I love cupcakes. When I lived in LA I visited the legendary Sprinkles Cupcake store, only to be sorely disappointed by the dry cake and horrid sugar-jacket my teeth were wearing after consumption. After that, I wondered whether cupcakes could be as delicious as they were in my mind. Then I moved to Austin, and it seemed the cupcake stores that were so trendy in LA hadn’t moved this far east yet. I resigned myself to eating Tex-Mex and forgetting I ever knew such temptations as PinkBerry Yogurt or entire stores dedicated to little frosted treats.

Until recently. Suddenly, it seems there is a cupcake store on every corner, right next to the day spa on every corner. Which is right next the guy playing guitar on every corner. Anyways, over the last two weeks I’ve had the opportunity to try two (cupcakes, not musicians), and I’m here to report.

CupPrimo is a delightful cafe hidden next to my house in a very run down strip mall. There’s a Tex Mex place (of course), a hardware store, an Asian market, an Indian market, a Cajun deli and bubble tea shop that never seems to be open…and CupPrimo. Open for a little over a year, it’s a trendy coffee-shop cupcake bar and truly a hidden gem. I got there late in the day, but they still had some mini-cupcakes left, so I got three (I figured I should try various flavors instead of one full-sized cupcake). I took them to-go, and managed to eat all three before I hit my first stop light (what? I’m practicing for a cupcake eating contest!). The red velvet was tasty with a true cream-cheese frosting, the italian cream was delightful and nutty, and I’m sorry to say I can’t recall what the third one was, probably because I ate it without chewing. But it was good. CupPrimo is worth a visit if you’re in North Austin, and gets high marks for it’s bite sized treats with sugary frosting. (www.cupprimo.com)

If my cupcake dreams hadn’t already been fulfilled, just this weekend I was at a business fair at Costco and had the good fortune to be seated next to Polkadots Cupcake Factory. I was only able to try a sample sized portion of Lemon and Cream, but holy cow was it delicious. The billows of frosting had me worried for a moment, I thought it might be too sweet or too buttercreamy (like, for example, those sheet cakes from Costco) but it’s not at all. It’s just creamy and flavorful, and melts in your mouth. Even my husband liked it, and he does not like sweets at all. Also, it had to be the moistest cake I’ve ever had. It seems like there is some frosting or cream baked into the middle of the cupcake, but I can’t be sure as I didn’t have a whole one. Anyways, there’s not too much more I can say given my limited tasting, but I can tell you the taste lingered in my mouth for a long time and I felt satisfied, yet wanted more, all at the same time. I would definitely try Polkadots Cupcakes again, I only wish I lived closer! (http://www.polkadotscupcakefactory.com)

Vegan Friendly: not at all

Vegetarian Friendly: ****

Fish Friendly: n/a

Price: $

Service: n/a

Atmosphere: ****

BB Rovers has a decent vegetarian selection- pizzas, pasta primavera, soups, salads, nachos and guacamole salad. Unfortunately, none of it is particularly good. On a recent visit we had the nachos which arrived as a plate of chips topped with cheese and some jalepenos. There were no beans. No pico, no nothing, really. It could possibly be the worst nachos I’ve ever had. The guac is equally as disappointing. It’s got the taste and texture of that pre-made guac you buy in the grocery store.

The pizza is a different story. On one visit we tried a cheese pizza, which was decent- almost like a homemade pizza with too much cheese. It wasn’t the best pizza I’ve ever had, but it would do in a pinch. However, on a subsequent visit we tried the pizza with toppings- green and black olives to be exact, and it was much improved. The toppings were generous and it really helped cut down on the ueber-cheesy flavor.

BB Rovers is not the best meal in town, but you can’t beat those beers. With a wide selection of beers from Germany, the US, Holland, England and more, there’s something for everyone. There’s also a loyalty club- if you can drink 100 different beers you’ll get your name on a plaque, a t-shirt, discounts on the weekends, and a free all-you-can-drink bash on labor day.

Vegan Friendly: *

Vegetarian Friendly: **

Fish Friendly: *

Price: $$

Service: **

Atmosphere: **

http://bbrovers.com/

12101 Jollyville Rd. Austin TX

512-335-9504

]]> http://austinveg.com/?feed=rss2&p=11 http://austinveg.com/?p=9 http://austinveg.com/?p=9#comments Sat, 30 Aug 2008 21:08:26 +0000 admin http://austinveg.com/?p=9 Chez Zee is one of those places that you can’t avoid hearing about. Winner of Austin Chronicle’s “Best Dessert” award, I had been wanting to check it out for quite some time. (I do love dessert!). Upon previewing the menu online I saw a large selection of octo-lovo vegetarian selections (salads, pizza, pastas and more), but not a whole lot for the vegan crowd. (View menu)

We arrived at Chez Zee on a Thursday night. It was pretty busy, but there was no wait. The restaurant is very “Austin weird” with a selection of random art work, christmas lights, knick-knacks and an odd collection of games.

