Launderette

Scallionpancake Travels: 
We traveled to Austin so Jason could attend the annual Xerocon conference. We arrived a couple of days prior to the conference so that we could take in all of the glorious food Austin has to offer. Check out a previous post on Austin's most famous BBQ joint, Franklin BBQ.   Austin struck us as an exceedingly livable place--the city was clean, fairly walk-able, and filled with so many good eats. Insider tip: in between meals, head to Gourdough's for a donut that will put all other donuts to shame. 

Gourdough's is everything to us

Background:
Chef Rene Ortiz opened up Launderette in February 2015 in an old Laundromat on the east side of Austin. Ortiz is known for being passionate about seasoning & choosing to pack a punch of flavor into each dish. Launderette is constantly on the "Best Of" lists for Austin and around the country, so when we visited Austin in December of last year, we knew we had to check it out. 

Let's get lit

Eat This:
We asked our waiter what to order, and he gave us the, "Everything is good on this menu, or else we wouldn't put it on the menu," line that we never know what to do with. There are always dishes that a server prefers to others on a menu, even if everything is good. Truthiness is important to Scallionpancake. With the waiter being no help, we decided to go with our hearts and Jason's extraordinary knack for ordering great things. The menu is broken up into four sections: "Snacky Bits," Wood Grill," "Vegetables," and "Specialties." The first three were tapas/shareable portions, while the specialties were larger, main course portions. 

We decided to start off with the labneh. If you've never tried it, labneh is a middle eastern yogurt dip that is thick and tangy. 

Labneh

beet hummus, millet crunch, everything cracker

We loved this dish. Our only complaint was that we needed maybe seven more crackers? Kthanxbai. 

Aquachile

escolar, citrus, cilantro, thai chile, crispy fennel

Essentially ceviche, and super delcious. 

Charred Octopus 

corona beans, Spanish chorizo, paprika, fried parsley

This dish was a swing and a miss. The octopus was over cooked, and no one likes to gnaw on a sad tentacle of octopus. Pass. 

Piri Piri Prawns

crispy rice salad, tamarind, mint chutney

This dish nearly made Jason's top dishes of 2017 list, so you know it was fabulous. Our favorite part was the spicy & slightly sweet sauce on the crunchy prawns. Looking back, we should have ordered two plates of these. 

Sticky Brussels Sprouts

apple bacon marmalade, pecorino, almond, pickled apple

These were basic brussels sprouts, and far from the best we've ever had (that honor goes to Flipside). They were alright. 7/10. 

Dessert: 
Chef Laura Sawicki is in charge of desserts at Launderette, and we were super happy with our dishes in this department. The birthday cake ice cream sandwich was a top dessert of 2017 for sure. 

Flourless Chocolate Cake

caramelized white chocolate, sunchoke, black sesame, cassis, cocoa nib crunch ice cream

Jason gave this a 10/10, I went 6/10

Birthday Cake Ice Cream Sandwich

I mean, are you dying, or are you dying? 

Drink: 
Let's talk color changing straws. Yes--color.changing.straws. Jason and I totally wanted to ask for a few to take home. Jason had iced tea, and I enjoyed a Wild Honey cocktail. It wasn't very strong and was on the sweet side, but the flavor was good. 

This is a great look for me, yes? 

Wild Honey
mezcal, lemon, honey ginger syrup, chili tincture

Atmosphere: 
Launderette was just too cute. We loved the whole 1950s vibe that was reflected in the seating, decor, and even in the servers' outfits. There was a cool contrast to the retro items with some funky art (with a 50s twist, like a punchy & modern picture of a record), and the lighting was perfectly dim. We enjoyed the chill vibe and felt very relaxed throughout our meal. 

Check out the record pictures that we loved!/image courtesy of Eater

Southern Laundromat Hospitality: 
As we mentioned above, our server was perhaps a bit less than helpful, but he seriously had about eight tables at once, so we forgive him. They weren't particular busy on the night we went, but perhaps they were a bit understaffed. Our food came out quickly, although we felt the pacing of the dishes was off. 

