The Nom Nom

24 Diner: Where to take a break from dieting

2009-12-29T15:22:00.000-08:00

I mean what I say and I say what I mean. I stopped into 24 Diner before Christmas when my anticipated romantic date of ice-skating at Whole Foods fell-through. *Sigh* Instead, I chose to eat my heart out at 24 Diner which is located pretty much across the street.

After perusing the menu ... debating between cheeseburgers, hamburgers, sandwiches, breakfasts ... I decided, to hell with it! Why eat healthy?! I'm not on a diet ... at least not for the next hour and a half. I shall order the Pork Belly Sandwich!

And that I did do with a side of house fries. The pork belly was nicely tender topped interestingly enough with some pickled cabbage. Is this a pork belly banh mi?! Maybe. The pork belly is already a pretty thick and meaty flavor to get lost in ... having the crunchy, distinct pickled taste of the cabbage gave the sandwich a nice kick. This plate was ginormous ... I only ate half. And thankfully, they use normal ketchup. GOD, the Highball uses "homemade ketchup" which pisses me the hell off. Who gives a damn if you use homemade ketchup. I want my Heinz, damn it. It's like telling me you have some homemade Dr. Pepper. Kind of.

Anyway, I want to go back and try some of their breakfast options. The french toast looks out of this world. I'm still awed at Galaxy Cafe's ...

24 Diner

600 N. Lamar
Austin, TX 78703

Open 24 hours

Franny

The Hearty Vegetarian: Mr. Natural

2009-11-24T23:42:00.000-08:00

It took a lot of kicking and pulling to persuade my boyfriend to come to Mr. Natural. I think a lot of people immediately assume that when a restaurant is purely vegetarian or vegan, then the food must be bland or at least ... not as good as if it had meat.

This has obviously been proven wrong, not only in their case but with so many other Austin restaurants: Daily Juice, Mother's, Veggie Heaven, Bouldin Creek ... it must obviously taste good if the demand is high enough to open this many unique vegetarian/vegan restaurants.

Mr. Natural is a mexican-focused vegetarian restaurant, but many of its pastries and entrees carry influence from elsewhere. They make AWESOME pastries, as you can see in the pictures below. They had stacks of fresh-made apple pies that were still warm by the entryway. Seriously, they are pros at pastries.

Their empanadas look unreal. Like someone picked the moon from the sky and stuffed it with some pumpkin and baked it. They offer tons of vegan baked goods too. I had a vegan cupcake on my birthday at work from here, and it was bomb. Vegan cake tastes like normal cake, folks!

Alas, what I came to Mr. Natural for was a good hearty meal and I found it. I tried their Tofu Migas and they truly encompassed the hearty vegetarian meal. Actually, I think this dish is vegan. It's crispy tortilla strips cooked in ranchero sauce and scrambled tofu. I've generally liked dishes that substitute egg with tofu. It's a pretty genius idea, since the texture of a scrambled egg is pretty similar to that of crushed soft tofu. Another place that uses this replacement is Jo's ... where you can get the No-Egg Tofu Salad Sandwich which is one of my favoritest sandwiches in Austin. As for possibly being the best migas in town ... these definitely are high up on my list now. They are definitely the best vegetarian/vegan migas in town. I tried Cafe Mundi's awhile ago and it was ... gross. Mr. Natural's were awesomely spicy and I forgot ever needing meat in my life for a second.

Finally, a pumpkin empanada. Not my favorite ... and it's not because it wasn't a good empanada. I think it would have been better with another filling. I'm not the biggest fan of pumpkin, but it wasn't bad. For those pumpkin lovers out there, this is probably the pastry for you. In addition, they make fresh pumpkin pies as well. Perfect for Thanksgiving and Christmas!

Besides all of this good food, Mr. Natural has a section of their restaurant dedicated as a health food store. They sell supplements, herbs, etc. They also have a weekly yoga class at the E. Cesar Chavez location.

I am definetely a fan of this place. It's got great ambiance and so much to offer!!! I almost want to be vegetarian to be a legit Mr. Natural fan, but I like chicken too much.

Mr. Natural
East Location:
Monday - Saturday
Open from 8 A.M. - 8 P.M.
1901 E. Cesar Chavez
Austin, TX 78702
Phone - 512-477-5228

South Location:
Monday - Saturday
Open from 8 A.M. - 8 P.M.
2414- A South Lamar
Austin, TX 78704

x,

Franny

How to Die Happily on S. Lamar on a Full Stomach After Lunch

2009-11-18T23:10:00.000-08:00

Well, first, you need to drive to S. Lamar circa lunchtime... and hit up Lulu B's first.

It has been a while since I've revisited Lulu B's ... and thanks to Dishola's 10% off twitter deal that day, I decided I had no excuse. I don't know why I don't come here more often. I get really excited whenever I tell anyone about it or hear someone talk about it. I think it's the best banh mi in a reachable distance if you're a student or you live in central/downtown Austin. Plus, who doesn't love a foodstand?! It's like we love sitting outside of a foodstand on a cold, windy day with napkins flying everywhere ... why? Maybe it makes us think we're tougher...? Yes, that is precisely why I go to foodstands (not).

Lulu B's looking it's finest with a true Austinite and his road bike perched outside the window. Aww.

Unfortunately it took too long for these babies to come out, but once they did... they were devoured. Freshly made summer rolls with excellent spicy peanut sauce.

Chinese barbecue pork banh mi. This picture just brings about such warm, happy feelings. This sandwich is maybe the best thing ever? I'm pretty sure I'd be satisfied with a good plenty of things once I smother it in sriracha, but I mean ... the toasted bun, all of the crunchy veggies, the bbq pork ... and sriracha ... AHHHH, i die... but not yet.

Why can't you be open 24 hours? That's my only suggestion.

Guess where we went next. Can you believe that there was any room left in our stomachs?! We went to none other than buzzworthy Gourdough's. Gour[met] Dough[nuts]. After splitting huge summer rolls and eating an entire banh mi. My picture only showed you half.

Part of their extensive gourmet menu. We decided to get something that was easily splittable, so we settled on the ODB pictured below:

Think funnel cake 7.0. Like, someone made a funnel cake and improved it 7 times and finally, it became the ODB. This genius plate-like setting of doughnut holes filled with cream, covered in icing, and then topped with coconut. Yeah you think you're dead... because this seems a lot like heaven, doesn't it? Ahhh...

But anyway, to really die, you need to come to the realization that you've eaten an amazingly cheap and tasty lunch at 2 awesome S. Lamar food stands. You're at 95% risk now of having a heartattack... so you might as well go stand in the middle of the road... because there will be Lulu B's and Gourdough's in heaven... I hope.

Lulu B's
2101 S Lamar Blvd
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 921-4828

Hours:
Tue-Fri. 11:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Sat. 11:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m

Gourdough's
1219 South Lamar Blvd.
Austin, TX 78704

Hours:
Mon-Sun. 12:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m (woohoo!)

x,

Franny

Dishola's Dish-for-Dish Campaign

2009-11-15T20:54:00.001-08:00

As one of Dishola's Ambassadors, we've been working like crazy for this campaign ... why? For every meal that is reviewed on the website unti 11/30, Dishola.com and Whole Foods will donate a meal to Meals on Wheels. It's such a great cause and it really takes no effort on your part.

You basically just have to blabber out your thoughts on what you've eaten (who doesn't want to do that?) and post a photo and voila! We're basically helping you be a more active foodie... the latest and greatest trend, don't you know?

We've been in talks with so many beloved local Austin restaurants to participate in daily Twitter deals that will make your taste buds jump for joy! Cornucopia, One Taco, Lucky J's, and Maki have already participated in the past few days.

But this is just the beginning ... I'll give you an idea of some restaurant Twitter deals coming up: Lulu B's, Fricano's Deli, Uchi, Sugar Mama's, Polka Dots, Portabla... and that's not even everyone!

So definitely keep your eyes peeled.

Follow Dishola on Twitter here @dishola and happy dish-for-dish deals will be floating your way.

Eating makes you a better person, especially in this occasion. :) Dine, Dish, and Donate!

x,

Franny

Fricano's Deli: Everything You've Been Looking For

2009-11-05T20:56:00.001-08:00

This is the place you've been waiting to find. Fricano's Deli is that secret cult of elite sandwich eating people that you've been hoping to stumble upon. Fortunately for me, I live within 30 seconds walking distance of it.

This place is so tiny and it's always packed at lunch time. I felt like I was standing in someone's kitchen... it was awesome. They're super friendly, accommodating, and affordable.

All of their ingredients are fresh and they have a pretty extensive sandwich menu along with homemade spreads. They even have a sandwich where they literally put every meat and topping they have on it. I think that's going to be what I get next time. And then on top of that, they also have side salads, soups, and desserts... which I think some are vegan.

And my sandwich: The Turkey Special with Jalapeno Spread and Italian Rustic Bread. I love sandwiches with sprouts and the cucumber gives it an extra crunch. Then to top it off, you've got avocado mixed with the spicy jalapeno spread... and the soft rustic Italian bread. Awesome.

If you want to be in the elite sandwich eating club, this is where to go. Just sayin'.

x,

Franny

El Chilito: Sunshine and Frozen Sangria

2009-10-28T23:29:00.000-07:00

Oh food stands shmood shtands (jk I ruv food stands). You know who really made walking up to a window and eating outside in Austin a trend? El Chilito, my friends. The spin-off of El Chile that lures us with its yummy treats across 35 to the land of Manor. I find myself there when I am at a loss for where to eat and it always makes me happy. I refuse to ever let go of this addiction. There would be serious withdrawal.

