Russell's Bistro: A Classy Brunch

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?

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

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

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

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

Gumbo's

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

Black Condoms, Viet Sandwiches and NEW Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

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.

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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.

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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!

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

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Pictures from this weekend will be up later. Tootles.

x,

Franny

Crickets at La Condesa.

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

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. :[

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My song: The Kinks - Strangers
hmm. :[


x,

frances

Move. Get out of here.

This entry is in sequences.

So,



Yeah.

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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