The New Me: Chek Recs All on Substack
Feb. 27, 2025
Hi Y’all!
Surprise! I revamped my newsletter overnight as I’ve been hearing how much y’all wish you could go to one page and read all previous emails and also have the content be searchable. Luckily, Substack offers all this, and now, you can read the last 20 emails all in one place and even use the search bar to type in a word like “sushi” or “recipe” to find what new spot was on the tip of your tongue, but was difficult to find in your inbox. This platform offers comments, shareable links (so please send to a friend who needs to read this!), and ways for us to chat so you can ask me questions or suggest a topic you want me to write about next! I’d love for you to leave some comments about what you think! That being said, nothing will change in terms of the free bi-monthly newsletter you’ve been used to receiving for the last 6 years, but we are looking into adding additional exclusive content so look out for updates there. Thank you to everyone who has been following and reading Chekmark Eats for the last 14 years!
Stay tuned for next week’s (yes, I’m doing two in a row as a bonus for ya!) which will have my annual SXSW spreadsheet for those looking for off-the-beaten-path experiences and a condensed guide with hand-picked ideas that won’t overwhelm you and that I think you’ll truly enjoy and get into! Let me know if you want your event included.
~ AR
NEW COFFEE SHOP REC
Radio Rosewood
Radio just took over the old, beloved Try Hard space on East 11th and lucky for us, it still emits the same style of scene and crowd that I know a lot of people loved. This new Radio Rosewood feels like it can maintain a cool community of people who will work from here during the day then move into sipping on craft cocktails at night. The great location allows you to do some shopping next door at Lovecraft, sip your coffee and order food from their in-house concept, Shortwave Diner, with classic fare like burgers and breakfast sandwiches, then head to Nickel City for a drink to make a full morning-to-night experience. The cozy space is full of 70s-feeling leather and wooden elements with comfortable seats and plenty of tables for two. The live music photos by local photographers line the walls for an Austin feel. There’s also a small backyard that I’m sure will be packed when the sun is out.
RE-VISIT REC
Bartlett’s
Known in the restaurant community as a place all the chefs and restaurateurs aspire to be and where they always dine due to its consistency, Bartlett’s was originally owned by the Hillstone Restaurant Group before going independent more than a decade ago. To me, it’s a place that half of Austin knows and half of Austin doesn’t. When you enter through the oval bar, you feel like you’re surrounded by regulars catching up with their personal bartender and cronies. I have a hunch that the staff at Bartlett’s makes a great career and knows their clientele’s orders by heart. The dinner menu is broken down into starters and sides, salads, burgers and sandwiches, and classic entrees, and even though I never order steak, my favorite thing here — thanks to my friend, Kristen! — is the Asian Noodle Salad… add steak. Order it with extra greens for a fuller salad. The story on the steak though is that it’s so tender, you don’t even need a knife! It’s the same every time, so good, and served in a hefty portion. This last time, I ordered the Grilled Artichokes for the first time, but the Spinach Artichoke Dip is super nostalgic and probably a better choice to start. My other favorite is the Sashimi Tuna Salad, which is a hefty portion of tuna and more like an Ahi Tuna steak. It’s a fun place to feel like everybody is somebody, and you’ll never be disappointed. Consistency and staffing is the most difficult part about restaurants, so the fact that Bartlett’s always has incredible service and quality food is what makes it so attractive.
LUNCH REC
Wow Poke
I’ve been mourning Malibu Poke since it quietly closed in December, and I haven’t felt any other poké place was worthy of my raw fish cravings until I finally tried Wow Poke last weekend at Cosmic Pickle Road. Order at their truck on the patio from around 5 different house bowls, or have at it with a custom bowl choosing from over 30 ingredients with SO. MANY. options, with 2 proteins included, such as: Tuna, Salmon, Ponzu Truffle Tuna, Creamy Sesame Tuna, Crab Salad, Shrimp Ceviche, Grilled Salmon, and Tofu. Toppings include Red Pickled Onions, Edamame, Yuzu Cucumber Pickles, and Seaweed Salad. Choose 2 sauces from Spicy Ponzu, Ginger Dressing, House Dressing (soy, sweet and sesame), Chili Oil, Eel Sauce, etc. Then, move on to the crunchy options and extra toppings. I loved how many ingredients there are, but more importantly, it's the freshness and flavor of the fish that gets me on a poké bowl’s team or not. I crafted my own with a base of part-brown rice and part-salad, and obviously went for the tuna and ginger galore. The huge portion was huge enough for a medium-size lunch, plus a snack later. Go for the tuna and crab salad, ponzu and ginger dressing, furikake, sesame seeds, and load it up. Unless you dive deep into all that mayo jazz and tempura, it makes for a healthy lunch where you can taste the fish. I threw the massive California Wrap last minute, aka a giant sushi burrito stuffed with rice, cucumber, avocado, furikake, red pickled onions, and spicy mayo. The creamy crab salad was addicting and had me alternating bites with my poké bowl. All I can say is that I’d definitely eat this if I was hungover — yes, seafood for me, always. I can’t wait to zip up to Wow Poke whenever I have my sushi cravings, but when I just need a little solo bowl on a Sunday without a whole to-do at a restaurant.
