Cantine, Italian Cafe and Bar
“For it is only in company that eating is done justice; food must be divided and distributed if it is to be well received.” – Walter Benjamin.
Usually, when I think of Italian food, I think of the classic tomato sauce and pasta. Last Thursday, my foodie friend Nicole told me about a new restaurant that just opened over by the Alamo Draft House on S. Lamar. The restaurant is Cantine. When we all got there, the restaurant was practically empty, so I couldn’t understand why we weren’t being seated. It turns out, the very young hostess didn’t know what to do because we wanted the Happy Hour food/menu/prices but to get that you had to be in the bar area where all the tables are high and, well, I’m in a wheelchair. it was pretty funny to me to see it took three folks to decide where to seat us. We finally got seated at a table like a few feet from the ‘bar area’ and were able to order from the Happy Hour menu. We decided that in order to get the most out of our dining experience, we would all order something different and share. First, we got fried goat cheese. It was awesome. Goat cheese balls, lightly fried and drizzled with honey. I wanted to lick the plate. We got some kind of chicken meatball (chicken keftas) on skewers served with a yogurt dip and it was good but not the big favorite. We got roasted shishito peppers with sea salt, which everyone liked but me. We got the homemade hummus and pita. The hummus was good but the pita bread was better. It was soft and melt in your mouth delicious. We got two pizza’s, the Tomato and Sausage and the Bianca with mozzarella and prosciutto (which for some reason I didn’t get to taste but everyone else said it was good). OK, the pièce de résistance was the Prochetta sandwich. It was pork roast wrapped in pork belly on a soft ciabatta bun and arugula with a side of fries. Oh WOW. That is a do-over. We got two desserts, the chocolate crème caramel and the bombolini. The chocolate crème was delishious, the bombolini were three donuts filled with vanilla custard inside drizzled with chocolate sauce, which sounds better than it was. Overall, I liked Cantine, only one person in our group didn’t think she’d go back. They do have your classic Italian pasta dishes but for now I can say, the classic wasn’t missed.
La Palapa
Any restaurant that makes my dad smile like this, is a darn good restaurant. Actually, it was my Mother’s 81st birthday and we were trying to find a restaurant that my difficult-to-please Mother would agree to. We named several restaurants and she rejected all of them. Then she said “I like La Palapa. They have good Chile Rellenos”. Say no more, off we go. I had eaten there before but it had been a while and it was for a Happy Hour and I remember having their Queso Flameado which was very good. La Palapa has been around since the ’80’s. At that time, I thought the food was your standard cheesy, Tex-Mex food, nothing special. After going a few more times now, 20 years later, I have slowly started to like certain dishes. This last Sunday, June 7, the family gathered there. My dish was a combo platter which came with a fajita taco, crispy beef taco, cheese enchilada and rice and beans. My parents got their Chile Rellenos! My sister had the Carne Guisada which she said was very good. They also have a ‘healthy menu’ approved by the St. David’s Healthcare Dining Program! Imagine that in a Mexican restaurant! My only complaint is the lemonade I ordered. Yuck. No ‘lemon’ flavor whatsoever, probably a powder mix. I had to ask for water. My friend who ordered a Margarita said it was ‘sub-par’. I like that the place was not crowded and usually isn’t in the afternoons. In the evening, there’s Happy Hour 4-7 and live music and Karaoke on week-ends. The parking lot is huge but needs re-paving badly. There’s handicap parking but the paint has faded and the lot is poorly delineated. Inside, the place is spacious with plenty of room for a wheelchair (or 2 or 3) to move around in. So, if you have a hankerin’ for Chile Rellenos or just good old fashioned Mexican food (without the crowd) go to La Palapa. Be sure and get the Queso Flameado first but don’t get the lemonade… http://www.lapalapaaustin.com.
The Omelettry – new location Airport Blvd.
