Dinner at Sway at The Domain
We were excited to visit Sway at Rock Rose at The Domain. We’ve been waiting for the restaurant to open since it was announced. Same design and feel as its original location on South 1st. We got the whole fried fish, though we were a little disappointed that it wasn’t as crispy as we’d like. We liked the soft-shell crab. It’s been a while since I got the Thai tea affogato and it did not disappoint! It’s easily one of my favorite desserts in town.

Brunch at First Watch
This chain restaurant recently opened a handful of locations in the Austin area, taking over locations of The Egg and I. We shared an eggs benedict and French toast, both solid!

Homemade Tacos
Enthusiasm for my cookbook challenge has simmered considerably but we’re still cooking most of our dinners at home. These were simple street-taco-style tacos with beef, onion, cilantro, lime, and salsa on corn tortillas.

Totchos at PDQ (Complimentary)
Top fried potato things with anything and I’m down! PDQ invited me in to try their new totchos and even though they gave me a complimentary meal, I almost licked the plate. The tater tots are topped with bacon, Fritos, scallions, queso, and ranch. I also tried their Thai chicken rice bowl, which was great also.

Craft Beer and Snacks at The Brewtorium
Propeller Head IPA was a good one at The Brewtorium and I’m glad I visited this place! I love their big, open space, and I bet it will be a happening place this summer. If you visit, come hungry because they’ve got a good menu too. We tried the pretzel with beer cheese along with their potato pot-stickers and brat pot-stickers. I’m definitely coming back for pizza and more beer!

Happy Hour at Academia (Complimentary)
Academia invited me in to check out their new bar on 4th Street. School-themed décor, including a file folder menu, are throughout the place. They have a strong cocktail program and with $5 happy hour drinks, who wouldn’t be a fan? Be sure to get the crab cakes!

Dinner at Julie’s Noodles
When Boyfriend suggests eating noodles, I TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT! We went to Julie’s Noodles for soup dumplings, pan-fried dumplings, and noodle soup. Surprisingly, the beef burrito, which was beef wrapped in a scallion pancake was the best thing we ate.

Lunch at Noon
Have y’all visited the newly branded Noon yet? (It used to be Verts.) It’s like a Subway or Chipotle but with Mediterranean food. I like the concept but I’ve gone twice and both times some of my food was too salty. My dining mates liked it though so it was either my dish or my taste buds.

Brunch at Le Politique
I came here for the pastries! Added this delicious kouign amann to my blog list. My eggs benedict was all right. Have you eaten here for dinner? What’s your favorite dish here? I want to like this restaurant because the design is great but I’ll likely only pop into their bakery and grab some pastries to go.

Iced Chai at Merit Coffee
This coffee shop at Seaholm is from San Antonio and their location makes it a happening place. Janna and I sipped drinks outside and waited out a passing thunderstorm. My iced chai was good!

Austin Food Bloggers Alliance Happy Hour (Complimentary)
It’s been a while since I attended a happy hour! We have an awesome food bloggers group in Austin and we have monthly happy hours sponsored by restaurants and/or brands. This month, Lantana Hummus hosted us in their beautiful space and invited Rays Spirits, Mighty Swell, and Siete Foods to join us. It was a lovely evening outside and we got to try all the goodies. We even got to be a part of their user testing for their NEW line of fruit hummus coming out this fall!

Other Food Stuff

• Austin Chronicle released their First Plates awards of the year. This honors the best restaurants in town.
• James Beard Awards for 2018 were announced.
• Coming soon to the blog are my recommendations for what to eat and drink in Mexico City! Stay tuned.

What’s one thing (food/restaurant) I should try this month?

P.S. Want to see the best foodie events in Austin? Check out this list.

Keep up with my food adventures! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Bloglovin’. You can also subscribe to the exclusive email list.

The post Flavors of the Month: May 2018 appeared first on Fearless Captivations.

Pastries at Brentwood Social House
In my research for my annual ‘Best Pastries in Austin’ list, I visited Brentwood Social House. The Fat Rascal is a common English pastry similar to a scone, and it was delicious! Scones are quickly becoming one of my favorite pastries. We also tried the Millionaire Bar (shortbread, caramel, and chocolate) and a stroopwaffle.

Complimentary Tasting at Pokeatery
Pokeatery invited me in for a complimentary tasting and I was excited to say yes. I’m a little iffy about poke bowls, but Pokeatery got it right! I like raw fish and sashimi but too much of it, pieces that are too big, and too little sauce is not a good combination for my poke bowl. I loved my poke box with tuna and salmon, citrus kale, brown rice, avocado, and more. (Yes, there’s a few scoops of fish underneath the toppings!) The easiest way to describe the restaurant is like a Subway or Chipotle where you choose items as they put it into your box. You can also get your poke on toast. Don’t leave without Dole Whip. This pineapple soft-serve had me drifting back to my Disney vacation.

