He had me at the name: Barley SWINE … Beer & pork.

Lots of beer — both draft (8) and bottled (24) craft beers — and not as much pig, surprisingly, given the name, but I’m not complaining.

He is Bryce Gilmore, the chef/owner and one of Food & Wine’s Ten Best New Chefs for 2011.

Gilmore first gathered Austin fame with his farm-to-food trailer The Odd Duck, only a short 10-minute walk up the street from his locavore-themed, brick and mortar Barley SWINE.

On the evening we visited the tiny, 34-seat restaurant on South Lamar, Gilmore didn’t appear until we were digging into dessert.

Barley SWINE opens at 6 p.m. The no-reservations policy means you best get there early, or you’ll be facing an hour-plus wait for a seat.

[Side note: I wonder how well waiting outside in the sweltering Austin summer is going over, but in early June, it didn't seem to phase anyone.]

It turns out we didn’t miss Gilmore’s presence one bit. The kitchen was left in the capable hands of sous chef Sam Hellman-Mass (above). We took the last two seats at the counter overlooking the modern galley kitchen.

I asked if I could take pictures during our meal. For a second, I wondered if Hellman-Mass was going to douse me with the pancetta vinaigrette he was spooning over olive oil-poached halibut, but instead he stopped, looked me in the eye and grinned.

“Thank you,” he said. “Thank you for asking. So many people just rudely snap away, so I really appreciate you asking, and yes, you can take pictures.”

The menu changes frequently and Barley SWINE walks the talk of farm-to-table, and as cliche as that term may be, this is the real deal. The chefs are on speed-dial with Austin and surrounding Hill Country farmers and producers.

Gilmore’s reliance on local farmers and producers to stock The Odd Duck is well documented and Barley SWINE is no different.

The staff embraces the local food movement, too. Our server is a gardener, and she helped grow some of the produce on the menu through her work with Urban Roots, a youth farm project based in Austin.

If you’ve seen one marinated olive, you’ve seen them all, except in Barley SWINE’S case, the olives ($4) are infused with smoke from the wood fire that flame-licks many of the dozen or so small plates.

Even the carrots get a turn on the wood grill in this carrot salad with local goat ricotta, almond brown butter and carrot puree ($7).

The portions are small and the staff recommends ordering three dishes per person. Some are rich, such as the crab and soft scrambled egg stuffed pancake (crepe, actually), served with a rich butter sauce, local squash and hen of the woods mushrooms ($13).

Other dishes are clean and light, such as the grilled scallop (one – cut in half), flanking a blistered shishito pepper, with peeled, poached cucumber and herb pesto ($9).

Regarding the swine: there was one pork option; a grilled pork belly with refried beans and octopus salad.

I’m not going to lie; it didn’t appeal to me, although I love refried beans, I like octopus well enough and pork belly rules.

To be fair, my crisp sweetbreads (some of the best I’ve tasted) were garnished with braised bacon, and the halibut dish was dressed in a pancetta (uncured bacon) vinaigrette.

We were full by this time anyway, yet somehow managed to squeeze in an earthy, ash rind local goat cheese with pickled beets, pecans and fennel frond ($5).

And of course, I always make room for dessert: barley-steeped panna cotta with Texas berries and sweetened barley crumbles ($7), a dish that pretty much sums up my thoughts about this Austin newcomer:

Barley SWINE smartly showcases the rich, fertile bounty of the Texas Hill Country with approachable flair.

Details:
Barley SWINE
2024 South Lamar Boulevard
Austin, Texas
512-394-8150
BarleySWINE.com

Tags: Austin dining, Barley Swine, Bryce Gilmore, Food and Wine Top 10 Chef 2011, Sam Hellman-Mass, small plates
Posted in Travel Eats | 2 Comments »

This post started out as a celebration of a rocking taco joint near downtown Austin, Texas.

I fell for the buttercup-cute bungalow house with creaky wooden floors, and after chowing down on a couple of above-average breakfast tacos, I made a mental note to return for the “drowning” flautas — corn tortillas stuffed with meat, rolled tight and deep-fried, and then smothered in chile broth.

As far as I can tell, flautas are the same thing as taquitos, dorados (see Austin’s El Naranjo dorados mentioned here) and also referred to as “El Paso-style” tacos. I’ve also seen them called “rolled tacos” in Phoenix.

But between writing words and posting pictures, I saw a tweet from Kay Marley-Dilworth (@ATXFoodnews on Twitter). She said The Screaming Goat and another independent Austin eatery, Lift Cafe, had closed.

