FoodFash

Adventure Begins in the Kitchen

The Hanz Is Here!

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“Could this place be any more you?”, Hansell said as we sat down at Elizabeth Street Cafe to order his first meal in Austin, ever.  “Even the waitress’ outfits are you”.  Flattered, I encouraged my old Tampa roommate to look at the menu, assuring him that the food was every bit as good as the atmosphere.

I didn’t give him much of an option as far as apps were concerned, we were going to order escargot.  Not only is their broiled escargot flawless, but the first time I ever tasted escargot was with Hansell and Lex at a crazy little place in Tampa called Front Porch Grill.  It was a sentimental order backed up by extreme goodness.  Hello, Thai basil curry butter, how does it feel to be perfect?

Hansell ordered the waitress’s suggestion of Singapore noodles.  There was a solid flow of yummy noises coming from his direction, so I made the safe assumption that he was happy with his selection.  I reached over with my chopsticks for one of my infamous bites and decided to see for myself what it was all about.  Elizabeth Street is spot on in every flavor department – wonderful balances of strong flavors with subtle flavor highlights.  Everything is bold without being the slightest bit heavy.

I ordered the poached shrimp and hard boiled egg banh mi and coated every inch of freshness with sriracha and the occasional dollop of hoisin.  This sandwich was so fresh and totally up my alley.  You could think of it as the Vietnamese version of a chicken salad sam – cool, filling and fulfilling.

Lastly, we ordered one of each of the daily macaron flavors, chocolate curry and peach cinnamon.  I’m not the hugest macaron fan, but there just so darn cute I can never resist.  Both of us agreed that the peach cinnamon was where it was at, which made think a homemade peach pie is in The Hanz’s Austin future.

We’re off to adventure!  Have a happy (early) weekend!!

Fourth Recap

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Hope everyone had a wonderful ‘Merica day!  My day got off to a super slow start, but I woke up knowing I had to pull it together to wear my 4th of July bathing suit, drink some American beer, and most importantly…  Test out Dickie Boards!!!

Ever since I moved to Austin in February, I’ve heard Dickie (pictured above) talking about his new paddle board company.  I had a mini idea what they’d be like, but didn’t know entirely what to expect.

At first glance, I was already excited!  Aesthetically, they were nicer than any board I had ever seen.  Bamboo boards and paddles with color coordinated grips and rims?  Dickie Boards are sharp!  But the best part was the ride.  They are shorter and thinner than the boards I’m used to, which meant you had a ton more control of the board.  I loved using my core and slight bends in my knees to weave through boat traffic rather than back paddling like an Austin Powers champ.  I can’t wait to ride these boards all summer!

Congrats and thank you, Dickie!!!

Uchi

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Nathan and I headed to Uchi last night in a celebratory mood with high expectations.  Our evening began as soon as he rolled in from Dallas with two bottles of champagne.  We toasted the new position he was offered in New York City, changed into fabulousness, and headed across the bridge to what would be one of our most memorable meals together.

As soon as we arrived, the bartender poured a couple sparkling samples, suggesting the brut rosé.  We accepted his suggestion, found a seat in the bar, and gabbed endlessly about how excited we were for our upcoming culinary adventure.  In what seemed like no time at all, our table was ready, and so were we!  We immediately ordered the brussels sprouts and crudo (both suggestions from friends) and got to work reading the rest of the menu.

Wagyu hot rock, spicy tuna, maguro sashimi and goat cheese, bacon steakie, spider roll, and an unpictured jizake crème caramel.  There was no holding back!  We obsessed over the brussels sprouts and crudo as we waited for the remaining amazingness to arrive.

Each dish arrived flawlessly, tasting and timing alike.  Nathan and I ate carefully, recognizing how difficult chopsticks become after popping bottles, commenting on what we found so special about every little thing that touched our taste buds.

The crispiness and subtle sweetness of the brussels sprouts.  The freshness and tantalizing tang of the sea bass (crudo).  The sheer entertainment factor of barely searing your own beef on a hot rock because, after all, beef this good should be eaten rawer than raw.

A spicy tuna roll with spicy sauce on the side so the freshness of the fish was not jeopardized.  A spider roll with delicate soy paper in lieu of seaweed that could very well have dominated the flavor of the roll.  And an adventurous pairing of raw tuna with crisp apples and creamy goat cheese.

And lastly, the bacon steakie.  The best pork belly that either of us had ever eaten.  So crispy, so tender, so melt in your mouth – we considered ordering another.

I couldn’t have chosen a better place to take Nathan before he leaves for The City!  Between the pork belly dreams that I know he’ll have and the direct flight from JFK to AUS, I know he’ll be back, and often!

Bastrop & Blues

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If anyone ever needed a reminder of how wonderful Austin life is, Blues on the Green is a good start.  It’s amazing how many people come out every other Wednesday to gather and get their rock n’ roll on.  Amazing.

Over the weekend, Billy mentioned that his friend Lee was looking for some ladies to hand out koozies for his new business at this week’s Blues.  And since I love to make cocktail induced commitments, I quickly committed Kara, Jodie, and myself to hand out 1,000 koozies in blazing hot weather.  Hey Kara and Jodie, you’re welcome!

The new business?  Bastrop River Company!  Bastrop offers tubing, paddle boarding, and kayaking a bit closer to town and at a fraction of the price as other river adventures.  Ohhhh and the best part?  Beer is legal in Bastrop!  A recent ban on cans could set you back a whopping 500 bucks if you’re planning on drinking on the Guadalupe.  And since tubing and cold beers tend to go hand in hand, I’d say checking out Bastrop is most definitely the way to go!

And as far as the thousand-koozie-task-at-hand?  Total success!  Not only did we have a blast and get nicknamed “The River Ladies”, we also managed to hand out every single koozie in less than 30 minutes!  We were pleased as punch and signed ourselves up for handing out another thousand in two weeks.

If you’re out and about at Blues on the 11th, keep an eye out for The River Ladies and be sure to get yourself some Bastrop swag!!!