The PUREest of Them All

Received a complimentary Diner's Deck card to Pure Food & Wine and we went over right away to try it out. We were immediately inspired by the ambiance: incredibly elegant, but in a reserved, contemporary, non-pretentious way, so we chose to stay a while and enjoy the evening with the Chef's Tasting Menu.

Amuse Bouche: fennel with pomegranate, capers, & tarragon

Saffron Haricot Vert Soup with Almond

Hazelnut Crostinis with Crimini Mushrooms and Caper Bearnaise; caraway sauerkraut, local apple cider reduction

King Oyster Mushroom Scallops in a Lemongrass Coconut Broth;

Avocado in a Sunflower Seed Sundried Tomato Tortilla with Coconut Cashew Sour Cream

Heirloom Tomato Pizette with Macadamia Mozzarella and Cashew Cheese

Sweet Corn and Cashew Tamales with Chili Spiced Portabella; salsa verde, cashew coconut sour cream, avocado, raw cacao mole

Pad Thai with Kelp Noodles and Baby Bok Choy; snow peas, king oyster mushrooms, tamarind sauce, sesame salted cashews, cilantro oil

Frozen Coconut Mousse; pineapple sorbet, pineapple coulis and rosewater

Mexican Cinnamon Mousse; guajillo chili pepper chocolate cake, pear relish and sorbet

We could not believe how incredible every single bite was. I mentioned to the Mr. at some point 'Can you believe this is all Vegan?' and it literally did not even register, because then, much later on in the meal the waiter said something and he goes 'Wait, hold on, everything we have eaten tonight has been Vegan??'. This place will change ANYone's mind about raw vegan cuisine. Impress your vegan friends or baffle your steak & potato chums with a meal at Pure. But don't misunderstand, it's not a 'Wow, this is good for raw food' type of great, this food can hold its own against fully cooked, animal product-full food any day of the week.

Austin Edition: Guero's

We're in Austin for Thanksgiving so will be visiting some of our favorite restaurants in the Capitol of the Lone Star State:


Another local favorite for Tex-Mex is Guero's on South Lamar. It's perfect to stroll up and down looking at the weird & eclectic shops and to pop in to relax for lunch or dinner. This is precisely what we did. Their claim to fame is that Bill Clinton is a huge fan, so the place is littered with pictures of him on his various visits.

Verde Enchiladas

Michelada

I'm not a big fan of their margaritas as I find them far too bitter, but if most margaritas are too sweet for you, you might want to check them out. Instead, I ordered a Michelada, which ironically I only discovered since I've moved to NYC.

Austin Edition: Alamo Drafthouse

We're in Austin for Thanksgiving so will be visiting some of our favorite restaurants in the Capitol of the Lone Star State:

Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar

No trip to Austin is complete without a visit to one of the Alamo Drafthouse locations. I'm also pretty sure that I've watched all the Harry Potter movies at The Drafthouse so I wanted to continue the tradition for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Part 1). "Hold on," you say, "isn't this a food blog? What is an entry about a movie theater doing on here?" Oh dear reader, this is the beauty of The Drafthouse. You can order food & booze to your seat. And it's good food, not just popcorn and soda here. In fact, they often have specials paired with the movie you are viewing such as this creamy Butterbeer concoction I am enjoying: 

Butterbeer

We also split an order of one of our favorites: The Godfather Pizza, but I don't think there's anything on the menu that's not good. If you are in Austin, make sure to enjoy Dinner AND a Movie, all in one fabulous & funky place.

Austin Edition: Conan's Pizza

We're in Austin for Thanksgiving so will be visiting some of our favorite restaurants in the Capitol of the Lone Star State:

Old school action figures above ordering counter

We were starving and found ourselves near campus and were frantically trying to decide where to get dinner when we drove past Conan's Pizza. Sold. This is yet another quirky and delightful Austin original. We ordered a deep dish The Savage with their famous whole wheat crust and grabbed a couple of house salads to stave off our hunger while we waited.

The Savage

We devoured The Savage like...well...savages. And left happy and very satisfied.

Austin Edition: Chuy's

We're in Austin for Thanksgiving so will be visiting some of our favorite restaurants in the Capitol of the Lone Star State:


You can't go to Austin, Texas and not have some Tex-Mex. Top of our list is Chuy's because of it's delicious, fresh food and wacky, weird decor.

