Things that Austin Doesn't Have (so don't ask) (buy, live)

[riaelise]

Originally Posted by hoffdano

This pizza thing always amazes me. I have eaten pizza in the northeast many times. It is usually thin crust, widely available, relatively thin in sauce, and tasty. But it isn't orgasmic in some way. It seems to me that we have pizza of similar style and quality in Austin. But it isn't served by a small neighborhood pizza parlor or Italian restaurant. I think THAT is what Austin doesn't have for pizza.

I like Einstein bagels on their own merits. But I will agree they aren't like a made-in-store deli. The Einstein bagels are softer. Perfectly edible, but perhaps not as genuine. I could care less that it is a chain.

What we do have for regional food is BBQ and Tex-Mex. Most places away from Texas don't even have good corn tortilla chips. They are too thick, too much like unflavored Doritos. And salsa! The choices here are incredible and there are so many good ones.

Pizza to us is like Tex mex to the ppl down here. It IS orgasmic, for us.
Also, most of the good pizzas here are from small, neighborhood pizza places/Italian places. Reales and Home Slice and the like are such places.

[CarnivalGal]

Add Shamrock Shakes to the list. I am jealous of all my PA friends and family for that this time of year.

[Danbo1957]

Austin doesn't have what it doesn't need: bagels, deli's, pizza? Please, go back to Yankee-land for that crap.

[theSUBlime]

Originally Posted by mark311

I guess it has Trader Joe's, but I've never been a big fan. It was always way too crowded and I'm not a huge fan of chocolate, nuts, or wine. It had some good stuff, but nothing that made me want to make a special trip there and fight the crowds.

Yeah, I don't get it either. I think the wine section is cool, but that's about it. Trader Joe's just seems like a place for people who can't really cook, or are too lazy to. It's mostly full of sauces, freeze-dried and frozen stuffs. Preeety lame. I love making sauces myself and I like my fresh fruits and vegetables.

[atxcio]

Originally Posted by knrstz

NY pizza is more overrated than the Oklahoma Sooners in a BCS bowl. Chicago deep dish is where it's at. Sorry if I derailed the thread.

I'm torn. +1 for the Sooner dig, but I disagree about NY style vs. Chicago deep dish. Chicago deep dish is good, but it's so heavy it's like a once a month thing. A nice big slice of NY style can be a lunch 2-3 times per week, and you don't get sick of it.

[atxcio]

Originally Posted by theSUBlime

Yeah, I don't get it either. I think the wine section is cool, but that's about it. Trader Joe's just seems like a place for people who can't really cook, or are too lazy to. It's mostly full of sauces, freeze-dried and frozen stuffs. Preeety lame. I love making sauces myself and I like my fresh fruits and vegetables.

The thing that will make you a Trader Joe's convert is the bill at checkout. You can get like 2 dinners worth of stuff (good stuff), some snacks, decent beer and wine, and walk out for like $28... try doing that anywhere else, even the regular groceries like HEB. It's not easy -- seeing the total at the register is most often an unpleasant surprise. But TJs usually surprises you the other way.

[asena]

Originally Posted by Danbo1957

Austin doesn't have what it doesn't need: bagels, deli's, pizza? Please, go back to Yankee-land for that crap.

is that typical texas attetute?

[theSUBlime]

Originally Posted by atxcio

The thing that will make you a Trader Joe's convert is the bill at checkout. You can get like 2 dinners worth of stuff (good stuff), some snacks, decent beer and wine, and walk out for like $28... try doing that anywhere else, even the regular groceries like HEB. It's not easy -- seeing the total at the register is most often an unpleasant surprise. But TJs usually surprises you the other way.

Yeah, but that's because you're not buying anything you can really use. You can't use curry sauce to make anything besides curry and snacks are not going to make you a meal, you'll just be back next week after you're tired of eating curry. Two dinners is nothing, especially if you have a family. A successful kitchen has staples that you are going to use for multiple things, and TJ's mostly sell bland sauces and stuff like frozen stuffed salmon porto crap. I think healthy food can taste good, but they've just taken out all the flavor. It's just not a good place to one stop shop. It's good for a few things, but not if you're trying to make a meal, especially one that will last. All and all it's really just a waste of time, especially given the hype. I'm just not a fan and that's my opinion. If you're looking for cheap, what you really need is a Food Town, like they have in Houston. At least at Whole Food's you know you're eating food, not cardboard.

[10scoachrick]

Originally Posted by theSUBlime

Yeah, but that's because you're buying junk. You can't use curry sauce to make anything besides curry. You'll just be back next week after you're tired of eating curry. Anyone knows that you want to buy staples, things that you are going to use for multiple things, and they mostly sell sauces. It's very difficult to one stop shop and usually you'll end up spending the same as if you had gone anywhere else. It's good for a few things, but not if you're trying to make a meal, especially one that will last. If you're looking for cheap, what you really need is a Food Town, like they have in Houston.

Gee, maybe YOUR Beantown TJ's is that different from Atlanta. I don't recall ever buying a sauce in TJ's but did enjoy organic, decaf coffee for ~$8/lb as well as honey for a fair price, reasonable prices on NGH milk(or organic), salmon, organic cereals, nuts, fruit(some organic), pre-cooked rice dishes(for my brother)...not to mention a good attitude from all staff members I encountered. Maybe we didn't have that whole 'curry sauce' aisle.

[theSUBlime]

Originally Posted by 10scoachrick

Gee, maybe YOUR Beantown TJ's is that different from Atlanta. I don't recall ever buying a sauce in TJ's but did enjoy organic, decaf coffee for ~$8/lb as well as honey for a fair price, reasonable prices on NGH milk(or organic), salmon, organic cereals, nuts, fruit(some organic), pre-cooked rice dishes(for my brother)...not to mention a good attitude from all staff members I encountered. Maybe we didn't have that whole 'curry sauce' aisle.

Maybe, and I guess the deals you can get (and the stores) are probably better when you're in California.

Anyway, what else doesn't Austin have besides Trader Joes...