Hello!
I haven't written in eons, I am aware. Rather than bore you with a lame list of excuses, I'll just give you one- I started university! I have been far too busy necking jägerbombs and eating cheesy chips and gravy to blog. I do apologise.
I was fortunate (*cough* spoilt *cough*) enough to go on another wonderful holiday with my Dad this summer. We went to Austin Texas, and New York City. Of course, we ate wonderful meals, and I thought I could do a little guide for anyone visiting Austin, as I think it's a really underrated place to visit, and has incredible food.
It goes without saying that I have the best, most generous, kind, incredible Dad in the world (Sorry bout it). So I have to say a huge thank you to him for taking me on an amazing trip. Dad, I love you.
So without further ado, here are my thoughts on where you should eat in Austin.
1. Franklin BBQ- https://franklinbbq.com
Now it has to be said, BBQ is an institution in Austin. They take it extremely seriously, and everyone has their own favourite spot, but Franklin is famous for a reason. It is so famous, that you have to queue to even get in the place. My Dad arrived at 8.30am and was only fourth in the queue! They open for lunch only, and always sell out.
There was a good atmosphere at Franklin, the staff are knowledgable and full of that famous southern charm, and provide chairs for you to sit on whilst you queue. When we were there, we tried their brisket, pulled pork and ribs. The brisket was easily the best we've ever had. So flavourful, sweet and salty- sheer perfection. The ribs were excellent, the meat fell off of the bone as it should, and they had a good amount of flavour. The pulled pork was average. I found it a tad dry.
A warning- don't let your eyes get bigger than your stomach, we over ordered by a lot. Typical Brits trying to keep up with American appetites.
Food- 4/5
Atmosphere/Service- 4.5/5
Expense- ££
Overall- 4/5
2. Mongers- https://www.mongersaustin.com
Seafood is my favourite thing to eat, and this place was incredible. A little away from the main area of Austin, it was well worth the trip. We had beautifully crisp and flavourful soft shell crab, snapper crudo (raw fish basically, like sashimi but not as thin), and my main of their mènage-a-raw (a selection of raw fish) was beautiful. The dessert, a key lime pie parfait, which was essentially just a rustic looking key lime pie, was very tasty. Not too sweet, and not too tart either. A great choice if you're looking for some excellent seafood. Although they don't do diet coke! *queue my mini violin*
Food- 4.5/5
Atmosphere/service- 5/5
Expense- ££
Overall- 4.5/5
3. Elizabeth Street Cafe- http://www.elizabethstreetcafe.com
We went here for breakfast before a day exploring South Congress, and it was darn good. It specialises in Vietnamese breakfast and french pastries, so you can get things like Pho and Bahn Mi with your croissant and pain au chocolat. I had a Vietnamese iced coffee, which is just very sweet, strong iced coffee, but very nice. I'm a basic white girl, I love iced coffee. The french toast I had was delightful, soft and flavourful, with sweet but not too sweet blueberry thai basil compote, and a side of condensed milk ice cream- sheer perfection.
The roasted pork and wood ear mushroom my Dad had was the star of the show. With mango, cucumber and crispy shallots, it was just so flavourful, with a nice balance of textures. The only criticism I'd have is that weirdly, the place wasn't busy, but took quite a while to arrive. To be fair to them, we were given a free homemade croissant by way of an apology. Overall, a great place to go for breakfast.
Food- 4.7/5
Atmosphere/service- 4/5
Expense-£££
Overall- 4.8/5
4. Red Ash Grill- http://www.redashgrill.com
Spoiler alert, this was my favourite meal of the whole trip. They do Italian and steakhouse classics, and have a wood oven, so it gives the meat they cook on it an incredible flavour. The crudo I had was beautifully flavoured, citrusy and zingy. My Dad's carpaccio was also very tasty. The pasta to follow, Agnolotti with pork and truffles (boujie I know), was so tasty I wanted to lick the plate. My Dad's Capelletti or "Bishop's Hats" were also excellent.
The Tagliata steak we had to follow was perfectly cooked, flavourful, and had a nice charred outside that I expect from a good steak. The and orange zest and mascarpone sweet potatoes were also an excellent side. A very busy and bustling atmosphere, with great service. Well, that was until someone on the floor above spilt a bottle of champagne and soaked the table next to us. Accidents happen, I guess!
Food- 5/5
Atmosphere/Service- 4.5/5
Expense-£££
Overall- 4.9/5
5. South Congress Cafè- https://www.southcongresscafe.com
This was our final meal in Austin, and a pretty good end to the first leg of the trip. The great thing I noticed in Austin is that most restaurants have some kind of 'Happy Hour' deal. Half price appetisers, cocktails and that kind of thing. It's a cool way of saving cash but still eating well. All of the restaurants mentioned have this, bar Franklin BBQ.
The food here was fresh and flavourful, with huge portions. I tried tacos for the first time, which were very tasty, and my Dad's BLT looked great. The strawberry shortcake was tasty, but not mind blowing. The only issue with service was, we were still eating our starters when they brought out our mains, so we had no time to prepare our bellies for the next course! Otherwise, a nice spot for a light dinner.
Food-3.9/5
Atmosphere/Service- 3.6
Expense- ££
Overall- 3.9/5
Thanks for reading! I think a Sephora/cosmetics review is on the cards, as well as a NYC food guide. I was also thinking of writing up some of my cheap uni meal recipes, so look out for that.
love,
Helena
Twitter-@they_callmebush
Insta-@helenabush
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