Man Bites Dog (5222 Burnet Road)

I think I have found my favorite hot dog joint at Man Bites Dog.  They have a variety of hot dogs, corn dogs, and salads to choose from.   It took me several minutes to narrow it down to one dog because there were so many dogs that looked yummy.  

I ordered up the Beer Brat  ($4.79)

Smokey Denmark’ s Live Oak Beer Brat with sauerkraut & spicy brown mustard

and a side of fried pickles (if a place sells them, I have to buy them for some reason).

The hot dog hit the bulls eye.  The bread was somewhat sweet, the brat juicy with the aromas and flavors of the Live Oak Beer, and the sauerkraut transported me to village in Germany.  I savored each and every bite.  The fried pickles on the other had missed the target completely. Sliced like hamburger pickles, fried, and served with ranch dressing, they were too dry with too much crunch.  It was a good thing that I still had some dog left to finish my lunch with so that I could leave with a smile on my face and in my belly.

Will be going back soon to take my wife.  I think my next dog will either be the Boss Dog, the Abe Froman, or the Bottle Rocket.


Website: http://manbitesdogaustin.com/
one of the best websites I have come across.. they have pics of each specialty dog, as we all know most of us eat with our eyes.

Gourdough's Food Truck (1219 South Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78704)

A few weeks ago, my wife and I had a progressive dinner at some of the Austin Food trailers/trucks.  We wanted to go back to try Gourdough's.   Gourdough's is of course a doughnut truck that fries them up when you order it.  With so many yummy options to choose from, we decided to go light (as light as one can go with a doughnut) and had narrowed it down to the Flying Pig (bacon with maple syrup icing), Son of a Peach (peach filling, cinnamon, sugar & cake mix topping), and the Slow Burn (habanero pepper jelly and cream cheese).  Still being a little full from dinner at Clay Pit (Indian food), I just didn't think that I could tackle the Flying Pig and my wife wasn't too keen on the Son of a Peach, so that left us with the Slow Burn.

We luckily found a seat at one of the few picnic tables (it gets extremely crowded at dusk with there being 3 different food trucks in the lot).  After about a 7 minute wait, they called my name and we were now in business.  The size of the doughnut is about the size of a large hamburger.  The doughnut tasted a lot like a funnel cake, but it was delicious.  We both thought that there was a little too much cream cheese on it, as we had to scrap some off to enjoy more of the doughnut taste.

As we were walking back to the car, I saw a little girl about the age of 7 carrying a Flying Pig and immediately regretted not getting it.  Oh well, there's a good reason to make a trip back down south Austin!



Website: http://www.gourdoughs.com/

Momiji Hibachi and Sushi (13201 Ranch Road 620 N0

This is one of my favorite happy hour sushi restaurants.  Tucked back into a shopping center behind some trees and a Schlotzsky's, Momiji serves up some pretty good sushi for a great price.  Some may say that you shouldn't skimp on price when it comes to sushi, but this is not one of those places.  Momiji is a small restaurant with plenty of seating and simple but cultural decor.

First recommended to me by a friend, who is from Los Angeles (known for having some of the best sushi restaurants in America), a few years ago, I have continued to frequent this establishment 90% of the time I need to satisfy a sushi craving.

My favorite thing about Momiji is their Happy Hour deals.  Monday through Thursday night and all day Sunday, they offer a half priced sushi menu (not every roll or sashimi is available, but there are some good ones to chose from).  Friday and Saturday night, they have a small $3 menu that offers a few apps, rolls, entrees, drinks, and desserts.

The waitstaff has always been superb whether its just my wife and myself or when its been a large party of about 10.

We took our niece with us the this time and ordered some of our favorites.....

 (top) Rainbow Roll: California roll with salmon, tuna, yellowtail, and white fish on top

(bottom) Caterpillar Roll: Eel and cucumber inside and sliced avocado and eel sauce on top







(top) Avocado Roll

(bottom) Sweet Potato Roll:  tempura fried sliced sweet potato topped with eel sauce

(top) Spider Roll: fried soft shell crab, avocado, cucumber, and lettuce topped with eel sauce

(front left) Shrimp Sashimi

(front right) Avocado Roll








 Website:  http://www.eatmomiji.com/

South Austin Food Truck Progressive Dinner

Since the latest craze right now is food trucks, I had to check some of them out for myself.  After watching an episode of Day Tripper with Chet Gardner going to some south Austin food trucks, I thought I would start out with them.

