UPDATE: This #ATXBESTEATS City Guide has been updated for 2017 to include new contact information as well as new selections. Please visit the updated guide, here.
When I was younger, I imagined I'd be middle-aged (at about 35), and I'd be a writer. I'd sip on tiny cups of nuclear espresso. I'd ride my candy apple red bicycle down the sidewalks, my straight ashe-blonde hair pulled back in an insouciant ponytail, streaking behind me in the wind. I'd wear wools and flannels and leather, because you know how frequently Southern women wear wools and flannels and leather, I'd be effortlessly chic, because I'd read that in my mother's not very well hidden copy of Cosmopolitan, and I'd have a worn copy of Jack Kerouac tucked under my arm. I'd carry a sleek gold pen and a tattered leather diary. On a perfumed sheet of pale pink stationary, folded and tucked into my pocket (my bigwool pocket), my hastily sketched grocery list, decorated by absentmindedly doodled stars and hearts, of course.
I'd stop, first, for a bottle of champagne, and sample port with the wine stewards before I leave. I'd cycle on for charcuterie, then bread, and stay a bit too long for the jazz, then on to pick up cheese, maybe fish--and a chat about politics, perhaps a dessert. Of course every stop along the way I would have nibbled and sipped and snacked, so that when I slowly rolled myself home--edible treasures tucked securely in the wicker basket attached to my bike, I'd be almost full before dinner. I'd slip into some vinyl Edith Piaf crackling on the turntable, and finish the evening curled up early with a luscious cashmere lap blanket and a book, a flute of chilled champagne, and a plate of my favorite light nibbles. And oh, yeah. I'd be French.
And here I am at middle age (which is way older than 35). Among the aprons I wear and the pens I carry, I'm a writer. A food writer by trade. A writer who drinks too much espresso, probably. I don't have long, straight hair, I don't wear wools and flannels very often (I've never lived anywhere north of South) but you might catch me dressed in a little leather rebellion occasionally. I tote all kinds of diaries and journals around, I'm on my third Kerouac, And in the pocket of my cardigan, you'll find at least one slightly crumpled, hastily sketched grocery list (and likely those stars and the hearts, too.)
I have that vinyl Edith Piaf, and the turntable with which to spin her. I have a pretty blanket, so soft, not cashmere. I never seem to call it an early night, and champagne is a rare treat (but I stash an emergency bottle. A girl should never be too cautious about champagne). And I have that candy apple red bicycle with a wicker basket attached to the front in which I tuck the treasures of shops like those that populated my younger dreams, Imported Cheese and a fresh baguette for dinner? Sure--just a bike ride away. You'd think, just maybe, my dreams had come true. Well, I live in the funky and fabulous Austin, Texas. Maybe my dreams have come true.
And I'm Southern. Not French. Kinda like it that way.
I'd like to welcome you to Austin, if you're visiting, and congratulate you, if you're a resident. This city guide, My Favorite Austin Specialty Food & Wine Shops, is just one in a collection of many culinary guides written by members of the Austin Food Blogger Alliance, to which I proudly claim membership. Do yourself a
With proximity to the action in mind, I've curated a list of my favorite food and wine specialty shops in the area where you can grab a nibble, collect a picnic lunch, or pull together an impromptu after-concert dinner for friends. Some even serve prepared meals-- look for their restaurant hours, which may be different from retail shops, along with menus, at the links provided below. Not an exhaustive list, certainly, but spots that are easy to get to from downtown or the UT campus, providing quality food and service. I've left off of the list anything that was a little out of the way, is a national chain, or is service-challenged. Those below are top-notch choices that won't disappoint.
artisanal cheeses, cured meats, bread & sundries, wine & craft beers.
4220 Duval St
Austin, TX 78751
Phone:(512) 531-9610
Hours: Mon-Sat 11-7 Sun 12-5
premium olive oil tasting bar serving complementary samples of fresh extra virgin olive oils and aged traditional balsamic vinegars
215 Lavaca St
Austin, TX 78701
Phone:(512) 495-1559
Hours: Mon-Fri 11a-7p Sat 10a-8p Sunday 12a-6p
grass-fed beef, pastured pork, feral hog, free-roaming venison, goat, lamb, fresh chicken, quail and more, sourced from local ranchers, restaurant
2406 Manor Rd
Austin, TX 78722
Phone:(512) 524-0688
Hours: Butcher Shop - Tue-Sun 10a–10p
house-made bread, pretzels, sausages and corned beef and hand-selected cheeses, craft beers, wines, and spirits.
709 E 6th St
Austin, TX 78701
Phone:(512) 614-4972
Hours: Bake Shop Mon-Sunday, 7a-2p
gourmet cheeses, charcuterie, fine wine, craft beer, coffee and tea, and cafe' fare
2026 S Lamar Blvd
Austin, TX 78704
Phone:(512) 442-3373
Hours: Mon-Sat, 11a-10p, Sunday, 11a-3p
imported salumi, cheeses & antipasti dishes, authentic Italian cookies, cakes & pastries, imported groceries, wine, restaurant
4700 W Guadalupe St #12
Austin, TX 78751
Phone:(512) 419-9700
Hours: Store-- Mon-Fri 11a-10p, Sat 9a-10p, Sunday 9a-9p
Quality Seafood Marketfresh, high-quality seafood, filleted in house, FDA-approved fish processor, restaurant, oyster bar, food truck open for breakfast
5621 Airport Blvd
Austin, TX 78751
Phone:(512) 452-3820
Hours: Market open Mon-Saturday, 9a-8p
full service butcher shop, salumeria, restaurant, fresh cut meats from local sustainable ranches, house-made sausages, charcuterie, fine artisan foods, coffee, beer and wine.
1912 E 7th St,
Austin, TX 78702
Phone:(512) 524-1383
Hours: Shop-- Tue-Sat 10a-8p, Sunday 10a-6p
freshly-baked artisan breads, pastries, and desserts from scratch, homemade sandwiches, soups, salads, locally roasted coffees. French country bistro fare for eat-in.
2900 Rio Grande St
Austin, TX 78705
Phone:(512) 499-0544
Hours: Mon - Thur 7a-9:30p Fri-Sat 7a-10p
Sun 8a-3p
NEW FOR THE 2016 GUIDE, my newest, and now trusted spots for beautiful and inspirational cookware, serveware, barware, cutlery, linens, artisan culinary gifts, and more.
a gift shop for those who like to cook, gather and entertain, curating quality, sustainable sourced home provisions, heirloom quality cooking and kitchen supplies, teas, coffees, and more.
908 W 12th St
Austin, TX 78703
Phone: (512) 375-4239
Hours: Mon-Sunday 11a-6p
knives, kitchen tools, equipment, barware, chef apparel, cookbooks and food publications, book signings, chef demos.
805 S First Street
Austin, TX 78704
Phone: (512) 276-2605
Hours: Mon-Saturday, 10a-6p, Sun, 10a-5p
Love this Maggie!! I've never heard of Kettle and Brine, but I want to go!
ReplyDeleteJust go lust over ALL OF THE THINGS. High end kitchen and dining, but don't you just feel like splurging occasionally?
Delete