November '10

3rd Annual AFDA Thanksgiving

November 20, 2010

November happens to be one of AFDA member's favorite times of year. It's our annual potluck dinner, and it is a night filled with laughter, stories, football & food comas. We held it at Kristen & Carter's for a second time, and it was fabulous. The house was set with the warmth and grace of friendship. We arrived and sipped cocktails courtesy of the lady of the house. The reindeer as she called it. A martini concoction that boasted the noise of Rudolph via a cranberry. Our mulled cider was present again and filled the house with smells of the season.

The spread lived up to its name yet again. Here's a peak into how the group made mountain high plates:
Turkey
Green Been Casserole & Spiked Cider
Squash Casserole
Sweet Potatoes
Potatoes AuGratin, Butternut Squash Soup, Bacon Wrapped Dates
Stuffing
Luby's Mac & Cheese
Ham
Baked Brie
Rolls
Pumpkin pie, Pecan pie, Hot chocolate peppermint Schnapps

Live it, love it, boom. It was amazing. The stories that led to intense ab workout laughter were just as good as the food. A perfect celebation of the true bit of the holiday. Thanks to friends, food and complete and udder enjoyment. Here's to your New Year and may it bring as much joy as you can imagine.

October '10

Hopdoddy

October 29th, 2010

The folks of AFDA gathered at the newest addition to South Congress in Austin. Replacing Cissi's Market, Hopdoddy, focuses on homemade burgers, beer, and specialty cocktails. When I say homemade, I mean homemade. The guys running this place (from Austin's Moonshine), put their heart and soul into any preparation. All meats are hand ground, the bread is freshly baked, and the fries are hand cut. To say you can taste the love is an understatement. I'm not sure if we've ever had so many ooohhs, and mmmmms at another dinner.

When we arrived, we sat down at a few high tables and ordered cocktails and beer. Hopdoddy also offers a good selection of reds and whites for vino lovers. Black Cherry Limeade and a ton of local brews filled the table as we look over the mouth watering menu. Burgers are the main focus, but there are veggie options, as well as, other meats and fish. A few salads are on there too for any one going green.

We placed our orders and talked about how much we liked the place so far. A Magic Mushroom (Beef, Pure Luck goat cheese, field mushrooms, and basil pesto spread) made its way to the table. Along with a Llano Poblano (Beef, pepper jack cheese, roasted poblano chiles, and apple-smoked bacon), Buffalo Bill (Bison, Maytag blue cheese, Frank's hot sauce, and apple-smoked bacon), an a Ahi Tuna Burger (Sushi-grade tuna, sunflower sprouts, teriyaki, honey wasabi, nori chips, and pickled ginger), and more. Orders of Kennebec fries made their way into many mouths as well.

I cannot say how fantastic each burger was. Absolutely delicious with such thought inspired ingredients and combinations. We all could eat here more than once a week. Perfect for a casual date, drinks with the boys, or burgers with the gals. So incredibly tasty and the rarity of such excellent staff.

Curious about the name? Apparently hop is representing the brews, and doddy is a term given to the Aberdeen Angus cattle of Scotland. The restaurant is serving them both exceptionally well. Make your way down to South Congress, and after you're done eating one of the best burgers you've had, walk it off with the Capitol in the background. Cheers!

