New Orleans, You had me at beignet

Mid April was spent celebrating one of my favorite people/friends/bachelorette, Ms. Lauren. I am lucky enough to be a maid of honor in her wedding, and 11 girls total spent the weekend in New Orleans celebrating her upcoming wedding in May. New Orleans is one of my absolute favorite cities in the world, and it was so amazing to be there with such fantastic girls. We ate, drank, and danced our way through the Cajun paradise and could not of had a better time. We began our bachelorette bash with beignets and cafe au laits at Cafe Beignet. Apparently, Cafe Du Monde changed ownership and the experience is hustled and not as authentic as in years past. We loved the laid back nature and quaintness of the place. The beignets were light, not too doughy, and perfectly warm. The coffee boasted the same flavor as the city it was born in. We loved taking our time and enjoying every bite. Since breakfast was delicious and filling, we decided to reward ourselves with some of the best Bloody Mary's in town. We headed to Olde Absinthe House on Pirate's Alley. This place is about the size of my thumb, but they know what they're doing when it comes to Bloody's. Strong with a kick, and easy to sip. We grabbed our drinks to go, one of the best things about the city, and walked around to our next stop. Yes, it was again time to feast. We decided on lunch at Napolean House, well known for their muffaletas and Pimm's Cups. They did not disappoint. The food was fantastic, the muffaleta was classic and huge. The Pimm's cups were a little bitter, and the bartender had to make the mix from scratch after awhile. We finished lunch off with a few rounds of French 75s (Gin, sugar, lemon, champagne), which were excellent to compliment the gorgeous afternoon. After a major mid-day karaoke session at Cat's Meow, we headed to one of the best restaurants/deals in town, for dinner. Friends and I stumbled upon this place last year during Jazzfest and were hooked. Desire Oyster Bar served up oysters on the half shell, Oysters Desire (broiled oysters, garlic, butter, parmesan cheese), Crawfish, Shrimp & Grits (some of the best EVER), Crawfish Etoufee, and more. We popped champagne and toasted the bride-to-be as much as possible. After many further celebrations, we woke the next morning for a Bridal Brunch at The Old Coffee Pot. Friends and I stumbled across this place last year as well, and it was amazing again. We had a pre-fix menu set with choice of Mimosa or Bloody Mary. We had Eggs Jonathan (Eggs Benedict, ham, tomatoes, shrimp, hollandaise sauce, and grits or potatoes) and Blintzes (apple and strawberry). So fantastic for those who could muster up the strength to eat after the night before. My fellow Maid of Honor and I got an AMAZING red velvet cake from The Cake Cafe in New Orleans for the brunch as well. It was perfect and so incredibly moist. We spent the rest of the day wondering in and out of cute boutiques and resting up for festivities to come. That night, we ended up having dinner at the Green Goddess. We arrived around 10:30pm and left around 1:15am, and even though the service was slow we spent most of that time telling stories about the bride and enjoying every bite. While waiting for our table we ordered a few Green Goddess cocktails. Unfortunately one of the main cocktails ordered was not enjoyable. It was the restaurant's take on a French 75, called the Pear 75 (Oregon Pear Brandy from Clear Creek Distillery, a splash of Austrian apricot liqueur & homemade ginger syrup, topped with bubbly). The menu says not a girly drink, and it nearly knocked all of us on our feet. Way too much pear brandy, we had to ask for a champagne top off for those who wanted to finish their drink. Luckily a few ladies ordered beer, one being Lazy Magnolia's Southern Pecan Nut Brown Pale Ale. It was delicious and much needed after the unwanted kick from the cocktail. The bride to be had a Louisiana Strawberry Bellini (Prosecco, Amato’s La. Strawberry Wine, Beaujolais Strawberry Liqueur, and Pontchatoula strawberries). Perfectly refreshing and sweet. A bonus to our dining pleasure was having one of the two chefs of the restaurant, Chris DeBarr, come out to greet us and offer his extensive knowledge of the food and wine. He helped us pick a lovely Chardonnay and Pinot Noir for the table. We quickly paired the vino with a vast array of cheeses, veggie plate (Roasted asparagus, Mardi Gras Indian cauliflower, duck fat potatoes, radishes, seasonal guest star vegetable, with roasted garlic aioli and romesco sauce), a fantastic Roasted Eggplant & White Anchovy Bruschetta (Griddled bread topped with pureed roasted eggplant, lemon, and capers, with piquillo peppers, fresh-cured white anchovies), and Father Pat’s Grilled Cheese (Cahill’s Irish Porter cheddar cheese, made with Guinness, and pear butter on wholegrain 3 seed bread). We were more than hungry, and the appetizers were the perfect solution. The cheeses were all to die for, each different and chosen by the chef. The veggies were rustic and robust. The grilled cheese rich and oozing with guilty pleasure. Our entrees were just as wonderful, beginning with the Green Goddess Wedge Salad, which was one of the best wedges I've ever had (Boiled LA. Shrimp, radishes, cucumber, hearts of palm, hearts of romaine, sieved eggs, crumbled bacon, romano cheese & green goddess dressing). Light, different and delicious. Other crowd pleasers were the Golden Beet Ravioli (Truffled Chèvre filled, Pomegranate Molasses, Sardinian Saba, & Avocado Oil), “The Old-Fashioned” Gulf Fish Meuniere (Pan-seared Louisiana fish, yucca cake, sea beans, Bourbon brown butter sauce laced with Fee Bros. Whisky Barrel Bitters), and “Spooky” Blue Corn Crepes (Huitlacoche, wild mushrooms, brandy ragout, porcini salt and butter). The hit of the night though, happened to be the Bacon Sundae. Not listed on the menu, but recommended even by the table sitting next to us. "You MUST order the sundae, MUST", they said. We did, and I wish I had one in front of me now. Rich vanilla ice cream, maple covered bacon, caramel sauce, and nuts. AMAZING. DIVINE. PERFECTION. The next morning we dragged our tired little selves out of bed to head home. We were well fed, well partied, and well on our way to looking forward to the upcoming wedding. New Orleans was the ultimate place to honor our bride to be, and we'd all be back there in a heartbeat. Take your time in the city, and enjoy every single bit of what it has to offer. It truly is one of the greatest cities on Earth, and a place to be cherished.

