Fantastic French Toast

Fantastic French Toast

Olivia

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed every bite of french toast at Olivia in South Austin. French toast is on almost every brunch menu in town, but this one was so simple and delicious. The bread was cooked perfectly. It didn't feel heavy at all. The thin apple slices rounded out the sweet taste. I would definitely make the order again.

My new favorite restaurant

A Date Night at Odd Duck

Odd Duck

I enjoyed my best bite while savoring the black olive pasta. It's served with braised goat, sage and parmesan. The goat was so tender and the pasta was made perfectly. It just melt in my mouth. My husband agreed. There were also so many amazing bites from every single small plate that we both declared Odd Duck our new favorite restaurant. I also highly recommend the soft cooked duck egg over fried rice, oyster mushrooms and pickled squash. The egg provided this intense, rich flavor while the rice had a nice spice to it. The combination works really well together. I was also surprised at how much I enjoyed the zucchini pancake. It's served with a creamy basil sauce that's incredible. Then the salad on top with pickled peach, sungold tomatoes and peppers provided this fresh and dynamic contrast to the pancake and the sauce. Delicious. And it's only $6. The andouille sausage on a cornmeal pancake and coffee mayo was also a standout. The ham and cheese pretzels were a perfect way to start the meal. The cajun grilled shrimp and okra stew was solid. The cola cake with wild rice also brought an incredible range of flavors. We can't wait to visit again.

Major Disappointment at Justine's Brasserie

Dinner at Justine's Brasserie

Justine's Brasserie

The best bite I had at Justine's was from the cheese plate. Unfortunately the lamb special I ordered was a complete disaster. Two other people including my husband also ordered the special and agreed. My husband even complained to management. He has never done that in his entire life. The lamb was served in a delicious yogurt sauce, but the meat itself was barely edible. All of us had to spit out most of what we ate. It was all fat. The fact that the kitchen actually cooked and served the meat makes me suspicious of the quality control at this restaurant. We were with a group of ten people and some people were very happy with their meals. But given this lamb dish was so horrible, I plan on never visiting Justine's again.

Lunch at Buenes Aires Cafe

Lunch at Buenes Aires Cafe

Buenes Aires

Last Friday, my mom and I decided to have another lunch date at Buenes Aires Cafe on east 6th street. The best bite came from the Verdura Empanada. It has spinach, ricotta, parmesan and onions in it. The flavor combination along with the crispy pastry was incredible. I also ordered the spicy ground beef empanada, but I think the spice on it was a little overpowering. Buenes Aires also has a mild ground beef option that includes raisins, green olives, herbs and spices. I plan to try that one next time. As a side note, I generally love spicy dishes. In addition to the empanadas, we had plenty of wonderful bites. Everything was solid. My mom ordered the snapper special you can see at the top. It was incredibly fresh. A perfect meal for the summertime. It was only $20. I ordered a soup and salad combo from the lunch menu for under $10. The soup of the day was corn and jalapeno. It had just the right amount of spice, while also tasting a tad sweet. Delicious. The spinach salad is tossed with feta cheese, black olives, sweet roasted pecans and a tangy vinaigrette dressing. The pecans really make the salad. I think the olives get lost in the dish, so maybe green olives would have worked better or even none at all. But overall everything was fresh and delicious. I think it's great Buenes Aires has a legitimate lunch menu with a lot of reasonable and tasty options. After visiting twice for lunch, I've found it's always busy, but there also isn't a problem finding a table.

Clark's Oyster Bar: A delicious lunch with my mom

Clark's Oyster Bar

A delicious lunch with my mom

Clark's

This was the second time my mom and I had visited Clark's Oyster Bar on West 6th street for lunch. It's a really cute spot and we've found it's fairly easy to reserve a table the day of (basically an hour before we arrive). The best bite came from the Crispy Gulf Snapper. It's the photo at the top. The snapper comes with stone ground grits, sofrito and lemon zest. The way all the flavors come together is incredible. It really packs a punch. But I also must admit I'm a big fan of grits anyway. You should also know the waiter said the snapper along with the lobster roll are the favorites at the restaurant. It costs $29. My mom ordered the Shrimp Louie. It comes with iceberg salad, capers, herbs and thousand island dressing. It was nice, but fairly simple. We also couldn't resist ordering the Handcut Clark's Fries with Rosemary after seeing someone next to us order it. There is a nice dose of rosemary, but otherwise I thought it was disappointing. The fries are really just chips and they're actually pretty difficult to eat because of the shape and how they're all connected together. Overall Clark's is a really cute spot with some great high notes, but I do think it's a little overpriced for lunch. 

The 30th Birthday Dinner at Lenoir

Lenoir

A dinner to celebrate the beginning of a new decade

The best bite came from the seared antelope heart, crepes and turnip puree. The texture was very unique. It was incredibly tender and gamy in a positive way. The crepes were a perfect complement to the meat. My husband and I also shared the charred tomato with smoked ricotta and whey sorbet. The sorbet added a neat texture and temperature to the meal, but I don't think the flavor of the sorbet packed enough punch. The leek and pimenton agnolotti with leek top fondu, sun golds and potato chips was nice, but not a standout. We also enjoyed the snapper crudo with avocado puree and red cabbage. My second favorite bite came from the dish even though it's not pictured. There was a strong flavor with a delicious crunch. Finally we enjoyed a sweet and savory dessert. The Thai basil shortbread with olive oil water oak chevre and honey chili mulberry. It hit the spot... especially given we knew 30th birthday cake awaited us later in the night. We shared six courses. Lenoir does 3 courses a person for $38. I highly recommend sharing every dish so you can enjoy a taste of everything. Overall the portion size was perfect because we were going out. But if you don't have any plans later in the night, you'll likely be tempted to order another couple of dishes. http://lenoirrestaurant.com/