Hawaiian Style Trailer “Rock a Dive” Opens on 1901 South Lamar
A new trailer called Rock a Dive has just opened on 1901 South Lamar (in front of the Corner Bar). At the helm is the hugely talented Collin Treanor, former owner of the eclectic and upscale Collin B’s on W. 38th. I had been wondering what Collin was up to the other day, and then […]
Resurgence in Retro Dishes: Trend or Fad?
Slowly but surely, some restaurants around Austin and elsewhere are adding some dishes to menus that haven’t been seen in some time. It may be an overt attempt to appeal to vanguard Baby Boomers, or it may be that a lot of 30-something chefs have been watching Nickelodeon and lots of 60’s reruns. But I’m […]
For Those who Might Have Missed It — Austin Pizza Wars: 2012
Welcome to the 6th installment of the recurring series we have fondly come to know as Pizza Wars. This has evolved from a rating of both chains and locally-owned joints to almost exclusively a detailed report on owner-operated spots in Central Texas. The reason: the chains are what they are. No need to take up […]
Jack Allen’s to Open Round Rock Location on Oct. 1st
You know as you get older, birthdays tend to get less significant to the one having the birthday. Monday, October 1st, is my birthday but this year is different: it’s also the day that Jack Allen’s is giving all of Round Rock’s foodies a present in the form of the opening of their new restaurant […]
Complete Text of Rob’s Most Recent Q&A Program on KVUE-TV
One of the really neat opportunities regarding my association with KVUE-TV is the opportunity to do a monthly Q&A show where we answer questions both from readers of diningoutwithrobbalon.com and from viewers of KVUE. We thought it would be fun to share the questions and answers with all of our readers. This is something we […]
Update on the Russian House Opening
We’ve talked quite a bit about the anticipated opening of Austin’s first Russian restaurant on East 5th next to Rival’s Steakhouse. The projected opening dates have come and gone, but to anyone familiar with the restaurant business this is not unusual. The red tape involved in opening a restaurant in Austin can be substantial and […]
Hill’s BBQ Market Opens on Steck
The ongoing collaboration between Austin radio personality and restaurateur Bob Cole and Stan Miller has yielded yet another opening. Their newest restaurant is called Hill’s BBQ Market and it’s on 3301 Steck. The idea is to provide all natural beef and their catch phrase is “never never.” This means that none of the beef served […]
Our Best New Austin Restaurants in 2012
Every time we do a Food Friday show on KLBJ-AM, the common thread from listeners is that we are so fortunate to have so many new, good restaurants in the Austin area. While some of these, alas, don’t make it, many do and the point of this piece is to highlight my favorites from the […]
Fore Mixologist Brandon Tuner Wins Z Tequila ReZipe Rumble
The bartender at Fore in Lakeway is $1,000 better off tonight than he was last night: Brandon Turner beat out seven other finalists to take down the first prize in the 1st Z Tequila ReZipe Rumble at Republic Live. As I judge, I tasted some very interesting and creative cocktails. But Brandon was the consensus […]
Dining in the Dark Austin Style
I once attended a charity dinner at the old Alamo Drafthouse downtown. Jeff Liu of the late Bistro 88 was the chef and the attendees watched Eat Drink Man Woman, a foodie classic movie along the lines of Big Night and The Grand Buffet. As usual, we were a bit late arriving and it was […]
Vodka Fest Rocks at Cool River
As a guy with a strong background in marketing and market research, I am constantly amazed at the seemingly unending parade of new brands of vodka that hit the market each year along with established brands that add new flavored products to their lineups. What makes it interesting is that vodka is, by definition, “a […]
Winner Picked at Vodka Fest for Cool River Dinner with Rob
One lucky entrant from Rob’s table at Cool River’s Vodka Fest last week has won the dinner for two at Cool River. If you are the entrant, an email from Rob will be on its way. Congratulations and enjoy your dinner with whomever you choose and Rob at Cool River. These dinners are always a […]
On People and Dogs
The relationships that people have with their dogs can often be quite remarkable. It certainly has been in our house for the past 34 years. We began with an Old English Sheepdog we named Jazz. He was our first baby, born a year before our daughter Jenn. Jazz lived a long healthy life and was […]
