The Barbados Food & Rum Festival 2023 . . .

. . . was the first overseas media event I have ever attended so naturally I was excited and bound to be blown away. Add to that the fact that I have never gone to the Caribbean and well, let's just say I do realize how lucky I am. While one could say "geez Ali, you ate and drank in Barbados for a week, way to gloat!" I am also here to share what was a week loaded with experiences so you too can experience what I did.

Opening Night

My Barbados Food and Rum festival began with a lux party at a pretty lux beach side home. This first night set the tone for the food theme of the week: amuse bouche bites from Bajan chefs who were flexing their culinary skills. The flavors of the island which represents a melting pot cultures, was an experience I did not see coming either. The flavors of South Asian food were as prevalent as the fresh fish I would eat for the the rest of my time there. Usually my overseas vacations mean eating Mexican food in Mexico(which I love,) but sinking my teeth into Bajan cuisine was equally as flavorful and reminded me of the cooking of my parents and their friends, albeit in a more refined manner and with superbly fresh seafood.

Mount Gay Rum tasting and Rum Route tour

Well you can't go to the Barbados Food and Rum Festival and not spend some time drinking rum. Our first day took us to the Mount Gay Rum Distillery where we did a proper tasting of rum served neat. This is probably why I took home a bottle of Mount Gay's Eclipse but as I'm sure you can imagine, the birthplace of rum is teeming with other distilleries. Enter the rum route which was a bus tour of three distilleries plus karaoke. The rest of that evening was lively to say the least. More info on the Rum Route tour here

The Rise and Rum party

My experience at the Barbados Food and Rum Festival peaked twice during my week long stay. Once was when I went snorkeling for the first time ever which also coincided with the first time I swam in the Caribbean(well floated). The other was this epic party. A few things to get out of the way: it starts 4am, you must wear yellow and you might get wet because it rains during October and it is so worth it. Honestly I don't have any words I can share except one: GO!!!! More info on the Rise and Rum party here

Liquid Gold

The last hurrah of the Barbados Food and Rum Festival is a black tie affair. Liquid Gold is as blingy as it gets and it's fun for both tourists like myself and Bajans who get down in their finest threads. Like pretty much everywhere this year, it was a hot one Barbados  but I kept my jacket on the whole night. And yes the suit is currently at the dry cleaners. The food and drinks at Liquid Gold are the best showing of the whole festival. Both Rise and Rum and Liquid Gold showed off the Rum of Barbados through the lens of accomplished Mixologists. I walked way learning there is a lot more you can with rum than just a daiquiri. As mentioned at the beginning of this post, the South Asian flavors kept coming through in these beautiful bites from these Bajan Chefs. But take into account that you aren't saddled with the typical heaviness in volume and richness with a traditional serving of curry and rice or naan. When I think about where South Asian food is evolving in terms of fine dining in the US(most notably at The Ritz Carlton in Laguna Niguel), taking notes from these Bajan chefs would do wonders with fine dining and the aromatics of the Indian Subcontinent. More info on Liquid Gold here That covers the events but there are more posts coming including where I stayed, non food activities and of course the restaurants I experienced as well. For now I will leave you with this: Barbados is worth the flight, the culture of the Caribbean is a harmony of diversity and Bajans can get down with curry. I might have found the place I should retire . . . .      