So now this post is a eulogy.

I don’t know why The Goat closed but it wasn’t busy when we visited. I chalked it up to timing — a mid-week, mid-morning breakfast taco run.

Crazy, really, because the breakfast tacos were just as munch-worthy as those from other Austin bellwether establishments like Torchy’s Tacos and Taco Deli. The salsas were even better.

Two layers of moist corn tortillas, generously piled with a choice of two fillings (eggs, potatoes, cheese, beans, bacon or spicy chorizo) for only a buck seventy?

Hard to beat — or so I thought.

So what happened?

Was it the location? Was the food inconsistent? Later I saw comments on Twitter and Facebook that said “Austin is a tough restaurant town.”

Isn’t every town?

It reminded me of a cool little Mexican spot near downtown Phoenix I reviewed for PHOENIX Magazine called Verde.

Verde seemed to have lots going for it. Two talented, dedicated owners, some tasty Mexican food, and a urban-esque hip setting.

Like The Screaming Goat, the only thing that seemed to be missing was a steady stream of customers.

Tags: Austin dining, PHOENIX Magazine, restaurant closure, Screaming Goat, tacos, Verde
Posted in Travel Eats | 4 Comments »

When I head to Austin, I have two foodstuffs on my brain: Barbecue and tacos. The town is a mecca for smoky ‘cue and tortilla-wrapped eats.

So when our friends suggested we try Justine’s Brasserie, a French place located in an industrial part of town, I wasn’t convinced it was where we should spend one of our precious few dining opportunities.

Boy, was I wrong. Justine’s is utterly charming, and the food is quintessentially French comfort. I can’t imagine it being more lovely if it was tucked away on a side street in Paris.

Inside is dark and cozy — and very loud when it’s crowded. Even more captivating is dining al fresco on the expansive lawn.

By “lawn” I mean the gravel yard dotted with wrought-iron tables, lacy and painted white, and wobbly French garden wooden chairs.

The gravel is perfect for a game of pétanque alongside the house, metal balls waiting patiently for old men in berets to pick them up.

A long wooden bench sits near the front of the property, covered by a black and white striped canopy with matching curtains.

It was occupied by a group of artists, musicians and actors the evening of our visit, friends of the owner Pierre Pelegrin and his artist wife Justine.

They could have easily been a band of circus performers from another time, their clothes vintage and eclectic. I found myself glancing at them as the sun fell from the sky, casting a surreal glow over their smiling faces as they clinked glasses, laughed and shared bites of the charcuterie board passed around the table.

I wanted to join this merry troupe, maybe even run away with them.

But what was happening at my own table was theater, too.

What’s a country French meal without a French rosé? Justine’s offers two, by the glass or bottle, including a crisp, dry Le Poussin.

A crock of bubbling French onion soup took my breath away: Gruyère perfectly blistered, melded into a crouton of once-crusty French bread, harboring a thyme-scented beef broth rich with caramelized onions. Mon Dieu!

Chive-flecked quenelles of poached cod sat high on a silky blanket of tomato and leek sauce. Humble crawfish crowned the top, posing as if they were lobster. A casual dish that put on regal airs — and pulled it off.

It was the evening’s special, and indeed lived up to its name.

The Gruyère smothered Royale burger was juicy, meaty and proud of it’s toasted brioche bun. The crisp exterior of the herb and sea salt dusted fries gave way to a soft, fluffy interior. I wanted to eat a bucket of them.

Long after we left Justine’s, I kept playing the scene over in my head, thinking about the simple flavors that still lingered on my tongue.

I thought about the guillotine that sits stoically on the edge of the lawn, illuminated by the last golden rays of the day’s sun.

Was it a reminder that French food need not be fussy or aristocratic to be thrilling?

Justine’s Brasserie

4710 E. Fifth

Austin, TX

512-385-2900

Side note: Justine’s website is mesmerizing …. flickering images of not G-rated cinema. It’s hard to navigate, but hover your mouse over the name in the upper left corner and a drop down menu appears.

Tags: Austin dining, French Bistro, French Brasserie Austin, Justine's, Justine's Brasserie
Posted in Travel Eats | No Comments »

Mention Texas, and visions of smoky barbecue dance in my head.

I once heard that the very first barbecue that passes your lips forever defines what you consider the best ‘cue.

If that’s true, tender Texas brisket, smoked low and slow, charred on the outside with a visible pink smoke ring on the inside, is my idea of the perfect ‘cue. I grew up on the stuff.

