Fall 2012
Local, cheap, and organic...
a BIG little restaurant on Kerbey Lane p. 12
Roll On Sushi Diner Boggy Creek Farm Experience the newest fusion rolls p. 23
Berry Austin
Discover the refreshing A quirky, Austin-style taste of organic vegetables frozen yogurt shop p. 34 p. 27
Trending
Find out about the creators of Quirk.
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Editors’ Note
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Meet the Editors Local, organic food, and all the cheese you never wanted to eat.
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Kerbey Lane Cafe
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Boggy Creek Farm
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7 Stinkiest Cheeses Desserts and the quirky places that serve them.
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Roll On Sushi Diner
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Berry Austin
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Sweet Caroline’s
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Naegelin’s Bakery Discover cool, new recipes.
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Eat Your Vegetables!
Editors’ Note Dear Readers, We are the people who so lovingly produced this magazine for your enjoyment. Our blood, sweat, and tears went into these pages. At times, it was enjoyable, and at other times, it was pulling-out-hair stressful. There was a lot of work, a lot of laughter, and a little too much rapping, all amounting to this magazine. Through Quirk, we hope to inspire a new outlook on food, and introduce you to innovative, quirky culinary options. There is more out there than you might have thought... it was certainly true for us. Before Quirk, we hadn’t tasted the oddly delicious Cholesta Roll (pg 14), or met the famous chickens of Boggy Creek Farm (pg 26). Hopefully, you’ll experience a similar feeling of inspiration after reading our magazine. Or at least hunger. Hunger is good.
Sincerely, Amir Pilav, Isaree Pitaktong, Katherine Jones, Bekah Albach
Fall 2012 QUIRK | 3
Trending
h c a b l A h a k Rebe
h always ek it is, Beka e w e th f o s, hat day hen she talk No matter w n her face. W o cial ile fa s sm u o e ri id s and hila wears a w re u st e g d zy han ugh she she uses spaz ustrate her points. Altho ar y to ill usical or culin m expressions o n ly te lu as abso ential part r and an ess claims she h e n g si e d at rricular a gre many extracu talent, she is in is h ka e B er, and team. of the Quirk lympiad, socc O ce n e ci S re, and ch as in architectu st activities, su re te in an ith her he has the topic. W newspaper. S n o s e in az g mag Bekah is l demeanor, enjoys readin u rf e e ch d de an positive attitu f the group. o t is m the opti
Isaree Pitaktong
Isaree is the most photogenic and all around lovable one of the group. Amir and Isaree m ay have no hair by the end of the semester, from tearing each other’s out. Her be st friend, a cow wh ose insides were scooped out in order to store wr iting utensils, is the beloved pet of the Quirk team. Th e mastermind behind the Quirk logo, she is an en viable designer. She participates in a million activities , and would probably do a milli on more, except sh e needs to sleep sometimes.
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Amir Pilav
Amir is more likely expressed through his loud voice than writing . When describing him through writing, it’s probab ly best done throug h memes, such as “success kid .” Whenever group members are trying to concentra te, a brilliant rend ition of “who ya fiddinin try” ne ver fails to distrac t. He fancies himself a hard core rapper, while insid e he’s really a dog-loving mou ntain biker. He kn ows Bosnian cooking, because his family is Bosnian . He is very brave to be the on ly male on the Qu irk team, and will indubitabl y have a better un derstanding females by the en d of the semester.
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Fall 2012 QUIRK | 5
Organic
A (big) little restaurant on...
