The Vitals: the spot: Clark's Austin 1200 W 6th St, Austin, TX 78703 the eats: Burger (during Happy Hour!) the bucks: $11 normally $22 the full nelson: one of the best burgers in Austin, probably my #2 in town

Clark's Austin has the second best burger in town which is no small feat. Somehow it took me years to finally cross it off my list but you can chalk it up to the fact that most of the time the burger will run you $22 and that's like the cheapest thing on the menu. In a part of Austin that reminds me more of Beverly Hills than the town many consider the spiritual home of Willie Nelson, Clark's is as bougie as it gets. I mean, their second location is in Aspen CO. So why am I here? Well, it turns out money can buy nice things.

Like oysters and steak tartare

Walking into Clark's Austin reminds me of going out to eat with my parents on one of our more upscale vacations. In a word: lux. Clark's Austin is costly but it is an oasis for the well heeled and a fine place to have some bivalves cracked open while ruminating on a double dip of steak tartare.

Get a martini

Or a Manhattan. Just know that the drink will be well made and almost worth the mid teen price tab. In Austin these days nothing is cheap, going out is a splurge at almost every level, so you might as well spend the cash on something made well.

Clark's Austin Burger

The pan roasted Black Angus burger is thick but not overwhelming. I thought it would be bigger than it was but that's not to say Clark's Austin makes a undersized burger either. The ratio of bun to beef is spot on, the melt on the Gruyere cheese is obviously well done. It comes with pickles and ketchup on the side but don't feel bothered to interrupt the magic of the Sauce Gribiche.

My new fav burger sauce

I never had nor heard of Sauce Gribiche before. Apparently it's a cold egg sauce that's made with boiled cold eggs, plus herbs like tarragon, chervil, plus some briny elements like capers and cornichons. All that is whisked with olive oil, vinegar and Dijon mustard. From what I can tell it's used commonly in France for fish, vegetables and chicken. One recipe video praises its use on a platter of cold meats. Well it's lights out on burgers too, especially ones cooked rare to medium rare. Speaking of, don't stress thinking your burger might come out overcooked at Clark's Austin. Even when ordered medium it's very juicy. For the record I got mine medium rare and I would do order it that way again. My dining compatriot got his medium and felt mine looked like something out of Silence of the Lambs. His loss.  

The Verdict

Usually the burger sells for $22 and even with fries(that I would skip tbh, way too thin) it's way overpriced. But so is everything at Clark's Austin and every other restaurant this group(McGuire Morman Lambert Hospitality) own. Thing is, I enjoyed it. It was a very good burger with an impeccable sauce I had never had before. Pair that with a very good martini, a few good oysters and an upscale dining experience for $50 and you too might do the dance again. Did I feel like I was paying Manhattan prices? Yes. And I do that from time to time. While this burger isn't as good at Salt & Time, even when it sells for half off at Happy Hour($11 3pm-5pm) the overall experience and quality make it an acceptable splurge from time to time. $50 for a martini, a burger and a few oysters in a lovely setting does evoke some sense of Bang for your Buck. The reality is Austin fast becoming an expensive to dine out in. Time to accept that it's all a splurge and learn to cook more at home. I do, and I got plans for that Sauce Gribiche. After all if I'm gonna live in a town with bougie places like Clark's Austin, I better act the part at home a little bit.    

The Vitals: the spot: Uroko 1023 Springdale Road Bldg 1 ste C Austin TX 78721 the eats: Omakase(chef's tasting menu) the bucks: $95 per person, 45 minute duration the full nelson: Bang for your Buck lux sushi experience Shame on me for sitting on my New Year's Eve dinner post for this long. That's pretty much how it goes when you have a queue of food pics like my phone does. Now that I'm no longer ashamed I'll get right to the heart of this post:

What $95 worth of sushi looks like

And PS: that's a bargain of you are talking about a chef's tasting menu. I posted about Uroko a few years back and then, as in now, they offer great value for the quality of sushi you are getting. Uroko is affordable because they are smart about the experience. Most days the menu is limited to  Temaki or handrolls. On Friday and Saturdays they offer 45 minute Omakase Chef tasting menu experiences. 45 minutes is certainly short but it's why it's affordable: you fill up on just enough and it's quality over quantity. There are more than a few sushi restaurants in Austin charging $200+ a person, before drinks, so understand that $95 a person for respectable deal when you consider the context. Maybe there won't be 4 courses of bluefin tuna belly but you don't have to eat copious amounts endangered mercury laden fish to have a good time. I'm going to just run through each course, describing simply what each one consisted of. Spoiler alert: it was all good. Of course as the meal goes on, and the meatier and richer courses arrive, those notes hit the hardest. Ready? Ok. Irasshaimase! (welcome to the restaurant)

