BLOG #8 - Owen's FIRST pizza mission - the first three reviews

Read the inspiration behind my BLOG and learn the meaning of life before starting the reviews... http://limitedgourmet.blogspot.com/2009/11/who-is-limited-palate-gourmet.html

And if you are looking for the BEST HAMBURGER stand in Austin, pull up a spatula and start here to work your way through all of the burger reviews... http://limitedgourmet.blogspot.com/2009/11/owens-burger-mission-first-four-reviews.html

Owen: Dad, did we forget to BLOG for four months or were we too busy eating?

Dad: I have been too busy finally digesting those twenty or so burgers we had. Who's idea was all of this anyway?

Owen: Well, it's time to talk pizza! We brought Mom and Malachi around to a bunch of pizza places and we have many more to try. Who could ever get tired of pizza?

Mom: What are the ground rules for this Owen? How are we scoring?

Owen: We've got about twenty pizza places that we are going to try and rate each one on 14 different categories. Like crust, service, toppings, value.

Mom: I LOVE garlic bread. Can we make garlic bread or a side dish a category? Work for you?

Owen: Garlic bread -- yum.

Dad: So where are we starting Padawan?

Owen: Oh, Ah, PIZZA. We started with these three - Mellow Mushroom, Conans, and Homeslice.

MELLOW MUSHROOM http://www.mellowmushroom.com/

Owen: I liked the hippie on the boat.

Dad: Uh, yeah Owen. How about the food?

Owen: Oh yeah, the food. I think that we all thought that the pizza was quite good but the appetizer was a downfall.

Mom: Yeah, he's right there. We've have had garlic bread at almost every stop thus far and most have been just a hoagie roll split open with butter and garlic salt. Way to simple and thoughtless for me.

Dad: Looks like we have a new Blogger - The Limited Garlic Bread Gourmet.

Owen: College town hangout and it was sure fun and colorful.

Dad: Owen, don't tell our readers but this place is actually a part of a national chain and we don't review chains for Owen's BLOG. Shhhh.

Mellow Mushroom 7.8 out of 10


Conans http://conanspizza.com/central

Owen: If you like comic books, this place is wall to wall heros and stuff. The food was pretty bad and the place was dirty. The service was really bad.

Dad: There are dozens of prints from the guy who did all of the Molly Hatchet album covers all over the walls. Pretty wild and it sure opened Owen's eyes up.

Mom: It sure was different but the quality was bland at best. A typical college campus dive.

Conans 6.7 out of 10


Homeslice http://www.homeslicepizza.com/

Owen: The infamous Home Slice. Everyone loves this place. Long waits STINK! But it is all worth it. And Smarties for dessert!

Mom: I like this place a lot as it appeals to many different crowds all under the same roof. You always see families in here alongside students and many others.

Dad: The pizza is good but not great. But you know, Theresa and I are from Philly / New York and Theresa's maiden name is as Italian as they come - Centamore which means "1000 stinky cheeses" or something like that. So we certainly have some experience with pizza and good pizza restaurants. Austin has a lot of pizza but sadly, very little of the quality that we enjoyed in the Northeast. Hey, while I have the mic and nobody is watching- I love this woman! Theresa makes everything in my world special. I admire her and treasure her and now I've said it to the world.

Owen: We have been to Home Slice a couple of times and have had a lot of fun. Good service, good food... good times.

Homeslice 8.1 out of 10

Owen: Next time, we'll set our sights on Eastside Pies, Frank & Angies, and Brick Oven. Until then, never bite into a pizza before it has had time to settle after coming hot from the hot oven. I warned ya!

BLOG #7 - Owen's FINAL (burp) Burger Mission - The Final Two Reviews

Read the inspiration behind my Blog and the meaning of life before starting with the reviews... http://limitedgourmet.blogspot.com/2009/11/who-is-limited-palate-gourmet.html


Owen: And the winner IS...

Dad: Hey, wait a minute Spanky - don't you want to post the final two reviews before announcing the winner?

