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Inside Italic on West Sixth Street
Do you know an easy way to find out how good the food is in a restaurant? Order a dish made of vegetables. When you order a pasta with meat sauce that has been slow-cooked for hours, or a pizza with cheese bubbling on top, you know it’s going to be good. But if a chef can turn zucchini into a dish even a carnivore would adore and make roasted carrots burst with flavor, rest assured you are in the right place. [Read more…]
Crepe Crazy customers order by pointing to large menu posted on the main counter (Credit: Jaclyn Hubersberger)
Upon entering Crêpe Crazy’s South Austin location, I was transported to a quaint European cafe. My senses were delighted by the scent of freshly-made crêpes, melted cheese and the occasional waft of espresso. The mid-century modern inspired decor boasted sleek lines, a warm color palette of mustard yellow and orange hues, marble white table tops, and spherical copper pendant lighting. At this point I was already smitten…and I hadn’t even ordered yet.
It doesn’t take long to realize there’s something unique about Crêpe Crazy, beyond the sophisticated decor and carefully-curated menu featuring a number of tantalizing options to satisfy cravings of both savory and sweet. As I glanced across the counter into the open kitchen, I noticed the kitchen staff was silent. Their preferred method of communication? Sign language. [Read more…]
Red Okra boasts a locally-sourced menu, including wine and beer options (Credit: Red Okra)
When you think of Austin, a few essentials may come to mind: delicious tacos, outdoor activities, live music and Whole Foods Market. Whether you regularly shop at the Austin-based store or not, you probably know that a visit to Whole Foods Market’s flagship location is more than a trip to the grocery store—it’s an experience.
The store boasts both take-out and dine-in meal options, a wine bar, a sushi and seafood bar, a juice bar, a taco bar, and a sit-down café. I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t eaten all three meals there before. If you’ve visited recently, you may have noticed a few more additions, including a new farm-to-table sit-down restaurant, Red Okra. [Read more…]
What do pilgrims and your in-laws have in common? An appreciation for all the Thanksgiving delicacies Austin has to offer! Whether you’re a die-hard DIYer or someone who doesn’t want to lift a finger unless it’s to nab the last dinner roll, we’ve got the ultimate take-home Thanksgiving meal guide for you! [Read more…]
The baked goat cheese appetizer is one of a dozen reasons to visit 827Ray’s (Credit: 827Ray’s)
Ever stare at a restaurant menu and start to panic? Feel your mind spin as you frantically search Google for food definitions? What’s a haricot vert? Why would I want a deconstructed tuna tartar? Can’t I just get a steak?
While I love exploring the new flavors and exciting techniques of Austin’s exploding food scene, sometimes I crave simple goodness. Enter 827Ray’s, a new French-inspired restaurant in northwest Austin by Lake Travis. A refreshing blend of upscale class and down-home charm, 827Ray’s delivers quality cuisine without the need for a dictionary or pretense. [Read more…]
Vespaio Ristorante and Enoteca Vespaio are co-located on South Congress Avenue (Credit: Joleen Jernigan)
Do you want freshly-made, locally-grown food served with a warm South Austin attitude? Vespaio Ristorante and Enoteca Vespaio bring both–with Italian passion–to the heart of South Congress Avenue.
These culinary cornerstones of the SoCo strip have been setting the standard for Italian food in Austin for decades. The kitchen staff at both restaurants is up and at it early, making pasta, bread, desserts and charcuterie, and prepping all of the daily specials in-house. Much of the food is made using ingredients from the on-site garden, Tecolote Farm in Manor and other local vendors. [Read more…]
Table full of samples at TMBBQ Fest
Texas Monthly invited 27 BBQ purveyors to participate in the 7th annual TMBBQ Fest at the Long Center on Oct. 30, 2016. Austin pitmasters represented our city well, claiming five of the coveted spots at the festival and sharing the stage with others from among the top 50 pitmasters in Texas.
The pitmasters, crews and volunteers brought in their smokers early to set up for the meat-tasting extravaganza of the year. A hungry horde of roughly 3,500 eaters put on their game faces and lined up for grub. Some families planned their tasting strategy ahead of time, employing a divide and conquer strategy. Others meandered about, going where the day and their noses led them.
The five Austin participants included Franklin Barbecue, La Barbecue, Freedmen’s, Stiles Switch and Lambert’s. Here’s what you missed. [Read more…]
Miche Bread oven in Austin
Guest article by Mathis Kennington
What would you guess is Central Texas’ most abundant food supply? Is it tacos? How about barbecue? I considered the question for the first time, standing inside a sweltering industrial kitchen with local Austin baker Sandeep Gyawali. I was just as surprised as I imagine you might be to discover that it’s the mesquite legume, the bean-looking pods that hang from mesquite trees.
After laughing at my questioning smile, Gyawali retrieved a small bag of the powdered legume that smelled sweet, like cocoa powder. “Look where it comes from,” he said, as I read that the mesquite powder was neither packaged nor produced in the United States. “Why aren’t we eating the food that’s directly around us?” The smell of Gyawali’s heritage grain flour, milled two feet away from me, made my mouth water.
I’ve thought about his question. Although Austin is surrounded by enough fertile farmland to feed our entire city, less than one percent of the food we eat is local. [Read more…]
“212” Pho, spring rolls, Thai tea and Filet Mignon Pho at PhoNatic in Austin (Credit: Jaclyn Hubersberger)
Like most Austinites, I welcome cooler weather after enduring a seemingly endless summer. November marks the beginning of sweater weather, and you can bet that about the time I reach for something knitted, I’m darting out the door to devour a steaming bowl of pho in Austin.
Of all the Vietnamese dishes to garner attention in the West, none have achieved the same level of adoration as phở (pronounced “fuh”), which also happens to be the national dish of Vietnam. Pho is comfort food at its finest: warm and hearty, and served in generous portions. Piping hot broth is poured over rice noodles and the desired protein or veggies, then served with [Read more…]
Believe it or not, I had never tried pecan pie until earlier this year when I moved to Austin, Texas. There is a silver lining: I got to try my very first slice in the state that proclaimed pecan pie as its official dessert. We can safely assume Texans know how to make it right. [Read more…]