La Condesa - Update

So I asked the manager what the sauce was on my Shiner beer braised short ribs and he said, "Oh, just the braising liquid", which to me, meant melted animal fat.

I then proceeded to dab it behind both ears like perfume.

La Condesa

400A West 2nd Street

Austin, Texas 78701

512.499.0300

http://www.lacondesaaustin.com/index.html

Bess, I hear you callin'...

I'll buy lunch for the first person that can name the real song from the title!

Had lunch with Cheetah. And a glass of wine. The world is full of surprises.

I have decided that the salad industry is at a standstill. I don't want to see another Wedge, I don't want to see another goat cheese and pecan on mixed greens, no more balsamic vinaigrette, you can have your Greek, your Taco and your plain Dinner. Where are the salad chefs?! Is there such a thing?! Well, we need them!

Then a simple plate of loveliness showed up. Herb Spring mix with walnuts and blueberries and a yummy vinaigrette (raspberry-basil to be exact and it's deliciously subtle). I don't even like blueberries, but the fact that they used them was exciting to me. And the good ol' walnut?! It's the king of nuts! It wasn't even on the lunch menu, but we asked for a dinner-type salad and this was the option - big enough to split. And it just may have restored my faith in salad.

I had the Mushroom Crepes, but compared to Cheetah's Chicken Pot Pie, they were boring. They weren't really - they just weren't... chicken pot pie. How we passed up the Bacon-wrapped Meatloaf, I will never know. What we didn't pass up was the Challah Bread Pudding with Chocolate Ganache. You had Cheetah at Ganache. And I just like saying pudding.

Super cute server, but she was a tad weak at the end (didn't clear bread basket and/or bread plates before dessert... or at all... and I had to ask for a refill on coffee), I still tipped well (which is fodder for a whole post in and of itself). Anyway, not the end of the world.

What will be the end of the world is if no one can name the song in the title.

BESS Bistro on Pecan

500 West 6th Street

Austin, Texas 78701

512.477.BESS (2377)

http://www.bessbistro.com/

Pictures? We Don't Need No Stinkin' Pictures!

Here's my side of the conversation this afternoon at Z' Tejas:

"Water for right now."

"No, we're OK."

"I think we know. Mom, you go first!"

"I'll have the Chicken, Artichoke and Mushroom Stack. Oh and a glass of the Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc."

"Cute cornbread thing."

"We ate here together before? Was I hungover?"

"That looks good!"

"Crap! I meant to order double vegetables instead of mashed potatoes!"

"Glad this is a soy-mustard sauce so I can pretend it's not fattening."

"Why is zucchini ALWAYS a seasonal vegetable?" (Although to be honest, I said this to myself, in my head.)

"Mmmm."

"What's the cobbler?"

"Yes, with two spoons and another glass of wine."

"Wow - it's bubbling!"

"Is that my water?!"

"Mmmm."

"No, my treat. You're a cheap date. My wine was $11 a glass!"

"Crap! I forgot to take a picture!" (Although to be honest again, I said this to myself too, in my head.)

I know you are shocked at what a scintillating conversationalist I am. What it boils down to is that I cleaned my plate and barely came up for air.

Z' Tejas 6th Street

1110 W. 6th St.

Austin, Texas 78703

512.478.5355

http://www.ztejas.com/index.html