Kerbey Lane
An Austin Favorite
For 35 years, Kerbey Lane has been serving up cheap homecooked food, most of which is sourced locally. WRITTEN BY REBEKAH ALBACH PHOTOGRAPHED BY KARLI ISIYEL
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Fall 2012 QUIRK | 7
(On previous page) Chicken quesidillas (Above) Nabils Salad
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nside the warm and cheery, homelike atmosphere of the central Kerbey Lane restaurant, queso is piled on chips and pancakes are devoured. Spicy tortilla soup is served up, and the extensive pancake menu is explained. It may be six in the evening, but when is it too late for pancakes? Food is served up all throughout Austin at five very different locations, but with the same idea: homegrown at a good price, according to their website. Through these locations, they have made themselves an Austin original, catering to all different taste buds and demographics. Kerbey Lane has been in business for 32 years, starting with the original location, a colorful bungalow on Kerbey Lane. This restaurant got it’s start because the owners didn’t have any place they wanted to eat with a reasonable price range, Isiyel said. While that may have been the original reason for opening, Isiyel said it has since evolved. “We have a lot of customers that are vegan, vegetarian and gluten free, and they come to us because we have those options. It 8 | Fall 2012 QUIRK
didn’t start as our identity, but over the years we have adopted it.” The menu is brightly colored, with cheerful splashes of blue and green. A second menu inside the main one falls out when opened. They have a large variety of food to choose from, including panini’s, vegan breakfast tacos and the Paris Texas Platter. Isiyel believes the menu is large due to the different demographics each of the locations represent, “I feel like if we weren’t in Austin we wouldn’t have as diverse a menu, because Austin has such a wide variety of people in it.” Each dish has its own flair - the cinnamon roll pancakes look like a real cinnamon roll. Kerbey Lane, Isiyel said, is probably best known for two things: queso and pancakes. Kerbey Queso, a mix of guacamole, queso and pico de gallo is a must have appetizer for first time visitors, said Isiyel. The pancakes are distinctive too says Isiyel, with different weekly specials. “They’re really special, like the pumpkin cinnamon roll pancake, or Italian cream cake pancake which are really good,” according to Isiyel. “Our head chef just
has fun experimenting.” Recently, they featured the Raspberry Lemonade, salted caramel chocolate and cranberry walnut. The head chef was once a vegan, which allows him to create dishes that appeal to Austin vegans. “He likes mexican dishes, mexican mixed in with a lot of other styles,” Isiyel said. “He will put in a little bit of this, a bit of that, which is how the Mexican inspiration is pulled into his dishes.” They certainly have a lot of Tex-Mex dishes, including enchiladas, tacos and migas. “Many people eat at Kerbey Lane not just for the food, but also for the art. The walls serve as a rotating gallery for local artists, picked by workers at Kerbey Lane,” Isiyel said. “We have a lot of artists who [have been] hanging their art up on the walls for many, many years. I always try and keep them mixed up and I try and add new artists every so often.” Recently, Sue Zola featured her glittery montage of stars at two locations. Each painting was a famous star made into a sparkly rendition, much like the work of Roy Lichtenstein.
(Above ) Kerbey Lane migas (Below Right) Chicken Quesidillas.
Having their walls as an art gallery has great benefits for Kerbey Lane. Each artist pays for wall space and Kerbey Lane recieves free rotating decoration. “The food is fantastic and the atmosphere is friendly, but guests of [Kerbey Lane] also take note of its everchanging displays of visual art,” Jennifer Cunningham, a freelance writer, wrote in a review for Launch 787 last year. The restaurant does have plans for expansion said Isiyel, while remaining run by the owner and not converting to a franchise. “At some point in the near future we will probably try and open a location in another city, even though nothing is guaranteed,” Isiyel said. “We’re also going to try to open one in the suburbs of Austin. Our goal is to expand, while keeping our homegrown appeal.” The only problem, Isiyel explains, is finding local produce for the store to use at these new locations. New connections with local farmers in Dallas or Houston would have to be made. “There are so many people,” Isiyel said, “[who] live in Houston and Dallas and other cities in Texas that are from Austin or went to UT, and love
Kerbey Lane and want one near them.” Although the restaurant has found its place in most Austinites’ hearts because of food, Kerbey Lane said their favorite part is the uniqueness. “We like our vibe: delicious food served by what looks like a punk rock band that got lost on the way to its next gig or a roller derby team without the skates. We hire quality people and let them be themselves; there’s no corny slogans or birthday songs.” Over the next few years Kerbey Lane will remain the Austin original it has come to be in many people’s hearts.
Fall 2012 QUIRK | 9
Recipes
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A
Recipes to fix your veggie phobia (they’re not
necesscelery that awful)
re you less than fond of the leafy greens, reds, and purples that food pyramids tell you to eat? You aren’t the only one. In a 2010 New York Times article, Jane E. Brody said that only 26 percent of American adults get three servings of vegetables a day. That still falls short of the five servings recommended by the American Cancer Society, or the nine by the Harvard School of Public Health. If you would prefer to get all those nutrients you’re missing out on but can’t figure out how to force them down, look no further than this article.
