The Vitals: the spot: Marquez Bakery 1730 East Division Street, Arlington, Texas 76011 the eats: Breakfast "Burritos" the bucks: $2.50 the full nelson: Cheap as hell and worth it if you're waking up in Arlington

Marquez Bakery: last hold out for Cheap Eats

Is Cheap Eats dead? Marquez Bakery says otherwise, but between inflation and the skyrocketing cost of living in cities like Austin, I would say yes. Nothing is forever and these days I'd say you're better off cooking at home, going out less frequently and when you do, splurge for something you can't make yourself.

The morning after

Well, sometimes you wake up in Arlington TX after watching your wife's baseball team travel from the East Coast to play the Texas Rangers in Arlington. You had a few beers the night before and you're 3+ hours from home. Maybe you drank a few beer bats(sadly we lost the bat). And before you get back on the road you need something more than Starbucks. Welcome to Marquez Bakery.

Yelp happens

So this was the result of a quick search on Yelp. If I was gung ho about searching for tacos in Texas I would easily reach out to José Ralat of Texas Monthly, whose taco reporting could feed me every day for a year. I highly suggest you check out his work here and his book, American Tacos: a history and guide. Sometimes though we must let time and convenience guide us. And it's never wrong to roll the dice on a new taco joint.

Sugar high

Marquez Bakery is well, also a bakery and had my kid been with us(sleepaway camp, awesome) I'm sure we would have sampled some of the sugary goods. If you're going to stop here I would certainly check out the Conchas. Pan Dulce or sweet bread always feels like the right move at a Mexican bakery.

Breakfast burritos?

So Marquez Bakery bills their tacos as "burritos". They look like tacos right? I suppose compared to street tacos they seem a bit big but they also are not folded tightly like a burrito. Look, when in Rome or in this case, Arlington, just run with it.

Beef Barbacoa taco

My first forays into barbacoa, a low and slow braise originally cooked in the ground but since adapted with modern life to be prepared in ovens and instant pots, was lamb. In Texas, barbacoa means beef. Whether it's lamb or beef I've had it on Sunday's after a lengthy overnight cook. So it made sense to have barbacoa for breakfast. I'll say this right away: this was cheap eats. At $2.50 for a solid taco or burrito serving, it's a win but the barbacoa was a tad underwhelming. The beef lacked depth of flavor and came off as kinda greasy. It also seemed underseasoned. The flour tortilla was glorious. I'd study the menu for other options.

Bacon, egg and cheese: the move at Marquez Bakery

This "burrito" was the move. A perfect marriage of diner staples in a solid flour tortilla, this "burrito" would be my repeat order. Just solid all around, at $2.50 a pop, you're looking at $5 investment for a Cheap Eats certified breakfast. Boom. There's more at Marquez Bakery too. Full on breakfast plates for $10 a pop, large burritos for around $8 and plenty of other "burrito/tacos" like chorizo and potato and fajitas as well. For the non Texan expect the fajita to be less sizzling platter from Chili's and more like carne asada but with small addition of onion and bell peppers. On price alone, I'm going to certify Marquez Bakery as Cheap Eats. Do yourself a favor though and try a few options to land on what your Marquez bakery move will be.  

ACL Eats continues . . .

