By now, whether you live in Austin or have visited this great town, you are probably aware of the influx of food trucks and trailers to our local dining scene. Not just in one particular area of town, but all over the place!

From what I am told, Austin is second only to Portland, Oregon for overall quantity of food trucks/trailers…somewhere in the area of 1,800. You’ve got options!

Whether you’re spending a lazy day strolling South Congress, checkin’ out the coolness of East Austin, takin’ a dip in Barton Springs, venturing up north around Anderson Lane or sauntering down South First, there’s hardly a corner you turn without running into some stellar options for good grub in a unique environment.

I could honestly go on and on with greats and faves of mine, but I’ll offer these immediate picks forth for your viewing and dining pleasure: The Mighty Cone on South Congress, Torchy’s Tacos (multiple locations), Coat & Thai, also on South Congress, J. Mueller BBQ on South First, Chi’Lantro (multiple locations) and the East Side King triumverate (trailers at Shangri-La, The Liberty and The Grackle on 6th Street in East Austin). You honestly can’t go wrong here!

Additionally, to really get the professional’s angle in this realm, I refer you to my good friend and Queen of Mobile Grub, Tiffany Harelik, and her Trailer Food Diaries web site – www.trailerfooddiaries.com. She won’t lead you astray!

The Mighty Cone
www.mightycone.com

Torchy’s Tacos
www.torchystacos.com

Coat & Thai
www.coatandthai.com

J. Mueller BBQ
www.jmuellerbbq.com

Chi’Lantro
www.chilantrobbq.com

East Side King
www.eskaustin.com

Image source

I’m of the belief that food does not need to be expensive to taste like it came from a James Beard Award recipient.  And because I imagine that many of you “fresh out of college” readers are in the same financial situation that I’m in, I thought I’d share some of my favorite, inexpensive Austin haunts:

Juan in a Million – This little hole in the wall Mexican restaurant located on East Cesar Chavez has been serving up some of the most delicious Mexican dishes in Austin since 1980.  Now I’ll admit that I’ve only ever been for breakfast, but I’ve never had a breakfast plate that was as filling, delicious and affordable as their Don Juan.  Enough food for 4 meals, the Don Juan boasts the perfect combination of eggs, potatoes, cheese and tortillas, and for only $3.50, the price can’t be beat.  Juan in a Million is a popular spot for local students – if you go on weekends, plan to wait at least 30 minutes.  The restaurant was even featured on The Travel Channel’s Man vs. Food, where host Adam Richman tried (and failed) to complete the Don Juan Challenge.

The Don Juan - a massive breakfast feast.

Franks – Known for serving delicious artisan hot dogs and cold beer at a reasonable price, Franks boasts one of my favorite hotdogs in the Austin area.  With an average menu item coming in around $6, you can get a quality meal at Franks without having to shell out the big bucks.  My favorite: The Slaw Dog (100% Vienna beef with grilled horseradish cole slaw).

The wall outside Franks.

Flip Happy Crepes – One of the many food trucks located around town, Flip Happy Crepes is another favorite of mine.  For less than $7, you can select between a savory lunch crepe (perhaps the ham and gruyere cheese crepe or the smoked salmon crepe with herbed cream cheese spinach) or a sweet dessert crepe (whipped peanut butter with dark chocolate sauce and bananas, anyone?) Just keep in mind, Flip Happy Crepes is usually only open until 2:30 p.m. Don’t miss out on those flavor combinations because you slept in!

Sweet Crepe - loaded with Nutella, strawberries and powdered sugar.

As I mentioned earlier, part of the reason that Austin food is so great is that it represents food from all over the world.  For me, it’s such a fun experience to try Austin’s version of a cultural dish and then get to try that same dish when I travel.  And knowing how to eat on a budget means that even when I’m abroad, I can find a way to dine in style.

