Once Again, Subway Rises to New Low
I’ve never really understood the success of the giant chain Subway. Their sandwiches are mediocre at best and there are easily a dozen sandwich shops in Austin and probably any other city that are better. They’ve hinged their advertising for years on this geeky formerly fat guy (Jared) who supposedly lost over 200 pounds while […]
Local Dishes You Will Love!
The Barley Risotto at Peche on 4th St. The flavor is engaging and wonderfully nuanced. What a great dish from new chef Jason Dodge, late of Vespaio. The Barbecue Shrimp Taco at Corazon at Castle Hill. Served with mango slaw, pickled red onions, and candied pecans on an open-faced tortilla.This appetizer is irresistible. The Mini […]
Competitive Eating: A New Sport or a New Low?
The Narthan’s Hotdog eating contest, held annually on the 4th of July at New York’s Coney Island, has evolved from a charming curiosity begun in 1916 (the winner ate 12 dogs/buns in 15 minutes) to a flat-out monstrosity dominated this decade by a 132lb Japanese eater who literally doubled the world record in one year. […]
What’s Behind the Recent Rash of Closings
I am concerned about the latest round of owner-operated closings around the city. Taste Select Wines, Gypsy, Latin Café, Segovia and Gene’s have all bitten the dust. Some like Gypsy, Taste and the Spanish-styled Segovia have barely made it past a year while Gene’s and Latin Café (formerly Dona Emilia’s) have been around much longer. […]
Dewhurt’s Wine Bill Get’s Deep-Sixed
Well there’s one less thing that Austin’s fine dining restaurants have to worry about. David Dewhurst’s wine bill has quietly faded away. As if this bill had any purpose or merit whatsoever. I was stunned when it was introduced given the surfeit of legitimate financial issues the legislature is supposed to deal with. Running a […]
Sean Sun Heats Up Lakeway with Non La
Somebody’s going to write a bio on this diminutive guy who barely got out of Vietnam years ago Sun has been a player on the Austin restaurant scene for years with Mekong River, Thai Tara, and many others. And now he’s moved out to Lakeway and opened Non La. Mostly Thai but with some Vietnamese […]
Packwood Still Selling Food: Except This Time He’s Not Cooking It
Uber Chef Will Packwood (Emelia’s, 7, Cibo) has helmed some wonderfully and singularly unfortunate Austin restaurants over the past ten years. New reports have him working for US Foods, a large purveyor to central Texas restaurants. Packwood was brilliant, but also very stubborn with regard to exactly what he was going to serve relative to […]
Are There Really Jinxed Locations?
We’ve all discussed how some locations in and around Austin simply can’t seem to sustain a profitable restaurant, regardless of the concept. I don’t know if the jinx thing has any real valence, but you have to agree, it is a bit strange! Probably the worst spot is in Westlake, at Bee Caves and Walsh […]
Lt. Governor Dewhurst: Bring Your Own Bottle to Restaurants?
I didn’t know that David Dewhurst had such a passion for fine wine. Good for him. But it appears that our Lt. Governor wants the Texas legislature to help him indulge that passion by passing a bill that would allow him and anyone else to bring any bottle they choose to any Texas restaurant. And […]
Southwest Pasta at Lakehouse Café a Wish Fulfilled
Years ago when The Ganite Cafe was arguably the best restaurant in Austin, my favorite dish there was a smoked chicken and bowtie pasta with an adobo cream sauce. The flavors were amazing. It was a dish I used to daydream about during mid-week (and this was long before I assumed my food critic duties […]
SXSW Trashes Fine Dining in Austin, Again
Once again that incredible excess of hubris (oh, and occasional glimpses of music) known as South by Southwest has stormed through Austin leaving a lot of dead nights for downtown fine dining restaurants. How many bands came this year? If it was over 50 it was way too many. And it was WAY over 50. […]
Are Austinites Still Dining Out?
From everything I can see, the answer is a pretty stout YES. We go out to eat most nights and rare is the occasion that we find an empty restaurant. Some newer restaurants could certainly use more customers, to be sure, but I’ve talked to more than a few operators who are experiencing 25% increases […]
Beer vs. Wine at the Lyric Opera Smackdown
In my capacity as a restaurant critic, I get lots of opportunities to engage in unique dining opportunities. I had such an moment this past Saturday at the charity “Smackdown” for Austin Lyric Opera. The idea was to serve four dishes and pair each dish with a particular wine and a beer. The judges, including […]
Those Ubiquitous Food Bloggers
Every time one turns around these days, there seems to be a new user-review website for those who are compelled to write about everything from politics to service industries to yes, food. People ask me why I don’t have a place on www.diningoutwithrobbalon.com for bloggers who want to share their opinion with the Central Texas […]
Restaurant Commercials that Greatly Annoy Me
Where can I even start on this? My current favorite is Domino’s Pizza’s CEO saying how their grilled sandwich is better than Subway’s. This is the latest in the refined art of the “CEO sale” approach. Are you kidding me? Both sandwiches are mediocre at best. That’s the equivalent of saying that vegemite is better […]
