I don’t hit many trailers, but I sought this one out. I was moved for two reasons. The food was as good as I had heard. What I wasn’t expecting was the location. This is easily the best food trailer lot in Austin. Sitting under huge Oak trees with a breeze and a view of downtown, I started with the Summer Watermelon and Feta salad ($6). Good choice. Nice flavor balance and refreshing.
Alex, the Chef Owner, was last at the Hotel Saint Cecilia and before that Whole Foods catering. Now, you can find her perched on this hilltop shaded by massive Oaks.
Ham, Brie and Fig sandwich ($7) was right on. Domestic brie with fig preserves on a authentic baguette. Sweet, rich and smokey.
A full line of traditional small plate tapas is also available. And, this is the view you get while you are munching. Did you hear that? That was the sound of me getting in my car to head back to La Tasca.
La Tasca : 1508 Rio Grande Austin, TX : 512 426-5841
UPDATE: The world can be a crappy place. La Tasca had to move again.
New Location: Jesse Street Eats 415 Jessie Street, Austin, TX 78704
   
Up on blocks. Maybe a permit, maybe not. Who knows what you are going to get. Great food on the cheap? Maybe? Sometimes? I was on the fence. The chatter about Bits and Druthers? It erased all doubt about the highest quality food coming out of a trailer.
I don’t know much, but I do know is this. The next time I have a hankering for Fish and Chips, I’m not stuttering. Bits and Druthers. Not even close. Good show guys. Keep it up. Easily the best Fish and Chips in town… Easily.
After the normal delays, Backspace will be opening on this Sunday. Chef-owner Shawn Cirkiel, of Parkside fame, is going old-school with his new restaurant. A wood fired oven handles all the cooking duties in the sparse, small space just off Sixth Street. Roasted vegetables, octopus, baked ricotta and the center piece of the menu, pizza. Soft, puffy, Neapolitan style pie tastes promising.
Reasonably priced menu items. Clean, simple flavors. Looking forward to hanging out there more, not looking forward to parking that close to to the Chuggin Monkey.
UPDATE: Sunday’s (12/12/2010) opening date has come and gone and permit issues continue. Backspace is not open yet. Check out the menu.
Backspace : 507 San Jacinto Austin Texas (512) 474-9899
They are talking about what we already knew. Fonda San Miguel is top of class Mexican food. I am sure La Condesa was high up on the list, also. Maybe Austin should have two of the top spots? I’m just saying. It’s not like I’m biased or anything.
Texas Monthly Best of Mexican Restaurants: TOP 5 (alphabetical by city)
Fonda San Miguel (Austin), Cuquita’s (Dallas), Salsa Fuego (Fort Worth), Hugo’s (Houston), SoLuna (San Antonio)
Austin Specific: Curra’s Grill,
El Mesón,
El Naranjo,
Garrido’s,
La Condesa,
Manuel’s
, Takoba
   
I like the simplicity of the BLT. Not a lot of ways to hide crappy ingredients. I think they are a good indicator of how the rest of a menu is going to flow. The Good Knight just started serving lunch, so I sashayed over to check how theirs stacks up.
Four things have to be working for a BLT to sing: bread, bacon, lettuce and tomato. Let’s work our way from the outside in. The bread on The Good Knight BLT ($8) was thicker than I expected, more like “Texas Toast”. It was toasted, but not to much, which I like. I’m not a fan of having the roof of my mouth assaulted by abrasive bread on the first chomp. On this sandwich lettuce and tomato play second fiddle to the bacon, both in ratio and flavor. For me, lettuce is the crunch, tomato is the juiciness. I wish there was a little more of both. The good news? The bacon rocked. House cured, thick cut. They even asked me how crispy I wanted it. Crispy!
Cudos for condiment restraint: a little mayo goes a long way. Sliced White Onion: not needed, but a nice flair. Long story short, not too shabby. Some positives and some negatives, but overall, it works for me. The Meatloaf Sandwich ($8) also caught my eye. Next time.
The Good Knight : lunch M-F, 11am-2pm. 1300 E. 6th Austin, TX (512) 628-1250
I have been driving South and turning left into Uchi for years. Finally, Central Austin gets some Tyson Cole love. Uchiko blasted through a ‘soft opening’ like I have never seen. Booked to the gills, polished right out of the gate.
If your recipe is working, why change it? The Michael Hsu (along with Joel Mozersky) designed interior has a stylish mix of colors and textures. Heavy woods balanced by steel and illuminated glass. Their goal was Japanese Farmhouse, but I would say they landed more towards lower Manhattan.
The quality of food is on par with Uchi, which is to say, it is exceptionally good. The flavor combinations are innovative and clean, pushing slightly sweeter than Uchi.
My eye-opener menu moment, Koviche: Fresh Diver Scallop, Tomatillo, Kalamata and Black Lime. Tart, sweet and salty all working in harmony with a Calder-esque presentation.
Tempura Nasu: Japanese Eggplant Crisps, Mitsuba, Sweet Chili Sauce. Let’s focus on that last part, Chili Sauce. I know, it seems trivial, but I would have put this on almost anything on the menu. It has come up in every conversation I have had about the menu. (My wife is demanding I start working on a home version.)
Reservations are accepted, as are walk-ins, for the two dining rooms and the long line of seats at either the drink or sushi bars. I love watching cooks work, but having the undivided attention of a bartender has some unique advantages. House specialty cocktails include the Pan Am: Sake, Agua Fresca, Granny Smith Apples and Rosemary (perfect Summer cooler); Pao: Black Tea Nigori, Pedro Ximenez, Egg White and Yukari (in place of desert); and my favorite, the Larkin: Sparkling Wine, Grilled Thyme and Cured Lemon (named after the Chef’s daughter).
Chef Cole and his team have branched out without thinning out. The same pristine food as Uchi in a more accessible central location. Central Austin is in need of more fine dining spots and Uchiko is a very welcome addition.
   
Uchiko : 4200 North Lamar Austin, TX : (512) 916.4808 : Sun-Th 5-10, Fri-Sat 5-11
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