‘Food Wars’ on Travel Channel to Feature Lockhart on March 23rd
There’s a new show on the Travel Channel called Food Wars. It airs Tuesdays on Cable Ch. 33 at 9pm. The premise is to take two restaurants from the same city which feature their own versions of a particular cuisine. I was involved in the filming at Lockhart last month that pitted Smitty’s against Kreuz […]
Will Oscar for Sandra Bullock Swamp Bess?
One thing Austin has never had is an actress who has won an academy award for Best Actress. Congratulations Sandra Bullock. But Austin has also never had an academy award winning actress who owns a fairly visible restaurant on 6th St. called Bess. You think it was bad before when celebrity gawkers would turn away […]
Rob Joins KVUE-TV as the New Food Critic
It’s funny how time passes. One minute I had gotten a phone call from GM Danny Baker at FOX 7 TV asking me if I’d like to do a version of my new KLBJ-AM restaurant reviews on FOX 7. The next minute ten years and more had gone by. As anyone in the business knows, […]
Simplicity Wine and Eats Opens at 4801 Burnet
I’ve always had a great admiration for Parind Vora. Any guy that can walk away from a residency in Urology to open a restaurant, and a damned good one at that (Jezebel) gets extra bonus points for opening up a companion restaurant called Simplicity Wine and Eats. The idea behind Simplicity is small plates and […]
David Bull Storms Back into Austin at the Austonian
Now this is something to get excited about. One of my favorite chefs to have graced the river city is coming back. David Bull, who turned the Driskill from a mediocre hotel restaurant reduced to doing Mystery Dinner Nights to one of Austin’s top three restaurants in less than a year is slated to open […]
One Really Good Reason to Head to Kyle: Bordeaux’s
Trust me, I really get very little pleasure out of crawling my way south of Austin on IH 35 on a Friday evening during rush hour. There is virtually nothing that can induce me into such madness. But there is one thing: dinner at Bordeaux’s in Kyle. This little gem is worth congestion on a […]
Thai Tara on 6th St. Closes
This one really bums me out. I have enjoyed this place for years and have come to be a big fan of Yupa Rushing. They had a decent lunch crowd but could never seem to make much headway at dinner. The curries were great as were the stir-fry (pad) dishes. I will really miss Thai […]
Food Friday Rocks the Austin Food Scene
For those of you who enjoy a rollicking hour of central Texas restaurant, wine, and food talk, then make an appointment for the last Friday of each month from 9-10am on 590 KLBJ-am. There are other radio stations around the country that run food programs, but our show is the ONLY one that runs in […]
The Art of Being a Restaurant Critic
As is inherently obvious, there are many user generated websites where critics-in-waiting can hold forth on anything that pleases them. Some say that this abundance of verbiage obviates the need for professional critics like myself or Virginia Wood or Pat Sharp. Needless to say, I disagree. I have put many years into the process of […]
The 24 Diner Opens at 600 North Lamar at the Site of the Former Waterloo Ice House
The late night crowd will love this. Finally, a 24-hour diner has opened at 6th and Lamar at the site of the former Waterloo Ice House. The name, appropriately enough, is “24.” I stopped and got some dishes to go last night and they were all delicious, particularly the Meatloaf and the Pot Pie. They […]
Sampaio’s Brazilian Restaurant Closes
I hope this is not the ending chapter in the engaging script that Magna Sampaio has crafted over the last several years on the Austin food scene. But for now Sampaio’s appears to be closed and we’ll keep you posted on any further developments.
New Restaurants Load Up at the Ever Changing HEB Center at 360 and Bee Caves
The Lion and Rose Pub is the third restaurant to occupy the space next to Macaroni Grill and Chick Fil A.. Then most previous occupant was Ruggles (out of Houston) which then segued into Austin’s Cheesecake Kitchen before closing. Neither restaurant could establish any gravitas with the picky Westlake audience. Now into the mix comes […]
4th Quarter Reports for National Chains Not Good
Financial analysts, looking to the hospitality sector to lead an economic recovery, got some disappointing news as year-to-year figures were released for a number of chain restaurants. Most were flat or in a state of decline. And even the usually reliable fast food segment reported drops in same-store sales. For example, Sonic Corp was down […]
