El Arbol

This three-story central Austin restaurant off 35th Street surrounds an enormous 150-year-old oak tree that gives the restaurant its name.  The first thing I notice are the levels of outdoor patios with red and white accents.  This will be an ideal spot on a night when the weather is perfect.  On this chilly February night we are forced to sit inside, but the atmosphere indoors is still very nice, with inviting leather booths and a giant wine cellar specializing in Argentinian wines.

El Arbol's web site says the Argentinian menu has South American and European influences.  I'm there for a close friend's birthday party and our group is ready to eat...a lot.  We start with several appetizers including the Anticucho de Corazon (oak grilled beef heart..yes!  Something new for me to try!) and Picada (cured meats, cheeses and olives.  The beef heart is served grilled on skewers and it is amazing!  For anyone who might be afraid to try it, you would never know it's heart.  It's tender and flavorful and so worth ordering.

Next up for our group of 10: several orders of Empanadas.  These are incredible!  As I take my first bite of one filled with spinach, mozzarella and parmesan, I am already wishing we ordered more.  I try another filled with beef, potato and onion.  Also delicious.  These are a must order when dining here.

For my main course I ordered a special that night: pork belly.  It came in a warm little ceramic pot with rice and an egg on top.  It was a great dish.  All in all, a spectacular meal.  El Arbol has an impressive menu and wine list and I can't wait to return and take advantage of the restaurant's amazing patio.


El Arbol
3411 Glenview
http://www.elarbolrestaurant.com/

Congress

The Austonian's slogan is, "A higher level of living, " and Chef David Bull's new restaurant, Congress, is  definitely a higher level of dining.  Sitting at the bottom of the tallest building in Austin, Congress is a modern fine dining restaurant unlike any other in the city.  The dining room is fairly small, but elegant.  Lush white booths outline two of the walls; tables with big comfortable chairs are in the middle.  Beautiful crystal chandeliers hang overhead.  This is definitely a place for special occasions.  This occasion is my birthday.

Photo: Casey Dunn Photography

Congress features a prix-fixe dinner menu.  Diners have the option of a three-course meal, or seven-course tasting menu.  We went with the three courses as that is the more affordable of the two options.  It would have to be an occasion that's even more special than my 27th birthday to order the seven course menu.  My husband and I decided to order different items for each course, so essentially we got to taste six courses.

For the first course I went with the bone marrow brulee.  If you haven't had bone marrow, it may not sound very appetizing, but it has a very rich salty and buttery flavor.  It's prepared like a spread and is served with little toasts.  The saltiness is offest by honey crisp apples.  It's creamy and savory.

My husband ordered the beef tartare with black truffle, topped with fried oysters.  The dish has beef, truffle and oysters...how could it not be amazing?

For our second courses we ordered the potato gnocchi with braised oxtail, and the rabbit leg.  I love gnocchi and pairing it with a bit of tender oxtail was the perfect bite.  The rabbit leg was crispy and topped with provencal sauce.  As much as I love tomatoes, I'm not a huge fan of tomato sauces, but the dish is still very tasty.

I debated about whether I would include my third course in this post because it does always makes me feel a bit guilty, but it was just way too delicious to leave out...so here it is: the veal tenderloin and cheek.  Both parts of the dish were incredibly flavorful.  The tenderloin was cooked perfectly.  It was made with black truffle, so enough said there.

To top off this wonderful meal, our waitress brought us a surprise dessert: a mini hot pocket filled with melted blue cheese and topped with honey.  What have I said about cheese as dessert?  Yes, please!  It was amazing.

The final topper of the night: getting to meet Chef Bull and thank him for creating this incredible meal.  The restaurant is beautiful and the food is excellent.  For this special occasion, Congress was perfect. 

*Note:  Congress has a sister restaurant, 2nd Bar & Kitchen, that is more casual.  I have yet to try it, but I will definitely update once I do!

Congress
2nd & Congress
http://www.congressaustin.com/

Barley Swine

It is a true sign of success when the owner of a food trailer is able to open a restaurant.  And from the looks of it, that new restaurant, Barley Swine on South Lamar, is already gaining the same success.  The chef behind Odd Duck Farm to Trailer, also on South Lamar, Bryce Gilmore, opened the restaurant in December.  The place is small, well, tiny.  There are only four tables, plus a few seats at the bar, and it is packed on a Thursday night.  Our party of four is seated at a table with another couple.  (If you're not comfortable sharing a table with strangers, make sure you come in with a party of six).  The communal seating is part of the atmosphere.  It is definitely cozy.

