It's OK

Chips & Rockstar Queso... they were OK.

Handcut Sweet Potato Fries... they were OK.

Migas with Home Fries and Black Beans... they were OK.

Starseeds Cafe. It's OK.

Starseeds Cafe

3101 N. IH-35

Austin, Texas 78722

512.478.7107

http://www.starseedscafe.com/

Half not good with fractions

Half Cajun. Half TexMex. Half Southern.

And yet it all adds up.

I treated the unofficial contest winner from "Bess, I hear you callin'... " (December '09) to Red's Porch today... nothing says "Congratulations!" like a meal at a place picked solely so I can blog about it.

I was intrigued by the new math of their slogan so I went for the trifecta - a dish from each genre... sorta. See the whole menu has things that are reminiscent of the three types, but they subtly blend and morph into one type. A good type. So just go with me on this.

Mexican: Goat Cheese Jalapeno Poppers hand stuffed with roasted garlic, bacon and thyme. They may have been hand stuffed, but as far as I could tell it was only with goat cheese. It came with a fun green goddess type sauce that was almost too subtle if the pepper was too spicy. Still very good for a fried cheese stuffed treat, but I'll try something else next time. (Unofficial Contest Winner* got the South Texas Traditional Enchiladas and they were just that. Rice was different, pretty sticky, I didn't taste the beans. He said you can't hide your lack of talent in a cheese enchilada so it's his litmus test. They passed.)

Cajun: Shrimp Po-Boy with friend shrimp, red onion, lettuce, tomato and Cajun tarter sauce. Oh my. This was yummy. The shrimp was that perfect crispy fried, not the too much batter fried. Everything was super fresh and I don't know what Cajun tarter sauce really is, but it was goooood. And the fries! Good lord! I try not to eat fries; white potato + frying = bad for you. But I do like to taste them... and I tasted way more than I needed to today. Crispy outside, fluffy inside and with a spicy Parmesan something something going on. Mmmmm-mmmmm!

Southern: Fried Snickers. Funnel cake battered with powdered sugar and chocolate sauce. You can't get more white-trash than that. And I won't be getting that white-trash again. Ever.

Top it off with a local 512 brew... only because I didn't see the super-happy-fun-time drink menu... and it was quite an afternoon. It could have only been better if the weather had cooperated - their upper deck is worth being mentioned in the name.

Just don't ask them to do math.

Red's Porch

3508 South Lamar

Austin, Texas 78704

512.440.REDS

http://www.redsporch.com/

* not his real name

3 out of 5 Maudie's agree - Update

We hit three out of the five Maudie's last night: Original for a margarita, Too for a margarita and queso and Hacienda for a margarita and dinner.

And that's where it went downhill.

Don't get me wrong. I LOVE Maudie's. We can live on their Diablo Sol Food (see entry of same name, August '09) and Hubby orders the Rockin' Ruthann's every. single. time. we go.

But I ordered the Tilapia Tacos (trying to balance out the queso and two... ok, three margaritas) and I was so, so very disappointed. Hubby said he should have warned me as he had ordered them once, but to go. He thought his frustration was with the technical challenge of eating fish tacos with chipotle sauce while driving was to blame. It wasn't. The flour tortillas were gummy (I prefer corn anyway) and the chipotle sauce was incredibly overwhelming. Why add tomatoes, avocado and cheese when you can't taste it? And why put cheese on a fish taco anyway?! I ate all of my black beans, they were yummy, and scraped all the sauce I could off the second taco... it didn't really help. Then I had two bites of Hubby's R.R. to satisfy my craving for good Tex-Mex, because what I had only made me feel a little sick.

So this is just a public service announcement... please go to Maudie's, but if your loved one is about to order the Tilapia Tacos in an effort to regain the figure that once captivated you, tell her that you love her just the way she is and to order the Mexican Special like a real woman.

Thank you for your support.

Maudie's

5 locations around town - soon to be 6!

http://www.maudies.com/

???

I have no idea where or what this is.

Perla's before swine...

What started as an "oh, let's try this place" turned into an "oh my goodness!" last night.

Hubby blissed out on a half dozen mixed raw oysters from the Cold Bar, I licked the plate of the Crab Louie & Cornmeal Fried Green Tomatoes with Russian Dressing that I was talked into by our waiter (thanks Matt!), we both enjoyed our salads (Iceberg Wedge with Texas Lump Crab and Roasted Fennel Waldorf, respectively) and we just about wet our pants over Hubby's Steamed Alaskan Halibut and my Pan Roasted Grouper with English Peas, Baby Carrots, House Cured Bacon and Parsley Butter. Start and end that with a great cocktail, add wine in the middle and you have yourself a very special night. I may have just found my new favorite fancy food place.

