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