This Fall while in Austin, Texas I was able to grab some grub from several food trucks and trailers. These food trucks are not the sketchy looking taco trucks that might come to mind. I enjoyed trailer food from Torchy’s Tacos and Flip Happy Crepes. At Torchy’s Tacos I enjoyed a hand battered fried avocado taco.  Torchy’s Tacos were very good, but Flip Happy Crepes was outstanding!

At Flip Happy Crepes I enjoyed the Cuban – Shredded pork with cheddar cheese, pickles and tabasco sauce while my wife couldn’t say enough about her choice, Ham and gruyere cheese with green onions. My son enjoyed a Nutella roll-up. We had to try two sweet crepes, right? We went with a Banana’s Foster crepe and the Vanilla pastry cream with fresh berries and berry sauce. They were all absolutely delicious! There is a reason why Bobby Flay challenged the girls at Flip Happy Crepes to a Throwdown, because they really are the best of the best when it comes to crepes. If you are in Austin, Texas you have to go to Flip Happy Crepes. If you do, let us know what you think. I’m pretty sure you will find them outstanding too.

Ham & Gruyere – Really good, smooth! A little sprinkle of nutmeg made this crepe unique

Cuban – Shredded Pork & Cheddar – The pickles made it! Great texture

Vanilla pastry cream w/ fresh berries – Another Please!

Banana’s Foster

This was served as the sweet crepe in the Throwdown vs. Bobby Flay

- Flip Happy Crepes

- Torchy Tacos

- Throwdown – Bobby Flay vs. Flip Happy Crepes

You don’t have to be a certified tour-guide or a compulsive socialite to have caught on to the food truck invasion. In urban areas all over the country food trucks of every color, shape, and cuisine are taking over – and we LOVE it! Can you imagine a better way to spice up an eccentric outdoor soiree? With most of these mobile meals available for catering, the themed possibilities are virtually endless (my mind is already racing – somebody get me my notepad!). Check out Skillet, making waves on the food truck scene in an eye-catching Airstream trailer. Self-dubbed a “modern American diner,” Skillet’s ever-evolving menu has me contemplating a move to Seattle… that is, unless I can convince them to drive that silver bullet down to Texas!

Is it wrong that the first words out of my mouth when I spotted this precious Enjoy Cupcake trailer were, “I want to live there!” With two home-base locations, Enjoy Cupcake is happy to uproot their stationary stand to serve as your event’s custom confectionery on-site caterer – and if I do say so myself, the desserts look divine. With a gorgeous vintage trailer like that (fully equipped with “twinkling lights, a festive canopy & a wafting sweet smell”), can you blame us for wanting to throw two parties a week?

One of the more lusted-over food trucks in Austin is the fantastic Flip Happy Crêpes. Offering sweet and savory crêpes, this truly gourmet menu will knock your socks off, and all at once make your french inspired fête authentic yet extraordinary!

Keep your eyes peeled for The Peached Tortilla, a new food truck concept set to launch in Austin in September 2010. Also available for catering, the flavors at The Peached Tortilla will be wildly innovative and “know no boundaries.” We can’t wait to get peached!

My husband and I went on a summer vacation last week, spending a couple days in San Antonio, followed by the rest of the week in Austin. Not sure if you’ve been to either, but they’re great vacation spots, whether you like to have a really active vacation with site-seeing, museums, amusement/water parks, etc., or if you’re like us and just like to truly relax on your vaca by sleeping in, eating, drinking and shopping.

Seriously, I don’t think I’ve had a more relaxing vacation! Even during our honeymoon in December, we were sort of going by an itinerary, so we had to be in certain places at certain times. On this trip, we just went wherever, whenever, and did what looked good at the time. Wingin’ it is always risky on a vacation, but in this case, it all worked out.

And, I tried to remember to photograph our food, since we spent quite a bit of time last week at awesome local restaurants and trying regional cuisine. Here’s what we ate:

We ate here twice, the South Austin Trailer Park Eatery, featuring Torchy’s Tacos (and a couple other mobile food vendors, which I’ll get to later). They serve a variety of tacos (duh) and chips with guacamole, queso and salsa. They’ve got your traditional barbacoa taco (The Democrat), my husband’s favorite, lots of breakfast tacos, shrimp and fish tacos…basically, any kind of taco you’re looking for, you can probably find here and it definitely tastes good.