Cafe Beignet

Olde Absinte House

Napolean House

Desire Oyster Bar

Old Coffee Pot

Cake Cafe & Bakery

The Green Goddess

Ain't Nothin Like the Real Thing

Well we did it again, TRIO called our name once more for a ladies happy hour. Five of us gathered, in what I've said is probably the best happy hour in town, for round two of TRIO in the Four Seasons. Our waiter greeted us with a smile and wine menu. We couldn't decide on a red, so he brought out two tastings. After a collaborative decision we went with a Malbec that seemed very well balanced. We picked a cheese plate to begin, which was lovely. Then came the true winners: Tuna Tartare (an all-time favorite), Truffle Macaroni & Cheese, and Baked Gulf Oysters with shrimp, bacon, and shoestring potato. They were all fantastic. The mac and cheese rich with the overwhelming scent of truffle, the oysters crispy and filling. We ordered another tartare, and talked about what women always talk about. For about $18 a person we left the happy hour satisfied yet again with all TRIO has to offer. If you haven't stopped by yet, head there and escape with great service, scenery, and relaxation.

TRIO
Twitter: @FSAustin

More TRIO from The Sleepy Eater

Baked Gulf Oysters

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)!

FINO FINO FINO

It has been well publicized that the Cactus Cafe in Austin is shutting its doors. This small venue on UT campus has housed such acts as Lyle Lovett, Robert Earl Keen, Lucinda Williams, Shawn Colvin, Patty Griffin, Alison Krauss, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Butch Hancock and Townes Van Zandt. I decided we must get one last show in, and noticed country singer/songwriter Chris Knight was playing. My incredible friends Ashley and Laura were keen on joining me. The show started at 8:30, so we automatically assumed we'd go for happy hour somewhere. Since it was just "around the corner" from campus, we chose FINO. This Mediterranean mecca has a sister restaurant, Asti where we dined for New Year's Eve. We arrived and Laura immediately ordered a round of Bee Stings. She said it was a must, we did not argue. She knows her stuff. The waitress brought the golden martinis out, and we sipped away. They delivered quite a kick with Below manuka honey vodka, black pepper & meyer lemon. Great if you like tart with some ammunition behind it. Tasty little treat that definitely gets you "buzzed". Next came the ordering where we went all out. We got Mussels, Fried Goat Cheese, Pork Panchitos, Flatbread with hummus, and Pork Belly. The Pork Panchitos were first, and came highly seasoned on skewers. Pork with a wake your taste buds up spicy greeting. Next were the mussels, which were a favorite with all three of us. A smooth Sherry broth and perfectly cooked. Definitely recommended. Then it was the flatbread and walnut red pepper hummus. The bread was so soft and scooped up the crunchy hummus with ease. Very tasty. Next we tackled the fried goat cheese. This was my favorite. It was topped with Red Onion Jam and drizzled with honey. The cheese was impeccable, not overwhelming and matched incredibly with the honey & onions. After cheese was the pork belly, which I've had a lot of lately. It was served with Mandarin slices, fennel, chile, and green onions. The combo of all ingredients in one bite was excellent. The pork belly alone had great flavor, but not as others I've tried. We ordered another round of "stingers", and decided on two more tapas. Crispy Gulf Oysters with Harissa Aioli & Lime, and Chorizo Stuffed Medjool Dates with House Smoked Bacon, Valdeon Blue Cheese & PX Sherry Glaze. YUM! The oysters were winners, and the dates were a closely behind. Definitely makes your palate think, how did these flavors find each other? FINO's setting is fantastic for a sunset hour, or any other you can fit in. Go when your taste buds need pampering.

FINO
Twitter: fino_austin

Cactus Cafe
















Cactus Cafe for Chris Knight