Austin Digest

Austin

Digest May 2018

Pretty Delicious Anne Franklin, Pg 8

Eat Local

Everywhere Louisa McDaniel, Pg 14

Hidden Roads Grayson Breyster, Pg 20

Vegetarian

View

Sahil Patel, Pg 26

BBQ

With Ben

Ben Norwood, Pg 32

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2 |Austin Digest

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Table of Contents Feature Articles

4 |Austin Digest

Pretty Delicious Exploring Aesthetic Austin food

8-11

Eat Local Everywhere Growth in Austin’s Restaurant Chains

14-17

Hidden Roads

Traversing Down the Hidden Food Gem

20-23

Vegetarian View A Vegetarien Outlook for Austinites

26-29

BBQ with Ben Exploring the World of Barbecue in Austin

32-35

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Meet the editors 6 |Austin Digest

Grayson Brewster is currently a 9th grade student that attends LASA High School.

His hobbies include playing video games with his friends, walking and playing with his 7 year old dog, and listening to music. Grayson enjoys visiting and eating at food trucks around Austin and was inspired to write about the food truck business in Austin by the unique experiences he encountered at each place. Throughout the designing of this magazine Grayson learned about using unique Adobe softwares and different communication skills within a group of editors. Grayson aspires to be a computer programmer in the future and plans to graduate from LASA in 2021.

Annie Franklin is currently a 9th grade student at LASA High. Annie’s hobbies include cooking, stand-up paddle boarding, and riding her bike. She was born and raised in Austin her entire life and enjoys baking delicious, pretty food for her friends and family everyday. Annie was inspired to write her article about Austin’s aesthetically pleasing restaurants from her love and passion for pretty food. Annie especially liked taking, editing, and presenting photos for her article through the use of programs like Photoshop and InDesign. She hopes to continue pursuing a potential career in politics and has been on the student council for multiple schools for five years and counting. Annie is looking forward to her internship at city hall over the coming summer.

Ben Norwood is currently a 9th grade student attending LASA High School and graduated from Kealing Middle School last year. His hobbies include playing video games and making sure his multitude of cats are happy. Ben has grown up in the weird city of Austin almost all of his life and has been inspired and influenced by the unique food industry all around him. He enjoys eating a good hamburger and loves classic Texas barbecue, the inspiration for his feature article. After using multiple Adobe softwares throughout the creation of the magazine he learned a wide variety of photo editing and polishing tools to use for the future. Ben aspires to be a lawyer or an accountant after he graduates and will do so continuing to eat the amazing food of Austin.

Sahil is currently a 9th grade student attending LASA High school. His hobbies include music, building stuff in his backyard and having fun. Sahil was born and mostly raised in Austin and has been growing up in Austin’s culture most of his life.

Sahil has been a vegetarian since he was born and was inspired by the food of Austin to give the “Vegetarian View” of Austin. He worked closely together with Ben to create the opposite view of barbecue and give a creative outlook on the meat free food in Austin. This project inspired Sahil to research more about the vegetarian food in Austin and has helped him discover many new restaurants all throughout the city.

Sahil aspires to be creative and continue living life to the fullest.

Louisa is currently a freshman attending LASA High school. She was born in Austin and has lived here her entire life. Her hobbies include working at J.T. Youngblood’s, singing in choir, shopping and eating brunch. She was inspired to write her article by the growth of Austin around her and the multitude of Austin independent chains popping up around Austin. After diligent research and interviewing the innovative people of Austin, Louisa learned about the intricate economy of Austin food restaurants and was inspired to continue learning about the growth of Austin. Louisa aspires to be a politician/ lawyer in Austin and will continue to work towards her goals in the growing city of Austin.

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Pretty Delicious Exploring Aesthetic Austin food

By Annie Franklin

Veggie Sandwich and French Onion Soup from San Francisco Bakery in Austin. (Photo by Annie Franklin)

Q

Color, composition and plating; these often overlooked components can make or break a dish. From sandwiches to cookies, and ice cream to soup, Austin chefs have been working to make presentation a crucial part of the restaurant experience.

Whether consciously or unconsciously, the look of food can change how one perceives it. According to the journal “Food Quality and Preference,” studies have shown that food’s appearance heavily influences people’s opinions. Appearance encompasses many

things. The plating for a refined, simple dessert would likely differ from that of a burger. The former would likely be precise with a few basic colors, giving the dish an air of sophistication.

The latter might be messy and colorful, with many different textures.

“Visually, if it looks amazing, it’s going to taste better,” said Destinee Wright, a production manager at Quack’s 43rd Street Bakery. Wright has been baking her whole life, and says that her mother encouraged her to experiment and improve. “I remember she caught me when I was really little, cracking eggs in the pantry on the floor,” Wright said, laughing. “She was like, I was so mad at you, but I knew at that moment — she’s going to be a baker.”

Quack’s is famous for their colorful cookies, classic pastries and decadent cakes. Tall glass cases facing the colorful dining area are filled with a wide range of sweet and savory treats.

The smell of baking bread drifts from the kitchen, and the repetitive sound of mixers fills the air as bakers carefully go about their business.

Seasonal cookies at Quack’s 43rd Street Bakery in Austin.

