Austin, TX

Now that Thanksgiving is over many of you will begin preparing for Christmas. Big on the list of “things to do” is finding the perfect Christmas tree. As you know, I’m all about “real” Christmas trees. Don’t give me any of those plastic, ugly trees missing the fresh smell of pine. If you want to be earth-friendly, buy a potted tree and re-plant it after Christmas.

Here is a list of Christmas Tree farms in the area:

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EVERGREEN FARMS CHRISTMAS TREES
Address: 242 Monkey Road, Elgin, Texas
Phone: 512-281-4833
Email: evergreen@evergreen-farms.com

Opens: Friday after Thanksgiving through December 24 at 3pm
Hours: Saturday & Sunday from 9 a.m. until dark
Monday through Friday from 12 p.m. until dark

TYPES OF TREES:
Virginia pine and Leyland Cypress are grown in the fields. Pre- cut Fraser fir trees from North Carolina are available near the gift shoppe. Check prices here.

DAILY: Evergreen Farms furnishes all the tools for cutting and harvesting the perfect tree. Poles for measuring the tree and saws for cutting are all furnished free of charge as well as cleaning and shaking the tree and finally the netting and rope for ease in transporting the tree.
After cutting the tree there are many games to entertain, including tetherball, hopscotch, bean bag toss and horseshoes. There is also a nature trail, farm animals and the gift shop.

WEEKENDS: Families can enjoy several more activities. Evergreen Farms keeps a campfire burning with free marshmallows, cider and coffee. After you pick your Christmas tree, enjoy pine cone painting and food from the concession stand, including the famous Elgin sausage.

DIRECTIONS:

From Austin:

East on 290—8 miles past Manor (before you get into Elgin), turn right on County Line Road. There is a Valero Gas Station and Sac n Pac at the corner. Go 2 miles and turn left on Monkey Road. The farm will be 2 miles down Monkey Road

From Bastrop:

95N—Turn left on 290; The first stop light by the Antique Mall, McDonalds turn right on Loop 109. After two blocks the road splits, take a right onto 1704. After two miles turn right onto Monkey Road and the farm will be about 1 miles down Monkey Road.

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ELGIN CHRISTMAS TREE FARM
Address: 120 Nature’s Way, off Roy Davis Rd., Elgin, TX
Phone: 512-281-5016
Open: Day after Thanksgiving through December 22nd
Hours: Monday - Saturday: 10 am - 5:30 pm, Sunday: noon - 5:30 pm
Email: elginchristmas@sbcglobal.net

TYPES OF TREES:
Virginia pines, Loblolly pines, and Leyland Cypress. Pre-cut Frasier firs and potted Leyland Cypress Trees.

Organically grown trees. They claim to have the largest supply of Christmas trees in central Texas. They provide all the tools you’ll need to cut down your tree and they shake, clean and wrap it up to go. The selection of 9-12′ trees is limited so go early if you need a very tall tree. Christmas trees are half price for churches. They have a gift store.

DIRECTIONS:

From Austin

Take HWY 290 East from Austin - Through Elgin - Go approximately 1 mile past HWY 95 (Bastrop HWY) - Turn left on Roy Davis Rd. - Follow Signs

From Round Rock

Take HWY 79 East from Round Rock to HWY 95 South - Take 290 East through Elgin - Go approximately 1 mile past HWY 95 (Bastrop HWY) - Turn left on Roy Davis Rd. - Follow Signs

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LOMA ALTA CHRISTMAS TREE FARM
Address: 214 Loma Alta Drive, Smithville, Texas, 78957
Phone: (512) 360-2005
Email: lomaalta@flash.net
Opens: Thanksgiving Day afternoon until a couple of days before Christmas

DIRECTIONS:
About 6 miles east of Bastrop, your first landmark will be Duke’s Country store (a Mobile station) on the right side of the highway. Approximately a block and a half past Dukes on your left, you will see their sign on the corner of the Hwy 71 and Alum Creek Road.

TYPES OF TREES:
Virginia pine and Loblolly pine. Potted Virginia pine and Leyland Cypress.

Located in the beautiful Lost Pines region in Bastrop County, this farm is approximately 35 to 40 miles SE of Austin just off highway 71. Turn left on Alum Creek Road, and proceed 1 mile to the Loma Alta gate on your left. There are ducks and geese to feed, pine cones to collect, a picnic area to enjoy and you can even purchase wreaths made fresh daily. Trees are $4.75 per foot up to 12 feet. The cost above 12 feet is $5 per each additional foot. Trees are shaken, cleaned and for $1 baled.

