Justine’s: A French story d’amour
Tucked away among the factories and warehouses on East Fifth Street, you will find a house with a pétanque, or bocce ball, court and garden tables. As you walk through the courtyard, you begin to smell the aroma of butter and garlic. A few more steps and you are greeted with the sound of classic [...]
Spanish Grenache, a good value wine
In December, I was invited to lead a small class on wine for a local women’s organization. Several wines had been donated and I was asked to provide guidance in tasting, as well as general information about the wines and grapes. The plus for me was that I got to talk about wine for hours [...]
Eat like a king at Austin Restaurant Week
February 28th-March 3rd and March 7th-10th, 2010
Austinites can once again feast like kings for a fraction of the cost at Austin Restaurant Week (ARW), a biannual tradition that began a few years ago. Starting on Feb. 28, diners can enjoy three course meals for $10-$15 for lunch and $25-$35 for dinner at over 60 participating [...]
Wine pairing and pronunciation
Selecting a wine to go with dinner can be intimidating. Saying the name of the wine you chose can be even more so. I once murdered a French wine’s name so badly that it can still bring a little color to my cheeks 20 years later.
While pronunciation may still be a problem, wine lists these [...]
The Souvenir Menu: Tien Jin
Years ago, when I was working in South Austin, I tried a small Chinese restaurant in a strip mall called Tien Jin. The lunch buffet, while better than average, had not hinted at the wonderful food that was possible.
A good friend, who had been going there for years told, me that I had simply done [...]
Happy ValenTimes Day!
If the traditional dinner and a movie for Valentine’s Day is not up your alley, here are some alternative ideas to celebrate being sexy and single or perfectly paired.
Shop Local
Pick up a heart-shaped pizza from Mangia Pizza until Sunday, 14 Feb. and get a free $5 Mangia gift certificate good from 15 Feb. to 31 [...]
Bar W XYZ: Comfortably swanky
Regardless of the work week, it is almost certain that as a busy professional you will crave or need a tasty alcoholic beverage to sooth your soul. Where do you find said beverage? As a round-about-town individual, I would love to lend you a hand in your quest for an after five o’clock social escape. [...]
The Souvenir Menu: Fonda San Miguel
I was talking to a colleague recently and was surprised to find that not only had he not been to a particular local restaurant, he’d not even heard of the place.
As I thought about it, it started to make sense; most restaurant reviews tend to cover the shiny and new. With Austin having [...]
The Souvenir Menu: Chez Nous
The downturn in the US economy had finally reached my plate. About a year ago, give or take, I started to notice a bad trend. I was eating a lot of mediocre meals. The places I was going to weren’t really changing, but the quality of what was being offered [...]
Marigold owner serves up Indian home cooking
Driving down South Lamar, you might notice an inconspicuous store with Indian clothes and decor in the front windows called Marigold – Gateway to India.
Lata Karna is the owner of the retail store, which sells authentic Indian clothing, tapestries, and home furnishings. Originally from New York, Lata had a friend that would come to her [...]