Owen: For you Dad, anything. It's a good thing you aren't very bossy.

Malachi: I hadn't noticed that Dad is very bossy Owen. But now that you say it, he does constantly bark instructions at us, even when he is talking in his sleep.

Owen: I like it when he tells us how to brush our teeth. Who needs help brushing their teeth?

Dad: Um, weren't we talking about hamburgers?

Malachi: One time, he told me I was boiling water wrong.

Owen: Hey - Mom is in on this too - she tells me that I have to put three swipes of deodorant under each arm every morning.

Dad: Onion rings???? French Fries???? Ketchup?????

Owen: OK Dad - I am ready to start the reviews now but poking fun at you is more fun. Two last reviews this week. We were going to do one last review of a place we saw on TV called Mac and Ernies but they are closed until summer. So, our final two reviews are SHORT STOP and DIRTY MARTINS.



Short Stop

Owen: This is my type of place. I say that they have amazing shakes. I also like how they cut the burgers in half. I can eat from both hands that way. Saves time.

Dad: Well, it's not my type of place. Lowest common denominator. Cheap ingredients, no-thought menu, basic customer service, etc. But I have to admit, the burger was quite tasty. Fries were horrible and Owen is delusional about the milkshakes - they were basic ingredient milk and ice cream bland.


Short Stop 7.0 out of 10



Dirty Martin's Place http://www.dirtymartins.com/

Owen: Ooooowwwww look - PICTURES!

Dad: Nice hair, Sasquatch.

Owen: This place was really cool and because of that, Mom and Dad stuck out like a couple of tourists. The burgers were thin and greasy. YUM!

Dad: Greasy Martin's was indeed greasy. I swear the wax paper that sat under my burger in the basket disintegrated by the time I was done with my meal.

Malachi: Very cool place even though it was a pretty beat up building with not much room to move around. Lots of character and a real good vibe.

Owen: We ate at the bar and watched the cook move the grease from one side of the grill to other without ever touching the bacon mountain. Mom said the mound reminded her of the movie Close Encounters, whatever that is.

Mom: AAAAHHHHH!!! GREASE ATTACKS! Ack! Ack! But to be fair, this is a real cool college and alumni hangout. Everyone was wearing burnt orange with dribbles of grease soaked in.

Dad: All the talk about the oily nature of this place is painfully true but we had a good meal and a great time. Surprisingly, the service was top notch.

Dirty Martin's 7.7 out of 10


Owen: Time to announce THE WINNER! We did the math (and I am not talking about the added pounds) and ranked every burger place that we visited on thirteen categories. Now, it is time to give the winning stand its place on The Limited Palate Gourmet Wall of Gastronomic (pretty big word for a kid, huh?) Greatness.

Dad: If I had any idea how to add a drum roll to a BLOG Owen, I'd put it here. Let's just pretend that you can hear both of your BLOG followers, uh...I mean the thousands of followers around the world, drumming in syncopated unison. Can you hear it?

Owen: All I hear is my tummy rumbling. What's for dinner?

Dad: And the winner of the Limited Palate Gourmet VERY BEST Hamburger Stand in Austin is...

Owen: Hut's!!!

Owen: Yep, Hut's is awesome and while others may have beat it in burger taste or milkshakes or cleanliness, in the end, Hut's had the highest scores overall and I am proud to say it is my favorite burger stand in Austin!

Mom: Well, now what do we do? It feels pretty anticlimactic.

Owen: PIZZA! Let's find Austin's best pizza and spread the word of The Limited Palate Gourmet.

Mom: Oh good, I was afraid we were going to stay away from grease...

BLOG #6 - Owen's Burger Mission - Fifth Set of Four Reviews

Read the inspiration behind my Blog and the meaning of life before starting with the reviews... http://limitedgourmet.blogspot.com/2009/11/who-is-limited-palate-gourmet.html

Owen: No wasting time this time Dad - I want to get right into the reviews. I've got homework to do.

Dad: What ya studying, young Jedi?

