In A Nutshell – October 2019

Wowza, October 2019 was a freaking blast! I visited Spain and Italy with my good buddy Carlos and ate EVERYTHING. Most of this post will be food from that trip, unsurprisingly. Enjoy!

KGBBQ – Dia’s Market Pop-up – Austin, TX

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Here's my tray of delicious smoked meats from @kgbbq. I ordered his amazing brisket, a delicious lamb chop, and a new chicken sausage recipe he created which had sun-dried tomatoes, olives, and feta cheese, and of course a side of his pink potato salad. I convinced @achapa3 to try the potato salad and I'm pretty sure he's hooked now. This is my last post from @ghayesh87's most recent popup at @diasmarket_austin but I want you to know I'm serious about the love and support I'm dishing out because he's going to do great things! Give @kgbbq a follow and keep an eye out for his next pop-up; I'll see you there!

A post shared by ATXFoodGuy – John Kulow (@atxfoodguy) on Oct 3, 2019 at 9:20am PDT

Salt & Time – Austin, TX

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To everyone that recommended the butcher burger to me from @saltandtime, you were right, that thing is amazing. It's a half pound patty made with steak trimmings from the butcher shop and topped with mayo and pickles on brioche. I added the cheddar cheese and the bacon and, holy smokes, even my dad thought it was amazing. For $13, pre-modifications, I think it's probably the best burger in it's price category in Austin, plus that price includes the bad ass beef fat French fries, there's really no way to beat that.

A post shared by ATXFoodGuy – John Kulow (@atxfoodguy) on Oct 9, 2019 at 9:11am PDT

Creekside Cookers BBQ & Steak – Wimberley, TX

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@creeksidecookersbbq down in Wimberley impressed me when I visited back in February and now they're opening a brick and mortar just a half mile away from the trailer location on River Road. They were doing a friends and family soft opening last night and I was happy to be included on the guest list so I popped down there with my mom and @bestbarbecue to see what new stuff they're cooking up. They've added a few familiar faces like @saustin151 and some great menu items like this brisket poutine. Fries topped with a rich mushroom gravy, white cheddar cheese curds, smoked brisket, scallions, and pickled onions come together for a perfectly salty and flavorful appetizer, definitely worth the drive to Wimberley! Be on the lookout for more from this visit!

A post shared by ATXFoodGuy – John Kulow (@atxfoodguy) on Oct 13, 2019 at 9:39am PDT

Hobby’s Delicatessen – Newark, NJ

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If you've been watching my stories you'll know I'm in Spain right now but before making it over here I had a long layover in Newark, NJ so I left the airport for some lunch at @hobbysdeli. I went with their lunch option which included a soup, I picked matzo ball, a half sandwich, I picked their famous corned beef and pastrami, and a drink. Once I cleaned those plates I asked for a black and white cookie for dessert and, lemme tell ya, this meal really did the trick. It let me get away from the airport for a bit, it took care of my hunger, and it's all from a cool Jewish deli that's been around since the 60s. It wasn't on my list but after tomorrow it has its place!

A post shared by ATXFoodGuy – John Kulow (@atxfoodguy) on Oct 19, 2019 at 9:38am PDT

Casa Salvador – Madrid, Spain

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Nothing like a delicious meal in a bad ass local restaurant that happened to be visited by Anthony Bourdain at one point. This is @casasalvadormadrid and @atxcocktails and myself ordered a bunch of stuff to share including spanish chorizo, lightly fried hake, oxtail stew, and of course a bottle of wine. Great food, great price, unassuming digs, in a great area of town to continue the night? Can't beat that!

A post shared by ATXFoodGuy – John Kulow (@atxfoodguy) on Oct 21, 2019 at 8:43am PDT

Asador Olaverri – Pamplona, Spain

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On our trip to northern Spain we stopped in Pamplona to have lunch at Asador Olaverri. This has been our most expensive meal so far but it was totally worth every damn Euro! @atxcocktails and I ordered a 1kg ribeye, a half order of lamb chops, local peppers, bread, and wine and finished it all, like the gluttons we are. I even used some of the leftover bread to soak up some of the remaining juice from the steak and it surprisingly made the bread taste like a glazed donut! Weird but welcomed. Definitely make this place a priority if you find yourself in the area because you will NOT regret it.

A post shared by ATXFoodGuy – John Kulow (@atxfoodguy) on Oct 23, 2019 at 9:24am PDT

Pintxo Crawl – Old Town San Sebastian

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Well, when we made it to San Sebastian @atxcocktails and I sought out some gin and tonics and some more pintxos! So in this area they use the Basque spelling of pincho, hence the difference, but the concept is the same. Small bites with a drink of some sort like wine or beer. Lots to show here so be sure to swipe through the photos! Also check out the beautiful (and large) Spanish style gin and tonic at the end.

A post shared by ATXFoodGuy – John Kulow (@atxfoodguy) on Oct 24, 2019 at 7:00am PDT

Pizzeria Da Attilio – Naples, Italy

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This is the second spot I've visited from the pizza episode of @davidchang's @uglydelicious show and it's @pizzeriadaattilio in Naples, Italy. @atxcocktails and I were staying just a few minutes walk to this spot so we had to pop in and get ourselves a pizza. As we were walking in they were pulling a margherita pizza out of the oven so I got a great shot of that but we ordered the Attilio Special pizza which is one pie with 9 slices all with different toppings selected by master pizzaiolo Attilio himself! It was great to be able to have the chance to try different styles all on one pizza since we had such a limited time in the area.

A post shared by ATXFoodGuy – John Kulow (@atxfoodguy) on Oct 29, 2019 at 9:21am PDT

Pizzeria Mattozzi dal 1833 – Naples, Italy

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This is arguably one of the worst pictures of one of the best things I had on my trip to Spain and Italy with @atxcocktails. You see, in Naples, they have a popular local street food called pizza fritta or fried pizza and for just €4 Carlos and I got this massive one from the side window at @mattozziristorantepizzeria. The dough was fried so lightly and beautifully, like the best funnel cake you've ever had, and was stuffed with delicios tomato sauce, provolone cheese, and black pepper. I couldn't believe how much food you got at such a low price, this is a definite must try if you're ever in Napoli!

A post shared by ATXFoodGuy – John Kulow (@atxfoodguy) on Oct 30, 2019 at 9:11am PDT

Cocktail of the Month:
Bar Arraun – Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain

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Thinking back to Donostia-San Sebastian when @atxcocktails and I stumbled upon a cocktail bar in a quiet alley away from the pintxos hubbub called @arrauncocktailbar. It was a Monday night so the place was fairly empty but that allowed us the opportunity to sit and chat with the owner, Mikel, and have him mix up some of his awesome specialty cocktails like this beautiful green drink in the photo. The Al Green, consisting of mezcal, lime, basil and black pepper syrup, egg white, absinthe, and orange bitters, had so many amazing flavors coming together to make a complex and delicious drink. He knows what he's doing, especially since he's worked at some notable cocktail bars all over the world so, next time you find yourself in the gastronomical mecca of Spain, be sure to take a short stroll and check out Arraun Cocktail Bar and tell Mikel we sent ya!

A post shared by ATXFoodGuy – John Kulow (@atxfoodguy) on Oct 31, 2019 at 6:23pm PDT