No boom this week. Boom next week.
I am sorry to say that I don't think this is ambrosial barbecue. But it is pretty good.
Actually, I think I like Cooper's slightly better than (the old) Kreuz Market, mostly because of the atmosphere. As Lawrence notes, the free soft drink refills, bread, and onions help, but the meat is central. I was impressed by the selection of meats (including sirloin and pork chops, as well as the usual suspects), and the prices ($20 = about two days worth of dinner).
So where are the flaws? One flaw is, of course, my stock complaint: no potatos (other than chips and "salad"). Another: the meat seemed to have dried out a bit by the time we got there at 6 PM: lunch might be a better time to hit Cooper's. The sauce seemed thin and tasteless: sort of like a North Carolina barbecue sauce, but without the vinegar bite. Then there's the odd ice tea setup: you can get sweetened or unsweetened tea, but there's no sugar or sweetner if you want to sweeten your tea yourself.
Would I go back? You bet. Would I drive or ride 75 miles just to do so? Depends on the company, but probably not. Will I try to get over next time I'm near Johnson City or Fredericksburg? You bet.
Named by Texas Monthly as one of the three best barbecue places in Texas, Cooper's has much to recommend it. Though it has some of the same small town BBQ institution feel as Kreuz Market in Lockhart, Cooper's has the advantage of offering unlimited soft drink refills (at least for Dr Pepper), plus free bread, onions and jalapenos. Potato salad (which was extra) is pretty good, but not in the same league as that at Texas Rib King). The brisket ranks among the best I've had, and the sirloin steak was tasty as well (though I'm not still not sure barbecuing is optimal use of the meat). The sausage and ribs were OK, but not as good as Kreuz Market. The pork chop varied in quality: the area nearest fat deposits were utterly delicious, but the center parts were too dry. I would recommend avoiding the chops and opting for steak or brisket instead. Between the two, I'd have to give Kreuz Market the edge for the barbecue itself; however, the staff seemed a lot more cheerful at Cooper's, and the sides more generous.
Cooper's is certainly good barbecue, but it's questionable whether it's quite good enough to justify the trip from Austin, especially with the Salt Lick in Driftwood and Crosstown in Elgin offering better fare for shorter trips. However, if you're near Llano (say, traveling to or from Enchanted Rock), it's well worth stopping in.
This wasn't a great night to visit Sarovar again.
First off, they were reviewed in the Austin American Statesman's XLEnt section the Thursday before. Second, they had scheduled a private party for this night, and crammed everyone who wasn't part of this party into the (smaller) banquet room. Since most of the waitstaff was concentrating on setting up for this party, service was (to be kind) lacking. And Sarovar already has a not unjustified reputation for slow service.
Once we were able to get drink (it took three tries for the waiter to get Lawrence's drink order right, though he did at least realize his mistake the second time) and food, things were okay. I was impressed by the onion dosa: basically, a very large crepe wrapped around cooked onions, but much better than that description makes it sound. As usual, the tandori mixed grill and keema na'an met, but did not exceed, my standards. And I hereby advocate public executions for those who mix vegetables (such as green beens and corn) with defenseless rice.
I like the food at Sarovar. I really want to like the place in general. But the service problems the last few times I've been there force me to withdraw my recommendation of them for Indian food. Combined with changes and declines at Bombay Grill, the continued fall of Taj Palace, and the loss of Mr. India Palace, I have to say that there is no Indian place in Austin that I can wholeheartedly recommend at this time. I do, however, look forward to trying The Clay Pot.
At the suggestion of Andrew "MP-6" Wimsatt, and by unanimous consent, this dining conspiracy was dedicated to the memory of Gene Siskel (1946-1999).
As I was in the early stages of an illness that struck full force scant hours later, I don't think it fair to comment on the food. The service suffered due to the main part of the restaurant being closed for a large party, thus shuffling regular diners like ourselves into the "banquet hall," which seemed understaffed. So you might want to call ahead to make sure you don't befall a similar fate.
Zoot's got style: style out the ass. It is a nice looking place: even the food is attractive. But man does not live by style alone. And substance is where Zoot comes up short.
I've never been to a restaurant management school, but I suspect there's a rule: your appetizers should go for no more than half the cost of a main course: not 75% or even 100%. Sure, using the best and freshest possible ingredients is a good idea: but when your combination of them heads for the $15 line, and most of your main dishes are less than $20, maybe you need to look at doing something else.
The killer, though, was best expressed by someone else I know: "We ate there, and I felt like stopping by Dairy Queen afterwards." No matter how fresh the ingredients, no matter how artful the presentation, you shouldn't leave hungry after spending $60+. This is a sin.
I'll admit it: everything I had at Zoot was pretty good. My beef tenderloin (all four ounces of it) was very tasty, I enjoyed the bites I had of all the appatizers (a bite was all you could have with these portions; the sea scallops in particular seemed niggardly (to use February's Politically Incorrect Word of the Month)), the free bread and butter was acceptable (the baked sesame crackers were interesting), as was my Heart of Romaine salad. (I started to ask the waiter about this, and he said: "That's a Caesar Salad." Well then why the hell don't they just call it a Caesar Salad? I guess because then they might feel a twinge of guilt over charging $6 for it...) The Creme Brulee was decent, but I've had better elsewhere in town.
It was all good. However, it wasn't $60 worth of good. At that price, I expect great (not merely good) food and hearty portions; I got neither. At least when I pay that much at Ruth's Chris Steak House, I can see where the money went in the size of the steak on my plate; at Zoot I see The French Problem: tiny, artfully arranged portions at high prices. Part of the problem was my opting for the beef tenderloin rather than the pork tenderloin; Dwight opted for the latter and, since it was $10 cheaper and the portions larger, that dish is merely pricey rather than outrageous. The $12 appetizers also grate, since you can find similar appatizers four or five times as generous at half the price at Louis 106. In fact, I could have gotten better food (appetizers and entrees) in more generous portions for significantly less at Castle Hill Cafe or Cafe Josie. Hell, for $60 I could have filled up on sushi at Ichiban (and sushi isn't cheap). At these prices, maybe I should be grateful that they didn't have soft drinks; they might have charged me $5 a glass.
Other observations: The service was quite good and, despite the prices, not snooty at all. The decor is very nice, of the glass, wood, and brass variety. One problem was that we were seated right under an air vent, and when it kicked on we started to feel like Admiral Byrd. They turned it off when we asked, but it would have been nice if they had noticed us draping our napkins over our bare arms and huddling around the candle for warmth.
Zoot seems to cater to late-middle-aged yuppies with money to burn. If you have someone taking you out on an expense account and you're not particularly hungry, it's not a bad place to eat. However, given the prices and portions, there are many better fine dining options.
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