austinite.com
http://www.austinite.com/
Austin, TX food, booze and other vital matters. Objective restaurant reviews by Brent Buford, a longtime Austin food nut.en-us2011-05-18T16:01:23-06:00Haddington's
http://www.austinite.com/archives/2011/05/haddingtons.html
If Austin dining is to become fully enclosed in a fresh pine box of hipster gastronomy and mixology, then Haddington's is a fine, final nail in the lid. The wood in question is sourced and milled in the Pacific Northwest...Americanbrentbuford2011-05-18T16:01:23-06:00Movin'
http://www.austinite.com/archives/2009/04/movin.html
Moving the site over to Wordpress and back shortly with more reviews. Stay tuned.......Otherbrentbuford2009-04-09T10:54:07-06:00Flying Saucer, 4600 Guadalupe (in the Triangle)
http://www.austinite.com/archives/2008/09/flying_saucer_4.html
The titular spacecraft, er, pub franchise landed early in the Triangle, advertising "please don't call us a chain" funkiness, zaftig barmaids in skimpy schoolgirl attire, and a card-swiping club that encourages premature liver damage through excessive alcohol consumption, rewarded with...brentbuford2008-09-29T18:28:54-06:00Galaxy Cafe, 4600 Guadalupe (in the Triangle)
http://www.austinite.com/archives/2008/07/galaxy_cafe_460.html
I've finished eating my way through the Triangle, so it's time to pass judgement on the rest of the establishments there (see a review of Sago here). I'll save the annoying Which Wich? for a forthcoming sandwich roundup, and the...brentbuford2008-07-31T14:26:26-06:00Sago Modern Mexican, 4600 Guadalupe (in the Triangle)
http://www.austinite.com/archives/2008/03/sago_modern_mex.html
Imagine my surprise — ambling through the shining testament to urban infill called The Triangle, I caught sight of a large vinyl sign screaming "MODERN MEXICAN" and assumed, for a brief moment, that this was some Westlake doyenne's unfortunate name...brentbuford2008-03-26T11:21:44-06:00Din Ho Chinese BBQ, 8557 Research Blvd
http://www.austinite.com/archives/2008/03/din_ho_chinese.html
North Austin strip-center goodness never ends — it seems you can walk into nearly any joint crammed between a discount furniture shop and an ethnic grocery and find a linoleum-floored, wood paneled gem serving up something hearty and authentic. The...brentbuford2008-03-20T16:06:13-06:00Fino, 2905 San Gabriel
http://www.austinite.com/archives/2008/01/fino_2905_san_g_1.html
I wasn’t sure what to expect when Emmett and Lisa Fox opened Fino. Their venerable Hyde Park trattoria Asti had, over the years, balanced its cozy charm and creativity with inconsistent execution and some downright bombs. For every revelatory seasonal...Otherbrentbuford2008-01-10T22:34:15-06:00Zocalo Cafe Taqueria Fresca, 1110 West Lynn
http://www.austinite.com/archives/2007/11/zocalo_cafe_taq.html
"Fresh Mex" is a euphemism in dire need of an involuntary retirement party. Like "pro-life," it is a thinly-veiled condemnation of the other side of the argument and, like all political language, has little real meaning on its own. Who...Mexicanbrentbuford2007-11-06T22:42:48-06:00La Victoria Bakery, 5245 Burnet Rd.
http://www.austinite.com/archives/2007/10/la_victoria_bak.html
I'm starting to like Burnet Road as a peculiarly Austin-style culinary destination. It lacks the pretense and arch-hip attitude of South Congress, and is apparently still cheap enough to support tiny family restaurants like Consuelo's and one of the best...Mexicanbrentbuford2007-10-17T08:28:40-06:00La Cocina de Consuelo, 4516 Burnet
http://www.austinite.com/archives/2007/10/la_cocina_de_co.html
This cozy eatery opened by local catering luminary Connie Rodriguez brings hole-in-the-wall ambiance to tony Rosedale, on a strip of Burnet that is undergoing a culinary renaissance of sorts. While Blue Star missed the mark (just slightly) the last time...brentbuford2007-10-01T18:10:33-06:00Three Forks, 111 Lavaca
http://www.austinite.com/archives/2007/06/three_forks_111.html
If you awoke at five this morning in a feverish sweat wondering why there weren't enough goddamn high-dollar steakhouses in downtown Austin, you can eat another handful of Tums and go back to sleep. From now on, when you can't...Americanbrentbuford2007-06-18T21:38:20-06:00Lambert's, 401 W 2nd Street
http://www.austinite.com/archives/2007/04/lamberts_401_w_1.html
Like Castle Hill many years before it, Lambert's has managed to navigate a transition from cramped, charming confines to a big, boisterous establishment. Unlike Castle Hill, Lambert's has more or less abandoned the subtle, precise cuisine of its former digs...Americanbrentbuford2007-04-08T15:33:55-06:00Spec's, 5775 Airport Blvd.
http://www.austinite.com/archives/2007/02/specs_5775_airp.html
Spec's arrived in Austin late last year with moderate fanfare, a bespectacled, flag-waving rabbit, and a warning from a wine distributor friend in Houston that the chain would put a serious dent in the business of places like Central Market...Otherbrentbuford2007-02-05T21:04:09-06:00Lily's Sandwich, 10901 N Lamar Blvd
http://www.austinite.com/archives/2007/01/lillys_sandwich.html
More exceptional bánh mi in far north Austin, this one tucked away in the brand new Chinatown center near Lamar and Braker. Lily's baguettes are thin and very crusty, and the joint is apparently popular enough that they run out...Vietnamesebrentbuford2007-01-11T22:14:35-06:00Commentary: Hot Damn!
http://www.austinite.com/archives/2007/01/commentary_hot.html
Like any other moderately self-aware American approaching their forties, I spend a good deal of time in line at liquor stores. Today, I noticed the ass-sized portion of "Hot Damn!" in the display by the checkout counter and was tempted...Commentarybrentbuford2007-01-11T22:08:23-06:00