January 23rd Blog
I saw a piece in Austin Fit Magazine about the Ton of Fun weight loss contest that I participated in last year. The idea was that ten local celebrity “fatties” would assemble teams and raise money for Big Brothers/Big Sisters. Danny Baker, GM of FOX 7 TV, got me involved last May. I was already […]
January 17th Blog
Well, these have been a couple of really crappy days if you’re in the restaurant business. Not much more to say about it. Many restaurants couldn’t even open. Those that did probably saw a bunch of empty tables. Got to hand it Sharon Watkins at Chez Zee though. She lost power, battled the elements, and […]
The Little Deli on Woodward is Sold. Old Owners to Concentrate on “It’s Italian” in Round Rock
One of my favorite little sandwich shops in Austin, the Little Deli, has been sold. I have not been there since the sale but I’m told all is well. The old owners are operating It’s Italian on Bratton Lane in Round Rock (where the original Gumbo’s was). I really enjoy It’s Italian and wish them […]
January 15th Blog
Dinner at Sampaio’s sat night was, for the most part, excellent. The yucca cakes with mozarella cheese and a light marinara sauce were very tasty. I didn’t like the salmon croquettes as much; the taste was a bit strong for me. A little too “salmony.” (Is that a word?) However, Marge liked them a lot. […]
January 12th Blog
I’m heading up to Beluga in Round Rock tonight for dinner with Marge, my daughter Jenn and her new husband John. Fish and Jae, two of my favorite restaurant owners, are having some kind of Russian rock band in to mix with their killer menu. Now there’s a combination: their classic Ahi Tower and Ivan […]
January 10th Blog
People often ask me why I don’t open up a restaurant: as if the fact that I write about restaurants would somehow make me a candidate to run one. Well, as T. Soprano would say, “fuggadaboudit.” I have seen how hard restaurateurs work. It takes constant care and feeding to run a successful operation and […]
January 8th Blog
Not good news for restaurants on Congress in downtown Austin. Due to the inexplicable deaths of sixty-three grackles, everyone’s favorite bird, the avenue was closed down from the Capitol to Cesar Chavez. Many restaurants had to close for lunch, losing valuable weekday revenue. Paranoia over this event was so high that even The Department of […]
Hyde Park Bar & Grill
4206 Duval St.
Austin, TX 78751
(512) 458-3168
&
4521 West Gate Blvd.
Austin, TX 78745
(512) 899-2700
