Austin Restaurants Catch a Break from Hurricane Harvey
I am appalled by the pictures of Houston and the unprecedented chaos and destruction that is going on there, not to mention LaGrange, Smithville and Bastrop closer to home. My heart goes out to those who have been rendered temporarily, or worse, permanently displaced by the ravages of Hurricane Harvey. In times like these heroes […]
Cisco’s is Back Under New Ownership
Rudy Cisneros, my old pal, would be happy to see that his beloved Tex-Mex joint on E 6th is now in good hands. Grandson Matt Cisneros is now the new owner with a team of partners and they have big plans: for the first time in the history of this iconic spot they’re going to […]
Homespun Kitchen and Bar in Dripping Springs Continues Tuesday Tradition with Chinese
Some time ago Homespun Kitchen and Bar in Dripping Springs began handing out survey forms to its customers asking them about their favorite styles of cuisine. The idea was to take the results and create a series of Tuesday menus reflecting those choices. This is an ambitious task for a restaurant that primarily does New […]
Austin Pizza Wars 2017 Coming Soon
Dining Out with Rob Balon pioneered Pizza Wars 17 years ago when Austin had relatively few really decent pizza joints. But all that has changed. We now are blessed with a number of Upper East Coast (CT, NYC, JERSEY) and Italian spots, not to mention za from Detroit. So much so that our cup is […]
Juliet Italian Kitchen: The Dynamics of a Restaurant’s Mid Course Correction
The restaurant business is enormously competitive. Typically, restaurants that are successful over the long haul face a variety of challenges, not the least of which is the challenge to realistically assess one’s own concept/operational plan and the decision to either change or augment that plan as necessary. Owner Dan Wilkins and Exec chef Jacob […]
Big Cat BBQ in Cedar Park Celebrates 2nd Anniversary on August 12
Lunch at Big Cat BBQ with KEYE-TV’s Chikage Windler and family. One thing that is critical to new restaurants is anniversaries. Each one, particularly the first three, is cause for celebration in the arduous restaurant biz. So Big Cat BBQ on 401 W Whitestone in Cedar Park is understandably pretty buzzed about their 2nd anniversary […]
Hamachi Crudo at Homespun Kitchen and Bar
We had some excellent crudo last night as a course at a William Chris wine dinner at Homespun Kitchen and Bar. Unlike a preparation of fish for sashimi, crudo uses different spices and olive oil to actually create a layer that coats the fish. I’m not suggesting that crudo can approach the texture of a […]
Homespun Kitchen and Bar Tries Menu by Ballot
Many restaurants try to come up with interesting promotions to attract customers. But Homespun Kitchen and Bar in Dripping Springs has a new one that’s worth looking at. Owners Jennifer and Randy decided to let customers vote on the top five dinners they’d like to see at the restaurant. Ballots were given to all patrons […]
The French Boulangerie: an Endangered Species?
Nowhere in the world is the art of making and consuming various styles of bread more indigenous to local culture than in France. The epicenter of this are the thousands of boulangeries or local bakeries that spread across the country. They make everything from traditional baguettes to the indispensable croissant. They have a history that […]
The Wise Guy Kitchen has Closed
The Wise Guy Kitchen, the 5th St. food truck with the usual dishes named after organized crime guys, has gone dark. I tried it once and found it to be OK. I grew up not far from NYC and had the opportunity to sample the grinders and hoagies from Brooklyn to Queens that Wise Guy […]
Austin Restaurant Manager Darryl Wittle Leaves Austin for Galveston
Perhaps the best restaurant general manager in the Austin area, Darryl Wittle is taking his inestimable talents to Galveston and helming a new steakhouse for foodie kingpin Paco Vargas. Wittle began his career in Austin as a server at the famous Basil’s and reached his peak during his stunning tenure with Fleming’s Steakhouse, first downtown […]
Man Vs. Food on the 4th of July
Somewhere a long time ago the first competitive eating contest was held. Maybe it was a bunch of kids eating cherry pies or watermelons. But however murky the origins of this “sport” may be, one of the more bizarre events is the Nathan’s Hot Dog Challenge held at Coney Island every forth of July. The […]
Is the Owner Operated Restaurant an Endangered Species?
We went to Dallas over the Easter holiday weekend to have brunch with our daughter. She lives near Plano in a lovely area called The Colony. We ate at a smallish chain restaurant near her apartment called Hash House a Go Go. The wait was well over an hour. The food was decent but the […]
