takeru

if you like tequila, this is the place to come. right by at&t park, tres agaves is a very hip, trendy, up-scale mexican restaurant with a well stocked tequila bar. we went on a wednesday evening and it was packed!

the reason to come is definitely for the drinks. they have several tequila flights to sample as well as a wide range of margaritas. we had the house margarita which was very good.

while the drinks were all high quality, the food was just ok. i had the carnitas which was well seasoned and very tender, but the accompanying side dishes were very average.

So I was in Austin for business and asked the hotel front desk where to get some good Texas barbecue and I was directed to the Salt Lick. Located in the small town of Driftwood, it was a good half hour drive to get there. Was it worth it? You bet!

The first thing you notice when you walk inside is that it’s all about the barbecue. Everything else is no frills, from the simple picnic style benches to the cheap tableware.

The menu is extremely simple with a handful of choices for meat and some sides. I ended up with the combo patter which came with brisket, sausage, and pork ribs. The sides were some slaw, potato salad, and beans.

While this sounds like any other barbecue platter, everything was quite a bit different from any other barbecue that I’ve had before. First of all, their sauce was very unique. It was a mustard based sauce as opposed to a tomato based sauce, which may sound weird, but was really very tasty. The brisket was well cooked but could’ve been a bit more flavorful. The sausage was really tasty, but the ribs were just ok.

As far as the sides were concerned, the potato salad really stood out. It’s definitely one of the top 3 potato salads I ever had. I finished the meal with a warm blackberry cobbler which was just perfect. All in all, it was a great way to experience Texas bbq, and at $9.95 for the combo plate, it was quite a bargain.

If you like creative rolls, this is the sushi place for you. Surrounded by the card dealerships on Broadway auto row, this neighborhood joint is a great blend of good quality fish, local sake, and a warm, inviting atmosphere.

I stuck to pretty traditional rolls and nigiri which was all prepared well. The only creative roll I tried was the Shrek roll which was Yellowfin and Ahi tuni wrapped in a roll with tobiko and plenty of avocado. I generally like avocado with my rolls, but there might have been just a bit too much and it overwhelmed the fish a little.

There’s also a nice selection of sake to choose from, featuring many selections from Berkeley’s Takara Sake. I sampled several and found an unfiltered sake that was really, quite delicious.

While I have to admit that I’ve never been to Philly and had an actual cheesesteak there, people from Philly seem to agree that this place does it right. Whether it stays true to the original or not, they make a pretty darn good sandwich.

They have several locations throughout the Bay Area. I’ll usually get the standard cheesesteak with everything on it (the peppers they use are awesome!). But occasionally I’ll get the spinach and mushroom cheesesteak. I come here for lunch frequently, and while it’s close to $10 for a meal with fries and drink, I think it’s definitely worth it.

A fixture in the East Bay, Everett and Jones is a great place to go to get some good, honest barbecue. They have 4 locations in the East Bay. I’ve only been to this one and the one on Fruitvale. Both are geared towards take-out, so there aren’t many tables for eating there. If you want a more sit-down restaurant atmosphere, you’ll have to go to the one in Jack London Square.

But enough about the ambiance, let’s talk about the food. The focus is the meat. The sides are pretty much afterthoughts, which is fine by me. With long smoke times, all the meats definitely have a good, smoky flavor. Their bbq sauce is above average but not spectacular. Their brisket is definitely the highlight, slow cooked and full of flavor. Chicken and ribs are better than most, but nothing to write home about. I will say that I’m not a huge fan of their hot links.

But all in all, this is the place I go when I’m hankerin’ for some good ’cue.

If you like gelato, you must check this place out. They have the most extensive and unique selection of flavors that I’ve ever seen. On top of that, they offer most flavors in both regular and a low/non-fat version. I don’t believe in low/non-fat ice cream or gelato so I haven’t tried them, but it’s nice that they offer that for those who prefer less caloric options.

Be sure to sample some of their more unique flavors. My all time favorite is the bosc pear. I could eat that all day. If you’re feeling under the weather or need some energy, try the ace multivitamin flavor.