Trailer Treasure: Three Little Pigs

I have long been a fan of Three Little Pigs and was quite surprised to discover that I'd never written about them, despite the fact that they've been in business for many years. This unassuming little trailer is barely decorated and doesn't look like much from the outside, but the guy on the inside, Raymond Tatum, is a longtime Austin chef whose résumé includes a 12-year gig as the executive chef at Jeffrey's. Happily (for me), Chef Raymond's menu tilts toward Asian flavors, and nothing on the menu will set you back more than $12. Their recent move to the patio of the Aristocrat Lounge (formerly the Poodle Dog Lounge, for you longer-term Austinites) means that they are now in my neck of the woods. I couldn't be more thrilled. The flavors here play right to my palate, the dishes are always interesting, and their location means you can bring your pup along and that you can enjoy a Live Oak Hefeweizen with your meal. What else do you need?

Venison Sausage & Brussels Sprouts with Jasmine Rice

Beef Short Ribs Nam Tok

Black Eyed Pea Salad with Crispy Pork Belly, Arugula, and Gorgonzola (usually comes with pickled beets, but my husband hates pickled things and I hate beets, so this one is beet-less at our request).

I highly recommend that you point the hair on your chinny chin chin toward Three Little Pigs.

Three Little Pigs

6507 Burnet Road (on the patio of the Aristocrat Lounge)

Austin, TX 78757

(512) 653-5088

Read more...

Apis Restaurant and Apiary

I think this town must be conspiring to convince me that we've not yet reached the pinnacle of our food scene, because I just discovered what is undoubtedly one of my top ten favorite restaurants in Austin.

Okay, so technically it's in Spicewood - which makes it an even more surprising find. Who would have imagined that you might sit down to a 23-course signature tasting menu* just down the road from Opie's? We might not have believed it ourselves, except that our friends Mari & Greg, who have eaten at many of the finest restaurants all over the world, raved about a meal they had there back in August. So the four of us headed out to Apis Restaurant and Apiary to celebrate Mari's birthday, and proceeded to have our socks blown off.

As much as I want to slip into my usual uber-verbose mode, I can't possibly write about every one of the 23 courses...but I do want to share all of the splendor for you food porn fans, so I've included a slideshow of our feast.

Excellent cocktails, beautiful and comfortable surroundings, and affable service round out the deal and truly make Apis a dining destination. We hear that the team is looking for space downtown for a second location (and a different concept), but I was hard pressed to think of many ways that they could improve upon this version. As we were driving home, my husband remarked that he had actually enjoyed the meal we'd just had at Apis better than the one we had at The French Laundry last month (the French Laundry meal, by the way, was three times as expensive). I'm going to weasel out of making my own comparison by saying the two experiences are really too different to compare, but I think that my husband's comment appropriately underscores the fact that the Apis experience is one not to be missed. This was indeed a spectacular meal - and an astounding value considering the quality, quantity, and the effort that went into creating it.

Another thing we truly loved about Apis is that the entire staff exhibited an apparent lack of ego, resulting in a very friendly, collaborative atmosphere. Unlike certain other highly-touted restaurants in town where the chefs insist that every dish be served their way (diner preferences be damned), Apis' message was consistently, "What do you think? How can we make this experience better for you?" When we were in the kitchen for the cocktail course, Chef/Owner Taylor Hall repeatedly deflected compliments to the rest of his team in the kitchen, and several of our courses were served by the restaurant's general manager, Bill Donnelly, who had a terrific sense of humor. Too much ego in a restaurant can taste a little bitter; on the flip side, the collaborative attitude at Apis made us feel like we were participating in the process, that the success of our dining experience lay partly in our hands. We were utterly charmed, and we are so looking forward to seeing what exciting surprises this creative and friendly team has in store for us down the road.

Apis Restaurant & Apiary

23426 TX-71

Spicewood, TX 78669
512/436-8918

*Apis also offers a regular a la carte menu for those who aren't quite ready to commit to 23 courses!

Read more...

Prelog's

I'll admit it: my palate has gotten a little spoiled. There are so many restaurants in Austin now that reliably serve up food I love that I sometimes feel a little reticent about trying new places - will it live up to expectations, or will I be sorry I veered from tried and true?