ACL Eats round 2

It's the last day of the Austin City Limits Music Festival and while I wind down, the music, food and fun is still going strong. It's always a come down when a weekend comes to an end, let alone two weekends of ACL. Still I'm ready to get off the rollercoaster and I can definitely say I ate well. The Vitals: the spot: Steamies Dumplings  6929 Airport Blvd Ste 148, Austin, TX 78752 // @ACL Eats Main Food Court the eats: Chicken and Shitake Dumplings the bucks: $15 the full nelson: Pro move is to get these dumplings It's always admirable to see events like Austin City Limits Music Festival partner with great local restaurants. That being said, restaurants are challenged to serve their food in an outdoor environment. Some foods typically do better than others. Folks, dumplings do well and you aren't going to do much better in the dumpling department than Steamies. I was tempted to get the pork and cabbage but the umami of Shitake called to me. I'm glad I listened. Honestly I can't wait to go to Steamies and get these dumplings again. The Vitals: the spot: Brotherton's BBQ   15608 Spring Hill Ln Suite 105, Pflugerville, TX 78660// @ACL Eats Main Food Court the eats: Sliced Brisket Sandwich the bucks: $16 the full nelson: Great lowkey Austin BBQ joint to add to your list Located just outside of Austin, Brotherton's BBQ is just under the radar of the BBQ masses but that doesn't mean it shouldn't be on your radar. I first went there back in 2020 and their bbq, particularly the Bahn Mi Brisket sandwich lived up to the hype. I got a sandwich at their ACL Eats location and while the bun was far from exemplary, the mix of lean and moist sliced brisket was all I really needed to care about. As always with Texas Brisket, bbq sauce is optional. The Vitals: the spot: Juiceland  locations in Austin, Dallas and Houston// @ACL Eats Main Food Court the eats: Watermelon Agua Fresca the bucks: $9 the full nelson: Hydrate in style with a thirst quenching agua fresca Overall the weather at Austin City Limits Music Festival was about as good as it gets. Except early Friday when it was unusually humid. I was keeping it low key aka no beers and needed some kind of liquid refreshment besides water. The Watermelon Agua Fresca was a lifesaver. It almost made a heat index 95 degrees seem manageable. The Vitals: the spot: Chilantro BBQ  locations in Austin// @ACL Eats Main Food Court the eats: WKimchi Fries the bucks: $12 the full nelson: These loaded fries are an ACL Eats staple Chilantro BBQ has been an Austin staple since 2010. The legacy is as cemented as their brick and mortar locations but the heart and soul of it is pure food truck. The loaded fries are as essential as a bottle of sriracha in your pantry. I scarfed this down till the boat was dry with zero shame. Good thing ACL don't judge. The Vitals: the spot: Micklethwait Craft Meats 1309 Rosewood Ave Austin TX 78722, at the ACL main food court  the eats: Pastrami Dog the bucks: $17 the full nelson: This is not your average Frankfurter I've been going to Micklethwait BBQ since I first moved to Austin back in 2015. It has stood the test of time as one of the finest BBQ joints in Austin. Tom Micklethwait is a friend at this point and I'm always down to check out what he is serving at ACL. The Pastrami Hot Dog is actually a housemade sausage with pastrami seasonings. It was topped to the 9s and was as much a work of edible art as it was lunch. The Vitals: the spot: Lamba Royal Indian 80 Rainey St.  Austin TX 78701 // @ACL Eats main area the eats: Spicy Lamb Curry the bucks: $16 the full nelson: Solid Curry Fix Last year I discovered Lamba's Indian Curry and had a feeling I was going to come back. Like the gumbo I had last weekend, curry seems to do well at food festivals. The basmati rice was a lovely al dente and the curry had kick. Not gonna lie though: I could have used a little more lamb in dish. If you love lamb, you're gonna like this.

Cheers from Ali Khan and Hendricks!!

Adios ACL, it was indeed a fine time. I'm ready to rest but I'll be back. Oh and a shout out to Hendrick's Gin for bringing me to their lounge, Austin City Limits Music Festival for bringing me back to the fest and of course a shout out to ATX where we keep it weird and you keep coming back for more. See you next year ACL!  

8 years of ACL Eats

There was a moment on Sunday when I echoed the words of Detective Roger Murtaugh in Lethal Weapon(Danny Glover's character) "I'm getting too old for this s***" but that probably means I'll do a better job of pacing myself for weekend two. I hit the ground running with the ACL Eats at this year's Austin City Limits Music festival. Here is where I went: The Vitals: the spot:Cuantos Tacos 1108 E 12th St, Austin, TX 78702 // @ACL Eats Main Food Court the eats: Tacos the bucks: $5 each the full nelson: Mexico City style tacos at ACL Eats It took me a bit of will power not to eat at Cuantos Tacos more than once. The Mexico City style tacos were by far best tacos I've had at the festival over the years. A big reason for that is their nixtamalized corn tortillas. I tried the suadero(confit brisket), carnitas and the mushroom. The fungus ended up finishing first in class. The Vitals: the spot: Salt & Time 1912 E.7th St, Austin, TX 78702 // @ACL Eats Main Food Court the eats: Smashed Burger the bucks: $16 for the double cheeseburger  the full nelson: The best artisan butcher shop in Austin serves Smashed Burgers at ACL Eats I've been a long time fan of Salt and Time's burger ever since I tried the Butcher's Blend back in 2019. Given the realities of serving burgers at a festival like ACL Eats, I know this burger could be even better but what I got easily lived up to lofty expectations. I might go back and try the single to see if the meat to bun ratio is perhaps better but it's hard to go wrong either way. The Vitals: the spot: Underdog 1600 S 1st St Suite 100, Austin, TX 78704 // @ACL Eats Main Food Court the eats: Fried chicken wings the bucks: $15   the full nelson: The best bite I had at ACL Eats Austin Monthly declared Underdog has the best fried chicken in Austin and I can't say they don't belong in the conversation. I actually think the wings are best cut for fried chicken so this dish easily won me over for the best bite of ACL Eats. Getting these wings is as essential as hitting the craft beer tent. The Vitals: the spot: Shake Shack all over the world // @ACL Eats Main Food Court the eats: Double Shack Burger the bucks: $18 the full nelson: It might be too easy and overpriced but it's always good Even with soggy lettuce and a barely recognizable tomato, Shake Shack delivers their star smashed burger patty quite well in all manner of environments: parks, airports and live music festivals. The only downside is the price which makes regular Shake Shack seem . . . reasonable? For out of towners I'd point you to Salt & Time for a local burger experience but Shake Shack hits every time. The Vitals: the spot: Mama Fried 10106 Menchaca Rd, Austin, TX 78748 // @ACL Eats Main Food Court the eats: Chopped Beef Nacho Fries the bucks: $16 the full nelson: Essential loaded fries that has been proven to fight hangovers I tried Mama Fried at last year's ACL Eats and knew it was gonna happen again. On the surface loaded fries seems like typical fare for a concert but there's a little more happening with this Mama. The chopped beef is from sister food truck Leroy and Lewis who slings some of the best barbecue around. This one is meant to share and it's a hangover cure in my book. The Vitals: the spot: Redfin Food Truck  moving food truck in Austin, TX  // @ACL Eats Main Food Court the eats: Gumbo the bucks: $9 the full nelson: EThe best deal at ACL Eats and second fav bite at ACL Eats My last meal at ACL Eats 2023 Weekend One was from a food truck I had never heard of before. Apparently Red Fin parks it over by Tesla HQ which makes me consider taking a trip to Elon's office to get my gumbo fix. At $9 it is a steal and the gumbo was solid though a touch salty. The basmati rice was a perfect al dente. There is a high probability I might get this again next weekend. Once again ACL Eats showed off Austin's reputation of being a food centric city. I walked away with new favs like Redfin, evergreen concert fare pleasers like Underdog's fried chicken and sated my burger craving twice over. And there is still another weekend to go . . . .