One of my fondest memories of Old Austin was going to the old hippie joint, The Omelettry on Burnet Rd. Well, the old Austin eatery was about to die when it received a transplant. The new Omelettry is now open on Airport Blvd. The new location, on the corner of a strip mall, has a much better location just west of I-35 and close to In-and-Out Burger (which lends itself as a good landmark when giving directions). With great anticipation, my friend and I went yesterday. There was ample parking but handicap parking really sucks. There was only one accessible parking in front with others spread throughout the strip. I managed to find one handicap space that was wide to unfold my ramp, it did not have handicap parking sign but did have the international wheelchair symbol painted, though barely visible, on the ground). There was a wait of about 30 minutes but not because of the crowd but because they were waiting for a wheelchair accessible table to be ready. Just as my friend said “this is bullshit” (referring to the wait) a table was ready. There were quite a few tables so the long wait didn’t make a lot of sense, but whatever. The place had a nice, open feel with large windows giving a lot of natural light. There are plenty of tables surrounded by booths and a counter and there was plenty of space to maneuver a wheelchair. Ok, the food…I thought of getting an omelet but decided on trying the good ‘ol scrambled egg, the measure of which I use to rate a good breakfast. I asked for soft scrambled eggs, bacon and blueberry pancakes. My friend ordered the cheese omelet with avocado and tomatoes, bacon and potatoes. My eggs were overcooked and the bacon bland and wafer thin. Big disappointment right off the bat. My friend said her omelet was delicious but also commented on the thin-cut tasteless bacon. Next, my blueberry pancakes. They were good but not the best I’ve had. The biggest problem I had with this whole experience was the service. We asked for our waitress at some point and were told the wait-staff worked as ‘a team’. Cool I thought. But NO, it was chaotic. You had the staff being hosts, servers, cashiers and bussing tables. Yes, they were nice but we had to wait forever to get our check. The table next to us had to ask twice for their check. I had to do the same. Also at some point, there was a line waiting to cash out because there was no cashier, ie, the STAFF were all busy serving, seating, cleaning, taking orders and probably cooking! We arrived at the restaurant at 10:10 and left at 12:25. This does not bode well for breakfast or lunch. Maybe the Omelettry just needs time to ‘coddle’ before it gets its “groovy” on again but actually, I fear, the groove is gone baby, along with everything else ‘Old Austin’.
P.S. We didn’t even bother taking pictures. The bathroom, according to my friend, is wheelchair accessible.
The Counter Cafe’ – East
As an East Austinite, I have spent hours complaining about the gentrification of my beloved East Austin, However, much to my chagrin, I have come to like some of the changes, mainly in the restaurants now exploding all over the East. It amuses me that these new, hipster restaurants were once local businesses. Take for example, The Counter Cafe’ East. Who knew that half of the East Austin Post Office would become half of a trendy restaurant?. I had been searching for a restaurant that served a great brunch and came across The Counter Cafe’. I saw the location and thought, ‘that’s our old post office!” (had a moment of shaking my head trying to picture the PO as a restaurant). OK, let’s go…I LOVED The Counter Cafe’. O-M-G. The menu offers a nice array of breakfast plates, brunch and lunch menu. They close at 4pm, so no dinner. I had the pork chop with soft scrambled eggs, potatoes and a homemade biscuit. A friend had the blueberry pancake and though I didn’t taste it, it looked good, chocked full of blueberries. Others had the eggs benedict on a crab cake, and another had the Counter Benedict. Ooohhh and there was a guy literally squeezing oranges for their ‘fresh-squeezed’ orange juice. The restaurant is more long and narrow than square and it is small but they designed it with good use of space. There was ample parking and yes, more than 1 handicap parking space and I got to park in the one right in front! We had like a 20 min wait but it seemed to go fast. We were seated at a booth with chairs on the opposite side. it was cozy but not cramped. There was enough room for people to get by behind my chair without tripping over my wheelie tires. It was so nice to eat without constantly being bumped. Again, there seemed to be a nice patio with a ‘counter’ along the side but I didn’t go out to see it. Although I thought about not blogging in order to keep this place ‘a secret’, I just couldn’t do it. Want a truly good breakfast? Want to impress friends from out-of-town? go to http://countercafe.com/
A Dinner Roll
hello and welcome to A Dinner Roll. I am a foodie in a wheelchair and decided to start a blog that involves not only food critique but info on accessibility. I have found over the years that when a person has a disability, dining out is not always a pleasant experience. ok, I have a physical disability. I love to eat. I love to try new restaurants. However, when I was young (back in the dark ages -the 1960’s) going out to eat at restaurants if you had a disability was nearly impossible. Most restaurants were not accessible, the public often scoffed at seeing ‘one of those people’ sitting next to them making their dining experience, well….uncomfortable. But no more of that for me. In today’s society and thanks to the ADA law, restaurants are much more accessible. We all have the right to enjoy the dining experience that everyone does. Thus I decided to start a blog. So never fear, A Dinner Roll is here. My friends and I will give you the scoop on restaurants, food and attitude. So let’s start rolling!
