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Follow Up on St. Philip Bakery
The dining in the pizzeria was wonderful, the one item I had from the bakery; not so much. The pie was a gingersnap pecan pie. Interesting concept, but something happened in the execution. My pie was very hard to cut, particularly around the crust, and the texture was not consistent throughout the pie. 14 people and this is what is left.
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Great Food. Great People. St. Philip Pizza Parlor + Bakeshop
When you dine out, it is not always about the food, but the experience. What the Uchi crew has done with the old nursery, turned Italian restaurant, turned pizzeria is nothing short of transformative. A beautiful and open space that is surprisingly quiet. From entry through dining and to departure, the experience was quite nice. Clever pizza makings, wine on tap, and a few surprise appetizers made the evening enchanting. Initially, I turned a blind eye to the flash fried cauliflower, but some strong-arming by our waitress, Heather, changed my mind. What a treat! They’re delicious.
A special mention to the smart-thinking management to pass out nibbles to the “waiting on a table” crowd. A simple pretzel to dip in mustard sauce was a great treat to distract me from the wait – which was about 12-15 minutes.
Pricing was fine. We got a little carried away with wine, which pushed the bill for two beyond $70. They sneak in those 1.5 glass pours which go down so easily.
Give them a try! If you have a large party, maybe I can help get you in and taken care of.
P.S. I purchased a pie to take to my family for Christmas. (I’ll keep you posted)
The bake shop was almost magical.
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Humility For The Holidays
Yes, the holidays can be maddening. Yes, family can be frustrating. Yes, you might want to run off and hide.
My advice regarding the holidays is to simply let people know that you appreciate them. Two things are universally true; everyone is significant and everyone will pass. Take the time to say “I love you” or simply tell someone they matter to you. It is the little things that can often carry the most meaning. Friendship and love bind us and they are singular human qualities. Exercise them.
Happy Holidays,
The Gay Concierge
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They All Want Your Money!
Stores are offering their best Christmas deals for the last-minute shopper. My friend, Eve Michaels, has some great ideas on what you might consider for that special someone; all under $100. Good Morning America also had a feature on bargain gifting.
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Who Doesn’t Want Cheap and Easy? Food, That Is.
Tex Mex abounds in Austin, but sometimes you just want to get some good food fast and not break out the Ulysses S. Grant’s to pay for it. Give Taqueria Arandas a try. You might have some screaming kids, or a server that might not quite master the English language, but you will get consistently good food, filling portions and not have to break the bank for it. They do have beer and some margarita like cocktail. (They also serve an inexpensive pancake plate with eggs and bacon that is not on the menu.)
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Tinsel + Tamales
Preparing food for the holidays is quite tedious when you’ve got a lot to do and you don’t want to invest in all the things required to pull it off. I’ve used both Central Market and Whole Foods for holiday meals and both stores did a great job with them. Central Market was a bit less flavorful, but was also a little less expensive, while Whole Foods seemed to use more varied and interesting ingredients for robustness. Of course, Whole Foods had a higher price point. I don’t think there is any shame in turning to prepared foods. It is not too difficult to add your personal touches to the meals. Less stress. Less mess. Better happiness.
Want something amazing? Order tamales from my hometown tamale store: hint = chicken and cream cheese.
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Build Your Own Cheesecake, Really?
Build You Own Can you imagine anything better than choosing your very own combination of ingredients in a custom cheesecake? The decadence. The allure. The calories. You only live one, so they say. I’ve heard nothing but wonderful things about Austintatious Cheesecakes. A perfect gift idea for around 30 bucks.
