Looking for the real Chinese food thing, or the closest thing to it here in Austin? Check out the green and pink shack over there, yeah, the one that looks like a taqueria or a flower shop. Mmmm, here's that smell - that greasy, heavy air that fills up your nostrils and coats your skin - and there's the menu in Chinese posted in strips up on the windows. Now try the food - flat pan-fried noodles, rice soup, noodles in brown beef broth - the very stuff of Hong Kong street dining that brings the local Asian clientele flocking to the smudged glass counter. And remember, this is strictly a wooden chopstick, nothing over $5.50, serve yourself for drinks kind of joint where they bark out your name to come pick up your food, and you leave fat, greased up, and happy. You're loving it, aren't you?

5119 Burnet, 451-2345

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High Time's ample serving of New Orleans-style chicory coffee has the soft, creamy essence of marshmallow, and it's a great complement to their fabulous breakfasts, like Portabello Omelette With Tomato-Sherry Sauce and mixed green salad. Even the toast seems like someone made it with love.

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Even in your tonier establishments, a satisfying cup o' joe can be tough to come by. So it's always a pleasure to return to these cheap eatin' institutions for food that is exactly the same as it was the last time you ate it, and have a really good cup of coffee to top it off. The coffee at Souper Salads should always be ordered after you finish your last trip to thesalad bar (so it won't sit in front of you getting cold), and drunk with a chunk or two of gingerbread; and always finish your "Lu Ann Platter" with Luby's rich, nothing-quite-like-it blend. Ahh. Now you can go back to work.

Souper Salads
10710 Research
512/343-0807
www.soupersalad.com

Luby's
1410 E. Anderson
512/835-9454
www.lubys.com

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Even in your tonier establishments, a satisfying cup o' joe can be tough to come by. So it's always a pleasure to return to these cheap eatin' institutions for food that is exactly the same as it was the last time you ate it, and have a really good cup of coffee to top it off. The coffee at Souper Salads should always be ordered after you finish your last trip to thesalad bar (so it won't sit in front of you getting cold), and drunk with a chunk or two of gingerbread; and always finish your "Lu Ann Platter" with Luby's rich, nothing-quite-like-it blend. Ahh. Now you can go back to work.

Luby's
5200 Brodie
512/892-0297
www.lubys.com

Souper Salads
2438 W. Anderson
512/451-9320
www.soupersalad.com

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In June, Austin's water was chosen as best drinking water in Central Texas by the Texas Water Utilities Association in a taste test against samples of water from other cities in the region. The water was judged on clarity, purity, and taste.

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This dedicated young man seems to be pursuing a chef's apprenticeship the European way, by working his fingers to the bone in the service of resident and guest chefs alike at the Central Market Cooking School. You'd never know to look at him that he's only 14 years old, but this aspiring chef is gaining untold hours of excellent free culinary training because he's willing to work for it. We expect great things from this guy. He's making the most of the Central Market volunteer program.

Joe Synatschk
Central Market North Cooking School
4001 N. Lamar
www.centralmarket.com

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The brunch at St. Julia's is homemade in every aspect of the word. Breakfast is served by hustling volunteers carrying dented baking sheets stacked with handmade tortillas, empanadas, and sweet rolls, breakfast tacos, huevos, and menudo. Though the beige plastic plates, matching coffee cups, and metal folding chairs have probably been in service since the church opened in 1957, they add a coziness to the communal atmosphere created by scampering kids and hundreds of friends enjoying one anothers' company. Open to the public, Sundays, 8:30 am-1pm.

St. Julia's Catholic Church
3010 Lyons
512/926-4186

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We never know where or when the indomitable Flo Washington will pop back into the Eastside culinary landscape, but we're just as happy as all her other loyal fans whenever she does. This newest incarnation offers her signature soulful downhome specialties (fried chicken, smothered pork chops, vegetables, cornbread, pie, and cake) at the usual bargain prices. Welcome back.

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Popular local chef Miguel Ravago contributed his culinary expertise to this fascinating collection of Mexican-American immigrant family recipes written with Seattle travel coordinator Marilyn Tausend. The book garnered a Julia Child Book Award for excellence from the International Association of Culinary Professionals, and Simon & Schuster plans to bring out the Spanish language version in 1999. Felicidades!