Ramen at Kome
I survive cold weather by indulging in noodle soups. I finally tried Kome’s ramen and I am a fan! The tonkotsu is a hearty dish with a light broth. Kome’s new, bigger location up the road suits them well!

King Cake from Easy Tiger
My coworker Terrence, a NOLA native, spoils us with king cake in the office every year and somehow I’ve missed out on this every year, so I made SURE that I grabbed a slice to remedy this. Have you tried this fancy cinnamon roll? This year he ordered from Easy Tiger and it did not disappoint.

Salad and Pizza and Beer at Pinthouse Pizza
Do you ever have days where you crave pizza? My typical Pinthouse order: Pinthouse Salad (with spinach, candied pecans, blue cheese and cranberries), The Works pizza, and whatever draft beer feels right. If you like IPAs, Pinthouse will have your heart.

Dinner at Tan My Restaurant
Even though I’ve gotten to know North Austin restaurants pretty well, there are still so many to try, especially mom-and-pop Asian restaurants. We tried Tan My Restaurant and my vermicelli bowl with charbroiled beef was so good. Now I’ve got to go back and try the pho!

Market Eatery at H-Mart
We visited the new H-Mart in Cedar Park. This Asian grocery store opened this month and it was so crowded, an employee started directing traffic and orienting carts in the produce section. It’s a big grocery store and has a curated food court called Market Eatery. Most of the restaurants had limited menus, as they’re trying to adjust to the crowd volume. There are also a few restaurants not open yet. We tried the Korean street food and Sunday Bird, the Korean fried chicken place. This first visit was pretty good.

Homemade Steamed Fish
During our trip to H-Mart, we picked up a red snapper for dinner. Steamed fish is one of my favorite dishes!

Other Food News

ATXBestEats City Guides
Austin Food Blogger Alliance members create an Annual City Guide featuring the best restaurants in Austin, and this year’s edition is LIVE! See all the guides here. I wrote three guides this year:

• Best Cupcakes in Austin
• Best Pastries in Austin
• Best Restaurants in North Austin

H-Mart vs 99 Ranch Market
H-Mart isn’t the only new big chain Asian grocery store in Austin. 99 Ranch Market is opening this month! One Austin newspaper called H-Mart a grocery shopping game-changer, and I wonder how these two stores will impact the area. One, there will definitely be compression on the handful of smaller Asian grocery stores already in town. Two, the stores came to Austin because there was an existing audience but will it bring larger Asian populations? With it, will it bring more Asian restaurants? It may never reach the numbers of Dallas or Houston (though hopefully, the quality improves) but it can hold its own.

The Moral Responsibility of Restaurant Critics
In my last Flavors post, I talked about how the restaurant industry was experiencing a reckoning by the #MeToo movement to fight sexual harassment. This New Yorker article follows up that conversation. Several publications have vowed to never again post about chefs who have been accused and their restaurants. Others must include an asterisk as if giving the reader the moral dilemma to choose to dine there or not. When you dine at a restaurant, is it possible and/or necessary to take into consideration the moral characters of all those involved – owners and chefs?

Ugly Delicious
Have you watched Chef David Chang’s new Netflix show Ugly Delicious yet? I keep hearing good things.

What’s one thing (food/restaurant) I should try this month?

P.S. Want to volunteer in Austin? Check out these culinary-related opportunities.

Keep up with my food adventures! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Bloglovin’. You can also subscribe to the exclusive email list.

The post Flavors of the Month: February 2018 appeared first on Fearless Captivations.

I finished off 2017 with a solid month of eats in December. Thankfully, the excessive eating that usually happens around the holidays didn’t happen this year! It’s all about moderation, people. I was happy to try a new cidery (possibly my new favorite in Austin??) and of course, visiting my family for the holidays meant plenty of Chinese food. This month included Noble Sandwich Co, Taverna, Fairweather Cider Co, Veracruz All Natural, and more!

Happy Hour at Taverna (Complimentary Austin Food Bloggers Alliance Event)
Happy Holidays, indeed! Our Austin Food Bloggers Alliance had its holiday party at Taverna, an Italian restaurant in Austin. (We dined at their sister restaurant Toulouse last month.) They treated us to an array of appetizers, including bruschetta, arancini, butternut squash tortellini, pizza, and cannolis for dessert!

