Long Ago a Day of Rugby in Austin

During the last Rugby World Cup I was with a couple colleagues in Austin, both of them English, and as straight forward traditional British boys both rugby fans, so it was a must to spend Saturday morning/noon watching the rugby match. The place they chose was Fado, and Irish pub in Downtown Austin, actually a chain with locations in 14 states. Fadó apparently means long ago, their objective is to celebrate Irish pub culture, in few words drinking, eating, and singing, just like in any pub down Killarney way.

The Pub

Traditional English/Irish pub, wood panels everywhere, flat TVs with premier league football, rugby, and other sport events, and full of male testosterone drinking and screaming to the TVs every time their team screw it up. 

Bar Menu

Well I was hungry, so had to ask for food, check the menu and went for the easy stuff, Guinness BBQ Wings, and Smithwick’s Mini Burgers. The wings were ok, just edible to be honest, a little overcook, I thought the BBQ Guinees sauce was going to be pretty good, but didn’t do the magic for me. The mini burgers, a train wreck, they came with pickles, onions, melted cheese, and a Guinness mayo, do they do everything with Guinness? Not good at all, the burger was overcooked, the sauce/mayo was plain without imagination, the cheese was even worst, moreover three burgers exactly the same? Are you joking, they should get creative, do different types of meat, make it interesting, I ate over and over again the same boring mini burger, I almost die doing that. 

My Healthy Options!

Mini Burgers

Wings

Nice atmosphere, terrible food, good for a drink and watch a sporting event, I guess if you’re drunk enough you wouldn’t care too much about the food, sadly I wasn’t. Keep only with the pints and you should be fine. 

To be fair with them, pub food historically hasn’t been so good, however, gastropub movements in England has taken the next level and elevated their food, meaning it’s not impossible to have a great meal while enjoying your pint of Guinness. 

Pubs remind me the Seinfeld episode “The Sniffing Accountant” where Kramer wants to expose Jerry’s accountant in a pub. 

Kramer: I'll have a brewsky, Charlie

Bartender: Name's Mitch

Kramer: Oh, there's nothing like a cold one after a long day, eh?

Barry: Yeah

Kramer: Oh yeah, I've been known to drink a beer or two. But then again, I've been known to do a lot of things

Kramer: Cigarette?

Barry: No, I never touch them

Kramer: I suck them down like Coca-Cola. Well here's to feeling good all the time, looks like you've got yourself a little cold there, eh?

Barry: I don't think so

Kramer: Me neither

Fado

T: +1 512 457 0172

Pub

Aprox Damage: $20pp
Neighbourhood: Downtown

Austin

Twitter: fadoaustin

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A Pearl in Austin

If you like seafood and you are in Austin you have to go to Perla’s Seafood & Oyster Bar. Opened by two young chefs Lawrence McGuire and Thomas Moorman in 2009 to give Austin premium fresh seafood, simply done, keep in it classic, and having as many oysters as they can, usually they have more than 20 different oysters on the menu. I knew about the place thanks to Heather and Ricaruca who strongly recommended but what really convinced myself was watching the Heartland episode on Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations. 

The Place

According to Tony Bourdain the secret with seafood restaurant is simple, find the best and don’t screw it up, and that’s is what Perla’s does quite a minimalist concept. I got for Brunch on a Sunday with a colleague, ordered a salt and jalapeno pepper fried calamari with green sauce and marinara, and a lobster and egg frittata with asparagus, roasted tomatoes, avocado, and basil. The calamari was excellent, great battered, the sauces were nice, and a great spicy kick. The frittata again quite good, well executed and good combination of flavours. 

Calamari

Lobster Frittata

Excellent place without a doubt, next time I will give the oysters a try. 

Inside

Lobster reminds me the Seinfeld episode “The Hamptons” 

Carol: Oh, the baby's crying. I'll go get him. He can sit with us 

Elaine : No! 

Jerry: No, you don't want to do that. You'll be uncomfortable 

Elaine: Yeah, finish eating. The baby's not going to have any fun over here, we're not fun for a baby 

Jerry: Yeah, the lobster will scare him

Perla's

T: +1 512 291 7300

Seafood

Neighbourhood: South Congress

Austin

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Breakfast in Austin

I was looking for a place to have breakfast in Austin, wandering around Congress avenue I found a nice café, so with my adventurous spirit I decided to give it a try. The place Annies Café & Bar, a modern brassiere that make you feel in Europe in the heart of Downtown Austin, al fresco tables to enjoy a breakfast or a coffee, their menu full of not complicated and tasty options including a full English breakfast. 

The Place

I got a house brewed coffee with an omelette, sausages, and ham joined by a croissant. The omelette was good, nice flavours, the croissant on the other side was cold and a little rubbery, not good at all, I was expecting a fresh hot croissant to add butter on it and watch it melt away. 

