2011 Critics Picks
Best Carrot Side Dish
Carrot Butter at Foreign & Domestic
Ned Elliott's voluptuous, savory carrot-and-butter puree is a carrot lover's dream come true.
– Virginia B. Wood
Best Corn Side Dish
Granny Elote at Dos Batos
A Monterrey-style bowl of corn kernels that’s tangy and creamy with a dusting of chile powder – the only thing missing is the cob and the mess on your chin.
– Virginia B. Wood
Best Meal in a Taco Behemoth
Sol Taco at Cherrywood Coffeehouse
A fluffy omelet filled with sausage, bacon, black beans, green onions, grated cheese, and crispy potato strips that will stay with you all day. – Virginia B. Wood
Best King Cake
Bakerman's Patisserie and Chocolatier
These excellent cinnamon roll crowns are napped with luxurious frosting and covered with bright Mardi Gras-colored sugar and plenty of beads. Party on. – Virginia B. Wood
Best Gourmet Burger, Fries, and Shake
Make mine a Llano Poblano burger with a side of chili-cheese fries and a Godiva caramel shake. – Virginia B. Wood
Best Muffaletta With a Side of Homemade Potato Chips
The bread from Langlanais Bakery, imported from Louisiana, and the tangy, chunky house-made olive salad make this an authentic Crescent City treat. Chips just gild the lily. – Virginia B. Wood
Best Fried Pies and Ice Cream
TIE: Lamberts, Monument Cafe
Both places use local, seasonal fruit in flaky crusts with homemade ice cream. Delish! – Virginia B. Wood
Best Churros with an Iced Mocha
Streat
A cinnamon-sugar crusted pastry stick paired with a superior cup of coffee is a fine afternoon treat. – Virginia B. Wood
Best Lemonade/Limeade
Fresh-squeezed, frosty, and delightfully refreshing, these huge drinks are worth a drive to Georgetown. – Virginia B. Wood
Best Wood-Fired Outdoor Slice of Pizza
You’ll only find these divine, thin-crust slices topped with local produce, meats, and cheeses at the Downtown or Triangle farmers’ markets, unless Bola is catering a private party. Seek out these pizzas. – Virginia B. Wood
Best Locavore on Wheels
Odd Duck Farm to Trailer
Bryce Gilmore’s salute to the freshest of the fields. Wonderful. – Mick Vann
Best Chinese Roasted Meats
The original Din Ho barbecue folks keep doing their thing in new digs. – Mick Vann
Best Transition From Trailer to Brick-and-Mortar (and Barbecue)
Now at the gateway to 11th Street, and still the best in Austin. – Mick Vann
Most Authentic, Funky Taqueria
Yolanda and Araceli produce culinary perfection, one handmade taco at a time. – Mick Vann
Best Undiscovered Cuisine Gem
Asi Es Colombia
The Belez family’s culinary brilliance perfectly showcases Colombia’s food. – Mick Vann
Pizza of the Mount Olympus Gods
Spectacularly delicious pizza, worthy of the Greek warriors for whom it is named. – Mick Vann
Best North Austin Northern Indian
Teji's Indian Restaurant & Grocery
Lakh Bir’s half restaurant serves full-on excellent northern Indian. – Mick Vann
Strip Mall Tamale Heaven
TIE: Antojitos Hondureños, Costa del Sol
One is Honduran, one is Salvadoran, they are side-by-side, and both are exquisite. – Mick Vann
Best South of the Border Seafood
Amazing mariscos (pulpo, ceviche, camarones, etc.) without the narco-terroristas! – Mick Vann
Bavarian Bliss and Beer
Nuernberg Brauhaus
The Dyes’ and the Vogts’ pork-centric temple of German food, and the beer is ice cold. – Mick Vann
Best New Hostess Gift Idea
Macarons From La Pâtisserie by Luxe Sweets
A footlong box of elegant, vividly-colored macarons from La Pâtisserie strikes the perfect note of appreciation, and is far more stylish than a bottle of wine. – Kate Thornberry
Best Makeover
Hats off to the Bouldin Creek Coffeehouse for their loving restoration and repurposing of Big G Tire on South First: a triumph of architecture and design. – Kate Thornberry
Best Gluten-Free Bakery Treats
The Steeping Room
Using European methods and ingredients like almond flour and seasonal fruit, the Steeping Room serves the best-tasting gluten-free scones, tortes, and cupcakes around. – Kate Thornberry
The Student Becomes the Master Award
Paul Qui has successfully snatched the pebble from Tyson Cole’s hand – Uchiko is distinctly different, yet just as wonderful as Uchi. – Kate Thornberry
Best Vegan Ice Cream