Not gonna lie . . . I am STILL exhausted from two weekends of ACL. Of course a nail biter Austin FC playoff game plus trips to Denver and NYC don't make things easier. But that's the price one pays when you're living your best life. And while the sun has set on the 2022 Austin City Limits Music Festival, I happen to have a new slew of Austin restaurant finds to dig into until next year's ACL Fest. Oh and about those new finds . . . The Vitals: the spot: Nervous Charlie's 5501 N. Lamar Blvd ste B101 Austin TX 78722 // @ACL Eats Main Food Court the eats: Willie's Hot Pastrami on an Everything Bagel the bucks: $16 the full nelson: Bagels ain't just for breakfast anymore Not only are bagels not just for breakfast anymore but when you add on a solid pile of pastrami, you just might have all the food you need to get through a few hours of ACL. I've been eyeing Nervous Charlie's meaty collabs with places like Stiles Switch BBQ for a minute or two. So when I popped into ACL this year, I knew I was going to try it. I'll get this out of the way: Austin may not be a haven for Jewish staples like pastrami and bagels, but we have some options that can do more than scratch the itch. There is solid pastrami at Otherside Deli, and the folks at Nervous Charlie's know enough about bagels to serve them nice and chewy in a challenging environment like a music festival. They forgo the toast to maintain the texture of the bagel and everything bagel seasoning + pastrami= deliciousness. Pro Tip: get the mustard. The Vitals: the spot: Black's BBQ 3110 Guadalupe St.  Austin TX 78705 // @ACL Eats BBQ Area the eats: Smoked Beef Shank Tacos the bucks: $15 the full nelson: Smoked Beef Shanks . . . let that sink in As an unabashed Texas transplant I'm always happy to call out chips and queso being a totally overrated food. But queso in tacos filled with uber unctuousness like smoked beef shank? I'm here all day for that. Black's BBQ is an OG in the meat sweats game. Their original location in Lockhart TX has been going strong since 1932. A favorite among old schoolers, Black's surprised me with this new school nose to tail taco plate that was utterly delicious. The sides included coleslaw basted in beef tallow and popcorn spiked with smoked beef. To be honest, I kinda ignored that for the beef shank tacos. The combo of the creamy queso, the bright hit of pico de gallo and smoked beef shank could be all I would ever want from a Tex Mex meal. I hope it becomes a regular item on their traditional meats by the pound menu. The Vitals: the spot: Mama Fried 101016 Menchaca Rd.  Austin TX 78748 // @ACL Eats main area the eats: Chopped Beef Nacho Fries the bucks: $16 the full nelson: This is what cheat days are for Mama Fried is a food trailer parked by a bar in South Austin that touts their fare as Outlaw fries. I'm inclined to agree. It takes someone who would take the law into their own hands to combine fries, nachos, chopped beef and just roll like that. Look, I know I said queso is overrated but I guess I just really like it with smoked beef. Speaking of smoked beef . . . Mama Fried is part of the LeRoy and Lewis universe so expect top shelf smoked meats here. I didn't have the guts to finish this dish of outlaw fries but that's because I'm working on my gut. Cheat Day Eats at it's finest my friends.

And now a word from our Gin sponsor

Hendrick's Gin set up a little cocktail Shangri-La and yours truly got to slip into the VIP tent. During my Cinderella moment(it literally lasted 30 minutes) I pounded three gin cocktails. Did I say that outloud? Oh well, it is ACL after all. It turns out there's more to a good Gin drink besides Gin and Tonic. One drink, called the Raspberry Regatta, mixes lime juice, raspberry syrup and a splash of club soda topped with a thyme garnish. So yeah, way beyond just tonic and lime here. Did I mention I had three? The Vitals: the spot: Lamba Royal Indian 80 Rainey St.  Austin TX 78701 // @ACL Eats main area the eats: Spicy Lamb Curry the bucks: $15 the full nelson: I'm obsessed with this lamb curry Brown food is delicious. At the same time, being in the visually focuses food media business, brown food can be a challenge. Why? Well it looks brown. So I was torn about my last meal to feature in 2022 Austin City Limits Music Festival experience. Still, I mustered up the strength to try a bowl of lamb curry at Lamba's Royal Indian. Holy Sh**. Guys, I was BLOWN away at how good this lamb curry was. Fork tender lamb, rice soaked in rich sauce . . . it even didn't look that brown but it tasted as delicious as the brownest of browns, because brown food is delicious. The head scratcher isn't that it was a great curry from Austin, which is not known for a remarkable Indian food scene but that the place is a food trailer on beer soaked Rainey Street, a bar drag more than a food Mecca. Yeah, I'm still scratching my head.

My fav bite of ACL Weekend Two?

Man oh man was I blown away by that lamb. I know it wasn't a fluke because I full on offered bites to a couple that went to London just to eat Indian food and they signed off on it. Still, I need to go down to Rainey Street aka party town to try Lamba Royal Indian on site to see if it holds up. Lamba, like all the restaurants featured here are open for business in Austin year round so check them out. And I'll check you out at next year's ACL Eats. And I suppose that means Austin City Limits Music Festival too, because that's the other reason why I go to Zilker Park in the fall.

Seven years of ACL Eats means I have it down.

