On Location

Dough Pizzeria Napoletana



Fior di Latte Burrata with Proscuitto & Heirloom Tomatoes


When we travel we like to visit local restaurants.  Neither John or I are a fan of famous chain restaurants were all the food is mass-produced.  We do not eat McDonald's, Subway, IHOP, Burger King, Steak n' Shake, etc etc etc.  The list will go on forever.  Don't get me wrong, if I am in the need of some comfort food while traveling and don't plan to venture far from the interstate then I will go to Cracker Barrel to have breakfast food.  But that is usually where I draw the line.  Eggs, Bacon, Pancakes, etc ...not much you can mess up.  Oh and I'll be upfront admit that I am a sucker for Chick Fil-A breakfast.  However, it is all too obvious that if you stop and sit down for every single meal then you are not going to add much mileage in your trip and no doubt you are going to weigh a lot more on the Richter scale.  When traveling rural we tend to have to suck it up and compromise with the township we are in.  Usually the better choice is to find a local grocery store and see if you can piece together your meal.  But this time we were lucky!

Last weekend, after a long hard day at Sea World we needed to fuel our stomachs for the ride home. Mobile phones are a dandy thing today.  On the spot, I combo Yelped & Googled great locale fare in San Antonio. And what to our eyes did appear??  A Food Network's Diners, Drive-ins and Dives feature.  A local pizza joint that does not allow call-ins because they believe in fresh quality ingredients and dining at its finest along with modest prices.  A place that makes their very own fresh Mozzarella cheese in front of you and bakes a pizza to its completeness in 90 seconds.  Yup! 90 seconds....DONE!  Only possible because of their intensly hot brick oven.
While we were there, our service was so impeccable that we completely forgot that we came in our sweaty amusement park attire and fell into a "Date Night" mood.  Amazing.  This place is a must when visiting San Antonio.  If it can transform your sleepy, dirty, and sweaty mood just like that then imagine their talent to transform their ingredients.







Fresh Sliced Prosciutto



Fresh Sliced Proscuitto



Fontina Pizza with Oak-Roasted Mushroom, Carmelized Onion and Parmigiano Reggiano



Bufala Margherita Pizza



Panna Cotta with Golden Raisins and Sweetened Cranberries






Snapshot of Dough Articles on the Wall

Snapshot of Dough Articles on the Wall

Snapshot of Dough Articles on the Wall

Snapshot of Dough Articles on the Wall

Snapshot of Dough Articles on the Wall

DOUGH PIZZERIA NAPOLENTANA
6989 BLANCO ROAD
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS  78216
WWW.DOUGHPIZZERIA.COM

Austin Fashion Week 2014



A few snapshots with designers and local radio personalities.  I also had the pleasure of being around Daniel Esquivel (Project Runway All Stars Season 3 & Project Runway Season 11) and Mychael Knight (Project Runway Season 3) even though I  have no snapshots to prove it.  It was amazing to witness Daniel Esquivel work through the last minutes on his sewing machine, up close and personal just before showtime.  Jessica Faith Marshall from Dallas, Texas designs Faith by Jessica.  Her jumpsuit collection is amazing.  She presented this year in Mercedes-Benz New York Fashion Week.  Oh yeah...she is only 14 years old, designing since seven!

Designer Korto Momolu (Project Runway Season 5 Runner Up) & Angela O'

Designers Korto Momolu and Jessica Faith Marshall

Angela O' and Designer Michelle Lesniak (Project Runway Season 11)


Designer Ross Bennett & Angela O'


Designer Ross Bennett & Angela O' - This picture we are showing off the shoes!


