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Aside from our EPIC feasting at the Austin Food + Wine Festival at the end of April. We also had regular meals and snacks! Duh! :P
My fiance really wanted to try Gourdough's. Last time in Austin we went to their restaurant and it was awesome. But the original is still their trailer with made-to-order donuts.
Gourdough's
1503 S 1st St.
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 707-1050
http://gourdoughs.com/
Price: $
Like I said, it's sold out of a trailer, so all the seating is outdoors. So on a day like we went... 90+ degrees, it got hot quick! We ate a few bites and took the rest to go.
Naughty and Nice (rolled in cinnamon and sugar; served with honey butter) $4.75~ I tried to go a little "lighter" with this one since all their other ones are usually piled high with stuff. NOt sure if I succeeded since we poured honey butter on top. haha. They still have the best donuts. First of all, gigantic! And always warm and fluffy and fresh. And the dough is just the perfect texture.
Black Out (chocolate icing, brownie batter filling, brownie bites, with chocolate chips) $4.75~ My fiance wanted one with chocolate so I recommended this one. I had it over 10 years ago and I still dream about it. It is insane!! Talk about getting chocolate wasted!! It's phenomenal. Be sure you get a large glass of milk or something. It's over the top and glorious.
Needless to say, we did not finish these. haha. Gourdough's - 1, Us - 0. It lasted us a good 2 more days. Serious noms! If you haven't been there in Austin, I dunno where you've been. Definitely my favorite donuts ever!
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On the drive back towards Dallas, I realized that Baked by Amy's was a short detour from our route. Remember at the Austin Food + Wine Festival, they had given me a pair of coupons for free baked goods? Well... they ain't going to waste! :P
Baked by Amy's
13265 N Hwy 183
Austin, TX 78750
(512) 918-2253
http://www.bakedbyamys.com/
Price: $
The coupons were for a cupcake or bar from Amy's. We each chose a cupcake. Mexican Vanilla (left), Oreo (right)
They were pretty huge. Everything in there looked amazing. Too bad they were still baking the macarons when we were there otherwise we would've gotten some of those too. But yay to free food! Thanks Baked by Amy's!!! They made it all the way back to Dallas with us. We cracked them open that night. Nommy!!
Overall:
~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
Over Thanksgiving break, we went down to Austin for one night to visit my fiance's family. We were doing a second Thanksgiving Friday night and had Saturday to go out and about. I already knew what places I wanted to check out. Time is limited, I had to prioritize! :P
I was excited about both eateries we were going to but I think I was slightly more excited about this one than the next. Just slightly...
I first experience Gourdough's AMAZING donut trailer back in 2009, I think? The BEST donut place ever!! Made to order, gigantic, and all sorts of excess toppings we Texans love. hehe. So when I heard they had opened a restaurant, I was stoked!! I mean... they have donut burgers. DONUT BURGERS! How freaking epic does that sound?!?
Gourdough's Public House
2700 S Lamar Blvd.
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 912-9070
http://gourdoughs.com/
Price: $$
We hit it up for brunch on Saturday. They don't take reservations so we showed up fairly early... around 11:30AM. The place was only about 20% full at that point. We decided to sit outside because the weather was awesome! The decor is very casual, wood tables, chairs, picnic benches and tables outside. They also have one of their trailers in the outside area. There's also a bunch of TVs around us, great for a game day!
I was there with my fiance, his two sisters, and his little sister's husband. They started off with some brunchy drinks.
Craft Bloody Mary $5~ My fiance's bro in law asked them to put a piece of bacon in this. Why not, I say. haha. I've never liked bloody mary's but this was actually quite good! He really enjoyed it.
Michelada $5~ One of his sisters really like this drink. My fiance tried it and decided to get one too. hehe. I love how they put the beer in a mini brown paper bag.
So... are you ready for some SERIOUS food p0rn?? haha
Country Clucker (crispy fried chicken breast, potato pancake, warm cream corn, candied jalapenos; served on a piping hot donut) $11~
This was mine! ALL MINE! MUAHAHAHA! :P J/k I shared... I was debating on a few but the creamed corn and jalapenos won me over. I liked everything in this dish. All the food looked so amazing when they brought it out. This was like a small mountain of deliciousness. A perfectly fried (giant) donut, slightly crispy on the outside, soft and pillowy on the inside. Topped with a potato pancake, perfectly fried chicken, and SO MUCH CORN! It was so good!!! I loved the candied jalapenos, it added just a hint of heat to the dish. It was as epic as the picture looks. I sooo wanted to finish it all but I was sampling other stuff too so I took about 1/3rd of it to go.
