Antique Taco

I ventured to Wicker Park to a taco joint that I had heard a lot about. Antique Taco is it's name, and amazing mexican cooking is it's game.
The cool thing about the Antique Taco is that is is run by husband & wife team Ricky and Ashley Ortiz. Rick is the head chef and takes care of creating an authentic Mexican menu, reflecting his Mexican Heritage, while Ashley is the creative director of the restaurant. The result is the seamless incorporation of a "home-y"atmosphere and great Mexican Comfort food.

The Chili Cheese Curds caught my attention, and they lived up to my curious expectations. These Beer-Battered Cheese Curds are lightly fried - almost like a tempura. They top a bowl of Chorizo Chili and then are drizzled with a Crema Fresca, Scallions, and tortilla chip strips. These little balls of gooey cheese with spicy Chorizo Chili really were fantastic, I highly recommended for any cheese lover.

Chili Cheese Curds

I love a good fish taco, and usually hesitant when ordering them at a restaurant  I have never had them at before.  The Crispy Fish Tempura tacos came with an interesting Siracha Tartar Sauce - which actually worked quite well - Smoked Cabbage and were topped with chives and sesame seeds. The fish itself was battered very lightly and had a perfect amount of crunch. The taco was good, but was quite plain. I would of loved  some sliced avocado or pickled onions to give the taco just a little more.

Crispy Fish Tempura

Overall, the restaurant was great, definitely a spot I'd recommend and somewhere I'll be visiting again.   The cozy atmosphere of the restaurant, along with the  the good service, and great Mexican comfort food gets this taco joint 4/5 ★★★★☆ stars!
Antique Taco Menu

The Butcher & The Burger

This is a neighborhood burger joint "like nothing you've seen before... at least under one roof."

The Butcher & The Burger specializes in creating customizable craft burgers, but has an upper-hand when it comes to the quality and specialty of their ingredients.

Their menu is broken down so that you create your burger step-by-step. And believe me, there are too many choices (not that that's a bad thing!)

Patty. With standard Natural & Local House Blend Beef and the Grass-Fed Beef options serving as a staples, the other patty choices consist of some a little more unusual for a neighborhood burger shop. Locally Raised pork,  Naturally Raised Turkey, Grass-Fed Bison, and even Elk.

What really stood out was The Butcher & The Burger's spices. After choosing your choice of meat , there are a handful of different spice blends that you can add to be mixed into your protein. Simple (kosher salt & cracked pepper), Chicago Steakhouse, Cameron Parish Cajun Blend, Grandma's Onion Soup and Curry-Coconut - the list goes on. I have never heard or been to a burger joint that has products so fresh that they wait for you to order your burger to mix in the seasoning.

The extras to add onto your burger are nearly endless, but some honorable mentions include a fried egg, black truffle mayo, and sautéed Foie Gras...

A little overloaded with the endless possibilities my burger could potentially go, I went with a specialty burger suggested on their chalkboard, the 'Home On The Range' burger.

The burger was amazing. It consisted of a Bison patty with "Bottom Game" spices added into the bison. It was topped with Cheddar Cheese, Tennessee-smoked Bacon, and BBQ sauce. I added some Black Truffle May and grilled onions to scene, just to make sure it was extra tasty - and it was. The Bison was so tender, and cooked a perfect medium. The bacon was crispy, but not overcooked. The Black Truffle Mayo and BBQ sauce went surprisingly well together, and made for a messy meal - but all the better. 

It was honestly one of the top 5 burgers I had ever had. I already can't wait to go back and build mine from scratch.

I'm going to give The Butcher & the Burger 4.5/5: ★★★★✬

P.S. you HAVE to get the Beignets, they are warm, moist and covered in a snowstorm of powder sugar, which just melts in your mouth. 

Allow Me to Reintroduce Myself

Two years ago, I was a student at The University of Texas in Austin. I was fully immersed in an amazing food scene and a mecca for film and movies... There really is no other place like Austin, Tx. This only fueled my passion for both food and cinema, ultimately leading to the creation of this blog.

 Things have changed since then, and after about a year and half, this blog is making a slight readjustment. I have since moved up north to Chicago which, with over 6,000 restaurants, is heaven for a Foodie like me. I have not even been here for two weeks and already love it. 