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Ingredients • 1 bunch of kale • olive oil • salt • chili flakes or pepper powder (optional) Instructions • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. • Remove the kale’s stems and tear into bite size pieces. • Put the kale in a gallon size sandwich bag with about a tablespoon of olive oil. Seal and shake. Add another tablespoon if needed, but be careful not to use too much- the chips should be crispy. • Take out the kale and spread it on a baking sheet. Sprinkle on some salt and chili flakes if you’re using them. • Bake for 12 to 14 minutes until crispy, watching to make sure that you don’t let them burn. If you want, toss them about halfway through baking. • Once the kale has cooled enough not to burn your fingers, eat it!
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Ingredients: • 6 medium beets • 6 medium new potatoes • 8-10 large carrots
• • •
1-2 sweet onions 1/2 cup olive oil 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
Instructions: • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. • Cut the vegetables into slices about 2-3 inches long and 1/2 an inch thick. Beets should be the thinnest. • Marinate the vegetables in the oil and vinegar for about 15 minutes. • Line two baking sheets with foil and place the vegetables in 1 layer. Salt and pepper to taste. • Roast for 20 minutes, turn the vegetables, and roast for another 20-30 minutes. • Test the vegetables with a fork to see how tender they are. When you’re satisfied, eat them.
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3 Ingredients • 1 cup of sour cream • 1 cup of mayonnaise • 1 tablespoon of dried dill
• • •
1 tablespoon of minced onion 1 tablespoon of dried parsley 1 teaspoon of seasoned salt (like Beau Monde)
Instructions: • Mix everything together • Cover and refrigerate overnight (for 8 hours) • Eat with various fresh vegetables
4 Ingredients: • 3 beaten eggs • 1 cup vegetable oil • 2 cups white sugar • 2 cups shredded zucchini • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract • 3 cups all-purpose flour
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1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 cup brown sugar 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions: • Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and spray two loaf pans with cooking spray. • Mix the eggs, zucchini, white sugar, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract together. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and the teaspoon of cinnamon. Mix the dry stuff into the wet ingredients until the batter is smooth and pour it into the pans. • Mix the brown sugar and 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon together and sprinkle the loaves with the mixture. • Bake for about an hour, testing doneness with a toothpick. Cool for ten minutes in the pan, then move onto a rack. Eat once the bread is completely cool.
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Ingredients: • 3 cups water • 2 tablespoons of chicken bouillon granules • 2 bunches broccoli, chopped • 1/2 onion, minced • 2 cups milk • • • • • •
• • • •
1/2 cup margarine 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 (8 ounce) package softened cream cheese 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
Boil the water and bouillon. Add the broccoli and onion and cook at a boil for 10-12 minutes until it’s tender. Combine the milk, margarine, flour, and cream cheese in a large pot over medium heat; cook and stir until the margarine melts and the mixture begins to thicken, about 5 minutes. Stir Cheddar cheese into the milk mixture; cook and stir until the Cheddar melts completely. Pour the broccoli mixture into the cheese mixture in the large pot; stir well. Add spices as you see fit and enjoy!
Fall 2012 QUIRK | 11
Desserts
Rolling On to a
new take on sushi
At the Roll On Sushi Diner, owners Chip and Chad Reed combine traditional sushi and fusion rolls to create their own style of sushi. WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY ISAREE PITAKTONG
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(Above) The Roll On Sushi Diner. (Below) A Cholesta Roll, a Roll On favorite fusion roll.
