A Taste of Austin, Texas

On March 28, 2018March 28, 2018 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Recipes, Texas13 Comments

Austin may be known for its barbeque, but there are a lot more food options than just smoked meats. With its proximity to Houston, there is an abundance of seafood and the restaurants offer everything from comfort food to creative plates that are sure to please. Needless to say, we could only sample a few of the many restaurants in this historic old city, but we enjoyed everything that we were able to taste. It isn’t just the food, though, the ambiance and historic feel of many of the restaurants provide an atmosphere that invites you with southern charm or surround you with a feeling of elegance.

We definitely had to get some barbeque while we were in Austin and, to be more specific, we had to get some beef brisket. As always, we asked the locals for recommendations and received several, but we decided to go to the Ironworks in the Red River District. Fortunately for us, we arrived early as the line was starting to really grow by the time we left. We sat at the outside deck, slathered our sandwich with barbeque sauce, and had some corn on the cob and potato salad. The brisket literally melted in your mouth it was so tender from being smoked over a low heat for hours.

For seafood, we had two very unique and different experiences. In downtown Austin, we went to Truluck’s Seafood Restaurant for an upscale dining experience. We couldn’t resist getting a dozen oysters on the half shell, but the escargot was different than usual and the presentation of their shrimp cocktail was equal to the restaurant’s atmosphere. For pure comfort food, we went to Sam’s Boat in the suburbs of Austin, which was near our hotel. With its abundance of options like po-boys, fried oysters, crawfish, and shrimp, they offered seafood comfort food.

For more unique experiences, we went to a couple of different taverns for drinks as well as small bites. We enjoyed Moonshine Patio Bar & Grill in the Red River District, which had a good happy hour and friendly bar staff. They offer a nice variety of southern and Texas options, all with their eclectic flair. The Southern Grit Cake was definitely an unusual option with fried crawfish, aioli, and hot sauce served over a grit cake. For a wide variety of local beers, North by Northwest (NXNW) couldn’t be beat. They too were located in the Arboretum area of Texas and were relatively new, but that didn’t keep the crowds from filling up their outdoor seating area.

We seem to find an Irish pub wherever we go and Austin was no different. We enjoyed an Irish Boxty while listening to some wonderful country-western music. We could have spent all afternoon sitting and listening the band if it weren’t for the fact that we had places to go. For a classic cocktail, the Driskill Bar inside of the famous landmark hotel serves up anything that you like in an relaxed, yet upscale, atmosphere. There are also many rooftop bars in downtown Austin that will give you great views of the city and a refreshing drink while you try to beat the heat.

Regardless of your style of dining, Austin has something for everyone. If you make your way to Texas, you have to try some barbeque, but don’t be afraid to try something a little more unique. Austin claims that they are “weird”, but really they are just authentic, friendly, and have a true southern charm. We are looking forward to our next visit where we can try even more of the wonderful options that Austin has to offer.

Austin, Texas – Music, Food, and Fun

On March 26, 2018 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Texas6 Comments

We had the opportunity to visit Austin, Texas, and enjoyed the opportunity to have some good barbeque, country-western music, and wonderful hospitality. Congress Street in downtown Austin has a variety of restaurants, shops, and music venues, which makes it the perfect place to stroll. Austin is the capital of Texas and the tourist section of Congress Street starts or ends there depending upon how you look at it. At the opposite end of Congress Street from the capital is the Congress Bridge, which will take you across Lady Bird Lake, which is a river-like reservoir on the Colorado River in Austin. There is a nice park and walking paths to enjoy.

Line for Barbeque in the Red River District

We only had one day downtown as we were there for a work trip, so we made the most of our time walking the streets of downtown. We started our day in the Red River District and made sure to get some beef brisket before heading towards the capital, which seems to be the most photographed image of Austin. The grounds of the capital are quite beautiful with several statues and you can even take a tour of the governor’s mansion depending upon when you visit. After walking in the Texas heat for a while, we decided to stop in The Driskill Bar and Grill, which is located in the historic hotel. The inside of the hotel is quite beautiful and it was an elegant place to sit and relax before continuing to enjoy downtown Austin.

