Okay, so maybe we do have some legit high end restaurants (Comedor)

I know I bitch about how expensive things are all the time. Because they are, and when I spend money I want it to get what I perceive is full value. It is different for each person, so it may be hard for a restaurant or service to live up to those expectations. It is our right as a consumer to be fucking displeased.

So I am saying this as a preface or acknowledgement: I know this may be the rare time where I say the price is worth it at Comedor.

Located downtown, it can be disorienting trying to find it. On the edge of a block, this is when I show my age and lack of education by trying to describe the architecture and design of Tom Kundig as masculine for its use of brown, metals, and dark grey concrete. His work stands out amongst the older buildings and fixtures in the area like Perry’s (ewww) or The Iron Bear (yesssss), it is intentional and new. Once inside for dinner service, the space is dark to give an intimate feel and shows off glass windows that expose the skyline and designs around it. The bathrooms are single stalls with no gaps and sinks within it, a concrete space that I adore for its intimacy and ease in use.

This is a place in which you should make reservations beforehand. We were seated in the room connected to the bar, although the bar view would have been spectacular, next to us was a dividing wall that was pulled up to give the servers more space to maneuver. Our server did an amazing job working between us and her other tables. She was attentive, but not overbearing, and was quick at removing the plates that would have overwhelmed the table.

Looking at the menu, this is going to be on the pricier end and that is because the concept is for local seasonal foods from Texas and Mexico. There is an emphasis on quality, technique, and consistency that extends past the building and food design into amazing dishes. The chef behind the Mexican restaurant is Philip Speer, award winning notable in Austin, his vision is carried out be a group of legit professionals.

The night my friend and I went, it was because we wanted to see how Chef Charlie is doing at Comedor.

My dinner date and long time friend (who may be mentioned on this blog do far more than my husband) is a service industry foodie whose connections have benefited me in countless culinary ways. He hooked me up with food and men, and is the reason why I have a husband to drag around on other dates. He has worked with so many talented people, and while usually he is wowing others with his skills, we wanted to see how Charlie was doing at his fancy new digs.

He and the rest of the crew did not disappoint nor did they leave any opportunity to be disgruntled.

The menu is broken up into different sections or focuses, but each is large enough to be shared, you are looking at generous portions in a beautiful presentation. It is advised to pick a couple of different selections in order to enjoy the full bougie experience, this a restaurant where they are called dishes and courses and the drink that you pair with it can make all the difference.

I am not a drinker, but we started off with a mezcal tasting that had a legitimate difference in flavors, even with the little sips that I took. The cocktail that I went for was the Isla Privada, a sweet vodka drink that was the perfect balance of flavors and gave me that slight buzz from being a teetotaler. The craft cocktails are great (and what I expect when it comes to this type of restaurant) but let’s talk about the real star of the show the food.

At first glance, I was nervous for the price since we were not there for happy hour but that worry dissipated with the first bite of Cobia Crudo. I can be picky and basic with my fishes, but this was so refreshing and melty and the right mix of the sea that we both were contemplating how to get more than our fair share. Robert, being more adventurous and with the better palate, devoured the Tacos de Pescado while I was beyond ecstatic with their 44 Farms NY Strip (sliced to show the beautiful shade of reddish pink all the way to the seared border that helps to create a delicious food paradox of warmth and medium rarity). We shared, of course, along with the sides that help to compliment a meal.

Even the Ensalada Mixta, the Papas Fritas Potosinas, and the Long Beans were amazing. Now the first two, along with my steak, may seem more of the Texas influence - but they are not Caucasian basics given a Spanish name to make it a safe choice. They incorporate ingredients and flavors that you would see in a Mexican kitchen: the tomatoes are fresh and bold in the salad, the cilantro gives the potatoes a kick, and the green beans are not to be confused with haricot verts (the spice from the chile cooks out into a bold and memorable taste).

It was just the two of us, tasting the Mexican world, and so we ended up having to box things up along with our desert. And let me tell you, those were the most satisfying lunch leftovers I have had in a long time.

Splurge (or not if you are rich enough to just drop that cash with no worries) and keep an eye out for their happy hour, as I said in the beginning Comedor is worth it.

Lao'd Bar and Sign Bar, is it worth the distance?

Just a day ago, we feel for the viral marketing that is the Sign Bar. Off of FM 969 this is as far out of Austin on the east side that you can get before you start to hit the colonies. Maybe on the weekend people are driving through to get to it, but on a Monday night it is dead.

Starting off, our main focus of the date was food and the restaurant/building that is on the same lot: Lao’d Bar. The last couple of years on the scene they have picked up accolades from Austin and made it to the semifinals for the 2025 James Beard award.

It is an order-at-the-bar style of place, you will get a placard so you can find a spot indoors or out, and they can bring it to you. You can leave the tab open or close it, I think the internet is telling me what you choose shows your age.

It is a single room with a ceiling of plants about the bar, colorful murals depicting an elephant, and vibrant tables. It also appears that you can buy shirts or merchandise showing your allegiance to the spot. And while I type this, it just has dawned on me that people may buy a shirt at a restaurant the same way I will buy a concert tee, as a souvenir that they were there.