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clear glass wall gives the slightly chilly passerby an inviting view of the diner’s cozy interior. Behind a vibrant, red U-shaped bar, chefs in black uniforms and colorful bandannas make sushi, and customers chat with neighbors and chefs alike. High, silverbacked, cushioned swivel chairs lend the diner a classy, yet casual feel. The walls are an assortment of bricks with a warm red hue, separated from a pale yellow strip underneath by an eyecatching spring-green stripe. Mutedcolored, abstract square paintings with a tinge of red are mounted on the brick wall, leading the eye to the bright red formica bar in the center of the room. Wide flat screen TVs display ongoing football games, and occasionally, a chef will jump up and cheer for a team. Brothers Chip and Chad Reed opened the Roll on Sushi Diner hardly a year ago, yet the idea has been on their minds for twelve. Chad says that originally, they planned on making a traditional sushi restaurant, but after realizing that they had to adapt the diner to Austin’s dynamic environment, they changed their mindset. “In Austin, 14 | Fall 2012 QUIRK
things are always moving forward, people are very progressive and always making new strides, and it’s a very active city, so hence the name, ‘Roll On’ - always moving forward and always progressing,” Chad says. He feels that with the peculiar twist Roll On adds to food, they are ”constantly innovating, and progressing, and rolling on.” Roll On also has a price-per-plate system to add to Austin’s individuality, serving different sushi rolls on various colored plates that correspond to price. Most people have the misconception that sushi is raw fish, and as a result, Chad often encountered situations when people would avoid sushi places due to this notion. “But [sushi] is actually the rice,” Chad says. On the contrary, ordering raw fish with rice is nigiri sushi, and ordering raw fish by itself is sashimi. Taking advantage of the difference between sushi, nigiri sushi and sashimi, Chad creates a new type of sushi roll by coming up with a multitude of interesting things to put inside the roll in place of rice while excluding the raw fish. Many traditional sushi restaurants work within
(Above) Fried icecream with balsamic vinaigrette. (Below) The Grouch, another Roll On fusion roll.
set parameters, limiting their options to the orthodox salmon-and-seaweed sushi rolls. At Roll On, “We have no boundaries...there’s really no process in it. We think of ideas, create the roll, and then we test it,” Chad says. If a roll seems viable, then it goes on the menu for a month to see whether or not it’s successful. The diner’s unconventional take on sushi has led to the Austin-inspired menu, comprised of creative and diverse rolls like the Cholesta Roll, a chicken-fried steak roll with mashed potatoes and green beans, and the Beefy Texan, which fuses sushi rice, wasabi cole slaw, avocado, and beef brisket together in one roll. Apart from these fusion rolls, the menu also includes some more traditional sushi, like the Salmon and Cucumber Rolls. By incorporating both fusion and traditional types of sushi, friends and family members no longer have to split up or turn around in disappointment at the sight of sushi - there’s now something fitting for people with all different tastes. After the diner has set up its “base
rolls” and gained a general sense of direction, Chad plans to let customers in on the design of Roll On’s fusion rolls. He plans on setting up monthly competitions on Facebook, having customers come up with their ideal sushi rolls, and giving the winner a prize. “We’ll fine tune it along with them, and put it as the monthly special,” Chad says. As a result of Roll On’s incorporation of customer-made sushi rolls into their menu, the diner will reinforce its intimate chef-to-customer relationship, as well as add on to its distinct Austin feel. Although Chad says that when the concept of fusion rolls first came up, he was expecting skeptical customers, today, customers appreciate the innovative twist on rolls. Customer Kristy says she comes for the easy accessibility of the diner and its variety of rolls. Customers are also drawn in by the quality food and leisurely atmosphere. “The food is very good... it has a nice décor, and the diner look is kind of cool, and ya know, it’s real hip,” David says. He recalls being introduced to the diner by some of his employees, Fall 2012 QUIRK | 15
(Above) Inside the diner, stacks of different colored plates, corresponding to price. (Below) The Beefy Texan, an Austin-inspired roll.
and has now come to experience the rolls for himself. Roll On Sushi Diner has quickly gained recognition, the owners having conducted a number of interviews, and the diner having been named one of “America’s Coolest New Diners” by Travel + Leisure magazine earlier this year. In an interview with Austin Eater last August, Roll On said they will be starting their own sushi truck called the Roll On Mobile next year. In addition, the diner will be expanding to other cities, first to Dallas and Houston, and later on to different states as well. Chad plans on changing the layout to include a few booths along with the U-shaped bar in the center to accommodate larger groups in the new branches. He says, “[We’d] still [have] that closeness, but [have] more booth seating, so families could sit across from each other again.” When Roll On goes to different parts of the country, new rolls will be made to fit in with the regional culture. “We’ll adapt our menu to them,” says Chad. And although parts of the diner will change, Chad believes that the diner 16 | Fall 2012 QUIRK
itself will always be original. “There’s nothing like this in the country. Zero.”
brighten your kitchen.
