Best of Austin 2010, Readers Poll

Food & Drink

Why does Kerbey Lane’s 24-hour-diner goodness epitomize Austin? Is it the way that West Lake moms and drunken UT undergrads come together at Kerbey to enjoy pancakes, burgers, home fries, and everything in between? The laid-back, interestingly tattooed staff, always happy to oblige special requests? Or maybe it’s just the famed queso that is the glue that holds it together and keeps us coming back.

photo by John Anderson

It's like some opium-fueled steampunk dream, the interior of this posh eatery and bar that incorporates the industrial and fine-art metalwork of owner Mickie Spencer and features a few big works by mad-scientist sculptor Steve Brudniak. Such a setting's an oddly compelling fit for the locally sourced weekly menus of Executive Chef Sonya Cote, the potent handmade concoctions and mixological miracles wrangled from unique spirits and native herbs by executive barkeep Chauncy James, and the crowds of savvy foodies who've turned the sweetly lit joint into a mealtime and music-gig mecca of bustling proportions.

In this time of fiscal belt-tightening, you can feel both your belt and your wallet loosening as you step into the expansive room lined with a huge bar, a Tardis taking you to the 19th century. Here, there's absinthe. Lots of it, since it was relegalized in 2007. The ritual is the same as ever: the glass with the bulging stem, the slotted spoon, the sugar cube, the drip of ice water from the ornate urn. The only thing missing is the thujone, but it's easy to make up for that with endorphins from the luxe entrées that include duck, lamb, and beef. If you don't feel up to working your way through all the varieties of absinthe tonight, the smartly turned out and helpful bar staff can also make traditional cocktails with your liquor of choice, from Blood and Sand to French 75. Time to party like it's 1889.

An Austin beer-lover's landmark for variety, this Downtown pub has been serving up frosty mugfuls for more than 15 years. It offers nearly 100 bottled varieties (more than half international brews) and almost as many draft selections – a beer snob's paradise. Check out weekly specials like Texas Tuesday or Sunday Spaten Specials.

When the almighty selection can be measured in yards, there's goodness in the graciousness of the powers that be that decree the dollars make cents at Spec's. It's got weekly specials as well as frequent-shopper and cash discounts that make hosting a little happier. All the featured local Texas selections and expert advice? That's just lagniappe.

There's Tex-Mex, and then there's Austin, Tex-Mex, and it's the latter this tasty taco joint has perfected. These tortilla titans have a sense of humor (see menu items like the Dirty Sanchez and the Trailer Park); show your date you've got one, too, by ordering your tacos "trashy." He'll get your drift.

It's like some opium-fueled steampunk dream, the interior of this posh eatery and bar that incorporates the industrial and fine-art metalwork of owner Mickie Spencer and features a few big works by mad-scientist sculptor Steve Brudniak. Such a setting's an oddly compelling fit for the locally sourced weekly menus of Executive Chef Sonya Cote, the potent handmade concoctions and mixological miracles wrangled from unique spirits and native herbs by executive barkeep Chauncy James, and the crowds of savvy foodies who've turned the sweetly lit joint into a mealtime and music-gig mecca of bustling proportions.

photo by Jana Birchum

Although it recently relocated to the Barton Creek Square back lot, this market has provided the connection between Texas farmers and South Austinites for almost 13 years. From High Country Bison and Caskey Orchards peaches to kettle corn, kombucha, and jewelry, this Austin institution offers something for everyone.

When it comes to hot ways to partake in this city's many food events, two beloved perennials come to mind: The Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Festival features hot items in the most literal sense, and AIDS Services of Austin's Dining for Life program is the local restaurant community's piquant way to boost the nonprofit's coffers – and all we have to do is choose to eat out.

Justine's Brasserie (top), Wink

photo by John Anderson

North Lamar's Wink serves as the definition of intimate. You're going to be in very close quarters while dining, but after a few glasses of wine you'll hardly notice, and the delectable menu is a nice diversion too. Over on the Eastside, the French-inspired Justine's has a bit more legroom and later hours, and the low light and vintage feel are perfect paired with a chocolate pear tart or charcuterie plate.

photo by John Anderson

In Austin, we like to tipple dry. As in desert dry. As in tequila dry. As in: Shake, don't stir and with tequila, not gin, please. While the beloved margarita may be a more ubiquitous Austin libation, it's her not-so-distant "martini" cousin that has whetted our readers' boozy appetites in this first-time category. Like the traditional margarita, it's all in the preparation: Some use bottled mixes; some squeeze limes. All versions have their diehard fans. Taste and compare to find which has the shake that best complements your palate. Ladies and gentlemen, may we present the cocktail of Austin, for Austin, and by Austin: your favorite, the Mexican martini!

