A Fabulous Drink at Annies Cafe and Bar with Washington DC's "Cocktail Queen"

Walk through the large, off white French country doors and you are greeted with a stack of newspapers, a large zinc-topped bar and an open kitchen looking out onto an open dining room that begs you to relax and stay a while. There’s a lot of love inside those doors, quite literally. Love Nance and her business partner, Sherry Jameson, run Annies Café and Bar.
Nance and Jameson have been here for over 27 years with their highly successful catering company, Apple Annie’s and have made an effort to bring some life onto Congress Avenue north of the River when they transformed their catering company into an inviting and charming bistro offering breakfast, lunch and dinner. The food and wine selections have always won me over and now Annies is at it again with a new addition to their team mixing up some tasty treats behind the bar.
Nance summoned Washington DC’s “Cocktail Queen,” a.k.a. Tiffany Short, to take her back to her tiki times spent sipping Polynesian drinks reminiscent of the 1930’s and 1940’s. Tuesdays are now aptly named “Tiki Tuesday” and Short has cooked up a drink near and dear to Nance’s heart, named The Scorpion. Short combines freshly squeezed orange and lime juice with rum, brandy and almond syrup, and pours it into a volcano drinking bowl whose center holds a shot of rum set ablaze. Meant to be shared and enjoyed with Tuesday night’s special of ½ priced burgers, this fabulous drink is lovely and fabulous!



Scorpion at Annies

6 ounces fresh orange juice

4 ounces lime juice

6 ounces light rum

1 ounce brandy

2 ounces Orgeat (almond syrup)

Blend with crushed ice. Garnish with orchid. Serve in Tiki glass or Scorpion Bowl.

A Fabulous Drink at Haddington's Coming Soon

You know when you see this sign, it's a good sign of things to come.  Proudly displayed on the construction fence on the soon-to-be Haddington's in the former Thai Tara space on West 6th Street catty-cornered to Little Woodrow's.  Haddington's will be a much needed gastro pub run by the fabulous folks from Mulberry.  Chef Zack Northcutt will be talking the reigns in the kitchen and Bill Norris of Fino fame will be shaking things up behind the bar.  I can hardly wait to have a fabulous drink at Haddington's!

A Fabulous Drink at The Carillon

I first made news of the newsworthy The Carillon when I wrote the dining review in Austin Monthly's Food Issue here.  I am back to give you more news! Recently The Carillon revamped and added a lovely bar and lounge area with a most lovely happy hour they call the 2.56 Happy Hour .  Read more about culinary genious Chef Josh Watkins and The Carillon here:
Chef Josh Watkins is turning out culinary masterpieces at the Carillon situated on the University of Texas campus. The vast dining room has been recently renovated to include an intimate bar and lounge area in the front of the room. Standout dishes include an Olive Oil Poached Beef Tenderloin and the Braised Beef Short Ribs. From appetizer through dessert courses consistency flows with flavorful bursts. The wine list is solid and a full-service bar turns out flawlessly crafted classic cocktails. Expect to rub elbows with UT alumni, Texas Longhorn football players and foodies in-the-know of suberb food.

A Fabulous Drink at Uchiko Part II

Yeah, I know I already wrote about Uchiko here , but I went again (and again) and wanted to share more fabulousness with you here:
Uchiko is Uchi's sister location, but make that Uchi's big sister. Expect the same impeccable service, but at this North Lamar location everything is bigger. Uchiko has a big lounge and bar area, a big dining room that looks out into the sprawling open kitchen equipped with a big, long sushi bar area with front row seats to Executive Chef Paul Qui and his uber-talented team. A big, private dining room anchors the back space. An added bonus they take reservations, no more four hour wait times to experience enticing culinary creations that are actually worth the wait. The menu is a creation of Tyson Cole's chef de cuisine, Paul Qui. Expect to find the same innovative techniques, but the menu items here are different. Don't miss the Bacon Sen, a berkshire pork belly or the Suzuki Yaki, a whole grilled loup de mer. Drink selection here are key with stunning cocktail creations including a sparkling wine concoction made with with grilled thyme and a cured lemon and the standout wine list including the Meyer Chardonnay.

A Fabulous Drink at La Sombra Bar & Grill

La Sombra Bar & Grill is the latest addition to Burnet Road's vastly expanding food and drink epicenter.  A Latin American bar and grill with classic cocktails such as Pisco Sours (get the Chileno, made with lemon and served up in a Champagne flute) and culinary-inspired creations, one is made with fig and basil that has my name on it! Fabulous bites include a bevy of bountiful ceviches, perfect to go with the extensive cocktail creations.  The design both inside and out is sure to be up for awards. Service here was attentive and flawless.  This may very well be Austin's hottest new restaurant, you heard it here first and it is fabulous!

Another Fabulous Giveaway ...

I have a fun one for you, stay posted details to come August 1!

Fabulous Drinks Austin Travels New York Biergarten at The Standard

I wrote about The Standard here in an article on a new New York.  And yes, I really do think the service here is standard, but I am learning that's their shtick, the too-cool-for-school almost non-service 'tude.  I gotta give it to them though as they are on to something with their newly opened biergarten. Biergartens are popping up all over New York and offer a fabulous chill atmosphere to hang out in with good friends and drink good beer, just like in Europe.  Leave it to New York to set the trend.  Biergarten is located within The Standard Hotel in the uber-hip Meatpacking District under the new Highline Park.  Here you wait in line at a booth to buy $8 tickets for beer and soft pretzels found at the bar and then seat yourself at a table (table service is non-existent). Ladies dressed in faux German maid outfits walk around with baskets of pretzels for sale as well. The scene is rocking with high-top cocktail tables, communal picnic tables and ping pong.  That's me rockin' my "N" pendent from Vinca, a la Carrie Bradshaw, drinking an extra large beer (two tickets).  After dealing with the 'tude you'll need the extra large one, trust me.  Service aside, the scene and location of the Biergarten is fabulous!

A Fabulous Drink of a Limited Edition Exclusive

Okay, so I hear about this fabulous find from a very good, native New Yorker, source.  Absolut Vodka has been doing these city series promotional bottles and when they're gone, they're gone.  Boston and LA have come and gone, without me knowing:(  So, when I caught wind of this, I knew I had to get my hands on a bottle stat.  Between you and me, my hubby won't let me touch it.  In his defense, he and his beloved grandpa (RIP) are Brooklynites, so far enough.  All I can tell you is that this bottle has Spike Lee connections (his name's on the bottle) and comes with yummy apple and ginger flavors.  Look for yummy recipes here.  Hope you find yourself (and me) a bottle so we can enjoy this fabulous find together!

A Fabulous Drink at Uchiko

Welcome Uchiko to North Lamar Blvd!  This is Uchi's sister location.  Uchiko is definitely the big sister with a big cocktail area; big dining room; big, long sushi bar overlooking the big open kitchen for front row seats to executive chef Paul Qui's fabulous culinary creations;  and a very big private dining room anchoring the back space.  Oh yeah, one more thing and this is big, starting today they take reservations, no more four hour wait times.  Pictured here is one of their new cocktail creations, this sparkling (check out that perlage!) is made with grilled thyme and a cured lemon, it is fabulous!

A Fabulous Drink, No Eat, No Drink ... Culinary Cocktails Here

In the new July issue of Austin Woman Magazine the uber–talented writer, Claudia Alarcon and myself jaunted around town to bring you the latest in chef–inspired cocktails using the finest of culinary ingredients.  These drinks are so yummy and carefully crafted you'll be tempted to "drink" your dinner. Bon Appetit, oh wait, I mean Cheers!