if you visit tx: tex mex or bbq!
Enjoy the ride while you can, parents!
On our trip last week, we made dinner at Chuy’s our first priority. We headed over after Paul’s final meeting of the day and caught the tail end of happy hour (lucky bastards, we are).
Tate, being Texas-born, immediately took to queso. One of the bar waiters sweetly brought over another complimentary bowl for him since the vat at the salsa bar was on its last dregs. Since he loved it so much – and I am anti-Velveeta again now that we’re back in the land of fruits and vegetables – I decided to look for a healthier version I can make at home.
By the way, the top photo is not mine. I found it on numerous websites and can’t find the original artist – to that unnamed person, I apologize. I don’t like using other peoples’ photos without proper credit (though I admit to not publishing photographers’ names when I purchased stock photos in the early days of my blog – I’m better about it now, FYI).
That said, here looks like a really terrific, reasonably healthy version:
http://homesicktexan.blogspot.com/2008/04/more-natural-chile-con-queso.html
We’re moving our annual sangria party to later in the summer in case some of you were wondering why you hadn’t received an invitation in the mail by now. When we get through this especially busy time, you’ll find me whipping this up for friends. It just might become a summer staple around here!
Notice that you’re near the end of this post and I have not yet mentioned BBQ. Frankly speaking, it’s a religion in Texas and I am just not a convert. We did go to Ironworks on Friday afternoon. Paul was in heaven (and Tate to a certain degree) but Dane and I were a bit lost. Maybe it was all the cigarette butts we picked up around Lake Austin that morning – more on that tomorrow – but I could not muster all that much enthusiasm for smoked meat.
If you’re planning a trip to Austin, you should definitely try BBQ. There are LOTS of options: Ironworks or Kreutz’ for Kansas City-style bbq or The Salt Lick for whatever the antithesis of Kansas City-style sauce is (I think the meat is essentially prepared in the same manner however).
My favorite has always been Kerbey Queso (http://www.jasonandshawnda.com/foodiebride/archives/877) So. Yum. =)BBQ is pretty much all about the meat, so if you’re not a big meat person… then, yeah. What’s funny is that the past few years Zach will actually resist going to get BBQ bc when he does go he can’t resist stuffing himself to the point of feeling sick afterwards! I’m a fan of the Salt Lick (that’s where we had our wedding rehearsal dinner) though I think my favorite menu item of theirs might be the cobblers. ; )By the way i am impressed at you two visiting any restaurant on a regular basis with the 2 kiddoes. We’ve gone out a few times since having Quinn, but have only braved it when we have family in town and a good 2:1 adult : kid ratio, lol.
Marcy, thanks for the queso link! You know, when I think back on it BECAUSE we ate out so often, I think the kids got used to the whole drill. We were walking distance to so many places (we lived just off Bee Cave Road after Tate was born) and we couldn’t have a garden (fire ants!!) – it was so easy just to walk to Chipotle or our local Indian place. This is probably why our boys love Mexican and Indian cuisine so much!!