Hopdoddy
Hopdoddy Menu
Twitter: @hopdoddy

March '10

Frank

March 26, 2010

This was our biggest AFDA to date. We had 30 diners pack into the newest in hot dog heaven, Frank, in downtown Austin. Frank specializes in almost every hot dog, sausage, and bratwurst you can imagine. We also had the pleasure of Austin Statesman food writer, Addie Broyles, join us. She discovered AFDA's blog and was curious about the group, so coming to a dinner was a perfect way to check us out. The initial thing that attracted me to Frank was rumor of Bacon infused Maker's Mark. If you're curious as to what was ordered first, it would be a glass of the goodness on the rocks. When first sipping on the smooth golden liquid, the taste of bacon was not immediate. Slowly though, the saltiness came through and there was a slight hint of something. Not overwhelming, and mostly filed with the deliciousness that is Maker's, but definitely enjoyed by those who tried it. We then ordered a few appetizers and sides. One of the biggest hits was a special, the Green Chile Chorizo Cheese Fries. Uh, yeah. They were incredible. The green chile hit so delicately with the kick of chorizo and creaminess of cheese. They were gone in about 2.5 seconds. The second biggest hit was the Corn Cup (Grilled corn served off the cob with chili mayonesa, lime juice, cilantro and cotija cheese). If you've had this style of corn before, you know it is amazing. Don't be fooled or freaked out, this combination is stellar and you will not be able to put your utensil down. Everyone's immediate reaction was "Oh my gosh, you have to try this." The mayonesa keeps the citrus, herb, chili, and cheese blended for a fiesta in your mouth. Do it! We continued the night with more Maker's, Lonestar Tall Boys, and of course hot dogs and sausages galore. We chose the Jakelope (local antelope, rabbit & pork sausage, huckleberry compote, sriracha aioli, applewood smoked cheddar). The sweet compote was fantastic against the rich game flavor. The Notorious P.I.G. (Housemade pork, bacon, jalapeno & sage sausage with macaroni & cheese, Texas BBQ sauce). Yes, that's right, mac and cheese on a sausage. It was so good, but so filling. Other great orders were the Beer Soaked Braut, Chicago Dog, Jalepeno Cheese Dog, Carolina Pork It (Vienna beef, stuffed with cheese, wrapped in bacon and deep fried, Grilled coleslaw, house made green chile pimento cheese), Nacho Dog, and another special, the Zweibelwurst (Beer soaked brat with caramelized onion, grilled kraut, horseradish mustard. We sealed the deal with a Whoopie Pie and Chocolate Covered Bacon, because why not? They were out of Bananas Foster, which will be tried on the next visit. This place is a party in itself, so check out the millions of combos they offer. Perfect for starting off a night that well honestly ended in riding a mechanical bull. Sums it up perfectly. Hot dog!

Top Picks: Green Chili Corizo Cheese Fries, Corn Cup, Beer Soaked Brat, The Jakelope, Bacon Infused Maker's Mark

http://www.hotdogscoldbeer.com

Addie Broyles - Relish Austin

www.addiebroyles.com

February '10

Fabi + Rosi

February 19th, 2010

For February, AFDA members ventured to the German/French owned Fabi + Rosi. Walking up the steps to the house where the restaurant abides, one would never think modern vibes and splendor await. The house is perfectly decorated with chandeliers, black and white motifs, and warm lighting. We were fortunate to have the back dining room to ourselves, with 14 diners. The menu was exactly the perfect combination of German and French choices. We decided on a few starters to well start the night off right. First among the picks was an all time favorite, Escargot. The dish was broiled in garlic and served with parsley butter. If you haven't tried escargot or are weary, at least dip some bread in the butter. You will be one happy camper. We then chose the Handcrafted charcuterie (Duck rillette, Boar sausage, Liver paté). I must admit, the selections were a bit overwhelming for our pallets. Not a favorite of the table. On the other hand, the Trio of Artisan cheeses with accompaniments were fantastic. We gobbled up every bite of Sottocenere, Manchego, and Valdeon cheeses. The entree choices were on opposite ends of the Fabi + Rosi spectrum. We had Vegetarian Cottage Pie (stewed vegetables in tomato and herbs de provence topped with crispy golden mashed potatoes), Handmade Lobster Ravioli (in a champagne velouté, topped with lump crab meat) This was a definite favorite very creamy and rich. Our German pick was the Jägerschnitzel and Spätzle (local, farm raised pork loin breaded, served with german pasta topped with creamy mushrooms). If you're a fan of schnitzel, this is right up your alley. Delish. Next were Fresh Rainbow Trout (with herbed creme fraiche cucumber salat and crispy rice balls), Steak and Frites (marinated tenderloin with crisp frites and green peppercorn sauce), Grilled Leg of Lamb (with ratatouille, pommes dauphines, port wine demi), and finally the Special which was Roast Lamb that was cooked to perfection with potatoes and green beans. We can never call it a complete meal without dessert. We picked every dessert on the menu, go figure. Handmade chocolate truffles, Profiteroles with valrhona chocolate sauce, Belgium chocolate mousse, Chevré tart on gingerbread crust with candied meyers lemon, and Apfel strudel and vanilla eis. They were all so different, but so incredibly good. The Chevre tart was a favorite of mine. Light, tart, and satisfying. This place became on of AFDA's all time favorites. We did not feel rushed, and took advantage of our semi-private space to laugh, eat, and enjoy the company. Fabi + Rosi is a perfect spot for date night, or a celebration. Stop in when you feel like an excellent, affordable experience.

Top picks: Escargot, Trio of Artesan Cheeses, Lobster Ravioli, Lamb, Steak and Frites, Chevre Tart

http://www.fabiandrosi.com/index.html

*As fate would have it, I lost my camera after mouth watering images were captured from dinner. Please enjoy the restaurant for yourself, and the mental images you've gained from this post. To tide you over, here are some pictures courtesy of Forklore from Austin360