It seems the shirts were reasonably priced when compared to the food, but damn am I still thinking about how much I spent on our date night.

As you order, the bartenders do an amazing job of communicating with you and the kitchen on what is not available any longer. We may have got in too late at around seven or eight, since they were out of what I wanted to try: the crispy fried rice. From my look of disappointment (only in that I had to replan my meal and not really that I missed out), she explained that in order to get it to the crispness it takes about a day and a half. Which made it sound more enticing and legit.

I went with a skewer, one of the last that they had. The meat was amazing, and the sauce it came with was tangy and pungent from fish sauce. The issue was that one skewer is eight dollars. One. Skewer. Is. EIGHT. Dollars,

I also enjoyed the pork bao bun that was a refreshing taste of the different ingredients that they use. A bao bun is also eight dollars.

And the Lao-Chee martini, it was a solid vodka martini. In a beautiful short glass with a small base and wide mouth, it contained a single lychee that exploded with sweetness and the alcohol it was soaking in. Each swallow tasted of the flavors, and vodka, and had me knocking it back with a happy grimace at the fourteen dollars I spent on it.

Food wise, this was on level with Discada. Great technique, ingredients, presentation, and seems ingrained with the culture it is pulling from. Price wise, this is what I expect from Austin but will be part of the argument I make when I say that the poor/working/middle classes are getting pushed out and can’t afford the city. If you want a cheaper option there is a Sonic across of FM 969 before you get to the Sign Bar. It will be cheaper in price, quality, and enjoyment. Although a strawberry limeade is the shit, with or without alcohol.

After dinner, we walked through the Sign Bar. More enticing as an interactive art and design space, it is filled with signs and memorabilia of current and past Austin businesses. A few signs will call to long time residents as they feel memories bubble up over the I luv Video Cabana or the Old San Francisco Steak House sign. It could be seen as drinking game, spotting which business are still around and where you have been.

Drink wise it seemed mid, there was no one there, and even the fright maze they added to the space for Halloween was dead. There may have been more employees between the maze, Sign Bar, and Lao’d Bar then there were patrons. But the couple of couples that we saw, they seemed content to have the space for themselves. And as an outdoor spot, they could smoke to their hearts content. I should have stuck around so I could creep to close and hope for the second hand waves to hit me.

For us, it isn’t too far. But for our friends, I can see them never going because of the location. Maybe we will go back because the photo opportunities are worth it, but also maybe not because it is someplace to enjoy with others.

Be prepared this month for a double posting of eating out as I have a fancy friend date at Comedor. While I be burned by the amount of money it takes to be in this city, or will I enjoy spending a ton of money for the Chef Philip Speer experience.

Tacos + a bar that makes me feel like I am in the Witcher universe

You would think from the only two dining and date night reviews that I am an insufferable companion who only goes out to complain. And to that I yell out a “No!” and a “YOU DON”T KNOW ME!”

There are times in which I enjoy myself, the people I am with, and the place I am in. While it would seem those times are in the past, it is possible for it to creep up again. My happiness it not completely tied to my youth and how I am feeling about myself at that moment.

All it takes is good food, a good amount of people watching, and getting to do something weird and nerdy. For me that is going to be Discada, staring down the bros on the east side, and experiencing The Tiny Minotaur for the first time. This was a date night that started and ended well.

The only thing that did not work for me was the heat, and there is nothing we can do about that other than to hold corporations accountable and use straws that break down and do not get stuck in the sea turtles noses. Off topic, but I am trying to do a meatless meal once a week with the family only the boys act like I am killing them with the lack of meat, it’s like they don’t respect me or Captain Planet.

Starting off around seven, we head to Cesar Chavez while there was still sun. Smart cause we are old parents and need to get home at a reasonable time, not smart because even with the sun down a Texas summer night can be heavy in the heat that settles on your skin and bones. It also limits how much we want to walk.

We found parking near Drinks Lounge and wandered over to Chalmers since they have a Michelin mentioned found truck within it’s premises. My husband had the tacos before, and even spoke about how a different location meant our (then) middle schooler could get some money off of him after school and pick some up for himself in case it was going to be a meatless meal day. No longer, they will card you if you want to go to the bar and pick up this worthy taco on certain days like the weekend. Discada’s website confirms the kids hours in which you can bring the under 21 crowd in for food.

Chalmers is a bro bar (gay bros, frat bros, international bros, city cowboy bros, all kinds represented) but the tacos are worth sitting around cowboy pools and big screens playing every game going on across the country through out. The truck is located on the fake green, and since they do one thing - it wasn’t that hard to order or that long of a wait to get our tacos. This is what makes them so appealing to eaters and prestigious tire company food guides, they have taken a specific cooking technique from Northern Mexico to make delicious greasy little corn tortilla tacos that taste like the ingredients that are listed (lime, pineapple, and marinated mix of beef and pork).

