BB Rovers (Research Blvd, Austin) –
January 2018
This has been our
regular hang-out spot for years, as we’ve always gotten good food and great
service. And the location, situated
between a major highway and a main city road, makes it very easy to get to (and
lots of good parking). We were
introducing one of our friends to the establishment for an evening of dinner
and drinks. There is quite a selection
of available beers and wines available, although we did have to note the menu
needed to be updated because it still lists a couple items they no longer
carry.
The food menu is
varied with lots of great items. We’ve
had the burgers, wings, and shepherd’s pie before, but this time we went for
our favorite pizzas. My spouse went for
the individual sausage pizza, while I went for the small taco specialty
pizza. Our friend had one of the
burgers. All the food was done great. We did note there was only one gentleman
working as a server, which seemed odd for a Saturday night. The service wasn’t slow by any means, and the
number of patrons were lighter than normal.
It was just an interesting observation.
Amy’s Ice Cream (Research Blvd,
Austin) – January 2018
The visits here
are a weekly occurrence, and the service has always been decent (unlike their
sister store at the Arboretum). One
thing this location does good is when they do give out samples, they keep the
line moving. They don’t allow someone to
hold up everyone else while they consume twenty free samples. Also the temperature inside is always
appropriate, and it has a good seating area with room for the service line.
Sonic (Jollyville Road, Austin) –
January 2018
This is a
frequent stop to get ice cream as we live nearby. The master blasters are our favorite, which we
got this trip. Other times we’ve hit the
happy hour for the fountain beverages.
It’s easy to get in and out of, and the service is always good.
Cap City Comedy Club (Research
Blvd, Austin) – January 2018
We’d come to this
venue to see the Rachel Feinstein show.
We hadn’t aid for reserved seating, which was fine because there were
many great opportunities to have a great view of the stage. The “two item minimum” is not a “two drink
minimum,” so once you’ve gotten one appetizer and a beverage you’ve met the
requirement. The acoustics are great so
you can hear the act you’ve come to see, and a strict no cell phone/no talking
policy ensures that. The tables are
small, but roomy for couples. The venue
is clean, and the food good.
Nanking (Research Blvd, Austin) –
February 2018
I’ve seen this in
the strip mall for nearly a decade but never went there because the area seemed
to be a little sketchy, but when my wife ordered from there I realized what a
great establishment I’d been missing. The
interior is spotless, and the hostess very friendly. We got take-out this trip, but I can’t wait
to experience the dining area. The
sesame chicken I had was done the correct way, meaning as little breading as
possible. And the meat to vegetable
ratio was highly in favor of the meat in the huge portions. The egg rolls were not greasy. Wow, what a hidden gem, and one I wish I’d
found earlier. Great tasting Chinese
food is hard to find in Austin, and this is the best I’ve discovered in a long
time.
Bombay Bistro (183, Austin) – February 2018
When we want good
Indian food, this is our go-to place.
The interior is always clean, and the staff is always friendly. The smell of the various spices used always
hangs in the air to give it a nice aroma.
We go here frequently, and every time it is a great experience.
Whataburger (Parmer & McNeil, Austin) –
February 2018
I don’t normally
eat at fast-food places, but I had a meeting nearby and needed something fast
before it started. I got the chicken
tenders meal with fries and country gravy.
It was pretty tasty and filling.
The level of grease which exists in most fast-food places was not
apparent here, so it didn’t sit in my stomach all afternoon. I’ll stop here again for food again in the
future.
Mesa Rosa (620, Austin) – February 2018
After my favorite
local Tex-Mex place changed how they did things and became not good, it was
time to find a new establishment to satisfy my craving. This location is a little out of our way, but
was worth the drive. The parking was
good, and atmosphere nice. There’s also
outdoor patio seating for when the weather is nice. The queso is always good, and I had a nice
serving of my cheese enchiladas. I like
how the seating area is broke up into various sections, as it keeps the noise
level down. Thank you for feeding my
Tex-Mex fix!
Brio (Arboretum, Austin) – March 2018
We normally get
really good service when we come here, but this time we didn’t. Our food came out okay, so there wasn’t any
issues there. Our server took our order,
and then basically disappeared. A runner
brought the dishes, and we needed to flag someone else down to get our wine
refilled. What was strange was it wasn’t
a crowded night, there were a lot of empty tables, so we weren’t there at a
busy or peak time. Lots of others
servers were buzzing about their tables.
Our server made a reappearance with the bill, and provided no
explanation as to her absence. Not sure
if the server would disappear for an unknown amount of time with our credit
card, we paid cash so we could be on our way.