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If the thought of Thanksgiving brings you visions of a filled with dirty dishes and leaves you exhausted for days then you might consider eating out this year. Many of Austin’s best restaurants are happy to do the work for you, leaving you free to enjoy your holiday. Here are some suggestions:

Hoover’s Cooking
2002 Manor Rd # C
Austin, TX 78722
(512) 479-5006

13376 Research Blvd #400 Austin, TX
(@ Anderson Mill Rd)
512 335 0300
Hours: 11am - 7pm
$$$: 15.49

If you’ve never been to Hoover’s, you’re in for a treat. Hoover’s serves up delicious and satisfying home cookin’. Their Thanksgiving day menu is very reasonably priced and has everything you could ask for plus a little more. Roast turkey, Cajun roast pork, Jamaican Jerk Chicken, Smoked Filet of Sirloin, Smoked Portabella Medley (Vegetarian Jambalaya & Gumbo) plus a tempting array of side dishes and desserts. This is a great place to go if you have a crowd and a tight budget.

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Bakehouse Restaurant & Bar
5404 Manchaca Blvd
Austin, Tx
Reservations: (512) 443-5167
Hours: 10am - midnight
$$$: Adults $12.95, Kids 6-12 $6.95

Unlimited servings, table service, no lines. Reservations recommended. Turkey, Ham, all the usual sides plus Strawberry Shortcake and Pumpkin Pie. Take out dinners available for $9.95.

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The Driskill
604 Brazos St.
Austin, Texas
Reservations: 512-391-7121 or Online
$$$: Not listed on their website

The Driskill Hotel’s Famous Grand Holiday Brunch offering on the Mezzanine floor. Enjoy a lavish holiday brunch or six course prix-fixe dinner with wine pairings. Or diners can head to the hotel’s 1886 Café and Bakery for lunch or a traditional Thanksgiving dinner.

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III Forks
111 Lavaca Street
Austin, TX 78701
Reservations: (512) 474-1776
$$$: Adults 42.95, Children under 12 soup or salad, entrée, and dessert 14.95
Includes tea and coffee. Excludes tax and gratuity.

Open Thanksgiving Day 11 am - 5 pm. Special four course menu will be served. Slow Roasted Carved Turkey or Chateaubriand with Bordelaise Sauce. All the fixings, plus dessert.

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Dona Emilia’s
101 San Jacinto Blvd
Austin, TX 78701
Reservations: (512) 478-2520
$$$: $22.95 Adults - $10.95 Children 12 and under
Hours: 10:30 - 4pm

Thanksgiving Buffet featuring garden/fruit/pasta salads, appetizers of ceviche and empanadas, entrees of turkey, salmon, top sirloin, paella, and spinach enchiladas. Dessert selection including flan and tres leche.

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Four Seasons Hotel
98 San Jacinto Boulevard,
Austin, Texas
Reservations: (512) 685-8300
Seating from 11:00 am - 8:30 pm in TRIO
$75 for adults; $20 for children ages 6-11
Seating from 11:00 am - 4:00 pm in the Ballroom
$68 for adults; $20 for children ages 6-11

Thanksgiving Day Buffet. Appetizers & Salads, Seafood Station, Carving Station & Dessert Station. Entrees include: Hill Country-Style Braised Beef Rouladen, Pan-Seared Mahi Mahi Vera Cruz & Smoked Lamb Tenderloin Cassoulet.

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Austin Hyatt
208 Barton Springs Rd
Austin, TX 78704
Hours: 11:30am ~ 5:00 pm (last seating)
Includes Complimentary Champagne & Mimosa
Reservations Required: 512.480.2035
$$$: $52.00 for Adults, $27 5-12 years old, Complimentary 4 & Under
No Discounts or Coupons

Thanksgiving Buffet. Their menu looks fabulous and includes an Antipasto selection, Salad buffet, Seafood buffet, Hot entrees, a Carving station and a Dessert Station. This is just the carving station:

Carving Station
Roasted Prime Rib with Horseradish Crust & Wild Mushroom, Pancetta Ragout,
Assorted Mustards & Au Jus
Maple Glazed Ham, Java Red Eye Gravy & Biscuits
Roasted Turkey with Gravy & Corn-bread Stuffing

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Katz Deli
618 W 6th Street
Austin, TX 78701
Phone (512) 472-2037
Always Open!
$$$: $15.95 Adults, $6.95 Kids
No reservations needed or taken.

Turkey with all the fixings plus a few items on offer from their menu.

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McCormick & Schmick’s
401 Congress Avenue
Austin, Texas
Reservations recommended: (512) 236-9600 or (888) 344-6861
$$$: Turkey dinner $19.95 per person, ham dinner $18.95. Dessert is extra.
Hours: Serving from 11am - 9 pm.

Offering both their regular menu and Thanksgiving traditional dinners.

If your least favorite part of Thanksgiving is cooking the bird then why not buy it cooked this year? There are several stores and restaurants that will do all or part of your holiday cooking for you. It’s easy, convenient and a lot less messy!

To gobble, gobble, gobble and not cook, cook, cook this holiday season. Here are some places you can obtain pre-cooked turkeys and all the fixins.

