Posts tagged ‘out’

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February 14, 2011

Aspen: Snowmass Restaurant Week!

Eating on the cheap in Aspen (/Snowmass) can be a challenge, so I’m thrilled they’ve introduced Restaurant Week to Snowmass! More than 25 restaurants (who knew Snowmass had that many?!) are participating with prices at $20.11 … cute. Started on Saturday, runs through February 18. My top three picks:

GARNISH (American)

Open Daily for Après 2:30pm-5:30pm and Dinner from 5:30pm-9:00pm. Lunch on Saturdays and Sunday from 11:30am-2:30pm  |  Timberline Condominiums  |  970.923.4004

APRÈS SKI: $20.11 for two. Select either Colorado smoked trout or molasses cured elk appetizer to share and then each choose a glass of house wine or one of our Colorado draft beers.

VENGA VENGA CANTINA & TEQUILA BAR (Mexican) [My Review Here]

Open Daily  |  Snowmass Mall  |  970.923.7777 (reservations)

LUNCH:  $20.11 for two ($10.05 for one) Appetizer:  Appetizer Sampler Entrée:  Choice of two enchiladas, two tacos or two fajitas (chicken or steak) Dessert:  Churros

DINNER:  $20.11 per person. Includes a glass of our house wine. Appetizer:  Appetizer Sampler Entrée: Choice of Chicken Zarape, Chili Relleno, Crab Enchiladas or Venga Asada Dessert:  Churros

EIGHT K AT THE VICEROY, SNOWMASS (American)

Open for Lunch 11:00am-2:00pm, Dinner 6:00pm-10:00pm  |  Viceroy, Snowmass  |  970.923.8000

LUNCH:  $20.11 per person. Includes choice of signature 8K burger or creole BBQ shrimp and your favorite draft brew.

DINNER:  $30.11 per person. Special Chef’s selection three-course tasting menu.

Click here for the full listing.

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January 25, 2011

Austin: Wednesday Steak + Frites

Steak + Frites

Beginning January 26, and offered each Wednesday evening, fabulous restaurant The Carillon will feature a special Steak and Frites menu at $18 per plate. The steaks and frites will vary throughout the season.

The first Steak and Frites Night, will feature  7- to 8-ounce Peppercorn-Crusted Beef Shoulder Tender with Twice-Fried Yukon Gold Potatoes and a variety of Argentinean “ketchups.” Other flavorful cuts of meat Chef Josh Watkins plans to highlight during The Carillon’s Steak and Frites Nights include hangar steaks and flat-iron steaks – cuts of beef that offer a more cost-effective price point but that are incredibly tender and contain more marbling, and therefore more flavor, than the traditional filet or New York strip steak.

The house-made Argentinean ketchups are red and green sauces similar to chimichurri. The rustic red sauce combines a tomato base with plenty of garlic, a simple yet flavorful addition to the plate. A mixture of cilantro and pineapple mint grown in The Carillon’s own herb garden, the green sauce is pureed with garlic, onion, salt and extra virgin olive oil.

thecarillonrestaurant.com

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January 18, 2011

Austin: Top 8 Normal Places to Eat Paleo

I got this email yesterday:

On Mon, Jan 17, 2011 at 12:34 AM, DUDE* wrote:
Just saw your post on ordering paleo when eating out and wanted to find out if you have any favorite paleo restaurants in Austin. Going to be in Austin this week and looking for a place to eat. Thanks! DUDE*

*names have been changed to protect the paleo innocent

First, a disclaimer: YOU CAN EAT PALEO WHEREVER THE HELL YOU PLEASE. Literally. You can order your food however you want it. You’re paying for it. Don’t be shy.

That said, there are places where it is much EASIER to eat paleo and where you won’t be as tempted by thin crust pizza or the most delicious bread in the whole world or whatever it is that you love that isn’t paleo. There are also normal places where you want to sneakily eat paleo without making a fuss. This is what I sent to DUDE*. It’s short, click the links if you want more info. I also place an emphasis on local, grassfed meat, some people don’t. Leave your faves in the comments!

Paleo Eating Out:
24 Diner – 24 hour diner on 6th & Lamar. Grassfed beef, local produce when possible. Owner is a CrossFitter, they’re used to making things paleo.
Bess – West 6th, Sandra Bullock’s restaurant, local meat, great entrees. Sides aren’t always paleo and they bring out a huge bread basket, so just ask them not to.
Buenos Aires Cafe – East 6th Street (e of 35), local meat, heavy on the meat portions

Pick Up/Quick:
Snap Kitchen - to-go food. Vegetable lasagna (no noodles!) is the best thing ever. Very conscious of paleo.
Whole Foods - sounds like a cop-out, but no other WF has the salad bar and other food bars of the flagship at 6th & Lamar.
Chipotle - also a cop-out, but the meat is grassfed and they do salad bowls with extra servings of guac!