At this point I feel like an ACL Eats veteran with seven years under my belt. That being said, every year I something that flat out surprises me and the 2022 Austin City Limits Music Festival was no exception. Time to sink my teeth back in to what I ate during weekend one. The Vitals: the spot: Shawarma Point multiple locations in Austin // @ACL Eats Main Food Court the eats: Gyro the bucks: $15 the full nelson: one of my fave ACL Eats Last year it dawned on me that gyro/shawarma and copious amounts of beer = a good time. Shawarma Point has continued to stay on point during my runs at ACL Eats. I might say the shawarma was a touch off this year but that could have been me taking my sweet time during the photo sessions vs just digging right in. As always the pita was warm and buttery but the minced lamb beef mix felt a touch off. Still, you're gonna get a full belly of spiced meat bliss. And what's not to love about that? The Vitals: the spot: Hoover's Cooking 2002 Manor Rd Austin TX 78722 // @ACL Eats Main Food Court the eats: Smoked Chicken Wings the bucks: $12 the full nelson: Who say's Buffalo Wings are the only spicy wings worth a damn? On a whim I went for the wings and they were so good I might have to go back to Hoover's Cooking for weekend two of Austin City Limits Music Festival. A perfect combo of smokey and spicy, these wings were downright special. Hoover's Cooking has been an East Austin mainstay long before the gentrifiers(like myself) arrived. Might need to start going to their brick and mortar location just for the wings. The Vitals: the spot: Taco Bronco 1309 Rosewood Ave Austin TX 78702 // @ACL Eats Main Food Court the eats: Brisket + Smoked Carnitas + Chicken Tinga tacos the bucks: $7 a taco the full nelson: a top choice Austin BBQ joint does tacos RIGHT Ever since I first tried Taco Bronco in early 2020. it has been one of my favorite restaurants in Austin. As great as craft Texas BBQ is, putting it in a tortilla makes it even better. Valentina's TexMex BBQ has been doing this for years, but I say the more, the merrier. We test drove one of each taco: Chicken Tinga, Smoked Carnitas and the Brisket. All were good but the Brisket took our breath away. Pro tip: stick with the green salsa. The Vitals: the spot: East Side King two locations in Austin  // at the ACL Eats Main Food Court the eats: Fried Chicken, Brussel Sprouts the bucks: $16 and $14 (respectively) the full nelson: Japanese fried chicken and famous brussel sprouts  East Side King has been a solid fav of mine at ACL Eats for some time now. The creation of controversial chef Paul Qui has somehow endured despite his fall from grace and a changing narrative around what is considered acceptable behavior in the restaurant industry. That might explain how good these brussel sprouts are . . . an unlikely rock star but believe me, this vegan dish has true star power. I met a couple that ate East Side King's fried chicken four times over during weekend one of ACL. I wouldn't go that far, but this is a solid one-two punch of festival food.

So which bite sent me over the moon?

The wings from Hoover's Cooking

Believe. These wings were truly special and took me for a surprise left hook that sent me reeling into the ropes. I'm punch drunk in love with these wings and I will be getting them again next weekend. Yes, this is just a fraction of what's at ACL Eats so stay tuned for bite worthy exploits.

The Vitals: the spot: Itamae 140 NE 39th St. Miami FL 33137 the eats: Chef's tasting menu the bucks: $$$$ the full nelson: The best sushi I have EVER had and technically it wasn't even sushi

Itamae in Miami may well be the best sushi experience I will have this year and technically it isn't exactly a sushi restaurant. Itamae is a Nikkei restaurant which refers to generations of Migrants in Peru who arrived from Japan for fishing and stayed, bringing their culinary traditions to a new country. Like the mixing of Tex and Mex, a new cuisine was born that would define Peru the same way chips and queso define Texas. The most notable chef to come from this culinary evolution is rockstar celebrity chef Nobu Matsuhisa. His high end chain of restaurants translate to a trusted name in high end sushi. Nobu is technically from Peru, though he is of Japanese ancestry. Itamae, like Nobu's restaurants, comes with a price tag but it is worth it. Here was my course by course experience.

Goose Barnacle Amuse Bouche at Itamae

These crunchy little buggers were a tad tricky to eat(i.e. I hope you like a good shell slurp) but man was it pretty and absolutely brimming with a pristine taste of the sea albeit, a small taste. An omen of things to come, though the bites get much bigger.

Itamae Bluefin Tuna Tartare

As much as I love a good steak tartare, bluefin tuna tartare > steak tartare. This was as creamy as it looks and yes that is caviar in the middle. Did I mention I dropped a monthly health insurance premium for this meal?

Itamae Ceviche Tradicional

This is where the meal takes a turn from "this is good sushi" to "well, this is different". Peru sticks out in this dish for sure with the potato in the ceviche that oddly enough had Indian flavors thrown in, specifically star anise and cinnamon. I recall saying to myself "Im eating potato salad vindaloo". The fish had that pristine quality one associates with expensive sushi. Oh and speaking of quality . . .