But I had heard quite a bit of buzz about Prelog's, so when they invited me out to sample their food, I jumped at the chance. Happily, they gave my skeptical palate something to sing about.

We went in for brunch on a Saturday, and opted to try their "tasting menu" brunch - two courses for $20 or three courses for $25. I started with the Eggs Royale, an aptly-named Eggs Benedict-ish concoction with a soft poached egg, smoked salmon, hollandaise sauce, and caviar sour cream (!!) served atop an English muffin. It was absolutely outstanding; every component was beautifully executed, and the briny caviar elevated this lovely dish to memorable.

My husband started with an omelette. While it was admittedly a nice specimen of omelette, I'm not much of an omelette girl and I was way too focused on my Eggs Royale to pay much attention to it. 

I found my husband's second course, fish & chips, far more charming. Truly some of the best fish & chips I have encountered; it was light and flaky and avoided the greasiness that plagues so many plates of fish & chips.

Luckily for my husband, my second course was also a show-stopper. It featured a beautiful piece of pork belly that had been cooked by sous vide, then the skin was wonderfully crisped. Absolutely heavenly.

We decided to order just a single third course, so we opted for the scone with clotted cream. It's hard to go wrong with clotted cream, and we made short work of this beautiful dish.

We were very impressed with our first meal at Prelog's; before it was over, I was excitedly texting friends, telling them we needed to come back together. I'm very much looking forward to experiencing their lunch and dinner service, not to mention their Sunday brunch buffet, which sounds equal parts dangerous and legendary. Big thanks to the very gracious Chef Flo and his team for a wonderful meal - we can't wait to see you again!

Prelog's

360 Nueces Street

Austin, TX 78701

(512) 350-2895

Their Website

Read more...

Eating Our Way Through the Minnesota State Fair

Every year, around 1.8 million people visit the Minnesota State Fair. This year, we added to this figure; technically just four of us, but as you will see below, we ate enough for many more. Here is a tour of our several-hour smorgasbord.

Pre-Gluttony Photo Op

Stop #1: Famous Dave's.

Our first food stop was at Famous Dave's. I would not have voted for a barbecue joint since we have so many great ones in Texas, but my husband wanted to stop here and it was right near the entrance - so stop we did. We had originally planned to try the Buffalo'd Bones, which was one of the new State Fair foods for 2015, but there was an ordering mishap and we ended up with both regular ribs and Buffalo'd Bones. I much preferred the Buffalo'd Bones, which were less saucy, more manageably-sized, and tasted interestingly buffalo-wing-esque, but my husband loved the regular ribs, so they did not go to waste.

Famous Dave's Ribs

Famous Dave's Buffalo'd Bones

Stop #2: Fried Olives.

My poor sister-in-law does not eat pork and waited very patiently while we ate our ribs, so it was clear that the next stop needed to be for her. These fried olives had been a favorite of hers in previous years - stuffed with cream cheese, fried, and stuck on a stick - because it's the State Fair, and that's what you do. They were very tasty.

Stop #3: Big Fat Bacon.

I'm realizing as I write this how incredibly mean we were to my sister-in-law, who had just a protein shake for lunch. Our next stop involved bacon. Big Fat Bacon, to be exact. A quarter pound of thick, meaty bacon which is par-baked, grilled, and maple-glazed, then sprinkled with a seven-pepper and sea salt blend and, like everything else, skewered on a stick. One of my favorite bites of the day - this bacon was some seriously good eatin'.

Where the Big Fat Bacon magic happens.

Stop #4: Cheese Curds.

Cheese curds, both fried and plain, are in plentiful supply at the Minnesota State Fair. My sister-in-law's favorites are at The Big Cheese. I posted this photo on Instagram, and somebody asked me what fried cheese curds taste like. The best response I could come up with is that they are salty, ever-so-slightly squeaky on the teeth, and sort of like string cheese only much better. When they are deep fried, the slight rubberiness that I associate with cheese curds nearly disappears, and they become more melty and delicious.

Currrrrrrrrds!