Cookie designs change every week. (Photo by Annie Franklin)

8 |Austin Digest

She believes that to make beautiful food, it is essential that one gives the baking process the

Blueberry muffin from San Francisco Bakery in Austin. (Photo by Annie Franklin)

“If it looks amazing, it’s going to taste better.” respect and time it deserves. “Embrace the process and don’t try to just rush through it. Take your time and just try,” Wright said.

Wright also says that the more attention, time, and work a baker gives a dish, the outcome will be that much better. When she’s not baking in the Quack’s Kitchen, Wright prefers to bake fancy, time

Destinee Wright, production manager at Quack’s 43rd Street Bakery in Austin, stands in the Quacks Kitchen. (Photo by Annie Franklin)

Key lime pie, croissant, sugar cookie, and hibiscus tea from Quack’s 43rd Street Bakery in Austin. (Photo by Annie Franklin)

consuming and precise dishes, as these can be the most rewarding.

Wright encourages cooks to ask questions when they are unsure, or the recipe’s directions are unclear.

Making a simple mistake in one of the preliminary steps can have huge effects on the finished product; If something seems off, it’s better to ask and fix the mistake than continue on with a damaged product.

Abby Eschler also believes that care is essential to making aesthetically pleasing food. “You can make the prettiest food possible and the greatest tasting food ever if you just put your heart into it. It needs a little love,” Eschler said.

Eschler is a baker and “Sandwich Superhero” at Moojo, which specializes in over the top ice cream sandwiches. Customers choose between a wide selection of homemade cookies, gourmet ice cream

Chcolate Cake from Quacks 43rd Street Bakery in Austin.

(Photo by Annie Franklin)

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“You can make the prettiest food possible and the greatest tasting food ever if you just put your heart into it flavors, and colorful toppings. Along with the creative sandwiches, its pastel interior and swing seats are perfect for Instagram or Snapchat.

Escheler also appreciates the economic side of aesthetic food, “If you just make a pretty sandwich people will want to buy them more. It’s kind of like how they carry around fajitas in Mexican restaurants and they pour water into it to make it sizzle. That gets people to buy more fajitas.”

San Francisco Bakery is another local business that understands the connection between presentation and customer interpretation. John Tran has been the

Abby Eschler, a baker at Moojo, displays a Moojo cup at their location on the Drag in Austin. (Photo by Annie Franklin)

10 |Austin Digest

Fresh baked cookies in the Moojo Kitchen. (Photo by Annie Franklin)

owner of the bakery, which also sells a wide variety of sandwiches and soups, since 2003, and has been baking his whole life. He says his mother encouraged his interest in cooking. “I kind of grew up in the kitchen around my mom and learned to cook that way, just from her kind of guerilla style cooking.” Tran said.

This ‘guerilla style cooking’ is less focused on specific measurements (although measurements are important), and more on understanding the science of the food. “It’s all about taste and appearance and learning the feel of the food, of cooking. I think you have to understand food a little bit—just respect your ingredients.”

Bags of Pastries from San Francisco Bakery in Austin. (Photo by Annie Franklin)

San Francisco Bakery sells a variety of products— favorites include their buttery cinnamon rolls, croissant sandwiches and traditional French onion soup. The cozy cafe is a North Austin favorite, and has many customers who have been returning for years.

He says that before a cook can make beautiful food, they must understand the intricacies and nuances of food—from the texture of cookie dough, to how bread rises. This way, they can change, adapt and improve their product depending on their intention, the situation and their environment. “There’s a lot of fun stuff to learn and know about the process,” Tran said.

John Tran sits in San Francisco Bakey in North Austin. (Photo by Annie Franklin)

we used even though it seemed fancy at the time.”

Fresh fruits and veggies, good cuts of meat, and wellmade ingredients are guaranteed to improve any dish.

Croissant sandwich and veggies from San Francisco Bakery in North Austin. (Photo by Annie Franklin)

Although it is especially important in a restaurant environment, any cook, no matter their skill level, can make pretty food. Whether one is cooking for themselves or a high end restaurant, it is good to consider how appearance could affect the dining experience. By considering the amount of care taken, the specific details, respecting the process, and using varied color and ingredients, anyone can make delicious, beautiful food.

On a more basic level, color can greatly affect how food is perceived. Bright, varied colors can suggest freshness, health or a diversity of flavors. Many people associate certain neutral colors with boring, bland food. By adding spices, garnishes, varied fruits and vegetables, or even food dye, one can elevate a dish to a work of art.

“Definitely colors. you have to be aware of color. I feel like beige is a common food color but it’s not very pretty. But you could always add another color to it to compliment it,” Wright said.

John Tran also says that having good ingredients is key to making beautiful food. “It’s just the good quality ingredients, that has been our philosophy,” Tran said. “Back in 95’ sea salt was the only thing

Churro Ice cream Sandwich with chocolate drizzle at Moojos in Austin. (Photo by Annie Franklin)

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HOW MAKES THEIR

ICE CREAM SANDWICHES

By Annie Franklin

Moojo is an ice cream shop located on the drag. They are famous for their delicious, over the top ice cream sandwiches.

This is how they make a churro waffle sandwiches with vanilla ice cream and chocolate drizzle.

3

Vanilla ice cream is scooped into a ball and put between waffles.

4 Ice cream

sandwich is “smooshed” to flatten ice cream.

Sources •LASA student survey, conducted Jan. 29- Feb. 14, 2018.

