My friend had a going away party this evening at Tortuga Flats in Round Rock. He’s not really going too far as it turns out, but just moving from one organization at work to our organization. I think we look for excuses to drink nice, tasty margaritas too much. Oh, and by the way, this place has a nice Happy Hour!
This pizza joint is a good place to enjoy the Wednesday night pizza buffet. At Double Dave’s in North Austin, you can load up on salad, pizza and pizza rolls. I’m sure this is a most healthy dinner, right?
It continues to rain in Austin. I had a quick, dry lunch inside Santorini Cafe in Austin today – lamb gyro and iced tea. This is a pleasant spot on North Lamar Blvd. and I need to return on a sunny day and make use of their cool patio.
I think I should just interview for a position at the Bass Pro Shops in Round Rock as much time as I have spent there lately. Today’s trip was for lunch at Uncle Buck’s Fish Bowl and Grill located inside the store. As you can tell from the photos, this place is fully decorated as an undersea wonderland, including a giant shipwreck over the bar, two bowling alleys on either side, and schools of fish and several large sharks hanging from the walls and ceiling. My lunch was simple but tasty and consisted of a grilled chicken Caesar salad and iced tea. This place is definitely worth a visit for some food and fun if you like to bowl (shark painted bowling balls are an added bonus).
My Friday evening consisted of a nice Jazz/Blues band at the Domain and a pizza on the patio of Flaming Pizza which overlooks The Great Lawn with its small amphitheater. This is a casual pizza joint that just opened a few weeks ago. My pizza of choice was the “Bacon n’ Shrooms” with white sauce, mozzarella, mushroom, applewood bacon, garlic, and arugula. Yummy! They only make one size pizza, about 11 inches, and you can build your own or pick one of their specialties off the menu. I believe they will all have a thin crispy crust, hot from the flaming oven. The next time I return, I will load up on a build your own version, starting with Canadian bacon and then piling on more toppings from there. 🙂
Yay! Round Rock now has its own Kerbey Lane Cafe (a bit of a novelty for this town because it is open 24/7). I can’t count the number of late night or early morning visits I have made to the original location in a converted house in Austin. The Round Rock location has been open for about a week, and it is already filling up, requiring a wait for a table with a vibrating pager. I ordered breakfast (migas) with a “special” pancake as a side item. The off menu items are always the best here. But there is plenty to choose from on the official menu. If you find yourself in the area, I recommend that you check it out no matter the time of day or night.
Today’s lunch was consumed at Bribery Bakery. This place is unique in the area, as they do not have a set menu, but serve up the daily choices from their glass case. The selection of desserts is very extensive and very yummy! My lunch consisted of a turkey and guacamole sandwich, a chocolate and caramel cream pie, and an iced coffee. It was all great. If you find yourself in the area, and are in need of some snacking, then check it out! Today, they were busy baking up a storm for Mother’s Day on Sunday.
I went to downtown Round Rock this evening to enjoy “Music on Main Street” with a performance by a local bluegrass band. Once I had my fill of bluegrass music, I wandered across the street to try out a new place for me – The Brass Tap. I tried the hummus with fresh baked pretzels along with the Save the World Agnus Dei Wit draft beer. Yes, I did my part to represent on Earth Day. The history of this building includes time spent (1907 – 1942) as the Economy Drug Store. If you visit, you can see things like the original heart of pine floor, the original pressed tin ceiling, cast iron stools from the original soda fountain, the original orange marble which is now at the main bar, and an antique safe. There is the inside bar area, an outdoor patio, and a Biergarten with picnic tables to enjoy. If you find yourself in downtown Round Rock, then check out this place for some history, food and drinks.
If you are in Round Rock and are looking for breakfast or lunch, give Taquerias Arandinas a try. Their Mexican food leans to more authentic Mexican as opposed to the typical Tex-Mex. Some friends and I had lunch there today, and I was pleasantly surprised. My selection was the Migas plate, and it made for a tasty lunch!
Today’s lunchtime mission was to get some empanadas. According to Wikipedia, “Cuban empanadas are typically filled with seasoned meats (usually ground beef or chicken), folded into dough, and deep-fried.” That was the case at Cuba Bakery & Cafe in Round Rock. In the third picture you can see the state of the empanadas in the display case after my friend and I got our orders. We almost cleaned them out of the chicken and beef ones. Now we just need to time our assault so that we arrive as they are just coming out of the oven. Yummy!
earthrobert 