Frank and Angie's Pizzeria

This past Saturday Laura and I drove to downtown Austin to pick up some books from the Faulk Central Library that she needed for a few of her online classes.  We planned on attending the Night of the Bat Fest on the Congress Avenue bridge afterwards as well as visiting a small neon sign gallery called Roadhouse Relics on 1st St that afternoon, but what we didn't expect to accomplish that day was eating at an eatery named Frank and Angie's!

The reason this name rung such a bell with us when we found it in the GPS is that Laura is pregnant and we are waiting till the baby is born to find out it's sex.  The two names we have chosen are either Frank IV or Angela Rose, so the moment we saw the two names we have chosen for our soon to be born child in one location we knew we had to at least check it out.

As we drove there I wondered what kind of food it would be, as if in retrospect there was any other type of food they could serve than Italian.  The instant we arrived and saw that it was a pizza place I was extremely excited.  From the outside it looks like a hole in the wall but when we walked in it was surprisingly roomy and incredibly decorated.  Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin posters littered the walls along with The Godfather and other Italian American staples.  

The far right wall which we sat near was a painted mural of a robust city scene.  It is an absolutely beautifully decorated establishment.  Our waitress was pleasant as could be as well.  She was excited to hear our story about why we had chosen Frank and Angie's and told us that just last week a married couple had driven in from San Antonio because their names were, you guessed it, Frank and Angie.  She also shared with us the history of the name.  The original owner had named it after his Grandma, Angie and when he brought in a partner, whose name was Charlie (R.I.P., He passed away two years ago), Charlie loved Frank Sinatra and added the name Frank to the title.  

I said, "Gee he must have really loved Frank Sinatra to add his name to the other owners Grandmas in the moniker of the restaurant"  Charlie must not have liked either of his grandparents all that much to go ahead and choose his favorite performer as opposed to a beloved relative, however I am not saying this in a negative manner.  My dad loves Frank Sinatra as well so this story actually made me all that much happier to be eating there.

So, on to the food.  As I have come to find very quickly, Austin Pizza is nothing like New York Pizza.  They tend towards thin crust and personal ten inch pies more so than the eighteen inch, eight slices, we are used to in NY.  With that said I decided against the personal pie, even though when I saw one delivered to the table next to us it did look delicious.  I went with a calzone,  The Mira Sorvino Calzone to be exact.  Chicken, feta, spinach, banana peppers, tomato, red onions and mozzarella found its way in to this particular recipe.  Laura ordered the Cheese Raviolis with a side of garlic bread, which we shared.  

Right before the food came out Laura asked me "What is a calzone?".  To which I was slightly surprised to hear considering we are both Italian and from New York, however as I was trying to explain what it was our food was presented to us and I let her eyes do the work of figuring out what a calzone is as opposed to my words.  The presentation of this calzone was slightly more rectangular than the crescent shaped ones I have become accustomed to.  Nevertheless the taste of this rectangle was absolutely superb!

I scarfed down my calzone while Laura enjoyed her Raviolis which were very attractively plated.  I also tried one of course and it was top of the line.  From the delicious Austin Amber beer I drank to the absolutely charming service we received, Frank and Angie's was a perfect choice for dinner this past Saturday night.  The Night of the Bat Fest afterwards was a great way to cap the evening as well.  We acquired a wonderful hand crafted giraffe as well as a print from a local artist of a painting she has created of Vincent Van Gogh.  When we arrived at home later that night we were completely satisfied on all levels, physically, mentally and spiritually.  

Frank and Angie's Pizzeria

BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse

Walking in to BJ's the first thing I thought was "I wonder if this is a franchise or not".  Laura and I sat down to wait for our table to be ready and I stared over at the art work on the wall advertising each of the beers they brewed on premise.  From Nutty Brewnette to Piranha Pale Ale the choices were making me salivate just waiting to be seated.  When we reached our table the first thing Laura pointed out was how nicely dressed everyone was compared to us.  This place was fancy!  Surprisingly when we received our menus the prices were actually ridiculously cheap and we were pleasantly taken aback by over 14 pages of drinks, appetizers entrees and lunch specials to choose from.