We did mention the situation to the hostess on the way out. This is still one of our favorite places to
go, but in the future we may have to just eat at the bar to make sure we have
service.
Pluckers (South Lamar) – April 2018
I was out in the
middle of the day to make appointments, so when it came time for lunch I went
to a place I don’t normally get to go (because the location if on the other
side of town from me). The lunch crowd
had filtered out, so it was pretty empty.
I sat at the bar, and ordered my usual of boneless basket (medium BBQ),
waffle fries, and honey mustard. The
bartender was busy getting administrative stuff done, but took the time to take
care of me. My food came out in the
appropriate time, and was exactly the way I wanted it. It was yummy.
Now if I could’ve blown off the rest of the work day and spent more time
there, that would’ve been awesome. There
was a nice atmosphere, and great food, so it was enjoyable.
Ka-Prow (IH-35, Austin) – April 2018
We
love our Thai food, and wanted to try a different place than our usual
haunts. Since we were going to be on
that side of town, we decided to give this a try. Located in a small strip mall, the parking is
tight, but easy to get to. The interior
seating space is also small, but cozy. I
got the General Tao’s chicken and my wife got the pad ka-prow. Both dishes were okay and tasty, but they
seemed to be lacking something we couldn’t put our fingers on. Overall, it wasn’t a bad place to go, and if
we’re back on that side of town we may return.
Austin Park & Pizza (IH-35, Austin) – April
2018
We
came here for the specific reason to play mini-golf. We’d stopped here briefly a few months ago on
an outing with friends, and wanted to enjoy the courses ourselves. There’s a lot more here, go-karts, video
games, and a bar, but we weren’t interested in that. The mini-golf consists of two courses which
cross each other about half-way through, so you may start on one section and
finish on another. Overall, each hole is
basically an extended putting green, as there’s very little variation from one
hole to the next. Not a bad place to
practice on, but not the challenge of other courses we’ve been on. The courses are not maintained very well, as
there’s garbage and discarded clubs along the way. We chalked that up to the clientele the
establishment attracts due to its location, which reinforced with having to
deal with some thugs in the parking lot when we were leaving. Since there are few places to play mini-golf
in the greater Austin area (which makes no sense for a place with decent
temperatures year-around), we’ll probably be back but not after dark.
Thai Cuisine (Parmer, Austin) – May 2018
This is our
favorite place for Thai food in Austin.
We discovered this by chance, and have come back here many times. Each time we’ve been here we’ve had decent
service and great food. We started this
visit with an appetizer of spring rolls, which are very goof. For the main course my wife had the pra ram
(with pork) and I had the spicy cashew (with chicken). We love how the rice is served in a
heart-shape. All the food was delicious
and very filling. While this is located
in a strip-mall, the interior space is done correctly so it doesn’t feel
small. Parking is decent, and can be
entered from the side-street as well as Parmer.
This is a place we continue to keep coming back to because it’s so good.
Maudie’s (360, Austin) – May 2018
I’ve been going
to this location specifically for my birthday dinner for nearly a decade now,
and this time I got another great meal.
Since it was so hot out, we were able to sit inside where it was cooler. My wife had a taco salad which was done
correctly this time (it wasn’t on our last visit). I still had my Josie’s enchiladas, and they
were every bit as good as I wanted them to be.
The location is out of our way to go, so that’s why this is a
once-a-year special place for me. The
food here is good and the service has always been fine. Thank you for giving me a great birthday
meal!
Pluckers (Burnet & 183, Austin) – May 2018
This is my usual
location, and came in for my birthday meal only to learn of some new
information. The club card was no longer
valid, so all the points I’ve accumulated from past visits were not
accessible. I was instructed to download
their app, which I was hesitant to do because similar apps have broadcast my
phone information to other unwanted sources because of “hidden settings.” The manager explained this to me, but still
offered to do a one-time comp of my meal because of the situation. I was able to get my preferred Boneless
Basket with BBQ sauce and waffle fries with honey mustard. The food was good.
As the result of
my interaction with the manager and servers, it was a very different feel than
I’ve gotten in the past decade which I’ve been going to this location. The attitude of the place had changed, as the
vibe was “if you’re not going to download our app, we’d rather not have you
there.” This place didn’t feel welcoming
to me now. That made me concerned as one
of other favorite places in Austin had changed to drive me away, and now I’m
concerned the same might be happening here.
