Category: Austin, TX Area

Restaurants in the Austin-San Marcos Metropolitan Area

Restaurant Review – The Blaze Pizza (Austin, TX but various locations throughout)

Aah, pizza places – nothing like the taste of hot, bubbly cheese in a sea of marinara sauce surrounded by sporadic islands of toppings all on a toasted crust – thick, thin, gluten-free, cauli, keto – whatever your choosing!

Pizza has always been one of my favorite foods – even as a child, I remember the old school Pizza Hut commercials with aah’s and ooh’s. I love all kinds of pizza – the crispy thin genuine Italian, the thick Chicago style, the thin and flat New Yorker, the crispy Detroit and just about any other one you can find. The one challenge, about pizza places, is that when it comes to trying to find your spice, normally you are limited to just pouring copious amounts of red pepper flakes and maybe asking for jalapeno peppers as one of your toppings. Not that that’s a bad thing – I do that all the time anyway, and I love it! But it’s just that outside the core pizza itself, it can be tough to find unique ways to make your pizza spicy.

However, worry not! Every now and then, you can find a place that does offer something for us Heataholics…enter Blaze Pizza! Fitting name, don’t you think? Yes, it’s a chain, I know, and a large one too, but dear readers, you should know that I am NOT anti-chain. I welcome any place, large or small, that offers good food, good spice and a venue worthy of a visit! Blaze has locations all throughout Texas and the South, and it’s one of several modern chains that specializes in a Chipotle or Subway-esque BYO (build-your-own) style of pizza. But, to make things easy, they also have custom made-to-order combinations for those who know exactly what they want and can either add or subtract ingredients when needed.

So what is this offering I speak of? Simply put, it is their “Hot Link” pizza. Loaded with banana peppers, jalapeno peppers, red onions (all in all, hotter than white ones), and Blaze’s own spicy red sauce (something I recommend no matter what kind of pizza you get). The standard Hot Link comes with spicy Italian sausage, but being a vegetarian, I requested none. I did, however, request both extra spicy red sauce, and keeping with my recommendation I’d described in a previous post about how the spiciness of food can be significantly intensified simply by adding the hot condiment (be it sauce, powder, rub, etc.) DURING THE COOKING PHASE, in addition to after, I requested they add the crushed red pepper to the pizza before putting it in the oven.

End result? It was spicy and delicious! It met and exceeded my expectations! I’ll keep going back!

Details:

Spicy Flavors:

  • Spicy Red Sauce
  • Hot Link Pizza (in my case, without the Italian sausage – make sure to ask for crushed red pepper before they bake it!)

Personal Faves:

  • Any of their pizzas suit me well
  • Veg Out pizza
  • (Low carb and Keto days) Cauliflower crust and Keto crust pizzas
  • Dough Knots
  • (For all you sweet-toothers) S’more pie
Fresh out of the oven! You can see the one slice I added extra crushed red pepper and the red pepper flakes baked in!
The extra spicy red sauce provides an even greater kick!

Spice on, my friends!

Restaurant Review – Levant Cafe & Grill (Cedar Park, TX) – Part 2

The conventional wisdom is that sequels are never as good as the original movie. Or in instances when they are, it’s usually a case of a series, as opposed to a two-part story, e.g., the endearing Toy Story franchise. But, we all know of movies in the first category – Home Alone, a great Christmas movie, which introduced Macauley Culkin to the world, followed by the demented Home Alone 2, that made us leave the theaters scratching our heads, wondering “What were they thinking?” or “How in the world can anyone survive all of THAT?”

Well, as someone who is a movie fan (albeit, not as many in recent years), I can tell you that this post will defy that conventional wisdom, and this sequel will be just as good as its original (if not better)!

My most recent post on Levant Cafe & Grill was the part 1. I won’t rehash everything I’d said before, but I did mention a sequel was coming so I could highlight one of their spicy sauces I had not yet tried – namely, their homemade Jalapeno Cilantro spicy sauce. Well, today, I tried it, among other things, and as expected, it was fabulous! BUT WAIT – THERE’S MORE! I even tried an item I had overlooked before in my previous visits/orders – specifically, the Lebanese potatoes.

The Jalapeno Cilantro sauce had both good flavor and a creamy texture. My personal taste buds seemed to indicate that creamy texture is indicative of a Tahini sauce-base, but don’t quote me! The jalapenos, themselves were minced quite well and spread evenly to provide that tangy spice that went great with my Makafel sandwich. For those who are familiar with the Austin-based, growing Tex-Mex juggernaut Chuy’s (yes, there will be a review of them in the future – patience, dear grasshoppers! :)), I think that if Levant plays their cards right, this could become another famous Jalapeno dip, just like the Chuy’s one!

