Simplicity Wine Bar

Another Tuesday another dine out. Tonight's restaurant? Simplicity Wine Bar on Burnet. This place is a "Tapas" style restaurant, serving small plates and wine for cheap prices. This place has many alcohol selections, but since of course I am underage I paid no attention to any of that.

We arrived at 5, dining in style with the  old people, and were the only ones in the restaurant. From the outside the place looks kinda sketchy, but don't be scared just go on in! While nowhere near fancy, this place has a rustic/eco friendly/modern look, going for the recycled look but still classy. We were the first ones there, so when we walked in the staff were all sitting around the bar watching some Soccer game on the flatscreen, waiting for business to arrive.

You pick wherever you want to sit, either inside or out on a patio. We sat inside, as it was very humid that day and sitting outside sounded horrible. The waiter was very friendly, happy to answer any questions and our drinks arrived shortly. We first ordered the Escargot and Potato wedges from the starter menu.

Yes, the food was served on paper plates that remind you of Chipotle, but don't let that fool you. The food is excellent. The potato wedges were surprisingly good, baked in olive oil, healthier than fried, served with a cool creamy ranch dip.

This was my first time trying escargot, so i'm no expert, but this stuff was good! Served in a small dish with tomatoes and olive oil, healthy and delicious. To me the escargot was almost like a pasta. Chewier, but it had a sort of buttery flavor. It wasn't at all slimey like I expected it to be. I would definitely order them again. 

Next we got the Bacon wrapped quail and crawfish tomato bisque.

 The bisque came out hot and tasted like a tomato basil soup with chunks of crawfish on the bottom. It was very delicious though! Simple and elegant in a paper bowl. They brought out two baskets of rolls to dip in, and mmm they were a little sweet which is just how I like bread rolls.

There were little jalapeno bits over the quail which topped it off even more! A fancy version of a jalapeno popper sort of taste. Quail is exotic to some, but to me it's simply delicious, if I see it on the menu, I want it. These were no exception, they were fantastic! Served over grits which soaked in the juices and flavors and olive oil, I could've ordered several more of these and finished it off myself! 

Overall I would give this place 4 out of 5 stars. The food was excellent, service excellent, the prices very reasonable, the atmosphere ehh not my favorite but not bad, and i'm willing to overlook the fact that they were watching soccer in Texas. I would definitely come back again and try more!

The Rice Bowl Cafe

So, my latest food adventure was with my dad at the Rice Bowl Cafe on Braker and N. Lamar. It's a Taiwanese restaurant serving everything from noodle soups, to beef and broccoli, to egg rolls.
I had read a lot of great reviews about this place, and every time I've driven by it's been crowded so I thought I'd give it a shot.
We walked in and we were the only people there. The place was deserted, but I still had high hopes for the place. The staff were very friendly and helpful, telling us what the best dishes were. When I saw they had pickled pig ears I had to try it. How many times do you see pickled pig ears on a menu?
The plate came out quickly and the only way I can describe the ears was...cold, gelatinous, and porky. It wasn't a bad taste, it was edible, but not something I would want again. But it was fun to say that i've tried it!
For entrees we got the moo shu pork, and clear noodle and beef soup. The pork was absolutely delicious, served on a giant plate accompanied with tortillas and some sort of sauce. It was perfect flavors, perfect seasonings.
I'm not a big fan of noodle soups, but this one was actually pretty good! It was a little strange seeing clear noodles, but they had an excellent flavor. The broth was perfect.
The portion sizes were huge and we had to take leftovers home, but I give this place 4 stars! Delicious food, excellent staff, definitely going back again soon!

Introduction!

Hello everyone, my name is Sarah and I love food! This blog will be dedicated to sharing with all of you all the delicious foods I eat around Austin. Hope you enjoy :)