Chef's choice appetizer

Seared beef, soft boiled egg and pickled Japanese vegetables. Yeah, take it or leave it but it came in such an adorbs basket! Meh, it was part of the meal so fine but I wouldn't order this one on its own.

Hirame Nigiri

This is halibut sushi with a shiso leaf in between the fish and rice and a dollop of wasabi on top. True sushi heads will appreciate the subtle clean flavor experience of halibut. It is mild but it can be good, at least a bit more memorable than bad Hirame which seems to lack any flavor at all. This is a time where one might appreciate the quality of the sushi rice and how one can relish the fish even when the flavor isn't massively over the top. It's about the rice too kids, it's about the rice too.

Hotate Nigiri

Things got nice and buttery with this scallop sushi. Hailing from Hokkaido, I know the scallop is gonna be good because that's an area in Japan that sushi restaurants and upscale fishmongers name drop. Prized for their size and meaty flavor, these scallops a mollusk status symbol to die hards, like me.

Ika Nigiri

Raw squid doesn't have a ton of flavor, actually neither does cooked squid. But there is texture to be harnessed. We have all had bad calamari(pro tip: don't fry it to death) but how does calamari become memorable in sushi? Scoring the flesh with a knife helps. The wasabi was placed underneath the squid and the rice, a nice touch.

Sake Nigiri

Sake also means salmon, so let's just clear that up. Also this salmon was dank. Yeah, I said dank. Sweet, rich, fatty and a crowd pleaser. This is when one rolls their eyes back. All those other pieces were leading up to this.

Hon Maguro Nigiri

Even the thrifty Uroko Omakase had to get into some kind of bluefin tuna. Toro, or bluefin tuna belly gets all the love like Kim Kardashian but hey, you can have a good time with Chloe and a piece of regular bluefin tuna. The salmon set off the rich factor, now the tuna set off the hearty meaty factor.

Kanpachi Nigiri

Similar to yellowtail, Kanpachi which is also known as amberjack is a tuna. Not as meaty as yellowfin or blue fin, Kanpachi has a sweeter taste and is overall more mild though not to the degree of Halibut. This is a crowd pleaser too.

Katsuo Nigiri

Katsuo is a Skipjack tuna and shares the red hue of yellowfin and bluefin tuna. Like those tuna, Katsuo is one meaty mofo. It's hard to get this fish outside of a good sushi restaurant as the fish is difficult to keep fresh. This one is a lip smacker for sure. I want to say there is ankimo, monkfish liver pate on top. Known as the foie gras of the sea, ankimo is awesome on it's own. Yeah, we are getting to heart of the lineup here.

Tanin Bune Nigiri

I have had Uni(sea urchin) with Ikura(salmon roe) before but I didn't know it had a name till I deciphered Uroko's menu. I love Uni and Ikura so this was damn awesome. Like I said, heart of the lineup here.

Wagyu Nigiri

10 years ago if you would have said the words "wagyu nigiri" I would have run. Maybe it's all the brisket but Wagyu isn't all that to me anymore. Also I think you need a bit of a sear to render some fat and really get some of the flavor in. But you know what? It was also Wagyu nigiri and that is never a bad thing.

Tamago Nigiri

Great nights end with a breakfast at dawn. This wasn't Denny's but it was also much better and a nice way to end the meal. Tamago is a Japanese omelette, served cold and it's kinda delightful. Great egg dishes explore texture and great sushi is about texture as well. I wouldn't order tamago ala carte but it makes sense at the end of the meal. And speaking of . . .

That's all folks.

