♥ Takoba- East 7th

TAKOBA
1411 East 7th Street
Austin, Texas 78702

Takoba has the best Spicy-Mango Margaritas in town!

Hands down.


These tasty toddies are what brought me back to Takoba for a second time (and will probably be what brings me back a third time--very soon), but they aren’t the only thing.

The food is fantastic and during SXSW (especially), the location couldn't have been better. We sat outside on the patio under pecan trees, and caught New Orleans jazz music floating on the breeze from the bar next door.

On my first trip I ordered the baja ceviche and couldn't stop dipping my house-made tortilla chips into the tangy mixture of fresh shrimp, avocado, lime and cilantro; all while Mike chomped down on a juicy pork torta.

Walking away stuffed, we couldn’t believe we didn't even bite into a single taco.

Round two was in order. And boy did we order! :)

Sharing amongst my boyfriend and my sister, we each sampled most of the taco choices and came up with two unanimous favorites:

El taco al pastor: it's a good thing I love cilantro and keep hearing about its many amazing health benefits. And this taco's got it! Pineapple marinated pork, cilantro and onion... It gets a little messy too, so be sure to have a few napkins.

y

El taco de verduras: zucchini, sweet potatoes (Mmm!), roasted corn, green chilies, queso fresco, chipotle mayo and quac! Amazing!



Another one of the many reasons to venture to Austin's eclectic east side. The cuisine never ceases to impress a foodie like me and the atmosphere is always lively and spontaneous.

The chocolate truffle cake was delightfully whipped and melted in your mouth!

♥ Love,

Mel

♥ All Quiet on the TastyTown Front and 24th Birthday

Though my posts have been hushed recently, my life has been everything but. Some exciting things have happened that have caused me to be distant from you, oh Tastytown.

We hired a new employee at my company and she has been such a big help to me so far! The assistance is much appreciated, but I am also enjoying the opportunity to see my company grow.

During the first week of February, I moved into my very own apartment! This is something I've been waiting for and saving up for, for quite some time. So lately I have been taking the time to decorate it and make it into my own paradise, which has been a lot of fun.

I also celebrated my 24th birthday with a wonderful group of all my friends. We all met at my *new* apartment to make cocktails and mingle, before we ventured off to a small comedy club in my neighborhood called Coldtowne Theater. On Friday nights they do stand up comedy, where a series of beginner comedians do 3-5 minute sets. The show was only 5 bucks and the club is BYOB, which was a huge plus considering my party shenanigans consisted of a very large cooler filled with liquor, mixers and beer. The theater was small, so needless to say, my birthday group made up the majority of the crowd. The comedians were hilarious and allowed all of us interact with their routines! It was a really fun and different activity to do in Austin and I think we all got a kick out of it!

Here are some #Instagram shots to fill you in:

beautiful pale yellow roses my boyfriend gave me for my birthday

another amazing arrangement of flowers from my good friends.
My friends brought me so many beautiful flowers for my birthday
and also some gorgeous champagne glasses for future tastings :)

the most delicious, pillowy, coconut cream cake from my friend.
I single handedly ate the entire thing over the course of a week. easily.

my mom brought this cute vanilla strawberry cake, decorated with
big yellow sunflowers! there's never *too* much cake :)

Raevan came in town for my birthday festivities,
we are waiting for the comedy to start

Coldtowne Theater

 Fat Tuesday celebration in San Marcos



Tiffany, me, Carly

♥ Much Love,

Mel



♥ Year of the Dragon!

Monday was the Chinese New Year, so a few friends and I decided to go out and celebrate. Since it is the Year of the Dragon, our year, we thought it would be apropriate to ring it in properly with Kung Pao and Saki.

Happy Year of the Dragon! The Year of the Dragon is one of the most revered years of the Chinese New Year calendar, and those born under the sign are regarded as innovative, passionate people who are colorful, confident and fearless.

Here is the astrological predictions for the Year of the Dragon in 2012:

Double your efforts in whatever you do - work, education and other projects. Your natural talent and abilities should stand out with great results. However, watch out for that temper! Keep it in check and do not spoil your good work.The person born in the Chinese Year of the Dragon can be quite a confronting person but if you can reach their "soft heart" they are worthwhile allies.

♥ Happy New Year

Melissa

♥ The Fat Hen :: New Orleans, Louisianna

THE FAT HEN
7457 St. Charles Ave
New Orleans, LA 70118

On a recent trip to the funky city of New Orleans, I had the tasty opportunity to stop at a quaint little brunch spot, right near Tulane University. While the trip's original purpose was not of the culinary route, knowing me, I couldn't help but keep my eyes and stomach wide open to taste some unique and authentic NOLA cuisine.