Joseph Joseph Elevate Utensils. Now only $39.99.
Organic
Top Seven Stinky and Weird Cheeses
C
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heese has been stuffed in sandwiches and piled on crackers for centuries, since perhaps before 6,000 BCE. Pehaps the most controversial is the stinky cheese- the cheese that makes some retch and search the room for someone’s stinky gym socks. Here, Quirk has compiled the top seven stinky cheeses.
This extremely aromatic cheese is made in Normandy with salt milk. It is rich and creamy and has a creamish orange rind. This cheese is said to have first been made around the thirteenth century on Norman farms. Each one is square shaped due to 45 days of aging in square individual boxes. This information is from Cheese-France, a website for cheese enthusiasts.
3 The Sumerians were the ones who first invented stinky cheese.
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Casu Marzu
Casu Marzu is for the crazy people- those who are willing to break Sardinian law and eat a rotten cheese wriggling with maggots, said David Clark, cheese expert in a recent article. Basically, people who make the cheese take a typical goat cheese, have flies lay eggs in it and wait. The cheese is said to cause burning in the mouth.
Epoisses
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Epoisses is a washed rind cheese made in France; it’s bathed in a brandy then placed in a cellar for 28 days. The interior has a creamy texture. An interesting fact is that is banned from public transportation in France because of how odiferous it is, according to The Nibble, an online food magazine.
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Pont Le’Eveque
Stilton Cheese
Stilton cheese is made in England, and can only legally be made in 3 counties because of the type of local milk it needs. It came about around the 1700s, and was sold at an inn. The cheese ages for around nine weeks, and is pierced with steel needles, which causes blue veins of mold to grow.
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Limberger
Limberger may have once been the most primarily eaten stinky cheese in North America. Its odor is much stronger than its taste, and the texture is soft. The interior is salty, but less gooey than other stinky cheeses, according to The Nibble.
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Morbier
This cheese was made by the frugal- it has a layer of ash in the middle. A cheesemaker would take the leftover of one day’s cheesemaking, cover it in ash, then put the next day’s leftover on top of that, according to Alex Mohr, a writer for the cheese blog “The Curdist.” The ash is edible, and can actually taste good after aging. It is a semi-soft cheese made from cow’s milk.
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Stinking Bishop
This cheese was first made by Cistercian monks around 1028. It’s not named after a bishop, but after a variety of pear from which pear wine is made. It is washed rind cheese. It soaks in alcoholic pear cider, thus developing a sticky orange rind. Its paste is soft and creamy, but the rind has an extremely pungent odor reports The Nibble.
Cheesy Recipes Baked Brie 1 large sheet of puff pastry dough or 1 tube of refrigerated crescent dinner rolls 1 round or wedge of Brie cheese (do not remove rind) Raspberry Jam, or other sweet jam Brown sugar 1/4 cup of maple syrup
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, cut off the rind on cold brie. 3. Place the pastry or roll dough on a non-stick cookie sheet, then place the brie on top (in wedge/circle form). 4. Spread the jam on the brie, then fold the dough over top, cutting away the parts that hang over. 5. Put on the maple syrup and a bit of brown sugar on top. 6. Bake at 350º for 25-30 minutes, take out when golden. Let it cool so the cheese doesn’t run everywhere.
Cheddar Cheese Puffs 1 stick butter (8 Tbsp or 4 ounces) 1 cup water 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup all purpose flour 4 large eggs 1 cup (4 ounces) grated sharp cheddar cheese 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme (or rosemary) Freshly ground pepper
1. Boil the butter, water and salt in a saucepan over high heat. 2. Reduce the heat to medium, then add all the flour. Stir the mixture for several minutes. 3. Remove from stove, then add eggs one at a time, while stirring. 4. Add cheese, thyme and peppers. 5. Place in balls on baking sheet, then cook at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.