Dirty Plucker (piping hot donut topped with hand battered fried chicken, honey butter and maple icing) $9~
My fiance got this. He and his sister were going to go halfsies on each of their dishes. This is their play on chicken and waffles. And this was my favorite out of everything I tried that day... although it was hard to pick a favorite. Again, perfectly fried donut, with a maple icing. Topped with fried chicken, and more maple icing. And honey butter to top everything off if you want it even sweeter. That honey butter was the bomb. I drizzled it over every bite, and some on my Country Clucker too! The general consensus was that it was too much sweet to finish the entire plate, but since we all shared, it was perfect. I would've eaten the whole thing though. The perfect sweet and savory combo.
His sister got the Count Gourdough Cristo (oven roasted turkey, ham, swiss cheese, roasted red pepper, basil, red onion, wrapped in donut dough and deep fried; served with avocado lime sauce; served with fried Yukon chips) $10~
So she gave half to him. They both loved this. I was expecting it to be super heavy like a normal Monte Cristo sandwich but it really wasn't. The avocado lime sauce paired with it superbly. And their Yukon chips were great. They both wanted more of it.
Public House Salad (cilantro buttermilk dressing, romaine lettuce, feta, tomato, cucumber, six-minute egg; served with a piping hot garlic donut) $7~
His little sister got this since she wanted to try a little of everyone's as well. They were kinda giving her a hard time for getting a salad here. haha. But I'm actually glad she got it cuz I was able to get some green veggies to go with my Country Clucker. The salad was huge! And what was even more O.O was how huge the garlic donut was. And that garlic donut could easily be one of everyone's favorite elements that day. It was just perfection. It was plain (unglazed). Fried perfectly, not greasy AT ALL, and SOOOOO FLUFFY! They really have their donut dough down to a science.
And finally, his bro in law got the El Camino Burger (angus beef, chipotle cheese blend, chipotle mayonnaise, pickled jalapenos, bacon, cilantro, sliced tomato, fried onions; served with fried Yukon chips) $11~
At least one of us had to get the donut burger right?? Freaking amazing. So much flavor, I loved the chipotle mayo. It tastes just as good as it looks.
Fried Brussels Sprouts $4~ I also saw this on the menu so I had to order it. Pretty dang good. :)
This meal was amazing. It exceeded my already high expectations. I loved everything I tried and so did everyone else. Just looking at these pictures again makes me want to pick up and drive to Austin right now. It's a good thing I don't live close though...I'd be there ALL THE TIME! If gluttony is your middle name, then this is the place for you. Although, surprisingly, I didn't feel like any of the dishes were super greasy or heavy. Nothing oozed with grease even though everything is fried. Impressive. I will definitely make this a required stop any time I'm in Austin.
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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
Last last weekend was the first ever Chipotle Cultivate Festival. It was held at Lake Carolyn in Irving on Saturday, October 18. And the best part? Admission is free!
I first found out about this festival when I went to pick up some dinner at Chipotle. They had a poster up. Food festival? Free? And FOOD?!? I'm soooo there! I immediate looked it up online and sent the info to all my friends to let them know about it. I also told my fiance we were not to schedule anything else for that day! haha.
Other than the reasons I've already presented... I was super excited because there were also chef cooking demos and the line-up was fantastic.
First up was Chef Paul Qui from Austin. I love this guy. I first cheered for him on Top Chef Texas, which he won. Woot! Then I was lucky enough to dine at his restaurant (Qui) over Christmas last year and got to meet him!! Can you tell I'm a fan?? haha. And he is just the nicest guy ever. He made Filipino Squid Adobo.
I haven't had much Filipino food in my lifetime but I'd really love to try. But I do love baby squid, my mom used to cook it a lot when I was young. It looked so good. I wish it was one of those demos where the audience could sample the finished product... Oh well. After the demo, people lined up to take pictures with him. Of course I was there! I got my picture. And better yet, he signed my CHOMP! shirt. *Squeal* Oh and did I mention that my fiance was actually wearing the shirt? hehehe. I know I got a good one when he lets other dudes sign his chest. :P So the day started off really well. I was super psyched to check out the rest of the festival.
After the demo, we walked around for a bit. They had several areas set up with different exhibits and demos. You can learn about fresh vs. processed foods, GMO (genetically modified organisms), how livestock is raised in factories vs. those that are responsibly raised and more. The festival was created by Chipotle to celebrate food that is "responsibly raised, skillfully prepared and delightfully enjoyed." It's such an awesome way to spread awareness for better processes and ingredients for food.
I was hungry so we went to find some lunch. There wasn't that many options for food, but they all sounded really yummy.
