Austin Inspiration for Restaurants Everywhere
One
look at the ink on chef arms and hands in town and you have your first cue that folks in Austin ooze creativity. They care about fun, the environment, being good to their staff, and of course, throwing down some innovative cuisine.
Oaxaca to Double Bubble
Some Austin chefs go to great lengths, as in miles and miles, to get homegrown ingredients. According to OpenTable, for Nixta Taqueria that means crafting house tortillas from “an heirloom corn sourced from a family grower in Oaxaca.” Lucky Robot uses seafood sourced from the James Beard Foundation and Monterey Bay Aquarium’s sustainability programs to help protect the bounty of the ocean responsibly. Dolphin clap! In the quirky department, Voodoo Donuts shows they can bake and chew gum at the same time with Double Bubble dust and a wrapped piece of gum on the vanilla icing on their Bubble Donut. There’s even pizza inspiration from Detroit. Order the Cadillac at Via 313 and you’ll get a mouthful of marinara and more offbeat extras like gorgonzola, fig preserves, balsamic glaze, and Prosciutto di Parma in the unmistakable deep dish Detroit crust.
Tackling the Big Stuff
Recently, local chefs participated in a pop-up event to help draw attention to one of the biggest environmental issues today, food waste. They gave perfectly good food and drink scraps new life. Their demonstrations on low-waste cooking included techniques like dehydrating, making vinegars, and incorporating mushroom stems as a desert ingredient.
Staffing issues are growing these days. Some Austin restaurants are paying a living wage so that there’s no need for tips. Others are offering sick leave as a benefit. L’Oca d’Oro does both. That creates loyalty and generates top-notch hospitality for customers, a win-win for everyone.
Special Experiences
Live large at a ten-seat restaurant in town that changes its menu weekly. Go hunting and learn butchering from an expert snout-to-tail chef in town. Eat a three-course meal blindfolded. Bowl and eat amazing enchiladas at the same time. Have Indian fusion inside a convenience store. Creative souls have thought about just about everything in this town, from answering bigger industry problems to making sure fun stays on the menu for locals and visitors alike.
A Slight Bias
Since we’re not far from Austin, we’re a little partial to the eating scene here. We’ve been lucky enough to sample incredible food from a variety of cultures and immerse ourselves in exciting venues nearly everywhere. Friends include those we got to know early on over a sketch pad and pencil, blocking out patio enclosure ideas. These local experiences took us out of state, then across the south and now all over the country. It’s fun for us! Suggestions on great patio ideas that help grow your business year-round and plans for dinner are always a call away.
