Never been to Austin, TX: Please describe it (Houston, Dallas: how much, home)

[cBach]

Originally Posted by JuneOf48

No fish for me! I prefer avocado rolls, spicy tempura rolls, inari, tofu yakimeshi, miso soup, etc. (The origin of the word "sushi" has nothing to do with fish--raw or otherwise: "Sushi (鮨 or 鮓 or 寿司) is a Japanese dish consisting of vinegared rice combined with other ingredients such as raw fish, raw or cooked shellfish, or vegetables. Sushi is sometimes confused with sashimi, which is the seafood sometimes served with sushi. Also, the word Sushi is often misinterpreted as "raw fish". Sushi refers to the vinegared rice as opposed to the ingredients that are added to it.)

I understand that, there's CA rolls, etc... but the vegetarians I were with were gulping down sushi and sashimi like there was no tomorrow. Also, they had raw oysters. But they would never eat fish at a restaurant, even a fish prepared in a healthy manner, so it wasn't health reasons. I think they were just trying to be trendy and trendy people eat sushi/sashimi and are vegetarians.

[achtungpv]

Originally Posted by JuneOf48

And please, can anyone tell me of any Mexican restaurant in Austin that has a flour tortilla that's even half as good as what you can find at Taco Taco, Taco Haven, or Taco Garage in SA? We've been searching for about a month now--on the south side, east side, and north side--and nothing comes close. Potato and egg breakfast tacos keep me alive!

No. Not even close. Tortillas are what makes a good taco great. Apparently the skill at homemade tortillas stops at the Travis County line since you can get them in San Marcos and Buda. There are a couple of places in Austin proper, La Reyna comes to mind first but they are all pathetic compared to even mediocre tortillas in SA. The best in the area are at Helen's Casa Alde in Buda. They are excellent. Maybe you could call and see if they'll sell them by the dozen. She makes them herself and she's in her 80s so those may not last long so get them while you can.

FWIW, I hate SA so I'm not being a homer here.

[cBach]

Sounds like a business opportunity for someone to come to Austin and show us some authentic San Antonio style Mexican cooking! I for one would be the first to step into that door and taste authentic tortillas. No wonder the Mexican food tastes so much better in San Antonio. I couldn't put my finger on it but now I realize it is all in the tortillas. Thanks!

[Cookiemeister]

Originally Posted by JuneOf48

I just hate to see this BS spouted over and over and over again on these threads. I spend a lot of time in Austin--and I may move up there sometime soon for personal reasons--but for a vegetarian (such as myself), San Antonio has some really good options. The Mexican food is much better in SA, and plenty of places have lard-free beans and broth-free rice: Taco Taco, Cascabel's, La Fonda, Las Salsas, Guajillos, etc. Green is better than any veggie restaurant in Austin (and I've tried them all). Il Sogno is better than ANY restaurant in Austin--and plenty of food available there for a vegetarian like me. Other veggie-friendly restaurants are everywhere in SA: Liberty Bar, The Cove, Twin Sisters, La Tuna, Bunsen Burgers, The Monterey, Mad Dogs (believe it or not), Luther's, Pho Sure, Frankfurter Express, etc. And I'd put SA's Indian, Thai, Middle Eastern, and Sushi restaurants against Austin's any day. And yes--I've eaten at plenty in both cities. (I tend to go to Sushi Zushi in both Austin and SA.) My girlfriend, who has lived in central Austin for years, always talks about how good the food is when she comes down to visit. Austin promises so much--and a lot is pretty damned good--but it's not as good as it SHOULD be. Plus, you have to wait in horrible lines at many places for mediocre food.

And please, can anyone tell me of any Mexican restaurant in Austin that has a flour tortilla that's even half as good as what you can find at Taco Taco, Taco Haven, or Taco Garage in SA? We've been searching for about a month now--on the south side, east side, and north side--and nothing comes close. Potato and egg breakfast tacos keep me alive!

PS--I'm a native Chicagoan, and I've traveled extensively to New York, San Francisco, and many other cities, so I'm not some "San Antonio local" speaking from an irrational sense of pride. Things may be a bit harder to find in SA, but they're there.

La Fonda is some of the worst Mexican food I have ever eaten and I am not impressed w/Green either (very bland tasting) but I will admit that the homemade flour tortillas are better in SA.

[Dianajoy]

Il Sogno is also way overrated, and I've eaten there alot. The best restaurants in SA, imo, are the Jason Dady ones: The Lodge, Tre Trattoria, etc. What a previous poster said is true: there are good places, but they are very hard to find and often to get to unless you live downtown, which nobody does.

[LI2Texas]

I am from the northeast - moved here 2 years ago. I can tell you the things I miss and the things I've gained.

Things I miss -
My family!
Pizza/Italian food
The ocean
The architectural detail of old buildings

Reasons why Austin is a better fit for me-
Sunshine - many more sunny days in Austin
Being outdoors all year - I actually like the heat
Dog friendly/outdoor oriented environment
No state taxes!
Easy to meet people - friendly culture
Tex Mex!
Cost of living - this spills over onto everything - having the flexibility to explore the restaurants and things to do that ausitn has to offer.
Lakes/river activities
Being able to buy a new house - our house in NY was built in '57

[natne71]

Hi, what about low-lying areas in Austin? Which zip codes is always affected by flooding during rainy season? thanks

[cBach]

Originally Posted by natne71

Hi, what about low-lying areas in Austin? Which zip codes is always affected by flooding during rainy season? thanks

We don't really have a defined rainy season like other areas (CA for instance). It can rain any time of year, although it's less likely in mid summer, when we get weeks of hot and sunny weather.

The low lying areas near rivers can flood, there are also "low crossing" bridges that are dry most of the year but flood during rains. We have a phrase "turn around don't drown" to indicate to never cross over low crossing bridges going over creeks.

I'd say if you don't live near a creek not to worry about it.

[Austin Expat]

@Taphest

I've Relocated many times in my life and while its o.k. to get other peoples opinions about "how this place is" or "how that place is" the best way to find out what it is like to live somewhere is to just live there for a month or so.

Just visiting for a week or so and taking the nickle tour is reallly not going to give you a good idea on what it is actually like to live there on a day by day basis without the "new place high": visiting and living somewhere are two very different experiances.

If you are serious and have the time and money I would stay at a decent extended stay and get a weekly or monthly rate. Drive there if you can to save on rental car, drive around town an check it out. You may find its not your cup of tea and if so you can than leave without the huge logistic and financial commitment.

[ScoPro]

Originally Posted by Austin Expat

@Taphest

I've Relocated many times in my life and while its o.k. to get other peoples opinions about "how this place is" or "how that place is" the best way to find out what it is like to live somewhere is to just live there for a month or so.

Just visiting for a week or so and taking the nickle tour is reallly not going to give you a good idea on what it is actually like to live there on a day by day basis without the "new place high": visiting and living somewhere are two very different experiances.

If you are serious and have the time and money I would stay at a decent extended stay and get a weekly or monthly rate. Drive there if you can to save on rental car, drive around town an check it out. You may find its not your cup of tea and if so you can than leave without the huge logistic and financial commitment.

That is the best reply so far, IMO.