Mac and Cheese with Pulled Pork from Noble Sandwich Co
This mac and cheese dish has gouda and the pulled pork is tender and juicy. This is a winning combination! Noble Sandwich Co. got a new food trailer to fling their good eats outside of their two brick-and-mortar locations. On this occasion, they were a part of a private holiday party at a brewery. I don’t love mac and cheese but I loved this mac and cheese.

Breakfast at Veracruz All Natural
I gathered some of my gal pals for breakfast at the new Veracuz All Natural location in North Austin. It was busy! It would be awesome if they had 3x the seating they currently have. But the food was good (migas taco FTW) and when you order a horchata, it comes in this Big Gulp-sized cup that is probably bigger than my bladder.

Chocolate Cake at 1886 Cafe and Bakery
Ah, the infamous chocolate cake at The Driskill. It’s rich and decadent. This was also my birthday cake this year. Happy birthday to me!

Dinner at El Chipiron
I was excited to try this new Spanish restaurant in town, and this was my first visit. I liked the octopus dish, and the jamon iberico was delish. The mussels were strongly salted and the arroz negro fell flat. I’m not sure why the service was so slow. It took 45 minutes to get my cocktail and maybe they were short-staffed because the waiter wasn’t very present. Overall bummed that the food was ok and the service was subpar but I’m willing to give it another try if the opportunity arises. Maybe you will have a better experience?

Lunch at Thai Cuisine
This restaurant is next to Tomodachi and it’s always full when we’re there. I convinced Boyfriend to go try it for lunch. Pretty, pretty good. Their menu is extensive, and lunch entrees come with rice, a choice of protein, and a selection of appetizers from a buffet. I went with one of my favorite Thai dishes, Pad Kee Mao, which is stir-fried flat noodles with veggies. The Thai tea was also great!

Brunch at Copper
Janna’s gal pals and I celebrated Janna‘s birthday with brunch at Copper. I’ve seen them at a couple of foodie events and frequented their cake ball shop years ago but it was my first time dining there. Their Southwest Benedict was solid, and of course, we didn’t leave without enjoying some cake balls!

Cider Flight from Fairweather Cider Co.
A new cider place is open in Austin! I’m really excited about this place. It’s the closest cidery to me and their ciders are top-notch. They have hopped cider! A lot of ciders I’ve tried are too sweet for me and I prefer drier ciders. If you’re the same, you’ll love Fairweather Cider. Go try a flight of four ciders for $10 and get ready – cans are coming soon!

Homemade Texas Sheet Cake
I’ve been craving Texas Sheet Cake for years. I used the cocoa powder I bought in Belize and it made this incredibly rich Texas Sheet Cake.

Barbecue at Pecan Lodge (Dallas)
We happened to be in the neighborhood, so we got in right before they closed. No line! (This is one of Texas Monthly’s Top 50 Barbecue Joints in Texas.) I had high expectations. We got brisket and pork ribs to go. The brisket was disappointing (too dry) but the pork rib was good. Maybe I’ll try again if it doesn’t involve waiting in a line.

Dim Sum at Kirin Court (Dallas)
Visiting home usually means dim sum. I very rarely eat dim sum in Austin so this was a treat!

Homemade Congee
Visiting my parents means lots of homemade food! I ate plenty of congee! Pictured are congee with fish and with chicken.

Pastries at 85°C Bakery (Dallas)
The Asian franchises are invading. From grocery stores to bakeries, these California-born establishments are setting up shop in Dallas and Houston, for better or worse. Their quality is consistent but what does this mean for the mom-and-pop stores? I’ll save that discussion for another time. I was excited to taste some great pastries from 85°C Bakery, and from how full the shop was when I was there, I wasn’t the only one. This taro-filled bun was heavenly!

Lunch at The Halal Guys
This new restaurant from New York opened a few months ago and I finally got around to checking it out. I got the gyro with rice. Good choice for a meal but after this first visit, I still like local restaurant Halal Bros more. (Pictured here are the small and large options.)

Homemade New Year’s Eve Dinner
Boyfriend and I stayed in to celebrate New Year’s Eve and made a few Thai dishes, including this pineapple shrimp fried rice!

What’s the best thing you ate last month? Comment below!

P.S. Did you see all the good things I ate in Belize?

Keep up with me elsewhere! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Bloglovin’. You can also subscribe to the exclusive email list.

The post Flavors of the Month: December 2017 appeared first on Fearless Captivations.

Breakfast at CBD Provisions (Dallas)
After staying in town for a Dallas Cowboys game, we ventured to downtown Dallas for breakfast. Their weekday breakfast selection wasn’t as good as their weekend brunch but it was our best option and it was very tasty!