Onto the Lebanese potatoes…simple, yet oh so satisfying! Roasted, salted potatoes coated in a nice red pepper sauce. Spicy enough for most people, but I specifically requested mine to be made “as spicy as humanly possible” in my DoorDash instructions, and boy did they come through! This will be another side I will order in the future, during my carb-loading days!

And the final piece – Levant also gave me some Iraqi amba on the side. Not necessarily spicy (at least, according to my taste buds), but this yellow-orange (mango-based) sauce is so full of tangy flavor and zest. I’d tried the amba several times before, but this was the first time I experienced it standalone – and it won’t be my last! 🙂

Details:

Spicy Flavors (Updated):

  • Palestinian Mhammara bread
  • Jalapeno hummus
  • Homemade spicy chili sauce (not on the menu – you have to request)
  • Homemade Jalapeno cilantro sauce (not on the menu – you have to request)
  • Lebanese potatoes
  • Iraqi amba (more zest than spice, but great flavor, nonetheless)

Personal Faves:

  • As long as it’s vegetarian or vegan, I love it! This place is Middle Eastern perfection!
  • Tried twice the Makafel sandwich with Iraqi amba (didn’t I say the place was diverse!)
  • Recently tried vegetarian Syrian moussaka
  • On my low carb days, I go for one of the bowls versus sandwiches
(Left to Right) Jalapeno cilantro, Iraqi amba, Jalapeno cilantro, Spicy chili sauce – it’s kind of like my own version of Duck-Duck-Goose!
Bright red Lebanese potatoes – I didn’t use a stopwatch, but I think I devoured the whole thing in under a minute!
My Makafel sandwich – three layers – first the chili sauce, then the Iraqi amba and Jalapeno cilantro to follow!

Spice on, my friends!

Restaurant Review – Levant Cafe & Grill (Cedar Park, TX) – Part 1

I find my thrills…at Levant Cafe & Grill! 🙂

Spice or no spice, I love Middle Eastern food – so much flavor, so many healthy, yet tasty ingredients and yes, the spice of course! Late last year, I inadvertently discovered this gem of a place not too far from my house and have been back several times since. Unfortunately, due to Covid, I’ve had to rely on DoorDash or Favor to provide me with my fix in recent months; But the good news is that my food arrives just as warm and fresh as if I was sitting right there by their kitchen!

I love Levant’s location – it’s tucked away in an off-the-beaten path part of Cedar Park, TX – a far north Austin suburb, almost exurb. On one hand, it’s not a place where you can people watch, but on the other hand, it’s a great place to go and have a relaxing lunch or dinner. Calm and peaceful, you can either eat and peacefully collect your thoughts, or bring your laptop or a nice book to read, and regardless, get away from the madding crowd. And the owners are such friendly folks!

Now, onto the food. What I really love about Levant (apart from the spice, which I will get to soon enough!) is not only the quality and perfection of their food, but also the diversity that Levant offers. Most Middle Eastern restaurants have the usual offerings (vegetarian and non-veg) – the falafel, the gyros, hummus, etc. Nothing wrong with that – in fact, I love that! But what I love about Levant is that they go a step beyond. Their Middle Eastern cuisine does include the usual staples, but also offers things from different regions in the Middle East – offerings you would typically not find in most restaurants.

For instance, as a vegetarian, I love the Syrian Moussaka, the Turkish cabbage, the Makafel pitas with an Israeli twist, the zesty Iraqi amba that comes with their sandwiches and bowls and my two favorites, from a spice perspective – the Palestinian Mhammara bread and Jalapeno hummus. Basically, you cannot go wrong no matter what you get there. Vegetarian, vegan, or carnivore, your taste buds and your stomach will be happy! If you order any of the bread (including the Palestinian Mhammara), they will heat it up for you right then and there so it tastes fresh baked.

Moving on to the spice…my two favorites I referenced earlier – the Palestinian Mhammara bread and Jalapeno hummus. The Mhammara bread is a warm pita bread layered with red-pepper paste – so much so that the entire bread has its own unique shade of red! Don’t believe me – see my pics below! The red pepper paste is evenly spread so that it provides the spice all around, but is not so overwhelming that you can’t use it to dip and scoop up the rest of your food. Likewise, the Jalapeno hummus – good spice evenly spread with fantastic flavor. And I maximized this spicy experience by using my Mhammara bread to scoop up my Jalapeno hummus!

