Damn I eat good. If you caught the Studio 512 segment you saw me rave about not one but two smashed burgers, Roman style pizza in Austin, a vegan tartare and the entire menu at Birdie's.
Part of me thinks I should go on a diet right now but I've got even more coming from March. Now onto the best bites in Austin February 2024 edition.
#5 Best Bite in Austin: The Pork Smash Burger at Leroy and Lewis
The Vitals:
the spot:LeRoy and Lewis 5621 Emerald Forest Dr, Austin, TX 78745
the eats: Pork Smash Burger
the bucks: $10
the full nelson: The most unique smashed burger in Austin
Pork Burgers are a seldom scene occurrence and for good reason: they are difficult to pull off. Years ago I raved about a great pork burger in Austin at the now closed Noble Pig Sandwich Company. The success of that burger was a well orchestrated balancing act of flavors that kept the pork burger from turning into a Jimmy Dean breakfast sausage fest.
In 2024 I found another successful Pork Burger, this time at the new LeRoy and Lewis: a magnificent new brick and mortar barbecue restaurant in South Austin. The pork patty is made from a cross of Berkshire and Red Wattle pigs from Peaceful Pork farms. The garnish is classic Texas: yellow mustard and raw white onion.
The thick slice of tomato is salted in advance, a chef's kiss from Chef Evan LeRoy whose resume includes fine dining in NYC along with many years of making barbecue. Today he is making fine dining barbecue that will make you rethink burgers as a beef only club.
#4 Best Bite in Austin: Roman Style Pizza at Baldinucci Pizza Romana
The Vitals:
the spot:Baldinucci Pizza 3300 Bee Cave Rd #110, West Lake Hills, TX 78746
the eats: Roman pizza by the slice
the bucks: $7 a slice
the full nelson: Rome comes to Austin at this pizzeria in Westlake
Two things will strike you when visit Baldinucci Pizza Romana. The first will no doubt be encountering Roman style pizza which is seldom scene outside of Rome let alone outside of Italy. If you're like me and just haven't been to Rome in a minute, I'll clue in to how they do their "'za". Light and airy like Focaccia bread, this pizza employs a Zero Flour which is imported from Italy. You can get whole pies but the pizzas are available by the slice for a mere $7.
The next you will notice it the outright value. Each slice feels like two and frankly constitutes a meal. There are a lot of great pizzas in Austin but few make a better case for value. Pro tip: get the mortadella.
#3 Best Bite in Austin: Beet Tartare Tostada at Nixta Taqueria
The Vitals:
the spot:Nixta Taqueria 2512 E 12th St, Austin, TX 78702
the eats: Beet Tostada
the bucks: $9
the full nelson: One of the best Mexican dishes in Austin is Vegan. Really.
Nixta Taqueria is an Austin treasure. Not only is the casual taqueria a draw for locals and foodie tourists alike but the restaurant is committed to community. That sense of community was no doubt a compelling factor when Chef Edgar Rico was a James Beard award in 2022 for Best Emerging Chef.
Success like that plus being recognized as Time magazine's 100 most influential people often mean success has gone to one's head. Not Edgar. He is still the jovial laid back guy I met back in 2019 when he and his future wife Sara were starting out.
Let's talk food though. If you know me, you know I love the meats. Well, the dish I'm raving out at Nixta is vegan. And this isn't a holdover from my January resolutions either. I've been a die hard fan of the beet tartare tostada for years which speaks to the consistency of the kitchen along with the brilliance of the dish.
The chopped roasted and chilled beets are intense like raw minced beef, the avocado crema is a luscious layer of fat and the dish as a whole is satisfying without using a single animal ingredient. I order it everytime I go to Nixta and you should too. Who said Meatless Monday only had to happen once a week?
#2 Best Bite in Austin: The Smash Burger at Old Pal Bar
The Vitals:
the spot: Old Pal Bar 100 E Market St, Lockhart, TX 78644
the eats: Smash Burger
the bucks: $8
the full nelson: One reason why the coolest Austin neighborhood is in Lockhart
A chef friend of mine told me a few months ago over a burger that the best burger in the state was at Old Pal in Lockhart. He said this to the chef of the burger we were eating. That's pretty bold. He also has a point. The Burger at Old Pal is smashed burger bliss and I have had my share of those lately especially in Houston last year.
The burger is simple and perfect. The right ratio of meat to cheese to bun. A juicy patty with crisp edges. It's not too far off from what you might find at Patty Palace or Silver Medal but neither are this cheap. The burger at Old Pal is $8 for a damn double. These are like pre covid prices. If I'm dreaming please don't wake me up.
#1 Best Bite in Austin: The rotating pasta at Birdie's
The Vitals:
the spot:Birdie's 2944 E 12th St Unit A, Austin, TX 78702
the eats: The rotating pasta special but really the whole menu
the bucks: $24
the full nelson: One of Austin's most hyped up restaurants more than lives up to it
For the sake of this list/round up I'm focusing in on the Campanelle pasta with pioppino mushrooms, calçots, and breadcrumbs. If you're like me the only word you might recognize is mushroom and breadcrumbs. That's because Chef Tracy Malechek-Ezekiel ain't playing games. But don't think the dish eats too high brow. It is the epitome of comfort food. I thought the sauce was cream but it turns out you don't need it when you have good butter, parmesan, mushroom stock and Sicilian olive oil.
