anne r.'s Profile

There is something about heading out to the wine country for the weekend that just brings a smile to my face....
One of the nicest things about William Chris is it is 20 minutes closer than the other wineries in the Fredericksburg area to Austin and one of the finest.
I discovered this venue over a year ago and can't wait to get back there on each trip into the hill country.
All of their wine is made with 100% Texas grapes. And all of the wines are better than good. The winemakers) are usually on property and the staff is very knowledgeable about what they are pouring.
For the $10 tasting you get to try all their wines and the fee is refunded if you buy two bottles.
The property itself is full of history and charm. The staff will share the stories with you and make you feel the true experience. Make sure to check out the ceiling in the back room.
On property are some of the most amazing oak trees you will see. There is a great area for sitting (around a chiminea on a cooler day) and listen to live music on Saturday afternoons.
As a member of the HYE SOCIETY (the winery is in Hye TX) you can have the tasting for free, get invited to great quarterly events and experience new releases shipped directly to your door (but we prefer to attend the events which feature anything from food pairings to vine plantings).  There are also special wines JUST for members - so it's a no brain-er to become one.
After we "taste" our way through the menu we usually settle on a bottle to pop and enjoy outside with one of their cheese trays which offer quite a variety of cheeses and meats at a very reasonable price (not like some places in town).
They are primarily a red house (which is perfect for me), but the few whites that I have had are exquisite as well.
This winery is young and growing. It has all the makings of a fine Napa winery that is so much closer to home. It's not cheap - but work every penny. Make it your first stop and it might be your last!

It's a bar - it's a restaurant... but not both...
We went to Crossroads to listen to some music, have a bite to eat and just check the place out. Unfortunately you can do this at the same time. The bar area (where the band plays) has a "limited" side bar (where we found seats) and a main bar (where the selections are much better). Since we were at the side bar, we were very limited on the libations that could be consumed.... there is one vodka... one. And the bartender can't go to the other bar to get any others..... so Absolute it was..... Next dilemma - FOOD. we asked to see a menu.... well, there isn't one in the bar. Not even light fair.... well, there goes dinner.... too bad, because right through the door to the end of the bar is it restaurant and in smells fantastic.
Our bartender though was able to give us a "snack" though. Yes! They have Christmas pretzels that they mix with peanuts.... Did I mention it is FEBRUARY? There is also a popcorn machine by the main bar. So after our appetizer of Xmas tree pretzels, we venture to the main course of popcorn (self service of course).... Should have gotten a better drink while I was over there. The music has begun, not a bad band, so we stay for a couple more....
The atmosphere is very nice. The drinks are very pricey. But if you like stale holiday snacks - this might be the place for you.

So living on the border of SXSW - listening to the music (and traffic noise) and watching the moonrise from my balcony, I knew that when a (sick) friend called and asked me to bring them a steak salad, I wasn't going into the chaos DT to get it. Instead I headed to The Grove. Now mind you, I would much rather sit there an enjoy a glass of wine (or two) and socialize, I found it a very pleasant experience just to get food to go.  Why I didn't call my order in, I don't know but Benny, the "wine-tender" took my order and it was ready in no time. And even on a busy Saturday night took the time to say hi between serving others.
I think the steak salad there is one of the best in town and hope that my friend enjoyed it when I dropped it off.  I had the tuna one myself to go and it was also awesome - Nice piece of fresh sushi grade tuna cooked (or in this case not cooked - the rarer the better), Great mix of fresh dark greens, and the dressing is awesome. And although I missed not having the wine this night, it was nice to get back to the balcony in time for the fireworks reflections off the city skyline and enjoy my dinner. Only regret - not getting dessert or a bottle to go....

Nothing fishy here....well except maybe the fish.
While Uchi is one of my favorite spots in town - I can now say that this will be a close second.
My son was in for the week from Colorado and needed a cool place to go....We dine at Uchi all the time and couldn't get in on short notice, but still found Open Table reservations at Uchiko on the fly.... Mind you when we got there- it wasn't "that" busy and we could have been sat right away.
We chose to sit at the bar- because it's always a treat to see the chefs in action and learn a little more about the menu. And this menu is awesome. There are a lot of the same (hot rock etc) things from Uchi but a lot of new bling too.
We rambled through a few pieces of the best cut sushi EVER, followed by a couple rolls, treated to a little tempura veggies from Michael - our waiter/sushi bar pro followed by another cool offering....all better than the last. We let Michael do all the picks for us which was great once he new what we didn't want.... and it was perfect.... Whatever you do or get save room for dessert. The fried milk is incredible. And just like at Uchi - you need to incorporate a bit of each element into that first bite. The only mistake we made last night was not ordering two desserts.
The only down side to the meal was the acoustic level. It's a little loud in there and when in full swing will probably be louder - but I am sure that won't keep me away and nothing a little Saki can't cure.