We started off with the basil cheese torta, which sounded delicious, but in fact looked like something a kid would make when first learning how to cook. It consisted of cream cheese mixed with pesto which was sandwiched between layers of provolone cheese to create a lasagna like effect. The overall effect, though, was a processed cheese taste akin to cheese wiz. The torta was accompanied by some toasted bread chips that crumbled in your mouth like ash. We we surprised that they did not use the dinner bread with this dish, as their dinner bread was quite good- freshly baked and chewy on the inside with a nice crust. Although the dinner bread was pleasant, it was served with an “olive oil” that was flavored with smoked pepper and garlic. The smokey taste was oddly reminiscent of hot dogs, and upon reading the label we discovered that it is an olive oil and canola oil mix. Not exactly heart-healthy, and it explains their need to cover the oil flavor with the smokey flavor.

After a disappointing first course, we moved on to soup. The soup of the day was a zucchini cream soup with creme fresh. The soup was quite good, in spite of the stingy amount of creme fresh that was squirted on top. It was also laden with tortilla strips which added another dimension to the soup that I found to be pleasant.

For our main course, we had pasta dishes. I had the Jalapeno-Gorgonzola linguine and my husband went for the Mediterranean Pasta. Both dishes were mediocre. The Jalapeno-Gorgonzola dish did not have even the barest hint of Gorgonzola flavor. Instead it tasted like Alfredo sauce with some jalapenos mixed in. the jalapenos were not spicy, which the menu accurately stated and I was thankful that was true since I’m a wuss about spicy things. The pasta simply left a warm tingle in your mouth after each bite. All in all, it was a rather uninspired and bland dish, and I strongly suggest they add more Gorgonzola to the dish or take that descriptor off the menu. The Mediterranean Pasta was significantly better in my opinion- laden with spinach, mushrooms, goat cheese and big kalamata olives, I enjoyed the dish, but found it no different from any Mediterranean pasta I’ve ever had before. The mushrooms were well cooked though, not over-cooked and rubbery like you often find in restaurants. My husband did not like the dish at all because the goat cheese and olives made it too salty for his palate. I happen to like salty dishes so that didn’t bother me.

At this point, we felt dinner was very average, but we had high hopes for the dessert. After all, the people had spoken, and I believe in their opinion! The dessert menu was extensive and we found at least five of them that struck our fancy. However, at $6-$8 a dessert, we simply picked one to share, the Gooey Chocolate Butter Cake with vanilla ice cream. I really wanted to like this, especially with such a yummy-sounding name, but it was simply another disappointment. Similar to an undercooked brownie, I felt that the dish would have been more palatable if it were warm. It was served ice-cold which was contrary to its gooey texture.

Overall, Chez Zee wasn’t worth the money. At $15 a pasta dish, I expect something more than what I could whip up out of a jar at home. Not only was it pricey, but it was more on par with a diner than fine dining. If you like Coco’s or Denny’s, come to Chez Zee and you’ll be thrilled, but if you’re expecting original dishes that you’ll crave and rave about, avoid Chez Zee, it just isn’t worth it.

Vegan Friendly: *

Vegetarian Friendly: ****

Fish Friendly: *

Price: $$$

Service: ***

Atmosphere: ****

Chez-Zee

5406 Balcones Dr.
Austin Tx 78731
512-454-2666

http://www.chez-zee.com

We’ve been here dozens of times, and I can tell you that the food can be divine one day and worthless the next. Consistency is an issue here.

On one visit, I tried the goat-cheese salad with panko-crusted goat cheese rounds, dried cherries and pine nuts. It was very good, and the warmed goat cheese was a welcome and filling topping. However, on a subsequent visit, the same dish was soaked in dressing and nearly impossible to eat. (One facet of the dining while watching a movie twist, is that you can’t really talk to your server about food issues, unless you want to miss part of the movie or disturb those around you).

The same can be said for the Green Chili Mac n Cheese, which is  blended with Jack, American and Manchego cheeses and topped with bread crumbs. I’ve had this dish three times, the first time it was delightfully creamy and cheesy, with just the right about of crispy topping. The second time, the topping was too thick, causing the crumbs to absorb all that creamy cheese and making the dish very dry. The third time was somewhere in between.

