La Condesa

We went to eat at La Condesa Saturday night.  It was a perfect night for eating outside.  With the UT game going on, it was not that crowded so we were able to be seated on the patio.  Let me start by telling you that this is a ridiculously overpriced restaurant for Mexico City style sidewalk food.  But, the quality and taste of the food makes it worthwhile for an occasional splurge.

We started with Guac and chips.  Both were made fresh at the restaurant and very good.  I then had a small bowl of Tortilla Soup.  It was not the usual watery type broth.  It was thick and hearty.  The flavor was very tasty.  There were chunks of chicken and with the crispy tortilla pieces, the texture was perfect.

Me and Zach had the chicken tacos.  They are very small, like what you would get off a sidewalk vendor.  There are just 2 small corn tortillas with chicken, onion and cilantro.  They were incredible.  Since I had the soup, I had not ordered a side.  Zach had the roasted corn.  I tasted it and it was full of flavor.  There were cheese and spices on the corn.  One of the best roasted corn on the cob I have ever had.

Jo had the ribeye taco's with a side of roasted corn.  I had a bite of one of the taco's.  It was very good but I still prefer the chicken taco.  The tortilla had a layer of grilled cheddar cheese on it and then the steak was on top of that.

We then decided to try a dessert.  There was a flour-less chocolate tort with sautéed bananas and a scoop of banana ice cream.  The tort was made with a hint of cayenne pepper.  The mixture of chocolate, spice and banana was unbelievable.

To give you an idea of how pricy this place is, the meal I described was $74 before tip.  I had a beer and Jo had a Margarita.  But as I mentioned at the beginning, the food was so good, that I plan to come back to La Condesa to over pay again.

Doing my part to Keep Austin Weird,

Alan

Fried chicken

I just finished a business lunch at the Red Porch. I had a fried chicken sandwich. It was one of the tastiest fried chicken I have had. It was tender while still maintaining a crunchy crust. They also have fried chicken on the menu. The French fries were also good and crispy.

With 70 different beer varieties, I will be back for dinner very soon.

Doing my part to keep Austin weird.

Alan

Dominican Joe's

We decided to go to a different coffee shop after our Saturday run.  Part of the Austin Fit group was meeting at Dominican Joe's so we joined them.  One of the nice things at this place was finally a different source of breakfast tacos.  Every coffee shop I have been to seems to carry Tacodeli breakfast tacos.  I do like Tacodeli but variety is the spice of life.  Dominican Joe's carries Torchy Tacos.  I had a Migas and avocado taco.  It was good.  They serve fair trade coffee as well.  The coffee was better than average.  The atmosphere was great.  There is an outside patio and with the perfect weather we are having, it was a good place to hang out with fellow runners and enjoy coffee and discuss running.  In addition, it is walking distance from where Austin Fit meets.  I am sure I will be frequenting this place over the next few months as training continues.

Doing my part to Keep Austin Weird

Alan

Chuy's

I had not been to Chuy's in a long time.  Especially the original one.  I have been going to that restaurant since it very first opened, 1983.  I hate to admit it but most times, I still order the same item that i have been ordering since the very beginning, The Chuy's Special.  This is an enchilada dish but prepared more in a lasagna fashion.  Instead of rolling the tortillas, the tortillas are layered with shredded chicken, cheese and tomatillo sauce.  The tortillas are made with blue corn for this dish so it has more of the New Mexico flare to it.

Last night we went and I decided to try something different.  There is a dish called Chicka Chicka Boom Boom.  It is basically chicken enchiladas but the sauce is made with Hatch Green Chilies from New Mexico and cheese.  So, it is spicy, cheesy and very flavorful.  Since I ate way too many chips with their incredible pico da gallo style salsa, I only ate one of the enchiladas.  It is very difficult, but I am trying to not eat past the point that I am full.  Normally, I would have eaten both enchiladas anyway.  Jo had the Baja Fish Taco's.  I was not expecting the fish taco's to be very good from here.  I tried a bite and they were very good.  It was just fried fish, cabbage and a creamy spicy sauce.  There is a grilled version as well.  I may have to try that one day if I am trying to be healthy.

All in all, a very good meal.  Not to mention the place brings back so many memories from college days.

Doing my part to Keep Austin Weird,

Alan

Strip Mall Chinese

I had been looking for a Chinese restaurant in Austin that is good, clean and not overly expensive.  I had tried all the well known places but was not overly happy.  The one that I liked most so far was probably P F Chang's.  But 2 issues.  It is not cheap and it is a chain.  As you know I try to avoid chain restaurants.  I have finally found the neighborhood Chinese restaurant that I have been searching for, Twin Lion.  It is an unassuming place in the strip center that also houses HEB at 183 and Great Hills.

I now go to this restaurant any time I want Chinese food.  It is family run.  The egg roll is very good.  It is fresh, crispy and tasty.  One of the main items that I was looking for was good Hot and Sour soup.  Twin Lion has the best.  It is very sour and not overly spicy.  It is the best i have had in Austin.  There are a few main dishes that I like.  The Kung Pau Chicken is also the best I have found in Austin.  They have a dish called Wonderful Chicken.  It is similar to Sesame Chicken but more flavorful.  It is slightly spicy.  The Sesame Chicken is also good.

I realized that I had not blogged about Twin Lion even though I have been going there now for a couple of years.  Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy P F Chang's but if I want to go somewhere quick and not break the bank, Twin Lion is the restaurant of choice.  We went Friday night and it was one of the best batches of Kung Pau Chicken I have had.  I think I had remembered to ask for all white meat.  I will have to remember to request all white meat every time from now on.

Doing my part to Keep Austin Weird,

Alan