Jam Sanichat’s ice cream creations are intensely flavorful, relying on seasonal fruit at the peak of ripeness, and nearly half of her case is filled with coconut-milk based, vegan ice creams. – Kate Thornberry
Best Dinner Destination on a Damp, Cold Night
the backspace
The roaring, radiant heat of Backspace’s 2,700-pound, 1000˚ brick oven quickly evaporates even a heavy chill, and the authentic, piping hot Neapolitan pizza will conjure up sunny Italy. – Kate Thornberry
Walking the Walk Award
Olivia
Many restaurants do what they can to be ecologically responsible, but no place does more than Olivia. Chef James Holmes not only erected an energy-saving, “green” building, but he also sources from local farms, recycles everything at his own cost, and composts all his kitchen waste for Olivia’s on-site garden, which is watered with collected rainwater. – Kate Thornberry
Best Way To Experience Small-Town Texas Without Leaving the City
Ray's BBQ
Brisket sandwich on white bread, coleslaw, homemade banana pudding, and sweet tea, all served without irony or pretension. – Kate Thornberry
Where Everybody Really Does Know Your Name
Fricano's Deli
Are they competing with each other? Are they savants? Planning to run for political office? Because the only customers who aren’t greeted by name when they walk in the door are folks coming in for the first time. – Kate Thornberry
Best Japanese Dish in a Midcentury Modern Diner
Global Tapas From Snack Bar
Housed in the Austin Motel’s restored restaurant space (vintage from 1938), Snack Bar serves up “global tapas” like Tamago Yoko, a hash cake of eggs, cabbage, leek, bacon, and shrimp splashed with wasabi aioli and Sriracha, sprinkled with crispy nori and bonito flakes. Wowza. – MM Pack
Best Place To Learn To Love Offal
Foreign & Domestic
Chefs Ned and Jodi Elliott always present surprising fare, but they really shine when making culinary silk purses out of sows’ ears and using other under-appreciated parts, such as for smoked beef tongue croquettes. – MM Pack
Best Potential Juxtaposition of Swine and Wine
The Triangle Formed by Rosewood and East 11th
This tract houses both bijou wine shop East End Wines and longtime Austin chef Raymond Tatum’s 3 Little Pigs trailer serving delectable pork cheeks, sliders, and meat loaf. It’s an inspired juxtaposition, and once the little matter of permits gets worked out, patrons can enjoy the fruits of both establishments together on the premises. – MM Pack
Best Parisian Snacks Served From a Shipping Container
La Boîte
Eating anything from an artfully repurposed shipping container is a fun experience, but lolling on the sunny deck with coffee and rainbow-hued macarons, a croissants au amande, or a light sandwich of turkey, brie, and fig spread verges on the divine. – MM Pack
Restaurant We Can't Wait To See Open
Prospective Restaurant by Daniel Olivella
Catalan native and acclaimed Bay Area restaurateur Daniel Olivella lives in Austin now and is looking for a small restaurant location. Spanish tapas and arròs negre like those served at B44 in San Francisco? Bring ’em on! – MM Pack
Best Deconstructed Classic Bar Snack
Paggi House Bruschetta
Bruschetta can be found just about everywhere, but this version is simple, spectacular, and different. Assemble your own from a plate of grilled baguette slices, a large quenelle of soft, herby, goat's-milk ricotta, and a ramekin of juicy roasted tomatoes. – MM Pack
Best Alligator Beignets
Max's Wine Dive
Have your beignets with powdered sugar in New Orleans, but at Max’s, Chef JP Lacoste serves them West Louisiana style – a big plate of smokin’ hot bites of gator meat beignets with spicy jalapeño dipping sauce. – MM Pack
Best All-Day Dim Sum
Get Sum Dim Sum
Austin is so lucky to have tender, fresh dumplings and other dim sum made by Chi Keung Chan, formerly executive chef at San Francisco’s acclaimed Yank Sing. No roving carts here, just order at the counter and wait for made-to-order treats to arrive. It’s all good, but the eggplant stuffed with shrimp is outstanding. – MM Pack
Best Pork Belly
The Slider at 3 Little Pigs
– Wes Marshall
Most Interesting Use of Dr Pepper
The Dubliner at Haddingtons
Irish whiskey and reduced Dr Pepper. Wow!