Rumba
FM 2222 & Loop 360(Capital of Texas Hwy)

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They looked across the waters. They saw a land where pizza chains held dominion, and they said "Woe unto them who must subsist upon lame-ass pizza," and they begat delivery to that land; and lo, it was sustenance deemed divine, for the crust was hearth-baked; yea, the three sauces were revealed to be slow-simmered, and the people of that land said, "It is good," and they tipped their driver.

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The best dinner and a movie pairing this year had to be the Alamo's first anniversary celebration. Owners Tim and Karrie League presented Alfonso Arau's romantic film Like Water for Chocolate paired with a dinner based on recipes taken from the novel that inspired the movie. The dining audience was served the delicate quails in rose sauce just as the incendiary scene in which they were featured flickered across the screen. Quite an impressive accomplishment.

Alamo Drafthouse
Alamo Drafthouse Village, 2700 W. Anderson #701, 512/861-7030
Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar, 1120 S. Lamar, 512/861-7040
Alamo Drafthouse Slaughter Lane, 5701 W. Slaughter, 512/861-7060
Alamo Drafthouse Lakeline, 14028 Hwy. 183 N., 512/861-7070
www.originalalamo.com

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Weekends in Austin are breakfast heaven. There are so many choices! Problem is, if you're like us and wake up after 11am, by the time you get your lazy, hungry, jonesing-for-something-eggy butt out of the sack, your favorite brunching hot spot is packed. Head north to Austin Java Company's location on 183. Amidst the sprawl and strip maul, there is relief in the form of Java's familiar Eggs Benedict and c'est bon! French Toast, not to mention their comforting array of exotic Joe. What isn't familiar, however, is the fact that you don't have to wait in line for an hour while running into everyone you know.

Austin Java
www.austinjava.com

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See those pillow-toting mamas? Or rather mamas-to-be? They go directly from their childbirth classes at Seton and make a beeline to Hilbert's to order one of these babies. Honest to goodness shakes and malteds that are, in a word, yummy!! Could an entire class of pregnant women be wrong about such a thing? Remember, follow a pregnant woman.

Hill-Bert's Burgers
5340 Cameron, 512/371-3717
1503 W. 35th, 512/452-3287
www.hill-bertsburgers.com

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Okay, okay ... so your favorite pizza isn't the same as ours, we know it's a peppery subject. But it's no toss-up that Aljon's is the best NY-style pizza in town with a drive-through window! All we have to do is call ahead for our favorite pie - say, pepperoni and mushroom, on a traditional yeasty crust cooked to cheesy, saucy perfection - and when we arrive it's boxed up and ready to sail through their window and into ours. By the time we get back home (if we've kept from reaching under the lid en route) the slices have cooled off just enough to fold and eat.

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When Angele Cleopatra Stavron gave up playing bass in punk bands to go into the tamale business, some snickered as if to say, "You? Start your own company?" They're not laughing now, they're smacking their lips and belching in satisfied torpor. Angele's masa marvels are made with quality ingredients and are available in such non-traditional flavors as smoked chicken poblano, (vegan) spring vegetable, and wild mushroom with Texas goat cheese. We'll miss her when she relocates to Fort Worth later this year, but her hot tamales will still be available for delivery by ordering online.

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We won't lie to you. When we first saw that the new HEB did not carry over its Chinese kitchen, we were bummed. But the overwhelming selection and the courteous and knowledgeable staff at the remodeled grocery store's new Greats! Cafe more than makes up for it. The hot food selection offers barbecue, pizza, pasta, and a variety of casseroles (our favorites are the Southwest chicken dish and the hot smoked turkey barbecue with a generous slab of their pepper-laden corncake). The salad bar is packed with a variety of lettuce, fresh veggies, and spicy cold noodle dishes. If you crave a snack or even a full meal afterhours, the refrigerated section has many of the day's favorites, plus the treats from locals Kala's Cuisine, Eat Your Greens, Marta's Flan, and Tom's Tabooley are pre-packaged for your convenience.

