BBQ Crusade through Lockhart | Lockhart, Texas USA
Outside about to eat BBQ
Giant Beef Short Ribs. Almost ordered two, but realized I had to pace myself. lol
During my behind the scenes tour at Blacks, got to see their custom smoker setup.
Outside Kreuz Market
Cutting some brisket for my pleasure.
Beef Brisket, sliced. Forgot to take a picture before I devoured my first 1/2 lb of brisket (fatty/lean mix). Got this to symbolize the brisket :). The red ring is quite lovely; definitely the fatty brisket was better.
Outside Smitty’s Market
Took the tour at Smitty’s Market and they showed me their smoking pitts. Awesome setup! Be warned, when you walk in, the cashier/where you order is right near the fire pits so… It’s going to be hot. Really hot.
Killer baby back ribs and a smoked pork chop; the pork chop had this incredible smokey seasoned fatty crust.
Holy…Wow.. I definitely been baptized in some amazing Texan BBQ and the delicious BBQ bar is now set so high. Was advised by friend Justin Fox of Fox Bro BBQ in Atlanta, GA to hit up three places in Lockhart, TX. And let me tell you…of everyone I know in Georgia, who better to advise me on good Texan BBQ than this man.
Anyways, Blacks BBQ, Kreuz Market, and Smitty’s Market were the three places he recommended. And so.. in typical Matt Wong form, I decided to hit up all three :). I definitely did my research and found what were the best of each establishment among multiple review sites (e.g. Yelp, Zagat, etc..) and the dishes you see above are what I saw as best. (Let me know if I missed something on Facebook or Twitter as I definitely mean to go back soon).
To put it simply. My BBQ Crusade was incredible. Can’t wait to go back!
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BBQ Crusade through Lockhart, Texas: Blacks BBQ, Kreuz Market and Smitty’s Market (information gathered 9/2012)
Blacks BBQ
215 North Main Street
Lockhart, Texas 78644
512.398.2712
Hours
Mon – Thurs, Sun 10:00am – 8:00pm
Fri & Sat 10:00am – 8:30pm
Parking
Dedicated street side parking for Blacks. Decent amount of parking when I went (around 2pm).
Kreuz Market
619 N. Colorado St.
Lockhart, TX 78644-2110
512.398.2361
Hours
Mon – Sat 10:30am – 8:00pm|
Sun Closed
Parking
Infinite. It has a disneyworld sized parking lot, with a matching diningroom. “Everything is bigger in Texas.” You’re all set.
Smitty’s Market
208 South Commerce
Lockhart, Texas 78644
512.398.9344
Hours
Mon – Fri 7:00am – 6:00pm
Sat 7:00am – 6:30pm
Sun 9:00am – 3:00pm
Parking
You’ll find yourself pulling up to a gravel parking lot; I can see this being a difficult place to park during lunch.
Please be advised, all images and content are copyrighted and may not be used without permission. Got questions? Email me: mweats <dot> info <at> gmail <dot> com
| References:
Thanks to Justin Fox of Fox Bros BBQ for the recommendation!! Fox Bros BBQ http://www.foxbrosbbq.com/Blacks BBQ http://www.blacksbbq.com/ Kreuz Market http://www.kreuzmarket.com/index.shtml Smitty’s Market http://www.smittysmarket.com/ |
Swift’s Attic | Austin, Texas USA
Swift’s Attic
Bar Area
Warm Niman Ranch pork cheeks w/ sourdough toast and condiments: fig & mustard
Crispy twice cooked duck wings; ?black bean glaze, kaffir chili sauce
Squid Fries; roasted garlic aioli, ?charred lemon, herb salad
Tucked upstairs, this is a new place I found via Delta’s Sky magazine. As I only had 24+/- hours in Austin, ended up going to Swift’s Attic at 11am, just as it opened. I’m guessing the place wasn’t expecting anyone that early as they were still filming for a local food critic.
My favorite dish was without a doubt, the squid fries. Get the squid fries. Just amazing! It was tender, well seasoned and was really fun to eat. Squeeze the juice from the grilled lemon as you go; as it’ll help keep the squid fries’ texture. So good.
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Swift’s Attic (information gathered 9/2012)
315 Congress Ave. Suite 200
Austin, Texas 78701
Hours
Lunch
Mon – Fri 11:00am–2pm
Dinner
Mon – Wed 5pm – 10pm
Thur – Sat 5pm – 11pm
Parking
Walked over from Annie’s Cafe & Bar right next door. But from the looks of it, very limited meter parking in the front. There might be some parking decks and/or parking lots nearby.
Please be advised, all images and content are copyrighted and may not be used without permission. Got questions? Email me: mweats <dot> info <at> gmail <dot> com
| References:
Swift’s Attic http://www.swiftsattic.com/ |
Annies Cafe & Bar | Austin, Texas USA
Sign at Annies
Cream Currant Scone with Cafe au lait
Only really having the day I arrive to explore Austin, I flew on the earliest flight out of Atlanta into Austin in order to max out my eating time. Arriving into the great state of Texas at 9:45am, I grabbed a taxi to the center of Austin; had made a reservation for Swift’s Attic at 11:00am and wanted to be sure I was well positioned to hit the first stop of the day.
Obviously I would get there early and was now faced with figuring out what to do next. Luckily, next door to Swift’s Attic was Annies Cafe & Bar and decided to try some coffee and baked goods (per their sign).
The scone was good. Flaky, buttery, and light. Definitely ate more food than I should have; not the first or last time that’ll be said.