Angela O' and Designer Jessica Faith Marshall


Clear Channel's KASE 101 Anne Hudson and Angela O'

Clear Channel's KISS 96.7 EJ and Angela O'



With Love, With Angela O'

Poteet Strawberry Festival

So Poteet is a little dirtier than I imagined.  I forgot that I was going to a Texas fair and not an Illinois or Florida Strawberry Festival.  But it is not a bad dirty, not in the since of nasty just soil dirty.  Like dirt everywhere!  Of course at a Texas festival there must be a rodeo and not just the strawberries.  John and I even learned how to clog and performed with the San Antonio Fire on the Mountain Cloggers on stage.  It was quite an experience.

The crummiest part of the day:  I was denied entry into the strawberry eating contest because I'm an adult.  Blah. Oh yeah and the rain but we survived.  

Happy to be able to check the Poteet Strawberry Festival off of our 'Texas To Do' list.


Enjoying that Strawberry Wine







I'm quite proud of this photo moment that has been captured!


With Angela O'



A Florida Must

Places that I make a point to stop because I love them so:

 1. The Old Spanish Sugar Mill - For the 5-grain pancakes which you make yourself on a griddle in the center of your table.  This cute little old mill is located inside of De Leon Springs State Park.
photo credit www.planetdeland.com

 2.  Planet Smoothie - For a Twig & Berries smoothie but to make it better you have to ask them to add plain oatmeal.
photo credit www.planetsmoothie.com
3.  Fort De Soto - For multiple years this location was voted America's Most Beautiful Beach
photo credit www.pinellascounty.org
4.  Wahoo's Waterside Pub & Patio - We don't go for their service...oh no if you would go for their service you wouldn't walk in the door.  It is atrocious.  We suck up the bad service and stay there for the deliciously, amazing hand-pressed burgers and excellently seasoned fries on the side.  Sit on the dock patio.  Located off of Redington Shores & Madeira's Beach.
photo credit www.yelp.com
5. The Columbia Restaurant - In St. Augustine, it's a Florida tradition.  Get the steak saltade.
photo credit The Columbia Restaurant website

photo credit The Columbia Restaurant website

Boomerang's

Lance McInnes, Angela O' & Jack Fennel
I do love Boomerang's.  It is especially good on a cold or rainy day.  The food is so comforting and delicious and there is just something about that little basement building that is slightly underground.  It kind of reminds me of Ghostwriter, the old PBS show from the nineties.  Boomerang's is very well known for their Steak & Potato pie a.k.a. Stout Pie that is made with Guinness beer.  It is great.  That darn crust is so flaky that you don't regret eating it one-handed, even when driving down the street.  Every time I stop in there I find a UPS truck stopped and loading up on pie fuel.  

Lucky Me!  One day while shopping at my favorite Whole Foods and I happened to run into Jack and Lance.  The 'Pie Guys'.  Jack & Lance, the Boomerang's Founders.  Thank you for making Austin a better and more rounded place.  Literally.

Chalkboard Sign right outside the store


The best mashed potatoes.  You should try a Pie Floater.




Lance McInnes, Angela O' & Jack Fennel at my favorite downtown Whole Foods





My Day With A French Pastry Chef




One bleak and foggy January Sunday I decided it was finally time to wake up at the crack of dawn, okay well dawn hadn't even broke yet.  It was 5:00 am when I sleepily rustled out of bed only a few weeks ago just so that I could leave the house by 5:30 am to witness french pastry art in the making.  I arrived 4 minutes early and already a french-born Austinite in a chef's coat was rolling out pastry dough with seriously rhythmic sway.  How he performed such edible magic every morning I could not tell you.   

 Since September 2012, I've intended to premiere this one-on-one pastry post but a few details had to be worked out as it was my first interview session.  Ever.  So I do apologize for my crazy videographing.  I now understand why journalists bring along a crew.  In the meantime, John and I spent many Saturday mornings trekking up to the Barton Creek Farmer's Market to enjoy our favorite danishes.  The number one danish in our book and the one we introduced to our many friends, Allison Kate Lemp and Tracy Cook was the ever spectacular Spinach & Gruyere pastry.  Ridiculously delicious.  One bite into this mouthful of heaven and I instantly knew that I had to incorporate this pastry chef into my life whether it was with weekly trips to his bakery or with catered brunches for various events.   Just to embark upon ten minutes of what it could be to sit on a Parisian patio meant that it had to be shared with everyone.  And in what better American city than Austin to have a one-hand-held dish with spinach and gruyere, where you are free be yourself in whatever style you choose.  Heck we have a clothing optional park and beach for those who don't know.  Now that is some French inspiration.