Brick House (183, Austin) – May 2018
My wife and I had
been here a few times, and liked the atmosphere of the place (as well as the
varied menu). When it was time to look
for a venue to host my birthday gathering, this seemed like the ideal location
due to good parking, varied menu, and friendly atmosphere. I’d stopped in during April and spoke to the
manager in order to secure the table space for my party, and had followed up
with that person a week prior to make sure everything would all set.
Turns out the
manager I spoke to didn’t put that on a calendar for any other manager to be
aware of, so when my party arrived, they didn’t know what to do with us. The patio table which had originally promised
to us was no longer available, so we got shoved to a long table next to the
bar. The server we were assigned was
clearly not interested in serving us, as the attitude he gave us was one of
indifference. We got our drinks, but the
most of the appetizers we ordered were wrong (which we would’ve known had he
bothered to check on us). The salads
that two of my party got had wilted lettuce and dressing that was warm (so they
didn’t eat it). The server disappeared
so we couldn’t get drink refills (unless we went to the bar), and weren’t able
to order food. When we did mention to
the bartender that we hadn’t seen our server, she said that table wasn’t her
concern. When I asked for the manager,
he was conveniently “not available.”
When our server
did reappear, it was to hand everyone their bills. I mentioned that we had planned to be
ordering dinner too (as we’d kept some of the menus at the table), and he made
some off-hand comment about needing the table space. At that point, the birthday celebration was
pretty much ruined. Still never saw
anyone from management. Since most of
the guests were still hungry, and it was clear this place had no interest in
serving us, we paid off our bills, and departed. This was the first time I’ve ever had an
appetizer at a pub, and my main dinner to be from Taco Bell. I did reach out
to the manager the next business day, and wasn’t able to speak directly to
anyone. I left a couple voice messages
over the next couple days and not got any return response. No apologies, nothing. So I’ve made sure to tell everyone I know
that this is a place I’ve never return to because of the poor experience.
Southwest Flight 2180 (Austin to
Fort Lauderdale) – June 2018
After my previous
bad experience with Southwest, here’s where I booked a trip using all my reward
points. This was a chance for them to
redeem themselves. Overall the flight
was fine, as the captain and crew did their best to handle the crappy situation
they were dealt. While in transit, a
thunderstorm allegedly shut down Fort Lauderdale Airport, so we were diverted
to Tampa. (Others informed me later that
flights from other carriers seemed to be reaching FLL just fine.) First we were informed we’d be disembarking
at Tampa and to secure new connections, and then it was changed to refuel and
sit on the tarmac an hour before flying back to Fort Lauderdale --- where we
then had to sit on the tarmac another 20 minutes before being allowed to
disembark. Net result was a missed my
connection flight by five freakin’ minutes, and was forced to spend the night
in Fort Lauderdale Airport until the next flight out the following morning. Obviously it caused me to lose a day of my
vacation, since I got to my destination some sixteen hours after I was supposed
to have arrived.
Starbuck’s (Fort Lauderdale
Airport) – June 2018
By the time I was
booked on to another flight, and spent an hour dealing with baggage claim to
make sure of the status of my luggage, it was time to get the only nourishment
I’d get that evening. The Starbuck’s was
the only open place outside the secure zone, and they were closing soon. A chocolate chip cookie, a chicken breast
salad (with wilted Romaine lettuce) and a bottle of water was what I’d have to
sustain me until the morning. The
service was okay, but it was clear the person was anxious to close up and go
home. I don’t blame them. So it wasn’t the usual good Starbucks
experience I have, but I chalked that up to the situation and time of day.
Southwest Flight 2434 (Fort
Lauderdale to Orlando) – June 2018
This was a short
hop, so there wasn’t much too it. The
staff was nice and did serve a beverage, which I didn’t believe would happen on
such a short flight so early in the morning.
They kept the cabin dark, which was nice at 5.30 in the morning. Smooth flight.
Cask & Larder (Orlando Airport)
– June 2018
Since was the
first place I was able to get actual food since my extended flight began on
this trip. A protein shake, a banana,
and some cheese sticks were what I was able to obtain from here. In a crowded area, most people were going to
either Starbucks or McDonald’s, so I was able to get in and get food with no
fuss. That was a plus, since I’d had
very little to eat in the last twenty hours.
I had service with a smile too.
Southwest Flight 350 (Orlando to
Albany) – June 2018
This was not the
flight I was supposed to be arriving to Albany on, but it got me there with a
minimum amount of fuss. Southwest crews
used to be laid-back and fun, but now they’re a “business” as the other
carriers. This continued to be a different
airline than it used to be, and re-affirmed that once this trip had been
completed the chances of using Southwest again were pretty low.