For Austin the price was a reasonable, between the two of us we ordered the 8 taquitos, Mexican street corn, and two Cokes, and it came out to about forty dollars. It was worth it, and because everything else in this city is so over priced, maybe the tacos are worth even more then what is being charged, but I hope they don’t raise the price because nothing ever deflates after inflation hits. Maybe it’s the hype, but I would say they are my favorite tacos in the city right now.

Although The Tiny Minotaur is just a mile or two away, Texas heat and shitty walking infrastructure means it is better to drive there. The worst thing about this bar is that there is no designated parking. This is a home turned into a tavern for the fantasy geeks to drink and game in. So you are stuck parking on the residential streets that become overwhelmed with the patrons and the driverless Waymos. Also it is at a light for Cesar Chavez where the lanes are fucked, so choose your path wisely when trying to get there. Anything could be an adventure!

This is a newish concept that utilizes Patreon subscription to help out with the regular door fee for none members (ten dollars for a day pass). I am old and very appreciative of this geeky space, so I say it is worth a cover charge. Poor and younger version of me would never, but I would be living with some hardcore fomo.

A lot of nights are themed (we went on pirate night), but dress is not mandatory. It is a space that being weird is allowed and accepted, the majority of the rules are that you should not be an asshole because it is a safe space. One of the co-founders is a woman of color who has lived on the east side for few years, and I am sure there has been an asshole or two that has made her want to create such a magical theme bar. The house has been converted into a little cottage with a fantasy/sci-fi little free library and gaming set ups for the regular DND and Magic the Gathering nights. The gardens have a labyrinth design with real life easter eggs for the gamers and role players. They have night markets and musical acts and let’s be real this is the closet I can get to a real life Witcher universe so of course I want to keep going back for more.

I am more into the vibes, then drinks, but that is what I am sure most people will know them for. They have fantastical names to match their syrup concoctions, and this can be had as mocks or cocks. I tried the unselkie water that was made with lime and pomegranate. Mixed with the lime from the street corn and tacos I was dying from indigestion by ten. So we had to head home for Tums, and even though I am now thinking I have to carry spare Tums around in my purse so I can stay out to say eleven or midnight, it was a date that is worth it all.

Foreign & Domestic after years of staying indoors

What if I told you that my husband and I have been together for so long, I had to do the thing in which we make time to date each other. I know, I am trying to not barf as I type how normal and also capitalist we are while introducing a new attempt at a writing exercise, Eat You Out/Eat You In! Because other then the benefit of it helping to sustain a healthy relationship (and get to force someone to spend money on me while I get out of the house and away from our lovely and loved kids) I need to make it a thing in which I might write and judge the food or experience by. This prevents me from being an ass to Zach, obvi.

When we first met, we were poor in an expensive city so our first date was a Christmas Day showing of Silent Night Deadly Night 2. I hate horror movies, I was just enamored by him and I was not subtle as I said, “Date Me.” He likes horror movies and is very into not changing his personality for anyone. We work, and this is honestly the attitude I brought when saying we need to do a date night once a month.

Nothing has changed, except for marital status. We are in the same city, poor due to our decisions (children, property taxes, blowing my money on concerts and books), and if anything it has gotten more expensive. Still, I have been conditioned to buy things and go out and be seen. So I am faulting social media for tricking us into trying Foreign & Domestic.

It could have been that we went on an off night, where we were sat, or that our server was having an off night, and/or any combination of that. Whatever it was, we did not dig it.

To start this is a restaurant with limited space, which I love, but they are trying to extend it with an outdoor option which I also dig, even if it is 100 degrees out (as I type this in a garage with no air conditioning in 90 plus weather). We also need to take into consideration that this was around the time of recent rains. Basically, when we went the outdoor area was still showing an unfinished and uneven ground, in which unsteady tables were perched. We sat next to one of the blue barrels use to hold the tarp walls down, home to the city’s brand new mosquito population. They liquid it contained was festering with blood sucking babies, if the ABC promotions I get each year to take on that service is correct.

The menu for food and drink would indicate that it is more of a wine bar, where you spend money on their selection. Their premise is that they take foreign cooking traditions or cuts of meat and include their twist on it. At the time they had a head to snout tasting, so this also about the chef and culinary cultures they are inspired by. You can expect it to be pricy.

While I was intrigued by the chef tasting, as that seemed a good deal, with how long our food took to come out I am glad I didn’t. For the food we selected, there was no issue with the appetizer the waiter said they were known for (Gruyere Popovers). That was good and came out at a responsible time, but for our main meal it was over an hour and it did not come out warm.

The ice cream was good though.

Here is why it could have been the service, I think I threw off our waiter by being honest. They asked if I wanted to hear a joke, as that was their thing to start off when talking to tables, and I said No. I had not spoken to someone who wasn’t my kids or coworkers in awhile, okay, I forgot how social interactions work!

We spent the car ride home talking shit and recalling why we had stopped doing things like this in the first place. Our gauge for restaurants like this is usually, why pay more money for a worse version of Hillside Farmacy? For reference, the restaurant portion that Salt & Thyme used to have is the better version and worthy the value.

Bright side, we have since dated and that excursion was a success. Let’s see if I blog about it in the next year.