Just another reason to visit: Austin hotspot and “Best New Restaurant” James Beard Foundation Award nominee La Condesa just opened an outpost (view my coverage of the Austin location’s drinks here and food here). La Condesa Napa Valley, 1320 Main Street, St. Helena (707.967.8111; www.lacondesanapavalley.com) still features the vision of executive chef Rene Ortiz, blending traditional and innovative Mexican, an extensive tequila selection, artisanal cocktail menu, and California-driven wine list.

“The Napa Valley is one of the most beautiful places in the country, and its breadth of produce and ingredients is unparalleled,” says owner Jesse Herman.  ”We’re excited to work hand-in-hand with the region’s growers and producers to combine the flavors of the Napa Valley with the spirit of La Condesa.”

La Condesa Napa Valley sources locally whenever possible and Ortiz has designed many new menu items that highlight ingredients from Northern California and Bay Area purveyors. The Napa Valley location also serves favorites from the Austin menu, including Taquitos Arábicos (seared venison, pickled cucumber, chipotle harissa, fennel pollen yogurt and cilantro rolled in a bacon-fat tortilla); Hongo Y Huitlacoche Huaraches (crispy masa flat breads topped with wild mushrooms, huitlacoche, yellow corn, farmer’s cheese, queso chihuahua, epazote and a dash of truffle oil); and Cangrejo Tostadas (lump crab meat, green mango, grapefruit, tomato, chives and chipotle mayo).

Food is cooked over a wood-fired grill imported from Texas to add an essential Lone Star flavor to the menu. La Condesa Napa Valley’s menu of unique cocktails is overseen by the 2011 42Below Cocktail World Cup national champion, Nate Wales but still features faves like El Cubico and all fresh juices.

The interior of an historic building has been retrofitted to reflect the interior, quirky Mexican of the Austin location, including the whimsical art of Ortiz’s brother.

The restaurant is open nightly for dinner, from 5-10p, Sunday through Wednesday and from 5-11p, Thursday through Saturday.  Lunch will be served from 11:30a to 2:30p, Monday through Friday; and brunch service will be available from 10a to 3p on Saturday and Sunday. Take me there!

This is my plate at TnT.That’s ceviche, salad, fruit salad, mushrooms and yellow squash, polenta, migas, guacamole, and teeny-tiny homemade flour tortillas (heaven).

These are the homemade sweet potato chips. Yep, sweet potato chips, thin and crispy, and much healthier than tortilla chips. DELISH green and red salsa too. And my dad’s thumb, because he couldn’t stop eating for the five seconds it took for me to snap an iphone photo

This is my mom’s plate. My mom has been raving about brunch since she first went–and, she’ll proudly tell you, she was one of the FIRST people to go to TnT, because it’s right next to her Bikram Yoga studio. She loves the make-your-own-omlette station, where they’ll use egg whites and make you a lil omlette so there’s room for everything else.

There’s also a waffle bar, tons of meat and chicken (unhappy, for now, so I can’t report on it), and desserts, which include a huge bowl of fresh fruit, ice cream, and mini churros! I love how they make everything mini, so you can try a lot of food without wasting or stuffing yourself. Since I was with my parents, I didn’t indulge in Sunday Funday, but a mimosa comes with brunch, and there’s a delicious blueberry aqua fresca available to all that I can only imagine combined with champagne would make me want to sing. Even on a hungover Sunday morning.

Our service was incredible–the waiter topped off our water and coffee every time it got to half-full, they brought the made-to-order omlettes and eggs to the table, and the people manning the buffet were smiley and sweet.

Sunday brunch 10a-3p … tntgrill.com

Founder & Executive Chef Miguel Ravago’s three seasonal “antojitos” (appetizers) include:

Ostiones Empanizados, crispy Gulf oysters with tabasco aioli and salsa fresca

Miguel’s Gorditas, hand-ground corn masa pockets filled with seasoned black beans, ranchera salsa and crumbled Mexican cheese

Huaraches, oblong, sandal-shaped fried masa topped with chipotle black beans, crumbled cheese and Crème Fraîche

Cocktails stirred up by Fonda’s expert bartenders include:

Brillante: Cava (Spanish sparkling wine), St-Germaine elderflower liqueur and a Hibiscus flower in syrup

Mojito Apasionado: passion fruit mojito with 10 Can Rum, lime, mint and Chambord as well as a daily selection of fresh fruit margaritas and traditional margaritas.

www.fondasanmiguel.com.

I grabbed a salad with chicken, she had a chicken and a fish taco plus some chips and queso. She really liked the tacos, noting that the chicken had a really great flavor.

The chicken did have a really great flavor, but I ended up feeding half of it to my dog, who sat on the patio with us, because it was so fatty. I hope I simply got a bad piece of meat, because everything else for a yummy salad was there: the lettuce was fresh, the peppers spicy and crisp, the lemon vinaigrette lemony and light. And the chicken I could eat was great, it was the chicken I couldn’t eat that really ruined the salad for me. I hate having to pick through chicken to find the non-fatty pieces, that’s just gross.

• According to the company, the beef dishes at Changos are now “Premium Gold” brand, which features Premium Black Angus Beef owned by Texas ranchers and created by registered breeders.  The cows are partially grass-fed, combined with a 100 percent vegetarian diet, at yards certified for humane treatment. They are never given artificial growth hormones or antibiotics.