Here’s what I got — a breakfast taco on a flour tortilla (right) with potatoes, beans and cheese, and a fried avocado taco on a corn tortilla, described on the menu as “hand battered fresh avocadoes fried and served With vegetarian refried beans, lettuce, pico de gallo and Cheese served on a corn tortilla with our poblano ranch sauce.” I describe it as yummy.

Every time we go to Austin, we go to Flip Happy Crepes, another mobile food vendor that sells (another duh) crepes! And these are gourmet-quality crepes, let me tell you! They even defeated Bobby Flay on Throwdown!, so you know they know what they’re doing. If you don’t get there early, you probably have to stand in a super long line and wait for forever for your food (give ‘em a break, it’s two women making crepes in a trailer, for goodness sakes!), but it is so worth it! I usually get the roasted chicken crepe w/ caramelized onions and goat cheese. Delicious.

And did I mention they have DESSERT CREPES? That’s major. This one’s my favorite — it’s nutella and banana with a sprinkle of powdered sugar. Yum.

Now, going back to the South Austin Trailer Park Eatery, home of Torchy’s Tacos, and “other mobile food vendors,” as I mentioned above…

CAKE BALLS! Have you ever heard of such a genius thing? These are from Holy Cacao, located in the trailer park eatery, and they are the greatest dessert in the history of food. They have a ton of flavors, from red velvet to peanut butter to chocolate to wedding cake…ugh, drooling while I think about it! They even have a “Diablo Ball,” chocolate cake mixed with ancho/cayenne cream cheese frosting, dipped in dark chocolate and then topped with cayenne and cocoa toasted walnuts. SO GOOD!

That’s all I photographed, but trust me when I say we ate more — a ton more!

Let’s take a look at a few trailers around Austin that have either recently burst onto the Austin restaurant scene or are already established

1. Roppolo’s Pizzeria- this joint has been going strong for more than a few years now.  With locations on and off of Sixth Street, you are bound to stop here after last call to pick up a big ol’ tasty slice of pizza.  Toppings range from regular pepperoni to supreme to plain cheese.  Your alcohol-induced taste buds are sure to enjoy a slice whenever you are downtown or making your way home.

2. Torchy’s Tacos- Whether you have made it to the permanent location on South First or the trailer located in the Trailer ParkEatery, you have probably heard of Torchy’s Taco’s.  With a new special every month and plenty of taco choices, Torchy’s keeps everyone satisfied.  Just don’t expect to find a healthy option when you head to Torchy’s.  Deep fried chicken and avocado’s, jalapeño sausage, plenty of cheese and more than a few meat choices will be sure to take a few years off of your life.  But true to their slogan, Torchy’s promises “Damn Good Tacos,” and that is exactly what you get.

3. Mighty Cone- Located on South Congress in what is clearly a strip mall of trailer eateries. Mighty Cone offers a slightly odd take on food in a cone.  You choose between chicken and shrimp, fried almond batter or plain meals wrapped in a tortilla.  Or you can go for traditional sliders, but you are sure to receive everything (even fries) in small cones.  Try to go on a nice sunny day so you can sit on the red picnic tables and watch the pedestrian traffic on South Congress.

4. Flip Happy Crepes- This place could be called the mother of the satisfying trailer foods. Featured on the food network as part of Bobby Flay’s Throwdown the trailer located at 400 Jesse St., one block behind Romeo’s on Barton Springs Rd, serves up a variety of handmade crepes that will leave you craving more.From savory crepes with ingredients such as caramelized onions, chicken and goat cheese to classic sweets like Nutella and fruit, the ladies of Flip Happy, Andrea Day Boykin and Nessa Higgins, truly know how to make your taste buds Flippin’ Happy. Though the trailer is closed Monday’s and Tuesday’s check out their culinary success Wednesday through Sunday or call your order in to beat the line.

