ATX FOOD NEWS | Eating our way through Austin, one delicious bite at a time.

Nibbles, sips, shopping trips – Pearl Brewery

Posted on January 22, 2014 by Kay Marley-Dilworth

Gorgeous building, soon to become a hotel.

Gorgeous historic brewery building, soon to become a hotel.

Y’all, I have more than just this one blog post to write about a recent Austin Food Blogger’s Alliance trip to San Antonio to tour the Pearl Brewery marketplace. When Pabst shut down the historic Pearl Brewery, I was more than a little sad. Pearl was my late Uncle Peter’s beer of choice for my entire life, or at least starting from when I could recognize the label. Sure it’s still produced (now by Miller, in Fort Worth), but I wondered what would become of the brewery building. Fast forward to present day and I can tell you that you need to plan a day trip to San Antonio, and soon! The Pearl Brewery has become a mixed use site of retail, residential and restaurants, along with the Culinary Institute of America’s Texas campus. On the weekends, there is a terrific farmer’s market with local produce and products. If you get the chance to try Koch Ranch’s Garlic Kraut, do it and let the garlicky wonderment ensue.

Toasted artisan bread piled with pulled pork and leek hash, topped with an egg is heaven on a plate.

We wandered the farmer’s market and retail stores, all while enjoying live music outdoors. Breakfast came from one of the vendors, Restaurant Gwendolyn, who has a brick & mortar. Their farmer’s market tent offers ala carte items from their constantly changing menu, and from the first bite of my pulled pork, leek and egg sandwich, I knew I’d eat there sometime very soon. Do not pass up an opportunity to buy their whole seed mustard. I did, and I’ve been kicking myself ever since.

Loved this building the moment I saw it.

I’ll post more about the individual restaurants we visited, in this marathon of eating and drinking, but you need to know three words now: Logan at Cured. Logan is the maître d at Chef Steven McHugh’s newly opened establishment that features a glass meat curing case front and center as you walk in the door. This charcuterie is on the fast track to become the highlight of every trip to Pearl Brewery, and Logan is part of the divine package. Knowledgeable, witty, and every so slightly a salesman, he convinced us to fit in happy hour in a day of serious amounts of food and libations. Logan is a font of information about the historic building, renovations, and more. You will not be disappointed in the restaurant or the staff, as all are just as friendly.

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Categories: Breakfast, Dinner, Family Friendly, Lunch, Meat, San Antonio | Tags: Austin Food Bloggers Alliance, Cured, farmers market, Pearl Brewery, Restaurant Gwendolyn, San Antonio | 1 Comment

Jack Allen’s Kitchen 4th Annual Lone Star Paralysis Fundraiser

Posted on January 10, 2014 by Kay Marley-Dilworth

I don’t need many excuses to eat at Jack Allen’s Kitchen. It’s a Friday. It’s a Tuesday. I want a big, fat, juicy burger. Or I want Chile Mango Shrimp Tacos. Or pimiento cheese! One thing I do love is how involved in the community Jack Gilmore is, not only by sourcing locally (you can’t miss him at the farmers’ markets early in the morning, making his rounds) but also by giving back. One of the annual fundraisers held by the restaurant is the Lone Star Paralysis Patio Bash.

If you need a reason to feel good about donating, please know that funds raised directly affect our community of folks living with spinal cord injuries, as well as funding research. And if you need a reason to attend this fundraiser, just take a gander at the lineup. These are the rock stars of the food and beverage industry in Texas, coming together to help a nonprofit.

To RSVP, email barbara@lonestarparalysis.org or visit Lone Star Paralysis Foundation’s website.

Categories: Benefit, Food Event, Nonprofit | Comments Off

Romancing my tastebuds with Ramen Tatsu-Ya

Posted on January 4, 2014 by Kay Marley-Dilworth

This bowl of noodles and goodies will seduce you at first sip.

I admit that it wouldn’t take much to impress me with ramen, as my only experience has been with grocery store Top Ramen, before entering what shall now be referred to as hallowed grounds of Ramen Tatsu-Ya. I met my husband and a friend for lunch recently, on a rare weekday off. Reminder: start taking more days off. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about this lunch, with its silky, rich broth and succulent pork belly. And the egg. Oh, my goodness, that egg! The texture is almost indescribable, with a velvety yolk and tender white part that melts in your mouth. Sinfully delicious.

Use a chopstick to stir up the spicy edamame, to coat it with the chili oil that invariably ends up in the bottom of the cup.

We sampled the spicy edamame while waiting for our ramen, and I suggest you do the same. One order was enough for the three of us, and we got a laugh at my husband’s expense when he ate an entire pod. He is fairly new to Japanese food, despite spending a few weeks in Japan for work. He was much younger, and much more of a picky eater back then. After we explained that you pop the beans out with your teeth, it was all good. He’s finally able to eat with chopsticks now, and not get too frustrated.

The lunch ramen is a chicken-based broth, Toyko style shoyu ramen with chashu (pork belly), ajitama (marinated soft boiled egg), nori (seaweed), memna (marinated bamboo shoots), and white and green onions. We ordered extra garlic, to add to taste to our ramen. So unbelievably delicious! The broth is a rich, golden brown color, and is the perfect backdrop for the ingredients. I spooned several mouthfuls before tackling the noodles, slurping them up. I’ve learned I cannot slurp without splashing broth into my eyes, and have noted the need for waterproof mascara for future trips to the restaurant.

My friend Kela demonstrating the proper way to slurp up noodles.

The lunch menu doesn’t offer as many types of ramen as dinner service, where you can get Tonkatsu (pork broth based ramen) with a variety of ingredients, as well as a miso soup that comes in spicy or mild. I love the clever name: Mi-So-Hot and Mi-So-Not. Ramen Tatsu-Ya offers a Gluten-Free option at dinner, and on Sundays, a veggie ramen. The additional side dishes on the dinner menu look tasty, too. I’m dying to try the Sweet & Sour Yodas (Brussels sprouts), and the gyoza. Mmmm, pork dumplings!

If you haven’t been to Ramen Tastsu-Ya before, make sure you know where it is located. It’s easy to miss this small space, located next to the post office in a strip center on the frontage road of Hwy. 183. If you glance around for a blue awning with a black sign underneath, and a line of folks waiting to get in, then you’ve found it. And yes, expect a line, or show up a few minutes prior to opening, like we did. It’s rough to wait in line, smelling the delicious cooking odors when your tummy’s rumbling. Want to learn more about ramen? Check out their video. Oh, and make sure you visit the restrooms while you’re there. They are an explosion of color!