With the site re-design and move up to Chicago, I hope to bring you a more focused and frequent blog. 

Get ready for some real good eats.

Cheers!

Instagram: @jpt423

Twitter: @moviesandmeals

Foodspotting: foodspotting.com/moviesandmeals

Fried, Fried and Fried

As today marked the closing of the 2012 State Fair of Texas, here's a look at some of the great fried food I had this weekend.

Big Tex carried away in a body bag after being dismantled 

Chocolate Funnel Cake

These "Torpedo Taters" seemed to be the new staple 

Had to stop and get a Fletcher's and beer

Fried Oreos

Yes, they were amazing

Fried Peanut Butter & Jelly (topped with generous amounts of jelly & powdered sugar)

Fried Cookie Dough

..As gooey and amazing as you can imagine

Fried Jambalaya, this year's Winner for 'Best Taste'

Fried Bubble Gum - Didn't try it, but had to snap a pic

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Waffle Ball -- My favorite fried item at the State Fair this year

Fried Samoas

Change is coming!

Stay tuned. There are some major changes coming to Movies and Meals in the next month! The blog will get a re-design with more frequent updates and a change of location. Thank you for all of your support. 

Pizza! Pizza! part II

The next two pizza food trailers in The Daily Texan Article were via 313 and Firefly Pies. Both were less than a block away from each other on East Sixth (I believe that Firefly Pies has since moved). Via 313 features Detroit style, which I had never had (or heard of before). Their pizzas are made in steel square pans and are basically made upside down -toppings go on first, followed by the cheese, and topped with red marinara sauce. The crust of their pizzas is somewhat like the Chicago deep dish style but not as dense and has a great crunch from the pan. I got the original, which comes with double pepperoni, and added jalapeños to my order. The pizza came hot right out of the oven and was delicious. The crust was amazing - crunchy on the bottom and soft in the middle. I'm glad I added the spicy jalapeños for a little kick, really went well with all the pepperoni on the pizza.

Check out via 313's menu here!

My final destination was Firefly Pies. They serve Neapolitan style pizzas with thin crust out of their custom made wood-fired brick oven. Their menu is diverse and has items you wouldn't regularly find, such as organic pears, yellow onions, dried figs, or smoked gouda. While many of their offerings looked enticing, I went with the Honey Pear pizza, the perfect marriage of sweet and salty. The pie has an olive oil and roasted garlic base with taleggio, Pecorino Romano, organic pears, pancetta, drizzled with honey and topped with fresh basil. I had never had a pizza like this before! The sharp and salty cheeses were met perfectly with the fresh pear and touch of sweet honey in my mouth. Another great thing about Firefly Pies is that you can order any pizza in the original 14", or you can get an individual pizza at 8". 

Honey Pear

Here's Firefly Pies' menu, check it out

Pizza Pizza!

I read an article in the Daily Texan a while back that explored three distinct pizza trailers here in Austin. I planned on going to all three up at some point, but I didn't think they would all be the night. This is what I do when I'm bored and have a little too much time on my hands.

Osaka Soul

Osaka Soul's Kabuki Mix

The first trailer I ventured to was the more unusual of the three, Osaka Soul. I would call this pizza more of a pancake than the traditional crusty pizza, but in Osaka, Japan, this is what is referred to as pizza. I played it safe and ordered the Kabuki Mix, which a combination of smoked bacon and kimchi. I was surprised when my order was ready and I picked it up -- It looked more like a dessert rather than a pizza of any sort. Wondering where the bacon was, It wasn't until after I cut into the pizza did I find the bacon goodness and spicy grilled kimchi.

I really enjoyed this pizza as it brought very new tastes and textures in my mouth. The texture and fluffiness of the pancake-like pizza was different and unexpected, while the occasional crunch of the salty smoked bacon really mixed well with the kimchi. But don't let the pancake-nature of the pizza fool you, as it looks light and fluffy, its actually quite dense and filling (I had to take the last 1/4 home with me)  I would recommend Osaka Soul to anyone feeling a little adventurous or who loves Japanese cuisine.

Check out Osaka Soul's Menu Here

I'll be updating yall on the other two trailers via 313 and Firefly Pies later on in the week!