I was away from the table for a moment and Laura ordered a Nutty Brewnette for me, when I sat back down our waiter humorously came over to ask if I definitely wanted it or if a Blonde Ale was more to my liking.  I told him that Laura wasn't ordering the Brewnette just cause of her hair color but that it was actually the beer I wanted to try first.  When I found out it was a Brown Ale (which I should have guessed) I almost did change my mind as a Real Ale Brown Ale from a few nights before had really turned me off from the style, but this particular brew was much hoppier according to the menu and once I tried it I knew I hadn't made a mistake, it was delicious.

I normally can't stand the idea of spending $12 on a salad, when it costs less than a dollar to put one together, so when I saw that the tomato and fresh mozzarella salad was $2.99 I was in shock.  Sure when it arrived it was a relatively small portion, but I feel as if less scrupulous eateries would still charge $10 for a small salad just for the fancy drizzle effect the chef adds to it.

I ended up ordering the Grilled Chicken Club lunch combo with a Chicken Tortilla Soup and Wedge Fries.  Laura went with a Garden Vegetable Loaded Baked Potato.  We shared a Spinach and Artichoke dip with Tortilla Chips as well.  Let me start by saying that I am so happy that a club sandwich in Texas always comes with a piece of avocado on it.  Up north it's limited to lettuce, tomato, and bacon, that added piece of squishy green fruit really makes the difference to me.  The Spinach Artichoke Dip was the perfect appetizer, the tiny bite of Laura's baked potato I tried was superb and my sandwich was outstanding.

The most impressive part of my meal was the soup though.  I loved how it was served.  They approached me with a very shallow large bowl with tortilla strips and cheese in the middle of it.  Our waiter then poured the soup in to the bowl all around the center piece from a metal serving canister.  This is a genius way to serve soup in order to keep it at it's warmest and make sure it doesn't sit under a heat lamp for too long.  I am sure that fancy eateries the world over have done this for years but seeing as how my experience has been limited it is the first time I was privileged to be served this way.  

The entire atmosphere, the service, the on site brewed beers, and the menu made us feel like we were eating at a restaurant reserved for the rich and famous.  When the check came and it was less than $40 we realized just how incredible this place actually is.  No pretentiousness, no over priced meals, no huss and fuss, just incredible food in a beautiful restaurant at affordable prices.  After our meal I was so impressed with everything that I even took the time to visit the bar and grab a second beer before leaving.  The bartender was beyond nice and I hadn't even realized it before hand but the house beers on tap were only $3.50 during lunch, a steal!  So I had to go for the Pale Ale and it didn't disappoint.

Just to get a little back story, apparently BJ's started in California as a Deep Dish Pizza place in the late 70's.  In 1996 with only 7 locations they started brewing their own beer, just 16 years later they've expanded to 121 locations!  Talk about an idea taking root.  With pizza and beer being my two favorite things in the entire world (note: I said "things" of course I love some people and places more) BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse is definitely going to become a regular haunt over the coming months.

BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse

La Madeleine Country Fresh Cafe

This past February Laura and I took an impromptu trip to Washington D.C.  I wanted to see an original comic book art exhibit at the Library of Congress and the two of us had our first romantic getaway in D.C. the year before so it was time to revisit that trip.  In May of 2011 when we went we found an amazing little French Bistro that served us the best, and actually my first, crepes ever!  When we arrived there in February of 2012 we did all of the touristy things we wanted to do, the Library of Congress, Folger Theater and most impressively the Botanical Gardens.  The next morning we craved crepes and tried to find the original place we had visited in Alexandria, VA.

