NewYorkTexan

I have a confession to make.......The first time I ever had CFS was in New York City at the Yellow Rose on the UWS I have since learned to appreciate good CFS. Was it Star Canyon in Dallas that had filet CFS on the menu? What the hell were they thinking?

This weekend I had Llano signature red meritage and thought it was very good. For a under $10 bottle of wine, it was an excellent value.

I am scheduled to go to Europe monthly for the next few months and the exchange rate is starting to have a chilling effect on T&E expenses. The first causality was wine, downgrading our selection during business dinners. If this was leisure travel, I would also factor in the exchange rate when looking at hotels.

Easy -- they're the best. They're so good, in fact, that it's impossible to put your finger on why they're good. That's how good they are. What could be better than anything that good? **Sigh.** I get back to Austin only twice a year now, once at christmas. They're usually closed around the holidays. It is just that the overwhelming consensus is that TacoXpress is the best. They use incredibly fresh ingredients, the condiments are made in-house and the care they put into every taco is evident with every bite. I never even heard of the other place, so I was curious why you thought they were so great. While the definition of greatness is highly subjective, there are usually specific factors that make smoothing “great”. If you like is so much, there must be something that differentiates them.

This thread is wonderful. I need to arrange a private dinner during an upcoming meeting in Vienna this spring. We are staying at the Grand hotel and would love to find a nice restaurant with a private dining room within walking distance. Private dining room that can seat 20 Compete meal, including wine for around 100-125 USD/pp Any thoughts??????

I am going to be making several trips to Basel over the next few months and could not find any threads on the city. Any and all suggestions would be appreciated. I am open on cost and cuisine, but local/regional specialties would be my first priority. A mix of formal restaurants that are appropriate for client schmoozing and more casual places when it is just dinner with my team would be ideal. I usually stay near the train station, but Basel is compact enough that I am happy to jump in a taxi and go anywhere in town for a good meal. I really liked Bel Etage in Der Teufelhof, where we had a wonderful 3 hour dinner a few weeks ago. (I still need to post about a recent trip through Switzerland, France and India)

Yeah, Tavern on the Green is kinda over the top, but with the right attitude, they kind certainly have a fun evening. I have not been there since Sharon and I considered it (very briefly) for our wedding. They should try to sit in the Crystal room, nice view of Central Park. Sticking to their straight forward American classics is the safe bet, avoiding their Italian or French influenced dishes. Brunch is another idea, they could enjoy some really great champagne with a $300 gift certificate.

Any place where you place your order and receive your food at a counter, I would categorize as a fast food restaurant. This is a broad group and includes such wonderful options as BBQ, chesesteaks, etc. (this might work better if Jeff Foxworthy could read it out loud) If you can just reach out of your car window and they hand you your meal, you are at a fast food restaurant. If you can have a larger portion of your side dishes by saying a magical word designated by a marketing flunkie, you are a at fast food restaurant. If they place the silverware (plastic of course) and napkins in bug buckets at an island by themselves instead of on the tables, then you are at a fast food restaurant. If your meal has a promotional association with a current movie......maybe even with a cheap plastic toy that will eventually be recalled....., then you are a fast food restaurant.

There has been a lot of discussion about the horrors of fast food, but there are some good options, mostly local or regional operations here in the lone star state. Barbeque is the ultimate fast food, but that is definitely worthy of its own, probably multiple threads. A few in and around Austin- Taco Cabana, a San Antonio based chain – good fresh Mexican food. Their fajita platters are a good value. Rudy’s BBQ, another San Antonio based chain. I know I said that I would not discuss BBQ, but I lied. While they are not close in consistent quality to the greats in Lockhart, they are a fine option when you want your Q fix without driving far. You are not supposed to factor in the quality of the sauce when discussing great barbeque, but theirs has a nice spicy kick. TacoXpress - not a chain, but certainly fast food. Some of the best breakfast tacos in Austin…especially the migas tacos. Sandy’s hamburgers Zen fast food Lucky dog, if you like Chicago style hot dogs. Culvers – a chain based in Wisconsin.........good fries, much better than McDees. What am I missing both in Austin and around the state.

THANK YOU! I will puke if I see one more pesto/assagio cheese/pine nut donut shaped roll masquerading as a bagel.

Welcome Jennifer. Jaymes and everyone else’s endorsement was enough justification to drive up to Cedar Park, but with your post puts the motivation to visit Bagel Works over the top! Key question------do you make Salt bagels? I have not found a good salt bagel in Texas and they do not travel well enough to have shipped from NYC.

Considering that at one time there was a very large established Jewish population in Texas, especially Dallas, one would have hoped you could still find decent bagels. In the early 1900s almost 25% of the Dallas population was Jewish and Galveston was the second largest immigration destination for eastern European Jews, second only to Ellis Island. Manny Hattans Deli in Austin, by the Arboretum, sells H&H bagels. They buy them in bulk frozen and finish baking them to order. At 60 cents per bagel, I think they are one of the better values in town.

