3rd September, 2010 - Posted by katherine - No Comments
Last week I was able to revisit Aster’s Ethiopian Restaurant, which is located right off of 35 (west side of highway) near Manor. They have a lot of really great vegetarian options, and the employees are always really friendly. If you’ve never eaten Ethiopian food before, it’s a fun experience you should check out – the food is served on a dish of spongy, slightly sour bread called injera, and you use the bread to scoop up all the food.
I had the fasolia wott, which the menu describes as “potato, green beans, carrots, onions, tomatoe sauce with cinnamon, garlic, and ginger sauce. It came with three side dishes so I picked the bedergan (“Eggplant spiced and prepared with tomatoes sauce, garlic, onions, and special Ethiopian seasoning”), alicha miser (“Split lentil cooked to perfection with ginger and garlic”), and gomen (“Ethiopian style collard greens cooked with onion, garlic, and spices”).
here's a picture of my food with my husband's
For $10.95, it was a good deal for how much food I was served – they also have a great all you can eat lunch buffet for $9.99 which is also really good, although you will be in a food coma for the rest of the afternoon at work if you check it out.
20th August, 2010 - Posted by katherine - 2 Comments
Last week I went to Banzai on North Lamar (3914 North Lamar Boulevard), a small Japanese cafe. This is another restaurant that doesn’t have a website, so without being able to look at the menu online, I can’t say for sure what I ate. Whatever it was, it was delicious and everyone in our group liked their food! I love sushi, and was impressed by the number of choices of everything Banzai had, but I was especially impressed with all of the vegetarian choices they had. I had one roll that had sweetened egg and veggies in it, and another that had cream cheese, avocado, cucumber, and carrots in it. They were both really good and pretty authentic tasting. Plus the restaurant was very clean, and although the service was a little slow, I would recommend checking it out. Sorry the pictures aren’t that great, when you’re with a group of people it’s pretty awkward to pull out your camera to take a picture of your food, so I like to pretend I’m checking my cell phone and quickly snap a blurry, unappetizing pic. But the food really was good!
6th August, 2010 - Posted by katherine - 2 Comments
Over the weekend I stopped by Bouldon Creek Coffee House for a light dinner. Bouldin Creek Coffee House is a really cool little place on South 1st, with a lot of outdoor seating – it’s a great place to relax and talk with friends. Along with having delicious food (an all vegetarian menu), Bouldin Creek is also a good business to support because they take little extra steps to be green, such as having compostable straws (which I took home with me and added to my compost bin!)
I had the “Chick Pea “Chik’n” Salad Sammich” which is described as “homemade mock chicken salad on toasted rye, with lettuce and purple onion.” My husband had the ”Kool Summer Sammich” which the menu describes as “grilled ciabatta bread layered with chipotle-pecan pesto spread, stuffed with roma tomato, red onions, sprouts, cucumbers, field greens, and carrots.” Everything was very fresh, a must-have at a vegetarian place. I really liked my sandwich – the mock chicken salad was a little spicy and creamy, and I liked that it wasn’t trying to imitate meat’s texture or flavor a whole lot, but rather was just a tasty, satisfying filling. And the asian coleslaw that came with it was also nice and light – not too mayonnaise-y, and nice and tangy.
My husband also really liked his sandwich and agreed he would go there again.
We got both sandwiches and 2 drinks for about $17 – a pretty good deal too.
Then we walked to Holy Cacao, which, although there didn’t seem to be anything notable about it being green, I thought I would write about since it’s a cute local business. Holy Cacao accepts the “Go Local” card, and they are very friendly people. The cake balls come in 6 flavors, and I think the best are the brass cake balls – “peanut butter cookies mixed with chunky peanut butter, then dipped in chocolate and topped with crushed peanuts.” Each little cake ball is served on a stick and wrapped in a little plastic baggie - it would be great if they changed their policy to only wrap to-go balls in baggies, or to offer customers the option of picking one that’s not bagged.
Update: I thought I would add the following comment from Holy Cacao since the comment section only shows up if you click on the entry:
Thanks for the visit and the mention. We are strong believers in keeping Austin green at Holy Cacao. In fact, it’s one reason we opened a trailer as opposed to the traditional “brick-and-mortar” restaurant concept which will carry a heavier footprint. Your suggestion is good on the wrappers though presents some challenges. We’ve been researching post consumer recyclable wrappers. Further, we are working with Torchy’s (the landlord at the Trailer Park & Eatery) to explore a composting station for our paper products. The company that we’ve been talking with about this is working on one that works even with meat products. I should also mention that Holy Cacao attempts to source as much LOCAL product as possible in the creation of all our desserts.
Very cool!
30th July, 2010 - Posted by carsi - No Comments
I went to lunch at Somnio’s Cafe yesterday with my friend Melissa, and everything we ordered was really delicious. I had the Uncle Bob salad, which came with quite a bit of shredded beets on top and a slightly tangy honey soy vinaigrette with a little kick:
apologies for the cell phone pictures
I also ordered the Nynavae’s Tacos–fried mushroom goodness with a crunchy, spicy slaw of jalapeno, cabbage, and carrots:
It was served with chips and salsa, but by the time I got around to those, I was too full. The tacos are pretty substantial–I didn’t even need the salad. Melissa ordered the hummus wrap with chicken and the tomato soup and had only good things to report:
We both had our Go Local cards with us (and remembered to use them!) so we each got a free drink out of the deal. Both of us ordered the Lavender Earl Grey iced tea, which I thought was a nice twist on the basic early grey, but if the taste of lavender reminds you of soap, another tea might be a better choice.
This place is also a great local business to support because they strive to use all local and organic produce and grass-fed, humanely treated, local meat. It says on their menu that they recycle, provide compostable-recycled disposables, use waste water to water the plants, and compost. There’s just not much else I can think of to make a restaurant more eco-friendly. Also, located on South First, this little restaurant is surrounded by large trees and has a nice little vibe going on. I’ll definitely be back to try out other items on their diverse menu.
23rd July, 2010 - Posted by katherine - No Comments
Last week I visited Bombay Bistro with a friend, and we both had great meals. It’s located in the Great Hills area at 10710 Research Blvd, Ste 126 (right by the HEB), and it is rated pretty well by customers on yelp and urban spoon (4 out of 5 stars for both places). The restaurant’s website isn’t working well for me, and without being able to look at the menu again I can’t tell you what I had, which makes this a pretty inadequate restaurant review, but what I can tell you is that this was probably my 4th visit to this restaurant in the past 2 years, and I’ve never had a bad meal and the service is always good. Each time I’ve always gotten a vegetarian dish, of which they have a good variety, and I’ve always overeaten. It’s American-ized Indian food, so it’s probably not very authentic, but it’s a nice spot to go during the week if we don’t have time to make dinner. The lighting is sort of dim and it’s decorated very nicely (big comfy booths, bronze decorations, sort of an exotic feel) – you wouldn’t expect such a nice looking restaurant to be located in an HEB strip mall - it’s a very relaxing, comfortable atmosphere. The prices are reasonable ($10-15) at Bombay Bistro, and if you are trying to eat vegetarian meals more often when you are eating out, Indian restaurants in general are a great place to start because there’s always such a great variety of interesting vegetarian dishes!
16th July, 2010 - Posted by carsi - No Comments
My birthday is this weekend, and to celebrate I decided I would like to go to a restaurant that serves local, ethical meat and give myself a one-day break from the vegetarian thing. I decided on East Side Show Room because I’ve heard great things about the food and their specialty cocktails, if not the service, from yelp and several of my friends.
Once inside, I immediately loved the 20′s decor. Old silent films playing on the wall, rose petals in the women’s restroom, ornamental red wallpaper, old-timey lightbulbs, etc. Just lovely. And unlike the many horror stories I read on yelp, our waitress was very nice and helpful. She recommended a sweet and fruity gin drink for me, which was delicious and summery and served with some blackberries. My boyfriend and I ordered the venison appetizer, which came wrapped in bacon and served with fried okra and jalapeno cheese grits.
