Austin TX - Austin Food Scene

In Praise Of Tacos: Taco Zine Release Party At Tamale House East

Wed, 22 May 2013 13:53:00 -0700

Will Austin's Taco Zine set the stage for the comeback of the zine form? Back in the 90s everybody had a zine. There were fried chicken zines, rollerderby zines, satanism zines, dockhand zines, kickboxing zines...you name it. If you had access to a Kinkos and a little creativity you probably had a zine. Hey Hey Buffet and Twistworthy were two of our favorite Austin zines from days of yore. Zines were the forebears to the blogs of today. Now Austin has a brand new entrant in the faded category: Taco Zine. Print media. Quaint? We're withholding judgement til we can get our hands on one.

Best Breakfast Taco In Austin. Thrillist: Tamale House East,Taco Joint, Mi Madre's,Juan In A Million

Fri, 17 May 2013 11:26:00 -0700

Thrillist is hosting an Austin, Texas breakfast taco battle on their website. The combatants: Tamale House East, Taco Joint, Mi Madre's and Juan In A Million.

Austin Texas Pop Up Restaurants: Peruvian Food Party Sat May 18th 2013 At Tamale House East

Thu, 16 May 2013 11:15:00 -0700

Austin, Texas and Lima Peru are officially sister cities. There must be a whale of a Peruvian diaspora in Austin, as the turnout for Tamale House East's 1st Peruvian pop up food party back in January was enormous. A good 200 people crowded into the restaurant to decimate the cuisine trotted out by the Peruvian chefs who had commandeered the kitchen for the night.

Origins Of The American Hamburger Part 2: Hamburger Charlie Nagreen (1885)

Mon, 13 May 2013 10:13:00 -0700

We're paying homage to the origins of the American hamburger at our next pop up restaurant (number 11) as we prepare spot-on copies of the four best claimants to being the inventor of the archetype. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Charlie Nagreen was only 15 years old when he invented the hamburger. And he did so from an ox-drawn food cart in Seymour, Wisconsin. It's 1885, and Nagreen is hard at work selling meatballs at the Outagamie County Fair. Trouble is, a lot of folks don't like the inconvenience of walking and eating the cumbersome food stuffs, so Nagreen's business is suffering.

Field Report: Smiling Tiger Restaurant Pop Up #10: Farm To Turntable

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 12:21:00 -0700

East Austin's longest running pop up restaurant series put another one in the books Saturday night at Tamale House East. Our normal Scrumptious Chef events are wild and wooly affairs, but when we put the Smiling Tiger designation on one of our food fetes, things can get out of hand quickly.

Smiling Tiger Restaurant Pop Up #10: Farm To Turntable

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 11:29:00 -0700

Here's the menu. Hope y'all can make it out. If carrying cash on your person's not your thing we're taking cc through Eventbrite til the day of the affair. John Wesley Coleman and Eric Static will be spinning plenty Willie, Waylon and Doug, along with dozens of other pure Texas bands, on 2 turntables, and as always, we'll have a keg of Texas craft beer; Independence Pale Ale in this instance. Miss the brews from Lovejoy's Taproom? Todd Henry, their brewmaster, is all over the wort down at Independence these days. the menu:

East Austin Salsa Shootout! Sat April 13th. Winner Gets Dinner For Two At Four Seasons

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 22:18:00 -0700

When we put the Smiling Tiger designation on one of our pop up restaurant events, it means it's going to a little more over the top than our normal bacchanals. The keg will be a little colder, the sous vides will see a little heavier action, there will be live djs spinning fat slabs of Texas vinyl, and there will be a shootout.

Austin Texas: Trader Joe's Preparing To Open In Former Sak's 5th Avenue

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 13:02:00 -0700

Gary Dinges, over on the Statesman site is reporting that Trader Joe's, the controversial small box grocery from Pasadena California is going to be taking over the space vacated by Sak's 5th Avenue in Northwest Austin.

Smiling Tiger Restaurant Pop Up #10: Meet Our Purveyors Part 8: Peeler Farms

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 23:11:00 -0700

Marianna Peeler is running a tight ship down in Floresville, Texas. When we began ruminating on what the backbone of our latest pop up restaurant would be we didn't have to think for long.

Smiling Tiger Restaurant Pop Up #10: Meet Our Purveyors Part 7:John Wesley Coleman III + Eric Static

Sat, 06 Apr 2013 10:42:00 -0700

Afrika Bambaataa was busy so we had to think fast. We got word to Eric Static that we needed a dj for the Smiling Tiger pop up restaurant we booked at Tamale House East, and he came through in a big way. John Wesley Coleman will be spinning pure Texas vinyl along with Eric Static at the biggest Spring feast East Austin has ever seen. If eating big plates of chow whilst listening to Doug Sahm, Ernest Tubb and Willie Nelson is amenable to you then come on out. Here's a bio of the men who will be manning the turntables on Saturday April 13th at 7pm:

Smiling Tiger Restaurant Pop Up #10: Meet Our Purveyors Part 6: Anderle Family Farm

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 11:17:00 -0700

Nationally respected farmers Judy and Kenneth Anderle down in Mt. Olive Texas are known to put out the finest molasses in USA. We became aware of their 114 acre operation from Foodways Texas (Marvin Bendele,) and the documentary "Good, Better, Best" via the lens of young filmmaker Keeley Steenson. It's a tour de force. It takes 4 months of hard work to get a crop of sorghum turned into molasses, but it's a task that the Anderles gladly accept to keep this important tradition alive.

Brand New Austin Texas Pop Up Restaurant Ronin Cooking Set To Debut At Tamale House East

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 10:29:00 -0700

Austin Texas pop up restaurants are starting to flower. Ronin Cooking's chef Brian Light, a former understudy to Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto, is taking over the kitchen at Tamale House East this Saturday March 23rd 2013 for a one night only food party. Theme is Foods of Southeast Asia. Information is scant but we did manage to locate the menu which reads like an umami-based assault on the senses. The concern's website and Facebook uses the ancient method of jpeg display so we'll mention the highlights with Tamarind crab, Vietnamese crepes and Avocado ice cream being the most appealing. Reserve a seat as the last few pop ups at Tamale House East have been jammed, wall to wall with late comers routinely being left to scrap, Lord of the Flies-style for stray tamales and the occasional totopo vacuumed up out of a dusty corner. http://www.eateast.eventbrite.com/

Field Report: Scrumptious Chef Pop Up Restaurant Number 9: Big Beef Bonanza

Sun, 03 Mar 2013 11:51:00 -0700

Warts and all. When we document our own events we believe it to be of the utmost importance to provide an honest accounting of the affair. Even if it hurts. We had a disastrous beginning to Scrumptious Chef's Big Beef Bonanza and this is what must be addressed right off the bat. But first a little background.

Scrumptious Chef Restaurant Pop Up #9: Big Beef Bonanza At Tamale House East Saturday March 2nd

Wed, 27 Feb 2013 13:50:00 -0700

Here's the menu. Hope y'all can come out celebrate Texas Independence Day with us. We'll have plenty Texas beef and ice cold Live Oak draft beer. Scrumptious Chef Pop Up Restaurant #9

Scrumptious Chef Restaurant Pop Up #9: Meet Our Purveyors Part 5: HeartBrand Beef

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 20:37:00 -0700

Judo, Mazda, Fuji and Rueshaw; Four Japanese Wagyu bulls that made the long trip from Japan to USA on March 31, 1976. Folklore has it that these super specimens were discovered gone-missing and the Japanese government scrambled fighter jets to intercept the plane the creatures were on. Wagyu cows and bulls are regarded as national treasures in Japan.

Austin Texas Guide To Pop Up Restaurants Part 5: Tamale House East And Franklin Barbecue

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 13:43:00 -0700

Lots more pop up restaurants to report on in Austin Texas as the concept/trend appears to be taking hold nicely. This Saturday Feb 23rd 2013 Tamale House East & Tapas Bravas Present: Night in Valencia, a Paella Pop Up event. There will be massive piles of scratch cooked paella, buckets of gazpacho, stuffed chiles and tons of other Spanish small plate-style foods. Grab a ticket as they are nearing a sell-out http://www.eventbrite.com/event/5513723696/es2 Sunday Feb 24th 2013 Franklin Barbecue will be hosting L'oca D'oro, a rock n roll themed one off supper party featuring music from the Stooges http://www.locadoroaustin.com/ and Sat March 2nd 2013 The Scrumptious Chef cooking team will be taking over the Tamale House East kitchen for our Big Beef Bonanza food party. We'll be getting in tons of Akaushi Japanese Wagyu beef for this, our 9th pop up since last July. We're still hammering out the menu but will be offering plenty Texas via Japan beef as well as local produce from Johnson's Backyard Garden, Easy Tiger bread and an ice cold keg of beer. Hope y'all can make it out and as always our menu will be a la carte with prices starting at 5 bucks. Jeffrey's alumnus Chris Chism will be popping up at Donn's Depot during the heart of SXSW: March 13th-14th. 5 Course prix-fixe menu with plenty goat, duck and rabbit reservations@halfcircleeleven.com. you know if he came out of the Jeffrey's kitchen he can cook, check him out and report back please

Austinist Article On Scrumptious Chef Pop Up Restaurant Series

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 14:41:00 -0700

We've been running our Scrumptious Chef pop up restaurant series under the radar, for the most part, since July of 2012. We've had a couple mentions here and there but have mainly existed to feed the hard core eaters that constantly hunt for the most obscure, intensely delicious foods. Not anymore. Austinist published http://austinist.com/2013/02/13/food_scrumptious_chef_pops_up_at_ta.php this feature this morning and now we're adding chefs and trying to figure out how we're going to feed everybody. Next event: Big Beef Bonanza featuring the Akaushi Wagyu Japanese breed strain stay tuned for more details

Bon Appetit: 21 Most Important Restaurants In USA: Uchi, Uchiko And Franklin Barbecue

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 12:24:00 -0700

Bon Appetit loves Franklin Barbecue. Way back in 2011 writer Andrew Knowlton ignited the world of US barbecue claiming that Franklin was "the best." The firestorm was predictable as defenders of the old lions of Taylor, Texas and Lockhart, Texas sprang to the defense of the old timey legends of the world of smoked meat.

Field Report: Scrumptious Chef Pop Up Restaurant 8: Farm To Table Heritage Pork Party

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 01:14:00 -0700

Truth be told, Scrumptious Chef Pop Up Restaurant #8 is all a bit of a haze. After four 12 hour shifts in the commissary followed by a 3am - 10pm shift cooking and hustling out food to over 200 people; memories are hard to come by. We've stepped up our game considerably now that we've begun to find our kitchen rhythm.

Austin Food Blogger Alliance Cookbook

Fri, 08 Feb 2013 12:06:00 -0700

Don't cross 'em. The wiry gang over at the Austin Food Blogger Alliance play hard ball, and now they're getting in the cookbook business. We can only imagine the smoke-filled backroom where the negotiations with their publisher took place. Ringleader Addie Broyles chomping on a giant cigar "here's how it's gonna play out-see"-sounding just like a young Edward G Robinson. Publishing execs cowering, wondering at life choices they'd made that led them to this juncture. We recommend you buy several of these books. And if you run into an alliance member just look at the ground and keep right on walking. It'll keep you safe. http://austinfoodbloggers.org/2013/01/austin-food-blogger-alliance-cookbook-release-date-pre-sales-campaign/

Johnson's Backyard Garden

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 13:39:00 -0700

Field Report: Habesha Restaurant And Bar (Ethiopian Cuisine In Austin Texas)

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 11:17:00 -0700

One easy, easy way to set your restaurant apart in the crowded field of Austin food is to provide good service. It's a rarity, and always has been. There are too many nuclear engineers in town who've been thrown to the wolves of waiting tables for it to ever get better. That waitress with a sneer on her face? She has an undergrad degree from UT and would rather be anywhere else in this world than where she is; hustling out pancakes to a packed house at Magnolia Cafe.

Austin Daily Photo: Scrumptious Chef Pop Up Restaurant #8: Farm To Table Heritage Pork Food Party

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 00:13:00 -0700

Here's the menu and the event poster. Hope y'all can make it out: Bacon Steak (cured heritage pork belly, confit w/duck fat) pork demi glace, chicharron gremolata (hog dust,parsley, garlic,lemon zest) sweet potato mash w/Vermont maple, brussels sprouts w/caramelized Texas sweet onion, Easy Tiger bread

Free Beer! Party At Buzz Mill Coffee And Blue Ox Barbecue In Southeast Austin Texas

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 11:46:00 -0700

An idea whose time has come. Buzz Mill Coffee and Blue Ox Barbecue are throwing a party tomorrow: Thursday Feb 7th 2013, and they're giving away free beer to go with pit boss Chase Palmer's smoked meat-hot off the pit that used to call Franklin BBQ home. The barbecue ain't free but the beer is. 5-9pm Alaskan Amber beer. 2k people read our article on Chase Palmer http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2013/1/25/Field-Report-Blue-Ox-Barbecue-In-Southeast-Austin-Texas?adminview=true

Scrumptious Chef Restaurant Pop Up #8: Meet Our Purveyors Part 3: Eden's Cove Farm

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 15:12:00 -0700

We spent a wonderful afternoon touring the verdant grounds of one of Texas' prime heritage breed pork farms a couple weeks ago. Eden's Cove Farm specializes in the ancient British hog strain "Large Black"; this breed is famous for its bacon. The bellies that come off the pig are prized for their excellence. No less a luminary than Winston Churchill raised these pigs. The great man loved bacon and needed a daily rasher so he could attend to the affairs of the state. The Large Black pork belly fueled him in his pursuits.

New Bull In The Pen. Salt And Time Ushers In New Meat Culture Appreciation Era In East Austin

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 00:50:00 -0700

Salt and Time Butchershop and Salumeria is doing business the right way. Ancient curing methods are being honored; old school meat-aging techniques are being employed, and a reverence for tradition permeates their spanking-new East 7th street meat house. Sunday afternoon, owner Ben Runkle peeled himself away from the crowds herded into the shop, for a few minutes to discuss his new business. Our talk ranged broadly as a steady line of people moved through the salumeria, eager to mow down on thick steaks, big bottles of Jester King beer and cases packed with both fresh, and salt-cured meats.

Raymond Tatum's 3 Little Pigs Anniversary Party! Get Down At East End Wines With Austin's Top Chef

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 13:44:00 -0700

We were first in line. When word got around town back in Winter of 2011, that former Jeffrey's chef Ray Tatum was back in the game, and about to open his own pig-based food truck, we started foaming at the mouth at the chance to sit down once again at the table of the legend. Game changer.

Austin Guide To Pop Up Restaurants 5:Longhouse Revival,L’oca D’oro Via Franklin BBQ,Scrumptiouschef

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 17:41:00 -0700

Austin Texas pop up restaurants are starting to catch on. We can't attest to how the Swoop House events went this past weekend, but 150 Peruvian food lovers packed the Tamale House East for their inaugural, in-house, pop up restaurant affair. Long lines formed at the venue before the staff could even get the doors open, then a rush of people barreled up to the counter once the gates swung open. It was a wild scene. It's looking like this whole pop up restaurant trend that's been firmly entrenched in New Orleans, San Francisco and other urbane cities might just catch hold in Austin too.

Austin Texas Guide To Pop Up Restaurants And Cafes Part 4: Swoop House, Tamale House East

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 23:40:00 -0700

UPDATE TUE JAN 29TH 2013: On Sat Feb 9th, The Scrumptious Chef crew, which has swollen to 6 chefs for this event, will be back at the Tamale House East presenting a Heritage Pork-based menu featuring the British Hog breed; Large Black via Eden's Cove Farm, Cedar Creek Texas. We run our pop ups a little different as we always offer our food a la carte. $5-25 dollars. Beer/wine. Details http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/contact.cfm ---------------------------------------------------------------- A year from now this series will probably be a weekly installment with accounts of a dozen or so pop ups for the coming weekend. But til we usher in that halcyon era we'll content ourselves with the 2 that are currently on the books for January 2013.

Tell Scrumptious Chef What's On Your Mind

Mon, 21 Jan 2013 11:58:00 -0700

We love hearing from y'all. Tell us what's happening. Openings. Closings... Breathless reports from that new barbacoa food truck that only you know about...that sweet draft beer wall that you've been suckling at the teat of...the hot guts parlor where they're really pouring on the cayenne. We're always curious about what's happening in your corner of Central Texas. http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/contact.cfm and a huge thank you to our readership. We're putting up about 90 articles every 30 days right now and the reception is insane. We've quadrupled our daily views over the last 3 months.

Field Report: Scrumptious Chef Pop Up Restaurant 7: The Wild Foods Of Texas

Sun, 13 Jan 2013 21:40:00 -0700

Sold out in 2.5 hours. Apparently Austin, Texas is hungry as Hell for wild boar hog, antelope and alligator. We're still experimenting. Refining the pop up restaurant experience for our guests. One thing we've really wanted to do since our very first pop up in summer of 2012 was to improve the quality of our sourcing. Yes, everybody has basically freaked out over how good the chow is but we're always looking for an edge. To accomplish this we've begun sourcing from high dollar vendors like Broken Arrow Ranch. There's a reason exotic game meats are hard to find on Austin menus. They're bloody expensive as Hell. We don't come close to matching industry pricing margins or nobody would come to our events except fat cats who pull down a hundred K+.

Scrumptious Chef And Tamale House East Present: Wild Foods Of Texas Restaurant Pop Up 7

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 12:25:00 -0700

after the party...the field report http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2013/1/13/Field-Report-Scrumptious-Chef-Pop-Up-Restaurant-7-The-Wild-Foods-Of-Texas -------------------------------------------------------------------- This was one of the toughest menus we've ever attempted to develop. There are so many different directions you can take when you're working with wild game meat that we spent a lot of long contemplative moment staring off toward Sonora. After slowly whittling our options down, we finally knocked one out of the park; our best, most completely delicious menu we've ever penned.

Austin Daily Photo: 64lbs Of Wild Game Meat From Broken Arrow Ranch In Ingram Texas

Wed, 09 Jan 2013 12:05:00 -0700

We took delivery yesterday on a mammoth crate filled with wild game meat from Broken Arrow Ranch out in Ingram, Texas. Pictured: All the wild boar hog, antelope and antelope bones we'll need to execute our Wild Foods Of Texas Pop Up Restaurant Jan 12th 2013 at Tamale House East. This is our 7th pop up restaurant event and the first one of 2013. Hope y'all can make it out. Wild Foods Of Texas Scrumptious Chef Pop Up Restaurant Sat Jan 12 2013 6pm Tamale House will be serving Jester King's Das Wunderkind beer to go with the feast. Easy Tiger have been contracted to bake plenty loaves of bread featuring wild yeast. We're in a wrestling match right now over the dessert but will have one figured out prior to the event. Read about Broken Arrow Ranch http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2013/1/3/Scrumptious-Chef-Restaurant-Pop-Up-7-Meet-Our-Purveyors-Part-1-Broken-Arrow-Ranch-Texas-Antelope#more and Jester King Craft Brewery http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2013/1/7/Scrumptious-Chef-Restaurant-Pop-Up-7-Meet-Our-Purveyors-Part-2-Jester-King-Craft-Brewery?adminview=true

Scrumptious Chef Restaurant Pop Up #7: Meet Our Purveyors Part 2: Jester King Craft Brewery

Mon, 07 Jan 2013 18:48:00 -0700

When we began developing the theme of our latest Scrumptious Chef pop up restaurant we bandied about a multitude of ideas before settling on The Wild Foods Of Texas. Once we got Broken Arrow Ranch on board we next turned our gaze toward who would be the best fit for our beer purveyor. Enter the wild beer kings of Texas: Jester King Craft Brewery.

Scrumptious Chef Restaurant Pop Up #7: Meet Our Purveyors Part 1: Broken Arrow Ranch Texas Antelope

Thu, 03 Jan 2013 12:55:00 -0700

Our minds were blown when we ventured down to Swifts Attic way back in 2012 and happened upon a plate of perfectly seared Texas antelope hot out of the kitchen of chefs Matt Clouser and Zack Northcutt. As we're wont to do, we immediately began dreaming of how we could use the purveyor; Broken Arrow Ranch located out in Ingram, Texas. After a series of fits and starts that would try the patience of a saint, we finally got locked and loaded on a pop up restaurant event where we can showcase "The Wild Foods Of Texas" Broken Arrow Ranch contracts with over a hundred Texas ranchers holding over a MILLION acres of prime hunting territory. They only harvest creatures that are genuinely wild, as in free ranging, not held behind fences or captured in pens.

Omnibus: 2012 Year End Reviews Round-Up: Food Trucks,Food Bloggers,Recipes,Salsa,Tamales,Pupusa

Tue, 01 Jan 2013 14:40:00 -0700

We've created an omnibus of all of our 2012 year-end review critiques and analyses. We spend countless hour scouring Austin for the best tacos, pupusas, food trucks and what have you so that at the end of the year we can offer a learned opinion on what the true greats are. We don't care if you've hired a great interior designer and have a chef who's mastered the art of self promotion. We'd just as soon be sitting cross legged on a blacktop curb eating a link of hot guts off a paper towel.