Hancock Center, 41st & Red River, 459-6513

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Year in and year out, these hardworking sisters always give from the heart to support the causes they believe in, most notably the local Latino arts community. This year in addition to providing exhibit space for La Peña's Toma Mi Corazon Heart Auction, they persuaded several hotshot chefs to donate food and opened their restaurant for a preview party that raised plenty of extra money for the arts.

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One might think a no-dairy dessert would be no more exciting than say, a handful of raisins, but Ronnie's Chocolate Chip Cookies are our favorites even before we look at the ingredients - a dense concoction of oats, organic flours, chocolate, a little canola oil, and some other components that shouldn't rightly turn up in a sweet. We don't really care that they might be better for us than the standard tollhouse version, just that they taste amazing. And just think... since they're vegan, we might convince mom that it's okay to eat them instead of our veggies.

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The greatest addition to the usual deli-style fare at the downtown Po-Boys is the presence of owners Mom and Dad. Dad is usually hacking away at the register with a big smile on his face, while Mom works invisibly in the back preparing the daily specials of homestyle Middle Eastern cuisine (served 'til 3 pm, including chicken & rice, stuffed cabbage, and Schwarma made with 13 spices!). The food is hot, delicious, and cheap with accompanying vegetables, rice, potatoes, or exceptionally good hummus on the side; each special runs $5-6.

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Both these men are highly regarded for making visiting chefs welcome in their kitchens. Celebrity chefs from all over the country who invade the Four Seasons kitchen for collaborative dinners rave about chef Prambs' hospitality and professionalism. Cookbook authors and culinary instructors who frequent the Central Market cooking school kitchen always give high marks to chef Mollett and his staff for their exemplary tactical support. We'll just have to call this one a tie.

Elmar Prambs
Four Seasons Hotel
98 San Jacinto
www.fourseasons.com/austin

Roger Mollett
Central Market North Cooking School
4001 N. Lamar
www.centralmarket.com

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The "Joan Rivers," a tongue, corned beef, and Swiss sandwich, with cole slaw and Russian dressing on either rye or pumpernickel, is the real deal. Order a latka or knish on the side to eat in at their recently expanded restaurant, or take home other deli classics: a container of chopped liver or an addictive vanilla egg cream.

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The days of tonic touting may have passed, but we can't help but boost this distinctive juice-for-what-ails-ya. Dr. Dream's elixir, a tasty concoction of lime juice, ginger, and that miracle sniffle-stopper Echinacea, could prevent even a low pressure system from feeling under the weather. When we sense the funk coming on, we're happy to take our medicine as long as it's Immune Fuel: delicious cold or heated up to soothe sore throats (not bad to wash down a tuna sandwich with, either).

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Tapas once meant little more than the crusty bread rounds that covered wine jugs, but they've come a long way from their modest beginning, and the Rhythm House offers a selection no one could get around in a single sitting. We love the humble patatas with their spicy little sauce when we're feeling casual and favor the ceviche served in a cool martini glass when the mood is more sophisticated. Paired with the house sangria, these are appetizers worth making a meal of.

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We'll have to admit we're smitten with this classy new little jewel box of a restaurant on Kerbey Lane. In a very short time, we've become addicted to the elegant but very reasonably priced Sunday brunch menu with its savory waffle topped with spicy sausage and chile con queso or big, beautiful biscuits crowned with a tender quail and delicious gravy. We could sit here swilling Bloody Marys all day. No buffet, no parking problem, no worries.

1 Jefferson Square, 458-1248

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It ain't always for Pho we go when we're craving a bowl of Oriental noodles, not since we discovered the homemade noodle making talent at Yen Ching, anyway. We always ask for the restaurant's main menu (the special lunch menu was created for folks in a hurry and out of the know), then choose from a handful of noodle soups - hot or cold, mild or spicy. The long, chewy nest of noodles that fill the bowl are made on order. We've never tasted 'em fresher!

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The third location in Austin of this Vietnamese restaurant chain, Pho Cong Ly downtown has the atmosphere and freshness lacking at the other Pho joints across the city. Their Pho, a light beef stock poured over rice noodles topped with various cuts of meat in one large bowl, is served steaming and fragrant. No dishwater soup here. The accompanying lime, basil, coriander, bean sprouts, and jalapeno slices are consistently clean and fresh.

