Sarah's Picks: A few of my favorite restaurants

So with the Austin City Guide coming out recently, I was inspired by all the great and interesting posts. Mine was on the best breakfast tacos in Austin, but after having eaten out a lot lately at some truly amazing restaurants, I really wanted to talk about some of my favorite with you all. I mean, these places just took my breath away with their food.

And for all you out of towner's here for SXSW I strongly urge you to check these places out before you leave!

The Noble Pig

Finally! I was so excited to try The Noble Pig last week. After hearing about it from a friend, food network, everywhere in Austin and from my brother about amazing this place is, i've been eagerly awaiting the time when I would finally try it....

And now I have.

Sometime's after hearing great reviews on something it tends to be a let down. I mean it has to be truly mind blowingly good if that's what I hear about it all the time. The Noble Pig was not a let down.

It's a very small deli several tables and usually a line out the door. When I went it was no exception. Me and my brother patiently waited in line in the Texas heat with everyone else trying to have a taste of one of, if not, THE best sandwhiches in Austin.

The menu varies from a familiar BLT to a Smoked Duck Pastrami sandwhich. The one that really caught my eye though was the Seared beef tongue sandwhich with smoked green onions, red pepper relish, and aioli. This sandwhich.... pure bliss. Served on whole wheat toasted bread, the simple combination of flavors worked perfectly together. And how they managed to get the bread from getting soggy I have no idea, but this sandwhich was a work of art.

It comes with a bag of seasoned potato chips, and of course who can pass up root beer in a bottle? A perfect lunch any day. Well worth the 8 bucks.

European Bistro

So where did my food adventures take me this last time? The European Bistro! A small restaurant in downtown Pflugerville serving the finest European food in all of Austin, in my opinion. This wasn't the first time i'd eaten here, but it was for my brother. He loved it, like I knew he would.

The atmosphere of the restaurant is very unique. A two story seating place, dimly lit with a piano player, a glass case filled with fresh made cakes and other sweet treats. It makes you feel like you left the small town of Pflugerville and went to an actual Bistro in Europe.

I've tried several of the dishes here, all of which were amazing, my personal favorite is the Jagerschnitzel. A veal schnitzel with mushroom sauce... (picture below) Just thinking of it makes me drool... Crispy, bready, saucy, yummy deliciousness....

But! That's not all. The Hungarian Goulash served over Spatzle is also to die for. A comfort dish that'll leave you satisfied and happy.

I tried the Chicken Crepes with Cheese Sauce for the first time and I was impressed. I've only ever had sweet crepes so I was a little weary about how it would taste, but this was even better than sweet crepes. Cheesy and chickeny, light and fulfilling. Packets of happiness.

And last but not least of the dishes we had that night, which was also very very delicious, was the pork schintzel. Drizzle the lemon juice all over it and fly right to European heaven.

The only drawback at the European Bistro is the food takes quiet a while to prepare. Even if you're the only customer there, they make everything from scratch so much prep is required. So I suggest getting an appetizer, like three cheese spread with bread. Very good and will hold you over until your food arrives! But trust me, the wait is  worth it.

The European Bistro is definitely in my top ten list of my favorite restaurants. The food and atmosphere score very high, and of all the times i've gone i've never been disappointed. The staff are all very friendly and knowledgeable and the musicians that play are very talented. I strongly urge everyone to try it out at least once. You won't be disappointed.

Lukes Inside Out

So since my birthday was in the middle of the week last week, we had my birthday dinner on Saturday instead of the actual day, but the wait was definitely worth it. Cream Cheese and Herb Stuffed Venison Rolls with Cranberries, Squash Casserole, Salad, and French Bread... Om nom nom... So good! Plus along with the other two cakes we had in the house that I had gotten on my birthday, my mom who's an amazing baker, made me Paula Deen's German Chocolate Cake.... Worth every calories omg. I could live off that stuff... Well until it killed me!

Now onto the food, our latest adventure being to Luke's Inside Out food truck on South Lamar. Food trucks are becoming the big thing right now, but some people still doubt how good/clean they are. I mean how could you get good quality, fresh, and sanitary food from a mobile truck? The question is out of my hands, but I sure am a fan of their amazing grub! I actually have expectations for these places now, not only do I expect my food to be fast but I expect it to be good as well! Luke's Inside Out is just that. Good food! Scratch that.... Great food! The staff are also very friendly and very helpful. I talked to one girl who worked there about cameras and how we take pictures of almost everything we eat, she was hilarious, and the co-owner I think about becoming a chef and working in the food industry. Just the people alone make you feel welcome and want to come back!

Opened by badass Luke Bibby who's been catering to musicians for over twenty years. This guy knows what's good!

Now the menu is pretty basic sounding, but what they do to it makes it special! Something you won't find at a whole lot of places. It's mostly  sandwhiches with a few appetizers. The sandwhiches are named after the meat they're made out of such as "The Pig" which has pulled pork, shiner bock beer, peaches, bacon, gouda, and cheddar topped with onion rings and chow chow on toasted french bread. Does that not sound like the best pulled pork sandwhich ever?!

Unfortunately I didn't try it... But what I did try was excellent. For an appetizer we ordered the Mapo Tuna Fingers with Sesame Slaw, featuring Salmon that day since they were out of tuna. The salmon was very very lightly breaded and absolutely delicious. It didn't fall apart in little pieces making it agonizing to get a bite, and the cole slaw was perfectly seasoned. The dish was perfect. Simple as that.

Next was a special on the menu, I can't recall exactly what it was called but it was ceviche tostada. It had shrimp and salmon with guacamole and a nice "salad" on top, all on a crisp flat taco shell with some sort of sauce. Although very messy, the mess was worth it. This dish had a little bit of a spice to it, which me being the wimp that I am was not to fond of, but the taste made it worth every bite. I would definitely recommend it to seafood fans!

Going to Luke's you have to try their sandwhiches. That's what they're known for, you just have to! After a long debate between getting the Rabbit or The Pig I finally settled on the Rabbit, since it was featured on Food Networks "Diner's Drive In's and Dives". I was not dissapointed! Pulled rabit meat, pear slices, tater tots, and a bbq sauce on a toasted french bread roll. I gotta say, I love rabbit and this sandwhich did it justice! Although I did pick out the tater tots and eat those on their but that's just how I am with everything, I like everything to be eaten separately don't judge! The sandwhich was amazning, and BIG! Served with potato chips with parmesan on top. Yumm...

Great service, great food, serving to all the people at the Gibson bar right next door, this place is gonna go far!

Blue Dahlia Bistro

I'm late I know I know, not that anyone really reads these anyway... But! I have a good excuse so don't judge just yet! We went to dinner on Tuesday and I was exhausted that night, just go to bed at 9 o'clock tired I don't even know why, then Wednesday was my birthday, woot woot 17, which you will see in the belowe picture of me and my boyfriend, I look so weird, but he bought me a cookie cake, how sweet! And delicious! Plus my brother bought me a chocolate raspberry mousse cake, so heavenly, and my mom's making me a German Chocolate cake this weekend plus a birthday dinner. I think i'm getting fat.... Anyways, on Thursday I had classes, one of which got cancelled so being the smart person I am I went ahead and took the Department exam for English 1, which I passed! So guess who's done with English for the year! Ah i'm so excited, now I just have to finish TX Government and i'm done with school for summer! Two more weeks baby! And finally here it is Friday afternoon with nothing to do as of right now. Later i'm making shrimp and grits one of my specialties so a very exciting Friday for sure!

Now for the review. Blue Dahlia Bistro... Let me start by saying my dad wasn't too enthusiastic about coming to this place, just because of the location. Here's the story, my dad used to work for the Texas lottery back in the day, so he would have to go to convenience stores and liquor stores and do whatever business with the people. There's a little liquor store on East 11 that he had to go one day, it was in the afternoon, and he parks his car and starts walking towards the store. A white man then comes out of the store with a gun screaming "What the hell do you think you're doing here?" My dad tries to explain that he worked for the lottery and was just doing his job. The guy then tells him "Don't you ever come here in the afternoon. You make this your first stop, you come in the morning then you leave!" The guy then has to back my dad up to his car while pointing his gun at a bunch of gangsters walk out of the liquor store towards my dad. Yeah... I'd be iffy about going back too. Now though, where East 11th used to be ghetto, it's now the residence of places such as Blue Dahlia Bistro, Franklin Barbeque, and a little yoga shop. New buildings have transformed this place from a ghetto, to a nice little hipster corner. 

