Jack Allen's Kitchen

I did not realize until I got there, but Jack Allen's Kitchen was created and started by Chef Jack Gilmore, who was the head chef of Z-tejas. I could see some resemblance of character in the dishes after I learned this. Jack Allen's Kitchen is a take on modern American cuisine, and prides itself on their use of local and organic ingredients (the waiter told us the restaurant gets most all their ingredients from local farmer's markets). A sampler of homemade pimento cheese was given to us to snack on while browsing the amazing menu. For starters I chose the Baja Style Fish Tacos and Bacon Wrapped Texas Quail - and it was hard to narrow it down to two. From the Beef Rib Quesadillas to their Blue Crab Gratin, the selection of appatizers at Jack's was pretty stacked! I am a HUGE fan of fish tacos, but very selective and somewhat picky when it comes down to it. Two came with the order, and you are definitely getting your money's worth. Topped with avocado, pico de gallo, and JAK's slaw the tacos wrapped in a corn tortilla were delicious, and quite filling as well. The Quail was the appetizer I was most excited about. Six drumsticks came beautifully loaded with jalapeno and peach jam and bound with bacon and a small green fig salad on the side. The sweetness of the peach jam and the spice of the jalapeno jam clashed, but everything was brought together with the saltiness of the bacon and tenderness of the quail. 

Although it is an appetizer, I ordered the Spinach Gorgonzola Ravioli as my entree. They have a great selection of salads, burgers, tacos, and "chicken-fried anything"(including a chicken-fried beef rib!?), but the ravioli caught my eye. The ravioli came with walnut pesto cream sauce topped with grated Parmesan, dashes of a chipotle puree for a kick, and came with a side of ciabatta bread. The sauce covered all the ravioli, and I had to do a little fishing in order to claim my mouth-treasure -- but i wouldn't have it any other way, the sauce was amazing. The pesto was not 'too nutty' and really went well with gorgonzola. I really enjoyed the atmosphere at Jack Allen's; they had a very fun patio and bar outside that would be perfect for their happy hour. Overall, Jack Allen's Kitchen was a fresh, and great spot. 4/5 stars!★★★★☆

Jack Allen's Kitchen: menu

Don't Worry, Flip Happy!

I'm not the biggest crêpe fan, at least compared to my mother... but I certainly do like them. I've always liked dessert crêpes, but not a fan of having crêpe as an entrée because i see them more as a sort of pancake rather than tortilla. But thats just my food logic. I went to Flip Happy Crêpes over the weekend and was pretty impressed! Flip Happy has a prime location and set up right on the corner of Jessie and Butler, tucked away close to the P. Terry's Burger Stand on South Lamar. One thing that food carts seem to be lacking is ample tables or parking, but Flip Happy had more than enough of both of these, which was nice. I ordered the Roasted Chicken Crêpe and the Cinnamon & Sugar Crêpe for dessert. One thing I did find out the hard way was that they only take cash, but luckily there is a convenience store on the end of the block -- but it was not that convenient.

My Roasted Chicken Crêpe

The Roasted Chicken Crêpe was good, but I was not dying over it. It came with Goat Cheese, Caramelized Onions, and a Garlic aioli. All of these ingredients are amazing but just didn't work well. There was too much Goat Cheese, and it was a bit overpowering. I couldn't really taste the Garlic aioli, and the color and consistency of my crêpe was sort of bland. It was good, but I probably wouldn't order it again, rather choosing something new on the menu for next time. I don't mean to be too hard on the Roasted Chicken Crêpe, but its friend, the Cinnamon & Sugar Crêpe redeemed Flip Happy in my eyes!

This might of been the best dessert crêpe I've ever had (including those while I was in Germany and France last summer!). This was no typical dessert crêpe! The inside of the crêpe was folded with Cream Cheese frosting and Cinnamon while the top was littered with Toasted Coconut and Almonds and generously dusted with Powdered Sugar. The warm crêpe was delightful. All of the flavors melted and meshed together so well. It is worth going to Flip Happy solely for this. Although I was not a biggest fan of the Roasted Chicken, I will probably be back in the next week to get the Cinnamon & Sugar Crêpe again.. and will probably try a different entree. If you enjoy a good, quality crêpe you definitely need to make a trip down to Flip Happy Crêpes, you won't be disappointed! I'm going to give them 3.5/5 stars! ★★★✬☆

Check out there blog/menu here!