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Heaven for pocket change. For 39¢, the Kolache Shoppe can transport your mouth (and your weight) to a higher state, leaving you feeling somehow light and fluffy. Their peanut butter cookies, with an emphasis on butter, are divine. We've always known there was something special about them - the way their delicate, almost crunchy edges give way to a soft and chewy center, the way they make our lips grow into a dazed crumb-covered smile, the way we crave them again only minutes after eating the last one. Milk was made for cookies like this. And we haven't even begun to tell you about their kolaches!

7113 Burnet, #112, 458-5542

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Altoids, schmaltoids! Unless you just like the fancy tin, there's no reason not to head over to the candy aisle at Only Deals to buy roll upon roll of Trebor Extra Strong (England's No. 1 Mint) for only 33 cents each. Trebor's have an unwieldy 7/8" circumference that makes them difficult to pinch between cheek and gum, but yer yapper cleans up just as nicely.

Only Deals
118 E. Oltorf
512/442-5485

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We know steakhouses are all the rage, but when it's red meat we need to sink our teeth into, we go the way of the little lamb. Ararat's sizzling lamb platter is protein like we like it - perfectly grilled, tooth-tender meat smothered in an incendiary Middle Eastern chili sauce. Sizzling indeed!

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High on a cliff overlooking Lake Travis, the restaurant's patio offers a prime view in the fading evening light of the silver lake dotted and streaked by boats winding between the hills as the sun slips away to appreciative applause of the patrons. Most importantly - the Tex-Mex food is just about as fine as anything you can get downtown.

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No longer does anyone South of Slaughter have to make a trek into Westlake Hills or Central Austin to get European pastries and cakes. Chef Scott Teal makes some of the biggest, chocolatiest croissants and blueberry danishes. Besides croissants & danishes, you can get espresso, cinnamon rolls, muffins, scones, cookies, cakes, breads, eclairs, cheesecakes, wedding cakes, or salads. Tucked behind the Pizza Hut at the Southeast corner of Manchaca & Slaughter Lane, Onion Creek makes weekend mornings complete.

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With a stack of donated materials, a little bit of money, and a lot of hard work, patio proprietors Miranda Walton and Malik Khurshid took a vacant, weedy, and downright ugly Manor Road lot and turned it into a "Relax-Station" of the first order, serving burgers, burritos, and breakfast tacos from a small stand. Okay, so it's still hard by the smog and sounds of the street, and the shade trees are a little scarce, but it's a helluva lot better than what came before.

Miranda's Patio
422 E. Sixth

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Jimmy Perkins' photo looks out over El Patio. He ordered the same thing for so many years that it eventually got put on the menu. The Perkins special is a chalupa shell covered with taco meat under lettuce and tomatoes, then smothered in queso. We give it two yums up.

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Nothing quenches a Texas thirst like lime aid, and the good folks at Goodflow sure know how to mix up this classic cooler. Just the right amount of tart and sweet, it's interminably sippable and smooth enough to be downed in a single, sweaty gulp. We can't get through summer (or spring, winter, or fall, for that matter) without it.

Goodflow Juice Co.
2601 E. Cesar Chavez
512/472-6714

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When you just want to gulp a cup of coffee and smoke a damn cigarette without a permit from the SOS, the FDA, or the TABC, Jim's is the place. Sure, Austin has lots of fine, independently owned, gourmet, hipster eateries, but it is sorely lacking in the all-night plain ol' cup o' joe department. Save for Jim's. Thank you, Jim's. Sweet Mike, that's good gravy!

Jim's Restaurant
9091 Research, 512/837-1119
7101 Hwy. 71 W., 512/288-2408
12832 Research, 512/250-9881
www.jimsrestaurants.com

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We can't help but admire the chutzpah of a woman who will stock a line of locally-baked whole pies to attract shoppers to her South Austin antique shop. We've heard of all kinds of two-for-one deals but this is quite a concept. Our hats are off to clever entrepreneur Michelle Hart.

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Once again, Bick Brown enlisted the stunning design vision of Sarah Bishop (previous work includes Dolce Vita's cool interior) to present a unique and welcome dining experience to Austin. The menu features a variety of Asian dishes priced reasonably and spiced nicely. The decor is sleek, and the entire back wall is a square of TV screens featuring manga, Japanese animation.

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