Blue Dahlia fits in perfectly. It looks like a French bistro, with a patio in the front and in the back. The front is covered in plants and flowers, and when you walk in it's dimly lit with a pastry counter filled with delicious treats you want to just attack right there. The back patio is all concealed by a fence and is beautifully decorated with plants and flowers as well. The atmosphere really made you think you were somewhere other than Austin. The wait staff were very friendly and attentive as well. I give them a good grade for that.

I had already looked up the menu online so I was pretty sure what I wanted before I even got there. Truffled Duck Mousse Pate with Cornichons, Coq Au Vin Blanc, and Duck Cassoulet stew. Unfortunately I didn't see the duck stew on the menu at the restaurant, so instead of that we got Mussels Dijon. 

Mmmm Duck Mousse Pate with Cornichons... Last week had been my first taste of any kind of pate, so you can see I got addicted. This here, was amazing... Better than the Pork Pate I had had before. It was stronger and creamier, and just melt in your mouth amazingly good. I could eat just that and be happy. 

The Mussels Dijon. A giant bowl overflowing with delicious mussels in a creamy white wine sauce with bread completely surrounding the whole thing... What's not to love? Second time having mussels ever in my life, and i'll be honest, the other time I had it was better. But, still very very tasty and definitely satisfies the craving for mussels. 

First time having Coq Au Vin Blanc chicken. Maybe I had my expectations higher, but I was expecting a little more. Maybe if I had had this on a cold day it would taste better, but on a 90 degree day in Texas, ehh. It was still delicious and cooked just right, but it reminded me of just chicken soup without the noodles. Which is totally cool with me because I really don't like noodles in soup too much. Very good, but I think i'll stick to the pate next time! 

So there you go folks! Sorry I was late once again! Do check out Blue Dahlia Bistro because it IS a very nice very relaxing restaurant, and I hear the brunch menu is amazing, I shall try that next time!

Hipster hotspot? Cowboy comfort?

Ah where to go if you're a hipster and you want a relaxing place to eat that serves GREAT food and a great atmosphere? Contigo is the place to be! Almost every diner seemed to be a hipster to me which suits me just fine!

Opened by two cowboy-like smart guys, Ben Edgerton and Andrew Wiseheart, they have made the perfect combination of flavors, themes, and ambiance for a great restaurant. Ben, who worked as an advertiser for 5 years before coming to Austin to open a restaurant, worked in the food service for quiet a while before meeting up with Andrew, a chef who not only studied cooking but traveled around to learn more about food, and opened the restaurant. The two guys wanted to bring their own "ranch" to the people, a place where people could hangout, relax, drink some beers and enjoy the little things in life, which is exactly what you can do at Contigo. While many restaurants only manage to do either the ambiance or the food good, Contigo does both perfectly.

Originally I had planned on going to Foreign & Domestic in the North Loop area, after reading the owners story and seeing some exotic menu items I was very intrigued! However, my dad wasn't as excited about trying Beef Heart TarTar as I was, so instead I suggested Contigo since I knew he would love the Tapas style of serving. 

On to the food! I love trying different and exotic foods, and while the food I had may not be to crazy and adventurous, i'd never had some of it before so i'll count it as a new experience. For starters we ordered the Pork Liver Pate, which came with Eggplant Fritters with Honey. I've never had any type of Pate, so this was one of those new experience, and damn have I been missing out! Spread the Pate onto a toasted slice of french bread and add a piece of the eggplant fritter and you've got yourself a little slice of heaven.

For the entree's we ordered the house sausage, which that day was Pork and Andouille Sausage which came on a baguette with french fries, dijon, onions, and sauerkraut if you ask for it. The sausage was delicious. I'm not the biggest sausage fan but this....this was some great sausage. Add some onions and sauerkraut and it just makes you smile. And the french fries? Delicious. I'm very picky about french fries but I have to say these were great fries. Crispy, salty, don't-wanna-stop-eating-them goodness.

We also ordered the Rabbit and Dumplings. I'd never had rabbit before, so another first! I had been hankering for some biscuits and gravy after seeing some shows on them on Food Network and Travel Channel, so of course if I can't have biscuits and gravy what's the next best thing? Rabbit and Dumplings, and let me tell you this dish is the best comfort food you could eat. Hot and steamy, creamy and starchy, carby and meaty. This dish has everything. Served in a cast-iron skillet it's so beautiful you almost don't want to eat it for fear of destroying such a masterpiece. But once you do, you tear into that bad boy and don't hold back! This is what you want on a cold winters day... or any day really. This has to be one of the best things I have ever put into my mouth and that's saying a lot for a passionate indecisive teenage foodie like myself. I'm craving this right now as I type it....