• Louisiana Longhorn Cafe
  Order by Phone: 512-248-2900 or Online
  200B E. Main Street
  Round Rock, TX
  
  This little gem of a cafe is located in Round Rock. They offer smoked or Cajun fried and either way it’s going to be finger-lickin good. They’ll even be open on Thanksgiving day from 11am-3pm. Don’t forget to order your pies, too!
• Greenberg Turkey Inc.
  221 McMurrey Dr.,
  Tyler, TX 75702
  (903) 595-0725
  
  I have yet to try a Greenberg Turkey but people who have just rave about them. They are apparently fantastic. They have been taking orders since 1940 and they’re still going strong. Order early.
• Popeyes, I’ve had their cajun fried turkeys and they are very good!
• Threadgill’s
  For just $129.95 you can feed a family of 8 from one of Austin’s favorite restaurants. Your Holiday Feast includes roast turkey or spiral cut ham, cornbread dressing, mashed taters, candied yams, green bean casserole, gravy, cranberry sauce, rolls and your choice of pumpkin or pecan pie. Can you say YUM?
• Luby’s, you can order an entire meal, complete with dressing, gravy, cranberry sauce and pies for a very reasonable price $58.99 to serve 4-6 or a feast to feed 10-12 for under $100. This would be a great choice for the budget conscious, you can barely buy all that food for that price, it even includes 2 pies.
• Barton Creek Spa & Resort
  8212 Barton Club Drive
  Austin, Texas
  1.866.572.7369
  
  Dinner for Six - $275+tax
  10-12 lb. traditional roast turkey
  cranberry relish w/ dried cherries
  cornbread sage dressing
  garlic whipped potatoes
  wild mushroom green bean casserole
  pecan candied yams
  house-made dinner rolls
  double apple Waldorf salad
  choice of one: Granny Smith apple, southern pecan or traditional pumpkin pie

  Feast for Ten also available for $395+tax

  
  
• HEB, turkeys or ham, just heat and serve. They have all the side dishes, too.
• Central Market, heck, you can order the whole meal! Not only that but you’re not limited to turkey. You can get duck, capon, turducken, yes…turducken, cornish game hen and even pheasant! Or, if you’d rather have seafood, you can get lobster, crab, shrimp and more. If you’re just looking for your basic, traditional Thanksgiving meal from the bird to the gravy, to the green beans to the cranberry sauce you can pick that up for right around $140 to feed 6-8 people. Not too bad really.
• Whole Foods, whether you want dinner for 2 or a dozen, Whole Foods can hook you up with the entire meal. They also have an option for Vegetarians! A complete traditional meal for 6-8 people will run you about $80, $120 to make your turkey organic.
• Bill Miller Bar-B-Q, ham or turkey with all the fixins and fresh baked pies, too.
  Small Party Pack - Complete Meal for 10
  (Broad-breasted turkey hen, hot and carved, 2 quarts cornbread dressing, 1 quart giblet gravy, 2 quarts green beans, 1 dozen dinner rolls, 1 9″ fresh baked pie, 1 gallon iced tea, plates, cups and set ups for 10)
  (Only $6.90 per person + tax) . . .$69.00
  
  Large Party Pack - Complete meal for 20
  (Broad-breasted turkey tom OR 1/2 Honey-glazed spiral cut ham, hot and carved, 4 quarts cornbread dressing, 2 quarts giblet gravy, 4 quarts green beans, 2 dozen dinner rolls, 2 9″ fresh baked pies, 2 gallons iced tea, plates, cups and set ups for 20)
  (Only $5.90 per person + tax) . . .$118.00
• Target Superstores
  All Locations?
  
  A full Turkey dinner (or choose Ham) with all the trimmings for $70. Includes your choice from 4 pie selections, Apple, Apple Berry Rhubarb, Bourbon Pecan or Pumpkin Pie. Feeds 8-10 people.
  
  Appetizers:
  
  * Stone Ground Wheat Crackers
  * Pumpkin Cheese Spread
  
  Main Course:
  
  * Fully Cooked Butter-Basted Turkey
  
  Side Dishes:
  
  * Homestyle Stuffing
  * Traditional Mashed Potatoes
  * Turkey Gravy
  * Americana Vegetable Blend
  * Green Bean Casserole
  * Cranberry Orange Walnut Relish
  * Ciabatta Rolls
  
  Bonus:
  
  * Signature Coffee
• More Great BBQ Places to get your bird:
  The Pit Barbeque
  Rudy’s BBQ, try their cream corn, it’s out of this world good.
  The Salt Lick, now with locations South and North. Seriously good BBQ!
• HoneyBaked Ham, they may be a chain but they make a mighty fine ham and I hear their turkey is also excellent.
• Hoover’s Cooking
  2002 Manor Rd # C
  Austin, TX 78722
  (512) 479-5006

  13376 Research Blvd #400 Austin, TX
  (@ Anderson Mill Rd)
  512 335 0300
  Hours: 11am - 7pm
  $$$: 15.49

  If you’ve never been to Hoover’s, you’re in for a treat. Hoover’s serves up your turkey, fried, roasted or smoked. 14-16lbs worth for $54.99. Take home just the turkey or order up some side dishes and pie or two to go along with it!

