Lonesome Dove Bistro-Austin

Tim Love owns and operates one of my favorite restaurants in Fort Worth, Lonesome Dove Bistro.  Recently he opened up a second location of in Austin.  Since my wife and I are big fans of the Fort Worth location, I decided that we must visit the new location while in Austin and see how it compared.  Lucky for us, the Austin location of Lonesome Dove Bistro was just 3 blocks from our hotel where we were staying, the JW Marriott Austin.

Fettine Trio

While dining there with some friends from Houston, we sampled several items.  While looking over the menu, we started with the Fettine Trio.  The Fettine trio included duck-rattlesnake sausage fettine, elk-pork fettine, and lamb-quail fettine.  Although I didn't love the version with the lamb, the other two were absolutely amazing.

Nilgai Antelope Nachos

For appetizers, we ordered several items to share for the table.  The three that we ordered were the Nilgai Antelope Tenderloin Carpaccio Nachos, the Blue Corn Lobster Hushpuppies, and the Deviled Gulf Coast Blue Crabs.  The deviled blue crabs were my favorite of the three, but they were all exceptional and I would not hesitate to order any of the three again.

Blue Corn Lobster Hushpuppies

Following appetizers, I also ordered the Winter Squash Soup.  The soup had great flavor and texture.  It was one of the best soups I have had in recent memory and it had a sweet taste that I really liked.   It was also topped with the shaved grana padano cheese, which was also flavorful.

Winter Squash Soup

For our main course, all four of us ordered the house speciality, which is the Roasted Garlic Stuffed Beef Tenderloin.  This cut of meat was especially tender, had excellent flavor, and was topped with a great mop sauce.  The Western plaid hash and grilled asparagus were both very good as well.  My wife and I also chose to share a side of the burnt carrots, which were about as good as carrots could be.  

Roasted Garlic Stuffed Beef Tenderloin

Burnt Carrots

For dessert, the table share an order of the Ancho Chile Chocolate Cake and the Churros.  The chocolate cake was very moist, topped with ice cream, and you could even taste a slight hint of ancho chile.  The churros were good in their own right, but were even better when dipped in the raspberry, chocolate, and caramel sauces.

Churros

Ancho Chile Chocolate Cake

Since we made our way through such a large portion of the menu, I was about as full as I could ever remember being.  The service was spectacular, but the food was even better.  This location lived up the high expectations I had experience of the Fort Worth location and I would highly recommend anyone to try this place out.  You will not be disappointed.

Lonesome Dove Bistro
http://lonesomedoveaustin.com
Livin the Good Life Rating=5

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

Cedar Door Bar and Grill

I recently attended a conference in Austin, which happens to be one of my favorite foodie cities.  On our first night in town, some colleagues and I decided to grab a bite to eat somewhere close to our hotel.  After reading some reviews of Cedar Door Bar and Grill, we decided to walk a couple of blocks and try it out.

White Wings

For a starter, our waitress recommended the White Wings.  This appetizer consisted of pieces of chicken breast and jalapeño slices that were wrapped in bacon and covered in buffalo sauce.  I must say that these little bites were absolutely delicious and didn't last very long on the plate.  I even considered getting a second order of them, but I held off because I was also eagerly anticipating trying my entree.

Chicken Fried Steak, Yukon Mashed Potatoes, and Bacon Braised Collard Greens

The Chicken Fried Steak with jalapeño gravy was too tempting to pass up, so I decided to order it and forgo a healthier choice.  The chicken fried steak was huge, had a great batter, and the gravy was fantastic.  While the Yukon mashed potatoes were pedestrian at best, the bacon braised collard greens were some of the best I have ever had.  

Blackened Catfish and Mahi Tacos

Other members of my party ordered the Blackened Catfish and the Mahi tacos.  They both liked there dishes and were as impressed as I was by the food.  The service was great on this visit as well and our waitress was well versed on the menu items when making recommendations and answering questions.  If you are in the downtown Austin area and looking for a patio to grab a bite to eat, I recommend you try this place.

Patio Area at Cedar Door Bar and Grill

Cedar Door Bar and Grill
http://www.cedardooraustin.com
Livin the Good Life Rating=4

Micheladas Cafe y Cantina

I was craving Mexican food on my last evening in Austin and my buddy said that Mexican sounded good to him. There are several choices in the downtown area, but many of them are chains.   I wanted to dine at a restaurant that we do not have in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, so I asked the concierge at our hotel which restaurant he recommended .  He recommended Michelada's Cafe y Cantina and told us that it was only a couple blocks away from the hotel.

Green Chile and Corn Crab Dip

We landed at Michelada's within minutes and sat down to look over the menu.  For a starter, we ordered a crab dip that included corn and green chiles.  At first bite, I was in love.  The green chiles, corn, and crab blended together to make one of the most phenomenal crab dips I have ever had.  The chips and salsa were also very good, but I could no get enough of the crab dip.

Green Chile Pork Tacos

For my entree, I ordered the green chile pork tacos.  That menu item is not currently listed on the online menu, but I can assure you that they were wonderful. These very flavorful tacos were served with rice and charro beans.  The rice was pretty basic, but the charro beans were laudable.  My colleague ordered the beef enchiladas with rice and charro beans.  He gave a big thumbs up to the enchiladas and was also impressed with the beans.

