fitz

Jaymes is right about Dot's and Fonda San Miguel. Kinda funny to be talking about those two places in the same breath, yeah? We're lucky that Dot's is all of 10 minutes away from us, and still, we've only been there once, though! Still, you never know what weekenders are going to be in the mood for--the visitor we had a few months ago, the one who liked Stubb's and Threadgill's? Well, he was also excited about Krispy Kreme, which baffled the hell out of me, considering that he's from New York, and they sure have them there! What I want right now is some creamed corn from Rudy's...

I've got to say that I still don't see the charm of Las Manitas. I've always hated being served soda in a can with a plastic glass of ice on the side, and the food was just nothing spectacular. We went there when we first moved to Austin, and my vote for breakfast (and not only that) still has to go to Magnolia Cafe. I think the only decent thing I had at Las Manitas was the refried beans, though I had to steal some of Luggage's, since what I ordered didn't come with. I also HATE places that charge you an extra buck for a tablespoon of sour cream... I don't know... maybe it was just a really bad experience, but I couldn't find much on the menu that appealed to me, the service was appalling, the atmosphere way too noisy and frenetic, and at least that morning, the coffee sucked. Magnolia Cafe was yummy all 'round and is unfailingly friendly and VERY Austin... I also second someone's mention of Mirabelle; we went there a few weeks ago and were extremely pleased. I want the veal on our next trip, but Luggage has already cast a vote for the duck... Some folks have mentioned Stubbs, too--I've never been there for dinner, but unless the novelty aspect of the gospel brunch is enough for you, don't do the brunch because you'll just wind up with a plate of cold food... Then again, we had an out-of-town guest a couple months ago, and he loved the brunch-- think more for the atmosphere than the food.

Boy, what about the long-defunct Claremont Diner? Used to love the sturgeon sandwiches and cheesecake there... And not that I could say anything good about the food, but for a nice David Lynch sort of atmopshere, there was nothing like hunkering down behind a cup of coffee at the Miss America in Jersey City on a Saturday morning (used to live right down the block, so it was an easy wake-up ritual). Wish I could remember the name of the one diner in Metuchen so I could warn everyone away from it. Tried the place a couple times and it was consistently hostile and horrible.

Yup, that's exactly what Luggage (a Queens native) and I (a Newark, NJ native) said when we went there. Just fine, and a msot welcome addition to Austin, but wouldn't be a standout in NY. I actually got desperate enough last fall to start making them myself, but we couldn't eat enough to make it worth the trouble...

If you're looking for something open late and/or early, definitely familiarize yourselves with the Magnolia Cafe on South Congress. Just plain good food in an ageeably laid-back, funky atmosphere. You won't be sorry.

We've gotten nice stuff quite a few times at The Meat Shop, including the Wagyu, which we did on the grill with a nice herbed crust (the whole business wrapped in foil as per their instructions). Yum!!!

We tried Reale's the other night, and I have to confess that the place didn't live up to all the hype for me. For starters, we'd heard (from one review) that there was live music on Wednesday evenings. For me, as a musician, the phrase "live music" connotes some kind of interaction between musicians, not just a guy hanging out in the bar singing alone with the karaoke machine. (He sure did sound Sinatra-like, but it's just not the same as someone leaning on the piano, whiskey in hand, crooning "It's quarter to three, there's no one in the place except you and me...") We just ordered an antipasto and a white pizza (half spinach). I know everyone's got different ideas about what constitutes antipasto, but I know that this was nothing like the spreads we had at my relatives' houses on holidays back in NJ. (Not saying it's instrinsically bad, but I wouldn't want it again, ever.) The whole business seemed pickled, there was just a tiny bit of ham and cheese, and what was there was so peppery that I couldn't eat it (and I like pepper!). The breadsticks they served had to have been frozen, and they were nothing less than pure yeasty evil. The first bite or two were tolerable, but as soon as they began cooling off they turned into a sodden, heavy mass of dough. We didn't fare that much better with the pizza, either. After a fairly long wait it arrived with the cheese barely melted. I need to see happy little bits of browned cheese on a pizza, so we asked if they could give it another minute to brown. After a good five minutes or so, it was redelivered to our table with just the merest hint of color on the cheese. I only downed one slice of it that night, and though I subsequently ate the leftovers, I wasn't loving 'em, and I won't be in any hurry to go back (at least not for pizza, especially since the crust wasn't the nice thin stuff I expected). May be worth trying an entree, though... The not-usually-so-cranky Fitz

I'm a-scared. Why does no one seem to mention Thai Thai in Stirling? Really my favorite place to grab lunch when I could escape for long enough... Or has something frightening happened since they renovated and reopened (and during which time I've moved to TX)?