When: September 6-7, 2008
Where: Texas Culinary Academy, 11400 Burnet Road
$$$:See Website

I attended this event last year and it was just a blast. As with last year, the event will kick off on Friday night with an amazing dinner. This year’s dinner will be a 6-course Pacific Sake Dinner and will be held at the Satay Restaurant. The Satay, if you’ve not been, is a one of my favorite restaurants in Austin. Owned and operated by Dr. Foo, the Satay is a gem. They have some of the best Thai curries in Austin and consistently good service, if sometimes a bit slow. However, we tend to rush our meals in this country and I find I always have time for a good conversation with my dinner guests.

Friday, September 5th:
Pacific Sake Dinner
Location: Ventana, 11400 Burnet Rd., Austin, TX 78758
Time: 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
$$$: $75 per person
Note: Tickets must be purchased in advance

Saturday’s activities will be held at the Texas Culinary Academy and will include a series of cooking classes for all ages.

$15 per class adults
$10 per class-child classes
$50 for all adult classes
$25 for all child classes

Sunday is a super fun day with the Iron Chef competition and will also be held at the Texas Culinary Academy. I really enjoyed this portion last year. In addition, there will be an Asian Market & Food Extravaganza. If it’s anything like last year there will be a wonderful assortment of food to try. If you’re a wine enthusiast you’ll be pleased to know that there will even be wine pairings.

$35 per adult (includes food)
$10 per child (6-12)

The Steeping Room @ The Domain
11410 Century Oaks Terrace - map
Austin, TX 78758
512-97STEEP (512-977-8337)
info@thesteepingroom.com

I’d been meaning to try The Steeping Room for a couple of months but never seemed to find the time. Luckily a friend invited me there for lunch. She lured me in with talk of scones and clotted cream. Most of you won’t know this but I lived at least a third of my life in England. Tea, scones and clotted cream are my idea of heaven. When my friend told me they had good scones and tea I believed her because she’s as big of a food snob as I am.

We’d both skipped breakfast that day so we opted for their Century Oaks Tea Service. For $19 you get two types of tea sandwiches, a scone, jam, spread, a cookie, a slice of cake, fruit and a pot of tea. Go hungry if you plan to eat that meal! We opted for the tea blend suggested by our waitress which contained some jasmine pearls. In general I’m a black tea kinda gal but I do love jasmine tea and the faint aroma of jasmine wafting up from my cup each time I took a sip was delightful. Normally I’m all about having my tea with milk and sugar but this tea was so lovely I didn’t even ask for milk. For the tea sandwiches I settled on the jasmine gravlax and the pork tenderloin. Both were delicious.

For my scone I stuck with a traditional currant scone and of course I chose the clotted cream for my spread. You can’t get more traditional than a current scone lathered in clotted cream and topped with strawberry jam. The first thing that made me happy about their scones is that they were the right shape. Round. Americans, for some reason, are typically enamored of making scones in pie-wedge shapes. In the twelve years I lived in England I don’t believe I ever saw a pie-wedge shaped scone. Yes, I am a scone snob. The next thing that made me happy was the consistency of the scone. It was perfect. Not too dry but not heavy. Spread thick with clotted cream and jam, it was just lovely. These scones tasted like home and I had a sudden longing to be back in England, sipping tea with my best mates and having a laugh.

The waitress was very nice and extremely helpful. She mentioned that their manager encouraged them to try doing their own blends and she was positively giddy about the experience. Lunch was wonderful. I liked it so much, in fact, that a week or so later when my mother came to town, I made time to take her there.

Like me, my mother spent several years living in England. This time we ordered one Century Oak Tea Service and one scone set and just shared. Even that was too much food for the two of us. Since mother is not a huge fan of salmon, we ordered the pork tenderloin and the Lapsang Souchong Chicken Salad. Neither of us were big fans of the chicken salad. We possibly should have known better. Have you ever had Lapsang Souchong tea? No? As a huge Agatha Christie fan, I always wanted to try this favoured tea of the famous detective, Hercule Poirot. So one day while staying at the London Thistle Hotel, I ordered a pot from room service. Oh dear. That was the most awful tea I’d ever tasted. Frankly, it tastes medicinal and not in a good way!

We ordered a savory rosemary scone but after the sandwiches and the current scone we were both too full to eat it. I took it home but sadly it disappeared into the vortex known as my refrigerator and by the time I remembered it, it was past redemption. Once again we got a helpful and knowledgeable waiter.

There are some of you who may think that $19 is too much to pay for the full tea service. It’s actually not a bad price. There are very few places that serve what we call a “cream tea” here in the US. If you do find it, it’s at places like the Driscoll or in some cities, at the Ritz. At those places a full tea service will run upwards of $35 for each person so $19 is not bad at all.

I’d encourage you to make a trip to The Steeping Room. It makes for a fun meal and it would be a great place to take your mother for a little Mother’s Day treat!

Bon Appétit!

Austin, Tx, Tea, Steeping, Room, Service, Cream, Scones, Sandwiches, Domain, Restaurants, Reviews

These restaurants would be my picks among those offering Easter brunch:

Eastside Cafe
Sundays from 10am to 3pm.

