Food and otherwise, it has been a nostalgic week, with a quick trip to Austin, Texas for a conference. I went to college in Austin but hadn't been back in TEN years. Although a lot of things have changed (like the Drag is now almost all corporate/franchises and is almost actually boring), many of my favorite restaurants are still there and I was able to find a bit of time for a few 'old memories' dishes and beverages.
The site of my first meal, only an hour after I arrived, was Ruby's BBQ. There are a lot of really good barbecue restaurants in Austin, but I hold a special place in my heart for Ruby's because they catered my college graduation party oh-so-many years ago. I kept the meal fairly small as I knew more food was on my horizon--a brisket sandwich (with coleslaw on it) and potato salad. Happily, it was all as good as I remembered, and nothing about the very-Austin grungy interior had changed the slightest bit (if things haven't changed much I can almost delude myself into thinking that it wasn't quite so long ago that I graduated from college). The BBQ sauce, was, however, different than my recollection, with a more vinegar/Tabasco flavor. Quite delicious.
I hold an even more special place in my heart for Trudy's, as Trudy's was the first place I ever ate in Austin, way back when I was in high school and went to visit, and Trudy's was also the location of a rather raucous Millennium New Year's Eve party back in 1999-2000. Those of you who were also there [might] remember. In addition to the amazing Tex-Mex cuisine, Trudy's serves up the famous 'Mexican Martini,' a potent combination of I-don't-know-what (like a margarita served 'up' but better and comes with olives) that is utterly drinkable and so intoxicating that there is a 2 per-person limit. As good as I remembered. Trudy's also serves a fantastic queso dip made with guacamole mixed in (Queso Especial). Also as good as I remembered. For my entree I tried something I had never tried before, the Stuffed Avocado--a fried avocado stuffed with spicy chicken and cheese and covered in Suiza sauce (sour cream/green chili). Once I put thoughts of cholesterol out of my mind, I was nothing but totally enamored with this dish. Wow, amazing, one of those dishes I will crave until the next time I can get to Austin to get another fix.
In addition to my two old favorites, I also tried a new place that is my friend A's favorite place, Maria Maria. Generally not being one for chain restaurants and always suspicious when celebrities in a totally different line of work decide to open a restaurant (Carlos Santana in this case), I was a bit [internally] skeptical about dining at Maria Maria (there was also the fact that I had an endless mental list of restaurants to revisit). But I trust A and since she only moved to Austin recently I wanted to see 'her' Austin (and, she'd patiently driven me around to a variety of old haunts, therefore it was the least I could do to let her pick a restaurant). So, I was quite pleasantly surprised that Maria Maria was quite good. The salsa was fantastic (the kind that makes the chips just a vehicle), the quesadilla appetizer was great, and the vegetarian enchiladas very solid. (I was kind of full from all of the salsa by the time I got to the enchiladas. And, while tasty, I thought the enchiladas needed something to bring them together a bit more; each vegetable inside was nicely done but the filling as a whole didn't quite seem to mesh). Lastly, the margaritas were tart and eminently drinkable, a huge compliment from me as I ordinarily find margaritas too sweet for more than a sip or two. For a fancier and a bit pricier Mexican meal, Maria Maria was a great choice.
It was great to be back in Austin, I didn't realize how much I'd missed it. Good city, good food, cute bats, and the bluebonnets were in bloom.
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