Friday, March 2, 2007

The Smoke Trail: More on BBQ

The Austin Chronicle’s Food section runs down 11 BBQ joints that are fairly accessible to SXSW attendees, either via foot or short taxi ride:

1. Iron Works Barbecue
2. Stubb’s BBQ
3. Lamberts
4. Ben’s Long Branch BBQ
5. Sam’s BBQ
6. House Park Bar-B-Que
7. Bowie Street BBQ at Whole Foods Market
8. Pok-e-Jo’s Smokehouse Inc.
9. Artz Rib House
10. Green Mesquite BBQ & More
11. Ruby’s BBQ

I’m most intrigued by #3, Lamberts, a brand new BBQ place on the west side of Downtown that claims to be a “fancy BBQ” joint. Reservations are recommended and the menu’s upper entree prices are $20. But the menu contains upscale choices like baby-back wild boar ribs, pecan-smoked Alaskan king salmon, cold-smoked quail, mustard and brown sugar ribeyes, and fried blackberry pie with lemon sorbet. I’m guessing you don’t wipe your hands with paper towels here? 

Thursday, March 1, 2007

Breakfast Tacos!

Here’s a quick rundown of the breakfast taco scene in Austin, TX, originally by Karen Broyles, and updated a little by me:

Austin is a breakfast taco town: eggs, cheese, maybe some chorizo or potatoes, in a tortilla. Simple, fast, tasty, and cheap!

I’m going to try to run down the best and/or highest-profile breakfast tacos around, but only with this disclaimer: there are always going to be more, possibly better ones, and everyone has their favorite(s). They’re everywhere in Austin--not only are there the endless carts set up in parking lots, but even Texas burger chains serve them (Whataburger, for example, calls them “taquitos”). Here are a few of my favorites. Not all are terribly accessible for out-of-towners on foot, but if you can get there I’d recommend them.

Oh, and by the way, they’re not just for breakfast anymore.

For quick and easy tacos near the Convention Center, there’s a Taco Shack located in the Frost building, but they cater to the weekday breakfast and lunch crowds, so if you sleep in, you’ll miss out. Monday through Friday they’re open 6:30AM to 2:30PM, and on Saturday, they’re open 7AM to 1PM. And they are closed on Sundays.

If you’ve got enough time to sit down and enjoy some breakfast tacos, check out Las Manitas Avenue Cafe, located on Congress Ave. It’ll be a short walk from your hotel, and there’s often a wait during SXSW, but it’s worth it. We’ll cover Las Manitas more in a future entry.

Mi Madre’s is just barely east of UT campus at 2201 Manor (pronounced MAY-nor) and famous for their breakfast tacos. I like their other food, but the tacos are so good that most Austinites never get past them. You can get all the usual things in your taco, in whatever combination you want (beans, cheese, potatoes, eggs, Mexican rice, any imaginable meat, migas, avocado, etc.). They’re closed on Sundays and after two, so make sure you get there while they’re still serving.

Taco Xpress (2529 South Lamar), sometimes also known as Loca Maria’s, is the South Austin taco stand of choice. Everything’s good and they have all the standard offerings, but especially recommended are the migas taco, the refried beans, and the vegetarian taco with tasty black beans. This is where you want to go to experience the more gritty South Austin ambiance rather than the trendy South Congress thing. You’ll know you’re there when you see the giant lady’s torso sticking out of the modest building.

Juan in a Million is an Austin fixture at 300 E. Cesar Chavez Street. You can get all the usual tex-mex dishes, but everybody comes for the Don Juan, a potato, egg, cheese, and bacon breakfast taco (I get mine without bacon) that comes so stuffed that you have to order at least two extra tortillas to unload into. The fact that one taco equals three normal ones means that if you eat more than a couple of Don Juans you might get your picture up on the wall.

The thing about the Don Juan is that even though potato-egg-cheese tacos are ubiquitous here, this particular concoction is completely unique. There’s not another similar taco to be found anywhere. It’s excellent hangover food, and so filling you shouldn’t order more than one on your first visit.

The other big attraction is Juan himself, proprietor Juan Meza. He’s usually around and if he is you’ll know, because he has to give pretty much every single person a handshake and a knowing glance when they come in or soon after. I hear he’s less gentle with dudes than he is with the ladies.

