My Year End Austin Favorites ❤️🔥
Dec. 19, 2024
Hi Y'all!
It seems like the end of the year has had a lot of things shake up in terms of last minute restaurant openings and closures, media layoffs, new jobs, people moving, etc. This weekend, I was talking about health and fitness with my friend Jared, who is the Chief of Staff of the Longhorns, and he brought up how life is like a Rubik's cube. Something you used to do regularly is now not as comfortable, and you adjust the blocks to make it a fit for yourself. It reminds me that the only constant is change, which my ex-boyfriend told me when we broke up years ago, and I'll never forget it. That being said, after seeing Wicked and playing "One Short Day" on repeat and hearing “Everyone deserves a chance to fly," I feel empowered to try new ways of doing things, whether that be a new way of communicating, being the first to text, sharing how I feel with certain people or purposely not sharing, protecting my own energy, trying to eat less when I'm out (one day…), and honestly choosing to show up for me instead of making sure everyone is taken care of first — that's a tough one. I always choose a word to live by in the new year, and I think it's going to be a phrase this time — Be The Special Sauce. That being said, I wanted to share some behind the scenes moments from this year to show what I have poured my heart into and what has made me proud to create here!
~AR
BEST NEW AMBIENCE 2024
Prélude
Prélude strikes me as a combination of the Commodore Perry, with its luxurious tile and outdoor green area, and Jeffrey’s bar, with its sexy dark lighting and canapés. It feels like you’re at your lavish friend’s house as you venture into different levels, game rooms, and even private rooms, where you can host any kind of shower or private event. The natural lighting is great, and the toasty fireplace really adds coziness this time of year. I went for happy hour, but a late night nightcap sounds special, too! Although it will eventually evolve into a larger restaurant, the whole menu consists of canapés. The Beef Tartare was my favorite bite with the soft, buttery toast cradling the flavorful beef atop. People love the fancy Chicken Nuggets with Creme Fraiche, and as for seafood, I want the Citrus Cured Hamachi with charred shishito pepper and avocado puree everytime. (I wouldn’t get the Shrimp Toast again.) Chef Matthew Peters won the Bocuse d'Or award, a really prestigious culinary competition held in France every other year, so keep an eye on Prélude as it’s only in its first phase — hence the name — and they will showcase more elaborate things soon! I suggest dressing up with friends or going on a nice date for a holiday cocktail here. The rich decor makes you feel upleveled, and I liked being somewhere fresh with impeccable design! It packed a true punch of excitement for me because we don’t have a ton of original high-end places like this in Austin.
BEST NEW BAR 2024
Trona
What I love about Trona is that it feels like you are in the know and hit the jackpot on vacation as if you’re the first one to discover it among your group of friends. Sure, you have to ring some doorbell, and it’s supposed to be a speakeasy, but it’s not. I’m going to forgive them for trying to make it that way with a code when they first opened as they are now on Resy! I love walking through the atrium-like entry upon arrival, and then you’re in a moody, narrow bar that feels like a date spot AND a cool hang at the same time. I’m still thinking about the Mezcal Blossom, which definitely turned out to be my favorite spirit of the year as it made me think of the spicy tequila drink that turned me on at SoHo House. I would bring anyone I wanted to have a good time with (not just a date) here!
MOST MEMORABLE MEAL 2024
Canje
Whenever people ask me where they should be eating right now, I still say Canje because there’s not a similar food experience in town, and I like places that showcase something different that creates a stand-out memory for me (unlike, say, a new Mexico city-style restaurant since we already have so many great tuna tostadas). This place is always delicious, serving new flavors, and offering little menu tweaks to level up the dining experience. This meal wins my Most Memorable Meal of the year because back in February, my best friends from middle and high school came to celebrate my birthday as we cozied up in a booth away from the dining room laughing as loud as we could, downing the best roti I’ve ever had, and talking about our favorite things about our friendship. The standout dish during this meal was the Sweet Potato with Coconut Choka, Passion Fruit, and Black Beans, as it’s almost like a stuffed sweet potato that’s brimming with flavor. I would go and just get that, and I was wowed by everything vegetarian, plus the Shrimp and Octopus! You feel good after eating the food here (except for the spicy Jerk Chicken), and I just love showing people dishes and ingredients that they’ve never had before. There’s no better feeling than walking into a night knowing the restaurant is a winner. Honestly, every dish here is a joy AND a conversation starter.
RESTAURANT THAT STANDS TEST OF TIME
Fonda San Miguel
With all the stunning murals, vibrant colors, and lush plants, Fonda San Miguel remains one of Austin’s prettiest restaurants since it first opened in 1975! It’s so fun to walk through the intimate entrance into the spread-out dining room and see everyone in plain sight looking up to see who is walking in next, but somehow, you don’t feel on display. The interior Mexican cuisine and great service made for a seamless private dining experience I had with 50 family members last month, so I definitely recommend for any private dining option you’re planning. I loved the appetizer sampler with their amazing Quesadillas, Shrimp, and really good Chile Rellenos that I chose for my entree. For a regular evening, I love the Pescada a la Plancha, a grilled fish filet with salsa verde and grilled vegetables, and the Calabacitas Reina, a baked zucchini with cheese dish. I probably prefer the food at Suerte and La Condesa, but Fonda San Miguel truly is a place that stands the test of time and feels like a celebration. Plus, if you visit right now, you’ll see two huge silver Christmas trees lit up in the dining room, along with lights hanging all around the restaurant to really amp up the holiday feel!
