NewYorkTexan

It sounds like you are going to be doing a lot of driving during your trip to central Texas. By category, here are some of my favorites. If you have specific interest, price level or taste that I did not cover, let me know. Having moved to Austin four years ago, I know Austin and San Antonio better than Houston/Galveston or Dallas. Barbeque Many of the best bbq places are in the small towns outside of the big cities. If the restaurant does not have silverware and instead of napkins there is a roll of paper towels on the table, good chance it is authentic. Brisket is king in Texas barbeque. Louie Mueller in Taylor TX-about 25 minutes outside of Austin is a great place. They close each day when they run out of food, so plan on getting there before 2 in the afternoon. Probably the most consistently great bbq in central Texas. Rudy Mikeska's Bar-B-Q is across the street and they have a good reputation, although I have not been there yet. Iron Works 100 Red River, Austin 512-478-4855 The best bbq in Austin. It is a renovated 75 year old cast iron plant (hence the name) that is famous for their beef ribs. They are located near the convention center downtown and is your best bet if you do not want to travel to the small towns. Otto's in Houston. Once again if you want to taste good bbq without a long drive, Otto's is your best bet in Houston. Elgin, Texas. Driving on Highway 290 between Austin and Galveston you will find this small city that has great smoked sausage (no jokes, this is a PG rated board). I prefer Myers BBQ as it is less greasy, but Southside bbq has a large following as well. Coopers Old Time Pit in Llano Texas. Located about 40 miles north of Austin, they have a wide selection of bbq and it is all great. You will smell the smoke about two city blocks away. How often can you find bbq mutton and goat. Lockhart Texas is the self-proclaimed barbeque capital of Texas, located about 20 miles south of the Austin airport. Kreuz's Market is 100 years old and even though they recently moved to a new larger location they are still as authentic as you will find. They do not have forksand their specialty is pork chops. Do not ask for sauce, they insist that their bbq is so good, it does not need any condiments. That is a sentiment you will find in many quality places; it is the meat, not the sauce that makes Texas barbeque great. Gourmet magazine recently said Blacks Barbeque in Lockhart was the best in Texas. It is very good, but I am Kreuz's faithful. Salt Lick in my opinion, is highly over-rated. Located 25 miles south of Austin, it is in a dry county and you bring your own beer. It is an amusing sight to see people lined up at the restaurant lugging large coolers behind them. Overall, I think they are very inconsistent and the quality of the barbeque is worse than any of establishments listed above. Mexican/Tex-Mex Las Manitas 211 Congress Ave. Austin Texas They are a casual restaurant that epitomizes Austin. Some of the best migas and authentic central Mexican cuisine is found here. If it is a nice day, ask for a table on the back patio. They are only open for breakfast and lunch (I think). Guerros 1412 South Congress Another casual and authentic Mexican restaurant. Killer margaritas and a good option for dinner. They still have the picture of Clinton eating half the menu, similar to the one in Katz's in NYC. Fonda San Miguel 2330 West North Loop A little more upscale than the other two, but probably the best authentic Mexican restaurant in Austin. Mi Tierra Cafe & Bakery in San Antonio 218 Produce Row. A Tex-Mex favorite where people go more for the experience than for the food. Not that the food is bad, but is a huge, colorful and fun restaurant. Chuy's a Texas based chain that has reliable and cheap tex-mex food. Henry's Puffy Tacos-a San Antonio greasy spoon that has really good tacos (they are puffy of course) Boudro's on the Riverwalk in San Antonio. One of the more upscale places along the riverwalk, famous for their guacamole that is prepared tableside. Others Star Canyon has two locations, the original in Dallas and a second one in Austin. The Dallas location is far superior. A good restaurant that highlights local ingredients and culture. Goode Company in Houston. They have 3 restaurants located on one block, the bbq is very good and the hamburgers restaurant is one of the best. The style of burgers you will find in Texas is a thin burger with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, mayo, mustard. I am not a fan of this type, but Goode Co. is as good as it gets. Hoovers-2002 Manor Road, Austin Texas The best southern style restaurant in Austin. If you want to sample chicken fried steak, this is the place without a doubt the best in town. You might hear about Threadgills, but that place has become nothing more than a tourist trap. Castle Hill 101 West 5th Street Austin Texas. A great casual restaurant that has been popular for years. The wine list is extensive with a modest mark-up. Their sister restaurant, Mirabelle is located in northwest Austin and is also fabulous. They have an eclectic yet simple menu. Austin Diner (FKA Laura's Bluebonnet Cafe) 5408 Burnet Road. Your best bet for breakfast in Austin Treebeards-several locations in downtown Houston. Excellent Cajun food in a casual cafeteria style setting. Most of the lawyers in downtown Houston live there, or so it seems. Bob's Stteak and Chop House in Dallas-Typical "clubby" steakhouse, but they prepare everything extremely well. Del Frisco's Double EagleSteak House in Dallas and Fort Worth. Another high-end steak house that is a local legend.