5. Lulu B’s- A slightly smaller trailer, yet with a lot to offer. Serving up Vietnamese sandwiches, spring rolls, salads, smoothies, coffee and bubble teas the trailer off of S. Lamar is a popular destination for those grabbing lunch on the go, or with time to spare to sit and enjoy a meal amongst the oak trees.  You can go light, with Shrimp and Avocado rolls complimented with a spicy peanut sauce, or really satisfy your hunger with sandwiches such as lemon grass chicken.   For under ten dollars you’ll be sure to treat yourself to yet another south Austin gem.

]]> http://jeffjacobsen.wordpress.com/2009/11/27/catching-up/ Fri, 27 Nov 2009 16:48:13 +0000 jeffjacobsen http://jeffjacobsen.wordpress.com/2009/11/27/catching-up/ Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  We have many reasons to be thankful.  Kelly’s return from her internship in Washington, certainly, has been a highlight for us.  She was ready to return, and we surely are pleased to have her back in Topeka.   Good to hear Julie and Kelly picking at each other again.  Sisters!  Her office made this sign for her final day with the League of Conservation Voters.

We started the day with a great church service.  Love the hymns.  Julie and I took Kelly around our church’s newly completed expansion.  Wonderfully done.  Sitting together as a family was very special.  I can’t thank the Lord enough for watching over Kelly during her long stay in Washington.

The girls ate lunch with their mother, so Laura and I got a nap before our traditional Thanksgiving bicycle ride.  Fall isn’t a good cycling time for either of us.  It has been especially bad for Laura this fall.  I knew it wouldn’t be fun for her.  She hasn’t been on her bike for a long time and it was cold and windy.  Not a good combination, but we still had fun.

Upon on return, it was time to cook.  While I don’t consider myself a chef, I can follow recipes well and love to tinker with them as we go.  Laura is willing sous chef.  We might have food everywhere and just about all our pots and pans in use, but we have created some very fine meals.

Julie is easily the pickiest eater ever.  For her to say during dinner that I cook the best and juiciest turkey ever is a compliment that boosts me through the roof.  We have done big birds when Laura’s family has joined us and been very successful.  This year, we bought a huge turkey breast cut from a bird at Herman’s Meat Market.  After brining, a rub heavy with Spanish paprika and other spices coated the skin side.  After some grilling to seal in the spices, the meat was finished off in the oven.  Awesome.  The bird dripped with juice.  A sour orange sauce was a great compliment.

We added mashed sweet potatoes with chipotle peppers along with the traditional mashed potatoes and gravy.  A grilled zucchini and corn succotash was our other new concoction that proved to be a huge hit.  We watched some late college football so that when the tryptophan kicked in, we were ready for bed.  We might have to make a late turkey dinner our annual holiday tradition.

Here is one final reason I have for being so thankful.  Big family dinners like this wouldn’t be possible without Laura.  Laura brought a real sense of family to my life that I haven’t had since my parents passed.   Without her, I doubt I’d be in the kitchen “slaving away.”  Again, I hope and pray you all had a wonderful day.

On to trying to catch up on this and that.

We drove to St. Louis Monday, the 16^th, in a steady rain.  The trip along Missouri’s I-70 corridor is one we always dread.  Even today, the “Gateway City” remains just that.  The traffic heading in both directions is always endless.  I-70 through Missouri has to be one of the most heavily traveled in the country.  It also has to have more billboards per mile.

We stayed at the Sheraton St. Louis City Center.  KU basketball does just about everything high class.  Our suite certainly didn’t disappoint.   While photographing the clash between #1 Kansas and Memphis was our top professional priority, taking Laura out for a first-class dinner ranked #1 with me.

Laura didn’t disappoint.  The dress we bought in Washington was as stunning as I remember.  I hope you can see that from the photos in the gallery.  Two people from the Kansas travel party remarked, after seeing Laura in the dress, that I had “won the lottery.”  Another asked Laura why she had settled for “chopped liver?”  Cold, but probably true.