Frankie's Notes: 
Laundromats are the effing worst, unless you are eating a classy meal in one; Insert Nick Young meme when a waiter says everything on the menu is good; Do you think octopuses know that they are currently trending at upscale restaurants?; I looked that up--the plural of octopuses is just that, and not octopi; Insert "The More You Know" rainbow; Color-changing straws are the key to a long and happy life. 

Rating: 

5 out of 5

 

Franklin BBQ

Background:
Aaron Franlin opened Franklin BBQ in 2009 in Austin, Texas as a food truck on the side of interstate 35. After a favorable review about a month into opening, Franklin quickly started selling out on a daily basis. It became so popular that people started camping out to be the first to taste the famous brisket--now widely considered the best in the US. Late in 2010, they opened up their brick and mortar location on E 11th Street, where they remain today.

Franklin's popularity is legendary: they have sold out every day since they opened over seven years ago. Even the lines at Franklin are famous; we waited about three hours on a Saturday, which is pretty typical. We were so lucky to get to go to Franklin, as they were closed due to a fire for three months, but they just reopened about a week before our trip to Austin. The BBQ stars aligned for us!

Eat this: 
Franklin has a simple menu of five meats, three sides, and pies. For the meats, they have brisket, pork ribs, pulled pork, turkey, and sausage. For the sides, they offer potato salad, slaw, and beans. You can order the meats in 1/4 pound increments and sides in single, pint, or quart sizes. This was our first time, so we got a sampler of everything. We ordered way too much food for two people, but that's how we live our lives. The two outstanding items are the brisket and sausage. Pro tip--make sure you get the brisket fatty. The other meats are good, but we ultimately felt we could have skipped them and loaded up on brisket and sausage. The sides are good, particularly the potato salad, but Franklin(ly), you could just skip them to focus on the meat--you wouldn't be missing out.  

The brisket was legitimately the best brisket we've ever had. In central Texas they believe that BBQ, if done right, doesn't need sauce as the proper cooking will make it naturally moist, and Franklin lives up to this promise. The saltiness of the rub combined with the juicy, fatty, melt-in-your-mouth brisket hits you like a cowboy wrangling a steer. You'll need to lie down after, but it's totally worth it

Yahtzee

Dessert: 
Franklin offers bourbon banana, pecan, lemon chess, and key lime pie. We didn't order any, because, well, look at all of that meat for two people. Looking at some shots, though, I really wish we had gotten a bourbon banana to go!

PIE//image courtesy of Serious Eats

Drink:
Franklin offers high end soft drinks, sweet tea, and a wide selection of local Texas beers.

Atmosphere: 
The place is basically a hole in the wall and is decorated to make you feel like you are in the back country of central Texas. Of the three hours we were there, we spent most of the time waiting in line outside. The staff make the wait as pleasant as possible, coming out and letting you know approximately how long the wait will be and what meats will be left when you get up to the front of the line. They even offer complimentary lawn chairs, and bring out the occasional meat snack to hold you over until you reach the front of the line. When you reach the front of the line after all that time, your excitement cannot be contained. Here, you will meet your new best friend, the meat man. Enjoy your one minute with him. It's a special moment.

The meat man

Texas Hospitality: 
Everyone at Franklin makes you feel like you are part of their extended family. From the lady who tells you what meats will be available when you get to the front, to the meat man, to the lady checking you out and the counter, to the random fat guy who says hi to you a lot and seems to be a big deal, everyone is there to make your experience special. 

Frankie's Notes:
All of Frankie's exes live in Texas; Was Franklin named after Frankie?; We made a new friend in the Franklin line--shout out to Erik!; Brisket is the new black; Want to hear a sad story? We took our leftover meat back to our hotel, but ending up throwing it out later that night as we did not have fridge; Never underestimate the power of a good sausage

Rating:
5 out of 5