Category Archives: Austin

Second Bar and Kitchen, Austin

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DSC01636Good afternoon, everyone! It’s Friday! Cheers to that.

What: Second Bar & Kitchen

Where: Austin, Texas

A few days after Christmas, we set out for a fun dining experience with great food. Second Bar & Kitchen was our destination. Nestled in the hip 2nd Street area, Second boasts an open, fun and cozy atmosphere perfect for groups or even dates too. They have an outside deck as well as an upstairs deck. Plenty of cool spaces to dine!

DSC01633We started out with drinks. They have a list of very eclectic cocktails, but we stuck with the basics. Glass of Malbec for me, Jameson Special Reserve for the twin brother.

DSC01635My fiance and I both ordered what happened to be their vegan dish at the moment. Their soba noodles and sprouts with roasted mushroom, sesame, avocado, almond and orange bits. I was worried the dish would be too citrusy and not savory enough, but with the warm soba noodles and the almonds, this dish was savory, fresh and light. It filled me up in the best way possible. I highly recommend this dish even if you’re not vegetarian or vegan.

DSC01634This is their pizza bianco. It comes with ricotta, goat cheese, wild arugula and grana padano. My twin brother gave it very high marks.

DSC01628On the side we had the black truffle pomme frites with truffle aioli on the side. Can’t go wrong with these! These fries are the perfect texture and thickness, and if you’re anything like me, you drool at the mere scent of truffle.

DSC01637After we were all full, we realized we had completely neglected this awesome side dish. Their brussels sprouts with smoked bacon, mint and feta. Cooked to perfection, warm, comforting goodness. Even if you hate brussels sprouts, you’ll love this dish.

I’ve never stayed for dessert, but here are a few I would love to try: pumpkin cheesecake in a jar, sweet potato fried pie, chocolate pudding pot….I could keep going, but I’ll spare you all.

Bottom line is, when you’re in Austin, or if you live in Austin and haven’t gone, go. Second always does an awesome job with high quality food, innovative dishes and they always use produce that is in season.

Bon Appétit,

That Foodie Girl

Visiting home

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Hi everyone! I’m still here. I can’t believe I’ve gone a whole week without blogging. Let me tell you, I miss you all! This past week has been filled with work, being sick and a trip home to Austin.

Let’s begin with the journey to Austin. It was an ominous drive…lots of clouds and few rain showers.Once I got there, the weekend was so beautiful.

I’m a little spoiled to be able to call this my backyard. Coming home is like going on vacation. And this time my whole family was home for ACL! The lake was calm, weather was perfectly warm and a nice cool breeze too. But you came here to see some food, right?

My first night home we decided to cook. My twin brother and I made the side dish: broccoli quinoa “bake”. Not to be confused with casserole. Because Travis hates that word. So we went with “bake”. This was so easy to make and even more delicious. I will post the recipe soon!

Pumpkin chocolate chip bread with a cinnamon glaze. Sooooo tasty.

And finally, one of the highlights of my weekend was getting to see one of my very best friends, Stephanie. We brought our pups along for a walk and a smoothie at Whole Foods.

Adorable.

And back to the being sick thing..if you recall in my last post I had a cold. That turned into actual sickness that required antibiotics, so I’m just trying my hardest to get back to feeling 100%. I’m so behind on my training and this Saturday is my 9 miler! Hoping I’ll be able to do that!

Bon appétit,

That Foodie Girl

Shiner Ruby Redbird, veggie pizza and Starbucks Refreshers

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Greetings from Austin! I spontaneously decided to drive home and spend a few days here. Because it’s my vacation and it’s so nice to be here! Today I have snapshots of what I’ve been up to. This first one is getting some work done out on my porch with little Molly.

We also went on a 1 mile walk together. We’ve been sticking together.

As soon as I got home yesterday, I headed to our pool with my brother and enjoyed a Shiner Ruby Redbird. One of the many perks of summertime. Then we decided to make a veggie pizza. We chopped up veggies, rolled out the whole wheat dough and topped it with marinara, some light mozzarella and cheddar and dashed it with goat cheese. It turned out really well. With caprese salad on the side.

We also had a few friends over for a glass of wine.

And finally, a drink I had been wanting to try, I got it on the way to Austin. The Starbucks Refresher. I tried the very berry Hibiscus and wasn’t a huge fan.