It was a delight to take Laura to Tony’s.  And, Tony’s didn’t disappoint either.  Carlos our waiter was a great conversationalist.  The food was all finished at table.  Some highlights were Laura’s pumpkin soup with just the right touch of cinnamon.  My escargot were bathed in a delicious sauce.  Salads were wonderfully prepared.  My black-pepper-encrusted sirloin was mouth-watering and tear-rendering.  The pan sauces for Laura’s filet and mine were fabulously rich and calorie-laden.  Rare for us, but worth it.  A good bottle of wine and a sinfully rich chocolate dessert capped a dining experience we truly enjoyed together.  The rest of the evening was just as delightful.

The game proved to very interesting and pointed up just how strong and deep the KU team is this year.  While I heard lots of moaning and groaning from some fans that KU didn’t blow Memphis out, I offer this suggestion to those fans.  Remember what Bill Self said after.  “I don’t get too freaked out over games in November.”  KU fans should do the same.

November basketball is a joke to me.  The games are glorified exhibition games.  Bill Self knows that.  I could go on and on about the differences between Roy Williams and Bill Self for good and bad.  One difference has to be the way the two coaches approached games like the one against Memphis.

Strictly my opinion, but Roy liked to put jigsaw puzzles together.  He had his super stars, but he also tried to find players who fit a specific role.  What that usually meant is that Roy’s teams were ready to destroy teams from the get go and send a message to everyone.

Bill reminds me of the kid in a candy store.  He wants all the sweets and gets most of them.  How he manages to handle all that candy is the great show.  It takes time for all the talent to find their roles and mesh.  Early games are about breaking down acclaimed players so that they all work together.  Sometimes it works well.  Other times it doesn’t.  November is only the beginning.  I can assure you, he loves the challenge.

One cautionary note.  Kinesio Tape began to appear on athletes in the last summer Olympics.  Here is a description.  “Kinesio taping gives support and stability to your joints and muscles without affecting circulation and range of motion. It is also used for preventive maintenance, edema, and pain management.”  Sounds like amazing stuff.   The bottom line is that no one wears it for show though.

I’ve noticed that Sherron Collins is wearing more and more of it each game.  That can’t be good news.  Collins remains the key.

The latter portion of our week included a trip to Austin for the KU football game.  The Mark Mangino drama was huge, but that will have to wait for a separate post.  That is a big subject!

With the late game, we were able to get up early and head for Flip Happy Crepes.  The picture tells it all.  Just a block from the river, this unique outdoor eatery was featured in a “Throwdown with Bobby Flay” episode.  The two women that work out of the Airstream trailer won the challenge and won our hearts.  Laura went for a breakfast crepe.  I took on the Cuban crepe that finished with a wallop of spice.  Fortunately, the Nutella and banana crepe we shared helped calm the tongue.

Next stop was what many cyclists would call Mecca.  Mellow Johnny’s is the huge bike shop Lance Armstrong opened a few years ago.  From the size of the crowd, it obviously has become quite the tourist attraction, and deservedly so.  The selection of every cycling need was Texas big.

Even for non-Lance fans like the two of us, the place rocks.  Seeing many of the bikes he rode to victory was very cool.  Fortunately, our dislike of the man kept us from dropping a wad of money on Mellow Johnny gear.  Watching some of the visiting riders stroll around the shop and its coffee shop café in complete Mellow Johnny kit meant we weren’t threatening to hurt their bottom line.

The nightcap was the game.  Again, Texas big.  Over 100,000 fans.  Biggest video board I’ve ever seen.  Canon blasts after every score, extra point and kickoff.  Yes, it was a blowout, but KU played very hard.

The trip home on the team plane was very quiet, but that is not unusual.  We are often asked about those trips.  People expect the players to be both overjoyed and dancing in the aisles after victories or distraught and bowed after loses.  The best word to use is tired.  Win or lose, players hit their seats, clamp on their headphones and go to sleep.  All the usual flight rules mean nothing.  No seatbacks in the upright position.  No tray tables locked and stowed.  Personal computers and music players are in full use.