Civil War Mac and Cheese 4 cups whole milk 1/2 pound elbow macaroni pasta (2 to 2 1/2 cups) 4 Tbsp butter 2 cups, packed, grated cheddar cheese (about 1/2 pound) Freshly ground black pepper Nutmeg 1/4 to 1/3 cup bread crumbs Cayenne (optional)
1. Put the milk in a saucepan and heat it until it steams, then stir in the pasta. After it boils, reduce the heat. Cook for 15 minutes, or until pasta is squishy. The milk should be mostly gone when cooking is done. 2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, while melting butter in another pan. Stir in the cheese and pepper slowly. 3. Pour melted cheese sauce into macaroni mixture and stir. Place it into a baking pan. 4. Bake in 400 degrees for 20 minutes, when the top should be a light golden brown.
these recipes are from simplyrecipes.com Fall 2012 QUIRK | 19
OSLO.
A handleless glossy cabinet system, for your modern home.
Desserts
Filling the Cup with Happiness
Berry Austin WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY AMIR PILAV
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S
ince 2009 Berry Austin has been changing the way we eat and think of frozen yogurt. “Funky, local and different.” Those are three words used by restaurant owner Kathy Steele to describe Berry Austin. Berry Austin is a popular frozen yogurt place. It’s famous for providing a new and creative spin on frozen yogurt while also treating its customers with an artful and family friendly experience. Berry Austin was created by Kathy Steele. Steele says her goal was “to create a unique and fun environment that combined my interest in art, commitment to recycling and love of Austin.” She had come up with the idea of a frozen yogurt place 4 years ago when her father was going through chemotherapy. After her father would receive his treatments they would go out and enjoy some frozen yogurt. Over time she had built a somewhat healthy addiction and passion for frozen yogurt. She then brought her passion from California back here to Austin and established Berry Austin. She joined the restaurant business after she spent a year doing market research. According to Steele establishing a new restaurant is very difficult especially in a city that keeps changing like Austin.“Implementing the first part of the strategic plan which included finding the perfect location was the hardest part for me,” Steele says. Berry Austin is a local family owned
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restaurant.It attracts all types of people from Austin. From men to young kids and everything in between, Berry Austin has been providing them with new and homemade food. “The best part of Berry Austin for me is interacting with the customers and making sure their visit to Berry Austin adds a little happiness to their day,” Steele says. The restaurant itself is covered in recycled materials. Those materials range from signs,toys, plates, and shapes of different colors and sizes. All of that is arranged to turn a blank wall or table into abstract pieces
(Above)The Berry Mobile parked outside of the store. (Below) The art over the yogurt dispensers
of art. There is no place in the store thats left blank. Steele gets materials from all over Austin. She says the materials are from donations given by family and friends and pieces she finds at Goodwill’s all over Austin. The art isn’t there for show. There are little scavenger hunt sheets that ask for you to find specific items hidden away in the cluster of art. “The scavenger hunt was a happy accident and totally unplanned... our customers loved the mosaic and played I-spy. After seeing how popular it was, my daughters created an official game with printed I-spy game cards.”Steele says. Berry Austin isn’t just famous for its art, but also the creative food that they provide is what attracts most of its customers. Steele didn’t pull the recipe straight out her head, it took a lot of trial and error. “I am always changing flavors based on the feedback I get from my customers and family!” Steele says. Not only do they provide frozen yogurt, but also they allow customers to create their own drinks and also frozen yogurt pies. Its almost like ordering a pizza. The pie itself is made by combining the customer’s specific choice of flavors and homemade graham crackers. In the downtown location they offer frozen granita drinks, coffee, hot
chocolate, cookies, soft pretzels and a new dish called “yowiches.” Steele says yowiches are “scoop of frozen yogurt between two cookies.” Also Berry Austin has seasonal favors and deals to celebrate local holidays that occur here in Austin. They offers special deals around christmas and currently they are offering discounts to people who come in the wearing their Halloween Costume. However there is a major downside for Berry Austin’s customers. There are only two locations. Soon that won’t be enough to satisfy their ever growing amount of customers. In the past few years Berry Austin has seen a rapid growth in the amount of customers they have. It’s gone to the point where Berry Austin has a local dedicated fan base all over the Internet.That rapid growth of customers leads to several people and groups asking to schedule events there and they do allow that now. According to Berry Austin, they are happy to help out the community and also like to donate a percentage of their fund to local charities. Berry Austin is a restaurant that sells regular food with a spin on it while also providing a creative atmosphere for it’s customers. They welcome customers whether they are new or returning and just as the owner said Berry Austin wants to add a little happiness to your day every time you visit. The success of the restaurant and its increasing amount of recipes and dishes still hasn’t changed it’s style. Berry Austin is a big part of what makes Austin weird and that fact as well as the experience they provide to their customers ensures that they will continue to provide a “funky, local and different” experience to all of their customer now and into the future.