We ended up finding ourselves in more of the downtown area and tried a different little French place, the service was so nasty that we ended up walking out.  It ended up being the best decision we had ever made, because literally right down the street we stumbled upon the most amazing little French Cafe we could ever imagine.  It was like a French Panera Bread, a cafeteria style restaurant.  La Madeleine impressed us so much that when we found out that they originated in Texas and that there was locations in Austin we knew we were going to move there, if not for the music, art and culture, at the very least for the delicious French Cuisine.

We arrived in Austin last week and yesterday we went to sign the lease on our new apartment.  Afterwards we were starved so we searched the GPS for the closest eateries.  While we knew we would end up at La Madeleine's sooner than later we were amazed that their Austin location was literally a half mile away from our soon to be home.  With complete exuberance we made the four minute trek over to them and when we entered we felt like we were right back in Alexandria.

It is a little overwhelming when you walk in.  You are given the opportunity to look over the menu at the door while waiting on line, then when you reach the host she... or he takes your order on a little touch screen device.  From there you walk down a cafeteria line to pick and choose any extra salads or pastries you might want to add to your meal.  When you reach the register they have your order in the computer and ready to ring up.  Very impressive service and style.

Since we were in a French Cafe I went with a lunch combo of a French Dip Sandwich with French Onion Soup and tomato basil pasta salad.  Laura got a Savory Strawberry Crepe as well as a small tomato basil pasta salad.  I also ordered a Mango Iced Tea, which I was upset to realize wasn't sweetened, it still hit the spot though.  The salad was freaking incredible, the crepe which I had tried in Alexandria and also yesterday was top on the line and my French lunch combo was absurdly good.

I was dressed to impress as I had just gotten out of one interview and was on my way to another, so it was one of the first time's I ever put a napkin on my lap and ate VERY carefully.  I truly felt like I was eating at a top of the line restaurant even though it is literally closer to a school lunch room in style.  One of the most impressive, although silly, parts of my visit was my trip to the bathroom.  The stall was made out of fine wood that looked like it was ready for a King to use.

The fact that there is a La Madeleine in Austin is enough to make me salivate at the thought, finding out it is less than a mile from my home is priceless.

I wasn't aware until right now but apparently they have over 60 locations, the majority of which are in Texas!  According to their website:

We have 60 locations in Dallas/Fort Worth, Austin, San Antonio, Houston, Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Atlanta, Washington D.C. and surrounding areas. Click here for a list of all cafes.

La Madeleine

Maria Maria Inspired Mexican Cuisine

While Austin is filled with tons of Tex-Mex restaurants and littered with small Mexican joints, Maria Maria is an establishment of a different sort compared with the masses.  A unique and amazingly decorated fine dinning experience in the middle of downtown Austin that serves quite possibly the most delicious food Laura or I have ever eaten.  I cannot emphasize enough just how good the food was here.

Laura was in the mood for Italian as she was craving a red sauce and she wasn't disappointed when her Cheese Enchiladas with red sauce came out and fulfilled just that craving.   I went with the Mushroom Chicken Maria, a grilled chicken breast topped with sauteed mushrooms, melted cheese, pico de gallo and avocado served with refried black beans, guajillo rice and salsa verde.

Let me side step to explain that this place was packed, almost every table was taken and still our food was served in less than ten minutes.  Our waiter was one of the most pleasant, funny, and personable people I have ever had the pleasure of tipping.  The beer list included a Black Lager called Ugly Pug by a local brewery called Rahr and Sons.  Seeing as how my mom has had pugs since I was a teenager I had to try this beer.

It wasn't the best beer I had last night, but it definitely didn't disappoint either.  The best beer of the night was from another local brewery called 512 IPA.  I had tried it first at a bar down the street from Maria Maria called the Bat Bar where we witnessed a cello and guitar player entertain the crowd.  After our dinner I still had a craving for another 512 so we headed to the closest bar to grab one.