This was my first bite of meat in over seven months, and I gotta say, it wasn’t as exciting as I thought it’d be. It had a nice flavor and wasn’t too chewy, but the barely cooked bacon kinda threw me off. The okra and grits, though, were to die for. I want that grits recipe–yum! Then for the main dish I had the coq a vin:
This dish was so comforting–it reminded me of a chicken pot pie but with a much more intense flavor. The croissant was nice and flaky and the summer herb butter served with it was mouth watering. That’s another recipe I would like to have! My boyfriend ordered the prime rib and seemed moderately happy with it, although he noted that it was a bit chewy.
I would definitely recommend this place as an ideal spot for a special occasion, but before you go check it out, it’s probably good to know going into it that things are going to get a bit pricey. The drinks and food and atmosphere are excellent, but I think the trendiness plays a factor in how much you’re paying. Overall, though, I’m glad I got to try out some local meat and enjoy a beautiful atmosphere for my birthday dinner.
9th July, 2010 - Posted by katherine - No Comments
A few weeks ago, I went to Mighty Cone for the first time. Located on South Congress, Mighty Cone is a well known Austin favorite. I tried out the avocado cone, and it was really delicious. If you’ve never been before, the cones served are filled with chicken, avocado, or shrimp that has been breaded and then fried, then stuffed into a soft tortilla with a delicious but not overly mayonnaise-y coleslaw served on top, drizzled with a creamy, somewhat spicy sauce, and the whole tortilla is placed inside a paper cone to make it easier to eat. The cones are made fresh when you order them, and the breading is very good – originally a recipe for fish breading from Hudson’s on the Bend. It’s a fun and decadent meal (I say “decadent” because I felt a little gross after I scarfed mine down – not because the food wasn’t good, but because it was so good that I was licking my paper cone by the end of the meal, and yet it’s a very filling, somewhat unhealthy meal). It was a great vegetarian meal I would highly recommend, and a portion of the proceeds from Mighty Cone go to the Sustainable Food Center, which is also very cool. Check it out if you haven’t yet!
2nd July, 2010 - Posted by carsi - No Comments
photo credit
I eat at Little City pretty frequently because it’s conveniently located within walking distance of where I work but also because the food is really tasty. They have several vegetarian options that aren’t too expensive and are great for a quick, light lunch. Also, they use organic greens in a lot of the salads and sandwiches, and their coffee is fair trade. When I go, I usually do the combo, which is a half sandwich and half salad with a drink and chips and salsa, all for $6.95. Not bad. I like the Mediterranean Veggie sandwich: tomato, cucumber, bell pepper, olives, hummus, and sprouts on wheat bread. It’s surprisingly filling and the bread always tastes really fresh. The salsa is spicy and flavorful, so that’s a nice little addition. I’ve also had the Raspberry Pepper Salad, which combines greens, dark chocolate, strawberries, and blue cheese for a really interesting flavor. My one complaint with the salad is that even the large size doesn’t feel like a completely full meal. It’s satisfying, but it typically leaves me hungry a few hours later. The same is true for the Avocado on the Half Shell–a whole avocado stuffed with tomato, red onion, chili powder, and cilantro, drizzled with hot sauce and citrus. It’s really good, but not one of their more substantial items. Several of my friends have ordered the Poet’s Plate, which offers seasonal fresh fruit and vegetables, hummus, olives, pesto, havarti cheese, blue cheese, and fresh bread. While I haven’t ordered it myself, it looks like a good amount of food and seems to be one of the more popular items on the menu. I also enjoy the place itself–there’s usually interesting art on the walls inside and there are spaces to sit outside and watch people pass by on Congress. Overall, it’s a really nice, local establishment near a lot of downtown offices, and it’s nice to have a veggie- and organic-friendly option for weekday lunches or coffee breaks.
25th June, 2010 - Posted by katherine - No Comments
This week I went to Marakesh for a light lunch. I think their website is under construction, but here is some info on the restaurant. It’s right on Congress near the Capitol, and it’s a nice relaxing place for lunch with pretty quick service. You order at the front, and then you can find a table and your food will be delivered right to you. I had the vegetarian plate #1, which included falafel, tabouli, and humus with pita. The humus and tabouli were pretty standard, but I thought the falafel was some of the best falafel I’ve had. In general, I think Mediterranean restaurants do vegetarian foods really well, and Marakesh was no exception! I’ll try to update with a picture later today if I can figure out how to transfer it from my phone.
