Jump to content

What the fuck is wrong with you, Austin?


crash_davis

Recommended Posts

On 2/3/2024 at 6:35 AM, South Austin said:

Why the fuck can’t Austin make a straight fucking line on the road with all these mobility improvements?

This shit drives me nuts. Fucking schroedingers lanes out here. Congress from 71 to Stassney is just a mess of random lines without discernible lanes. 

  • Hook 'Em 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

27 minutes ago, FirstTimeCaller said:

There's a new dashboard for crimes in Austin that you can break down by district, year, or crime. Pretty interesting.

https://app.powerbigov.us/view?r=eyJrIjoiYmYyNTQ4NjgtNjhlMC00YjNiLWE0MDAtZTUwNWU5ZGIwNTk4IiwidCI6IjVjNWUxOWY2LWE2YWItNGI0NS1iMWQwLWJlNDYwOGE5YTY3ZiJ9

Surprisingly, theft from motor vehicle is trending down nicely (columns are 2020-2023):

image.png.5d8ef823c20ab07b5060b15332c19db1.png

Car theft has soared (thanks, Kia). 

 

why steal from the car when you can just steal the car?

  • Haha 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

32 minutes ago, FirstTimeCaller said:

Disclaimer: I rarely get out of my bubble and eat at the same spots over and over... but does Austin have many restaurants with outdoor ambiance? I feel like this city is the king of restaurants that feature great views of parking lots and outdoor seating surrounded by parking bollards. Hell, I'd take indoor ambiance. Recently went to Tiki Tatsuya and absolutely loved it... in no small part because I felt like I was transported somewhere else. 

Bulevar - where the old Z Tejas was in the Arboretum - has a nice patio that has a good view. 

4 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

Fuck that vegetarian lady in Tarrytown.

She was literally a law school exam question in my property law class.  

  • Haha 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, hornian said:

She was literally a law school exam question in my property law class.  

John Kelso was seemingly the only Austinite who was powerful enough to take her on, and she still didn't bite.  A very weird lady.  She ruined a lot of lives in that neighborhood.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

28 minutes ago, gsoda3 said:

you named a 3 star restaurant considered for a long time to be one of the best in the world.  way to take a stance.  

Oy, not trying to be too argumentative... but this is a 1 star place I went to last year was really good but obviously subjective to me, not head and shoulders above dai due or Odd duck https://guide.michelin.com/us/en/new-york-state/new-york/restaurant/joomak-banjum

That's all. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 minutes ago, YChang said:

Oy, not trying to be too argumentative... but this is a 1 star place I went to last year was really good but obviously subjective to me, not head and shoulders above dai due or Odd duck https://guide.michelin.com/us/en/new-york-state/new-york/restaurant/joomak-banjum

That's all. 

I think Odd Duck would for sure get a star. One star is kind of the realm of cool kid chefs not into the austerity of the tasting menu. Two star plus is a different world and those places sort of only exist where Michelin reviews to validate the absurd economics of their existences. 

  • Hook 'Em 2
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, gsoda3 said:

have you guys eaten at michelin star restaurants? dai due and odd duck are not on that level.

since you're being a bit of an ass, i'll respond in kind with plenty of ostentatious pretension.  i have...over 100 of them in the last 20 years.  and over 30 3 stars in the last 20 years across 8 different countries.

i disagree with your subjective take.  the food at odd duck and dai due is absolutely capable of achieving a one star status on its better days.  as i said, no restaurant in austin is capable of achieving a 2 or 3 because the service necessary is simply not part of the city's dna and there is no market to prioritize the level of hospitality/service necessary to achieve that.  but on just the food basis (which is the priority of a one michelin star restaurant), dai due and odd duck are absolutely capable.  not guaranteed, but capable.

  • Hook 'Em 4
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 minutes ago, YChang said:

Oy, not trying to be too argumentative... but this is a 1 star place I went to last year was really good but obviously subjective to me, not head and shoulders above dai due or Odd duck https://guide.michelin.com/us/en/new-york-state/new-york/restaurant/joomak-banjum

That's all. 

i ain't mad.  my post came out more combative than i meant it. 

 

michelin has a weird thing with asian restaurants.  and by weird thing i mean their ratings are puzzling and inconsistent compared to western cuisine so they're not seen as the definitive arbiter of quality for asian restaurants as they are others.

 

 

  • Hook 'Em 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just now, gsoda3 said:

i ain't mad.  my post came out more combative than i meant it. 

Just now, gsoda3 said:

 

michelin has a weird thing with asian restaurants.  and by weird thing i mean their ratings are puzzling and inconsistent compared to western cuisine so they're not seen as the definitive arbiter of quality for asian restaurants as they are others.

 

 

Gotcha and you're so spot on with the Asian restaurants. I went to another one in Manhattan that was a Viet place. I can think of any hole in the wall places in Houston that would blow it out of the water. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 2/5/2024 at 9:27 AM, FirstTimeCaller said:

Also, went on a daytrip yesterday. Came back about 2 p.m. on Sunday through the Y. The light at 290/William Cannon is flashing red in all directions. Took 20-30 minutes to get through. Heaven forbid there be a cop directing traffic so that it isn't backed up for miles.

I work right at the Y.

Eventually you just get numb to it. 

I live 8 miles away - it takes me 15 minutes to get from 71 past William cannon - then 10 minutes to get home. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 minutes ago, sidis said:

since you're being a bit of an ass, i'll respond in kind with plenty of ostentatious pretension.  i have...over 100 of them in the last 20 years.  and over 30 3 stars in the last 20 years across 8 different countries.

i disagree with your subjective take.  the food at odd duck and dai due is absolutely capable of achieving a one star status on its better days.  as i said, no restaurant in austin is capable of achieving a 2 or 3 because the service necessary is simply not part of the city's dna and there is no market to prioritize the level of hospitality/service necessary to achieve that.  but on just the food basis (which is the priority of a one michelin star restaurant), dai due and odd duck are absolutely capable.  not guaranteed, but capable.

hah, sorry.  but thanks for the response.  

 

they're not bad restaurants-  dai due is one of my favorite in the entire city.  but dai due and odd duck are too inconsistent in both the offerings across their menu and in their day to day presentation.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

michelin has a strong japanese bias problem when it comes to asian cuisine.  they fucking love love love elevated japanese to a near fetish level to the detriment of other east asian cuisine imo.  and i say that as someone who prefers japanese over most.  that said, i ate at lung king heen in hong kong for some family style cantonese right after it was awarded its third star and was genuinely surprised with the rating.  i find myself disagreeing with certain elements of their ratings sometimes but that was one i just didn't get.

ychang is on point with his post as well.  michelin's restricted footprint obviously creates a lack of information on a number of great food destinations and i would personally posit that houston is one of the greatest overlooked spots in the world.  i love austin and the food here but houston has such a deep bench across a lot of cuisines that it is embarrassing.  i would posit that other than melbourne and sao paolo, there are not any non-asian cities that could best houston on asian cuisine quality and diversity.  it is in a club with l.a., san francisco, and ny on that category.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, safe sex said:

Wtf else do servers do at the 2/3 star restaurants that make up for the price difference?

it's not just service, the food is also elevated.  experience and setting are big.  though it is somewhat unspoken, everyone knows that one star restaurants are somewhat designated for inventiveness, creativity and quality of the food almost in isolation with little regard for the service/setting.  hell, i think an argument could be made that the con todo taco truck could at least get some consideration.  but to achieve 2 to 3, the techniques require significantly greater elevation and precision in their eyes.

as to the service, it is a lot of both tangible and intangible things stemming from professional levels of service and training.  it's a bit of a you know it when you see it thing.  the "forks" episode of the show "the bear" wouldn't be the worst introduction into what i mean.

5 minutes ago, immamac said:

you all realize we have an austin restaurants thread right? 

the recruiting thread did cheese puns for nearly 30 pages and the coaching search thread did burger ratings for like ten days.  but point taken, i'll hit eject with saying that imo, quality and diversity of restaurant offerings in austin is one of the few things that is not the subject of a wtf is wrong with the city topic.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm all for talking about food in Austin but humblebragging on how many Michelin starred restaurants one has visited feels like it needs to go somewhere other than an Austin thread.  I'm going to say a massive chunk of old and new Austin is not wringing their hands on Michelin stars.  Like, I NEVER think of it.  When I went to Mexico City, yeah, maybe there were several "best in the world restaurants" but have you tried this huarache from this food truck?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 minutes ago, texasdago said:

I'm all for talking about food in Austin but humblebragging on how many Michelin starred restaurants one has visited feels like it needs to go somewhere other than an Austin thread.  I'm going to say a massive chunk of old and new Austin is not wringing their hands on Michelin stars.  Like, I NEVER think of it.  When I went to Mexico City, yeah, maybe there were several "best in the world restaurants" but have you tried this huarache from this food truck?

Humblebrag?! As I said. It was laced with ostentatious pretension in order to big time gsoda’s take so as to prevail in this battle of rating matters of subjective taste and stanning for my boys at odd duck and dai due. ;) 

but yeah, immamac’s not wrong. 

back to horrific stories of the desperate and mentally disturbed nut jobs and substance abusers we live amongst doing awful things and dumb traffic pattern management. 

Edited by sidis
  • Hook 'Em 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

24 minutes ago, immamac said:

I'm just saying go to the right thread. This is a good discussion but it doesn't belong in the wtf crime austin thread. 

What if I feel the food, pricing, and service at El Arroyo are Austin crimes against humanity?  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

57 minutes ago, sidis said:

since you're being a bit of an ass, i'll respond in kind with plenty of ostentatious pretension.  i have...over 100 of them in the last 20 years.  and over 30 3 stars in the last 20 years across 8 different countries.

Feels like a paystub is about to be whipped out.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, texasdago said:

Shoot... I'll eat outdoors year round.  No Fs given.

But it does depend what you're looking for.  I mean, you can go the path of something like Bar Peached and eat in their sunken patio area or hang outside of Cosmic Saltillo or drive over Flo's off of 35th.  I mean, you can always drive over to Ski Shores from NW Austin and pay a bit more to enjoy the experience.  I have done it in August when it was 105+ and I maybe would not recommend that unless you pull up in a boat.

Ski Shores Temporarily closed, once again.  

What was the name of the other place that was on Lake Austin on the South Shore, had a gas station and bar / grill?  Got a case of CRS today...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 minutes ago, PvilleStang said:

Ski Shores Temporarily closed, once again.  

What was the name of the other place that was on Lake Austin on the South Shore, had a gas station and bar / grill?  Got a case of CRS today...

The Pier

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

20 hours ago, sidis said:

used to do nevada until 2019 as well but stopped because people weren't buying the book for vegas.

as our local michelin reviewer expert, i can tell you that there are a few restaurants in austin that that would definitely qualify for at least a star if, as jimmy points out, michelin actually reviewed austin.

i would venture a guess that amongst pasta bar, juniper, este, dai due, suerte, franklin, odd duck...there'd be a couple that could get a star.  certainly nowhere in austin has the focus on service hospitality necessary for a 2 or 3 star but food quality wise, there are a few.

My guy Beto that runs his one-man taco trailer off of Stassney and S 1st should be in that convo. 

  • Hook 'Em 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Seems really weird arguing over Austin's lack of Michelin-starred restaurants when the recurring theme across multiple threads on this site is that Austin is decreasing in quality and fun precisely because it's becoming too expensive and pretentious...

...but this place is surly and it's full of assholes so there you have it.

I'm also not sure an "Austin WTF is wrong with you thread" should be limited solely to crimes of the citizens and their elected officials, but this ain't my site and when the boss says cool it then you cool it.

I'll meet y'all over on the "Old Austin is dead because it has no Michelin-starred restaurants" thread!

 

 

  • Hook 'Em 1
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

56 minutes ago, sidis said:

back to horrific stories of the desperate and mentally disturbed nut jobs and substance abusers we live amongst doing awful things and dumb traffic pattern management. 

I believe Immamac asked us not to talk about Chefs/Cooks in this thread.

  • Haha 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 minutes ago, utee94 said:

I'll meet y'all over on the "Old Austin is dead because it has no Michelin-starred restaurants" thread!

You nailed it.  The irony... 

 

45 minutes ago, PvilleStang said:

Ski Shores Temporarily closed, once again. 

They reopen when it warms up.  Aren't there places on Lake Travis like that (for when Lake Travis is moist)?

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, texasdago said:

You nailed it.  The irony... 

 

They reopen when it warms up.  Aren't there places on Lake Travis like that (for when Lake Travis is moist)?

 

I do recall for a few seasons they stayed open year round.  Most the places I know on Travis stay open year round these days, as I would venture most their business is by land.  Ski Shores is too damn hard to get to by land, which makes sense why they shutter.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

24 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

Man, I love Ski Shores.  I don't mind the drive one bit.

Oh yeah, back to the topic:  this is a crime only thread?  I thought it was crime and goofy road stripes?

 

 

It's a crime The Pier no longer exists

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, immamac said:

I'm just saying go to the right thread. This is a good discussion but it doesn't belong in the wtf crime austin thread. 

Technically, the title of this thread is "What the fuck is wrong with you, Austin?", which is pretty broad. 

In large part, the thread indeed addresses "What the fuck is wrong with your crime, Austin?", but also other important local matters such as "What the fuck is wrong with your traffic, Austin?", and "What the fuck is wrong with your website owners, Austin?" 

Maybe the tire-guide star-rating is creeping over the line, but could arguably be part of a "What the fuck is wrong with your lack of snotty restaurants, Austin?" discussion, which is under the broader penumbra of "What the fuck is wrong with you, Austin?"

Edited by South Austin
  • Hook 'Em 2
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

21 minutes ago, South Austin said:

Technically, the title of this thread is "What the fuck is wrong with you, Austin?", which is pretty broad. 

Bingo. it's just that Nicole's crime spree has dominated and people apparently can't go back and look at the thread title. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

49 minutes ago, Mittens said:

Really?  The new super high priced version?  It can burn to the ground as far as I'm concerned.

Eh, I'm not sure when the prices went up.  Last time we went was last summer.  It's still a cheeseburger and a beer by the water.  I'm good.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

14 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

Eh, I'm not sure when the prices went up.  Last time we went was last summer.  It's still a cheeseburger and a beer by the water.  I'm good.

Prices went up when the Lamberts / Perlas group bought them.  They also revamped the menu and changed up their food, somewhat for the better.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

14 minutes ago, safe sex said:

Somehow I'd never heard about it and then remembered it, despite having been here for close to 20 years at this point, but there's no way the food, drinks, and the atmosphere of Lake AUSTIN are good enough for those prices. 

Lake Austin...

  • Hook 'Em 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.



×
×
  • Create New...