Cool.

Second Bar + Kitchen

Lunch at Second Bar + Kitchen today, and it was excellent.
To begin I had two starters, the Blistered Shishto Peppers and the Avocado Fundido. The peppers came with a miso aioli which was creamy and tangy and was the perfect dipping sauce for the charred peppers. I'm not that big on avocado or guacamole, but this Avocado Fundido was amazing - and much more filling that I imagined. The fundido contained house chorizo that gave it a good kick of spice and was topped with queso fresco. The chips served with the dish were chipotle masa chips, so they added a little extra spice also!

Blistered Shishito Peppers

Avocado Fundido

After these two appetizers I ordered the Black and Bleu Pizza, which consists of bleu cheese, medjool dates (which I excluded from my order), pork belly confit, and red onions. The pizza gets its "black" from the black truffle that is drizzled over the whole pizza. I consider myself a lover of rich foods, and this pizza was very rich, expecially without the dates! The bleu cheese and pork belly confit meshed so well together and created some really bold flavors.

 Click here to check out Second Bar + Kitchen's Lunch Menu

Steak and Jalapeño Scrambled Eggs

Home for the weekend, and the best part about about that is always access to a full kitchen - something I have been deprived of, like so many while at college. This morning I made an amazing dish, and was quite resourceful with my ingredients.

Yesterday I grilled a couple of ears of corn, and had one or two left over that I had used some cajun rub and seasonings on. Also, last night my sister couldn't finish her steak (Filet Mignon) so we brought it back from the restaurant. I used both of these leftovers in the scrambled eggs and they were great. I am not usually big on leftovers, but if you can incorporate them into another recipe or dish, power to you!

I sautéed the large jalapeños and minced garlic then added the steak to heat it up a bit. It didn't take long once I added the corn for the kernels to cook and start cracklin'. I then added my eggs (3 whole eggs and 2 egg whites) and added a splash of heavy cream and a pinch of thyme.

If I was skilled enough I would of made this into a beautiful omelet, but my pan was too small -- so I resorted to making a scrambled egg dish. I made several "homemade" tortillas.. well, ok, sorta. They are from Tortilla Land, and they are in most grocery stores. They are uncooked tortillas and they take about a minute to make, 30 seconds on each side, and they are amazing. SO fresh and taste almost better than homemade tortillas from an authentic Tex-Mex restaurant.

When my brunch was finished, I couldn't wait to get started. I made a simple wrap with my tortilla and just pilled the steak, jalapeños, and eggs on in. It was so good. the steak was so tender and such a great cut of meat it definitely was the star of the plate. The corn was subtle, and the jalapeños added that heat I love. The soft fresh tortilla that wrapped everything together was perfect. I did add a good amount of Pace chunky salsa, and it really added a little extra Mexican flare that was perfect with the steak and jalapeños.

Blue Star Cafeteria

Blue Star Cafeteria is north on Burnet right past 45th. It caught my eye the other week while I was driving by, but I had never heard of it. When some buddies and myself went last Tuesday, we all left really liking the spot.
For starters we ordered the Shrimp Cocktail with Pea Salad, and some Coconut & Cornflake Chicken Tenderloins. Both of these appetizers were great. The shrimp were huge (but not 'Jumbo'), and the pea salad that accompanied the shrimp was fresh and pretty good. Also, a side of "zesty" cocktail sauce came with the shrimp that was excellent. It was how I like my cocktail sauce, with a good amount of horseradish, but there was also a sort of tangy-ness that I couldn't put my finger on what it was - but it for sure added a little something extra to the order.

The chicken tenderloins were definitely my favorite. They were delicious. The exterior was crunchy and crusted with Cornflakes and shredded coconut and flash-fried. The chicken was still tender and juicy, and really tasted great! They came with a mango chutney dipping sauce that I had never had before. It was similar to an Asian sweet chili sauce, but sweeter due to the chunks of mango. It complemented the chicken well and really helped bring out the flavor of the crunchy coconut, making this dish feel light and a like the perfect appetizer if your looking for a tropical "island feeling" in the summer.