We had the pleasure of staying with a friend in a beautiful area of town. The french colonial homes stood strong and vast, with exquisite old trimmings and beautiful iron fences. As we headed out on foot in search of some Cajun delicacies, we happened upon The Fat Hen, nestled within the rich culture and southern charm.

Despite the batch of homemade boiled crawfish and Cajun corn we gobbled down the previous night, our seafood cravings were not yet satiated. I was enamored as we entered the restaurant with their creative paintings on the wall. I knew if they took this much time on the decor then the food would have to be just as creative.

The breakfast special was just that! A giant, fluffy Belgian waffle covered by a decadent ham, apple wood bacon, and cheddar cheese omelet. Once the syrup was poured all over that bad boy it was over!

In front of my chompers was this delicious Cajun Crawfish Eggs Benedict, three poached eggs on top of spicy and extra crispy crawfish cakes, drizzled with Fat Hen's specialty hollandaise sauce.

The Fat Hen took the cake on some of the best southern cookin' I tasted on my trip to New Orleans and getting on the flight back to Austin, was a bittersweet moment. I absolutely love NOLA cuisine and wish we had more of it in Austin.

...Until next time Mr. Crawdaddy...

More to come on the rest of NOLA adventure! Stay posted!

♥ Ciao!

Mel

♥ Friday the 13th Jamz :: Foster the People Remix

Another week has come and gone and this one has been quite eventful. This weekend I am looking forward to spending time with my girl friends, crossing things off of my to-do list, and getting some yoga/running in.

Last weekend, I went with a group of friends on a party bus down to San Antonio for the Spurs vs. Nuggets game. Although the group was divided by loyalties for each team, the Spurs prevailed. Overall, I think we could agree that the party bus was the best part of the trip :)

The buses amenities included awesome color changing lights and a pretty epic speaker system. The girls maintained control of the iPOD and the ride home was filled with fun, upbeat, dance tunes.

Here's a song I was introduced to and now can not STOP listening to!

Foster The People - Houdini (RAC Mix)

Thanks again Whitney for organizing such a great trip!

♥ Enjoy,

Mellie

♥ Eastside Cafe :: Freshness!

EASTSIDE CAFE

2113 Manor Rd

Austin, TX 78722

The Gramatik show at the Parish, blew my socks off (read blogpost HERE)! The show was completely sold out, and when I finally made my way through the front doors, I was smiling ear to ear. The night was filled with fantastic friends, groovy tunes, green rooms, and whisky sours.

Oh lord, did those whisky sours hurt my lil head the next morning.

A good and healthy brunch was in order.

Eastside Cafe is known for its freshness. Their motto is:

"We dont grow everything we serve, but we serve everything we grow."

And that is the truth because in their very own backyard is an extensive community garden, lush with fresh green succulents and chickens in the coop.

Although tempted by the fluffy belgian waffles or blueberry blintzes, I decided to order one of the specials.

Once The Blue Plate Special arrived at our table, the aromas were so delicious, that I think my eyes bugged out of my head like a looney tune. I couldnt wait to dig into the perfectly poached eggs atop a savory salmon and shrimp cake, and smothered in a tangy remoulade sauce. Crispy home fries and fresh strawberries came on the side. The combination was an excellent compliment to a slightly Creole spicyness from the salmon and shrimp cake. As we all know, poaching an egg is most definitely an art form, and the chefs at Eastside Cafe are Picasso; the egg was cooked to pure fulfillment! 

 delicious sweet potato mash

beef and goat cheese enchiladas

After gobbling up my brunch, I took a stroll through the gardens.

With the growing movement of sustaniable food and structures in Austin, Eastside Cafe is a model in which many restaurants should begin to follow.  There is nothing quite like seeing where the food on your plate is grown.  Not only does fresh organic food taste better, but it also carries a myriad of health benefits that have been stripped away from mass produced food. 

And if there is a small wait for a table, you can also browse their lovely gift shop where they sell adorable cooking accessories, locally made soaps and lotions, and you might even get samples of their delicious chocolate chip cookies! 

I highly suggest if your a fan of sustainable gardens and organic growing in urban environments to swing by Eastside Cafe and see how they have done it.  I know I can't wait to go for dinner. Fried Shrimp with Apricot Brown Butter Sauce or Artichoke Manicotti, YES PLEASE!

♥ Bon appetit!

Melissa