We couldn’t leave Austin without listening to some country-western music and oddly enough we found an Irish pub with a live band that met our needs perfectly. It was almost a family affair as different members of the band joined at different times, so the music was constantly changing. It was quite a lively atmosphere and we enjoyed it very much. Afterwards we continued to walk around downtown Austin looking at the varying architecture, which is a mixture of historic and modern buildings sitting side by side.

After having some seafood for dinner, we made our way back to our hotel. We definitely enjoyed our time in Austin and are looking forward to visiting again in the near future. There is more to see than what we were able to do in such a short period of time, but what we did see left us wanting to see more.

Texas Peace Officer Memorial at the Capital

Barbecue and Baseball in Chicago

On July 11, 2016 By Isobar ExpeditionsIn Chicago5 Comments

We had a great time visiting Chicago over the fourth of July weekend. While many people across the country were in their backyards grilling hot dogs and hamburgers, we went to a “Ribfest” in uptown Chicago and then, the following day, we watched the Chicago Cubs baseball game from rooftop stands that overlook Wrigley Field. On our third day in Chicago, we walked the streets, ate a lot of food, and made sure that we stopped in at Ditka’s restaurant, a tradition of ours. It was a busy, but wonderful time in one of our favorite cities.

Apparently there are events every weekend during the summer in Chicago, and the fourth of July weekend was no exception. If you’re a fan of barbecue ribs, Ribfest is definitely the event you want to attend. In addition to the ribs, there was plenty of pulled pork, kabobs, mac and cheese, and more. We tried several ribs from the different places, all boasting to have one different competitions and proudly displaying their awards, but one of the more unique things that we ate were some pulled pork nachos. Very different. In addition to all of the food, there was live music as well, and everything else that you would expect at a food festival. What we didn’t expect, and was a strange sight indeed for uptown Chicago, was the pen offering camel rides as well as pony rides. We’ve ridden camels on the beach in Morocco, so we chose not to ride one on the streets of Chicago.

Going to the baseball game was a lot of fun, although we have to admit that we’re not huge baseball fans (soccer is more our game). Before the game, we went to one of the traditional “watering holes” for Cub fans and got ourselves an ice-cold beer. There was plenty of traditional ballpark food, lots of beer, and the Cubs even beat the Cincinnati Reds by six runs. Even if it hadn’t been the fourth, there would have been plenty of red, white, and blue at the stadium due to the team colors. Even if you’re not a sports fan, going to a game at Wrigley Field is something that you should do at least once, it is a truly American experience. After the game, we went and played darts at another local spot and we even got a few bullseyes.

We were fairly exhausted after a couple of long days trying to keep up with our youngest daughter’s twenty-something friends, so we enjoyed a relaxing day walking the streets of Chicago. We were going to go to the top of the Willis Tower (still called the Sears Tower by locals), but a holiday weekend is not the time to go to a tourist spot, so we took pictures of the tower from below and will go to the top when it isn’t as crowded and wait times aren’t as long. The architecture of Chicago is always fascinating to us and we truly enjoy simply walking the streets and seeing the various skyscrapers the city has to offer. We had to go to Ditka’s Restaurant, we’ve been there every trip to Chicago and weren’t about to miss out on this trip. Mike Ditka is a former head coach of the Chicago Bears who took them to victory in a Super Bowl and the restaurant is filled with memorabilia from his career as a player and coach.

Every trip to Chicago ends with us wondering why we haven’t lived there yet. For a large city, the people are generally nice, and there is so much to do and see. We’ve gone to most of the traditional tourist spots like the Art Institute of Chicago, Millennium Park, Michigan Avenue, the Museum of Science and Industry, the Field Museum, and the observation deck at the Hancock building, so we were content not to do any of those on this trip, but clearly if you go to Chicago, those are must-see attractions. Our time in Chicago went by too fast, but we’ll definitely cherish our memories, especially of the baseball game.