Walton's Fancy & Staple

Going into Walton's I had high expectations, knowing that it was started by the same people that brought us Bess Bistro (right down the street). What a refreshing menu and atmosphere! Walton's is the perfect place for coffee or lunch and wears several impressive hats. With full bakery, deli, coffee menus Walton's has much to offer, and lets not forget about the fully-stocked flower store in the back! All aspects of the restaurant/deli mesh really well together, and the atmosphere is able to blend a classic and modern French feel. The Deli menu has a range of sandwiches and salads that boast organic and exceptional ingredients. I asked what their most popular sandwich was, and the woman said the Roast Beef Bleu was the most popular and her personal favorite. I had already been eyeing the sandwich - so it was a done deal. The Roast Beef Blue came with Gorgonzola, Red Onions, Watercress, with a horseradish aioli all on Rye.

My Roast Beef Bleu!

They had my favorite flavor of Zapp's Potato Chips :Voodoo (a secret cajun twist of flavors)... I was in heaven. The sandwich came out piping hot, and I could already tell I was going to love it. The toasted rye bread was lightly buttered and glistened just enough so I knew it wasn't soggy.  I probably should of waited a minute or three before indulging myself, but I just couldn't wait. The Rye was amazing, and I am not personally a big Rye fan. The sandwich complemented itself nicely, the Gorgonzola was not too overpowering, while the horseradish aioli gave a fresh, spice aftertaste that was perfect with the roast beef. This was one of my favorite sandwiches in Austin thus far, up there with the likes of Fricano's Deli! I would recommend Walton's, a perfect place for lunch or for a quality coffee stop - I can't wait to go again 5/5 ★★★★★!

Hunger

'Hunger' is a very different type of movie. Based on the violent 1981 Irish hunger strikes, Steve McQueen directs a unique and visually captivating film. Starring Michael Fassbender (Jane Eyre, 300) as Bobby Sands - the IRA leader who, while imprisoned, leads the historic hunger strike of the Maze Prison. The visual components of the film were beautiful. He contrasts the beautiful life outside with the very violent scenes of torture and human rights violations.
McQueen draws upon the lack of dialog to create an eerie and empty feel throughout the film simply to reflect the solitary life in prison. After an hour and fifteen minutes of minimal dialog, one of the most impressive single-shot conversation sequences (that lasts about 12 minutes) ensues.. and is truly impressive. Sands talks to his priest, warning him that he is about to spearhead the hunger strikes; the two then argue about conforming to the British government and the dangers of staying loyal to Ireland. It took me about three minutes to realize that the dialog was being captured in a continuing shot, and the conversation lasted about nine minutes. The amazing performance given by Fassbender is nearly overshadowed by his scary physical transformation. Similar to Christian Bale's extreem weight loss for  'The Machinist', Fassbender dropped to an alarming weight in preparation for the role. I was so touched/disturbed by this movie that I was thinking about it days after watching it, it really resonateed with me. I haven't given many movies 5/5, but this dark drama deserves it! 5/5 Stars ★★★★★

Mighty Cone!

I like to venture to food carts at odd hours so I can beat the potential crowds and shamelessly stuff myself. When I came to Mighty Cone, it was 3:15pm and I was starving... luckily I was the only one there. I might of out-ordered myself, but hey, that's what it is all about!

 The first thing I noticed when approaching the food cart were the custom cone-holders that were attached to the middle of every bench, and I was about to find out they function perfectly. I ordered the Hot & Crunchy Chicken Cone, Hudson's Cone Dog, and one Beef burger with Chili-dusted Fries (pictured below). I don't drink bottled water because of its ecological impact, but was so happy when I saw that they offered Richard's Rainwater, "fresh cloud juice". Its the only bottled water that is all natural rainwater - it tastes great and a good way to be green! 

My Order!

The cones feature a tortilla fit to the inside of the cone that embraces the contents inside - a mobile taco that isn't messy and yummy! I thought my favorite would be the Chicken Cone, but I was actually most impressed with the Beef Burger and Hudson's cone dog, which I almost didn't order. The beef burger was quite small, but ended up being filling and quite dense. It was amazing! It came on a soft wheat bun, dressed with red onions, lettuce, American cheese, and a special sauce that was subtle, but had a great spicy aftertaste. The burger came with an order of chili-dusted french fries that were so fresh and good, they really complemented the burger. Hudson's Cone Dog (on the right) was a butterflied grass-fed venison sausage with a zesty honey-mustard and topped with slaw that really brought the gamey flavors of the venison together with the sweet sauce. It ended up being my favorite thing I ordered! I was so full and satisfied upon leaving. I simply can't wait to go back. I give Mighty cone 4/5 Stars! ★★★★☆

Mighty Cone's Menu