NewYorkTexan

They closed about a year ago and I just doubled check that the listed telephone number does not work anymore. OSF Steakhouse had a reputation of being family friendly, but I never heard great things about the food.

Went to The Belmont last night for drinks and really like the place. It was a nice evening to hang out at the upstairs patio bar (kinda reminded me of the LA bar scene). I see myself becoming a fixture at the retro bar downstairs. I think The Belmont is comprised of 4 different bars. The menu looked like classic comfort food.

Anyone tasted Alcina Cellars wines, either their Pinot or Syrah? I have a deal to buy either a half case or a whole case, but have never tasted their stuff. Thanks!

Did you ever try the smoker bags these The cooking school I volunteer at used them this weekend to finish off andouille sausage and they imparted a nice smokey flavor. I bought two bags and now want to start experimenting with them.

Heading to the airport with time to waste, I stumbled across the Standard Diner. It was one of those places that just emanated a "good vibe". Located in a former gas station, it had a upscale, retro dinner decor. It was accomplished without going overboard as retro theme restaurants often do. The waitress said that they opened about 5 months ago. This place really nailed the little touches, especially considering it is a casual place. While perusing the menu they brought plate of mini-muffins to the table. I do not remember exactly what kind of muffins they were, but I do remember inhaling them...damn they were good. I had the chicken fried lobster Cesar salad. The name of the dish is misleading, it was a tempura batter on the lobster. The lobster nuggets were lightly cooked, leaving them moist and tender. The rest of the brunch menu look good with items like red curry hash & eggs and breakfast casserole (challa bread custard with green chili, asparagus and cream cheese). The overall menu was comfort food with twist. Service was friendly and personable. their full menu

One of my favorite places, Cooper's BBQ in Llano has a mail order business. Cooper's BBQ

This is the Mandola sub, one of their signature cold sandwiches. It might be my favorite sandwich in Austin. It is huge, a meal for two easily.

On Friday and Saturday CB is open until 3am.

Awesome blog...thanks for reminding this native New Yorker how much fun the city can be........ I would vote for Pax Whole Foods because I used to hit a Pax all the time when I worked in Midtown.

You might try Grapevine Market, probaly your best bet in Austin to find Campari.

Nice mention about Laidback Manor in the Wall Street Journal today. It was in the "Chefs Gone Wild" cover article. (no free link for the WSJ online version). foie gras rolled in almond cookies....yum

Best Cellars is a chain of wine shops that has a strong selection of wines under $15 and a friendly staff. If you do not have a local wine shop that you like, you might check out Best Cellars. Best Cellars Dupont 1643 Connecticut Ave., NW Washington, DC 20009 202-387-3146

You're welcome

My architect found a soupstone distrubtor in Houston that happens to be one of the largest in the country, The Slate Company I will probably use them for soapstone couterntops as there are no options in Austin.

We have selected soapstone for our kitchen remodel, mostly due to the looks and durability of it. Neither of the two contractors we have bidding on the project are excited about that selection. One of them gave an excellent analogy, he compared soapstone to a cast iron pan. You have to invest the time to oil it, especially in the beginning...but if you do it right, you will have practically an indestructible surface for a lifetime.

Went to the Austin Flemmings Friday and they now have Prime Rib on the menu....not sure if they offer it every night. At least in Austin, I think it is the best upscale "chain" steakhouse, better than Ruth Chris or Sullivans. They have an interesting way of serving wine flights. They use a tiered holder with clear labeling that make it easy to identify the wines. After two different flights, I need all they help I could get.

Based on all of the positive opinions, I went to Landmarc last night with a friend. I agree with the list of accolades in this thread, I will also rave about the two small tables on the balcony. When the weather is nice, it is an excellent al fresco dining option.

I can not seem to find that article, the link sends me to the front page. Any chance I could get a link the the Suck article?

Had friends over for a Shrimp boil. There were 2 kinds of sausages, smoked pork from I got at the farmers market and a habenero and hatch chile smoked turkey sausage. I noticed a big difference between the farm raised u15 shrimp from Costco and the wild, smaller shrimp from Central Market.

The essence of summer, yellow grape tomatoes with micro basil greens from the Farmers Market drizzled with some olive oil I bought in Nice. Prime bone-in rib eye and Broccoli with cheddar sauce.

You should have plenty of options. A few thoughts: The Turnberry Isle resort is nice. Elegant property, great service and good food. I remember having an excellent meal in their Veranda restaurant. While it is not resort, the hotel I have been staying in lately is the Mandarin Oriental in Miami and they have phenomenal dining options. website On the Gulf side, kinda hard to go wrong with the Ritz Carlton in Naples, a stunning property.

I appreciate the replies. Just realized that in the infinite wisdom of Radisson Seven Seas cruise line, they scheduled our Bilbao stop on a Monday when the museum is closed. Summer hours do not start until July I believe. Luckily there are several threads that will help me plan the day in Bilbao.

Is it easy to get to the Guggenheim from the port? I have an upcoming cruise that has a one day stop in Bilbao. I would prefer to get to the museum on our own instead of an "overpriced" excursion arranged by the cruise. Anyone have an idea what a typical taxi ride would cost? Is mass transit from the port an option? Any thoughts on the restaurant in the museum?

We are booked on a Raddisson Seven Seas cruise next month that is advertised to have a "Spotlight is on Food & Wine" I am not sure if or how that will translate to a more intersting and higher quality food service. They have several guests that I assume will have seminars or work shops, such as Ed Sbragia from Beringer Vineyards, Kevin Rathbun from Atlanta restaurant "Rathbun's," cheese expert Max McCalman of Artisanal and James Beard Award-winning wine writer Lyn Farmer. I hope some of this will spoill over to the food service. They have 4 restaurants on board, with two of them open seating and two require reservations. There is no extra charge for the smaller resturants but you can only dine in each once during the cruise. The signuture resturant is run by the Le Cordon Bleu cooking school and the other only has 72 seats. You can potentially offer restaurant quality meals in that intimate setting. Red and white wine is included with the meals, but there is aslo a wine list (with supposely high mark-ups) to order better wines. The cruise is still a month away........

You can try a sponge cake layer, like they do at Junior's Cheesecake. the recipe