Some of the offerings at Threadgills are worthwhile, like the pecan-crusted friend chicken--nothing wrong with that... but I don't care at all for most of their veggie sides. Most are too overcooked and mushy for my tastes. I have to confess that after 16 months, we have yet to make it to the "real" Salt Lick, only the new one on 360 at Davenport Village (which was a perfectly nice place to grab a quick bite after a haircut!)... Curra's has left me underwhelmed, too. Their mole's not bad, but the service is usually kind of iffy "though not as bad as Kerbey Lane, the Research one). I've got to say, another place I've heard talked up a lot that just didn't cut it was El Sol y la Luna (only went there after various shows at the Continental Club). Decent music, but the food's never been worth it, and the lighting can be pretty damned harsh. Haven't been to Hoover's, but we took his class at CM and loved everything he made, especially his squash with chipotle, which we've done at home with great results. Las Manitas is the other local favorite that I just don't get... The food wasn't that great, there's virtually no atmosphere (or no NICE atmosphere, anyway), I felt incredibly rushed, and I hate places that serve you soda in the can and just give you a plastic glass with a few ice cubes. Ick... They also charge you for every darned extra... heaven forbid you ask for sour cream on the side or something--that'll cost you probably 20% of your meal extra... (Sorry, I'm just being bitter, but that sort of niggling gets to me!)

There are SO many places that might be recommended depending on your likes and dislikes in terms of food and atmoshpere that some of the best advice might just be to take a gander at the Austin Food Trail thread, which contains everyones' musings about all sorts of local favorites (and places we wonder about), as well as about the various eGullet get-together sites... Not all of these places are right downtown, but some are certainly worth a drive, too, so if anyplace catches your eye, feel free to ask about it and I'm sure someone will jump in with some feedback. One thing I'll say is that you'll have to have breakfast somewhere--and you couldn't go wrong in getting it at Magnolia Cafe... Migas: yum... For that matter, a nice Mexican dinner at Fonda San Miguel wouldn't be a bad thing, either...

Oh, yeah... like when she grabs a couple of pieces of chicken and announces, "Now, I've got two good-sized breasts here..." She pulled another one of those half-witticisms the other day; too bad I can't remember it at the moment...

Yup, my mother (who just turned 69) reports that going to Rutt's after being taken to the drive-in (remember those?!) by her aunt and uncle is a favorite childhood memory. I only went there for the first time in the late 80s, when I was working in a nearby office complex in Rutherford...

Sensible as always, f52... I think you hit the nail on the head. I'm choosing my words carefully tonight, having just returned from Seton Northwest with a bunch o' stiches in my left hand, courtesy of the knife I was using to slice bread with earlier this evening. Still awfully numb... Our chiropractor swears by WF simply because of the organic aspect. Me? That's nice sometimes, but I also love what CM has to offer. For an ex NY-er, it's kind of like checking out the window decorations at the 34th St. Macy's around the holidays... As for Austin being the best raw ingredient town going, I'd still have to reserve my vote for NY--just in terms of having a place like the farmers market at Union Square coupled with places like Jefferson Market and Dean & DeLuca in such close proximity. Maybe it's just that we're on the NW fringes of town, but it's kind of a bummer not having a good farmers market around, or having to travl to 3 or 4 places to ind all the fun stuff you want...

I can't say what it's been like in the last year and a half, but when I lived in the area, there were frequent problems with Whole Earth having moldy stuff way past the expirations dates out on their shelves... Never did a whole lot for me! All of the other places mentioned were great, though...

Interesting... When I lived in Bloomfield, The Town Pub was more famous for being just a good down-and-dirty place to meet up with your friends, and wasn't really known for its pizza. As I recall, The Star Tavern was the pizza place everyone raved about, but I was non-plussed. At any rate, the Town Pub back room is the place to be, I'm sure, even after all these years! I have to confess, on our recent wedding trip, I was much more concerned with getting the husband to Jimmy Buff's, seeing as there's nothing like it in Texas! For thin-crust pizza,(okay, go ahead and shoot me), I'd just as soon have a bar pie at The Great Notch on 46... (With nondescript beer, of course...) In this case, atmosphere carries more points than flavor... Fitz (Still a chick after all these years...)

Yes, well... Fitz is actually about an 1/8 Irish but identifies strongly in that direction! The rest goes toward the Polish side; hence, much kielbasi, pierogi, kapusta and such... But a little ketubah-signing never hurt anyone... Jaymes, much as we'd both love to get back to Slovenia, we simply spent a few days knocking around Manhattan (dinner at Babbo, kunch at Aquavit, etc.). We'll spend the next few months redcorating the new house, and then go to Hawaii in September. With any luck, we ought to be able to make the next Austin dinner out... Gee, if I knew how to post a picture, we'd put up a darned entertaining one... (And by the way, for all you Jersey types, I made sure to take Wes to Jimmy Buff's when we got to NJ...)