Friendly’s (Route 50, Saratoga
Springs, NY) – June 2018
After the flight
from hell (my Austin to Albany, by way to overnight in Fort Lauderdale and
Orlando), any food was a welcome sight. My rule of thumb when travelling was not to
eat at any place where I can eat at home.
Unfortunately there are no Friendly’s in the south, which makes this a
treat when I do come north. I ordered a
chicken sandwich covered with BBQ sauce which was very good. It satisfied my hungry. I think I also amused my server by playing
with the place mat and crayons for the kids, because it was fun. My dish also came with a sundae, which I
would’ve normally taken (because they’re so good!), but at that point I needed
protein more than I needed sugar. I
still had 30 minutes or so to go, otherwise I would’ve taken it to go. I’ve always had great service at any location
I’ve been to.
Anvil Inn (Main Street, Fort
Edward, NY) – June 2018
I’ve eaten here
before and the food was great. The
reason I was here this time was because it was the venue for a retirement
party. Appetizers and beverages were had
by many. I had a ginger ale. We stayed in the bar area, as well the
outside patio. The evening dining crowd
hadn’t come in yet, but they’d be in for a treat with fine food in a nice
atmosphere.
Stewart’s (Main Street, Argyle, NY)
– June 2018
Whenever I visit
here, I must always stop here to get the milkshakes I love so much. Sure you can get all the other convenience
store items, but my focus is the delicious ice cream. I discovered “peanut butter pandemonium” and
it became the flavor I consumed the entire week. The service is always friendly, and your ice
cream request is created as you wait.
Love it!
Davidson Brothers (Glen Street,
Glens Falls, NY) – June 2018
I visit the Glens
Falls region once a year, and this at the top of my list of places to eat
at. This was my regular hangout when I
lived in the area, so it’s a nice welcoming place to keep coming back to. It was a nice sunny afternoon, so perfect day
to sit out on the patio with friends.
Since this was an afternoon snack, I just got the buffalo bites, which
were awesome. One of my friends got the
pretzel and the cheese sticks (which were more like cheese logs because of the
huge size). Guess what, it was all
yummy! Our server (Brendan) was very
attentive, and had a great personality.
Its little things like that which go a long way to making a great
establishment. Davidson’s continues to
be just as good to me as a visitor as they were to me over a decade ago when I
was a resident. You guys rock!!!!
Battle Hill Brewing Company (Route
149, Fort Ann, NY) – June 2018
When I told my
friend I’d take him out for his birthday, he picked this place. As someone who’s no longer a resident of the
area, I’d never heard of it, but I’m always game to try new places. Parking it very limited, and we were lucky to
get one on a Saturday night. There’s a
small patio in the back with only a few tables, which I hope they expand in the
future. The main dining area was a bit
on the noisy side only because there was no place for the sound to go. While this is a restaurant, they also brew
some small batch of beer as well as feature other area items. I had a hearty cheeseburger which was juicy
without being greasy. Even without the
side of fries it was extremely filling.
It was an enjoyable little place.
The menu items were limited, but better to have a small establishment
that was able to do their items right.
Wild Center (Tupper Lake, NY) –
June 2018
My mum discovered
the information on this place, and recommend we check it out when I was going
to be in the area again. The signs to
find this in Tupper Lake are very clearly marked, and it has plenty of
parking. We came in the middle of the
day, so it wasn’t very crowded (although we had a very exuberant junior high
group there). The main portion of the
area was the museum (“The Wild Center”) which had been there longer. The “Wild Walk” was newer (this was the
suspension bridges and platforms).
The Wild Walk was
very cool. Each of the platforms had
information about an environmental subject, so there was a lot of hands-on
chances for learning. The giant spider
web (basically a trampoline high above the ground) was just hands-down
fun. The crow’s nest allowed you to see
many of the nearby mountain peaks. And
the hollow tree trunk showed various species that would dwell there.
The Wild Center
had many exhibits which were focused on the environment of the area. It was like local history from a geologic and
environmental point of view. There were
a few animals too, like ducks and a friendly otter. The exhibits were sensibly laid out, so the
place flowed naturally from one station to the next. There were also a number of nature trails you
could take around the area. The weather
was beautiful when we were there, but with all the places to walk around, it’s
important to stay hydrated too. There’s
a café on-site with reasonably-priced sandwiches, healthy snacks, and
beverages.
This was
certainly a place where an afternoon could be spent here and enjoying all the
beautiful and fun things it has to offer.
What a great find! I’ve
recommended it to all my friends who live in the area.
