Jerusalem. Austin, TX

I spent the '09 Memorial Day weekend in Austin catching up with good friends and saying goodbye to Miss Dyer, a great friend, who is moving to San Francisco.

I can't get around eating out for every meal while I'm out of town. I make sure to make the most of it. My girlfriend and I were searching for Pho, and we happened upon a Mediterranean joint called Jerusalem. It's a dull space in the middle of a run down shopping center on E. Oltorf, owned by an older Arabic woman on the grill (who preferred not to be photographed) and her two sons who serve as her translators and busboys.

We split fresh dolmas, a flavorful chicken shawerma wrap, and a kibbeh plate. The chicken shawerma wrap tastes excellent; great use of cumin, along with cabbage and a mild yogurt sauce. The chicken is perfectly cooked. The wraps are the way to go, all around $5, and huge.

We finish the meal with crispy, homemade baklava and Arabica coffee. I thought I had good Arabica coffee before. I was wrong. Ten minutes after I order my coffee, I ask if they remember that I requested it. Her son insists that she is making it, and he simply explains, "It's not American coffee." He finally brings it out to me, and it's worth every minute. The drink is thick, black and smooth. It's pressed with lavender which shocks the hell out of my coffee buds. Yes, I have those. At the end of each sip I feel a little honey slide down my tongue, which is comforting.

The cook takes her time on each dish. It's as if she adopted us for an hour to cook us a meal with all she could give us. Jerusalem isn't just a Mediterranean restaurant. This place is While a black and white Arabic movie plays in the background, I think about how this woman's life for a moment. She is probably a first generation to America and how difficult that must be. She knows little English and keeps herself hidden in the back behind a curtain most of the time. I can't imagine being in that position. Being, in a place that is filled with millions of people living at a constant 70 mph, consumed by themselves and not slowing down for finer things. But she had her food. That's what I enjoyed most about Jerusalem. It was hers.

Jerusalem Grill & Market

1931 E. Oltorf
Austin, TX

blanton museum

P.S. During the weekend the g.f. and I went sky diving at Sky Dive San Marcos. I know is probably annoying to hear from EVERYONE you know who has, but you should do it if you haven't! We also went to the Blanton Museum of Art for the first time. Add that to your ATX list when you visit. Some really great contemporary pieces, as well as really cool ancient Greek pottery and European art collections.

all photos by Bruce McClendon

pizza quest begins: Raia's Italian Market

pic from heights blog

My search for the best pie in town starts at 4500 Washington. Raia's Italian Market is stuck in the middle of a new, stucco shopping center. Inside, it's a charming little market filled with imported sauces, wines and sparkling waters, dotted with red and white checkered tables that are warmed by the brick oven in the corner. Every time I see a brick oven in the room I am supposed to be eating in, I give a that a "0oohhh hell yeah" to the pizza. We opted to skip the wait and sit outside, it was a decent enough evening after the rain cooled the air...so WTF not. We talked about all the things that happen when you get old: forgetting everything, hurting all the time and pooping yourself. The first thing to know is Raia's makes an excellent thin crust. Crust is key for me. The only difference between pizzas are the crust. You can apply the same toppings over and over, but a good crust is what separates perfection from street vendor pizza.





I had the Rotunno pizza, topped prosciutto di parma, arugula, fresh mozzarella, shaved reggiano, & marinara . The prosciutto was tops, but all in all a little too leafy.





I was drawn to @delucasounds' Carl Raia/olive pie. It kicked mouth's ass. I am not the biggest fan of olives, but this was a great flavor combo: artichoke hearts, basil, black olives, green olives, Italian sausage, mozzarella & marinara. The salty sausage and artichokes made me happy to be eating olives. Never happened.


So kudos to Raia's. The pizza ranges from $9-12 and with a appetizer can easily feed two, so go check it out.

da yutes

Mr. Deluca graduated from U of H law school this past week. Last night his wonderful grandmother threw the graduation party of my dreams. Best grad spread ever. Included hummus, olive salad, Italian sausage links, fresh baguettes, vinegar-soaked potato salad, and a sin filled cheese plate were a few of the items. What did it for me was the endless supply of cashews, my favorite nut. They ain't cheap.


Grandma also prepped an assortment of jello shots, which were a hit with the older crowd, and gave us a few laughs. A friend of the family brought THE best sangria I've ever had. She added apricots to the wine and brandy mix, as well as fresh citrus fruits which were nice to nibble on at the end of the night.

Going to have some pizza tonight.




from stomach

its always sweeter

For those of you that don't know I am a special ed sub in Sugar Land. Shit is bananas. I found myself stopping in for coffee at Minuti Coffee on Highway 6 a few weeks ago to meet a friend. It is a new, but familiar coffee bar specializing in espresso drinks made with Caffe Molinari beans, a brand out of Modena, Italy that has coffee shops all over Europe.

This shit is legit. Very good espresso. The environment in Minuti is a bit annoying, filled with a bunch of Sugar Land business men and students putting off a, "I'm cultured now" vibe while staring into a blank Word doc on their new Macbooks. Pshhaaaaaaa....They also have your standard muffins and tarts, as well as donuts which aren't too shabby. They recently added an adult drink line-up which includes my beloved Italian export, Peroni.


What keeps me comin is their Bioespresso Yogurt drink. It is a frappe drink with a few shots of the dark stuff, ice, and vanilla yogurt instead of your traditional cream or milk. This drink does two things for me: 1) Ends the struggle at the end of a blended drink, where you are forced to remove the lid and stir the ice around, looking like a little fat, desperate kid breathing all heavy and 2) It is an endless mystery. What I mean is it is like the first time I had generic Post Bran Cereal. I had some, didn't know if I liked it or not, so I kept eating it. Every sip is an epic battle between taste buds and "favorites folder" of the brain.

If you are in Sugar Land, go try it. If you are in town, rumor has it they are to open a location later this year in the mid-town area.

from stomach

senses failed

This is my debut entry. Thanks to @explauren and two others for telling me to aim low, it was the confidence boost I needed to get started.


Saturday evening was spent at Tacos A Go Go. With juices from the smokey barbacoa taco rolling down my hand, which is a Go-Go's best, I realized that the mood at our table of 10 plus was g.d. depressing. I didn't hesitate to mention it, which I think made the sitch worse being that it was a friend's birthday celebration. It took me a few but it eventually hit me...f-ing "Free Bird." It was on the loud speakers. The song is a classic, but it pisses me off when people think that it's so good it should be played constantly. It was followed by depressing 80's heart-broken themed songs, one after another. There seemed to be no end, that was until we walked out.

Music is a huge part of food for me, especially when dining out. There are food genre codes, and these must be followed religiously. The Carpenters shouldn't be playing with a full stack of ribs and Austin baked beans, Sinatra doesn't pair up with spinach enchiladas, and if I ever hear Nickleback, ever again, in any situation really, I will put out a $27 reward for Chad Kroeger's heart, in a Kroger's plastic shopping bag.

I am going to start a food quest. I am in search of the best slice of pizza in town. Any suggestions? Also, I would like for this blog to stimulate some conversation. If you are reading this far, cool. Comment back. Come up with worst song and food pairing, or something.








From stomach