Sushi/Bar:
Bar Chi (2nd & Colorado) is the sushi place I just wrote about and they are really flexible, making you cucumber-wrapped rolls without rice. Reverse happy hour, all day Sunday happy hour.
Piranha Killer Sushi (Rio Grande & 3rd) is also usually really accommodating and they have AWESOME fish prepared without rice anyway. Great mussels too.

Thoughts, paleos?

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December 22, 2010

Austin: Get Olivia to Cater

Yes, one of my fave restaurants in Austin is now catering for Christmas!

This is James. He is neat.

In what he describes as an effort to forge a deeper connection with his clientele while bringing the “local is better” message home, Chef James Holmes of Olivia (one of my top ten must-dos in Austin) has launched an in-home catering service.

Chef Holmes will be partnering with his wife Cristina to customize guests’ menus according to their exact specification. Sample menus will be provided on the restaurant’s website,  www.olivia-austin.com. Let’s be honest, it MIGHT be too late for them to cook up Christmas for you, but it’s worth a call! Or start thinking New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day, your birthday, your wedding, a Sunday …

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December 15, 2010

Austin: Buenos Aires Cafe

Chicken and gnocchi at Buenos Aires Cafe

Oops. I ate my whole dinner before I could take a pic!

I have a foodie friend who has been RAVING about Buenos Aires Cafe for months, admonishing me with disbelief that I haven’t visited. I went for lunch a little while ago, and finally rounded up the fam, grabbed my restaurant.com discount certificate, and headed to the east Sixth hotspot for dinner.

Perhaps the best thing about Buenos Aires? All the meat is local and free-range. So I can eat anything on the menu! Yahoo!

We started with empanadas–absolutely delicious. I like the carne picante–spicy beef–best. I don’t care for the spinach one much, perhaps because it pales in flavor comparison to the carne picante. But it’s still good. The crust is flaky and not too thick, and the fillings are hearty.

I split the gnocchi sampler (four types!) and the chicken with my aunt. Normally I don’t do chicken at restaurants because it’s kinda boring and I don’t love it and I can make it at home (though I cannot touch raw chicken, so my chicken is limited to that which I can remove from a plastic package by cutting a slit in the package and squeezing the chicken out, which is also gross, but less gross than touching raw chicken). But this chicken was amazing, full of flavor, and tender. My chicken is never tender (but I already talked about my fear of raw chicken).

The gnocchi was also delicious, perfect texture and loads of flavor. I can’t remember all four flavors (was I in a food coma or what?) but pumpkin was definitely  a fave. Then again, we know I love all things pumpkin. The spinach, pictured, was also delicious.

We didn’t try any of the desserts, though said foodie friend has brought me the Cuatros Leches cake before and it is almost to-die-for. We, however, headed to Berry Austin …

Bottom line? I will be back to Buenos Aires for more!!

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December 7, 2010

Austin: Free 24 Diner Food!

325,600 eggs were harmed in the making of a year of 24 Diner.
I know I write about 24 Diner a lot, but they have local food and free-range meat and delicious burgers and cool people and are open 24 hours a day and really, what’s not to love?

Free is also something you should love, as they’re celebrating their first birthday with free food and drinks on Wednesday, December 8, from 5 to 9 pm! Free delicious treats by chef Andrew Curren, specialty cocktails by sommelier Billy Caruso, select cold beers, and the garage soul sound of the Greyhounds.

Cocktails are Tito’s style … a 24 Diner Press (Tito’s, Topo Chico, muddled lime), 24 Bloody Mary (Tito’s, housemade mix, pickled vegetable garnish), Ben Crenshaw (Tito’s, organic black iced tea, mint, fresh-squeezed lemonade, muddled lemons) or Tito’s Texas Mule (Tito’s, ginger beer, fresh lime juice).

24 Diner: 600 N. Lamar, 24diner.com

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January 28, 2010

Girls Night at the Gallery

Get culture, gems, and buzzed all in one place: what could be a better girls night than that?! Art on 5th is hosting a new series of female-focused events, held once a month at its new The Art of Jewelry, a boutique exhibit thing featuring artistically-crafted jewelry designs of artisans from Austin and across the country.

The drink of the evening will be the Shimmering Gem Cocktail from Bombay Sapphire’s Most-Inspired Bartender Garrett Mikell. The Shimmering Gem: Bombay Sapphire Gin, fresh mint, lemon juice, simple syrup and champagne.

Complimentary mini-makeovers from Avant, with makeup refresh and hair styles plus Dear Charli Photography capturing a photo of the moment for each guest–free!

Lastly, enjoy 10 percent off jewelry purchases at the Art of Jewelry.

Sounds like the beginnings of a great Friday night!
Art on 5th’s The Art of Jewelry, 1501 West 5th Street
6-8:30pm

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October 5, 2009

Man Shops Globe / You Hang Out in Your Neighborhood

Man Shops Globe Flyer

Talk about a dream job … this dude travels around the world, picks out cool stuff for Anthropologie stores around the world, and now they’re filming him doing it. “Man Shops Globe” debuts October 7 on the Sundance Channel.