Was it worth $95? Hell yes. And I would do it again in a heartbeat. I'll leave you with the sake list to peruse. All good stuff and very smooth. Also worth researching at your local wine shop:

You're welcome.

https://www.tiktok.com/@alikhaneats/video/7135197424821226798?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1&lang=en

The Vitals: the spot: Sweet Amalia Market  994 US Route 40 Newfield, NJ the eats: Fried Clam Roll, BLT, Calamari the bucks: $15 for a sandwich the full nelson: The ultimate Jersey Roadside produce stand to grab lunch

It was actually a dripping cheeseburger that caught my eye at Sweet Amalia Market, and not even in real life but rather on an Instagram post. Not just any Instagram account either. This was posted by longtime Philadelphia restaurant critic Craig LaBan, who included Sweet Amalia Market in his list of top ten restaurants in 2021. I happened to be driving from Philadelphia to the Jersey Shore over the summer and made a stop at this roadside produce stand. I didn't get the burger but I didn't regret my stop either.

Roadside Jersey Produce stands are a thing

I'm somewhat new to the experience of getting produce at a roadside stand but believe me it's what you should be doing if you're in New Jersey during the summer. Tomatoes and corn are in season and you will notice a difference compared to the supermarket stuff. I'll get to the power of tomatoes in a bit but for now, let's talk seafood.

Do yourself a favor: try everything

You are bound to find favorites at Sweet Amalia Market and ultimately some dishes here simply out best others. We all have our biases and mine came to finding out that I love a BLT during the summer more than perhaps any other seasonal food. Still you should know that Sweet Amalia also has an oyster farm(though in a different location) which means you should think hard about trying the seafood.

Crowd pleasing Calamari

I had to get something for my kid and wanted him try something somewhat adventurous so we landed on calamari. It's common to find fried calamari on menus but seldom is the calamari tender and meaty. Check both those boxes at Sweet Amalia Market. I want say the cocktail sauce was housemade too, but if it was from a bottle, I'd buy it.

Fried Clam Roll

I wonder if I would have liked the Fried Clam Roll more if I didn't also nosh on my kid's calamari. I might have had fried seafood overload as I found the ratio breading to clam favoring the former but I'm also a bit of fried clam roll noob. The bread was excellent, I'm gonna say that again, the bread was excellent. The horseradish and dill cream sauce and pickled onions were beautiful touches. They even snuck some bacon in there. I would probably try the fried oyster next time but if you're fried clam roll fan, give this one a test drive.

The secret to a perfect BLT?

It's all in the tomatoes. I love BLT sandwiches. I like 'em on cheap white bread from a diner. But the BLT at Sweet Amalia Market was a revelation and that ain't just hyperbole. Unless your allergic or were scarred from watching Attack of the Killer Tomatoes as a kid, few things are as tasty as a tomato in season. Jersey tomatoes are legendary and that is the star of the show when it comes to the BLT at Sweet Amalia Market. Like the clam roll, excellent bread is part of the experience as well. This was not only my favorite thing at Sweet Amalia Market but the best BLT I have ever had.

Trust me: make a stop here.

This is worth taking an hour out your day whether you are on your way to the Jersey Shore or if you're looking for an excuse to buy fresh produce and treat yourself to a solid lunch. They also sell bottles of wine and do oysters and clams on the half shell. I can't imagine a more picturesque summer lunch. I'm already looking forward to going back next summer.

The Vitals: the spot: Sidney's Coffee & Eats 705 Commonwealth Ave, Strathmere NJ 08248 the eats: Avocado toast w/ egg and bacon the bucks: $11.50  the full nelson: Trendy coffee shop fare comes to the South Jersey shore and I'm all for it

My visit to Sydney's Coffee & Eats turned out to be well timed. These days I count my calories a bit, enjoying a midlife health revival. Over the course of this year, I've lost nearly 30 pounds and my cholesterol levels have hit all time highs and lows in all the right places. I won't sit here and prescribe some miracle diet though, just share how some meals I enjoy strive for balance.

Not your Dad's Jersey Shore breakfast & lunch joint

Apologies for posting the lunch menu instead of the breakfast menu but a quick scan will prove that Sydney's Coffee & Eats is indeed offering Jersey Shore diners a more contemporary balanced fare. Amongst the hot dog and soft serve ice cream spots, sandwiches like the Fairmount are welcomed find. Multigrain bread, sprouts and avocado that also get a double protein hit with turkey and bacon are the meals that are gonna fuel me up for full days at the beach. The added addition of the bacon makes me feel more confident in a fullness that allows me to skip the chips.