They age the fish at Itamae

Yup, a dry aging system. I had heard about this stuff but this was my first time experiencing it with the fridge on display. Much like dry aging beef, or aging cheese or charcuterie, enzymes not only break proteins down to change the texture but also add complexity to the flavor profile. Think about the difference between a 24 month old wheel of Parmesan vs a slice of Kraft. See, I told you.

Itamae squid sashimi

Soy sauce? Who needs it. Itamae's squid sashimi gets hit with "Tiger's Milk" which is a common Peruvian sauce for marinating ceviche. This typically consists of citrus along onions, chiles and leftover ceviche marinade. Peruvian ceviches are kind of just next level: pristine sashimi that plays with fire but doesn't burned.

Itamae Bluefin Toro

You know in Top Gun Maverick when someone is flying and you hear the beep and everyone is like "oh damn here comes the enemy jet?". That was what it was like when Itamae's Toro lands in front of you. But instead of getting blown to bits, your palate gets blown away. I know Bluefin is going extinct but damn if it doesn't justify all the money you spend on top of the apocalyptic world I'm leaving for my child. The rice matched perfectly with the melt in your mouth meaty pleasure of the tuna belly. This is the type of sushi that takes you from $$$ to $$$$.

Itamae Ora King Salmon

Like Iceman to Maverick(or should I have said Hangman?), Ora King is a fine wingman to Toro sushi. On top you might notice, well something different. Chef called it the "secret sauce". Hey, everyone has to have their secrets. Did I mention how amazing the sushi rice at Itamae is? Then again for these prices, it better be.

Itamae Scallop Sushi

The secret sauce continues with Itamae's Scallop sushi, though this time chef divulged more details. Get ready for the unexpected, unless you expect ingredients from a smoothie. Banana, apple and charapita pepper are blended to make the thick sauce placed above the scallop. I wish I could make this up. I also wish I had the balls to combine these elements and put them on a gorgeous scallop. Hell, I just wish I knew what charapita pepper was. I could ask but I have more eating to show you.

Baby Dutch Potato in huancaina sauce

Peru's staple root vegetable returns in a spicy cheese sauce spiked with shishito peppers. Even when it's not raw and dry aged, Itamae makes their food look as precious as can be. It might seem like I'm just fawning over everything but this kind of meal is such a treat and welcomed respite from the bbq, burgers and tacos I typically force my iPhone to capture. I'm also fawning over the umami in this dish. Koji, which is a rice fungus(bare with me) and an umami flavor bomb(just ask Japan) is combined with cream to make a butter. Yeah, it's an umami butter bomb. Throw in some preserved lemon and frisee and you got one hell of a baby potato dish.

Itamae Shrimp Sushi in Uni sauce

Raw shrimp has an intensity the cooked stuff can't touch. It is more meaty but the texture is softer with less bounce than the cooked version. Itamae heightens the flavor with a sauce made from sea urchin and grates salted sea urchin, a variation of the Italian delicacy bottarga, on top. This is what happens when a chef has license to get into their work. This is what happens when your sushi meal comes with a $$$$ price tag. I just rolled my eyes back in pleasure and let games continue . . . until dessert.

Itamae Tangerine Cremolada

I've never had a cremolada before but if I see one again, I am definitely ordering it. Softer than ice cream and refreshing like an Italian Ice, the Tangerine Cremolada at Itamae eased my emotions that my epic sushi, or should I say Nikkei feast was coming to a close. There's isn't much I can say beyond the play by play of what went down course by course at Itamae. If you can swing $200 a person(out the door with drink and tip), then go. I sure want to go back.      

The Vitals: the spot: Maple Japanese Ramen 2102 Chestnut St. Philadelphia PA 19103 the eats: Ramen, Gyoza, Mochiko Chicken the bucks: $15+ for ramen, apps are under $10 the full nelson: respectable ramen game in Philly

Maple Japanese Ramen was not on my radar when I went went to Philadelphia over the summer. In fact ramen was not in my plans at all. Truth be told: I'm not a ramen head. But I am the father to a Ramen head. By "head" I am invoking variation of the slang "sneaker head", you know, someone who lives and breathes sneakers.

Diary of a Ramen Head

My kid lives for the slurp. He is always up for a bowl of ramen, even on a muggy July afternoon in Philadelphia. So we found ourselves at Maple Japanese Ramen in Center City Philadelphia.

They got fans

Not the ceiling ones either but for the record, the AC was kicking in just fine. And so was business. Even at an odd mid afternoon hour, Maple Japanese Ramen had half the dining room filled. In the Philly tradition, this place is also BYOB, so we took a quick detour to grab some cold Japanese beer.