Scrumptious Chef Pop Up Restaurant Number 7: The Wild Foods Of Texas

Sat, 29 Dec 2012 13:35:00 -0700

We're writing the menu for our next pop up restaurant event: The Wild Foods Of Texas. We'll be smoking wild boar hogs and grinding up venison harvested by Broken Arrow Ranch out in Ingram, Texas to make sausage. If you've ever eaten at Swift's Attic, you've probably eaten meat from these purveyors. Broken Arrow, operating under full government inspection, harvest wild boars that are the direct descendants of fearsome Russian Boar Hogs. They also happen to be delicious. After generations spent in Texas this strain of wild animal is only lacking a long slow cook over Post Oak to be put to its rightful use. More details in the next week as we secure the venue, finish writing the menu and get ready to start 2013 off with a bang with the biggest, best pop restaurant we've ever produced. all the details on our Sat Jan 12 2013 Wild Foods Of Texas Pop Up Restaurant At Tamale House East http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2013/1/3/Scrumptious-Chef-Restaurant-Pop-Up-7-Meet-Our-Purveyors-Part-1-Broken-Arrow-Ranch-Texas-Antelope

2012 Year End Review: The Hottest Scrumptious Chef Article Of The Year

Thu, 27 Dec 2012 13:26:00 -0700

Gazing back over our site analytics for 2012, one thing quickly stands out: nobody moves the needle like firebrand pit boss John Mueller. The old barbecue cook from Taylor, Texas was the subject of the hottest story we penned this year (and we wrote over 700 articles in 2012) In a media world where the word "pitmaster" is routinely ascribed to anyone who's ever put a hamburger patty on a Weber grill-Mueller noisily put out barbecue that had local scribe Mike Sutter of Fedman Walking saying "Put the fatty brisket in the next Voyager space probe to show how the Earthlings do brisket in Texas, with the fat in a pearled state of suspension between liquid and solid, held together by a crusted layer of salt and black pepper that crunches like hard beef candy."

2012 Year End Review: Food Trailer Of The Year: Raymond Tatum's 3 Little Pigs

Wed, 26 Dec 2012 15:13:00 -0700

UPDATE 12/27/2012 Three Little Pigs Burglarized! Chef Tatum got cleaned out on Christmas night. Brigands battered the door to the food truck down and stole all his meat and his cash register. There's an especially hot circle in Hell for people who behave this way. We know where we're having supper tonight. Grab some chow from 3 Little Pigs and help a veteran chef rebuild his business y'all. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Forty years in the restaurant kitchens of Austin, Texas is a long time. Raymond Tatum's been on the range since 1972. It shows. After all, it takes a few decades to be able to coalesce all the skills the chef displays at his nose to tail pork truck: Three Little Pigs, which (famously) sits just behind East End Wines in burgeoning East Austin.

2012 Year End Review: Best Tamales In Central Texas

Mon, 24 Dec 2012 17:02:00 -0700

We can't give up our secret source, but our number 2 is so good and so much better than 99% of tamales commercially available in the Austin area we could be put up on charges if we failed to share. MarLira Creations of Coupland, Texas puts out long, fat, machine-extruded tamales packed with pork and genuine chile heat, and we always add bonus points if we buy anything out of the back of a pick-up truck on a wind-swept county road. Which is how we came to find MarLira Creations. On a day trip out of Austin, hammering up 95 north of Elgin, on a hard roll toward Palestine to score a plate of ribs from Shep's Barbecue. The company website http://marlira.com/index.aspx and our original piece on MarLira http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/3/20/Austin-Daily-Photo--Roadtrip-Edition---MarLira-Creations-Saturday-March-19th-2011

One Year Ago Today: A Row Of Briskets On The Smoker Of John Mueller

Mon, 24 Dec 2012 13:24:00 -0700

We're about to crest 2,000 articles on the Scrumptious Chef site. As we near this august moment we're peering backwards in time and looking at favored posts from our 3 year history. Behold, a row of mammoth briskets smouldering over American hardwoods on the smoker of John Mueller, Texan. Legend. Pit boss. http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/12/24/Austin-Daily-Photo-Texas-Barbecue-Legend-John-Mueller-Briskets-On-The-Smoker-In-Bouldin-Creek?adminview=true

2012 Year End Review: The Best Taco Trailer In South Austin Is La Flor

Mon, 24 Dec 2012 09:52:00 -0700

When John T. Edge comes a calling to your food truck, can fame and fortune be far behind? In the case of La Flor the jury appears to still be out. We're nonplussed that Angela and Christian, the potent mother and son team that power this Mexican restaurant on wheels, have yet to string up a banner trumpeting their placement in the paper of record: The New York Times. We go here for pluperfect, made per order tortillas, then we go all in on the desebrada and taco meat. Each rendition stands at the top of the Austin, Texas taco pecking order. Order either salsa; red or green provide good fire and the requisite complexity that defines high skill level in the kitchen. Now that there's a band practice rental space across South First Street from the trailer we've noticed crowds in line that were formerly simply not there. Starving, broke-ass musicians have a knack for finding delicious cheap eats. Have you been to La Flor? Tell us about your favorites.

One Year Ago Today: The Best Goat Tacos From A Food Trailer In Austin Texas

Sun, 23 Dec 2012 15:01:00 -0700

One year ago today we took a look at our favorite source for goat tacos in Travis County, Texas http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/12/23/Austin-Daily-PhotoChivo-Brincado-Chivo-Pagado-The-Goat-Jumped-The-Goat-Paid?adminview=true It's been a lot of fun rolling back through our archives for this series. If Scrumptious Chef was a proper book it would be over 1000 pages long and would contain over 1500 photographs.

2012 Year End Review: Our Biggest Flops: Top 5 Least Viewed Posts Of 2012

Thu, 20 Dec 2012 23:55:00 -0700

When you write a few hundred articles per year there are bound to be some that are met with shrugs, sighs and disinterest. It's the nature of the beast. Not every article is solid gold, no matter how wonderful we thought it was, sometimes y'all could not care less. It hurts.

2012 Year End Review: The Best Salvadoran Restaurant In Austin Is El Zunzal

Wed, 19 Dec 2012 15:46:00 -0700

We have a long and storied history with El Zunzal. It began roughly a decade ago. It was March Madness, which means the UK Wildcats were rampaging through another series of college hoops teams as they made their way, inexorably, to yet another national title. It wasn't on the mammoth television at El Zunzal however. That wrong was quickly righted and we settled in at the little Salvadoran restaurant for a couple hours of pupusa eating, lager drinking and camaraderie with the staff who quickly were hollering out loud for "Azul Grande!"

CitySprout Opens In Austin: Company Provides Resource For Austin Eaters To Connect With Local Food

Wed, 19 Dec 2012 15:25:00 -0700

This is a great idea. CitySprout is a resource portal. Are you interested in eating local eggs, meat, pies, cheese etc? We are. CitySprout offers community-based connections to Austin purveyors of all of the above and more. Here's how it works: Go to their website and join the communities that are located closest to your home.

Scrumptious Chef Wants To Hear From Y'all

Wed, 19 Dec 2012 11:55:00 -0700

http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/contact.cfm Tell us what's on your mind.

2012 Year End Review: The Best Mexican Restaurant In Austin Is El Taco Rico

Tue, 18 Dec 2012 14:19:00 -0700

In anticipation of our sweeping, year-end review of Austin dining we've been revisiting the cream of the crop from years past to affirm or deny their place in the pantheon. El Taco Rico continues to put out the best Mexican platters in town. Yolanda Sanchez Cornejo is still the queen.

X University Texas Footballer Colt McCoy To Take On Mrs Johnson's Donuts With Coffee Action West

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 13:53:00 -0700

We don't like this one damn bit. Former UT Longhorn Colt McCoy has partnered up with Coffee Action West to open 2 dozen Dunkin Donuts outlets in Austin, Texas. Every donut not eaten at Mrs Johnson's when you're standing on Austin soil is a shame-filled one. Mrs Johnson's swung her doors open in 1948 and has been serving Austinites some of the finest donuts in North America, 7 days a week, ever since. Inferior Massachusetts donuts are set to metastasize across our fair city morphing from their present 2 locations to 24 over the coming months. the report http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/blog/retail/2012/12/colt-mccoy-becomes-dunkin-donut.html?ana=twt We're on Twitter https://twitter.com/RLReevesJr

Field Report: Scrumptious Chef Pop Up Restaurant 6 At Tamale House East

Sun, 02 Dec 2012 12:59:00 -0700

Scrumptious Chef Pop Up Restaurant Event Number 6 At Tamale House East:Brisket-Pork Belly And Wine

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 10:21:00 -0700

all the details on our Sat Jan 12 2013 Wild Foods Of Texas Pop Up Restaurant At Tamale House East http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2013/1/3/Scrumptious-Chef-Restaurant-Pop-Up-7-Meet-Our-Purveyors-Part-1-Broken-Arrow-Ranch-Texas-AntelopeFriday November 30th 2012 5pm Number 6 in our pop up restaurant series and our first brick and mortar. When we started this project in the paleo era of July 2012 we weren't sure how it would be received. The people have spoken. We're opening the dining rooms at Tamale House East, or if you prefer there will be patio seating available. Here's the menu: With an enormous kitchen we're able to be slightly more ambitious than usual. Hope y'all can come out. Brisket, Post Oak, Salt, Pepper Crispy Pork belly w/Momofuku Tare . Creamy Polenta,Green Onions Sweet Corn,Green Chiles Russell's Sprouts,Basil,Lemon,Chile Cabbage,Sesame,Umami . Chile Con Queso,Totopos Shrimp Poached In Tomato Broth,Totopos . Hickory Smoked Chicken Posole . Mrs Johnson's Chocolate Bourbon Bread Pudding Banh Mi Kong,Confituras Butter and we brought in the big gun aka Sam Hovland at East End Wines-he wrote the wine list so expect achingly delicious vino at prices that beggar the imagination. We're on Twitter https://twitter.com/RLReevesJr

Austin Daily Photo: Jorge's Restaurant

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 00:29:00 -0700

You'll probably read about Jorge's Restaurant's pending closure in another week or two in the traditional, hide-bound, moss-backed media sources that are wrestling around in the tar pits of Austin journalism as we speak. December 22nd 2012 is the final day of business for one of our favorite enchilada sources in Travis County. Previous coverage including an impromptu obituary and a field report: http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/11/28/RIP-Rest-In-Peace-Jorges-Restaurant Pic: the mural outside the bar described as "filled with people shrieking and laughing in a scene befitting Hubert Selby." We're on Twitter https://twitter.com/RLReevesJr

Party With The Turks! Raindrop Turkish House To Show Austin How To Get Down On Sat Dec 1 2012

Wed, 21 Nov 2012 15:12:00 -0700

Nobody parties like the Turks. I learned this on my first visit to Istanbul, when I sat outside the Blue Mosque at 4 am drinking a cold beer and soaking in the scene. I'd just flown 6,000 miles and had a head full of nervous energy that I wanted to tame down a mite. Half the people outside the mosque were praying, the other half were drinking beer and chatting amongst themselves. I had asked the shopkeep at the nearby quick mart if drinking in public was permitted and he replied yes, and looked at me as though I was crazy.

Fire In East Austin: La Michoacana In Late Night Blaze

Sat, 17 Nov 2012 01:19:00 -0700

One of our agents has been tearing up our message system with word of a fire at La Michoacana in East Austin. Apparently fire trucks are all over the taqueria, grocery store, carniceria-fruteria. We'll roll by there in the morning and assess damage and flesh out this report. After a particularly good chicken tortilla soup recently, we can't comprehend the magnitude of what this market's loss would mean to our community. Let's hope the damage is minimal and we can all get back to our lives pre-fire.

Field Report: Scrumptious Chef Pop Up Restaurant 5: The Foods Of Terlingua Texas

Tue, 13 Nov 2012 15:36:00 -0700

Austin Texas Guide To Pop Up Restaurants And Cafes Part 3

Fri, 09 Nov 2012 13:56:00 -0700

Austin Texas pop up restaurant scene is tiny but growing. The nationwide trend has found steady footing in New Orleans, New York and other cosmopolitan cities but we're still struggling to find an identity for what will surely be a phenomenon one day.

Scrumptious Chef Hits The Big Time: Called Out On Shaggybevo

Thu, 08 Nov 2012 21:45:00 -0700

We love reading local food blogs and Shaggybevo is one of the best. From the past: 1} We wrote a mash note to their GM Steakhouse Board titled "Surveying The Wild and Wooly World of Shaggybevo's GM Steakhouse. An Austin Texas Food Board" "Off the charts. When we were removed from the Austin Chowhound board by a top ranking official at CBS corporation who'd deemed us a threat to the corporation's weal, we immediately began looking across the Austin Texas food media scene to find sustenance. Score.

Celebrate The Foods Of Terlingua Texas: Scrumptious Chef Pop Up 5 Three Little Pigs East End Wines

Thu, 08 Nov 2012 14:50:00 -0700

Scrumptious Chef Pop Up 5:Terlingua Edition Sunday November 11th At Three Little Pigs/East End Wines

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 16:11:00 -0700

Austin Daily Photo: Toni Tipton Martin Of The Jemima Code And Sande Youth Project

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 15:05:00 -0700

Taking a cooking class from Toni Tipton Martin is a journey. Yes, you learn how to cook, but you're also given entree into Martin's vast knowledge of culinary history. She can teach you how to dice an onion, but more importantly she can explain that onion's importance to the world in culinary terms. A little background: Toni Tipton Martin is the founder of the Sande Youth Project. The acronym stands for "Spirit, Attitude, Nutrition, Deeds, and Emotions." This non-profit program teaches healthy living for young people through cooking and education about the importance of nutrition in daily living.

Birth Notice: East End Wines Hits The Big Time! East Austin's Only Winery + Launching Wine Garden

Tue, 06 Nov 2012 13:42:00 -0700

East End Wines just secured their winery license making them the only winery in East Austin. After a monumental struggle with red tape, the little wine store in East Austin can now blend their own wines, make vermouth, falernum and brandy. They're purchasing a still to accomplish these goals. I rolled by this morning to take a look at their brand new patio, situated mere steps away from Three Little Pigs, the nationally acclaimed food trailer. Here's the scoop from Sam Hovland, their wine buyer and sommelier.

Dangerous Alliance: RL Reeves Jr Teams Up With CultureMap Austin

Tue, 30 Oct 2012 11:07:00 -0700

Check it out y'all. http://austin.culturemap.com/newsdetail/10-29-12-21-55-the-best-chicken-tortilla-soup-in-austin/ Best chicken tortilla soup in Austin? Thought you'd never ask. follow me to the end of the earth on Twitter https://twitter.com/RLReevesJr and don't leave Tamale House East out of the fun https://twitter.com/TamaleHouseEast

Field Report: Scrumptious Chef Cajun Pop Up Restaurant At Three Little Pigs In East Austin

Mon, 22 Oct 2012 12:37:00 -0700

As problems go, long lines and worrying about running out of food, are the sort that all restaurateurs dream of. We knew going in that the latest edition of the Scrumptious Chef pop up restaurant series was going to be big due to the heavy traffic the articles breaking down the nature of the event received. We lock and load on a regular basis so it's just another day at the office for our crew.

Scrumptious Chef Pop Up 4. The Foods Of Acadiana Sun Oct 21st At Three Little Pigs East End Wines

Thu, 18 Oct 2012 08:04:00 -0700

Scrumptious Chef Pop Up 4: Cajun Edition. Three Little Pigs/East End Wines Sunday October 21st 11am

Tue, 16 Oct 2012 13:52:00 -0700

all the details on our Sat Jan 12 2013 Wild Foods Of Texas Pop Up Restaurant At Tamale House East http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2013/1/3/Scrumptious-Chef-Restaurant-Pop-Up-7-Meet-Our-Purveyors-Part-1-Broken-Arrow-Ranch-Texas-Antelope Cajun food. ".....stout provisions, cooked up with a lusty flair and smacking of salt air and hickory smoke..." thus wrote Mary Land in her groundbreaking book: Louisiana Cookery, published way back in 1954 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I have a love of many cuisines but few stir my heart like Cajun cookery. The foodways of Acadiana encompass multiple states and countries as the rural prairies and swamps have embraced diasporas from France, Africa, Appalachia, New Jersey, Canada and lord knows where else. Ground zero is Lafayette, Louisiana where men like Wallace Johnson of Johnson's Boucaniere continue practicing the prairie arts of smoking meat and stuffing hog gut casings with offal and rice.

Interview: Ms. Naya Jones Of Food For Black Thought And The East Austin Food Project Part 2

Mon, 15 Oct 2012 15:16:00 -0700

When I met Ms. Naya Jones at her Food For Black Thought symposium at the George Washington Carver Museum 2 weeks ago, I was taken with how charged up and full of energy she was. This gal was raring to go and her enthusiasm was infectious. In part 1 of our interview, Ms. Jones explained her background and how she came to spearhead the project. You can read that portion of the interview here http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/10/4/Interview-Ms-Naya-Jones-Of-Food-For-Black-Thought-And-The-East-Austin-Food-Project Naya Jones had a lot more on her mind so it's with great pleasure that I now bring you the second portion of our discussion.

East Side King: Paul Qui & Moto Utsunomiya Run It,Peelander-Z Painted It & Christian Remde Filmed It

Tue, 09 Oct 2012 12:33:00 -0700

We just got finished watching the new Christian Remde short film on the renaissance of East Side King's Grackle food truck in East Austin. Paul Qui and Moto Utsunomiya bought a new food truck and commissioned Yellow, a member of Peelander-Z, to paint it up Japanese monster movie style. It looked great on film so that meant one thing. Time to load up in the Econoline and head down to see the work first hand.

Interview: Ms. Naya Jones Of Food For Black Thought And The East Austin Food Project

Thu, 04 Oct 2012 23:26:00 -0700

I have a long history with rural soul food. I grew up eating from the Kentucky table of my grandmother Nellie Sullivan, a professional cook who grew vast gardens filled with corn, tomatoes, greens, peppers, potatoes and a multitude of other vegetables. My grandfather Big Jim Sullivan, raised hogs and steers for slaughter so there was always plenty meat on the family table as well. The Sullivan family farm has been producing food for our family for over a hundred years in the Cumberland Highlands region of Eastern Kentucky. My interest was piqued when I read about a symposium called Food For Black Thought held at the Carver Museum in East Austin last week. The weekend-long affair featured films, guest lecturers and of course plenty soul food with the added bonus being that it was from the kitchen of Hoover Alexander.

Austin Tex Mex Legend Joe's Bakery Is 50. Party w/ The Estradas, Avilas And Maciels At Fiesta Garden

Mon, 24 Sep 2012 13:00:00 -0700

Joe's Bakery, one of our top picks for sit-down carne guisada in Austin, is turning 50 and throwing a party at Fiesta Gardens tonight to celebrate. Time: 6-9 pm Place: Fiesta Gardens 2101 Bergman Avenue Austin, TX 78702 Event: Joe's Bakery Birthday Party Free food and drink and since this is an Austin party; LIVE MUSIC! https://twitter.com/RLReevesJr

Danielle Dimovski Jack Daniels World Barbecue Champ Releases Sizzle Reel Featuring John Mueller BBQ

Mon, 24 Sep 2012 12:37:00 -0700

We love Danielle Dimovski, the Jack Daniels World Barbecue Champion is loud, bawdy and as talented a pit boss as you're ever likely to meet. After a recent visit to Austin, Texas her production team released a sizzle reel of some of the highlights of her barbecue trek across our fair city. 11 states, 32 cities, 5 barbecue competitions and visits to countless smokehouses must have made for some interesting times. Check out the highlight reel in advance of her TV show set to debut in the Spring of 2013 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGMrEQPF1D4 and how in the world did John Mueller coax Franklin BBQ's pit boss to switch camps? http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/9/22/Seismic-Shift-In-Texas-Franklin-Barbecue-Pit-Boss-John-Lewis-Joins-Forces-With-John-Mueller-BBQ https://twitter.com/RLReevesJr This is barbecue article number 250

Field Report: Scrumptious Chef Tex Mex Pop Up Three Little Pigs East End Wines

Mon, 17 Sep 2012 14:59:00 -0700

Austin Daily Photo: Scrumptious Chef Diez y Seis Tex Mex Pop Up At Three Little Pigs East End Wines

Thu, 13 Sep 2012 11:53:00 -0700

Brand new pop up this Sunday October 21st 2012 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/10/18/Scrumptious-Chef-Pop-Up-4-The-Foods-Of-Acadiana-Sun-Oct-21st-At-Three-Little-Pigs-East-End-Wines The best part of the Scrumptious Chef Pop Up series we started over the summer is the run up. We sit on the front porch with legal pads and cold beers and start volleying menu ideas back and forth til we hammer out our entree's, apps, side dishes, and plan of attack once we hit the commissary kitchen. We always blast genre-appropriate music to fuel us on our journey. Since Tex Mex is the theme for this event we pulled out a couple dozen Doug Sahm LPs to spur us on to greater heights. He was the greatest live performer we ever saw and if his name is so much as mentioned, we immediately remove our cowboy hats and observe a moment of silence out of respect for this Texas lion.

Austin Texas Guide To Pop Up Restaurants-Grocery Stores And Cafes Part 2

Wed, 12 Sep 2012 11:50:00 -0700

Brand new pop up this Sunday October 21st 2012 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/10/18/Scrumptious-Chef-Pop-Up-4-The-Foods-Of-Acadiana-Sun-Oct-21st-At-Three-Little-Pigs-East-End-Wines While the pop up restaurant phenomenon is huge in cities like New York, Chicago and New Orleans, Austin Texas is still in its infancy. We predict this will change over the course of the next year. Way back in 2010 Ben Runkle and his Salt and Time Charcuterie crew threw the first pop up we ever attended at the historic Victory Grill {http://chowpapi.com/wordpress/wordpress-2.8.6/wordpress/salt-and-time-new-kids-on-austin-meat-block/} and we figured that event would usher in the rise of the concept. We were wrong.

