Visiting one of my dearest friends Alle this April was an excellent decision for two reasons. First, I missed her like crazy and the chance to catch up for a girls-only weekend was one of the smartest ideas we’d ever had. We spent most of our time laughing, talking and generally delighting in each others company, enjoying the brilliant blue skies over Texas.
Me and Alle grilling on Lake Austin. Note: every boat should have a grill.
Second reason this trip turned out to be a stroke of genius is simply because I’d never been to Austin before. Now, I had no real interest in Austin per say before coming to Berkeley. This is because countless Berkeleyans who’ve been to SXSW to indulge in the country’s best music festival of all time, frequently return to California only to rave endlessly about how Austin shines like a beautiful beacon of liberal politics and indie music/film in central Texas. This certainly peaked my curiosity.
Before arriving in Austin, I hounded Alle to prepare an all out local eating tour of her adopted city. She took the challenge seriously. First stop was some proper BBQ at Rudy’s, an uber-popular local chain that many claim is the best of many options.
I’m make no claims to be a BBQ connoisseur, but I can say this meal hit the spot and and sort of exceeded my expectations. Honestly, I expected it to be greasy and heavy and all feel a bit dirty. But on the contrary, it was nearly elegant in a no frills sort of way. Mouthwatering slices of brisket and ribs on a piece of parchment. Ice cold bottles of Dos Equis. Buttery potatoes and fresh coleslaw (unfortunately served in styrofoam containers). All topped off with some of the yummiest banana pudding I’ve tasted since Magnolia bakery’s version back when Alle and I lived in NYC’s West Village.
From there onwards Alle’s itinerary pretty much stuck to food trailers. A wise, wise decision. Now in the past few years, San Francisco has been in the midst of a bourgeoisie food truck love affair, but I have to say Austin has a well-established plan for integrating trailers into the infrastructure of urban eating culture.
Trailers sell well-tailored, relatively affordable, usually quite delicious food that is accessible almost anywhere one might get a rumbly in her tumbly. Pseudo-permanently parked outside bars, in clusters around parking and empty lots, and even alongside a trendy row of boutiques.
Exploring everything from gourmet-style sandwiches to coconut covered and chocolate dipped fresh-to-order doughnut holes, I managed to eat plenty on this trailer tour but forgot to photograph most of what I saw and experienced.
Save for our satisfying brunch at the famed Torchy’s Taco trailer.
We ordered, paid, sat down at the benches in the parking lot, and the meal was perfection. Enough said.
Unsurprisingly, being a regional epicenter of foodie-ism, there are countless amazing Austin-based bloggers exploring their city’s many culinary carts and eating adventures. Here are a few of my favorite discoveries - check them out whenever you’re in their neighborhood or if you just enjoy reading about food:
