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Old 09-04-2013, 11:45 PM
 
411 posts, read 897,760 times
Reputation: 446

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Quote:
Originally Posted by homeinatx View Post
To answer the OP.
For me, the worst things about living in Austin:
1. August
2. Unspeakably terrible Italian food
3. Almost non-existent night time public transportation
4. Cedar Fever
5. The provincial smugness of certain native or long-time Austinites.
6. Very little historic domestic architecture
7. Proliferation of suburban sprawl

Probably in that order.

That said, there are many more great things, and contrary to many on this board, I think the city is mostly getting better, and is a helluva lot more livable than when I moved here in 2001.

has always been terrible. actually, on the whole, the food sucks in Austin.
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Old 09-05-2013, 12:12 AM
 
1,534 posts, read 2,751,574 times
Reputation: 3588
Quote:
Originally Posted by fortwashingtonkid View Post
has always been terrible. actually, on the whole, the food sucks in Austin.
I don't agree. Italian food still sucks, and ten years ago I would have agreed with you, but food is actually pretty fantastic in Austin now, at every price point. Austin has one of the largest and best food trailer/ truck scenes in the country serving everything from Korean BBQ to Senegalese. They are nearly all cheap, and we finally have an innovative chef driven food culture taking advantage of national locavore trends and the long growing season.

Right now, I would say Austin has the best high end and the only destination dining establishments in the state of Texas : Uchi/Uchiko/Barley Swine/ Lenoir. Houston has better and more variety in the mid price range.

Austin also finally has utterly spectacular Texas BBQ in the city limits: no reason to drive to Lockhart anymore, though it might be quicker to drive to Lockhart than stand in line at Franklin. Asian food has also recently greatly improved - the recent Ramen boom and you can actually get hand cut Chinese noodles and decent dim sum now.

For MSAs under 2 million people, I would say only New Orleans and Las Vegas are better eating cities. This a fantastic time to be hungry in Austin!
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Old 09-05-2013, 12:20 AM
 
2,633 posts, read 6,375,563 times
Reputation: 2887
Quote:
Originally Posted by fortwashingtonkid View Post
has always been terrible. actually, on the whole, the food sucks in Austin.
Yep. You're clueless.
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Old 09-05-2013, 01:03 AM
 
411 posts, read 897,760 times
Reputation: 446
Quote:
Originally Posted by EzPeterson View Post
Yep. You're clueless.
no you just haven't eaten outside of Austin much. This is obvious.

and insults are not a compelling argument. try again.

Last edited by fortwashingtonkid; 09-05-2013 at 01:13 AM..
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Old 09-05-2013, 01:08 AM
 
411 posts, read 897,760 times
Reputation: 446
bbq has gotten better

Chinese food is bad

Italian is bad

there are no good deli's or sandwich shops - all unimaginative chains.

fast food still reigns king here

sushi is not for everyone but the hipsters in Austin act like it's changed all cuisine in Austin for the better. It hasn't. It's just sushi.

If you aren't downtown much you can't really take advantage of the saturated food truck market

the Mexican food is far far below what you get in Houston or San Antonio or even Dallas

The Pizza is a joke

The thai food is a joke

For the size of the city, the food sucks. always has.
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Old 09-05-2013, 06:56 AM
 
Location: The Lone Star State
8,030 posts, read 9,004,677 times
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^For this size of a city? It used to suck, but has improved a lot the last several years. I agree there are still several categories lacking, but it's improved from the past.

All this about big-city amenities, someone moving from NY, Chicago or L.A.... if they want to keep some of the big-city amenities they enjoy and get more for their money than yes, Houston would be a far better choice. Dallas second. Austin's not on the same level.
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Old 09-05-2013, 07:07 AM
 
2,633 posts, read 6,375,563 times
Reputation: 2887
Quote:
Originally Posted by fortwashingtonkid View Post
no you just haven't eaten outside of Austin much. This is obvious.

and insults are not a compelling argument. try again.
Guarantee I've eaten outside of Austin in far more cities and countries than you.

Austin has a great food scene for a city its size.

Can it hang with SFO? Nah, unless it's BBQ
Denver? Crushes it
NYC? Nope, except for Mexican and BBQ
ATL? Better, IMO
Tampa? Doesn't hold a candle to Austin

There are tons more examples. Really, try to explore what Austin has to offer.
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Old 09-05-2013, 08:06 AM
 
Location: The People's Republic of Austin
5,184 posts, read 7,236,810 times
Reputation: 2575
Quote:
Originally Posted by fortwashingtonkid View Post
For the size of the city, the food sucks. always has.
That is such a BS, uninformed comment, that one is hesitant to reply, but it's early and I have time before work.