Scrumptious Chef Pop Up 3: Tex Mex Edition. Three Little Pigs/East End Wines Sunday Sept 16th 11am

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 11:15:00 -0700

Brand new pop up this Sunday October 21st 2012 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/10/18/Scrumptious-Chef-Pop-Up-4-The-Foods-Of-Acadiana-Sun-Oct-21st-At-Three-Little-Pigs-East-End-Wines We can't leave the house without being peppered with "When's the next pop up?" The hue and cry grew so loud and insistent that we've answered the call. Details Event: Scrumptious Chef Tex Mex Pop Up Place: Three Little Pigs/East End Wines Time: 11am Date: Sunday September 16th 2012 We'll be hitting the commissary kitchen later in the week for a series of massive prep shifts in order to feed the crowd. We've bumped up the start time to 11am due to having to turn away carloads of people at the previous pop ups. Lots of folks like to get an early lunch in before kicking into full Sunday Funday mode. Expect lots of Doug Sahm blasting out of a vintage boombox sitting on a tree stump near the food trailer. And we're recruiting one of the top talents in Austin to join the Scrumptious cooking team. Hope to have a big announcement later in the week when we release the menu. Thanks for making these infrequent parties such a success y'all. We appreciate you. Oh, we got messaged via Twitter last night asking if there will be vegetarian food available. Yes, we can't go vegan due to the heavy amounts of cheese in our Tex Mex platters but we will definitely be able to put together a nice vegetarian plate for whoever's interested. Go behind the scenes at a Scrumptious Chef pop up http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/8/3/Update-The-Inner-Workings-Of-Scrumptious-Chef-Pop-Up-20-Soul-Food-Party-At-Three-Little-Pigs

Threadgill's Signs New Lease On Riverside Drive

Mon, 03 Sep 2012 11:00:00 -0700

Great quote from Threadgill's owner Eddie Wilson " "Low rent, cold beer and cheap pot may have built this town, but it takes a different formula to make it these days." www.roadfood.com is reporting that Threadgill's south Austin location has signed a new lease. Manufacturers of tin cans and tin can openers are rejoicing. Previous Threadgill's coverage http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/5/19/Best-Comfort-Food-In-AustinInstitutional-Food-ServiceThreadgills-And-The-Art-Of-Fooling-The-Public

Ramen Tatsu-ya Is Open In Austin And Looking For Super Machines

Wed, 29 Aug 2012 15:55:00 -0700

We've read reports from a few Austin power bloggers who are freaking out over Ramen Tatsu ya and their superb noodle renderings up in north Austin. They're still in soft opening so we'll give them a little more room to develop their game before we swing by. In the meantime please be aware that they are hiring. But they're not just looking for food service workers. They want: "super-machines that can wash dishes, prep, bus tables, wait, and be personable; an all-in-one preferably"

Know Nothing Website Serious Eats Issues: College Tours: Where to Eat Near the University of Texas

Wed, 29 Aug 2012 11:20:00 -0700

We're consistently baffled at the pitiable coverage national websites offer when it comes time to vector in on Austin's food scene. For example: We received a twitter alert this morning that Serious Eats, the laughable national website had penned a "College Tours: Where to Eat Near the University of Texas at Austin" claiming that "Several subpar taco joints are the only thing distinguishing the food around UT-Austin."

Best Agua Fresca In Austin Texas: La Fruta Feliz

Tue, 21 Aug 2012 13:42:00 -0700

Austin, Texas is chock-a-block with agua fresca shops with quality ranging from abysmal to sublime. This post concerns itself with the sublime. La Fruta Feliz began its life as a juice shop but quickly transformed into the best brick and mortar Mexican restaurant in East Austin. Thankfully, they did not forget their roots. You haven't lived til you've had a sandia agua fresca from this tiny taqueria.

Jack Gilmore Of Jack Allen's Kitchen Brings Home The Bronze In New Orleans Seafood Competition

Mon, 13 Aug 2012 08:24:00 -0700

The fall of the once mighty Times-Picayune, the daily newspaper of New Orleans, has been well documented, but when you're five hundred miles from the Big Easy, it's still the best way to stay abreast of the day to day news of the city. Like how Texas chef Jack Gilmore of Jack Allen's kitchen fared in the Great American Seafood Competition Saturday afternoon at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. It's hard to fathom Gilmore doing anything but winning but there it is in black and white. Gilmore finished 3rd.

Zagat Continues To Fuck Up With Best Cheap Eats In Austin Texas List

Thu, 09 Aug 2012 10:53:00 -0700

I remember when Zagat was relevant. Back in the Paleolithic era of searching for good food, the narrow, oblong Zagat guides were pure gold. You could walk into a B. Dalton's, buy a Zagat guide and Michael Stern's latest Roadfood book, and set out for your destination knowing you'd have your bases covered. The three hundred mile journey from Alabama to New Orleans would go by in a flash as your co-pilot reconnoitered through the guides, put little stars on the paper maps and the conversation flowed like sweet tea as you prepared to eat your way through the finest dining city on earth.

Quick Field Report: Scrumptious Chef Pop Up 2: Soul Food Party At Three Little Pigs East End Wines

Mon, 06 Aug 2012 13:34:00 -0700

Update: The Inner Workings Of Scrumptious Chef Pop Up 2.0. Soul Food Party At Three Little Pigs

Fri, 03 Aug 2012 12:01:00 -0700

Brand new pop up this Sunday October 21st 2012 http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/10/18/Scrumptious-Chef-Pop-Up-4-The-Foods-Of-Acadiana-Sun-Oct-21st-At-Three-Little-Pigs-East-End-Wines It's unbelievable how much work goes into throwing a pop up restaurant. Grocery stores visited: Central Market Fiesta Mart Wheatsville HEB La Michoacana To source the finest groceries in Austin, there is no one-stop market where you can lay your hands on everything at one time. I've got 3 kettles rolling right now. A smoked turkey wing stock for the wilted greens, a chicken stock for the chicken gravy and a pork stock for the hoppin john/black eyed peas. If you want your food to be the best you have to make your stock from scratch. Period. We knocked out fifteen pounds of pork belly, roasted hatch chile sausage last night. It was batch number 7 of our Central Texas Hot Guts project and it's dynamite. We dropped over fifty pounds of chicken and pork ribs in an icy brine yesterday. There are naysayers to the brining method but we've always utilized the technique to good effect. Tomorrow night will be an all-nighter as we cook the greens, bake the cornbread, make the banana pudding and simmer the black eyes all night long. Sunday morning it'll be fire up the smoker to roast the meats-time. Hopefully the timing will be right and we'll wrestle the kettle of grits off the range right as we go to service. Pictured is the team that made the first Scrumptious Chef Pop Up such a success. Robyn's an Austin restaurant veteran who just started her career in graphic design. Harrington worked in the best kitchens in New Orleans, Paris, New York, Vermont and San Francisco before finally attaining a 3rd Michelin star at Meadowood, one of the greatest kitchens in the USA. The party could not happen without their labor. I spent the last week poring over my Edna Lewis and Sylvia Wood's cookbooks to make sure the Adrian Miller {soul food scholar} menu would be honored properly. Details on the party: Place: 3 Little Pigs and East End Wines Date: Sunday August 5th 2012 Time: Noon Event: Scrumptious Chef Pop Up Restaurant 1209 Rosewood Avenue Austin Texas 78702 cash follow this party on Twitter with the hashtag #soulfoodpopup https://twitter.com/RLReevesJr previous http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/8/1/Scrumptious-Chef-Pop-Up-20-Soul-Food-Edition-Three-Little-Pigs-Sunday-August-5th-At-Noon

Austin's First Voluntarily Not For Profit Food Truck Hits The Streets

Fri, 03 Aug 2012 09:44:00 -0700

While there are plenty non-profit food trucks in Austin, they haven't reached that status voluntarily. They're trying as hard as they can to be for-profit, they're just not making any money. One of our most "popular" ones shuttered at the beginning of summer to move away from Texas. The owner told me the decision was easy. He worked 12 hours a day, 6 days a week and never netted more than 20k in his 3 years of work.

Scrumptious Chef Pop Up 2.0: Soul Food Edition. Three Little Pigs Sunday August 5th At Noon

Wed, 01 Aug 2012 12:23:00 -0700

Back at the dawn of the double aughts, we started a series of backyard supper clubs called Texas Top Cooks. We gathered together a team of local cooks, developed a theme and hosted a series of cooking competitions that went down in the French Place neighborhood. We'd put out a tip jar for a reward, print out a bunch of ballots and throw down til the dust settled and the winner would be declared. We did barbecue battles, gumbo fights, casserole beatdowns and a variety of other themes til we reached a crescendo with a Soups of Southeast Asia war that's still discussed in certain quarters in Austin. We miss those old days of gathering together people who would all unite to drink, eat and socialize. After Scrumptious Chef Pop Up #1, barbecue edition we took the lay of the land and decided to wade back into the fray with Pop Up #2. This time we're tackling soul food. Adrian Miller, the soul food scholar{whom you may be familiar with via Southern Foodways Alliance and/or CNN} was kind enough to create a menu and it's solid country gold. He's a pro and has written a book on soul food to be published next year. https://twitter.com/soulfoodscholar Since this is an Austin party, we needed guidance on how to source our groceries locally so we reached out to Kristi Wills https://twitter.com/kristifarm2tbl who had many helpful suggestions. Rachelle King https://twitter.com/BlindedBite also consulted with us to make sure that we'd be able to offer some menu items to the gluten free crowd. We always go meat heavy so that was pretty easy. We'll be cooking Adrian Miller's menu of chicken,wilted greens, black eyed peas with rice, corn bread and banana pudding as well as some Texas favorites like brisket,pork ribs,grits and sausage. You won't leave hungry. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- We look forward to serving y'all. Place: 3 Little Pigs and East End Wines Date: Sunday August 5th 2012 Time: Noon Event: Scrumptious Chef Pop Up Restaurant 1209 Rosewood Avenue Austin Texas 78702 cash follow this party on Twitter with the hashtag #soulfoodpopup https://twitter.com/RLReevesJr

I Cover The War: 1000 Days Documenting The Austin Texas Food Scene By RL Reeves Jr

Tue, 31 Jul 2012 22:37:00 -0700

I just glanced at my admin page and noted that today {July 31st 2012} marks day one thousand since this experiment, the Scrumptious Chef food blog, began. It's been a wild ride. I didn't even write the first article that ever appeared on the site. That honor goes to my administrator who authored a tale of a meal I cooked for him and his family in Cincinnati Ohio years back. http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2009/11/4/Scrumptious-Chef-Visit it's still the most popular article ever posted in this forum. That stings.

Austin Texas Food Service Industry Jobs

Mon, 30 Jul 2012 12:02:00 -0700

This post consistently draws heavy traffic so we'll continue writing a new one each Monday. We had a great conversation this past weekend with a kitchen manager of a local Tex Mex food chain who was baffled at the high turn-over in his kitchen. He seemed like a really good guy so we began with our normal line of queries which ended really abruptly at pay. They offer 15k per annum for forty hours of work per week. Some of his workers have been there for 3 or 4 years and they have been bumped up to $15,600. I'll do the math for you. You start at minimum and after a few years of service they give you an extra .25 per hour so that's an extra $600 clams in your pocket at the end of the year.

Austin Texas Guide To Pop Up Restaurants-Grocery Stores And Cafes

Sat, 28 Jul 2012 14:54:00 -0700

The first time we attended a pop up restaurant, it was hosted by Ben Runkle and his Salt and Time Charcuterie crew at the historic Victory Grill. Young Ben took over the restaurant for the evening, roasted a Red Wattle hog and served the meat with veggies from Finca Pura and Springdale Farm along with cheese from Pure Luck Dairy out in Dripping Springs. Here's a narration of this meal, which is one of the finest we've had in the past 2 years: http://chowpapi.com/wordpress/wordpress-2.8.6/wordpress/salt-and-time-new-kids-on-austin-meat-block/

Holy Shit! Franklin Barbecue Is Hiring A Meat Cutter!

Thu, 26 Jul 2012 14:41:00 -0700

Aaron Franklin is hiring a meat slicer y'all! Huge, huge news coming out of East Austin. This would be a perfect opportunity for someone who wants to work at one of USA's best barbecue outfits. Details: "Looking for someone who has skills slicing smokey meats. This is a very FAST paced environment and this person would be dealing directly with customers.

The Rise Of The Landed Gentry: VIP Barbecue Passes At Texas Monthly BBQ Festival Are SOLD OUT

Thu, 26 Jul 2012 13:02:00 -0700

That was quick. Yesterday we predicted that the tickets for the Texas Monthly BBQ Festival would sell out quick but we didn't realize it would be THAT quick. The VIP, the cattle barons, Chupacabra bartenders, Dell execs and Austin Chronicle brass have descended upon the Long Center's website and snapped up every single seat at the meat festival.

The Best Barbecue Party In The USA Is The Texas Monthly BBQ Festival In Austin Texas

Wed, 25 Jul 2012 12:23:00 -0700

Brace up y'all. It's going to take some serious diligence to get in on this event. Tickets for the Texas Monthly BBQ Festival go on sale tomorrow and you better have some hot ass wi fi and or good speed dialing ability or you will be left in the dust. Looks like the best value is in the VIP ticket due to the booty that comes with the stub: From the website:

Saigon Street Food Truck On Extended Hiatus

Tue, 24 Jul 2012 08:28:00 -0700

September 22nd 2012 is a long ways off. That's when Saigon Street announced they will re-open for business. But after seeing numerous other food trailers "go on hiatus" we've noticed one common factor: they never manage to re-open. It's a tough game to begin with. Competition is fierce with well over a thousand trucks vying for your dollar. Weather holds you hostage on a daily basis, the food trucks are cramped and you're relying on the notoriously fickle public to earn your living. It's tough. We've enjoyed our meals at Saigon Street. The folks running the joint are friendly and the banh mi are good. It seems like they chose a good location as there are few other food trailers in their zone to compete with. Summer comes to a grinding halt the third week of September this year. We'll head up to Airport Blvd and report back on whether Saigon Street managed to re-open or not. https://twitter.com/RLReevesJr

Austin Texas Food Service Industry Jobs

Mon, 23 Jul 2012 17:42:00 -0700

This weekly article has grown some serious legs. I'm not sure if it's due to our readers actually looking for work or just folks who get a vicarious thrill knowing that there are tons of culinary school grads who pull down under 17k for forty hours of work per week. You read that right. As I've crawled the ads for this weekly post I've noticed lots of restaurants requiring a culinary degree then offering these workers $8 per hour. Enough of that for the time being. Here are the most intriguing sounding food service industry jobs currently being offered in Austin.

Real Ale Beer Dinner At Easy Tiger

Mon, 23 Jul 2012 11:16:00 -0700

Tomorrow night, Tuesday July 24th from 6-10 pm, Easy Tiger Beer Garden will host a 6 course dinner with each course paired with an offering from Real Ale of Blanco, Texas. Cost is $55 and reservations are required. 512-614-4972

Austin Texas Cheese Heavyweights Square Off At The Mohawk In Quesoff

Sat, 21 Jul 2012 13:30:00 -0700

Conventional wisdom holds that food blogging is a Monday - Friday gig with 5 pm marking the end of the cycle til you sit down in front of your computer once more come 10-ish Monday morning. Balderdash! We're in it to win it and that means 7 days a week. For the people. We just got wind of Quesoff tonight at the Mohawk on Red River in downtown Austin. Here are the details should you wish to attend:

Buffoonery! Zagat Ranks Austin Texas Top 5 Tex Mex Restaurants

Thu, 19 Jul 2012 15:08:00 -0700

Google's purchase of Zagat in September of 2011 has apparently done little to improve the rating service's credibility. How else can you explain "The 5 Best Places For Tex Mex In Austin, Texas", a list the service just issued. 1} Vivo. We actually kind of like Vivo. They do fry their own totopos and their green sauce is good but are they in the top 5 Tex Mex restaurants in Austin? Not by a long shot.

Hearts Are Heavy In East Austin. Rest In Peace: Pachamama's Peruvian Creole Cuisine Food Trailer

Mon, 16 Jul 2012 22:22:00 -0700

While Chef Victor Polanco will continue to do catering functions, his star chef caliber food trailer; Pachamama's Peruvian Creole Cuisine operation has ceased. This is a loss on par with the closure of Odd Duck Farm To Trailer and hits with the same magnitude as when Arancini shuttered down in Bouldin Creek. It's unfathomable that such a delicious, beast of a food trailer could close in a town as hungry for good food as Austin, Texas. Unfathomable.

Austin Breakfast Taco Debate Ignited!Overpriced Tacos May Spell The End Of Austin's Tortilla Economy

Wed, 11 Jul 2012 11:34:00 -0700

Bright and early one morning, years back, I was walking along 6th street in front of the Driskill Hotel when I nearly fell over in an apoplexy. The sandwich board in front of the restaurant trumpeted a $9 breakfast taco. I thought about calling John Kelso but I did not want him falling over dead on my conscience.

Scrumptious Chef Barbecue Pop-Up At Three Little Pigs In The Parking Lot of East End Wines

Tue, 10 Jul 2012 12:42:00 -0700

Brand new pop up restaurant. Sun Aug 5th 2012 details http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/8/1/Scrumptious-Chef-Pop-Up-20-Soul-Food-Edition-Three-Little-Pigs-Sunday-August-5th-At-Noon ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- More details to come, but this Sunday July 15th 2012 the scrumptious chef crew will be hosting a barbecue pop-up at Three Little Pigs in the parking lot of East End Wines. While Chef Raymond Tatum is resting and relaxing, we'll have our team in the trailer vending brisket plates and peach cobbler.

Austin Daily Photo: Bangers Sausage House And Beer Garden on Rainey Street

Tue, 03 Jul 2012 22:54:00 -0700

The enormous project that is Banger's Sausage House and Beer Garden is near fruition. The murmurs of an impending opening have turned into a roar so we headed down to Rainey Street a couple days ago to see if we could get some photos and see the source of the hubbub. The most impressive part of the building is the walk-in cooler on the southern flank. One imagines this will be the keg room, and to accommodate enough barrels for a hundred plus taps, it's appropriately epic in size.

Four Seasons Austin And Chef Grant Macdonald Tackle Texas Barbecue:Independence Beer + Brisket

Mon, 02 Jul 2012 09:29:00 -0700

Texas barbecue hoedown at Four Seasons Hotel? Canadian Chef Grant Macdonald is set to show and prove that you don't have to be a leathery old Texas pit boss to put out top flight brisket. Macdonald has probably been out back of the hotel since late last night, carefully tending the fires in the old brick pit that first put Four Seasons on the central Texas barbecue map decades ago. We'll bet the good chef will have worked his way through most of a case of Pearl beer and damn near finished a Louis L'amour novel by the time the party goes down at 6:30 tonight.

Book Review: Barbecue Lovers Guide To Austin by Gloria Corral

Sun, 24 Jun 2012 12:46:00 -0700

This is the first book review I've ever penned for the scrumptious chef site. I've written a lot about writers and bloggers and their words, but I've never actually reviewed a book. If you are a writer and want your book reviewed you'd probably do well to send it elsewhere. Unless it's truly great, in which case go ahead and sent it in so I can leaf through it, take a year to review it and eventually sell it to Half Price Books. When that hell-hole goes out of business I'm going to let my devil dogs run free and throw a party unlike anything Austin has ever seen.

Austin Texas:Jovita's Heroin Ring Suspects In Muerte Negra FBI Takedown Set To Appear In Court

Fri, 22 Jun 2012 12:09:00 -0700

Suspected heroin ring kingpin and Texas Syndicate member, Amado "Mayo" Pardo, along with ten of the other alleged drug ring collaborators are due to appear in court today {Friday June 22nd} at 2:30 pm. Austin exploded, literally, yesterday morning as a host of law enforcement officers detonated explosive devices to gain entry into at least 2 homes in the Bouldin Creek neighborhood of South Austin. Fifteen of the alleged heroin sales conspirators were named in a federal indictment that was unsealed yesterday. As news broke we loaded up and hit south Austin to visit the restaurant, take some pictures and hopefully interview employees of Jovita's over the charges. Picture 1: http://chowpapi.com/wordpress/wordpress-2.8.6/wordpress/?p=2585 a shuttered Jovita's. Picture 2: http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/6/21/Takedown-The-Feds-Stun-South-Austin-With-Four-Sonic-BoomsRaid-Jovitas-Cantina-And-Arrest-15 the marquee of the show that never happened. Would love to hear from Austin band "The Cold Irons" and get their take on the affair. We'll be all over this story so stay tuned. https://twitter.com/#!/RLReevesJr thanks go to http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/local/austin/jovita-suspects-to-appear-in-court

Takedown! The Feds Stun South Austin With Four Sonic Booms-Raid Jovita's Cantina And Arrest 15

Thu, 21 Jun 2012 13:41:00 -0700

Ever since Danny Roy Young passed away back in 2008, Mayo Pardo, owner of Jovita's Cantina, has served as the unofficial "mayor" of south Austin. The pony-tailed enchilada magnate is behind bars today as the FBI, along with a host of other law enforcement agencies, raided the iconic Tex Mex restaurant bright and early this morning.

Austin Texas Trailer Food Tuesdays:Long Center,Tiffany Harelik,Peached Tortilla & Royal Fig Team-up

Thu, 21 Jun 2012 11:23:00 -0700

An idea whose time has come. On the final Tuesday of each month, starting in July, the Long Center for the Performing Arts will host an Austin Texas food truck party on their grounds. It'll be interesting to see which food trucks will be selected for this affair. Obviously, Peached Tortilla and the Seedling truck will be at the events, since they're members of the team throwing the affair but who else will be vending?