NEW GROCERY STORE REC
HEB
I live next door to the new HEB on South Congress, so I’ve unfortunately had to shop at their makeshift store while the new store has been built for the last two years. Now that the bright and shiny new store is open, it feels like a museum of HEB as it’s SO big and SO tall. They have 600 parking spots that are somehow full all the time, but it still feels like there’s no one in the store because it’s so big. Everything feels fresher than their original store, especially the fish department, where I previously would have never bought anything, but now I’m in! The two times I went in the first week, the fishmongers were breaking down a whole tuna, which made me giggle and happy at the same time. There’s a huge wine selection if you’re into that, and the baking aisle is great with all different types of chocolate chips that tied me up. Also, I know they have BBQ too, but that’s not why I'm going to HEB. As for parking, it does feel like you’ll never find a spot, but I found one when I went around both lunch and dinner time. I’ve been shopping at HEB, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe’s to get all I need, but now I hope to get it all done here, and I’m looking forward to going back when I have more time to really peruse every aisle.
SANDWICH REC
Knuckle Sandwich
I’ve been working out at MADabolic next door to Ant’s Beer Cave, where Knuckle Sandwich is located. Walk on in, and order your sandwich from the food trailer. We went for the Not Boring Turkey and the Knuckle Sandwich, and the turkey was served on bread from Abby Jane. The turkey sandwich has the perfect amount of meat in it, and it’s my fault that I don’t like olive tapenade so I removed it, but you should probably listen to the chef and get it how it comes because I felt like something was missing. There’s a lot going on in the Knuckle Sandwich as it really wowed me with an amazing and acidic za’atar vinaigrette, plus the mortadella, salami, and capicola. I think it’s funny how many people have been posting about Knuckle Sandwich only because it’s a sandwich food truck in a not high traffic spot — proves we have very few places to get sandwiches in Austin! I will say the new Swedish Hill in Westlake just opened, and people love their turkey sandwich, plus I love Uncle Nicky’s turkey sandwich, too. I''m on the hunt for a good focaccia sandwich now since I had an incredible one at my friend Steph's holiday party, but if you are looking for the newest, best sandwich, come out and get this namesake Knuckle Sandwich!
PR + MARKETING
Sushi by Scratch Downtown Opening
Maybe you don’t remember, but my clients, Chefs Phillip and Margarita, first came here to do a pop-up during the pandemic when restaurants shut down in LA because they wanted to do everything they could to allow their staff to work. Their move really kicked off the omakase craze in Austin that just kept popping off. Obviously, Otoko has been here for a bit and Uchi offers one, but Phillip and Margarita’s personalized 10 seat nigiri-only omakase with name plates and a 25,000 person waitlist really shook things up. Now that their noncompete from their last company is over, it’s very exciting to have them back downtown with a new location in addition to their remaining Cedar Creek location at Hyatt Lost Pines. What's most exciting about this and why it's worth going is they've elevated the lounge with black plush couches, sexy candles burning directly onto your table, and four new canapés to start your journey that are big and make you think, "yum!" before you enter the omakase room. This is the first time in Austin in years that you can have the experience directly from Chef Phillip himself, plus he's serving a new menu with Jellyfish, and my favorites are still the Wagyu, Hamachi, and Toro. The chefs also showcase special bites on certain nights based on what they get, so when I was there, we got to try live Lobster Nigiri, and the new dessert by Margarita is a delicious Yuzu Creamsicle with a Tonka bean custard and passionfruit and yuzu granita. For a full rundown, see a few reels from our opening weekend dinner we arranged by @ATasteofKoko, @AustinFoodHeads, @AustinFoodstagram, and @Tribeza! You can make a res at 603 Brazos Street here at 5, 7:15, and 9:30 seatings, and if a particular date is booked, don’t forget to get on the waitlist as things do open up!
HOLIDAY RECS
Lin Asian Bar, Mozart’s Boat Ride, Day Dreamer + Chalmers PB Hot Cocoa
Last Friday, I put together a fun holiday evening with 10 friends that started with Soup Dumplings galore at Lin in Clarksville, which was the perfect warming food for a rainy night. We literally had 5 orders of soup dumplings and dabbled in the Shrimp Har Gow, but I actually am not a fan of the Sui Mai because the other dim sum is so much softer, yet bouncy at the same time, and flavorful. I loved the Sautee Honey Beef, which I’d never had, and it just feels like a culinary, casual party in here that’s great for groups. Then, we headed to try out the new donut boat at Mozart’s, which was about $30 per person and took us into the night on Lake Austin to see the Christmas lights with hot chocolate. We BYOB’d as well and had fun swirling around with a fun group, but if you are asking me if the lights were magical, they were not. If you are asking me if it’s a fun holiday evening, then it is! We ended up playing a fun charades/fish bowl game with eggnog and whiskey after, and that is my kind of night! I also snuck in a happy hour at Day Dreamer before, and they have some cute, non-cheesy decor and really good espresso martinis on tap. Also, don’t miss the peanut butter pretzel hot cocoa at Chalmers! Feliz Navidad!