ShopHouse Southeast Asian Kitchen (a new concept of Chipotle)
Meatball Bowl (Jasmine rice, green curry, green papaya slaw, herb salad, charred green beans with chili jam & crispy garlic) $6~
My fiance got this. I wanted to try it too. I absolutely loved it. The meatballs were super tender, and that green curry was delicious. It had a spicy kick to it too. The papaya slaw on top added a crunch and freshness to it. It was the best dish of the day, in my opinion. It was a little too spicy for him though, he ended up liking my kale salad more. Seriously though, we totally need a ShopHouse in Dallas (currently there's only 2 or 3 states in the US that has it)!!
Kale Salad (Baby kale, roasted corn-escabeche, crumbled cotija, crispy tortillas, and chipotle-honey vinaigrette; Choice to add grilled steak) $7~
I'm loving the whole kale craze because I think it's a great vegetable and so good for you too. It was a little salty... I think they were a little heavy handed with the cotija. I do like the steak addition, it had a lot of flavor. Overall it was good, lots of textures and flavors. But the meatball bowl was better.
Sofritas® Tacos (Sofritas® organic tofu, in soft corn tortillas with fresh tomato salsa, Romaine lettuce and shredded cheese) 2 for $6~
A friend of mine got this. I have to say, it looked a bit sad. Other than the lettuce and hot sauce, I didn't see anything else. I tried a bite. The tofu was cut into little teeny tiny pieces and I really couldn't get much of it at all. I wonder if their chicken taco was better...
Next, we moved on to the Artisan's Hall. There were many local vendors showcasing and selling their products. More food! Yay! hehe. A lot of the products looked yummy, but I had to choose one... I was already a little full.
Texas Honeybee Guild
Whipped Honey (cinnamon) $9~ I've never even heard of whipped honey but it sounds cool! My fiance said he's had them before and it's awesome. So he got a jar of the cinnamon one. I tried it when we got home and it's pretty tasty. And I'm not even a huge fan of honey!
Pop Star Handcrafted Popsicles
Cucumber Lemon Mint $3~ He also got a popsicle. Personally I would've opted for the strawberry lemonade flavor but I had my eyes set on a different vendor. The cucumber popsicle definitely tasted like its listed ingredients. It wasn't too sweet and was very refreshing. He really liked it. That combo isn't for me...
Butterfield Gourmet
Chocolate Pie Slice (topped with whipped cream) $5~ I got a slice of pie. It looks so ooey gooey, I just had to try it. Yummers! The filling was dense and gooey. A bit too sweet for my friends but I liked it. I wish I had some ice cream or milk though. The bottom of the pie had kind of caramelized so it was even sweeter during a few bites. It's definitely very decadent. Thumbs up.
They also featured several other businesses that have partnered up with Chipotle for the event. One of them was Tabasco! Holla. Shout out to one of my favorite hot sauces. And I'm traditional, just the original flavor for me thanks. All the mini sample bottles were so cute!
Then it was time for the next chef demo I was waiting for... Matt McCallister of FT33. The hottest restaurant in Dallas right now I'd say. And I agree, I think it's probably the best restaurant in town.
I was lucky enough to go to a special event there with my friend and got to eat a 3 course meal prepared by the chef. I ate lamb! I never eat lamb because I don't like the flavor, but his dish, I cleaned it. That's a VERY big deal. We got to the tent after it had already started so I wasn't sure what he was preparing. It was a porridge of some sort? But using different grains/oats that I wasn't as familiar with. He showcased his knowledge on a variety of ingredients. And the final product looked delicious. I also got a picture with him and he also signed the CHOMP! shirt! :) Wheeeeee!
After the demo, we hit up Ben & Jerry's. Another partner business and one of my all time favorite ice cream brands. They were giving out free samples! Chocolate Fudge Brownie.
It was soooo chocolatey and decadent. I pretty much love all their flavors and their creative names. I would LOVEEEE to work for Ben & Jerry's some day. :P
The next chef demo we watched was Chef Kent Rathbun, a big name in the culinary world (especially Dallas). Most of you have probably heard of his restaurants Abacus and/or Jasper's.
He also owned Rathbun's Blue Plate Kitchen which was my favorite restaurant in Dallas for the past many years. I found out this year that it closed down. :( I was devastated... He was demoing chili, but not your typical ground beef stuff, this was giant chunks of choice steak. When the breeze came through, you can smell the aroma. OMG! Salivating! We can definitely tell that he's more seasoned in doing demos because he seemed very comfortable on the stage and talking to the audience. Afterwards, I got to ask him about Blue Plate Kitchen and he told me to "stay tuned", things are in the works. That cheered me up some. I can't wait to see what he's going to do next.
