Austin, TX Part One

The last time I went to Austin was for my friend Sarah's wedding celebration party. I flew down and back in 36 hours and didn't get to really put my chompers into the city. This time around was much different...I have ten extra pounds to prove it!

HOUSE PIZZERIA

Full disclosure foodie chick readers. House Pizzeria is owned by Sarah who is one of my dearest friends in the world. This did not influence me in any way and my review is objective and honest. That said, I was lucky enough to visit House twice!

My first night in town was absolutely perfect. I went to House with Sarah and Georgi while we waited for Jasper, our 4th partner in crime to arrive from Washington D.C. First of all, the restaurant reminds me of the ocean and I love the ocean. The floor is this dark, rich blue color complemented by the wooden tables that are peppered all over. Insider fact: the tables are old basketball courts that have been refurbished! Sarah asked us how hungry we were and Georgi and I gave two big thumbs up that we wanted to taste it all. Lucky for us, she has some pull and could deliver on our expectation:) We started with their house salad with crumbled goat cheese, toasted walnuts, and apples atop a fresh mix of local greens. The dressing was light but just enough to add some extra flavor. To complement the salad, I ordered some red wine while the others had Texas beer. Next thing you knew, the pizzas arrived. Yes, plural pizzas came! We first feasted on a rosemary infused Yukon gold pizza topped with goat cheese. It was off the charts. The rosemary was perfect and the pie had just the right amount of cheese. Our 2nd pizza was the Margherita Extra, a bright red pie with tomato, buffalo mozzarella, and fresh basil. The pie was cooked perfectly and the buffalo mozzarella was a nice addition. Our last pizza was such a delightful surprise. Blue cheese with a port reduction. Genius! Again, my love of cheese made this a winner. While I do think basil if the best gift mother nature gave us from the ground, I must say I was partial to the potato & goat cheese pie. Blue cheese was a close 2nd.

The pie-maker and Sarah's husband:

My second visit to House Pizzeria was even better. We ordered more food and tried more of the pies. We again had the house salad but this time we also ordered the warm olives and the spinach salad. The olives were served in a very hot ramekin that also had multiple cloves of garlic soaking up the olive oil. The olives were a nice variety and a good snack with the salads.

The spinach salad was nice but I am really not a raw spinach lover. The spinach was tossed with crispy salami and grated Parmesan and then finished with lemon. Very light and a nice size salad that wasn't too overwhelming.

The real stars of the night came next:

1. Potato & Goat cheese - #1 and still my favorite (pic 2)

2. Sausage & Peppers- #3 favorite (pic 3)

3. Eggplant- # 4 favorite (pic 2)

4. The Noble - tied for #1 (pic 1)

Here they are in all their glory!

What is the Noble? This pie is local cured bacon, arugula, dates, and mozzarella cheese. It is probably one of the most creative pies I have ever eaten. The salty bacon mixing with the sweet dates is a bite made in heaven. No joke. The potato & goat cheese was still a winner but I really enjoyed the sausage and pepper. This pie was sweet with a kick and the peppers were not overwhelming. I hate when I order this kind of pizza and its all peppers and no sausage. That makes me feel cheated! Balance is key with a successful sausage and pepper pie (Mr. Batali, you should take this advice at Otto). The eggplant pizza was very tasty but not something I wanted to overdose on like the others. I think the flavors are rich and one slice is plenty. At the end of the dinner, we had a few slices left and both Jasper and I stuffed one more slice in our bellies for fear it would be too long till the next time.

What did we drink with our carbohydrate overload? Sarah's own recipe for white sangria. Perhaps the best alcoholic drink to have when it is over 100 degrees! Here is our proud host serving her sangria recipe!

Congrats to Scott and Sarah for owning such an awesome restaurant!

Bottom line: If you live in Austin you should go here at least once a week. If you don't, you should get on a plane and go. It is that good. The prices are so reasonable and the jukebox makes for a perfect evening. If you like the outdoors, try sitting outside on the covered patio. I will be seeing you real soon House!

www.housepizzeria.com