Surveying The Wild and Wooly World of Shaggybevo's GM Steakhouse. An Austin Texas Food Board Part 2

Sat, 16 Jun 2012 14:00:00 -0700

What a great resource Shaggybevo's GM Steakhouse is for Austin beer and food lovers. We've covered them quite a bit these past few months, and are having a ball over that way posting and reading tons of informative, food related musings from a group of men who seeming do little more than eat and drink their way across Austin on a daily basis. If you're unfamiliar with the board you may want to visit, scout through a few threads and see about signing up. It's wild and wooly with plenty profanity and highly opinionated writing, but it's easily the most active food board in Austin and there's lots of good info over that way. Some recent gems:

Austin Tx Juneteenth Party:Angela Shelf Medearis aka "The Kitchen Diva" at George Washington Carver

Sat, 16 Jun 2012 09:37:00 -0700

This Tuesday June 19th 2012, Angela Shelf Medearis will be cooking from her newest book "The Kitchen Diva's Diabetic Cookbook," at the George Washington Carver Museum from 12:30 - 1:30 pm. Expect a good old timey groaning board filled with favorites of the south like black eye peas, watermelon and sweet potatoes. Space is limited so call to get them to hold a chair for you. 512-974-4926 We're all over this event so come on out and say howdy. Happy Juneteenth in advance y'all more on this august day http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Juneteenth-moving-from-Texas-stage-to-national-3638382.php and check out Ms. Medearis' website http://www.medearis.com/

Trio Restaurant At Four Seasons Austin Kicks Off 3 Course $36 Summer Deal-I Live Here I Give Here

Thu, 14 Jun 2012 13:33:00 -0700

Hot off the grill, the Bandera quail is one of the best bites of food I've put in my mouth this year. The charred crispy skin gives way to juicy, just-cooked inner flesh. Daubs of prickly pear barbecue sauce are completely unnecessary but also utterly delicious.

Celebrity Chef Pie Auction To Benefit Colleen Sommers At Pies And Pigs Party At Springdale Farms

Tue, 12 Jun 2012 13:26:00 -0700

An A-list of Austin food celebrities is baking pies in their kitchens to donate to an auction benefiting Colleen Sommers of Pie Fixes Everything. As has been documented here before, Ms. Sommers has cancer and all monies collected at this event will go toward treatment. This pie auction is in tandem with the Pies and Pigs party to be held at Springdale Farms this Thursday June 14th {full coverage http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm?mode=entry&entry=9E44E3F9-CDF7-ED23-AF2241DAF511C193#cD061CDCA-9F9E-1803-A010D6510EFC328D}

Salt And Time Steps Into The Ring With Three Little Pigs:Springdale Farms Hosts Hog Showdown Benefit

Mon, 11 Jun 2012 12:22:00 -0700

Ben Runkle of Salt and Time Butchershop and Salumeria has got his work cut out for him. He's facing off with Raymond Tatum of Three Little Pigs in an epic pork battle at Springdale Farms, with the proceeds going to Colleen Sommers of Pie Fixes Everything. Ms. Sommers is battling cancer and Austin's food community is rallying the troops to aid this talented baker in her battle with the disease.

Public Service Announcement: John Mueller Barbecue To Be Closed For The Day-Sunday May 27th 2012

Sat, 26 May 2012 21:43:00 -0700

Regular hours will resume this Wednesday May 30th { 10:30am- til meat is gone} but please be aware that John Mueller Barbecue Will Be Closed For The Day-Sunday May 27th 2012. Read about the potential clash of the titans between John Mueller and former disciple Aaron Franklin http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/3/9/John-Mueller-Throws-Down-The-GauntletChallenges-Aaron-Franklin-To-Battle-For-Barbecue-Supremacy

Sometimes The Bad Guys Win:Corporate Louisiana Mexican Chain Bests Austin Favorite Mellizoz Tacos

Sun, 13 May 2012 16:58:00 -0700

Entering a crowded, hyper-competitive market in any segment of the business world is always going to be fraught with peril. When you announce your entrance by filing a lawsuit on a popular player in that market, well, you've given yourself a tough row to hoe. Welcome to Austin, K & F Restaurant Management Limited Liability Corporation dba Izzo's Illegal Burrito. Hope you like the Texas weather out this way. We predict it's going to be a hot summer this year.

Field Report: Pachamama's Peruvian Creole Cuisine Food Trailer Is Killing It In East Austin

Wed, 09 May 2012 18:00:00 -0700

There's some serious culinary witchcraft happening down on Cesar Chavez in the little, secluded courtyard of East Side Food Park. For the past few weeks, we've been working our way through the menu at Pachamama's Peruvian Creole Cuisine, probing for a weak link, drinking lots of wine smuggled in [http://www.eastendwinesatx.com/] and celebrating the potato-the shoulders of which the menu rests upon.

Austin Texas Based Izzoz Tacos Set To Change Name In Wake Of Izzo's Illegal Burritos Lawsuit

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 12:38:00 -0700

Michael Corcoran, longtime Austin, Texas scribe, is reporting that Izzoz Tacos, the south Austin based taco dealer is preparing to change their name after being sued by Louisiana corporate-Mexican chain Izzo's Illegal Burritos.

Is Pachamama's Peruvian Creole Cuisine The Best Food Trailer In Austin Texas?

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 22:47:00 -0700

There are thousands of them. They range from lousy commercial taco kitchens with owners who couldn't make a tortilla from scratch if their life hung in the balance, all the way to exotic operations selling foods from southeast Asia, Iowa or even Louisiana. They are Austin, Texas food trailers and we've been eating their food for well over a decade. Back in the 90s you had one option: Loncheras serving Mexican food, primarily to working class Mexican cats and in the know regular folks who dug deep for their daily chow.

Food And Beer Party!North Coast Brewing And Top Chef Texas Contestant Andrew Curren Of 24 Diner

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 14:54:00 -0700

Food and beer party!

RIP: Rest In Peace. Eastside Food Park

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 13:32:00 -0700

UPDATE-UPDATE-UPDATE-UPDATE-UPDATE-UPDATE:EASTSIDE FOOD PARK NOT CLOSING.NOT CLOSING. PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hi All, I am the management here at the East Side Food Park and here to say that we are all alive and kickin'. We are no where near closing and there is no development on the property in the works. All of the trailers are happily settled in and serving their delicious specialties. We would love for y'all to stop by for a visit. For more info please call me directly at 512-919-6192. Happy trails, LeeAnn Cottom

Field Report: Gourmand's Neighborhood Pub

Fri, 23 Mar 2012 13:30:00 -0700

Ladies who lunch. That's the first prognosis when gazing at the menu at Gourmand's Neighborhood Pub, the new-ish tenant inside the old El Lobo nightclub on burgeoning Webberville Road in East Austin. Soups [in a bread bowl!] salads and sandwiches comprise the whole of the menu alongside many interesting cocktails and draft beers. It's always good to see local, skillfully wrought beers on tap in Austin but it seems like they're always served alongside old, boring dinosaur beers like Harp, Smithwicks and the like.

Chowhoundjunior is LIVE: We Look At This Weeks Top 5 Posts From The Austin Chowhound Board [12]

Tue, 20 Mar 2012 21:58:00 -0700

This feature used to run weekly but with the dearth of postings on Austin's Chowhound board it's now going to be an intermittent article. The unpaid volunteer moderators who ran off dozens of posters in the past 2 years deserve a round of applause. Mission accomplished y'all. What was formerly the hottest food board in Central Texas is now a ghost town with some days seeing nary a post. Without further ado. The most interesting threads recently gleaned off the Austin Chowhound board.

Shaggybevo's GM Steakhouse Hits The Big Time: Officially Endorsed By John Mueller Barbecue

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:31:00 -0700

We've been getting a kick out of the Shaggybevo food board; GM Steakhouse. The men over that way are dyed in the wool chowhounds who seemingly do little other than eat massive amounts of barbecue and drink gallons of beer around Austin then write posts about it. It reminds me of the old days of Austin's Chowhound board before the unpaid, volunteer moderators ran everybody off.

Chowhoundjunior Is LIVE: We Look At This Weeks Top 5 Posts From The Austin Chowhound Board [10]

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 22:20:00 -0700

Time for our weekly aggregate of the best 5 posts from the past week on the Austin Chowhound board. While we spend most of our "food board" time over on Shaggybevo, we do like to check out the old Chowhound once a week or so and see what's rattling around that way. Without further ado. The top 5 posts this week on Austin Chowhound.

Chowhoundjunior Is LIVE: We Look At This Weeks Top 5 Posts From The Austin Chowhound Board [9]

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 23:29:00 -0700

It goes against our nature to be food news aggregators. Anybody can sit around on their fat ass reading pr wires and putting up hot links to other people's works. We prefer to provide, fresh, original content on the burgeoning Austin Texas food scene. But the popularity of our Chowhoundjunior feature speaks to the love of this weekly article. Y'all go ape over it so we'll keep doing it til the numbers tell us otherwise.

Got $850 Burning A Hole In Your Pocket?Wanna Be A VIP At Austin Food & Wine Festival?There's Brisket

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 16:47:00 -0700

For $850 you can get the full VIP treatment at the debut of the Austin Food & Wine Festival April 27,28 and 29th at locations scattered about our fair city. Haven't made enough dough to join the raccoon coat, Duesenberg set? $250 will get you the commoners pass that's good for partial entry to the affair.

Chowhoundjunior Is LIVE: We Look At This Weeks Top 5 Posts From The Austin Chowhound Board [8]

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 21:42:00 -0700

We do the hard work so you don't have to. Once a week we take a spin across the Austin Chowhound board and harvest the best work over that way and issue it in compendium form so that our readers can browse an annotated version and get back to their busy lives. Here's our weekly installment of Chowhoundjunior. The cream of the crop of the Austin Chowhound board.

Surveying The Wild and Wooly World of Shaggybevo's GM Steakhouse. An Austin Texas Food Board

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 15:42:00 -0700

Off the charts. When we were removed from the Austin Chowhound board by a top ranking official at CBS corporation who'd deemed us a threat to the corporation's weal, we immediately began looking across the Austin Texas food media scene to find sustenance. Score.

A Neophyte Gringo Enters Taco Nirvana By Jake Camozzi

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 15:38:00 -0700

"Grrumphhh." I believe that was the sound that came out of my mouth and made its way past the barbacoa taco that was halfway inside it, as I was sitting on a tiny folding chair outside El Taco Rico. That's how damn fine the tacos at El Taco Rico are--they're audible grunt worthy. I found El Taco Rico through this blog and their staff's extremely high praise of the street grub it turns out of its tiny East Austin trailer. Honestly, I don't think I would have found it otherwise. It's located in the parking lot of a worn-in washateria, in the middle of an extremely unassuming neighborhood, off a part of East Riverside that specializes in providing smokes and gas on the way to the airport and little else.

Field Report: Lucy's Fried Chicken. New Restaurant From Chef James Holmes Of Olivia

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 16:22:00 -0700

The chicken is pretty good. I don't think they're brining for a full 24 hours, but there's some flavor in the meat, and it's fairly moist, but not as much as it could be. Good breading; it has the appearance of hand-dredge with its lack of consistency and is equal to the brunch offering at Olivia.

Chowhoundjunior Is LIVE: We Look At This Weeks Top 5 Posts From The Austin Chowhound Board [7]

Sun, 01 Jan 2012 15:41:00 -0700

Our call for our readers to join the Austin Chowhound board was met for naught. Maybe they searched for Austin Chowhound on the google and found this screen https://www.google.com/search?q=%22austin+chowhound%22&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a Yep, that's the scrumptious site right at the top of google rankings with our "The Death Of The Austin Chowhound Board" article

Austin Texas Restaurant Obituaries: Our Year In Review

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 17:56:00 -0700

We penned over 3 dozen Austin restaurant and restaurant figures obituaries this year. It's important to look back at these obits. These are the ones y'all found most intriguing. 1] The wildly successful Odd Duck Farm To Trailer shuttered http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/12/10/Austin-Daily-Photo-Hillary-At-Odd-Duck-Farm-To-Trailer-In-Austin-Texas

The Most Popular Articles We Penned On Scrumptiouschef This Year

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 02:45:00 -0700

We wrote hundreds and hundreds of articles on the Austin Texas food scene this year. But as we peered through countless reams of statistics these were the posts y'all found the most interesting. Via our site analytics we present "the most popular."

Chowhoundjunior Is LIVE: We Look At This Weeks Top 5 Posts From The Austin Chowhound Board [6]

Sun, 25 Dec 2011 15:18:00 -0700

Whistling past the graveyard. It's getting pretty bad over on the Austin Chowhound board. If any of our readers could please sign up over there and start posting we'd really appreciate it as it's getting hard to round up 5 good pieces per the 7 day period we've allotted ourselves. Now onto Chowhoundjunior where, each week, we harvest the "cream of the crop" of the once mighty Austin Chowhound board.

Searching For A Vinegar Mother In Austin Texas

Sun, 18 Dec 2011 16:48:00 -0700

One of our readers contacted us through the site last night curious about making her own vinegar. She had this to say "I am wanting to embark on a vinegar-making adventure....I'm hoping to find someone in town who is making vinegar and willing to share some of his or her mother...Ideally, I'd like to start with red wine vinegar. I have read that once you make your own vinegar you never go back to store-bought vinegar again. I'd love to find out if this is true."

Chowhoundjunior Is LIVE: We Look At This Weeks Top 5 Posts From The Austin Chowhound Board [3]

Sun, 04 Dec 2011 16:01:00 -0700

The Austin Chowhound board is a gift that keeps on giving. Yes, scrumptiouschef was removed by a top ranking official at CBS corporation but we are still active on the site, we don't contribute per se, we merely observe and report. This is the site feature where we harvest the best of a full week of Chowhound Austin's posts and report them to our readers. While Yelp sees as much activity in one hour that Austin Chowhound does in a full week, we still manage to find enough for a brief synopsis.

Rod Silva, Founder of Muscle Maker Grill Exhibits Rare Misstep In Marketing Of Austin Location

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 14:11:00 -0700

We lauded Muscle Maker Grill's extraordinary marketing savvy when they announced their penetration of the Austin Texas market with a location downtown and right around the corner from Iron Bear gay leather bar. We figured it was a natural fit. The muscled up hunks at Muscle Maker Grill could rotate up to the Iron Bear for a post meal cocktail and sweaty dance session with the hairy biker he bears at Iron Bear.

Andrew Curren 24 Diner / Easy Tiger:Report To The Main Stage.Austin Declares Nov 30th Chef Drew Day

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 11:11:00 -0700

We've been holding out for Austin mayor Lee Leffingwell to declare one of these old days to be Scrumptiouschef Day but for now we'll settle for Chef Andrew Curren Day, November 30th 2011, as declared by our town's ruler.

Chowhoundjunior Is LIVE: We Look At This Weeks Top 5 Posts From The Austin Chowhound Board [2]

Sun, 27 Nov 2011 14:18:00 -0700

When we were summarily removed from the Austin Chowhound board by the enforcement committee for CBS corporation we had no idea it would touch off such a firestorm. [read the dust-up here http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/11/18/Scrumptiouschef-Hits-The-Big-Time-Thrown-Off-Chowhound-For-Once-And-For-All?adminview=true] We received countless emails from food writers all over the USA voicing their support for the firm, anti-censorship stance that we've long maintained. It's important.

Catastrophe! Austin Cajun Restaurant Sambets Cajun Deli Catches Fire-300k In Damage

Fri, 25 Nov 2011 12:41:00 -0700

Yesterday morning, Thursday November 24th 2011, Sambets Deli, a Cajun restaurant off 183 North caught fire during their annual deep frying of the turkeys Thanksgiving Day ritual. It took firefighters a half hour to put the blaze out. One firefighter had to be taken to the hospital, he is expected to recover.

Chowhoundjunior Is LIVE: We Look At This Weeks Top 5 Posts From The Austin Chowhound Board

Sun, 20 Nov 2011 16:12:00 -0700

This feature is still in beta. We'll look back across Austin Chowhound over the past 7 days, each Sunday and ruminate with our readers over the five best posts. Your input is vital and important. We look forward to your comments. Got a question? Want to tell a story? Looking to put up a link to that food site you've been busting your ass on?

You May Have Missed: Top Austin Texas Food Stories From This Past Week Nov 14th-Nov 20th 2011

Sun, 20 Nov 2011 14:40:00 -0700

We penned 26 articles this past week. We were fairly busy. Currently we're putting up about 120 articles per month on the Austin food scene. Here are the top Austin, Texas food stories we reported on this past week [we use page views as our metric] CBS Corporation took aim at a hard charging rival emerging from Austin Texas.http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/11/18/Scrumptiouschef-Hits-The-Big-Time-Thrown-Off-Chowhound-For-Once-And-For-All

The Definitive Public Forum For The Food Obsessed:Welcome To Roadfood.com Y'all

Sat, 19 Nov 2011 12:58:00 -0700

We have a deep love for Jane and Michael Stern. The authors of some of our favorite books detailing eating under the radar in the United States have been at it since the 1970s. They were rolling down the backroads of rural America looking for fried catfish cabins and cinder block barbecue joints when most of us were still in diapers. And they have a public forum where posters are encouraged to share these experiences. Scrumptiouschef has been on their site for years and it's where we've found some of the best food we've ever eaten. Join our team over that way as we're looking to build value on their site with a flood of Austin eaters sharing their knowledge of our town's best eats. It's free, it's fun and we'll be amping up our coverage of Austin's best barbecue, banh mi, burgers, Thai, pho, Tex Mex and soul food. We'd love to visit with you over that way and you'll be amazed at what a vital, inclusive resource they've built. http://www.roadfood.com/

New Site Feature Coming This Sunday:Chowhoundjunior

Fri, 18 Nov 2011 20:21:00 -0700

Now that our time on Chowhound has come to an end http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/11/18/Scrumptiouschef-Hits-The-Big-Time-Thrown-Off-Chowhound-For-Once-And-For-All?adminview=true we're excited to be rolling out a brand new site feature called Chowhoundjunior. Check out our site this Sunday and join in the fun, Austin Texas never had it so good. RL Reeves Jr

Eat At Joe's Bakery In East Austin And Help Folks Who Need A Hand Celebrate Thanksgiving

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 01:33:00 -0700

Our man Mando Rayo over at Taco Journalism is reporting that Joe's Bakery is raising money for poor folks in East Austin so that they may have a Thanksgiving meal at the Oswaldo A. B. Cantu Pan American Recreation Center on November 19th 2011. This is a good cause.

Nobody Home:East Austin Food Trailer Court Soular Garden Open For Business But You Wouldn't Know It

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 15:28:00 -0700

Growing pains. Hoover Alexander's Soular Food Garden is an earnest endeavor from a legend in the Austin food scene. We hope it proves to be a huge success but two recent visits were problematic. Not one food trailer was open in the middle of the day. It's hard to line coffers with green backs when the tills are on lockdown, the flat tops are cold and the shutters are closed.

Corporate Louisiana Mexican Chain Invades Texas: First Order Of Business? File Lawsuit On Austinite

Sun, 13 Nov 2011 22:29:00 -0700

K & F Restaurant Management LLC is set to invade Texas and they reckon they might as well make as grand an entrance as possible. The method they chose? Slap a lawsuit on local food trailer Izzoz Tacos due to an alleged trademark infringement.

You May Have Missed: Top Austin Texas Food Stories From This Past Week Nov 7th-Nov 13th 2011

Sun, 13 Nov 2011 12:48:00 -0700

Busy, busy week here at scrumptiouschef. We penned 28 articles on the exploding Austin, Texas food scene. Here are our top five, based on readership.And once again, thanks y'all, this site is absolutely exploding. Our analytics are through the roof. We appreciate all y'all. We wrote about a barbecue course being taught at Texas A&M and suggested one for UT complete with professors and an octogenarian pit boss legend as dean. http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/11/10/Life-Is-Good-At-Texas-AM-Texas-Barbecue-Class-Taught-By-Two-Meat-Science-Experts

Hippies! In.gredients, Nation's First Zero Waste Grocer Hosts Austin Pot Luck Fri November 11 2011

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 18:50:00 -0700

We've been holding off reporting on In.gredients, Austin and the USA's first zero waste grocery store as we've been unsure as to whether they would actually be able to get their project off the ground. There aren't a lot of successful grocers getting venture capital through kickstartr.

Sometimes The News Hits Hard: Red House Pizza Now Open For Lunch Plus They Threaten Delivery

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 12:42:00 -0700

If a Red House Pizza delivery guy showed up at our house we might have to invoke the "Castle Doctrine". Is there a judge in the great state who would convict us if he were merely trying to defend ourselves in our home? We think not. Here's an old piece on Red House from scrumptiouschef:

Attention Austin Area Food Insiders:Managers, Cooks, Baristas, Owners, Bartenders, Waitresses et al

Sun, 06 Nov 2011 15:41:00 -0700

See that shiny, fancy "Tipster" button that accompanies every post? Hit it and tell us your story. Opening a restaurant, closing a restaurant, moving a restaurant, gossip about your friends restaurant-whatever the case may be we're a conduit for you to get the news out. We have moles in dozens of kitchens and bars around town and we're looking for more so tip us on what's happening in your joint.

You May Have Missed: Top Austin Texas Food Stories From This Past Week October 31st-November 6 2011

Sun, 06 Nov 2011 10:21:00 -0700

We wrote 24 articles this week. 110 in the previous 30 days. These are busy time in the Austin food scene and we're clocking lots of overtime to keep y'all abreast of what's happening in the garden spot of Texas; Austin. Here are the five most popular articles from the this past week. In case you missed.... We offered a moment by moment accounting of the debut episode of Top Chef Texas http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/11/3/Top-Chef-Texas-Season-9-On-Bravo-Episode-1-Rendered-Moot Local barbecue outfit Franklin shutters to take a vacation http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/10/31/Texas-Monthly-Peoples-Choice-Best-Brisket-Winner-Franklin-Barbecue-Shuttered-Til-November-11th-2011 Grumblings from Houston and Forth Worth over Top Chef Texas love for Austin and San Antonio http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/11/1/Houston-And-Fort-Worth-Green-With-Envy-At-Top-Chef-Texas-Prepares-To-Air Cooking Channel's Eat Street came to town and avoided our best food carts in favor of ? http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/10/31/Cooking-Channels-Eat-Street-In-Austin-Texas-This-Week-Monday-October-31stSaturday-Nov-5th-2011 Full list of Top Chef Texas contestants plus video of Austin star cooks Qui and Curren http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/10/31/Top-Chef-TexasComplete-List-Of-Contestants--Video-From-Austin-Star-Cooks-Andrew-Curren--Paul-Qui Thanks for making this site such a huge success y'all. Our readership is up by a factor of 7 since July of this year.

