Chicken fried steak at Shady Grove

Since moving to the dirty south, I had yet to experience the magic of chicken fried steak. Justin had been egging me to try it for quite some time. I finally had the chance at Shady Grove this week. I went there with my new school psych classmates twice, once for drinks and again for a social mixer with the 3rd year students.

This Austin staple has an energetic atmosphere, outdoor seating, and live music every Thursday. The staff are nice, even letting me bring Malcolm (my toy poodle) in despite the "dog-free dining" sign. The lead singer of the folksy band that was playing when we arrived was passionate and reminded me of Alanis Morrisette. They also have a separate outdoor bathroom located in a cute metal twinkie-shaped trailer with flower curtains. Very charming. My only gripe is that they split up our party of 12 into 3 separate booths, which defeated the "mingling" intention of the mixer.

The inside of the restaurant is cozy but dark. Justin and I decided to split the chicken friend steak after being told the caloric content is in the ballpark of 1800. This was definitely a cheat meal for me! Well worth it though, it was crispy and spicy and covered with cheese, gravy and green salsa. I forgot to take a picture before I scarfed it down, but judging by this "after" shot, it was super yummy! I don't think I'll be eating another one of these for quite awhile, especially after tonight's fried avocado meal. But I'm certainly glad to have experienced this southern delight.



Shady Grove
1624 Barton Springs Rd.
www.theshadygrove.com

Trudy's

So Trudy's is one of those places that if you haven't heard of it by now, you're either brand new to Austin or you live in some kind of cave. It's one of those Austin legends: always packed, always worth the wait. The atmosphere lively but unremarkable. The food is really what people come for.

Tonight we started out with the queso especial, which was pretty standard for a restaurant queso, and definitely sub-standard compared to the Kerbey Queso at Kerbey Lane. Things soon got much more delicious with the sushi-meets-chimichanga called the Poquito Chicken Flautitas. It's fried and you can eat it with your hands. Enough said. They also have a veggie version as well.


Then came the star of the evening, the Stuffed Avocado. Two people at our table got this dish tonight so everyone got a chance to try it, and it was pretty much consensus that if we were ever put on death row, this is what we would order for our last meal. Pictured, here, is our friend Kim's stuffed avocado, as by the time I remembered to take a picture, we had already gone to town on ours.

Now keep in mind, this isn't for the faint of heart. It's basically an avocado half, stuffed with chicken and cheese, and then deep-fried. And then covered with more cheese. I like to justify eating it by telling myself that avocados are in fact vegetables. The waiter warned us that ordering it with the caliente sauce (three peppers!) could be dangerous, but I hardly noticed it. Psh! Oh well, we'll definitely be tested more at the hot sauce festival tomorrow.

Also not to be forgotten were the fish tacos which were delectably crunchy and delicious. You can ask Han, I'm pretty picky about my tortillas and these ones were pretty good, even for whole wheat. They are pictured here, only half-eaten.

Lastly, if I had one beef with tonight's meal, it's that I had heard many stories about the famed Texas Martinis at Trudy's. That they can't serve you more than two and they knock you on your ass and lead to all sorts of blackout antics. Well I must say I had one and I'm still standing tall. Maybe two is the catalyst, who knows. Any of you out there who've personally experienced one of these Texas Martini nights, I'm eager to hear first-hand of your accounts.

In short, Trudy's. It's worth the hype and worth the wait. Check back soon for the Hot Sauce Festival update!

Trudy's
409 W. 30th St
www.trudys.com