I’ve been Austin-curious for a while so when an opportunity presented, I decided it was time to book a visit. Booking a weekend away was easy as Vancouver now has a non-stop flight. I had so many recommendations for the city, that it was hard to prioritize. But I planned my itinerary knowing that if I enjoyed, it’d be easy to return.
A late afternoon arrival into Austin meant time for a snack and a quick wander. Lucky for me, Veracruz All Natural has a location inside the Line hotel where I was staying. I had marked it for a breakfast migas taco. However, I’m not really a breakfast person. I knew this was the perfect opportunity to check them out.
The chips & various salsas along with a shrimp macha taco were the perfect small bites to tide me through until dinner.
When I researched the cocktail scene in Austin I found that it was relatively small. Given I only had a short time in the city, that was fine with me.
Here Nor There is a speakeasy downtown. You have to reserve through their app and are sent a secret code to gain access. Once you’re through, you’re warmly greeted at the door with a glass of bubbly as you’re brought through to their underground space.
The theme of the menu when I visited was Odyssey, which was an exploration of flavours and stories. The cocktails were creative and delicious. I wished I could have spent more time there (or return), but I was on a tight itinerary for the weekend.
I chose Olamaie for our first dinner. I wanted to be welcomed into the weekend with some refined southern flavours. Situated in a renovated 1930’s bungalow, the decor, menu and ingredients at Olamaie reads like a love letter to the South.
I started with an Oyster “Rockafella” topped with creamy collard greens. It was paired with my Spaghetti Western martini, which had flavors of infused tomato and basil.
Our meal consisted of “first course” items to get a good sampling of the flavours. The highlights were the smoked beef belly glazed in Poirers cane syrup, their buttermilk biscuits and the green salad made with beef fat vinaigrette.
It was HOT in Austin. So I edited my weekend plans for exploring the city on foot to manageable short stints. First up was wander through downtown towards the Capitol building.
Barbecue was a MUST for the weekend, we were in Texas after all. I researched all the options and decided on Leroy & Lewis because they seemed to be doing standard Texas barbecue really well. Their specials on Saturday included brisket & bacon rib which sounded perfect to me. The bonus to Leroy& Lewis is that it was designed so their lineup to order takes place inside their air conditioned restaurant. A huge plus on a sweltering day.
The line moved swiftly and the passing the time was helped with the service of beverages during the wait. I also loved how the staff, and Leroy himself worked the line to answer questions and make recommendations.
The brisket was succulent and divine. The showstopper was the bacon rib. I was in barbecue heaven.
When I looked into Austin events for the weekend, I was hoping to find a great live music act or comedy show. Unfortunately nothing on stage was appealing to me. Then I realized that I had the opportunity to attend the mother of all American spectacles. A Texas Longhorns college football game.
After the game, we made our way to I’m normally not a fan of crossover food concepts nor do I seek Asian flavors when I go the south for a weekend. But there was something about Kemuri Tastuya that seemed interesting to me. The fact that it was open late enough to visit post-game locked in the choice.
The menu at Kemuri-tastuya definitely reads Japanese Izakaya, with Texas-influences . The tako-wasabi and yakitori were more traditional. Meanwhile, the cornbread taiyaki and bbq brisket with Serrano miso bbq sauce were both a wonderful fusion of flavours.
The next day started with exploration through the colorful South Congress neighborhood.
Oysters are something I seek out everywhere. I love sampling oysters from different areas. I heard on good recommendation that Clark’s Oyster Bar would be somewhere I’d love. They were right.
My oyster order was anything eastern, non-Canadian which led me to taste from Maine, New Hampshire and Virginia. The crudo plate, dressed with capers, onion and a lemon vinaigrette was also a delight.
The star of the show though was their Black Angus burger cooked medium-rare with sauce gribiche. My meal at Clark’s was my favorite of the trip.
Pre-dinner cocktails were at The Roosevelt Room located downtown. With a menu of drinks ranging from pre-1880’s to today, it was an amazing place to taste perfected versions of classic cocktails.
Odd Duck is a friend’s favorite in Austin. She said I must go for dinner at the bar, which is exactly what I did.
The menu at Odd Duck is locally seasonal with smatterings of culinary influences from around the world. We started with skillet cheddar cornbread with charred eggplant muhammara butter and a summer squash salad with shiitake ranch, pecans and seeds which was a delight in flavors and textures. Then came a spicy jerk shrimp and pasta with lamb merguez sausage, both spicy and delicious. The desserts being served around me looked delicious, but as always I didn’t have room to try any.
With a late afternoon flight, there was time in the morning to explore more of the city. I chose Uptown Sports Club in East Austin as a destination as an excuse to check out a different neighbourhood.
Uptown Sports Club is located in a space built in the 1890’s. It was recently renovated and re-opened by Aaron Franklin (of Austin bbq fame). Uptown Sports Club is an all-day bar serving New Orlean fare.
I went into lunch thinking I’d have a fried green tomato po’boy, but changed my mind to order one last medium-rare burger for the trip. The burger alongside the Sports Club Po’boy with thinly sliced roast beef and turkey were the perfect last bites of the trip.
I had a wonderful time exploring Austin and know I just scratched the surface of it. My curiosity for Tex-Mex & a further dive into barbecue will keep it top of mind to return when I get the chance!
Places I visited in Austin:
Call Me a Food Lover... 