El Chilito with it's awesomely retro sign. Wow, it's such a trendsetter. No, but really, I do like their sign.

And the window where you order from that is fly-free, yay. Not to mention their menu consists of many tasty delights which I have yet to explore. I would really like to try some of their paletas with interesting flavors ... like ... horchata, lucas (?), and pickle (?!).

Hey, but when it comes to frozen treats on a nice sunny day in Austin, TX ... it's hard to pick a paleta over El Chilito's famous frozen sangria. Yeah, this thing will last you your whole burrito and you will feel great afterward. You can also get it to go, which I feel is illegal, but ... anyway, you can get it to go.

On to the food ... I'm not the biggest fan of their salsa. It's too mole-y for me. If I want mole, I'll eat mole. But when I want salsa, I want spicy-ass salsa for my chips. But their guacamole is great. So get that instead! Unless you really like mole and want it on your chips.

Finalmente, the Tinga de Pollo. This is my favorite burrito there. I've tried some others and this one still reigns as my fav. It's described as a "braised chicken in a chipotle tomato sauce." Definitely tasted the tomato and the chipotle together which was really great. The chicken is always nicely shredded and tender so you don't have awkward chunks falling all over the place.

Lastly, as an added bonus ... if it does get cold in Austin, El Chilito offers blankets. This was taken in January '09 ... and see, I'm still drinking my frozen sangria like it's not 40 degrees. No worries.

Highly recommended if you are new to the Austin area and in search of easy-to-like-pretty-authentic Mexican. Well, no. I take that back. Highly recommended to anyone. When was the last time you went there? You should go back.

El Chilito
2219 Manor Dr. (there is also another location on Barton Springs)
Austin, TX 78722
512 382 3797
www.elchilito.com

x,

Franny

Galaxy Cafe: French Toast that is OUT OF THIS WORLD.

2009-10-13T22:42:00.000-07:00

I apologize for my lack of food updates. To be honest, I have had an embarrassingly copious amount of great food in the past 2 weeks. My excuse: my 21st birthday, endless amounts of schoolwork, and jobsearching.

I will post about one of the restaurants I had over my birthday weekend: Galaxy Cafe. Surprisingly this one stood out from all of the restaurants I tried over the weekend which included: Eastside Showroom, Korea Garden, and Uchi. You must be wondering... why?!?! I don't know, maybe I was just in the mood for something a little less pretentious. Something that I could feel less compelled to evaluate... food for the sake of food, right? Like... I just wanted breakfast, haha. I didn't want to go to this restaurant because there was a "buzz" ... and it ended up for the best. :)

Our breakfast drinks: Mimosas and Iced Coffee.
.
Yeah if you know me, I am ADDICTED to anything related to coffee. Off topic, someone get me some of that Iced Cafe Bustelo in a can please. Where do you find that canned goodness?!??! As an iced coffee guru, I would say that Galaxy's was a bit creamy for me. It was like in between the Mojo from Epoch and the Turbo from Jo's ... but more on the Mojo side of the spectrum. Jo's Turbo is a little overkill for me ... especially if you ask them what the hell is in that glass of a heartattack.

Speaking of heartattacks ... um, FRENCH TOAST DELUXE, let's be friends forever!!! This reminds me of all of the breakfasts I've had at "nice brunch places" ... like Russell's or Magnolia ... where the one thing that would have really been the icing on the cake (or in this case, the strawberries on the french toast) ... would have been super FRESH FRUIT. I don't want mediocre fresh fruit. I don't want canteloupe-tasting strawberries. I don't want mushy watermelon. Give me these beautiful gigantic sliced strawberries PLEASE. And and and thank you for a huge non-soggy french toast... generously covered in powdered sugar. It was awesome. The bread was the cinnamon-y kind of unsweet ... which is perfect because you want your sweetness to come from the garnishings. And garnishings they did provide. Sigh.

And of course, MIGAS! Yeah, still on the search for Austin's best migas. These weren't Austin's best migas... unfortunately. I still have yet to find those, but they were decent. Would have been better with chorizo and black beans. That seems to always be my recommendation, huh. Why give refried beans when you can give black beans? That's all.

Galaxy Cafe
1000 W. Lynn St.
Austin, TX
512 478 3434
www.galaxycafeaustin.com

x,

Franny

Eddie V's for Go Texan Restaurant Roundup

2009-09-28T22:53:00.001-07:00

Eddie V's, what say you...?

Well, I am not the biggest fan of dim-litted, stuffy upscale steak/seafood restaurants, but... the food was pretty good.

Swordfish Steak

Hm. Thought the swordfish was pretty tender, but could have been even a little bit more rare. It was definitely still fabulous though and I ate the whole thing. It came with a nice, light garlic butter sauce and sauteed wild mushrooms. So, some Go Texan trivia... according to our waiter, this swordfish comes from the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Cool! The fries were a fun modern side, but I still feel like something could have been added to all of this.

I think the fish would have been interesting with a different sauce. Has anyone here tried 3-ingredient chicken that is cooked in China? That sauce is amazing and I think something with that taste, but lighter... would be amazing. Or even some kind of berry compote, because I am so into that right now...

Truffled Macaroni and Cheese

Mmm... the famed mac & cheese. Now, this was awesome. I didn't have much room for it, and the majority of it is sitting in my fridge. But what I did have, I loved. A lovely comfort food dish. Hard to dislike.

Chocolate Chip Cake with Ice Cream

Any kind of dessert that involves a warm chocolate pastry with cold ice cream usually is a 10 in my book. I really should branch out and try something different, but this one sounded so appetizing ... and it was!

So anyway, Eddie V's, I thought your food was a little ordinary, but still very good. I think you need to change the way your restaurant looks and feels. It makes me feel like an old person with old money. Which I definitely am not. I think you should use more fusion in your menu ... I did see the Kung Pao Calamari ... curious to try that next time! I think you should keep those awesome chocolate mints at the hostess stand. Last but not least, your waitstaff is great!

Eddie V's
301 E 5th St
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 472-1860

x,

Franny

Kerbey Lane for Go Texan Restaurant Roundup

2009-09-28T22:15:00.001-07:00

Kerbey Lane was never one of my favorite places. Why? Well, what comes to mind is a dirty, fluorescent lit restaurant on The Drag at 3 am with a retarded wait, dirty floors, and somewhat rightfully rude staff.

But then I went to the newer location on 183 and it might as well have been a different restaurant with a different name! Dark wood, more of a family atmosphere, cleaner ... I wish the one on The Drag was like this one, but totally understandable since college students don't care about these kinds of things.

Anyway, I had the pleasure of meeting the executive chef, Joel Welch, who really changed my perspective on the whole Kerbey experience through the dishes he concocted for Go Texan.

Eggplant Tartine

Loved this! It reminded me a lot of Counter Cafe's Veggie Sandwich ... but as a pizza. I absolutely loved the red pepper pesto and eggplant with the cheese. I highly recommend getting it! I think it's something a lot of people would enjoy but may shy away from it because of the unfamiliar name.

Bison, Antelope, and Lamb Sliders

We also tried these sliders that included the like of bison, antelope, and lamb. All three of these animals, I've generally been uneasy eating. Actually, I'm generally uneasy eating any kind of game-like meat and most shellfish. But, I figured, might as well try it someday. So, here's what I thought coming from a first-time game-r... haha. The lamb? I have had lamb before, generally in kebabs. But this as a slider was great... it was mixed with feta and other spices which gave it less of a meaty taste and more of a meatloaf-y taste. Really good. The bison? My favorite. I think this one had jalapeno in it or some kind of pepper. It's slipping my mind right now, but anyway it was spicy just the way I like food to be. Finally, the antelope. Not my cup of tea. I don't know if it was just my palate, but I felt like it just left a strange aftertaste. It was a bit smoky, which was something I expected. It just was not a taste that I've acquired.

Edit: Ok, so after looking at the menu to make sure that this all was correct since the 3 looked very much the same, apparently the antelope was the one with jalapeno and the bison had parmesan and tomato. So I'm wondering if it was the bison that I didn't like so much? I know it was the slider with the red toothpick. Sigh. Oh... game...

Overall though, a very positive and eye-opening experience. I never knew that Kerbey held much talent beyond queso and pancakes. Definitely try it out this week if you are looking for an affordable, tasty dinner. In addition, in light of the Go Texan Roundup, many of these restaurants participating are donating to food banks. Awesome!

Go Texan: here

Kerbey Lane
13435 Hwy 183 N
SE Corner Anderson Mill & 183 N
Austin, TX 78750
x,

Franny

Eastside Cafe: Literally Homegrown

2009-09-24T22:37:00.000-07:00

This "east/eastside" terminology that has been getting a lot of buzz lately focuses moreso on the newer establishments of those East of I-35 and not so much on a lot of those that were already there. In my opinion, that side of Austin is probably my favorite... old or new. To be honest, Shangri-La is probably where I go to drink with friends every weekend, El Chilito is my go-to for frozen sangria, and of course ... Tacos Selene, come on now!

But all this eastside buzz ... Eastside Showroom, Justine's, Shuck Shack, Cheer-up Charlie's ... what about good ol' Eastside Cafe that's been sittin' on Manor for a good while longer?

In my experience, I had heard of this place mostly in the organic context, but I never spotted it everytime I drove past it. It's because it looks like someone's house, seriously. It's this cute little renovated house with a side "guest room" per se ... that houses their side project Pitchforks and Tablespoons, which is basically the coolest place to fun household trinkets for friends.

