jbftx

In Austin (some are in other cities too): Good to Great: Culver's (actually great for fast food) Fire Bowl Dan's Sandy's Texadelphia (not really very fast though) La Madeleine Awful & Disgusting: Taco Cabana (some of the worst food you could think of producing) Thundercloud Subs (if the workers start wearing gloves and they start using something other than brown lettuce, I'll reconsider)

One last thing just to throw you guys a bone -- the guys at Alamosa Wine Cellars seem to be doing the best thing in Texas right now by working with warm climate grapes like Sangiovese. Why all the others are forcing grapes into a climate that can't produce a top quality wine is really insane.

I can't believe I'm the only dissenter, but the answer to claire797's original question is: Yes, you are crazy. I've tried most of the wine's you've all discussed and haven't thought a single one of them was equal to a similarly valued wine from a real wine producing region. I'm not knocking Texas (born, raised and still live here) but it's climate will never (yes, I mean never) produce grapes that can become very good wine. Some of it may be drinkable, but for the same amount of money you can have something that's much more than merely drinkable. Never tried the ports, but I assume the sweeter they are, the more the flaws are masked. I'm still willing to give Texas wines a shot and plan to attend the Hill Country Wine and Food Festival this spring, but the results so far have been so poor and the hype has been so unfounded that I don't expect much. Glad there's some of you out there who disagree so the hardworking people on Texas' vineyards won't go broke. Just don't ask me to support them.

I want to second Vespaio -- great great food, but I've only been a few times and never thought it was very rustic (maybe I'm a novice on Northern Italian food or just not ordered the right things.) It's terrific regardless. But, and not to be too critical or overly harsh, I'ld stay far far away from both Guero's and Chuy's. They're both well known and seem to have crowds, but Guero's is some of the worst tex-mex food I've ever had (yes, Bill Clinton ate there but has anyone ever confused him with a discriminating eater?) and Chuy's is just a chain restaurant (watered down and neutral as you'ld expect one to be.) Same really goes for Trudy's, which isn't anything special and feels like a chain with the food to match. I'll also second Las Manitas for lunch -- not tex-mex as much as a variation on interior mexican. If you want authentic mexican food and want to spend a little more, try Fonda San Miguel, but I'll add one warning -- they have some terrific items on the menu and some horrible, yes, horrible items (beginning with the tortilla soup.) For greasy tex-mex (which is the only authentic kind) I like Jaime's on Red River. FYI: Stubbs BBQ is great and just across the street from Jaime's. I'ld choose Stubbs over Ironworks, which I think is vastly overated (I'm not much on vinegary sauce.) If you want old, historic, upscale dining, go to Green Pastures, but they host several events on the weekend and may not have availability. I saw Aquarelle mentioned and I can't recommend it. There are much much better fine dining options than Aquarelle -- namely Jeffreys (which is the one upscale place you should go -- assuming Green Pastures is closed.) Hoover's is great for soul food and Threadgill's is pretty good for a chain type homestyle place. I like Eddie V's too, but it's a chain (small chain, from the owners of ZTejas (another good chain)) and the idea of fish being "flown in daily" to Austin is a joke -- maybe the special, but everything else in Austin is frozen (which is a good thing) including the fish at Eddie V's. Stay away from seafood while you're here -- it will never come close to what you get in New Orleans or Seattle. Castle Hill is good, but I'ld go for lunch instead of dinner -- not worth the upscale price and terrible atmosphere for a nice restaurant, but great for lunch. If you want a burger, you can't beat Hut's (Shady Grove is a decent backup, but it's just not Hut's.)