Max's Wine Dive

You've heard me exclaim my love for Restaurant.com and their extremely discounted gift certificates. Well, I loaded up a few weeks ago and snagged one for Max's Wine Dive in Austin. This place specializes in down home, fried, big serving goodness. My friend Lisa and I ventured for dinner this week to catch up. We walked into the long narrow restaurant and were greeted by a sweet laid back waitress. I ordered a glass of Jade Mountain Cabernet (one of their 9 glasses under $9, and a new favorite for me), Lisa went for a glass of Rose. After looking at the menu, we were set on some southern classics. I went for the Max & Cheese under the Max's Classics Small Plates (Cavatappi pasta tossed in truffle cream with fresh mozzarella, white cheddar, gruyere, and Grana Padano cheese blend). Yes, it was heaven wrapped in cheese sprinkled with the amazingness of truffle. I also got the Southern Fried Chicken (Three pieces of chicken with Max’s own jalapeno and buttermilk marinade, deep fried slow and low and served with chipotle honey, mashed potatoes and collard greens). Talk about juicy, spicy, crispy, perfectly fried chicken. Fantastic! The collard greens had a little too much kick for me, but the lumpy mashed potatoes more than made up for it. Lisa went for the Pork Belly under the Seasonal Sensation Small Plates (Coca-Cola braised all-natural Berkshire pork belly, roasted crispy, with micro German potato salad, and Lonestar Beer-steeped cabbage). Did you just read that description? Ugh, yeah! The small plate was not so small, it was huge! The pork belly was a thick piece of juiciness. Lisa also got the Damn...Yankee Pot Roast (Texas-raised Kobe beef cheeks slowly braised and served with roasted root vegetables, mushrooms and Yorkshire pudding – all swimming in a sumptuous red wine braising jus). We both DIED when the fork hit our mouths. Velvety, tender, taste each spice and flavor, kind of meat. You have got to try it, especially on a cold night. We enjoyed another glass of vino and marveled at our ability to consume comida. Impressive. We both got boxes to go, and vowed we'd stop by again. Their food is something you've got to try, but don't forget their extensive wine list too.

Max's Wine Dive
Twitter (Austin): @after_midnight
Twitter (Houston): @winediveMAX

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

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

TRIO in The Four Seasons

I met my friend Lisa at TRIO in The Four Seasons for a Friday happy hour. Lisa recently moved to Austin from New York, and I knew this place was perfect for our next hang-out. I had never been, and let me say I was blown away. We arrived at 6:30pm and left at midnight. A marathon happy hour if you will. Technically happy hour ends at 8, but we made the most of it. She sipped martinis, while I enjoyed glasses of Malbec. The food was absolutely incredible, and I cannot say it enough you must go. We ordered the Pork Belly and Tuna Tartare. I am smiling thinking about it now. The Pork Belly was melt in your mouth amazing. It was cooked to perfection and the intoxicating flavors went through each bite. The Tuna Tartare was the best compliment to the rich Pork. It was cool, refreshing and delicious. The servings are quite ample for happy hour, and the perfect amount to balance our beverages. Our fantastic bartender brought us a couple of the restaurant's giant top-overs as we continued our talks and laughs. We finished the night with s'mores in the "backyard" near the water. It was such a great night. The price is also unbeatable, we both walked away for about $30 including tip. Head there for happy hour, or check out the regular dinner menu.

TRIO at The Four Seasons
Twitter: @FSAustin