And then they have gardens everywhere full of herbs, vegetables, etc which they use in a lot of the dishes on their menu.

Onto the food! Did it taste as good as we expect "organic, homegrown" food to taste?

Well, first things first. Everyone loves jalapeno cornbread, organic or not, especially when they are in the shape of miniature muffins.

This chicken, artichoke, and mushroom soup was delicious. Especially in this rainy weather, it definitely hit the spot. I love anything involving mushroom and cream, but adding chicken and artichoke was awesome. I feel like if you made this into a sauce and put it on a pasta, I would probably die. Taking a picture of a white soup in a white bowl in low-lighting is not easy, by the way.

A side of acorn squash with sesame ginger sauce. Interesting pairing. Especially at a restaurant that seems to focus more on American and Italian influenced dishes. Squash is a very American vegetable ... it makes me think of Thanksgiving. But squash is actually a pretty bland vegetable, I feel like. It's like sweet potatoes. The slightest hint of flavor ... but once paired with the sesame sauce, I thought it was pretty tasty. Very interesting. And fun presentation.

Finally, the artichoke manicotti. A lot of artichokes today. I don't know why, it's not like I really like artichokes or anything. In my opinion, I thought this dish was too cheesy. I would have liked more sauce, but I thought it was still good. I think mushroom and artichoke would have been good. But then, that's pretty much my soup as a pasta.

But anyway, you should check it out if you are into eating locally and organic. They have daily specials and I'm sure their menu is affected by what's in season and what they can grow in their garden, which can be interesting and fun.

And that cat at the top was in their store. He is awesome.

Eastside Cafe
2113 Manor Rd.
Austin, TX 78722
512-476-5858

x,

Franny

Russell's Bistro: A Classy Brunch

2009-09-21T09:23:00.000-07:00

Russell's is no Kerbey or Magnolia in the fact that the setting is just so much nicer and it seems so much cleaner. And the prices are still pretty much the same, although the menu options are more limited.

The only thing I'm really going to complain about was the service, which itself wasn't really that bad ... it was just the fact that they seem heavily understaffed or just incapable of handling the brunch rush in a timely fashion. Our waitress did bring us out 2 free snickerdoodles which was really nice and I completely understood that it was the kitchen's fault, not hers. But literally, we got there before noon and didn't leave until after 2 pm. I think that's a little ridiculous.

This is the outside with their fairly large patio. I wish we had the other waiter who kept bringing his tables mimosas to help them forget about the fact that they had been waiting an hour for their food, haha.

They have an amazing bakery that you can shop from and you can also sit down and eat. You can also find some of their baked goods at local coffee shops, such as Bennu.

Not to mention, they have packs of day-old baked goods. All 4 of these muffins cost $3. Well, actually for me they were free due to the circumstances, haha. But in a normal scenario, that is really a steal seeing how the fresh muffins cost more than double the price of 1 day-old muffin ($0.75)!

Bistro Omelet

And finally, my brunch came out, although I was already full from snacking on my snickerdoodle and a little bitter. Nevertheless, the presentation of everything was excellent. The omelet itself was very tasty... I loved the mushrooms. The avocado was good, but could have been more fresh. I liked the potatoes, but in the end I was too stuffed to eat them. The croissant came with strawberry butter which reminded me of Quack's pink vanilla bean buttercream frosting but much much much lighter. It was good! Very interesting idea. And then some fresh fruit on the side that also was not very fresh. I always suggest never using cantaloupe because it never looks fresh. It just looks like mushy goop and it makes all the other fruit taste like cantaloupe.

Yeah, okay so if my experience had occurred in a more timely fashion I think this would have been a much more positive entree. I think Russell's definitely has the potential to be an A+ brunch place, if you don't think it is already. They just need to get in the swing of things during the brunch rush and not let the stress cause them to make mediocre food.

Russell's is located at:
1601 W. 38th St.
Austin, TX 78731
www.russellsbakery.com

x,

Franny

Bess Bistro: Cute Name, Okay Food?

2009-09-16T23:47:00.000-07:00

My coworker that I interned with at Sweet Leaf Tea recommended this place to me a while ago when I was looking for a good place to have a nice, affordable dinner with my boyfriend. She said Bess was really cute with a cozy feel, not to mention it's owned by Sandra Bullock.

So after snagging like a bajillion gift certificates last week on Restaurant.com when they had their 90% off sale to celebrate 9/9/09 ... my friend and I decided to use it at Bess for Austin Restaurant Week. We were going to go to Parkside, but we though parking might be an issue ... but I've been dying to go there, so hopefully one day! Bess is in a much easier location to park at that's not quite in the middle of all the hustle and bustle.

My friend Rachel and I joked about how surreal it would be if Sandra Bullock were there when we went in ... but then laughed it off saying yeah right, that will never happen! And lo and behold, she was sitting at the bar!!! It was nuts. We were glad we chose Bess before we even stuck a fork in our mouths.

Soup du Jour: Summer Squash

I enjoyed this soup. I love vegetable soups and this one was very colorful and flavorful. I liked the extra added spiciness to it. It went along very nicely with the bread. I imagine the oysters were probably a better deal though. Unfortunately, oysters scare me.

Bone-in Pork Loin

This was great! My first experience with a berry sauce on a grilled meat was at Breadwinners in Dallas. They have this amazing chipotle raspberry chicken sandwich that is just to-die-for. This reminded me a lot of it! The tender pork was topped with a blackberry compote that made your taste buds jump for joy. I was kind of indifferent about the grits. I'm not the biggest fan of grits. I'm a much bigger fan of mashed potatoes.

Summer Risotto with Scallops

Rachel ordered this dish for her main course. All I tried was the risotto because I am a huge huge huge risotto fan. Who isn't? It was far too lemony. Very distracting. Not my favorite.

Lastly I had the Chocolate Torte which is pictured first for dessert. It was ... not the best dessert I've ever had. Let's just say, it tasted like stale brownie/cookie dough or something. It didn't feel, taste, or look fresh at all. I might as well have left some fudgy ice cream rotting in the fridge and turn all rubber-y and then slap it in a tart shell ... Ok, that might be a little harsh. But anyway, don't get the chocolate torte.

Bess does have great deals besides Austin Restaurant Week. Once a week they have a couples dinner for $40 total. That's a 3-course meal for 2 people for $40. That is a steal. That is an even better deal thatn Austin Restaurant Week!

Bess Bistro
500 W. 6th St.
512-477-2377

x,

Franny

Titaya's Thai Cuisine: Totally Tantalizing

2009-09-15T21:56:00.000-07:00

Remember that day last week that it was pouring? Oh wait, that was like everyday last week. Well, in my case, rain makes me want food that makes me feel warm on the inside. For me, Thai food generally hits the spot. It's hearty, fresh, and so full of flavor. Perfect for a rainy day. Well, perfect for any day really.

I had heard a lot about Titaya's through word of mouth and I had driven past it multiple times since I live near there and frequent that Half Price and Goodwill pretty often. My friend Charlene and I decided to give it a shot!

Fresh Shrimp Spring Rolls $3.50

Mmm, what a steal. Look at the size of those. It was pretty much like getting 4, because the 2 spring rolls were cut in half. (We had already eaten 2 before I remembered I should probably take a picture.) I never know if I should dip it into the peanut sauce or sriracha, though. I'm so addicted to sriracha, it blurs my judgment. Thankfully, I stuck with the peanut sauce and the whole combination was lovely. I actually had to tell myself to stop eating them so I would have room left for the main dish.

Pad Kee Mao w/ Chicken $8.50

Ahhhh I love spicy and I love Asian. This really hit the spot. I am a loyal fan to Pad See Eew, so I took a little baby step and got Pad Kee Mao... which I totally love even more! I loved all of the different peppers and chilis involved mixed with the fresh basil. It was a huge portion and I took half of it home.

Overall, I loved Titaya's. Our waiter was very helpful and attentive, I was impressed! Not to mention, you get so much good food for your dollar, it's a great deal and could probably last you 2 meals.

Titaya's is located at:
5501 N Lamar Blvd # C101
Austin, TX 78751-1086
(512) 458-1792

Nom nom nom nom.

x,

Franny

Cisco's Restaurant and Bakery

2009-09-10T00:23:00.000-07:00

I've been on a search for my most favorite migas in Austin ... and I have yet to say the search is still ongoing! This past weekend I went to Cisco's with a few of my friends to get out of the Juan in a Million routine... sometimes it's fun to be a LITTLE more creative!

When it comes to Cisco's migas, I have to say they were above average, but not perfection. I wish the sausage had been cut up and mixed in with the migas. Also, I always prefer black beans over refried beans. These migas do come with tortillas and this humongous biscuit which are definitely added bonuses. You could probably fit a small animal in that biscuit they give you.

I think what took away from the experience was the service. I've actually never had a bad experience any other time I have been to Cisco's but this time they were extremely short-staffed and it took forever, not to mention the wait just to get seated.

Nevertheless, I love the atmosphere much better than Juan's. They have lots of old-man quirky things around the restaurant including old pictures of "Cisco" himself, a gun holder made of hooves (comforting...), hilariously sarcastic drawings by their cash register, and of course ... the unmistakable logo with Cisco and his cigar:

flickr: viajante

I must also mention that Cisco's is celebrating their 70th (!!!) anniversary this year and they have been posting coupons in the Statesman's XL for buy-one-get-one free Migas and/or Huevos Rancheros. I, unfortunately, did not get to use it, but you should be smart and save a buck!