For the second year in a row, I got my fill of Texas ‘cue at the BBQ Crash Course, a SXSW-sanctioned function held at Emo’s in Austin.

What’s special about the crash course is not a what, it’s a who, as in who bellies up to the bar — in this case, it’s a who’s who among Texas Hill Country smoke houses.

Normally, it would take at least two full days to get to all six of these barbecue beacons, and here they were, all gathered in one gritty, downtown Austin bar.

Rated number #1 by Texas Monthly, Snow’s BBQ from Lexington (only open on Saturday mornings) was there, with their special cut of brisket and coarse beef sausage.

Lockheart’s Smitty’s Market was there, too. And Louie Mueller from Taylor. And R.O.’s Outpost from Spicewood (with possibly the best apple-jalapeno pie ever).

Two Austin-based ‘cue giants were carving up meat as well: The County Line, with Flintstones-sized beef ribs and smoked turkey and Franklin, with their divine brisket and famous espresso bbq sauce, and a juicy, pulled pork and creamy slaw.

If that wasn’t enough ‘cue (clearly it wasn’t — can you really ever get enough?) we had the pleasure of tooling around with Austinite Gloria Corral, who just authored a new book called Barbecue Lover’s Guide to Austin.

Gloria took us to an old-school BBQ haunt, Sam’s BBQ, in central East Austin, and introduced us to Willie Mays, Sam’s son, who runs the joint.

Painted on the front is an appropriate slogan, “You don’t need no teeth to eat my beef!”

Hundreds of photographs, some yellowed and curling are tacked to the wall. The smell of smoke hangs heavy in the air.

Granted, the combo plate ain’t purdy to look at, but the fatty brisket (we asked for fatty specifically, instead of a lean cut) was sublime. I wasn’t crazy about the too-soft sausage, but I could eat a mound of the creamy mustard potato salad and the chile-flavored beans. And I can’t even begin to describe how glorious the charred brisket was.

That, partner, is serious Texas ‘cue.

The thing is, there is great barbecue all over Texas, but especially so in Austin and the surrounding Texas Hill Country.

In fact, Gloria profiled more than 70 barbecue joints in a 30-mile radius in her new book. Handily, it’s organized by location with maps included.

If you’re saddling up in Austin anytime soon, don’t forget to pack your boots… leave your belt at home… and grab a copy of the new Barbecue Lovers Guide to Austin.

Yee haw, y’all.

Tags: Austin BBQ, Austin dining, BBQ Lovers Guide to Austin, Franklin BBQ, Gloria Corral, Louie Mueller BBQ, RO Outpost BBQ, Sams BBQ, Smittys Market, Snows BBQ, The County Line BBQ
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“You have to try Iliana’s food before you leave Austin,” our friends said a year ago, when we were in town for SXSW.

Iliana de la Vega is a chef instructor at the San Antonio branch of the Culinary Institute of America, and in March of 2010, she and her husband opened el naranjo, a mobile food trailer on the southeastern edge of downtown.

We wandered over to Rainey Street to find this have-to-try food our friends raved about, but the trailer was closed. We found out later they opened for business the day we left.

Fast forward a year, we’re back in Austin, and the first place I want to hit is el naranjo. On an early Thursday evening, we’re in luck.

El naranjo is open and dishing out exciting Mexican street food in a city known for abundant Mexican food.

Before Vega joined the staff at the CIA where she teaches Latin cuisines, she owned a popular restaurant in Oaxaca with the same name (translation: the orange).

Vega commutes to San Antonio from Austin to teach while her family runs the food trailer, but on weekends, you’ll find her running the small kitchen in the trailer.

The menu is simple — mostly tacos — but this is no Tex-Mex fare. Appetizers are either fried empanadas stuffed with mushrooms, serrano and epazote, or a bowl of soup (tortilla the evening we visited) or guacamole.

The generous portion of chunky guacamole ($6) is made-to-order and served with fresh fried tortilla chips (above). Since it’s made after you order, it takes a few minutes to arrive, but the vibrant lime and cilantro-flecked, buttery avocado mash is well worth the wait.

The tacos dorados (above) are three rolled and deep fried corn tortillas stuffed with either res (shredded beef) pollo (shredded chicken) or papa (goat cheese mashed potatos). ($6.75)

I order one of each flavor, and while the beef and chicken are note worthy, I fell in love with the chunky mashed potatoes tinged with goat cheese and parsley. It’s a perfect mix of crisp tortilla and soft, tangy filling.