Salsa

 While you wait for your table you can hang out in the bar area and grab a basket of chips & some salsa from the back of an old car which has been converted for this purpose. However, you have to specially request the Jalapeno Ranch. Only true Austinites know this trick. Their tortillas are made on premises which make their chips super tasty. Their chips & salsa are so good that I find it completely impossible to pace myself and am often full once my entree arrives.  Also take note of their signature "Sanitized for your protection" pack that all the silverware comes in. Kitchy and comforting.

Hubcap Room

 Example of the decor that makes this place a true Austin original. Now you're probably starting to understand those "Keep Austin Weird" shirts you've been seeing.

Verde Enchiladas

Personally, I'm a sucker for their verde enchiladas, but everything here is good. Like I said, just try to hold back on the chips & salsa so you can truly enjoy. The good news is that their food reheats very well, so take your leftovers home! More good news: they have locations ALL around Austin, so there is sure to be one near wherever you are.

Austin Edition: Tacodeli

We're in Austin for Thanksgiving so will be visiting some of our favorite restaurants in the Capitol of the Lone Star State:

Oooooh Tacodeli. There is nothing like starting your day with a delicious breakfast taco. Sadly, these are very hard to find outside of Texas, even in NYC. You can't go wrong with any of their tacos, but here are our favorites:

Al Pastor, Poblano, Puerco Borracho on Wheat

Veggie Tacos on Wheat
Those salsas are alllll mine

My favorite part are their salsas, especially the creamy, green Salsa Dona. I may or may not eat this straight up with a spoon.

Austin Edition: Trudy's

We're in Austin for Thanksgiving so will be visiting some of our favorite restaurants in the Capitol of the Lone Star State:

Bevo @ The University Co-Op Parking Lot

Wasted no time in getting our butts down to Trudy's for Mexican Martinis, Chips & Salsa, Queso, and Chicken Tacos. Normally I order the Stuffed Avocado, but we weren't too hungry and got The Mr's favorite to split.

Salsa & Queso

Mexican Martini

Chicken Tacos

Austin Edition: Epoch

We're in Austin for Thanksgiving so will be visiting some of our favorite restaurants in the Capitol of the Lone Star State:

The Iced Mojo

The Mr. spent a lot of time in coffee houses in Austin, so knows the people who wound up opening up Epoch after Mojo's shut down years ago. They have kept the tradition alive by continuing to serve The Iced Mojo- sweet and caffeinated liquid joy.

Tuck In to Tuck Shop

Mmmm...Meat Pies

Our Australian coworker heralded the opening of Tuck Shop in Chelsea Market and it sounded so delicious that we wasted no time in going to try them out. We got the Traditional and then two of the daily special selections. De-lic-ious. We took them back to the office for dinner since we were working late and were immediately set upon by everyone left at the office. Like the miracle of the loaves and fishes, these three were diced up and sampled by at least six of us. It was unanimous- these meaty, greasy little treats put a smile on everyone's face.



(had to use the East Village link since the location is so new it's not on Tuck Shop's website or Urbanspoon)

I Can Cook: Pumpkin Pancakes

Pumpkin Pancakes with Fall Fruit Compote

Used some leftover Fall Fruit Compote from Pork Chops I made earlier in the week to top off some Pumpkin Pancakes. Add a little Fat Free Reddi Whip and we've got a delicious Saturday morning breakfast!

Shorty's comes up a little short

Italian Fries & Beer

Steak Club

Shorty's Classic

The Mr. loves him a Philly Cheesesteak and a coworker had declared Shorty's his favorite cheesesteak in the city, so when they offered a Groupon deal I pounced. After a good workout we felt that we earned a greasy, feel good meal. We ordered a couple beers, some fries and our sandwiches. I went with the Shorty's Classic (fresh grilled tomatoes, italian seasonings, and provolone) and The Mr got the Steak Club (mayo, lettuce, tomato, bacon, and american cheese). The fries were good, but we were a bit disappointed with the cheesesteaks. They were a bit dry and we both felt they could use more cheese, so for now 99 Miles to Philly still reigns king. But we've never been to Philly for the 'real deal' so maybe this is more authentic? The waitstaff was nice and it had a nice chill, pub vibe, so if you don't like your cheesesteaks very cheesy, check them out.