But really, I urge you ... if you are trying to expose yourself to more "authentic" Mexican restaurants ... a good first step would be Cisco's. Next would be the taco stand at 6th and Chicon (Yeah I'm never going to shut up about that place. It's going to be the next blog post I promise).

x,

Franny

Aux Anciens Canadiens

2009-09-02T22:40:00.000-07:00

My family and I visited Aux Anciens Canadiens in Quebec City ... it's a tourist haven, but that's because it's actually really good with real historical value. The food is inspired by food that was eaten by the first Canadian settlers, much of it focusing on game. I'm really weird about eating strange meat usually, but I step outside my comfort zone every now and then when I feel that it's necessary!

Country Platter (Quebec meat pie, meatball ragout, salt pork grillades, baked beans)
My favorite part of this dish was the Quebec meat pie. I think the meat pie was made of lamb meat, but I'm not positive. They served it with a fruit relish that kind of tasted like syrupy canned fruit, pretty much. That paired with the meat pie was this amazing explosion of flavors in my mouth that I never imagined possible. It was SO good. The soft, fibery texture of the meat with the flaky crust paired with the sweetness of the fruit was awesome. I feel like this would make an amazing empanada. A peaches and minced meat empanada. It sounds gross, but I promise... once perfected, it will be empanada gold.

Maple Syrup Pie w/ Fresh Cream
I was afraid this would be way too sweet, but it actually wasn't too bad. The filling had a little crunch to it that reminded me of the top of a creme brulee.

Grandmother's chocolate cake with sweet cream
Is it possible to have a bad chocolate cake? Especially one that looks like this? That's all I have to say about it. Haha.

Anyway, I hope to be updating soon about more local restaurants now that I'm back in Austin! I'm pretty busy with school and work and my internship and life ... but I can always make time for food! :) I want to try Justine's and I also found out yesterday that I won a gift certificate to Eddie V's ... so I'll probably be making a trip there soon as well. Plus Austin Restaurant Week... what's the news on that?

x,

Franny

Mother's Dumplings - just like mommy's

2009-08-30T13:34:00.001-07:00

I've recently just come back from a trip to Canada and whilst I was there ... I found an awesome hole-in-the-wall place in Toronto's Chinatown: Mother's Dumplings. I don't know where all the foodies in Canada go and didn't really know how to find out either. Anytime you searched anything in Google with any tag words similar to: food, Toronto, good, popular, local, etc. it always came up with some tourist crap. Therefore, our stomachs ended up fending for themselves... thankfully because we found Mother's Dumplings, hurrah!

This restaurant was a tiny and pretty much underground. I don't think most people would go there if they were tourists wandering around Chinatown. Most would probably go to some 24 hr Dim Sum place named Golden Dragon or Lotus Pearl... but let me tell you, the real treasure is at 79 Huron St. where you can find yourself some good homemade traditional Chinese cooking. It truly is hard to find dumplings in a restaurant that aren't previously frozen... so this is a winner.

Boiled pork and chive dumplings
Nice and juicy dumplings that were just the right size. The dough was perfectly cooked ... usually you can tell if it is undercooked because the dough will be chewy. It should pretty much just melt in your mouth and fall off of the meat when you bite into it... releasing the flavor and juice. Once dipped in some soy sauce or chinese vinegar mixed w/ sriracha, you're golden.

Green onion pancake

I have come across 2 different kinds of green onion pancake. One kind is really huge and flat and greasy w/more of an onion flavor. The other is thicker and cakey like this one with more of a doughy flavor rather than onion. I prefer this kind because its not as messy and it's easier to dip into other things (I like dipping mine into warm sweetened soy milk). Not my most favorite green onion pancake ever, but still very very good.

Steamed vegetarian dumplings: bok choy, mushroom, and tofu

These were my favorite dumplings that we ordered. I don't normally appreciate vegetarian dumplings because a lot of the time they use spinach and then it just tastes like a bunch of soggy spinach... but they used different ingredients in this variation and it had great texture and taste.

Definitely check this place out if you live in that area or find yourself visiting!

x,

Franny

Gumbo's

2009-08-17T18:38:00.000-07:00

So my new internship comes with certain perks, including going to these fun food blogger events such as this one hosted by Gumbo's.

This martini that I can't remember the name of was way too strong for my taste. In addition, the sugar encrusted rim was distracting and annoying. I think this is a good example of presentation overkill.

This crab cake was great! The sauce reminded me of the spicy mayo that many sushi places use. I'm wondering if it is the same thing ... generally, they use Japanese mayo mixed with Sriracha. It looked and tasted the same. I thought it was great with the crab cake.

I generally don't like mussels or oysters but this was really good. The oyster was barely noticeable, which is the way I like it.

It seemed that the grand consensus on this dish was the excellence of the sauce. It was excellent, haha. The redfish itself was rather bland and forgettable. Not to mention, I just feel like blackened foods is probably the worst thing you can do to food (sorry, I'm at a Cajun restaurant... obviously this should be expected, but whatever)... why would you want to slightly burn food? I would only do that to a smore.

This slice of steak was really good, except for the fact that I only had a fork that couldn't cut this large slice of meat... so I had to stuff it in my mouth and look like a complete pig in front of a bunch of other elite foodists ... great for them, bad for me!

Great bread pudding, but how can you really make bad bread pudding. I mean, if you make bread pudding and keep it warm and put some ice cream on top, I think anyone will like it unless they're retarded.

Those are my thoughts. If you want Cajun, definitely go check this place out because I'm not sure where else to go in Austin! I've heard of the opening of Shuck Shack on E. Cesar Chavez, but have yet to hear much else about it! I'm excited to try it out when I get back from maple leaf land.

x,

Franny

We Fuse is Le Fresh!

2009-08-10T20:10:00.000-07:00

I went with my friend Karinne to WeFuse last Friday before going to the Drafthouse to catch Julie & Julia, which was adorable by the way ... and we caught them before they closed! Turns out Jon, the owner, is Karinne's friend and he treated us to some pleasingly fresh dishes. I forget how good fresh fruit and veggies are. Why?!

Karinne ordered this Pear, Walnut, and Blue Cheese salad ... I had a few nibbles and wow. First of all, all the salad is definitely a bang for your buck. Second of all, the pairing of all the flavors topped with balsalmic vinaigrette (probably my favorite salad dressing) was awesome. I don't think of salads as healthy options. I think of them as real deal meals cuz they are darn good!

I ordered the Tuna Tataki with Avocado, Cucumber, and Seaweed Salad. Wow! Do you see that red sliver of sauce? Yeah, that's right ... it's Sriracha. And as all humans should know, Sriracha is an ingredient that should be integrated into everyone's diet. Why? Because it makes everything taste that much better, seriously. But anyway, the seaweed salad was just right. The cucumbers added a nice crunch to the softness of the fresh tuna. And the avocado was a nice textural balance as well ... kind of like sushi without the rice and seaweed paper ... and much bigger. Ha.

And finally, a non grape sangria! It's watermelon grapefruit sangria! Yeah, dude. This is gold. I think they make different fresh fruit juices/sangrias/concoctions every now and then ... and I'm not sure if they are on the menu or if they are free or if they are just ... secret? But yeah, definitely ask and see if they have this when you go!

Anyway, We Fuse is open generally for lunch. He said it gets packed in there, so I'd go early and snag a seat as the place isn't that big. It's located downtown at 2nd and Brazos. Get it.

--

PLEASE listen to this. It's amazing. This band is.
King Tuff - Sun Medallion

x,

Franny

Where is the spiciest salsa in Austin?

2009-08-02T19:36:00.000-07:00

The English translation for this dim sum dish doesn't sound very appetizing (turnip cake).
But it is the best! This one is from Get Sum Dim Sum on N. Lamar.

Tacos Selene on 7th & Chicon has THE spiciest salsa. it is the green creamy salsa.
Tacodeli has nothing on this salsa... nothing. Not to mention, this place is extra close to all those
hip new bars on the East side, especially Liberty. It's open until like 3 am and it is amazing. Love. Cash only, obviously.

Thinking of putting my cat on the South Beach Diet.

I get bored when I go home to Plano. This is my old room I had in high school. Yeah, wow. But I am in LOVE with these amazing Samantha Pleet shorts I got from Buy Definition. They are amazing. And the creme crop top is also my favorite new article of clothing from AA.

Pretty flowers, yay. :)

x,

Franny

Frozen Bananas and Kitties

2009-06-25T23:55:00.000-07:00

All this rage about frozen bananas plus the 105 degree Texas weather inspired Kathryn and I to make our own fro-nanas.

Dip it in the chocolate...

Sprinkle on the toppings...

Kathryn's frozen banana

My frozen banana. Looks like a pee pee hehe.

Charlie.

x,

Franny

San Francisco in a Nutshell

2009-06-22T21:47:00.000-07:00

After having woken up at 4 am on Friday to catch our flight, we treated ourselves to an excellent brunch at Brenda's French Soul Food while we waited to check in at our hotel. I pretty much found all the restaurants we planned to eat at through Yelp, which is based in San Francisco. I think working for Yelp would be an ideal job for me ... hm ... I can see it now.

Anyway, Brenda's is supposed to be famous for their hearty breakfasts, especially their grits. But to be honest, what swept me off my feet was the biscuit! It was so fluffy/flaky/buttery/crumblinginyourfingers/meltinginyourmouth ... perfection of a biscuit. We were very pleased. :)

We decided to be touristy and go to Fisherman's Wharf ... which was actually kind of fun.

Anyone who knows me well knows I have a fascination with pigeons/seagulls/dead birds.

