Giacomo’s Ristorante

July 31, 2009 | For dinner, I made Jen wait with me to eat at Giacomo’s Ristorante (yelp), which didn’t take reservations!  I’d heard a ton of good things about it so I was willing to wait.  We had a comedy show to go to later that night so we went early just in case.  I started with a glass of red wine (house, I think?) while we deliberated over the menu written out by hand on the wall.

See?  Long line outside.  We were out there for an hour?  I can’t remember now, but it felt like a long time.  Especially since it drizzling.  Jen and I shared an umbrella, balancing it on our heads when we got tired of holding it up.  The place wasn’t big and there was a big party (of Asians, of course) in front of us.

We ordered the fried calamari (small, $7) for appetizer, having read a lot of good reviews.

It was just as everyone claimed– perfectly fried and very yummy!  I couldn’t resist ordering the lobster ravioli ($16) served with diced tomatoes in a garlic cream sauce, while Jennifer ordered the ziti with chicken and shrimp ($15), which came in a pesto cream sauce.

These two dishes may not look like much, but omg it was SOO filling.  It was tough– I was really full but it was just too good to waste!!  I definitely preferred my lobster ravioli over Jen’s chicken and shrimp ziti, but come on, it’s lobster!

I can see why this place is so popular.  Good Italian food and good service for a fairly reasonable price!  For those of you interested in visiting, it’s CASH ONLY, no reservations, and no desserts!  There were a lot of people waiting outside, so we didn’t linger too long once we were done with our food.

Sel de la Terre

July 31, 2009 | Jen and I picked a somewhat random restaurant for lunch, Sel de la Terre.  Turned out to be a pretty cool place.  We ordered the Express Lunch ($14) plus the Dessert ($5).  Our first was a plate with chorizo croquettes, shishito pepers, sheep milk yogurt, and truffle pecorino.

The main was a duck confit risotto, Apple Street Farms summer squash, apricots, and duck jus.  I rather liked this one although I think risotto is kinda boring and if I were to come back, I’d probably try something more exciting.

We also ordered a truffled risotto with Piave vecchio, asparagus, spring herbs and preserved lemon with English pea broth ($15).  Jennifer liked this one more but I thought it was a little mushy.

For dessert, we had spice cake, peach chutney icecream, and pomegranate reduction.  Mm, this one was good!

The food overall was good, but it wasn’t awesome, especially for the price.  The place looked really nice though, nice atmosphere.  Anyway, I was still sick at this point in time, so it’s also possible that my taste buds were off or something.

Mai’s Restaurant

July 26, 2009 | Went to Mai’s and ordered the bo luc lac, also known as “shaking beef”, having read that it was good on yelp.

It was served with rice and came with a dipping sauce. The beef was medium-rare, leaning towards the rare on the inside. So if you’re scared meat that isn’t cooked all the way through, then this isn’t for you! I, however, loved it! It was very tasty and I’d definitely order it again.  Plus, it’s great when you can reheat the meat without it becoming overdone.

Ziggy’s Healthy Grill

July 25, 2009 | After a trip to the circus, we stopped at Ziggy’s Healthy Grill for some healthy grub.  I ordered a buffalo burger with avocado and mushrooms.

It was decent burger though I’ve never been crazy for wheat buns.  Oh well, healthy, right?  Obviously, it wasn’t dripping with grease like my usual burgers. =P

I’d definitely go back (again) to try some other menu items.

Voice (Hotel Icon)

July 22, 2009 | Marc and I went to Voice at Hotel Icon for the Yelp Eats! special– $25 for a 3-course meal!!  How could we pass it up?  We met up with a dozen or so Houston Chowhounds for our highly anticipated dinner.

I had already heard about the menu items for Yelp Eats! and thus, had my choices planned out ahead of time:

Appetizer: Mushroom Soup “Cappuccino” with truffle foam, porcini powder
Entree: Grilled Flatiron Steak with yukon potatoe puree, crimini mushrooms, cracked pepper sauce
Dessert: Peanut Butter Crunch Bar peanut butter powder, chocolate sorbet

All for $25!!  Of course, the table also ordered wine, so I had a glass or two of red wine.   Before we got our food, we started with the complimentary bread and their three dipping sauces– I forget exactly what they were, I remember there was butter, one made out of olives, and something else…anyone remember?

After waiting awhile, our appetizers finally came out!  Both Marc and I ordered the mushroom soup “cappuccino”.

First, the visual aspect of the soup.  It REALLY looked like a cappuccino.  The foam on top really did the trick!  On my first spoonful, I could taste the truffle foam and the richness of the mushroom soup.  I rather enjoyed it although I think I actually would have preferred a smaller portion!  I don’t think Marc finished his soup.

And soon after, the main entree was served.

As usual, I ordered my flatiron steak medium rare. I was very pleased to see that the inside of my steak was pink/red– I really hate getting overdone steak!! And the steak was delicious!  I just love mash potatoes (or in this case, potato puree, hehe) with my steak too.  They just compliment each other very well.  Just everything on my plate mixed well together!  I only ate half of mine, saving room for dessert!

I almost forgot– we split an order of the famous truffle fries that I’ve heard so much of!

I have to be honest– the fries were good, but I really don’t understand all the fuss there’s been lately over truffles.  Oh well,  at least I can say I tried them, haha.

For dessert, Marc ordered the creme brulee (on my request, haha), while I ordered the peanut butter crunch– how could I resist?? I love peanut butter!