Owen: Weather and erosion.

Dad: Ah, that's sound really exciting, Owen - you're right, let's hit the reviews.

Owen: Four cool restaurants to talk about this time. Dales Essenhaus, Elevation Burger, Five Guys, and Counter Cafe.


Dales Essenhaus - http://www.dales-essenhaus.com/

Owen: Where is this place again Dad? Tataween?

Dad: No, not quite that far - it's in Walburg, northeast of Georgetown.

Owen: Yeah, whatever. It took a long time to get there. Pretty cool place though with a BIG burger. Tough to go wrong with a big burger in my eyes. Kind of boring inside and hardly anybody there when we went. The outside patio looks like it would be a lot of fun though.

Dad: People rave about this place but I found the burger to have little taste. Nice thick onion rings were a plus. The big problem was the bun - too much food with a soft and flimsy bun. I don't mind eating sloppy but I don't like my sandwich falling apart either.

Dales Essenhaus 7.7 out of 10


Elevation Burger http://www.elevationburger.com/

Owen: Yummy in the tummy. I don't know. Elevation was good but not really all that interesting.

Dad: I have to agree with Owen. We went in with high hopes, but it was just sort of boring. Not bad in any way and no weaknesses, just not exciting. They scored high with a nice bun and good service. This place is part of an odd chain of single unit franchises spread across the country - maybe 10 or so in total. They market hard on organic, grass fed beef and a healthier burger restaurant. More power to 'em.

Elevation Burger 7.9 out of 10


Five Guys http://www.fiveguys.com/home.aspx

Owen: One of my favorites that we tried. My kind of place - simple menu and quick service. Awesome french fries. Isn't this place a chain though Dad?

Dad: Yeah but they are new to Austin. Technically though Owen, based on our criteria for your Burger Mission, we shouldn't have reviewed them as they are indeed a chain and pretty big one at that.

Owen: I like the peanuts at the table while you wait for your food. I don't like peanuts but I do like breaking the shells and making a mess.

Dad: Five Guys had a great bun, tremendous fries cooked in peanut oil and very quick service. This place had a decent personality despite having little to make it that way. Boring marketing efforts on the walls and windows but it was full of UT students and alumni filling up before a big UT game. The only negative is that the burgers are intentionally cooked well done. Too done for my liking.

Five Guys 8.3 out of 10


Counter Cafe http://www.countercafe.com/

Owen: Now THAT'S a good tasting burger. Cool little place and good service but it was pretty dirty - especially the bathroom. And you walk through part of the kitchen to get into the rest room. It wouldn't be so bad if the kitchen wasn't messy too.

Mom: I was very happy with this place even though I didn't go the burger route. I got the crabcake which was stunningly good for Texas. The lemon aioli was a flavorful and pleasant addition.

Owen: This place won a spot in the top 50 burgers in a Texas Monthly article. How cool is this? The people at Texas Monthly heard about my BLOG and sent me a copy of the magazine with the burger article in it! Yeah, I'm cool. Thank you Ms Barnes.

Dad: So this does fit Owen's criteria for his Burger Mission. Even though it is not burger stand, the restaurant is known for it's burger and just like Casino El Camino and EZ, that does fit the criteria. And boy, do they do deliver a great burger. A pretty simple but somewhat gourmet plate but oh, so much flavor. For burger flavor, only Casino El Camino and Counter Cafe scored a nine. My fries (I had the sweet potato fries) were exceptional - but Owen's (potato) were a bit cold and limp. Not that this stopped him from ripping through them all.

Counter Cafe 8.2 out of 10


Owen: Only one more set of burger stand reviews left before we name our winner! Join us next week for the final four. Did you know that hamburgers make excellent pets?

BLOG #5 - Owen's Burger Mission - Fourth Set of Four Reviews

Read the inspiration behind my BLOG and the meaning of life before starting the reviews...http://limitedgourmet.blogspot.com/2009/11/who-is-limited-palate-gourmet.html


Owen: Happy New Year everyone. Did you get a hamburger for Christmas?