– Wes Marshall
The Team To Beat
Congress
Chef David Bull, sommelier June Rodil, and mixologist Adam Bryan. – Wes Marshall
Place To Discover Affordable Old World Wines
East End Wines
– Wes Marshall
Best New Bistro
Artisan Bistro
Authentic French food for the Lakeway and Bee Cave set. – Wes Marshall
Best Brisket in the History of the World
– Wes Marshall
Best Barbecue Sauce
TIE: The Salt Lick B-B-Q, R.O.'s Outpost B-B-Q
– Wes Marshall
Best Apple Tart
Artisan Bistro
– Wes Marshall
Best Apple Pie
Jalapeño Apple Crisp Pie From R.O.'s Outpost B-B-Q
Still matchless combo of cinnamon and jalapeño. – Wes Marshall
Best New Craft Cocktail
The great news is that there are so many we couldn’t list them. Austin is emerging as a cocktail capital. – Wes Marshall
Sexiest Bar
The Secret Bar at the W
A room so sexy you expect to see Grace Kelly curled around Cary Grant in the corner booth. – Wes Marshall
Best Meat Event of the Year
Live Fire! Beef Supremacy Over Flames
This event at the Texas Hill Country Wine & Food Festival is undeniably heaven for carnivores. – Wes Marshall
Best Art Made With Food
Uchi/Uchiko
Dishes at this duo are not your average plates. Expect to see tiny forest scenes, miniature gardens, and exquisite compositions of color and texture. – Claudia Alarcón
Best Thing To Happen to Far South Austin
Now I don’t have to drive halfway across town for the best bolillos (and tortas) in town, plus real Mexican pastries, flaky empanadas, flan, and Mexican gelato. – Claudia Alarcón
Best Pork-Centric Party
Wine & Swine Pig Roast
Chefs from all over Central Texas came to the Texas Hill Country Wine & Food Festival for the chance to cook a whole hog their way. The winners: us! – Claudia Alarcón
Most Underrated
Excellent food, drinks, and atmosphere, plus good happy hour deals on drinks and food. Thw only drawback is parking, but that’s not a strong enough reason not to try it. – Claudia Alarcón
Best Avocado Dish
Urban – An American Grill
Avocado tres leches cake with sundried tomato crème fraîche. Need I say more? – Claudia Alarcón
Best Dish at the ACL Food Court
Fried Chicken From Olivia
When I heard they were doing it I thought it impossible. After three days of eating it, I declared it the best idea ever.
– Claudia Alarcón
Best Frozen Margarita
Guava Margaritas From Zandunga
These delectable tropical treats are a unique, powerful weapon against the summer – and a dangerously tasty one. Bet you can’t drink just one. – Claudia Alarcón
Best Football-Themed Cocktails
Using mostly Texas-based liquors and fresh seasonal ingredients, these thirst-quenching libations are amongst my new favorites. – Claudia Alarcón
Best Michelada
Takoba
It’s all in the way it is handmade, from the rim-rubbing with real lime and carefully coating it with a shaking of salt to the house-made mix and an ice-cold beer. Bring it on, Austin summer! – Claudia Alarcón
Best Vegetarian Taco
Torta de Coliflor From Papalote Taco House
The recipe is one from owner Sergio Varela’s own mother. Deep-fried spiced cauliflower fritters wrapped inside a tortilla with cabbage, queso fresco, avocado, and zingy red chile salsa is so so good! – Rachel Feit
Best Tamales
Banana Leaf Tamales From the Gardener's Feast
I can’t get enough of the spiced shredded beef (tinga) or the chicken mole paired with dates and plantains and wrapped inside the Gardener’s Feast’s amazingly light masa. – Rachel Feit
Best New York Bagel
OK, so the owner is from New Jersey, but he has still managed to make the best darn bagel anywhere in Austin. – Rachel Feit
Restaurant We Most Wish Were in Central Austin
For Central Austitites, trekking all the way to Cedar Park is a serious transit commitment. Thankfully, Noble Pig – with its homemade duck pastrami, house-cured pork belly, house-baked breads, and homemade condiments – is worth the trip. – Rachel Feit
Best Dining Alfresco
El Arbol
From the giant, shady oak tree and the great glowing globes hanging from its branches to the lively Latin American sounds pouring from the speakers, dining alfresco at El Arbol on a steamy summer night is pure decadence. – Rachel Feit
Best Restaurant To Try Pig’s Ears (or Something Like Them)
Most Creative Dessert Concepts
Second Bar + Kitchen
Imagine a succulent brownie speckled with smoked ganache and orange Pop Rocks, or an oatmeal cookie sandwich stuffed with foie gras buttercream – Second Bar + Kitchen's boldly go where few desserts have gone before. And they're downright delicious. – Rachel Feit
Best New Sweets Shop
La Pâtisserie by Luxe Sweets
La Pâtisserie transports you to the streets of Paris with its amazing buttercream-filled macarons, lemon madeleines, and finger-licking coffee éclairs. – Rachel Feit
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