Every other Friday I share a round up of some of my favorite restaurants I’ve tried recently! From the brand new to the old tried-and-true, these are a few places that are worth checking out:

5 Restaurants You Need To Try in ATX:

1. For A Quick Bite: Biderman’s Deli (downtown)

The next time you’re  downtown and craving a warm, chewy bagel, head to Biderman’s! It was opened by the same guy who brought us Seventh Flag Coffee on South First St, and the Jewish-style deli in downtown Austin is Biderman’s second location; the first is on Far West Blvd.

I’ve yet to go back and try the lunch sandwiches, but I’m already craving another lox and cream cheese everything bagel, so I’m sure I’ll be back soon.

WEBSITE | 800 Brazos Street, Suite 215

2. For A Lunch Meeting: Malibu Poke

Malibu Poke is the new poke restaurant at The Seaholm downtown. Malibu Poke originated in Dallas (not Malibu….go figure) from James Beard Award-nominated chef Matt McCallister. When you walk in, you order at a kiosk, sit down, and your bowl is brought to you.

Get this: there are 63,000 possible combinations here! And they offer you samples of anything (“just like Baskin Robbins,” they told me) including protein, toppings, and sauces.

WEBSITE |  211 Walter Seaholm, Suite 115

3. For A Weekend Date Night: Lenoir

Nate and I celebrated New Years Eve here, and it reminded me how much I adore this sweet little restaurant! Chef Todd Duplechan is so creative with his locally sourced “hot weather food,” coming up with dishes that are as aesthetically pleasing as they are exciting to taste.

This isn’t necessarily a “budget-friendly” restaurant, so plan on splurging for a fancy date night out!

(Psst: the wine garden in the back yard definitely IS budget friendly, though! They have some awesome happy hour deals.)

WEBSITE | 1807 S First St

4. For your coffee break: Hot L Coffee

The new Carpenter Hotel on South Lamar opened just a few months ago, and there’s a gorgeous little coffee shop on the ground floor that’s worth checking out! I’m always hesitant with new coffee shops, because they pop up constantly and lots of them rely on “cuteness” instead of actually serving good coffee.

I’ve been back three times, and I’m pleased to share that the coffee program at Hot L seems to be rockin’! They use Merit Coffee (a reputable roaster from San Antonio) and pastries are made in-house at the Carpenter Hall restaurant.

WEBSITE | 400 Josephine St

5. For A New Austin Restaurant: Sweet Chive

https://www.instagram.com/p/BsTZxP9gEiy/

This is a new Taiwanese restaurant in East Austin. Nate and I stopped by for a quick lunch last weekend, and I tried a few menu items. I loved the Bon Bon Chicken and the fried dumplings. I wasn’t, however, all that thrilled with the noodle dish I tried (I’m forgetting the name, and the website isn’t up for me to check the menu…but it was the first noodle dish on the menu.) Overall it was a bit bland and lackluster, and I ate a few bites and left the rest behind

I loved the other two items, though, and the family who owns the restaurant is so sweet and goodhearted, so I genuinely hope they’re able to work out any kinks in the menu! If you head to Sweet Chive, let me know what you think of the food…

FACEBOOK | 2815 East Cesar Chavez

Happy eating! Be sure to tag me on instagram (@somuchlifeblog) and let me know what you’ve been eating in ATX!