Austin, The Food
Day 5 in Texas, Part 2
April 26, 2019
Austin has a tremendous quantity of vegan food options. It’s actually a bit overwhelming! And I only had 3 meals. So breakfast first and the first of many food cart options. Biscuits and Groovy can veganize their entire menu. So, like the sign reminds you, don’t forget to say you want the vegan versions as meat and cheese are the default. But I also had to remember to tell them “No Vegan Cheese, Please.”
My delicious Johnnie Hash biscuits… soft and delicate biscuits covered with a ridic gravy with so mauch amazing black pepper, potatoes, vegan bacon and sausage.
It was so darn good.
Later, my lunch at an all-vegan food cart court! That’s right–all the carts were vegan.
In the end I chose Bistro Vonish for a hearts of palm po’boy.
Jeez, what is with how good Austin’s vegan food is!? This was all I could ever want in a sandwich–crispy, fresh, tangy. And the greens on the side were drool-worthy in a sweet dressing I needed to drink from a cup.
Sometimes I take another picture of the eats just to slow myself down.
After my bat viewing, the main event–one of the best overall vegan meal I my have ever had! I say maybe because I fall in love madly, deeply and often with meals. But this is definitely top 5 best ever. The Beer Plant, a “gastropub” (which I think is my favorite kind of restaurant) where they are doing things to my standard–no packages, house-made, delicious, beautiful. Perfection.
Finally meeting up with an old friend here in Austin, we started with the Rainbow Carrots + Ricotta: roasted local carrots, sumac, smoked almond ricotta, salsa verde. Gorgeous & delicious.
My dish, Hill Country ‘Chicken’ & Gravy: chicken-fried seitan, herbed fingerling potatoes, sweet carrots. My goodness I am a sucker for chicken-fried seitan. This was perfect–portion was right, sweet bites with the carrots, garlicky fingerlings… and the seitan so crispy and coated with a glorious gravy. I almost resented having to converse with my friend as I ate this! Lolz. I just wanted to moan and groan.
She got the Nashville Hot & Crispy: a huge battered king oyster mushroom, pickled celery, purple cabbage, remoulade on a pretzel bun.
But the best was for last–a Tres Leches cake DONE RIGHT! I always have to order it when I see it and I am always disappointed. Not this time: a tender soaked almond sponge cake, coconut anglaise, topped with a delicious toasted meringue in a pool of cashew caramel. Absolute perfection.
I have just a half day left before my evening flight so I plan to eat more of you, Austin! And I am drooling just thinking about it.