Torchy's Thursday

Tacos for me are like stranded-on-a-desert-island-last-kind-of-food-you'll-ever-eat good.

On our menu:
(LUQ) "The Vagabond"
The taco of the month was a grilled beef fajita on a bed of oh-so-sexy bacon topped with grilled onions, chimichurri sauce, feta cheese, and pico.

(LLQ) "Baja Shrimp"
Hand-battered fried shrimp with cooked cabbage slaw, beautifully done pickled jalapenos & onions and queso fresco with chipotle sauce.

(RLQ) "The Trailer Park"
Of course, when I was asked if I wanted to "Make it Trashy" I absolutely agreed.
Fried chicken with green chilis and pico de gallo topped with their famous queso (the "trashy" part)...and more cheese on top for good measure :)

(RUQ) "The Brushfire"
Grilled Jamaican jerk chicken with grilled jalapenos, mango, sour cream & cilantro. With the spicy diablo sauce because I wasn't the scaredy-cat with these tacos.

Let's not forget Lonestar Tallboys too :) A perfect compliment

My "H" (Habesha)

It was important to have some creative or unique cuisine on my list and I truly lucked out with a Groupon option for Ethiopian food a short drive from work!

Habesha, Ethiopian cuisine around the corner from one of my old neighborhoods, was both pleasantly delicious and fun to eat -- no silverware!! A few things to expect:

(1) Wash your hands; because...
(2) when dining family style, everyone is served dishes over injera: a spongey "pancake" perfect for soaking up meal juice as well as served for each person on the side to takes the place of utensils. A staple to the meal.
(3) Give yourself enough time to do a coffee ceremony - not really an option for a normal lunchtime.

Myself and two coworkers ordered 2 vegetarian (Gomen Watt [collards on left] and Shiro Wot/Tegabino Shiro [on right]) and a lamb dish Yebeg Fitfit [foreground]. The small salad we each had had a unique addition: jalapeno! 

My only complaint was the lamb was served in chunks with bone which made it hard to eat with hands/pick over it with teeth. The Tegabino Shiro, we all agreed, was the standout favorite by far. http://www.habesha-austin.com/

My "F" (Fonda San Miguel)

I will keep this brief.

I was so incredibly excited to try Fonda; unfortunately, the service on my visit was poor enough to severely cloud any positivity toward the food or any other part of the visit.

Yep, I do indeed write less-than-gloating posts. Sorry. Overrated.

My "E" (East Side Pies)

Nothing says food-gasm like the "Mojo": handmade meatballs seasoned and formed to perfection with bacon, sun dried tomatoes, jalapeno, and cilantro on thin-crusted pesto slices of deliciousness.

High five East Side Pies. High. Freakin. Five.

Particularly special because I got the chance to spend time with my Sweetheart. Once again the slices were halfway down our throats before the camera snapped a shot :)

My "C" (Contigo)

My first visit to Contigo was for my birthday on their "un-Valentine's" party. It was a unique buffet-style setup that was good-food-but-better-company-type night. Either way, I knew I wanted to return.

I was blessed to go with my friend curiousnotions. I'm embarrassed to say, but I dug into half the plates before even getting a quick pic (a combination of hunger and the food-porn spread going on in front of me). At her recommendation, and my partial unease, we started with Ox Tongue Sliders and Fried Green Beans.

You might be thinking right now "Ox Tongue? Seriously?!" Even if you're not sure - DO IT.

Chicken Thighs and Cauliflower Gratin were equally as yummy. I used to have a thing about cooked cauliflower: smell, texture, something like that is just wasn't appetizing at all. Contigo and Barley Swine have both really impressed me with their dishes, though, aaaaalmost enough to try getting some cauliflower creativity in my own kitchen started.

Or maybe another day.

My "D" (Dan's Hamburgers)

At some point I had to add a burger joint to the list.

While it may be a topic for another time I decided to not go down the road of which divorcee serves the best food - Dan's/Fran's , Tino's/Zorba's , etc. - and opted for the North Lamar Dan's Hamburgers.

The epic people-watching that occurred during this visit was almost as good as the food itself. Everyone from (what I think were) college students in a state that induced the munchies to gentler souls that probably ate at Dan's back in 1973 to first-timers like me, the range of clientele at least made this a promising find. I took some jalapeno cheeseburgers to-go and opted for the curly fries (a no-brainer).

I can't be sure, but the flavor and slight crunch of the jalapenos led me to believe they were fresh until the point they wound up on the skillet when my order came in. Fifteen minutes later I was wishing I'd sat right then and there and not taken to-go...

Not disappointed. Will be coming back - and maybe even checking out their breakfast - another day.

My "B" (Barley Swine)

Barley Swine: mad respect for your ridiculous skills.

And props for giving out mini spatulas...which is much more graceful than licking the plate.

Since a picture's worth a thousand words------

 

From barleyswine.com/food (menu changes frequently)

Nantucket Bay scallop, ponzu, finger lime

Cured lamb loin, cottage cheese, sour rye

Caulifower, pecan, orange

Hedgehog mushroom, pine caramel, trout roe

Golden Tile fish, romanesco, dashi, turnip

Biscuit, apple butter, bacon

Escolar, sweet potato, radicchio

Beet, tangerine, kefir

Duck, broccoli, sesame

Rabbit leg, pinto beans, cornbread, hay

Pupusa, shrimp, escabeche

Hoe cakes, fermented peas, bacon, hot sauce

Whey panna cotta, citrus, beet, coffee

Barley cake, sweet potato, whipped caramel, brown butter

Go. You'll air high-five yourself.

My "A" (Alborz)

I'm catching up with a few goals already checked off my list. The first restaurant on the list - my "A" - was Alborz Persian Cuisine.

I'm cheap I like a deal and ran across this gem through a Groupon dining deal so snagged it pretty quick and dragged my brother along for some quality time around a dinner table.

Dimly lit, and not too loud Alborz is in the corner of a parking lot that I'd never find if I wasn't looking.

We both decided on the Friday night buffet, taking a bit of a gamble, I thought. I've had Greek/Mediterranean so this offered the variety I was hoping for.

The pita was crunchier than I expected from Greek pita bread, the dips and "appetizers" were all strong (first time for must-o-khiar and kashk-o-bademjan). Kabob was slightly dry but it didn't stop us from each having 1 - or 2 - the stews stole the show. Bademjan and gheymeh? nom nom nom...

Additionally, I'm not sure what it's called but the veggies (eggplant, squashes, celery, carrots) baked and marinated were phenomenal. If you're in Austin and craving Persian...do it. 

Apparently later in the night on Fridays they have belly dancers. Next time I'm there I'll definitely make sure I catch that show :)

http://www.alborzpersiancuisine.com/files/85274709.pdf

Goals: Restaurants A-to-Z

One of  the things I've been profoundly disappointed in over the last 5 years of living in Austin is my exploration of the amazing food this city has to offer.

2014 was the year to change that.

Stolen from the idea a friend had, I challenged myself this year to find a restaurant (2 in some cases!) to work eat my way through the alphabet of Austin restaurants.

With moderate obsession I carefully outlined almost every letter before the end of 2013 and I've got, what I think, is a pretty impressive list: from burger joints to food trailers to prix fixe menus and farm-to-table wonders.

It has been, and will continue to be, a delicious exploration and venture. Some of the times I'll sit with friends and laugh, drink, and relax the night away but I'm sure a few chances will exist to people watch and silently reflect on what my palate is currently experiences.

Enjoy! I know I will :)