Hard to go wrong with B&C or PL, but a few other options: Barney’s in Locust Valley offers a more romantic setting than a steakhouse if that is what you want. If you watch the wine, two people can eat well for under $200, Ecco in Garden City has a nice Northern Italian Menu

Hopefully someone can recommend a full service local butcher, but you are also going to be near Central Market. The folks who work their meat and fish counters are both knowledgeable and passionate. Traits you almost never see in a supermarket, but then again Central Market is no ordinary supermarket. They carry prime and a good quality of choice beef. If you have not been to Central Market yet, then I would suggest you get your ass there ASAP, it is a cool place.

I am a fan of Pappas Bros. They serve consistently good dry aged prime beef (not great, but good) and the ambiance works for me. It is the typical dark wood/leather interior you expect, but with retro elements that is fun. Gotta love having drinks at the bar when the hostess comes around carrying your name written on a small plaque announcing your table is ready.

Gas station coffee. Had the worst coffee of my life a few weeks ago on a hunting trip in Iowa. 6am in the morning, heading to the reserve we find an open gas station/convenience store. At that point all I wanted was a warm medium to deliver caffeine to my central nervous system. I figured with low expectations, I would not be disappointed.....WRONG. I could not even finish my first gulp, the coffee tasted like it was brewed the night before using dirty gym socks for a filter. Surprisingly that same gas station/convenience store made very good fried cheese curds, which was our breakfast most mornings.

The cruise line approached both parties and is currently is discussions with both parties for their conventions. According to that NY Times article, the discussions with the Republican party are more advanced, but they are also in talks to have a cruise ship based in Boston for the democratic convention. I think it is a dumb idea, but like so many other areas of politics, stupidity is not limited to just one party.

Pictures of the wagyu ribeyes would be nice......yeah.....pictures before cooking and post cooking........yeah pictures......

I bought my everyday dinnerware from Fishs Eddy about 5 years ago, the blue star pattern and love the stuff. I continue to put the dishes through hell and back, and everything still looks brand new. The nice thing is that you can pick and choose which pieces you want and are not stuck with a set containing useless pieces. Shipping costs was not too bad, I think they charge by pound. The only thing is Fishs Eddy might be more casual than you want.

We had our kitchen cabinets painted about two years ago. They were that mausoleum brown that was the rage in the 80’s and had them painted white. It was a stop gap project until we look to a larger remodeling of the house. The old cabinets had a heavy coat of lacquer that had to be stripped off before painting. We used a professional because I knew I could not due a respectable job on this, even though I am pretty good at painting. The whole project cost us about $800 and took 6 days. That included the prep work to strip off the lacquer, three coats of paint and painting the inside of the cabinets (we planned replacing some of the solid cabinet doors with doors that had glass panels). I figure the material coast for me would have been a few hundred bucks, it is a decent sized kitchen. The project came out great and still looks good now. The only area that shows chipping is by the drawer where I keep the pans. When I pull out the cast iron, the slightest love tap will cause a chip. If you do try to paint it yourself, remember it is a mistake to try painting without pants on.........wait.....that is for the spilling on yourself thread.

When I worked in midtown Manhattan right out of college, I used to keep a clean shirt and tie along with a shaving kit in my locker at the club across the street from my office. My friends all assumed it that it was for changing after a hard night of drinking, I could shower, change my shirt/tie and go straight to the office (men can get away with wearing the same dark blue or grey suit for a few days in a row). Maybe that happed twice in four years. In reality, I used to go change to a clean shirt before client meetings after splattering my shirt during lunch. I did that so often that it became a running joke with the locker room attendant that the only exercise I ever did was changing my shirt. Most embarrassing stain was when I was a waiter, I accidentally spilled coffee on a bride while she was waiting outside the chapel about to walk down the aisle..........a coffee urn, not just a little cup.

Since having this at the Driskill Grill, this is one of my favorite versions: Forest Mushroom Salad with Fried Green Tomatoes, Peppered Arugula and Creamy Goat Cheese Vinaigrette

Holiday House on Airport is still around. I have only had their bbq and have not tried their hamburgers…yet. G.M. Steakhouse on Lamar is still alive and kicking, although they are undergoing some kind of transformation. I think after lunch the menu changes to an ethnic menu? Hopefully others can provide additional details. I have only been there for breakfast and they do a very good breakfast. I have not heard of Moore Burgers.

I am also a big fan of Rounders. The owner is a really nice young guy and the type of restaurateur you like supporting. My personal bias is for thin crust pizza and Saccones and Reales (along with Rounders) are my favorite examples thin crust east coast style pizza. Although recently my experiences at Saccones has been mixed with an occasional soggy crust.