Ambrosia Diner (Aviation Road,
Glens Falls, NY) – June 2018
We’d stopped here
in the afternoon in order to get some snacks.
I wasn’t looking for a full meal, but just something to tide me over
until dinner later. The BBQ chicken
strips were sufficient enough to satisfy my hunger. Located right where Aviation Road crosses the
Northway, this easy to get to, and has plenty of parking. The interior feel is that of a 50’s style
dinner, and was clean and shiny. Service
was good and friendly. The people I was
with got burgers, which they said were very good. For decent places to eat in the area, this is
a good one to go to.
O’Toole’s (Quaker Road, Glens
Falls, NY) – June 2018
I stopped here to
meet an old friend for a drink and some snacks.
It was a nice evening, so we sat outside on the patio. My friend got the hot wings, and I went for
the chili this time. Washing those down
with a couple beers was nice. When this
place was my regular haunt in the 90’s when I lived in the area, the food and
service was always good. I was glad to
see that trend continued. Part of the
fun of revisiting places is seeing how they’ve remained as good as they were
when I went there regularly. I had a lot
of good memories at this location, and thank you for continuing to make more.
Stewart’s (Exit 17, West Glens
Falls, NY) – June 2018
After visiting
some friends, I stopped off here to get a milkshake. I know it was sounding repetitive, but I
wanted to have a milkshake every day, and Stewart’s if the best place to get
them. Peanut butter pandemonium was my
ice cream of choice this week, and I was determined to get my fill. It was delicious. All I went in there for was the milkshake,
but I know from experience there’s a lot of decent stuff and friendly service
within.
Pirate’s Cove Mini-Golf (Route 9,
Glens Falls, NY) – June 2018
It was a nice
sunny afternoon, and perfect for a round of mini-golf. Since there are few courses at home, I like
to play when I get a chance. This
provides the proper challenge with the correct amount of hills, curves, and
other obstacles. This also has good
water traps too, so be careful you don’t lose your ball in the drink. The pirate theme is reinforced with little
tidbits about Blackbeard at the tee-off for each hole. So it’s mildly educational as well as
fun. It’s easy to get to off of Route 9,
and decent amount of parking. The staff
has always been friendly every time I’ve gone, which makes the experience more
enjoyable.
Cooper’s Cave (Dix Avenue, Glens
Falls, NY) – June 2018
I stopped here
for a dinner meeting with a friend. The
place was packed, and a private party had taken over the entire patio area,
which was a bummer because we were looking to be able to sit outside. We ended up sitting at one of the high tables
near the bar. I got my chicken tenders
with a birch beer, and a milkshake to go.
Everything tasted good, but it wasn’t as good as I remembered it when
this was a frequent place I visited. The
company was the best part of the meal, although due to our location it was
noisy and a little crowded. The
establishment is still good, but they’re limited by their space (so much-needed
expansion can’t happen). Parking is on
the street where you can find it, which also presents a challenge. I’ll still come back to this place when I’m
in the area, I just hope it’ll be as good as when I used to live in the area.
Star Trek Tours (Ticonderoga, NY) –
June 2018
I heard about
this from a friend who went there, and I knew next time I would be in the area
that I needed to check it out. The
building is small and unassuming, but packs a great time. In the one-hour guided tour, you get
background information of what went on during the filming of the 1960’s Star
Trek series The sets, while more
recently constructed, give you that sense.
The tour guide was very knowledgeable and provided lots of tidbits. You could tell he loved his job!
While most of the
exhibits were hands-off, there were a few things for playing and picture
opportunities, like the transporter room and the bridge. The design of the museum uses the available
space to the best advantage so it feels like there’s more there than there
is. In the lobby are smaller pieces of
memorabilia, and some Trek trivia playing on the monitor. There was
discussion mentioned where they hoped to expand in the near future to be able
to have sets from Next Generation as well.
I look forward to returning to see that.
This is a must-see for any Star Trek fan, and certainly a good thing for
anyone interested in classic television.
It’s worth the drive.
Burleigh’s Luncheonette
(Ticonderoga, NY) – June 2018
Once again the
tactic of asking a local where’s a good place to eat around here has served me
well. We were directed to this location,
which immediately upon entering we knew this would be a good place. It was like stepping into the past, as it was
decorated with various items from the 1960’s restaurant. The décor was also a little on the irreverent
side too, which added to the fun atmosphere.
I got a cheeseburger with curly fries, which was delicious and
juicy. The items my companions got were
equally as good. We enjoyed looking at
all the items on display. This was a
great place for lunch, and we could tell was well-loved by the locals.
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