An California staple on the Jersey Shore

I lived in LA when Avocado toasts became the talk of the town. I was a bit skeptical on the idea of paying $15 for guacamole on bread until I started to make them at home. Add an egg and some salsa and you have a fantastic hearty breakfast and that can become well balanced with the inclusion of a slice of hearty whole grain bread. At Sydney's Coffee & Eats, you can get that plus some bacon for under $12 bucks, well under that $15 mark. Take that Hollywood.

A well balanced bacon and egg breakfast

I make these a lot at home and I can tell you that one egg and two strips of bacon is all you need. Sure there are times when you gotta hit it hard at the diner but that's when overkill and breakfast induced naps occur. There are even greens on here too and they season the toast with Everything Bagel Seasoning. That's a tip I plan to bring to the Khan kitchen soon. I have a few spots down in the Jersey Shore that have become traditions like Giovanni's Delicatessen and Berardi Brothers for pizza. Sydney's Coffee & Eats is a welcomed addition to that lineup and the best part is that it comes without the guilt of a cheat day. As I write this it's still August so if you're down in South Jersey and are looking for hip coffee fare food, I'd hit Sydney's Coffee & Eats for breakfast or lunch.

The Vitals: the spot: Sanguich de Miami 12057 SW 8th St. Miami FL 33135 the eats: Cubano, Pan con Bistec the bucks: $10-$14 (give or take .50 cents) the full nelson: if there is a better Cuban sandwich, I'd still go here too

If there was one flaw to my Cubano sandwich experience at Sanguich de Miami, it's that I didn't eat it right there on the spot. Then again the highlight of my Cubano experience at Sanguich de Miami was eating their Cubano sandwich at 30.000 feet. I love a carefully planned meal on a plane. I don't mind being "that guy" who opens up a bag or box of deliciousness down in coach or first class for that matter. Some people have rolled their eyes but all I can say to that is "you chose to pay for Chili's To Go, I chose to have my Lyft driver stop at one of the best Cuban sandwich joints in Miami" on my way to the airport. Sorry not sorry, people.

"Everything is made in house. Down to the mustard"

Over DM's on Instagram I gathered some impressive details about Sanguich de Miami. I was curious about the spot on sliced ham that joins forces with the signature slow roasted pork, commonly referred to as lechon because of the whole Spanish thing, to which I received the response: "Everything is made in house. Down to the mustard". That's impressive folks . . . they make the damn mustard. I will stop myself and add that the bread is made elsewhere but to spec and that the lard rendered from the pork and ham is used to toast the bread. What does all of this mean? Well, along with the spot on layers of cheese and pickle, the sandwich is perfectly balanced yet hearty as hell and hits like a perfect homemade holiday meal slapped between two slices of bread baked with love. A damn fine, perhaps perfect sandwich. And I had it cold on the plane. Well, let's call it room temp.

Tomorrow's sandwich: a worthy sequel

Of course I had to get two sandwiches and I chose the Pan Bistec. Sous vide steak gets hit with mojo rojo, shoestring potatoes and swiss cheese. Mojo is a popular sauce and marinade in Cuban cooking, often using garlic and citrus to flavor pork dishes. I've never had mojo rojo but don't think this is as spicy as it looks. It's more like an earthy chile profile like guajillo used in Menudo or birría. It gives the beef a subtle depth of flavor. So I did eat this a full day after ordering it which meant a night in the fridge(gasp) and a trip to the microwave(double gasp). It was still good AF. I mean, its beef and potatoes in bread from a joint that goes to the trouble of making their own mustard. As I dug through my bag I realized I left out the garlic aioli which is a condiment you can get on the side. The sandwich didn't need it but also I wasn't wowed by it either. I'll also add that this sandwich is good but the Cubano takes top honors.

Until we meet again

I'll just have imagine what it's like to have a cafecito post Cubano at Sanguich de Miami. I'll definitely need to eat these sandwiches on premises to get the full Sanguich de Miami experience. But you know what? It's a sandwich, the perfect portable food and possibly the best takeout you can do on a plane for your own sake for the sake of your fellow passengers. So try Sanguich de Miami at 30.000 feet. Be that guy. It works for me. And my guess is a Cubano from Sanguich de Miami at 30,000 feet will work for you too.