San Antonio, Revisited

I jetted off to San Antonio for a quick overnight for work, and I loved it.  I was last there for work a year ago (read about it here), and once again it included some delicious adventures!  I've found that once your coworkers know that you have a thing for food, they put a lot of care into picking out places to go eat.  I'm fortunate that my boss, also on the trip, is a foodie too, so I had a very happy tummy.

Pretty tiles in San Antonio

The first place I ate is known more for their upscale dinners than lunches, but their lunch is probably the best deal in town!  Bohanan’s Prime Steaks & Seafood is classy to its core.  The restaurant, open for dinner, is upstairs, but the beautiful bar downstairs is open during lunch.  The prices for lunch are very reasonable, and we loved the smaller portion sizes.  I chose one of the house specialties, braised akaushi short ribs over pappardelle noodles.

The food was absolutely delicious.  I would go back and eat the same dish in a heartbeat!  The service was impeccable, both attentive and professional.  The bread they served was hot and wonderful too.  What a beautiful experience!

After our work was done, we headed to the Pearl brewery area as I had last trip, where I made a beeline to Bakery Lorraine for more macarons.  I had pistachio (x2), strawberry, Earl Grey, salted caramel, and raspberry.  LOVE LOVE LOVE!  My Instagram post caption got some chuckles from folks: "If loving macarons is basic, my pH level is like a 14."  If you get it, we can be friends.

For dinner, we had a reservation at Cured next door.  I LOVE MEAT.  (That's what she said.)  Y'all know that.  So to go to a restaurant centered around their meat was right up my alley.  And isn't the old building they chose just stunning?  I was excited to try it, given I'd briefly met the chef a year ago while eating at Bakery Lorraine.

The first thing you see upon entering the restaurant?  Meat curing.  Yep.  So it's no wonder that we started our meal with charcuterie!

We had Apple Jalapeno Pork Rillettes, Bresaola, Smoked Duck Ham, 90 Day Pork Belly, a lamb pick (I'm not a lamb person), and cheese.  I would venture to say you NEED to try charcuterie when you're here.  They can help you make your picks, and it's killer.  For dinner, I was hoping to try their pork chop, but they'd just run out.  I settled for grilled flat iron steak, which came with fries.  OMG.  It has been a long time since I enjoyed such a tender, well-seasoned steak.  Awesome place and concept!

Our last big meal was lunch at El Bucanero, a Mexican seafood restaurant.  I must admit, I was nervous about this one.  The menu has some pictures, but not much description outside of names in Spanish.  The decor is seafood-related and kind of cheesy.  It's casual, loud, and packed with people.  Not to mention, fish and seafood are not my favorite thing in the whole world.  I stayed quiet, wanting to play the part of "super cool foodie" as we ventured in.

We ordered an absolutely enormous Hawaiian-themed ceviche... it was a mix of fruit, seafood, all served up in half a pineapple.  I mean, it was a mountain.  And you know what? I liked it!  I have a personal policy that I'm always going to try something once, food-wise.  I may not love it, but at least I gave it a go.

For my lunch, I chose fried fish tacos.  They were delicious!  I almost detoured and ordered some traditional, non-seafood fare, but after the delight of the ceviche, I had a "when in Rome" moment and decided to get fish!  Definitely a happy surprise.

San Antonio, you're wonderful.  I loved staying on the Riverwalk again, and taking a morning walk along its edge.  I hope to come back again, visit the Missions, eat more food, and absorb the culture of this great city!

Dallas in Snapshots

I went to Dallas in April for a weeklong work trip, and while I spent most of the time in the hotel, we stayed at the Gaylord Texan...  so it was a really good place to be stuck!

Atrium in the Gaylord Texan

It was a beautiful resort, but I (biased!) like the Gaylord in Nashville better...  our atrium feels more jungle-y and unique.  But I did love the stores, the rooms with their balconies, the Starbucks/market, and the venue in general.

You may remember this picture from Instagram, but it was one of my fav snaps from the trip.  Bringing slippers on a trip to wear around the hotel is my little trip to feeling comfy and at home.  I was chillin'!

I had a free night, so I was able to meet up with my friend from middle/high school, AC.  We ate delicious pizzas at Fireside Pies.  Sorry no pics, but I do remember it was delicious!

I had fun with my coworkers too.  We did a volunteer event at an animal shelter, and we got to snuggle adoptable puppies.  PUPPIES!  I work for a pet food company, so that's what's up.

Overall, conference weeks aren't my favorite.  You're trapped in windowless rooms, getting fat because you I have no buffet willpower, and you're away from home.  But then you get to see friends, spend time with your best friends at work, and experience just a little bit of a new place.  I can't say that I really got to see much of Dallas, but it was a nice trip.

Oh, and when in Texas...  Whataburger!!!  It was really tasty.  It wasn't as good as Shake Shack or In-N-Out, but it was a solid fast food burger.  I'd eat it again!

Guess I need to get back to Dallas sometime... and see more than just the resort!