(Above ) The giant amount of toppings offered in the store (Below) The chalkboard that is placed high on the wall with daily deals on it.
Fall 2012 QUIRK | 23
Desserts
Sweet Caroline’s Get the scoop Snow Shack with founder David Mebane
Based on New Orlean’s snow balls, Sweet Caroline’s provides light, fluffy snow cones with an assortment of 50 creative flavors.
How does Sweet Caroline’s Snow Shack fit in with the Austin community? Fitting into Austin is easy – we have great frozen treats for the hottest of our day. Our staff are friendly and welcome everyone to our trailers with a smile. What could be more Austin than that? What is the most important aspect of Sweet Caroline’s? Outside of customer service, quality product is our most important responsibility. We want our customers to know they will be enjoying the very best snowball in town just a few minutes after ordering it. How has your experience with Spoons Yogurt helped you with setting up Sweet Caroline’s?
Certainly they’re both in the food service industry, but our goals in customer service, quality product and image come from our tourism operations just as much as our food service experience. Why did you decide on using the SnoWizard machine to make the shaved ice for your snow cones? I think SnoWizard offers a great machine that creates the most fluffy shaved ice around. It was an easy choice. What is your favorite snow cone combination? I really like the Hawaiian Wedding. But anything with cream is pretty good too.
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What is the weirdest combination a customer has ever come up with? That’s a good question, but I’m sure it involved Dill Pickle. It’s not one that I choose to enjoy, but there are those that really like it. Will you expand to other cities as well, or stay localized in Austin? At the moment we’re still working to build our brand name here in town, but if our track record in our other operations are any indication, we certainly aren’t afraid to move beyond the immediate geographic area. What made you decide to start Sweet Caroline’s in Austin after having been so successful with companies like Spoons Yogurt, Fat Tire Bike tours, City Segway Tours and Classic Walks? I wanted to start a snowball stand while still in high school and couldn’t get anyone to give me the opportunity for a location. So I put it on hold for about 18 years and decided it was time to do it. Plus I have two young kids now and I want them to enjoy snowballs like I did growing up. How do you come up with all the unique flavors and combos for snow cones? How do you know which combinations and flavors work, and which don’t? The combos come from just a gut feeling as to what would taste good together. And truly, it’s hard to find combinations that just don’t work – they’re all pretty good. After having them on the menu for a while it’s easy to get a feel for what works and what doesn’t.
Fall 2012 QUIRK | 25
Organic
No Spring Chickens: A Look at
WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY KATHERINE JONES
Some of the typical vegetables offered at Boggy Creek’s farmer’s market in October.
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t is 8:30 on a Saturday morning at Boggy Creek Farm. The market isn’t set to start for another half hour, but already there is a handful of people perusing the bins of producethe egg basket is already empty. The farm smells like baked earth and freshly harvested vegetables, and the mosquitoes are alive and thriving. Farm co-owner Carol Ann Sayle stands near the sun dried tomatoes and cornmeal, chatting easily with customers. Sayle and her husband (and coowner) Larry Butler have been growing their own food since 1982. and they started selling it to other people nine years later. “We wanted to feed people good, clean food,” Sayle explains. They set up shop in front of a liquor store, garnering decent business. “People would come to us for their bread, and then they’d get a bottle of wine from the liquor store, and they’d be set for the weekend.” The East Austin farm stand as people know it today was opened in 1994, with some more produce sold at various farmer’s markets. Though times have sometimes been lean, Sayle says its all worth it. “Then you know that you’re successful, if you’re doing what you love.” Sayle’s advice for healthier eating
“Then you know that you’re successful, if you’re doing what you love.”
