Épicerie Desserts (Austin)

I've been to the French-inspired grocery and café multiple times now, but Epicerie has not been featured enough for its rich pastries that I believe beat any bakery around. Luckily, I got to give each dessert a shot, and I am back with ratings that some might call predictable, but I call outstanding.

The chilled lemon tart is the perfect treat for a sunny summer afternoon. I am typically not the biggest lemon fan, but this mild citrus is more of an undertone than an overpowering ingredient. The buttery crust is light and flaky, and the consistency is delightfully smooth in every bite.

You won't find a classic New Orleans beignet anywhere else in Austin (Thank you, Chef!). Fully loaded with powdered sugar, which brings back memories of beignet fights in the French Quarter, these hot and crispy doughnuts are simply divine. Since they're made to order, the beignets melt the sugar into a sticky, gooey topping that'll leave you licking your fingers with no shame! I recommend ordering a hot coffee with these bad boys.

Ask anyone: This is my FAVORITE salted chocolate chip cookie in the city. Right here. They're chunky, buttery and soft on the inside, crumbly on the outside, and not too chocolate-y. I could eat a whole box....I'm not kidding you.

These delicate strawberry and lemon macarons take me back to fantastical summer nights in Paris. In the strawberry macaron, you can taste the berries. No artificial flavors here, people.

Come by Épicerie to pick up a couple of pastries for Mother's Day -- a few macarons or buttery shortbread sticks will win her heart. Or, you can always come by on Mother's Day for their fabulous brunch. All desserts will be available, including some extras from the restaurant's newest pastry chef. It's time to celebrate your sweet tooth!!

Austin Food and Wine Festival Recap

 A round of applause will not suffice for this year's celebration of today's (and tomorrow's) food, wine and spirits talent. The execution of this year's Austin Food & Wine Festival has left a permanent mark on the city, just as Chef Tim Love's autograph has left a mark on my forearm with pride.

I always value my everyday visits to Austin restaurants, both old and new; but Austin Food & Wine Festival reminded me of the combined skill and talent that is, more often than not, taken for granted around here. The consistency behind these chefs' performances and personalities is noteworthy. Josh Watkins of The Carillon and Allison Jenkins of La V prepared to-die-for short ribs and black bass tartare side-by-side in lighthearted contentment. Paul Qui's pork tongue knocked it out of Butler park. Fork & Vine's fried alligator with homemade Sriracha pulled me back for thirds. The Bonneville's messy lamb pastrami reminded me of my favorite NYC deli. And don't even get me started on Frank's gator sausage beer fondue with slow dough pretzel.

The steep ticket price was well worth it. I believe I sipped and snacked on far more than the money I paid. Austin understands quality, and this roundup did not disappoint. I finally took home a Confituras keepsake of strawberry balsamic preserves, and I think I tried too much wine to differentiate...although the Duchman Family Texas Sangiovese and Flowers Chardonnay were memorable.

Texas, you done good.

Hillside Farmacy II (Austin)

The quaint Eastside café and local grocer, Hillside Farmacy, has remained at the top of my list since my discovery almost two years ago. Its whimsical brunch was one of my very first caramelized critiques, so here is my chance to step up the review and showcase a casual weekday lunch that you and your friends will adore. Before I share my lunch picks, I must let you in on the trendy game-changer during this particular trip out East. Rather than scrambling for my credit card in my bottomless tote, I used my new fave foodie app called Tabbed Out, a mobile payment solution that  seamlessly improves your dining experience from start to finish. With one click, you can pay your tab and add gratuity -- no need to grab a pen or calculate an appropriate tip. It's brilliant, savvy and time-saving. Download it now!

Now that the app is on your smartphone, let's talk what I ordered on my tab. The fresh shucked oysters, which change daily, are some of the best in the city. The homemade cucumber relish is a topping I wish more restaurants provided. Its mild and refreshing atop an oyster and offsets the horseradish effortlessly.

While we know I'm not gluten free, my waitress advised us to choose the gluten-free bread for our traditional grilled cheese any way! The local bread is light and fluffy, fully loaded with sharp cheddar and ripe tomato slices. I enjoyed the tangy cabbage side, too.

Hillside, you do very well. And lesson learned: TabbedOut is the way to go during these caramelized critiques!

Herringbone (La Jolla)

While it has already been one month since my trip to Southen California (how?!), I can still taste the lavender and crisp ginger beer in the skinny jenny specialty cocktail at La Jolla's finest. The trendy establishment, owned by Chef Brian Malarkey of Austin's Searsucker (a new-ish 5th street downtown fave), hosted the finale to our girls weekend before embarking to Cabo, Mexico. Seven of us splurged on the menu, hoping to take full advantage of the restaurant's atmosphere

We began with a plethora of appetizers: a crab cake, aracini fried risotto balls, and a wild mushroom, sage, pesto pizza (above, holding the mushrooms on half to include our anti-fungus friends). I wasn't crazy about the crab (nothing beats Clark's) or risotto (the thick fried coating was unappealing), but the pizza was awesome - buttery roasted garlic cloves and porcinis galore.