Coffee Time

Omelette Time

Good place, excellent service, nice coffee, tasty omelette, sadly the croissants didn't meet the expectations, overall a good enough to come back. 

Breakfast reminds me the Seinfeld episode “The Wizard” 

Helen: Don't eat cookies for breakfast! I'll fix you something. How about a feta cheese omelette? 

Kramer: Mmmm, that sounds great, Mom 

Jerry: If you feed him, he'll never leave

Annies

T: +1 512 472 1884

Cafe

Neighbourhood: Downtown

Austin
Twitter: AnniesAustin

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Steakhouse Adventures: Perry’s Rare and Well Done

While in Austin one night I decided to try an establish steakhouse in town. My stop was at Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille. 9 locations in 4 Texan cities, they opened business in 1979 as a butcher shop but later transformed into award winning restaurants, steaks and live music will give you a rare and well done experience. 

We got for starters oysters on the half shell, and a traditional iceberg wedge salad. My main was a 14oz prime three peppercorn New York strip. 

Oysters 

Iceberg Wedge Salad

The oyster were fresh and good, the salad classic flavours good blue cheese dressing, perfect executed, and the strip was cooked perfectly medium rare, and the peppercorn demi glaze gave a nice touch to the searing. 

Steak Time

Nice steaks, good ambience with the live jazz, excellent service, and consistent flavours from chef Ruben Robledo. 

Steaks remind me the Seinfeld episode “The Wink” 

Waiter: Ready? 

Holly: I'll have the porterhouse medium rare, baked potato with sour cream 

Jerry: What do you recommend besides the steak? 

Waiter: The lamb chops are good. 

Jerry: Anything lighter? How do you prepare the chicken? 

Waiter: It's a full bird. Stuffed with ham, topped with gorgonzola 

Jerry: You know what? I think I'll just have the salad. 

Waiter: Thank you. 

Jerry (mind's voice): Just a salad? Just a salad? Just a salad?

Perry's Steakhouse & Grille

T: +1 512 474 6300

Steakhouse

Neighbourhood: Downtown

Austin

Twitter: PerrysDining

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Who is your daddy? Hopdoddy?

While eating the amazing buns in East Side King I met a sous chef from a local sushi place in Austin that was eating in my communal table. He started to ask me about why I was taking pictures of the food, and one thing led to another at the end he recommended me to try according to him the best burger in Austin. 

Beer + Burger = Happiness

The place Hopdoddy, a burger bar to pay tribute to beer and burgers, you do a queue to order at the counter then just sit, relax, and enjoy your 7oz of black angus beef. What is special well every morning they grind the beef then make the patties, and don’t forget baking buns of challah and honeywheat in the Dough-Jo as they call it. Add to that the hand cut Kennebec potatoes that would make proud any Irish man. Finally craft draft from local artisanal small batch to enjoy your Hop, maybe an IPA, or a Porter, even Hefe and Pilz are present, one of the draft reminded me Genesis I Know What I Like, the St Arnold Lawnmower, I wonder if you can tell him by the way he walks? 

The Place 

The Menu

12 options to choose, it took me the entire queue to decide at the end my mind was at rest, Buffalo Bill it is. Bison, blue cheese, Frank’s hot sauce, apple smoked bacon, and Sassy sauce. We add fries to share, shakes and beers odd combination for a Sunday. 

Fries

Dr Bison where is Jackie Chiles

My burger was superb, perfectly cooked, excellent balance the lean bison meat and the winning combination of blue cheese and bacon. I would eat there every day if I could. Awesome! Definitely one of my favourite burgers, nothing to envy to NYC or London burger scene. Fries were excellent, crunchy and soft and the chile cheese sauce to dip was tasty.

Delicious, Luscious, Delightful!

Bison reminds me the Seinfeld episode “The Caddy” 

Jackie: So you're driving in the car, you're with your friend, minding your own business? 

Kramer: Yeah. 

Jackie: Then what happened? 

Kramer: Then we saw this woman, and she was wearing a bra with no top. 

Jackie: No top? She didn't have a top on? 

Kramer: No. So I got distracted and I crashed the car. 

Jackie: Well how would you describe this woman? Would you say she was an attractive woman? 

Kramer: Oh, yeah. 

Jackie: So we got an attractive woman, wearing a bra, no top, walking around in broad daylight. She's flouting society's conventions! 

Kramer: She was flouting. 

Jackie: That's totally inappropriate. It's lewd, mischievous, salacious, outrageous!

Kramer: It was outrageous. And she's the heir to the O'Henry candy bar fortune. 

Jackie: Could you repeat that? 

