Nau's Enfield Drug Store

Cheeseburger at Nau's Enfield Drug

An old neighborhood pharmacy at the corner of Enfield and West Lynn, Nau's Enfield Drug Store probably hasn't changed much in the past fifty years. They offer service with a smile, they still sell crutches, magazines and perfumes. And they still have a soda fountain in the back that churns out sandwiches, ice cream delights and a few homemade desserts.

I enjoyed a cheeseburger for lunch one recent day. Regrettably I must admit that I was a bit disappointed with the food. But c'mon, it's hard not to be disappointed. The visual appeal of this anachronism, a real-life soda fountain something quite rare these days, is just so enchanting and filled with expectation. How can a little patty of grilled beef slapped on a bun with lettuce, tomato and a schmear of mustard compare with the nostalgia and charm of such a scene?

Still, the burger was decent. Sandwich, chips and water set me back less than five bucks. And when you include a free step back in time, I consider it a great value.

Brad & Conner

Brad & Conner

These closeup images of Bradley and Conner are arranged to fit a six-picture frame we bought at Target. Thought it was an interesting way to capture the two boys at their current ages.

Taco Deli

Taco Deli - Fish Taco & Al Pastor

Today I enjoyed another fine lunch at Taco Deli. I love this place and recommend it enthusiastically to anyone who asks. Though today's weather was cold, overcast and not conducive to outdoor dining, Taco Deli does have a nice outdoor seating area underneath handsome old Live Oak trees. The place is located just a stone's throw from a popular entrance to the Barton Crreek Greenbelt called Spyglass Trailhead. Those who travel by car can find it at the intersection of Barton Skyway and Spyglass Drive.

The indoor seating area is small and often crowded and the outdoor seating area is always crowded on fair weather days. But once your order is placed the food generally arrives quickly. Today I had my usual: one Fish Taco and one Al Pastor taco. The Fish Taco has a very generous serving of grilled catfish burried under a pile of red cabbage pico de gallo (red cabbage, red onion, tomato, cilantro). Yum! Light, healthy, cheap. What more could one ask for? The Al Pastor taco features chunks of pork marinated and cooked in Taco Deli's homemade Adobo sauce. It is always moist, tangy and delicious. Here's my favorite part: two tacos, glass of water with a wedge of lime, just six bucks.

Taco Deli
1500 Spyglass Drive
(512) 732-0303
Website: http://www.tacodeli.com

Freebirds World Burrito

FreeBird Burrito

Freebirds is a chain of about 15 or so fancy burrito joints. There's a location on South Congress at Riverside which is close to where I work, so I go there often for a cheap, quick and relatively healthy lunch. Pictured above and below is my usual dish: Freebird Steak Burrito with whole wheat tortilla, rice, white cheese, black beans, cilantro, red onion, lettuce, tomato, a splash of mild verde sauce and a healthy pinch of roasted garlic.

If you're going for lunch, be sure to order ahead by phone. If you're going during peak lunch times and you didn't order ahead, you might have to wait 10 to 15 minutes in line. That's no fun. But the burritos are tasty, healthy and at five and a half bucks, a really good value in my book. Oh, and be sure to say "hi" to the manager for me (pictured at left). He tried to stop me from taking a picture of the joint.

Freebirds World Burrito
515 S. Congress
Phone: 512-462-3512
Website: http://freebirds.com

Snow In Austin?!?

Snow and Ice on the Deck

This picture was taken from the sliding glass door looking onto the deck to the rear of our house. It was Wednesday, January 18th and everything was covered in ice and snow. That's right... snow in Austin. Most peculiar.

Sam

SamCam

Taken January 18, 2007. What a cutie!

Wahoo's Fish Tacos

Wahoo's Fish Burrito

I was thrilled to discover that Wahoo's Fish Tacos now has a location in Austin! I had come to know Wahoo's while I lived in Los Angeles and Newport Beach, and they'll be a very welcome addition to the taco and burrito scene in central Texas. On my first visit to the Austin location, I tried the Grilled Fish Burrito. Grilled fish, rice, black beans, grilled veggies, with an awesome hot green sauce on the side. I believe the cost was was about five and a half bucks. The Austin location has the same menu and the same in-store atmosphere as the Costa Mesa locations I'm familiar with. Highly recommended!

Wahoo's Fish Tacos
509-A Rio Grande
Phone: 512-476-3474

Penne Pasta with Pesto and Seafood

Dinner At Home

Made a nice dinner a few nights ago, thought it'd be worth describing here. The main dish consisted of Penne pasta drenched in a sundried tomato pesto sauce with mixed seafood (shrimp, calamari, oysters, clams, octopus and mussels).

The pesto sauce was made by TexaPesto, and I found it in the refrigerated pasta and specialty foods area at my local H-E-B store. They have three varieties of sauces, and the Sundried Tomato flavor is really great. I dumped a generous amount of freshly grated parmesean on the pasta and served it with a bottle of Pellegrino and a glass of AirBorne (hoping to avoid a cold!).

Nueva Onda

Nueva Onda Tacos Al Pastor

I recently tried Nueva Onda for lunch. This is another tex-mex joint I've passed so many times but only recently tried. On this particular day, I went for lunch at about 12:45PM. The place was mostly empty, so there was zero wait to order. The wait for my food, however, was about 10 minutes, which seemed odd given the lack of any other customers. I ordered two Al Pastor tacos, a favorite dish of mine.

When they finally were ready, they had a nice visual appeal: generous chunks of pork in a bright red Al Pastor sauce, with big chunks of pineapple and fresh cilantro mixed in. Looked great. But I met disappointment with the first bite. The meat was dry, a bit stringy. Just not very appetizing. Both tacos were this way. It was really disappointing. The price was about what you'd expect for a cheap taco joint, about six bucks for two tacos and a glass of water. I will probably give Neuva Onda a second try, but I'll try something other than the Al Pastor taco.

Nueva Onda
2218 College Ave
near intersection of S. Congress and Oltorff
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 447-506

Taqueria Vallarta

Taqueria Vallarta - Lunch Special

On my continuing quest for cheap lunches in Austin, I tried this joint called Taqueria Vallarta. I believe this is a chain of restaurants in Austin and other cities, but the location I visited is hidden away in an ugly South Austin strip mall at the corner of William Canon and South Congress. The interior is almost as tacky as the outside (see photo). The atmosphere definitely says "cheap food" and that's more or less what you get. Although, in my opinion, this kind of joint may be cheap but it is not what I consider a "good value." I ordered the $5.00 lunch special number thirty nine: carne guisada and cheese enchilada with rice and beans. It was what one would expect; not particulary bad but not particularly good. Uninspired. Most of the customers looked like hard-working people, and it always surprises me when I see people that work hard for their money spending it on stuff that really isn't a good value. Many of the combination plates were priced at $7, $8 and even $9. For that kind of money, I'd rather drive a few blocks out of the way, to a place that has interesting flavors, healthier ingredients and more generous portions. So I'm glad I visited Taqueria Vallarta for myself, but I don't think I'd ever have reason to go back again.

Taqueria Vallarta
6628 S Congress Ave.
northwest corner of S. Congress and William Canon
(512) 462-2515