Farmers Market, Republic Square - Austin, TEXAS

Yesterday morning I decided to pay a visit to the Saturday Farmers Market located downtown Austin on Republic Square. I arrived right at 9am and the crowds were already beginning to gather. I was able to take a few pics of the wonderful local products offered before everything was bought up. I hope you enjoy.

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

Eddie V's Happy Hour - Austin,TEXAS

When I arrived home this past Friday evening, after working one stressed out week, I just was not in the mood to cook dinner. Señora Foodblog had already eaten so I decided to head downtown and visit Eddie V’s oyster happy hour. Parking in downtown Austin has become a joke, some sort of crazy dance that involves driving around for 20mins, hunting, searching every side street until you find that elusive parking spot. To top the situation off, most of the time you end up walking five blocks just to reach you final destination. So, I pulled out the wallet and used the friendly and convenient valet to park the car… $6.

Eddie V’s happy hour is served in the bar, to the left of the front door as you enter the restaurant. Seating has never proved a problem for me at Eddie V’s; Señora Foodblog and I quickly found a table near the bar and ordered some beer and wine. I have never eaten in the main room so I can’t tell you about it but the bar area is a dark haven for overpaid, and some would say, under worked lawyers. Very subdued and crispy clean, this has to be one of my favorite watering holes in Austin.

Oysters are .50 cents each during happy hour – I ordered a dozen. Señora Foodblog doesn’t like the oyster, but she does like the steaming hot bread served with every meal at Eddie V’s. The bread is so good, you have to used some real self control not to eat it all before you receive your food. The menu also offers many items at half price including and not limited to the Maryland Style All Lump Crab Cake , Sliced Vine Ripe Tomatoes & Italian Bufala Mozzarella and Georges Bank Scallops in Tempura. All of which I have tried and all taste great. The best part about the happy hour is that if all you eat is a doz oysters, a happy hour half price appetizer, the free bread and only drink ice tea, your bill should come in under $15…that includes tip. Now Señor Foodblog says that is a craaaazy sweat deal. The oysters this night were clean tasting, not muddy at all, defiantly some of the best in town.

Señor Foodblog says two spoons up for Eddie V’s. Wonderful oysters, great happy hour food specials and the kind of top notch service you would expect from a restaurant of Eddie V’s caliber and reputation. If you are an oyster eater, check this place out. I also understand that Sundays are all day happy hour. This sounds like a prime opportunity to settle into possible seafood frenzy and just maybe find some decent parking without having to pay, to boot.


Austin – 2 locations
Downtown
512 472 1860

Arboretum
512 342 46 26
http://www.eddiev.com/

Koriente - Austin,TEXAS

As downtown is slowly overwhelmed with “Condofication” one of the best side effects has to be the restaurants popping up everywhere. Koriente, 621 E. 7th, with its refreshing landscapes and light fare, certainly adds a new kinda flavor to the I-35/E. 7th Street area. Located right next to the Beauty Bar and just across the street the Creekside Inn and the “Po-po” headquarters, Koriente is hard to miss. The restaurant’s owners personally landscaped the whole surrounding area and turned what was a forgotten, dull patch of cement at the corner of east 7th and Sabine into a wonderful lush garden. It’s really cool.


When we eat at Koriente, the Señora and I have our favorite appetizers. We are both fans of the Smoked Salmon Roll: $4.50 (avocados and smoked salmon, marinated cucumbers) and the Spicy Noodles Salad: $3 (vegetables, chilled myung bean noodles tossed in a spicy Korean pepper dressing).


For our entrees, Señora Foodblog likes the Mixmix Bibimbap: $6 (rice served with colorful julienne vegetables, and one of two sauces: the spicy red pepper paste sauce or the milder wasabi soy sauce). The Señora likes to add spicy chicken bulgoki and mix it all together into one colorful heap. I, on the other hand, like the Kalbi Pot-roast: $8 (beef, carrots and Korean radish simmered in wine, fresh apple and vegetable juices). The pot roast is a surprising amount of food for only $8. Both are served with the house rice, which has an unusual purple look about it. With beer and tea (Koriente has abundance of different teas to choose from), our bill comes to about $30 + tip.


Señor Foodblog says two spoons up of Koriente. The place has that groovy Austin feel that I dig so much. I really like the spring chairs a lot. While the service is usually really good, I have been in the restaurant when it is busy, so table service can be slow at times. But that’s ok with the Señora and I, we just like to read our Chronicles, sip our drinks and enjoy the garden while watching people walk on by. Make certain you visit Koriente’s website, the restaurant keeps different hours and closes during the day for a few hours.

Koriente
621 E. 7th Street.
Austin,Texas
512 275-0852
http://www.koriente.com/location.html

Ben's Long Branch BBQ - Austin, TEXAS

I am just not happy. I thought I was on a neighborhood roll. Most of the restaurants around my little eastside Austin home have proved to be good if not great …East Side Pies, Gene’s and Taqueria Chapala just to name a few. So when I went to Ben’s BBQ, it was like someone kicking me in the gut...literally. Located on the corner of 11th and Branch, Ben’s is easy to find with plenty of parking both behind and on the street.
Now, I took the time to read some online reviews and most were written before 2002 or just after Ben came back from his early retirement in 2004. I guess the folks that had leased the joint between 2002 and 2004 attempted to run the restaurant into the ground, and very nearly succeeded. But now that Ben’s back, business has picked up and things seem to be running well. So, when I read a Dale’s Table blog post from 2004 with Dale recommending the pork butt …what is a carrot to do but dive right in and go for the recommended best.

Before I go any further, I must tell you that I went back twice and tried the pork butt both times. I felt that I just had to be fair and make certain that I was not mistaken with my first experience. Señora Foodblog didn’t encourage this, but I had to just know for certain if my gut feeling was mistaken. I know that Andrew Zimmerman (Bizare Foods) would agree with me.
On my first visit, I thought the pork was great, juicy and smoky good. I even liked the sauce, which was thin and yet had great flavor. Sadly about three hours after my lunch I got very sick. Bad stomach cramps...need I say more. Ok I thought, maybe something else got me. Among my friends, I am known for a cast-iron stomach…I eat everything. That’s why I am a Food Adventurer.
The second time I visited Ben’s, the place was full with the lunch time meat-eating mob. I even spotted Bob Cole from the Sam and Bob Show lurking in the crowd. He too was at Ben’s for the pork (you are welcome to make your own jokes at this time). Anyway, I again got the Pork Butt plate to go and headed home to eat in the peace of my little house. OK, the pork was dry, and tasted like bacon. Gross! Very sad…I can cook better BBQ than this. I was very disappointed indeed. And while I write this, I am hoping that I don’t get sick and command a repeat performance of my first visit. The Pork Butt plate with 2 sides, bread plus tax… $8.65.

Señor Foodblog says One Spoon Down. Sorry guys, the pork butt is a no-no for me. I can’t remember such bad BBQ, or getting sick after eating at a BBQ place. Not even in Alabama (land of the worst BBQ in the world) did I get sick or dislike the meat so much. I am certain that I will go back to Ben’s and try the brisket and sausage in the not-to-distant future. I am just a little frightened off Ben’s for now. I think I will stick with Sam’s BBQ or Lewis’ as my regular eastside BBQ stops. Sorry Ben, I tried twice.

Ben's Long Branch BBQ
900 E. 11th Street.
Austin, TEXAS
512 477 2516