I like that there were blackberries “muddled” in there, but the overall taste was a tad artificial.

Has anyone else tried it?

Bon Appétit,

That Foodie Girl

Whole Foods Bee Cave and life changes

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HI. Ok, I know I begin almost every post these days with “wow, life has been a whirlwind.”But. It. Has. This is a photo I just snapped with my phone. Moving out of my college apartment (and using eco friendly boxes–thanks for the idea, Emily @ Daily Garnish) and storing for a week, then moving to Uptown Dallas!

I also got a new car. Meet Mrs. Ford Edge Eco Boost. She’s currently in the shop getting a brand new computer for the “sync” entertainment and nav system…a day after I bought it. Grrrreat!

Other than the nav system going haywire, this thing drives like a dream. I LOVE it.

And one last thing. My new favorite hangout in Austin: Whole Foods Bee Caves.

I love that each Whole Foods has a unique aspect to it.

This one has a bar complete with WINE on tap.

Oh and their awesome hot bar.

But the best part:

A fire pit in the front! This will probably only be good between November and March, but that’s ok. I’ll be back.

Less random posts coming your way very soon. Just have to get my life on a normal schedule. That will probably happen when I move into my new apartment on June 9th.

Bon Appétit,

That Foodie Girl

Austin rocks. pub crawler, above salon, farmers market and more

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Good evening foodie people!

This is Lake Austin. AKA my backyard when I’m home in Austin. This is why we need to catch up now. Being by the lake for a week made it difficult to get much of anything done. It was a nice relaxing week.

I enjoyed lots of awesome food, good workouts, walking around 2nd street and much more. Here’s a snapshot of me next to a store on 2nd enjoying an iced almond milk latte from Jo’s.

I couldn’t resist the swing. After that, my mom enjoyed lunch at one of my favorite healthy lunch places of all-time: Leaf. The world’s greatest salad bar.

2nd Street is always bustling now that it’s been built up quite a bit in the past few years (including the new W Hotel). I had an encounter with the “Pub Crawler” which I definitely need to try out sometime soon. You actually help pedal as you enjoy a beverage around the streets of Austin. Could it get any better than that?

I also got a haircut at the new Above Salon with the lovely Jessica. She brought mimosa materials to celebrate my engagement. It was so sweet. And I never say no to a mimosa.

And finally, last Sunday, my mom and I went to a mini flea market/ farmers market near my house in Lakeway. I was surprised to find a really cute completely organic farmers market where we purchased some purple potatoes.

Hope everyone is having a lovely weekend. Whether your plans are no plans at all or you’re packing your weekend full of activities, enjoy it.

Bon Appetit,

That Foodie Girl

Austin, Texas: Abel’s by the Lake, waffle shots, Maudie’s and Rudy’s BBQ

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Sunday evenings. One of my favorite times of the week. A time to relax, be productive, eat good food, catch up on tv shows and be with your loved ones.

Tonight I’m blogging from my house in Austin, where I’ve spent the weekend eating lots of great food, being with friends, hanging by the pool, bar hopping on 6th street, snuggling with my pups and getting in some quality time with my parents. I feel lucky to get to come home here to Lake Austin and luckier I’m only a 200 mile drive away!

After hitting some of the fun Austin places I knew would be popular amongst the friends from SMU who had never been to Austin before, I realized I’ve never blogged about these places! I eat at the same places in Austin, but have never thought to blog about them since it’s nothing new for me. THAT is something I am going to work on in both Austin and Dallas to bring you more reviews here at That Foodie Girl.

First stop was Rudy’s BBQ.

Let me just say I ate/drank many things I have not consumed in months…time for detox week before Las Vegas this weekend! I had a brisket sandwich.

Morning after 6th street activities was brunch at Abel’s on the Lake.

I had only been for lunch, so the mimosas and egg dishes were a treat to someone who lives for brunch (you’re looking at this girl right here). It was a beautiful morning on the lake, sun was shining and there’s no better spot to brunch than on Lake Austin. I had their veggie frittata:

It came with a bit too much parmesan and was a bit bland for my taste, but it was pretty much the healthiest item on their menu. Speaking of healthy, Ryan had their special for the day, their chicken fried steak (I think so?). Health aside, it was necessary due to the activities that were indulged in the previous evening.