If you’ve never eaten at Eastside Cafe then this is a perfect opportunity. Their food is fresh and delightful due to growing their own vegetables and herbs. Although I’ve never sampled their brunch fare I can’t imagine it would be less than wonderful. The brunch menu is making me wish I wasn’t headed to Dallas for Easter! I do imagine that you’ll need to call ahead for reservations, however. (512) 476-5858

Green Pastures

Easter brunch buffet: $50 for adults and $25 for kids Easter Egg Hunts at 12 and 2 o’clock
When:

* Starts: 11:00 AM on Sunday, March 23rd 2008
* Ends: 2:00 PM

Beautiful setting. To be safe, call for reservations. (512) 444-4747

The Driskill
Sunday, March 23rd

The Brunch: Easter Brunch, complete with complimentary champagne and accompanied by live music, is served on the hotel’s Mezzanine, with seatings from 10 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. There will be a special menu for kids.

The event will include carving station with rosemary prime rib, leg of lamb and baked ham; an omelet and waffle station featuring omelets to order and Belgian waffles with whipped cream and fresh berries; a creperie station; and traditional breakfast and lunch entrees, along with a cold seafood display and raw bar. For the first time, this year’s brunch will include a commal grilling station with coriander-crusted ahi tuna prepared on a flat griddle. It’s all followed up by a big selection of desserts, including the hotel’s signature 1886 Chocolate Cake.

Price: Prices are $58 for adults, $24 for children ages 6-12 and complimentary for children under age 6. A special children’s buffet is available.

For buffet reservations:
• call 512-391-7041

Chez Zee American Bistro
Easter Sunday March 23rd from 9am – 3pm

The Easter Brunch Buffet will be in the Gallery

The Brunch: Crème Brulee French Toast, Zee Migas, Fruit, Potatoes, Ceasar Salad, Eggs Benedict, Juice, Coffee, Tea, Italian Cream Cake, Chocolate Decadence

Bar: Cash Bar

Reservations : Not required, not accepted – FIRST COME FIRST SERVE BASIS ONLY

Price: $24.95 per person for adults and $12.95 per person for children under 12

Other Details:

Clowns and magicians all day long on Easter from 9am-4pm, Easter Egg Hunts 7:30 AM and 1:00PM in the garden.

Crú Celebrates Easter With A Special Brunch!
Sunday March 23rd - Reservations are available from 11am -3pm. Seating is Limited.

Crú: A Wine Bar is presenting a delectable menu of Easter brunch fare on Sunday, March 23. Cru, known for its wine country cuisine as well as its extensive wine collection, will feature a three-course, prix-fixe menu featuring offerings such as Flank Steak Frittata, Alaskan Salmon Cake Benedict and Herb-Scented Roasted Leg of Lamb (menu varies by location). Bring the whole family - kids eat for 1/2 price!

Please call for reservations:
Cru Austin - (512)-472-WINE (9463)

Easter Brunch with the Easter Bunny
When: Sunday, March 23rd, 11am-2pm
Where: Renaissance Hotel, 9721 Arboretum Blvd
$$$: $49 adult, $19.95 age 6+
Info: (512) 795-6100

In addition to the outstanding appetizers, delectable main dishes and tantalizing desserts the Renaissance will host the Easter Bunny who will be available from 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. for the enjoyment of children of all ages. The wildly popular annual Easter Egg Hunt will begin at 1:00 p.m., where kids can search high and low for candy and other treats courtesy of the Renaissance Austin.

For more fun Easter things to do this weekend, look here.

Austin, Texas, Easter, Weekend, Brunch, Wine, Chee Zee, The Driskill, Eastside Cafe, Cru, Green Pastures, Holiday, Egg Hunt, Best, Restaurants, What to do, What’s, Happening, Going on, Bunny, Rabbit, Fun, Events, March, 2008, buffet, Sunday

I like to do my Black Friday shopping from my armchair, preferring to let my fingers do the walking. This year, because I’m a good sister, I braved the crowds. We didn’t rush out the door at 3am or anything crazy but we did brave Fry’s. Where else would you expect a geeky girl to go shopping? We got there some time after lunch and it was craziness to park and craziness to get in the door. There were people trying to get out the doors and big 50+ inch TVs going out the door. I managed to get the bargains I wanted, a 300Gb hard drive, 2GB memory sticks and a computer case.

As I wandered through the store I kept seeing long lines. I wondered what they were for but it took me a while to realize that it was the checkout line. Ugh. That had to be the longest checkout line I’ve ever seen. It was worse than a military commissary on payday! The line started just to the right of the entry turnstiles, wrapped around to the right, up the center aisle behind the games, left past the player piano and the cafe, left along the appliances, right toward the bathrooms and back past the the music and videos and finally down the main check out aisle. Considering the length of the line, it actually moved fairly fast. They had the checkout lanes open on both sides. The poor girl checking me out had already been there 4 hours by the time I checked out. They all looked a bit sluggish but were being very polite.

