A Local Conversation A look into Austin’s growing unique food culture
Food Truck Fun Why food trucks are so popular in Austin
T a b n i l t esid s u e A
Smokey Delicious Austin’s BBQ increasing popularity
Going Beyond Meat Veganism growing in Austin
Table of Contents A Local Conversation page 8
Letter From the Editors page 6
4 / Austin Tableside / Fall 2019
Farm Talk page 12
Hunting for BBQ Mysteries page 24 Food Truck Fun page 14
Trendy Trucks page 18
Going Beyond Meat page 26
Smokey Delicious page 20
Austin Vegan Eats page 30
Fall 2019 / Austin Tableside / 5
Letter From the Editors
Anjali Ravi 6 / Austin Tableside / Fall 2019
Anjali Ravi is a freshman at LASA High School. She was born in Austin and has lived there her entire life. She loves hanging out with her two dogs and her family. Her favorite food in the world is bagels. She hates avocados and is actually a pretty picky eater. Her favorite movies are What’s Eating Gilbert Grapes and Heathers. She decided to write her feature article about food trucks because she works at Sno-Beach, a food truck in Austin.
Martin D’Andrea
Martin D’Andrea is a freshman at LASA. He was born in Austin and has lived there for his whole life. He loves Austin’s unique food culture and specifically, barbecue. He loves his pets and specifically his cats, he loves cats. His favorite food is Brisket and his least favorite food is asparagus. He wrote about Austin’s barbecue culture because his dad used to work at a barbecue restaurant and ate there a lot.
Judge Baskin
Judge, like every single other person in his group, happens to be a freshman at LASA. He really enjoys cooking and is working part-time at three restaurants around Austin. Judge runs a supper club with his friends where he feeds eight people multi-course dinners every month.
Sophie Russell
Sophie is a freshman at Liberal Arts and Science Academy. She was born in Austin and has lived there her whole life. In her free time, she likes to play cello and spend time with her friends and family. When she was seven years old, she made the decision to go vegetarian. Since then, she’s gone vegan multiple times. It’s always been a struggle for her to find good food that matches her diet, and Fall 2019 / Austin Tableside / 7
The warm hue of the lights on the vines welcome vistors to the Boggy Creek Farm stand. (Photo by Judge Baskin, 2019.)
{a local conversation}
By Judge Baskin
Talking about the food that Austinites eat and where it comes from
he cool breeze cradles the produce and vegetables as they make their way to the farmstand. Chefs are greeted by the warm rays of the sun and the fig trees on the drive-in. The historical house creaks in the wind when the fields start to fill with farmers, and become empty of food. The warm hue of lights welcomes people on a Saturday morning at Boggy Creek Farm. This is what locality is all about. Farm-to-table cooking has become very popular recently, and that comes with people knowing where their food comes from.
8 / Austin Tableside / Fall 2019
According to Upserve, a company helping with service industry management, restaurants that run seasonally-focused menus have up to a 26 percent increase in business than those that don’t. The people of Austin are no exception to this trend. Restaurants and chefs here have created a movement to source locally and know their farmers. Central Texas farms and restaurants have teamed
“In a world filled with convenience, often the orgins of what we consume are lost.” — Emmy Hangarter
and has been providing restaurants and the rest of the Hill Country with reliable flours, corn and grain since then. “We are so very fortunate to have gained a large following in a relatively short time,” Hangarter said. Focusing on this idea, chef Fiore Tedesco from L’Oca d’Oro works hard so that his restaurant can maintain these practices. “We source 95 percent of everything, every bit of meat, produce, fish, from Central Texas and from the Texas Gulf and Central Texas pastures,” Tedesco said.
safe farming practices, you help to ensure that farm’s survival for years to come,” Hangarter said. Knowing and helping your farmer out can be a great way to build a better relationship and community. Boggy Creek Farm has embraced this and the feeling of community with food. “We just want to feed people good, clean, healthy, fresh
The idea is that with every good ingredient, a better product is created. “We’re very committed to it and it’s built into our business model,” Tedesco said. Farmers are a big part of this equation. “To us, the farmer is everything, doing the hardest job of all,” Hangarter said. Without the produce and ingredients to make food, restaurants would be lost. However, the growing factory farming industry has put small scale agriculture in a difficult spot. “By purchasing directly from a small farmer who uses honest and
James Brown, owner of Barton Springs Mill, walks through a wheat farm in New Braunfels. (Photo by Jody Horton/Texas Monthly, 2019.)