And finally, a super special brunch item that was really pushed by the waitress. Their “waffle shot” that supposedly tastes just like waffles.

That’s a shot of Jameson, chased by a gulp of OJ, then a bite of bacon. In that order only. The verdict? He said it tastes like whiskey paired with OJ and bacon. No waffles involved.

And finally, my family’s favorite, Maudie’s Tex Mex.

I had their chicken fajitas and a skinny margarita. And too many chips and queso. But hey, you only live once right? That’s what I was telling myself this weekend. It’s ok to cheat every now and then.

We rounded the night out with a trip to the movie theater to see Project X. It was horrible. Don’t waste your money. I felt sick afterwards due to the handheld camera work and copious amounts of drugs and alcohol (that was occurring in the movie obviously, haha).

Enjoy the last moments of your weekend!

Bon appétit,

ThatFoodieGirl

The Grove, Austin and life

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Good morning everyone. Please excuse my horribly spaced blog posts. As you know, I was very excited to go home to Austin to see my doctor and start walking. Unexpectedly, I learned I had to “wean” myself off my crutches and gradually start walking throughout the week. This led to a lot of frustration as I have been counting down for almost 7 weeks. BUT, I am now down to 1 crutch, so things are looking up.

While I was in Austin, I managed to have lunch at one of my favorite places: The Grove a wine bar and kitchen. I went with my little sister and because it was a particularly warm winter day, we got to sit out on their sunny patio. I ordered my favorite salad, Beth’s Berry Salad. It’s a spinach salad with raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, goat cheese, walnuts and red onions with a lemon-honey vinaigrette. Yummy perfection…until I dropped my phone in my salad while I was attempting to capture that bite in a photo. #foodiefail.

We also shared their bruschetta. I love that you can mix and match with any of their 10 or so choices. Always a hard choice, but we went with their pesto, ricotta & grape tomatoes; one with figs, brie & apples; and sausage, roasted peppers & goat cheese. My favorite was the pesto. MMMM.

The Grove is always a great spot for lunch or dinner–make sure you stop by when you’re in Austin.

Bon appétit,

ThatFoodieGirl

Watery bellinis, Second Bar and Kitchen and clementines

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Good morning foodie people!

It’s 9:30am and I’m AWAKE! I haven’t been up before 10:30am in the past 3 weeks. And I don’t feel bad because I need sleep to heal, right? Speaking of which, I only have 19 days left of being on crutches. Almost there…

What I really want to accomplish in this post is this. It’s a new year, and I want this blog to get better than ever. And there’s a couple of ways I want to do this. First of all, I’ll be working on the design of the blog and the overall user friendliness of the site. Second, I want to get more personal. I know I enjoy the blogs that let you in on their lives and what they’ve been up to, and dare to veer a bit off the foodie path. Now, that doesn’t mean I’m going to stop doing restaurant reviews. This just means I want to feel a little more free to just write a blog post that catches you up on some of the things I’ve been up to or been munching on.

One of those things I’ve been particularly enjoying is cuties (or clementines). I’ve seen lots of food bloggers including clementines in their photos of their meals, and they’re just too delicious this time of year.

Another highlight of my week was dining at Second Bar & Kitchen on 2nd St and Congress Ave. I’ve been meaning to try it out, but it’s a good 35 minutes from my house. This time I had a good excuse: a friend’s birthday. The ambiance was perfect, not too fancy, cool and comfortable with an edge. Dress up or down, but some waiters will be wearing tshirts so you sort of feel at home. The art work was really cool—the lights in the photo above was like a glorified chandelier above our heads.

These things were dangerous. Their black truffle pomme frites. Although I expected the traditional “pomme trite” a.k.a. thin fries, these thicker steak fries were to die for. If you like truffle, that is.

I do believe this restaurant deserves a full review, I wasn’t properly equipped with my brand new camera, so that’s why you only see crappy iPhone photos. Next time I go back, I will bring you a full review. To recap, I had their vertically roasted chicken breast with kale, sweet potato, apple-parsnip puree, little sourdough croutons and cider jus. That’s a bunch of fancy for DELICIOUS. I loved the incorporation of the winter veggies and the chicken just melted in your mouth.