(Top)The egg basket at 8:30, already cleaned out. (Bottom) A few of Boggy Creek’s feathered residents.
habits is, “Either grow it yourself or get it fresh. I would eat something grown with conventional methods, as long as it’s local, because at least it’s fresh.” So what sets Boggy Creek apart? “We harvest during the market,” Sayle says. “That way, you know it’s fresh.” In addition to being fresh, the farm uses organic methods such as chicken manure and plant matter compost to enrich the soil without contaminating the crops. The food is grown seasonally, with produce like tomatoes, basil, and cucumbers grown in the “hot” season and leafy greens such as kale and collards featuring prominently in the “cold” season. During in-between months like October and March, customers can stock up on both types of crops. Add the familiarity that returning patrons gain with the small, sedentary staff on the farm, and the formula is a winning one. A walk through the farm reveals more of Boggy Creek’s distinctive personality. The chicken coops are full of indignant birds (they don’t have free range of the farm during “salad season”), ruffling their feathers and squawking in a way that gives the Fall 2012 QUIRK | 27
Kardashians a run for their money. These are the chickens that produce the farm’s much sought-after eggsbut not meat. “They live a natural life here, and when they die, I bury them. Eating one of them would be like eating a friend,” says Sayle, whose oldest chicken, Aunt DropTail, died at 17 years. Further on are the fields of green sprouts, with more on standby in cubes of soil. Sayle laughs as she tries to explain a typical day at the farm. “There is no typical day here!” She does concede that most of fall is spent planting for the next season, working by hand and by tractor. According to her, it’s a welcome change after spending all summer watering the plants. It’s even worse when there’s a drought. “We have to try,” Sayle says, “but it’s hard when it’s 125 degrees out.” So they water deeply every week, try not to shade the plants too much, and use drip irrigation. When conditions are more favorable, they’ll use soil “amendments” to improve the landthings that help the soil retain water and nutrients better than it might otherwise (mulch is another option, but Sayle says it’s too expensive to use for such a large area). The farm doesn’t have much of an insect problem. “I’ve got 3500 tomato plants out there, and I only saw two [bugs],” says Sayle. Other pests such as worms can be handily dealt with using organic “leaf tea” or picking them off 28 | Fall 2012 QUIRK
(Left) Boggy Creek Farm owner Carol Ann Sayle. (Center) A field of crops at Boggy Creek. (Right) bottles of Larry’s Fire Roasted Tomatoes, a popular item. (Below) a list of some of the items offered in addition to fresh fruits and vegetables.
the leaves by hand. Boggy Creek was USDA certified organic until the past few weeks. The change was not in farming methods, but in patience with filling out the paperwork that certification requires. “We still use organic methods,” Sayle says. “When we first got certified, the person warned us that we weren’t doing this for ourselves. It was to show big farms that they had a reason to use those same methods. He told us that
20 years ago.” Has it affected business? Sayle says nobody even asks if they’re USDA certified anymore. Customers like the food, the farm, and the people who work there, and that’s all they need.
A sign welcomes visitors to Boggy Creek.
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Desserts
Naegelin’s Bakery Providing culture and baked goods since 1868
History The self-dubbed “Oldest Bakery in Texas” has been in New Braunfels since it was first established in 1868 by German immigrant Edouard Naeglin. Since then, Naegelin’s has provided German culture and baked goods to the people of New Braunfels. Naegelin’s has been a big part of wwhat makes many consider New Braunfels the German capital of Texas.
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Culture From German accents to posters of German food plastered all over the walls, Naeglin’s has the look and feel of a actual German bakery. The bakery smells of authentic German ingredients, which adds more to the old/ classic German feel. Naegelin’s main theme is German food, but they offer several other types of food from Mexican style tortillas to American drinks. Naeglin’s provides a German style enviorment while also allowing the customer to enjoy baked goods from different places all over the world.
German Delights Naegelin’s has baked goods that range from small glazed doughnut holes that are almost a dollar a pound to giant German-inspired cakes that incorparate ingredients found all over Deutschland. Naegelin’s also provides both American and German inspired cookies for a minimal fee. Every baked good in the bakery is crafted in the back where they also operate a drive-through.
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Tabasco Sauce.
When was the last time NASA sent your pepper sauce into space?