Austin Food Blog

By some stretch in the fabric of reality, I had burgers twice this week. I have nothing against burgers; I just don’t eat them too much?  Why?  Because, too often, they’re just mediocre.  For a sandwich that is arguably the most popular food item amongst Americans, it’s surprisingly difficult to get a really good one.

Why did I get two?  Because I got two really good ones.

Rest easy, Austin.  Finding a good burger may take some work; you may have to wait a little; but it can be done.

Where did I go?

Mighty Fine and Casino El Camino.

Both have their ups and downs.  Strap yourselves in and here we go:

As far as convenience, Mighty Fine wins hands down.  While not fast food in the strictest sense, it is quick service at lunch or dinner (seriously, they have 729 employees working at any given time).  Casino El Camino isn’t open for lunch (in the long run, this is a good thing, because I work downtown and, by extension, would probably weigh 500 pounds), and, since it’s a bar (with the food a mere enticement to drink more beer), service can be downright slow.

For comfort and décor, it’s Casino without a doubt.  Mighty Fine sports fancy hand-washing and a men’s room with one-way mirrored glass looking into the dining pit (not very good one-way, incidentally… a co-worker managed to talk me out of going in a squishing my penis up against the glass to see who might notice).  While Mighty Fine can seat 150 easily but none comfortably (picnic tables, a la Rudy’s – who runs the joint), Casino is an exercise in happy-hour-style relaxation.  On any given night there’s a movie with captioning on the televisions, and a kick-ass jukebox.  It’s dark and cozy, but surprisingly friendly (don’t be put off your first time).  Food is secondary in purpose (but not execution); you will have to wander to the back and get the attention of the cook, who also takes your order.  Persevere.  You will be rewarded.

“That’s all fine and good, but what about the damned food?”

Right, right, the most important part: the food.  Mighty Fine grinds their beef fresh each day.  The burger is thick (about ½ -pound).  Fries are hand-cut (crinkles).  They will do grilled onions if you ask (and homage to Five Guys or In-and-Out are clear).  Criticism would include the fact that they’re often slightly overcooked and a bit tough, which is a sign that the meat has been over-handled when forming.  Lettuce is shredded and wimpy at best.  To me, burgers as these are the kind meant to be super-dressed, with all kinds of toppings and veggies.  There’s nothin’ wrong with that.

Casino, however, takes the cake.  It is to all other burgers what the Mighty Fine one is to standard fast food fare.  It is sublime.  It is perfection.  It is art.  It is about ¾ -pound, juicy, and delicious.  Various configurations are available, but all toppings and veggies take second saddle to the burger itself.  Fries are awesome, but did I mention the burgers are amazing?  It’s like a culinary orgy – dirty, messy, and better than you imagined.  Every time I get one, I seriously consider ordering a second.  Never mind I probably couldn’t finish it – they’re so good, I always have to talk myself out of a possibly embarrassing situation.

Mighty Fine has lemonade they make there (skip) as well as shakes (good, but filling).  Casino has beer and liquor (what burger isn’t enhanced by a beer?).  Both places have other types of food (such as hot dogs, BLT’s, chicken sandwiches, and wings) but I’ve never made it past a burger.  I mean, that would be like going to the MOMA and skipping Pollack.

Either way, you can’t go wrong.  Have a burger or two.  I did.

Food: A- (Mighty Fine) / OMG Are You Freaking Kidding?!(Casino)

Ambience: B (Mighty Fine) / B+ (Casino)

Service: A (Mighty Fine) / B (Casino)

X-Factor: A/A

I saw the Woodland while shopping one day. Simple, American menu. Simple, American décor. Near the house. On the way home from work. Kitschy South-Congress location. What could be better?

Well, the service.

Before I get to that, let me say the food was good. Very good. Mac-and-cheese was both sublime yet surprisingly not too cheesy. My pork chop was well-brined and tasted great; one companion’s chicken pot pie was great. The only disappointing entrée was spaghetti and meatballs, and that was still OK. Desert was masterful, with a cranberry crumble (wow!), a peanut butter and chocolate pie with sweet peanut fluff topped by amazingly bitter ganache.

All of this was overshadowed by the amazingly bad, callous, indignant service. We should have left, but I was buying dinner for a friend and this is what she wanted.

So what happened?

We arrived at the tail-end of the dinner hour. The place was jumping; there was one or two deuces (tables for two) open, as well as two larger tables capable of seating four or five. We were three.

I was somewhat surprised when we were told there was a wait; there were two open tables we could fit at. No one else was waiting for a table. I figured either they had some reservations OR were giving the staff a ten-minute breather to catch up after the rush.