And finally, the watery bellini. My family ate at CraigO’s, a pizza and pasteria, and we were not pleased with our experience. My bellini was tasteless and we waited about an hour to get the wrong pizza. It was super crowded with families and small children, so I’ll give them that. Either way, I’d be willing to give them another try, but I won’t be ordering a cocktail.

Have a lovely weekend and PONY UP! (My Mustangs are playing Pittsburgh today)

p.s. what do you all think of my new year’s ideas for this blog? Do you like the more informal posts as well? Or should I stick to more formal reviews? I want to hear from you all!

Bon appétit,

ThatFoodieGirl

The Clay Pit: a delicious Austin Indian eatery

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First of all, Happy 2012 everyone! This is my first post of the year, and I apologize for my mini hiatus. As a tiny little recap of my new year’s eve, I spent it at home in Austin this year (since I’m still recovering) and had families and friends over for a night of champagne, games and fireworks.

Above is one of my best friends, Stephanie. She’s actually afraid of sparklers but she managed to hold it still enough for the cutest photo of the night.

Ok, now on to one of my favorite restaurants in Austin: The Clay Pit.

What: Indian

Where: Austin

Just looking back on our photos from our giant Indian feast at the Clay Pit, my mouth is drooling. The food is that good. What made it even better was it was my entire family of 6. Always a good time. Especially when Maddy threatens me with a knife with a sweet little smile:

As my first restaurant using my new camera, I felt a little conspicuous with the large lens, but I think it’ll work. Our waiter was very enthusiastic and prompt, and kind of reminded me of my high school history teacher who was straight out of The Office. Nevertheless, it was great service.

The inside is large and comfortable, but we were seated in their back room that was a bit hard to hear. Because of the close quarters and about 10-12 tables, the acoustics weren’t right, but it was clear everyone was having a good time. When I go back, I think I’ll request to dine in the large room.

The food? Out of control delicious. We started off with some veggie and chicken samosas. The crust was flaky and melted in your mouth, the inside was the perfect blend of spices and filling.

I had the tandoori vegetables, served with a side of tikka masala sauce and basmati rice. I could have just eaten a bunch of rice with tikka masala sauce all night, but the veggies were an added bonus. Cooked in some sort of yellow curry and grilled up with spices in the tandoori oven, I got a large mound of all sorts of veggies. The tikka masala sauce was incredible as usual, not too spicy, not too creamy.

And the tandoori chicken was a hit at our table as well:

And no Indian meal is complete without the nan bread.

Overall, always an awesome experience If you are ever in the Austin area, I highly recommend Clay Pit. It’s perfect for big groups or small, Indian food lovers or not. Either way, you’re going to leave full and satisfied.

Bon appétit,

ThatFoodieGirl

ACL Food Heaven

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When you think of Austin City Limits festival, you think about the food right? Ok, well I do. Yes, there’s awesome music (this year was great!) but another important factor: the food. As usual, Austin did a great job with 30 different food stands all comprised of local restaurants ranging from Daily Juice to Torchy’s Tacos to Mighty Cone.

Mighty Cone

What: sliders & cones

Where: Austin, TX

If you saw from one of my previous Austin posts, I looove Mighty Cone. Owned and operated by the five star Hudson’s on the Bend (my family’s favorite restaurant in Austin), they serve up a special twist of their popular dish, the hot and crunchy trout. Instead, the Mighty Cone, a food truck on South Congress, serves up hot and crunchy chicken, avocado and shrimp wrapped in a tortilla with delicious cole slaw, served in a cone. It’s “chicken in a cone”! Sounds weird, I know, but it’s the most amazing chicken you’ll ever taste. At an awesome price too, especially for five star food.

The Mighty Cone got its start after Hudson’s on the Bend began serving their chicken/avocado/shrimp in a cone at ACL one year. After the crazy high demand and continuous long lines at the music festival for years, Hudson’s decided to make a permanent food truck that would serve those suckers year round. Now Austinites can get their fix whenever–they don’t have to wait for ACL to roll around!

This year, Mighty Cone had two separate stands, two lines and a million hungry people. It seems everyone found out about the little Mighty Cone secret. People come from near and far to get to ACL, and now everyone knew about the best food at the whole park.

And just for your viewing pleasure, here’s a little snippet of my ACL weekend:

Enjoy.

Bon appétit,

ThatFoodieGirl