Let's go down your list:

BBQ - now the best city in Texas for it, according to the expert, Daniel Vaughn - Texas Monthly BBQ editor and author of The Prophets of Smoked Meats. Home to Franklin, which Bon Appetit proclaimed the best BBQ restaurant in the country.

Chinese across the country is bad. Has been dumbed down into a carry out Golden Corral - most food for the pound.

Italian? According to my nephew - last name ends in a vowel - Mandola's Italian Market is as good as any place he left in Detroit. You can argue with him. Northern Italian (non-red sauce) - Olive and June is PDG. It isn't Spiaggia in Chicago, but close.

Sandwiches - you don't get out much. Fricano's and Foodheads are imaginative, Southaide Subs has been lifted straight from Philly. Hillside Farmacy is too hipster for me, but the sandwiches are great.

Sushi - who cares? Bait.

Non-downtown food trucks - you don't get out much. Moontower Saloon or Fishy Business at the Y.

Mexican food - REALLY dumb statement you made. Old school - Matt's is the best in the state. The best in Dallas was founded by his son and isn't any better. I can think of five more that are really close to Matt's. Edgy - La Condesa is nationally known and respected. Interior - Fonda San Miguel the same.

Pizza - not a big deal to me. I understand there are pizza snobs just like I am a BBQ snob. But Home Slice tastes as good as Regina in Boston if you want greasy and Mandola's or Pieous if you want thin crispy style. Can't wait to try Buffalina as well

Thai - about as dumb as the Mexican comment. I've eaten all over Thailand - from street hawkers in Bangkok, to waterside fish places in Hat Yai and Koh Samui to mom and pop's in the Northeast. Som's/Madame Mam's is as good. Haven't been to Sway yet, but hear mixed reviews.

"For the size of the city ..." - the topper of dumb statements. People come here - like you - and want to compare Austin to whatever ten biggest metro they left. We are #35 - our peers are Indianapolis, San Jose, Nashville, and Virginia Beach. We CRUSH those places just as EzP said. The reason we do - the reason Paul Qui could thrive here - is that we are a town that respects, even seeks creativity. I will promise you - having lived in one of those four peers - that is not a universal quality.

I realize you like to start Internet arguments. Not exactly immune to that, myself. But please try to have some substance, some information behind it. Otherwise, you come off as you did in this case - uninformed and ranting.
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Old 09-05-2013, 08:50 AM
 
1,534 posts, read 2,751,574 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by scm53 View Post
That is such a BS, uninformed comment, that one is hesitant to reply, but it's early and I have time before work.

Let's go down your list:

BBQ - now the best city in Texas for it, according to the expert, Daniel Vaughn - Texas Monthly BBQ editor and author of The Prophets of Smoked Meats. Home to Franklin, which Bon Appetit proclaimed the best BBQ restaurant in the country.

Chinese across the country is bad. Has been dumbed down into a carry out Golden Corral - most food for the pound.

Italian? According to my nephew - last name ends in a vowel - Mandola's Italian Market is as good as any place he left in Detroit. You can argue with him. Northern Italian (non-red sauce) - Olive and June is PDG. It isn't Spiaggia in Chicago, but close.

Sandwiches - you don't get out much. Fricano's and Foodheads are imaginative, Southaide Subs has been lifted straight from Philly. Hillside Farmacy is too hipster for me, but the sandwiches are great.

Sushi - who cares? Bait.

Non-downtown food trucks - you don't get out much. Moontower Saloon or Fishy Business at the Y.

Mexican food - REALLY dumb statement you made. Old school - Matt's is the best in the state. The best in Dallas was founded by his son and isn't any better. I can think of five more that are really close to Matt's. Edgy - La Condesa is nationally known and respected. Interior - Fonda San Miguel the same.

Pizza - not a big deal to me. I understand there are pizza snobs just like I am a BBQ snob. But Home Slice tastes as good as Regina in Boston if you want greasy and Mandola's or Pieous if you want thin crispy style. Can't wait to try Buffalina as well

Thai - about as dumb as the Mexican comment. I've eaten all over Thailand - from street hawkers in Bangkok, to waterside fish places in Hat Yai and Koh Samui to mom and pop's in the Northeast. Som's/Madame Mam's is as good. Haven't been to Sway yet, but hear mixed reviews.