Austin Weekend: LBJ Presidential Library, Bullock Texas State History Museum, Capitol, & The Drag

We didn't plan much ahead of time for our Austin trip... so the first night there we were on my laptop brainstorming what to do.  I was like, "Let's do a Segway tour!" And Dan was like EFF NO and suggested the LBJ Presidential Library instead.  Nerd couples FTW!

The first word that came to mind when I saw the library was, "Is that some kind of weird monolith?"  Maybe that's not the right word but the building was surely imposing.  I wondered why there weren't more windows, but then I thought about how sunlight can damage archives and understood.  Cool.

The exhibits really taught me a lot about a President I don't think much about... he was President during a pretty crazy time, with civil rights and Vietnam sort of colliding all at once!  I think that the museum definitely put a glossy spin on the overall Presidency of LBJ, but that's to be expected; there were a lot of realities addressed too.  I also liked the gallery of Presidents and First Ladies, though it might be interesting what they call it when the first woman becomes President someday.  First Spouses?

On the top floor, there is a 7/8 replica Oval Office, and a beautifully preserved Lady Bird Johnson's office.  Can I please have a personal replica of her office for my own use, please?  So retro chic!

His and Hers Offices

We decided to walk from the library to the State Capitol, passing through the UT Austin campus.  We spotted the Bullock Texas State History Museum, and we decided to check it out!  The Whole Foods global kitchen exhibit really drew me in.  I did learn a lot about the state's history that I didn't know!  I guess you kind of learn more about the history of the state in which you grew up, right?

We were starting to get hungry, and I saw there was an area west of campus called The Drag with some Asian food spots.  We settled on Emo's Kitchen for Korean food!  We had some spicy ramen and Korean BBQ that really hit the spot.  Good prices too, just $6 for a giant bowl of ramen!  You knew it was legit because the rice came with beans in it, and almost everyone there was Korean.  Word.

Oh, and then I had to get some milk tea and boba at Coco's Cafe.  Of course.  It was warm out, so it was the perfect way to stay cool!

We then walked to the Capitol and explored the grounds.  It's a pretty impressive building for sure!  Everything really is bigger in Texas.

This was probably our nerdiest day in Texas, but a good way to get to know the city!

Austin Weekend: Rainey Street & 6th Street

During our vacation, we spent time on two of what I'd call the most boozy streets in Austin: Rainey Street and Sixth Street.

Rainey Street came highly recommended to us by a bunch of folks, and we loved it.  It's kind of hipster alley, with tons of good food and drinks along a pedestrian-family stretch.  We hit up Craft Pride for some great beers, and ate a tasty Detroit-style pizza from the Via 313 outpost in its patio area.  Via 313 pizzas popped up all over Austin, and we definitely liked their pie.

We split one of their pizzas, though we each could have probably finished one.  We got their Detroiter pizza, which has two types of pepperoni (one under the cheese, one on top) and I added pineapple to the top of mine.  It was greasy, but delicious pizza.  Great sauce and cheese ratio, great toppings.  I had to look up what a "Detroit style" pizza entailed, and it's all about that deep dish with crispy edges.  Via 313 hit the spot and I wish I could have some right now!

We then walked up the street to one of the bars that we liked most architecturally, Container Bar.  Constructed out of metal shipping containers, it had a cool vibe.  There were plenty of people there, playing cornhole and hanging out.

There were a lot of dogs out and about with their owners too, which I liked seeing!  As long as there are leashes, Austin seems to be a pretty dog-friendly city.

There was also a little taco stand/food truck that you could access from Container Bar, which we took advantage of for a snack of chips and salsa.  The salsa packed some heat!

Later in our exploring, we ended up on 6th.  To me, 6th Street seemed the equivalent of Nashville's Broadway, a strip of touristy bars that locals prefer to avoid for the most part, but fun stuff nonetheless.  Of course, I was immediately distracted by Voodoo Doughnuts.  While the original is in Portland, that didn't stop me from grabbing a couple of doughnuts for us.

Dan wasn't overly excited about doughnuts (he didn't want to have to carry a big pink box around) but he ended up eating 2/3 of what we bought.  Ha!

One of the nights we spent in Austin was a Sunday, and our Airbnb did not have cable.  So Dan was worried about how we were going to watch The Walking Dead, of course!  We found out that a bar on 6th Street, The Jackalope, plays the show on Sunday nights when it airs.  It was kind of awesome to show up, order a drink and dinner, and have the music stop and all of the TVs go to the same show with full sound.  It was also kind of cool to see how other people reacted to the show's twists and turns.

Rainey Street was probably one of our favorite little enclaves of Austin during our trip, but 6th Street had some fun to offer too.

Do you have a favorite spot in Austin?

Austin Weekend: East Austin & East Cesar Chavez

My coworker recommended that we try to stay in East Austin for our trip, knowing our propensity for having good food and drink as a priority!  She couldn't have been more right... I loved East Austin and East Cesar Chavez!

One of her tips was to grab breakfast at Hillside Farmacy, on 11th street.  We walked there from our Airbnb.  I loved the inside, which definitely reminded me of an old apothecary, but the weather was so gorgeous we decided to eat outside.