This is the first restaurant that i've been to so far where every single thing that we ordered completely blew me away and made me crave it even as we were leaving. 5 stars definitely, I can't wait to go back!

Mesa Ranch

Mesa Ranch was my dad's pick. It sounded great to me so I was excited to check it out!

Walking in we were quickly seated and given our drinks. The performer was setting up to start playing once it got a little later. 

The meal comes with jalapeno cheese cornbread shaped into cactuses, and rolls with herb butter, which while good, not in my top 5 restaurant breads. The bread also didn't arrive at our table until the entree did, which was a tad annoying.

We decided on the Stuffed Peppers as an appetizer. The staff was very friendly in seeing that me and my dad were sharing all the meals so they divided all the dishes up in two. It took them a while to bring it out, but it arrived finally and we were in awe. The whole thing looked like cheese soup with some shrimp covering half a pepper. Greasy and cheesy, delicious if that's what you like, but I have to say they might want to change the name from stuffed pepper to cheese surprise. 

For the entree we got the sampler platter which featured Mashed Sweet Potatoes, Grilled Quail, Elk Sausage, and Chicken Fried Venison. Two things on this dish wowed me, but the other two were just okay. The Elk Sausage was good itself, but the overkill of cheese turned me off. I picked through the cheeseball and just picked out the sausage. The Chicken Fried Venison was no where near as good as I had hoped, reminding me of store bought or pre-maid food. The Grilled Quail however was very very good! Some sort of sweet sauce covered it and oh boy was it delicious. Juicy and perfectly cooked! The Sweet Potatoes were sinfully decadent. This could be a dessert item it was so sweet! With pecans it was the perfect mix of deliciousness. 

Overall I would come back for the quail and the sweet potatoes, but nothing else. The overkill of cheese just didn't do it for me. The atmosphere was nice, a piano player/singer sang some songs and made it very pleasant and cozy, a very nice setting, but the food didn't live up to the hype. 

Bistrot Mirabelle

Another Tuesday another night out! Sorry for my lack of posting, I didn't get around to posting my review of Mesa Ranch, but I will after this one! 

Tonight's culinary adventure was french cuisine at Bistrot Mirabelle on Mesa Dr. At my last job, a co-worker had told me he worked at this restaurant as well, and finally I managed to check it out. I'd read rather good reviews from Urban Spoon and Yelp, and after looking at the menu online I was very excited to come here, everything sounded good! 

We walked in and were given a very welcoming greeting, seated and quickly we had our drinks. The staff were all very attentive and friendly, knowledgeable about the menu and ready to answer any questions. I always drink a lot of water throughout my meal, so the staff being able to keep up with filling my glass about 7 times throughout is always a good thing! 

I'm always excited to try new things, and I wasn't sure what I wanted to try that i'd never had before, I mussels or duck liver pate. In the end we decided on the mussels as an appetizer and was not disappointed! They came in a bowl in a white wine butter cream sauce and topped with french fries. Definitely a great introduction to mussels for me! The french fries, while not the best, were hot and crispy and very very good! The mussels reminded me somewhat of escargot, the same consistency and texture, and I was very pleasantly surprised with how good they were. What really made the dish though was the sauce! Creamy and buttery but light and delicious. Perfect with mussels and oh so good for dipping bread in! I could've eaten the sauce and bread all night it was so good!

 For entree's we ordered the Tuesday special, the Choux Farcis, cabbage rolls with ground pork and beef in a tomato butter sauce and served with their whipped potatoes. Very very delicious! Perfectly cooked, the mashed potatoes, while nothing special, were still very good and went perfectly with the sauce.

The other entree we ordered was the Friday special, Lobster Pot Pie. Due to a large amount of lobster they had they decided to serve it today as well as on Friday. Puff pastry envelopes the Lobster stew to make a puff of heaven! The pastry is delicious, the stew was creamy and the lobster was perfectly cooked. Lemme tell you, this is definitely worth the price. The amount of lobster you get in this is amazing! Huge chunks of lobster fill the bowl making sure you don't feel ripped off.

Worth the price any time! The quality of the food and service is great. Great food a cozy atmosphere. Simple and sophisticated.