• Abby Eschler, Moojo •http://www.funtrivia.com/askft/Question140498.html

12 |Austin Digest

1 First, they warm premade waffles in a waffle maker.

2 Then,

warm waffles are coated in a churro sugar mix.

5 Chocolate

is drizzled over top, and sandwich is put in paper wrapper.

S

WE SCREAM FOR ICE CREAM

LASA STUDENTS’ OPINIONS ON THE COOLEST TREAT Whether you like chocolate, vanilla, or any of the other 1,000+ flavors available, we can all agree that ice cream is a delicious treat! We surveyed LASA students about their ice cream opinions. These are the numbers.

NUMBER OF SCOOPS

FAVORITE SPOT 1. AMY’S ICE CREAM: 64% 2. lick honest ice cream: 7.5% 3. Moojo: 5% 4. Ice Scrapers: 5%

5. Sweet ritual, SPUN, Jim Jim’s, The Science Cream, Las Delicias Paleteria, Orange Leaf, Austin Scoops, TCBY: 2.5% each Other 9.7%

TOPPINGS

Sprinkles 20.8%

None 18.1% Chocolate 16.7% Cherry 13.9%

1 scoop: 2 scoop:

15%

58%

3 scoop: 4 scoop: 5 scoop:

15%

2%

10%

of students surveyed

Whipped Cream 20.8%

FAVORITE FLAVOR

cookies and cream: 25%, mint chocolate chip: 20%, coffee: 17%, vanilla: 10%, chocolate:7%, caramel: 2.5%, peanut butter chocolate: 2.5%, pistachio: 2.5%, cookie dough: 2.5%, birthday cake: 2.5%, butter pecan: 2.5%, red velvet: 2.5%, sherbet: 2.5%

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Eat Local, Everywhere Austin’s growingand so are its chains Louisa McDaniel

A

ustin’s been growing fast and so have its favorite eateries.

According to the World Population Review, Austin’s population is at 947,890, up a whopping 16,300 new residents from 2016’s 931,860. Known for its live music, beautiful parks, and most importantly good food, many people are choosing to move here. And as the discussion continues surrounding how Austin will grow and how the culture will change, the same discussions are happening in the micro at Austin’s beloved local chains.

Torchy’s Tacos is one of these restaurants.

With its dog-friendly patios, outdoor bars, and creative menu items (fried avocado?), it captures a lot of what makes Austin special. Started by Mike Rypka, Torchy’s has grown from one location on South First Street to over a dozen locations throughout Texas, Colorado, and Oklahoma. Torchy’s was even visited by former President Barack Obama, where he ordered a Democrat and a Republican.

“Damn Good, that’s our motto, that’s really different to what other restaurants would say” Yamis Amador, an employee at Torchy’s said She said one of the things she had noticed in the restaurant, and the city,

14 |Austin Digest

Yamis Amador takes an order over the phone at the Mueller Torchy’s location in February 2017.

was how friendly the staff and customers were. “It’s not really formal, it’s more like a chill environment,” said Amador.

And most of the customers, relaxing on the patio with their dogs, seemed to agree.

“I think Austin’s sort of got a laid-back culture; if you’re gonna eat you’d expect that you could probably get a drink too,”

“Damn Good, that’s our motto... that’s really different to what other restaurants would say” -Yamis Amador

customer Ashley Normant said laughing, as her daughter Cora excitedly shared her favorite taco, “Bacon egg and cheese!”

Torchy’s, like the city itself, is a popular spot for families. “There’s always music and art and entertainment, it’s a great place for a family... there’s always activities and things to do,” said Normant. Normant and her daughter, both Austin natives, say they probably go to Torchy’s about once a month.

Amy’s is another place that screams Austin.

Founded in 1984 by Amy Simmons, it has spread throughout Texas and has quickly gained worldwide recognition. The business was featured various Buzzfeed articles, such as “27 Ice Cream Shops You Need To Visit Before You Die”, and “These Ice Cream Shops Definitely Belong On Your Bucket List”.

Buzzfeed even posted a video about

Cora Normant digs in to her bacon egg and cheese taco at the Mueller Torchy’s in February 2017.

Amy’s during South by Southwest last year, attracting even more attention to the delicious destination.

Ashley Normant enjoys her lunch on the Mueller Torchy’s location patio while her daughter, Cora Normant, draws a picture in February 2017.

Colby Moody, an Amy’s manager, had similar thoughts on what he loves about the city. “I think it’s the diversity of things you can do around Austin,” Moody said. Moody, another lifelong Austinite, considers himself an outdoorsman and loves all the opportunities Austin provides for outside activities. He’s worked at Amy’s since he was 16 and talked about the various opportunities Amy’s offers.

“I think anybody who wants to start a career, learn how to run their business should work here. Amy offers classes you get to take, spanning from how to talk to people, to your

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finances, to leadership,” Moody said. “It’s not just about selling the ice cream, it’s about what you’re gonna do with your life after this.”

All the fame brings in a unique crowd “You get to see the celebrities, I think the most recent was Neil Degrasse Tyson,” Moody said, recalling some of the famous customers they’ve served.

Even with the notoriety, Amy’s continues to be a very local business. “All these stores, they’re almost like families,” Moody remarked. And like families, he mentioned how different the vibe was between store; some, like the Sixth Street location, attract an older crowd, while most neighborhood stores are primarily parents and children.

