Steak Frites Mondays at Josephine House

Sometimes, the stars align to give you a perfect evening. The night we discovered the Monday steak frites at Josephine House was one of those times. It was a crisp winter evening, but the patio heaters kept us cozy in a toasty glow. We were dining with a dear friend from out of town (and her sweet, sweet pup), and the conversation was lively and connected. Our server, Catherine, completely charmed us and made sure our every need was attended to. The food was delicious and the wine flowed freely. But I'm getting a little ahead of myself...

Josephine House's steak frites night happens on Mondays. You pay a set price for a salad or starter, an entrée, a dessert, and - ahem - unlimited house wine. The pricing seems to vary from week to week, but the night we were there, the three-course menu + wine started at $40 (though the actual steaks started at $55). Not a cheap meal out, but a pretty good deal, we thought (see: unlimited house wine). We left happy and sated and I even had enough steak left over for lunch the next day.

They started us off with a really lovely bread basket. You can't see it here, but there's a walnut bread hidden in there that is excellent.

For my salad, I chose the wedge, an excellent version of the classic with bleu cheese, grape tomatoes, red onions, and buttermilk dressing. 

At steak frites night, it's hard not to order a steak. I didn't attempt to resist.

Where the steak magic happens!

And the actual steak magic, an 11 oz New York strip. Also, I am a sucker for fries served with aioli.

#NigellaTheDog may or may not have had a few bites of my leftover steak.

There were four choices for dessert. We wanted to try as many as possible, so we divided forces - and conquered.

Not that interesting looking, but delicious: cardamom ice cream.

Pretty AND delicious: blueberry & chevre bread pudding 

with meyer lemon ice cream & blueberry compote.

Stinky cheese!!! Point Reyes Blue Cheese with housemade jam

and baguettes from Elizabeth Street Cafe

Our first date with steak & frites at Josephine House was a winner. I can't wait until we meet again.

Josephine House
1601 Waterston Avenue
Austin, TX 78703
(512) 477-5584

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Delectable Deal - Sunday Pork Chop Special at Perry's

Happy new year, dear readers! I hope you had a wonderful holiday season and that your year is off to a delicious start.

Did you make any resolutions this year? In keeping with tradition, a few "need-to's" and "shoulds" flitted through my mind and were promptly rejected. Rather than inflexible resolutions, I prefer the path of pseudo-moderation: finding ways to live a thoroughly enjoyable life while still living more or less responsibly. Case in point: the Sunday pork chop special at Perry's Steakhouse.

I'm sure not a few of you are snickering to yourselves. How could the famous, insanely huge Perry's pork chop be associated with anything remotely resembling moderation? Well, if you play your cards right, you can get a whole lot of meals out of this one chop (last time I went, I made rice and veggies to go with the leftovers and got six meals out of one chop!). And if financial moderation is your bailiwick, you'll be thrilled to know that on Sunday nights, Perry's offers this prize of porcine perfection for a mere $29.95 - and they throw in your choice of any salad from their menu (all of which are fairly large) and a dessert trio, to boot. On a normal day, the chop alone without any sides, salad or dessert is $36.95! (they also serve a lunch-sized portion with whipped potatoes for $12.95 on Fridays, but it's smaller and the restaurant is typically insanely packed).

It's really difficult to photograph in Perry's because the restaurant is super dark. But here are a few mildly murky photos for you:

Complimentary crusty bread and whipped butter.

Field green, pear, and candied pecan salad. Typically $9.95 - included with the special on Sundays.

A veritable sea of pork.

They carve your chop up tableside. There's even a show with this special!

Holy meat sweats, Batman!

Dessert trio - incredibly rich chocolate truffle, creme brulee, and mini cheesecake.

So, there you have it. In case you still needed a New Year's resolution, you can now resolve to get thee over to Perry's for their Sunday pork chop special. Trust me; you'll be in hog heaven.

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