I was very fortunate to spend time with Chef Loic at Cinnamon's Bakery.  I have studied french language, have french in my heritage and like many other stateside ladies my heart melts the moment the word's Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, croissant, or macaron is mentioned.  So when I got the invitation to wake up super early I jumped on it.  Why not witness the magic of pastries filled with mushrooms, pumpkin, almond, and chocolat?! Oh and I can't forget the Texas favorite the Big Pig, his twist on the Czech kolache. 
"French Pig.  Born with class." ~ Chef Loic Duchesne

 It was nice to hear that the Chef appreciates the logic I live by.  I say bring on the creme and butter everyday.  My Take:  I wholeheartedly believe that the main reason many people in the United States suffer from obesity and such chronic illnesses is due to all of the preservatives and fillers they consume every single day.  I like more simple foods with less ingredients which is why I enjoy hand-making my dishes such as the Alfredo sauce to top my pasta.  I prefer the true and fresh flavors of food commonly practiced in European methods instead of the overabundance of the sugars and fillers that many american restaurants and bakeries use today.  I was thrilled to hear the chef's take on it.

Pictured below is a sweet special he has introduced for Valentine's Day.   The heart-shaped, rose flavored, pale pink macarons are served in a handcrafted white chocolate shell.  I got the honor to try one...and they really do taste like roses.  They were so good that I am craving one as I write this.   Many of you know that I am picky to the extreme when it comes to anything flavored, and these rose macarons surpassed my judgement.  




. . . and this is what became of one young french child who was on summer break with nothing to do many decades ago.  Him and his mom looked through the newspaper classifieds and found a pastry apprenticeship so he wouldn't sit around the house bored.



One week before I headed to the bakery for my scheduled one-on-one time Austin360 produced an article about Chef Loic.  They provided a good look into his background as a pastry chef.  You can check out the link below.

 http://www.austin360.com/news/entertainment/dining/french-pastry-chef-thinks-beyond-dessert-trends-at/nTyDS/

cinnamonsbakery.com
UPDATE ON 1/1/2014
Very unfortunate news reached my ears in December 2013 as I took one of my dearest friends to the Barton Creek Farmer's Market to enjoy the chef's pastries.  Chef Loic was struck with sudden illness in October 2013 and immediately passed away.

ATX 360 XMAS 2012

The Christmas tradition in Austin is to randomly select and decorate a living tree on Highway 360.  At first, a few trees would randomly be done overnight keeping the decorators identity a mystery.  From what I can tell this had been going on for a little more than a decade.  An old article I found last year reported that a journalist tried to contact the local highway department who had never condoned the act but instead just looked away.  Well it eventually caught on as now more than a hundred trees and growing are decorated in just one quarter mile stretch of the highway.  Starting Thanksgiving week you will find cars lined up the side of the road as its owner is searching for the perfect tree.  In fact, if you haven't put up your tree by Thanksgiving Saturday then good luck to you in finding one that can be seen from the highway!!  Other cities may hop on to the trend but just remember Austin was the original.   KEEP AUSTIN WEIRD.

This is our very first tree:






A few articles if you would like to read up and plan your next Christmas in the ATX !!!






Check out some of the other trees and some of the other decorators that I caught out and about Thanksgiving weekend.  I do apologize that I could not get everyone's tree posted as I had over 300 pictures just from that weekend.  And as of today there are soooo many more trees that have been added.





































A few active participants :-)


























******UPDATE*******
- 2013 CHRISTMAS - 

The FSU one was put up just before the bowl games!!





