What the Expats Ate

We were going to be in Austin for 9.5 days, which sounds like plenty of time to eat, but the list of Austin deliciousness is long, and we knew we'd have to make some tough culinary choices. What follows doesn't necessarily represent the finest dining options in Austin, but it's a good prescription for a serious tex-mex/BBQ jones. Listed in order of consumption:

1. Whataburger: Burgers with large, icy Diet Dr. Peppers. Bill kept saying, "This is a proper burger."
2. Chuy's: Texas Martinis, jalapeno ranch, steak burrito and chicka chicka boom boom enchiladas. Not only as good as we remembered, it was way better.
3. Sonic: Morning snack of cheese tots and a Route 44 vanilla Diet Coke
4. Texadelphia: Chicken Texican and Steak Texican, icy tea and Diet Coke
5. Korea House: Spicy Tuna and Alaska roll, bi bim bap and pork bulgogi
6. Jim's: huevos rancheros with refried beans, potatoes and tortillas
   
7. Schlotzsky's: roast beef on jalapeno cheese bread, icy diet coke with lemon
   
8. Culver's: afternoon chocolate malt
9. Rudy's: extra moist brisket, a whole hottie (jalepeno sausage), beans, and, oh yes! the creamed corn, icy Diet Coke
10. Jardin Carona: breakfast tacos--bacon, egg, potato and cheese & bean and cheese. We really need to import these things to Ireland.
11. Hyde Park Grill: Chicken Bacon and Guacamole with famous fries, and hibiscus tea. Real bacon!
    
12. Manuel's: Queso, chicken mole enchiladas and tangy frozen margaritas
13. Galaxy Cafe: sweet potato fries, caesar salad, and fried fish wrap
14. Pok-E-Jo's: turkey, chicken, and sausage, with potato casserole and pintos, icy Diet Coke with lemon
    
15. Kerbey Lane (original location): Eggs Francisco with a short stack of one pumpkin and one gingerbread pancake--a perfect combination
    
16. Einstein's: pumpkin and power bagels
17. Jardin Carona: beef fajita nortena and jardin platter (taco, tostada & enchilada), icy Diet Coke
18. Kerbey Lane (new location): Kerbey Queso, lamb stew and a trio of mini-burgers: lamb, elk, and buffalo with hibiscus tea
19. Reale's: a roasted pie, ala Reale's with house salads--again, better than we could even remember!
20. Arby's: roast beef sandwich with plenty of horsey sauce and a jamocha shake
21. Chipotle: steak burrito and carnitas & barbacoa tacos, icy tea and Diet Coke. Chipotle is opening a location in London, so there is hope for Dublin.
    
22. Austin Airport: breakfast tacos from Maudie's and an Amy's mexican vanilla shake. Our last tastes of Texas for a while.

Good eating: (top row, l-r) a plentiful serving of Diet Dr. Pepper, Chuy's steak burrito, detail of Bi Bim Bap, (row 2) a man and his malt, Korea House sushi rolls, breakfast tacos, (row 3) Rudy's fest, half chicken/half steak Texadelphia, sublime Kerbey Queso, eating a southwest tortilla in the Central Market parking lot, (row 3) Chicken Guac with Bacon and Hyde Park fries, two meat plate at Pok-E-Jo's, short stack with Eggs Francisco, banchan at Korea House, sweet potato fries at Galaxy Cafe