Austin, TX Part Deux

Our taste of Texas continues....after House Pizzeria came Chuy's, The County Line BBQ, and the airport version of The Salt Lick.

CHUY'S

Chuy's is the real deal my foodie readers. Yes, it is a chain in Texas but as chains go, it is delicious. Crispy chips and a spicy salsa greet everyone who settles into their very comfortable booths. The menu is completely overwhelming and I was determined at the time not to have order envy! Sarah highly recco'd the fish tacos. I kept thinking how can I come to a famous Tex-Mex joint and not get a burrito? It felt wrong. I bowed to the burrito gods and ordered up the chicken fajita topped with a creamy salsa (heavy cilantro, tomatoes, and sour cream). It was the best burrito I have ever tasted (see pic). The honor was once held by the Burrito Bunker in Chapel Hill, NC. No longer. I have awarded Chuy's the title! My burrito was fairly big but since the chips were far from my reach, I had just enough room to finish my lunch. Sarah and Jasper's fish tacos smelled so good. They were breaded in a sweet panko and then fried crispy. Sarah ordered this "special sauce" that she dipped her taco in that really kicked it up a notch. Our waiter called this sauce Ranchero. A spicy ranch with a definite Texas kick. Get it if you go! Georgi's combo platter was an interesting array of little goodies that she made quite a dent in. I had a little bite of her tamale and it was tasty but I was too consumed with my burrito to cheat on it. Scott, Sarah's hubby, had something cheesy and yummy that looked just as good as mine!

Bottom line: Delicious. For some reason, I think I might have been to a Chuy's in Ft. Worth but I can't recall exactly. It was several years ago for a wedding. The one thing I can't understand is how places like Chile's make it in Texas when there are places like Chuy's. Oh well, some people just don't get it. More for me!

www.chuys.com; several locations all over Texas

THE COUNTY LINE BBQ

We left Chuy's and headed to the Hill country to check into The Barton Creek Resort. If you find yourself in Austin, take a night and go out to the Hill country. The landscape is really beautiful and not something you would imagine in Texas. Our resort was completely swish. Let me say that one more time. TOTALLY SWISH! After settling into our rooms, we headed for the pool and health club. Sadly, due to the drought, the hotel creek had dried up. We decided to investigate for ourselves and took a little Texas nature hike. Post hike, we sucked down several of Sarah's homemade mojitos, and then we finally made our way to our dinner feast.

The County Line is certainly the largest BBQ joint I have ever visited. Set atop a hill, the inside of County Line is like a ski lodge in Colorado or Park City, cozy, homey, and a smile on every workers face. There is a patio out back that overlooks the hills but only drinks and starters are served. Our server, Daryl, was the sweetest guy you could imagine. He was so authentic and happy to have a table of ladies to serve. I think he was also impressed by our ordering skills. We didn't skimp and told him to bring it on! We ordered up a pitcher of local beer that was refreshing and cool. As a complement, we started with their beer battered onion rings and homemade ranch dip. The menu, know as BIG CHIEF, was filled with options but I decided to do a combo platter so I could have the brisket (sorry arteries), the BBQ ribs, and the jalapeno sausage. As my sides, I did the homemade coleslaw and then their mac n' cheese. The brisket was the best I have tasted thus far in life. So moist and tender it just melted in your mouth. The BBQ ribs had so much meat on them I was shocked. They fell apart in my hands. The sausage was good but a bit spicy. My slaw was excellent but the mac n' cheese was just OK. No cheddar kick and it looked more like a massacre of Velveeta. I wouldn't order it again. We all had the same thing except for Jasper who didn't do ribs and instead opted for BBQ chicken. As a last order, we added their homemade sweet bread to the table that was perfect for slopping up the juices and meat that fell from our mouths. As I was eating all these amazing flavors, I had to laugh at the table next to us. It was a group of tourists from Asia and Germany that didn't have one single piece of meat on their plates. They had salads and some kind of fish dish. Who the heck does that?! If you are going to do BBQ, do it right! Completely full and dreaming of my pj's, we headed back to our resort for a night cap.

Bottom line: Another winner in Texas! I would repeat my exact meal sans the mac n' cheese. It was pure pig heaven at The County Line!

www.bartoncreek.com

www.countyline.com

THE SALT LICK @ the Austin Airport

Just when you think I couldn't get anymore BBQ, I happened upon The Salt Lick at the Austin Airport. Georgi and I both had time to kill before our flights so we stepped up one more time for some delicious BBQ. I had the chopped brisket sandwich and Georgi had the sliced brisket sandwich. Both were amazing and the BBQ sauce they gave you was out of this world. I couldn't get enough of it! Talk about not getting yucky airport food! Even though my flight home to NYC was delayed, I was a happy girl and I have The Salt Lick and Georgi to thank!

Bottom Line: If the airport test run of The Salt Lick is any indication, the real place is sure to rock. I am putting Driftwood, TX on my travel to do list!

www.saltlickbbq.com

Last BBQ thought.......

Living in NYC has afforded me the pleasure of eating lots of BBQ. I have tried Wildwood, Hill Country, Blue Smoke, Southern Hospitality, and Brother Jimmy's. Out of all five, I prefer Hill Country as I think the wood they bring from Texas makes a difference in the pit. I stepped out this year for The Big Apple BBQ but didn't get to try that much food as it went fast (Insider tip: I had a fast pass and that didn't help all that much. Next year I need to get there when they open). One of my friend's highly recco's Town Line in Sagaponack so I think that is next on my BBQ list. Giddy up friends!

www.townlinebbq.com

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