It was a great day. The festival was going on til 7PM but we left around 3:45PM. Amanda Freitag was going on next, but we missed her... She's frequently featured on Food Network's Chopped as a judge and also competed on the Next Iron Chef. I wish I could've met her. I love all those shows.
I would say the festival went very well. It was well organized, all the people/volunteers were very friendly. They featured great food, information, demos, and oh yea, live music! There were multiple bands playing on the stage throughout the day. So a little bit of everything for everyone. :) I definitely look forward to next year's event. I would love to see them add more to the chef's demo list and also more vendors in the Artisan's Hall!
Overall Experience:
~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
We were saving some stomach space because we wanted to get dessert at Kate Weiser Chocolate. Not only does she make amazing looking chocolate, I found out she also has ice cream in the new store!
Other than Cake Bar, this was the other place I really wanted to check out at Trinity Groves.
Kate Weiser Chocolate
3011 Gulden Ln, Suite 115
Dallas, TX 75212
(469) 619-4929
http://kateweiserchocolate.com/
Price: $-$$$$+
Loved the decor. It was bright and open and lots of colors from the picture on the wall to the chocolates on display. Her chocolates are definitely works of art, All have lots of color, almost too pretty to eat!
We were there for the ice cream though, first and foremost. Each one is $5, which I thought was reasonable. The chocolates were half that price EACH! Dang...
The ice creams were pre-packaged in these little containers. They were VERY frozen so we sat outside and let them thaw out a bit before digging in.
(From left to right)
Ascension Coffee Ice Cream (crushed biscotti, chocolate espresso bean) $5~ This was pretty good. I particularly liked the biscotti to add texture. I've heard Ascension coffee is really good, but since I'm not a coffee drinker, I haven't checked out the cafe yet. Very bold coffee flavors. It's probably the best one of the three.
Chai Tea Ice Cream (black tea, cardamom, ginger streusel) $5~ I chose this one. It was very interesting. Kind of a deconstructed ice cream. The bottom was the black tea ice cream, the top was cardamom ice cream (we think) and when you eat it together, it creates the chai! I loved the ginger streusel.
Pecan Butterscotch Ice Cream (mandarin orange, candied pecans) $5~ We liked this one the least. The top was a mandarin orange sorbet. I guess the bottom ice cream was the pecan butterscotch. I found the combination of orange and butterscotch a little weird. The butterscotch flavor was actually overwhelmed by the orange a bit. The candied pecan pieces were too big. I think they should've crushed it up a little. Meh...
French Macarons (per piece) $2.50~ I forget what the flavor was that my friend got. I think something maple? I'm not a macaron connoisseur at all. I thought it was ok? But I find them generally unsatisfying and seriously overpriced since most of them are semi-hollow. This one was hollow in the cookie part too.
We walked around the area a bit after dessert. Before leaving I went back and bought some chocolates to try later. Since I'm here and all... :P
Bonbons and Truffles (per piece) $2.50~ I got 2 pieces. They had lots of flavors I wanted to try, but they were too expensive... I got the Truffle Honey (milk chocolate, truffle honey) and the Yuzu (dark chocolate with Japanese lime).
They were so pretty! The lady at the register was super nice. She told me that each of them was packed with the listed flavors. She also recommended that I eat the Yuzu first since the Truffle was heavier in flavor.
I was super excited about the Yuzu (on the right). It's a Japanese citrus and I love it. However, I took a bite of the chocolate and didn't even get a hint of citrus... What?? She told me it had lots of yuzu flavor... I took another bite, still nothing. Needless to say I was very disappointed. And here's where my dilemma comes in. As a piece of chocolate, it's pretty awesome. The quality and craftsmanship of the dark chocolate is great and I absolutely enjoyed it. But since you tell me it's yuzu, I expect to get the citrus flavor. Which I didn't, AT ALL. That was a big let down. Next, I still had high hopes for the Truffle Honey.
Now this isn't the chocolate "truffle", it's straight up black truffles infused honey. The lady at the store told me, again, that the truffle flavor packs a punch. I love truffle. I took a bite. The truffle flavor was so slight that if I didn't know what was in the chocolate, I wouldn't have guessed it was truffle. Upon the 2nd bite, I got a little bit more but still not "a punch". Double disappointment. Again, really great craftsmanship on the chocolate and the filling was silky and luscious. But only as a regular piece of chocolate. I have to say I'm disappointed, especially after the reputation I've heard and expected from her chocolates. Has anyone had these flavors and had a different experience? Part of me is hoping that for some reason these batches were just flukes and they forgot to add the flavorings or something. XP
Well, I'm not sure if I'll have these again. Sigh...
At least all the people there, including Kate Weiser herself, were very friendly.
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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~
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