Olivia's, Austin TX

You might ask yourself, why does he have so many reviews of Austin restaurants and the answer is simple, Austin has an amazing food scene and Olivia is one of those restaurants making Austin a hot spot in food right now. Chef James Holmes and Max Petty have created an amazing restaurant named one of the Top 10 new restaurants by Bon Appetit magazine, make reservations, because this place is hot and it doesn't disappoint. I was lucky enough to have a reservation for brunch (served on weekends) with my cousin, his wife, and my girl and it was outstanding. We all ordered something different, even different flavored mimosas, and even though everything was excellent and I loved all the food I tried, I'm only reviewing what I ate. With that said, from the four different entrees I tried, I don't think there is a bad dish here.

I ordered the SOS 2011, which is blackened steak tips, on grilled toast, smothered in cream gravy, and served with a fried egg, I have a lot of breakfast food in my day, and this is fantastic.The blackened steak tips not only had amazing flavor and heat, but they were also melt in your mouth tender, like butta'. The cream gravy was a legitimate cream gravy, not any of this powdery, made from a mix, garbage you find at most restaurants, this stuff rocked. Combine everything with the toast, and the egg, and this flavors melted together in perfect harmony. I paired mine with a blood orange mimosa, and yes, I was in heaven.

 My cousin Eric had the Mac Daddy, his wife Carrie, had the Olivia Benedict, and Jessica had the South Austin Omelette, check out the menu, you'll see the food is amazing http://olivia-austin.com/brunch/. I tried all the dishes and they were all outstanding, I especially loved the pork belly in the Mac Daddy. If you like fresh ingredients, they have a farm onsight, friendly staff, great food, and you find yourself in Austin, call and make a reservation you won't be disappointed. Can't wait to go back, and once again Austin didn't disappoint.

No question, I'll go back.
Grade: A+

Olivia
2043 S Lamar Blvd
Austin, TX 78704
http://olivia-austin.com

Front Street Cafe, Juneau, AK

This might be my new favorite restaurant to visit, every time I've been here the food is amazing and it keeps me coming back. With everything homemade, including the sauces, this has become one of my favorite places to eat. Located in the historic Imperial Billiards and Bar and serving what I consider comfort food, and the ultimate high end bar food, I have yet to try anything here that isn't amazing.

The first time I was here, I had the Chicken Bacon Ranch Sandwich. Made with a hand breaded, boneless, skinless chicken thigh, in house, homemade ranch dressing, bacon, Swiss cheese, and red onions, this sandwich is nothing short of amazing. The chicken is breaded and fried in front of you, to order, which makes for a juicy, tender piece of chicken that tastes delicious. Add the bacon, swiss, and homemade dressing, and this could be one of the best sandwiches I've ever had. I recommend getting the fries, which are also made to order, and then hand tossed with seasoning.

Another favorite of mine at Front Street Cafe, is the Fried Chicken Basket. This basket comes with two hand breaded and cooked to order, chicken thighs, the same hand tossed fries, and coleslaw. The chicken and fries are the same delicious ones that come with the sandwich, but the coleslaw that comes with this is fantastic. Not made from your typical mayonnaise based slaw sauce, this slaw is a Carolina style, apple vinegar based sauce. The sauce is homemade and it doesn't sit on the slaw making it mushy, it is added to the cabbage and tossed before serving, making for a crunchy, very flavorful coleslaw.

Front Street Cafe has also recently added a smoker and is currently making ribs, jerk chicken, and their own sausages. If you ever find yourself in Juneau and are tired of Russian Dumplings definitely check them out, they are open late, and have amazing food at good prices.

Grade: A
Will I go back: Yes

Front Street Cafe
241Front Street
Juneau, AK
http://thefrontstreetcafe.com

Garrido's, Austin, TX

Garrido's is an upscale Mexican restaurant deep in the heart of Austin, Texas, run by Chef David Garrido.  Garrido's has phenomenal food, traditional Mexican with just a touch of French technique and a very up beat atmosphere, which leads to a great dining experience.  They also have two things I really love, happy hour and Taco Tuesday.

Taco Tuesday at Garrido's might be the best deal in the city if Austin, two dollar tacos that will blow your taste buds away. I had an amazing coffee crusted, steak taco, with chipotle aoli, pico, spinach, and cheese in a soft corn tortilla. The flavors marry together perfectly and feels like you're eating a five-star meal not a taco. I also had a pork and chicken taco, none of them disappointed.

                                Clockwise from top left: Steak, pork, and chicken.

If you're in the mood for great Mexican food and you're in Austin head to Garrido's, but be prepared to wait, they get really busy at times. Kind of spend and kind of trendy, but I'd definitely go back.

Overall score: B+
Would I go back: YES
Garrido's
360 Nueces & W. 3rd Street
Downtown Austin, Texas   
   512.320.8226

Kihei Caffe, Kihei, Maui, HI

The Kehei Caffe is one of my all time favorite breakfast places in the world. With traditional, homemade island favorites like loco moco, and their island twist on traditional breakfast faves like macadami nut and banana French Toast, as well as tradional breakfast foods, Kihei Caffe has something for everyone. I try to visit this restaurant every time in in Maui so I've sampled a large portion of their menu, and a couple of my favorites are the chicken fried steak and the loco moco.

The Chicken fried steak comes with steak, two eggs (over medium please), home fries and a biscuit, for a little extra you can get gravy on your biscuit as well. The steak is good, but its the gravy and the home fries that make this meal one of my favorites. Large chunks of sausage in  a creamy gravy and the hand slice fried potatoes make this dish the winner that it is. This is a great post surfing meal.

Loco moco is a hawaiian  dish that consists of rice, topped with a hamburger patty, topped with fried eggs, and then smothered in brown gravy. It might not sound appetizing, but trust me it is very, very good, the flavors all seem to blend together perfectly for an amazing, savory breakfast experience.

Kehei Caffe also has some great baked goods as well. If you like french toast they have several different types, some are just daily specials, to choose from. If they have the macadamia nut and banana French toast, I'd recommend that,with coconut syrup. They also have to die for homemade cinnamon rolls available in many different flavors as well.

If you find yourself on the south side of Maui, near Kehei, and your are in the mood for some great food, I'd recommend stopping by the Kehei Caffe. Get here early and bring cash, because they don't accept credit and the lines can get really long.


Overall score: A
Would you go back: definitely
Kihei Caffe  
1945 South Kihei Road 
Kihei, HI 96753 
 (808) 879-2230