Mmm, fresh calamari.

Sea lions. So strange.

Then we head up to the Marina District ... pass through the Exploratorium and Crissy Park (what is that place?) ... and then hike up to Golden Gate Bridge ... on Kris's request. I was merely his slave. I probably burned more calories that day than I ate ...

Cold water!!

Still so far to go ...

The night ended with dinner at Sushi Zone in the Castro... it supposedly has the best sushi in SF and it's all reasonably priced. $5.50 for most rolls? Yes? And we saw Thao Nguyen there! We waited more than 2 hours but it was worth it. I recommended the Hawaiian Roll. Who knew macadamia nuts could taste so good on sushi?

Chinatown on Saturday after eating a decent lunch at R&G Chinese Restaurant and getting some BBQ Pork buns and Chinese style rice krispies. Yummy.

On the trolley down to Union Square for some shopping.

Dinner at Little Star in the Mission. Supposedly the best thin crust pizza? Seemed like most people were getting deep dish though. I think pizza in Austin is better. Buscemi @ Eastside Pies. Yes. And Conan's. Yes.

On the way to do some thrifting and eat lunch at Taqueria Can-Cun we see Frances Hotel! Yay. Then we head over to do some more shopping in the Haight Ashbury area ... no pictures oops. And then we got some excellent shabu with my cousins at Mr. Shabu ... which was mmm.

Vacation over.

Boo.

x,

Franny

Tamale House: Recession Migas

2009-06-15T15:41:00.000-07:00

After reading reviews on this joint via Yelp, I had to go check it out with my friend Kathryn. Someone described them as having the best migas in town ... and I had to go see for myself. Besides that, they have super super super super cheap breakfast tacos. I mean $.85 a taco. And they get them out fast.

So alas, my migas...

I call them Recession Migas because they came with 3 tortillas, and after making 3 migas tacos out of that, my plate still looked like the above pictures. I barely made a dent and I was stuffed. At first they weren't my favorite because they were a little soupy ... and I like my migas drier. I also prefer black beans to refried beans ... but those were still good. And the potatoes were nice and peppery. But after eating them as leftovers, I decided they tasted a lot better than I remembered ... not that they ever tasted bad. Maybe I was just hungrier? Or maybe it was just too hot outside? Or maybe I was just too shocked by the gargantuous amount of migas handed to me the first time around. Anyway, they are recommended. Still not my favorite ... but a great cheap filling brunch for sure.

To make the experience sweeter, this guy came up and gave Kathryn a cupcake ... thanking her for her beauty, hahaha. This wasn't a cupcake he made himself, don't worry. Tamale House sells homemade cupcakes as well, ha.

Where should I go get migas next?!

x,

Franny

Mamboberry: SoCo's foodstand cure for heatstroke

2009-06-13T10:21:00.000-07:00

Austin has been swept with froyo... forget TCBY on MLK ... who goes there anymore? That is fake froyo. I'm talking about real froyo like Yogurt Planet and newly opened Swirll on The Drag. But you know what has been around the longest? None other than Mamboberry! I first caught wind of this place from my coworker at Sweet Leaf last semester while I was interning there ... but never got the chance to check the place out. Now that they've permanently planted themselves on South Congress next to the other foodstands such as Hey Cupcake! and The Mighty Cone and it's goddamn hot outside ... I decided to give them a try.

our Mamboberrys ... I got green tea w/ cap'n crunch, blueberries, and chocolate chips. She got tart w/ cap'n crunch and strawberries.

the Mamboberry menu ... they have tamales too?! yep. And if their no egg tofu salad sandwich is the same as Jo's, I can vouch for its goodness.

Do you see that ungodly amount of toppings? Do you want to know why? It's because if you mentioned their twitter, you got unlimited toppings. yes!

Follow them @mamboberry and get amazing deals such as free toppings, $1 off, combo deals

I'm definitely going to be going to this place a ton more now that I work down there almost everyday during the week ... score. I heart you Mamboberry!

x,

Franny

Tacodeli

2009-06-06T19:16:00.000-07:00

mmm, good saturday.

but is tacodeli better than torchy's? i'll have to try it again to make a real decision.

x,

franny

Detouring America With Horns

2009-05-25T10:53:00.000-07:00

flamingos // charlie high on catnip // seoul garden soup dumplings, kalbi, korean pancake // le mixmaster // sensual pool at hotel saint cecilia // fishtank at el gallo

x,

franny

All I Do Is Eat.

2009-05-10T13:46:00.000-07:00

MAKE ME STOP!

Jalapeno Cornbread at Moonshine Patio Bar & Grill

Pecan Crusted Catfish with a side of Baked Macaroni and Steamed Vegetables

Vegan Sandwich with Spicy Chipotle Sauce at Cafe Mundi

Love Migas at Magnolia Cafe (maybe my favorite migas so far!)

Not only is money tight now, but so are my pants.

Hehe.

x,

Franny

Sampaio and Heath Bar goodness

2009-05-03T15:28:00.000-07:00

I went to Sampaio on Friday for my friend Angela's birthday. It's a Brazilian restaurant next to Blue Star Cafeteria up on Burnet and 45th. I really like the area. They have some good vintage shops up there and restaurants like Hey Cupcake! and Omelettry. I got my tattoo done up there too and scored a $10 vintage Polaroid camera, so woohoo.

Anyway, what did I think about it? The waiter was definitely very attentive. I thought caiprinha I ordered tasted like a non-frozen margarita. And the frozen ones tasted like margaritas. I'm confused what the difference is? They were pretty good though nonetheless.

I ordered the Sesame Crusted Salmon, which was sitting in a spicy coconut tomato broth that was amazing. It reminded me a lot of thai curry, haha. I got my good fill of curry this week anyway at Clay Pit yesterday. I've decided tikka masala could probably be my last meal on earth. Anywho, Angela's pork tenderloin in a spicy cherry sauce was pretty damn good too. It came with some risotto that was the special for that day which wasn't very good... atleast not as good as FINO's.

Sesame Crusted Salmon

Then me, Jen, and Kathryn made a cake for Angela.. which consisted of two layers of yellow cake... chocolate Kahlua frosting and crumbled Heath bar on top. It was pretty satisfying to the taste buds and unsatisfying to the thighs, which i guess means it was good!

mmm

angela sneaking a drink

bonus picture!!! kitty love.

x,

franny

Bennu is the new Epoch

2009-04-29T22:47:00.000-07:00

Why?

1. They don't play obnoxious music. As much as I love Epoch, there is always the chance that some crazy gypsy music or a soundtrack from a musical will be blasting to the point of where you can't concentrate and your ipod headphones will not suffice. Granted, I love musicals and bands that I love to sing along to like Queen and whatever, but when I need to get things done ... man I can't focus! Bennu was playing some good jams, and it wasn't all sleepy music shit either, so no worries.

2. They have more drink choices and special coffee drinks. I always either order an iced coffee (or iced mojo from Epoch) or a regular coffee, but from the looks of what other people got, their mochas seem pretty intense.

3. They have yummier cookies.

This chocolate one was delish. I had a peanut butter one at Epoch the other day and was very unsatisfied. It was hard and crusty. Those 2 words should only be used for a crab.

4. Their couches don't sink to where you can feel the springs underneath your butt. And they have more than 2 couches.

5. They have plenty of outlets everywhere. So you don't have to worry about stretching your cord to one and tripping everyone.

The only bad thing was the internet was cutting out a lot, but I figure that's because they just opened and are getting things settled. I'm sure, since internet is probably the single most important thing in keeping customers there, they'll fix that asap. Otherwise, it was pretty packed for having opened so recently! It's a bit smaller than Epoch, so the seating is more limited, but I gather you can find a place to squeeze yourself in.

Oh and their bathrooms have chalkboards in them. How interactive, haha. I guess you can think about what you want to contribute while you pee.

Be sure to check out this 24-hour coffeeshop goodness on E. MLK. It's right after the light at Poquito on your right.

---

*** So update from the owner of Bennu (how exciting!). She told me that by Friday/Saturday there should be a second network for users to log into which should help out the internet situation immensely. And they're getting more tables, chairs, and bar stools to accommodate more seating. Yay. I think I'm actually about to go there right now to study for Business Law, so whoop whoop.

x,

Franny

what i eat everyday

2009-04-28T20:03:00.000-07:00

+
+
+
+
+
=

x,

franny

Counter Cafe & Art City Austin

2009-04-23T21:16:00.000-07:00

I vowed not to eat out this week, but obviously I couldn't do it. Why is it so hard? I have been making some bomb stir-fry though. I have been so obsessed with Sriracha lately, that I've simply just fallen into a black hole of spicy sauces. I don't even know how to eat non-spicy anymore! Well, that's not true. But I do have my fair share of chili oil and now Zen's Spicy Sauce (thanks Karinne) to play around with ... sigh.

But anyway, I ate at Counter Cafe today with Karinne and had myself a non-spicy amazing vegetarian sandwich. No, I'm not vegetarian. It just tastes good sometimes. I like to pretend I am one sometimes so people will think I'm trendy. No, I'm kidding. You can still be cool and eat chicken, friends. Just don't eat lobsters!! Like the one below. This was tied to someone's bike basket outside of the cafe. How sad!

Sad lobster.

We also went over to Emerald's afterward since it's right nextdoor. When did their shoe collection get so shitty? I mean, it wasn't horrible, but it wasn't anything spectacular. They used to have such great brands. Where did my beloved Jeffrey Campbell go? Boohoo.

Lastly, I will be working this event all weekend. Come and check it out and pay me a visit. Yay!

Beck - Chemtrails

x,

Franny

Raspberry Cupcakes

2009-04-18T14:17:00.000-07:00

I felt like inventing my own cupcake last night before watching Free Willy with Karinne, so this is what I came up with. The result was super tasty ... Maybe I can sell my idea to Hey Cupcake!

Makes 12 cupcakes
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup superfine sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
about 3/4 - 1 cup of flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
3 tbsp milk
1 jar of raspberry preservatives or jam
buttercream frosting from any brand

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Put cupcake cases in muffin pans.
Put the butter, sugar, & vanilla extract in a bowl and beat until light and fluffy. Gradually add eggs, flour, baking soda, and milk until well mixed. Spoon a large spoonful of batter into each case.
Spoon a small spoonful of raspberry preservatives on top of the batter in each case.
Fill each case with batter over the raspberry preservatives about 3/4 of the way.
Bake the cupcakes in the preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes. Let cool.
Put on the icing and enjoy!

x,

Franny

i am only going to eat grapes

2009-04-13T21:35:00.000-07:00

Today I have eaten:
vanilla yogurt w/ some captain crunch sprinkled in it (breakfast at 9 am)
half a bag of peanut m&m's
my fake vietnamese sandwich concoction (lunch at 12 pm)
half a bottle of diet sweet leaf tea original
thunder tofu (dinner #1 at 3:30 pm)
bubble tea
chicken fried steak w/ mashed potatoes and macaroni (dinner #2 at 8 pm)

I went to dinner #2 with my roommates. I am going to die of double-chin complications. I am only going to eat grapes for the rest of the week. And I am going to fail my retail merchandising test tomorrow, oops. Oh ya and thanks to Charlene for telling me about how to die of a heart attack.

x,

franny

Hyde Park Bar & Grill: Healthy Heartattack...

2009-04-09T19:13:00.000-07:00

So I have been consistently bugged for the past few months to check this place out. I finally got around to it today with my friend Angela. I can merely describe it as a healthy heartattack and that doesn't even make sense... I guess you can say that the things we ordered sounded somewhat healthier than just a plain-old kobe beef burger, ha ha ... (which I need to try next time) ... and they sounded super super sabroso. The inner me knew that they were in no form or fashion healthy haha, but at least I got some vegetables out of it. I mean, to be honest, the contents were not so much different than going to FoodHeads, one of the tastiest sandwich places in Austin ... I guess it was just much more gourmet (and greasy). And the decor of the restaurant seemed much more geared toward couples, families, and old people... woo! But let me tell you, the fries were fucking amazing. And the sauce they came with too. I finished my sandwich first so I could barely get through half my fries ... but if I had the stomach capacity, I would have finished them. And then we got the peach pudding because people wouldn't shut up about it on Yelp. I thought it was okay ... not my kind of dessert, but not bad. It reminded me of cornbread with pudding ... on it ... and heated... haha. ...I should not be a food critic.

Fried Eggplant Sandwich
Thick slices of eggplant lightly breaded and fried then smothered with smoked Gouda cheese and a sautéed mix of onions, mushrooms and red bell peppers. Served on a sprouted wheat Hoagie bun with green leaf lettuce, tomato and shaved red onions.

Yellowfin Tuna
Seasoned and grilled or blackened with spicy Cajun seasoning. Served on a Romano and parsley foccacia bun with lettuce, shaved red onions, tomato and remoulade sauce.

famous Hyde Park Fries
voted best fries in Austin for who knows how long...

a close-up of my eggplant sandwich, mm.

Wom Kim's Peach Pudding

x,

Franny

Oh Sriracha

2009-04-05T18:56:00.000-07:00

oh sriracha
you make my heart sing
i like to put you on everything
in between two slices of bread
with turkey and cheese
and cilantro and carrots
on my chicken
on my turnip cake, what? yeah...
in my noodles
you leave my mouth on fire
to where i can barely breathe
and it hurts a lot
but it's a good hurt
i like it
i used to not like you because you look weird
but obviously i've gotten over it
i'm really glad about that
sometimes i can't get the top open
but then i get it open and i'm happy
my mom bought me an extra bottle of you
so i won't run out
because h-e-b was out of stock of you
and i can't deal with that!
please don't ever change
i need you
love you sriracha

x,

franny

Julio's, Flashlight Party, Mommy

2009-03-29T22:10:00.000-07:00

Julio's is a small Mexican restaurant tucked away next to Quack's on 43rd & Duval. My first time coming here was probably around a year ago and I've only ordered one thing since then... and by looking at my picture, I'm sure you know why. Their chicken nachos are kind of the best thing ever. I still have 2/3 of it left over because it's that humongous. I'm pretty sure they use Mexican mozzarella cheese for their nachos ... which is SO yummy. You can get some at H-E-B... it looks like a big ball of cheese. And then their chicken is super tender ... and with the beans and chips, it's just delicious. If you live in Austin and like to call yourself knowledgeable about Mexican food ... then hold your tongue until you try this place. It's my favorite. :) Remember to bring cash too.

some pictures from Flashlight Party. More to be uploaded to the flickr.

Lastly, an unfinished drawing of my mommy... I've been working on it. Yup!

---

I am going on a picnic tomorrow during my break from work #1 cuz the weather is gonna be awwwwesome!

x,

Frances

YELP! at SXSW

2009-03-11T22:49:00.000-07:00

Thanks to miss Michaela for showing me these yummy deals! I'm excited.

"During the ten days of SXSW, Yelp is working with a variety of local eateries to bring you Yelp Deals at SXSW Week, where each participating restaurant will choose one or more menu item to discount 50% during from 3/13-3/22. Bon Appetit! "

Uchi
Shag Roll
Tempura fried bond roll with salmon and
squid ink sumiso sauce
Regularly $14.00 During Yelp Deals @ SXSW: $7.00

Paggi House
Bigeye Tuna Tartare
Ponzu Aioli, Wasabi Tobiko and Sesame Crisps
Regularly $14.00 During Yelp Deals @ SXSW: $7.00

Sugar Mama's Bakeshop
The Black & Tan Cupcake
Rich, chocolaty Guinness Stout cupcake topped with scrumptious Irish cream cheese frosting
Regularly $2.50 During Yelp Deals @ SXSW: $1.25

Buenos Aires Cafe
Any flavor empanadas
Regular Price $2.49 During Yelp Deals @ SXSW: $1.25

House Wine
Two Cheese plate
Choose two cheeses, Tuscan olive three cheese spread, assorted crackers and pistachio nuts
Regularly $12.95 During Yelp Deals @ SXSW: $6.50

Cuba Libre
Lump Crab Toastadas
crab ceviche, mango, chipotle aioli
Regularly: $11.75 During Yelp Deals @ SXSW: $5.88

Andiamo Ristorante
A variety of desserts offered
Tiramisu: Regularly $8 During Yelp Deals @ SXSW: $4
Zabaglione: Regularly $7.50 During Yelp Deals @ SXSW: $3.75
Cannolo: Regularly $8 During Yelp Deals @ SXSW: $4
Chocolate Mousse: Regularly $8 During Yelp Deals @ SXSW: $4
Bocconotti: Regularly $8 During Yelp Deals @ SXSW: $4
Gelato: Regularly $6.5 During Yelp Deals @ SXSW: $3.25
White Chocolate Cheese Cake: Regularly $8 During Yelp Deals @ SXSW: $4

Taste Select Wines
FOOD: Prime Beef Carpaccio with cheese puffs, horseradish cream & herb oil: Regular price, $8; During Yelp Deals @ SXSW: $4
WINE: White, Red, or Sparkling House Wine (glass): Regular price, $7; During Yelp Deals @ SXSW: $3.50

La Cocina de Consuelo
Tostada Plate
Beef, chicken or avocado tostadas (crispy corn tortillas)
topped with beans, lettuce, tomatoes and cheese
Regularly $6.99 During Yelp Deals @ SXSW: $3.49

Sao Paulo's Restaurante
Bife a Milanesa (Beef Milanesa)...South American pan-fried steak lightly breaded and topped w/mild ancho sauce. Served w/garlic potatoes and veggies.
reg price..10.95 During Yelp Deals @ SXSW: $5.48
Feijoada (black bean stew)....Brazilian soul food staple dish, w/combination of sausage, pork and beef, slow cooked with black beans and spices. Served w/traditional sides of white rice, collard greens, farofa and orange slices.
reg. price...10.95 During Yelp Deals @ SXSW: $5.48

Taverna
Margherita Pizza
$9.00 regular for lunch / During Yelp Deals @ SXSW: $4.50
$10.00 for dinner / During Yelp Deals @ SXSW: $5.00
Paciugo Gelato
Small Affogato al Caffe - 2 scoops of Velvety gelato melting in a shot of espresso. Sugar + caffeine in one tasty treat:
Small - regular price $5.29 / During Yelp Deals @ SXSW $2.65

Imperia
All large & small size infused sake and hot sake for 50% off.