18th June, 2010 - Posted by carsi - No Comments
Koriente is this adorable little restaurant nestled at the very end of 7th street, right by Beauty Bar. They serve up Asian-inspired dishes, with an eye for offering healthy and fresh meals. They have a lot of vegan options, and many of the items are served with organic spring greens. I’ve gone there on several occasions, and I love getting the Noodle Garden: “a nest of spiced mung bean noodles on organic spring greens, with avocado, red bell pepper, red cabbage, and cucumber in our own balsamic soy sauce.” Delicious and just the right amount. Also, if you dine in during lunch, you get free miso soup and salad with an entree. At $6.50, it’s a steal. They also offer bubble tea, regular tea, and Ruta Maya organic coffee. The people who work there are so nice, and the place itself has fun decorations and lots of windows with natural light and pretty flowering plants outside. Check it out the next time you are looking for a quick and healthy option for lunch.
Noodle Garden
4th June, 2010 - Posted by carsi - No Comments
I posted a few weeks ago about my failed attempt at trying out the vegan food at Cheer Up Charlies, because for awhile there, they weren’t serving any food. Now, there’s a trailer, the Vegan Yacht, in the back up and running. So, in case anyone’s confused, Cheer Up Charlies is the bar inside the small building, and the Vegan Yacht is the trailer in the back that serves up vegan sandwiches, quesadillas, and chili for around $5-$6 each. They also serve vegan desserts and coffee. I happened to be there the other night when we had that torrential downpour all of a sudden, so I ran to the trailer, ordered the avocado/tomato/tempeh “Slamwich,” and ran back into Cheer Up Charlies. I was in such a rush I forgot to order some beet brownies, which I think sound very interesting, but I guess that leaves something for next time. Anyway, they brought in the food, and we ate in the comfort of Cheer Up Charlies, a fun little bar with lotsa funky decorations. I hear they have great dance parties, too. Which goes right along with the Vegan Yacht’s late night hours–they’re open for lunch from 11-3 and late night eating from 7-2 Wed-Sat. My sandwich was made with organic produce, the homemade bread was amazing (olive ciabatta), and it was served with a side of fresh fruit. Nothing too fancy, but a yummy, cheap, vegan, and conveniently located trailer for some healthy fare. Be sure to bring your cash, because they don’t take credit cards. And let me know if you get to try the beet brownies!
21st May, 2010 - Posted by carsi - 2 Comments
Fete Accompli started off as a catering company, but it now offers lunch and dinner for pick up from 11 a.m. – 7 p.m Mon-Fri. They utilize seasonal and local foods whenever possible, so that makes for very fresh tasting fare. Also, I saw on facebook, through VegAustin.com (a great resource for Austin vegetarian restaurants), that Fete Accompli now has Vegan Mondays, so I went ahead and tried it out this week. Although it’s a small take-out store, the place is very bright and sunny, and there are a few tables outside for sitting with umbrellas for shade. The staff was very helpful and everything was served in biodegradable containers–always a bonus! As for the menu options, they had several hot and cold sandwiches to choose from, including a vegan bbq sandwich that I was tempted to try and will hopefully go back for in the future. The other menu option was to pick four of the several salads that were on display in the case next to the counter, plus a cookie. I opted for the salad selection because there were so many yummy looking options, but it was hard to choose just four. I picked out the beet salad, a mushroom and quinoa salad, garlic roasted zucchini, and steamed greens, plus an oatmeal cookie. The no-egg tofu salad looked really good too, but that will just have to be another one to try out next time. Everything was so colorful and fresh and delicious; I’m bummed my pictures didn’t come out. If you’d like to see pics of some of the food, VegAustin.com’s facebook page has quite a few on their wall. At about $10 with tax and tip, it wasn’t the cheapest lunch you could find, but it was definitely worth the price for such a quality meal.
14th May, 2010 - Posted by katherine - No Comments
Last week I went to Magnolia Cafe on Lake Austin Boulevard for lunch with my parents and we all got tasty vegetarian dishes – Magnolia Cafe has a lot of vegetarian options, and although better known for its great breakfast foods, Magnolia Cafe is also a great place to go for a light and healthy lunch.