Stop #5: Totchos.

Totchos were another "new for 2015" food item at the Minnesota State Fair. Totchos are basically nachos made with flattened tater tots rather than tortilla chips. We got the chicken version - which also included bacon, cheddar cheese sauce (read: Velveeta), sour cream, and green onions. I liked these quite a bit, mostly because the tots were very crispy and played very nicely with the sour cream and green onions. I think others in our group were less enamored with them. More for me.

Totchos

Stop #6: Veggie Samosas.

We actually ventured to this booth hoping to try either the butter chicken samosas or the tikka on a stikka, but they were out of both, so we tried the veggie samosas. They were surprisingly good, chock full of fresh-tasting peas and corn and nicely spiced. It didn't seem much like State Fair food, but I liked them, nonetheless.

Veggie Samosas

Stop #7: Honey Lemon Sorbet & Honey Sunflower Seed Ice Cream.

In the Agriculture Building, there is a sweet display of all things honey, including several plexiglass-enclosed hives with live bees hard at work. The ice cream stand right outside the building serves up honey lemon sorbet and honey sunflower seed ice cream, both of which we tried. The honey lemon sorbet (not pictured) was quite tart, but I liked it better because the flavor of high quality honey really shone through. The ice cream was interesting, too, but the honey was a bit lost in the shuffle.

Honey Sunflower Seed Ice Cream

Stop #7: Tom Thumb Donuts.

My dear friend Kimberly, who also grew up in Minnesota, told me in no uncertain terms that I had to try some Tom Thumb Donuts. She was right; they were one of my two favorite things at the State Fair this year (the other being the Big Fat Bacon). Fresh and piping hot out of the fryer, dunked in a pile of cinnamon sugar, and presented in the cutest, vintage-y bag. Surprisingly light and pillowy, like donut-flavored cotton candy.

Time to make the donuts...

Tom Thumb Donuts

Stop #8: 1919 Root Beer.

My husband has been known to wax poetic about a root beer he grew up drinking in Galveston, Texas, called XXX Root Beer. We had read that Andrew Zimmern is a fan of 1919 Root Beer, so we thought we'd give it a taste. It was wonderful stuff - and would have been even more wonderful if we'd had room to make it into a float. It got my husband's enthusiastic stamp of approval.

Stop #9: Corn on the Cob.

If you need a momentary break from the onslaught of fried and sugary foods at the Fair, the roasted corn on the cob is the perfect detour. Crisp, sweet, and buttery. Can't go wrong.

Stop #10: Sweet Martha's.

Everybody - and I mean everybody seems to stop at Sweet Martha's for an obscenely huge heap of hot chocolate chip cookies. There are two sizes of cones and a bucket option, and whichever you choose will be piled so high you will be worried about spilling them everywhere. These were a smidge sweeter than I like my cookies, but I'd be willing to bet that few other fair-goers have this complaint.

Sweet Martha's Cookies. 

I knew I had to take this photo before taking possession of this precariously-stacked cone.

Between Eating:

There are a lot of things to do at the Minnesota State Fair that have nothing to do with eating. However, as you can probably imagine from the grueling eat-inerary above, we did precious few of them. Two that do deserve mention are the Miracle of Birth Center, where you can actually watch farm animals giving birth and see all manner of adorable baby animals; and the Dairy Building, where you can marvel over amazing busts carved out of 90-pound blocks of butter to commemorate the Fair's dairy princesses. The lucky princesses get to take their busts home with them after the Fair ends. Princess Pound Cake, anyone?

Buttery Likeness of Princess Kay of the Milky Way

From the cheese curds to the butter busts to the breezy summer evening, our visit to the State Fair felt like a quintessentially Minnesota experience. I'm hoping that we can make it into an annual tradition.

Read more...

Dim Sum at Chinatown

If you haven't tried dim sum before, you really should. At a traditional dim sum restaurant, servers go from table to table pushing carts stacked with baskets or bowls of different individually-sized items, like dumplings. It's so fun to browse the carts, pointing out whatever suits your fancy, then getting instant gratification as the server places whatever you've chosen on your table and marks your ticket with the price.

