Does the Concept of a “Jinxed” Restaurant Location Really Exist?
At face value, one would think that the notion that there are just some locations that will just never work for a restaurant is true. Look at the site on Walsh Tarlton in Westlake off Bee Caves Road. It has housed at least 10 restaurants since the early 1980’s (including Chez Fred, Interurban, Serrano’s, Rock […]
What I Expect from a Good Restaurant Server
I think that regardless of the pedigree of the establishment, every restaurant patron should be able to expect competent and efficient service from their waitperson. Here are some things I always look for and upon which I tip accordingly: 1. Be polite and friendly. That is not meant to read overly solicitous and or casually […]
Trans Fats Banned Throughout California
California achieved another first recently: they became the first state to ban the use of trans fats in restaurant foods. State restaurants have got a year and a half, to Jan.1, 2010, to find alternate sources for shortenings, margarines, or frying media that contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. Ironically, donut makers were given an extra […]
Tough Times on E. 11th St.
When Brenda McGowan, proprietor of Ms. B’s on Mesa was lured over to the new E. 11th St. retail center several years ago, she was told by the non-profit Austin Revitalization Authority that she would anchor what would become a booming revival of what had once been a rundown and generally decrepit area. Two years […]
The Notion of Value: it’s Importance to Restaurants and Customers
With the sluggish and uncertain economy and the rising costs of gasoline, many businesses are strategizing over ways to retain customer loyalty and patronage. Austin area restaurants are certainly no strangers to this dilemma. But with supply costs rising, restaurants are simply not in a position to slash menu price points across the board. So […]
Our Readers Weigh In On What Bothers Them Most About Local Restaurants
My most recent blog was designed to serve two purposes: first, to let me rant a bit about the annoying things I see most frequently while dining out at local restaurants; and secondly, to give our readers a chance to weigh in on their biggest frustrations. Well, did our readers ever weigh in! And I […]
Things that Restaurants Do that Annoy the Hell Out of Me
1. Tell me you’re “slammed” when I call to make a reservation. Worse still, be smug about it. As the customer, I could give a rat’s ass that you’re “slammed”. I want to eat there. I want your help: not your immature condescension. So instead of telling me how “slammed” you are, tell me you’ll […]
Trademark Bloodbath on 10th St: Chico’s (from El Paso) vs. Chuco’s!
In my other life as head of a market research firm, I do a fair amount of work as an expert witness in trademark infringement cases. Sometimes you run across some lawsuits that are petty, vindictive, and totally lacking in any kind of understanding of trademark law. We have our own example here in Austin […]
Dining Out and Gas at $3.60-$4.00 a Gallon?
I was filling up the old gas guzzler this morning when I heard this profane muttering from the other side of the pump. Curious, I leaned closer and thought I heard this lady talking on her cell phone to someone. She was unleashing a tirade of invectives regarding gas prices. But she was talking only […]
The Demise of Cibo
I’m really bummed about the closing of Cibo. This restaurant at 10th and Congress was the pride and passion of Chef Will Packwood. Everything he knew about Italian cuisine he poured into Cibo. He had actually spent a couple of years cooking in Italy (north of Venice) and every night some new taste extravaganza with […]
It’s Time for Another Restaurant “Poll”
I just got an email from a restaurant reminding me that it was time for another one of those annual restaurant “polls” that one sees in various local periodicals and web sites. They then asked me to VOTE for them in the poll. I must get 50-100 of these “vote for me” emails during polling […]
Josh Watkins Exits Driskill Grill to Open His Own Restaurant
No sooner had I finished praising The Driskill Grill’s Josh Watkins and the way he had guided the seamless transition from outgoing Chef David Bull last year than I find I have to write another “departure” story. It’s unusual for a restaurant of the Driskill’s stature to lose two seriously good chefs in under two […]
Gordon Ramsey Decides Not to Dance with the Bakehouse
It looks like bad-boy Fox TV chef Gordon Ramsey has really delivered the ultimate slap in the face to the south Austin icon, The Bakehouse. Ramsey, well-known for his mercurial rants, has apparently passed on doing one of his “Kitchen Nightmares” segments that would have focused on a drastic makeover of this 30-year-old establishment. Owner […]
SXSW: Not So Kind to Fine Dining Restaurants?
Much is made over the millions of dollars that SXSW brings into the Austin economy each month. But an informal poll we conducted with owners/chefs at fine dining restaurants revealed a segment of the Austin economy that was not blessed with the magic dust that SXSW seems to spread around each year. Most high-end restaurant […]
Cabernet Sauvignon: The Grape of Destiny
In most upscale restaurants across Austin, you will usually see an extensive part of the wine list usually devoted to cabernet sauvignons. The cabernet sauvignon grape is the most widely grown in the world for wine production. Many think that this is an ancient grape but in truth, a DNA analysis in the 1990’s proved […]