But throughout all this, the piece la resistance of their spice is their homemade chili sauce. It’s not on the menu, and as I’ve said in one of my key earlier posts, you will find some of the best spicy food out there (be it sauces, dips, salsas, and even entrees) simply by asking and not taking the menu at face value. At Levant, I simply asked for extra chili sauce on the side, and they were very generous. A spicy addition that went with my already spicy Mhammara bread and Jalapeno hummus, but they gave me enough where I had plenty left over for my Syrian moussaka!

And the best part about all of this? This isn’t their only homemade spicy sauce! Although I didn’t get it, I was informed that they have a spicy Jalapeno cilantro sauce also made in-house! Several trips to Levant, and I was ignorant about this, so can’t wait to try that and create my part 2 review!

Details:

Spicy Flavors:

  • Palestinian Mhammara bread
  • Jalapeno hummus
  • Homemade spicy chili sauce (not on the menu – you have to request)
  • Homemade Jalapeno cilantro sauce (not on the menu – you have to request) – once I try this, I will create part 2!

Personal Faves:

  • As long as it’s vegetarian or vegan, I love it! This place is Middle Eastern perfection!
  • Tried twice the Makafel sandwich with Iraqi amba (didn’t I say the place was diverse!)
  • Recently tried vegetarian Syrian moussaka
  • On my low carb days, I go for one of the bowls versus sandwiches
Hot bread, hot sauce, hot d*mn!
Jalapeno hummus with the perfect blend of olive oil and spicy peppers!
I love how generous they are when I simply asked for “some hot sauce” on the side!

Spice on, my friends!

Mirror Mirror, on the wall, who’s got the greatest tacos of all (in Austin) – PART 2!

This is the sequel to one of my earliest posts. For those who had not read this post or just want a refresher of its content, I’d highlighted just how many fantastic taco joints there are in the Greater Austin metropolitan area and it is downright impossible to determine what is the “best” taco joint, with or without looking at it from a spicy lens.

I still stand firmly by that belief – and that includes evaluating based on spiciness. There are some places I’ve tried over the years that haven’t been worth going back to (and those won’t be mentioned in my blog), but they are vastly outnumbered those that are. I’d also highlighted in detail in that post about Taco Deli – a large and growing chain with so many unique tacos for vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike, and a fabulous green salsa dona and habanero salsa, both designed to keep your spice buds in check!

This post is about Taco Deli’s biggest competitor (at least in the eyes of many Austinites) – namely Torchy’s Tacos. Ask any random group of Austinites who has the best tacos in the city, and statistically, you’ll almost always get a plurality who’ll go for Taco Deli, another plurality for Torchy’s, and a third group who’ll include everyone else. I love ’em both, but I love so many others, you can’t include me in any of those categories.

Torchy’s has its own unique set of tacos and a corresponding unique set of tastes for any discerning spice lover, like yours truly. Unlike Taco Deli, I do love that they serve breakfast tacos ALL DAY LONG! They are also known for their fun and quirky work culture – so much so that yours truly applied for a Director of IT position they’d advertised, but alas, my resume just didn’t make it past the first round…:(

And now for the heat…like a “torchy”, Torchy’s is known for setting your taste buds on fire! If you’re a spice lover and you come out of Torchy’s feeling dissatisfied – you need to go to the closest doctor as you may be diagnosed with ageusia! It is impossible to go to Torchy’s and not fulfill your spice quota with so many options. Whether you’re going for the kill (tacos) or want some sides or want to be really daring and “drink” up some sauce, Torchy’s has it all! The key is their Diablo sauce – provided for free in small plastic containers (only by request) or sold by the bottle. Ironically, the bottle is shaped like a liquor flask, perfect for a Heataholic like me who has been known, on occasion, to drink an entire bottle in a sitting! Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING at Torchy’s can have Diablo added and spiced to order. As a secondary option, Torchy’s also has grilled Jalapenos and these come standard with some of the tacos, but usually, I’ve found they’re not always thrilled about putting these on other items. But rest assured, Diablo alone will be plenty to satisfy your spice buds! 🙂

A few of my faves:

  • Street Corn that can be dusted with chili powder, in addition to Diablo
  • Green Chile Queso and Chips – comes with a pre-made “stream” of Diablo. I usually turn that “stream” into an “ocean”! 🙂
  • Fried Avocado tacos
  • They have an Independent taco as well with eggs at their restaurants, but does not appear to be on their online menu

Spice on, my friends!

Fire in the Hole! (Still bests me)

For Yosemite Sam fans (like me) who remember his brief cameo in Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, you’ll recall him screaming “Fire in the Hatch!” followed by one of his more familiar catch phrases, involving a certain reptile – “Great horny toads…” Old Sam utters this right when his (for a more PC term) “derriere” is caught ablaze, and he finally puts it out by sitting in a puddle of water.