The beauty of a KU trip is that the teams fly out of Topeka.  We are home in ten minutes after our bags are thrown in the car.  The photo gallery needs only final touches since most of the work has been completed on the plane.  Our heads hit pillow at 3 a.m.

Now, we are just a day away from the Missouri game and what likely will be Mark Mangino’s final game.  Remember the name Nolan Cromwell!  Missouri will choke and KU will find some magic and win.  Just one man’s opinion.  I’ll be more worried about Colorado getting all fired up for Nebraska game.

Enjoy your Black “Shirt” Friday.

For more photos from St. Louis and Austin, click here.

From France to a Trailer Park: Flip Happy Crepes

By Elizabeth C. Chapman

Austin is no stranger to the rehabbed vintage trailer resulting in a culinary miracle as magic happening from these portable kitchens.

Customers line up at these tacky anomalies littered with Christmas lights and coolers to eat gourmet treats off paper plates alfresco. 

One stop on this retro journey would be none other than “Flip Happy Crepes”. The silver trailer is located at 400 Jessie Street, where Barton Springs Road and South Lamar Blvd. intersect and can’t be missed with red canvas awnings and picnic tables. They are open Wednesday to Friday from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Expect to stand in line, order and wait for your food at least an hour, but the good news is you can play Connect-Four or other board games to kill time. The time allows your taste buds to fantasize over a world of tarragon, Brie, lemon curd or even Nutella. 

The quality of Flip Happy is reminiscent of past crepe experiences abroad: When I lived in Spain there was a French man who had a Crepería (Spanish for Crepe place or in French Crêperie) near the cathedral. He’d sing Edith Piaf while raking crepe batter onto large cast iron burners with a wooden spatula. He’d sculpt it like a Zen gardener until the pale thin pancake would develop into a tan, airy piece of artwork with lacy, crunchy pieces on the edges.

 While you may get to listen to some French music at Flip Happy in Austin, you won’t get to see what’s happening inside the trailer walls. Through the windows you can glimpse multiple bodies hustling around, which in my opinion adds to the intrigue of this spot and the anticipation of the final product.

 People in the food world are flipping over these crepes too! Foodie Rachel Ray made a point to sample the owners Nessa Higgins and Andrea Day Boykin’s creations. Food Network personality, Bobby Flay, went as far as to challenge them to a “Throwdown!”.

 If you want to recreate Bobby Flay’s crepe from the show, “BBQ Duck and Sautéed Shiitake Mushroom filled Blue Corn Pancakes with Habanero Sauce” go to http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/bbq-duck-and-sauteed-shiitake-mushroom-filled-blue-corn-pancakes-with-habanero-sauce-recipe/index.html.

Flip Happy Crepes is a great food stand near Barton Springs and Lamar. They have some of the best food I have ever eaten at a very affordable price. The feel of the eatery is great too.  Crepes are served out of a vintage airstream tailor and you eat under a grove of trees.  They have savory crepes and desert crepes in a variety of different flavors.  My favorite is the chicken and mushroom crepe.  You can check out their website here.

They are also well-known for winning against Iron Chef Bobby Flay in his show Throwdown! with Bobby Flay.  Very few restaurants on the show can beat the experienced chef.  Flip Happy proved their worth by making a better crepe than Bobby.

Before you make the journey to this airstream tailor make sure they are open first.  They usually only open Wednesday through Sunday for lunch.  It is amazing food at a great price!

Post by Sarah Lacy

Taken from Flip Happy Crepes Flickr account

I’m not sure if I will be able to find a suitable replacement for the corner patisseries in Paris here in Austin, but Flip Happy Crepes on 400 Jessie St. may come pretty close. They’ve gotten so much good buzz that Bobby Flay of Food Network challenged them to a crepe-off for his show Throwdown with Bobby Flay.