Amy’s also reflects Austin’s eclectic sense, “No one’s throwing ice cream in the air, it’s just kind of a thing we love to do;

Anne Frankin holds an Amy’s Ice Cream cone in February 2017.

anything that’s weird, we love it,” Moody said.

The tricks may have become an integral part of the Amy’s brand, but Moody made sure to clarify that “it’s not a requirement, lots of people think throwing the tricks is a required thing here”. Required or not, they sure are fun to watch, and one of the reasons Amy’s is a destination for people all over the country.

Colby Moody, an Amy’s manager in February 2017.

When asked about plans for expansion, his fears seemed to mimic those of some Austinites. “They really rely on the local feel and they’re afraid if they branch out too far it’s gonna get diluted. What Amy’s is known for is just gonna kind of fade away” Moody said.

Considering their unique, local feel is what’s made them such a popular destination, one can understand why they’d be cautious about losing it.

An Amy’s employee prepares an ice cream cone in February 2017.

16 |Austin Digest

Juiceland is another place that captures the local feel, and Lexie Shook, a marketing specialist there, agrees. “I really appreciate

how dog-friendly our city is; I think Austin has some of the best food around!” Shook said.

Like a lot of Austin businesses, Juiceland prides itself on being eco-conscious. “It is so refreshing that I can work in a place that puts its community and planet first. It is incredible that I am able to express my creativity in my work and collaborate with so many amazing people!” Shook said.

Home of the flagship Whole Foods, Austin is widely regarded as a place with a variety of health food options, Juiceland being one of the more notorious. At last year’s Austin City

“I know that JuiceLand will continue to grow with sustainability and mindfullness as some of our top priorities” -Lexie Shook

A chai chia smoothie from Juiceland.

Limits festival, it wasn’t uncommon for JuiceLand’s stand to have a line stretching far into the park.

And with 27 locations throughout Austin, Houston, Dallas, and Brooklyn, you shouldn’t have to go far to get your smoothie fix.

In regards to their plans for expansion, it seems like Juiceland is planning on going in the opposite direction. Shook said that they were definitely hoping to open more stores in Texas, and that they planned on maintaining their core, eco-conscious values.

Food is an integral part of culture, so it would make sense that it would suffer the same growing pains. Is it more important to grow and expand, changing as you go, or will doing this dilute what makes it worth expanding in the first place? Should change be embraced, or should we protect what makes a culture (or a restaurant) special?

Outside the Juiceland on the drag.

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atx

fries

The Fryteria Rated from a scale of 1-10 on the following factors:

Value

Uniqueness

Crunch Je ne sais qoui 18 |Austin Digest

Flavor

Aroma

(a very scientific ranking of the best fries in Austin) #1

Bao’d

Up

Let me start by saying that these aren’t normal fries. Bao’d up’s Szechuan fries are well seasoned, crispy crinkle cut fries with possibly the greatest sauce on earth. I h a t e mystery sauces and I love this. I can’t even describe it.

While you’re there: try the tofu guaboa- it’s also a build your own bubble tea place, so get ready to make some hard choices.

French Fries weren’t invented in France- they were invented in Belgium

rger u b h s a Sm These fries will

Fry Fact #2

change your life- the “smashfries” seasoning mix is a delicious herb/ truffle oil combo and the fries themselves are the perfect size and crunch. (Note: they also have the seasoning on tater tots which I personally like even more, but this is a ranking and I thought it wouldn’t be fair.)

While you’re there: try the Black Bean burger with the truffle mayoit’s the best veggie burger on EARTH

The first french fries in America were allegedly at one of Thomas Jefferson’s diplomatic dinners in 1802

#3

Fry Fact #1

Hopdo

#2

ddy

The hopdoddy’s fries are legendary. If you haven’t had them, you’ve heard of them. Prepare to wait in a line- but it’ll be worth it.

While you’re there: try the classic burger and a milkshake!

Fry Fact #3 1/3 of French fries in the USA are sold by McDonald’s

Sources • Mobile-Cuisine.com, French Fry Fun Facts • factslegend.org, 21 Weird and Interesting French Fries Facts • Ratings done by assorted LASA students, January 25-February 15

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Hidden Roads Traversing Down The Hidden Food Gem By: Grayson Brewster

A

ustin is home to a rainbow of cultures, and with those cultures come the unique foods and events which attract people to the city. From five-star restaurants to family owned startups, Austin has something for everyone. Food trucks are some of the most successful things in Austin, appearing at countless events throughout the city, due to their ability to transport their food easily and provide unique tastes to travelers.

Food trucks didn’t start out as trucks, but as portable stands. They popped up in New York City around the 1690s, with portable hotdog and ice cream stands. Since then, they have evolved to trucks, and became mainstream during the early 2000s.

People realized that they could still make exquisite dishes in trucks as long as they had the necessary equipment, even in a small kitchen.

From big name businesses making their food portable, to family owned businesses sharing their traditional ideas and recipes, food trucks offer anyone to have an opportunity to share their food with locals and possibly become a big name business. Food trucks are normal trailers customized based on the preferences

20 |Austin Digest

“It’s very very personal and it’s kinda like an ultimate, it’s like the ultimate I guess, the ultimate entrepreneur startup”

Stone house Fireside Grill foodtruck 4209 Airport Blvd, Austin, TX

and interests of the owner. While the insides of food trucks differ, the main interior is made up of a small kitchen and cooking materials. “It’s very, very personal” David Ibarra said, an employee at Compass Coffee.

Food trucks can become very hectic- especially during the lunch hour and at events.

Food trucks have had to increase their efficiency to be able to provide for the customers, especially one food truck called The Mighty Cone. This truck made their debut at Austin City Limits and has since become one of the most iconic food trucks of Austin.

Stephen Charleston has owned the business since August 2017.

“Originally Mighty Cone was just at ACL Fest, then we added a fixed location food trailer, and now we have two food trucks for

private events.” Charleston said. Adapting to the growing city of Austin is no simple task, especially for food trucks who have to find an effective way to provide portable food to customers at a variety of events. The Mighty Cone is known for their food filled paper cones. “You can have a cone in one hand, a drink in the other, and still walk from stage to stage at an event like ACL fest.” The Mighty Cone originates from the popular local restaurant Hudson’s on the Bend. The business quickly blew up. “The Hot & Crunchy breading on the trout at Hudson’s on the Bend was the most popular item on the menu, so it was only natural to try to on other items,” Charleston said. This lead to crunchy chicken, shrimp and avocado cones.

Joseph Mentel is one of the main chefs at the Stonehouse Wood Fire Grill, located at the Mueller Trailer Eats. Mentel said that working at food trucks provide more of an experience for the chefs because “you don’t normally get any gratification that comes with cooking for customers because you’re normally locked in the back”. The truck is very friendly and employees enjoy cooking and serving their customers. Being at a food truck, “you get to sit down and have conversations with them, so it’s a lot more personal.” said Joseph.

Although the Texas sun can be brutal and you might be looking for something to cool off, sometimes you need something to get ready

Burger from Stonehouse Woodfire Grill 4209 Airport Blvd, Austin, TX

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Joseph, Worker at Stonehouse Fireside Grill 4209 Airport Blvd, Austin, TX

22 |Austin Digest

everything but this is like a really small and specific type of shop thing.”

He expresses how food trucks should be completely personal and not thought of as a job, but rather as someone’s pride and joy. He believes a food truck is “the ultimate entrepreneur start up”, allowing families and recipes to enter the business of serving food to others just by customizing a truck. The hardest part of starting a food truck is “revenue and expenses” Stephen says, that it is hard for food trucks to really spread the word about the company and find funding to keep the food truck up and running.

Food trucks can be difficult to make successful, and location can be luck of the draw. On one hand, if someone ends up in a populated place, they have a higher chance of being able to spread their business around to new customers who visit the hot spot. On the other hand, if they start in an isolated location, where they can’t spread the word through people, they must spread their word online. The Mighty Cone has benefited greatly from media, “In just the last year we have been on TV with every local affiliate” said Stephen. Allowing their already popular business to spread word to other parts of Austin and even the United States for their annual Austin City Limits rush.

“Being able to communicate with customers as a like a cook, you get to sit down and have conversations with them, so it’s a lot more personal.”

David, worker at Compass Coffee 4209 Airport Blvd, Austin, TX, and Grayson Brewster

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The Mighty Cone “Hot N’ Crunchy” food idea came 1 The from Hudson’s on the Bend most 2 3

popular item, the Hot & Crunchy breading on the trout

Most Popular item is the chicken avocado cone

Quick Facts about trucks

By: Grayson Brewster

Busiest Hours: 12pm 1pm at lunch

Photo Credit: Mighty Cone

Compass Coffee 1 2 3

Use Freshest Ingredients possible and have very good customer service Most popular item is the Cold Brewed Coffee Busiest Hour: 9am - 10am

Photo Credit: Compass Coffee

Stonehouse Fireside Grill 1

Burgers are made on unique WoodFire Grill adding a lot of flavor to the burger.

2

Most popular item is the ATX Burger

3

Busiest Hours: 12pm - 2pm and 6:30pm - 7:30pm

24 |Austin Digest

Surveyed Favorites

1. Mighty Cone 2. Valentina’s BBQ 3. Kona Ice 4. East Side King 5. Micklethwait 6. Biscuits and Groovy 7. Arlo’s 8. Hey Cupcake!

9. Chi’lantro 10. Gordoughs Donuts

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6. Hoek’s Death Metal Pizza

4. Booty Loco's 5. Compass Coffee 6. Gravy ATX

4. Four Brother

5. SteelCityPops

Photo Credit: Trip Advisor

5. SoCo Burgers

3. mmmpanadas

3. Cannone Cucina Italiana

Photo Credit: Roaming

4. Fat Cactus

3. Crepes Mille

2. Juice Austin

2. Conscious Cravings

2. Hey Cupcake!

1. Burro Cheese Kitchen

1. StoneHouse Fireside Grill

1. Mighty Cone

The Picnic

Mueller Trailer Along South Congress Eats

The Vegetarian View

A Vegetarian Outlook for Austinites

By Sahil Patel

Royal Veggie Burger from Bouldin Creek Cafe off W Mary and South 1st Street on February 18, 2018. (Photo by Sahil Patel)

A

ustin, the blue dot in the red sea, is home to countless unique customs only found in the heart of Texas. The live music capital of the world keeps it weird with its vegetarian twists on traditionally nonvegetarian foods such as burgers and fajitas.

Ranked as the eighth most vegetarian-friendly city in America by Grubhub, Austin’s variety can be a lot to take in for vegetarians from other cities. In Austin, people are over 40 percent more likely to order a vegetarian meal than the national average, and with many more Austinites looking for healthier vegetarian options by the day, this has called for an influx of new vegetarian and vegan themed restaurants. This is where places like Citizen Eatery, Bouldin Creek Cafe and Conscious Cravings come into play. Locally-owned and satisfying to vegetarians and vegans alike with a wide variety of options and clean, quality food at reasonable prices. From small startups and foodtrucks to brick and mortar restarurants, Austin welcomes all.

26 |Austin Digest

Starting off with one of the big things Austin is known for, a food truck is reimagining quick and easy meals by combining savory wraps and superfoods into healthy dishes.“It came to be because I was constantly on the hunt for fresh, healthy, affordable and quick vegetarian food, but was never able to find it.” said Rishi Dhir, owner and founder of the Conscious Cravings food truck.

Unlike most food trucks Conscious Cravings had opted to go for a more health centric route. “My inspirations mainly came from eating seitan, quinoa and other healthy vegetarian dishes at fancier sit down restaurants. I wanted to bring those same foods to a more affordable, quicker price point,” Dhir said.

However even while keeping the prices on the menu items low, Dhir said that “Our food has the same ingredients as something you might make at home.” This is different from most fast food businesses which tend to use fillers as well as other excess ingredients to

reduce prices. The best items on the menu currently include the spicy chickpea wrap along with Dhir’s personal favorite, the barbecue seitan with quinoa.

The way this food truck has kept itself unique in a city known as the food truck capital of America is with its theme. “The main theme of the restaurant is just an overall emphasis on being environmentally conscious and ecofriendly. We do our best to use compostable wares, minimize waste and serve wholesome food without any additives,” Dhir said. The truck embraces lowering its carbon footprint and trying to help Austin change one step at a time.

“I chose Austin because I know its an eco-friendly city that’s very open to vegetarian foods” -

Rishi Dhir Concious Cravings food truck at S 1st street in Austin on Thursday, May 29, 2018. (Photo by Sahil Patel)

Inside Citizen Eatery off Burnet Road and W 51st Street on Thursday, May 28, 2018. (Photo by Sahil Patel)

Out of all of the possible cities to choose for a food truck, choosing the city with more than three times more food trucks than public schools in its district, may not be the greatest investment choice, however Dhir had another reason, he said, “I chose Austin because I know its an eco-friendly city that’s very open to vegetarian foods,” Moving to a more stable brick and mortar business may be out of budget for most, but for some, it may be the more sustainable option. For Michael Moyer, it started off as an attempt to fix the blank space in Austin’s restaurant list, “We sort of had the realization that there wasn’t a, just like quick and easy healthy vegetarian food, especially burgers out there. So the original idea for a concept was more like a fast food drive-thru, like a, basically like a drive through a P. Terry’s only Vegetarian,” said Moyer.

Gathering ingredients for a bigger restaurant as well as buying in bulk can get complicated for a lot of startups especially when they are trying to keep things local.

“We do some local sourcing from Johnson’s backyard garden,” said Moyer. “There’s a big challenge there with the mobility of pricing, with a lot of organic and local produce especially, which as you can imagine, we use a lot of, can get super duper expensive, so there’s a balancing act.”

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Citizen Eatery off Burnet Road and W 51st Street on Thursday, May 28, 2018. (Photo by Sahil Patel)

As the customers increase so will their ability to source more and more of their products locally.

While its burgers are what its known for, Citizen Eatery isn’t afraid to go beyond.

“We have a sort of a new menu item, that’s a vegan pesto dish, comes with our homemade pesto and organic veggie noodles and some of the pecans and basil in that” said Moyer. One of the newer dishes on the menu grabbing the customers attention.

Now that Austin’s community has grown the number of vegetarian shops have as well, in order to stand out Citizen Eatery had to do something different. “What makes us unique within the vegetarian and vegan community is that we do put an emphasis on our burgers and in terms of our flavor, we, what we attempt to do has put a big emphasis on clean eating at the same time and real savory flavors of comfort food means super clean eating and with some diversity as well,” Moyer said.

28 |Austin Digest

A small cafe with a big impact on Austin residents, Bouldin Creek Cafe has been a welcome place for people of all backgrounds for over 17 years.“The restaurant came to be from the owner Leslie Martin’s love of cafe culture, and wanting to keep some of that local in Austin,” Mott said.

It all started off when Martin began to see less and less of the traditional 80s cafes she had grown up with. “Leslie wanted to keep the old school Austin feel and decided to open up on South First Street,” Mott said.

Along with keeping things local, the restaurant is constantly giving back to the community. “We buy as local as possible and buy directly from a number of other small businesses in Austin,” Mott said. “Sometimes the pricing is a little higher, however, we believe it is important to support local businesses like ourselves to ensure Austin still has them around in the future.”

One of the main attractions of the cafe is the Veggie Royale, their in house made veggie burger.

“Leslie wanted to create a gathering space for the local community of artists to come together.”

-Cameron Mott.

Spicy Chickpea Wrap from Concious Cravings at S 1st street in Austin on Thursday, May 29, 2018. (Photo by Sahil Patel)

Wanna BLAT from Bouldin Creek Cafe Cafe off W Mary and South 1st Street on February 16, 2018. (Photo by Matthew Odam)

However, some may argue “The real winner is the Wanna BLAT. A classic BLT with avocado, vegan basil aioli and our in-house smoked tofu bacon,” Mott said.

This restaurant stands out in Austin by bringing together its community. “Leslie wanted to create a gathering space for the local community of artists to come together,” Mott said.

Austin has grown and changed over the years, the people who have lived here all their lives have given back to the community and more have been moving here by the day, adding culture to the already diverse city, to make it a better place and to help it grow. Along with the people the food has evolved to nourish a wide variety of diets which will only continue to expand.

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BEST VEGGIE BURGER’S The Best Vegitarian Burgers in Austin Ranked Hopdoddy By far the most well crafted black bean burger patty in Austin. The most flavorful and tender burger patty out of all of them. They didn't skimp out on the sauce and everything was in proportion.

Hopdoddy also had the lowest price, making it the most bang for buck burger on this list.

The most similar looking to a real beef burger, but in the end the freshest and most succulent veggie burger in Austin.

Citizen Eatery A really nice twist ona a classic black bean burger, made with white beans and the spice and herbs mix. This burger has more flavor than most and is complemented very well by their garlic aeoli. An all vegan burger which somehow outclasses even some of the best vegitarian burgers. The buger’s patty held togeather and had a satisfying bite which has always been a softer mush in some of the others.

A great burger with great flavor. It would make people who eat traditional non-burgers take a second bite.

Bouldin Creek Cafe A good burger patty with a unique twist. The Veggie Royal here was a good burger in general however it may just be about the personal preferences of the person ordering, but the Chipotle sauce had a an exotic texture and flavor I personally though wouldn't have gone well with the burger. On the other hand without this sauce the burger

A normal looking black bean burger with a unique tangy sauce.

Mothers Cafe Mothers cafe, although emits a nice homestead, feel had a sub par burger compared to the rest.

Due to it being dry and the patty having a very uncomfortable texture the burger wasn’t the most appetizing item on their menue. Voted one of the best veggie burger in Austin only behind the top 3. This is still better than most of the other vegitarian burgers in austin and deserved an honorable mention.

A dryer patty with a milder flavor.

•Personal Food Tasting, conducted Feb. 15-20, 2018

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4 Typical Burger Patties

The 4 most common types of burger patties and the nutritional facts

Black Bean Burgers

Nutrition Facts

Cal: 110 Fat: 4g Sodium: 330 mg Carrb: 13g

Portabella

Mushroom TOFU Burgers

Nutrition facts Cal: 125.5 Fat: 5.7g Sodium: 241.1 mg Carrb: 8.0g

Cal: 150 Fat: 4g Sodium: 650 mg Carrb: 14g

Nutrition Facts

Cal : 112.5 Fat: 1.7 Sodium: 252.2 Carrb: 20.5

Nutriton Facts

Chickpea

Burgers •sparkpeople.com

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BBQ With Ben

Exploring the World of Barbecue in Austin

By Ben Norwood

Meeting with legendary barbecue smoker, Bill Dumas.

W

hen coming down to Texas, people think cowboy boots, “howdy y’all,” guns, and of course, barbecue. Austin has some of the best barbecue in the entire world. Downtown alone has some of the big names like Franklin Barbecue, la Barbecue, Micklethwait Craft Meats and so many more.

If coming here for Austin City Limits, South by Southwest, or any other reason, there is more than enough barbecue to eat without even leaving the city limits.

The barbecue industry is an age old tradition for all Texans alike, dating back to the colonial times just as Texas was colonized. The smoke pits Texans know and love were designed to adapt to the new environment and still resonate in the designs used today. The brick pits they used to cook their food with were so unique and efficient that updating them wasn’t even necessary besides the materials. Barbecue

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was used to feed the farm hands cheaply and efficiently but developed to the industry it is today through great businesses and amazing tastes. Some of these businesses still with us include Sam’s Barbecue dating back to the 1940s, The Salt Lick which came up in 1967, and a couple more popping up in the 1970s like Iron Works Barbecue. Texas’ rich history in barbecue helped lead to Austin having the legendary barbecue industry we have today.

Learning what makes the barbecue in Austin so great and how it came to be requires getting to know the employees of the industry itself.

Meat variety is important in all restaurants and most employees have preferences they recommend or a favorite meat they always eat.

When getting advice from a barbecue restaurant employee, their opinion is worth its worth its weight in gold. “I’ve been working here about a yearlong now, smoked turkey is probably

my favorite meat,” said Jonathan McCulley, a barbecue associate at Rudy’s barbecue as he recommended his favorite meat. Each employee knows their restaurant’s barbecue better than nearly anyone as employees commonly eat there at lunch or bring it home for dinner.

“Sauce all the way,” said Melinda Clark recommending what to get for dinner. Clark is an employee who works at County Line, one of the many barbecue restaurants operating in Austin since 1975. The goal of all restaurants is to provide the customer the best service they can. Clark and McCulley explained that some of the core values for the barbecue restaurants in Austin revolve around putting the guests first above all and providing customers with the best experience and taste they can.

Barbecue restaurants operate as well oiled machine as the employees smoothly call out meats and orders in a very hectic environment.

Stiles Switch has a unique way to handle their

“They are all the same design and come from the same place, they just like different meats.”

Barbecue smoker in action. organization problems by naming their smokers.

Calling out pit one or pit two gets a little difficult so each one gets a special name: “The first smoker is Megatron, the second is El Chapo, the third is Malcolm, cause you know Malcolm in the middle, the third is Django spelled D-JA-N-G-O, and the very last smoker is named Clark,” said Bill Dumas, an experienced pit smoker at Stiles Switch. “Meat here is smoked 24 hours a day,” Dumas said explaining how they get the best flavor they can. These tactics and cooperation helped develop the barbecue restaurants that Austinites all know and love today.

At the end of 2009 and the start of 2010 is when Aaron Franklin of Franklin Barbecue helped usher in the legendary era of Austin Barbecue we know today. The modern barbecue era saw the sudden appearance of Stiles Switch in 2011, with Brown’s Barbecue, Micklethwait Craft Meats, and Freedmen’s following close behind in 2012. “The barbecue industry and business has actually only really taken off in the past couple of years or so,” said Dumas as he commented on the recent success of Stiles Switch. “New people trying new things and barbecue got tagged along in there,” Dumas further commented as he explained the recent success and the hopes for the future.

A wide view of the multiple barbecue smokers at Stiles Switch.

However, the barbecue industry taking off in Austin didn’t just affect the people in the United States. “We got one guy from Finland

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used to make the barbecue are specifically bred just for barbecue. Other countries like Finland, do not use or have the same regulations we have meaning that they won’t have as much meat and it will be different.

Another unlikely factor stopping other countries from making their own barbecue is wood.

“See we use a lot of wood from the Texas area called Post Oak, a white oak very very plentiful in Texas,” said Dumas when asked for an explanation about why the wood matters.

Post Oak is a cheap, plentiful wood that foreign countries do not have. There is a potential downfall for foreign countries serving barbecue.

“Basically all barbecue places use Post Oak in their smokers meaning that the wood affects the flavor in the same way,” said Dumas. The effect of the flavor could be a huge impact on the barbecue being served and heavily impacts the taste and quality of barbecue in Austin. “It’s just a question if its good or not,” Dumas said when asked for a final comment.

Brisket on the grill in a smoker. who came and asked us a few questions about barbecuing,” said Dumas as he explained how visitors from foreign countries are poking around asking about making their own barbecue places back home. Dumas explained that food and cooking shows generated attention and helped lead to this success and interest in the barbecue industry.

No matter what time of year you come to visit Austin flavoral barbecue will always be available.

The rich history of Texas barbecue guides the smokers of today and helped create the industry surrounding Austin that we have today. Whether you go to the big names like Franklin Barbecue or hit up some of the old classics like Sam’s you always get a great experience. It seems Austin will continue to have some of the best barbecue in the world for a pretty long time.

But “they are going to have a harder time doing that than they think,” explained Dumas as he said that people in foreign countries won’t be making barbecue as quickly or as well as they would like. “The pit smokers developed here ain’t gonna work in other countries,” Dumas said. Even if Finland wants Austin barbecue it isn’t going to taste the same because they will be using different smokers. New designs would have to be made to accommodate the different heating conditions and environments in foreign countries.

These new designs won’t be the only change in the foreign barbecue industry. “In the United States we specifically breed the cattle and the meat for cooking and butchering, other countries don’t,” said Dumas. In the United States and in Austin most animals that are being

34 |Austin Digest

A barbecue meal from Stiles Switch about to be eaten.

After having a great meal at Stiles Switch, employees let photographs be taken in the back of the restaurant and gave personal interviews for riveting information.

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A Guide To The Barbecue of Austin Where To Find The Best Barbecue

Barbecue varies from restaunt to restraunt.

Some use different smokers or different cows.

But down in Austin, we use the best smokers and the best home grown cows for the best possible meat.

THE BRISKET Barbecue restaunts in Austin vary their types of sausage. They make it straight from the pig or they make it from the brisket. Sausage comes in links or pounds but it all tastes good with sauce.

THE SAUSAGE

For some people, sides can be a make or break for a barbecue restraunt.

Creamed corn or baked beans add that special something to make barbecue pop. Some restraunts don’t have sides, most of them do.

THE SIDES

Best of the Brisket

Best of the Sides

Best of the Sausage

1 Franklin Barbecue 2 Stiles Switch 3 La Barbecue

1 Stiles Switch 2 La Barbecue 3 Terry Black’s

1 La Barbecue 2 Mickelthwait Craft Meats 3 Freedmen’s Barbecue 1 fedmanwalking reviews 2 LASA student reviews Feb. 2-9, 2018 3 Ben Norwood reviews

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The Best of Austin BBQ The Top 5 Austin Barbecue Restraunts

1

4.8/5

Franklin Barbecue 4.7/5

La Barbecue

2

4.6/5

3

Terry Black’s Barbecue 4.5/5

Rudy’s Barbecue

4 4.5/5

5

Stiles Switch Barbecue 1 tripadvisor.com reviews.

2 LASA student reviews Feb. 3-10, 2018 3 Austin Eater reviews

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