Normally I hate having to go through the checkout process at the door and allowing them to view my receipt. This time, however, I was thankful. Not only did I stop, but he guy at the door actually looked at my receipt. Not that cursory glance they usually give your receipt. He said, “I don’t see your RAM” and then I remembered it sitting on the counter unbagged. He went back and got and I was very thankful. It would not have been cool to get home and find that missing, having paid for it.

We finally got out of there. It was 3:30, we stopped by Costco for gas and then we headed downtown to South Congress. My brother wanted to look at Maya for jewelry for my sis-in-law. He’d had good luck there last year and he hoped to have the same luck this year. Everyone must have been at the big box stores because driving downtown was easy and parking was no problem. We stopped in at Vespaio for the best amaretti cookies in Austin. Mmmm… They also serve great food. Their calamari is just incredible!

If you’re looking for fun and unique gifts it doesn’t get much better than South Congress. We stopped in at Monkey See, Monkey Do and bought a few fun stocking stuffers and then turned around and headed back to Maya Star to check out their jewelry. They had some beautiful pieces. My brother settled on a gorgeous green intaglio. Intaglio is sort of a reverse cameo, with the design recessed. The g is silent in the pronunciation.

While we were there my niece, Sophie, spilled her popcorn. My mother told one of the clerks, apologized, and asked if they had something she could sweep it up with. The clerk was an absolute sweetheart about it and very cheerfully swept it, even stopping to smile and chat with Sophie. This act of calm kindness won my mother over and she said, “I’d have bought something just because they were so nice”. That’s the kind of customer service that can earn you a customer for life. Go check them out!

We got home around 6, tired and hungry and set to work making dinner. We’d bought mussels at Costco Wednesday night and were disappointed to find that they’d gone bad. We should have cooked them earlier but with all the Thanksgiving preparations, we didn’t get to it. We’d only paid $2.79 a pound for 3lbs so it wasn’t too big a loss. We had leftover crab so one brother pulled together a quick crab alfredo and the other toasted bread for garlic bread and bruschetta. Yum!

Tomorrow is supposed to be wet and cold. I am supposed to do Zen training but if it’s too nasty we may give it a miss. Brrrr… My poor folks are supposed to hit the Renaissance Festival in Houston. It’s going to be wet and cold there, too, but it is the last weekend for the Ren Fest.

If you’re looking for fun things to do this weekend, don’t forget that this is the last weekend to see the Ted Geisel/Dr. Seuss exhibit at Arts on 5th.

Black Friday, Austin, Fry’s, Texas Renaissance Festival, Ted Geisel, Dr. Seuss, South Congress, Vespaio, Maya, Star, Shopping, Christmas, Jewelry

Want to gobble, gobble, gobble and not cook, cook, cook this holiday season. Here are some places you can obtain pre-cooked turkeys.

1. Rudy’s BBQ & Country Store, get some of their excellent creamed corn while you’re at it.
2. Greenberg Turkey Inc., apparently fantastic. Order early.
3. Popeyes, I’ve had their cajun fried turkeys and they are very good!
4. Luby’s, you can order an entire meal, complete with dressing, gravy, cranberry sauce and pies for a very reasonable price of $79.99 or a smaller feast to serve 4-6 for under $50. This would be a great choice for the budget conscious.
5. Texas Hill Country Barbecue Inc.
6. The Pit Barbeque
7. HEB, turkeys or ham, just heat and serve. They have all the side dishes, too.
8. Central Market, heck, you can order the whole meal!
9. Whole Foods, whether you want dinner for 2 or a dozen, Whole Foods can hook you up with the entire meal. They also have an option for Vegetarians!
10. Bill Miller Bar-B-Q, ham or turkey with all the fixins and fresh baked pies, too.
11. HoneyBaked Ham, they may be a chain but they make a mighty fine ham and I hear their turkey is also excellent.

If you know of any other places that cook the turkey for you, please let me know! I am trying to decide what kind of pies to make this year. I think I’ll do the traditional pumpkin and probably a Kentucky bourbon pecan pie but I may also do a chai apple pie. Last year I made my own cranberry sauce and oh, my goodness, I had no idea that cranberries could be so tasty. Up to that point I’d really only had the canned variety. My family is a bit non-traditional where Thanksgiving is concerned and so we are doing tapas instead of the usual fare you might expect. We haven’t fully set the menu yet, but we’re working on it. My mother does love a traditional meal though, so we’ll probably do that the night before.

If you’re a cheesecake fanatic, you should check out Stephanie’s Pumpkin Cheesecake Tarts over at Elementary Chef. They look yummy!

Turkey, pre-cooked, cooked, Stores, local, Austin, Meals, Who Sells, Vegetarian, Thanksgiving, Holiday, Christmas

When I think of Green Pastures, the word that comes to mind is genteel. Once the home of gifted storyteller and radio show host, John Henry Faulk, Green Pastures evokes images of the Old South. Nestled among some mighty big live oaks, you can almost picture Scarlet O’Hara sitting on the porch sipping lemonade. Built in 1894, Green Pastures began serving food some 60 years ago and has gained a reputation for fine dining. The restaurant features french-inspired cuisine, regional specialties and desserts to die for! The interior is equally as elegant with carved fireplaces, intimate settings, gracefully tailored curtains and antique furnishings. This is a place guaranteed to make an impression. This is a restaurant perfect for very special occasions. I rarely go more than once a year. The price is steep but well worth it.