Savory crepes, like the one with shredded pork, cheddar cheese, pickles and Tabasco sauce, will run you $6-8, while sweet ones, like the one with lemon curd and blueberry dressing, will cost you around $4.

A word of caution: the hours of operation are pretty unusual (they are not open Sunday-Tuesday), so check the website to make sure they are open before you head over. I would suggest coming early, as lines tend to get long around peak meal time; I remember having to wait close to an hour during a Saturday brunch rush. Also, they sell their crepes out of a trailer in a fairly small parking lot, so getting there sooner would ensure better parking options.

Bon apetit! Check back tomorrow for my suggestions for a delicious treat courtesy of Spain!

Trudy’s – Mexican martini, Queso Especial, Sopapillas de Maiz

This is one of the places I miss most since I moved away from Austin! We were definitely craving a Mexican Martini. I didn’t snap any pics here, but the food is amazing and worth the wait.

Flip Happy Crepes – Chicken & Mushroom crepe, the Cuban, french press coffee.

This little trailer on Jessie Street was made famous back in August 2007 when it was on Food Network’s Throwdown with Bobby Flay. I never saw this episode, but I bet they kicked Bobby’s butt because those crepes were amazing! (We had to eat in the car because it was so cold outside!!)

Hey Cupcake – 24 Carat (carrot cake with cream cheese icing), Michael Jackson (chocolate cake with cream cheese icing and chocolate sprinkles)

This sno-cone stand turned cupcake mecca is located on South Congress. There was a really long line, but for a good reason! The carrot cake was the best I have ever had.

Pluckers – Popeye Dip, Waffle Fries, & wings (Spicy ranch, Caribbean Jerk, Gold Rush, Spicy BBQ)

Another “must” for us when we go to Austin. We went to the original location, which had been completely renovated since we were there last. I don’t even eat chicken wings anywhere else because once you’ve had Pluckers, all others fade in comparison…

Juan in a Million – Don Juan

This place has always been popular among the locals and they’ve gotten even more of a boost since they were featured on the Food Network’s Man vs. Food. This guy tries to beat the record of eating seven Don Juans. I don’t think he got close. One is more than enough for me!

Random Brenham gas station – Blue Bell Country Cookie

I know it may sound silly, but I had to stop at a gas station and get one of these. A friend introduced me to these and you can’t find these anywhere in the city. You can easily find a chocolate chip cookie ice cream sandwich, but not oatmeal cookie. Yummm…I may have to make these at home!

I did wait for a crepe once. I was visting Austin for my sister-in-law’s bachelorette party. She had heard about this place called, Flip Happy Crepes, which was featured on Bobby Flay’s show “Throwdown.” So there is this airstream trailor on the side of a road, and you wait an incredibly long time in the blazing heat for what— awesome, meaty (or sweet) goodness wrapped in a crepe. I wanted something that would be fitting with the idea of being in Austin in 95 degree heat, so I chose shredded pork w/ cheddar cheese, pickles and tabasco sauce. Truly a wonderful experience for my mouth, though not for the waistline.

The TV segment made it appear as if the place is way out in the country, but it’s just the other side of the river from downtown. The countryside look is due to its being in a vacant lot. The “restaurant,” as it were, is operated from an Airstream trailer, and the seating is a jumble of small tables and TV trays with folding chairs and wooden benches.

Al fresco dining

They have an extensive menu of both sweet and savory crepes, and they all look great. Anna had one with ham and cheese, and I had one that was kind of Cuban-style, with pork and pickles and Tabasco sauce. And then we split the berry one for dessert.

And the owners are very charming

The crepes were delicious. They were wonderfully fresh and had a perfect balance of flavors. The one, rather quibbling, criticism I might have is only that, being the end of July, it was wicked hot sitting outdoors. I’m looking forward to visiting them sometime other than summer.

Having said that, now that we’re in Houston and far away, we wish we could go there all the time. It’s just so weird and funky that it seems as if it could only be in Austin….

Keep Austin Weird!