Kramer: I said she's the heir to the O'Henry candy bar fortune. 

Jackie: O'Henry? That's one of our top-selling candy bars. It's got chocolate, peanuts, nougat, it's delicious, scrumptious, outstanding! Have you been to a doctor? 

Kramer: No. 

Jackie: Susie, call Dr. Bison, set up an appointment for Mr. Kramer, tell him it's for me. 

Kramer: So what do you think, Jackie? I mean we got a case? 

Jackie: Like taking candy from a baby.

Hopdoddy

T: +1 512 243 7505

Burgers

Neighbourhood: South Congress

Austin

Twitter: hopdoddy

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Street Food War in Austin

I went to Austin for a couple weekends to see the night out of 6th street, try as they say keep Austin weird and my biggest surprise was the huge movement of street food, vans, wagons, cars, stalls, trailers, just name it they have it. The trick here is that these chef took it to the next level, really tasty sophisticated offers, at a low price all around you that will temp you to eat your way across town trailer to trailer as Anthony Bourdain said in his show “No Reservation”. 

Austin

Somewhere in South Congress

The Phantom Menace: Odd Duck 

This place took my heart as soon as I saw their menu, pork belly slider, YES! The place is open from Tuesday to Saturday for dinner only from 5:30pm to 10:00pm. Chef Bryce Gilmore is in charge to take you on a mystic food journey, to show case local ingredients and take the Farm to Market concept to his home town. 

Odd Duck 

The Trailer 

Mexican Coke 

I went for the pork belly slider with onions, peppers, and paprika aioli which was superb, brilliant, perfectly balance with the universe. As a second I got the goat cheese grits with duck egg and mushrooms, oh my god! It was awesome, I want more of this I could have been eating all night it was perfect, sadly I had to move on as there are so many food trailers that Odd Duck Farm To Trailer couldn’t be the only one hope Obi Wan. 

Pork Belly 

Goat Cheese 

Goat Cheese

The Odd Duck Farm to Trailer
T: +1 512 565 4149
Street Food
Neighbourhood: Bouldin Creek
Austin
Twitter: oddduckfrm2trlr

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The Attack of the Clones: Gordough’s 

My second called was a couple steps beside Odd Duck, I decided to try the Gordough’s big, fat, donuts. This is the true sweet and sour, you can get the sweetest donut and add let’s say grilled bananas with cream cheese, or how about bacon and maple syrup, or habanero peppers jelly with cream cheese. 

Big, Fat, Menu

Donutmobile

Yes odd combinations full of flavour and the names are to die for, the Mother Cluncker, how about Porkey’s or the Flying Pig, or even Naughty & Nice, well I went for the Mother Cluncker fried chicken strips with honey butter, yes! Awesome! Nice flavour I’m not a sweet tooth kind of guy but just love it. 

Mother Cluncker

Gordough's
T: +1 512 607 6568
Street Food
Neighbourhood: Bouldin Creek
Austin
Twitter: gourdough

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The Revenge of the Sith: East Side King 

My third and last stop was East Side King three places, three menus, three awesome offers, and two chefs Paul Qui and Moto Utsanomiya. I went for the one in the Liberty, a pub in the east side of town where the beer garden is actually a Food Trailer Garden, it’s like crossing to another dimension, reminded me a little the beer gardens in Berlin, but not pretzels, in this time you will have awesome buns. 

The East Side Trailer 

Liberty

I went for beef tongue and guess what yeah I’m predictable pork belly again. The roasted belly one with hoisin sauce, cucumber, kimchee and green onion. The roasted tongue one with home made peanut butter curry, basil, cilantro, mint, onion, and jalapeno. Both in a steamed buns, it was excellent, amazing flavours, these Asian/Japanese fusion and spices will make you want more. My favourite definitely the beef tongue, as they say it’s so good, make your eye roll back. 

Steamed Buns

Beef Tongue

East Side King
T: +1 512 422 5884
Street Food
Neighbourhood: East Austin
Austin
Twitter: EastSideKingATX

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Here you go only three of I not sure how many food trucks but probably thousands, and next time Tony yes I will also eat my way across town and end in a corner with my mouth full of kimchi and mustard stained fingers, hopefully you will able to tell me what the hell happened. 

Hope not in this corner

Street food reminds me the Seinfeld episode “The Cigar Store Indian” where the gang every time they pass through Queensboro Plaza station they want to get out the train buy a gyro and get in just in time to continue their journey.

Jerry: What's the matter? 

Elaine: What do you think is the matter? I've been assigned to work on Kramer's coffee table book. 

Jerry: It is a good idea, Elaine. 

Tannoy: Next stop, Queensboro Plaza. 

Jerry: You want a gyro? 

Elaine: I don't think so.