Thursday, December 31, 2015

Top 5 posts of 2015

2015 has been a year full of fun...with lots of good food!  Here's a look back at Home Made Austin's 5 most popular posts for the year.  I can't wait to see what 2016 will bring.  I'm guessing more delicious eats!



                                 Chicken Salad Wonton Cups with Sesame King Tahini Dressing
















Monday, December 28, 2015

Brunch at Vox Table

Though Austin is known for amazing brunches, we rarely try them.  Most Sundays, I am too lazy to get dressed; hanging out in pjs, sipping on coffee & nibbling on chocolate or leftover bites until well after lunchtime.  

It's a nice way to spend the day, but it's fun to try something new once in a while too!  A couple of weeks ago, Andrew & I met his sister Katie on South Lamar for a little brunch at Vox Table.  None of us had been before, but I think we will all be back.

We sat down right at 11am and were quickly greeted by an incredibly friendly & knowledgeable server.  He gave us a quick run-down of drinks & offered up a few tips; including the very helpful suggestion to order several dishes & share them.

We took him up on the advice & I'm so glad I got to try bites of everything.  All of our small plates were amazing & came out in the server recommended order, which flowed perfectly.  Definitely let your server take the reigns in this area!  

Crab Benedict with prosciutto chip and yorkshire pudding bread
We started out with the Crab Benedict.  If I were to order a dish all to myself, this one might have been it.  The soft, flaky bites of yorkshire pudding bread went so well with the butter poached crab, egg & creamy hollandaise sauce.  And the super crisp proscuitto chip was a wonderful addition of crunch & pork goodness.  

Salsa Verde Pork Hash

The Salsa Verde Pork Hash was up next.  The rich egg paired nicely with the spicy pork & vegetables.  The combo of corn, zucchini & sweet potato was original & tasty.  And I appreciated that the dish was not overwhelmingly spicy.  I've been known to be a wimp when it comes to heat & there was just enough to keep the dish interesting without turning my taste buds off.  

Stuffed toast with ricotta, roasted strawberries & aged balsamic

Rich, fruit & cheese filled stuffed brioche was the finishing jewel of our brunch.  This dish was decadent, but so, so good.  Roasting the strawberries & adding aged balsamic brought out so many flavor notes & really made the dessert unique.  The stuffed toast might have tied the Crab Benedict for my favorite dish.


'Choose Your Own Spice' Bloody Mary with a LoneStar chaser
I chose one of the Mimosas (tasty & quite strong!), but Katie & Andrew both tried out the Blood Mary pictured here & liked them alot.  They came with a dropper of hot sauce, so that you could control the level of spice (genius!) & were accompanied by a beer chaser.  How fun?!?

Vox Table

1100 S. Lamar Blvd.
Ste. 2140
Austin, TX 78704
512.375.4869

Dinner
Sunday - Wednesday, 5-10pm
Thursday - Saturday, 5 - 11pm

Brunch
Saturday - Sunday, 11am - 2pm 

Friday, December 11, 2015

Crispy Crust at Burn Pizza

You can tell from my blog & by taking a gander at my social media profiles, that I love pizza.  All kinds.  Thick crust, thin crust, homemade, delivery, fancy, plain...you name it.  With the exception of maybe those 99 cent frozen concoctions, I've very rarely met a pizza I wouldn't eat at least a slice or two of.  Burn's pizza is so good, I would eat my weight in it.  And I tried to do just that when we visited.

Nestled in East Austin, down the quieter side of 6th street (with a parking lot!), Burn is a comfortable little spot, specializing in roman-style pizza.  What's roman style pizza you might ask?  Super thin, crispy cracker-like crust with blistered edges.  It's awesome & you should go get yourself some right now.


We started off by ordering a little wine & beer.  And fried artichokes.  Let's look at those guys up close....


These little bites of artichoke heart are so delicious.  Crispy, rich & creamy, & they come in this fun cone/wooden holder combo.  That's just cool.  The crunch from the fried parsley & the cool lemon aioli add to the overall tastiness.  There are plenty of fried artichokes in this cone, but I could've easily eaten the entire thing by myself, they're that yummy.


The pies were up next & did not disappoint.  I wasn't sure what to expect from a roman-style pizza, but I was more than happy with what we were served.  The crunch from the dough is really nice & refreshing & it allows the simple toppings to really shine.  A word to the wise, the pizzas are large, but because they're so thin, you'll likely eat more than your usual number of slices.  Order accordingly.


My choice was the Margherita.  Topped with tomato, mozzarella & basil.  Classic, fresh, delightful.  A must-order in my opinion.


Andrew ordered The Devil.  This pie is topped with spicy salami, tomato & mozzarella.  Equally enjoyable & a good choice for the carnivores. The salami has a good amount of spice, but it's not overwhelmingly hot.  

We were really pleased with our experience at Burn & I know we'll be back for lazy Saturdays & after-work eats soon.  The restaurant has a fun neighborhood vibe to it & the pizza is so scrumptious, it's easily worth driving to downtown on the weekend.  




Burn Restaurant


1802 East 6th Street,
Austin, TX 78702
512.609.8174

Sunday - Wednesday, 4 - 11pm
Thursday - Saturday, 4pm - 12am

Thursday, December 3, 2015

Buttered Coffee and a new Stinson's Location



When a restaurant's decor is as delicious as the menu, I do a little happy dance.  Food and pretty rooms, two things I absolutely love.  Stinson's newest location, housed in University Park just off of I-35 and 32nd, does not disappoint in either area.  The beautiful black, navy and white design and rich, reclaimed wood serves as the backdrop for craft cocktails, bistro-style bites and an extensive coffee bar, including butter coffee.



Buttered coffee(!)  I have heard the buzz around this eccentric beverage, but never tried it for myself until I visited the new Stinson's location this week.  You guys, it is worth trying.  Cream has always been a must-have in my morning cup, but buttered coffee provides all of the richness without any need for half and half.  And it's really fun.  My cup was decadent and delicious and definitely got me moving.






While we were at Stinson's new digs, we tried their signature appetizer, Tortilla Espanola.  Full of rich layers or luxurious potatoes, it was a true winner and would be a perfect happy hour treat.  The flatbread pizza was also noteworthy.  Crispy crust, topped with a bevy of fresh Mediterranean toppings.  Two for two!  And I loved all the capers!


Everything was so tasty and I loved the fun, bold decor.  I can't wait to check out their breakfast selection, which includes morning paninis, Nitro Iced Coffee, and Liege Waffles.  Yum.



Stinson's

3300 N. IH 35
University Park

512-948-8383


'Bonjour' Breakfast served from 6:30 - 11am, Monday - Friday and 7:30am - 12pm Saturday and Sunday

All-Day Bistro Menu available until 10pm Sunday - Thursday, 12am Friday and 1am Saturday