The pork for the tacos al pastor is cooked on a trompo (above), a vertical spit roaster with pineapple.

The marinated, juicy pork is shaved off the spit and stuffed into warm, moist corn tortillas and served with chopped pineapple, cilantro and white onion. ($6.50 for 2)

A menu board lists the day’s special and we jumped at the chance to try a Puebla specialty, pipián verde, with shredded chicken (above).

The sauce is made with ground roasted sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds and peanuts, cooked with tart tomatillos and fresh hoja santo leaves, which give the dish a faint licorice flavor. ($11.50) Don’t expect a spice bite from this dish — it’s mild and nutty, almost creamy.

Settle at one of the picnic tables on the gravel lawn with a Mexican soda, or get your food to go and walk next door to the urban chic Icenhauer’s for a local draft beer or “the linda” margarita with Patron reposado tequila, lime juice and chile infused syrup.

I’m already planning a return trip to sample the few things I missed, like tacos tasajo (Oaxacan-style salted, dried beef) and tacos de camaron estilo Istmo (shrimp tacos with slaw and chipotle flavored Mexican crema).

Our friends were right. We had to try el naranjo. If you’re in Austin, you should, too.

el naranjo

85 Rainey Street
Austin, TX
512-474-2776

Tags: Austin dining, Downtown Austin dining, El Naranjo, Iliana de la Vega, Mexican, pipian verde, tacos dorados
Posted in Travel Eats | 6 Comments »

Let’s just say you’re in downtown Austin with no wheels so you can’t really drive anywhere, but you’re hungry and need a spot to lunch.

You’ll likely end up at Annie’s Cafe & Bar at some point, on Congress between 3rd and 4th streets.

It’s not a bad place to find yourself.

Annie’s Cafe & Bar used to be Apple Annie’s, a long-time lunch spot on 6th St., hence the “established in 1982″ signage, but this reincarnated American-French bistro opened only last June.

True to its theme, Annie’s has the requisite zinc bar, dark wood tables , chalkboard menus and butcher paper covered tables.

Zip in and grab a salad to go, bypassing the long line waiting to place a grill order.

If you place an order for the “made to order” lunch (mostly hot lunches, but also composed salads, pizzas and sandwiches), you’ll get a number to take to your table.

With any luck, a food runner will see your number before he or she frantically circles the restaurant several times holding your hot food, which is getting colder by the second.

One server, laden with a burger and a Margherita pizza, hunting her table number with the skill of an untrained but lovable Labrador, came up to our table number 36 and wondered if she turned it upside down, would it be 93?

Perhaps, but she wasn’t even looking for 93. She was looking for 39, which is 63 upside down.

The food, once it arrives, is fresh and visually appealing. The salad above is the farmer’s market salad upgraded with a grilled salmon fillet ($9.95).

The borderline-overcooked salmon sits atop peppery arugula and the salad is garnished with roasted golden beets and goat cheese, tossed in a mild horseradish vinaigrette.

The Thai chicken salad ($7.95) is striking, with sections of greens, red cabbage, and chilled rice noodles. The spicy peanut dressing is more sweet than spicy, despite it’s name.

The bistro burger ($11) is a fine specimen, with melted white cheddar and grilled onions.

On one visit the kitchen ran out of the sea salt buns and substituted foccacia, which was just as tasty as the bun.

The “frites” aren’t nearly as good as they could be, coming from a bistro.

And the bakery case is a little bare on two visits but what is there is tempting, with chocolate chip cookies and thick slabs of brownies.

Despite the unfortunate number system, Annie’s Cafe is extremely popular with the downtown Austin crowd, a mix of business people, ladies-who-lunch and hip young families with small children.

The food is fresh and far better than, say the Paradise Bakery chain (which Annie’s offerings remind me of) and the chocolate chip cookies are simply some of the best I’ve tasted.

If I could time my next visit when the cookies come out of the oven, I think I’d say they’re worth the trip alone.

Annie’s Cafe & Bar
319 Congress Avenue
Austin, TX

P.S. About that number system: What do you think about restaurants that give you a number to take to your table?
A. Love it! works like a charm
B. Hate it! My food takes a tour through the restaurant before it lands on my table
C. Yawn… just not that big of a deal

Tags: Annie's Cafe & Bar, Austin dining, chocolate chip cookie, Downtown Austin dining, foodie quiz
Posted in Travel Eats | 4 Comments »

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