Hickory

Kent Rathbun is one of the most highly acclaimed chefs and restaurateurs in DFW.  Both Jasper's and Abacus have been highly acclaimed by critics and diners alike.  He recently opened up Hickory, which is a causal restaurant that he describes as a "modern Texas roadhouse."  The menu is intriguing and serves up several Texas favorites, including barbecue, burgers, chili, and tacos.  Since it opened in June, I have dined there a couple of times and had the opportunity to sample several of the items.

Hickory Waffle Fries

For appetizers, the restaurant has several options with a twist on the traditional, including chili, fried green tomatoes, charred corn bread, Hickory waffle fries, and smoked sausage fondue.  I have sampled the Hickory waffle fries and the charred corn bread.  The corn bread is delicious and served with honey butter.  The Hickory Waffle Fries are topped with Maytag blue cheese, bacon, and scallions.  If you have ever had Rathbun's Maytag blue cheese potato chips at Jasper's, then you will notice that the Hickory waffle fries are basically the fry version of this dish.  The waffle fries themselves are excellent and have a very strong blue cheese taste.  I personally liked this twist on the traditional cheese fries, but would have preferred to have a little more bacon and scallions on my order.

I was also able to sample some of his smoked meat.  On my first visit, I ordered the Meat Lovers Combo with Wagyu Brisket, Smoked Turkey, and their sausage of the day, which was Chorizo.  The brisket was smoked well, had well rendered fat, and was better than I had anticipated.  Unfortunately, a quality bark was lacking on the serving I received.  The turkey had a nice smokey flavor, but was a little too chewy for my taste.  Perhaps my favorite of the three, the sausage had a nice little kick to it and I liked the texture of the course ground sausage.

Meat Lovers Combo

As much as I liked the barbecue, I was also impressed with the 44 Farms Burger.  This burger was served with a pepper crusted bacon, scallion hollandaise sauce, and an egg which I had cooked over medium.  The overall flavor of the burger was great, the bacon was top notch, and I liked the egg cooked over medium because it wasn't quite as runny as some other burgers I have had with eggs.

44 Farms Burger

Sides are impressive here as well.  Although I have only tried the Texas Cheddar Mac & Cheese and the Backstrap Molasses Baked Beans, both were terrific.  The mac & cheese was topped with Parmesan cornbread crumbles and somewhat spicy, but not so much that it overwhelmed the cheddar taste.  The beans were my favorite of the two dishes.  They had a very sweet taste and were topped with two slices of thick cut peppered bacon.

Texas Cheddar Mac & Cheese and Backstrap Molasses Bake Beans

The Texas Sized Chocolate Cupcake is the only dessert I have tried so far, but it had an excellent chocolate flavor, was very moist, and was served with a warm chocolate topping.   The restaurant has a warm and cozy feel to it and the servers work hard to please.  I had a few questions that they couldn't answer regarding menu items, but that is expected with a new restaurant and a staff that is still learning the ropes as well.  I think Rathbun has another winner with Hickory.   I wouldn't hesitate to go back here again and I know that I will have to go back very soon because I still haven't tried the burnt end chili or ribs yet!

Texas Sized Chocolate Cupcake

Hickory
http://www.hickoryplano.com
Livin the Good Life Rating=3

Gourdough's

Austin is very well known for the quality of cuisine that is dished out from the city's food trucks and food trailers.  One can find anything from barbecue to sushi and I have thoroughly enjoyed most of what I have sampled from food trucks in Austin.  On my last full day in Austin, some buddies and I hit up Gourdough's for a gluttonous late night snack.  Who can't pass up a donut trailer that stays open until 3 a.m.?

When we first arrived I was in awe of the large menu and the different ingredients that topped their donuts.  Between the three of us, we ordered eight total donuts.  What we didn't know is that these donuts were gargantuan and piled high with toppings.  Never one to back down from a challenge (the three of us knocked out six pounds of barbecue plus sides at Franklin Barbecue earlier in the day), we sat down to indulge ourselves in these donuts.