On an average night you’ll dine in either the Burgundy Room or the Family Room but on busy nights, like New Years Eve, you’ll more likely be served in the Cotillion Room. Be sure to call ahead for reservations. Green Pastures also offers space for Wedding Ceremonies, Special Occasions, Wedding Receptions and Corporate Events.

Each time I’ve been to Green Pastures they’ve served an amuse bouche, a little palate teaser. Appetizers range from regional favourites like Texas Quail with Jalapeno Cornbread, Black Berry and Horseradish Marmalade to Tempura Maine Lobster Tail with Wasabi Butter and Jicama Slaw, each presented beautifully. The same applies to their entrees. Try their Texas Game Sampler for a real treat! Be sure you save room for dessert, though! While their desserts are fantastic, you might also want to do the European thing and go with their selection of Fine Cheeses. Try the cheese plate with a glass of port for a real treat!

Don’t miss their Sunday Brunch. This would be an ideal place to take your mother for Mother’s Day. Oh, and keep your eyes peeled for peacocks!

811 W Live Oak
Austin, TX 78704
Daily 11:00am- 2:00pm
Daily 6:00pm-10:00pm
Tel: (512) 444-4747 Fax: (512) 444-3912
Email: events@gp1888.com American Express, Cash, Discover, MasterCard, Visa

Green Pastures, Austin, Restaurant, Reviews, Peacocks, Brunch, John Henry Faulk

When I think of the Eastside Café in Austin, two words come to mind, fresh and unpretentious. Located east of I-35 off Manor Road, Eastside Café is situated inside a lovely old home. With small tables in an intimate setting, you almost feel as though you’re being served in someone’s home. In addition, they have a great little store next door, featuring herbs from their garden, cooking and gardening supplies. You can even grab a quick soup or salad while you’re there. Behind the main restaurant is another building which is used for busy days and to host parties.

You can’t get fresher veggies than these folks serve. Why? Because they grow their vegetables on site. The Eastside Café sits on an acre of land, one third of which is dedicated to a beautiful organic garden in which they grow vegetables, herbs and flowers which are then incorporated into their restaurant. Chef Ruth Carter has been whipping up tantalizing treats for some 9 years now. She’s even written two Eastside Café cookbooks.

There are daily veggie and starch specials dependent on the season and what is available in the garden. We chose to start our meal with two appetizers, the baked brie with apple chutney and the salmon curry dumplings with coconut curry sauce. The brie was warm and gooey and delicious but the salmon curry dumplings stole the show. We were so impressed that we had to figure out the recipe and recreate them at home. Mmmm….

We moved on to share the Mixed Field Green salad which had been tossed with a raspberry vinaigrette and warm, coated goat cheese. This salad served as a reminder of how much flavor has been lost in store bought vegetables. I wanted to burrow through this salad head first, it was so good.

For our main entrée, my dinner partner had the salmon ravioli while I had the beef tenderloin. The ravioli was lovely, with a wonderfully aromatic lemon cream sauce that just melted on your tongue. My beef tenderloin came with either a honey lime chipotle sauce or pepper-encrusted with a marsala cream sauce. I’m sure either would have been fabulous but on this occasion I chose the honey lime chipotle. I chose well. The sweet and tangy sauce was an excellent accompaniment to the perfectly cooked tenderloin.

Although I’m sure that all the desserts at Eastside Café are fantastic, my heart belongs to their Crostata. This cake appears as if it will be dry but it’s not. In fact it’s composed of layers of sweet crumb nut cake with an apricot almond custard center. I can’t even describe how yummy this dessert is so you’ll just have to try it for yourself. I’ve yet to find a recipe for this delightful dessert but my hunt continues.

Eastside Café’s menu includes choices sure to please everyone in your party, including vegetarians. If you’re looking for some place to impress your date or your boss or out of town visitors, this is your place! Be sure to call ahead for reservations, this is a popular restaurant!

Finally, I’d like to give a shout-out to Eastside Café owners Elaine Martin and Dorsey Barger for their philanthropic work. Each year they donate 30 gallons of their wonderful soup to the Empty Bowl Project to raise money and awareness to feed Austin’s homeless. This is a very cool project in which local artists contribute hand-made bowls. For a donation of $15, you get a beautiful hand-made bowl, soup from Eastside Café and a hunk of bread made by one of the many fine restaurants in Austin.

