The Majumdar Bros Head South

[Simon Majumdar]

Hi

This year for our annual "you're my brother and I am forced to like you" style bonding holiday, robin and I are planning to hit the South ( ish )

We will be heading from Dallas to Austin to Galveston to San Antonio to New Orleans and back to Dallas

Robin is taking care of NO, and I am in charge of finding places for us to feed fat the grudge we bear against our stomachs in Texas.

I know this is vague, but are there any "must not miss" places in the following categories

1) BBQ ( obviously )

2) Tex Mex

3) Pure Mexican

4) Burger - I am told that for some reason Texans take this very seriously and I can't believe that any Burger will ever beat that I had at rotieres in Nashville.

In terms of accomadation, we have plans for NO and Austin, but any suggestions of mid range ( c贶 per night ) would be welcome.

Thanks

S

[macrosan]

I've only been to TX once, to Dallas in 1989. The highlight for me was an evening at the Trail Dust --- no, don't laugh.

The smallest steak they had on the menu was 16oz, but as it was called "The Cowgirl" I obviously couldn't order that. I ordered "The Cowboy" which was a mere 24oz. BTW the largest steak on the standard menu was 54oz !!!! The steaks were thrown onto a mesquite grill by a guy using a pitchfork :) The steak with ranch fries and coffee cost ผ.99, and it was without doubt the best steak I've ever eaten in terms of sheer quality of meat.

The Trail Dust is also a dance hall. When we were there they had a live Country&Western band, and the dance floor was filled with locals (lots of families) line dancing.

Altogether it was a great evening, lots of atmosphere, wonderful steak.

[Steve Plotnicki]

Simon - Sonny Bryan's BBQ in Dallas is quite good and one of the famous and classic BBQ places in the South. Their Hot Links (bbq sausage) are especially good.  And this summer we had ribs flown into NYC from Austin from The Salt Lick and they were quite good as well. In the upscale Tex-Mex department, I always liked Stephen Pyle as a chef. I'm not sure what the name of his restaurant is these days.  Each June they hold a charity benefit in Rockefeller Center and famous chefs from all over the world come to town to cook. For the last two years running, Pyle had the best food. And it was a Who's Who of chefs there. Two years ago,  he served an excellent Foie Gras Tamale.

[Holly Moore]

Haven't eaten all over Texas, but I have eaten Austin.  My two favorites there, both home style Texas Cooking, are Threadgill's - a Texas Legend - and Hoovers - less character, just as good cookin'  I also recommend breakfast at Mom's Cafe and Mini Storage - Austin's version of Philadelphia's Carman's Country Kitchen.

Details for all the above are in the Eating My Way to Texas portion of my site.

Other recommendations - check out the small towns, that's where you'll find some of the best brisket - and in San Antonio, stroll the River Walk but eat/dine elsewhere.

[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.

[Simon Majumdar]

That is an amazing list

Thanks all of you for taking the time to reply

I am really looking forward to the trip, even more now with nthoughts of Brisket BBQ

[jhlurie]

When I was in Kansas City last year I was taken to a place called Stroud's for Fried Chicken.  The original Stroud's is apparently in Fort Worth Texas and (I'm told) won the 1998 James Beard Award for its Pan Fried Chicken.  My reactions (to the Kansas City location) are in this thread: http://www.egullet.com/cgi-bin/topic.cgi?forum=12&topic=18

There may indeed be better places than Stroud's in Texas itself, but my point in bringing Stroud's up is that I don't think a Southern food "experiment" would be complete without dabbling in the areas of Pan-fried Chicken, and perhaps also Pan-fried Pork Chops.

[Fat Guy]

Simon, don't you think it's your sacred duty to second-guess all your brother's New Orleans recommendations?

NewYorkTexan, what about the Mansion on Turtle Creek? Isn't that a can't-miss place?

[NewYorkTexan]

I did not go into fine dining restaurants because it seemed that Simon was more interested in casual regional/ethnic suggestions.

I have been to Mansion on Turtle Creek about 6 times (always for business) over the past 4 years, and each time I left wondering if I missed something.    It is the type of restaurant that you leave without specific complaints, but nothing to rave about either.  I suspect that they are relying a little too much on their past glory and the "house specialties" that Dean Fearing made famous.     I am sure that most of the hotel guests instead on seeing the taco soup and lobster tacos on the menu; both dishes are good but not exciting.  The dinning room is pretty and the one brunch I had there was nice.