Eat Street & Andrew Zimmern Get Austin Like They Leafed Through Zagat Guide On Cab Ride From Airport

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 20:19:00 -0700

Cooking Channel's Eat Street comes to Austin and gets it wrong. Andrew Zimmern comes to Austin and gets it wrong. USA Today comes to Austin and gets it wrong. The national media are having a torrid affair with Austin,Texas. They send video teams, telegenic personalities and writers to town and they invariably get it wrong, wrong wrong. Anthony Bourdain came to town and his sage advance team decided Perla would be a great place for him to feature on his No Reservations show. Perla is fine, we've had good meals there. It's our favorite seafood restaurant in a town, rightly not known for its seafood.

Fun Fun Fun Fest And Pitchfork Media Blow Up Auditorium Shores In Austin Texas November 4-6 2011

Wed, 02 Nov 2011 00:27:00 -0700

When it was announced that Neurosis were to perform at Fun Fun Fun Fest a few years back we knew we were all in. The Bay Area band has long been one of our favorites especially when we were still in our cider chugging/train hopping Mohican era. It's certainly true that Fun Fun has hosted countless other significant bands over the years and we've seen many of them but this is the show we'll reflect over when we inevitably slip into our dotage. Austin Texas is set to host the now huge music festival at Auditorium Shores this weekend November 4,5 and 6th and rock fans who are also eating fans will be served, sometimes well and sometimes poorly, at the event. Here's the food trailer line-up

Cooking Channel's Eat Street In Austin Texas This Week Monday October 31st-Saturday Nov 5th 2011

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 09:34:00 -0700

Tony Yamanaka over on the food trailers Austin website is reporting that James Cunningham is bringing his Eat St. tv show to Austin Texas this week for a full schedule of shooting our town's trailer community. Here's the location list. Call the trailers or keep abreast of filming if you'd like to be there when the cameras are rolling.

Texas Monthly Barbecue Festival 2011 People's Choice Award Winners Announced

Sun, 30 Oct 2011 22:48:00 -0700

We had ourselves a grand time right across the street from the Texas Monthly Barbecue Festival today October 30th 2011. Like the kid in Jukebox Hero, the epic Foreigner song from a while back we couldn't get a ticket.....it was a sold out show. No matter, we lounged back, drank some Pearl Beer, listened to some Doug Sahm on our tape deck and ate a picnic lunch from Sam's Barbecue and it was just like being there. Just like.

You May Have Missed: Top Five Austin Texas Food Stories From This Past Week Oct 24th- Oct 30th 2011

Sun, 30 Oct 2011 10:31:00 -0700

Here are the most popular food stories we reported on from this past week Oct 24th - Oct 30th 2011 We reported on who won last years people's choice awards at Texas Monthly's barbecue competition and ruminated on who would take home the prize this year. http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/10/23/Who-Will-Win-Peoples-Choice-Awards-At-Texas-Monthly-BBQ-Festival-October-30th-2011 In a stunner a woman bested two hundred male dominated cook teams at the National Barbecue Championships http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/10/23/Results-Are-InAmber-King-Is-Grand-Champion-2011-National-Championship-Barbecue-Cookoff-In-Meridian

Birth Notice: Gourmand's Neighborhood Pub

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 23:56:00 -0700

Whoever thought that Webberville Road would be the new hotspot in East Austin? With Frontier Bar's solid status as best new bar in town, La Monita preparing to re-open in 2012 and now Gourmand's Neighborhood Pub taking over the old El Lobo nightclub, well, we've never had it so good. We've been in scout mode of late and have peered in the door a few times to see if we could interview an owner or manager but we've only found workmen and the biggest bassett hound we've seen in our entire life. Damn near 6 feet long and a good hundred pounds-if the new pub is half as impressive as that beast of a dog then the owners will be banking.

Birth Notice: La Boite

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 22:25:00 -0700

Baking goddess Barrie Cullinan really put La Boite on the map. The little shipping container that could has now entered expansion mode adding a second location in downtown Austin. The first La Boite is still serving on Lamar just south of Alamo Drafthouse. When La Boite opened they could have just as easily been a run of the mill coffee spot serving Russell's or Quack's baked goods like so many other joints that just sort of half-ass it on the sweet treat front.

Birth Notice: Kome

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 21:48:00 -0700

UPDATE DECEMBER 9TH 2011: SUSHI A GO GO TO CLOSE TOMORROW DECEMBER 10TH 2011. More Austin closures http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/RIP-Rest-In-Peace -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The yellow front quick mart at Manor and Alamo in East Austin has been a graveyard for food carts. We've seen a few come and go but none was more auspicious than Sushi A Go Go. This is where French Place went we were tired of world class brisket at Franklin and/or lousy, over priced tacos at Mi Madres. Of course business dictates where a food trailer plies its trade and apparently Sushi A Go Go was not raking in the dough as we went by one day for a Longhorn Roll and the little trailer had vanished.

Who Will Win People's Choice Awards At Texas Monthly BBQ Festival October 30th 2011?

Sun, 23 Oct 2011 23:55:00 -0700

We must have been living under a rock a year ago when Texas Monthly threw their big barbecue party at the Long Center. It smooth skipped right by us and never garnered so much as a glance. We were probably hunkered down at a tar paper shack out in Gonzales County eating hot guts that the pit boss's great aunt makes from an old family recipe. At least that will be our story from here on out. Last year's people choice awards:

You May Have Missed: Top Austin Texas Food Stories From This Past Week October 17-October 23rd 2011

Sun, 23 Oct 2011 14:23:00 -0700

Here are the top, breaking Austin food stories off the www.scrumptiouschef.com site. Harold Wong of Munchie's Den in Houston won Keeper Collection's Chefs Under Fire cooking competition besting Chef Daniel Valenzuela http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/10/16/Congratulations-Chef-Harold-Wong-Of-Munchies-DenWinner-Chefs-Under-Fire-2011-Grand-Finale

Redemption Song: Tiffany Harelik Takes Center Stage With Successful Reprise Of Gypsy Picnic Party

Sun, 23 Oct 2011 13:48:00 -0700

Austin Texas gave Tiffany Harelik, the Sara Jessica Parker of Austin's trailer food scene, a second chance and like a young Walter Payton she hurdled the scrum for a game winning touchdown of a party. Way to go Ms. Harelik.

Details Emerge On Gypsy Picnic Trailer Food Festival's Plans To Prevent Disastrous Repeat Of 2010

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 22:01:00 -0700

We like that the Gypsy Picnic team, headed up by Tiffany Harelik, the Sara Jessica Parker of Austin's food trailer scene, has come up with a plan of attack to prevent the disaster that was last year's party from recurring. We discussed the lynch mob mentality that attendees felt during the festival here http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/10/17/Can-The-Comedy-Of-Errors-That-Was-Gypsy-Picnic-Trailer-Food-Festival-2010-Redeem-Itself-In-2011 and we're glad to see the organizers are taking the problems they experienced last year seriously.

Can The Comedy Of Errors That Was Gypsy Picnic Trailer Food Festival 2010 Redeem Itself In 2011?

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 12:24:00 -0700

Tiffany Harelik is the "Sarah Jessica Parker of the Underground Trailer Food Scene" in Austin, Texas according to interviews we've read in local media. We have no idea what that means but we had much love for Ms. Parker in her star turn in the old tv series Square Pegs. Unfortunately Ms. Harelik's star turn at last year's disastrous Gypsy Picnic didn't turn out so well. Jamie Gertz please report to Austin. If attendance is the sole metric of success then the first edition of the Picnic was a marvel with twenty thousand attendees by some estimates. Unfortunately, the crowd that showed up found a poorly planned, poorly executed festival with little to offer other than long lines, disgusted patrons and a general mood of ill will towards the event.

Congratulations Chef Harold Wong Of Munchies Den:Winner Chefs Under Fire 2011 Grand Finale

Sun, 16 Oct 2011 22:48:00 -0700

We love the concept behind Chef Harold Wong's Munchies Den. It's a Houston area pop up restaurant that sporadically springs to life in karaoke bars, off the beaten path restaurants and wherever else Wong, the executive chef of Azuma Sushi, sees fit to ply his trade. Tonight in Austin, Keeper Collection hosted the Chef's Under Fire Finals of their statewide cooking competition. Three of the best cooks in Texas had come out of their regional cook offs for the right to compete in the finale.

Sexy Fraulein Contest,Chicken Dance,Sausage Eating Contest.Buda Texas Beer & Polka Fest Oct 22-2011

Sun, 16 Oct 2011 12:46:00 -0700

It's Oktober in Central Texas and that means one thing: Time to dust off your sexy fraulein outfit and starve yourself for a few days so you can take home the sausage eating title and if you're a sexy hoss cat you just might win the title of sexiest fraulein too. This Saturday October 22nd 2011 in Buda Texas, German folks from all over the state will convene at Buda City Park to party in their inimitable style.

You May Have Missed: Top Austin Texas Food Stories From This Past Week October 10-October 16th 2011

Sun, 16 Oct 2011 10:26:00 -0700

Here are the top stories we reported on in the Austin food scene this past week. In a shocker, a new site feature cracked our weekly top five with an astounding number of page views. It's a random post generator so you can walk helter skelter through the archive http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/10/12/NEW-SITE-FEATURE-Hit-The-Surprise-Me-Button-Over-There-To-The-Right?adminview=true We finished up our ten day long Hatch Chile Hickory Smoked Bacon project http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/10/9/Hatch-Chile-Hickory-Smoked-Bacon-Project-Part-Three-Recipe-Technique-Smoking-Slicing-And-Eating After watching lots of old Dusty Rhodes promos we wrote the following upon learning that Jodi Bart was wearing our championship strap around Austin http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/10/13/Congratulations-Jodi-Bart-For-Best-Austin-Food-Blog-Victory-But-We-Want-That-Strap Austin Chronicle readers show they rarely leave the house http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/10/13/So-Many-People-So-Very-Wrong-Yellow-Jacket-Social-ClubSwan-Dive-Win-Best-Of-Austin-Best-New-Bar And a group of elves [Baldy, Skinny, Plain-y etc ]descend on the Great State to plunder our treasury. We ain't having it http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/10/9/Magical-Elves-Of-Top-Chef-Loot-Texas-Treasury-Of-400k-Flee-Return-To-Sue-Texas-Attorney-General

Congratulations Jodi Bart For Best Austin Food Blog Victory But We Want That Strap

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 15:25:00 -0700

Jodi Bart's wearing the championship belt laden with 12lbs of gold that we reckon ought to be up on the mantle at the scrumptious house right about now. Her www.tastytouring.com blog's a fine one but we want that strap We've been in overdrive these past two years averaging a hundred articles a month on Austin food and drink. While our bread and butter is barbecue,Tex Mex and soul food we haven't left the vegetarians, burger hounds or drunkards out of the mix either.

Takeover! Stan Smith Shoulders Goodnight Concept Into Fuddrucker's Location In North Austin

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 21:50:00 -0700

Details are slowly coming in on a suspiciously Highball-esque bowling alley, pool hall, beer joint-restaurant under construction in the defunct Fuddrucker's on Anderson Lane near Alamo Drafthouse. News is breaking over on the Statesman's site and our ear is to the ground as we dig for more information.

Congratulations Restaurant Hostess Of The Year Hannah Mary Marshall Of Congress In Austin

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 16:47:00 -0700

We don't have the bank to eat in many restaurants that have hostesses but we do know the trade to involve a lot of hard work. Toddling about in stilletos, dealing with scolds, having jealous girlfriends and wives burn holes in the back of your head when the boyfriend or husband stares at your ass while you walk the couple to their table. It's a tough way to earn a buck.

You May Have Missed: Top Austin Texas Food Stories From This Past Week October 3 - October 9th 2011

Sun, 09 Oct 2011 11:38:00 -0700

Here are the top Austin Texas food stories we reported on this past week. Texas Craft brewers went up to Colorado for Great American Beer Fest and won all sorts of awards http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/10/3/The-Rise-Of-Texas-Craft-Beer-Austin-Beerworks-Humperdinks-Uncle-BillysNXNW-At-GABF-In-Colorado It was National Taco Day and we provided a guide on 15 places to gorge http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/10/4/Happy-National-Taco-Day-Austin-Fifteen-Plus-Places-For-You-To-Eat-Tacos-Morning-Noon-And-Night A big chocolate party in Austin is coming later this month http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/10/2/Austin-Chocolate-Festival-Set-To-Reveal-The-State-Of-Chocolate-In-Texas-October-15th16th-2011 John Mueller Barbecue passed inspection and prepared to open http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/10/4/The-Clouds-Have-Parted-JMueller-BBQ-aka-John-Mueller-Barbecue-Has-Passed-Inspection And he opened to largely positive reviews http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/10/7/Is-A-New-Era-Set-To-Begin-In-Texas-Barbecue-Brisket--Hot-Guts-John-Mueller-Opens-Sat-Oct-8th-2011 and the top stories from last week http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/10/2/You-May-Have-Missed-Top-Austin-Texas-Food-Stories-From-This-Past-Week-Sept-26th--October-2nd-2011

Winner! Mohawk's Quesoff Queso Cooking Competition

Sun, 25 Sep 2011 13:09:00 -0700

Our affairs took us to Taylor Texas yesterday so we were not able to attend the Mohawk's queso cook off but scuttlebutt has it that Frank, the little hot dog shop over on Colorado emerged victorious. Congratulations to chef Jody Chancey.

You May Have Missed: Top Austin Texas Food Stories From This Past Week Sept 19th - September 25th

Sun, 25 Sep 2011 11:34:00 -0700

The Austin food scene was storm tossed this past week. We packed up our judging kit and headed up to Taylor Texas to gauge brisket output from the locals http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/9/21/AttnCentral-Texas-Pit-Bosses-and-Barbecue-Cooking-TeamsSPJST-Barbecue-Cookoff-Sept-2324-Taylor-Tx

The Rebirth Of La Monita: In 2012 East Austin Will Once Again Have A World Class Carniceria

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 15:00:00 -0700

Rolling down Webberville Road this morning on a recon photo run I spy Antonio, owner of the shuttered Mexican heavyweight meat market La Monita.

Omnibus Austin City Limits Restaurant Guide For Adventurous Eaters: ACL Like A Local

Sat, 17 Sep 2011 16:07:00 -0700

My eleven part series condensed into one omnibus on how to eat like a local in Austin Texas. Barbecue http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/9/10/Top-Eleven-Bites-Of-Food-In-Austin-Texas-For-ACL-Visitors-Part-One-Railroad-Barbecue-Est1983 Vietnamese http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/9/11/Top-Eleven-Bites-Of-Food-In-Austin-Texas-For-ACL-Visitors-Part-Two-Baguette-House

Top Eleven Bites of Food In Austin Texas For ACL Visitors Part Eleven: La Traviata

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 20:02:00 -0700

Is being the best Italian restaurant in Austin the equivalent of being the best ballerina in Galveston? Are we damning La Traviata with faint praise?

Top Eleven Bites of Food In Austin Texas For ACL Visitors Part Ten: Takoba

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 19:02:00 -0700

We're generally unimpressed with this new breed of Mexican restaurant that has rolled into town these past few years. They've earned our disdain for any number of reasons that we shan't relate here. Then there's Takoba.

Top Eleven Bites of Food In Austin Texas For ACL Visitors Part Nine: Dart Bowl

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 18:24:00 -0700

Allow us to quote ourselves. The Dart Bowl is a bowling alley to a lot of people but to us it's an old-school Austin snack bar. We don't bowl but we do eat.

Top Eleven Bites of Food In Austin Texas For ACL Visitors Part Eight: Three Little Pigs

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 18:14:00 -0700

We've been eating hand cured pork belly since we were just little sprouts. Our granddaddy raised Duroc hogs and had a smokehouse in his backyard that was filled with meat during the cold Kentucky winters. We loved it then and we love it now.

Top Eleven Bites of Food In Austin Texas For ACL Visitors Part Seven: Little Thailand

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 18:00:00 -0700

One of our many aces in the hole. Eons ago, a retired Army airman and his Thai wife bought a couple mobile homes in Garfield Texas[15 miles out of Austin] jammed them into a L formation and Little Thailand was born.

Top Eleven Bites of Food In Austin Texas For ACL Visitors Part Six: The Hoffbrau

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 15:58:00 -0700

Allow us to quote ourselves: For 77 years The Hoffbrau has been putting out plainly griddled steaks with fried potatoes and vinegary salads. There's little else, perhaps a stray chicken breast or an odd onion ring lurking about.

Top Eleven Bites of Food In Austin Texas For ACL Visitors Part Five: Evangeline Cafe

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 12:39:00 -0700

We're too far from Louisiana for the real food culture of the Pelican State to have ever really taken hold. With that being said we do have a Louisiana native in town putting out one of the best appetizers in the city.

Top Eleven Bites Of Food In Austin Texas For ACL Visitors Part Four: Tom Gro Grocery

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 12:10:00 -0700

We have a deep love for a well equipped corner store complete with tiny hot counter off to one side. That New Orleans business model has not really taken hold here in Austin but at least we have Tomgro.

Top Eleven Bites Of Food In Austin Texas For ACL Visitors Part Three: Cherry Creek

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 09:31:00 -0700

While the catfish is very good at this homespun cafe [ fishing nets! vintage neon! ] in South Austin, it's the fried green tomatoes that keep us coming back for more.

Top Eleven Bites Of Food In Austin Texas For ACL Visitors Part Two: Baguette House

Sun, 11 Sep 2011 14:32:00 -0700

Ever wondered where Hank Williams played his last show before his untimely passing at the age of 27? It was in Austin, Texas at the Skyline Club at 11306 North Lamar Blvd. Just a stone's throw from Baguette House where we go to get head cheese banh mi on house made bread for under $4.

Top Eleven Bites Of Food In Austin Texas For ACL Visitors Part One: Railroad Barbecue Est.1983

Sat, 10 Sep 2011 16:25:00 -0700

When I travel far afield to a distant city for a music showcase like Ponderosa Stomp in New Orleans for example, one of my favorite things to do is go off the beaten path and hit an outlying community so that I can eat like a local.

The Insider's Take: Austin's Best Foods And Drinks For ACL Visitors

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 10:34:00 -0700

Tell us what you want to know. We're penning a big piece on where ACL visitors should eat and drink during the Festival. Food trailers? Tex Mex joints? Hamburger shops? Soul food cafes? Dive bars? Are you planning on eating and drinking til the cows come home during ACL? Let our team be your guide to Austin Texas under the radar. Comment below or contact through the site.

You May Have Missed: Top Austin Texas Food Stories From This Past Week August 28 - September 4th

Sun, 04 Sep 2011 20:16:00 -0700

Here are the top food stories we reported on this past week. We revisited a taco cart where we like to eat posole and scratch corn tortillas http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/8/31/Austin-Daily-Photo-La-Canaria-Taco-Trailer-Tuesday-August-30th-2011

You May Have Missed: Top Austin Texas Food Stories From This Past Week August 21st - August 27th

Sun, 28 Aug 2011 12:30:00 -0700

Here are the top Austin Texas food stories we reported on this past week based on page views. Austin Chronicle restaurant critic Virginia B Wood's claws come out. Takes down Tex Mex joint Vivo: http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/8/25/Chronicles-Virginia-B-Wood-speaks-Vivo-TackyGarishStrip-MallUnpleasantPulsatingObnoxious

Breaking News: New Video Released By KVUE News In Black Market Brisket Case

Fri, 26 Aug 2011 19:34:00 -0700

A quick thinking Capitol Metro bus driver may provide clues to the capture of the men behind the organized ring of meat thieves pursued by Austin Police Department in "operation meat locker". The driver felt one of her passengers was behaving in a manner unbecoming a young gentleman in addition to carrying large quantities of meat and hopping off and on the bus near Sam's Barbecue on E.12th street on a regular basis.

Attn:Austin Area Salsa Makers:Report To Waterloo Park w/$20 Donation For Louis Black Grocery Fund

Fri, 26 Aug 2011 14:08:00 -0700

Austin Chronicle's Louis Black is bound to be hurting by now. After shouldering the financial burden of the faltering, poorly attended SXSW Music/Film/Interactive conferences these past few years, the Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Competition is reportedly the only thing keeping him from the soup kitchen.

Muscle Maker Grill Invades Austin: Wisely Chooses Location Near Iron Bear Leather Bar

Fri, 26 Aug 2011 13:28:00 -0700

Hey Iron Bear denizens, meet your new neighbors! We love national chains coming to Austin and judiciously choosing their spots to maximize success but this is genius. The Muscle Maker Grill is opening on Congress Avenue right around the corner from the Iron Bear, Austin's hottest new gay leather bar. Serendipity or ingenious market analysis?

Austin Texas Casserole Queens Hit The Big Time

Mon, 22 Aug 2011 15:18:00 -0700

Preamble: Watch the Casserole Queens here on Today Show: http://www.hulu.com/watch/270670/nbc-today-show-casserole-queens-serve-up-breakfast-treat- Addie Broyles over on the Statesman website is reporting on big doin's for Austin Texas Casserole Queens. The two queens, Crystal Cook and Sandy Pollock are going to be featured on the Today Show in New York City tomorrow morning.