Beef Enchiladas

Michelada's definitely hit the spot and fulfilled our craving for Mexican food.  In addition to the great food, the service is absolutely exceptional.  The staff fawned over us during our meal and we never had to ask for refills of water or chips.  Over the years, I have dined at dozens of Mexican food restaurants in Austin and I can honestly say that Michelada's is one of the best I have ever had in the city.  If you are in the downtown Austin area and looking for some really good Mexican food, I highly recommend Michelada's Cafe y Cantina.

Micheladas Cafe y Cantina
http://www.micheladasaustin.com/micheladas.html
Livin the Good Life Rating=4

Jo's

The infamous Iced Turbo

While in Austin, a work colleague and I were craving breakfast and decided to go to Jo's.  This restaurant had been recommended to me by a couple of locals, so we thought we would give it a shot.  At Jo's, patrons order at the counter, take a number, and wait to have your meal delivered.

Menu board and dining area

The Iced Turbo is one item that was highly recommended to me by the locals.  I am usually not a big drinker of iced coffee and prefer hot coffee, but decided to give the Iced Turbo a chance.   This particular iced coffee had exceptional flavor and was strong.  The drink was sweet, but it wasn't too sweet for me.  Although I probably wouldn't want to replace this drink with my daily coffee, it would certainly be nice for a change of pace from my routine of drinking a pot of coffee a day.

Sourdough French Toast

For food, I ordered the Sourdough French Toast and a breakfast taco with bacon,cheese, and eggs.  The French Toast was very good and it had plenty of fresh berries on top.  The breakfast taco wasn't anything special and could have used more bacon, but the tortilla was fresh and the salsa was flavorful.  My colleague ordered the Huevos Rancheros.  Since he practically licked the plate clean, I am assuming he was liked his meal as well.

Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Breakfast Taco

Jo's has a good sized breakfast menu, laudable food, and quick service.  If you are looking for a place in downtown Austin to grab breakfast, I suggest you give Jo's a chance.  When you go, make sure that you drink the Iced Turbo.  You can thank me later.

Huevos Rancheros

Jo's
http://www.joscoffee.com/
Livin the Good Life Rating=3

Lamberts Downtown Barbecue

On a recent trip to Austin, I found some time to dine at Lamberts Downtown Barbecue.  Lamberts has been on my barbecue destination"wishlist" ever since Texas Monthly included it in it's Top 50 Barbecue Joints in Texas.  In the new barbecue capital of Texas, Lamberts is quite a bit different from many of the other barbecue joints in Austin and is said to serve "fancy barbecue."  Lamberts was only a half mile from my hotel, so some work colleagues and I took a short stroll to see what the restaurant had to offer.

Trio of Barbecue Sauces

Our group arrived hungry and we started with a trio of appetizers that included Crispy Wild Boar Ribs, Broiled Oysters, and Deviled Eggs.  The ribs were much smaller than I had anticipated but had excellent flavor that reminded me somewhat of buffalo wings.  They were basted in honey and sambal, which gave it both a nice kick and a sweet aftertaste.  I did not try the deviled eggs, but the oysters were fantastic.  I am not usually a fan of oysters, but these were exceptionally good.  The restaurant also gives each table a plate of jalapeno corn muffins and butter, which were quickly devoured by our group.

Clockwise from top left-Crispy Wild Boar Ribs, Broiled Gulf Oysters, Deviled Eggs, and Jalapeño Corn Muffins

Our waitress told us that Lamberts was well known for their steaks, but I was here to eat barbecue.  I ordered the Black Angus Brisket with pickled escabeche.  Other members of my party also ordered the brisket and one person ordered the ribeye  The brisket plate included both lean and fatty slices.  I was impressed with the quality and flavor of the bark, but I found the brisket lacking in the smoke department.  The member of our group that ordered the ribeye said it had terrific flavor, but was cooked closer to medium rather than the rare steak he ordered.

Brisket with pickled escabeche

For sides, our table ordered the baked mac and cheese, the mashed potatoes, and the fried okra with spicy remoulade.  All the sides were good, but the mac and cheese was outstanding.  The fried okra and remoulade was also worthy of praise.  The okra was long cut and had a fantastic batter.  

Baked Mac n Cheese and Mashed Potatoes

Even though I was unsure if I could take another bite, I went ahead and ordered the banana bourbon pudding for dessert.  The pudding was above average, but I was unable to finish it because the portion was larger than I expected.  Two other members of our group shared the coconut cream pie and they both gave it a thumbs up.

Banana Bourbon Pudding

We all enjoyed our visit to Lamberts and the service was outstanding.  I really wished they would have had a three meat plate available on the dinner menu, because I would have liked to have sampled some of the other smoked meats as well.  Although the brisket had decent flavor, I was much more impressed with the appetizers and sides at Lamberts.  If you are going to dine at Lamberts, I recommend that you make reservations because it tends to get packed quickly at dinner time.

Lamberts Downtown Babecue

http://www.lambertsaustin.com

Livin the Good Life Rating=3