My Father tried the “Love Veggies” which is described as “a steamy platter of broccoli, mushroom, spinach, yellow squash, zucchini, onion, and bell pepper in spicy garlic and serrano butter. Served on brown rice topped with jack cheese.” His looked the most tasty of the 3 dishes we ordered, and he said it was really good. For $7.95 it came with a lot of veggies.
My mother had the Chef salad which was $6.50 and gigantic. It was enough salad for 3 meals. It had broccoli, black olives, avocado, egg, and other goodies on it.
Finally, I had the Veggie Taco, which had avocado, black beans, cheddar and jack cheese, tomato, sprouts, and sour cream. I wasn’t crazy about it, it was a little too sloppy for me and the chips that came with it weren’t very crisp, but it was only $4.50.
7th May, 2010 - Posted by carsi - 1 Comment
Katherine and I went over to Beets Living Foods Café today for lunch to try out something new–it’s a raw and vegan restaurant on West 5th. I had been wanting to go there for awhile, and I was excited to try out some funky foods. Because of traffic, we were not able to have our meal there, so we placed our to-go orders at the counter. All our food was packed in compostable containers, even the plastic cover for my soup, so it was good to see a restaurant being environmentally responsible. The atmosphere is also very nice–lots of sunshine and modern décor, and everyone working there seemed helpful. They were not, however, very efficient. At one point, Katherine counted 10 customers and seven employees, yet we still had to wait quite awhile for our meals.
Beyond that, the food was pretty overpriced for very small portions. After glancing at the menu and seeing the pricey options, I opted for a soup and the salad sampler. I ended up paying $13 (with tip) for three small 2 oz. samples of salads and a tiny cup of soup. I realize that having high quality fresh veggies can get expensive, but they don’t even state that the food is organic. At least at Daily Juice, another fairly expensive vegan raw restaurant in town, some of the produce is organic and the portions will leave you reasonably full.
Let’s get past the slow service and the expensive menu and get down to how the food tasted. The Curried Carrot Soup was the highlight of my little meal–it was cold, but the garlic, ginger, curry, and carrot flavors worked well together, and I wished that I had ordered more. Plus, it had a bit of a kick. My salads, however, were a bit underwhelming. The restaurant was out of the Tex Mex Cabbage, so I replaced it with the Cabbage Kraut, which tasted a bit like pickled cardboard. The little cup of Sprouted Lentil Salad was very bizarre tasting, which is a lot coming from me since I am pretty open to most foods. I’m not sure why, because I like lentils and tomatoes and a lot of the ingredients, but it just didn’t taste that great. Maybe it was the vinegar? The best of my three salads was the Kale Salad, which was simple and crunchy but lacking in pizzazz.
My little lunch
After reading some of the reviews on Yelp, I realize that I should have tried one of the full entrees, like their versions of a pizza, burger, or chalupa, or some of the desserts. Expensive though they are, they get rave reviews online. So, in sum, I will go back and give their entrees a chance, but for now, I say if you want the most raw and vegan bang for your buck, I’d stick to Daily Juice.
30th April, 2010 - Posted by katherine - No Comments
Last weekend I went to lunch at the vegetarian Indian cafe, Bombay Express. It’s an old favorite of mine and I hadn’t been there in awhile. There have been times before when I ate dinner at Bombay Express, took home the leftovers, and then immediately started to eat the leftovers, continuing to eat to the point of making myself feel sick – and yet still continuing to eat. It is that delicious. And the reviews on Yelp are very good, and I’ve spoken to friends of mine who are Indian who say it is the best Indian food in Austin.
The green part: it’s all vegetarian. And delicious. If you’re looking to branch out and try new vegetarian foods, and foods that are very different from what you’ll get at most Austin Indian restaurants, it’s a great choice.
The not green part: everything is served on disposable plates. Some things are even served on styrofoam. It’s a little out of control and I’ve backed off of eating there because of it. When I went last weekend, I probably hadn’t been there in about 1 year, and things had gotten a little better, with the use of paper plates for more dishes than had previously been the case. But I still felt wasteful eating there.
Here’s what I had:
Thaali: an assortment of different dishes. Served on a plastic tray, so not to good for the environment. The food was good but because of how it’s served, I don’t think I would get it again. The next two dishes are much tastier and a little greener in their presentation.
