Tag: restaurants

Health Foodie – Take 2

Published on by Christine6 Comments

A few months ago, I put together a yummy list of healthy places to eat out in Austin.  Many of you had great recommendations to share and were excited to have the list for reference, so I thought I would continue the series and share a few more that I’ve discovered with you.

As we know, with Austin, the restaurant scene is constantly changing and great new places open monthly… If you want to keep up with what I’m hearing about or see what’s located near you from this list, check out my new Health Foodie Pinterest Map and follow the board for updates!

Map of Locally Sourced Ingredients @ Greenhouse Craft Food
Map of Locally Sourced Ingredients @ Greenhouse Craft Food

Here are a few places I’ve eating that I forgot to mention last time or have tried from my bucket list since then:

  • Jack Allen’s Kitchen – Locally sourced Texas cuisine; the homemade pimento cheese is awesome and I don’t think there’s anything on this menu I wouldn’t love
  • La Condesa – Locally sourced modern Mexican; I loved all the healthy options they have to offer on their menu and the atmosphere can’t be beat, but I must admit it’s quite pricey for what you get, so I didn’t think it quite lived up to all the hype.
  • Snap Kitchen – Currently obsessed with this place for easy, healthy lunches to bring to work – read my full review here.
  • Monument Cafe – Adorable roadside cafe right off Georgetown Square with fresh & locally sourced meat and produce, some of which is even from their own garden.  Try the seasonal vegetable specials so you can finish your meal with a slice of the most amazing chocolate pie you’ll ever eat.  Living healthfully means living balanced, right? 
  • El Monumento – A place you’d never think to find in Georgetown, this restaurant has a cool, modern feel to it and a beautiful terrace overlooking Blue Hole Lagoon. Awesome interior Mexican food with local ingredients and wild-caught seafood.  And the cocktails are great too!
  • Vino Vino – Evan and I had our first date here – it’s the perfect romantic spot for date night!  They have lots of local menu items, with some delicious raw cheese options and yummy salads. Oh, and the wine is pretty great too.
  • Texas French Bread – Love this place for breakfast.  They have free-range eggs and pretty much everything is homemade.
  • Greenhouse Craft Food – Another great place for breakfast with lots of locally sourced meat, eggs and produce.  It took us forever to decide what to get because the whole menu looked just awesome.  And for those of you with kids, it’s super family-friendly!

And now to add a few more to my ever-growing bucket list of more places to try in Austin:

  • Picnik Austin – Paleo, gluten-free coffee & more!
  • Epicerie – French cafe
  • Noble Pig Sandwiches – Unique breakfast & lunch sandwich creations
  • Eastside Pies – Pizza; they even get some produce from a community farm I volunteer at – Urban Roots – check it out!
  • Wholly Cow Burgers – The name says it all…
  • Swift’s Attic – Creative small plates and craft cocktails
  • Searsucker – New American cuisine with farm to table specialties
  • Qui – Recently named “the best new restaurant in America,” and it’s right here in Austin… why haven’t I been yet!?
  • Benji’s Cantina – Their Vital Farms chicken fajitas are apparently the best (but most expensive) in town
  • Chavez – Brand new at the Radisson on Town Lake.. it’s the newest to the Parkside/Olive & June family
  • Odd Duck –  Intensely local, seasonal fare
  • Josephine House – The cutest spot in Clarksville offering lunch, afternoon snacks and evening drinks
  • Cenote –  A truly local coffee shop
  • Arro – The focus of the kitchen is a wood-fired grill, incorporating local and organic products whenever possible. 
  • Dolce Neve – Authentic gelato made with milk from County Line Farms – the only truly local, organic, grass fed pastured dairy in Texas

I’d love to keep this list going… do you have anything else to add?  Suggest away!

Health Foodie

Published on by Christine4 Comments

I'm a Foodie

I love to eat delicious food and I’m lucky to live in the great city of Austin, a place with many great options when it comes to healthy dining.  I feel like it’s pretty easy to stick to a healthy diet when I’m cooking and eating at home, but when it comes to going out with friends or my hubby for date night, I tend to splurge a little.  I thought I would share with you some tried-and-true places in Austin that make eating out guilt-free a little easier:

  • Uchiko – I am sure you’ve heard that this is best place in Austin to eat. Let me tell you: it really, really is.  Responsibly fished seafood is hard to find and this place has it, along with lots of fresh produce and flavor galore. Go for their social hour to make it more affordable, but it really is worth every dime.
  • Hopdoddy – Best burger you’ll ever have.. I am obsessed! While not everything here is organic, at least they have hormone & antibiotic-free meat as well as lots of local ingredients.  I also LOVE that they have flouride-free water.
  • Tacodeli – Incredible tacos for breakfast and lunch. They have a great commitment to using locally-sourced organic produce, meat and eggs. Also, the best queso ever (I won’t judge you for trying it)!
  • Trace – Perfect place for date night!  They use seasonal, locally-sourced organic ingredients in their ever-changing, seriously yummy menu that will give you a taste of Texas.
  • Hillside Farmacy – Cool, old-fashioned pharmacy decor paired with delicious food from local farms.  I almost always try one of their specials and have never been disappointed here.  Their homemade soda cocktails are some of my favs.
  • Urban: An American Grill – Not your typical hotel restaurant, this modern place has innovative farm-to-table options.
  • The Steeping Room – My favorite place for lunch!  Tons of healthy options, especially conscious of those with food allergies.  And their tea menu is out of this world!
  • Eastside Cafe – Fresh, organic produce fills the menu – you’re eating right out of the garden here.  And it’s totally affordable too.
  • Wink – Cozy, romantic restaurant + a cool wine bar.  Their menu changes daily to reflect the most seasonal ingredients.
  • Lick – Ice cream is my guilty pleasure, and I have found the best. Their “honest” ice cream is home-made with organic, local dairy and no preservatives, corn syrup or artificial flavors.  They have amazing, unique flavors to choose from, with many seasonal options.  Currently in love with: S’more Meringue.
  • 24 Diner – I love breakfast food and they have some of the best in Austin.  Plus, most of their food is farm-to-table.
  • Green Pastures – French-inspired cuisine made with local ingredients.  Old Victorian mansion is the perfect place for a girls lunch. Say hi to the peacocks roaming the lawn!
  • Carillon – Beautiful food near my favorite university.  Perfect date night before a walk around campus.
  • Promise Pizza – A great option for those football Saturdays, nights you need delivery, or just crave pizza. Their organic pizza is delicious, plus you can get gluten-free crust.
  • Beets Living Foods Café – Everything is made with raw, living foods and is surprisingly delicious. Be ready to get out of your comfort zone and try lots of new things!
  • Mother’s Cafe and Garden – I’m no vegan, but this vegetarian place is great place to get your veggies. Their flavorful veggie dishes didn’t make me miss meat.
  • Olive & June – Beautiful venue, interesting food and seriously refreshing signature cocktails.

Austin has an ever-growing abundance of great new places to try and it’s impossible to keep up.  Here are a few I’ve heard have fantastic healthy options that I’ve yet to try and really want to. Husband, take note:

Fellow Austin health foodies, what did I miss on my bucket list?  And more importantly, who wants to join me for dinner?

Update 2/21 – Part 2 of this list continued here!  Plus, if you want to get an idea of what’s near you, check out this Pinterest Map I created of all the places above and follow my board for more ideas to come!