Dai Due Supper Club - Boggy Creek Farm, Austin TEXAS

The Senora just backed-up her little red car under a giant, shady pecan tree, the likes of which are not much seen around Austin any more. Walking across the gravel parking area, to our left, Boggy Creek Farms has planted expansive gardens of lavender, peppers and what looked like kale. Turning right, rounding the corner of the parking lot hedgerow, we could immediately see a group of folks, gathered around a table holding drinks in their hands, just laughing and whooping it up.

It was around 6:30pm, and Boggy Creek Farms was beginning to take on a magical feel, you know the type one feels around good friends and family about to share an amazing meal. After a few strong gin drinks, provided by the Tipsy Texans, drink bloggers extraordinaire, everyone started to slowly make their way to the long, family style table, set between the lush fig trees, located just behind the Boggy Creek farm house.

Dai Due Supper Club had planed an incredible meal showcasing local grass fed meats and locally grown seasonal produce. The menu listed 10 different offering or combinations including;

Rabbit Terrine with apple chutney

Sweet and Sour okra and eggplantGrilled mushrooms with garlic and marjoram

Creamed pea and dandelion soup with andouille and sweet potatoes

Mixed grill of wild boar tenderloin, beef cheek and kale crepinettes and jalapeno sausage with arugula

During the meal, the sweet music performed by Laura Freeman and Stanley Smith, only added to the intimate, yet incredibly casual warm feeling of the Dai Due dinner. We made friends with everyone sitting around us, and we were soon talking food and having a great time. The Senora felt the whole experience was very "Great Gatsby-esque". Dai Due is BYOB, and we had brought a nice bottle of Gloria Fera blanc de blancs bubbly which paired perfectly with our meal. Buckets of ice for wine and beer were provided during the serving.

Dia Due Supper Club is all we can talk about at work and with our friends. Both the Senora and I have lived in Austin for a long time and we both agree that Dia Due is one of the very best food experiences we have had in Austin. Boggy Creek felt like the prefect setting, it was as if we could have been far away, out in the county living the good life.

Peace and Eat slow.

Trulucks - Austin,TEXAS

After two solid weeks of family and friends living/occupying our home, aka Hotel Asparagus, Senora Foodblog and I were ready for a break and a quiet night all to ourselves. Eager for a good meal, something not too heavy, something not to overwhelming, the Senora narrowed her selection to Trulucks downtown or Mikado, Burnet and 183. Giving me the final choice of restaurants, I chose Trulucks Seafood; fish and crab sounded like the perfect meal to me.

Parking with the valet made life easy, $7, no problem. I have just about given up trying to find any sort of decent parking downtown during the week and have finally succumbed to the idea of just paying to park. We didn't have reservations but immediate seating was available. I was a little surprised to notice, as we made our way into the dinning room, that the bar area was nearly empty. Note to self...good place for after-work drinking.

Having never eaten at Trulucks, the Senora and I found the dinning area both comfortable and inviting. Our smiling server quickly introduced herself and presented us with the menu. Taking our drink order and giving us few moments to review our dining options, she returned and with no mercy at all dropped the "crab bomb" on us. It so happens that Monday is All You Can Eat Jonah Crab Claws including sides, soups and salads for $42 (which is Trulucks usual price for 12 claws, no sides/extras). Oh-My-God, it was on. I am a huge crab fan and couldn't refuse this temptation and neither could Senora Foodblog. Our server tells us that we would each begin with 7 claws and she would continue to bring more as we requested.

I started with the Cream of Pablono soup - $6 (sorry not as good as my home made but still very tasty) while the senora had the Sonoma Greens Salad - $6 (field greens, goat cheese, pecans and sliced apples tossed with a honey vinaigrette). For our sides we shared the braised wild mushrooms, sweet potato fries and the steamed asparagus, which were so good, we had to order a second plate. I then proceeded to eat three servings of crabs and most of Senora's second serving to boot. In all, I guestimate that I ate between sixteen and eighteen scrumptious claws, definitely got my moneys worth. Good lord I was so very full, I thought I would explode. Our total bill for drinks and crab/sides came to, including tip, $132.

Senor Foodblog gives Trulucks two spoons up. What a great meal, service and general atmosphere. The Senora and I both agree that Trulucks is an Austin winner. I haven't eaten that much good seafood in a long time, 10 yrs, while I was working and losing my mind in Alaska. Our server was wonderful and very friendly, ready to answer any and all questions/needs with a smile and prompt service. Check out Truluck's Mondays All-You-Can-Eat, as a crab fan I promise that you won't be disappointed and you too will know the power of the "crab bomb".

Enjoy