Flavors of the Month: July 2017

Flavors of the Month is a monthly feature of some of the best dishes and restaurants I enjoyed.

Huzzah for another month of great flavors! This July brought trying new-to-me restaurants Counter Cafe, Juniper, Don Japanese, and Tiny Boxwoods. Check out what I thought.

Pizza and Beer at Pinthouse Pizza
How do we celebrate the 4th of July? With pizza and beer of course! It’s been a while since I’ve had a beer at Pinthouse Pizza and their This is Juice IPA was great!

Breakfast at Counter Café
After years of wanting to try Counter Café, I made it! Joe’s Special is “simple” yet delicious. Potatoes, eggs, sausage, spinach, and toast – the breakfast gang’s all here. I had to try their seasonal peach pecan pancake and I would gladly go back for pancakes!

Dinner at Juniper
I was excited to try Juniper, a newer Italian restaurant in Austin. (It’s on the current top 25 restaurants in Austin list.) We had a big group so we ordered plenty to share. Puffy Potato, Robiola di Bosina, Chicken Liver, Yellowfin Tuna Crudo, Gnocchi, Orzo, Summer Squash, Pappardelle. We finished it off with the Milk and Honey and Panna Cotta desserts. All of the dishes were wonderful, and my favorite dishes were the Gnocchi, Pappardelle, and Milk and Honey.

Nightcap Cocktails at Mattie’s
We were in the neighborhood, so we swung by for a cocktail. I had never been to the restaurant before or after the renovation, so it was cool to see the property. It’s such a pretty place.

Dinner at Bonhomie
I ventured back to Bonhomie this month after trying it for lunch before. We enjoyed the Foie Gras Gravy Pommes Roti, Smoked Salmon Reuben, Gnocchi, Onion Rings, and Banana Split Profiteroles. The Gnocchi was my favorite!

Eggplant Rollatini at Picnik
I love how bright and colorful this restaurant is in addition to their healthy ingredients. I got the eggplant rollatini this time around but I really wish I had gotten the Southwest Hash, which is my favorite! I also couldn’t leave without a blondie ice cream sandwich!

Don at Don Japanese
I’m glad I finally went to Don Japanese! They were once a food trailer before moving into a brick-and-mortar shop near the UT campus. The Don with chicken was simple yet fantastic! The chicken was perfectly crispy.

Chai Chia at Juiceland
I love Juiceland, especially when I feel like I’m getting sick! My go-to is the Wundershowzen and Originator but I decided to try the Chai Chia and it was really good!

Pastry Brunch at Tiny Boxwoods Austin
I had all the heart eyes when I walked into this new Austin restaurant. This restaurant originated in Houston and recently opened a location in Austin. I love the structure and big windows that let all the light in. I ordered the green smoothie to start and it is a thick smoothie! It’s almost a meal in itself, so maybe not the best option with a meal. My friend Sarah and I love pastries so the pastry board (your choice of what kinds) was a no-brainer. We picked the cinnamon roll, morning bun, and donut. The morning bun was my favorite. I got the migas entrée and it was good though not my favorite. Next time, I’ll go for a croissant sandwich. Of course, I had to leave with their famed chocolate chip cookie to see what it’s all about. It’s a good cookie but there’s surprising nothing unique about it to me.