I think lawyers as gourmets is somewhat of an east coast phenomenon. It is not limited to lawyers, but across all sectors of the professional service industry (consultants, bankers, executive search, etc.) Overall, I have noticed entrepreneurs and people associated with the arts tend to have a stronger appreciation of gourmet food and quality restaurants. The creative and passionate personality traits needed to succeed in those fields are often evident in their love of food and wine. On the west coast, Venture capitalists and technology executives are the primary drivers of the gourmet culture. While a lot of the newly created wealth has focused on flash more than substance, there has been a huge increase in the number of quality restaurants along with increased access to the best food and wine. The fact that travel is a big part of being a lawyer must also play a large role in developing ones taste. I doubt compensation alone would explain it since lawyers, while well compensated are not in usually in the upper echelon of wealth creation. Senior traders and money managers, on average, make more than Partners at the large law firms yet proportionally there are not as many gourmets.

The danger zone is between 40 and 140 degrees. That is the range when bacteria is able to double every 20 minutes.

The discussion on the Olive Garden struck a nerve; are there quality chain restaurants? The high end steak houses do not count. Romano's macaroni grill is not bad They have an open kitchen and consistent food. The negative is that their decor is over the top with too much kitsch. My opinion is biased since the restaurant is conveniently located on my way home and it is way too easy for my to call in an order to pick up and bring home. Outside of appetizers and drinks, I have never had an acceptable meal at the american cafe style chains like Bennigans, TGIF, etc. In-n-Out Burgers is not really a resturant, but they have perhaps the best fast food burger in the country.

If they are trying to be the best they can be within the limits of their core clientele, then they are limited by a very low ceiling on quality. Historically they have aimed for their dishes to be the "lowest common denominator" on flavor, with the ability to attract the largest mainstream audience. If they try to have the cuisine become more authentic, they will alienate their current core base. If they raise the quality of the ingredients they use, menu prices will rise and again their core base will be turned off. It seems like they are striving for an impossible goal. I also question if the parent company would have the fortitude to ride out potentially lower profitability during this transition. I am interested in your opinion of Olive Garden after you go there.

Three words about Olive Garden....Do Not Go. I went to a Olive Garden once when it was the only option still open and close to the hotel. The food lacked any flavor or seasonings, I have had ketchup with more spice than their marinara sauce. The pasta was also overcooked to the point of mush. It is an establishment run by marketing executives and market researchers. Their food is bland by design. Olive Garden and Red Lobster use recipes designed to be acceptable to the widest potential audience throughout the country (I will try to find the article in Fortune or Forbes I read a while ago that discussed this). The quality of the food is similar to Chef Boyardee canned goods. Romano's Macaroni Grill is a much better choice for Italian food in a suburban chain restaurant. Bahama Breeze is an upbeat restaurant where people go as much for the drinks and the bar scene as they do for the food. The restaurant is similar to Bennigans and Fridays, but with a tropical theme. I have only had appetizers and dinner salads...... not bad. Their portions are huge, my friend was served two kebobs on skewers that must 18 inches long. The food quality ranges between non-offensive to good. Like almost all chain establishments, they do not go heavy on seasonings or spices, which is evident on their jerk dishes. They have a house beer that is quite good. Of the three chains you mentioned, BB is clearly the best. They just opened a Smokey Bones not far from my house. I have not been there, but the I hear it is awful. The reviews have called it a Hooters with smoked meat. Supposedly, the waitress wear very skimpy outfits. Considering how accessible great barbeque is in Texas, I am surprised that Smokey Bones parking is always full. I guess if Italian chain restaurants can survive in NY, then Smokey Bones can survive in Texas.

As a result of a bi-annual hunting trip, there are often a few pheasants sitting in my freezer. I gravitate towards rustic, simple recipes. It may not be what you had in mind, but pheasant and white bean chili is excellent. It is my favorite chili. A slow roast is probably your best bet. You can wrap the breasts in bacon and roast them, or grill them weather permitting.

No question I used the bastardized version of the word confit. I have probably seen in used on too many menus as a reference to a slow cooking method as compared to the actual dish. When I use caramelized onions, I have the oil at a lower temperature and watch the latkes very carefully. There is a small window between an excellent latke and having burnt bitter pieces of onion on the exterior. I also found that scallions, which I add as well, have a tendency to burn, so I have to be careful with them as well. I agree with you that they should be a light golden color, not cooked to a dark brown, which helps reduce the chance of the onions burning. All this latke talk has me craving one.

I really like the idea of using duck fat, schmaltz but with more flavor. It sounds like you made an onion confit more rather than caramelized onions. I let the onions get really brown, bringing out their full sweetness before I add them to the latkes. Haroset for Chanukah, too funny.