Odd Duck
One of the best new restaurants in Austin has to be Odd Duck. I went there one afternoon, after the ‘lunch crowd’. Unfortunately, we didn’t know they were no longer serving lunch and it was too early for dinner. However, we could order from the appetizer menu. I must say when I looked at the menu and their descriptions, I was flummoxed. But a Foodie is never afraid to try anything new! I must say, the preparation, presentation, freshness and flavors were sublime. I was very Impressed with the combination of flavors that somehow complimented each other. WOW. and those were just the appetizers!
The place itself was impressive too. They used recycled material as part of their décor, the décor itself modern and understated, nothing big or clumsy. I loved the big windows that let in a lot of natural light. There was a patio out to the north side that looked nice but I didn’t check it out because I’m an indoor, air-conditioning kind-a of Foodie. I’m not keen on shooing away flies, swatting gnats and perspiring while I eat. The parking lot is rather small, like most restaurants on SoCo and S. Lamar, but they did have a nice van accessible parking space in front by the door. Much to my surprise, it was available! The entrance is unobstructed and if you can’t open the door manually, you probably won’t have to wait long because given the full windows, the host will see you. The restaurant itself is spacious, in other words, a person in a wheelchair can probably maneuver easily, however, I don’t think this will be the case if the restaurant is full. And that goes for handicap parking space, chances are it won’t be available. But don’t let that stop you. Go and give it a try. Close your eyes and just point to something on the menu, chances are you will be in for a pleasant surprise. http://oddduckaustin.com/
Dan’s Hamburger; Manchaca and hwy 71
Well, you know you’re getting old when your idea of celebrating your birthday is going for breakfast. Yep, there was a time it was all about the ‘pawtay’ and drinking. Now it’s biscuits and coffee. Last month it was my friends birthday and the 3 of us (all retired) went to have breakfast at Dan’s. Breakfast there is your good ‘ol fashion grill breakfast and they are simple and delicious. Since being renovated, the atmosphere has brightened. The only problem is the parking lot. Too small to accommodate the number of patrons that frequent there, so you end parking on a residential street nearby. The handicap parking spaces (2) are ALWAYS taken so I don’t even bother to check anymore. I just park wherever I can and hope I don’t get towed. The entrance is not wheelchair friendly at all. You have to go through the parking lot to get to the ramp and hope you don’t get hit by a car going through the drive-thru. Then there are 2 doors to go through. I hate double door entrances. Luckily, there’s always someone going in or out so you don’t have to wait long to get in. Why go? you may ask. Because they have the BEST freakin’ biscuits in town, hands down. http://www.dans-hamburgers.com/
Little Barrel and Brown – SoCo
Friday, May 8th my bff wanted to celebrate her birthday at a restaurant Little Barrel and Brown. first of all, maybe it was just our menopausal group but the place was really warm. we were all furiously fanning ourselves but we just couldn’t cool off. then we discovered the vents over our table were closed. Management opened them…aahhhh. OK, on to the food. Very interesting menu. Got the buttermilk fried chicken, jumbo shrimp, capered deviled eggs and my sis and I got their hamburger which is slated to be one of the best in Austin. Uh-uh, not bad but definitely NOT the best. I personally don’t care for a hamburger where the meat is a fat meatball smaller than the bun. had to eat it with a fork :(frown emoticon. Everything else was good but not exceptional. Well, I must say the Free Range Buttermilk Fried Chicken WAS the best I’ve had and the dessert called Cornbread Pudding was the most interesting to say the least. Imagine – cornbread slices surrounded by caramel popcorn, with a huge dollop of bourbon ice cream with salted caramel drizzled over the whole thing. We all had a curious look on our faces as were tasted and let the brain figure out what to make it LOL. Our waitress/server was knowledgeable and attentive. As for wheelchair accessibility – I parked in a handicapped parking space around the back, the entrance was wide and clear of obstacles and the place itself was very open, ie., I didn’t have to squeeze through tables or ask patrons to move. So over all, it was a good restaurant so I recommend it but just don’t bother with the hamburger. http://www.littlebarrelandbrown.com/
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- capered deviled eggs
Hello world! Follow me as i start my blog on restaurant reviews with new attitude
Hello and welcome to my blog. I am a Foodie in a wheelchair. I decided to start a blog on restaurant/food reviews along with a special feature on accessibility and attitude. So come on, let’s get a-rolling!
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