After leaving the downtown area I grabbed a six pack of Fireman #4 which had been a great find a few days before at Trudy's.  The night got a little blurry after half the six pack but I do remember watching Paul McCartney's incredible performance at the opening night of the Olympics so over all a very successful night.

Maria Maria

Waterloo Ice House

With 8 locations around the Austin area The Waterloo Ice House is a 30 year old franchise that has room to grow. Just like the city it calls home which is among the fastest growing in the country. The first thing I noticed on the menu was a little blurb that said something to the affect of "Been serving Austin since the first hippies showed up" and from that moment on I knew we had found the right place to eat this afternoon.

What a hectic day it had been, I went on four job interviews which went VERY WELL, then we found our way over to a U-Haul locations in order to finally unhitch the trailer and deposit our stuff in a storage unit. While waiting for the trailer to be checked out we got the best news yet, we were accepted in to our apartment and can move in next Friday! So with all of the great news coming back to back it was time to go out and celebrate!

The Waterloo Ice House is the first place we stumbled upon. There isn't even a reason to look in the GPS for food anymore, you can throw a rock blindfolded and hit a world class restaurant. From the outside it looks like it could be hit or miss and the sign looked like it had seen better days, but the moment you step inside Waterloo Ice House you are met with friendly staff and a comfortable atmosphere. Then when we opened the menu we were pleasantly surprised to find what we would consider dinner food selections. Of course they still had tacos, every place in Texas serves tacos.

It's incredibly easy to find a Tex-Mex place out here, finding an authentic American meal has been a bit of a challenge though, but that is probably because we haven't scratched the surface of what Austin has to offer yet. I was actually a little shocked to see that they had Veggie Burgers and even a Veggie Sandwich, seeing as how BBQ and Pork are like air and water down here. But considering this place has been around since the hippies obviously they have catered to a diverse selection of appetites.

I ordered the Texas Philly... what seems like a contradiction ended up being a savory meal that made me shudder in joy when I took the first bite. What makes it a "Texas" Philly I am not quite sure, I think it was the "Queso topping" but whatever the case may be it was incredible. The veggie burger Laura ordered lived up to her high expectations as well. The absolute best and most impressive part was that from the time we put the order in to the time we were served it couldn't have been any more than 4 minutes.

I was astounded by the quick service, but at the same time, having been a line cook for many years I know how quickly I get my meals cooked. If it takes me 8 minutes create a plate it's because someone wanted a well done burger. Otherwise anything else on the menu shouldn't take any more than 5 minutes. So in reality the speed of this service is what every place should aspire to. Sadly most cooks can't handle more than one ticket at a time and many servers let food sit under a heat lamp for 20 minutes before bringing it out.

This is definitely not the case with the Waterloo Ice House, the service was quick, their food was delicious and the Shiner Boch I tried for the first time hit the spot after a long but very productive day filled with great news and great food!

Trudys Tex-Mex Restaurant and Bar

With four locations around Austin TX Trudy's is a unique, artistic, friendly establishment that looks from the outside to be much smaller than it actually is.  Laura and I had just gotten out of an apartment locator's office and were starving.  The GPS gave us too many choice to pick from; the area is filled with incredible eateries.  We went to pull out of the parking lot and right near the exit we saw a place called Trudy's.  The Huxtable reference was the first thing that popped in to Laura's head, and we promptly turned around to park  again.

The moment we walked in we were taken aback by how big the place was and how many people were there.  As well as the amazing paintings on the wall including Abbey Road, Beavis and Butt-Head and all sorts of abstract paintings.  When opening the menu the first problem we encountered was that there was too much great food to pick from.  I was so tempted to try the Stuffed Avocado and Laura was almost tempted to order breakfast, there are dozens of vegetarian options and pages worth of southern and Mexican style foods.  

I started with a Lone Star beer, the local Texas beer, and it was gross, tasted like a watered down Budweiser.  So after chugging it down I went with a Fireman #4 Blonde Ale which is also local and much more delicious.  I just looked up their location and it seems they are only an hour away from Austin and offer free tastings on Fridays, I'm totally there!