After waiting for thirty-five minutes (staring at the empty tables we could sit at), we finally asked. Our polite query about the open tables went ignored; instead we were told one of the other larger tables “should be leaving, like, really soon!” Mind you, she was at the hostess stand the entire time. Apparently, the manager was behind the bar (which is right at the entrance) the entire time as well. Apparently, no one cared that we wanted to spend our money.

Um, ok.

Now, this is enough to piss me off. We’re the only people waiting. What are those open tables for? Most everyone in the place has their meal. I’m just not seeing it folks.

But the kicker? Drum-roll, please…

So, just as a five-top pays and is leaving (and the staff is arguing about who should bus the table), a four-top walks in. The f**king hostess proceeds to almost seat them (menus in hand) at one of the open-for-an-hour tables, sees me, and mutters, “Oh, wait, we have a real small wait.” to the new table. Rushing, she then makes sure to seat us on the other side so perhaps we couldn’t see her seat them in the other corner, at the table that had been empty for an hour.

Apparently, I forgot that I had written “stupid” across my forehead.

Wanting to believe that there must be a rational explanation, I asked our server if they took reservations. Of course they don’t, so I asked for the manager. He seemed shocked that we had waited (after explaining he’d been behind the bar the entire time. Dude, are you serious? We were RIGHT THERE). He seemed almost a little appalled. Almost. Like he believed it. Almost. He promptly offered us “a round” and ran away.

He never checked back. He never asked if everything was OK.

Sigh…

Why? What did we do? We tip well. We eat out a lot. Most importantly, we spend money. Lot’s. And we don’t linger. I don’t like to linger. I have to believe, in the gamut of customers, we have to be middle-top or top tier.

But this place?

Avoid. There are too many places interested in at least pretending I’m important enough to actively take my business. I’m afraid the same will hold true for you, faithful reader.

Ahh, sweet Woodland, you have disappointed. I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs, “I want to like you! I want to come here after work and enjoy funny drinks in cocktail glasses, watch people shop, and eat appetizers! I want to have dinner here every Wednesday! I want more peanut-butter pie!”

Instead, I will not be back.

Food: A

Ambience: B+

Service: What’s lower, E or F?

X-Factor: F**k this place

They call them churrascarias.  I call them “lots of meat on sticks”.  Whatever you call them, they’re the penultimate in upmarket (dare I say it?) buffet. 

In a nutshell, these restaurants offer rodizio service, where you pay a fixed price and the staff bring you lots of meat on metal skewers, and slice pieces off onto your plate.  In fact, at both places about to be discussed, you don’t even have to stop eating long enough to physically communicate – you have a little colored coaster, and simply flip it green for “keep the feed coming” and red for “I can’t move, please, oh stop”. 

Oh, and they have a salad bar.  Help yourself.  You’ll thank yourself the next day.

OK, so there are a lot of questions and answers about these places.  In a nutshell:

• Yes, they’re pricey – about $40 per person for dinner, give or take (more on that in a moment)
• Yes, they’re worth it
• Yes, the waiters wear funny little outfits at both places.

But the big question everyone is asking: In Austin, which one is better: Estancia Churrascaria or Fogo de Chao?

Gentle Reader, I can answer this for you:

In simple terms, if you’re dining “to impress”, go to Fogo.  If you’re dining just to eat, go to Estancia.

Why?  Read on…

Estancia seems to be locally-owned.  I say ‘seems’ because it isn’t totally clear to me, but at the very least they’re a smaller operation than Fogo.  To some of us, this matters; to others, less so.  Take it as you will.  Fogo is not.

Both have an excellent, gourmet salad bar.  Fogo edges slightly ahead of Estancia on this one, but seriously folks: are you here for the salad?

Décor and ambiance, Fogo has hands-down over Estancia.  Estancia is just a bit too crowded, and a bit too Spartan in their décor.  Fogo is really nice (though I must say, I’ve been to three other Fogo de Chao around the country, and this is one has the worst atmosphere).

Meat?  Tie.  They’re both excellent.  Let’s face it; this is what you’re here for.  No shame,   just unabashed carnivorous action.  You won’t be disappointed.

Sides? Estancia, by a sliver.  Don’t make too much of this.  In addition to them just being better, they have yucca and beans stewed with (you guessed it) meat, in addition to the bananas, polenta, mashed potatoes, and cheese popovers both offer.

Price?  Estancia is a better value – both in the meal prices as well as a more “balanced” wine offering (Fogo should be ashamed of their markup – we’re not that gullible).