RECIPE REC
Brown Butter Miso Cookies
After falling in love with Laura Sawicki’s Miso Chocolate Chip Cookie at Oseyo, I’ve realized that miso is my favorite sweet and salty flavor that changes based on what you pair it with. Whenever I try something new and instantly love it, but can’t put my finger on what’s in it, it always ends up being miso! Last week, my friend Angela cooked Miso Japanese Butter Sweet Potatoes at my house, and I simultaneously made this recipe for a Brown Butter Miso Caramel Cookie Pie with easy ingredients I already had. I can confidently say this is THE best dessert I’ve ever made with all those umami flavors. I did change it a bit, and instead of forming it into a round shape, I baked it in an 8-by-8 MadeIn dish and swapped cashew butter in for the peanut butter. The dessert has a brown butter and miso scent making your whole kitchen smell incredible, and naturally, I used three different types of chocolate. The whole process was really easy and fun, all made in one bowl, and I learned a lot while making it! Here is my edited recipe version:
Cookie ingredients
¾ cup sugar
¾ cup light brown sugar
14 tbsp (1¾ sticks) butter
¼ cup Greek yogurt
3 tbsp miso paste
2½ cups all-purpose flour
¼ tsp baking soda
Chocolate chips – now, I always throw in a large amount so it will melt and add extra gooeyness. I used large dark chocolate chunks, Nestle Toll House semi sweet chunks, and mini dark chocolate chunks.
Caramel ingredients
½ cup cashew butter
2 tbsp melted coconut oil
3 tbsp maple syrup
Instructions
Combine all caramel ingredients to make the caramel. Place on parchment paper on a circular plate and put in the freezer for 30 minutes. Place the butter in a pan over medium heat and stir continuously. Once melted, the butter will begin to foam and sizzle around the edges. Keep stirring until golden brown or a little amber color, about 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to cool to room temperature.
In a large bowl, pour the cooled butter over the sugar. Whisk until combined. Add yogurt and miso, and mix until smooth. Mix the dry ingredients until combined. Add the chocolate chips.
Line pan with parchment paper and press half of the cookie dough into the bottom.
Remove the frozen “caramel” mixture from the freezer, press on top of the cookie dough, and cover with the remaining cookie dough while pressing down.
Refrigerate for 30 minutes, and preheat oven to 350.
Bake for 40 to 50 minutes until the dough is no longer raw inside.
Top with sea salt and eat!
SHOP REC
Hey Nice Place
I’m not proud to share (but I will) that after 5 years of living in my house, I finally outfitted my guest room with night stands — yes, after having plenty of friends and family visit over the years, they got an upgrade for their nighttime water glass! More importantly, I discovered Noah of Hey Nice Place on Instagram posting all different types of furniture, and nice-looking pieces at that, that he resells! He used to work for Tecovas in marketing, but has pivoted to this new business, and I met with him at his storage unit on the east side to purchase two really great white side table pieces that look like they’re from West Elm, but aren’t. Yes, I met a stranger at a weird warehouse, but it was all part of the fun and felt like vintage hunting. It’s inspiring to see this 25-year-old hustle as he sells pieces that aren’t all about consumerism and provide an alternative to big box retailers. I also noticed a beautiful chair and a couple green marble side tables that could be used in a bedroom or as cocktail tables in your home if you’re on the hunt. I loved supporting this local guy so if you’re looking for furniture, follow Noah to see what he’s up to and tell him I sent you.
ON THE BLOG
Best No Reservation Restaurants in Austin
It can be difficult to find reliable, casual spots to roll up to last minute, while also walking away blabbing non-stop about the best hand roll you’ll keep thinking about later! My scariest texts are when people text me day-of on a Friday asking where to get in with 8 people last minute or where to eat lunch ASAP when just in town for a day. Therefore, I’ve rounded up my top spots to hit with a group or solo when you don’t have time to plan ahead. These are meals I find craveable, that I’d have no problem taking my most culinary adventurous friends to, and where I like to eat any day of the week.
EVENTS
Where to hang out this week:
Songs for California: Feb. 28 at 6:30 p.m. at Pershing, benefit concert for California wildfires.
MML Tag Sale: March 1 and 2 from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. at 1214 W. 6th Street (former Julian Gold building)
Lacquer Panique by Denise Prince Exhibit: On display from March 1 to April 5 at Ivester Contemporary
STAG Warehouse and Sample Sale: March 1 and 2 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at 7601 South Congress Ave. Suite #450
Free TrailFit x TruFusion Barre Fusion Class: March 3 at 5 p.m. at Rainey Street Trailhead Park
I Live Here I Give Here’s 13th Annual Amplify Austin Day: March 5 and 6. Central Texas’s biggest giving event for more than 700 nonprofits - I recommend giving to Save Our Springs, Texas Food and Wine Alliance, and the SIMS Foundation.
Had no idea about Radio takeover at Try Hard! So happy it stayed ATX local!