My first thought when I glance at the January menu is that it looks amazing!  This is another outstanding gastropub.  It has a clever name as the menu features some pork items, plus an extensive beer list.  Dishes include: crispy stuffed pig foot, sweetbreads, foie gras and duck sausage.  My favorite thing about trying new restaurants is trying new food.  Pig foot will be a first for me.  Since the plates are small and there are four of us, we decide to order more than half the menu-- 7 small plates.

We start with the spice grilled carrots and potato fritters.  I'm not a big carrot fan, but the spices mixed with goat feta make these carrots delicious.  The potato fritters are little balls of potato and goat cheese goodness; a great introduction to the dishes ahead.  The crispy stuffed pig foot is the tender meat from the foot that's fried, almost like a crab cake, but fried pig foot meat cake.  It's paired with a soft boiled egg and it's great.  Yep, pig foot is pretty delicious.

I have to say the highlight of the night (other than the must-try potato fritters) were the sweetbreads; the best I have ever tasted.  They were just crispy enough on the outside, so tender and rich in flavor.  They went perfectly with the garlic puree and brussel sprouts.

The kitchen is behind the bar so you can see everything that's going on.  We noticed the chefs tasting nearly every item they were making.  And we loved every item we tasted.  I didn't get to try a couple dishes, and the menu will change, so that just means I will have to go back again, and again.


Barley Swine
2024 S. Lamar
http://www.barleyswine.com/

West 6th Street's new pub (& my new favorite place)

On its still-under-construction web site, Haddingtons is described as a rustic American tavern with British influences.  As we walk in, "Born in the USA" is playing, so I guess you would have to call it American, but I feel like I'm somewhere else.  I've never been to England, therefore I've never been inside a real British pub, but this is what I hope it would be like.  The atmosphere is exactly what my husband and I are looking for on this chilly week night: cozy and inviting, and still buzzing with customers at 10 p.m. 

Haddingtons is the latest venture from restaurateur Michael Polombo, of Mulberry.  The Executive Chef is Zack Northcutt.  The space formerly belonged to Thai Tiara restaurant, but this building is brand new.  Michael Hsu (Uchi, Uchiko & many others) is the designer behind some of the decor choices.  The building now has a dark brick exterior, old-fashioned windows, rich wood furniture and floors and dim lighting with small votives placed on tables and windowsills. 

The lovely hostess takes us to a perfect little table that is half booth/half table, in the intimate back room where there's a second bar.  Haddingtons is already getting attention for its cocktails which are created by the mixologist from Fino and include a drink called the Duck Fat Sazerac, made with duck fat infused rye!  While the wine by the bottle list is extensive, the wine by the glass one is limited and a bit pricey, but we tried a great French pinot noir.  The food menu is also fairly short, but more than adequate due to the unique and incredibly delicious sounding items.  We settle on the duck meatloaf and foie gras sausage with pear relish.  Both are amazing.  The duck meatloaf is warm and rich, perfectly-seasoned and sweet all at the same time.  The foie gras sausage link is like an upscale hot dog that melts in your mouth.  This is more than just a tavern, it's the ultimate gastropub, where the quality of food is just as important as the drinks.

I was anticipating its opening, but Haddingtons far exceded my expectations.  And to top it all off, the service was wonderful.  With its welcoming atmosphere, exceptional drink list, and innovative menu, Haddingtons may just be my new favorite place.

Haddingtons

601 W. 6th St.

http://www.thehaddington.com/

So why fromage?

It's plain and simple: I love cheese.  I have always loved cheese.  Every and all kinds of cheese: creamy, smoky, buttery, nutty, stinky, blue.  I will eat it and I will love it.  Given the choice between candy and cheese: cheese.  Cheese as an item on a dessert menu: yes, please.  Stranded on an island and I can only have one thing: cheese.  In high school I saw a movie about how cheese was made.  While my classmates gagged as they learned about curds, bacteria and goagulating, my mouth watered, wishing I had a large block of the hardened milk right there on my desk.