As for our food, Laura ordered a Veggie Platter (4 sides) with cheese mashed potatoes, broccoli, corn on the cob and the dinner salad.  Everything was spicy, even her broccoli, in a good way, it also came with authentic Texas Toast.  I ordered Southern Style Chicken which came with cheese mashed potatoes, spicy vegetables, Texas Toast and white delicious gravy.  As we expected the portion size was enormous and the taste was superb.  There are little peppers on the menu next to hot items, I can't even imagine how hot they get if their normal items all have crushed pepper on them to begin with.  Thank goodness we both love spicy foods!

The service was great, the atmosphere was exciting, the selection of beer was above average and the both of us can't wait to go back as many times as it takes to try everything on the menu, twice.  Trudy's Tex-Mex has been in business since 1977 and if their other three locations are as impressive as the Burnet Road location is I am sure they will be around for many, many decades to come.

Trudy's

Los Jaliscienses The Free and Sovereign State of Jalisco

I knew I would eat my words concerning my recent review claiming Cazadores to be “the best Mexican restaurant you will ever eat at.” I just didn't know how soon that day would come. It's been a while since I have had the opportunity to write a review for Another Way To Eat. Not due to lack of content, but mostly due to lack of internet connection or time to dedicate to such a cause. While visiting New York alone I could have written reviews for Flo's Famous Luncheonette, The Oar House, European Republic, The Sage Cafe and multiple bagel and pizza places. I chose to consider those meals a vacation though and defer such reviews for a later time.

After leaving New York Laura and I headed straight back down to Virginia where again I could have written at least a review for Ruby Tuesdays, but come on, do I really need to state the obvious?  Mediocre food at absurd prices. Ten dollars for a plate of salad?! So I chose to bid my time, knowing that in just a few weeks I would be finding myself in a brand new location, with a flare for cuisine, Austin Texas! Before I got the chance to experience Los Jaliscienses though my first Texas meal came directly after crossing the border from Louisiana. It was my very first visit to Jack in the Box and I got to say, I'm lovin' it!

That coming from a outspoken hater of fast food, especially McDonalds. Jack in the Box made my day though, unlike the grotesque service we were offered at a Waffle House the night before. Let me get to the point though.

Los Jaliscienses is hidden in a little nook on the side of a hotel right next to the pool. One could almost consider it part of the hotel but lucky for us it just happens to be extremely close. The moment we walked in the atmosphere was absolutely authentic south of the border. With good reason considering we are four hours from Mexico. The lady who served us spoke English well and had no problem taking our order, which goes against a Yelp review I just read claiming it helps to speak Spanish in order to eat there.

First off, as I am trying to make it routine while eating Mexican, I ordered my Modelo Especial. Next came a flip through the menu. I was astonished to see that they not only served everything I would expect and more, but also had an entire Breakfast Menu serving Huevos, Waffles and mucho mas. This is something I have NEVER seen up north. The Mexican Restaurants I've eaten at in New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia are limited to serving lunch and dinner, mostly due to lack of demand for a breakfast section I would imagine.

As far as the lunch we had today goes though, it blew both of our taste buds out of the water. Laura ordered a cheese enchilada meal and I went with the Fajitas Mixtas. For nine dollars I received a platter of beef and chicken with rice, beans, guacamole, and salad along with corn tortillas to wrap up my own fajitas. There was no doubt in either of our minds that the food would be delicious considering the source, and since everything most certainly is bigger in Texas we weren't surprised when we finished our meals that our plates still looked like we hadn't even touched them.

I just heated up a fajita in our hotel room microwave to go with the Austin Amber beer I got next door at the gas station and still I have lunch left over for tomorrow. While the warm weather, friendly people, beautiful scenery and immense cultural diversity initially attracted us to Austin, It's the Tex-Mex Food that will surely keep us here for years to come.

Los Jaliscienses