Annie's Cafe & Bar



 I am lucky enough to have been graced with this wonderful place.  My style it is of course.  A bit of French and modern grace, Annie's Cafe & Bar is such a treat.  I can enjoy a posh drink with friends, a nice dinner with my husband or a beautiful brunch during the day.  Annie's was listed as one of Austin360.com Best Places to Brunch in 2011.  

 Annie's Cafe & Bar offers catering services as well.  I have indeed acquired them to produce food for a Tiffany Blue Brunch this weekend.  The menu will include Ham & Gruyere Quiche and Fritata and Chocolate-Filled Croissants.


Love the old French country doors.


A peak of the oven


The Brioche French Toast


The delicious food


A Real Cup of Fruit!



As of August 2012 my husband will have lived Austin for 2.5 years and Annie's Cafe & Bar is the very first place he has received a perfectly delicious cup of cappuccino.


A great summer spot however I can't wait to enjoy myself under Annie's roof this fall.  Mmmmm, I'm already envisioning a warm beignet.

 Your Famous,
~ Angela O'






Sourced from www.anniescafebar.com:
Annies Café & Bar is a modern Brasserie in the heart of downtown Austin. Inspired by the bustling bistros and great sidewalk cafés of Europe, owners Love Nance and Sherry Jameson reinvigorated the legendary Day Building at 319 Congress and created a space not only for dining but for meeting, drinking and enjoying life.
In 2008, longtime Austinites Nance and Jameson lost their lease after running the popular lunchtime café and bakery then known as Apple Annies for 26 years. They recreated the café as Annies and moved it to Congress Avenue, the Main Street of Texas. Annies quickly became a favorite with everyone from morning joggers wanting fresh omelets to legislators insisting on Annie's famous meatloaf to locals enjoying perfectly prepared treasures from that morning's trip to the farmer's market. Longtime Apple Annies patrons and newcomers alike discovered Annies as the perfect place to sit, sip and enjoy the revitalization of downtown Austin.
Annie's menu is filled with seasonal farm-to-market food prepared in simple, innovative ways. The café bustles with energy from early mornings, when the irresistible smell of fresh baguettes fills the restaurant, to the noon hour, when business people flock to Annies for a quick healthy lunch, to late nights, when regulars gather round the zinc bar for Austin's finest creative craft cocktails or decadent deserts.
Stop by and see why Annies is downtown Austin's homegrown favorite.

 Check out the website for yourself!!


www.anniescafebar.com


319 E Congress Ave
Austin, TX 78701

What A Night!

Tuesday Dinner Round One:

 It was quite the night we had!!!  Okay well by the time this blog is posted last night was quite the night we had.  So I talked my husband into taking a quick trip to Costco with me....I know I know it is so much more fun with a girlfriend but you can't always locate an unoccupied friend!  Anyway so this quick 45 minute trip to Costco ended up taking 3 plus hours out of the house.  Just as soon as we left Costco I had a brainaic thought to stop at one more place for only 10 minutes but it was just too long for our starving tummies.  After much debate we finally decided on stopping in at Cheddar's.  It was John's first time and I had only them once before, 10 years ago in Illinois.  So the atmosphere was nice enough when we walked in but to our dismay the evening was all down-hill from there.  Immediately we devoured our honey butter croissants while waiting for our soup and salad.  My baked potato soup came and it was completely cold, not even lukewarm cold!  John's lettuce tasted dead!  Okay okay no biggie, just have them fix it and we can deal with it.  Then dinner came and John's beef roast ended up being pork and fat on a plate.  But the chef/manager was like oh well it is a packaged veal as we don't carry pork.  WHAT?  Veal? He ordered beef roast...no where on the menu did those animal activists read they were eating veal.  (BTW we are not extreme or even picky about the type of animal meat we eat but it was a WTH moment I had to point out).  I had ordered shepherds pie since all I wanted was a simple home-cooked comfort dish.  Right before my eyes appears peas, corn, and carrots mixed in heavy duty taco-seasoned meat on a plate and a large scoop of mashed potatoes and crispy onion straws thrown on top. Not baked or even a pie, just thrown on a plate.  What happened to the shepherd's pie I ordered and what is this 1/4 inch thick red seasoning on top?  Chili powder? Hmmmm it was definitely time to cut our losses and leave.  After offering to pay for only the food we consumed we politely left.  

