The food journalist on a “really great” taco chain, a cool communal Thai restaurant and one of her favourite farmers’ markets in Austin
EATING OUT
Torchy’s Tacos
1311 S 1st St, Austin, TX (and 7 other locations in Austin); www.torchystacos.com
A popular taco chain with outlets around Texas. “When we do eat out, Torchy’s is one that the kids really like and it’s everywhere. It’s really great and I’d recommend it to anybody visiting.” – Addie
Dai Due
2406 Manor Road, Austin, TX 78722; +1 512 524 0688, www.daidue.com
Spun off from a well-known farmers’ market stall, Dai Due place a huge emphasis on local, seasonal food, and have a butchers shop on the premises. “Jessie Griffiths, the owner, has had a supper club for eight years and he finally opened up his restaurant this year. It’s fantastic.”
Sway
1416 S 1st St, Austin, TX 78704; +1 512 326 1999, www.swayaustin.com
“A very cool Thai restaurant in south Austin. They’ve got these huge square mahogany tables that seat like 16 people, so when you get seated it’s around a corner, with three or four parties at a table. A very communal atmosphere.”
Bouldin Creek Cafe
1900 South First, Austin, TX 78704; +1 512 416 1601, www.bouldincreek.com
A very popular café, they serve the strongest coffee we’ve ever had the pleasure of drinking. “A great café with a terrific vegetarian menu.”
Odd Duck
1201 S Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78704; +1 512 433 6521, www.oddduckaustin.com
Co-owned by much-lauded local chef Bryce Gilmore, Odd Duck started life as a food truck. “It really has lots of interesting things. The menu is different every day as it’s entirely reliant on what’s available. And it’s affordable, it’s open for happy hour, the dishes are all thrift-store bought so there’s no consistency in the plates or the cutlery. It’s really charming.”
BUYING IN
“When I started writing about food I felt guilty that I didn’t shop at farmers’ markets exclusively or that I didn’t always buy local. But then I realised that the majority of my readers were like me: going to farmers’ markets when they can but for the most part shopping in grocery stores. I do try to buy better-quality food – organic beef, organic milk – but it’s usually at the regular places.” – Addie
H-E-B
2400 S Congress Ave, Austin, TX (and locations around Austin); www.heb.com
“This is just your big regular old supermarket. I try to be unbiased as a grocery reporter so I will go to the big stores (though I rarely shop at Walmart). H-E-B is an interesting animal: they are so identified with Texas that in Austin they have 40% of the grocery market, which is kind of unheard of. This is one of the few places in the country where Walmart does not have the lion’s share. All their store brand products are really good.”
Whole Foods
525 N Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78703 (and locations around Austin); www.wholefoodsmarket.com
“They’re great, their stores are remarkable; you go in and it’s just a sensory overload.”
Central Market
4477 S Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78745 and 4001 N Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78756; www.centralmarket.com
“There are 10 or so branches of this store around Texas. It’s H-E-B wanting to compete with Whole Foods. I really like shopping there but it would break my bank if I went all the time. It’s great to have the option though: one of the reasons why Austin’s food scene is so rich is that there are so many options.”
SFC Farmers’ Market Downtown
Republic Square Park, 4th and Guadalupe. 020 7368 4500, http://sustainablefoodcenter.org/programs/sfc-farmers-market
This is the market Addie takes us to when we meet her in Austin. “It’s one of my favourite farmers’ markets because it’s in the heart of the city and you never know who you’re going to see: condo residents walking dogs, parents pushing strollers, runners who just finished a loop around the lake. It’s the first market I went to in Austin, and now there’s the beautiful new courthouse next door to the park that enhances the experience.”