The Vitals: the spot: Diner Bar 500 San Jacinto Blvd, Austin, TX 78701 the eats: Martini and Burger Happy Hour specials the bucks: $10 for martini, same for burger the full nelson: Happy Hour from a James Beard winning chef

You can find Diner Bar at the Thompson hotel in Downtown Austin, which might give you a clue that this Diner is pretty swank. Unlike the diners I grew up going to in the Midwest circa the 1980s, you won't find Slingers or Corned Beef Hash on the menu but rather a thoughtful menu of Southern fare connected to the African continent. Oh and a solid burger too. All from Chef Mashama Bailey who won chef of the year 2022 at the James Beard Awards.

Diner bar keeps it classy.

I can't resist deviled eggs on a menu but I'm also over two things: bacon topped deviled eggs and deviled eggs that are served too cold. Both pitfalls are eliminated here. Most notable is the substitute for bacon: smoked trout roe. If Smoked Salmon can be the bacon of the sea, Smoked Trout Roe can be the bacon bits of . . . . the lake?

Diner Bar wins with $10 martinis

This alone was worth the visit. A big pour plus a sidecar of martini(I did Gin) that practically lasted me the whole meal. Or it would have if I didn't get distracted with plates like these:

Fried Ugali: think African Grits

Ugali is a common starch in African cooking. Here Chef Mashama Bailey fries the cornmeal and the result is similar to a super crisp hush puppy with a very soft and tender interior. The salsa macha sets it off with pure heat similar to Szechuan chili oil on steamed dumplings.

Rabbit Mortadella on buttered baguette

Nothing says fancy quite like buttered baguette. Well maybe Rabbit Mortadella buttered baguette. I love plain old pork mortadella; it's a forced meat charcuterie that shows you what happens when someone gives a damn about bologna. But rabbit? I'm all for it. Game meats always take me back to eating fancy French food with my parents growing up. Yes, I went to private school.

Best dish: The Shrimp n Middlins

Turns out when you go out to eat you can learn something. "Middlins" is a term that refers to "broken rice" which happens when rice is harvested. Perhaps not surprisingly, historically these scraps fell into the hands of African American slaves who turned it into something delicious, as is the case with so many great soul food dishes. This shrimp and rice dish is the dish you will come back to Diner Bar again and again, I promise. The rice was just tender enough, the acidity was perfect and those shrimp were juicy. Shrimp gets overcooked easily. Getting to a desirable texture in a sauce is risotto level tough. This dish was the kitchen flexing their skills and ordering it makes for a smart choice, fellow diners.

A burger that lives up to the name Diner Bar

I'm a sucker for pink sauce on a burger. I love to make it and it has been an anchor for my burger tastes for most of my life. Diner Bar's pink sauce(listed at comeback sauce), grilled onions, pickle and most important: housemade bun hits all the marks. Even at the Happy Hour price of $10 I could have used a second patty, so I can't say this burger change your life. But if they sold these buns I'd gladly pay whatever they charged.

Checkmate with the Chess Pie

I don't have the world's biggest sweet tooth. But I have also been on a few baking shows and know when the baked goods are worth the calories. Like the bun on the burger, the pie is made at Diner Bar and they aren't messing around with the dough. I would certainly get this again. Diner Bar is a happy hour that can lure you into the cooking of an acclaimed chef. And while the bill might escalate, you're not breaking your wallet on overpriced chicken wings. The Happy Hour martini and a burger is a great way to spend $20. It's the more accomplished efforts in the kitchen like Shrimp and Middlin's that will cause you bill to soar. Just remember that you aren't eating at at overpriced hotel restaurant but at a restaurant from a two time James Beard winning chef. So get the damn shrimp.