Mother’s is Austin’s highest-profile vegetarian restaurant, just north of UT campus at 4215 Duval St. It’s not my favorite, but during weekend brunch they nearly completely redeem themselves by serving a great breakfast taco with their “bueno soysage” fake sausage with eggs or tofu. It’s very nourishing and healthy-tasting while still satisfying all the proper taco requirements.

Last but not least, Amaya’s Taco Village (in the Capitol Plaza shopping center at 5405 N. I-35) offers one of the most authentically tex-mex options in town. I don’t know what they do to their beans (I pretend not to detect the lard), but together with the requisite velveetaish cheese you find in the best tex-mex joints they are irresistable. Runny, but irresistable.

And if you’re vegetarian, and find yourself in the neighborhood, get some of the breakfast tacos with veggie chorizo at Bouldin Creek. Delicious! 

(Thanks again to Karen Broyles for her original write-up).

Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Where There’s Smoke, There’s Barbecue

No visit to Austin, Texas is complete without visiting at least one of the city’s fine barbecue establishments!

Some people say that barbecue is the only authentic “American” cuisine. “Traditional barbecue” is meat slow-cooked for a long time over a low heat (purists say you need a wood fire for best results). The typical cooking temperature is between 250 to 275 degrees and the usual barbecue cooking time can be for several hours. Why so long? Collagen, the material that holds muscles together, takes quite a long time to turn into gelatin and dissolve, but once it does, it makes the meat nice and tender. Essentially, barbecue is the evolution of a very old cooking technique that involves using the tough, cheaper cuts of meat and cooking them until they become soft and juicy, usually with a dark, tasty layer of goodness on the outside.

Legend has it that when Columbus arrived in the Caribbean in 1492, he was exposed to the Native American method of cooking wild game on a large wooden structure, exposed to the heat and smoke of a wood fire. When the explorerers asked about this cooking style, they learned that the word for the wooden platform sounded very much like barbacoa in Spanish. And such, they returned to Europe with knowledge of a new cooking method, one that would eventually become known as barbecue. And your dad grilling up meat in the backyard during summer parties? That’s not really barbecue. The distinction between barbecuing and grilling is the level and intensity of the heat used. And it’s the smoke from the burning wood that gives barbecue its unique flavor.

Before the meat is cooked, however, many cooks season their cuts using a dry rub to enhance the flavor. Each chef has his or own special combination of spices and herbs, but typically the rub contains salt, paprika, chili powder, garlic and onion powders, black and red peppers, alongside a secret ingredient or two. Many barbecuers also use a marinade followed by a dry rub to add both flavor and moisture to their works of culinary art. And as for the barbecue sauce, if they use any at all, it is added towards the end of the process since the high sugar content of most sauces mean they would carmelize and turn black during the cooking process.

So now that we know about how barbecue is cooked (I’ll leave the discussion of the different types of wood up to the experts), so exactly what kind of meat makes for good barbecue? That depends where you’re from! Texans favor beef brisket, which is the cut from the breast section under the first five ribs; the folks in North Carolina feast on pulled-pork sandwiches from pork shoulders smoked over hickory coals; Kansas City is known for its tasty spare ribs. As for Austin, its own style of barbecue was heavily influenced by German butchers who settled there in the mid-1800s. Inspired by Mexican vaqueros, they emphasized beef instead of pork in their barbecue, choosing to hand rub the meat, and to cook it in pits filled with oak, hickory, pecan and mesquite woods.

The Austin Chronicle has a listing of some of its favorite barbecue suppliers. And we’d be remiss in our duties without mentioning two places within walking distance of the convention center: Stubb’s on Red River Street and East 8th Street and Ironworks BBQ on Red River and East 1st Street. The Washington Post rounds up some other BBQ joints for those willing to travel further. And let’s not forget the requisite pilgrimage to the Salt Lick during SXSW.

But whatever your choice of beef, pork, or chicken, be sure to grab a handful of napkins, and load up on some sides as well, including but not limited to potato salad, beans, coleslaw, cornbread, mashed potatoes, an ear of corn or two, as well as a big slice of watermelon for dessert.

So, who’s hungry?

Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Ben Brown, Internet Rockstar, on SXSW

[Ben Brown meets Malcolm Gladwell at Break Bread with Brad, SXSW 2005]

Ben Brown ruminates about South by Southwest’s past in The Official Annotated Ben Brown SXSW Timeline, or Boy, Have I Had A Lot of Fun!.

