Flip Happy Crepes

I am in complete awe of this place. I can easily say that this is one thing I will miss most from Austin. Flip Happy serves a variety of fresh French crepes. It has been ranked several times as the No.1 crepes in the country. So yes, it’s definitely worth going there.

It was what I call a perfect day! Sleep over at Gautam and Sumita’s new down town pad, followed by an early morning swimming, waiting for the flip happy order for almost an hour an and a half: All this definitely was an excuse to build an appetite for the crepes after all.

I went ahead and ordered Spinach, feta cheese, and roasted garlic. It is perfect for someone who relishes slightly sweet crepes.

Gautam and Abhishek got themselves a Mediterranean Crepe. It was quite spicy with roasted vegetables.

And yes finally the Brownie crepe w/ dark chocolate sauce and Chantilly cream. One cannot complete the French meal without having their yummy sweet crepes. This desert is slightly appetizing. If you want to go for something light then definitely Nutella and with strawberries crepes would be a great choice.

Overall, we had an awesome time in this very casual outdoor environment. One thing highly recommended is carry your own drinks and be prepared for long waits. What I prefer doing is place an order over the phone and by the time I go there it’s ready for pick up. But beware sometimes their phone orders are also on long waits!!!!

Definitely must go place!!!!

Sampaio's Brazilian Cuisine

We celebrated Sumita's and Gautam's 3rd Anniversary in this beautiful Brazilian diner. The ambiance certainly reflects distinct Brazilian culture and music. There was a crisp chill in the air and we couldn't miss the chance to sit outside in the tropical patio.

It was my first Brazilian food tasting and I had no idea of what to expect. Though, I can trust on Sumita's restaurant recommendations blindly. She definitely has a taste for good food :)

We started the evening with Brazilian Mojitos. It is definitely one of the best drinks in their menu.

The evening continued with heated discussions followed by Aperitivos and Pratos Principais.

For appetizers we went for "Bolinhos de Arroz" which are Parmesan rice puffs served with rosemary-tomato cream sauce and "Mandioca Griddles" which are herbed-seasoned yuca cakes baked with spicy tomato sauce and mozzarella.

Bohinhos were the groups favorite. The crispy rice puffs and the sauce had a distinct taste. If I had to describe Mandioca then it would be like pizza but with the potato dough. Very different indeed!!!

For principais Abhishek placed an order for Mexico de Vegetais. These were rice sauteed with crimini mushrooms, corns, bell pepper, tomatoes, carrots, peas, and cilantro. It spicy and the brazilian herbs make it different from "Indian Pulao". I hope my description is right!!!

I went for Macarrao com Verduras. These are linguini pasta sauteed with seasoned vegetables with rosemary cream sauce. I totally loved these pastas. Enough spicy for an Indian tongue!!!

and Gautam ordered Pamonha de Vegetal. These are mashed yuca (potatoes) with mixed vegetables and wrapped in banana leaf topped with curry sauce. These are served with mixed green, tomatoes, and rice. I guess this too was my favorite!!

Overall the ambiance, the food, and the company was great! Again a must must go place:)

Habana Calle 6

Our 2nd stop, Habana Calle 6. This is a Cuban restaurant on 6th street. The Restaurant is really big, with indoor, patio and balcony seating.

We were there on a Thursday evening, so it was pretty much empty. Our Order and Drinks:

Appetizer:
- Mariquitas: Sliced Fried Banana Chips with Mojo sauce for dipping. It was very good. The Mojo sauce is excellent.

Drinks:
Mojito: Very good, slightly on the sweeter side.
Habana ORO: Mild Beer (One Beer that I sipped and didnt make a face)
Habanatini: Ripe Mango infused for 2 weeks with Ron Rico Rum. I liked it. Abhishek and Gautam found it oily or something. Rashi and I were on the same page. Something new and different.

Main Course:
Vegetariano Salteado w/ white rice: Lots of vegetables, a little bland. The requested Mojo made it worth it.
Pollo Salteado/Tofu w/ Arroz Con Gandules (Cuban Rice with Pigeon Peas): marinated Tofu in Spanish Spices, Onions, Bell Peppers, and stir fried on the grill. Marinated Tofu was very good. The Cuban Rice looked and tasted good.

Dessert: I cant remember or find the name of the Dessert we ate. It was awesome. The Pic says it all.
Note: All the dishes with anything Fried is fried in the same oil as the meat. if you are strictly veggie, thats something to look out for. Except for the Black Beans (really well cooked), all other Beans contains some kind of meat broth.

We all agreed on: Mojo sauce rocks !!


Here is a snap shot of the place and the food:

Food and Drinks


Yummy Dessert


Habana Calle 6


http://www.habana.com/

Taverna Pizzeria, Risotteria !!

This is a Italian Restaurant on 2nd street. The location is perfect. The small trees on both sides of the street are decorated with cute lightings, as Rashi pointed out..."some decoration keeps the city alive and also keeps alive the desire to like and enjoy the city".

We went on a Friday night of the Bikers rally weekend, so most of Downtown was pretty much empty. It was a hot humid evening....we decided to sit outside. It took a little while for our Server to get to our table. But once she arrived, the service was excellent. I ordered a Mexican Martini. It was really nice, not too strong.

The food we ordered :

- Garganelli al Pomodoro Basilico (the name is mouthful): The Pasta was nothing but a Garganelli (twisted Penne) tossed in tomato basil sauce. It was a little sour but nice change. It looked and tasted fresh. The portion is not too big, so if you are hungry it is recommended for one person.

- Gamberetti e Pesto (Pizza): The pizza was very good. The toppings were Mozzarela, Pesto Basil and sun dried tomatoes. It was not greasy at all (my number one criteria for good Pizza, i know its stupid). Pizza serving is good size for 2 people.

We were done with our food and were just sitting there talking. It was about closing time for Taverna, but they didnt mind us a lot and the server said we can sit there for a while (sign of good service). In all, good place to go and spend a nice evening with friends. The prices are not too high and the service is excellent. Next time, want to sit indoors and see how that goes, I am sure we will find some more "Mouthful" dishes on the menu that we can modify and change to Vegetarian...:)

For more details: http://www.tavernabylombardi.com/