The first stop was the South First Food Court (corner of S. 1st and Live Oak).  We hit Arancini, an Italian food truck and I started our progressive dinner with the Arancini, which is a fried rice ball coated with breadcrumbs stuffed with peas and mozzarella served with some pasta sauce.  They were pretty good.

Next stop was Torchy's Tacos at the South Austin Trailer Park and Eatery (1311 S 1st St).  I had the fried avocado and the green chili pulled pork tacos.   Some of the best tacos I have ever had.   The fried avocado was my favorite.  Everything was fresh and full of flavor.

Our final stop for dessert was Bananarchy (600 S. Lamar Blvd.)  Inspired from the hit show Arrested Development, Bananarchy serves up some delicious frozen bananas.  You can either choose a banana speciality or create your own.  We ordered up the Afternoon Delight half banana.  Described as the flagship banana, the captain banana, the grand tour: all 3 dips swirled together and topped with nuts and graham crackers ($3.75)

As a huge fan of Arrested Development, Bananarchy was up against some very high expectations... and I will just say that after taking the first bite, I was doing the chicken dance and ready to sign up for Army.  I never thought a banana could taste so good.  It was truly and Afternoon Delight, just at 10pm.   Sorry no pic because it was late and not enough light.



Websites:
http://www.eatarancini.com/
http://www.torchystacos.com/
http://bananarchy.net/blog/menu-2

The Monument Cafe (500 S. Austin Avenue, Georgetown)

Thanks to my wife getting jury duty for Williamson County, we had the pleasure of dining at The Monument Cafe in Georgetown.  Located just north of the town square, The Monument Cafe is a pretty cool place.  Most of their produce is either grown in their garden behind the restaurant or from local farms in the area.  There was a small wait, which is also a sign that a restaurant has good potential.  With an open kitchen and old school diner/cafe design, The Monument Cafe is spacious and comfortable.  With the addition of a new Beer Garten for live music and a Market in back to purchase meats and fresh produce, there's plenty to do while you wait for your table.

Because they use fresh produce, there side dishes are always changing so make sure to check out the chalkboards above the counter.  My wife went with the chicken fried steak and I decided to go with the chicken fried chicken breast (4oz) with homemade cream gravy and sweet potato fries and fruit salad as my two sides.  ($10.99)

 The coating was nice and flaky while the chicken breast was so moist and yummy that you didn't even need the gravy, but who is really going to pass up on homemade creamy gravy.  The sweet potato fries were good, but would have preferred them to be cooked a little more to crisp them up a little bit.  The fruit salad consisted of apples, bananas, and some kind of nut.  It was good.... the sweet potato fries and fruit were my idea of healthy eating to counteract the chicken fried chicken.  The offer two sizes, this being the smaller portion and it was plenty for me (they also bring some bread to the table while you wait). 

We had to get some dessert, because yet again, it is homemade.  We went with the fried strawberry pie with custard...... oh so yummy!!!





Website:
http://www.themonumentcafe.com/

Noble Pig (11815 620 N., Suite 4)

Located in a small shopping center on 620 N. just east of El Salido, lies a small hidden gem called Noble Pig.  My wife had eaten here before and suggested that I give it a try because she knows how much I like my pork.  Another good reason to dine with my wife is that it gives me the opportunity to split meals so that I can taste more food, always a plus for Boogie.  She ordered the

SMOKED DUCK PASTRAMI WITH RUSSIAN DRESSING AND RYE PICKLES ….8

 and I ordered the TNP (The Noble Pig).

THE NOBLE PIG – SPICY HAM, PULLED PORK, PROVOLONE AND BACON….8

I honestly can't tell you which was better because they were both fantastic.  Both were juicy and flavorful.  The meats just fall apart in your mouth and with the added texture of the toasted bread, everything was scrumptious.  I have been on the hunt for a decent pulled pork sandwich in Central Austin for years and I finally found one that surpassed it.  From the impression that I got, the bread is made in house and many of the ingredients are from local farms and sources.   The sides are all homemade too.  The potato chips where nice and crunchy and the vegetable slaw spicy and good.  We also ordered a new side on the menu, pork and beans, which were the best I have ever had!  The sandwiches are quite large and full that we were both able to take half each home for dinner later on.  (I was in luck that my wife was meeting friends out for dinner so I got to eat both of them.) 
I will definitely return to give my allegiance to the Noble Pig, the only problem I foresee it what to get next.... order the same thing again or try the Creole Catfish or Knuckle Sandwich.  