Tuesday Dinner Round Two:  

Can't get any worse right...we are moving on to a new place.  Pei Wei here we come!  "How can I help you?" "I'd like a chicken teriyaki bowl" "Okay sir, we are out of rice would you like noodles instead?"  "Excuse Me?"  "We are out of rice".......Really how is an ASIAN restaurant out of rice???????

Tuesday Dinner Round Three:

Finally settled in at Kerbey Lane Cafe.  Yay we got the giant both that I could literally lay down in.  Well I think it is time for a white strawberry sangria after this night.  At least the alcohol will numb my sore throat were as the cold soup could not.  Delicious omelet....yes after all that might as well order some reliable breakfast food....buttermilk pancakes and coffee.  WAIT MY SANGRIA!  Oh I only got half way through it!  Why did that FLY just CHOOSE to do a NOSEDIVE in MY DRINK!!!!!!!!!!

On our way home.....


Quack's 43rd Street Bakery

My husband and I frequented this bakery quite a bit this summer.  Tucked away in the historic Hyde Park district of Austin, Texas it is one of those secret delights.  Quack's 43rd Street Bakery serves until midnight and very well maybe the only one, at least the only one that I have come across.  The shop is always full of the young and young-at-heart visiting their friends, sorting themselves by writing their thoughts, or perhaps studying for what tomorrow may bring.  Quack's  which is owned by Art Silver was the very first coffeehouse in Austin and was originally located on the Drag next to the University of Texas.

My favorite thing about Quack's 43rd Street Bakery is that all of their pastries, muffins, confections, pies, and cakes actually taste wonderful.  When I say wonderful it is high mark for food since my pallet is extremely picky.  My friends and family privately know me as a food critic.  The majority of cupcakeries, bakeries, and dessert foodie trucks around here I strongly dislike as they cater to the American's preference of too much sugar and not enough flavor.  This bakery has more of the European hand by not overpowering the taste with an overload of sugar.  They bake goods fresh for you every single day.

If you do decide to make a late night of it then check out the glass case just right of the cash register.  There is always a surprise waiting as only that case carries pastries that are buy one get one free after 6:30pm.  You can never predict what you will end up with but you can be sure it will be delicious.  One night on a whim I chose the Apple Danish, now I am hooked.  I have never been one for a danish prior to this bakery.  Try heating it for 10 seconds, it will melt in your mouth.


However the very first crumb I ever tasted from this bakery was the Mint Ganache Chocolate Cake.  It was this cake that determined that it was okay to pick up a bakery dessert for guests whom you are entertaining at your home.  No longer did I feel the pressure of having to hand make the desserts if I wanted something delicious to share for at a dinner party.  

 


You may decide to stop in if your hungry for a more sturdier meal and something to wash it down.  Quack's carry a small assortment of sandwiches, salads and such that invite the carnivore, vegetarian or vegan in you.  Of course they accommodate the Austinites who need TopoChico bottle to swig from.

I will admit that I am somewhat partial to a place that makes anything French.  Check out these adorable French shortbread and sugar cookies.  So inexpensive I might add.






 My priority list of goodies to try next time I visit has already too many for one day.  They include the beautiful Key Lime pie and the Peanut Butter Fudge cake.






Want more information?  Try them for yourself. 

www.quacksbakery.com



By the way I absolutely love their contrasting walls and vintage furniture.

 411 E. 43rd St.
Austin, TX 78751