Juicy dumplings

Even though a single bowl Ramen is a meal that can feed two, I had to test drive some appetizers. I do love me some dumplings so Gyoza was an obvious choice. You know how some people say "even bad pizza is good"? I feel that way about dumplings. That's not to say the Gyoza at Maple Japanese Ramen was bad, in fact far from it. These fried wontons were packing a juicy pork filling. This was the sign that we were in for a solid Ramen & friends experience.

Meet Karaage's cousin: Mochiko

Back when I lived in downtown Los Angeles, Izakayas were a mainstay in our dining rotation. Japan's answer to tapas was an affordable way to nibble on yakitori, sometimes sushi and hearty nibbles like Karaage or Japanese fried chicken. I thought this was Karaage but in fact it is called Mochiko. The interwebs inform me this variant is in fact from Hawaii. Like Karaage, the chicken is marinated in soy sauce and other seasonings. Mochiko takes it into a new direction when it is coated in rice flour, giving it a notorious crunch. The chicken had tang, the texture was distinctive and this was when I said "damn Philadelphia, you got some damn good Japanese". PS - we haven't even gotten to the ramen.

I went with spicy

A few years ago I went to a well known ramen joint in NYC called Ippudo. I made the mistake of getting a light broth, forgoing Tonkatsu; the über unctuous fatty broth. I didn't make the same mistake at Maple Japanese Ramen but I did make a move for some heat. This is the Akamaru Modem Ramen, where a special sauce adds some heat to the base Tonkatsu broth. Three thick slices of pork belly and the soft boiled egg solidify a meal that is rich and satisfying. It was rich like I always hope ramen would be, but an addictive kick of heat chased every spoonful

Drop the chopsticks

Maple Japanese Ramen is legit. And another example of why Philadelphia is a such a great food town: a robust dining scene covering genres better than you might think. I would gladly go to Maple Japanese Ramen on the reg if I lived in Philadelphia or if they were down in Austin. I may not be a Ramen head but I know enough to when when to nod my head when I slurp the good stuff and this is it.

The Vitals: the spot: El Milagrito 521 E. Woodlawn Ave San Antonio TX 78202 the eats: Breakfast Tacos the bucks: $2 a taco(breakfast) the full nelson: A Cheap Eats titan- stupid good value El Milagrito is the kind of Cheap Eats destination that makes me wish the show was still running, It is just nothing short of a ridiculously good value. A big part of that has to do with the reality that San Antonio is a Texas taco destination. Thanks to some insight delivered to me by Texas Monthly Taco Editor José Ralat, I learned that San Antonio is the capital of puffy tacos, pork chop tacos and breakfast tacos. And the prices here are rock bottom compared to Austin. In a future post I will dive into Puffy Tacos and Pork Chop tacos, but for now let's just take in this beauty in for around $2:

The almighty BEC

Bacon, egg and cheese in a warm, fresh made flour tortilla that could be considered the size of a mini burrito. Yes, everything is bigger in Texas, but the tacos at El Milagrito are generous and that is being conservative. The absolute shocker was that this taco was just north of $2 and one was a respectable light meal. I was on my way to shoot an episode of a new BBQ show for Thrillist and was just in need of lil something-something so I held the play at one. I was perfectly satisfied.

Reach for the green salsa

At least when it comes to anything with eggs. The creamy green jalapeño salsa was made for morning meals. The other salsa, which most likely featured Habanero chile peppers was a touch too piquant for a breakfast taco. I would save that for their well regarded barbacoa at lunch.

Is that Aarón Sánchez?

I totally asked the guy if he gets asked that. I mean, I think he is a ringer for at least a cousin. Short in the tattoo department but I think the resemblance is there. My guy was cool as can be, despite my inquiries that he resemble the MasterChef co-host.

Cheap Eats certified

This place changed how I viewed the breakfast taco scene in San Antonio and frankly the hype/overpriced reality of Austin in general. El Milagrito in San Antonio is the truth. Recommended by chefs(thx Curry Boys!), frequented by La Gente and all the looks and feels of a Cheap Eats certified joint, walk through these doors with confidence by fellow Cheap Eaters.

50 years in business

And for good reason, El Milagrito in SATX(San Antonio for those not in the know) is a must visit for breakfast tacos. Close to downtown/Riverwalk , it's an easy drive if you happen to be in town visiting/working like I was. Here me now: make this stop in the St Mary's Strip in San Antonio; your stomach and wallet will thank you. Possibly at the same time. And maybe get two tacos. You will be able to afford it.

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.