The desserts did not disappoint!  The peanut butter crunch, though, was EXTREMELY sweet and heavy, and being lactose-intolerant, made me more nervous with each bite, haha.   There was only so much I could eat, especially after the appetizer and entree!  Marc’s creme brulee was just right.   Marc commented that the blueberries on top were the best ones he’s ever had!

I would say the meal was a total success!!  I definitely would consider going back to Voice for a special occasion. =)

Click here to see the pictures in flickr!

The Oasis

July 19, 2009 | The morning after going out for Bill’s Birthday, a small group of us had brunch at The Oasis, overlooking Lake Travis!  Interesting bit– the Oasis opened in 1982 although there was a fire a few years ago that resulted in an expansion of the place.  The Oasis isn’t known so much for having the best food in Austin, but rather, the best view.  Although the water levels were low, the view was still very enjoyable and the weather was perfect as we sat in the shade.

I ended up ordering the Crawfish Crab Benedict, toasted English muffins topped with spicy crawfish crab cakes and poached eggs, drizzled with hollandaise sauce and served with brunch potatoes.

It was surprisingly satisfying!  I didn’t care much for the brunch potatoes, not with the benedict on the same plate!  The fruit was a nice addition too.  It was a great way to end our Austin trip!!

Perry’s Steakhouse

July 18, 2009 |  As I mentioned in the last entry, we had a birthday dinner to attend after the BBQ lunch for Bill’s birthday.  For this occasion, we got dressed up and took a taxi to Perry’s Steakhouse.  I’d never been before and didn’t know what to expect, but I was impressed as we were lead to a private room that had previously been a bank vault.  Cool, huh?

We started with drinks as we waited for the rest of the party to arrive.  I had some sort of sweet martini, can’t really remember what exactly.  In any case, Marc and I decided to share a Beef Steak Tomato and Vidalia Onion Salad ($8.95), and a 12oz. Filet Perry Topped with Colossal Lump Crabmeat and herb garlic butter, with steamed asparagus ($42.95).

The steak might not look like much (both images are just my half), but by the time I got through with the salad, I had just enough room in my stomach to finish the main entree!  It ended up being just the right amount!

I also got a bite of Linda’s lobster– that is, her second one, haha.  Her first one ended up on the floor (gasp!) but they were nice enough to give her a second one out of the shell!

Beautiful, isn’t it?  =)   I also got to try Bill’s birthday dessert!  It was a combo of creme brulee, rich chocolate piece, and something else that I can’t remember, haha.  That creme brulee was delicious though!!

The price was reasonable for the occasion and food, though I probably won’t be returning any time too soon since it’s still fairly expensive.  I think the coolest part of the dinner was still the part about being in a vault!

Iron Works BBQ

July 18, 2009 |  Four of us took a trip to Austin for a friend’s birthday, where we met up with my best friend Monica, who took a bus down from Dallas!  We took this opportunity to visit one of Marc’s favorite BBQ places, Iron Works BBQ in downtown Austin.   Marc, Monica, and I shared some beef , beef ribs (which are often hard to find), and cole slaw!  The beef ribs were HUGE.   Seriously.  I think each rib was roughly 1lb each or something, so we got 3, haha.

I enjoyed the food though I can’t recall if the cole slaw was good or not!  We were very stuffed by the end of the meal.  Normally, I would have taken home leftovers, but we were staying at a hotel and going to a birthday dinner that night, so there probably wouldn’t be an opportunity to eat the leftovers.

It was a great meal, but next time I’m in Austin, I’d like to detour through Lockhart and try some of their famous BBQ!

Christian’s Totem/Tailgate

July 10, 2009 |  Marc and I finally ventured out of Midtown (haha) and went to Christian’s Totem/Tailgate (yelp) on Washington Ave.

Christian’s Totem is a small, unassuming joint located next to a Denny’s– the parking lot is small and we intiially missed the entrance.  It wasn’t easy looping back around to get in due to it’s proximity to the highway intersection!  But it was definitely worth it.

Marc’s 1-lb burger

When we went into the sports bar, it didn’t look like much.   We ordered our burgers and beers at the counter and found ourselves a table.  However, after I took my first bite, I was very satisfied.  I’d go so far to say it’s one of the best burgers I’ve ever had!   The buttery buns, perfectly cooked meat, and the usual veggies were exactly what I expect in a good burger.   Oh yea, and the prices were extremely reasonable– Marc’s burger was under $6 and we brought home leftovers!

We will definitely be back!

Rainbow Lodge

July 10, 2009 | Shannon and I decided to go to Rainbow Lodge for lunch, having heard tons of good things about the place since Randy Rucker became head chef.   I’d saw the summer menu online and already knew exactly what I was going to get!  The lobster roll.  Shannon, on the other hand, ordered a taste of the wild appetizer with three different game meats and a cheesy vegetable dish that the waiter highly recommended..

I enjoyed my roll although it doesn’t compare to the one I had in New York!  I’d say it was good but not awesome.  I had hush puppies on the side, and while I’m not a huge fan of hush puppies, they weren’t bad and Shannon thought they were pretty good.

As for Shannon’s dishes, I can say that the cheesy vegetable dish was a huge disappointment, especially considering our high expectations after the waiter raved about it.  The ingredients just didn’t go well together.   I can’t figure out if the waitress actually tasted this dish or maybe her tastes are just different?  Her other dish was better, although I believe she felt that one of the meats was a little dry?  Nothing spectacular overall.

In any case, I suppose this explains the mixed reviews that I’ve heard about Rainbow Lodge– some say it’s wonderful while others can’t figure out what the big deal is.

Luckily this experience didn’t stop me from going back for the uni dinner!