Service?  Here is where Estancia really shines.  Where Estancia is attentive, Fogo is cloying (dare I say even annoying)?  Where Estancia is polished (asking for a particular cut guarantees said cut will be delivered, and quickly) Fogo doesn’t seem to get it (Fogo repeatedly forgot to bring requested cuts).  In fact, the dinner service at Fogo is down-right awful.  On one trip (with a large-ish party of about 12) they forgot our bottle of wine several times, improperly staged the meal, and forgot specific cuts.  The hostess argued about our (confirmed) reservation).  The bathroom floor was covered in urine.  When we paid, part credit card and part cash, I wanted my cash change of three or four dollars to tip the valet.  The waiter kept it (maybe he thought it was his?) and, when I asked for it back, he MADE A SNIDE COMMENT.  I still tipped him.  I still regret it.

So, if you need to impress, go to Fogo (and I must say lunch is better than dinner).  But if you just want the best meal for the best money, go to Estancia – and keep your money local.

Food: A/A

Ambience: B (Estancia) / B (Fogo – lower grade because of pee on floor)

Service: A (Estancia) / C (Fogo)

X-Factor: B / B

…I’m drinking fancy tonic.. are at least, I tried some.  Q Tonic promises a “custom blend …[of] all natural ingredients, including handpicked Cinchona bark grown in its native habitat of the Peruvian Andes.. a better tasting, healthier, and more authentic tonic.”

Of the sourcing or authenticity I’m not sure.  However, I did pick up a four-pack at Whole Foods and sat to sampling.

 Now, this stuff ain’t cheap.  As a matter of fact, it’s $2.50 for a 6-ounce bottle.  That’s more than $50 a gallon (for the “gas is so expensive” crowd).  Is it worth it?

 To keep things pure, I did two taste samplings.  Both were chilled; one was “raw” (and I do like plain tonic), and one in a classic tall gin and tonic with a lime wedge.

 Raw, it had a certain bite; while all tonic does, this seemed to have more of one.  It was not unpleasant; however, if you’re expecting a smoother or richer tonic, this is not it.  If you don’t like tonic now, this will not change your mind (unlike Hendrick’s, which can do wonders even for the gin-uninitiated). 

 I then mixed it in a tall gin and tonic.  A serious gin and tonic.  I’m talking 2 oz of Hendrick’s over cracked ice, followed by 5 oz of Q Tonic.  Add a fresh squeeze of lime wedge and off I went.  By the way, if you order “a twist of lime” at a bar, you’re stupid.  It’s a wedge.  Lemons have twists (which are small pieces of lemon peel) as well as wedges.  “With a twist of lime” is an expression only cheap wine coolers and alcoholic amateurs utter.  Save yourself.  Please.

 OK, back on track.  I must say that the Q Tonic lacks some of the sweetness of traditional tonics, so the lime wedge was most welcome as a cut to the bitter edge.  It was a good gin and tonic.  Even a superior gin and tonic.

 But herein lies the crux of the issue: it was not – by any stretch – a $50-a-gallon gin and tonic.  Not at all.  Not even a little bit.  The subtle improvement using this gin (if even distinguishable) must be relegated to the stuff of fantasy and social standing.  Indeed, keep this stuff on hand to impress, but nothing else.  For private indulgence, stick to the normal-people stuff.

Sorry that it’s been so long since I’ve had a post… holidays, work, it all gets in the way. What can I say? I’m lame.

But that brings me here: Eastside Café – a lovely little eatery located just east of IH-35 on Manor. It’s been there for years and has something of a cult following and an excellent reputation. We certainly weren’t disappointed.

If you’ve not been, the café is housed in a old house; each room has a very few tables, which lends the place a cozy, intimate feel. Décor is simple; this simplicity translates well to the menu.

A lot of ado has been placed on the fact that Eastside has its own organic garden “out back” and that, in their own words, they serve what they grow. Of course, the reality (which they admit to) is that they cannot grow nearly what they serve, so it’s never exactly clear what is home grown and what is not. I chalk this up to marketing saavy combined with a likely passion of one or more of the owners. No harm, no foul, but it doesn’t impact the experience one way or another.

The menu is small but well-appointed, with a focus on vegetarian items. Omnivores don’t fret, there are plenty of meat-containing dishes as well; it’s just that there are plenty that don’t.

Our appetizer was a baked brie – a terribly 80’s concotion, but one bite reminded me why it endures on menus. It doesn’t hurt that the little toasts served with the dish were crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. The apple chutney was nice though typical. My only complaint would be that the rind of the brie could have been crisped more – odd, since the cheese was well-melted.