You May Have Missed: Top Stories From This Past Week August 14th - August 20th

Sun, 21 Aug 2011 10:01:00 -0700

Based on page views, the top stories we reported on this week: The Washington Post came to Austin to interview Aaron Franklin and visit his barbecue house http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/8/16/National-Media-Continue-To-Swarm-Austin-Washington-Post-Eats-At-Franklin-Barbecue

Along Came Gordon: Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares Kicks The Door In At El Greco

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 08:06:00 -0700

JAN 3 2012.UPDATE: EL GRECO HAS SHUTTERED. THE EPISODE OF KITCHEN NIGHTMARES THAT GORDON RAMSAY TAPED LAST FALL HAS YET TO AIR ------------------------------------------------------------ Austin lost a margin of its soul when the city caved into developers who wanted to bulldoze the old stagecoach stop on Guadalupe that had hosted two legendary steakhouses for decades. The ancient building was where Ruth's Chris opened its first Austin location before moving down to 6th street in the 90's. After Ruth's Chris vacated Ray's Steakhouse followed and became a legendary joint where the swells relaxed over 32 ounce T-bones and big glasses of high dollar whisky.

You May Have Missed: Top Stories From This Past Week August 7th - August 13th

Sun, 14 Aug 2011 10:24:00 -0700

Here are the biggest stories we reported on this week: The rise and the fall of the food truck scene in Austin Texas http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/8/11/Too-Many-Bad-Food-Trucks-In-Austin-Texas-Scene-Reaches-Breaking-Point Adam Richman of Man vs Food came to Austin Texas, ate some bad food, loved it offered his recommendations http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/8/7/Adam-Richman-Offers-Austin-Texas-Food-Tips-Hey-Cupcake-The-Mighty-Cone One of Austin's French food mainstays announced closure followed by reinvention as Mexican restaurant. We hope there will be a tia in the kitchen making scratch tortillas http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/8/11/RIP-Aquarelle-Tony-French-Mainstay-Set-For-Reinvention-As-Chonitas We rounded up the cream of the crop of Austin Texas food bloggers http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/8/7/Attention-Austin-Texas-Food-Bloggers-Tell-Us-About-Your-Websites This article mysteriously went through the roof on page views. Banh mi comes to South Austin evoking French Colonial Hanoi http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/8/8/Austin-Daily-Photo-Elizabeth-Street-Cafe-Sunday-August-8th-2011 These were our top articles of the week in one handy post. Here's a link to the previous weeks hot topics http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/8/7/You-May-Have-Missed-Top-Stories-From-This-Past-Week-July-31st--August-6th

Too Many Bad Food Trucks In Austin Texas: Scene Reaches Breaking Point

Thu, 11 Aug 2011 16:31:00 -0700

Preamble: In the header picture is Taqueria El Chanclas which is one of the best taco carts in Travis county. We go here for menudo and carne desebrada. Their corn tortillas will make you say que rico. And now onto the article: Austin, Texas leads the nation in a lot of important categories. We're easily the biggest haven for bad tattoos in North America. If you need proof roll into Lovejoys on a Friday night and sit at the bar for an hour or two. We spotted the newest tattoo trend on several girls on a recent visit. Cursive passages scrolled onto various body parts from the works of authors whom these young ladies had, at best, passing familiarity with.

RIP: Aquarelle, Tony French Mainstay Set For Re-invention As Chonita’s

Thu, 11 Aug 2011 13:44:00 -0700

We love savvy restaurateurs who keep their finger on the pulse of their business and know when the tides of consumer sentiment have shifted. We prayed that Backstage out in Spicewood would see the writing on the wall [ $23 cheeseburger? ] and reinterpret their menu to reflect changing times.

Move Over Bob Woody There’s A New Queen of Austin Nightlife: Bridget Dunlap To Open Container Bar

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 10:16:00 -0700

Mr. Woody had a pretty good run in Austin what with owning and/or managing a sizeable cadre of bars on neon-fed Sixth Street in downtown. Til a lioness/pilates instructor out of Houston came along with a grand vision of what she could create from a handful of hundred year old houses in the Rainey Street neighborhood.

Springdale Farm: Work On The Farm. Party On The Farm

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 07:59:00 -0700

One of the better local resources for chefs who pay close attention to their sourcing; Springdale Farm, gets a nice writeup this month in Country World online magazine. Years back, Glenn and Paula Foore faced the same problem a lot of good gardeners do; they didn't know what to do with a bumper harvest of tomatoes their skills had wrought.

Adam Richman Offers Austin Texas Food Tips: Hey Cupcake? The Mighty Cone?

Sun, 07 Aug 2011 12:30:00 -0700

We love Adam Richman. The tv star of Man vs Food seems like a good guy. He's funny, rotund, looks good on camera, seems earnest....in other words he has a lot of good qualities.

Attention Austin Texas Food Bloggers: Tell Us About Your Websites

Sun, 07 Aug 2011 12:08:00 -0700

As Austin Texas' Chowhound board prepares to fold up, we're looking for some new Austin food-news blogs. Are you blogging about barbecue? Writing about banh mi? Searching for the perfect barbacoa taco? On a quest for the best plate of pork belly in town? Here are a few good ones we rounded up once our local Chowhound board went silent:

You May Have Missed: Top Stories From This Past Week July 31st - August 6th

Sun, 07 Aug 2011 11:56:00 -0700

Here are the biggest stories we reported on this week. Lost in the shuffle over Sam's Barbecue potential permanent closure by Austin Police is La Morenita being up on the same charges http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/8/1/Is-La-Morenita-Guilty-Of-Buying-Black-Market-Beef-In-Austin-Brisket-DustUp

USA Today Comes To East Austin To Investigate Brisket Bandits Popped in Operation Meat Locker

Sat, 06 Aug 2011 09:34:00 -0700

We reckon East Austin has hit the big time as now USA Today has come to town to report on the high profile police busts of Sam's Barbecue, Willie's Barbecue and La Morenita. For those new to the story. An organized group of shoplifters were heisting meat from local grocery chain HEB, taking it to various restaurants and selling it on the down low.

Breaking News: Chuy's Holdings To Go Public

Fri, 05 Aug 2011 14:30:00 -0700

Goode Partners, the New York private equity firm that owns Chuys Holding's, the oddly titled Tex Mex restaurant that got its start in Austin, is taking the chain public. The company filed for an i.p.o with the United States Security and Exchange Commission earlier today. Chuy's has infiltrated the southern part of the United States opening over 2 dozen restaurants in the last few years.

New Concept Restaurant "Bacon" Announces Executive Chef

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 08:30:00 -0700

Kansas native and Austinite of the last decade, Tyler Johnson has been announced as the executive chef of the new restaurant inside the old Screaming Goat location entitled, Bacon. Johnson clawed his way through the ranks of local Mexican restaurant, Flores, before attending and graduating from Texas Culinary Academy in 2007. After a stint as chef de cuisine at the Marriot Hotel, Chef Johnson opened his own food trailer; Along Came A Slider to largely positive press.

Is La Morenita Guilty Of Buying Black Market Beef In Austin Brisket Dust-Up?

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 17:39:00 -0700

UPDATE: LA MORENITA IS CLOSED Lost in the furor of Austin Texas potentially losing one of our most important restaurants; Sam's Barbecue, is the fact that Mexican restaurant La Morenita stands accused of the exact same charges. Austin Police Departments Operation Meat Locker began approximately 3 months ago when local grocery chain HEB's loss prevention team reported large scale meat thievery.

The Death Of The Austin Chowhound Board

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 12:28:00 -0700

We read with great interest the discussion started on Austin Chowhound board by user WSZsr. The topic of the discussion is titled "Very quiet group for a city the size of Austin" and the general thrust is; why is the Austin Chowhound board on mothballs, up in the attic, gathering rust with an inch of dust on it and no foreseeable change in the near future? We have a theory.

You May Have Missed: Top Stories From This Past Week July 24th - July 30th

Sun, 31 Jul 2011 12:06:00 -0700

Here are the biggest stories we reported on this week. A look into the past and possible future of Franklin Barbecue: http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/7/28/Austin-Daily-Photo-Franklin-Barbecue-Thursday-July-28th-2011 Austin loses one of its only pure vegan restaurants: http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/7/26/RIP-Iggis-Texatarian-Tuesday-July-26th-2011 Zagat reports on Texas barbecue. New York style: http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/7/28/Tim-Zagat-We-Invented-Social-Media-Zagatcom-Speaks-On-Texas-BarbecueLooks-Foolish-In-The-Bargain A hard day in East Austin: Sam's Barbecue and Wilie's Barbecue busted by Austin Police Department: http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/7/28/Say-It-Aint-So-Sams-Barbecue-Hard-Day-On-The-East-Side-Of-Austin Giant battle of the food trucks in San Antonio: http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2011/7/24/Like-Pakistani-Food-Texas-Barbecue-Moroccan-Food-San-Antonio-Is-Having-A-Food-Truck-Throwdown

Good Morning Austin: It's National Lasagna Day. Eat A Plate Of Lasagna And Write About It

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 10:18:00 -0700

Back when I lived in Alabama I became friends with a girl whose grandmother, Agata was from Sicily. We'd ride out to the sleepy little town of Alabaster on Sunday afternoons where the granny would be busying herself in the kitchen-dealing out culinary trump cards of pure deliciousness. My all time favorite lasagna recipe?

Say It Ain't So Sam's Barbecue: Hard Day On The East Side Of Austin

Thu, 28 Jul 2011 17:06:00 -0700

University of Texas' radio station KUT is reporting some awful news in Austin today. Police are alleging that three area restaurants: Sam's Barbecue, Willie's Barbecue and La Morenita have been purchasing meat from a local thievery ring that targeted the HEB chain of grocery stores. We are praying [and we're normally not terribly prayerful ] that these allegations are untrue.

Austin American Statesman Announces New Food Critic To Fill Shoes Of Mike Sutter

Mon, 25 Jul 2011 14:52:00 -0700

Over on Austin's Eater website they're announcing that one Matthew Odam has been hired as the daily paper's new food critic. They go on to mention that he's previously been with Austinist. It had been eons since we last looked at that website but a quick perusal reminded us why. Mid afternoon on Monday their entertainment listings are a solid week out of date. While we regularly fantasize about having a time machine, our ability to go back to Monday July 18th and hit the town is sorely limited. Then we searched for a food category on their site. No luck. But once we typed food into the search bar we found a dozen or so articles posted so far in July. Then we remembered why we quit reading Austinist. Welcome to the lovely scrum that is the Austin food scene Mr. Odam. Read the eater piece on Odam here http://austin.eater.com/archives/2011/07/25/the-statesmans-new-restaurant-critic-is-matthew-odam.php

Zandunga Mexican Bistro Celebrates One Year of Bringing High Dollar Mexican Chow To East Austin

Mon, 18 Jul 2011 13:45:00 -0700

The times are few and far between but every so often we wish we pulled in a good 100k plus a year so we could try new restaurants on the East Side of Austin like Zandunga Bistro. Has it already been a year since the Torres family of Mi Madre's fame introduced extravagantly priced Mexican food to East Austin? We became aware of their one year anniversary this morning when we were looking at Austin's Eater website where Zandunga owner Christina Torres dishes on "enlightening Austin with something besides Tex-Mex."

The Best In Butchery: Hans "Grizz" Van Der Enden Of Dallas To Compete At New York's Meatopia

Fri, 15 Jul 2011 20:30:00 -0700

Hans "Grizz" Van Der Enden of Dallas' Whole Foods meat market has vanquished his Texas foes and is moving onto New York City to compete at the 2011 Amstel Light Meatopia's Best Butcher Competition Saturday July 23rd 2011. Meatopia has been described as the "Woodstock of edible animals" and was founded by Josh Ozersky the James Beard award winning columnist and author. Ozersky swears that there will not be one vegetable served at this meaty celebration.

We Don't Like Factory Made Tortillas: Here's Why

Thu, 14 Jul 2011 22:11:00 -0700

We have a laundry list of why we don't like to eat factory made tortillas when we're at Mexican restaurants and taco carts. The number one being that we like our money to line the coffers of the taqueras who're working at a high level in their kitchens. Not just tearing open a bag and calling it a day's work.

Barley Swine Chef Bryce Gilmore: Movie Star! Farm To Trailer: A Documentary

Thu, 14 Jul 2011 08:22:00 -0700

Interesting documentary from film maker Christian Remde about local chef Bryce Gilmore over on Vimeo. Gilmore describes his journey from starting in restaurants when he was 14 all the way through culinary school and through the birth of his now legendary farm to table trailer; Odd Duck.

There Will Be Naked People: Celebrate Bastille Day At Justine's

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 20:14:00 -0700

Update: 2012 Bastille Day Party at Justine's https://www.facebook.com/events/325555944193227/ and a look at last year's fete: The louche kids running Justine's are throwing a Bastille Day party Thursday July 14th 2011. If prior parties these animals have thrown are any indication expect copious amounts of liquor to be guzzled, loud punk rock music to be blasted and naked people to be in abundance. Sounds like our kind of scene.

Trudy’s Tex Mex Restaurant Hits The Big Time: Mexican Martini Feature In New York Times

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 11:13:00 -0700

Trudy's, the local redoubt of non-discriminating drinkers and server of C-grade Mexican food has hit the big time. This morning's New York Times has a feature on their wildly overrated Mexican martini. The syrupy sweet concoction that's the favorite of sorority girls and their adherents gets big coverage in the paper of record. Want to feel your blood pressure go through the roof?

Celebrate Bastille Day With Soraiya Nagree and Pascal Jeannin At The French Legation

Mon, 11 Jul 2011 14:26:00 -0700

La Pâtisserie by Luxe Sweets [ Soraiya Nagree ] and Pascal's Catering Company [Pascal Jeannin ] will be at The French Legation this Saturday July 16th 2011 to mark Bastille Day in Austin Texas. Two days late but still ready to party. The celebration lasts from 7 pm - 11 pm and there will be live music. One blood chilling fact that must be made note of: children under 12 are admitted free.

Would You Like To Eat A Big Ol Mess Of Free Fried Chicken And Waffles?

Mon, 11 Jul 2011 13:09:00 -0700

This Wednesday, July 13 2011, The Dogwood on W. 6th St. in downtown Austin is having its' one year anniversary party. The lads are doing it up right by giving away boatloads of free signature food items off their stacked Deep South style menu. Expect a Southern feast from the kitchen of Beaumont native Daniel Woodard with big chafing dishes piled high with Pulled Pork Sandwiches, Fried Chicken And Buttermilk Waffles, Crab Balls, the eponymous burger layered with bacon and fried green tomatoes, Shrimp Ceviche as well as snow cones laced with Deep Eddy Sweet Tea Vodka.

Why Alison Cook Is Wrong About Austin Not Measuring Up To Houston

Mon, 11 Jul 2011 12:31:00 -0700

We have a deep love of Houston and it's intense food scene but when Alison Cook, speaking on Dallas and Austin's food scene, says: "And sorry, but Houston's got it all over those other cities in terms of progressive dining, from our handful of talented young modernist chefs and foragers to our exciting culinary underground of pop-ups, collaborative dinners and a flourishing food truck scene that may soon rival Austin's."

Ever Wanted To Go Back In Time On This Site?

Mon, 11 Jul 2011 09:37:00 -0700

I have. Now you can. Scroll to the bottom of the page and you'll see brand new page markers so you can take giant leaps backwards through time and look at articles and photos from the past.

Austin Texas' Urban Roots Defeats Hundreds To Bring Home The Bacon

Sun, 10 Jul 2011 12:18:00 -0700

Growing up on a farm in Eastern Kentucky meant developing lots of gardening skills as a kid. Most children in Austin aren't so lucky, which is where Urban Roots steps into the picture. The local group recently competed against almost 300 other organizations across the U.S in a bid to capture a $2500 prize bequeathed by Green America. They won.

New Barbecue Restaurant Coming To Taylor Texas

Fri, 08 Jul 2011 04:18:00 -0700

How long before Taylor Texas, pop. 15 or so thousand, reaches maximum density on barbecue restaurants? The city already has four establishments in Davis Grocery, Louie Mueller, Taylor Cafe as well as West End Cafe and Barbecue. Make that five.

Life's Good In Hays County Texas: Fresh Produce And Meat At 150 Market Near Kyle

Fri, 08 Jul 2011 03:23:00 -0700

At the historic Michaelis Ranch near Kyle, Texas a small farmers market is popping up on the weekends. Michaelis Ranch is famous. It was founded in the 1890s by Max G. Michaelis Sr who made his stamp on Texas as well as the rest of the USA by becoming the biggest donkey breeder America had ever seen. He also introduced the Charolais breed of cattle to the United States.

This Morning In The Chronicle Food Section:Misty Water Colored Memories,Sonya Cote And A Goat's Life

Thu, 07 Jul 2011 09:42:00 -0700

This morning in Austin Chronicle's food section Claudia Alarcon takes the readers on a journey through the kitchen at Threadgills circa 1984. The gal can really write. That's the only way I can explain an inexplicable craving for chicken and dumplings and chicken fried steak that comes over me while reading the piece.

Mike Sutter We Hardly Knew Ye

Wed, 06 Jul 2011 11:19:00 -0700

The Austin American Statesman's food critic, Mike Sutter, is calling it a day. We've always had a hard time gleaning content off the Stateless' [ as it's known on the street ] website. It looks like a Commodore 64 was instrumental in its design. Mr. Sutter was a huge improvement on the former critic, Dale Rice, whose moving on to greener pastures was met with a giant yawn by Austin's food community. Big question: Who will replace the departing Sutter?

Louie Mueller Barbecue In Taylor Texas Hits The Big Time

Sun, 03 Jul 2011 11:11:00 -0700

Up in Taylor Texas, the iconic Louis Mueller barbecue has been magnetizing people from all over the globe with their pluperfect take on smoked brisket, ribs and sausage for over 60 years. CBS, formerly known as "The Tiffany Network" has a nice video piece on Louie Mueller Barbecue up on their website. It's 4th of July weekend so you can expect all media outlets to do their requisite barbecue pieces with quality ranging from abysmal to approaching good. I like the introduction to the video where the reporter opines that Texas is much more than cowboys, cattle and huge ranches.

In Houston Texas The Police Take Their Barbecue Very Very Seriously

Sun, 03 Jul 2011 10:59:00 -0700

A thirty year veteran of the Houston police force has been fired. Officer Mike Hamby was competing in the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo barbecue competition when he allegedly threw a tear gas canister into the tent of a rival cooking team; Fayette County Cookers. The tent included several military veterans some of whom were amputees.

Ever Wondered What It’s Like To Slaughter, Dress And Eat A Feral Hog?

Sat, 02 Jul 2011 17:55:00 -0700

Growing up in Kentucky the only hogs living in the wild were of the ground variety. My uncle had a standing $5 a head bounty on them so I spent many an afternoon with a .22 long rifle out near one of the cornfields on Heifer Creek killing every one of them I came across. These bounties made for good spending money for a farm kid who had plenty expensive habits even back then. While the menace of a groundhog is not to be underestimated [ they can wreak havoc on a corn patch ] it is nothing compared to the problems the state of Texas is facing with the wild boar community. They are gluttonous, there are over two million of them across the state, they travel in gangs [ called sounders ] and they destroy $400 million dollars in agriculture each year.

Texas Public Policy Foundation Is Against Texas Brisket, Texas And Barbecue In General

Sat, 02 Jul 2011 15:17:00 -0700

When you come gunning for Texas brisket and you're a mouthpiece for one of our states biggest right wing think tanks you might better dig your heels in cause there's going to be one hell of a backlash.

A Guide To Vegetarian And Vegan Restaurants In Austin Texas

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 13:56:00 -0700

After a brief, disastrous bout with vegetarianism over ten years ago [ I gained 15 pounds in a few long weeks ] I stepped back into the clearlight and embraced being the omnivore I'd been my entire life. As a vegetarian I could not stop eating. I was never satisfied no matter how big the plate or bold the flavors. I remember sitting on my sofa at night with a giant, steel bowl of cut up mangoes, bananas, apples, papaya....anything I could buy at the grocery store that I thought might fill me up. After methodically consuming 3-5 pounds of chopped fruit each night I could finally get the level of fullness that I'd come to associate with the pleasures of a pork chop, a burger or a BLT.

Japanese Cows Riding To Texas In Jet Airplanes

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 15:44:00 -0700

In 1994 some Texas cattlemen brought a herd of Akaushi cattle from Kumamoto Japan down to a ranch in Harwood about 15 miles east of Luling. The critters were transported in a 747 jet airplane. The cattlemen's intent was to make this breed of animal available for eating in the United States. Mission accomplished. Akaushi, which means "red cow" in Japanese, is a Wagyu, which is to say a type of Japanese cattle. They, along with the the Japanese Polled, the Japanese Shorthorn and the Kryoshi (Japanese Black), are much prized for their flesh.

