In A Nutshell – April 2020

With COVID-19 in full swing the month of April saw a lot more takeaway, curbside, and delivery in an attempt to stay safe. I also tried to re-visit Austin area classics to spread my love around evenly. Oh, Kyrena and I also bought a house in April so it was certainly a busy one but I can say this month had some amazing food so let’s get to that already!

Rosewood – Austin, TX

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Took advantage of the food specials @rosewoodatx has going on during this weird ass time. 🍖 This was one of their two meal options last night, an amazing braised beef short rib with greens and mashed potatoes. For just $35 you can get dinner for two scheduled for pickup whenever it makes sense for you. The rib was so tasty and tender, the greens were awesome and they didn't even have bacon in them, and the potatoes could be my last meal in and of themselves. Keep an eye on their Instagram for their menu and get your orders in! In fact, this Friday, they have Wagyu Ribeye with potatoes and green beans for two for $35 or $55 for dinner for four! Get on that!

A post shared by ATXFoodGuy – John Kulow (@atxfoodguy) on Apr 9, 2020 at 9:52am PDT

Valentina’s Tex Mex BBQ – Austin, TX

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It's Taco Tuesday!! 🌮 @valentinastexmexbbq is one of the best spots in Austin to snag a taco but unfortunately they're going to be closed Mondays and Tuesdays for the foreseeable future. Don't let that stop you from enjoying a taco on another day of the week, though! They're only doing online ordering these days so you have to work the ordering process a bit to get the tacos but just remember each taco has roughly a quarter pound of meat in it and you can get tortillas on the side with your order, see what I'm saying? So here are two sliced brisket tacos with tomato serrano salsa and guacamole wrapped in their homemade flour tortillas! 🤤

A post shared by ATXFoodGuy – John Kulow (@atxfoodguy) on Apr 14, 2020 at 9:17am PDT

Short Stop – Austin, TX

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The overwhelming support of the Short Stop Chicken Slammer had me intrigued so I had to try it! 🐔 To the uninitiated, the Chicken Slammer is a sandwich consisting of two chicken strips, jalapenos, cheese, and gravy, on a hamburger bun with a side of fries and an apple hand pie. The description had me a little apprehensive but most of the people who commented on my last Short Stop post swore by it and I now understand why. This thing was good… the chicken tenders were so juicy and we're perfectly fried and the gravy, cheese, and jalapenos worked well together. I need to go back again and get just their tenders because they may rival Bill Millers which is a huge compliment. 🙏 Thank you to everyone who commented on the last post and informed me on what to order on my next visit!

A post shared by ATXFoodGuy – John Kulow (@atxfoodguy) on Apr 15, 2020 at 9:46am PDT

Delaware Subs – Austin, TX

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Had a hankering for a meatball sub yesterday and @delawaresubshop delivered. 🥖 I got the large which, if my hands are any indication, this bad boy is certainly large. Just a simple meatball sub with provolone, extra marinara, and their hot pepper relish mix. There's a good reason Delaware Sub Shop has been open and serving Austin for over 40 years and it's ain't for their bags of chips! My big thing when hunting for a meatball sub is the meatballs can't be cut or sliced, they need to be whole. I thought about saving this for Monday for meatball Mondays but I couldn't hold back, so here you go.

A post shared by ATXFoodGuy – John Kulow (@atxfoodguy) on Apr 19, 2020 at 10:05am PDT

ArtiPasta – Austin, TX

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Fantastic Italian food is getting easier and easier to find in Austin. 🍝 Especially from the food truck scene like what @artipasta.tx is dishing out down south at the @thicketaustin food truck park! One thing that sets Artipasta apart from a lot of others is Ugo and his team make all the pasta on the truck. A key point to note is he doesn't make just one type of pasta either, no, he makes the appropriate pasta for the dish. The type of pasta matters a lot because some meat heavy sauces like Bolognese tend to go better with tagliatelle where other dishes that are more delicate might need a smoother or thinner pasta noodle or maybe even a shell type like orecchiette. Ugo is from Italy so he fully understands the importance quality ingredients have when making amazing food that doesn't need to be over processed to taste great. 🍝 This specific pasta entree is their carbonara made with spaghetti noodles and topped with crispy fried bacon and black pepper and it's phenomenal. Good check him out!

A post shared by ATXFoodGuy – John Kulow (@atxfoodguy) on Apr 20, 2020 at 11:12am PDT

Miller’s Smokehouse – Belton, TX

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@millerssmokehouse and @millersbakedgoods do breakfast right. 🍳 This is their sausage egg and cheese sandwich made with two sausage patties, an over medium fried egg, melted cheese, and house aioli on a delicious buttery biscuit in place of a potato bun. @kyrenabeana ordered this custom bad boy when we ventured up there for breakfast one weekend and I was jealous. Try this or anything else on their breakfast menu and prepare to be blown away!

A post shared by ATXFoodGuy – John Kulow (@atxfoodguy) on Apr 28, 2020 at 5:31pm PDT

Red Ash – Austin, TX

(Housewarming gift from my Realtor, Anthony Gibson)

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When someone says they'll get you food from anywhere, you have to pick @redashitalia. 🤤 Here's some fun news… @kyrenabeana and I bought a house! 🏡 When this process started I decided to reach back out to the amazing Realtor that helped me find my condo 4.5 years ago, @askanthonygibson of @austinpropertiesgroup. I remembered him being super easy to work with, knowledgeable, patient, and responsive and a bunch of other traits that warrant repeat business and this time was no different. Buying a home in Austin is way different and a lot more tricky compared to what it was when I bought my condo. Luckily, we finally found one we liked at a great price and Anthony was there the whole time to guide us along. 🥩 Now, the food, this was Anthony's housewarming meal for us and it couldn't have been more amazing. We ordered the 20oz bone in filet, the spaghetti alla chitarra, wood roasted vine tomatoes and burrata, parmigiana roasted potatoes, hot and crispy country Italian bread, and tiramisu! Such an amazing meal to cap off the stressful, but rewarding, home buying process. 🙏 Thank you Anthony for the food and for your help through this process!

A post shared by ATXFoodGuy – John Kulow (@atxfoodguy) on Apr 30, 2020 at 9:16am PDT

Cocktail of the Month:
Homemade – Austin, TX

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Happy national cocktail day from the all new Quarantine Bar located in my home. 🍸 The Casino: 2oz gin (@thebotanistgin on this one) .75oz fresh squeezed lemon juice .5oz @luxardoofficial maraschino liqueur Dash orange bitters (@angosturahouse) Shaken with ice and strained in a coupe 🍋 This has all the refreshing qualities I like from a gin based cocktail. Give it a try! Cheers!

A post shared by ATXFoodGuy – John Kulow (@atxfoodguy) on Mar 24, 2020 at 8:24pm PDT