Entrees consisted of a blue-plate special and the panko/pecan-crusted chicken. The special was an angel-hair pasta mixed with marinara, with Italian sausage meatballs. Perfectly good; the sausage was assertively – but not obnoxiously – spiced. The chicken was sublime – perfect texture and flavor. Wow.

Sides served with fresh and perfectly cooked: acorn squash with a ginger-soy reduction (wonderful), broccoli perfectly cooked (neither too firm nor too mushy), and mashers. Nowadays it seems hard to find well-cooked vegetables or mashers that aren’t paste.

Interestingly (and we had to listen to our waiter describe them to two other tables before we were sure), our server seemed a little confused over the preparation of one of the specials. On the list (we didn’t try, but a table near us did) were beef and goat cheese enchiladas, with rojas sauce. Our waiter humorously described them as being “tossed” with the sauce (tossed enchiladas??); several listens confirmed this was indeed what he was saying. Watching delivery to our sister table confirmed they were indeed topped and not tossed (thank goodness).

Dessert was a disappointment in the form of a pumpkin gingerbread. Let me preface this with a couple of things: first, I love both pumpking and gingerbread. Second, many of the menu items have a ginger component, so they ought to have experience with it. So it was a shock – especially after how delicious dinner was – to have a lifeless, nearly flavorless dessert. One would expect it to at least be savory and spicy or sweet, but it was really just bland. This didn’t kill dinner – just make sure you avoid dessert here.

Oh, and a side note to the family next to us, with the child: yes, your child is cute. Thank goodness it was well-behaved. However, we really don’t care quite as much as you think – parading your child to the room (“We’re teaching her sign language! She’s the center of attention everywhere! Wave hello! She’s flirting! She likes you! Wave bye-bye!”) is a bit over the top. I thought it might just be my embittered, cynical self, but after you left the table behind us also made sure to “wave bye bye” to the room when they left, much to the humor of us and the other group. The baby is the center of your galaxy, to be sure, but save some face an remember you’re but one system in a universe.

Food: B+

Ambience: B+

Service: A

X-Factor: A

So lunch one day brought a group of us to the Blue Star Cafeteria, at 4800 Burnet Road. This is far from your Furr’s or anything else questionable of the sort.

First of all, kudos to the staff for gracefully handling our large party being fifteen minutes late for our reservation (damn that Austin traffic!). Clearly, we were in the wrong. Clearly, we were irritating. Clearly, they allowed us to attempt some grace and charm and accommodated us with minimal effort or attitude.

Onto the food. What can I say? Some of it was amazing, all of it was good.

For starters, we sampled the grilled three-cheese sandwich, served with a delightfully sharp mustard – no fear of intimidating customers here! – as well as a nice dried fruit chutney that really stood out. Talk about elevating grilled cheese to an artisan level. We also had crispy fried shrimp (a special) and crispy fried chicken strips. While acceptable, they were over-cooked enough to be tough. Nice sauces made up for this – almost.

I must mention the bread – the bread! Two kinds were served to us – a dense, toothsome corn bread dotted with jalapenos and a lovely yeast roll. Both were good, but the yeast roll was heavenly. Chewy and slightly tough on the outside, soft and fluffy inside, with a heady yeast aroma that set my nose afire.

Entrees were generally well-executed, though a few rough points. Meatloaf had a tremendous mushroom gravy on top; however, the texture of the meatloaf was a little loose. Now mind you, this is a minor point – it was still nice. The mashed potatoes were fine but uninteresting, and the side of broccoli could have been cooked a tad bit longer. My only real objection to this plate was the fact that there was clearly a large amount of melted butter (or grease?) on the plate… I was able to avoid it, but… wow….

The trout salad was nice – I love places that are unafraid to chop and toss a salad. While laying everything out and setting a bowl of dressing on the side might seem like a good idea, it’s a culinary misdemeanor in my book. Salads were meant to be tossed!

Sandwiches were ample and good – the Reuben was served on marbled rye bread, and served with a house coleslaw (fries are available for an extra charge).

They have an ample wine list, with more upscale labels than one might expect – and with a lower-than-average markup, in my estimation.

And that’s what one finds here – a “cafeteria” aspiring to be more haute and upmarket than a cafeteria. What do I think? Spot-on; the slight execution problems will probably come with time – the Blue Star is only about a year old.

The décor is exactly what you might imagine an upscale, modern take on the cafeteria might be. Comfortable seats, ample booths, and a cool in-front-of-the-kitchen-with-a-view-bar are awesome. The big drawback here is that with any amount of people, all of the hard surfaces bounce noise all over the place. I found myself unable to understand any conversation at my table – even one with those next to me.

Food: B+

Ambience: B (put some sound dampening in!

