Go Go Gourmet
Busy Austinites focused on their destinations amid I-35 traffic might tend to miss the unassuming brick building on the northbound access road between the Crazy Lady and Dreamers
Reviewed by Virginia B. Wood, Fri., April 29, 2005
3505 N. I-35, 542-9860
Monday-Saturday, 10am-7pm
Busy Austinites focused on their destinations amid I-35 traffic might tend to miss the unassuming brick building on the northbound access road between the Crazy Lady and Dreamers. But overlooking this new East Central food shop would be a mistake. Inside, owners Tristan Callaway and Craig Long are busy whipping up an ever-changing selection of soups, salads, sandwiches, entrées, and side dishes for their customers to eat in or take out. The two gentlemen honed their cooking skills at a variety of eateries around town and discovered they had common culinary goals while they were both working at Central Market. They've created a small dining room with a few tables and booths and a cool jukebox for customers who choose to linger, and they offer quick counter service for those who need to shop and hurry on up the road. Neighbors all over French Place, Maplewood, and Cherrywood are finding their way into Go Go. A Chronicle colleague who lunches there several times a week recently shared the secret with me.I've been working my way through the prepared foods in the Go Go deli case for a couple of weeks now, choosing several different entrées and pairing them with equally inviting side dishes. I enjoyed a slice of Meatloaf ($4) with Roasted Asparagus ($1) one evening and had Chicken Pot Pie ($4) in a rich, flaky crust with some crunchy Green Beans Almondine ($1) for lunch the next day. On another lunch visit, cool weather inspired the selection of the Avery's Grinder Sandwich ($5) with Italian meats and cheeses and a comforting bowl of steaming French Onion Soup ($3). Though I'm not a vegetarian, the various vegetable dishes in the Go Go case would make it easy for someone to assemble a very satisfying vegetarian meal. What about a Stuffed Portobello Mushroom ($3) and a side of Bulghur Pilaf ($2), or a couple of Roasted Tomatoes Stuffed With Gorgonzola and Fresh Herbs ($4) with Asparagus ($1) and Carrots ($1)? Being a meat eater, I opted for the Chicken Saltimboca ($4) to go with my stuffed tomato and paired a rye bread crumb-encrusted Rubenesque Chicken Breast ($4) with the wheat pilaf.
After several meals from the Go Go menu, I can report that the food is well-seasoned, flavorful, and the vegetables are prepared with special care. There are always plenty of choices in the case that pique my interest. That being said, I will admit that for my particular appetite, the entrée servings could be bigger. For example, I'd have liked a thicker slice of meatloaf that might not have dried out quite so much upon reheating at home, and the Italian meat and cheese in the small saltimboca serving was barely discernible. With prices so reasonable, I'd gladly pay a little more for a thicker slab of meatloaf or a bigger chicken thigh packed with stouter filling. I hope those things may come in time. Considering that Callaway and Long are still working to find their culinary groove, I expect Go Go to be a fixture in our neighborhood for quite a while.