Hot Sake
Lg reg $8 Yelp Deals @ SXSW $4
Sm reg $4 Yelp Deals @ SXSW $2

Japanese Mojito, Nirvana, Almond Joy
Lg reg $8 Yelp Deals $4
Sm reg $5 Yelp Deals $2.50

Green Dragon
Lg reg $9 Yelp Deals $4.50
Sm reg $6 Yelp Deals $3

Honeycomb
Lg reg $9 Yelp Deals $4.50
Sm reg $6 Yelp Deals $3

Lychee
Lg reg $9 Yelp Deals $4.50
Sm reg $6 Yelp Deals $3

Sake Hurricane
Lg reg $9 Yelp Deals $4.50
Sm reg $6 Yelp Deals $3

Fuzzy Sake
Lg reg $9 Yelp Deals $4.50
Sm reg $6 Yelp Deals $3

Uncorked
Truffled mushroom & spinach risotto
Reg $13 Yelp Deals $6.50

Cover 3
The Cover 3 House Frozen Margarita
Fresh lime juice & tequila blended with a subtle hint of orange
Reg $7 Yelp Deals $3.50

x,

Frances

The Woodland - Austin Restaurant Week

2009-03-03T20:42:00.000-08:00

Rachel, Karinne, and I decided to go to the Woodland located on S. Congress instead because it was cheaper and I just feel like Louie's 106 may have just been too stuffy of an environment for us. Anyway, it was really yummy. And excuse these shitty pictures, I don't know how to use my new point-and-shoot. It's retarded ... or maybe I am. I'm a lot better with complicated cameras, haha.

Pork Empanadas
I actually think these were my favorite. It seemed like we all liked our appetizers the best... to the point of where we didn't want to share. Haha! It reminded me of those curry-stuffed dumplings, but with really soft pork instead. Yum.

Meatloaf w/ mashed potatoes & green beans
Ordering this made me feel super American... haha. But since I'm Asian too, I never eat this shit. Anyway, it was pretty good. It was a little dry I thought. I wish there had been more of a sauce. It wasn't gourmet by any means and I don't think it was supposed to be...I think it's more of just a comfort dish. How can you make gourmet meatloaf? Is there such a thing?

Chocolate Cream Pie

As you can see, this restaurant is all kinds of unhealthy. It's interesting... now that I think of Louie 106's menu which consisted of like... tuna tartare, racks of lamb, and some fancy fish dishes... and stuff haha. But this fit more into my neighborhood of eating... and it was good. I like fruity pies better, but this was still really good. I think they specialize in pies to some degree or something, because they had a ton to choose from. I want to be a pie maker.

Anyway, there you have it. My first Austin Restaurant Week experience. It was a nice way to end a somewhat hectic day of finding out someone had drilled a hole into my car window and shattered it, then stolen my ipod, then ran to class frazzled to turn in a marketing paper, and then having to take an essay test explaining why I want to be a woman in Salem during the witch trials... yeah.

John Lennon - Oh Yoko

Until next time!

x,

Frances

Black Condoms, Viet Sandwiches and NEW Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

2009-02-22T14:10:00.000-08:00

My roommate has a great internship. She comes home with surprises like these! LOL!

Black Joe Lewis has a new marketing scheme. Teehehee...

"Just... Want.. to get it open!!!" - Charlie dirty-wanna-be-black-cat Lin.

---

So I drove this baby up to Bee Caves when I was at work the other day to get an estimate. Yeah, no rear-view mirror. Plush seats. I looked pretty smooth, might I add. Not to mention someone's mix cd was left in there that included the likes of Britney Spears, Ghostland Observatory, and Cupid's "The Cupid Shuffle"... yup.

---

So I've been promising you vietnamese sandwiches for a long time. We finally went to LuLu B's on South Lamar across from Bird's Barbershop! We'd been missing it because they had a family death and also they are open at annoyingly inconvenient hours, but whatever! It was yummy. I got the Lemongrass Pork sandwich garnished with daikon, carrot, cucumber, cilantro, and chili. It was pretty filling for just $4.50 and with some Sriracha sauce, it was muy sabroso. Definitely check it out if you're in the South Lamar area. There's another vietnamese sandwich place up on North Lamar at Chinatown... that I want to try as well. Yum Yum!

---

Finally,
new Yeah Yeah Yeah's has leaked.
Yeah Yeah Yeah's - Heads Will Roll

---

Pictures from this weekend will be up later. Tootles.

x,

Franny

Crickets at La Condesa.

2009-02-17T22:46:00.000-08:00

The lovely Rachel Myhill treated some friends and I to a complimentary friends & family dinner at La Condesa, a Mexican restaurant opening Thursday on 2nd & Guadalupe right next to Lambert's. According to the Austin Business Journal, the 26-year-old chef/owner, Larry McGuire, of Lambert's is playing a large part in the opening of this restaurant... so I'm sure it will become a well-known Austin establishment in the near future. Anyway, there's a Dallas location in the snazzy Victory Park, but apparently this one's better. Well, I know I had a fabulous time... I love trying new things! And boy did I try new things, lol.

ANYWAY, this is what you really want to see/hear/taste I guess:

Chips & Salsa with Chipotle & Roasted Almond Guacamole
So yummy. I didn't taste the roasted almond, but I definitely felt the chipotle. The salsa isn't pictured but they had 3 different kinds. My favorite was the salsa verde. I think we all had a different favorite. So they all must be good.

Bebidas! The watermelon martini was yummy in my tummy. Good margaritas too.

I don't remember the names to these. The one on the left is Carnitas I believe. Very tender pork belly. It reminded me of this tender pork that us Asians eat and put in between soft buns. The one on the right is some kind of pork ribs. Realllly yummy. I loved the plaintains. They were good and spicy.

Crickets!! In a corn tortilla!! Covered in guacamole!! Ahh!!!

Before and after. Well more like during and after. Honest truth, it wasn't my favorite thing in the world. I mean, it didn't taste bad. I really have a serious mental block toward odd meats. Even duck freaks me out. IDK! But it was worth trying. I would try it if you have the chance! Nothing like some cricket legs floating around your mouth, mmm. Karinne's face is awesome, btw.

Rachel eating the crickets. Why is she so composed?

Dessert. On the left, a goat cheese cheesecake that had a much fancier name. On the right, a molten flourless chocolate cake topped with caramelized bananas and ice cream... that also had a fancier name. The chocolate was my favorite. The cheesecake was too cheesy for my taste.

I also didn't snap a good picture of the tostadas that we tried. There were two different versions, but I only tried one of them. It was a Tuna Tostada ... crispy tostadas topped with yellowfin tuna, pickled cucumber, crispy leek, and chipotle mayo. Mmm, I love chipotle mayo. Especially on a Mopac sandwich...

SIGH, ok. I love free food.

Anyway, I think I am finally going to try those vietnamese sandwiches this weekend. Very excited.

And also, if you still haven't seen Kittens Inspired by Kittens what are you waiting for?! God, best thing ever.

I'm going to start doing hw now... because I'm in school... ?!
Oxymoron.

x,

Frances

Circle One: Yes or No

2009-02-15T14:09:00.000-08:00

yes or no?!

Should Blake and Dov be BFF?
Circle One: Yes or No

Okay maybe not. Since the founder of TOMS (Blake ... not "tom") is probably ... well he IS 1000x more ethical than American Apparel. But on the topic of company comparisons, both companies make a point to publicize how their employees receive more than a fair wage. And I would say their target markets are pretty much the same crowd. Both Blake and Dov have curly hair and live in or near LA. He he? Not to mention the shirt I'm wearing is Tri-Blend American Apparel. Anyway, it was a fun time Saturday... working at the Clinton Global Initiative and giving away hundreds of free shoes for a good cause. Besides the fact that my car got towed and cost me near $200 and being late to my roommate's 21st birthday dinner. SUCKKK.

Andrew Bird, will you marry me?
Circle one: Yes or No.

Maybe one of the best artists to traipse across my path. His whistling melted my heart until it was no longer a heart but an empty place that wanted to be filled. Is that what his music does to you? Make you ache? I guess that's why I like it. I am okay with having Andrew Bird be the reason of my heartache.

Does P.Terry's give you a heart attack whilst being pooped on by birds?
Circle One: Yes or No

Well, I know the answer actually. It's YES. Except I wasn't pooped on by birds. I fully enjoyed my cheaper-than-mcdonalds hamburger while my friends were pooped on by birds, hehe.

Would you use my cat to kill the ubiquitous gecko running around your house?
Circle One: Yes or No

Well I didn't even know there was such an ubiquitous gecko running around my house. I actually stumbled upon my cat playing with this gecko, who I'm guessing (and hoping) he killed ... what a beast. I'm not saying I don't like lizards. I love lizards. I wanted one for a really long time. But I'm really proud of my cat seeing how he is the biggest scared-y cat ever. I pretty much decided he has downs syndrome this past weekend. Sad story. :[

---

My song: The Kinks - Strangers
hmm. :[

x,

frances

Move. Get out of here.

2009-02-07T15:46:00.000-08:00

This entry is in sequences.

So,

Yeah.

---

Fish tacos, Wahoo's on 6th.
I like mini corn tortillas. Cabbage instead of lettuce was an interesting choice. The rice was refreshing and different. Preettty good.

Dessert selection, Mandola's at The Triangle.
I tried the gelato on the first row in the middle. It was coffee-flavored with something. Damn good.

Also went to the Loxsly, Oh No Oh My! show at Emo's on Thursday.
The most memorable thing was Loxsly's visuals. They were pretty awesome.
I commend whoever did them... I think it might have been a band member?
My favorite were the walking tweezers... or whatever.

Fashion Freakout! at Mohawk last night, as well.
We've started selling tie-dye tights and I hate them.
Well. Laced with Romance seems to think they were cool.
I still don't think they are.
There were a couple nip slips and butt cheeks hanging out, but overall I enjoyed the show.
I loved New Bohemia's elephant necklace. ohh my goddd, how do I get that?!

Sigh.

I'm done.

x,

Frances

ALPACA!

2009-02-02T21:01:00.000-08:00

I've been making my coffeeshop rounds since the weather's been nice.

