September 2022 Monthly Adventure
This month, my monthly adventure extended over the course of multiple weeks so I could take in as much as possible of what the Austin Justice Coalition Black Food Week and Austin Restaurants Weeks had to offer this year. As I've mentioned in other posts about food, it's a great way to explore culture. By participating in both of these local food celebrations, I was able to explore more of the restaurants that feed Central Texas culture as a whole (see what I did there?) and support Black-owned food businesses in the area that continue to grow in popularity.
Black Food Week: August 22-September 18
Austin Restaurants Weeks: September 1-September 11
How it Works
Black Food Week is designed for you to do an extended crawl through each region of the Austin area each week with scheduled "meet-ups" to connect with community members during the early evening hours at the different locations. A Google Sheet was provided to help guide foodies through the list of featured restaurants. I didn't have the time or energy to follow along with the schedule as I continue to adjust to a new routine and job. However, that didn't stop me from independently going out to get food from some of the restaurants!
Austin Restaurants Weeks is similar to Houston Restaurants Weeks if you've ever taken part in that event before. There's a list of participating restaurants online and you can see if they have a special menu to offer and/or reservations during the event. If offering a special menu, you can typically get lunch ranging from $15-20 or dinner from $40-60 with a few different courses at each meal. Most of the restaurants were located in areas that had limited or expensive parking and would be easier to get to if driving to other parts of town wasn't such a hassle. Due to these factors, I chose restaurants in or close to my neighborhood.
FoodHeads
I have enjoyed FoodHeads a couple of times in the past when they have provided catering services for a work event and then again at the end of last year when my job purchased lunch for those of us who were working on a day most people were out. The quality of the food is consistently fresh and the menu is very enticing. During Austin Restaurants Weeks, I chose to pick up my lunch on a day when I was working from home so I wouldn't be as pressed for time. Parking in Austin can take 10-15 minutes out of your total lunch break if you still need to take a short walk to truly arrive at your destination. I ordered the Lami, a warm sandwich piled with a generous amount of grilled salami, mozzarella, tomato, and spinach. I previously had this sandwich when my job paid for lunch that one day last December and the taste has stuck with me ever since. It was even better the second time!
Bird Bird Biscuit
For Black Food Week, I ordered lunch from Bird Bird Biscuit. One of the great things about Bird Bird Biscuit is that they have 2 locations and one of them is in my neighborhood! What's even better than a good location? The food. A giant, freshly baked biscuit with a large, seasoned and fried to perfection piece of chicken with just the right amount of sauce was just what I needed for lunch on my work from home day! I've previously ordered from here for the first time earlier in the year and wanted to return to try out a different menu item. The first time I tried Bird Bird Biscuit, I ate the Firebird which is a spicy chicken biscuit full of flavor. This time, I went for sweet heat and ordered the Queen Beak that has chipotle and honey. They also have some great breakfast biscuit options on their menu. However, I think the underrated menu item are the fries. They are golden and crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. They also have season that gets sprinkled on them just as they are coming out the fryer and you can choose to add dipping sauces. The bacon-infused chipotle dipping sauce brings a slight bit of heat in addition to its delicious flavor, so that's the one I like to get. When you order, you might be surprised by the price since it's more expensive than similar food at fast food chains, but I promise you the amount of food and flavor are worth every penny!
Hank's Austin
If you have seen my any of my posts about visiting Las Vegas, then you may have noticed that I LOVE brunch! I originally was going to order takeout from Hank's because it was on the Austin Restaurants Weeks list and I once had a catered lunch from there during a work event that I liked. However, my friend asked if I wanted to get lunch with him and we made it to Hank's for brunch on a nice Sunday afternoon. I ordered a tasty mimosa along with the shrimp and grit while my friend ordered the fried chicken. His fried chicken was crispy, piping hot, and a very large amount of food. The shrimp and grits that I ate were delicious! That actually says a lot about the food because I typically don't eat shrimp and grits. There were 3 large shrimp, each sitting on top of a perfectly cooked square of grits sitting in a tasty sauce and sprinkled with a generous amount of chopped bacon. They have a fantastic brunch menu and I want to go back to try more items. If you're looking for a restaurant with a fresh and easy-going environment along with indoor and outdoor seating options, Hank's Austin is a spot I recommend checking out.
Luv Fats Ice Cream
Do you like ice cream? How about dairy-free ice cream? That's what you can get from Luv Fats Ice Cream! This was one of the places featured on the Black Food Week list. They use an avocado and coconut milk base for the ice cream and offer truly unique flavors in addition to classics like butter pecan or cookies and cream. My original plan was to go to the Luv Fats Ice Cream storefront because it's very close to where I live. However, I decided to go to their booth at the Texas Farmer's Market at Mueller to enjoy some ice cream on a hot, sunny day in Austin, TX. As a person who is not the biggest fan of dairy-free food items because it always taste like something is missing, I can confidently say that the lavender cookies and cremé mini ice cream that I purchased was the best ice cream I've had in that flavor. Cookies and cream is my favorite ice cream flavor and this one did not disappoint. I was tempted to go back and get a pint until I remembered I would be out in the sun long enough for it to melt. In addition to the ice cream, I got a cute laptop sticker to add to my collection! I'm definitely going to try more flavors and will make sure to go to the storefront next time. They only have a few flavors available each week at the farmer's market, but the full range of options is available in-store. There's several ice cream shops in this town and Luv Fats is quickly becoming my favorite!
Wrap-Up
There was so much more that I wish I could've tried for both Black Food Weeks and Austin Restaurants Weeks. This was a great introduction to some local businesses that I wanted to return or try for the first time. I can't wait to see what restaurants will be on next year's lists!
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