The Vitals: the spot: Rosie's Tamale House 13436 State Hwy 71, Austin, TX 78738 the eats: Tamales by the dozen the bucks: $17 a dozen the full nelson: Pork tamales only, first come, first serve

Thank God for Rosie's Tamale House . . . .

.  .  .  but first some much needed context. Tamale prices just might the best indicator of inflation and gentrification these days. When a staple Cheap Eat like tamales become a questionable luxury, one might resort to desperate measures. I seriously considered driving down to San Antonio to get a couple dozen tamales from Delia's. But I stalled on the idea. I had been staking out a Home Depot parking lot based off a tip from Reddit but I kept missing this well reputed tamale lady. Just when I almost gave in and ordered a dozen for $35 from a local bbq joint(I was skeptical but desperate) the Gods shined a light here:

A sight for sore eyes . . .

. . .  is a cooler full of tamales. Rosie's Tamale House is 15 miles west of downtown but on a map it looks like you have taken a drive out to the country. Located off Highway 71, a trip to Rosie's Tamale House is like mini road trip that also feels like a bit of a timewarp. The TexMex classic eatery wins you over with a dining room straight of the 1970s with linoleum floors and furnishings to match. I wouldn't mind having a meal here but I had tamales to bring home for Christmas Eve dinner.

 I served 23 tamales at Christmas Eve

Because I had to try one first. These tamales are on the skinnier side but the ratio of meat to masa was adequate. Speaking of meat, at Rosie's Tamale House you have one choice: pork. Oh and you can't reserve any either, it is first come first serve. I picked up some red and green salsa too, the latter which was made from serranos was about as spicy as you might think it would be. I quite liked these tamales for two reasons: the price and the masa. The price is obvious. At $17 a dozen, I spent half what I could have. That being said, it wasn't all just dollars and cents that made sense to me. The masa was buttery, most likely due to a good amount of lard mixed. The serrano salsa hurt so good too. When it comes to rich foods like pork tamales, spice is always the right move. I got two dozen plus two salsas and when the dust settled after tax and tip I walked out for under $50. Tamales in Austin have gotten pricier and while the competition might sweeten the pot with heirloom masa or smoked meats from an offset smoker, Rosie's Tamale House is a joint that just feels right. Next year I'll probably get a dozen from here and then either track down the Tamale lady at Home Depot or order Delia's online. As long as there are people out there slinging tamales at working class prices, I'm gonna support the heck out of them.

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Just in time for Christmas

My pal's at Al's Italian Beef in Chicago sent me a beef package just in time for my holiday pre game. The day before Christmas Eve I got down on a couple(well more like four) Italian beefs. And college football was on. In a word it was glorious. Like any great Italian beef kit, good beef is just a part of the package. The bread is nice and soft, the giardiniera is homemade my God the au jus is clutch. That certainly was the case here. You can check out the video below on how easy it is to whip up the sandwiches . . . like stupid simple. https://www.tiktok.com/@alikhaneats/video/7315985379369241887?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7264673175858791982 If you want to order an Italian Beef kit like the one I got, follow this link: https://www.goldbelly.com/restaurants/als-1-italian-beef And if you're in Chicago, it's always a good idea to stop off at Al's for a beef: https://www.alsbeef.com/ I've got a couple left in my fridge that might make an appearance on my late night Christmas menu too. To paraphrase the great Jay-Z: I got 99 problems but food in my fridge aint one!    

The Vitals: the spot: Swift's Attic 315 Congress Ave., Austin, TX 78701 the eats: Braised Pork Cheeks, Wagyu NY Strip, Parmesan and Mashed Potato croquette, frisee salad with fried goat cheese, Texas Shrimp and Grits, Churro with housemade ice cream the bucks: $$$ the full nelson: an early pioneer of New School Austin cuisine that is firing off dishes worth going back for

When I moved to Austin in 2015(which seems like a lifetime ago) Swift's Attic was on our radar of restaurants to try for a date night. My only regret was not going deeper into the menu. Well cut to 2023 and I found myself with that very opportunity. The short of it is this: a hard to define restaurant that ushered in a new era of dining in Austin and helped put the city on the map for coastal elitists(sadly like me) still has all the moves some 11 years later. Here is everything I ate.

Swift's Attic Old Fashioned

I am a bourbon man and the Old Fashioned is my go to cocktail. I like to make them at home but most of time I settle for a big pour of bourbon with a large ice cube. Now, thanks to Swift's Attic, I might switch that up and fill my ice cube tray with the Old Fashioned mixer. This method allows you to nurse a drink while the mixer melts into the cocktail. Word of advice: take small sips during the first few minutes or plan to take an Uber home.

Mediterranean squid in Gochujang butter and Little Gem salad

The squid was a new entry on the menu that might still be under some R&D. In theory who wouldn't want spicy fried squid but it should be a tad more crispy than the version I had. The squid was remarkably tender and of a good quality though and I wonder if it would be better served prepared more simply. The little gem salad on the other hand was pretty darn perfect. Even during the colder months where salads play second fiddle to heartier fare, impeccably sourced produce becomes a crystal clear reminder of what makes fine dining special. I eat salads all the time at home and they ain't nowhere in this league. Beyond the addictive green goddess dressing and the fried goat cheese crouton, the salad is great because that lettuce truly is a gem.