Homemade Sweet Potato Hash
This has become my boyfriend’s signature homemade breakfast dish and I love it! Sweet potatoes are roasted with rosemary and then cooked with kale, bacon, garlic and onions. Finally, eggs are cracked on top and it’s baked in the oven. Hearty, healthy and delicious!

Bites at Wine and Swine
Austin Food & Wine Alliance’s annual Wine and Swine event is consistently my favorite annual Austin culinary event. The weather is usually perfect and the food can’t be beat. My favorite dishes this year were the pastrami bun from Olamaie (that ended up winning the award), the pulled pork torta from Franklin Barbecue, cassata gelato in a tiny lard pastry crust from Dolce Neve, and smoked Hawaiian pork roll from Launderette.

Hot Pot at Shabu
Craving warmth on a cold night, we found it at Shabu. We had a spread of shrimp, quail eggs, beef slices, two kinds of mushrooms, and Chinese lettuce.

Homemade Pecan Pie
I made this pecan pie for my work Thanksgiving potluck. It was a hit!

Crabsgiving
Following up our Seafood Boil, we had the equipment for a few more weeks before we had to give it back, so why not another? This time, in addition to shrimp and snow crab, we got king crab. I would NOT want to encounter one of those things in real life! The legs were long and sharp. Our friends braved the cold with us and we enjoyed our fill of seafood.

Homemade Chicken in Spicy Red Pepper, Tomato and Mushroom Sauce
When I crave a certain dish, I consult the internet to find a trustworthy recipe. When my boyfriend craves a certain dish, he buys all the ingredients he thinks goes in it and wings it. It’s a great talent to have (especially if you simply reap the benefits like me), and this dish turned out SO GOOD. It’s got spicy red peppers, diced tomatoes, mushrooms, white wine, chicken, garlic, yellow onions and a bunch of spices. Served on top of brown rice and with a side of homemade black beans, this dish will hopefully become a staple!

Chinese Thanksgiving Feast
My dad and cousin put a big effort into our Thanksgiving meal this year and it was so good! Lobster, crab and crab fried rice, mushrooms, steamed fish, jellyfish, turkey and Chinese broccoli. We all had full bellies by the end of the night.

Gyro Plate at Prince Lebanese Grill (Dallas/Arlington)
Boyfriend and I went to visit his sweet grandma in Arlington during Thanksgiving, and we found a highly rated restaurant in the area. She had never had Lebanese food, and it was so cute hearing her say, “well, I tried a new kind of food today!” We learned when we sat down that the restaurant’s claim to fame was their appearance on Food Network years ago. We started with their popular appetizer plate with hummus, babaganoush, tabouli, and dolmas. Boyfriend had the spicy chicken shwarma that was tasty and I really enjoyed my gyro plate with meat, rice, pita and greek salad. If you’re ever in the area, give this place a visit!

Kale and Avocado Dip, Matcha Horchata, and Quinoa Burger at True Food Kitchen (Dallas)
True Food Kitchen is an aesthetically cute and trendy restaurant in Dallas’ Preston Center and there are locations around the U.S. Their menu is focused on anti-inflammatory and seasonal foods. We started with the kale and avocado dip, which was very similar to guacamole. I loved my matcha horchata, made with almond milk, and my quinoa “burger” had a little too much quinoa but I enjoyed the flavor combination of quinoa, hummus, tzatziki, tomato, cucumber, red onion, avocado and feta. I’m looking forward to the Austin location coming soon!

The eats with no photos because the restaurants were dark and I was savoring the moments!

Dinner at NoRTH
The situation: way past dinner time at 9pm and all the new restaurants you want to go to are too far south. Thank goodness for the restaurants at the Domain! My favorite dishes of the night were the Grilled Cauliflower with fried egg and baby asparagus and the bolognese pasta dish. Dinner was delightfully paired with a stellar Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.

Dinner at Bullfight
I was excited to try Bullfight for my birthday dinner. The overall experience was good but not great. The marinated octopus dish was very tender but over-seasoned. The grilled quail and tomato gazpacho were good but not impressive. I didn’t enjoy the crab on toast. My favorite dishes were the mushrooms with a jamon cured egg and the diver scallops. For dessert, the Crema Catalana (creme brûlée) was really good. The Tempranillo and Monastrell red wines (by the glass) were very compatible with the food. Wanting to re-live some of my amazing eats in Spain, I may have had too high of expectations for traditional Spanish eats, but Bullfight has a lot of potential to become a favorite. I’m looking forward to returning with friends next month to try the jamon! Side note: If you’re looking for Spanish tapas and traditional dishes, Barlata is the closest I’ve found in Austin. Bullfight is more of a fusion restaurant.

What mind-boggling things have you been eating this month? Have you tried any new restaurants lately?

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