Posts tagged ‘restaurant’

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March 28, 2011

Austin: For Japan

A couple of really cool events coming up benefit Japan. Here’s a rundown:

Wine for the Win

TRIO will donate 50% of the total revenue of all wine bottles sold now through Wednesday, March 30 to the Red Cross to aid in Japan’s emergency relief efforts. The wine promotion applies to every bottle of wine sold in TRIO.

Chef de Cuisine Todd Duplechan was scheduled to visit Japan March 21 through April 2, 2011 for a 10-day “Taste of Texas in Tokyo” restaurant event at Four Seasons Tokyo at Marunouchi. The event was cancelled after the earthquake, so rather than send Todd, the restaurant has committed to send money to aid in the relief efforts instead.

Cookies (and more) for Caring

On Saturday, April 2 from 10am to 2pm, hundreds of bakers, bloggers, businesses, and consumers will unite for Austin Bakes for Japan, a bake sale fundraising event.  Over 70 home cooks and dozens of local bakeries will be contributing baked goods at locations throughout Austin with proceeds going to AmeriCares work in Japan.

Austin Bakes for Japan

There are 5 Austin Bakes for Japan locations:

Downtown: Woof Gang Bakery Austin, 1204 N. Lamar Blvd., Austin, TX 78703 (10am-2pm)

North Central: Foreign & Domestic, 306 E. 53rd Street, Austin, TX 78751 (10am-2pm)

South: Hotel San Jose, 1316 South Congress Avenue, Austin, TX 78704 (10am-2pm)

East: Nomad Bar, 1213 Corona Drive, Austin, TX 78723 (10am-2pm)

West: Austin Bakes for Japan + Community Block Party; Shops at Mira Vista, 2785 Bee Cave Road, Suites 336 & 341, Austin, 78746 (10am-5pm)

Baked goods will include Japanese-themed cake pops, homemade pop tarts, classic chocolate brownies, cookies of all kinds, and more. Among the homemade offerings will be locally sourced, organic, vegan and gluten-free items. In addition, customers may purchase gourmet pastries that have been donated by some of Austin’s finest professional bakers.

All funds raised at the bake sale will go to AmeriCares, a non-profit organization committed to providing emergency relief to survivors of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. All baked goods will be sold by donation, so buyers can pay as much as they like.

Interested in providing baked goods and/or volunteering to help with the bake sales?? Contact Kathryn Hutchison at austingastronomist@gmail.com.

Shirts and Stuff

Don’t forget about This Shirt.

Daily Candy’s 6 Ways to Shop for Japan (#6 is my fave)

Posted in Eating, Going Out, Good people/services | 1 Comment »

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March 22, 2011

[Updated Date Change] Austin: Revamped Austin Restaurant Week + App!

The sixth season of Austin Restaurant week is upon us, and it might be lucky season six: new this year is the addition of brunch, wine pairings, gluten free options, the first bi-annual Austin Restaurant Awards, and smartphone app!

April 10-13 and April 17- 20, over 75 A-list restaurants serve up stellar prix fixe three-course dinners ($25 $35),  lunches ($10-$15), and (new!) brunch ($15-$20).

To help navigate, graphic designer Bart Kibbe of Rival Creative and Austin-based Big Momma Apps created a smartphone app. Austin Restaurant Week Executive Director and Founder Tyler Perkins says, “We looked at what we thought would activate more people with Austin Restaurant Week, and an app was a no-brainer. We are very excited to be going digital.” Diners will also be able to create their own profiles,  invite friends via forwarded invitations,  book reservations, read reviews, read menus, and map out locations for all of the participating restaurants.

To conclude this flavorful week, the city’s favorite chefs, restaurants, and restaurant owners will be honored at The First Annual Austin Restaurant Awards on May 8.

For reservations (if you already made ‘em, you need to change them), a complete list of restaurants, and the chance to win gift certificates onFacebook and Twitter, visit www.restaurantweekaustin.com.

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March 2, 2011

Austin: New Happy Hour Alert … SIP at Trace at the W

TRACE at the W is now offering a happy hour, but like any hipster joint worth its weight in cocktail napkins, it has to call it a Social Interactive Playtime- S.I.P. Kudos on the geeky name, hip W! Anyway, it means drink and food specials daily from 4-6:30pm.

For just $5, enjoy a Tito’s Bloody Mary, Z Tequila Rita Rocks, cocktail of the day, or glass of wine and munch on stuffed fried olives, fries, crispy pork rillete, chickpea fries (?! want!), pate, or drunken doughnuts.

I haven’t visited yet, but my lovely friend Tolly has, click here for her review. Love!