• Chicken served at Changos is now all natural, minimally processed (no saline solution pumped into the chicken), hormone-free and antibiotic-free. Pork served at Changos is also now all natural, free of hormones and antibiotics.

• The black drum, yellow fin tuna and shrimp are “wild caught” from the Texas Gulf and harvested from sustainable fisheries. Fried items and salad dressings are made with canola oil, a healthier, zero-trans fat oil.

The plastic cups, paper cups and disposable silverware are made out of eco-friendly cornstarch (by a company my out-of-town friend has a friend who works for!–small world), and the new “to go” bags, paper towels, and napkins are made from unbleached recycled paper. Changos is no longer using plastic bags, and recycling plans have been implemented at Changos Guadalupe and Changos South Lamar.

www.changos.com / @changosmexican

Verdict? Give it a shot for quick food, but if your chicken is too fatty don’t say I didn’t warn you.

My fave bar, Lanai, is opening early just for us to run around in our uniforms passing out your drinks and collecting your tips for the Alzheimer’s Association. We’re gonna have some sweet drink specials, sweet treats, sick DJ beats–hey-o Johnny Bravvo!–and lots of fun. 6-8pm, Saturday May 9th at Lanai.

WHILE you’re drinking for the cause, here’s another example of boozin’ for local charities:

From May 4-8, Rio Grande Mexcian Restaurant on San Jacinto is giving 10% of bar sales (that’s a lot of money) to five selected charities, one each night. The sched:

Monday, May 4: A Legacy of Giving, 5-7:30pm
Tuesday, May 5: Austin Sunshine Camps, 5-7:30pm
Wednesday, May 6: Lance Armstrong Foundation, 5-7:30pm
Thursday, May 7: The Austin Theatre Alliance, 5-7:30pm
Friday, May 8: Red Cross of Central Texas, 5-7:30pm

Now’s the time to get your margarita on, people, and then keep the fun going through the weekend with a “Brunettes Do it Better” drink at BvB Happy Hour!

Well, duh, I’ve been telling you that for weeks! La Condesa is just cool–aqua blue couples with concrete, glass and frosted glass with rich mahogony-colored leather booths, and chrome chairs on the patios with interior pine details–all of these combinations of texture and color lend the place an airy, easy-going vibe. And despite its hype as one of the nicest restaurants in town, it’d be easy to eat on the cheap too. Menu items range from street-style taquitos at $7 to whole suckling pig at $35. Most appetizers are between $8-$16, with several types of guacamoles and ceviches. The ceviche we had was very different–in a grapefruit juice, it was sweet rather than tangy and lime-y. We also sampled a few other delicious finger-foods: huraches (sandals! I joked with owner Jesse, but it’s the literal translation), tasty beef tacos in corn tortillas, and a delicious seared tuna atop. It was just enough to make us feel like we NEED to go back for more. The fantastic drinks (you know I already went into detail over those here), will be just $10.

Just last night I read something in US Weekly (I read it religiously, don’t knock it ’til you try it) about celebs dining at La Esquina in New York, and I got to put two-and-two together. You see, La Condesa lured René Ortiz, the famous NYC chef behind the famous La Esquina, to Austin, so now we have our own celeb hotspot. Owner Jesse Herman is also an NYC transplant, but the rest of the management team is local–and famous in their own right too, including neighboring chef Larry McGuire of Lamberts, who will be managing La Condesa’s 150-seat space as well. Plus, I love bar manager Andrea Brown with her Jenna-Bush-looks and constant grin, even when she’s shaking drinks for over 150 VIP guests.

On the northwest corner of 2nd & Guadalupe, La Condesa is open tonight, so head on over! It will be open 11am to 11pm daily, with lunch from 11-3, dinner from 5 -11, a bar menu inbetween, and brunch Saturdays and Sundays. http://www.lacondesaaustin.com/ Look for more info on upstairs bar Malverde next week!

Over on West Sixth, Walton’s Fancy & Staple is moving in and will provide … um, flowers and a deli? Maybe they say it best:

“Walton’s Florist & Nursery has served the Austin & West Lake Hills area from our Bee Caves Road location. Construction is underway for a Walton’s downtown location at 609 W. 6th (across from Katz’s). We’ll offer downtown residents, businesses & visitors exquisite arrangements, beautiful bouquets, gift baskets, comprehensive design services, interior & outdoor plants for the home or office – all available for walk-in customers & by delivery. Walton’s downtown will include a traditional delicatessen & bakery (for folks on the go), & sidewalk café seating. Our Grand Opening is scheduled for late 2008. We look forward to fulfilling your fanciest floral, gift-giving & event design wishes.”

OH YEAH, and Lambert’s has a brunch?! Has anyone been?!

So we went to Moonshine awhile ago and loved it. Yesterday we hit a spot most of us didn’t even realize had a brunch: Iron Cactus. We went to the 6th Street location and requested a patio spot. Nestled into a primo corner table overlooking 6th Street at 1:30pm, we felt like kings and queens of the city.

Trekking down the stairs, we were excited for brunch. Walking through the buffet line, where lunch and breakfast options abound, we were excited. But once we started to eat, we were less excited. The clouds rolled in. We realized our food was only lukewarm. We turned on the space heater.

Of course, we all went back for seconds.

At $13.95 plus $4.95 for bottomless mimosas, you can’t really go wrong. But I think Moonshine’s brunch is better, so there are other places to try before I go back. Does anyone have any good suggestions? I hear Enoteca’s brunch is amazing …