I recently learned that Chinatown Restaurant had procured a new dim sum chef from San Francisco. Austin is sorely lacking in great dim sum spots, so we hurried right over to check it out.

We weren't disappointed. Their dim sum has become legit. The dumplings we tried were excellent, and were offered in a wide variety of fillings and preparations (both steamed and fried). In addition to the dumplings, we sampled tasty lo mai gai (sticky rice mixed with various savory fillings and wrapped in lotus leaves), wonderfully tender curried squid, vibrant green water spinach, exceptionally long rice noodle rolls, flavorful Peking duck buns, perfect sesame balls, and delightfully eggy dan ta (custard tarts). I was with some folks who did not grow up eating dim sum, and there were some less traditional offerings that pleased them, too, like bacon-wrapped shrimp and slices of eggplant with some sort of shrimp mixture sandwiched between them. It was a veritable smorgasbord of Chinese and Chinese-inspired snacky bits, and we left sated and happy.

Do you have a favorite spot in Austin for dim sum? If so, please share your dim sum secrets in the comments!

Chinatown

(Three locations - dim sum at the Westlake and North locations only, from 11a-2:30p Sat & Sun)

Westlake:

2712 Bee Caves Road, Ste 124

Austin, TX 78746

(512) 328-6588

North:

3407 Greystone Drive

Austin, TX 78731

(512) 343-9307

Read more...

Getting Peached at the Peached Tortilla Brick & Mortar

I've been a big fan of the Peached Tortilla and its owner, Eric Silverstein, ever since the Peached truck rolled into Austin five years ago. So much of Eric's story and his food resonates with me; for me, the flavors at Peached are both deeply comforting and also new and exciting. And now that Eric has gone brick & mortar within walking distance of my house, I find myself "getting Peached" on a much more regular basis. If I were ever able to tackle the daunting task of naming my favorite restaurants in Austin, I feel sure that Peached Tortilla would make my short list.

The Dish I Always Order there is the Lush Pork Belly Bowl ($13). "Lush" is such an appropriate word for this meal, which satisfies at the deepest level - wonderfully unctuous pork belly and rich, runny, 45-minute egg are balanced by the best kim chi in town (made in-house and delightfully stinky) and pickled daikon & carrots, all served over a lovely bed of rice.

There's also a Blistered Catfish Bowl ($12), which pairs unagi-style catfish with that egg atop Japanese pickles and charred wasabi napa, but...I always get the pork belly version.

Every once in a while (but not often), I feel like trying something a little different. On my last visit, I was craving fried finger food and ordered up their Kimchi Arancini Balls ($7). This is such a wonderful example of taking the best parts of different cuisines and melding them together into something altogether new - the cheesy, Sicilian arancini I've had in the past have nothing on this spicy kim chi version served with wasabi & sriracha aioli.

I further sated my fried finger food craving with an order of Peached's Crispy Umami Chicken Wings ($9). The complex mix of flavors on these meld together just right, yielding perfectly piquant results. However, if you're on a first date, you might want to wait until next time to order these; they are really best eaten caveman-style, out of view from polite company.

On my most recent visit, Eric generously treated me to an order of the Hangar Steak Ssam ($19). The steak is prepared in a sous vide machine, so it is very tender and full of beefy flavor. The steak is served with kim chi, lettuce, rice, and one of my favorite condiments, gochujang, so you can assemble little lettuce wraps. A part of me wanted to skip the healthy lettuce and just eat the steak, kim chi, and gochujang over rice, making this into a steak version of the pork belly bowl I love so much, but I was good this time and ate it with the lettuce.* No promises about next time, though!

I don't have any decent photos of cocktails from Peached, but let me assure you that their bar is top notch. Bar manager Kevin Kok and his team not only have a deft hand at drink-mixing, but they're the kind of bar staff that makes every person at the bar feel like a cherished regular. Last time I was there, I sat alone at the bar, trying to shake off a particularly trying day, and by the time I left, my mood had lifted considerably. Great folks.