What a great idea. Perhaps for the next testing, dessert wines could be the focus.

To the standard recipe (which in my opinion never includes flour) I add caramelized onions, scallions and ancho chile powder. I like them with apple sauce.

I am surprised that egullet is currently ranked below jerky-of-the-month.com :shocked:

I think most baked goods and desserts fall in this category. The window between a dessert or baked item you are proud of and making something the dog will not even touch is small. There is a degree of precision and accuracy for these items that you do not find in general cooking. If you start with really good ingredients, any decent cook can make an acceptable dish. It may not be the perfect dish we strive for, but certainly very good. With desserts and baked goods, so many nuances come into play, such as moisture, exact type of flour or chocolate, sugar content of the fruit, etc. A slightest miscalculation and ones efforts will result in failure. I personally find baking a good loaf of bread more rewarding than preparing a multi-course dinner party.

A friend told me about a global wine auction site, www.winecommune.com It looks interesting. Has anyone tried this site yet?

Can you get an equally sharp knife at home using a stone as you get from taking your knives to a professional sharpener? I use my steel every time I take my knives from the block, and every few months take them to a pro sharpener. I was always reluctant to try and duplicate those results at home. It would be nice not have take pack up the knives and take them for a drive twice a year. Are there specific stones that are better to use? I know that they are different grit levels, but I thought there are also different kind of stones.

I was there a few months ago and had a very good meal. I truly enjoyed the restaurant's setting and the service was flawless. It was our first visit to Bibendum, so I can not speak to any improvement or decline in the restaurant. The food was good but not spectacular, hence I can not remember many of the details of the meal. I started with very nice soup and had a slightly disappointing fish entree. My wife had an outstanding veal entree. The sommelier had recommended an excellent white burgundy that while not cheap, was a good value. I think I had a crème brulee for dessert, but my memory fails me.

Russ & Daughter is a great store. If you want to go to Lower East side restaurant, you might want to think about Ratners. It is not as good as it once was, but still a NY tradition...imho. If you are on the lower east side, you have to go to Guss's pickles.

That was a great analogy, it certainly answered my question comparing wine and water. Could you maybe raise the question to Danny Meyer's organization. When I read the article in the NYT, I thought his response was a little flip. I see his point from a business perspective, but as a customer I thought it was a touch offensive.

A waiter would never assume that they should automatically open a second or third bottle of wine without asking the customer. Why should the restaurants treat water and wine differently? I do not think it would be price since a glass of wine and a bottle of water can be in the same price range.

This is from the Reidel web site. "Riedel glasses are used in many thousands of hotels and restaurants around the world and are of course cleaned in professional dishwashers. This is to underline that you may use your dishwasher. However, please be aware of some inconveniences: Often the long-stemmed glasses do not fit in the racks. The washing cycle takes approximately one hour or more. The cooling phase, which may take all night, exposes the glass surface to hot steam and later to highly-concentrated moisture, which over the years corrodes the fine surface of stemware. The result is that the glasses tarnish after many hundred cycles and show a slight irreversible blue film. Glasses may take on a 'dishwasher smell' which is created by the chlorine in the water or the rinse aid. "

My dishwasher has an attachment on the top rack that lets you "lock in" the wine glasses and that has worked well. It is a fairly standard whirlpool model. When cleaning my glasses in the dishwasher I wash them separately and never use detergent. I found that it leaves a residual layer of detergent on the glasses. The scented detergents are the worse, who wants to have wine glasses that smell like "country breeze" The problem is that if I only have 4 or 6 glasses that need to be washed, it is waste to run the dish washer just for that. My wife constantly reminded of the wasted water and electricity in washing just a few glasses.

This is an old topic, but I just noticed that the first episode airs this weekend. It is not on the Food Network, but on UPN. Have cooking shows become that mainstream?

<p>I never really had a receipe that I followed. You can make this as spicy or sweet as you want. I like mine to have a kick to it. <p>1 lb bag of fresh cranberries-coarsely choppedjuice of a lime half of a poblano chile half of a roasted jalepeno chile (you can mix and match the chiles to personal taste) 1/2 cup (ish) of an asian pear--adds a nice crunch 1/2 cup of walnuts, or any nuts chopped fresh cilantro honey to taste--not to make it sweet, but to balance out the heat of the chilies. a little olive oil<p>

I know it is a little cliché, but I always found One If By Land, TIBS to be a wonderful choice for a romantic meal. The menu is not very creative, but reliable. I have not been there in about 18 months, so my things might have changed. I seem to remember a pre-fixe that was reasonably priced.

I was never a big fan of cranberry sauce, it was often too sweet for my taste. A few years ago I experimented and started making a cranberry salsa. It has become a big hit. I make it a day in advance so the flavors can meld.