Easter Brunch

With memories of a traditional seated Easter dinner in years past, my Mother had the brilliant idea to do a brunch this year. My brother and I jumped at the idea, and I quickly called East Side Cafe to make a reservation in Austin. This is one of my favorite places for brunch in the city, with a plethora of menu items, and a fantastic old house setting. We went for a late reservation of 2:30, and it couldn't have been better. I had mimosas on the brain, and ordered one to start. The lovely little thing came with a purple pansy, which set the spring mood off just right. Eggs Benedict happens to be one of my most favorite things (yes, I say it all the time) and I was planning on ordering ESC's classic dish when the waitress informed us of their specials. A poached egg served upon a salmon and crab cake, with a chipotle hollandaise sauce. This all served with fruit, pan potatoes, and a blueberry bran muffin. SOLD!! My Mom decided on the classic eggs benedict, and my brother on chicken quesadillas. Each dish was great, I was in love with the chipotle hollandaise. It complimented the salmon and crab with gusto. Such a nice switch on the classic. We opted to look at the dessert menu, and I was struggling to resist the Chocolate Silk, but we decided to venture out for ice cream, gelato, or frozen yogurt instead. The brunch was excellent, and I will continue to sing its praises. Head over not just for holidays, and be sure to try their regular menu as well. Right before we left the hard wood floored restaurant, we walked around the gift shop (where I purchased a fantastic book called, Around the World in 80 Dinners), the amazing gardens, and chicken coops. We finished the day wandering down to the Warehouse district in search of sweetness. We finally decided on Yummy Yo, on 3rd & Nueces. It was a serve yourself frozen yogurt shop, and it hit the spot. I chose Banana yogurt, with fresh blueberries, raspberries and of course fruity pebbles. Fantastic. It was the perfect end to an Easter Weekend, with people I love the most.

East Side Cafe

Yummy Yo Frozen Yogurt

Willkommen

Well it's only been a few months and another trip to Fredericksburg made it on to my calendar. This past weekend, my Mom (yes we spend a lot of time together), our friends Anna & Martha , and I headed to Fredericksburg for the day. Anna had a beautiful baby girl about 2 months ago, so a girls day away was much needed! Our first stop was not the Brewery as in past months, but one of our favorite German restaurants, Altdorf's. We've been coming here since I was a little one. We even braved the chilly weather and sat in the Biergarten. We ordered a bottle of Pinot Grigio, and got to thinking about food. My Mom's all time favorite is the Red Baron, basically a Reuben. I decided on Jager Schnitzel which is their breaded pork cutlet with brown mushroom gravy. Martha and I split since the thing is HUGE. A soup or salad and three sides come with the dish! We chose Red Cabbage, Sauerkraut, and the Sweet and Sour Potatoes. It was as tasty as I remember, perfectly cooked and filling. After much laughter and eating, we decided on a little Buttermilk pie to finish it all off. Though it was more custard-like than sugary softness of traditional Buttermilk pies, we still ate it (wouldn't recommend if it's your first time to try Buttermilk pie). The rest of the day was filled with shopping and wandering. We got to see the 26 foot German Pyramid which was built in Mainz, Germany and sent to Fredericksburg. It was so impressive! Traditional (smaller) pyramids twirl round and round from candle heat spinning the propeller on top. A wonderful sight! It was the perfect afternoon.

Altdorf Biergarten