If I had to recommend one southwestern fine dining restaurant in Dallas it would be Star Canyon.  Even though Stephen Pyles has left, they still do the best job of highlighting regional cuisine and culture.  The menu is more exciting than the Mansion, but their kitchen is not as consistent.      

[Roger McShane]

Oh Simon!! Dear oh dear!

Leaving the New Orleans choices to your brother could lead to a major family bifurcation!

You must realise that New Orleans is a city frozen in the 1930s. I would beg you to go to Galatoire's to experience dining from a different era. You just cannot get appetizers or main courses (entrees) such as pompano with butter sauce like this anywhere else in the world. All the restaurants doing this in France, London and Mumbai have closed down.

There are 'brilliant' new restaurants such as Lilette but these would only rate in the second eleven in other cities.

Please let us all know what you find. Those of us who go there often would love to know where we can eat.

[stellabella]

simon, the NEXT time you come south, if you can make it to georgia, i will cook you some skillet cornbread and collard greens, cheese grits and meatloaf, and biscuits.  or did i already say cornbread?

[Simon Majumdar]

Georgia is definitely on my mind for next time

This time I believe my estimable brother has booked

Galatoires

Bayonya (sp?)

clancy's

I hope all these meet with approval of y'all ( ahem) or I may have to rescind his Steely Dan listening priviledges

The one place I have insisted on trying is a place called CRAKLIN'S which I have heard good things about.  I think it is just a shack doing crackling, but would love to hear if anyone knows it

S

[Rosie]

In Austin--Hudson on the Bend specializes in game. We went to a dive near Houston called Cajun Shack. It was wonderful. Also in Houston is Cafe Anna. In Dallas, Mansion on Turtle Creek was worth every penny. Outside of San Antonio there is a place called Blue Bonnet. They  have cowboy dancing, a mechanical bull and a rodeo all under one roof. It is worth seeing as is the Nimitz museum in Fredicksburg and LBJ library in Austin.

[Wilfrid]

We went to the Mansion on Turtle Creek a couple of summers back (and I don't suppose it's changed much).  The drive out of Dallas (it's not far out) on a warm summers evening, and arrival at the fairy-lit Mansion was exceptionally romantic.  It's a beautifully appointed restaurant, the service very formal, and Fearing was in the kitchen.  I remember the food was good, but almost too rich.  My Beloved and I both ate a very meaty lamb dish, featuring lamb fillet, sweetbreads, and I think liver too, in a rich gravy.  My complaint was that the ingredients melded together almost indistinguishably, making it a kind of rich hot-pot.  But it was by no means a bad dish.  Thinking back, I believe this was on the end of a week in New Orleans, so we were probably fairly pigged out already.

Overall, it was a pampering, millionaire-type experience, and came with a pampering millionaire-type check.  But I'd go back.

[col klink]

I used to live in Austin and now whenever I go back, Kreuz's market in Lockhart is one of the two restaurants I absolutely HAVE to go to.  Their pork chops are great, but it's possible to get ones that are dry (maybe they should brine 'em first).  They also have good brisket but what you must order is the prime rib.  Smoked for a long time and served rare and juicy.  If you only go out once for bbq, go to Kreuz's.  

Salt Lick is fun and good, but I agree with NewYorkTexan, it is a little overrated.  Their plus is being able to bring beer/wine/booze to the restaurant.  They dramatically improved their place when they added air conditioning.  Their mustard based sauce is different than anything else in Texas (at least Central Texas) and make sure to ask for the habenero version too.  Don't worry, it's not that hot.  By all means, try the peach cobbler but order it a la mode 'cus it's rather thick.

There is a bbq chain that's more fun than the Salt Lick and that's Rudy's.  There's a couple of 'em around town.  Rudy's is also a gas station but they do have great bbq and big beer troughs.  They have decent brisket, good ribs, great pork loin and great turkey.  Make sure to ask for plenty of white bread, creamed corn and premium unleaded.  This is another bbq joint that doesn't offer plates, but they do have utensils.

My other must visit restuarant in Austin is the Tex-Mex style Chuy's (another one listed by NewYorkTexan).  The location on the South shore of the river is the Chuy's where the underage Bush daughters were caught trying to order drinks.  I always get the chicken tacos and everything's really fresh.  I highly recommend getting one of the mixed margaritas, very tasty.