I will even settle for good old American cheese slices.  The fake stuff at least resembles the taste of my first food love.  A childhood friend always told me the sliced cheese was reserved for their dog.  She looked at me in disgust as I peeled back the plastic packaging, tearing off pieces of the bright orange square.  I'll take any cheese I can get.

One year for my birthday my best friend gave me a basket of cheese.  A perfect gift.  She also took me to a cheese bar in Chicago.  Just like at a wine bar, you can order flights:  four small wedges of the most delicious cheeses I've ever tasted.  When I went to France with that same friend in college I only had to know one word: fromage.  And even better, two words: trois fromage (three cheese).  I ordered trois fromage pizza, trois fromage sandwich, trois fromage plate.  Needless to say, I had some of the most amazing food of my life.  Now I'm counting down the days until I'll be back (116, eeek!!).

I buy the groceries in my household, so I try to buy things on sale, look for the generic brands and occasionally clip coupons.  I'm perfectly happy filling my cart with cheap, frozen meals and the discounted meat.  But I have been known to spend a ridiculous amount on a couple ounces of brie.  I get mesmerized by the cheese counter at Whole Foods.  Even more so by the display case at Austin's very own cheese shop, Antonelli's.

So while it is true that I love all food, it is cheese that has my heart, and it is cheese that inspired me to start this blog.

Cheese case at Antonelli's

Antonelli's Cheese Shop
4220 Duval St.
http://www.antonellischeese.com/

Louisiana Road Trip

Just before Christmas, my husband and I took a road trip to Louisiana to visit family.  It was also a chance for him to gamble, and for me to eat some really good food.  Our first stop: Breaux Bridge, "The Crawfish Capitol of the World."  And I LOVE crawfish. 

The first time I tried crawfish was at a fraternity party in college.  Oh yes, nothing like pounds of spicy, boiled crawfish poured over plastic-covered tables and plenty of beer to wash it down.  While most other college girls would never be caught sucking the heads of these greasy little crustaceans at a party, I stayed by the table for hours.  Each crawfish is a mini challenge: how quickly can you break apart the shell and keep the tiny tail meat all in one piece?  I'm getting pretty good at it.  So back to the crawfish capitol, we stopped and ordered three pounds, plus a side of boudin.

Next stop: New Orleans.  Where does a foodie even begin in this city?  There are far too many options for our less than 48-hour stay.  Still full from the crawfish, we decided to just have appetizers at John Besh's Italian restaurant, Domenica.  It's located in the historic Roosevelt Hotel, which is absolutely beautiful at Christmas time.  I ordered the truffle risotto and it was amazing!  Give me anything with cheese and I am a happy woman.  Add truffles and I am in my own culinary heaven.

Another highlight from the trip includes the gulf oysters we ate at another John Besh restaurant, Luke.  They're 50 cents each during happy hour!  And by the way, the matzo ball soup there is amazing!  Of course these couple dishes don't even scratch the surface of the great food New Orleans has to offer.  That just means I'll have to go back again and again to get the full experience.

The first post

It is long over due:  a blog about my love for food. 

For as long as I can remember, I have loved to eat.  It is hard for some to believe.  I am a small person, but I am constantly eating (it's all about portion size, people).  And for as long as I can remember, I have loved to eat anything and everything.  I consider myself an adventurous eater and the least picky eater I know.  I think that has to do with the food I grew up eating.

My dad's parents were Polish and Lithuanian.  Growing up, I remember him eating things that may not be so appetizing to others: livers, sauerkraut, all differnt types of sausages and shell fish.  Every Christmas Eve the Petrowski family eats a special Eastern European meal that was always prepared by my grandmother.  Since my grandma has passed away, the cooking of the meal has been passed down to the next generation.  The meal includes a beet soup, gefilte fish (Don't know what that is?  Thank fish meatloaf...sounds disgusting, tastes pretty delicious), sauerkraut with Polish mushrooms, fried fish and shrimp, white beans and the most amazing baked mac n' cheese.  No greens here--it's a meal that's heavy on the carbs and protein; each dish a different shade of the same color. 

At Christmas time, I always get pretty nostalgic thinking about this meal.  I really think it was each one of the ingredients that make up this family tradition that helped create my love for food.

So here's to my first blog!  Cheers and Happy Holidays!