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Annies Cafe & Bar (information gathered 9/2012)
319 Congress Avenue
Austin, TX 78701
512.472.1884
Hours
Mon 7:30am–3pm
Tue-Thu 7:30am–10pm
Fri 7:30–12am
Sat 8:30–12am
Sun 9:30am–2:30pm
Parking
As I just arrived from the airport, I came by Taxi. There does not seem to be much parking in the front (about 4-6 meter parking spots, at max). Most likely a parking deck or parking lot nearby, but unsure of the cost.
Please be advised, all images and content are copyrighted and may not be used without permission. Got questions? Email me: mweats <dot> info <at> gmail <dot> com
| References: Annies Cafe & Bar anniescafebar.com? |
Barley Swine | Austin, Texas USA
Barley Swine Menu
Chef Bryce Gilmore and team plating evening’s grouper special
Watermelon gazpacho, mint yogurt, smoked tomato, sumac
Grouper, blackened butternut squash, ham, coconut milk, jalapeno
Grilled Goat Heart; curried eggplant, figs, falafel
Grilled lamb sausage, tomato, fried chickpea cake, basil
Per the recommendation of Justin Fox of Fox Brothers BBQ, Chef Bryce Gilmore’s Barley Swine was a place not to miss. As I only had 24 hours in Austin, I definitely made this restaurant a priority. A surprise was that the Grilled Goat Heart was my favorite dish of the evening; followed by the grouper and blackened squash. Unfortunately as we had a reservation to Uchi soon, we were unable to order down the list. Will have to make another trip.
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Barley Swine (information gathered 9/2012)
2024 S Lamar Blvd
Austin, Texas
512.394.8150
Hours
Mon – Fri 6pm – 11pm
Sat 5pm – 11pm
Parking
When we went, there was limited parking; early arrival advised.
Please be advised, all images and content are copyrighted and may not be used without permission. Got questions? Email me: mweats <dot> info <at> gmail <dot> com
| References:
Thanks to Bang Ho for coming with me on my food adventure through Austin, Texas |
Morimoto | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA
Morimoto Sign
Inside Morimoto
Chefs of Morimoto
Tuna Tartare w/ caviar chives in a dashi sauce
Oyster three ways: orange salsa; citrus cilantro ceviche; fish sauce and jalapeno
Scallop Carpaccio; Hot Oil, Yuzu, and Japanese Herbs
Sashimi Assortment
Intermission: (cleanser) Passion Fruit Soda
Maine lobster pan roasted in chef’s spice mixture; served with sauteed vegetables. Yuzu/citrus creme fraiche.
Pan seared foie gras; soy vinaigrette marinaded haricot vert; orange-miso sauce and pickled onions.
Wagyu Steak; yu choy, pear puree. tempura shishito pepper
Sushi tasting – Toro (Fatty Tuna), Kinmedai (Big Eye Red Snapper), Kanpachi (Baby Amberjack), Ajuro (Jackfish), Aoyagi (Orange Clam)
Cherry blossom cheesecake graham cracker crust; whipped cream
While in Philadelphia I met up with my good buddy Jesse Taylor, with the intention to grab some tasty Philly food. Walked around for a bit before I saw some solid suggestions via the Chefs Feed app and based on our proximity to Morimoto, we decided that it would be our place for sustenance that evening. Made a quick reservation and off we went.
As we were being seated at the sushi bar, I was mesmerized by the cool and trendy space. Looked at the menu for a bit and decided to let the chef decide; Omakase w/ Beverage Omakase it it! After the tuna tartare dish, we saw one of the chefs preparing a similar dish but with gold flakes and wondered why we lacked such a luxurious presentation. After a brief chat with the chef, we found out there was a secret Omakase variant with a higher price tag; decided since it was my birthday to go for it. Definitely one of the most pricey meals ever but per the skill and quality ingredients going into each dish, it validated the end bill. I would love to go back!
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Morimoto (information gathered 9/2012)
723 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19106
215.413.9070
Hours
Mon-Wed 11:30am–10pm
Thu 11:30am–11pm
Fri 11:30–12am
Sat 5pm–12am
Sun 5–10pm
Parking
Valet parking available. Parking is limited with a few parking decks and/or side street meter parking.
Please be advised, all images and content are copyrighted and may not be used without permission. Got questions? Email me: mweats <dot> info <at> gmail <dot> com
| References:
Thanks to Jesse Taylor for taking me around Philadelphia Tina M. Courtney’s OMG Food (a few names of the dishes) Leo S Lo (a few names of the dishes) http://www.leoslo.com/omakase-at-morimoto-restaurant-philadelphia/ Morimoto http://www.morimotorestaurant.com/ |
Durian – King of Fruits | Petaling Jaya, Selangor Malaysia
Durian for sale
Showing off the goods
Weighing Durian
Opened Durian
Named “King of fruits,” this thoroughly thorn-husked fruit is not for beginner foodies by any means. With multiple species of the fruit, there are variants of flavor/texture/aromatics that people swear by; typically has a creamy custard-like texture that is accompanied by its sweet/rich flavor profiles. At least, this is how I see it; there are others that definitely do not share my views (meaning I don’t have to share my Durian 🙂 )
Look out for the durian fruit carts/shacks at certain locations when Durian season is prime (usually between June and September).
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Please be advised, all images and content are copyrighted and may not be used without permission. Got questions? Email me: mweats <dot> info <at> gmail <dot> com
| References: Thanks to my family and friends for the tips and info on the food! |