"For the size of the city ..." - the topper of dumb statements. People come here - like you - and want to compare Austin to whatever ten biggest metro they left. We are #35 - our peers are Indianapolis, San Jose, Nashville, and Virginia Beach. We CRUSH those places just as EzP said. The reason we do - the reason Paul Qui could thrive here - is that we are a town that respects, even seeks creativity. I will promise you - having lived in one of those four peers - that is not a universal quality.

I realize you like to start Internet arguments. Not exactly immune to that, myself. But please try to have some substance, some information behind it. Otherwise, you come off as you did in this case - uninformed and ranting.
I agree with 90% of this. I would add the Noble Pig for sandwiches, Titayas for Thai, and I love Sway. Austin has pretty great Vietnamese food, and the Chinese food offerings, while still not stellar have improved considerably. Take a drive up far North Lamar one day. There are also some pretty great gastropubs - Hopfields et al, and decent wine bars, Uncorked, Vino Vino and others that weren't here a decade ago. Seafood, while not remotely in the league of Boston, Seattle, NOLA, or even Houston is no longer restricted to the very over-rated Eddie V's or the sometimes great, sometimes terrible Quality Seafood. Perla's and Clark's are not cheap but they are excellent. Barlata means that there is finally decent tapas in town.

On the whole, I still think Italian is bad - there is not a knowledgeable enough customer base. Mandola's was much better when it opened five or so years ago, but basically had to dumb everything down to stay in business. They used to have pretty great salumeria, cheese selection, Italian olive oils etc. Now it is basically just prepared foods and gelato. Pizza is also mostly still bad, but there are now, at least some passable options.

But the biggest change has been the emergence of a nationally prominent food scene: Tyson Cole, Paul Qui, Bryce Gilmore, Aaron Franklin, the irascible but brilliant John Mueller, Ned and Jodi Elliot, Shawn Cirkiel, to name a few are all nationally acclaimed chefs/pitmasters who made their names by either opening up a trailer that was such a hit, it went brick and mortar quickly, and/or their restaurants have put Austin on the food map. They are a nice mix of transplants and home grown talent.

Some things have gotten worse. I still love Central Market, but Whole Foods scaled up to such an extent that care and quality have radically diminished. At the same time, there are many more and better farmers' markets, and the much maligned hipsters have brought the city a superb artisanal, mostly locavore food culture. Salt and Time is a magnificent butchery. Antonelli's cheese shop is a serious cheese shop, and Austin now has a ton of great coffee. When I arrived in 2001, coffee here was so bad, I attempted the disastrous experiment of roasting my own beans!

Austin was the first city in Texas and I think the fourth or fifth city in the country to get its own Eater webpage. 10 years ago the case could have been made, and it would not have been entirely fair, but it could have been made, that food in Austin was one of the worst things about living in Austin. Now, I think you could make the case that food is one of the best things about living in Austin! Sure there are huge gaps in variety and quality compared to the mega foodie cities of the US: NYC, Chicago, SF, LA, NOLA and perhaps Houston, but for a city its size, food in Austin is close to as good as it gets.
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Old 09-05-2013, 08:53 AM
 
2,094 posts, read 1,911,149 times
Reputation: 3639
Quote:
Originally Posted by Melissa78703 View Post
Hi,

First, I'm a lifer. So I've seen Austin through a lot of changes. Because the topic is "what's the worst thing about living in Austin?" I'm going to respond to that as though I were an outsider.

If I had moved here from someplace else, I would feel cheated by the extremely prohibitive cost of living compared to what Austin actually has to offer in return. I've read countless articles that tout Austin as being "inexpensive." But inexpensive is relative. It's relative exactly to New York City, LA and San Francisco, and Austin, for it's modest charms, has but a teensy fraction of what those cities have to offer. Basically, the cost of living is inflated. I cannot count the number of newcomers who move here and don't feel like they're getting their money's worth. Not even remotely.
This is a great point, and I think it describes the Austin area well. As opposed to a "little big city", its a "big little city". Its big in magnitude, but it doesn't really offer what a true big city does. Its not cost effective unless you are in Plugerville or Round Rock, which is a nice place to raise a family, but nothing special in the grand scheme or suburbs.
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