Dirty Martin's Place

Today I met my friend and fellow food enthusiast Chelsea out for dinner. We decided to try Dirty Martin's Place on Guadalupe. We chose to eat on the front porch and enjoy what might be one of our last days of mild weather here in ATX. They had fresh squeezed lemonade and limeade! I went for the lemonade not realizing they had both. It was enjoyable non the less.

We started with the fried pickle chips and ranch. I feel like there was more grease than pickle or breading. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, pickle spears are the way to go. Chips just don't have enough of the actual pickle to get that full flavor. I didn't really feel like the batter they used for these was terribly amazing either.

The burger was average, but again incredibly greasy. The fries were meh at best, and I was really glad I'd asked to add cheese to them, because I don't think I'd have eaten them otherwise. I mean, really, cheese makes everything better. Unless it's fake nacho cheese, which was what they offered when I asked for cheese fries. I was really happy my waitress specified so I could opt for shredded cheddar instead. I didn't finish the fries or the burger, they were just too greasy. The prices were reasonable and the burger and sides are ordered as separate items.

For a place with "dirty" in the name and clearly a dive bar, I did appreciate that the bathroom was decently clean. All in all, I don't think I'll be going back. There are just too many places to get a great burger in Austin to ever settle for less.

Jersey Mike's Subs

I love the Turkey and Provalone sandwich with classic potatoe chips and a root beer. It's simple, tastey, and never disappoints.

Lucy's Fried Chicken

Lucy's Fried Chicken

It feels very much like Lucy's Fried Chicken is one of those trendy places that native Austinites love to hate. The impression is that the want to be dive is trying hard to feel like something other than what it is - overpriced and a bit pretentious.

It's funny how even a large menu can sometimes feel limiting. For example, the smallest order of fried chicken was a four piece basket for $9.50. This seemed a bit odd to me. What if I only want one or two pieces and a side? Since I was there with a small group, we each ordered something different and shared.

There are four things I must order if they are available. These are in order of importance; fresh squeezed limeade or lemonade, fried okra, queso flameado, and macaroni and cheese. Much to my delectation, Lucy's had three of these things! 

The "fresh" squeezed lemonade was only a step above straight from the box minute maid. I'm assuming that it was not from a soda fountain only because I was told as much and want to give them the benefit of the doubt.

The fried chicken was mostly dark meat and incredibly greasy. Now granted, fried chicken should be greasy, otherwise it's just baked chicken and that's a whole other beast (well, same beast, different dish). This, however, made church's chicken look healthy. The pieces were small and didn't have much meat. I will say this though, the breading was pretty fantastic! I enjoyed the skin more than the actual meat, the very opposite of my usual take on this dish.

The mac n cheese was what made the meal. It was a good size portion of rich cheese and noodles topped with breadcrumbs. It easily made my top ten list for good macaroni, which it well should for $8.50.

We also shared an order of the corn bread muffins for $4.95. Call me crazy, but I like a traditional corn bread. It makes me happy. The inclusion of jalepanoes wouldn't have bothered me if it had been listed on the menu. I would also have enjoyed trying the tequila butter (just for kicks) but they forgot to bring it out with the basket, so we didn't bother to ask for it.

All in all Lucy's fried chicken felt over priced and underwhelming. Our server didn't have much of a sense of humor (something of a must to survive waiting tables) and the food wasn't exciting enough for the cost. I might be willing to give it another chance, if someone else is willing to paying.

Hillside Farmacy

http://hillsidefarmacy.com

Finding new restaurants can be such an enjoyable thing. Good company and conversation, excellent food never before tried, and a change in scenery.

This week I had the pleasure of trying Hillside Farmacy with a dear friend. The restaurant was charming inside - I have a thing for pretty bottles. We chose to appreciate the fresh air on their herb lined patio.

The drinks were creative and delicious. I had the hibiscus lemonade, and my friend had the rosewood hand crafted soda. I'm planning on trying the pickpocket next visit.

After some time with the menu we settled on splitting the "thank you" sandwich and the mac & cheese with a broccoli addition. Both proved to be excellent choices. The mac & cheese was creamy with large broccoli florets. The sandwich was a fantastic combination of rosted chicken, mozzarella, sprouts, and strawberry jam. Each bite was better than the last. 

All in all in looking to returning to test out more of their menu soon.