up to provide good, clean food to Austinites. The finished food creates happy customers, farmers and cooks. Many restaurants in Austin are following this trend, serving food that works with the seasons. A big part of this is sourcing every aspect of food, even grain. Barton Springs Mill has become prominently involved in this conversation. They believe that people should understand where their food comes from. “In a world filled with convenience, often the origins of what we consume are lost,” Emmy Hangarter, an employee of the mill, said. Barton Springs Mill opened in 2017
Fiore Tedesco of L’Oca d’Oro rolls out pasta to make Lorighittas Verde for their pasta tasting menu. (Photo by Judge Baskin, 2019.)
The farmers make their way through the fields at Boggy Creek Farm on a Saturday morning. (Photo by Judge Baskin, 2019.)
Fall 2019 / Austin Tableside / 9
farms and good ingredients. Nunez finds the importance of a good relationship with a farmer. “Constant communication and respect, it’s important because we both depend on each other for our businesses to thrive,” he said Suerte uses heirloom corn to make masa, the dough for tortillas. It’s the backbone of the restaurant and is supplied by none other than Barton Springs Mill. “We have forged strong partnerships with our farmers and are thrilled to act as a conduit for them to some of the best eating establishments in Texas,” said Hangarter about their connection with restaurants. According to chef Tedesco, a positive relationship with a farmer makes better food in the end. This relationship also means better ingredients, which means a better product. “Real food is more expensive, as it should be. That is just real and we embrace that and we are smart about what we use and how we use it,” Tedesco said.
Bloody Butcher Red corn from Barton Springs Mill ready to be ground or sold. (Photo by Jody Horton/Texas Monthly, 2019.)
good food!” Boggy Creek Farm has been open since 1992 and has been doing just that since then. The farm opened in a place that would usually be considered unconventional. On Lyons Road on the east side of Austin, Sayle has created a community that values knowing the farm and the farmer. Of course, that didn’t happen without a few hiccups. “People couldn’t even understand how we could be in the city,” Sayle said. “They couldn’t grasp that.”
10 / Austin Tableside / Fall 2019
People like Sayle started the trend of urban farms, and the impact has made Austin a little better. “We were the first urban farm in Texas, and one of the first in the country, and definitely the first in Austin.” Staying close to your farmer is never a bad thing and it creates a connection that makes food better. “There’s value in really just getting to know people, and that ends up being a very personal relationship, and with most of the farmers,” Tedesco said. Another chef that embraces this thought is Fermin Nunez from Suerte. The restaurant is working to show what authentic Mexican food should be. It also supports local
But not only can a better relationship make better food, but it can also help make a better world. Factory farming and the food industry has a large impact on global warming and the health of the Earth. So restaurants like L’Oca d’Oro has even more of a positive impact. “We are held accountable by a metric because we are part of the Good Food 100, which requires us to maintain a certain footprint so we are constantly recording that footprint,” Tedesco said. The impact of a relationship with a farmer can change a lot, even what a restaurant ends up serving. “It’s incredibly impactful on me with the time spent, and taking a couple steps back, it has a tremendous effect on what the menu ends up looking like here,” Tedesco said
“We can have a positive change on this subset of people just by being a little closer and listening more.” — Fiore Tedesco
Chef Nunez commented that a relationship with a farmer shouldn’t have any sacrifices, it should just be healthy. “Just making sure we both talk to each other! No sacrifices come with it. It’s not easy but it’s worth it because at the end of the day you get better produce in the kitchen and support local people,” Nunez said. “We can have a positive change on this subset of people just by being a little closer and listening more,” Tedesco said. No matter the chef or the restaurant that uses them, or the farm they come from, good ingredients make a difference } on the food that Austinites eat.
The vine and vegetation surround the 100 year old house, keeping with the tone of Boggy Creek Farm. (Photo by Judge Baskin, 2019.)
“We just wanted to feed people good, clean, healthy, fresh food. It was very simple.” — Carolann Sayle
Fall 2019 / Austin Tableside / 11
{farm keep your friends close and your farmers closer By Judge Baskin
1. Austin Honey Co. Austin Honey Co. is one of the city’s most prominant polinaters, and has created a name for themselves in the past few years.
3. Johnson’s Backyard Garden
At almost every farmers market in town, this farm sells an enourmous variety of vegetables and helps many restaurants.
5. Telocote Farm
With peppers and cucumber-melons, Telocote Farm grow specialized, Spanish- Texas hybrids and heirloom varieties.
12 / Austin Tableside / Fall 2019
talk} 2. Boggy Creek Farm PURE HONEY
Started in 1982, Boggy Creek Farm has become very popular in the Austin area. Supplying many restaurants, they are most popular for their heirloom tomatoes.
4. Barton Springs Mill
Barton Springs Mill has become the entire state’s biggest supplier of grain helping restaurants and the people of Austin “know their miller.”
6. Belle Vie Farms
Austin’s most popular duck and pork farmers sell premium eggs, meat, and charcuterie at most farmers markets.
7. Green Gate Farms This farm, showing up at all the markets, incorporates community an people into its produce and mission.
8. Windy Hill Farm Getting their goat on, Windy Hill Farm works to better Texas’s soil and its enviroment.
{mapping it out} Austin 1. Austin Honey Co. Auga Dulce Barton Hill Farms 2. Boggy Creek Farm 3. Johnson’s Backyard Garden 4. Barton Springs Mill La Flaca 5. Telocote Farms
6. Windy Hill Farm
44 Farms
7. Belle Vie Farms 8. Green Gate Farms Texas T
Windy Bar Ranch Sources • saltandtime.com/our-farmers • telocotefarm.net • greengatefarms.net • boggycreekfarm.com • Google Maps search: “farms in austin”
Fall 2019 / Austin Tableside / 13
{food truck fun} Why the food truck industry in Austin is growing so rapidly.
by Anjali Ravi
The Buzz About Food Trucks Local residents of Austin, Texas, may have noticed that in the past few years, the city has been quickly changing with new trends and popular additions, one of these being food trucks. Whether it’s for the food or for the pictures, people love visiting these food trucks, and recently, they have been in higher demand than ever. Many new food trucks are popping up in different areas and the industry is rapidly expanding and growing, causing late nights and long hours for those in charge of the trucks. Although many think that owning your own business would result in flexibility in your schedule, it is actually the opposite. Many business owners say that they feel like their job is controlling their lives and they miss out on important events because of it, but they love it nonetheless.
14 / Austin Tableside / Fall 2019
Elizabeth Newsome, owner of Sno-Beach on 412 Sterzing St, holds up a snowcone she made for a picture with the trailer. Sno-Beach attracts many customers on the weekends, due to its location being near Barton Springs. (Photo courtesy of Elizabth Newsome.)
Every day, over 1,000 new food trucks in Austin open their doors to welcome their customers. Many of them start preparing for the day early in the morning by getting needed materials, setting up machinery and cleaning the food area. Contradictory to popular belief, food trucks are very clean and are actually just as clean as a restaurant. In Austin, on some busy streets, you’re guaranteed to find many food trucks on Barton Springs Road, South Congress and Burnet Road. Some of the most famous food trucks in Austin are Veracruz All Natural, Mighty Cone and Hey Cupcake!.
Austin food culture is also tied in many ways to these trucks, with Tex Mex being one of the most popular types of food trucks. There are many facts about food trucks that might be surprising. For example, the first taco truck was made when someone turned an old ice cream truck into a taco truck in 1974. The food truck industry is worth $2 billion and has grown 300 percent in the last three years. Food truck growth has even overcome commercial food service. The reason why food trucks are becoming more popular is because they are
A vintage style truck with an unusual choice of food located on a sea side pier. Different types of food trucks are making new appearances all around the world. (Photo courtesy of Venus Evans/Unsplash.)
Fall 2019 / Austin Tableside / 15
more affordable as a startup than restaurants. The majority of customers at food trucks are between the ages of 18 and 34, as the aesthetic of food trucks appeals more to younger people. Once a month, HelloNabr hosts a Food Truck Night where many food trucks serve as vendors for a night in the neighborhood so family and friends can enjoy different meals. “Our first Food Truck Night, the food ran out. It was 110 degrees and we
“I think when people hear that you own your own business they think you get to, like, set your own schedule and do whatever you want and that’s not exactly how it works. It’s kinda like more controlling and nonstop in a way than a 9-5 job.”–Elizabeth Newsome 16 / Austin Tableside / Fall 2019
gave away water to everyone in line and food vouchers for their next visit. At current events, the trucks are prepared, lines move quickly and the people keep coming.” Jen Marchak, event manager for HelloNabr, said. For many business owners, their schedule seems to control them more than they control it. “I think when people hear that you own your own business they think you get to set your own schedule and do whatever you want and that’s not exactly how it works. It’s more controlling and nonstop in a way than a 9-5 job.” Elizabeth Newsome, owner of Sno Beach, said. With the growing popularity of food trucks, those in the business must be willing to accommodate to different events that may get in the way of other things in their schedule. This may also mean having to prioritize their job over their personal life. Co-owner of Churro Co, David Martinez, said “My least favorite thing about running Churro Co. is sacrificing all of my weekends. The majority of our customers visit us over the weekend which means I miss a lot
of the fun happenings in the city such as events and concerts.” Although it may be true that the job is very time consuming, there are many things that make it all worth it. Newsome said that one of the best parts of owning Sno Beach is “the relationships I have with my employees and my longtime loyal customers.” She loves the connections she makes and the people she meets and she has loved watching kids grow up which, according to Newsome, has been really fun.
Ice cream trucks were one of the first forms of food trucks to be creted. (Photo courtesy of Tobias Zils / Unsplash.)
Newsome’s kids and family love hanging out at the trailer during the summer. (Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Newsome.)
You may think that owning a food truck in the beginning might be easy, but in most cases it is quite difficult. For Newsome, she had to work long and hard to finally achieve her dream. “They were doing the majority of the financing, I just had to come up with a down payment. So basically I was their apprentice the whole next year and learned — and it ended up being the best thing ever — and they taught me everything from like, how to pay sales tax and payroll to like the daily operations of Sno Beach that I didn’t know even after working there all day every day,” Newsome said.
Now, she realizes her hard work pays off, even when the job gets difficult. “I remember my grandfather, complaining to him one day when we were moving locations or something and he said ‘Yup that’s hard when you’re name’s on the note you can’t blame it on anyone else you have to figure it out’ and I still think about that all the time when things get frustrating.” With many people wanting to experience the new trend for themselves, food trucks are becoming increasingly busy. “So much has changed. We strongly believe that the more reps you make the better you get at it. It’s a process and feedback loop. We make something, try it out, gather data, then figure out ways to make it better. I’d say we’ve come a long way and we are now in a growth trajectory rather than survival mode,” Martinez said. Food trucks have recently become a huge part of Austin culture. New food trucks popping up everywhere is making it hard to try all of them. One of the best opportunities to try many of these trucks is Austin City
Newsome speands a sunny day at the trailer with her family. Many food truck owners find it hard to make time for personal life and balance work life. (Photo courtesy of Anjali Ravi.)
Limits (ACL). In ACL Eats, you’ll find many food trucks that have brought their equipment out to the festival for the six days. Here you can find many food trucks, some of which you might have heard of, and some of your favorite restaurants. For Newsome, getting to be an ACL food vendor was very exciting and a big step for her business. Food trucks have been booming lately and have become a recent trend. Austin is a hub of activity for Food truck owners, with Austinites always wanting to broaden their palette. One thing that’s guaranteed is that you’ll never get bored of the food array that Austin provides.
“My least favorite thing about running Churro Co. is sacrificing all of my weekends. The majority of our customers visit us over the weekend which means I miss a lot of the fun happenings in the city such as events and concerts.” –David Martinez
Fall 2019 / Austin Tableside / 17
{trendy Popular food trucks on famous street in Austin. by Anjali Ravi
trucks}
S
SOUTH CONGRES BURRO
Texas Ranch BBQ Classic Texas BBQ with a great atmosphere and indoor seating shared with a neighboring taco shop.
The Celia Jacobs
Cheesecake
Experience
Burro Cheese Kitchen An on the go sandwich shop that serves a variety of gourmet grlled cheeses.
BBQ
The Celia Jacobs Cheesecake Experience A 60’s throwback trailer that serves mini cheesecakes in many different flavors.
S BARTON SPRING menu
HOME
OF THE
HOT N’ CRUNCHY
Mighty Cone Unique, savory foods served in tortilla cones
Sno-Beach Although you may have a hard time choosing from one of the many flavors, the perfectly sweet snowcones make your trip
I C E
menu
SNO-BEACH
menu
ACAI HUT Acai Hut Trendy, refreshing acai bowls that will make your instagram followers jealous.
BURNET ROAD THE
Peached
TORTILLA
The Peached Tortilla A casual Asian-fusion eatery known for their bahn mi tacos and whiskey.
18 / Austin Tableside / Fall 2019
Chi’lantro Korean and Mexican food truck that is also in store. They are famous for their idolized kimchi fries.
Jew Boy
CHI’LANTRO Jew Boy Burgers Food trailer with a fun mash up of Mexican and Jewish food.
Burgers and tacos were two of the most served foods in food trucks.
{food
Fun facts you may not know about food trucks. by Anjali Ravi
Startup cost for a food truck can be anywhere from $50,000-$100,000
The last Friday of June is National Eat at a Food Truck Day
facts}
L.A. and Austin are the top two food truck cities in the US
Food trucks donated over 100,000 meals to New Yorkers after Hurricane Sandy
Food trucks have inspired things like mobile gyms and hair salons. Sources www.executiveautosalon.com mobile-cuisine.com www.food.ee Fall 2019 / Austin Tableside / 19
s u o i c i l e D y e Smok A Look
A
Smokey Delicious By Martin D’Andrea Austin is well-known for its food culture, and one of its already most popular foods has been recently increasing in popularity. That food is barbecue, a cuisine whose restaurants are divided on what makes it good and why it is so popular in Austin.
Martin
ea
D’Andr nds
Tre ng Food i w o r G tin’s into Aus
out in a crowded cooking world. One example of this is Leroy and Lewis Barbecue which is a smaller restaurant trying to stand out.
Leroy and Lewis Barbecue is still trying to make their stance in the barbecue community.
Austin’s barbecue culture has been able to keep growing for a couple of reasons. Barbecue restaurant owners have been adding unique items to the menu and creating completely new dishes to stand
A Family enjoying there lunch at Leroy and Lewis barbecue. Some of the restaurants most popular dishes are included in this lunch.
One of La Barbecues most popular dishes, their sliders.
20 / Austin Tableside / Fall 2019
Pitmaster at Leroy and Lewis Barbecue, Miguel Vidal, said “Brisket is the first thing people think of when they think of Austin barbecue”.As a smaller restaurant,
The restaurant’s owner, Evan Leroy, had the unique idea to use beef cheeks instead of brisket. Both beef cheeks and brisket are meant to be the main courses of the restaurant.
Evan said beef cheeks are better because of the flavor and texture. Some of this is due to the meat but most of it is because of how it is cooked.
so originality like this will only help them. Another barbecue restaurant, Valentina’s Tex Mex Barbecue, is
with a Mexican twist. The inspiration to combine two drastically different food cultures was a big decision for Valentina’s. “I
Clayton and Matt are workers at Leroy and Lewis barbecue. I took this picture is them standing in front of the Leroy and Lewis food truck.
At Leroy and Lewis Barbecue the beef cheeks are a substitute for what is probably Austin’s most famous barbecue meat, and so the quality is something that demands priority. The cooking process is intricate. First, It is smoked for four hours, similar to brisket. Next, they confit the meat, which means submerge it in beef fat and smoke, and they do that for another four hours. Clayton said beef cheeks are better than brisket because, “It is like all of the best parts of brisket in a palm-sized thing”. Leroy and Lewis Barbecue may be small, but they are putting in the effort to become a popular barbecue restaurant, and
“It’s really a labor of love and everyone puts on effort and I’m really grateful for them.” –Clayton Manthey doing something very different from almost all barbecue restaurants in Austin. The owner, Miguel Vidal, made the decision to create a traditional American barbecue but
wanted to showcase how I grew up eating with my family I wanted it to be food from home,” Vidal said. His wish certainly came true because Vidal to this day serves Mexican
A plate of food from La Barbecue showing off many of their star meats.
Fall 2019 / Austin Tableside / 21
American barbecue “just how he used to eat it at home”. One unique Mexican-American barbecue dish that Valentina’s barbecue serves are their barbecue tacos. They make all of the parts from scratch including the tortillas, sauce and of course the meat. This is a popular dish at Valentina’s. Because there are so many different restaurants in the barbecue
“It pushes people to do their best when there are so many good barbecue restaurants” – Clayton Manthey
business, one would assume that there is always competition to be the best and take down others. “It pushes people to do their best when there are so many good barbecue places. you want to show what you can do, but not because you want to do outdo them because you want to prove your restaurant is the best,” said Vidal. Unfortunately, to make it in the barbecue business you must be fully committed to your restaurant and you must be focused on producing good food rather than making money. “If you focus on money instead of food perfection and constant improvement, you will fail,”
22 / Austin Tableside / Fall 2019
Sauseges enjoying there daily cook on the grill to be fed to La Barbecues hungry customers.
Vidal said. The time commitment is heavy when starting a barbecue restaurant. The starting phase isn’t just one or two months; it can be between two to three years like in the case of Valentina’s. “In the first two or three years of working, I worked for 18 hours a day, and I slept inside the trailers or in my car,” Vidal said.
Because of these long working days, Vidal needed his family to also be in full support of what he was doing. “I am so blessed to have a family that supported me throughout my whole journey,” Vidal said. He was also not able to see his wife and children very much because of the long working hours. Vidal also did not think that he could have gotten where he was now
Austin’s most popular barbecue meat brisket, done well by La Barbecue.
to order food like they are someone special in the workers’ lives. This makes people feel welcomed while at Valentina’s and gives them a positive association with the restaurant. Vidal said they “Are paying them back with our food, and that’s the gift we are giving back.” Because of this, he is always trying to push out the best food that he can.
LeAnn Mueller and Ali Clem cooking at the outdoor picknick. La Barbecue had an outdoor cooking event at the Hotel Saint Cecilia, this picture is them cooking at it.
(restaurant wise) without the help of his family “No, definitely not with the help from my family and my wife,” Vidal said. A good owner needs to be open to help and constructive criticism. According to Vidal, a restaurant is like a ship. “The owner is the captain, but the captain can’t do it all on his own. He relies on help from
his amazing crew,” Vidal said. He treats his co-workers like his family and with the great bond they form, they can operate the restaurant very well together. Vidal believes that one big thing that sets them apart from everyone else is their customer service. He tells his workers that they must treat everyone who comes to Valentina’s
Motivation is crucial as a restaurant owner, especially in Austin where there are many other restaurants. If the owner is not motivated to really own the restaurant, there is no point in starting it. “I believe in Valentinas and what we do one thousand
“I believe in Valentinas and what we do one thousand percent and I think that we have created something really special” –Miguel Vidal percent, and I think that we have created something really special,” Vidal said.
Ali Clem, one of La Barbecues owners cutting brisket for hungry customers. Brisket is one of La Barbecues most popular items on the menu.
The competition of the Austin barbecue scene forces all restaurants to be at their best all the time. The Austin barbecue restaurants do not aim to take each other down but to lift each other up. They build off each other to create a better barbecue experience for all Austinites.
Fall 2019 / Austin Tableside / 23
{hunting where to find Austinʼs top barbecue
By Martin DʼAndrea
for barbecue}
Franklin Barbecue Located at 900 E 11th St. and first opened in 2009.
Kerlin Barbecue
City of Austin
Valentina’s Tex Mex Located at 11500 Manchaca Rd. and first opened in 2003.
24 / Austin Tableside / Fall 2019
Located at 1700 E Cesar Chavez St. and was first opened in July 1, 2014.
La Barbecue Sources: https://austin.eater.com https://www.thrillist.com https://www.labarbecue.com
Located at 2027 E Cesar Chavez St. and first opened in 2012.
{meat mysteries} By Martin DʼAndrea
1
Franklin Barbecue Franklin Barbecue has been an Austin staple when it comes to barbecue for the last 10 years. But because the barbecue is so delicious, there are always a lot of people in line. It is an Austin achivement to have eaten at Franklin Barbecue.
2
Kerlin Barbecue Kerlin Barbecue is well known for its very good barbecue and is a very big rival to Franklin Barbecue. Austinites are very passionate about there barbecue and there is an ongoing debate about which of these resturants is the best.
Franklin BARBECUE
3
Valentina’s Tex Mex Valentina’s Tex Mex Barbecue has been a part of the Austin barbecue community the longest. Valentina’s operates out of a food truck in South Austin. It gives a Mexican twist on American classics. VALENTINA’S TEXMEX BBQ
4
La Barbecue La Barbecue is very popular resturant in Austin for two main reasons. It has amazing barbecue and it is female run. It is trying to change the public opinin that barbecue is mens work.
La EST. 2012
BARBECUE
AUSTIN
HECHO CON AMOR
Fall 2019 / Austin Tableside / 25
{{GOING GOING BEYOND BEYOND MEAT} Exploring the complex world of going vegan in Austin By Sophie Russell Almost 3 billion animals are killed every day for food, and that’s just in the United States. The meat industry has been abusing and slaughtering animals for decades, and many people are calling for a change. The best and easiest way to make change happen is something that everyone knows about, but no one wants to do — going vegan. The proven benefits of veganism are numerous,
yet not many people are able to make the jump. Local vegan chefs are trying to help the situation the best way they know how: providing the city of Austin with accessible and delicious vegan food. With the exponential population growth of Austin comes an inevitable change in the food culture. And with all of this change comes the appearance of a new type of restaurant — vegan restaurants. Vegan food has become recently popular, and a lot of people even see it
Blake Newman opened a vegan restaurant in South Austin that instantly became successful. (Photo by Sue Davis 2019.)
26 / Austin Tableside / Fall 2019
After owning a trailer for two years, Sue Davis opened her first brick and mortar restaurant. (Photo by Sue Davis 2019.)
as its own genre of food. With vegan food getting more diverse and people experimenting with the things they can make, a lot more unique restaurants have popped up in Austin. Behind most of the new vegan restaurants are determined locals set on not only helping animals in the meat industry, but on providing healthy food for the people of Austin. Blake Newman was a trained chef looking to start a restaurant. After a long career of working for other businesses, he decided it was time to create his own restaurant. But when his friend introduced him to veganism, his whole life changed. He became a vegan soon after that and turned his focus toward starting a vegan restaurant. His goal was to make something unique, that would draw attention. He asked himself what no one else was doing, and he eventually he thought of the perfect answer, vegan barbecue. This idea would become Newman’s new career — in the form of a vegan barbecue food truck, called BBQ Revolution. On the other side of Austin, Amelia Raley was disappointed with the lack of vegan desserts in Austin. “We were tired of going to places and being presented with an option that was unspecial, like lemon sorbet,”
Raley said. And so Sweet Ritual was born, a vegan ice cream shop. The main goal for Sue Davis was always to help the animals killed for the meat industry. “I wanted to get into more animal activism, and I knew that one way I could be an activist was to cook for people,” Davis said. After running a food truck for two and a half years, she finally opened a brick and mortar restaurant, called Counter Culture. For Newman, animal activism is one of the most important things about his work as well. “I’m proud to say that I save a lot of animals from being slaughtered for barbecue,” He said. “Some people, their activism is protesting outside of places, outside of Whole Foods, and that’s fine for them. I feel like what I do is a form of activism as well.” That’s also one of the things that Davis is most proud of. “To know that I’m not contributing to the suffering of any living being is definitely the number one high priority on my list. I could not work anywhere where animals were harmed,” She said.
Fall 2019 / Austin Tableside / 27
For all of the new owners of these vegan restaurants, their initial reaction from the public was a mountain of skepticism. When Newman first opened his trailer, he immediately got rushed by customers, but most people were very dubious. “I had my own friends that were telling me I would only last for six months,” He said. He had people telling him that his restaurant was an oxymoron — it didn’t make sense. Customers are undoubtedly the most important people for everyone working at a restaurant. Olivia Ricks, an employee at Juiceland, a popular vegan restaurant, has noticed a lot of things about the customers and the community at Juiceland since she started working there. “JuiceLand customers are honestly some of the best customers I’ve ever had the pleasure to work with. Most of our customers are very attentive to what they are consuming, and love learning about what our ingredients can do for them,” Ricks said.
to the environment. “Every time I stopped by JuiceLand, it was a fun and inviting experience,” Ricks said. “From my days as a customer, it was obvious to me that JuiceLand was doing something unique in their mission for health and wellness.” The availability of their food is another thing that is extremely important to vegan restaurant owners. It’s extremely important for people to be able to access the food because then it will encourage the spread of veganism. “As plant-based living becomes more popular, I think it creates more interest and curiosity in why people are choosing to become vegan,” Ricks said. “You get the word out there and you have more
“I think it creates more interest and curiosity in why people are choosing to become vegan.” — Olivia Ricks
Even before she started working at Juiceland, she would stop by as a customer and be drawn people trying food,” Newman said. Once people begin trying vegan food and liking it, he said, they might consider becoming vegan. Of course, there are a lot of different opinions about how good Austin is when it comes to the availability of their vegan food. “I think Austin and most large cities are very diverse and progressive when it comes to food,” Ricks said. “Austin has a good amount of vegan options, which is awesome.”
Olivia Ricks says that her customers are her favorite people to work with. (Photo by Olivia Ricks 2019.)
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However, not everyone is satisfied with Austin. Newman is disappointed with the number of restaurants in Austin that serve the same style of food. “There’s a lot of the same type of cuisine. There could be more diverse cuisines within the vegan spectrum,” he said.
Counter Culture tries to diversify their food to give customers a wider range of vegan food. (Photo by Sue Davis 2019.)
One of the reasons that he decided to start making vegan barbecue was because nobody else was doing it, and he wanted to provide a larger range of diverse food for vegans. One of Austin’s potential improvements, he said, could be an increase in the range of vegan ethnic foods, and generally in the styles of food. The vegan community is hopeful for the future of Austin and the future of veganism. “Maybe in 10 years, half the restaurants will be vegan. And maybe in 20 years all of them. I can only hope,” Davis said. There’s no knowing what could be ahead for the world, but local vegan restaurateurs are doing their best to make sure that the future is one where everyone can live healthily and meat-free.
Maybe in 10 years half the restaurants will be vegan. And maybe in 20 years all of them. I can only hope.” — Sue Davis
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The Beer Plant Rabbit Food Grocery
Cool Beans
Conscious Cravings
Austin Vegan Eats Where to find the best vegan restaurants in Austin. 30 / Austin Tableside / Fall 2019
Bouldin Creek CafĂŠ BBQ Revolution
Austin was ranked the 7th best city for vegans in 2018.
Arlo’s
NIssi Vegan Mexican Cuisine
Vegan Nom
Mr. Natural Counter Culture
Li’l Nonna’s
Sources: 1. https://chooseveg.com/blog/best-us-cities-vegan-options/ 2. https://austin.eater.com/maps/best-vegan-vegetarian-restaurants-food-austin
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