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February 28, 2011

Austin: The Big List of Local Food!

GroACT recently released their list of the top “Truly Local Restaurants” from a survey they sent out (so take into account that restaurants not returning the survey aren’t counted etc.) A lot of my old faves are on the list, and there are plenty of newbies for me to try!

TOP TEN WINNERS
Odd Duck Farm to Trailer (great but small portions)
Eastside Showroom (only had drinks here)
Texas French Bread (who knew?)
Somnio’s (need to try!)
Jack Allen’s Kitchen
Olivia’s
Trace at the W Hotel
La Condesa
Peche
East Side Pies (must try!)

VERY HONORABLE MENTION

Thai Fresh (good but not great for me)
Trio
Fabi + Rosi (need to try)
wink (need to try)
Counter Cafe (good burger but not the best I’ve ever had)
Eastside Cafe
Asti (FINO is better)
Vespaio
Ecstatic Cuisine
Cipollina (pizza deals for happy hour!)

Runners Up (not in particular order)
Fete Accompli
Cool Mint Café
El Arbol
FINO
Hudson’s on the Bend
Jeffrey’s
Justine’s Brasserie (must try asap)
Kerbey Lane Cafés

Moonshine
Pacha
Uchi
St. Edward’s Cafeteria
Sweetish Hill Bakery
Lake Austin Spa and Resort (SO GOOD)
Rolling in Thyme and Dough
House Pizza
High Ball
Salt and Time
Daily Juice / Daily Juice Café on 45th
mulberry (had a nice dinner but small)
Aquarelle (need to try!)
Foreign & Domestic (need to try!)
La Boite
Leaning Pear
People’s Rx (if you don’t like sammies, this is a tough sell)
Taco Deli (lots of people love, not my fave)
TNT
Zoot (want to try)
Blue Star Cafeteria (good but not great)
Dishalicious
Whip In (OMG the naan!!)
Surf n Turf trailer (haven’t tried!)
Alamo Drafthouse

Notably missing? 24 Diner, Bess Bistro, and Buenos Aires Cafe.

Click here for Austin Farm to Table’s List of SXSW Local/Sustainable eats. It rocks!

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February 20, 2011

Austin: New Elizabeth Street Cafe

They’ve successfully done barbecue and upscale seafood, so why not add Vietnamese? Lamberts and Perla’s co-cwners Larry McGuire and Thomas Moorman have launched a new restaurant group (McGuire Moorman Hospitality) and announced a new restaurant called Elizabeth Street Café, a casual eatery serving simple Vietnamese cuisine in an environment inspired by a cozy French neighborhood café.

Housed in the old Bouldin Creek Coffee House space, Elizabeth Street Café is scheduled to open this spring. McGuire Moorman Hospitality has designed Elizabeth Street Café to evoke the feel of French Colonial Hanoi, bringing it to life in a completely rebuilt space designed by Jamie Chioco that emphasizes landscaped outdoor seating areas and an intimate interior. Open from the early morning hours to midnight, the café will serve breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Elizabeth Street Café’s breakfast menu will include freshly baked croissants, pastries and breads, from Pastry ChefAlexandra Manley, as well as a selection of teas and gourmet coffees including Vietnamese drip coffee, a dark-roast brew combined with sweetened condensed milk.

The moderately priced lunch and dinner menus will feature classic Vietnamese meals highlighting locally sourced proteins: McAllen Ranch Beef, Niman Ranch Pork, and San Miguel Seafood from the Gulf of Mexico.  Daily specials will include Vietnamese curries, crepes, and rice wraps.  Elizabeth Street Café will serve beer, wine, and sakes to complement the light and fresh menu offerings.

Yum, I absolutely cannot wait to try it!! Since going happy-meat-only, I haven’t had much Vietnamese food, but I love it. I’m so excited!

1501 South First St.

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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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February 1, 2011

Austin: Revisiting Frank + Breakfast!

Frank has arguably the best bloody mary I’ve ever had, plus delicious artisan sausages. Well good news, folks: Frank is adding breakfast and late-night options! Wahoo!
Breakfast: 7am weekdays, 8am Saturday, Frank’s new breakfast dishes include  buttery breakfast biscuits with honey, jackalope gravy, or egg-n-cheese, fluffy eggs, bacon, sausage, Canadian bacon, a variety of cereal options, or granola with yogurt. Plus, get this: a mini chicken and waffle “sammich,” a fried chicken breast sandwiched between two freshly cooked bacon waffles.

Brunch: 11am brunch on Sunday, more decadent even? With shrimp and grits, steak and eggs, corned beef hash, chili-cheese omelettes, grits, fresh fruit, pancakes, and plenty of bacon and sausage options, as well as showstoppers like the Texas Benedict (a jumbo split cheddar biscuit topped with pulled pork, fried eggs and jalapeno hollandaise sauce), and Makers Toast (Makers Mark bourbon-soaked French toast seared and served with blueberry-bourbon syrup).

Late Night: Open six nights a week until 2am, beginning at 10pm, the late-night menu includes the Chicago Dog, Chili-Cheese Dog,  Slaw Dog, Jalapeno Cheese Dog, Beer-Soaked Brat, and the Currywurst. Also available is a basket of Frank’s Waffle Fries and dipping sauces or Chili Cheese Waffle Fries.

DELIVERY services and walk-up window service are also available. HotDogsColdBeer.com

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January 31, 2011

Aspen: or, El Jebel Really: Sushi Ya Go Go [Updated]

[Update: The second time was better than the first! I had an outstanding white tuna sushi and they made me a RICELESS El Jebel roll! Love them even more:]

Riceless El Jebel Roll at Sushi Ya GO Go

It’s no secret that I love sushi. However, it struck me that in Aspen I am undeniably landlocked the day I drove past a company advertising itself as “Midcontinent Storage.” CONTINENT! Not midway or midwest or midTexas, but midFREAKINGcontinent. Needless to say, sushi, even if it’s flown in daily, is just not the same.

And it’s expensive.

But there’s a great hole-in-the-wall (not always good for sushi) downvalley option called Sushi Ya Go Go that really everyone should give a shot. They have one of the most innovative sushi dishes I’ve tried in popcorn tuna:popcorn tuna sushi aspen

Tuna wrapped in seaweed and tempura fried. 8 pieces, $8. Incredibly delicious.

They also have a fat, delicious roll called the El Jebel Roll. It has three types of fish, veggies, and roe on the outside. YUM! We ate it before I could snap a pic. Whoops! It was $10ish?

Below are two more sushi pieces we tried, but I wouldn’t really recommend either of them. The yellowtail sashimi was ok, but like grocery store sushi okay. So not really okay for a restaurant. The mahi roll included cooked mahi, which sort of defeats the purpose of sushi. Should have known there’s a reason no one else ever offers mahi.

Also, their prices were sometimes awesome ($6 roll!) but other times oddly expensive ($16 spider roll?). If you can resist temptation, you can eat sushi for cheap!

If we go back, the Vermonster and I will only be ordering popcorn tuna and El Jebel Rolls. Oh, and Purple Haze Sake. Because … well, it’s called Purple Haze Sake. Why wouldn’t we??

60 El Jebel Rd Ste 103, Carbondale, CO 81623-9842

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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 21, 2011

Aspen: BB’s Kitchen [updated]

BB’s Kitchen is Aspen’s newest top-floor establishment, and what a rooftop it is! It’s more like a complex: BB’s restaurant at the top of the stairs on Cooper Street, the BB’s lounge to your left, and a huge deck for sunning–when it isn’t snowing (it’s not open yet).

The Vermonster and I were lucky enough to snag some pre-opening breakfast nibbles, though I failed to post the blog before the restaurant opened so now this post is less of a teaser of what’s to come and more a description of what you, Aspenites, could enjoy for breakfast tomorrow. With me. 8am. (unreasonably early, blame the houseguests who want to ski a whole day.)

Menus: breakfast is horizontal, dinner tall. Check out the health square on the breakfast menu! So cute.

[Best ever] Bartender Dave suggested we start of with some monkey bread to share, so we did. It was ooey-gooey, sugary-sweet carbfully delightful. Make sure you’re skiing after this, it’s adding multo calories to your day.

Monkey Bread Aspen

For breakfast, I ordered shrimp and grits. Seemed a little odd to me too, but why not? The Vermonster ordered the spicy skillet, and he thought it was too spicy, but I loved it (well, the potato I tried). I am from Texas, after all. It wasn’t grassfed beef, though, so I didn’t eat any of it. Our mystery third person (the bartender’s girlfriend) ordered a waffle. I didn’t try it, but it’s pictured below in case you want to know about BB’s waffles. They offer a bananas foster with butter pecan ice cream version…

They’re not about calorie-counting here. They also make a variety of coffee drinks, grab-n-go tacos, and squeeze a ton of fresh juices, including the most delicious grapefruit juice I have ever had the pleasure of drinking in my life. It was so sweet that I asked if they added sugar and they assured me they did not. WOW!

That reminds me, I need to go get some more grapefruit juice from there … tomorrow.

[UPDATE] Farmer’s Omlette. More grapefruit juice. Delicious breakfast!

Farmer's Omlette at BB's in Aspen

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