"Give not that which is pan roasted unto the dogs, neither cast ye your peas before swine, lest they trample them under parsley butter, and turn again and house cure you."

Perla's Seafood & Oyster Bar

1400 S. Congress Ave.

Austin, Texas 78704

512.291.7300

http://perlasaustin.com/

I'm not blaving...

"Sonny, true love is the greatest thing in the world. Except for a nice MLT: a mutton, lettuce and tomato sandwich, where the mutton is nice and lean and the tomato is ripe. They're so perky, I love that."

- Miracle Max, The Princess Bride

I was killing time before Hubby's dry cleaning was ready so I grabbed a bite for lunch. Trying not to eat too much meat... cheese sandwich sounds boring, not sure I want a salad, wrap sounds weird, what's this? a prosciutto, mozzarella, lettuce and tomato sandwich on a baguette with pesto mayonnaise? With a side salad?! Well, OK!

It was perfect. Like what you'd make at home except... you didn't have to. Super fresh and just enough of everything. It was awesome.

As for the true love thing... you're on your own.

Galaxy Cafe

three locations - I was in South Austin on Brodie

http://www.galaxycafeaustin.com/

In the dark

I will probably not see a movie if it's not at Alamo Drafthouse. I have grown too accustomed to drinking and/or eating during a movie. Which leads to my complaint.

My most recent excursions have all been to the South Lamar location as that is closer to my house, so all these observations are geared toward them, at least for now.

1. They have started keeping the lights so damn low before the movie starts that you have to bring a G.D. flashlight to see the menu. What? Those little wuss-ass lights under the table? To put it bluntly, they suck.

2. They have no idea how to service that many people at once. I don't know if all the start times are too close together or what, but we waited 35 minutes for popcorn. For popcorn!! So unless you get there a whole hour early, you'll be eating in the dark. Have you ever eaten salad in the dark? It ain't easy.

3. The staff that cleans after the movie (and I know they have to) talk so freakin' loud that you can't enjoy the credits and/or outro music if you're into that sort of thing. Which we are. Especially when the movie you just watched was dedicated to a friend of yours that passed away. Hubby is two years away from being that guy that yells at people to shut up. Please follow your own "Don't talk during the movie or we'll take your ass out" rules!

4. As for the food, they had a new burger (The Big (Organic) One) and while it had great flavor, the meat was so overcooked it was dry and chewy. They say it will be cooked medium-well, which I completely disagree with anyway, but it was well done and I don't mean "Well Done!". Hubby's Chicken Tacos didn't come pre-assembled and didn't come until 15 minutes into the movie (see #2) and he said they were bad and he meant bad as in bad not bad as in good.

That sad part is I'm not going to stop going. In general the food is still good, I think they are working on a new staff as they transferred all the good people to The Highball and I still want to drink while I watch a movie. I'm not repeating high school when Miller and I sneaked beer into The Chateau and then accidentally kicked our empties over and had to listen to them roll down to the front of the theater.

So damn you, Drafthouse and your tasty beverages!

Alamo Drafthouse Cinema

http://www.drafthouse.com/

Oh, brother...

Don't bother.

Baker Bros American Deli

http://www.bakerbrosdeli.com/

I've seen the Golden Light

If you think grease should be a food group, you need to go to the Golden Light.

It's the oldest restaurant in Amarillo on the historic Route 66 and on it's fifth owner, all of whom have added their own touch to the classic greasy-spoon burger joint.

One such touch is the Waller Burger: a regular cheeseburger with jalapenos between two pieces of melted cheese. Add a bun shiny with burger grease and hand-cut fries (order a small to share... trust me, it's more than enough) and you've got a meal worth working out for.

But first I'm gonna go take a nap.

Golden Light Cafe & Cantina

2908 West 6th

Amarillo, Texas 79106

806.374.9237

http://www.goldenlightcafe.com/

Do you see what I see?

Notice anything about these bills? Anything similar? Anything in common?

They're both from awesome restaurants in Toronto? Yes, but that's not it.

Both table numbers have 4 in them? That's not it either.

There's three different taxes? Nope.

The liquor was more than the food.

And that's how you do it, ladies and gentlemen.

http://www.spuntini.ca/

http://www.kitkattoronto.com/home.html

Previously on 24...

The following takes place between 11pm and 1am.

