Verona Ristorante Italiano Opens at the Y in Oak Hill
Reza Faridi knows his way around Italian food from his tenure at Giovanni’s in Round Rock and from his time at the Treehouse on S. Congress. So a welcome player in Oak Hill is his new restaurant Verona Ristorante Italiano. It’s in the Oak Hill Shopping Plaza on Highway 71. They are newly opened and […]
Looking for Pan Asian in Dripping Springs? Try Koi Lantern
I have yet to try this Pan Asian restaurant in Dripping Spings but our readers have been sending in their commentaries. So far it appears to be a mixed bag. But I will get out there very soon. In the meantime, there ain’t a lot of Asian cuisine in Dripping so give it a shot. […]
Terra Burger Adding Second Location To Northwest Austin
Terra Burger will be opening their 2nd location June 1st at 10611 Research Blvd., right in front of the Costco. The new location will be family friendly with a drive-thru window, a shaded backyard seating area, a playland, and a kids splash feature. Rob is a big fan of the Veggie Terra Burger and the […]
Will Uhlhorn New Exec Chef at the Oasis
Chef Will Uhlhorn’s early background provides a sound platform for his recent promotion to Executive Chef at the Oasis atop Lake Travis. He logged in several years at Outback Steakhouse, a place where flavor profiles, consistency of food and product, plate presentation, and customer service are emphasized. Outback also serves lots of folks each week: […]
Consider Corazon for your Next Private Dining Function
If you’re planning a private dinner consider Corazon. They have two private dining room that seat from 10-24 persons each or one large space that can provide a seated dinner for up to o60 people or a party of 40 with plenty of room for socializing beforehand or dancing afterward. The private dining areas are […]
Max’s Wine Dive to Open May 12th on San Jacinto
You craving some fried chicken along with champagne? Why the hell not, right? Well wecome to Max’s Wine Dive on San Jacinto. This is a restaurant that makes up rules as they go along and if that doesn’t sound like Austin, then what does? The official opening is on May 12. So if gourmet comfort […]
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 […]
Rob and Lauren’s Reports from the Texas Hill Country Wine and Food Festival
I was not around for the inception of Texas Hill Country Food and Wine Festival over twenty years ago. But the brain child of Ed and Susan Auler of Fall Creek Winery and Kevin Williamson of Ranch 616 had become a fixture on the national food and wine circuit, right up there with Aspen and […]
Craving Indo-Chinese? Check Out Masala Wok
Masala Wok is a restaurant that’s nestled into a huge shopping mall on N IH 35 just south of Howard Lane. If you want to taste regionial cuisine that blends Indian and Chinese or some very serviceable Indian cuisine on its own, then Masala Wok is a place you should most definitely try out. Unlike […]
Pizza Wars 2009
Welcome to the fourth installment of our recurring series fondly known as “Pizza Wars.” Most of you know that I am a transplant from New Haven, CT, home to some of the best pizza in the world. So it is with a trifle of remorse and irony that I’ve rated the pizza down in my […]
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 […]