Best of all? Considering the high quality ingredients and the obvious care and thought that goes into preparing this food, the price point at Peached is more than reasonable. The entrées top out at $19, with most items being in the $9-$14 range. I not infrequently pay more for meals I enjoy much less, whereas I always leave Peached feeling fulfilled in a sense that means more than just "no longer hungry." Go get Peached yourself and you'll see what I mean.

Peached Tortilla

5520 Burnet Rd, Ste 100

Austin, TX 78756

(512) 330-4439

*Yes, I do realize how pathetic it is that I referred to a few leaves of lettuce as the "healthy" part of my meal. Apologies to my cardiologist.

Read more...

Discovering Soto

Back in 2010, I went to a wine dinner at Uchiko that was so wonderful that by the end of the year, I was still sufficiently moved by it to declare it my favorite meal of the year. In 2011, I had another such meal at Uchi. Since then, I've been lucky enough to enjoy countless fantastic meals, but none have gone out of their way to suggest that they might qualify for "best meal of the year" status.

Until now.

Soto, a Japanese restaurant in Cedar Park, has been open for two years, now, and has developed a loyal following amongst the Yelp crowd. I'd heard about it multiple times from various friends, but somehow I had never made it up there. So I was really glad when the King of Yelp himself and a Soto regular, Errol M., suggested that we grab lunch there one Saturday afternoon. I envisioned a nice little sushi lunch, perhaps a one-plate sushi combo, or maybe a bento box. We arrived, chose seats at the sushi bar, and Errol said to the owner, Chef Andy: "This is Michelle's first visit. Surprise us." And that's when the doors blew off the place.

The courses started arriving. And they didn't stop. Plate after plate of unique and stunningly beautiful food kept appearing in front of us. And somehow, I kept consuming every bite, gasping and clapping my hands together and "oh my god"-ing and all the while kicking myself for not having made it to Soto sooner.

We started with something that Chef Andy called "white salmon truffle" - delicate slices of white salmon topped with truffle, the most wonderfully crispy fried scallions and shallots, soy sauce, and a bit of truffle oil. The texture and flavor combinations this dish presented were a true delight; Chef Andy expertly balanced the light fish with the ethereal onions and the heavier truffle flavors, taking care to ensure that the truffle sang without overwhelming the dish.

White Salmon Truffle, $25

Our next dish was called a ceviche, though it played more like the lightest sashimi salad than a true ceviche, which in my experience is usually much more acidic than this dish was. This ceviche paired impossibly crisp cucumbers with ripe tomato, fresh orange slices, thin slices of jalapeno (or was it serrano?), crab (the real thing, not that ridiculous fake crab nonsense), and fresh slices of raw fish, all tossed in just the right amount of whisper-light vinaigrette. It was a perfect example of how using the freshest, most high quality ingredients can transform a dish into something truly special. It was as if Chef Andy had somehow captured a spring day on the coast and presented it on a plate.

Ceviche, $21

Much pomp and circumstance accompanied the flaming salmon, a dish that for good reason Yelpers and Instagrammers alike love to photograph. Thin slices of raw salmon are seasoned and draped over a horizontal stick of lemongrass under which lies a dish of flaming rum-drenched coffee beans. You can choose to leave it rare or let it cook a little longer if you prefer; either way, the salmon, by virtue of being so thinly sliced and well-seasoned, is succulent and delicious.

Flaming Salmon

Chef Andy was determined to keep it interesting, and sent out a couple of pieces of nigiri next. Shima-aji, or striped jack, was topped with a little uni, microgreens, shiso, and gold leaf. Chef Andy does not miss an opportunity for show.

Shima-Aji with Uni

Errol wanted me to experience the Kawasaki lunch, so he ordered one for us to share. Various cuts of gorgeous fish prepared in several different ways were presented on a really cool platter - the white dishes had square feet that fit into the wood piece underneath. Ingenious! One of the dishes that came with the combo was a little ramekin of risotto. I was a little confused by getting a dish of risotto at a Japanese place, until I tasted it...and nearly fell off my chair. It was, hands-down, the best risotto I have ever tasted - creamy, rich, and earthy in a way that I felt from the back of my tongue to the tips of my toes. It was positively stunning.