No one likes to spend money getting appliances fixed. But when you need to AMS (Todd Honeycutt) is the one to call. I have Fisher & Paykel washer and dryer ans my normal appliance repair person doesn't work on that brand so he referred me to Todd. I called to set up a service call. Todd showed up in the window given... called ahead so I knew he was on the way even, Found the problem (bad ball bearing, fixed it and left everything in perfect orfer for less than 2 Fisher & Paykel preferred vendors wanted for the service call alone. He is a one man operation and 100% dedicated to customer service.  Not that I want anything to break anytime soon  - but I would recommend him for the work!

i don't get it! this use to be one of my favorite places for great service and great sushi.... NOT anymore. I decided to "treat" my son and his girlfriend to a good dinner at a "nice" restaurant. They arrived a few minutes ahead of me, were seated and sat and waited. No one would even give them a menu, and they had wanted to order an app while they waited for me. Mind you they are 19, and I can assure you they had more money on them them me. Finally I got there, they had been there long enough to finish their water (which no one had refilled)... we got menus and a briefing of the specials. We ordered so edemame and the tuna/goat cheese.... got the edamame, waiter said he forgot to order the tuna but our food would be out in a minute so we passed...... needless to say it was 15 more minutes until we saw food.... Mind you this might have been OK if we had been drinking more than just water.....I ordered the sashimi which was kind of blah - even the wasabi didn't "grab" me. It was almost fishy which is kind of scary. Girlfriend ordered the salmon which was great. A little over cooked on one side but was the best of show this night. Son ordered the miso ginger sea bass which has always been the signature dish.... wrong. The smell and taste of the wine was so strong it over powered the fish.... so it was sent back for the steamed sea bass.... well I think they had to go to Chili or at least HEB to catch it because it took another 15 minutes before the plate came back out. By this time of course - he had eaten my sashimi and his gf salmon and we were done completely with our dinners. The second sea bass was better prepared but the fun of a nice night out was ruined..... Oh well - still got a nice bill for $80 in the end.... I hear Burger King serves Talapia now - maybe that will be a better choice

well someone should put a cork in this place or at least in the wine "servers" mouths. Early Friday evening found us looking for a place to try and what to our dismay a free parking spot right in front... Mind you I now know nothing in life is free since I just spend $20 at the car wash getting the damn grackle sh*t removed.... more power to valet parking.
But back to Cork & Co. It was a relatively slow evening. One person at the bar and a few tables of guests. But it still took 15 minutes to get the wine "servers" to pour. Mind you enough was pouring out of their mouths to the patron at the end of the bar, just not much into our glasses. I did finally get a white flight and I must say that the pours were very "shallow" compared to the levels seen around us. We also ordered a "cheese" tray of sorts and again, you could tell the "regulars" get the extra Gouda... Our prosciutto was pinched into little wads that looked like something you would shoot through a straw while the diner at the end got lovely rolled pieces of meat. The cheese portions seemed to be a little off too. And to top it off finding a hair in the cracker bowl really added to the whole "delight". Needless to say we didn't stick around for a glass of anything else. Maybe if there had been a little service it might have held a little better review. there are too many good wine bars in town now to go to.... this place needs to be cellar-ed.

I didn't stumble into The Warehouse, but I definitely stumbled out! I randomly found myself in south Austin and finally checked the place out. We were politely greeted at the door by the maitre de - (pronounced bouncer) and sat at the bar. At the bar there were two able bartenders and more TVs then Best Buy. Towards the back is 20+ (i really didn't count though) pool tables and a whole seating area on the side. There was filming going on over there last night so the place was jumping. Which is a good thing cuz most of the sports on was pretty lame. The bar is old school - wide and wooden. But CLEAN! Even one of the cleanest ladies room I've frequented in a long time. And now the alcohol choices are top shelf (and bottle too). Not much of a wine selection but it was easy to find a drinkable rum or vodka. And CHEAP! aka - the stumbling out part. The jukebox is loaded with good choices, good memories and the way people were playing it good money. So with free parking, good booze, lots of TVs, etc. I just might have to go back and hit the tables.....

Let's be honest...who really likes going to the dentist...Not me! But after today's visit at Dr. Campbell's office, I smile a little brighter.
A month or so there was a Groupon offer for complete xray, exam and cleaning so I took advantage of it. I hadn't been to the dentist in close to 3 years so I was afraid of what was lurking between the molars and canines. I know it's not smart to go so long without seeing a dentist, and I still have my wisdom teeth so I should know better. I was greeted immediately on arrival, did a little more paperwork and was promptly seem on time. The office equipment is state of the art and everything ran smoothly. For those with real phobias you can watch a DVD or listen to music. The exam went well, the Dr was professional and courteous and took time to answer questions. The hygienist was also very good. She didn't berate me for my lack of cleaning s for three years and she didn't take out her frustrations with the pick and my gums.... I would recommend this practice to anyone who is looking for a dentist in the 38th St area. And I will be back in 6th months this time for another cleaning.

I've had worse, but I've certainly had better... strong opening but it's true. We went there this week for happy hour which in itself is a stretch of the word. It was rather slow. So slow that the valet never had to park my car anywhere but right where I left it... do I still have to pay $7 and tip - of course. Instead of a half off sushi deal they have what is a 2 for 1. You get two rolls for the price of one... but you have to get two of the same rolls. Now I don't know about you, but I like a little variety. They do have small plate options for $5 which include the sea bass skewers (tasty but WAY too much sauce on a great fish). Other option for small plates we chose was the scallion pancake.... stay away from this unless you need a pointy sharp, flat dry object to throw at someone. It was so tough you could use it as a knife. The decor was its only savior here (probably a star just for that). And getting the waiter to come back around was a little challenging too. Sometimes when it's too slow service gets worse - not better..... can't say I'll be back soon....