Simplicity

A few girlfriends and I needed to catch up, and we have all wanted to try Simplicity Wine and Eats in Austin. This place is a rarity with $3.95 tapas and no glass of wine over $8. In love yet? The tapas are all about 3 ounces, but you will get your fill when ordering a few for the table. My friend Bailey and I each decided on the House wine, which is a small carafe that equals two glasses for $7 total!! A steal by far. Angie and Meredith went for Prosecco, great move! We began our order and went for Shrimp & Grits, Crab Croquetas, Brie, Fire Roasted Eggplant, Chicken Satay, Lentil soup, and the Curry Apple Mussels. First was the Shrimp & Grits, which I LOVE. Simplicity's were fantastic. The shrimp were perfectly cooked and plump, and the grits were creamy with a hint of kick. The Crab was like a mini crab cake, with plenty of meat and crunch. The Brie was some of the best I've had. Very creamy and not too overwhelming. The Eggplant was surprisingly good, but was the only dish we had leftovers of at the table. The Chicken Satay had a fantastic creamy sauce to go along with the spice of the chicken. The soup had tender lentils and plenty of woodsy flavor. The mussels were perfection. The curry was not too powerful and seeped into each little mussel. The slightly cooked apples marinated in the sauce and were such a great compliment to the seafood. We decided we hadn't had enough and went for one of the specials, Oysters on the Half Shell with beet jus and cucumber. Ugh delicious! They were gorgeous to being with, and you cannot beat cheap tasty oysters. Each dish was so tasty and flavorful. Definitely the perfect place for happy hour and conversation. The restaurant is also almost a "zero waste" establishment. They compost all of the paper plates (made of compostable & renewable corn & bamboo) & recycle all of the wine & beer bottles. Excellent for our little planet called Earth. Be sure to stop in as they have fantastic daily specials, and more than what's displayed on their menu online. Be aware, you may leave smelling like curry, but you'll be in a hurry to come back!

Simplicity Wine & Eats
Twitter: @SimplicityWandE

*Not all food is shown, but feast your eyes on these (Crab Croqueta & Mussels)!

The Carillon - Food Tasting

If you have not tasted Chef Josh Watkin's food, then get yourself over to The Carillon at the AT&T Hotel on the University of Texas Campus ASAP. Enormous talent has seemed to encompass this chef with his attention to detail, and deep flavors. Tuesday night offered an unexpected tingle to my taste buds with a food blogger event at the re-vamped Carillon. The restaurant has kept a low profile since its soft opening, but the redesigned menu is sure to ignite buzz all around as a must stop dining experience. It is evident that not only the food at the Carillon will be fantastic, but the staff as well. They work like a well oiled machine. As we walked in we were pleasantly greeted, and began our dive into tasting with a glass of Merlot. We nibbled on crispy chips, olives, and an assortment of nuts until we could get our hands on the main dishes. We started with a shot glass filled with White Bean Soup. The glass was topped with a thinly slice Smoked Scallop and Oven Dried Grape. The scallop was intense, and the soup tasty but a bit thick. It wasn't my favorite combo, but I still seemed to finish every bite. Next we admired the 24 hour Braised Beef Short Ribs. They were served with a fork almost as a tease that you could slice through them so easily. It was no tease, they were melt in your mouth soft deliciousness. The Ribs were accompanied by an Apricot Glaze, Asparagus, Celery Root Puree, and Black Pepper Gastrique. C'est magnifique! Definitely my favorite of all things served that night. As my friend Lydia and I continued our talks, we sampled the Crisp Pork Belly. The meat was tender, and the crispy outside was decadent. The Belly was served with a Diablo Glaze, Asian Pear Salad ,and Fried Mint (surprisingly good!). Next we grabbed the Eggplant Caprese with Tomato Relish. It was a perfect balance to the rich meats, but also stood on its own. Our last bite to munch was the Truffled Beef Tartare with a Parmesan Crisp. Can I say, it was everything Beef Tartare should be. If you are hesitant to try such a dish, make this your virgin unveiling. It was almost a mystery how Watkins got it right, but he did. The night couldn't have been better to get a mini view of things to come. The Carillon is a great way to see Campus, and a great way to taste one of the top talents in town. Be sure to take yourself or someone you'd like to treat, you will not leave unsatisfied.

The Carillon
Twitter: @ChefJoshWatkins