Austin--where to eat now?

[Wilfrid]

Good tip, thanks.

 

I am forever car-less, of course.

[Steven Dilley]

I actually could get to Franklin with my schedule next week. Annoying.

 

I don't see how I'm not getting to Bufalina this time.

 

Micklethwait and La on the BBQ list; possibly Terry Black's.

 

LA BBQ recently moved, and its current setup is a bit more user-friendly. Very good, as always. And let me know if you're swinging by.

 

I _still_ need to get out to Snow's.

[Wilfrid]

I will be swinging by; just need to figure out which night.

[Wilfrid]

Micklethwait was good, even very good, but I've still had better brisket (to my taste) at private events. Theirs was incredibly moist and tender, a bit too rich, but not as smoky as I expected. Sausage was excellent.

 

Drinks: Austin is all in on reservation only cocktail bars. I talked my way into The Roosevelt Room for an hour; had to book ahead and give credit card details for Midnight Cowboy --probably for 1 to 2 drinks. New York started this, right?

[Wilfrid]

While I'm here, the LBJ Library does a great job of conjuring an era. The Blanton Museum has some worthwhile surprises, although most of the collection is Reina Sofia-style very good minor art.

 

Bullock museum of State history: grand building. Temporary exhibit on Prohibition would make anyone thirsty.

[joethefoodie]

I talked my way into The Roosevelt Room for an hour; had to book ahead and give credit card details for Midnight Cowboy --probably for 1 to 2 drinks. New York started this, right?

Yeah, maybe Milk & Honey (or was London first)? I think there was also one in San Francisco, whose name fails me at this time, but was probably after M & H.

 

The Blanton Museum has some worthwhile surprises, although most of the collection is Reina Sofia-style very good minor art.

 

I love that minor Guernica.

[Wilfrid]

Finally getting the Pink Pig up to date, starting with Austin.

[Sneakeater]

Reading your response to eating Texas brisket in Texas for the first time, I'm reminded of the bootlessness of the claims that New York is now developing its own style of barbecue, equal in quality to the barbecue of the South, such that New York is now one of the major barbecue centers of the nation.

 

Nobody -- nobody honest, anyway -- who's eaten barbecue in its indigenous regions would ever believe that anything you can get in New York even comes close.

 

I don't think there's something genetic at work here. And I don't really believe that indigenous cuisines are incapable of transfer to other regions.

 

So something else must be at play here.

 

I hate to say it, but I'm tempted to think that all things we don't like about Southern barbecue -- thinking of Texas in particular, the long waits, the limited availability -- might in fact be necessary to the quality of the product they're able to produce.

 

I hope I'm wrong.

[Suzanne F]

Reading your response to eating Texas brisket in Texas for the first time, I'm reminded of the bootlessness of the claims that New York is now developing its own style of barbecue, equal in quality to the barbecue of the South, such that New York is now one of the major barbecue centers of the nation.

 

Nobody -- nobody honest, anyway -- who's eaten barbecue in its indigenous regions would ever believe that anything you can get in New York even comes close.

 

I don't think there's something genetic at work here. And I don't really believe that indigenous cuisines are incapable of transfer to other regions.

 

So something else must be at play here.

 

I hate to say it, but I'm tempted to think that all things we don't like about Southern barbecue -- thinking of Texas in particular, the long waits, the limited availability -- might in fact be necessary to the quality of the product they're able to produce.

 

I hope I'm wrong.

 

Those things are necessary to the perception of quality--why would anyone wait so long for something that isn't great? the assumption that scarcity = quality--but have nothing to do with the product itself.

[Sneakeater]

I get that. But in the particular case at hand, the quality is so obviously, easily perceptibly higher, it isn't a case of convincing yourself of anything. The difference isn't subtle.

 

Why do YOU think it's so much better? There's no reason you couldn't make barbecued brisket that good in New York. It just isn't done, for some reason.

[Anthony Bonner]

Lower overheads mean potentially higher quality inputs, lower throughput demand, and a longer break in period to get up the quality curve.

[Wilfrid]

New York occasionally produces long waits and running out.

 

But you're right. The first time I went to Memphis I understood the absolute difference in quality.

[Suzanne F]

Lower overheads mean potentially higher quality inputs, lower throughput demand, and a longer break in period to get up the quality curve.

 

And maybe also longer experience held by the staff in charge day to day, with the development of greater knowledge of dealing with the vagaries of product, conditions, etc.

[Wilfrid]

Brewers Table, from the GQ best new restaurants list. Lured by the smoked rabbit, but no sign of it on the very short Spring menu.

 

The location is all Austin, a big building open on two sides, extensive patios, miles between the tables. Kitchen is smoking fish on a big rack, ready in a couple of days; you can do all kinds of spacious outdoor cooking here.

 

And it’s a brewery, the Pilsner very good.

 

What could go wrong? Aged pork ribs, tender and discernibly delicious under the visible hunks of salt. Salt and salt. My mouth wrinkled like a walnut.

 

The rabbit being off, I tried the mushroom toast. Some kind of mushroom spread I guess, with bits of apple, the whole thing blanketed with mustard seeds. Mustard and mustard.

 

The overall effect of the two dishes, served together, was mildly nauseating. That’s not excellent. But the whole operation looked so right.

 

With the dishes arriving immediately I was in and out in about 40 minutes. Headed for Bufalina for multiple consoling wines and a good cheese plate.

[Abbylovi]

Have you been to Valentina’s BBQ? Really great cue in Austin. My last trip I brought home a few frozen pounds of brisket which I highly recommend.