January 2021
CURRENT PICKS (Stage 5 in Austin means takeout-only recommendations from me.)
BUFALINA | Aiming to try the latest pie this month. Grab a bottle while you’re at it.
THE BACKSPACE | More Neapolitan pizza for those of you who can’t get enough of it. Order out or dine in.
FOOD! FOOD! | King ranch casserole. Make a casual or elevated night of this dish. I grew up on it. While you’re picking up, grab The Mikey for lunch. More info here.
HESTIA | Wood-fired feels right for January. They offer a-la-carte for the first time since the spring, and have elevated their takeout game.
JO’S at RED RIVER | Opening in January at 41st and Red River, you can swing by the drive-thru for breakfast or lunch. As a downtowner, the 2nd St. location is my go-to for a quick lunch.
LITTLE OLA’S by OLAMAIE | I finally made it to Olamaie for a full bag of biscuit sandwiches. Split a few with your crew. Spicy fried chicken, tomato/egg/cheese, and pimento cheese are my picks.
MATT’S EL RANCHO | You can’t beat in-person Matt’s, but Bob Armstrong at home is a close second. Margs to-go if that’s your speed. More here.
UCHIKO | To-gomakase—signature or premium, or order a-la-carte. I recommend ordering Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday to boost house morale.
UPPER CRUST BAKERY | If gluten is your friend, meet UC’s face-sized cinnamon rolls. Lunch specials available daily. More here.
TIDBITS
AMERICAN UNAGI’S KABAYAKI KITS | I highly recommend trying unagi if you haven’t already. Uchiko has a great nigiri bite if you want it served. AU’s latest kits enable you to make your own unagi sushi for $125. It’s 1 lb of unagi, so it’s plenty for a group activity.
APLOS | New to the market, Aplos serves as a hemp-infused, alcohol-free option for your drinking habits. Read more.
IT’S IT ICE CREAM SANDWICH DELIVERY | The modern-day ice cream truck with a slightly higher price tag. Check it out if you’re looking to change up your dessert routine.
GOOD APPLE FOODS | Delivered to your door, $30 per week for enough local produce for two people. It also pays for a box for someone who needs it. Use this code for $10 off: AzZcvBS7EKztDIC4. Find it here.
SMALLHOLD’S GROW KITS | Learn as you (and they) grow. Smallhold makes mushroom grow kits for cooking. Read more.
TOP FOUR THINGS
1080 RECIPES | Writing a cookbook is on my to-do list for 2021. I’ve started drawings for the book, which look much like what you’ll find in this book. I just purchased a copy at a bookstore in Taos. Grab it here.
A BITE SIZED HISTORY OF FRANCE | I started reading it at the end of December. Packed with historical tidbits re: the origins of French food/culture. Found here.
GOOD DRINKS | A collection of alcohol-free recipes. Join me in taking a break from alcohol for the month, but keeping things interesting with this book.
PULLTEX CORKSCREW | It won’t let you down—the smoothest corkscrew I’ve found by research or practice. Found here.
Quotes I’ve reflected upon.
“I think reading is like this. It takes an exceptionally strong person to be exposed to the weight of truth that books can relate and for that person’s mind to remain unchanged.” — Lazenby, Infinity to Dine
“When you have been anointed an expert by the person you love, the last thing you want to do is disappoint them.” — Stéphane Hénaut and Jeni Mitchell, A Bite-Sized History of France
Biggest Loser in Culture for 2020: “Wokeness. I think that people are coming to the point where you can have nuance. I think cancel culture in wokeness was incredibly corrosive, and I think that they lost.” — Chamath Palihapitiya, “All-In” (Episode 15, 28:38)