Their menu is not extra-large, but they have many options and different venues to go down. Pizzas, almost a dozen different salads (ranging from your classic wedge to a strawberry or Asian chicken salad), pasta bowls, and entrees. Some entrees that caught my eye was their Maple Chicken Fried Quail or their Cafeteria Meatloaf. I ended up going with the Honey Glazed Grilled Pork Chop per the waiter's recommendation - and I was glad I had! I do like pork chops, but they usually aren't the first thing I'd order, especially with such a diverse and tasty-looking menu. The pork was SO tender, and prepared perfectly. It was marinated in honey, red wine, and apple cider vinegar. It was sweet, but the apple cider vinegar was definitely present, but not overpowering. Instead, it  contrasted the sweetness of the honey with a the sharpness of the vinegar. It comes with grilled green beans and macaroni & cheese, but I switched out the mac & cheese for some steamed broccoli.
Unfortunately we were too full to even touch the desert menu, but there were blackberry and peach cobblers along with an assortment of pies on display at the entrance that looked amazing. On Wednesdays they have half-priced wine from 7-10pm, and on Saturdays and Sundays serve a brunch menu from 10am-3pm that looks delicious!

Blue Star Cafeteria Menu (Dinner)

Random, But Funny

This past summer I was in Argentina with my father and a few of our family friends. I had seen a blog called 'People Brushing Their Teeth in Places Other Than The Sink". I thought this was hilarious, so while I was in the field mid-hunt I took a picture brushing my teeth. After I submitted my picture, the site (which was originally a Tumblr) went down before my picture got on. A week or two ago I came across the site again, and was so happy it was back up. I sent in my picture again, and finally made it! haha take a look:


http://peoplebrushingtheirteeth.com/
(I'm the second one down)

2012 Academy Awards

With Hollywood's biggest night approaching (Sunday, February 26th), we take a look at the past year's best performances and achievements. Here is the full list of nominees.
Here are my predictions for the winners:

Best Picture
"The Artist"
"The Descendants"
"Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close"
"Hugo"
"Midnight in Paris"
"The Help"
"Moneyball"
"War Horse"
"The Tree of Life"

Best Actor
Demian Bichir, "A Better Life"
George Clooney, "The Descendants"
Jean Dujardin, "The Artist"
Gary Oldman, "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy"
Brad Pitt, "Moneyball"

Best Actress
Glenn Close, "Albert Nobbs"
Viola Davis, "The Help"
Rooney Mara, "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo"
Meryl Streep, "The Iron Lady"
Michelle Williams, "My Week With Marilyn"

Best Supporting Actor
Kenneth Branagh, "My Week With Marilyn"
Jonah Hill, "Moneyball"
Nick Nolte, "Warrior"
Christopher Plummer, "Beginners"
Max Von Sydow, "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close"

Best Supporting Actress
Berenice Bejo, "The Artist"
Jessica Chastain, "The Help"
Melissa McCarthy, "Bridesmaids"
Janet McTeer, "Albert Nobbs"
Octavia Spencer, "The Help"

Best Director
Woody Allen, "Midnight in Paris"
Michel Hazanavicius, "The Artist"
Terrence Malick, "The Tree of Life"
Alexander Payne, "The Descendants"
Martin Scorsese, "Hugo"

Best Original Screenplay
Woody Allen, "Midnight in Paris"
JC Chandor, "Margin Call"
Asghar Farhadi, "A Separation"
Michel Hazanavicius, "The Artist"
Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumolo, "Bridesmaids"

Best Adapted Screenplay
Alexander Payne, Nat Faxton, Jim Rash, "The Descendants"
John Logan, "Hugo"
George Clooney, Grant Heslov, Beau Willimon, "The Ides of March"
Aaron Sorkin, Steven Zaillian, "Moneyball"
Bridget O'Connor, Peter Straughn, "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy"

Best Animated Feature
"A Cat In Paris"
"Chico & Rita"
"Kung Fu Panda 2"
"Puss in Boots"
"Rango"

Best Foreign Language Film of the Year
Bullhead (Belgium)
Footnote (Israel)
In Darkness (Poland)
Monsieur Lazhar (Canada)
A Separation (Iran)