11:01pm

Group of seven walks into Annie's for an after-show snack... and a drink. They close at midnight so all seems well, a few people at the bar, cute server, cute place.

11:17pm

Website never said when Late Night Menu kicks in, but that's what is available. Very limited, but doable, Late Night Menu with no descriptions of the food although it's all fairly self explanatory. Cocktail menu looks interesting, albeit some odd choices. The Monkey Gland?! We place our orders and open presents!

11:25pm

Receive a Glenfiddich, when we ordered a Glenlivet.

11:41pm

Start to wonder where our food is. There are only three other couples in the restaurant: one was already eating, one only drinking and the one that came in after us has received their burgers.

11:55pm

Look around and see chef putting pizzas in the oven. At 11:55pm! For the first time, server comes over and says it will just be a little longer, "the pizzas take awhile". She offers to bring out what's ready. Well, duh!

12:04am

Brings out Margarita Pizzas. Decent pizza, good crust.

12:07am

Brings out Bacon Blue Burger. Immediately ask for a to-go box as it is... time to go.

12:09am

Brings out Truffle Fries. Sprinkled with Parmesan and drizzled with truffle oil. Continuously stuff in mouth as they are delicious.

12:12am

Brings out Sausage, Fontina and Oregano Pizza. Sausage is sorta like hamburger, but a little sausagier.

12:16am

Brings out Antipasto Salads. One full hour after we'd ordered them. One. Full. Hour. Good salad, crispy lettuce, was supposed to have more than one kind of meat, but didn't... not worth the wait though. THE ONE HOUR WAIT!

12:25am

Server brings complimentary brownies to placate the situation (way, way too late), followed by muffins to take home. Brownies are just OK. Have not had said muffins yet. Order a Stella.

12:30am

Group fights over check as it's a birthday dinner. Did I mention it was a birthday dinner?!?!

12:40am

Server brings back check, that she has already rung up, with the wine on it that she forgot on the first check. Officially cancel Stella that never came.

12:47am

Over tip. Food delay not really her fault, possibly the fault of the one chef cooking one thing at a time, while she does closing prep or lean on the counter talking to him. What should not have been rewarded was her complete lack of skill in handling a bad situation. No explanation of what was a ridiculous amount of a delay on a late night menu that is supposed to be fast and easy. Brownies don't excuse bad service.

12:51am

Grab coats. Walk out.

Stay tuned for scenes from next week's episode where we decide if we'll ever go back.

Annie's Cafe & Bar

319 Congress

Austin, Texas 78701

512.472.1884

http://www.anniescafebar.com/appleannies/contact.html

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

Buenos Aires? Buenos Dias!

I just ate my words.

I had just told a friend of mine, "Oh... yeah... I really try to not eat red meat unless it's really special... ya know, like a really good steak or a special occasion...". Well, apparently lunch on a Wednesday is now a special occasion.

My book group buddy S.E. gave me several choices for lunch that were written up in Austin Monthly's Food Issue and I gotta tell ya... the lunch menu for Buenos Aires Cafe almost made me speechless. It was hands down my favorite looking menu. The variety and creativity of the sandwiches made my mouth water. Then throw in some empanadas, some salads, plate lunches and housemade desserts... O Dios Mio!, I'm hungry just thinking about it.

We started with a couple of emapanadas, which are made with a sort of puff pastry - interesting choice, very good, and I would get them again. Then we each had salads, they were good, not great, I'd have to try it again though to tell you what I did or didn't like. But hold on to your panqueques (they have those too!), because the Lomito Beef sandwich, voted best sandwich by The Onion, was sublime! How do you say sublime in Spanish?!

Certified Black Angus tenderloin with your choice of chimichurri sauce or Dijon mustard, served on a toasted French baguette ("Marie! The baguettes!" Name that movie!) with cheese or tomatoes (I did the chimichurri and tomatoes). It melted, literally melted, in my mouth. And if that wasn't enough, and by golly don't you think it ought to be?, I had the other half for dinner, cold out of the fridge, while driving (forget I said that) and I think it may have been even better!

I can't wait to go back and try more things. I hope everything else is as good as that dang sandwich.

If it's not, I'll eat my words.

Buenos Aires Cafe

2414 South 1st St.

Austin, Texas 78704

512.441.9000

(another location on East 6th too!)

http://www.buenosairescafe.com/

Trick or Trattoria?

It pains me to write this post, but I feel I have to. Sigh.