And that brings us to today’s topic – one of my all-time favorite places in Austin (yes, it is a chain but a local and rapidly-growing one!) – Pluckers Wings. “Now, wait a minute” – you might ask. “I thought you’re a vegetarian. You told us in your last post about being creative and prepared, but why would a vegetarian go out of his way to a wings bar?” Well, for the very title of this post – Plucker’s signature, 5-star-rated Fire in the Hole sauce!

As I’d mentioned in an earlier post, I have a tolerance for spice that is significantly above the average and even 99th percentile fire-eater such that very few things challenge me. Pluckers Fire in the Hole sauce,though, is one of them. In fact, so much so that I’d put this sauce at the very top! My tolerance has grown over the years, but to this day, I have enough of it and I feel the same amount of pain as our short-fused Looney Tunes friend feels down my own “hatch!” 🙂

Pluckers’ Fire in the Hole sauce is so far and wide famous that they have a challenge – unfortunately I can’t participate since I don’t eat meat – if you can eat 25 or more wings in a single sitting, you will be on their Wall of Flame, full of old-school Polaroids at every restaurant! The chain itself was started by a group of UT Austin students in their dorm room and has grown to over 22 locations, as of this post, including one in neighboring Louisiana.

I don’t think anyone can explain what it is about the sauce that makes it so…well, AWESOME! Maybe it’s how long they age the peppers, maybe they add extra hot pepper seeds, maybe it’s aliens (ha!), but whatever it is, it challenges even the boldest heat-seekers, including this Heataholic!

Pluckers is a great place to go with the family and I love taking mine there. Even though I don’t eat meat (they do), they offer a plethora of options for vegetarians – between their grilled cheese and veggie sandwiches and their insanely out-of-this-world sides. I usually get myself the Mom’s Grilled Cheese on huge Texas Toast with a side of waffle fries tossed in Fire Sauce. We’ll usually order a large order of fried pickles and cheese sticks, but there are so many options, it’s unbelievable.

Words to the wise:

  • Whether it’s wings, fries or tots or something else, you have to tell them to make it “EXTRA WET!”
  • If Fire in the Hole seems a little too extreme for you, start with the 4-star Buffalo Hot and work your way up – it’s nowhere near the extreme of the 5-star Fire, but it will give you a kick
  • They sell bottles of Fire in the Hole and all their sauces, but they’re in such high demand (I KID YOU NOT!), they keep them locked up tight, hard-to-access places – one Pluckers had them in an overhead attic-like space that an employee had to use a ladder to climb up to get, while another kept them in a locked vault, that gives you visions of Fort Knox. Hmm, maybe when they market their “Bakers Gold” sauce, it must really have a “certain” ingredient in it! 🙂

We went to Pluckers this past Saturday and dined in – first time dining in since quarantine began and as you can see, my tolerance has improved, but in any case, I had leftovers!

Just look at that spicy goodness – an island of jalapenos in a red sea of heat! I like to order a side of it with my fried pickle appetizer.
The “before” shot – right when I got my food…
…And the “after” shot! Only 3 fries left! Next time, I’m gonna make a happy plate!

Spice on, my friends!

Yak N Yeti or How to get exceptionally spicy food at an Indian Restaurant

I couldn’t decide how best to title this post so I figured why not include both ideas for the best of both wolds!

Being of Indian descent, I love my motherland’s food. Indian restaurants are known for their spice, but so many are “Westernized” that for a Heataholic like me, it’s not just a matter of getting my food spicy, but getting it spicy to “my desired level” so it’s not just “spicy enough for the average Westerner!”.

On this typical Sunday, I decided to do curbside again, this time from an Indian-Nepali place wifey had suggested to me a while ago but I’d never tried – Yak N Yeti. This is not to be confused with the chain “Yak AND Yeti” of similar cuisine in Colorado, that I have yet to try.

When ordering spicy Indian or Nepali food, it’s not enough to simply say “Very Hot” or telling them “10” when they give you that 10-point scale. Even in cases like this, they tone it down – maybe the restaurants don’t want lawsuits! 🙂

Rather, you have to be as specific as possible – they need to know that you’re serious about your heat level. So much so that you have to order like this. In all my years of ordering Indian takeout or delivery, especially in the age of online ordering, I’ve noticed this has worked best for me:

Key words – “Make as spicy as humanly possible. Super extra Indian spicy.” Oh and it doesn’t hurt to say the word “Please”!