Hibiscus Lemonade, Quack's on 43rd.

Mmm... so beautifully unhealthy, i love it.

Goodbye Little Man, hello Alpaca.

I rode my bike to Epoch yesterday for my first real bike ride. I nearly passed out ... someone's completely out of shape. I have a lot of work to do before SXSW. There might have been some other contributing factors, but overall ... yeah, a lot of work to do. I'm just so scared to ride around a lot of traffic. I need to find a safe way to practice ha... man, my legs were so wobbly.

Anyway, the Broken Social Scene concert at Bass on Saturday was amazing. Even though I only knew a couple songs, I was very impressed. One of the members' side project, The Happiness Project ... which is an exploration of the tones and rhythm in how we talk ... was kind of like the coolest thing ever. Imagine a saxophone imitating the way you talk... perfectly.

Sigh.

And then I finally watched The Breakfast Club last night... shut up. I'm telling you I have a lot to catch up on. Anyway, for those of you who didn't know... Emilio Estevez is Charlie Sheen's brother and Martin Sheen's son. He just didn't sell out to a white-people name. Although, I think Sheen is a pretty cool last name. And Emilio is a pretty sweet first one. Emilio Sheen. Ha... no. I learned all this in Spanish 508K... yup.

By the way,

THE MOPAC SANDWICH AT WHOLE FOODS = OMG!?!?!!?!

who's with me.

x,

Frances

Tea & Company

2009-01-31T14:58:00.000-08:00

This is where I'm interning this semester. Very yummy. :)

Jen & Kathryn's 21st birthday party at FINO. My opinion, an overly pretentious restaurant with food that does not serve up to the pretentiousness... haha. But the food is still good. Just not worth being pretentious about... does that make any sense?

Chorizo-stuffed mushrooms. SO amazing.

Crab, Avocado & Espelette Pepper Bruschetta. Also very good.

Calamari. duh. Is it possible to have really bad or really good calamari?

FINO Paella: Saffron rice with Shrimp, Littleneck Clams & Mussels, Calamari, Tomato, Lemon & Paprika. Too lemon-y. But still good.

Birthday girls!

More pictures up later when I get film developed...

Now... I have to go to Broken Social Scene! :)

x,

Frances

Sandwiches, Sangria, and Sexy Shirts.

2009-01-29T20:04:00.000-08:00

Not only am I really good at whistling, I'm also good at alliterating.

Enjoying a nice frozen sangria at El Chilito. They cover the patio in the wintertime and have heat lamps and blankets! So nice. :) And they have a pickle-flavored paleta de fruta. Yeah...

Also, had a little fun con mi camera with Jose and Kris... for an upcoming project that's sure to fill your empty bellies. :)

I'll leave it up to your imagination. :)

Ok, now take a look at this:

Left: American Apparel Unisex Viscose Sexuali-Tee
Right: T by Alexander Wang Black Classic T

Well, I mean if someone bought me Alex's T, I would gladly take it. I mean, I might have to save up for the dress in this collection. But, I must say AA's Sexuali line is probably my favorite and I wear all of my Sexuali pieces probably at least once a week, if not more. Truth!

BTW, good deals all around this weekend:
1. Amazing vintage sale going on here. The Year of Living Thriftily. Already scored myself 2 necklaces, as I am a necklace whore.
2. Sidewalk sale at Blue Velvet (next to Epoch on North Loop). A great place to score belts and accessories, yay!
3. Fetish is closing. 75% off clothes. 50% off jewelry. w-o-w.

x,

Frances

Bye Dani

2009-01-12T14:15:00.000-08:00

Back to Virginia, my little Dani baby went.

Mmm, Food Heads.

I ordered the Chicken Special which is an explosion of grilled chicken breast on toasted ciabatta with lettuce, tomato, avocado, feta cheese and tarragon mayonnaise. mmm. Plus, it was maybe the nicest day ever outside.

Elliott and I

I went to the Ringo Deathstarr concert last Friday. They were pretty good. I think after awhile people started to disperse because their ear drums couldn't take the noise any longer, ha ha. They really do remind me so much of Yo La Tengo.

Devorlando

I attempted sleevefacing with my friend Orlando. Prettttty fun.

We had a going away get-together for Dani the night before she left. :[ It was sad times. She gave me a kick-ass postcard. And Smirnoff Ice. Hahaha. Don't know how long it's been since I've drank that. We went to the Omelettry the morning after. It was really good! I wish they had more meat options. And more spicy omelettes. I just really like spicy things.

More pictures are on my Flickr.

I'll leave you with an awesome Missed Connection my friend Charlene sent my way.

We kissed, you farted. - m4w - 32 (emo's)

You said "this always happens when I get nervous." Then turned around and ran out the door. It must have been the cutest thing I've ever seen.
How about we get you some Alka-Seltzer and give it another shot!

---

P.S. I'm so glad Slumdog Millionaire won like every award last night on the Golden Globes. Definitely deserved it. Yay!

I found this site with all this old dance music. The kind you wish every dance party played. Hahaha. Dude, it's awesome. It has everything from Michael Jackson to Diana Ross to Salt N' Pepa. I think it's just someone's compilation of the 100 best dance songs... anyway, they did a good job. You can download all of them here. Amazing?!

Awesome.

x,

Frances

Yumminess in my tumminess. UPDATE!

2008-12-11T11:51:00.000-08:00

The holiday season calls for yummy treats. :) Yes, I made these.

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake
The recipe is here

Gingerbread Cupcakes with a sugar glaze

---

Karinne very cold, but very happy!

Short-lived snow, but magical none-the-less. :)

---

So, Facebook has ads that I'm guessing... "cater" to your interests. And this is what I saw while looking at my awesome new profile picture. It reads:

Pornography
Find out how porn may be affecting your relationships.

I'm sad. Who does Facebook think I am?

---

Finally two of my very talented co-workers have fun shows this weekend.
One is Ringo Deathstarr tonight at Emo's for the 101x Independent Workforce Xmas... they'll be performing inside. The Ting Tings and the Black Kids will be outside. Ooo!

And then Plus Move will be making their Austin debut on Saturday at the Compound.

UPDATE:
MATT&KIM "Secret Show" at Mohawk on Saturday!
It costs $2 or you can bring 2 cans of food.
Doors at 8pm!

Sounds funnn..

Anyway good luck on your exams if you're not already done. I have 2 tomorrow. Gross.

The Zombies - This Will Be Our Year

x,

Frances

Yours Truly on American Apparel's Website

2008-12-09T21:22:00.000-08:00

There it is, my friends. :) You can see it for yourself here.

I just ate an amazing giant breakfast taco at Star Seeds... complete with black beans, egg, sausage, and cheese. Soooo good.

And it's ... SNOWING!!!

:)

I love it.

Kid Sister ft. David Banner - Family Reunion

x,

Frances

Yogurt, I love you.

2008-10-29T22:05:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, Hamidah was in town from Arlington and she and I went to Yogurt Planet at The Triangle on Lamar. This place is like a fake Pinkberry, but with more flavors. I'm sad Yogoberry closed down by Freebirds, but this one is definitely better.

Natural Yogurt Flavor with Captain Crunch, Raspberries,
Blackberries, and Oreo Crumbles. MMMM!!!!!

Hamidah with her Strawberry Yogurt and fruit

Danielle and I tried The Yogurt Spot underneath The Venue by UT. It was pretty good too. I stuck to my normal flavors and toppings, but they did not have Captain Crunch which is silly! But their Kiwi yogurt is really good and Dani's Cheesecake one was pretty amazing too.

I can not wait for Swirll to open next to American Apparel. I am hoping that it's all the same thing.

What is with this crazy yogurt thing?

---

Also, Klever is playing at Beauty Bar tomorrow.

I saw his flyer outside some dance party in a church in Amsterdam. Small world?

x,
Frances

Chuco's Tacos ... reborn.

2008-09-14T23:14:00.000-07:00

Chuco's Tacos, which after facing legal troubles after basically copying the supposed greatness of the El Paso chain, Chico's Tacos... and then became 10th Street Tacos... and then took like a month hiatus of "renovation"... is now The Screaming Goat. What?! Ok. It better taste the same.

See you at Ratatat tomorrow.

Austin Restaurant Week!

2008-08-29T14:51:00.000-07:00

The list is finally here! You can eat at some of Austin's finest restaurants and get a 3-course fixed meal for $25 or $35. So sweet. (But where is Uchi? Only in a perfect world... sigh.)


	1886 Cafe & Bakery
	34th Street Cafe
	Aquarelle
	Austin Land & Cattle
	Bistro 88
	Blue Star Cafeteria
	Botticelli's
	Cantina Laredo
	The Carillon
	Cool River Cafe
	Cru Austin
	Cru at the Domain
	Imperia
	Iron Cactus Downtown
	Iron Cactus Arboretum
	Iron Cactus Galleria
	J. Black's
	Jasper's
	Joe Dimaggio's
	Judges' Hill Restaurant
	Kenichi
	Malaga
	Manuel's Downtown
	Manuel's Great Hills
	The Melting Pot
	The Melting Pot
	Paggi House
	Parkside
	Primizie Osteria
	Rio Grande
	Roaring Fork
	Romeo's
	Roux
	Roy's
	Sagra
	Siena
	SWB
	Starlite
	The Steeping Room
	Sullivan's
	Taste Select Wines
	Taverna
	Truluck's Downtown
	Truluck's Arboretum
	Uncorked
	The Woodland
	Zax

MMMMMMMMMmmmmm!!!