Eating and drinking in Austin

I couldn’t talk about Austin without mentioning the food, right? Honestly, one of the things I am most excited about with this move is the Austin dining. Oh man, I am in for it.

We didn’t end up eating out that much because we were so busy, but the times we actually sat down at a restaurant were some of the best parts of the trip. It might have been the food, or it might have been the break in the action during which I could completely relax. House-hunting was pretty stressful!

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I want to highlight two of the places we went…

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The first was a coffee shop/cafe called Pacha, which was near our hotel. We ate here on both Friday and Saturday morning.

My curious mother decided to Google the meaning of “pacha” on her iPhone and came up with the following options:

• a civil or military authority in Turkey or Egypt
• a traditional Iraqi dish made of sheep’s head and stomach
• a whore.

Upon inquiring with the barista, it was revealed that pacha here meant “mother Earth“. Whoops.

Regardless, the barista didn’t spit in our drinks for asking (at least I don’t think he did), and breakfast was pretty darn amazing.

On both days my breakfast included a double-shot soy cappuccino and a rosemary sea salt bagel with butter. And the paper, naturally.

Here’s a funny picture my mom took of me while I was reading/waiting for my food:

I have a bad habit of unconsciously contorting my face so that I look mean and unapproachable. It usually happens when I’m concentrating or zoning out. Something to work on!

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I also want to share with you our dinner during our last night at Lambert’s in downtown Austin. I wanted to treat my mom to some barbecue (one of her favorite treats) after all of her help with this move.

This was my first Texas barbecue experience! It was a little more upscale than your usual bbq joint, but it was truly a meal to remember. Our server was such a riot and he gave us great recommendations on what to order.

My mom started with Austin’s own Tito vodka and I had the draft beer special (also from Texas!).

For dinner, we decided to order two mains so we could switch half-way through. We both had pork on the brain, but does that really surprise you?

From the top: pork chop with prosciutto, artichokes, chiles, and roasted lemon; pork ribs with a fennel-coriander rub and apple fennel slaw; broccoli with roasted garlic and jalapenos.

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This was my favorite part of our trip. During dinner, I listened to my mom tell me stories from her late 20′s and we made up little anecdotes about the tables next to us.  Besides the food, my mom and I agreed that Austin really has a lot to offer. After this weekend, I’m even more excited for what is to come!

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I’m off to watch the Pens game – let’s go guys!

Jam of the day: Rusted Root “Rain”

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Skillz

I received a cast-iron skillet for Christmas, and it is my new love! I did a bit of research on how best to season it and now I use it almost daily.

This weekend was the first time that I used it for baking. I made skillet cornbread using HEAB’s recipe. It is simple and tasty, and very similar to the recipe I normally use except that is uses no honey, fewer eggs, and more butter. Note: this would be considered “Southern cornbread” because it is not sweet. Emeril taught me that!

This will be breakfast for [hopefully] a few work days.

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What is your most-loved kitchen accessory?

Jam of the day: Rolling Stones “Rough Justice”

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Brunching

Hi! How are you today? It’s kind of rainy and blah but I am running with it and opting to stay in the warm, dry confines of my office until it is time to vamoose for the day. I have chocolate and coffee so I am set.

As you may or may not know, one of my favorite verbs is “to brunch”. I brunch almost every weekend, sometimes more than once. Brunch is verb solely reserved for Saturday and Sunday. Breakfast is Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday – don’t get it twisted.

Brunch is sacred. Brunch, in the words of my friend Rachel, “is like a hug”. Brunch is exciting, especially after eating the same breakfast for five days.

More almond flour pumpkin muffins – my work breakfast of choice for the past couple of weeks.

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Here are the haps:

La Prima Espresso coffee at Coca Cafe in Lawrenceville (I would recommend this place because the coffee is amazing and the food is pretty good, but you usually have to wait 500 years for your food).

Pamela’s hotcakes. If you are from the Burgh, YOU KNOW. I have ordered the same thing here for the last 20 years. I don’t even know what the menu says.

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BUT…my all-time favorite spot in Pittsburgh is still E2.

Farm-to-table fresh. Eggs with bright, yellow yolks that pop when you stick your fork through. House-made bread, grilled and drizzled with olive oil. Thick slices of bacon. Red potatoes with onions. A little salt and pepper, and lots of coffee refills. That is my perfect brunch, and I order it pretty much every time I go!

There was this one time I ordered a salad, which sounds like a downgrade. But the salad looked like this -

I mean, really.

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Now tell me – how do you like to brunch?

Jam of the day: Tom Petty “Mary Jane’s Last Dance”

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