I started with their hibiscus lemonade, which was out of this world delicious!  (And beautifully pink!)  They have a bunch of other homemade fountain sodas from which to choose too. 

For breakfast, Dan got blueberry pancakes and brown butter.  We also split an order of their home fries. OMG those crispy potatoes were the bomb.  As in, MUST GET THEM.  Perfectly fried and delightful.

As for me?  I had the fried egg sandwich, minus the sprouts but adding bacon.  The avocado and fried green tomatoes count as my veggies (sort of), right?

This is my favorite food pic from our whole trip.

We also had a couple of breakfasts at Cenote, just a couple of blocks from where we stayed.  I loved their iced chai with almond milk, and their breakfast burrito was awesome.  I had chorizo and avocado on mine, and it was delicious.  The burrito probably could feed two people, as the portions were huge!  I loved the outside space at Cenote too; it was definitely a neighborhood hangout.

Another neighborhood favorite we visited was Las Trancas, a local taco truck.  It had rave reviews on Yelp, so we figured it was worth checking out.  There was a steady stream of people lined up, so you knew it was good!  We each got three tacos; I had Barbacoa, Pastor, and Asada, with cilantro.  These were basic, no-frills, authentic tacos.  Delicious and simple!

There was also some cool street art in the neighborhood too.  I joked to Dan that this mural was perfect for us, as some of his tattoos are skull-related...  maybe this should be his next one?

And of course this one.  Of course.  Because bacon.

It was also bluebonnet season!  If we had passed a field of them, we probably would have stopped, but this pic will have to suffice.  How pretty they are!

We also grabbed drinks at Brew & Brew, a coffee shop/craft beer spot.  It was weirdly quiet, with a bunch of hipsters on Macbooks drinking silently, so we bailed after a drink.  Good selection though, and great to-go bottles available!  We also had a drink at dive bar Violet Crown Social Club.   While divey, there were plenty of people and the booths were really nice!  Perfectly located next to a Via 313 pizza food truck, so definitely a primo spot for boozing.

Overall, if I had to pick a neighborhood in Austin to relocate, I think I'd end up in East Austin.  But then again, judging by the prices on the rise and the new construction in the 'hood, it's Austin's version of 12South or East Nashville... so it would be out of our range pretty soon!

Austin Weekend: Jester King Brewery and Salt Lick BBQ

As those of you who read my blog may know, I travel quite a bit for work.  One of the perks is being able to leverage things like airline miles... so Dan and I decided in January to book a 4-day weekend in Austin, Texas!

One of the things Dan was looking most forward to was visiting Jester King Brewery and his friend Jeff, who started the brewery.  So we didn't waste any time, hopping into a Car2Go (more on that in another post) and driving straight there from the airport!

It couldn't have been a more perfect day to visit the brewery.

The place has grown a ton since Dan's first visit there, and it was packed!  Lines to get beer were long, but everyone seemed to be having a wonderful time.  Being in the Texas Hill Country was definitely beautiful, and the whole place reminded me more of a country winery than any other brewery I've been to... and I mean that in a complimentary way!  I loved it out there.

We were able to join one of Jeff's tours to see the inside of the brewery space; Dan loves seeing how different and unique breweries are doing things!

(left) Jeff and (right) Happy Dan

Another perk?  Fresh off seeing them in February on my San Antonio trip, my friend JC and her daughter M made the drive to see us for the day too!  M loved the ice in our beer bucket.  We sampled a bunch of beers, including some of the many offered at Jester King that are from other breweries, wineries, and cideries.

But drinking beer makes me hungry!  So we headed about twenty minutes south to another crowded venue: Salt Lick BBQ in Driftwood.  Dan joked that I jammed his two must-haves for Austin into one day, but it made sense since we were already out in Hill Country.  The parking lot was packed, and the line just to check in was long...  we were given a 90-120 minute wait time, but we were seated more around 60 minutes after we arrived.  You can also order food "to go", which was a 45 minute wait, which I noticed a lot of families did.  (Everything is cash only, FYI.)  There's a children's play area with tons of tables, so people brought their food out there.

The long wait didn't deter us (although JC and Dan will tell you I did devolve into a hangry state for a bit).  We took M to the playground (she loved doing the slide over and over!) and I got to see if the Doctor was in his TARDIS... he must have been eating ribs.

Once we were seated, we ordered right away to chow down!  All of us adults indulged in Thurman's Choice plates with brisket, pork ribs, and sausage.  I had a double helping of the potato salad (one scoop substituted for slaw, which isn't my thing) and they bring you pickles and bread if you ask.  I'd eaten at the Salt Lick in Round Rock on a visit back in 2011, so I was excited to eat at the original.  The brisket was outstanding as I remembered, and the potato salad doesn't have mayonnaise from what I can tell; it's more of their yellow BBQ sauce than anything.  But I think this trip my favorite was the sausage!  I couldn't get enough of it.

Dan watched M while JC and I went to check out their big open pit.  LOOK AT THE MEAT.  I mean, hello.  Amazing.  Welcome to Texas.  Thank you, ma'am.

Me and JC

What better way to start our Austin vacation?