The power of a few simple words! They work. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. And this was no exception. Not only did they make my Dal Makhani and Samosa Chat so amazingly spicy that my mouth became a live-action tribute to Jerry Lee Lewis’s famous song, but they even threw in their own house-based spicy sauce (not listed on the menu) – for free! The owner was so gracious he even told me to tell him whether I did a good job (spoiler: he knocked it out of the park! Think grand slam!).

Just look at how nice and red the Dal Makhani is (it’s normally more black), the spice and raw peppers in the samosa chat and the nice orange-red color of the house sauce (likely from the peppers – guessing ghost and maybe, cayenne).

I have no plans to ever climb Mt Everest, but with Yak N Yeti, I know I’ve got the best of the Himalayas in my own back yard!

Note: At Yak N Yeti, you cannot see the menu until you click the “Order Online” button. Just a little quirk in their website.

Spice on, my friends!

Texican’s Spicy Salsa

I’ve always been a firm believer of the adage “It ain’t bragging if you can back it up!” And yes, I know I can be a tad ostentatious about my spicy feats and seemingly limitless tolerance, but every now and then, I find something that challenges and humbles me.

Enter Texican Cafe – El Paso Style Mexican Food. BTW, to us locals, it doesn’t rhyme with “Mexican”, but rather, it’s pronounced “tex-uh-CAN” as opposed to “tex-uh-CAN’T!” It’s always been a favorite of mine since moving to the north Austin suburbs in 2006, and on average, I eat there at least once a month.

Not in the mood to sit down at a restaurant, I did the usual curb-side pickup tonight, which we Americans have gotten so used to during our COVID-19 quarantine. As always, I get my favorite – the Queso A La Parilla with no meat or seafood, of course. It’s not as good as it is in-house – fresh-out-of-the-oven in a cast-iron skillet, but still tasty and full of flavor. To complement this awesome cast-iron queso, I got myself a tub of their spicy salsa.

I don’t know what it is about this salsa – maybe there’re hidden ghost peppers, maybe it’s the Jalapenos that are just so finely chopped up (with or without seeds) or maybe it’s an inordinate amount of cayenne pepper, but no matter what it is, this is one salsa with which I have to take a pause after a few spoons, or at least gulp a few sips of water!!!

My tub of Texican spicy salsa – just look at those finely chopped Jalapenos and seeds! Aren’t they amazing!

In any case, it’s delicious and a perfect combination to go with whatever you order, for all you fellow spice lovers out there!

But just remember: It’s not on the menu. And it’s not even advertised, so you have to request it – wink wink! 🙂

Spice on, my friends!

Mirror Mirror, on the wall, who’s got the greatest tacos of all (in Austin)?

For someone who moved to Austin in 2002 and has seen this city grow by leaps and bounds, I often marvel at just how dramatically things have changed in the Live Music Capital of the World from a generation ago. But the one thing that has not changed is – trying to identify who has the best tacos in Austin?

Asking that question is like asking – Who has the greenest pasture in Ireland? There are just way too many!!!

So sorry, my dear readers, but I won’t be answering that question – not in this post and not in any future ones. Not because I’m trying to be coy, but simply because I can’t answer it – some days I’m in the mood for one place, some days another, and there are so many I simply haven’t tried with one new place after another opening shop.

What I will tell you about today is ONE of my favorite spots in Austin for getting my spicy taco fix – and that would be Taco Deli. Plenty of veggie options and if you get there (usually before 11 AM on weekdays or 3 PM on weekends) early enough, some great breakfast tacos.

But what I crave the most when I go to Taco Deli are their two spicy salsas. There’s the well known one (the Salsa Dona – sorry for leaving out the tilde!) and the lesser-known and even spicier orange habanero (again, no tilde!). The former is a creamy green mixture of jalapenos, garlic and salt that is a tamed level of spice. It is so well-liked that you can buy a package of it at Whole Foods. Unfortunately, as of this post’s publication, I have not been able to find it on Amazon.

The latter is a much more ferocious (and delicious) salsa that will challenge your taste buds. It’s orange with the fiery habaneros that will make you wish you had filled your water up early on! Not as popular as the green stuff to most, but to me, I love ’em both!

Anytime I go to Taco Deli, you’ll always see me as the guy who’s loading up cup after cup after cup of both salsas. One time, in a Seinfeldesque way, someone said to me – “Hey, the farmers called. They’re running out of jalapenos.” (Such nerve of some people! Ha!) My response – “Tell them to grow more!” And to answer your question – Yes, I have done shots (multiple, in fact) of both these salsas and I usually pour both onto my tacos.

So the next time you venture to Taco Deli (as of this publication, there are 10 including the Austin Bergstrom Airport), be bold and try both! Your spicy taste buds will thank you graciously!

Note: The orange salsa is not found at all locations, e.g., AUS Airport.

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