Service: A

X-Factor: A

How nice!

I experienced Asti for the first time recently. I went with friends to lunch.

Wow… what a great place. Reasonably priced (though they seemed to be having a very slow lunch period) and they have a great atmosphere.

Lunch was a little slow-paced, but not enough to complain, just note. Several of us had the soup of the day – a velvety and unctuous potato leek soup, garnished with leek slivers fried to a perfect crispness. They really completed the dish by adding a subtle caramelized flavor to the whole soup.

For entrees we sampled a rigatoni with sausage and prosciutto. It’s nice to have a tomato sauce that tastes of simple flavors and let’s the tomato shine without being acidic or one-dimensional. There was a seafood risotto which was very nice as well. The stand-out meal was the lamb sandwich, with tender, flavorful lamb pieces. The waiter said it used to be a special but was included on the menu by popular demand. I can see why.

Austin, please take note: this is a place that does it right. Service was very good; atmosphere pleasant and upscale without being ridiculous. Food was well-executed without being pretentious.

Food: A

Service: A-

Ambience: A

X-Factor: A

A group of us went for lunch (when else?) to Lamberts “Fancy Barbecue”. This is my fourth or fifth time there. Over all, a good place.

First, the atmosphere is wonderful – enough old-school Southwest meets modern minimal that I love it – and marvel that they pull it off. Both floors sport overstuffed, comfortable banquettes and sturdy chairs – both good in my book.

For our rather large lunch group, we were seated upstairs. So, my complaint this time is my general complaint about restaurants and groups of more than four people: why cram us in the smallest possible space?

Let me caveat this by saying if the place is seating at or near capacity, I can forgive (barely). But in this instance, not only did they open up the upstairs to accommodate our reservation (which was cool); the restaurant wasn’t nearly full and didn’t see a full lunch-time crowd. There was no reason to have us so crammed in. Someone “important” (gauged by his Apple laptop sporting a Lamberts bumper sticker) didn’t seem to notice we were practically butts-to-nuts around the table.

A service member dropped our appetizers, and exclaimed, “Let’s make some room.” I looked at him and said, “You’re kidding right? This is miserable.” Luckily for him, he didn’t ignore the problem – he fixed it, by getting another table. Lamberts passes a complaint test by immediately addressing the issue. It’s just a shame they’re so clueless to let it happen in the first place.

So… the food, right? Does it live up to its promises?

For the most part, yes. Appetizers are great – you can’t go wrong. Crispy buffalo ribs, a nice queso, and an amazing (if you can believe it) chickpea appetizer promise wonderful things ahead. Deviled eggs with caviar and house-made charcuterie hint at the fancy part.

Sides with the dinners are mostly impressive as well. Baked mac-and-cheese is heavenly, with a velvety texture that lingers on the palate longer than would seem possible. Roasted root vegetables – perfectly crisp on the outside, soft on the inside, they included sweet and red potatoes, celery root, and whole garlic cloves in my bowl.

Unfortunately, when Lamberts misses… it misses. Luckily, the misses settle in somewhere around average, which isn’t bad. The jicama slaw is so coarsely cut one has to eat individual vegetable pieces, which defeats the “slaw effect”. Fries try to be more by being dusted in parsley and sea salt but suffer from temperature problems.

Finally… the barbecue. Here, my friends, our old enemy consistency rears its ugly head. I’ve been and had shredded pork and brisket that melts smokily in my mouth. Other times, it’s just been so-so. Why? Granted, at its worst, it’s still good. But why can’t it be amazing all the time? Don’t they taste it?

Granted, Lamberts is good. Its problems are pretty minor. I will go back. But it could be oh so much more and oh so much better.

Food: B

Service: A-

Ambience: A

X-Factor: A

I went to Thai Passion downtown for lunch with a few coworkers today. I’m no Thai food connoisseur, but the service was quick and the food was enjoyable.

When we arrived at the restaurant, we were quickly seated and each served ice water and a small salad with sweet peanut dressing. The lettuce in the salad was mostly iceberg, but the dressing made it tasty. After we had finished our salads, our orders were taken, and the food was quickly prepared and served.

I ordered their “Pud Ped Basil,” which consists of chicken, beef, shrimp, or tofu “[s]tir fried with basil, onions, bell peppers and mushrooms.” I chose the tofu, which was firm and delicious in a spicy, sweet sauce with the stir-fried vegetables. And the cost for the four of us going to lunch was just under thirty dollars. I recommend Thai Passion as quick place to have good weekday lunch with coworkers.

Food: B+

Ambiance: C (had a bit of a funny smell in the place, a la downtown)

Service: A

X-Factor: C+