I tried four of the eight donuts myself and have included their names and ingredients below:

Mother Clucker-Fried Chicken Strip Pieces with Honey Butter

Son of a Peach-Peach Filling, Cinnamon, Sugar, and Cake Mix Topping

Porkey's-Canadian Bacon, Cream Cheese and Jalapeno Jelly

Flying Pig-Bacon and Maple Syrup Icing

All four donuts I tried ranged from "amazing" to "I would drive three and a half hours just to eat these for breakfast."  My favorite was the "Mother Clucker", but the "Flying Pig" was delightful as well.  After eating at Franklin Barbecue and Gourdough's in the same day, I felt like I had experienced culinary nirvana.  If you live in the Austin area and have not been to Gourdough's yet, then you should be ashamed of yourself!

Gourdough's
http://gourdoughs.com/
Livin the Good Life Rating=5

Micklethwait Craft Meats

In my opinion, Austin is now the barbecue capital of Texas.  With all due respect to the triumvirate in Lockhart, the city of Austin now has your beat.  One of the places that I have been wanting to try the last couple of years is Micklethwait Craft Meats.  For various reasons, my schedule has not allowed it.  Luckily, this was the year that I got to try the barbecue trailer that both the Austin Chronicle and the Austin American-Statesman ranked in their top five barbecue joints in Austin.  I actually dined here twice on this trip because they had several menu items that my stomach could not make room for on my first visit. 

Andouille Sausage, Pork Spare Ribs, Lemon Poppy Cole Slaw, and Jalapeno Cheese Grits

Brisket

On my first visit, I ordered the three meat plate with brisket, ribs, and their sausage of the day, which was Andouille.  The brisket (both the lean and the fatty) was very good, with a nice hint of smoke, well rendered fat, and a very nice bark.  Cut appropriately thick, the brisket melted in your mouth.  The ribs were very tender, easily pulled of the bone, and had a dry rub that was peppery with a hint of sweetness.  As for the sausage, I can't remember ever having better Andouille anywhere.  The plate came with two sides and I ordered the jalapeno cheese grits and the lemon poppy cole slaw.  Sides usually take a back burner at barbecue joints, but the grits were some of the best I have ever had and the cole slaw was unique and refreshing.

Barbacoa

On my second visit, I ordered the three meat plate again.  This time I ordered the barbacoa in lieu of the rib and the sausage of the day was red curry sausage.  The brisket was once again very good, but I actually preferred the very tender and expertly seasoned barbacoa.  The red curry sausage was just okay, especially in comparison to the excellent Andouille I had on the previous visit.  For my sides, I once again ordered the jalapeno cheese grits, but also got the beans.  The beans were commendable too, but I actually preferred the cole slaw to the beans.

Homemade Moon Pie

After reading various articles and blog posts about Micklethwait's Homemade Moon Pies, I knew I had to try on of those as well and was amazed at how good it really was compared to the store-bought versions.  This dessert was the cherry on top of a terrific meal and was about double the size of the mass-produced ones you find in your local grocery store.  The line at Micklethwait Craft Meats is considerably shorter than some of the other barbecue locations in town.  Despite the shorter line, the quality of smoked meats is top notch and comparable to other Austin barbecue joints that I have ranked highly.  Due yourself a favor and try this quaint little trailer out, because you will not be disappointed.

Micklethwait Craft Meats
http://craftmeats.com/
Livin the Good Life Rating=4

Old School Bar and Grill

When I travel to a new city for work or a vacation, I frequently scout out restaurants ahead of time and try to hit as many highly rated places as I can.  Occasionally I like walking around and just stopping somewhere in the area that I am visiting and this is how I stumbled upon Old School Bar and Grill.  Some friends and I decided to have dinner together and thought we would just walk to 6th Street and find somewhere to eat.  After checking out a few places, we finally deciding to try this restaurant.

We were all starving and we decided to start with the Chicken Spinach Quesadillas.  These quesadillas were really good and had just the right blend of chicken, spinach, and pepper jack cheese.  The guacamole that came with them was also commendable.