"Gourmet trucks are hip and all the rage, but all of you are idiots." Ask A Mexican! On Food Carts

Mon, 27 Jun 2011 19:10:00 -0700

The old sway backed nag that is the Chow website can still put out an interesting article once in a blue moon. In a piece titled "Food Truck Frenzy Leaves Loncheras In The Dust" Gustavo Arrelano, syndicated writer of the "Ask A Mexican" newspaper column, posits that Mexican taco cart owners are being left out of the frenzy of media accorded their hip new peers in the mobile food culture that's currently gripping the United States. "If you only saw these shows like Eat Street or most of the coverage on the Food Network, you'd think this is a brand-new phenomenon that has never existed before in the United States," Speaking at a food cart festival in Oakland that drew thousands of people in two and a half days, Mr. Arellano said the following: "Let us now praise famous loncheras." His point being that perhaps an old school lonchera could be invited to a huge, food cart festival. In a piece in Westword, a Denver alt-weekly, Arellano continues on the topic. "Gourmet trucks are hip and all the rage, but all of you are idiots. You're not doing anything new, you're not celebrating anything new, you're just riding the coattails of people who went to court and fought for this." Let's view his hypothesis through the lens of Austin Texas. Last fall, C3, an Austin-based entertainment company, threw a big food cart party called the Gypsy Picnic on the banks of Lady Bird Lake with thirty local carts providing the chow. Not one lonchera amongst them. Hundreds of lonchera carts in Austin have been running for decades prior to the current trend of gourmet food trucks and not one was invited to the celebration of the mobile food culture. But let's examine Arellano's argument more closely. Since Yelp is a highly regimented food forum where each review is strictly filed under the respective restaurant which it applies to, we'll use the site as a base metric. Let's look at two food carts: The modern, chef driven cart utilizing farm to market ingredients [which Arellano calls "luxe lonchera] vs the old school lonchera cart putting out tacos for a primarily Latino crowd. Chef Bryce Gilmore [regarded as one of Austin's best chefs] opened up his Odd Duck Farm To Trailer cart in December of 2009. Since that opening his cart has been reviewed 316 times. Chef Yolanda Sanchez Cornejo [regarded as one of Austin's best taqueras] opened up her cart El Taco Rico early in 2007. Since that opening her business has been reviewed 4 times. That's pretty stark and it definitely gives me pause. I'd never thought about Arellano's theory til I read the Chow article. I got turned onto loncheras back in the 1990's and have had a thing for food carts ever since. The reason being that they are often open extremely early and extremely late, they are cheap, they typically make their food from scratch and I like to sit outside when I eat. I praised the heavens when the lonchera scene started to diversify. All of a sudden I could get a lamb hot dog covered with feta cheese and tzatziki sauce, a plate of Yom Nua or a basket of Korean fried chicken. I never slowed down to think about the effect the rampant popularity of the new carts with their Twitter accounts and sous vide cooking techniques could have on the old fashioned loncheras. I was too busy eating and loving the food at places like East Side King, Arancini and Three Little Pigs. Delicious but a far cry from the lonchera-based carne guisada tacos I'd eaten and loved for years. But Arellano has made me think about the forebears of this movement. Some of these people got their asses beaten for their trailblazing work. They were threatened, robbed at pistol point and had laws passed to limit their ability to do business. Hell, we're still combating these problems in the Austin of 2011, can you imagine how tough it was 20 years ago? Speaking further on the difference between the new gastro-carts and the old taco wagons Arellano continues..."they're really no different -- except the luxe-loncheras will charge you four bucks for the same tacos the regular loncheras gives you for two." Now we're starting to see the bleed over from that unhappy circumstance. The loncheras are visiting their rivals and beginning to emulate them. Our former $1.50 tacos are heading towards $4 and our beloved homemade tortillas are beginning to be replaced by factory issue ones. This is the Torchy's effect, as these are the business practices of the immensely popular Austin based taco chain. I've read Arellano's column Ask A Mexican for years. It is hilarious. He's clearly a well informed writer raising some interesting points about the current food truck trend. Below is a hot link to a great article Arellano wrote for Orange County Weekly about the hard lives of the old school loncheras in Southern California. It's well worth your time. When you're finished pondering this topic I'd love for you to share your thoughts in comments about this subject. http://www.ocweekly.com/2009-07-23/food/taco-trucks/

RIP: The Good Knight, Randall Stockton's Speakeasy Is No More

Thu, 23 Jun 2011 14:51:00 -0700

I've always felt good spending my money at Beerland, Rio Rita, The Grackle and Live Oak Barbecue knowing that the money was going to local boy made good Randall Stockton's growing empire. The empire has now contracted by one. We enjoyed going to the Good Knight from the get go. It was small and dark and able to evoke a mood from a long since gone past. Quite a nice place to take a date on a chill Winter's eve. Who knows what the particulars are relevant to the closure? East Austin is reaching total saturation of new places, all clamoring for your leisure dollar. Dozens of bars and restaurants are elbowing each other with some offering genuine value and others merely trying to extract a bit of lucre from your pocket with a hall of smoke and mirrors. With well equipped, empty restaurants in East Austin being extremely rare it will be interesting to see what comes along in the Good Knight's former space.

Austinite Mark S. Hall Brings His Doc: "Sushi: The Global Catch" To The World Stage

Mon, 20 Jun 2011 15:43:00 -0700

Austinite Mark S. Hall won a special jury prize this month at the Seattle International Film Festival. His film; "Sushi: A Global Catch" had it's world premiere at the festival. Of interest to Austin is the scene featuring Sushi A Go Go, the Austin food cart whose signature dish is the Longhorn roll with rib-eye steak, cream cheese and avocado, served with a green sauce made of cilantro and jalapeño. Read more about Mark S. Hall and his documentary here: http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/06/20/documentaries-delve-into-the-sushi-economy/ Sushi A Go Go 4917 Airport Blvd Austin, Texas 78751 [512] 560-1655

Fort Worth's Chef Tim Love At The Food & Wine Classic In Aspen

Mon, 20 Jun 2011 12:35:00 -0700

Lonesome Dove chef Tim Love is up in Aspen Colorado at The Food & Wine Classic pounding shots, building fires and cooking big piles of meat. Advice for the home cook from the meat and wood burning obsessed Love: Go wild when you're seasoning your meat. How wild? "I'm talking about heart attack seasoning."

Another Day, Another Austin Chef Makes The News: Barley Swine’s Chef Bryce Gilmore In Food And Wine

Thu, 16 Jun 2011 13:38:00 -0700

Back in April of this year Bryce Gilmore was honored by Food and Wine magazine as one of USA's top twenty best new chefs. News spread like wildfire with the tremendous lines at his Odd Duck Farm To Trailer [ currently run by his brother ] and Barley Swine growing ever longer. Food and Wine interviews Chef Gilmore in their new issue. He dishes on the following:

Tyson Cole Wins Most Innovative Chef In USA

Tue, 31 May 2011 23:54:00 -0700

Over on Chow, the food website owned by CBS, they've been running a competition for most innovative chef in the USA. 16 chefs from across the nation were pitted against one another in a bracketed, popular vote-based shootout. Tyson Cole of Austin's Uchi and Uchiko, emerged from the fray with a hotly contested victory over such luminaries as Ludo LeFebvre [who's bringing a food cart to Austin soon ] Dominique Crenn who took home an Iron Chef America crown and Michael Voltaggio a chef in Pasadena California. But here's the best part.

Do You Own A Food Cart In Austin Texas?

Tue, 31 May 2011 18:43:00 -0700

Tony Yamanaka, the marketing coordinator for Austin's Better Business Bureau has founded a non-profit to advance the Austin food cart scene. The Food Trailer Alliance is a coalition of food truck owners and operators teaming up so they may share knowledge and resources in their field of expertise. The first thing that occurs to me is that a group of like minded owners all working in the same field could do some group buying at incredibly discounted rates. 100 briskets versus 5 or 1000 pounds of potatoes versus 50. Sharing critical data on such important facets of the business as lunchtime operating versus evening operating or discussing food cart saturation of certain neighborhoods versus other areas of Austin that are woefully underserved. The variables are endless. Worrisome issues may also present themselves. Imagine corporate honcho Tom Ramsey of the Snappy Snacks empire dolling himself up in full drag to infiltrate a meeting. His attempts to squelch the competition have been well documented [comments below] Of course he got his payback [comments below] Mr. Yamanaka also runs a website devoted to Austin food carts. I'll put a hotlink up to it in comments below. Any questions you may have regarding The Food Trailer Alliance are answered on the site.

Consumed By Fritos: The Life of Charles Elmer Doolin

Tue, 31 May 2011 14:31:00 -0700

The life of C.E Doolin, the man who brought Fritos into popular culture, is fascinating. As a confectioner in San Antonio in the 1930s, Mr. Doolin became obsessed with adding a corn product to the coterie of goodies he was already offering. It's not known why Doolin developed this obsession but the prevalence of masa in San Antonio food culture may have played a role.

If They Don't Have The Skill To Make Scratch Tortillas How Good Can Their Mexican Food Be?

Thu, 26 May 2011 12:48:00 -0700

Out here in Austin we're seeing dozens of new Mexican joints pop up. Most are taco carts while some are brick and mortar but there is a disturbing trend amongst the start ups. They're serving tortillas from plastic bags. There are now two types of Mexican restaurants in town.

A Mangalitsa Hog Walks Into Memphis Tennessee

Tue, 24 May 2011 20:56:00 -0700

A huge upset was almost pulled off by a Hungarian wooly pig from Washington state at the World Championship Barbecue Cooking Competition in Memphis a little over a week ago. The USA had it's dream team in basketball back in 1992 but they couldn't hold a candle to the dream team that stormed out of nowhere to almost snatch a victory at Memphis' historic barbecue showdown. The Fatback Collective, the cooking team of Jim n Nick's Bar-B-Q, a regional chain based out of Birmingham was competing in their first event but they had multiple weapons:

Food Documentaries Of The American South

Tue, 24 May 2011 18:38:00 -0700

I reckon in its' own way the Deep South starts out near Beaumont Texas. This is where the restaurants start serving sweet tea, fried catfish and hushpuppies is commonplace and the back windows of pick up trucks often feature the rebel flag along with Hank III and David Alan Coe stickers. Southern Foodways Alliance has commissioned numerous films celebrating the food culture of the Southern States. By their metric the American South ends somewhere around western Louisiana but I think the east most part of Texas should be included. The films cover many topics, all fascinating if you love good cooking and good storytelling.

Breaking News: Three Little Pigs To Begin Serving Lunch

Tue, 24 May 2011 16:52:00 -0700

Working in the food and beverage industry means that any recreational eating that you can wiggle in often times has to be done during the day before your shift starts. I've pow wowed with lots of chefs and bartenders around town who are well aware of what Chef Raymond Tatum is accomplishing out of his cart in the parking lot of East End Wines over on Rosewood Street....they just haven't been able to get by there because they're working during his operating hours. That's all about to change. I headed on over to East End Wines twitter feed this morning to see what new wines they'd gotten in and lo and behold; Three Little Pigs is about to start opening for lunch. No word on when but I'll put the hotlink up in comments below so y'all can check out the good news for yourself. The East Side just got a new and major player for lunch time. All Three Little Pigs coverage here: http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/search.cfm?search=three+little+pigs

Best Comfort Food In Austin:Institutional Food Service,Threadgills And The Art Of Fooling The Public

Thu, 19 May 2011 15:37:00 -0700

The Austin Chronicle's 2011 Restaurant Poll is out. Apparently they've shanghaid the art director from Cooking Lite or some other such publication as the cover art is pure milquetoast. I've taken the trouble of synthesizing the Austin Chronicle's Restaurant Poll down to it's most important elements. Here's the best part of the whole shebang. In the Reader's Poll Threadgill's wins "Best Comfort Food."

Comprehensive List: Locally Brewed Draft Beer in Austin Texas

Sat, 14 May 2011 19:06:00 -0700

I'm compiling what I hope will be a massive list of Austin bars and restaurants that are doing the right thing and offering a good array of Live Oak and Real Ale brew on tap. I'm biting off way more than I can chew on this project and need your help. What Austin bars are y'all hanging out at that are pulling the handles of local drafts? Let's go ahead and include Circle, Jester King, 512 and any other local beer makers. I'm really excited at the prospects of Adelbert's opening this year too. Once you've responded in comments below I'll add your contribution to the list. 1] I'll get the ball rolling by mentioning Lovejoy's Taproom as they not only offer plenty Live Oak and Real Ale but they're also a hidden treasure as they employ one Todd Henry, a brewer savant with a rabid following amongst local beer aficionados. Lovejoy's Taproom 604 Neches St Austin Texas 78701 512-477-1268 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2] Thunderbird Coffee on Manor Road has a handful of taps with Live Oak, 512 and Real Ale all represented Thunderbird Coffee 2200 Manor Road, Austin Texas 78722 512-472-9900 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3] In Central Austin one of the oldest pint houses in town has been soldiering along since 1968. Draught House Pub & Brewery 4112 Medical Pkwy Austin Texas 78756 512-452-6258 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4] Cherrywood Cafe is a good place to knock back a local pint or two. Since they added Chef Kevin Jackson to their staff the food has risen several notches. Plenty local beers on tap Cherrwood Cafe 1400 E 38th 1/2 St Austin Texas 78722 512-538-1991 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5] Billy Forrester is a local legend. His formula of cold beer and pub grub at prices that won't break you down and leave you disheveled in the street, has carried him to notable success at Waterloo Brewing Company, Dog & Duck and now Billy's on Burnet. Plenty local taps are found here. Billy's on Burnet 2105 Hancock Drive Austin Texas 78756 512-407-9305 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6] Zax Restaurant and Bar [ formerly Zax Pints and Plates ] is one of my favorite places in town to get a Bacon Bleu Cheese Burger. They have a wall of taps with plenty Live Oak and Real Ale. A curiously deserted patio makes this a nice place to lay back with a pint and soak in some peace. Zax Restaurant and Bar 312 Barton Springs Road Austin Texas 78704 512-481-0100 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7] Randall Stockton's East Side takeover continues apace with The Grackle [ formerly Primo's Icehouse ]. Two of the Eastside's better bartenders migrated here from Rio Rita so the service is actually professional. Odd layout to the room but a good selection of taps mitigates that nicely. Ask barkeep Aaron Reed to match your beer with the food from East Side King, the Japanese food cart in the parking lot. The Grackle 1700 E 6th St Austin Texas 78702 512-524-0133 8] Nomad on the upper east side of Austin filled in a big gap in the Windsor Park neighborhood. With all the young money moving into the neighborhood it was only a matter of time before somebody backed a truck filled with leather furniture and polished woods to the door of a rundown plaza and built a bar. Which is how Nomad came to be. Not a lot of taps but always a Live Oak and a Real Ale to go with their other selections. 1213 Corona Dr Austin Texas 78723 512-628-4288 9] more to come, hope to get about fifty sources up in the next couple months

Anyone Who's Ever Set Down To Eat A Meal In Louisiana Should Read The Following

Sat, 14 May 2011 11:00:00 -0700

The Mississippi is on a rampage. It's looking like the folks in charge of attempting to control the river are about to open the Morganza Spillway and forever change the lives of thousands of Louisianans. The New Yorker is re-releasing a beautiful article by John McPhee on the subject. It's worth an hour or so of your time to read it. Hot link in comments below.

Former Austinite Robb Walsh Wins His Third James Beard Award

Tue, 10 May 2011 16:38:00 -0700

Robb Walsh won his third James Beard award for food journalism Friday night in Las Vegas. Mr Walsh's accomplishments are many: Owner of El Real Tex Mex Cafe in Houston. Founder of Austin's Hot Sauce Festival. Writer of 9 books on a variety of cuisines the most important being Tex Mex and Barbecue.

Got $65 Burning A Hole In Your Pocket? Want Some John Mueller Brisket?

Tue, 10 May 2011 13:20:00 -0700

Saturday June 4th 2011 Pit Boss John Mueller will be smoking brisket at Boggy Creek Farms for the Foodways Texas "Up In Smoke" party. Jesse Griffiths will be roasting a whole feral hog as well. Most public Austin food parties I attend are colossal bores but something tells me this could be a good one.

Shocker: Sarasota Florida Native Tyson Cole Brings Home The James Beard Bacon To Austin Texas

Tue, 10 May 2011 00:09:00 -0700

I love Mr. Cole's reaction the first time he sampled sushi: "I thought it was fucking disgusting. I hated it,"

Live Oak Barbecue and Beer: First Visit To 2713 East 2nd Street

Sat, 07 May 2011 12:38:00 -0700

With little else to interest us on a Friday night we hop on our bikes and motor over to visit Randall Stockton's new eatery: Live Oak Barbecue and Beer. The beer part will have to wait as I reckon all the paperwork isn't in order, so we content ourselves with a pair of Big Reds, a pound of brisket and a sausage link.

Happy Cinco de Mayo Austin: Eat Mexican Food Ten Times Today and Write About It !

Thu, 05 May 2011 15:22:00 -0700

That's what I'm going to do. I definitely got a good start by knocking out a Bacon Egg and Cheese on corn tortillas before I even left the house. Made a quick dash down to Once Over Coffee Bar and hit El Primo for a decent Chorizo and bean. After the non-food part of life reared up for a bit I resumed by plundering a couple desebradas at La Moreliana. Since taco cart Esperanza is a stone's throw down the street I ventured down and had a quick Tinga as a desert.

Roadfood 2011: 800 Joints Across America

Tue, 03 May 2011 22:38:00 -0700

Jane and Michael Stern have been putting out Roadfood books since 1978. This was well before Al Gore invented the internet and eons before food obsession became the pet rock of the modern era. The new one has a great title: Roadfood: The Coast-to-Coast Guide to 800 of the Best Barbecue Joints, Lobster Shacks, Ice Cream Parlors, Highway Diners, and Much, Much More I love that they trumpet the qualities of the stock the cover is printed on thusly: "It is printed on paper designed to absorb maximum drips of barbecue sauce, gravy, fried-chicken juice, pancake syrup, and melting ice cream."

Forgotten Barbecue Joints of Central Texas Part 2: John Mueller Barbecue

Sun, 01 May 2011 13:21:00 -0700

This is where Aaron Franklin made his bones in the barbecue business before he became a successful entrepreneur. I've always been a little leery of barbecue in the city limits of Austin. Yes, we do have good smoked meat but generally I like to get out in the country, drive down a gravel road or two, hopefully cross a railroad track and if I have to drive down by a riverside then I'm real happy. So when John Mueller opened up in his impossibly convenient Manor Road location I wasn't particularly thrilled. Til I tried the meat. This is when Austin grew up and became a true barbecue mecca.

Breaking News: Local Icon Little City Espresso Bar and Cafe Set to Close Friday May 13th 2011

Fri, 29 Apr 2011 11:10:00 -0700

I'm disconsolate. My favorite coffee shop in Austin is shuttering. After 17 glorious years of serving our city, Little City is calling it a day.

Where Were You In 1983?

Thu, 21 Apr 2011 23:33:00 -0700

Alison Cook issued a call to arms in 1983. Our beloved Texas and all the glorious variations on it and beloved neighbor Mexico's cuisine were being gussied up and trotted out for national consumption and she wasn't buying it. I made a rallying cry a few years back: "Take to the streets, they're charging for chips and salsa", after venturing into an Austin Tex Mex cafe and being bewildered when I received my check and noticed I'd been charged for the Texas' birthright. Free chips and salsa brought to table by a smiling Mexican girl is part of our cultural heritage and should not be infringed on by unsavory business men and their get rich quick schemes. Ms. Cook issues several battle cries during the course of her several 1000 words article: She's rightly peeved at the over use of mesquite, she looks askance at the rise of cilantro, thinks Cappy Lawton needs to be mugged in a back alley, rightly refers to the County Line Barbecue chain as "preppy" and looks favorably towards Lufkin and a certain restaurant that deep fries it's yeast rolls. It's a great piece and an entertaining way to spend a half hour or an hour depending on how fast of a reader you are. I'll put a link to it up in comments below. I'd love to hear what Ms. Cook thinks of the new trend happening in Austin where Mexican food is being re-interpreted as fine dining.

Three Little Pigs Part 4: Raymond Tatum Hits The Big Time. The Statesman Has Come Calling

Tue, 19 Apr 2011 23:51:00 -0700

Love it, hate it or be deeply ambiguous about it, our daily newspaper, the Austin American Statesman still swings some weight in this old town. While the Austin Chronicle might drive 3 or 4 people to your business with a favorable review, the Statesman can send dozens. Dozens. Which can be a game changer for a small food operation like Three Little Pigs, the nose to tail food cart from local-legend Raymond Tatum. I've been eating there since the day he opened in the back parking lot of East End Wines at the confluence of E. 11th St and Rosewood Avenue. The comparisons to the more famous Odd Duck are obvious. A talented chef, working primarily with pig and locally sourced ingredients, cooking at a high level at prices that beggar the imagination. Everything is $4-7, it is delicious and it is cooked to order while you wait. I love East Side King but it's easy to sort of scratch at their menu and spend 30 bucks whereas you can totally run the table at Chef Tatum's cart for the same price. Mike Sutter's piece in the daily actually has some merit it to it. Raymond's pig skin graft is duly noted and mention is made of how worthless the Small Business Administration has become. Of particular interest is the cost breakdown of how much dough you'll need if you want to follow in Tatum's footsteps and open your own cart. It ain't cheap. The trials of becoming a small business owner are notated and the story gains traction as the author and chef visit Richardson Farms, a pork operation in Rockdale Texas. Three Little Pigs is one of my top 5 carts in Austin. A little main stream media attention might be just what it takes for it to become wildly successful like Odd Duck or East Side King. A link to the article is in comments below. 512-653-5088 Open 5 to 10 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays.

Tired of Burgoo Yet? Naw, Me Neither

Tue, 19 Apr 2011 22:49:00 -0700

I posted my Burgoo recipe over on my favorite food site: Roadfood and it provoked some interesting comments. The link is : http://www.roadfood.com/Forums/Slow-Difficult-Recipes-Part-2-Authentic-Kentucky-Burgoo-Recipe-m646474.aspx here I think what I've written about Porrusalda in the past is also salient to Burgoo. Burgoo has a thousand fathers each claiming primacy. While some hold that mutton is integral to the dish others claim that mutton is not necessary but without grouse it simply is not burgoo. I cooked for a catering company based in Baton Rouge a few years back. Firestorms of gumbo controversy were regularly touched off on simple ingredients like Bay Leaves, Okra, Tomatoes etc with each camp claiming that the addition or subtraction of said ingredients effectively rendered the dish "not gumbo".