Hi folks, Some time ago y'all offered a lot of helpful suggestions as to where I could have my NJ wedding and rehearsal dinner. After doing a fair amount of internet research and making more than a few phone calls, we opted to have the wedding at Highlawn Pavilion and the rehearsal dinner at Harold's NY Deli (since most of our out-of-town guests stayed at the Holiday Inn--thanks to Rachel Perlow for suggesting that!!). I doubt anything could have worked out better! Our contacts at both places made it incredibly easy for us to plan everything from Texas, and everything, right down to the last detail, was perfect. Highlawn Pavilion turned out to be a gorgeous site, which was lucky since we had both our wedding and reception there. In fact, prior to the public ceremony we had our ketubah signing downstairs in the wine cellar, which was beautiful. Anyway, across the board, the food was wonderful, the service and people working with us were amazing. Attentive, considerate, and most of all, great at keeping the stress levels way down... So thanks again or the input, everyone!

I haven't lived in the area for about a year and a quarter, but the Amish market was definitely on the southbound side of Route 27, probably about 8 miles south of New Brunswick proper. Whether it's worth your while to check out depends on your tastes. There were lots of pastries and pies (not my thing), homemade salads and salad dressings and such (think sweet honey mustard bacon dressing), as well as various cheeses and meats. It was crowded the few times I stopped in (on weekends), and lots of folks were taking advantage of the chance to grab a quick bite on the run. Don't know if they still do it, but the first Saturday of every month, they had a massive pig roast. (That intrigued me at the time, but my perceptions of BBQ in general have changed since I've been living in Texas! ) The folks running all the concessions were terribly nice, though.

Hi Lou, Thanks for everything--REALLY!!! I WOuld love to have had our rehearsal dinner at An American Grill. Aside from miscellaneous dinners throughout the year, our family had a delightful 2001 Thanksgiving at your place. Sice it's not really our decision, though, Harold's is the place that's been decided on for the rehearsal dinner. Believe me, my mouth was already watering at your menu... But as it is, I'm not the one calling the shots. However, I think it's fair to say that you'll definitely see the whole family in January when we come back to NJ to finalize plans with our rabbi, etc., since it seems that whenever we have a family dinner (since I moved away from NJ) we do it at your place! And I'm sure you'll also see some of us when we turn up in NJ for the wedding... Thanks for all your help

Boy, you guys are great! Lots of good suggestions all around, and after considering everything, I think we've agreed on Harold's. It's convenient, we know the food and the room, and the price is certainly right... And because so many people will be traveling that day, a casual atmosphere is going to be perfect. Thanks again!! Fitz

Hi Paul, We're suggesting that people stay in Parsippany (we have yet to decide yet, but there you've got Embassy Suites, the Hilton and the Sheraton all nearby). So really, I'm looking for places that are in reasonable proximity to Parsippany, where most folks will be holed up. If that helps at all, I'm looking forward to your input! By the way, another place I thought of was The Quiet Man in Dover. Thanks, Fitz

Hey there, all you NJ eGulleteers... Greetings from Austin, TX, and thanks for the suggestions for potential wedding sites a couple months back! Now that we've settled on where to do the ceremony and reception (Highlawn Pavilion--outside if the weather's on our side, inside if not...), we're moving on to secondary issues: where to have the rehearsal dinner? My future in-laws (who were nice enough to visit us from Florida last week) have graciously agreed to host the festivities, so while I want something nice (and in keeping with the rest of what we've arranged), I don't want to be overly extravagant. Because of logistics, I think we'll be best off with a place somewhere between Parsippany and Montclair (An American Grill occurred to me, as did Blue Sky--as long as I've known about Blue Sky, I've always wondered whether Chef David is the same guy who played bassoon in the NJ Symphony Youth Orchestra with me with I was in high school...), though the Morristown area wouldn't be difficult, either. Anyone have any thoughts? We're thinking this will probably be for 20-25 people, and will have to be on a Saturday night (since it's a Jewish wedding on Sunday and much of the wedding party will be from out of town). Thanks, folks! Looking forward to getting back to some good old NJ restaurants when we're in town after the holidays for some serious wedding planning... Fitz (as always, a chick)

Yup, I feel the same... Love Magnolia, especially if you're there on off hours and there's no wait (though the last time, our waiter seemed to have lots better stuff to do than check on his tables...). Kerbey Lane is miserable when it's crowded; in fact, when W and I stopped in for dinner a couple weeks ago on what seemed to be a very quiet night, they still had a ridiculous wait for tables. (And while whole rooms were unoccupied... I hate that! ) When we finally got our table, we actually went back and asked a couple of folks I'd been chatting with in the lobby to join us, just so they wouldn't have to wait. It was a pretty entertaining evening...

Thanks for the congrats and the input! Obviously, we've got our work cut out for us, especially considering that we're trying to accomplish this in a relatively short time frame (before May and June, when all of the twenty year olds who can afford to take a few years to plan their weddings are monopolizing the caterers!). I'll definitely look into what's been suggested so far; in fact, I can't believe I forgot about the Binghamton. When I lived in Edgewater and West New York, I always loved going there. I know I've heard some folks make really vicious comments about the food and the service, but I've always been happy enough about just being right on the river that nothing much ever bothered me...