       
         They serve breakfast til noon and
         lunch from 10:30 to 3pm (M-Thurs) and 5pm (Fri-Sat.)
         and it does start getting a bit crowded around noon. 

 Noble Pig website:
http://www.noblepigaustin.com/

Elevation Burger (9828 Great Hills Trail)

Where's the beef? If you are looking for 100% USDA certified organic, grass-fed, free-range beef, then drive on over to Elevation Burger in the Arboretum.  A simplistic menu with a build your own style burger, whether it be an all beef or veggie burger. I opted for the all beef cheeseburger with lettuce, pickles, caramelized onions, and mustard with a side of french fries that are cooked in 100% olive oil (which is healthier for the heart than vegetable oil).

 As you can see, one order of french fries is enough to feed two.  Everything was delicious.  The one drawback about Elevation Burger is the Coke Dream Machine, which is one machine that provides up to 160 different drink combinations.  Tried a Cherry Coke and it was way to sweet.  You have to run the water option beforehand to wash out any residue from the previous drink dispensed.  The "Dream Machine" is more of a dream for kids who love to make the "suicide drinks".  Luckily, I personally would rather have a plain ol' iced tea, which they do offer.

Another cool fact about Elevation Burger besides the healthier food options, is that the building itself is good for the environment.  It's LEED certified by the United States Green Building Council.  Their philosophy is to be environmentally sustainable on as many levels as they can be from the food they serve, to the Energy Star appliances, to the bamboo floors, to donating their used olive oil to be converted to bio-diesel for auto fuel.


2 locations now in Austin: 9828 Great Hills Trail and 2525 W. Anderson Lane

Elevation Burger website
http://www.elevationburger.com/EB.php

Jalapeño Joes (4905 Airport Blvd)

When I was first discussing my Food Blog with my father-in-law and how it was originally going to be a blog about the quest for the best burger in Austin, we started sharing with each other different burger joints that each had been to in the past.  One of the fond burger memories I had was back when I was working as a retail salesman at Al's Formal Wear on Airport Blvd.  A coworker introduced to me a burger joint down the street.  It's been years since I had eaten there and could not remember what it was called.  So yesterday, I made a trip down to downtown east Austin to the Habitat Restore to look around.  Since it was about lunch time and I was downtown, I decided to go back to the "unknown named burger joint."  I drove down Airport Blvd. to the place where I remembered it being... and there it was, Jalapeno Joes.  The name did not ring a bell at all, so I first thought it was a new food joint.  I got out of the car and saw the banner that brought everything together..... "The Johnny Boy Special."  It was still the same joint.  What's cool about this place is that you walk up and order from a window... everything is to go.  They are only opened from 6am to 3pm and they serve breakfast all day, Mexican food, and burgers.  I placed my order for the same special I had years ago, The Johnny Boy Special, which is a 100% beef patty, mustard, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, fries, and a drink for $3.95.  I had to get the sweet tea because I'm an East Texas boy.

What I like about this burger is that they lightly toast the buns so they are a little greasy and the meat patty is on the thin side.  The fries are the McD style fries but with less salt.  Since the last time I went years ago, they have added a nice size wood deck on the side to sit down and enjoy your food. 


Jalapeno Joe's Website: http://www.jalapenojoes.com/location.html
  I menu on their website is not updated, as some of the prices have increased slightly

Hyde Park Bar and Grill (4206 Duval St. Austin, TX)

I have been dining at Hyde Park Bar and Grill for over a decade now.  The food, atmosphere, and service has always been stupendous, and it still was last Sunday night for dinner with my wife's family.  Having just returned from a trip to Fort Worth and eating a very late lunch, I wasn't particularly hungry, so I was going to get something small to eat.  As I was scanning over the menu, all of my favorites seemed to be whispering my name, like kids wanting to be chosen for your kickball team.  "Pick me, pick me." I kept telling myself that I wasn't that hungry, but my voice of reason kicked in and reminded me that I could always take the rest home for lunch the next day.  So now I had to make a choice on which of my favorites I wanted.   I kept going back and forth between the Asian Chicken Salad and the Blacken Yellow tail Tuna Sandwich, when suddenly the craving for a burger hit me.  Looking at the menu, I had four choices of burgers, the Texas Raised Kobe beef, ground chuck, ground turkey, sirloin, or the Garden burger.  I decided to go light with the turkey burger with the addition of smoked Gouda cheese and a side of their Austin Chronicle's consistently voted "Best French Fries in Austin."  ($5.95 + $1.95 to add fries)

