AFF 2010: Dining Guide

Now that you've perused Slackerwood's AFF Venue Guide and hopefully built your Austin Film Festival schedules, it's time to see what else Austin has to offer when you are not in a theater, and where you can enjoy local fare. The SXSW 2010: Where to Eat Around Film-Fest Venue Guide is a great start for places to find good eats around the some of the AFF venues. As Jenn stated, we aren't going to recreate information that you can find on Yelp or Dishola -- you can go to their sites yourself -- but rather share some of our local favorites.

I recommend checking out some of the local food bloggers to find out what's new and exciting in the Austin food scene.  Tasty Touring and Relish Austin are good places to find out about a lot of the trailer eateries and new restaurants -- check out the blog roll on Relish Austin for more local resources. Want to know who uses local and seasonal products? Check out Edible Austin's local products resource guide to restaurants that use locally sourced food on their menu selections.

Here are some places to enjoy a bite to eat near AFF festival venues:

Alamo Drafthouse -- Lake Creek

One of the advantages of having the Alamo Drafthouse as a film venue is that you can enjoy a meal during the screening. However, if you want to enjoy a meal without worrying about eating in a darkened theater, walk around the corner of the theater's strip mall to China Cafe. Their chicken dishes are quite flavorful, especially the jalapeno chicken, cashew chicken and chicken in black bean sauce.

If you are craving Tex-Mex, then just a mile north across the 620 and 45 intersection are two inexpensive restaurants: Serrano's and Texican Cafe. Serrano's specialty is mesquite-grilled entrees, and their chicken tortilla soup is inexpensive but a generous portion. Texican Cafe offers several types of queso and quesadillas that are great for a light meal with a refreshing margarita.

Alamo Drafthouse at the Ritz

I will almost always eat at the Ritz itself, but if it's late then I'll be sure to make it to The Best Wurst, a stand at 6th and San Jacinto. Despite my German heritage, I've not been a wurst fan until I tried these German style pork sausages, double ground with a hint of nutmeg and pepper. Tried and true is an Italian "all the way" -- a Texas and locallly created variation of the New York sausage seasoned with cayenne and fennel, with grilled onions, sauerkraut, mustard and curry ketchup.

During the day, I venture towards the Austin Convention Center to enjoy the lunch menu at Habana Restaurant. Great Caribbean specialties, including staples such as plantains, white rice and black beans.

Arbor Cinema at Great Hills

Local organic fast food? It may seem a stretch, but Terra Burgers is just that -- a burger place that provides a more wholesome alternative to folks who love a good fast food burger by using only all natural and organic ingredients. All I know is that I'm addicted to their sweet potato fries. It's just across Hwy 183 from the theater.

Within walking distance of Arbor is La Madeleine Country French Cafe, where you can enjoy a cup of French roast coffee and a pastry from their bakery. Although you won't often hear me recommend a national chain restaurant, I am partial to La Madeleine after having worked at one of the first Texas locations back in 1986. I am disappointed that their menu selection has been trimmed down, but La Madeleine is still a great place to enjoy a coffee break or meal.

Although a little further from the Arbor Cinema, North by Northwest Restaurant and Brewery is another local food establishment that can't be missed. NXNW offers some wonderful seasonal and specialty brews, and their high-quality food creates a wonderful dining experience. I never would have imagined  smoked salmon on a pizza, but NXNW does just that along with chive goat cheese, capers, red onions and field greens. A personal favorite is their field greens salad with apples, caramelized walnuts and crumbled bleu cheese with aged sherry vinaigrette -- I add grilled chicken. 

Austin Convention Center

Koriente Restaurant and Tea House (621 E 7th St) comes highly recommended by both vegetarians and health-conscious omnivores. This popular Asian-inspired restaurant also now features a gluten-free guide.

There's never a shortage of barbecue in Austin, with Iron Works BBQ and Stubb's Bar-B-Que a stone's throw away. However, the newest and most novel fare can be found at the Old School BBQ and Grill, which is often located at 1102 E 6th St at Waller. This food establishment really is a mobile eatery, so follow their Twitter feed to see where they are located.

Paramount and Hideout

Thai Passion is top of my list, with lunch specials that are super quick. Their pad thai is great, but it's the curries that really set this restaurant apart. Jette has recommended the happy-hour bar menu on weekdays at Roaring Fork in the Stephen F. Austin hotel, where you can get a relatively healthy salad and chicken tortilla soup. She's also noted that the lunch sandwiches at Little City are excellent -- I love their coffee choices. Sadly, the El Chilito that was open on Congress has closed. You'll have to travel to one of their other locations. 

Rollins Studio Theatre, Long Center for the Performing Arts

Speaking of the El Chilito family, an El Chile is just down the street from the Long Center. Try the enchiladas de mole rojo or an arrachera steak with melted Chihuahua cheese.

Sandy's Hamburgers just south of the Long Center may not be the best places in town to get a burger, but it's worth a stop for a frozen custard cone and their fare is cheap. You can also try some of the best Southern fare in Austin at Threadgill's. The chicken fried selections are tasty, although I'm a big fan of their bronzed catfish and some of the best veggies you'll ever taste.

My favorite place in this area by far is Zax Restaurant and Bar -- not just for the awesome beer selection, but for the range and quality of the food at Zax. You can enjoy one of their signature pizzas, burger or a sandwich for less than $10, or indulge in upscale fare. I love the pizza with carmelized onion, kalamata olives and goat cheese, but my favorite dish by far is the seared sea scallops meuniere. Their brunch is also a "don't miss," with a Bloody Mary bar.

No trip to this area of town is complete with a trip to one of the trailer eateries in the neighborhood. I'm a sucker for Torchy's Tacos at the South Austin Trailer Park and Eatery. Yes, I know it's not healthy but I've yet to find a taco tastier than their fried avocado taco.

Texas Spirit Theater and IMAX Theater, Bob Bullock Museum

Whenever I go to the Texas Spirit Theater, I always stop afterwards at the Dog and Duck Pub for just a pint or meal. The pub grub includes fish and chips as well as bangers and mash, but you can also enjoy burgers and sandwiches here.

Speaking of beer, if you enjoy a bit of alcoholic indulgence than be sure to read my "How to Drink Like An Austinite" Guide that was created for Fantastic Fest last month. Several of the locations are those I mentioned in this food guide. The first annual Austin Beer Week coincides with AFF, so you might want to consider stopping in to one of the over 80 beer-related events that will be going on from October 24 - 30.

[Photo credits: Stuffed Chicken at the Alamo Drafthouse, by Debbie Cerda on Flickr; Old School BBQ & Grill, courtesy of Old School BBQ; Oktoberfest Beer Tasting at the Ginger Man, by Debbie Cerda on Flickr]