Speaking of olive oil, Chef Malechek-Ezekiel is really into the stuff. She has a blood orange olive oil she pours over her soft serve gelato ice cream for dessert. If that sounds weird, so did Ben and Jerry's concoctions when they first came out. What those Vermont hippies and Birdie's have in common is resounding accolades. I could go on about the steak tartare or the perfect seared bass or the outstanding wine list but there is something more unique happening here: a counter service format that allows this fine dining experience to happen.
The staff gets two weeks paid time off each year. The prices aren't cheap but neither is the food you are getting. This was most likely the best meal I have ever had in Austin. The cooking here is on par with what I would expect at the big name restaurants in Chicago, New York, San Francisco, I could go on. Or maybe I need to slip in Birdie's in Austin as a restaurant those cities should be aspiring too.
The first time I had a taste of a proper Korean BBQ I became hooked. Floored by the simple combination of soy sauce and sugar, I discovered the magic that is Korean BBQ: a perfect balance of salty and sweet that makes beef into meat candy.
A good Korean BBQ Marinade recipe is essential
If you have gone out for Korean BBQ you technically are halfway there to making Korean BBQ at home. If you haven't I will fill you in: you cook the meat at grills built into your table. The only step your missing out on is marinating the meat. And while that might require you to gather a few ingredients, it is well worth the effort.
It’s not just good on beef either. This Korean BBQ Marinade recipe will work well on chicken, pork, heck I'd try it on lamb.
A healthy grilling habit
While Korean BBQ joints are known for all you can eat deals, making Korean BBQ at home can easily be part of a balanced plate. Making your own Korean BBQ marinade recipe means you can control the salt and sugar, along with balancing the plate with healthy sides. I chose a small serving of jasmine rice and snow peas. Lettuce wraps would work well if you're looking to cut the carbs.
Enough of the sales pitch, it's time for you to get grilling:
Korean BBQ Marinade Recipe (Galbi)
For the Galbi marinade:
½ a medium onion cut into 1-inch pieces
½ of an Asian pear peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces (see note)
3 garlic cloves
1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
For the marinade: Combine onion, Asian pear, garlic, and ginger in the bowl of a food processor and process to a coarse purée, scraping down sides of food processor bowl as needed, about 30 seconds. Stop processor and add soy sauce, water, brown sugar, mirin, and black pepper to food processor bowl. Continue processing until liquids and sugar are well-combined with vegetables, 15 to 30 seconds longer. Transfer mixture to a medium bowl, and stir in scallions, sesame oil, and sesame seeds.
Place beef in a gallon zipper-lock bag or large baking dish, and pour marinade over the short ribs. Toss to evenly distribute the marinade, then seal bag, removing as much air as possible (if using baking dish, wrap tightly with plastic wrap). Transfer short ribs to refrigerator, and marinate for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.
Light Hero Grill, oil grate with canola oil
Remove short ribs from marinade and wipe off excess. Grill ribs till a deep char appears. These taste fine, if not better, cooked through
After my recent trip to Fort Worth Texas, I encountered an amazing take on a Jalapeño Popper Burger. At Pearl Snap Kolaches, the approach is to deconstruct the key elements of a bacon wrapped jalapeño popper and layer them as toppings on a burger. But hey, seeing is believing so why don't I just show you:
Pearl Snap Kolache's Jalapeño Popper Burger
That bun is a looker isn't it? This burger is really smart about incorporating the flavor elements of the Jalapeño Popper. A cream cheese and shredded cheese blend mixed with chives serve as the cheese on this cheeseburger. Add a couple strips of crisp bacon and grilled jalapeños and you have all the elements of a Jalapeño Popper on a burger.
Sure you could go the stuffed burger route or even make jalapeño poppers in an air fryer and put them on top of your burger but that not only makes for a potentially messier burger experience but adds a lot more work than is needed. "Easier" is the one seasoning every home cook can agree on. Speaking of easier, try this:
Boursin Cheese
This stuff is the hack you need when making a Jalapeño Popper Burger. Skip the step of mincing chives and blending it cream cheese and cut slab of Boursin off for your burger. I like to bring it to room temp so it comes off melty on the burger. This step helps too:
Put the lid on
Using a Hero Grill means you will need to be a little resourceful when it comes to finding a lid. I used my 10" Cast Iron skillet. Not only does it trap heat to speed up the melting process on a cheeseburger but it traps in some smoke to really capture that backyard burger taste.
Keep some napkins handy
For an ooey gooey cheeseburger, the burger stays together well enough. But that Boursin Cheese does have a way of getting your mug messy. This is a simple, fun and flavorful recipe to try for you next burger cookout. Recipe and video follow.
Jalapeno Popper Burger
Ingredients:
5oz patty
Potato bun
Salt and pepper/burger rub of choice
bacon
Boursin - shallot and chive
Grilled jalapenos - sliced
1 slice of white onion
Steps:
Form 5 oz burger patty, 4” wide, 3/4 “ thick
Brush with canola oil, season with salt & pepper or burger seasoning of choice(my burger rub)
prepare grill with a medium hot fire
Grill to desired doneness - Im a medium rare guy, also grill onion slice and toast bun
Add slice of boursin onto the burger while on grill?
Place grilled onion on bottom bun
Place burger on top of onion, jalapenos
Ali’s Fajita Burger Rub
Ingredients
1 tsp Kosher salt
½ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp ancho chile
¼ tsp cumin
¼ tsp smoked paprika
Combine all ingredients and mix well
https://www.tiktok.com/@alikhaneats/video/7336243141026139438?lang=en