Zilker Park Burger and Fries

I was in the mood for a burger and the restaurant had several that sounded appetizing.  After having an inner debate with myself, I finally decided to try the Zilker Park Burger, which was topped with guacamole, bacon, mayonnaise, and pepper jack cheese.  The burger was large with a juicy patty and the bun was light and slightly toasted.  The guacamole was the same delicious guacamole served with the quesadillas and blended well with the other ingredients.  The fries were perfectly cooked and seasoned with just the right amount of salt.

Creme Brûlée 

Our waiter recommended that we try the Creme Brûlée, which he claimed was so good that they only offered this one dessert choice.  This dessert was sweet, but not too sweet, and had a perfectly caramelized sugar crust.  I am usually not a huge fan of this dessert, but this was one of the better ones I have had in the last couple of years.  Other members of my party had the Club Sandwich and the Texas Two Step Burger.  They each gave their choices a thumbs up.  The service was as good as the food and we were all happy that we decided to stop in and try Old School Bar and Grill. 

Old School Bar and Grill
http://oldschoolaustin.com/
Livin the Good Life Rating=3

Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken

Fried chicken can be a marvelous meal when it is done right.  Having heard good things about Gus's Wold Famous Fried Chicken, I knew I had to try it out this year since it was only two blocks from my conference in Austin.  One publication even lists this restaurant as one of the 21 Best Fried Chicken Restaurants in America.  While this small chain has several locations, Austin is currently the only Texas city that has a Gus's.

A co-worker and I arrived early for lunch and I was surprised to find that the only seats available for us were at the bar.  Since there was not another option, we snatched those up and placed our order.  I had the Three Piece White Plate with beans and fries, while my coworker ordered the Chicken Tender Plate.   My chicken was juicy and had a slightly spicy batter.  While not the best chicken I have ever tried, Gus's was certainly better than average.  My co-worker enjoyed the chicken strips too, but we both thought our sides were fairly pedestrian.

Three Piece White Meat Plate with Fries and Beans

We both ordered a piece of pie before leaving.  He had the Pecan Pie and I had the Chocolate Chess Pie.  His pie was good, but I thought mine was exceptional.   By the time we left, there was a line thirty deep waiting to be seated.  Luckily, the friendly staff at Gus's does a good job of getting food out quickly and most patrons are in and out in less than thirty minutes.  Overall the food was pretty good, but I don't think it lived up to the hype I read in several reviews of this place.

Chocolate Chess Pie and Pecan Pie

Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken
http://gusfriedchicken.com/
Livin the Good Life Rating=3

Italic

Seared Calamari

On the second night of my conference in Austin, my father-in-law invited me to dine with him.  He lives in Austin part-time and recommended that we dine at a new Italian restaurant that he really liked.  The restaurant, Italic, was only five blocks from my hotel, so we met for an early dinner in downtown  Austin.

Tuscan White Bean Soup

The first item we tried was the Seared Calamari, which was garnished with minced olives, blood oranges, mint, escarole, and almonds.  While I am used to fried calamari, this was my first time to try it seared and I was very impressed by the flavor.  I also had a bowl of the Tuscan White Bean Soup.  This soup was very rich, but the white beans, kale, Italian sausage, red chili flakes, and parmigiano combined to make a fantastic soup.  

Soppressata Pizaa

For our main course, we decided to split a Soppressata Pizza and the Niman Ranch Two-Bone Tomahawk Pork Chop.  The pizza was topped with a spicy soppressata, fontina, honey, red chili flakes, and basil.  Although it was a very good pizza, it was my least favorite menu item that I tried.  The pork chop was tender and juicy.  It was also topped with a chile agrodolce sauce, which was actually very sweet and was a perfect compliment to the pork.

Niman Ranch Two-Bone Tomahawk Pork Chop

As you can probably tell by now, I was very impressed with this restaurnt.  The food and the service were both terrific.  While the calamari was probably my favorite menu item I had on this night, I really did like everything that I tried.  A table next to us had two desserts that looked appetizing, but I was too full to eat another bite.  I will make it a point to try a dessert on my next visit. 

Italic
http://italicaustin.com
Livin the Good Life Rating=4