In fact, the only consistent dish I’ve ever had at the Alamo is the pizza. Both the “Moonstruck” cheese pizza and the “Wild at Artichoke Hearts” with goat cheese are delicious and have the added bonus of being easy to eat in the dark.

Also recommended are the milkshakes (except the Guinness one) and the fine beer list (although they recently removed my personal favorite, Paulaner Hefeweizen.

All in all, the Alamo offers far better meals than any other movie theater and plenty of “regular” restaurants, to boot. Although the meals can vary in quality, it’s still a novel and fun experience every time.

Vegan Friendly: **

Vegetarian Friendly: ****

Fish Friendly: no fish here

Price: $$

Service: ***

Atmosphere: ****

Alamo Drafthouse Cinema
2700 W. Anderson Lane
Austin, TX 78757

http://www.drafthouse.com

North, located in the Domain, has been on the Austin scene for less than a year. A Fox Restaurant concept, North is their first Texan venture, having previously dominated the Arizona and Colorado dining scenes.

North offers contemporary Italian cuisine in a modern setting. The inside features table dining (no booths), while the patio is spacious an allows for people watching. The bar area is small, but usually hopping.

Vegetarians have several options for dinner here. North offers soups, salads, pizzas, pastas, risotto, polenta, artichoke and vegetable sides which are either offered vegetarian or can be made vegetarian. Although many entrees surpass the $20 mark, the meatless ones can be had for between $12-$16.

In a recent visit, we had the side of creamy polenta, which was had an amazing cheese and savory flavor, so much so, that it was difficult to believe that there is no chicken stock in it (there isn’t). However, for $6, the portion was meager.

We also sampled the pizza selection. I had a Fig and Prosciutto pizza, which I ordered without fig and prosciutto. Without those toppings, the pizza was basically a cheese and goat-cheese pizza with a fig sauce instead of a red sauce. It’s not for everyone, but those that enjoy a sweet compliment to their tangy goat cheese will enjoy it as much as I did. My husband tried the Pizza Margareta, which was tasty, although certainly not the best Margareta in town. It was a little soggy and could have used a tad more sauce. The crust on all of the pizzas are thin and perfectly cooked.

North also featured little food treats that add to the meal- a tiny finger dish of marinated olives before dinner and very good sourdough bread with a tangy sun-dried tomato butter add a little something extra to the meal. The drinks are also something to admire, with a good wine list (all servers have extensive wine training), and my personal favorite, a take on Bellinis- a choice of fresh fruit puree and topped with prosecco.

In a previous visit, we sampled the tomato soup, which was delicious- not too sweet, as some tomato soups tend to be. We also had the Panna Cotta for desert, which was a light vanilla-bean custard with berries, both are highly recommended.

Vegan Friendly: *

Vegetarian Friendly: **

Fish Friendly: **

Price: $$$

Service: ****

Atmosphere: ****

The Domain
11506 Century Oaks Terrace
Austin, TX 78758
P: 512.339.4400
Sunday – Thursday 11am –10pm
Friday – Saturday 11am – 11pm

http://www.foxrc.com/

I wound up sitting at the sushi bar, which was both gross and cool. Gross, because I could smell the fish, but cool because I was able to watch the sushi chefs work, and they are very talented with their knives! I started off with a sake that said it had hints of papaya ($8). I didn’t taste any papaya, but it was good sake anyways.

My appetizer was tempura battered brie with apple chutney ($9). This was pretty decent, but I thought it would have been better with goat cheese. For my entree, I ordered off the seasonal menu, and had a surprisingly amazing slice of cauliflower ($13). That’s right, the only thing on my plate was a slice of cauliflower in a sauce. I was wary about ordering it, but my waitress convinced me that it delicious, and it was! It was slow roasted and topped with a golden raisin sauce and fennel pollen. It was also surprisingly filling.

For dessert, I ordered the creme caramel with brown butter sorbet in a ginger consumee ($9). The creme carmel, as it turns out was just flan, and tasted just like…flan. Not spectacular. But the brown butter sorbet was excellent- the flavor was so strong, but it tasted so light. I almost would have preferred an ice cream texture to match the richness of the flavor. The ginger consumee was deliciously gingery. It would make an excellent tea.

Other vegetarian options include: edamame, tempura, salad, tofu and tons of fish.

Vegan Friendly: *

Vegetarian Friendly: **

Fish Friendly: ****

Price: $$$

Service: ****

Atmosphere: ****

801 S Lamar Blvd

Austin, TX 78704

(512) 916-4808

http://www.uchiaustin.com/