Calendar-makers argue over whether Sunday or Monday marks the start of the week, but ours begins Saturday mornings at this Eastside gem, where fresh greens, henhouse eggs, Larry's legendary smoke-dried tomatoes, and more nourish our tummy and our soul. Think "nommm" meets ommmmmmmm.

photo by Todd V. Wolfson

We love to dial up this popular food blog on Tasty Tuesdays, a weekly feature showcasing local favorites which lately has kept us in the burgeoning loop of food-trailer mania. You'll also find Jodi Bart's charming anecdotal "Tasty Bits" posts, recipes, and restaurant reviews, so you won't have to dread the dinnertime question, "What do you want?"

Consistently good delivery service and beautiful organic produce have kept Greenling a readers' favorite four years running. Don't be overwhelmed by the selection; the Quick Shop Baskets will get you started. Top picks are the Local Box, overflowing with seasonal organic produce, and the Longhorn Box for maximum brain power with snack-ready veggies and fruit, baby carrots, and Texas pecans. Follow @Greenling_com on Twitter for this week's bounty.

Our readers know that behind the spectacular typography employed to promote this chain's sammichy wares, the freshly created comestibles themselves, delivered direct to your stomach's current ZIP code, are meat-and-veggie-packed heavyweights that can knock hunger for a loop without coldcocking a student's (or a harried office-worker's) wallet.

Since its renovation and expansion, Wheatsville has re-embraced the idea of community. As the landscape of Guadalupe has changed in the past few years, so has the veteran food co-op, and the updated interior and exterior signal that. However, the same friendly vibe is just within its doors; the biggest difference is that the aisles and food selections are a little bigger now.

It's all about the patio. Whether it's the misted and lit-by-gas-station Nomad or the expansive sea of picnic tables at Liberty, we like to do our inebriating outside. Heat be damned. Escape from the increasingly crowded East Sixth Street strip or just avoid Downtown altogether. Either way, you're getting drunk.

For the sixth year running the readers' mandate stands: Shady Grove's twinkling canopy, barbecue, Hippie Sandwich, and stone patio make us happy on both sunny days and summer nights. Go by on a Thursday night for the Unplugged live music series.

A friend once told us that at Uchi, it's not just about a reverence for raw fish; it's about a delicate balance of flavors, an attention not just to all five senses but to all five taste sensations – sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and that most furtive and flirtatious of the five: umami, or savoriness. As any good romantic comedy will tell you, you may reel in your would-be lover with a shared taste for the finer things in life or a flair for racy repartee under the influence of hot sake, but you and your new squeeze will need to ply every corner of the palate – not just the sweet and savory – to get you to that second date and beyond.

We've all heard the University of Texas slogan "What Starts Here Changes the World," and this has proven true in at least one case — Tiff's Treats, the brainchild of UT grads Tiffany Taylor and Leon Chen. Delivering delicious fresh baked goods at all hours of night and day, Tiff’s has changed the way we crave.

Everywhere you look, Vino Vino is nudging you to take it home, like a sultry late-night encounter. But this won't end in a walk of shame; the staff know their grapes, and their grapes are good. So good, in fact, by the taste, glass, or bottle, you'll be shouting this name twice. Vino! Vino!

The Sandwich Joint (top), Coffee Divine at St. David's Episcopal Church

photo by John Anderson

While these gems aren't exactly hidden (they each have their loyalists), they are less obvious than more crowded contenders. And therein lies added appeal. St. David's Cafe Divine is an air-conditioned respite in the heart of Downtown offering free wi-fi (boasting a "higher connection," ha-ha!), hot coffee, cold libations, sinful brownies, sandwiches and wraps, and walls of books and gifts. The Sandwich Joint is a hip li'l Burnet Road staple featuring hearty (and oh-so-affordable) "Daily Hook-up" lunch specials with names like Its-a-Gouda, Knuckle Sandwich, and Gobble Gobble. Both have earned our readers' desire to make them more well-known. Well, the secret's out now, baby.