The turkey had some flavor, but was a little on the dry side.  But after spreading some deli mustard and some the secret fry sauce on it, it was very tasty.  So tasty in fact that before I knew it, my plate was clean.  There goes saving half of it for lunch tomorrow.   My father-in-law had ordered the ground chuck burger with mushrooms added and my brother-in-law had the Garden burger, which both said were delicious.  My brother once had the Texas Raised Kobe style beef burger, but said that he could not tell much of a difference from a regular burger... I guess I will just have to try it out for myself in the future.  It's hard to compare a turkey burger with a beef burger with bison burger, so you really have to keep them in separate categories.  I haven't had many turkey burgers before, but this one wasn't that bad.  I will be on the lookout now for other restaurants who serve them to really get a good comparison scale going.



Hyde Park website:  http://hpbng.com/menu

San Francisco Bakery and Cafe (2900 W Anderson Ln)

My Jennie wanted to go here for her birthday lunch yesterday, so I obliged.  It's a small place near the Alamo Drafthouse Village that serves sandwiches, soups, salads, quiches, breakfast til 11am, cookies, and other pastries.  I ordered the Union Square: (Baguette) $6.69 Hot Cappicola, Peppered Ham, Turkey, Roast Beef, Lettuce, Tomato, Provolone, Mayo & Dijon, served with my choice of Ruffles or carrot and celery sticks.   

 

this is only half of the foot long sandwich

One reason I like to eat at the San Francisco Bakery is that they make all their bread from scratch (White\Wheat\Sourdough\Baguette\Croissant) and they only use the best quality deli meat (Boar's Head).  Plus, the smell of fresh baked cookies is always appealing to my palette.  Everything was delicious and fresh.  Washing it all down with a Republic of Tea Passion fruit Papaya Black tea in a compostable/bio-degradable to-go cup. 





http://www.urbanspoon.com/San-Francisco-Bakery-and-Cafe-Austin

Johnny T's in Round Rock

If you are looking for some good BBQ in the Round Rock area and want to miss the crowds at Rudy's, then stop by Johnny T's on Hwy 620, across from Round Rock HS.  I frequent Johnny T's every now and then when I am in a hurry and craving a BBQ sandwich and sweet potato fries.  Today I was in luck, because the Daily Special was the JT's Birds Nest, which is chopped beef with a sliced sausage sandwich served with your choice of side and a drink ($5.99).

They offer two different sauces, the regular BBQ and the spicy sauce.  The spicy isn't too spicy, it sort of taste like BBQ sauce with a splash of Tabasco sauce.   The beef was nicely smoked and flavorful while the sausage (Elgin sausage) was good but a little tough at times.  I personally don't think the meat needs the sauce because it's already pretty moist, but I know most people love their BBQ sauces.   The sweet potato fries are cooked a little on the crunchy side, the way I like them.  Yes, there are better BBQ joints in central Texas (Salt Lick, Rudy's, Cooper's in Llano), but Johnny T's is a great little place if your in a hurry and want some good BBQ on the cheap.

TARKA Indian Kitchen in Round Rock

So my wife and I had to make a trip up to IKEA this past weekend and we were in the mood for some good ol' Mighty Fine burgers.  It was about 1pm and the line was to the door.  We were hungry and didn't want to wait, even though they are some good burgers.  As we drove into the shopping center with IKEA, I had notice on the directory sign an Indian Food restaurant.  Located on the southeast side of the shopping center across from Mighty Fine and about 3 stores down from OfficeMax on the corner, stood TARKA Indian Kitchen, (same format as Pei Wei).  The place was busy but not overly crowded.  I went with the Combo Kabob (lamb and chicken kabob with grilled bell peppers and zucchini) ($9.00)

and my wife got the Aloo Ghobi (Braised cauliflower & potatoes cooked with a fragrant blend of spices. A traditional north Indian favorite!)($7.50).  We also ordered some Naan and soft drinks which made the total cost of our lunch $23. 98.  They sell soda from India, like a Thums Up, which tastes a lot like a Dr. P but less sweet.  The food arrived at our table in no time at all.  The kabobs were nice and juicy and the grilled veggies were perfect.  It came with a yummy mint-tamarind-yogurt chutney to dip in.  I thought the everything tasted great and will definitely go back when I am in the area again.




http://www.tarkaindiankitchen.com/

Catfish Parlour

I have been here many times, because growing up in East Texas, I know good catfish.  Catfish Parlour, located on the southbound access road to Hwy 183 between Oak Knoll and Duval, never disappoints.
After watching some little league baseball till about 8pm, my stomach was growling.  I couldn't decide on what to eat.  I'll just say that I actually pulled into 3 different new restaurants, but I just wasn't getting that feeling of satisfaction, when it suddenly hit me.... What I needed right then was a familiar face and good friend. If your looking for some great food, great service, and a nice relaxing environment, then the Catfish Parlour is your destination.  As soon as you walk in, you are greeted at the door with the proposition of a cold frosty mug of root beer.  On a hot humid Texas day like yesterday, it was the perfect thing.  I was immediately seated and was greeted by my waitress, Mary, with a smile, a "how ya doin?", and a bowl of hush puppy fingers and jalapeno tater sauce.  I ordered the All American Plate which comes with a trip to the Caesar salad bar, 4 fillets of catfish (your choice of regular,  spicy, or mixed), french fries, a vinegar based coleslaw, pinto beans, and all you can eat hush puppies.  My food was ready in no time at all and everything came out hot and delicious.  This is one heaping plate of food.  I had wished I had just ordered the Lite plate, which is the same with just less fish, so that I had room for some peach or blackberry cobbler.  The total price of the meal excluding tip was around $12,  but it's worth every penny.

http://www.catfishparlour.us/

Hoover's Cooking

   I am no stranger to Hoover's Cooking (13376 Research Blvd, #400, NW Austin) and have never been disappointed with the food or service.  This time I decided to try something that I had never had there before..... a burger.  It took a lot of restraint to not get some of the BBQ, catfish, or chicken fried steak, but I did and I am quite pleased with my decision.  With only two burger choices to choose from, the classic and the Red, White, and Bleu,  I decided to be patriotic and get the latter. 

Red, White, & Bleu Burger . . . $8.99
8 oz. smoked hamburger patty topped with our Aus-Tex wing sauce, Monterrey jack & bleu cheeses, lettuce and tomato and served on a sweet kolache bun. OR try it with our “Amos” marinated chicken breast.

    If you are a fan of smoked meats, then you want to try this burger.  The smoky flavor was heavenly and with the combination of the spicy Aus-Tex wing sauce, Monterrey jack and bleu cheeses, and the sweetness of the kolache bun made each bite difficult to swallow due to the fantastic flavors soaking into each and every crevice of my palette.  
   The entree is served open faced, with I believe to be fresh veggies from Hoover's own Soular Food Garden in South Austin, and a handful of fries served straight on some paper on a tray.  A little off putting that it wasn't served on a plate, but after the first bite, all was forgotten.  Funny because when we made the suggestion to my father-in-law, he said no at first because he said they don't use plates.  I thought it was funny because I had never experienced that before myself. 
    To cap off an exquisite burger, my wife and I decided to split some bread putting for dessert.  It was a pretty nice portion for two to share.  Covered with a warm rum sauce, the bread pudding was soft and moist.  It ended up taking half of it home to enjoy later.



http://hooverscooking.com/

in the [BUNS] burger joint

After reading an article about this new burger joint in northwest Austin in the Community Impact Newspaper, I was had to give it a try.  Why not, it's close to wear I live and it serves burgers...just another candidate for my search for Austin's best burger for under $10 (excluding chain restaurants).

Had to take a bite b/c it looked to good

Located in the shopping center in the HEB parking lot at Hwy 183 and Lake Creek Pkwy, facing the 24hr Fitness, I will say that this is a great burger joint.  They serve burgers, dogs, chicken sandwiches, and salads.  The best thing is that they have some great options for all eaters.  With the burgers, you can choose from beef, veggie, turkey, portabello mushroom, tilapia, or chicken breast.  They even over options on the buns (white, whole wheat, gluten free, or no bun).  I ordered the "classic cheese" which is served with lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion, cheddar or Swiss, mayo, and mustard.  I opted for the gluten free bun, because I have some friends who can't eat wheat.  They cook the burger with the cheese melted inside the beef patty.  At first look, the burger seemed small in diameter, but it was a decent size burger.  You will want to grab a few napkins because it was juicy and delicious.  I was licking my fingers between bites, it was that good.  My only disappointment was that I didn't order their sweet potato fries or a Maine Root organic fountain drink.  The atmosphere was OK, but the manager was friendly and the food was delicious.  Will definitely be going back to this burger joint again.



(like them on Facebook and get updates on dining deals)
In-The-Buns-Burger-Joint