I love SXSW.  It is one of my favorite times of year because it means that everyone I know and love will be in Austin all at the same time for almost two solid weeks of partying.  Yes, partying.  Sure, you can go and hand out business cards or launch your business or debut your awesome video podcast, but when I think of SXSW, I think of a constant orgy of beer, whiskey, tacos and barbeque the likes of which could not exist anywhere outside of the heart of Texas.

In honor of the events coming up in just a few scant weeks, I have created an annotated timeline of my involvement in the event.  I think that once you read this, you will agree that without Ben Brown, there would be no SXSW.

Wednesday, March 8, 2006

Ice Cream Man’s Off the Wookie Ice Cream Social and Magazine

I'm driving my ice cream truck to Austin to give away thousands of free ice creams. We'll be distributing a cool 96 page, full color magazine we put together and we'll be throwing an Ice Cream Social at Cream Vintage and The Hole in the Wall. There'll be lots of good people and wookies in attendance. Everything is FREE, so stop on by.

Stayed tuned to IceCreamMan.com for more information.

Vegging Out at SXSW

Veg Out! Austin posts some suggestions for vegetarian eating in the downtown area while attending the festival. Enjoy!

Friday, March 3, 2006

Austin Chronicle’s 6th Street and Red River Guide

The Austin Chronicle has a neat 6th Street and Red River Street guide to the various bars, food, and shopping venues in downtown Austin. The database is searchable, and there's a short paragraph-long blurb for each spot, along with a map, hours, and other information.

Monday, February 13, 2006

Hoover’s?

I hear Hoover's on Manor Road is a great place for Southern food. How can one get there from the Conference Center? Is it a long walk? An expensive taxi ride? Please let me know.

Thursday, February 9, 2006

Austin Life and Food & Drink

The countdown to SXSW begins! It's only a month away. Are we ready yet? In case you're a relative newcomer to SXSW Baby! let me remind you that we have a fabulous archive of general Austin information in Austin Life and the scoop on breakfast tacos, barbecue, and late night noshing in the Food & Drink section, in addition to our general Interactive, Music, and Film sections.

The New York Post recently make the trek out to Austin; you can also check out the Lonely Planet guide to Austin and the Fodor's guide to the city.

Wednesday, March 9, 2005

SliceXSW

Adam from SliceNY is hosting two informal pizza get togethers during SXSW Music. Don't forget to RSVP beforehand and take a look at the PDF map he's put up! (I don't usually think of Austin as a pizza town but who knows?)

Quick research on the Internets helped me find that two of Austin's top-rated pizzerias are within striking distance of the SXSW events downtown. So, on Thursday, March 17, I'll be at Brick Oven at 1 p.m. Any Slice readers who will be in Austin are welcome to stop by. The following day, I'll be at Frank & Angie's at 1 p.m. Feel free to attend one or both SliceXSW events if you can make it. Just be sure to RSVP to adam (at) sliceny (dot) com. And please don't call the pizzerias asking about these "conferences." They don't know about them, and they'll most likely think you're crazy if you ask about "Slice by Southwest."

I for one am curious to see how Austin's pizza holds up to New York's.

Tuesday, March 8, 2005

South By South Breakfast

Just got this in my inbox from the SXSW folks:

[On Saturday March 12,] at 11:00 am, we will have breakfast tacos, hot coffee and cold orange juice. This food is FREE for all SXSW Interactive, Gold and Platinum registrants. No worries if you haven't picked up your badge yet -- if you are pre-registered for the event, your name will be on the list at the entrance to the park. Brush Square Park is located at just west of the Hilton Hotel, directly across the street from the Austin Convention Center.

Texas Eat ‘Em

Wow! The Washington Post must be reading my mind. I'm gearing up to eat lots of BBQ during SXSW and the Post has an article on BBQ in Austin and the surrounding areas: (via A Full Belly)

In other barbecue hot spots, like Memphis and North Carolina, barbecue is pork. A person will find pork -- and chicken and mutton and even cabrito (baby goat) -- on Texas pits. But what defines Texas barbecue is beef. And the king of the plate is smoked brisket -- usually unsauced. That's a characteristic specific to central Texas barbecue -- its aversion to sauce. They'll serve it (usually). But invariably on the side. Sauce, the pitman will tell you, is just used to cover up inferior barbecue.

A Texas barbecue excursion, though, isn't solely about food. It's also about history and, oddly for that most primitive of foods, change.

Sounds delicious to me.