November 2020
CURRENT PICKS
BAD LARRY BURGER CLUB | Follow him on Instagram to track him down. Next step is Little Brother Bar on December 7th. Background info here.
COMEDOR | My favorite patio in Austin. Make sure you get the quesadilla and a Repo Ginger to start. Don’t go with people who have bad hearing :) Eat well.
LORO | Off early? Snag a spot for happy hour — select items and drinks discounted weekdays from 2 until 5 o’clock. It’s also one of my favorite spots to bring people from out of town. It’s great for a casual bite or drink, and easy to order/pay separately as you go. Pork ribs (Sunday and Monday after 5) are nuts. More info here.
RED ASH | I’ve written a review before with my menu picks. While I don’t currently see happy hour on their website, I’d be willing to bet that it’s still in place until about 6 o’clock.
RUSSELL’S | Frankly, November is usually the only time of year I make it to Russell’s, and it’s for their soups. It’s a great spot if you’re in Highland Park West. Check out the menu here.
TEXAS FRENCH BREAD | Grab a spot in the garden while you can. I recommend it for when you’re looking to end up at home earlier than usual.
TRACE | I never thought I’d add this spot to my list. Trace is the restaurant at the W downtown, and has a solid brunch with $10 mimosas carafes. More importantly, there’s currently a weekly concert on the patio on Wednesday nights, reservations available. Here’s the events calendar.
UCHIKO | Invite me whenever you go. Eat outside if you can swing it.
Commodore Perry’s patio, which I visited twice in November
TIDBITS
GOOD APPLE FOODS | If you aren’t eating out, I highly recommend it. 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. I’ve done it for a few weeks and love it. Use this code for $10 off: AzZcvBS7EKztDIC4. Find it here.
GUEST COLLECTIVE | Keeping this up from last month. Guest Collective is a platform designed to keep spirits high in the restaurant industry during trying times. They recognize value in the voice of customers, and created the “love letter” platform for you to thank the hands that brought you your meal. Check out Uchiko’s location to read my first one. Let me know if you write one—I’d love to share it with my community.
SHARP ATX | I found him through Uchiko’s IG (previous employer) in October. A contact for those of you with nice knives and not much knowledge of how to care for them.
STEELBOW FARM VEGGIE BOXES | Sitting at a higher price point than Good Apple, Steelbow is new to me and I haven’t had the chance to try it. It seems well branded and tied to good partners. It sold out quickly last month, so check it out while it’s available.
SUNRISE MINI MART | I’ve recently had quite a few friends ask for more info. I hadn’t made it until recently, but had read great things (including this article) about Sam. It didn’t let me down. Read more here.
Quotes I’ve reflected upon.
“Not wanting something is as good as having it.” — Naval Ravikant
"When you help someone through a health issue, positively impact someone’s personal wealth, or take a sincere interest in their children, you engender a life-bonding loyalty.” — Keith Ferrazzi, Never Eat Alone
“The first principle is that you must not fool yourself — and you are the easiest person to fool.” — Richard P. Feynman