![]() Two ice cream/gelato stops in Austin stood out - both worth heading out of your way for and a short drive from each other.ĭolce Neve‘s gelato recalls Italy - in fact, one of the owners, Francesca, trained at Carpigiani Gelato University in Bologna, Italy (home to some of the best gelato in the world), working at the famed Gianfrancesco Cutelli at Gelateria De’ Coltelli gelato shop in Pisa. There was a line (about 15 minute wait) before opening on a weekday. The highlight ended up being brisket Frito “pie”: fatty cuts of beef brisket over a pile of Fritos, sour cream, jalapenos and red onions. If it weren’t for the brutal heat, the wild lawn and picnic table setting appealed, like eating in someone’s backyard (note: the neighboring trailers is Micklethwait owners’ deli meats newcomer, Romanouskas). Even the sides didn’t taste as great as they sounded, like a too-dry lemon poppyseed coleslaw. Micklethwait Craft Meats was hit-and-miss for me as I tried a range of meats from pork shoulder and sausage to barbacoa (lamb). ![]() The two best were food trucks, naturally (this is Austin, after all). But… after Killen’s BBQ outside Houston, there was no going back: nothing even came close to second place. ![]() I’m a Southern food and BBQ fanatic and thus found plenty to love at each Austin BBQ stop. I’d say dine at Qui if you’re a hard-core dining traveler who needs to see firsthand what the hype is about - but go forewarned.īesides road-tripping across Texas for BBQ these two weeks, I took a 2 week road trip across Tennessee, the Carolinas and Georgia back in 2007 to study deep south BBQ. A Pastis Service cocktail ($11) seems rather simple, mixing Pernod Ricard pastis and Tenneyson absinthe with coconut water, but the clean coconut water and anise-laced pastis and absinthe sing together. On the vegetarian side, simple was sometimes better, as with an earthy course of braised daikon radish in charred scallion, toasted sesame and black garlic.Ī straightforward dessert of lemon yuzu granita cleans the palate despite honey and milk chocolate, while a hint of mustard seed adds intrigue. ![]() A minuscule fried chicken bite didn’t show off the smoked oyster aioli and egg yolk custard accents listed. I crave and seek experimental around the world, but as is often the criticism with molecular cuisine, all the creativity of concept is worth little if a dish doesn’t taste delicious. It would be one thing if it were excellent across the board but nearly half of the tasting menu courses (we tried both the vegetarian and the regular for comparison) were over-salted or conflicted (a lettuce wrap amuse bouche had no less than three different sauces - complete overkill).Įmphasized by the tense kitchen mood we had a front row view of, it was clear that many of the dishes were avant garde without a sense of balance or flavoring technique to ground the experimental combinations. How can such a major issue not have been addressed or fixed immediately? I was shocked to talk to a colleague in the dining industry a few weeks later who said the exact same thing happened to them when they visited earlier this year. But we were miserably uncomfortable for half of our $200+ dinner (with tip and drinks). On a stone, searing slivers of raw beef with a hot coalĪfter over 45 minutes of difficulty keeping our stinging eyes open while breathing in smoke, the air began to clear as it got better. In addition to my recommends in coffee and cocktails, here are my 6 top Austin restaurants (some with strong caveats), BBQ and ice cream picks, and more. If you dig a little deeper, you’ll find its honky-tonk heartbeat and three of the greatest dive bars in the country. Austin is rich in young, white hipster culture - heavy on food trucks and live music clubs. As music is the first love of my life, Austin certainly gains points there (although New Orleans remains the ultimate music city in my book).īut I found all three Texas cities I returned to during my two week summer road road trip across the state - Dallas, Houston and Austin - hold their own strengths and fantastic people.įor me, Austin’s funky playfulness doesn’t outshine the larger cities to the north and south, though many I know are all about Austin. Last issue we talked Dallas, which is full of food and drink surprises these days… Austin gets all the love in the national press, and among many I know.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |