The chopstick wrapper may say "good luck," but you won't need it at Sushi-A-Go-Go. From left: Dynamite Roll and Sunshine Roll.

I’ve been curious to try Sushi-A-Go-Go in Austin ever since its mention in Nov. ‘09’s TH Taste on Dining Trailerside. Sushi from a trailer?

As stated in the article, Sushi-A-Go-Go has since moved from Manor Rd. There are now two locations: 4001 Medical Pkwy. (in the Shell parking lot) and 801 Barton Springs Rd., which opened in May.

Sushi-A-Go-Go offers a voluminous menu of sushi rolls plus shu-mai (shrimp dumplings) and mochi ice cream. I’ve dined at the Barton Springs location twice this summer, and despite the parking lot location, it’s cooler and more comfortable than you’d think, sitting on picnic benches under giant umbrellas with an intermittent breeze, savoring the cool sushi combos and feeling your internal temperature drop a few degrees. For those who prefer eating in air-conditioned comfort, you can also call in your Sushi-A-Go-Go to-go.

The sushi rolls, 8 pieces per order, contained small but fresh cuts of seafood. I ordered the Dynamite roll (tuna in a spicy sauce with avocado), and my daughter Lucy had the Sunshine Roll (salmon, mango, and avocado). We also shared some shu-mai.

The zesty ahi tuna rapidly slid and dissolved in my mouth. I also sampled the salmon roll, and the mango-avocado duo gave a slightly sweet and nutty flavor to the silky-smooth, savory salmon. The shu-mai (served warm) was lightly crisped, plump and juicy.

Most of the rolls average around $6, cheaper than supermarket sushi, and made to order.  On a hot summer day, Sushi-A-Go-Go is my go-to for a light, enticing, and budget-friendly meal.

After a day of packing up my daughter’s belongings at Austin College in Sherman for the return trip home to the city of Austin, we decided to have dinner in Denison, and Devolli’s was recommended by one of her friends.

Devolli’s, in downtown Denison (home to the town’s flourishing arts district, see TH March 2008), serves Italian food favorites, including several types of parmigianas. I had sausage parmigiana, served over spaghetti which was subtly spiced and garlicked. I had a craving for basic Italian fare, and this entrée hit the spot.

An added bonus to dinner was entertainment provided by trumpeter Alan Isley, accompanied by a karaoke machine. Playing classic standards ranging from Willie Nelson tunes to the theme from the Pink Panther, it made for a surprising treat after a long day.

Homestead Winery (vineyard in nearby Ivanhoe) shares the building with Devolli’s, and their wines are exclusively served in the restaurant. I had a glass of Homestead’s special red wine blend, Rose of Ivanhoe, which was sweet and fruity. I usually drink drier reds, but I found Rose delightfully refreshing.

I spent a rainy Saturday evening in Dallas with my sister, Joan and my daughter, Lucy strolling the Bishop Arts District. Despite the soggy weather, we were able to explore many of the shops covered in the February TH feature on Bishop Arts, and then some. With its mix of modern and vintage retail wares, casual cafés and upscale restaurants, and friendly, relaxed ambiance, the Bishop Arts District felt more like Austin to us than Dallas.

But even while seeing the magazine’s feature in production, I didn’t realize how much the area has grown in the number of stores and cafes from my last visit five years ago. We were pleasantly surprised to find more contemporary, and even affordable styles at shops such as Ouch! Fashion, as well as the venerable Zola’s Everyday Vintage, still a cut above with its designer finds (More Pucci than I’ve ever seen since the ‘60s!)

Another sign of progress: Joan had dined at Hattie’s a couple of times previously, and never needed a reservation on a weekend evening, so we decided to drop in. By the time we arrived just before 7 p.m., the place was packed, and the host had to regretfully turn people away if they didn’t have reservations. All of the nearby restaurants, including Tillman’s Roadhouse were quickly filling up, so we walked a few blocks further to Café Madrid, a longtime Bishop Arts haunt, for tapas. We were astounded by the entrée-sized portions of Spanish Potato Omelette and Grilled Marinated Chicken—Texas-sized tapas! The calamari was more typically-scaled, but offered in a generous serving, delicately fried and slightly chewy-yet-tender.

Heavy rain cut short our time for more Bishop-hopping, so we headed to the Belmont Hotel, where Lucy and I were staying. I have heard raves about this place from friends who’ve stayed there, even those who have family in Dallas or are Dallas residents. They all speak of a “doesn’t seem like Dallas” feel, from the hotel’s hillside perch (where you’ll happen to find an excellent view of the downtown skyline), to the curvy pathways and gardens meandering around the suites and the pool area, and the hip-yet-gracious staff. The BarBelmont near the lobby was packed with hotel guests and bar patrons, even more so with the steady rain keeping folks from gathering on the adjacent terrace. I managed to elbow my way in to enjoy a Belmontini and was well-rewarded by the smooth, tart concoction.

Recalling our visit to Bishop Arts earlier, browsing bottles at the Soda Gallery reminded me of an old ad campaign for 7-Up Cola: “7-Up is the UnCola.” Based on my weekend, one could make the case for Bishop Arts District and the Belmont Hotel as the “UnDallas.”

The trailer-café craze that has consumed Austin tends to be a mostly daytime affair, with many if not most in my neighborhood rolling up their windows by sunset.  I was delighted to discover that Odd Duck Farm to Trailer at 1219 S. Lamar begins serving at 5 p.m., perfect for “cook’s night out” (the “cook” in this case being me).

An intriguing menu, which changes daily, also piqued my interest. Odd Duck offers up appetizers and entrées that adhere to the rediscovered “nose-to-tail” philosophy, which means using ingredients from local farms, and with meats, using every edible part.  (Read more about restaurants using nose-to-tail principles, including nearby Olivia in March 2010 TH Taste).

At prices ranging from $3-7, Odd Duck offers an affordable foodie foray from an inventive chef, Bryce Gilmore. Gilmore, a California Culinary Academy alumnus who has worked at Moonshine and Wink in Austin, Café 909 in Marble Falls, Boulevard in San Francisco, and Montagna at the Little Nell in Aspen, got his start in the kitchen of his father Jack Gilmore’s Z’Tejas Grill in Austin.

For my dinnertime adventure, I chose rabbit braised in pale ale and mustard with poached duck egg over creamy turnip grits. A hint of Parmesan in this luscious stew gave the dish a slightly tart and pleasantly salty taste. The flavor and texture reminded me of Chinese jook or congee (rice porridge), especially when combined with the turnip grits.  The rabbit was tender, and had a slightly smoky aroma, which further enhanced the combination.

The entree portions tend to be on the small side, so on my next visit, I’ll be sure to order more!

If you’re planning to tour Quirky Houston, I suggest you start your day with breakfast. On a recent visit, my daughter tipped me off to Baby Barnaby’s, next door to its big brother Barnaby’s Café (which serves lunch and dinner) in the Montrose area, the birthplace of Houston-quirky.
This colorful café is cozy, casual, and cheap. The menu features a few whimsically named items like Green Eggs (eggs scrambled with spinach, artichoke hearts, and jack cheese) as well as breakfast basics, like bacon-and-eggs and pancakes. City-diner staples such as the Lox Platter, and Corned Beef Hash and Eggs are offered, along with Tex-Mex favorites like breakfast tacos, migas and huevos rancheros. My daughter had the Lox Platter and I had the basic Breakfast Plate with scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, and grits. Both the standard fare and the lox/bagel/cream cheese were prepared “just-right,” as were the portions—not too filling and perfect for packing in a day to tour Houston’s quirky sights.
Houston brims with quirky breakfast places. Tell us about your favorite Quirky Houston breakfast spot.

Last Saturday, I went to Houston’s Bayou City Art Festival Downtown with my sister, Jean. I recently discovered that this festival had a former life as the Westheimer Art Festival, which I attended over 30 years ago. Jean had never been to either incarnation of this festival but remembered hearing tales of the Haight-Ashbury-esque ambiance of the Westheimer fest. I can attest that all traces of patchouli, tie-dye, and overall weirdness were pretty much absent at the Bayou City Art Fest. In its place, I found art at its finest in many forms—whimsical sculpture, exquisite jewelry from beads to jewels, purses carved from wood, paintings in various media, including scratchboard, a favorite technique I learned back in art school.

The food has come a long way from funnel cakes and turkey legs. I sampled a tasty ceviche at “Epicurean Adventure”— where chefs from some of the city’s top restaurants like (the aptly named) Artista serve up food tastings throughout the day.  I also had a chance to meet the very cordial chef David Cordua, who is also director of restaurant operations for Artista, Churrasco’s, Amazon Grill and Americas.

I learned from festival board members Nadia Troutenko and Bien Tran that the spring component of the Bayou City Art Festival, held at Memorial Park, has a much different feel, and different roster of artists than the more urban, street-fair vibe of the downtown fest. I may have to find out for myself next spring!

I took advantage of Austin’s Free Museum Day to catch up on a few exhibits I’ve been meaning to see. One of them, Forgotten Gateway: Coming to America Through Galveston Island at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum, documents early 20^th Century immigration through Galveston Island. Most of us are familiar with Ellis Island as a port of entry. However, lesser-known ports such as Galveston served as gateways for millions of immigrants; in Galveston, many were of southern and eastern European descent, including Italians, Greeks and Polish Jews.
Packed with artifacts and documents of the time, interactive dioramas, and videos, Forgotten Gateway illustrates the sacrifices and severe hardships these immigrants endured, including interrogation, detention, and quarantine in their quest for a better life. The exhibit runs through October 11. It has been designated a We the People project by the National Endowment for the Humanities, and will travel to other institutions, including Ellis Island Museum and Moody Gardens in Galveston (Opens Nov. 21).
One curious aside: One of the displays prefacing the Galveston saga of Forgotten Gateways features a Christmas ornament and figurines of the holiday scene created by the Timmermann sisters were on view (see Happy 100^th, Wanda Timmermann blog), with a brief description of the German family’s ill-fated journey through Texas in 1849.

When my sister and I visited my daughter at Austin College in Sherman, we took the opportunity to explore nearby McKinney and have lunch at The Pantry Restaurant, in the historic downtown area. The spacious yet cozy cafe serves a variety of sandwiches, salads, soups, and other entrees, and also has a wide selection of creamy pies. I wish I could say I sampled one, and I really should have, but the tortilla soup/salad/cornbread combo was plenty for me as was the stuffed baked potato/soup combo was for my sister. My daughter, also full from her sandwich/salad combo, ordered a slice of chocolate-chip cream pie to take back to the dorm.

We sat by the front window and took in the street action, of which there was plenty despite the cold and windy day. There was a life-size carhop statue holding a sign board in front of the shop across the street that kept toppling over from the gusts, and we watched as passers-by picked up the statue only to see it get blown over again. There are a number of shops and restaurants, and even a spa or two, in McKinney’s meticulously-restored historic district.

On the way back to the college, we stopped for coffee at The Boiler Room (404 W Lamar St, 903-957-3815) in downtown Sherman. The Boiler Room, in a 2-story, vintage red-brick building, used to house a steam laundry long ago. The interior is warm, bright and modern, with many paintings adorning the walls, and stylish yet comfortable seating. I had a soy latte—with whipped cream—and, though it’s only an occasional drink for me, it was among the best lattes I’ve had. Now if I had only had some pie from The Pantry!

We’re excited about the February issue of Texas Highways (which is in the mail). This issue includes feature articles about Marfa, Fort Davis and the Big Bend Ranch State Park. Barbara Rodriguez wrote a couple of personal and amusing features about traveling the trans-Pecos with her 10-year-old son, Elliott (who has starred in several of Babs’ stories). Those who have been a touch daunted by the palpable hauteur in some of the art-world haunts (and we receive notes to that effect) will welcome the  light-hearted, travel-with-child perspective. Ms Rodriguez also teamed up with Elliott to make the Nature Conservancy’s Madera Canyon hike near Fort Davis, and that story will remind readers of a new way to enjoy the sky island of the Davis Mountains. And we can always rely on Wolfman Klepper to evoke the mystery and magic of the velvety dark skies.

Visits to the Houston Museum of Natural Science on Christmas Eve have become a holiday tradition for my family. The museum’s not very crowded and exhibits are open until 8 p.m. We recently saw Body Worlds 2 & the Brain, and having seen the first Body Worlds exhibit there two years ago, I’ve gotta say this latest collection of plastinated human bodies is just as jaw-dropping and informative. Though the inner-workings of the brain are featured in this Body Worlds, the life-size bodies never cease to fascinate me. Many of the male and female figures are shown in action poses—hitting a baseball, yoga, and skateboarding. Our favorites included an “exploding body”, showing each layer of skin, muscle, veins and organs from head to toe, and a reclining body with 6 fingers on each hand and 6 toes per foot. The last body in the exhibit even had a tattoo still visible on the right hand. There’s also a section showing the size progression of a fetus, and a female body during pregnancy. Don’t miss browsing the newly expanded gift shop near the main entrance, and check out the large selection of Body Worlds-related merchandise, including plush-toy “diseases”—soft, cuddly versions of the flu, salmonella, plus a few that can’t be mentioned here. We found them all “just awfully contagious”!