7601 N. Lamar
451-2464
30°20.635' N, 97°42.863' W.
Pepper grinder rating: 0.
Men's room rating: 2.
Competent, unspectacular Vietnamese food, with efficient service and a miserable parking lot.
We were going to visit TAM Deli and Cafe instead, but since they turned out to be closed for the holidays ("We had never heard of a pho place closed on Fourth of July before..."), we jaunted down to old favorite Kim Phung instead.
Why is Kim Phung the best pho place in town? Let me count the ways:For whatever reason, Kim Phung hasn't been as packed as it usually is the last few times we've been there. Take this as an excuse to reacquaint yourself with one of Austin's greatest dining bargains.
619 N. Colorado, Lockhart, Texas.
(512) 398-2361
29°53.397' N, 97°40.293' W.
Pepper grinder rating: 0.
Men's room rating: 2.5.
As far as I can tell, nothing (except the building) has changed since our trip to the original location.
Kreuz Market (pronounced "Kritze's") isn't a perfect BBQ joint, but it's damn close.
They don't use BBQ sauce because the meat doesn't need it (though I'd love to combine The Salt Lick's sauce with Kreuz's smoking), and they don't serve ribs or sides. But the sausage is good, and the prime rib and brisket (both of which I had plentiful servings of) are as good as any I've ever tasted. The new building, built after a parting of ways between the owner of the BBQ and his sister (who owns the old building), is huge; I've seen smaller supermarkets. It seats about as many in one building as The Salt Lick does in two. As before, there are no real sides, and you pay for cheese, onions, etc. by the ounce. The BBQ comes with your choice of white bread or crackers. And the Blue Bell ice cream is extra (I had vanilla).
My only complaint (besides the lack of ribs and sides, which I knew going in): the edges on the tables are too low, making it impossible to sit under the table in the "good" chairs.
If Kreuz Market was closer to Austin, I'd probably eat there frequently. Even so, it's well worth making the trip to eat some of the best BBQ in Texas (which means, of course, some of the best in the world).1601 Guadalupe Street
322-5131
Pepper grinder rating: 0.
Men's room rating: 3.
The Clay Pit used to be my favorite Indian restaurant. I visited it a few months before this SDC re-evaluation, though, and had a rather disappointing experience. Happily, that wasn't repeated on this visit. I note that The Clay Pit is the only Indian place in Austin (to the best of my knowledge) that offers non-vegetarian samosas. The curried mussels remain delightful, the na'an is still excellent, and my mixed grill was served properly hot on this occassion.
It isn't clear to me if The Clay Pit is having consistancy problems, or I just happened to catch them on a single bad night. My present experience gives me little cause for doubt, but I maintain a mild skepticism. And I'm not sure, at this point, that I'm willing to recommend any Austin Indian restaurant.
The Clay Pit remains our favorite Indian restaurant. The food was excellent, just like last time, and after a generous salad and appetizers (mussels, in a very nice sauce, and a beef pakora), I was unable to finish my mixed grill entree. I did, however, try the mango ice cream, though I think the mango cheesecake is better.
My only real complaints are that you don't get any appropriate dipping sauces with the mixed grill and rice (which made me regret letting them take the mussel bowl back), even though it needs them, and that there was darn little chicken in the chicken na'an. While the prices are higher than Sarovar, the service is much better. All in all, the best choice for Indian food in Austin.
I was in Georgia, for my brother's wedding. More on this subject later.
1816 S. First
447-1280
30°14.599' N, 97°45.498' W.
Pepper grinder rating: 0.
Men's room rating: 2.
Another average South First TexMex place. Not a bad choice: I'd certainly come back here before returning to Mercedes Martinez, and possibly before Polvo's, but I'm not inspired to become a regular.
Another South First TexMex joint. Good, cheap Mexican food, and pretty good service (I got Dr pepper refills without asking for them, always a good sign). I had the fajitas for two for myself. They seemed more like fajitas for 1 3/4, but since they were as cheap as you can get fajitas for one elewhere, I'm not complaining. The nachos and quesadillas were both credible but uninspired. Good, solid food, but nothing to come running for. In the same area, I'd try Polvo's or El Barrego de Oro.
See the logs for August of 2000.