Serious Coffee and Organic BBQ, The Sun can wait

I had planned on attending a workshop this past Saturday with Marc at Hubbert's Peak on designing a solar system, or a solar power system, I'm unclear which. At any rate things got delayed, and I ended up carting furniture, loading my pickup and wondering what the universe had in mind. Wimberley's market days proved to not be a dissapointment in the least as a consolation prize, and I ended up with an amazing cactus and a phenomenal plan B.

We decided to hit Austin maybe take some pictures, and find something to eat. We decided to hit Ruby's BBQ as our first stop. The placed reeked of intrigue and seemed to have been decorated in 1973, and left to rot since then, but in a slightly manufactured way somehow. The smell was right, and we plodded on and took the cashiers suggestion of a brisket plate with beans and slaw and a local beer.

Ruby's had the best beans I've ever had with a hint of habanero, the cole slaw had curry in it, and I couldn't decide at the bottom of the bowl if it was intriguing or godawful, on further pondering I choose the former and would be forced to order them again if for no other reason than to make a final judgement. The brisket was a bit dry but flavorful, and a distant cousin to any of the greatness experienced in Lockhart a few weeks previous.

After a few passes, we finally found a parking place near enough to JP's to make a run at it. JP's is one of the few homes of the $12k plus Clover Coffee Machine. It allegedly makes the finest cup of joe that can be had. Apparently it was a little too good, as Star*ucks has bought the company, refuses to sell to any other coffee shops, and service is apparently not quite as easy as it used to be.
http://www.jpsjava.com/
http://cloverequipment.com/home/

We both opted for a cup of Ethiopian. It was absolutely sublime and the most complex flavors that I have ever experienced with almost no bitterness at all! Absolutely without a doubt the best cup of coffee that has ever passed these lips

Best Chinese Restaurant is a Grocery Store

Made it to Asian Market not too long ago for some of the best Chinese food that I've had outside of San Francisco or Sydney. It is somewhere in North Austin, and when we walked in I knew that things were promising as we were the only anglos in the place. Also as a small nod to the non-asian population, as a secondary gesture most items are also listed in English (but not all!).
http://www.asiamarketaustin.com/

Mike had been here before, and handled the majority of the ordering. We had the Cumin Beef, Eggplant with Pork, Sesame Chicken and Crispy Duck. Far and away the best Chinese food that I've had in the Austin area. Also if you make the journey, make sure to hit the Indian food market that is located in the same plaza.
http://www.apnabazaaraustin.com/

The Best in Low Brow Dining

After months of bragging about the dish that I created, I was finally able to share what I claim to be a true culinary treat. Not only is it tasty, it's no doubt quite healthy. One afternoon while pondering my order at Inoz here in Wimberley, I couldn't decide whether to go with their nachos, or a burger with their curly fries, the only edible fries in Wimberley at the time. It was then that I jokingly asked the waiter if I could have their nachos with curly fries instead of corn chips. Before I could look up from my menu he had taken off to the kitchen to inquire with the chef. He returned and at that moment the dish was born.

It weighs close to 3 pounds, and is absolutely delicious! The aftermath however is a combination of the worst Thanksgiving with the unsettling feeling that you have a softball made of lead that is lodged in your stomach. It hasn't quite made it on to the menu, but I can't recommend highly enough asking for this treat. It is certainly enough to feed 3, but I suggest try to eat one on your own.

Looking forward to trying D'Blazios frito pie pizza later this month.