Braised Pork cheeks on Kimchi Rice Cracker and Texas Shrimp and Grits

I'll get this out of the way: the braised pork cheeks was the best dish of the night and the plate I would go back to time and time again. As far as the Texas Shrimp and Grits went, the blue corn was a unusual direction for grits, a denser and earthier one. The shrimp were big and juicy, with just enough of char to contrast the tender meaty center. You gotta love shrimp cooked perfect. That sausage link was as rich as it looks and it screamed Texas. Pro Tip: enjoy each bite of the sausage with the in house pickled peppers. I'd love to see a sausage and peppers sandwich with that link and those peppers and at a tailgate . . . that would be heavenly.

Wagyu NY Strip and Parmesan potato croquette

Sometimes going big with a steak can be disappointing. Maybe that's because I'm not averse to flipping a steak or two at home. Sometimes the disappointment can come from a Wagyu steak that maybe just doesn't live up to the name or more importantly the price tag. Well, I will say this: since I was treated to this meal I can't say it if it justified the price but goddamn that was a good steak. I was surprised at how satisfying I was and btw I had racked up a few bites already. Things went from great to stellar when I had a I bite of those mashed potato and parmesan croquettes. While the steak came with a Tagliatelle tossed with lump crab in a compound butter, I thought that steak's best friend was that potato croquette. That I can assure you is worth whatever they charge. In a word: addictive.

Don't skip dessert

This churro with housemade Dulce de Leche ice cream, housemade cinnamon toast crumple and dueling sauces looks like a dish that could win a food competition show. I'm not the biggest sweet tooth but I've had darn excellent desserts and the dessert program at Swift's Attic lives up to the decade long run they have had. On the surface Swift's Attic might not be the picture of Old School Austin dining. But given it's run and the fact that it seems to be firing on all cylinders, it might be the place people will talk about in 20 or 30 years from now. Be on the lookout for a special burger night as well.  

The Vitals: the spot: NADC Burger Two locations in Austin TX the eats: NADC burger the bucks: $16 the full nelson: gOne of the most hyped burgers in Austin TX from a Michelin starred chef

NADC stands for Not a Damn Chance, a burger concept from celebrity chef Philip Frankland Lee. His sushi restaurants, Sushi by Scratch and Pasta bar are LA imports to Austin that have begun opening branches across the country. Lee is a regular on Joe Rogan's Podcast and he even holds a Michelin star. So what's up with his $16 smashed burger?

Is this Smashed Burger worth $16?

That is the question my friends. I suppose some clarity is in order. First off the burger isn't billed as a Smashed Burger but it is a double patty with American cheese, some variant of Thousand Island dressing dubbed a secret sauce, thin sliced grilled onions cooked into the patty like an Oklahoma style smashed burger and pickles. According the menu there are jalapeños on there too.

Or should I say "tamed jalapeños"

What does that even mean? More importantly, what's the point? I'm not sure but then again I am someone that loves heat and would never tame a jalapeño which I find fairly mild. The big draw about this burger isn't the toppings though, it's this:

Certified Wagyu from Iron Table Farms

So what is Iron Table Farms? I didn't know either because I had yet to come across it in my burger escapades. Turns out I was close at one point. CM Smokehouse in Austin serves Iron Table Wagyu but when I went, I crossed paths with the elk burger. Daniel Vaughn of Texas Monthly is a fan too. Per his article  in June of this year, he credits NADC for serving him a "Wagyu smashburger whose patty has a sear dreams are made of." The bottomline is the burger you are getting at NADC is a full blooded Wagyu cattle raised in Texas as opposed to the popular Angus and Wagyu crossbreeds that are often served in Texas as Wagyu.

So is the burger worth $16?

Given what I just shared about Iron Table Farms, it's fair to say you are getting an exclusive burger product. If the steaks retail at around $80 a pound(per Texas Monthly) than a 1/3lb burger cooked for you should come at some cost. So let's breakdown the burger. I'd bet money this bun is a Martin's Potato roll but it isn't listed as such. The secret sauce is excellent and the burger eats like it looks: ooey gooey cheeseburger bliss. It's juicy. But did it scream of Wagyu? Did I taste remarkable beef in a burger? No. I have a theory: you don't need premium beef to create a great smashed burger experience. What the experience relies on is technique where the right size patty meets the right sized pressure from a spatula. I've found that for well under $12 so I find NADC overpriced but more importantly not as special as the beef certificate proudly displayed would indicate. I'm curious to go back to see if maybe I had an off cook(the smash was pretty light) or if I can get the burger cooked medium rare and really taste the beef. Then I'm reminded of the secret sauce and American cheese that might overpower the subtle complexities I might expect from this kind of beef.  I ponder about ordering it sans cheese, pickles, jalapeños and sauce and rely on onion and beef to do the talking. But modifications aren't allowed. Or as they aptly put it in their name: Not a Damn Chance.