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Guest article by Angela Bowers
While Austin’s foodie mantra may sing breakfast tacos and queso, cheesecake is some of the yummiest stuff around town. Local businesses such as The Celia Jacobs Cheesecake Experience, Upper Crust Bakery, Capital City Bakery and Stregare Cheesecake Company successfully whip up some of the best cheesecake to be found in the great capital of Texas.
If your fork is ready, let’s dig in. [Read more…]
As a child, I despised going to the grocery store. Walking down over-lit aisles scouting for sales was not my idea of a fun Saturday morning. With time, the grocery store grew on me. But it wasn’t until I moved to Austin that I learned what it meant to be really excited to set foot in a supermarket.
The moment I walked through the doors of Central Market, I knew I was encountering a small corner of Mecca. The bulk bins towered. There were samples of fine cheese. I lost count of the number of mushroom varieties, and the bottles of kombucha shone like jewels in a refrigerated treasure chest!
I’m almost embarrassed to admit that–despite my love of this local grocery palace–it has taken me more than three years to investigate one of Central Market’s best offerings: its cooking school. So when I was offered the opportunity to take a class, I bit in with gusto. [Read more…]
Editor’s Note: As of June 2017, Juliet has been reimagined. From the restaurant: it “now embodies a classic Italian American menu, featuring more red-sauce Italian dishes and family-style servings.”
Juliet Ristorante, a relatively new addition to the South Austin cohort of eateries, boasts a modern take on classic Italian fare.
Arriving at the restaurant, which sits adjacent to Thom’s Market on Barton Springs, I was struck by the simple elegance of the building’s exterior design, orchestrated by local architects and design firms. Its stark white and deep blue awnings, vintage script and flora surroundings combine high-end and casual.
Owners Neeca Leitao and Dan Wilkin opened the establishment in July 2015, and it has been enticing patrons ever since, with refreshing cocktails, sumptuous entrees and rich pastries that make you forget you reside in Texas. [Read more…]
Known for tasty restaurants such as El Chile, Sapo and Alcomar, El Chile Restaurant Group announced the newest addition to their already outstanding restaurant family: Yuyo. It’s coming to East Austin this summer, but I was able to enjoy a advanced tasting of dishes that will be featured at this new Peruvian kitchen and Pisco bar. [Read more…]
Credit: Holp Photography
Austin has something for everyone. Even those who don’t live here can easily find an excuse to visit the 512. Be it our Instagram-able food, waterfront views or our myriad of festivals, Austin attracts visitors like bats to the Congress Avenue bridge.
But where does it all end? Can’t we have our city to ourselves every once in awhile? Thankfully, there are a few places in the corners and crannies that the tourists haven’t discovered yet. These places offer everything Austin is known for, but they’re a bit quieter about it.
No lines, wristbands or badges, just authentic Austin for locals. So let’s take back our city! But shhh…don’t let anyone else know about it. [Read more…]
Guest article by Ashley Alkek
Every now and then, you just need to feed the travel bug. If your travel bug is on a budget, take a trip to one of the many ethnic restaurants in Austin.
There are dozens of spots in our city that offer uniquely regional dishes derived from centuries of cultivating family recipes. Below, I’ve included four of my favorite ethnic places to eat when I’m feeling the need for spice.
Credit: Mitchell Hallmark, Found Media Group
Guest article by Angela Bowers
Calling all foodies! Have you heard of Taster’s Table Club? It’s a group that dines together monthly at new and delicious restaurants around Austin. The types of restaurants cross a wide range of tastes, to offer variety and style for each member.
Among the best queso in Austin at Torchy’s Tacos (Credit: Zach Copley via Flickr CC)
Almost as sacred as the mighty breakfast taco, queso is Austin’s liquid gold.
But not all queso is created equally. Some comes plain, some with garnish and some “cowboy style.” But one thing’s for sure. This ooey-gooey goodness has been perfected in our capital city.
While I do have an opinion on who reigns the queso kingdom in Austin, I’ve decided to simply share with you the top six quesos every person must try in order to be considered an Austinite. You can decide for yourself which one is the best. [Read more…]
Though they’re overlooked in the bakery case, in favor of trendier desserts, there are few things as transcendent as warm-from-the-oven chocolate chip cookies. One bite into a perfectly baked, handcrafted cookie, and it’s obvious why this humble dessert is an American classic.
Armed with a giant glass of milk and a deep love for all things sweet, I uncovered a few Austin bakeries that have been churning out these swoon-worthy cookies by the dozen, some for decades.
[Read more…]
Torchy’s Tacos flagship location on South Congress (Credit: John Cabuena)
Guest article by Jonatan Contreras
I’m new to Austin, and I was (quite unreasonably) excited to find out it has a pretty big Mexican food scene. Let me back up.
I’m from El Paso, Texas, land of the border culture. In El Paso, every time a new Mexican restaurant pops up, we tend to wonder “Another one?” Needless to say, I know my way around a taco. Which, ironically, was the reason I was excited to try out Austin staple Torchy’s Tacos. Word in town was, a flagship location had just opened on South Congress Avenue, where Fran’s Hamburgers used to be.
Torchy’s Tacos, you did not disappoint. [Read more…]