So, last Friday, my husband and I decided to have lunch together. I suggested Asti Trattoria (I took him there for his birthday 2 years ago and he loved it). We met there and ordered food and I ordered a glass of wine. The wine ordering part actually went very well. The server brought me two samples to help me decide what to order. The rest, not so much

We were there for and hour and a half and the table looked like the picture above for an hour. My husband ordered a dish that had Monkfish in it and I had the chopped salad with grilled salmon. When our orders finally came out, the server told Ruben that they didn't put enough fish on the plate and that she would bring him some more. Maybe I've been watching too much Hell's Kitchen and Top Chef, but should that have even left the kitchen if it wasn't right? My salad had onions on it, which I had asked to be cut. I sent it back. Normally, I would have just picked the onions out, but we had waited an hour for a salad with onions and a dish with a tiny piece of fish on it. But wait, it gets better. My husband takes a bite of the small piece of fish and makes a face. He said the fish tasted old and definitely overcooked. I take a bite of my salad; bland. I add salt. Yes, I did. Then, finally, one of the staff brings out another plate of fish and apologizes. My husband takes a bite and says that this is what they should have sent out in the first place: fresh, well-cooked fish. We eat quickly so we can get back to work.

Cheetah doesn't like tricks, only treats please.

Asti Trattoria (Tricktoria)

408 C East 43rd Street

Austin, TX 78751

512-451-1218

http://www.astiaustin.com/asti/

Nutty Brown - Update

It's still good.

The Highball

There's a new place down south to wet your whistle. And eat. And sing karaoke. And bowl.

The Highball: I've been twice now - once for a drink and once to bowl...and drink. The Heirloom, The 10 Pin and The Glacier are just a few of the interesting choices. All very good, but I gotta tell ya, I'm cravin' another Heirloom. It's like gazpacho in a glass. Be sure and ask for Alyssa at the bar!

Bowling was fun, the lanes are super cool and the personal ball service is a nice touch. It was alittle warm last night though and they didn't turn on any music until after 6 (we'd been there since 4:30). It's old fashioned-pencil and paper scoring... "I was told there would be no math"! We didn't brave the karaoke rooms - although they are the private kind for those shy extroverts. If there is such a thing.

The onion rings with house-made ketchup were yummy and I thought the BLT Chicken Salad Finger Sandwiches were good - very different - but The Hubby didn't think so. I'm looking forward to trying the entrees. And the rest of the cocktails!

Definitely worth a looky-loo! And I double-dog dare you not to make any Big Lebowski references. It took everything I had not to say, "This is not 'Nam. This is bowling. There are rules!" Aw, dang! I just said it!

The Highball

1142 South Lamar Blvd.

Austin, Texas 78704

512.383.8309

http://www.thehighball.com/

Under the Neon Cowboy

I had just about given up on turkey when this deliciousness showed up.

It's a Sourdough Stack at Nutty Brown Cafe - thinly sliced turkey breast, Swiss cheese and grilled onions on grilled sourdough bread. Add jalapeno creamed spinach and viola!, turkey sandwiches are back in my life.

The Hubby loves the burgers and the chicken fried steak is as big as your head. They have a huge menu - the kind that might make you doubt they can do any of it well, but so far so good!!

They have a full bar (ask for Dusty!), Sunday Brunch buffet, Kid's Night on Tuesdays, a parrot named Cheeto and live music out back several nights a week. It's kind of a one-stop-shop!

If you have ever driven by their spinning neon cowboy sign and thought, "I've always wanted to try that place", I suggest you do. In fact... I think I'm going there for dinner tonight!

Maybe I'll see you there.

Nutty Brown Cafe & Amphitheatre

12225 Hwy 290 West

Austin, Texas 78737

512.301.4648

http://www.nuttybrown.com/

Coffee Talk: Thunderbird Coffee

Took a mid-morning coffee break this morning and drove my co-worker down the street to Thunderbird Coffee. After maneuvering my car into their oddly spaced parking lot (watch out for the people illegally turning left into the lot from Koenig Westbound), my co-worker ran in to grab a cup of coffee. Here's what he had to say:

-Stood at the counter for 5 minutes, there was no line, no one acknowledged me (even though 2 non-working, chatty employees saw me) -Ordered small coffee at a cost of $ 2.15 (Starbucks small cup $1.30) -Coffee prep station dirty, various creamer and half/half containers empty -Coffee was hot with a mild taste. -Not at all impressed with service or quality of coffee.

There you have it. At least they have a cool cup.

Thunderbird Coffee 1401Koenig Lane Austin, Texas 78756 512-420-8660 http://thunderbirdcoffee.com/