The aforementioned perfect michelada was handcrafted for me during a weekend roadtrip to Austin. And we did Austin right. The weight I gained was worth it in gold, because we ate like kings and queens. The group was made up of a few longtime Austin residents, a few frequent visitors, and a couple of Austin novices, and we balanced BBQ, Tex-Mex, and home cooking for a completely delicious weekend. (Photo credit: my sister Erin)
Upon arrival in Austin, we dropped our bags, watered our dogs, and headed straight to Polvo's. I think I miss Polvo's more than anywhere else in Austin. By my calculations, I have eaten there at least 75 times (once a month for six plus years in the neighborhood). I love it for breakfast, I love it for lunch, I love it for dinner, but most of all, I love it for queso.
The cheese itself is excellent, but that's not what makes it great. The queso at Polvo's is delivered to be do-it-yourself, as a bowl of cheese set on a plate with all the fixin's, including tomatoes, onions, fresh jalapenos, cilantro, spicy ground beef, and a generous scoop of guacamole. My preferred method is to mix in the vegetables, save onions, and drop the guac on top. The queso is complimented by salsas and escabeche from the fresh salsa bar, and of course perfect frozen margaritas. Post-queso, I recommend ordering the tacos a la carte, as a full meal isn't necessary. Al pastor, fish, and mushroom and monterey are all wonderful.
After the queso, we popped across the street to work off the chips with a rousing game of washers at Freddie's Place. Freddie's is dog-friendly, and just so happens to be Luna the Sheltie's favorite bar. The frozen margaritas are thick and zesty, the beer is cold, and the washer pits are perfectly located between the back bar and Bouldin Creek.
First time Austin visitors have to make a stop at Allen's Boots on South Congress to get a taste of what real boots look like (and an understanding of what you have to pay for them). Other noteworthy stops on South Congress include the Big Top Candy Shop, the TOMS flagship store, and if by some chance you're hungry, Hopdoddy for burgers (only in googling for that link did I realize it was not called Hopdaddy...) and Homeslice for pizza.
After a much needed nap, we were off to North Lamar for dinner at Uchiko. I have been to Uchi several times, but this was my first visit to the little brother and it did not disappoint. Uchiko's slightly lower prices and higher ratio of cooked to raw, as compared to Uchi, were better suited to our large group. Everyone ordered, shared, and passed. The highlights of my meal were the fish caramel brussels sprouts, the shishito peppers, the hama chili, and the hamachi sashimi. Heavenly.
The pressure was on for day two, after day one had been such a roaring success. We hit the downtown Austin Farmer's Market for breakfast, which is a great choice because everyone can satisfy their individual tastes. Coffee drinkers got hot or iced fair trade Texas Coffee Traders brew, tea drinkers got Nile Valley hibiscus and lemon, juice drinkers got cold pressed JuiceLand or Buddha's Brew kombucha, taco eaters got Tacodeli in their belly, and almost everybody got a bite or two of Easy Tiger's amazing pastries.
After the market, we packed up a picnic and headed to Krause Springs. We choose Krause over Hamilton Pool because of the lack of a line and the more lax environment and rules. After we finished our micheladas, beers, and sparkling rose, we summoned the courage to swim behind the waterfall into the cave. It was scary! But a sign on the wall of our rental house said, "Do one thing that scares you each day," so we did. (Photo credit: my sister Erin)
Finally, our last stop on Sunday on our way out of town was brunch at Barlata on South Lamar. I had read that the husband and wife chef and owner team were bringing northern Spain to South Austin, and that was the truth. The menu was authentic, the service was attentive, the ambiance was inviting, and the food was spectacular. Among the group were five confirmed Span-ophiles (is that a word?), two of whom visited Spain on their honeymoon. Estábamos tan contentos. Estábamos en el cielo.
Patatas bravas can be hit or miss. These were perfectly crispy (I suspect twice fried) with spicy bravas sauce and mayo, not mixed, which is ideal.
The last tapa we were served (from our very large order) was the pan con tomate con jamon serrano. There was enough on the plate for a large portion for each, but we ordered another immediately to follow. It was like a bite of Barcelona. I cannot wait to go back to Barlata for dinner.
Austin, I love you so very much. What a wonderful weekend.
No comments:
Post a Comment