Bryce Gilmore Hits The Big Time: Food and Wine's Top 20 Best New Chefs 2011

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 00:40:00 -0700

He's being honored for his creation of Odd Duck Farm to Trailer and the execution of an all local menu, the first of it's kind for a food cart in Austin. By ramping up the game in Austin, Chef Gilmore has done every eater in town a favor. We want our grits and they better come from a grits tree that grew out of good Texas soil.

New Scrumptiouschef Site Goes Live Tonight

Sun, 03 Apr 2011 13:38:00 -0700

The boys in the cold fusion lab up in Cincinnati are rolling up their sleeves and icing down the sequel server in anticipation of taking down the old www.scrumptiouschef.com site and putting up the new scrump 2.0 version. Should take a few hours so www.scrumptiouschef.com will be down starting around 5 pm and hopefully coming back to life around midnight. To celebrate I'll be rolling up to Pflugerville this evening and going on a pub crawl with team scrump while the tech guys are slaving away in Ohio. See y'all soon

MSG Is Good For You

Sat, 12 Mar 2011 13:21:00 -0700

I've been fascinated by monosodium glutamate for years. When I go out for Asian food I always ask the waiter if he can tell the kitchen to "put a little extra msg in it". I figure the cooks will then know they've got a serious eater at the table and up their game accordingly. Any right thinking person loves parmesan cheese, ripe tomatoes, bacon, ham, soy sauce, fish sauce, Worcestershire and any number of other foods that are rich with msg. So why do some people not enjoy a good blast of umami in their food? For a lot of folks it's the "lard theory". Everybody said lard was bad for so long that nobody stopped long enough to analyze whether that argument was accurate or not. Of course once the research scientists at the Harvard School For Public Health tackled the lard conundrum and declared it safe there was a seismic shift in the cooking world resulting in delicious, healthful lard being featured on menus across the country.

A Primer on Eating Fatty Foods to Improve Your Health

Sun, 06 Mar 2011 20:48:00 -0700

I just finished reading a great article on fat by Kristin Wartman on the website Civil Eats. The highlights: "No randomized trial looking at weight change has shown that people did better on a low-fat diet. For many people, low-fat diets are even worse than moderate or high-fat diets because they're often high in carbohydrates from rapidly digested foods such as white flour, white rice, potatoes, refined snacks and sugary drinks." Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian-assistant professor at the Harvard School of Public Health

Mouth Watering Goodness From Austin Area Taco Bells

Sun, 06 Mar 2011 15:19:00 -0700

I have friends, sentient beings who actually EAT at Taco Bell. In Austin, a city filled with amazing, taco carts that are cheaper than the franken "food" that this company serves. If you're really brave click on the more button and find out what's in their chili

El Taco Rico Hits The Big Time: Chow Comes To Austin To Film Chef Yolanda Sanchez-Cornejo

Wed, 23 Feb 2011 10:43:00 -0700

I'll never forget the first time I ate at the El Taco Rico food cart in the Montopolis neighborhood. I felt like Austin had made a giant leap forward in the world of Mexican cuisine. How could it be that food this good could be coming from a tiny cart in a laundry mat parking lot? The website Chow has found out about Austin's best kept secret as well. Read comments below for a hotlink to a video featuring Austin's best Mexican restaurant: El Taco Rico.

Jake Silverstein of Texas Monthly Speaks on Tex Mex, Hamburgers, Dr. Pepper and Grapefruit

Tue, 22 Feb 2011 22:26:00 -0700

Out here in Austin Texas we eat a lot of Tex Mex.

Dai Due Hits The Big Time: Chow Comes To Austin To Film Chef Jesse Griffiths

Mon, 21 Feb 2011 15:20:00 -0700

I had the pleasure of meeting Jesse Griffiths of Dai Due last Fall at a photo shoot featuring Austinites prominent in the local food scene.

Odd Duck Hits The Big Time: Chow Comes To Austin To Film Chef Bryce Gilmore

Wed, 16 Feb 2011 23:27:00 -0700

A while back over on Chowhound, Roxanne Webber of the website Chow posted a request for Austin eaters to list their recommendations of where she should visit when she came to town to shoot a food video. She got a lot of responses.

Food Writers I Admire Part 2: Ian McNulty of Gambit

Tue, 15 Feb 2011 15:07:00 -0700

I spend a lot of time in New Orleans. 2010 found me there on 5 separate trips, admittedly nary a one was longer than 5 days but I'll make do with a handful of nights and days any chance I get. America's only European city has held me under it's sway since I was little kid on vacation with the parentals, crabbing in Lake Pontchartrain, exploring the French Quarter and eating our way across the city.

Addicted To Coke? Recipe Follows...

Mon, 14 Feb 2011 12:14:00 -0700

Anyone who's ever suffered an addiction to Coca Cola knows the grinding reality

I Cover The War: Food Blogs Worthy of Your Time # 9 Boudin Link

Thu, 10 Feb 2011 20:27:00 -0700

While it's not actually a blog there is a discussion feature on Boudin Link that allows it to qualify. This site is required reading for any lover of boudin or the rural meat markets of Western Louisiana.

We're # 5: Austin Comes In 5th In List Of 100 Drunkest Cities In USA

Tue, 08 Feb 2011 14:29:00 -0700

With all the late nights spent huddling around a Lone Star keg in some strangers' backyard you'd figure we could rank higher than 5th but we'll double up our efforts for next years' list.

Food Writers I Admire Part 1: Clementine Paddleford 1898-1967

Tue, 18 Jan 2011 12:39:00 -0700

Once the food craze passes, as it surely shall, all us lifers will still be kicked back on the sofa,taking a break from the stock pot, with a thick book by Clementine Paddleford, Maida Heatter or Edna Lewis. A few years ago I was in New Orleans at an antiquarian bookstore: Crescent City Books, when I stumbled upon an old, out of print Paddleford book.

On The Pig Part 1: The Best Thing To Ever Come Out Of Russia

Sun, 16 Jan 2011 18:04:00 -0700

This is the first segment of a series I'm penning about the most noble of all animals: the common hog. Back when I was a just a young country sprout, my grandaddy Big Jim Sullivan was known throughout the tri county region of Southeastern Kentucky as the go to man for country ham. He raised Durocs, a breed that was known for it's ability to put on weight, maturing quickly to perhaps a thousand pounds or more. Their massive size, coupled with their hardiness[ they could survive the brutal Kentucky winters] meant they were a very attractive breed for a man trying to put meat on the table for his family.

Mangalitsa Hogs, Campfires and Hungarian Boy Scouts

Thu, 30 Dec 2010 21:12:00 -0700

When I fulfilled a lifelong dream last summer and spent three weeks in Hungary, one of my my main goals was to eat as much Mangalitsa as possible. Carefully counting 11 stops from the airport on the subway I eventually came to downtown Pest and walked up the cement stairs towards the city. The first thing I saw was a giant poster with a Mangalitsa emblazoned across it. I immediately procured a kilo from a local market and cooked it up in my apartment so I could snack on it during my stay.

I Cover The War: Food Blogs Worthy of Your Time # 8: Roadfood

Thu, 30 Dec 2010 10:55:00 -0700

The granddaddy of all food blogs with 1000's of members

Banned From Chowhound Banned From Serious Eats: On Jacquilynne,Adam Kuban And Jane And Michael Stern

Tue, 28 Dec 2010 14:12:00 -0700

If you're not getting moderated off the food boards then you're not trying hard enough.

An Essay On Austin Texas Food: From Odd Duck To Hoffbrau and Everything In Between

Mon, 27 Dec 2010 21:25:00 -0700

Lots of good eating out here in Austin this year. While it's true that I had my best meals elsewhere [ Istanbul, Budapest, Cincinnati ] Austin still managed to put out some pretty serious chow for me. While new restaurants fell from the sky like the fabled tacos of East Austin, it was my old favorites that provided most, but not all, of my quotient of intense deliciousness. But first the new:

Texas Brisket Infiltrates The NBA

Mon, 27 Dec 2010 17:24:00 -0700

Down in Orlando Florida authentic Texas brisket must be pretty hard to come by.

How the Grinch Stole The Waffle Truck

Sun, 26 Dec 2010 20:12:00 -0700

Over here in East Austin the hard earned reputation of thievery, prostitution and open air drug vending

I Cover The War. Food Blogs Worthy of Your Time: #7 Southern Foodways Alliance

Wed, 22 Dec 2010 20:05:00 -0700

Do you love the South? Southern Foodways Alliance has a website

Sam Sifton Speaks In New York Times

Wed, 22 Dec 2010 10:37:00 -0700

"Sir, respect your dinner," wrote Thackeray, thundering. "Idolize it, enjoy it properly. You will be by many hours in the week, many weeks in the year, and many years in your life the happier if you do." Always a pleasure to read Mr. Sifton's literary references.

Diners, Luncheon-ettes and Automats: The Death of Jim Crow In Austin Texas

Thu, 16 Dec 2010 02:13:00 -0700

Over at the Austin History Center they've just put up an exhibit

Barley Swine Is Coming...Bryce Gilmore of Odd Duck's New Joint

Sun, 12 Dec 2010 03:06:00 -0700

Read All About It

Two Priests And A Rabbi Walk Into A Burger Joint

Thu, 09 Dec 2010 01:40:00 -0700

Read All About It

How To Screw Up A Brisket Courtesy of Serious Eats

Mon, 29 Nov 2010 12:16:00 -0700

Read All About it

Sanging In The Smoky Mountains

Tue, 23 Nov 2010 12:17:00 -0700

Read All About It

Sad Day In Austin: Dorothy Hewitt Is Dead. Owner of Dot's Place, Pflugerville Soul Food Haven

Mon, 22 Nov 2010 02:16:00 -0700

Read All About It

Commercial Tortillas and Texas Monthly's Top 50 Mexican Restaurants [ Austin's Top 8 ]

Wed, 17 Nov 2010 10:38:00 -0700

Read All About It

Food Carts and Prostitution

Wed, 17 Nov 2010 01:07:00 -0700

"In traditional culture, selling food on the street is one degree above prostitution," KOK FYE SEETOH http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/03/dining/03malay.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all NYTIMES ARTICLE

The Addictive Power of Cheese

Tue, 16 Nov 2010 02:20:00 -0700

Read All About It

Models Cigarettes and Wild Game

Sun, 14 Nov 2010 22:38:00 -0700

Read all about it

I Cover The War. Food Blogs Worthy of Your Time: #6 The Old Foodie

Sun, 07 Nov 2010 02:57:00 -0700

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I Cover The War. Food Blogs Worthy of Your Time: #5 The Eaten Path

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 11:38:00 -0700

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I Cover The War. Food Blogs Worthy of Your Time: #4 Fat Johnny's Front Porch

Sun, 31 Oct 2010 11:15:00 -0700

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I Cover The War. Food Blogs Worthy of Your Time: #3 Bouillie

Sat, 30 Oct 2010 19:16:00 -0700

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I Cover The War. Food Blogs Worthy of Your Time: #2 Dixie Dining

Thu, 28 Oct 2010 20:39:00 -0700

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I Cover The War. Food Blogs Worthy of Your Time: #1 Chili Bobs Houston Eats

Thu, 28 Oct 2010 01:14:00 -0700

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Hopdoddy Burger Bar: Gourmet Burgers From The Man Behind Moonshine Patio Bar and Grill;Larry Perdido

Sun, 10 Oct 2010 13:35:00 -0700

Maybe their video will go viral: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDU5ZtNLPkg&feature=youtube_gdata_player Youtube Hopdoddy video Til then we can content ourselves with another restaurant having a go at one of the nicer rooms in Austin. Cissi's had a good shot at success when they hired Deegan McClung but he migrated to Jeffrey's and Cissi's sank without a trace. With guys like Larry Foles and Guy Villavaso [ Eddie V's, Roaring Fork, Z'Tejas ] on the ownership team something tells me it'll be a big success. I love that they're using Kenebec potatoes for their fries. These are the finest potatoes I've ever eaten. Expect lots of local beers on tap, house baked hamburger buns, sodas fueled with cane sugar and the occasional goat burger on the menu. Hopdoddy 1400 S. Congress Ave. 243-7505, www.hopdoddy.com

New African In Austin: Cazamance Brings Senegalese Food to Town

Tue, 21 Sep 2010 14:34:00 -0700

Any pregnant ladies out there? Here's a quote from the owner of Cazamance: We always like to include a dish that's especially good for expecting mamas! I ran into a friend of mine downtown last night and he had just eaten at Cazamance. He was excited about their food which is unusual for him outside of NOLA related food talk. More info:

An Essay on Austin,Texas Food:From Sugar's to Justine's and Everything in Between

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 03:31:00 -0700

Heads up y'all. We're throwing another pop up restaurant this Sunday October 21st 2012, theme is Cajun http://www.scrumptiouschef.com/food/index.cfm/2012/10/16/Scrumptious-Chef-Pop-Up-4-Cajun-Edition-Three-Little-PigsEast-End-Wines-Sunday-October-21st-11am https://twitter.com/#!/RLReevesJr Caveat lector Lots of good eating out here in Austin this year. No, it was not last year's bumper crop and while I had my best meals elsewhere [New Orleans] it was still a fine year. Favorite Place for Steak and Potatoes: Sugars.The businessman special kept me coming back and it's still first rate.Cute li'l fillies on the main stage[Destiny]& a good top sirloin and steak cut fries for under 4 bucks. Runner up:Shoal Creek Saloons' one pound ribeye and fries for under 13 dollars. From a previous post: It's important to have rituals in your life.On the first cold day of Fall I enjoy bundling up and motoring my way to Sugars' to avail myself of a nice Businessman's Lunch Special whilst being surrounded by dancing naked ladies. Sugars' is an underrated steakhouse.The meats are of good quality and properly cooked.The performers are well nourished and quite accomodating.This is a formula for success. There have been some renovations at Sugars' lately.The doorway has shifted a good 20 feet to the left and the old Black and White Sanyo teevees have been replaced by modern color versions.A group of businessmen and a few women are scattered about the room enjoying the good food and camaraderie that've made this cabaret famous. Upon entering I always ask myself "what would Tommy Lee do?".I'm seated and promptly approached by a comely,young waitress ready to take my drink order.It's Tuesday so that means 2$ draught beer and Well drinks.It's chilly outside so that means it's Bourbon drinking time.I order Wild Turkey and the young lady informs me that Jack Daniels is only two dollars.Jack Daniels being neither Bourbon nor drinkable I stick with my original option.The drink arrives properly mixed and I place my food order. Ten bucks will get you a 1LB Black Angus Sirloin with two side items.I opt for a salad with Bleu Cheese and French Fries.The salad comes first and it is fine.Torn iceberg with Radishes,Carrots Tomatoes and a decent dressing.After 15 or so minutes my steak arrives.The Sirloin is perfectly cooked and heavily crusted with good salt and Cracked Black Pepper.The fries are medium thick cut ,warm and served with a souffle cup of ketchup.My tastebuds are still perfectly functional so I inquire as to whether the red colored corn syrup could be replaced with Ranch for dipping.It arrives and is homemade and good. R.Kelly's Double Up,Snoop Dogg and Type O Negative are typically part of the soundtrack of the club.The clientele is a mix of business types,work boot clad nail pounders and the occasional secretary type.The room is dark,loud and cozy...the smell of sizzling meat and decent perfume abounds. Service is prompt and efficient.My waitress checks on me frequently and is generally concerned with my weal.Non-cabaret eating establishments could take note of this and do quite well to emulate this service model. Sugars' is old-school.It's been there forever and seen alot of would be competitors come and go during its' tenure.Its' formula is simple and effective;Good food,strong cocktails and a clean and welcoming environment in which to enjoy your repast.When I'm in the mood for a good steak and don't have the time to run out Little Thailand it's one of my favorite options.

Let Them Eat Sucuk or Why Muslims Don't Eat Pork

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:05:00 -0700

When my dear friend,the Muslim, recently returned from Turkey the first words out of her mouth were: "I need a stiff drink and a BLT". Who can blame her? Afer all,after 3 months of no pork even a Turk might be in need of a few strips of artisan bacon and a glass or two of bourbon. The Turkish dichotomy of topless beaches,5 calls to prayer daily over loudspeakers that would do Motorhead proud,a nightlife that features ritualized drinking of Raki,the anise based liquor and abstinence from all things pork has been studied at length. So how do they get by without bacon?

Austin TX - Austin Food Scene

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East Austin Salsa Shootout! Sat April 13th. Winner Gets Dinner For Two At Four Seasons

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Scrumptious Chef Restaurant Pop Up #9: Big Beef Bonanza At Tamale House East Saturday March 2nd

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Austin Texas Guide To Pop Up Restaurants Part 5: Tamale House East And Franklin Barbecue

Top 5 Scrumptious Chef Articles This Week: Virginia Wood, Robert Shaw, Pop Ups, Barbecue, Recipe

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Bon Appetit: 21 Most Important Restaurants In USA: Uchi, Uchiko And Franklin Barbecue

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Austin Food Blogger Alliance Cookbook

Johnson's Backyard Garden

Field Report: Habesha Restaurant And Bar (Ethiopian Cuisine In Austin Texas)

Austin Daily Photo: Scrumptious Chef Pop Up Restaurant #8: Farm To Table Heritage Pork Food Party

Free Beer! Party At Buzz Mill Coffee And Blue Ox Barbecue In Southeast Austin Texas

Scrumptious Chef Restaurant Pop Up #8: Meet Our Purveyors Part 3: Eden's Cove Farm

New Bull In The Pen. Salt And Time Ushers In New Meat Culture Appreciation Era In East Austin

Top 5 Scrumptious Chef Articles This Week:The Goat Queen,BBQ Brisket,Prime Cuts,Texas Food,Pop Ups

Raymond Tatum's 3 Little Pigs Anniversary Party! Get Down At East End Wines With Austin's Top Chef

Austin Guide To Pop Up Restaurants 5:Longhouse Revival,L’oca D’oro Via Franklin BBQ,Scrumptiouschef

Top 5 Scrumptious Chef Articles This Week:Heritage Pork Pop Up,Extortion,Obituary,Barbecue,Swingers

Austin Texas Guide To Pop Up Restaurants And Cafes Part 4: Swoop House, Tamale House East

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Tell Scrumptious Chef What's On Your Mind

Top 5 Scrumptious Chef Articles This Week:Micklethwait Craft Meats,Margarita's Tortilla Factory,Game

Field Report: Scrumptious Chef Pop Up Restaurant 7: The Wild Foods Of Texas

Scrumptious Chef And Tamale House East Present: Wild Foods Of Texas Restaurant Pop Up 7

Austin Daily Photo: 64lbs Of Wild Game Meat From Broken Arrow Ranch In Ingram Texas

Scrumptious Chef Restaurant Pop Up #7: Meet Our Purveyors Part 2: Jester King Craft Brewery

Scrumptious Chef Restaurant Pop Up #7: Meet Our Purveyors Part 1: Broken Arrow Ranch Texas Antelope

Omnibus: 2012 Year End Reviews Round-Up: Food Trucks,Food Bloggers,Recipes,Salsa,Tamales,Pupusa

Top 5 Scrumptious Chef Articles This Week: Broken Arrow Ranch Pop Up,BBQ,La Moreliana,Chili,Sambo's

Scrumptious Chef Pop Up Restaurant Number 7: The Wild Foods Of Texas

2012 Year End Review: The Hottest Scrumptious Chef Article Of The Year

2012 Year End Review: Food Trailer Of The Year: Raymond Tatum's 3 Little Pigs

2012 Year End Review: Best Tamales In Central Texas

Top 5 Scrumptious Chef Articles This Week: Hamburger Invented, Bacon, Best Mexican, Barbecue, Txoko

One Year Ago Today: A Row Of Briskets On The Smoker Of John Mueller

2012 Year End Review: The Best Taco Trailer In South Austin Is La Flor

One Year Ago Today: The Best Goat Tacos From A Food Trailer In Austin Texas

2012 Year End Review: Our Biggest Flops: Top 5 Least Viewed Posts Of 2012

2012 Year End Review: The Best Salvadoran Restaurant In Austin Is El Zunzal

CitySprout Opens In Austin: Company Provides Resource For Austin Eaters To Connect With Local Food

Scrumptious Chef Wants To Hear From Y'all

2012 Year End Review: The Best Mexican Restaurant In Austin Is El Taco Rico

Top 5 Scrumptious Chef Articles This Week:Barbacoa,Justin Timberlake,Foie Gras,Felix Stehling,Essay

Top 5 Scrumptious Chef Articles This Week:Public House,Austin Craft Beer,French Bistro,Bacon,Belgium

X University Texas Footballer Colt McCoy To Take On Mrs Johnson's Donuts With Coffee Action West

Top 5 Scrumptious Chef Articles This Week:Pop Ups,Obituaries,John Mueller,Cary Grant,Texas Barbecue

Field Report: Scrumptious Chef Pop Up Restaurant 6 At Tamale House East

Scrumptious Chef Pop Up Restaurant Event Number 6 At Tamale House East:Brisket-Pork Belly And Wine

Austin Daily Photo: Jorge's Restaurant

Top 5 Scrumptious Chef Articles This Week:Drive Ins, Fresh Mkt, Cake, Fire, International Food Party

Party With The Turks! Raindrop Turkish House To Show Austin How To Get Down On Sat Dec 1 2012

Top 5 Scrumptious Chef Articles This Week: Louie Mueller, Fine Dining Goes BBQ, New Thai, Pop Up

Fire In East Austin: La Michoacana In Late Night Blaze

Field Report: Scrumptious Chef Pop Up Restaurant 5: The Foods Of Terlingua Texas

Top 5 Scrumptious Chef Articles This Week: Blogging Queen, Chili King, Shaggybevo, Catfight, Winery