A Love Letter to Restaurants 💌
Nov. 14, 2024
Hi Y'all!
Well, we finally got our Michelin stars in Texas this week, and it seemed like a big shock that Houston didn't get more than Austin, and that BBQ is king! Major congrats to all the 1 star and bib gourmand winners — (yay to my client Veracruz Fonda & Bar!) Working with Michelin-starred restaurants in NYC and Chicago at the beginning of my career, I just didn't know it was possible for BBQ or tacos to win, so this is pretty exciting for our town!
I can't wait to share my rec for my favorite new Thai restaurant in town below, but if you are going to read one thing on here today, it should be my love letter to the restaurant and chef community. I've felt down lately from hearing people complain about restaurant pricing, seeing comments on instagram about how the food isn't worth it, or criticizing something so small that really could take a toll on someone's business. The magnitude of these little comments got under my skin, and so to beat it, I decided to write an opinion piece to try and educate restaurant diners about why things are priced as they are and how much goes into putting a plate of food in front of you — you'll probably be shocked to see how much work and effort happens before they even get to the food part! My hope is that you understand chefs and hospitality workers are artists, creatives, and doing this job to make you happy, so they deserve some love and kindness!
~AR
NEW RESTAURANT REC
P Thai's
Well, by now, you probably know that Asian food is my favorite and what I crave most with all the broths, ginger, soy sauce, and rice, which means the traditional Thai dish of Khao Man Gai brings so many of my ideal flavors together with poached chicken, rice with chicken fat, cucumbers, and a fermented bean ginger chili sauce. After trying this dish at P Thai’s, I will happily eat here every day of my life. The combo of tender chicken with really flavorful rice is set apart by the truly special sauce. The place reminds me of a restaurant that would be in a large metropolitan city like Houston because it feels very authentically Asian in terms of the way the chickens are hanging up and how the menu is designed — known for one popular dish, but everything else is outstanding, too. Austin doesn’t have a large Chinatown or Koreatown, where you can go and know everything will be good, and this felt like a place that would fit in an area like those. We added the Wontons, which are the best dumplings I’ve had outside of the soup ones from Qi, but the Khao Man Gai comes with a broth so it’s plenty of food on its own. I tried the Fried Chicken Skins, which I never would have ordered, and that was fun too. You can also get the Khao Man Gai Chicken Fried, so next time, I'll try half and half! There’s plenty of parking, order at the counter, and the food comes out quickly. It’s a place I've been thinking about daily. I'd want to go even by myself, knowing I will get something warm, healing, and authentic.
NEW PIZZA REC
Loudmouth Pizza
Loudmouth Pizza opened the day after the election so you might have missed it! Helmed by the folks behind my favorite brunch spot, Paperboy, and located just down the street in the old Victorian house in the center of the street, it's exactly what you'd hoped it would be. Black and red checkered floors when you enter, wooden floors in the dining room, and booths make you feel like you're in an old red sauce Italian joint that's been here forever, especially with all the family photos framed on the walls. LOVE it. Take a peek at the pizza oven in the back, and bring a large group to slide into the booths for a pizza party. The outdoor area will be ideal for kids or chowing down after day drinking at Nickel City. The pink pizza boxes and design are just the best marketing idea, and I wonder how many people will be posting actual pizza vs. the pizza boxes. There are about 6 pies on the menu and I loved the Hot Boy Summer (including the name) with Tomato Sauce, Mozzarella, Cupping Pepperoni, Pepperoncini, Hot Honey — duh, that's my always needed pizza topping. The Emerald City tasted like a garden with Sunflower Seed Pesto, Pickled Red Onion, Ricotta, Greens, and Parmesan, so feel free to skip the salad. I love their doughy crust and crunchy bottom that keeps the pie sturdy. We tried the Wood Roasted Carrots app with herbed yogurt, which has a great Mediterranean flavor, and I will have to go back for the Sammies. They have Frozen Painkillers, orange wine, and a mezcal Montenegro cocktail called Amaro's Problem. The marketing here is a looker!
ON THE BLOG
Why Dining Out > Eating Out
After seeing so many people commenting on big influencer pages about why certain dishes or restaurants are "too expensive" or enjoying a restaurant, but then hearing someone call it "overpriced," I felt a responsibility in this restaurant community and as someone who knows how hard chefs work to write my own opinion piece to help diners understand what they are paying for and why restaurants are more expensive these days. Hello, The Bear is not a made up world. I sometimes wonder how people decide what they think prices should be. Maybe they’re comparing it to what they see in a grocery store, so I want to educate so everyone can understand that they’re not just paying for ingredients in a meal. You’re paying for the expertise of the chef and the years it took them to learn how to cook and run an operation, plus design, style, upkeep, marketing, social media, insurance, and so many added fees. All of these add up to chicken not costing the same as a rotisserie chicken from HEB... That being said, this is my love letter to try to support the restaurant industry in a time where there’s so many negative comments online with platforms like Yelp and Google reviews and less support than I’m used to seeing. Restaurants are a craft and a business, so I’m sharing another viewpoint for you to think about before you complain again, and I hope you will read this and enjoy views from some experts in town, like Arjav Ezekiel of Birdie’s, Todd Duplechan of Lenoir and Dovetail, Rania Zayyat of Bufalina and Palm Pizza, and Sara Mardanbigi of Nixta Taqueria.