Masala Dosa: A generously-sized, extra fine crepe made with rice batter, filled with seasoned potatoes. Served on a paper plate, it’s one of my favorites and is a meal in itself.
kachori: fried dumplings with a spicy green pea filling. I get these every time. These yummy little guys are served in a little paper tray.
So there you have it – the green and not so green of Bombay Express. I hope to someday have the courage to strike up a conversation with the owner about the styrofoam.
23rd April, 2010 - Posted by carsi - 4 Comments
Today for lunch I wanted to try out Cheer Up Charlie’s because I had heard it had tasty vegan food (and also because it’s an awesome name. Who doesn’t love that song?). So I was surprised when I got over to its location on East 6th to find that it is no longer a food trailer but instead occupies this little building:
After speaking with the bartender, I discovered that Cheer Up Charlie’s is in the process of changing things up. Instead of the food trailer, they’ve got a bar in the building, which they want to turn into a smoothie bar that will continue offering alcohol. They also are working on getting the food thing figured out, since the permit situation is complicated for the new building. I put my name on the email list so I will get notified when they start serving food again, so check back for a review at a later date. So annnyway, I went ahead and bought a handmade vegan coconut macadamia chocolate while I was there, and it was sooo good. The creamy, nutty filling went really well with the vegan chocolate, which to me tasted like a high quality dark chocolate. Yum.
Then, I wandered next door in search of a meal and came across Me So Hungry:
This little food trailer recently relocated to East 6th and serves up cheap, delicious, and vegetarian-friendly Asian fusion cuisine. The menu is fairly limited, but they offer noodle bowls, banh mi, rolls, and a salad. Everyone on Yelp raves about the banh mi, but since I didn’t actually plan this little trip, I didn’t know that until after I left. They have BBQ tofu that I was considering, but that will have to wait till next time. Instead, I ordered the Pad Laos Noodle bowl with Lemongrass Tofu:
I brought it home and put it on a plate and look at how much food that is! For only five bucks! And it was so tasty! The lemongrass tofu added an interesting citrusy flavor to the veggies and noodles. Very good and very filling, and I have enough leftover for another meal. Not only was it cheap and tasty, but the service was exceptional. I spoke with Christina, the woman who runs the place, and she was very friendly and helpful. And they’re open till 3 am on the weekends! So even though I sort of stumbled across this place, it was a pleasant surprise, and I’d definitely recommend it for a nice lunch or a late-night meal.
16th April, 2010 - Posted by katherine - No Comments
We try to give out recommendations each Friday for either restaurants that are in some way environmentally friendly, or that may have good vegetarian options – either way though, we prefer to only write about restaurants we enjoyed eating at. But I didn’t end up going out to eat this week, so I have a couple of reviews saved up on restaurants that had somewhat disappointing food.
(1) Sago’s
I went to Sago’s for dinner a few months ago with friends. Located in the Triangle, it has a nice atmosphere and the service was pretty good for a Friday night. I ordered the grilled squash, zucchini, and goat cheese tacos. Below is a not so good quality picture of my meal using my cell phone. I was a little disappointed, mainly because there were only about 3 pieces of grilled vegetables in each taco. Most of the volume was just shredded lettuce. For $7.99 though, it was about what I expected – mostly just paying for the atmosphere and the 3 baskets of chips I had to eat because I was still hungry at the end of my meal. They were delicious chips though!
(2) Manuel’s
I went to Manuel’s (north location) a couple of weeks ago and had the mushroom enchiladas verdes. They were good, but not worth $14. I remember reading on the menu that Manuel’s does try to be environmentally friendly in some of the ingredient choices they make, and I believe the owners also do a lot for the Austin community, which is very admirable and I would like to like their restaurant. But a lot of the price reflects the atmosphere and not the food, and if I’m going to pay that much for enchiladas I would like them to be really good, especially when there are so many choices in Austin.
