Maggie's Austin

Weekend Shoutout

maggie — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:44:03 +0000

Saturday at 11am is the 2nd to last UT homegame of the season. Tailgate is a must! I will be at the river in Johnson City all weekend but please sing ‘The Eyes of Texas’ for me. Enjoy!

Taste of Thanksgiving

maggie — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:35:16 +0000

After returning from a few days in San Antonio, I have no new restaurant posts but I want to share a way to start the holidays early! Tonight only (Thursday Nov. 5th), head to the Whole Foods headquarters at 6th and Lamar from 6-8pm for a FREE Thanksgiving feast. From prepared foods and bakery to wine, each department across the store will be sampling seasonal fare, so grab a plate and dig in! You can look forward to a classic turkey dinner w/ wild mushroom and sage gravy, cinnamon-dusted butternut squash, cranberry-mandarin orange relish, and fresh baked pies. It’s free and you don’t have to spend a minute toiling away in your own kitchen, it’s a win/win!

Whole Foods 525 N Lamar Blvd Austin, TX 78703 www.wholefoodsmarket.com 512-476-1206

Free Amy’s Ice Cream

maggie — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:52:01 +0000

In honor of Amy’s Ice Creams 25th Anniversary, they are giving away free scoops today only , Wednesday November 4th, from 2-6pm. Enjoy!

www.amysicecream.com

Song of the Day: November 4

maggie — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:51:48 +0000

Today’s song of the day is ‘Mother’ by Danzig. Now I’m not a huge hard rock fan but I love this song. Catch Danzig this weekend at FunFunFun Fest at 8:30 on Sunday Nov. 8th. Wristbands are still available here.

To watch ‘Mother’:

www.myspace.com/danzig

Four Season Holiday Preview

maggie — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:40:44 +0000

The Four Seasons graciously hosted an online media holiday preview last night. We sampled the 5 new holiday cocktails, two house wines, and every item on the December 3-course $39 Trio menu. As always the food was expertly cooked, the drinks were flowing, and most importantly, the staff at the Four Seasons are the best in town, hands down. You are guaranteed first-rate service and with the happy hour deals and $39 prix-fix menus, Trio won’t wipe out your life savings. I’ll let the pictures do the talking:

Pheasant w/ mushroom Jus

To see pictures of the Holiday Preview:

Mistletoe Mojito: a shot of Mount Gay Rum, 2 dashes of simple syrup, 2 dashes of fresh lime juice, 2 dashes of cranberry juice, a dash of soda water, and a dash of grenadine. Top with fresh mint leaves and cranberries.

S’more the Merrier: 2 tbsp marshmellow cream, a shot of Godiva dark, a shot of Tuaca, a dash of cream, and line the martini rim with two squares of graham cracker, toasted w/ butter and cinnamon and crushed.

Prime Ribeye w/ horseradish and red wine sauce.

Flute Cocktail: 1/2 shot of midori, 4 oz. prosecco, 3 green grapes and 3 red grapes, sliver of red apple.

Maple Roasted Sweet Potatoes and brussels sprouts.

In his hand is the Syrah i was drinking all night. It is only available at Trio and from the winery itself in Washington. Trio sommelier Mark Sayre utilized the cellar at Va Piano to blend an exclusive Syrah, which has exotic aromas and flavors of deep black feruit, white pepper, and crushed violets.

A big hunk of Prime Ribeye!

Basket of parmesan popovers. Not as good as Neiman Marcus’s Zodiac Room popovers but not far behind.

Appetizer of Pork Belly

Warm gingerbread cake

Brandy Melt: 1 cup of coffee, 1/2 shot of Christian Bros Brandy, 1/2 shot of Amaretto, 1/2 shot of white creme de cacoa, 3 tbsp whipped cream, toasted almond slivers and dark chocolate cacoa beans.

Yule Thyme Martini: 2 shots dripping springs vodka infused w/ fresh sage and thyme, 1 dash oban scotch, 1 slice of smoked maitake mushroom.

Masseuses from the Four Season’s spa gave hand massages and talked about their holiday packages. You know how at Victoria Secret around xmas they awkwardly walk around with lotion and ask to give hand massages? This was not as awkward. Ha.

www.fourseasons.com

Fricano’s Deli

maggie — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:45:54 +0000

Voted ‘Austin’s Best Kept Secret’ by the Austin Chronicle, I had not even heard about Fricano’s Deli until recently. Someone said if I like Foodheads, I would love Fricano’s. I was ready to take on the challenge. Fricano’s has a great menu of cold and hot sandwiches, every combo you can think of, good prices, and a neighborhood vibe. This place has a couple 2-tops and 5 bar stools so try not to go during the lunch rush if you want to eat there. Besides sandwiches, the menu also has salads, soups, deli meats & cheeses, delivery, and catering. Super friendly staff and good service.

Turkey Special

To see pictures of Fricano’s Deli:

Next to the Speedway Mart at 31st & Speedway

There is very little seating, I suggest going in the off-hours or taking to-go

Sandwiches are very generously sized, I had to take half home, and I have a huge appetite!

Fricano’s Deli 104 E 31st St. Austin, TX 78705 www.fricanosdeli.com 512-482-9980

Weekend Shoutout!

maggie — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:58:52 +0000

UPDATE:

Another successful year but still not sure what my costume was. Maybe Studio 54, maybe Vanna White. I live in Brykerwoods which is a pretty family-centric neighborhood and surprisingly we only had one trick-or-treater! I guess fortunately/unfortunately more candy for me! And it was nice meeting a maggiesaustin reader in a Randalls parking lot Saturday. That kind of feedback keeps me going with this blog. Thanks! My misfit friends below.

Have a safe Halloween weekend and stay out of trouble, unlike this little lady:

Around the World coffee tasting

maggie — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:57:14 +0000

Wednesday November 4 at 7:30 head to Austin Java’s flagship location for free appetizers, samples of this month’s featured coffee from Tanzania, and a discussion put on by the Master Brewer. Austin Java hosts an Around the World tasting at the beginning of every month to display the month’s new Fair-trade coffee flavor from around the world.

Austin Java Parkway @ 12th & Lamar www.austinjava.com

Zilker Reopens

maggie — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:37:48 +0000

Finally, the grass is back and the mud is (almost) gone. Fly a kite or have a picnic this weekend, you deserve it!

Song of the Day: October 28

maggie — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:31:16 +0000

Today’s song of the day is ‘Buriedfed’ by Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson, a 26 year old singer/songwriter from Brooklyn. Catch Miles tomorrow (Thurs. Oct. 29) at Emo’s w/ Warpaint. This is the kinda song you would expect to hear while watching The Royal Tenenbaums. Good music that takes you to another place and time. Miles’ songs cover all the struggles endured so far, from his homelessness to addiction. The Gothamist has a great article/interview on Miles here.

To watch ‘Buriedfed’: