Happy Friday!
I’m currently in Gruene, Texas spending a mother/daughter weekend with my mom and my 3 sisters. There will be lots of wine (…sparkling water for me), talking, laughing, and memories. I LOVE my people so much and I really cherish getting to spend this time with them.
Any favorite activités to do in Gruene? Send me a message on instagram!
Moving on to today’s blog post…
Twice a month, on Fridays, I share 5 restaurants I’ve been loving in ATX.
Some are new, some are super old, but all of them are noteworthy and worth considering for your foodie list.
I hope this fuels a great weekend of eating for you! Cheers to the weekend!
5 Restaurants You Need To Try In ATX
1. The newest neighborhood cocktail/coffee lounge: Velouria
Velouria is a cocktail/coffee lounge that opened in April right by St. Edward’s University.
They call themselves a “neighborhood bar,” not a craft cocktail bar, so expect to find good prices, easy drinks, and a comfortable environment.
My thoughts on this place: the decor is so chic! It’s all green/gold and is totally instagrammable. This is the type of place you’d want to meet your girlfriends for happy hour.
(Happy Hour, by the way, happens every day from 1-7 pm when you can enjoy $2 off cocktails and drinks!)
I didn’t get the drink a full cocktail because I’m pregnant, but my friend Caitlin loved her espresso martini and French 77. I had a cortado and I honestly wasn’t completely wowed by the coffee program…but I do like the friendly vibes, the pretty space, and the AMAZING cheese board from Antonelli’s that we shared!
WEBSITE | 1301 S Congress Ave
2. The hottest East Austin restaurant: Oseyo
This brand new Korean restaurant just opened on E Cesar Chavez, and I’m telling you: I’ve already told at least 10 people they need to go check it out STAT, and everyone who’s been has raved about it!
Here’s why it’s so great: the owner create a menu and an ambiance that reflect the homestyle Korean food that she grew up on. So even though the decor is trendy and gorgeous, everything about this restaurant, from the service, to the drinks, to the food, to the lamps hanging from the ceiling, just feels comfortable.
I’m so in love with Oseyo and I hope y’all go check it out!
WEBSITE | 1628 E Cesar Chavez
3. A new menu at a French restaurant: Le Politique
Le Politique just launched a “frites” section to their menu where you can order Moules Frites, Steak Frites, or Lobster Frites! I went on a date night with Nate last week and got the lobster. LOVE those little frites at Le Politique. They’re so addicting!
WEBSITE | 110 San Antonio St.
4. My favorite queso (thus far) from my queso search: Fresa’s
If you follow along on instagram you know that I’m doing a city-wide queso search .
This is no small feat.
My list is soooo long (this task is ending no time soon, y’all) but I will eventually get you a blog post with all of my findings.
For now, my favorite queso discovery is Fresa’s! I’ve been to Fresa’s sooo many times for breakfast, lunch, dinner, drinks, and dessert, so it’s kind of crazy to me that I’ve (somehow) never ordered queso.
But I went there with my sister last weekend, and I fell head-over-heels in love with their loaded queso. It’s the perfect thick, velvety consistency and has tons of delicious toppings (pico, salsa, black beans, chorizo).
Big fan.
WEBSITE | 1703 S First St
5. For some great fajita’s: Joanne’s Fine Foods
Joanne’s is from the MMH restaurant group (Elizabeth Street Cafe, Jeffrey’s/Josephine House, Perla’s, June’s) so you know the food is going to be A) expensive, and B) really good.
The menu is pretty vast, so there’s a lot I haven’t explored. But I ate dinner there last week and ordered the fajitas, and I was SO pleased!
Most fajitas are served at Tex-Mex restaurants and the meat is a bit chewy and overcooked. I’m ok with this, because I smother my fajitas with tons of sour cream, guac, salsa, and cheese, and the true taste of the meat is masked.
But at Joanne’s the meat is cooked to a nice medium rare with lots of pinkness (I had to be careful to avoid the parts that were too pink because of this annoying prenatal diet. UGH!) and the beef had tons of flavor.
The flour tortillas are homemade (WIN!) and although they’re not quite as soft and fluffy as what you’ll find at Valentina’s, they’re leagues better than average restaurant tortillas.
WEBSITE | 1224 S Congress Ave
Psst: before I sign off, did you see my new blog post? Click here to read 50+ Top Things To Do In Austin This Summer!