Mom: I've uploaded a photo of Wimpy for you Owen - what do you think? Sorts of looks like you, don't you think?

Owen: He's a pretty cool cat Mom.

Owen: This week we will be reviewing two really old stands in Austin, one new one, and our first review of a burger place that's not in Austin but close enough to count. But first - check this out- we received a gift card from the people at Mighty Fine after they read my BLOG and mom's not-so-positive review. How cool are they? - they sent us a card and we got FREE food!

Mom: Very cool indeed Owen. And we went back and tried it again - this time at the Round Rock store and had a very good experience. I enjoyed my meal far better than the first time and we all liked the milkshakes this time too.

Dad: Just goes to show you how reviewing a restaurant can be viewed in a different light under different circumstances. The milkshake comment is proof. Our first time around we thought the shakes were OK at best while this time, we all gave them good marks. Anywho, high kudos to the Mighty Fine group for taking the time to try and please a customer.

Owen: On to the reviews!


Fran's Hamburgers

Owen: Classic old joint with the cool guitar playing chick on the roof is so very cool. We had an OK experience here but it just isn't anything special. Everything was OK to good but nothing was outstanding.

Dad: We love the old places with tons of character but character isn't permanent - it has to be worked on and nurtured. While Fran's may have history on its side (which is a big positive) the character of this place is really just a big square box with not much thought put into anything. Service was adequate, so was the food. Bad? Heck no, it's a good burger stand. Classic? Nope. Classic = timeless. Sorry.

Mom: I agree with Owen and Dad - OK to good restaurant that lives off of an old reputation and not much effort.

FRAN'S - 7.1 out of 10


Burger Tex http://www.burgertex.com/

Owen: OK I am trying to be nice. I did not like the burger - it had a funky taste - it tasted like soy sauce.

Dad: Another place with a lot of history. Famous for the Bulgoki Burger. I really wanted to like this and it was good but in a "I could make this myself at home with three ingredients" kind of way. The buns however - were awesome. We all gave high marks to the bun. Nice selection of side dishes as well.

Owen: My cousin went with us to Burger Tex and thought this whole Burger Mission thing was pretty crazy! Hi Elise!

Dad: Almost forgot to mention that the milkshakes here were surprisingly good.

Burger Tex - 7.8 out of 10


Andice General Store

Owen: The burgers were as big as a tire and the fries were mmm mmm. It took 2 hours to get there and we ate next to a wall with things for sale like aspirin, bandaids, and beef jerky. Keep Andice Weird!

Dad: Two hours due to Dad thinking he didn't need to print out directions. Anyway, Andice General Store is in Florence - NW of Georgetown and is well known for its hamburgers. Quite good. Excellent french fries.

Mom: We had a great time at this one. The burgers are simply too big for me but Owen may have slipped into a full belly coma. They didn't score less than an eight on any of our categories. Unique experience for a family outing.

Andice General Store - 8.2 out of 10


TerraBurger http://www.terraburgeraustin.com/

Owen: Got the kids mini burger and they were just too small. They were OK, the fries were quite good but I didn't like the milkshake though Dad LOVED it. Why is he so weird? My next BLOG is going to be titled "Why is Dad so weird?". I am sure that I can get lots of guest writers on that BLOG.

Dad: We ate at the location on The Drag and I was very impressed. Terra pushes the whole organic claim over everything that it does. Unfortunately, it's a bit much and comes off more as a marketing ploy than as the genuine belief that it likely is. Anywho, the food was very good, the fries scored our only 10 on the review list (sweet potato fries too), a Boylan soda fountain!, and a dynamite milkshake. Service was college-kid disinterested unfortunately and the atmosphere was a bit cold.

TerraBurger 8.4 out of 10


Owen: Ah, another four reviews done - we have about eight more reviews left I think and then we will crown a winner! Next time, I will review Dales Essenhaus, Elevation Burger, Five Guys, and Counter Cafe. Until then, remember, French Fries are our friends.