Kawasaki Lunch, $17

A couple of oysters arrived next, served on an LED-illuminated bed of shaved ice that harkened me back to the days when I used to sling black lights at Spencer's Gifts.

Kumamoto Oysters

Next I was introduced to my first taste of geoduck. The clam nigiri I've had in the past has typically been a little on the chewy side, but this was tender and mild. A little ikura lent the bite a bit of brinyness.

Geoduck

Errol must have mentioned to Chef Andy how much I love monkfish liver, because two gorgeous pieces of it arrived next, nestled in a cut crystal bowl.

Monkfish Liver

All of my favorites made it to the menu. Chef Andy insisted we try his new foie gras preparation next - with a bit of white chocolate shaved on top and a glass of 20-year tawny port. I had given up on restraint about four courses back, so there was no point in resisting.

Foie Gras with Chocolate

Thinking that our meal was surely over by this point, I rose and gave Chef Andy a standing ovation. He very graciously nodded and thanked us for coming to experience his food. And then our very sweet server, Tommy arrived...with dessert. What? You've got to be kidding me!

This is their green tea tiramisu. It was divine. You take a scoop and then dip it into the pool of green tea under the glass.

Green Tea Tiramisu

And these are their yuzu balls. A casing of something they call "white chocolate butter" (if you can imagine what white chocolate butter might taste like, you've got the flavor of this pegged) surrounds a liquid burst of refreshing yuzu juice. I think the tart yuzu juice is supposed to trick you into thinking that you didn't just eat something called white chocolate butter.

Yuzu Balls

This was a meal I won't soon forget; the flavors, presentation, and service were all absolutely top notch. If you want an experience comparable to Uchi/Uchiko but don't feel like hassling with the crowds, the din, and the hipsters, I'd suggest that you get in your car, drive up to Cedar Park, grab yourself a seat at the sushi counter in front of Chef Andy, and hand over the reins. It won't be the cheapest meal you have all year, but it very well could be the best.

Here's what Chef Andy looks like so you can find him when you go!

[Full disclosure: Chef Andy comped the flaming salmon and the two desserts for us. However, we paid for the remainder of the meal as well as my husband's meal, which is not shown because I was too busy swooning over my food to bother taking photos of his.]

Soto
11066 Pecan Park Blvd., Ste 402
Cedar Park, Texas 78613
(512) 257-0788

Read more...

Shake Shack Opens Today in Austin!

Austin fans of the Shake Shack, rejoice! Austin's first Shake Shack opens today at Lamar Union. I got to attend a preview party at the new location to sample some of their offerings. Here are a few of the delicious treats we tasted:

The Smoke Shack, a cheeseburger topped with griddled Kreuz Market jalapeno cheese sausage, ShackSauce, and pickles. I really love that they incorporated some local products into their Austin offerings, and thought the spicy sausage was a surprisingly nice complement to the cheeseburger. The super thick-cut pickles added a hearty crunch and kept the burger from being overwhelmingly meaty.

Crinkle-cut fries are usually too mealy and soft for me, but these Yukons were super crispy on the outside and very potato-y on the inside. The experience was almost tater tot-like - and who doesn't like tater tots?!? 

Apologies to Shake Shack for comparing their products to the competition, but I know most people will relate when I say that the Uchi-Koncrete is about the texture of a DQ Blizzard. Made in collaboration with the folks at local favorites Uchi/Uchiko, this dish combined vanilla custard, chunks of Uchi & Uchiko miso hazelnut blondie, and huckleberry jam. So sweet and impossibly creamy that I would have been hard pressed to eat more than the little cup they gave me...but I did eat every bite of that little cup! I saw on the menu that 5% of sales from the Uchi-Koncrete support Austin Pets Alive, which is another great excuse to indulge.

The decor at the Austin Shake Shack puts all other fast food burger joints to shame. Cool bubble lights are mixed with interesting bubble planters, with a backdrop of a huge living wall.

I am very much looking forward to checking out some of their other menu items, especially their version of a Chicago dog. Welcome to Austin, Shake Shack!

Shake Shack
1100 South Lamar Blvd, Ste 2100
Austin, TX 78704
512-717-0430
Their website

Read more...