Austin, restaurant, review, Eastside Café

Good morning, Austin. I hope you all had a fabulous weekend! My niece and her boyfriend were in town visiting and we took the opportunity to take them to dinner at the new Brazilian restaurant out in South Austin. Estancia Churrascaria is located on Highway 290 in Sunset Valley (next to the Holiday Inn Express). I’d made reservations for 7 o’clock, which did not appear in their book. That was not the first time I’d had problems with reservations at this restaurant. Fortunately, they managed to accommodate us and found us a table right away. I think I was giving off that “you’d better sort this out quickly or things will get ugly” vibe.
My first experience at a churrascaria was at Porcão Churrascaria in Miami, a restaurant that seared itself into my memory not only for it’s delectable meats but also for its beefy price tag!

A Churrascaria, for those who’ve never experienced one, is a Brazilian or Portuguese steakhouse, and a carnivore’s delight. Churrascaro is a style of cooking that is a form of slow roasting over open flames. Each diner is given a two-sided disk, one side red, the other green. Placing the green side up indicates you’re ready for meat, red side down signals the waiters to stop piling it on your plate. Waiters, dressed smartly as gauchos, parade through the restaurant with long skewers of meat cooked from rare to well done. Meats range from linguica (sausage) to picanha (house specialty sirloin) to bacon wrapped chicken to filet mignon to lamb and much, much more. Did I mention that it’s a meat lovers paradise?

Each table is generously set with side dishes of seasoned mashed potatoes, fried bananas and delectable little cheese rolls.

Estancia Churrascaria is relatively new to Austin, having just opened in March of this year (2007). They have already outgrown their location. Tables are so close together that it’s hard to get around and waiters and guests are constantly bumping into you, your table and each other. While the table behind us was up at the salad bar one of the waiters bumped it and sent a glass of wine flying across the table.

On the plus side, they have an excellent salad bar with such offerings as caprese salad, hearts of palm and artichokes all spectacularly and temptingly laid out.

Don’t let that fool you.

Same thing with those delectable little side dishes!

Rule Number 1:

Go with an appetite! Eat a light breakfast and a light lunch. Be aware that salad is cheaper and they’d rather you filled up on the green stuff.

Me? I’m not fooled. I skip the salad, although I am sorely tempted by the caprese salad. Mmmm…buffalo mozzarella.

Rule Number 2:

Never, ever, go without a reservation. I know people who’ve waited for well over an hour.

Rule Number 3:

Don’t fill up on beverages, salad or side dishes. My nieces boyfriend sucked down two colas with his salad and then complained as we were leaving that he was hungry and ready for more meat. Silly boy. If you leave this place hungry you should be shot.

Last but not least is dessert. I try to save a little room for dessert. Not a lot, mind you, but enough to share a dessert. On this particular excursion, my dinner partner and I shared the crème brulée. The crust was perfect and I must admit that they have some of the smoothest custard I’ve ever had and I’m no crème brulée dilettante.

While I am hearing some rumblings that Estancia Churrascaria is not as good as Fogo De Chao, I’d like to point out that Fogo De Chao is an established restaurant. It’s also a good $10 a head more expensive. Estancia Churrascaria is experiencing the birthing pains of any new venture and their doing it with mounting numbers of guests. Let’s give them a chance to establish themselves.

Fogo De Chao fans need not worry, however, as their website clearly indicates that they’ll be coming to Austin soon! I, for one, welcome the competition!

For those of you wishing to experience Estancia Churrascaria, you may want to go soon. Rumor is that their prices will increase soon.

One last thing, for the restaurant owners, please fix the toilet seats in the women’s bathroom before someone (probably me) slides off the broken seats, bonks their head on the wall and is found in a meaty coma on your pretty floor tiles!

[tags]Churrascaria, estancia, restaurant, review, austin, brazil, brazillian, meat, sausage, picahna[tags]

Last night I had to pick my car up from the shop. Since it was just 4 miles from Dirty Martin’s we decided to stop in and try out thier burgers. I’d been meaning to try them for ages but just hadn’t found the time.

Dirty Martin’s has been around since 1926. The building occupies a decent bit of real estate in the college district of downtown Austin. There is a huge billboard overhead indicating Dirty Martin’s is HERE with a large arrow pointing down at the restaurant.

Inside is an old fashioned lunch counter with a half dozen booths. Around back is a larger area with TVs.

I ordered a basic cheeseburger and my partner-in-crime ordered a bacon cheeseburger. We shared a basket of fries and a basket of jalapeño poppers that were still half priced for happy hour. I had a cherry coke which didn’t have enough cherry flavouring to taste cherry like at all.

The burgers arrived with that slick sheen of grease on the buns that I remember from childhood. The cheese was sliced, processed, american. The paper under the burgers coated in grease. I picked up the burger and grease ran out into the basket. The taste, again, reminded me of burgers when I was a kid. It was ok, but nothing to write home about.

The french fries were the kind I like; hand-cut with the skin still on. Unfortunately they were fat with grease, too.

The jalapeño poppers were ok but unremarkable.

Overall we found the adventure disappointing and see no reason to return.

If you’re a big fan of Dirty Martin’s I’d love to hear why you think they are so great.

Burgers, Austin, Austin’s Best Burgers, Dirty Martin’s, french fries