RESTAURANT REC
Mum Foods
I first ate Mum Foods owner Geoff Ellis’s pastrami sandwich when he popped up with a short-term lease in the building that now houses Este and Bar Toti, and I remember saying it was the best pastrami I had ever had. The pastrami feels very Texas because it’s fatty and juicy like BBQ, and to me, although it is different, it’s actually better than Katz’s. Geoff’s family history dates back to Queens in NY, and he’s been nominated for a James Beard award. Mum Foods is located about 25 minutes east of me, and the inside makes it feel like it belongs in Lockhart, the BBQ capital of Texas. It’s basically a BBQ deli as you order at the counter and get everything on a tray and sit on wooden seating. Don’t miss the pastrami and brisket with its peppery, moist crust, and order the pickle plate to mix things up, plus the solid shells and cheese. Their matzo ball soup is the best traditional one in town, and I noticed my eyes closing out of joy while eating it — I do love June’s soup, but that’s more Texas-influenced. On my last visit one Friday, Mum Foods had a bunch of challah ready to pick up for bat mitzvahs which was fun to see, and they close at 3 p.m. so if you’re looking for an evening event space, this could work. Even though I love Mum Foods so much, I kind of forget about it out east, so I don’t want you to. Congrats to the team for being recognized by Michelin this week!
EVENT VENUE REC
Justine's Secret House
I had always heard about Justine’s Secret House, which is an event space from the French brasserie just down the road at 1303 East 7th St., and my friends Nate and Kenzie hosted their wedding here last weekend! They got married in the garden patio area that reminded me of a New Orleans courtyard with its brick walls and palm trees, before we all moved into a big house that looks like Justine’s inside thanks to the gorgeous art, photography, peacocks, piano, and candles that felt almost spooky. Servers walked around with deviled eggs and salmon crostinis, and dinner was served family-style out in the backyard under a white tent, but we started with our own salads topped with some kind of tasty champagne mustard vinaigrette. The roasted chicken entree with butternut squash and spinach was amazing. It was an incredible meal that I’d want to eat again!! The whole space almost felt like three venues with the courtyard in front, space inside the really cool house, and dinner outside under the tent, plus a bar inside and outside. The whole thing felt very chic and in-the-know, and I’d love to plan my own event here sometime. I’m not a big fan of ballroom-style weddings, so if you’re looking to plan an intimate event or wedding, look into this.
REVISIT REC
Tamale House East
The first time I ventured to Tamale House East came after I attended an SXSW event where the guys from United Tacos of America, Mando and Jarod, served their Chicken Mole Tacos, and even though the restaurant is called Tamale House, this taco really is my favorite thing here. When you arrive, you walk into a classic-looking Tex-Mex restaurant, and step outside, and you’re hit with a dose of serenity with colorful patio furniture and flowers everywhere. The contrast between the interiors and exterior feels like you stumbled upon a private hidden garden that happens to be connected to Tamale House. I took my parents for Sunday brunch and went for the Original Migas, which was covered in so much queso that I didn’t get much of that fluffy egg texture that I prefer, like at Cisco’s or Paperboy. If you’re obsessed with queso, I guess you’ll love this. I still go for the Chicken Mole Taco, which is crispy and almost toasted on the bottom, with a mole flavor that's sweet, savory, and not overpowering and laced around the tender chicken tucked inside. It’s a joy to watch the mom and daughter run this place together, and it’s right on the east side with a huge free parking lot if you eat there.
PR + MARKETING
Gati Thanksgiving Desserts
Now that Gati’s signature Thanksgiving desserts are available for pre-order until this Sunday, Nov. 17, we hosted a media tasting for our client to try all of the goodies, including the brand new Pumpkin Bundt Cake with a chocolate ganache glaze, and then, of course, their most popular annual items, including the Pumpkin Roll with Cream Cheese Filling, Pecan Pie, Crumbled Apple Maple Walnut Pie, French Silk Pie, S’mores Ice cream, and more. As usual, all of the desserts at the shop are gluten-free and all ice creams are vegan and made with coconut milk. Pre-orders are open, and you can pick up these holiday-themed desserts during Thanksgiving week. Thank you to 365 Things Austin, @AustinLifestyle Magazine, @KeepAustinEatin, and more for sharing Gati’s treats, and don’t forget to order by Sunday so you can take it home for the holidays! If I had to pick two to tell you to order, it would be the gooiest Pecan Pie I’ve ever had and the moist Pumpkin Bundt Cake.
COOKIE DOUGH REC
Hot Take Dough
After seeing the sisters behind Hot Take Dough pop up on my Instagram so many times, I started following them and decided to try their frozen cookie dough. I didn’t know what was special about them or what the name meant, but turns out, the bag comes with an individual pack of Maldon sea salt to sprinkle on top, which is the key to my heart! The morning after attending a wedding, I needed a freshly baked cookie, and while I would typically prefer to make my own, I had these sitting in my freezer so I popped one in the oven to try. This isn’t a cookie you would get at a bakery, but it tastes like a cookie your friend might make and you’d say, “Woah, that’s so good!” The cute sisters behind Hot Take use organic ingredients to make these big dough balls, and I’m pretty sure one lives in NYC and one lives here in Austin, so I’m happy to have a bag in the freezer when that craving strikes. It was crunchy on the outside edge and just gooey enough, with the right amount of chocolate for me.