October 6, Anthropologie at 601 North Lamar Blvd is hosting a preview party from 7-9pm with tons of goodies.

The documentary-style series follows Keith Johnson, Anthropologie’s Buyer-at-Large, on his adventures abroad in search of artists and artisans to commission for original works, as well as extraordinary antiques and found objects.

RSVP by email: ManShopsGlobeAustin@laforce-stevens.com

Staying close to home more your style? It’s Neighborhood Night Out, so go mingle with your neighbors! Neighborhood associations across the country work with the city to set up block parties, and just as-a-for-example, in my ‘hood Bryker Woods, there will be free pizza and hotdogs, adults BYOB. Children are encouraged to ride bikes, skates and scooters; all participants can win special prizes. The Austin Police Department, Austin Fire Department and EMS have been invited to exhibit their vehicles and demonstrate firsthand their vital importance to our city. Get out and meet people!

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June 16, 2009

Annie’s Grand Opening Tomorrow

Annie’s has gotten lots of buzz lately from foodies and old-timers who miss Apple Annie’s, a 26-year-old restaurant that spent a year catering-only and then reopened its doors as Annie’s just last week. Now (and by now I mean tomorrow, Wednesday, from 10:30am-3pm) is the time for the Grand Opening Celebration. There’ll be a ribbon-cutting at 10:30am with free lemonade passed out until 3pm.

The nearly ‘round-the-clock bistro and bar-meets-delicious-takeout hub-meets-continental-sidewalk-café now located on Congress Avenue will begin serving normal hours June 22nd, when they go from lunch-only to full service dinner, late-night, zinc bar, coffee bar, and full dessert menu. Monday- Wednesday 7am-10pm, Thursday 7am-midnight, Friday 7am-2am, Saturday 8am – 2am, and Sunday brunch service will begin in July.

Executive Chef Mark Schmidt has created a farm-to-table menu features fresh, simple ingredients from local purveyors. He’s taken the gourmet twist on down-home favorites approach to Annie’s signature menu. Schmidt has received numerous accolades including glowing reviews in The New York Times as well as several honors from Food & Wine and the James Beard Foundation in New York City. He has made four trips to the James Beard House, the most recent in March 2007.

For an eyewitness account, check out Josh Kerr’s review at Maggie’s Austin, or check it out and report back to me!

For more information: www.anniesaustin.com

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May 12, 2009

Max’s Wine Dive Opens Today!

Buffalo sliders. Champagne. Free-range happy local fried chicken. Fresh-baked fancy bread. (Relatively) Cheap wine. Relaxed atmosphere. Fried oysters. Exposed brick. Shrimp ‘n’ grits. Friendliest servers ever. What’s not to love?

Max's Buffalo Burger

Buffalo slider with homemade pickle and bread from Walton's (to open May 15)

Welcome to Max’s Wine Dive, the newest restaurant to hit 3rd & San Jacinto, that burgeoning corner where Rio Grande and Melting Pot have managed to carve out an existence earlier relegated to a-year-and-out eating establishments. Max’s Wine Dive is a Houston hotspot that’s made its way westward into Austin. This “dive” (laid-back atmosphere) focuses on upscale comfort food and carries more than 180 kinds of wine–the only list where you can buy a glass of anything. You can also buy the whole thing and take it home–Max’s maintains a retailer’s permit too. Score!

Max’s Wine Dive is the brainchild of owners Jerry and Laura Lasco, with fellow Rice grad Jonathan in the mix. Endearing Executive Chef Steve Super is passionate about the food, but fittingly his first love was music. A 20-year veteran of the Nashville scene, he toured with national act as well known as Brooks & Dunn.  Just 5 years out of the New England Culinary Institute and a stint at the helm of wildly popular Steve and Erika’s (Vermont’s highest-rated restaurant in 2007) later, Steve is settling happily into life in the live music capitol.

Crazy Menu picks:

Nacho Mama’s Oysters (crispy, fried Gulf Coast oysters served over fried wontons and topped with habañero salsa and cilantro $8), Max & Cheese (tossed in truffle cream and a fresh mozzarella, gruyere and Grana Padano cheese blend, $11), Yama Kobe Beef Burger (topped with a triple-cream brie and freshly pickled jalapenos, $18), organic Southern Fried Chicken ($18), and the slightly/alot ridiculous “Haute” Dog (with Texas beer sauerkraut and venison chili, $14).  The dishes “always start with fresh, seasonal, and locally-sourced ingredients.”

Happy hour starts at 4pm, but Max’s also has the badass Reverse Happy Hour with discounted food and wine during the last two hours of business!

www.MaxsWineDive.com, 207 San Jacinto Blvd. Open Monday through Wednesday 4-midnight; Thursday through Saturday 4pm-2am, and Sunday from 11am-midnight, with Sunday brunch from 11am-3pm (for drool-worthy photos, check out this blog).

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