9th April, 2010 - Posted by carsi - 2 Comments
Photo Credit
The Snack Bar on South Congress is a lovely diner and lounge with a great patio and tasty, organic, and local fare. I went there with a group of girl friends one evening and sat out on the patio. We shared the Pitcher of Fun, which is just a pitcher of any of their fancy drinks, and we ended up deciding on the sangria made with organic white and red wines, odwalla juices, and agave. Very good and almost too easy to drink. At that time of night, they were only serving up the Global Plates, which include mostly tapas-style foods inspired from a variety of cuisines, including American, Latino, European, Mediterranean, and Asian. Many of the menu options are or can be made vegan. There’s also the option of ordering Global Big Plates, which are combinations of the smaller plates to make full entrees. We all ended up deciding to get our own Global Big Plates. I chose the Asian plate with seitan skewers, okonomiyaki (leek and cabbage hash cake), and a bun bowl of greens and noodles. The seitan was a bit chewy, but it had a very flavorful peanut sauce that made up for it. I had never tried okonomiyaki before, but it had a pleasant taste and was surprisingly filling. I ended up eating more than my fill because everything was so good. My friends tried out the American dishes, including the burgers and mac and cheese, and there were positive reviews all around. Another reason this place gets my thumbs up is the variety of foods on the menu that will please everyone from strict vegans to meat-loving burger enthusiasts. With tasty organic and local food, a view of South Congress, lots of menu options, and a really delightful sangria, this was a perfect place for our girls’ night out.
2nd April, 2010 - Posted by katherine - No Comments
I tried out Buenos Aires Cafe‘s new East location a few weeks ago. I thought it was a really cute restaurant, and the food was reasonably priced for a semi fancy atmosphere. The waiters were all very professional and there was live music and impromptu salsa dancing – very saucy! I had the small spinach salad ($5.99), which the menu described as “A refreshing blend of organic baby spinach, feta cheese, organic Fuji apples and spicy roasted pecans tossed in our homemade sweet and tangy vinaigrette.” It was nice and fresh. Then I had two empanadas, the verdura (spinach, ricotta, parmesan cheese and onions- $2.59) and the tuna (tuna, tomato, red pepper, onion, green and black olives – $ 2.59). I loved the verdura empanada.
My husband had the gnocchi quartet ($12.99), which the menu describes as “our homemade pumpkin-cinnamon, sweet potato-chipotle, cilantro-jalapeno, and potato-herb gnocchi tossed with roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts, mushrooms, and haricots verts and olive oil, finished with specialty sauces and fresh parmesan.” It was really delicious and my husband said it was the best gnocchi he had ever had.
For dessert we had the “Dark and Spicy Chocolate Crème Brulee” – “dark chocolate and spicy pasilla and cayenne peppers” – it was reeeeally good, both rich and spicy.
It’s a nice local business to support too! Their website says “At Buenos Aires Café we are committed to serving the highest quality food, prepared with love and care from the hands that make it. We use only the freshest ingredients available and make an effort to support local farmers and market whenever possible. We hand pick all the vegetables and fruits used at our restaurants. Our greens are organic and dressed with our signature dressings prepared on site daily. We do not use trans fat oils, only pure olive oil and canola oil. The meats served are also organic. Both the pork and beef cuts are naturally raised, hormone free and certified organic. To give back to the community is part of our mission and commitment. Buenos Aires Cafe recycles all the cardboard boxes, we make weekly trips to the Ecology Action of Texas. We give all of our vegetable scraps for composting to our next door neighbor Clay Worksin exchange for herbs.” Very cool!
I had some awesome pics of our food but now I can’t find them on my computer – dang you, technology!
26th March, 2010 - Posted by carsi - No Comments
Blue Dahlia is a cute little bistro on the eastside that serves up salads, sandwiches, breakfast, and larger entrees, along with beer, wine, and coffee. The menu states that they use organic produce when available and that they are committed to optimizing the effect their restaurant has on the environment. Not only are they organic and environmentally friendly, but the food and atmosphere make for a very pleasant visit. I went a few weeks ago with my family, just as the weather was getting nice, and it was so lovely. We sat outside in the back, it was sunny, the plants were green, and the food was really delicious. I got the brie with walnuts and apricot preserve, pictured above, and doesn’t it just look so good? It was served on crispy fresh baked whole wheat bread, and the cheese and preserves went really well together. At first I didn’t think this would be enough food, but I actually ended up having leftovers. I would really recommend this restaurant to anyone, especially if you’re looking for a patio on a nice day.
Older Entries