My king crab pasta was heavenly, although the portion was outrageous and the price was even more so. I wish I had split with Ashley, who felt equally stuffed after two twirls of pappardelle. I also couldn't help but notice the uneven distribution of crabmeat; I had only a few pieces of this "king crab" on my $30 entree. Disappointing, but taking bites of Ashley's somewhat made up for it.

Most of the other ladies ordered the special: onagi (a white fish, similar to seabass) with sugar snap peas and crispy fingerlings. Isn't the presentation gorgeous with floral garnish? We were confused to receive only peas rather than physical sugar snaps, but the dish overall proved nice and mild. I could've added some sea salt and a kick of some sort if the onagi had been my order.

I wish that Herringbone's prices had compared to the quality of flavor, which I found too passive from dish to dish. However, I would go back for the bar scene or a few flatbreads with friends! The place is happenin', and I am glad I got to be a part of the vibe while in La Jolla. Until next time, California.

The Fold (Little Rock)

A trendy new Little Rock spot had caught my eye during my last visit in December, so I was dying to go this past weekend with Alex after an early arrival from Austin. I am a sucker for spectacular graphic design and interiors, so The Fold's botañas and bar immediately drew me in. Its food and drinks matched the expertise branding, challenging most of the Tex-Mex spots I've experienced in Austin. Austin, you better watch out...!

The clean-lined, modern garage hosts a full bar and funky menu of tacos, burritos, tortas, and the works. The guacamole is prepared made-to-order with a sprinkle of cotija, and the light queso's ground bison addition quickly became a necessity upon each crispy tortilla chip.

Our cocktails were equally refreshing, especially my blood orange margarita on the rocks with a salty rim and sweet sip. Alex's bloody mary scored, too, especially due to the pickled array across the jar. Speaking of jar, how cute are those mason jars? I am such a fan!

Alex's chicken burrito completely wowed me; my immediate reaction was, "I'm ordering this next time." The sweet tomatillo salsa, fresh black beans and avocado were placed throughout the perfectly folded tortilla, which welcomed the fork and knife rather than messy hands and surroundings. While only a tiny detail, I loved the chili powder rimmed lime wedge on the edge of the plate. When squeezing the time atop tacos and burritos, the chili powder infuses in the juice to coat entrées with a mindful kick.

Per the waitress' recommendation, I ordereed a Tejas taco and a Puerco Verde taco on corn tortillas. The Tejas reminded me vividly of TacoDeli's Cowboy taco (a true Austin favorite), so I was happy. The crispy shredded pork on the Puerco Verde was seasoned well; I wish I had asked to hold the raw onions. My portions were lovely, and I left feeling excited for the next trip to Little Rock -- this will indeed be the first stop, once again.

Barley Swine (Austin)

Texas Monthly was spot-on: Barley Swine is none other than a "culinary odyssey." The low-key, dimly lit room hosts a full house on a nightly basis, providing thirteen shared courses for diners ranging from curious, casual hipsters to sophisticated wine connoisseurs. It's no wonder diners from every background, (even GQ two years ago) find the restaurant a winner. Oh, and their Chef was just nominated as a James Beard finalist. Pretty impressive!

red snapper, strawberry, black truffle

In light of the recent GQ article on the recent trend of "egotarian" cuisine (with a shout out to Trois Mec), I could not help but recognize writer Alan Richman's blunt observation during my own dining experience, that "almost every aspect of this new style of cooking, from its conceptualization to its preparation to its presentation, is about coddling the chef, not the customer. The job of the customer is to eat what's placed before him, and then applaud."

Obviously, I made a reservation at Barley Swine to taste and test the magical creations of Bryce Gilmore, who portrayed pure focus and raw talent from behind the bar at which I sat and admired for three hours. And, yes, I applauded. Barley Swine is surely not for everyone, but I arrived expecting an adventure...and I received one. If you're not looking for that type of dining experience, then no need to venture South. Bari and I will never forget the highlights of this thirteen-course meal together, however!

soft egg, sweet potato, bluefoot mushroom

The soy-infused soft egg (two above) was brilliant, creating a marbelized surface with a soy sauce yolk that held together a crispy sweet potato nest. Its whimsical presentation was the best I had seen all night. I also was surprisingly a huge fan of the slightly sweet braised rabbit with hay mousse and turnips. The red snapper crudo third course (first photo) remained my absolute favorite through the remainder of the evening.

biscuit, orange marmalade, bacon

Besides the pricey pre-fixe figure (which jumped $10 pp since last month), the only setback I identified was the menu's lack of fluidity. My tastebuds seemed confused when jumping from a Southern-style biscuit and bacon plate to a Greek-style lamb with yogurt and then an Asian-style duck and broccoli with a miso soup "drink" on the side. All delicious, but I wish the menu's order had told a true story beyond Chef's random selection of local ingredients. Despite the hefty bill (with a big tip for Lance, the most fantastic waiter/bartender I've had in months), I left feeling amused and impressed.

It was worth it.

cobia, dashi, turnip