportunity to fill in for Jeff Ward over the holiday season on 590 KLBJ. And I hope you had the opportunity to catch our restaurant roundtable on Dec 29th at 3pm. We had Shane Street from the Grille at Rough Hollow, James Ramsey from Georgetown’s Silver and Stone, and Michael Flume from […]
New Year’s Eve at Cool River
Cool River is one of my favorite restaurants in Austin. I love the layout of the restaurant which creates an effective distance from the rollicking bar, the cigar room, and just the entire vibe of the place. GM Randy Umlah looked dapper in his tux and the place just sparkled. The Bone-In Ribeyes were to […]
It’s Christmas! Holiday Stories and Musings Around the River City
The Austin holiday season is one of my favorite times of the year. There are multiple dinners, events, parties and just the general boatload of good cheer that seems to permeate our very cool city. We went to the Cantina Laredo event on Dec. 10th. How cool is a Christmas dinner hosted by Don Julio […]
So Where Do Things Really Stand with Local Restaurants?
It’s hard to get a restaurant owner to admit these days that things are not quite where they’d like them to be relative to sales, new customers, growth, et al. Most, when pressed to the task, will give it the old stiff upper lip and talk about how things are “looking up”. But many local […]
How Long Can the Cupcake Craze Last?
There was a piece on Nightline last night about the current national cup cake craze. And we certainly have our own version of that in Austin. People are lining up for $3 cup cakes that have gone beyond the traditional vanilla, chocolate and red velvet. These days you can get just about anything. There’s a […]
What’s New in the Wine World?
People have always had this notion that to get a rating of over 92 from Wine Spectator the price point had to be equivalent to the rating. Au contraire!!! Take a look at this year’s #1 Wine Spectator pick! It’s a Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley Reserve 2005 from Columbia Crest Winery. Everyone is already raving […]
News about Perla’s. Malaga, Chinatown Downtown, Rio Grande, Piranha Killer Sushi
Malaga, that elegant tapas restaurant on 2nd St. has closed temporarily for lunch. Dinners are alive and well and chef Alex Duran is most certainly at the top of his game. But the “density” that all downtown restaurants seek has really yet to materialize to the degree that’s needed to keep all these places going. […]
Local Dishes You Will Love: Part II
The Huevos Rancheros at Joe’s Bakery. I like the Ranchera sauce so much I got Rosie to give me a quart to take home. It’s that good and it’s the secret to this wonderful dish. Or maybe it’s the egg-washed and flour-coated deep fried bacon or the amazing refried beans. Or the house made tortillas. […]