Original Score
"The Adventures of Tintin," John Williams
"The Artist," Ludovic Bource
"Hugo," Howard Shore
"Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy," Alberto Iglesias
"War Horse," John Williams

Best Original Song
"Man or Muppet," The Muppets; Music and Lyric by Bret McKenzie
"Real in Rio," Rio; Music by Sergio Mendes and Carlinhos Brown, Lyric by Siedah Garrett

Best Achievement in Art Direction
"The Artist"
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2"
"Hugo"
"Midnight in Paris"
"War Horse"

Best Achievement in Cinematography
"The Artist"
"The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo"
"Hugo"
"The Tree of Life"
"War Horse"

Best Achievement in Costume Design
"Anonymous"
"The Artist"
"Hugo"
"Jane Eyre"
"W.E."

Best Documentary Feature
"Hell and Back Again"
"If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front"
"Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory"
"Pina"
"Undefeated"

Best Documentary Short Subject
"The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement?"
"God Is the Bigger Elvis"
"Incident in New Baghdad"
"Saving Face"
"The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom"

Best Achievement in Film Editing
"The Artist"
"The Descendants"
"The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo"
"Hugo"
"Moneyball"

Best Achievement in Makeup
"Albert Nobbs"
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2"
"The Iron Lady"

Best Animated Short Film
Dimanche/Sunday
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
La Luna
A Morning Stroll
Wild Life

Best Live Action Short Film
"Pentecost"
"Raju"
"The Shore"
"Time Freak"
"Tuba Atlantic"

Best Achievement in Sound Editing
"Drive"
"The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo"
"Hugo"
"Transformers: Dark of the Moon"
"War Horse"

Best Achievement in Sound Mixing
"The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo"
"Hugo"
"Moneyball"
"Transformers: Dark of the Moon"
"War Horse"

Best Achievement in Visual Effects
"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2"
"Hugo"
"Real Steel"
"Rise of the Planet of the Apes"
"Transformers: Dark of the Moon"

Week of 1/23: Lunch

Here's an update on some great lunches from this week.
My new job is right above the Tacodeli on North Lamar. It's a great taco joint with some quality breakfast (try the migas!). The great thing about Taco Deli is not only their broad selection of pork, fish, chicken, beef (and even bison) tacos or dishes, but also their daily specials. I ate there on Wednesday and the special was Chile Relleno, either a taco or the plate. I went with the plate, and was glad I did. It came with your choice of beans (pinto, black, refried) and rice (white, brown, or Mexican), and two charred poblano peppers stuffed with juicy marinated pork. The dish is toped with pickled purple onions and cotija cheese. The dish was definitely the better bang-for-your buck. It came with two tortillas so I was able to make two tacos out of it, and then some!
I still can't tell which of their side sauces I like best.. the Dona might take the lead, but the Habanero has got some serious heat!
Tacodeli Menu

I went down to South Congress to the food trailers to scout out something new for lunch. Mighty Cone is one of my favorite food trailers, and Coat & Thai has some great Thai dishes. Today I tried Wurst Tex, and was in for a real treat. They've got your typical bratwurst and hotdogs but they also have a variation of gourmet and exotic brats. Their regular brat, the 'O.G.' is made Austin's own Live Oak beer for that extra flavor. I got an exotic 'Elk!' which is a sausage of Rocky Mountain elk infused with beehive cheddar & jalapeño.
The brat was topped with flavorful sautéed onions and sauerkraut. I hadn't realized that I had never had elk before, but when I took the first bite.. I could easily tell the difference. It was flavorful and juicy - very similar to bison.
They had a selection of mustards to choose from, from honey mustard to whole grain. I asked the chef  his favorite type of mustard, or the best one for the 'Elk!', and he suggested the spicy brown and the whole grain mustard. I couldn't decide, so I split it half & half. The bun was delicious and the onions and sauerkraut brought the whole sausage together. Wurst Tex was an awesome experience, and I will deffinitely be coming back to try out their other great sausages.

Wurst Tex Menu

ALSO! Just a shout-out to my followers and readers.. thanks for checking out the site! We hope you are enjoying the movies and meals as much as we are (but we doubt it!). Never thought Movies and Meals would be getting over 3,000 views - and couldn't be more excited. So THANK YOU : )