Texas BBQ, Franklin Barbecue & Austin's Extraordinary Food Culture
Austin's food culture (the culinary scene of a city that combines the deep-rooted Texas barbecue tradition with a vibrant taco culture, a nationally recognized restaurant scene, and the food trailer culture that is unique to Austin): Austin has become one of the most exciting food cities in the United States in the 21st century, driven by the city's rapid population growth, its young and internationally diverse population, and the food trailer park culture that lowers the barrier to entry for innovative chefs.
- 1
Franklin Barbecue — America's Greatest Barbecue Restaurant
Franklin Barbecue (900 E 11th Street, Austin — the barbecue restaurant opened January 2009 by Aaron Franklin (b. 1977 in Bryan, Texas) and his wife Stacy Franklin in a small trailer on the East Side, moved to its current brick-and-mortar location in 2011): the Franklin brisket (the dish that has made Franklin Barbecue the most famous and most discussed barbecue restaurant in the world — the USDA Prime beef brisket (the highest USDA beef grade, the brisket with the highest intramuscular fat content — the marbling that melts during the long smoke to baste the meat from within) sourced from Creekstone Farms (the Kansas beef producer that Franklin considers the best source for the high-Prime brisket he requires), smoked for 12-16 hours on the Franklin pits at 225-250°F over post oak wood, the result being the brisket with what Aaron Franklin calls 'a nice thick bark' (the caramelized, deeply browned exterior crust formed by the Maillard reaction between the beef proteins and the dry rub (the simple combination of kosher salt and coarsely ground black pepper in roughly equal proportions that is Aaron Franklin's entire spice rub — the simplicity of the rub is a deliberate choice, allowing the quality of the beef and the smoke to be the primary flavour))): the Franklin experience (the queue that forms by 7 AM for the 11 AM opening, the picnic tables under the oak trees, the butcher-paper service (the brisket sliced to order and weighed at the carving station, wrapped in pink butcher paper and placed on a tray — the method of service identical to the classic Texas barbecue roadside stand tradition)).
- 2
La Barbecue & the East Austin BBQ Scene
La Barbecue (1906 E Cesar Chavez Street, Austin — the barbecue restaurant established 2012 by LeAnn Mueller (the daughter of Louis Mueller, the founder of the legendary Louis Mueller Barbecue in Taylor, Texas (1949 — one of the oldest and most respected barbecue restaurants in the state of Texas)) and her business partner John Bates): the La Barbecue brisket (widely regarded as the second-finest brisket in Austin (after Franklin's) — the brisket smoked on wood-burning offset pits in the tradition of the central Texas barbecue roadside stand, served on butcher paper with pickles, onions, and white bread): the East Austin BBQ cluster (the concentration of nationally acclaimed barbecue restaurants in the East Austin neighbourhood (the historically African-American and Mexican-American neighbourhood east of Interstate 35 that has gentrified rapidly in the 21st century but retains its independent dining and music culture): the cluster includes Franklin Barbecue, La Barbecue, John Mueller Meat Co. (the restaurant of LeAnn's brother John Mueller, who continues the Mueller family barbecue tradition), Micklethwait Craft Meats (1309 Rosewood Avenue — the barbecue trailer that has become one of the most acclaimed in Austin, known for the sausages and the lamb ribs in addition to the brisket)): the central Texas BBQ tradition (the tradition of wood-smoked beef brisket (the primary meat of Texas BBQ — the humble cut of beef (the pectoral muscle of the cow, one of the toughest and most collagen-rich cuts) that becomes transcendentally tender after 12-16 hours of low-and-slow smoking, the transformation of tough into tender (the long smoking process converts the collagen (the connective tissue protein that makes brisket tough) into gelatin (the melted collagen that makes brisket succulent and rich)) that is the fundamental alchemy of Texas barbecue)).
- 3
Torchy's Tacos & Austin's Breakfast Taco Culture
Austin's taco culture (the taco tradition of Austin — a city where tacos are eaten at all hours of the day and where the breakfast taco (the taco filled with scrambled eggs and any combination of bacon, sausage, potato, cheese, and salsa, served wrapped in a freshly made flour tortilla or a corn tortilla) is as central to daily life as coffee is in Seattle): the breakfast taco tradition (the Austin breakfast taco culture that is the daily meal for a significant portion of the Austin population — the tacos sold from the dozens of independent taqueria trailers and brick-and-mortar restaurants throughout the city, most notably in the East Austin neighbourhood (the Veracruz All Natural trailer (1704 E Cesar Chavez Street — the trailer that is consistently rated the finest breakfast taco in Austin, famous for the 'migas taco' (the taco filled with scrambled eggs mixed with fried corn tortilla strips, pico de gallo, and queso fresco) and the 'fresh-made flour tortilla' (the hand-rolled, griddle-cooked flour tortillas made to order that are the finest tortillas available in Austin)): Torchy's Tacos (the Austin-founded taco chain established 2006 by Mike Rypka, now with locations throughout Texas and other states — the taco restaurant famous for the 'Trailer Park' taco (the fried chicken, pico de gallo, green chiles, and queso on a flour tortilla) and the 'Democrat' taco (the brisket, avocado, shredded cheese, and pico de gallo)), the chain that did more than any other to introduce Austin taco culture to a national audience.
- 4
South Congress Food Trailers & the Austin Food Truck Culture
Austin's food trailer culture (the culture unique to Austin in which food trailers (the mobile food trucks that have become a fixed element of the Austin dining landscape — trailers that are typically permanently parked in 'trailer parks' (the lots where multiple trailers are grouped together with communal seating), plugged into utilities, and operated as fixed restaurants rather than mobile operations): the history of Austin's food trailer culture (the culture that began in the early 2000s when the combination of low commercial rents in East Austin, the city's permissive food trailer regulations (Austin's food trailer permitting process is significantly simpler and less expensive than the brick-and-mortar restaurant licensing process), and the entrepreneurial spirit of young Austin chefs created an explosion of innovative food trailers that brought world-class cooking to parking lots and vacant lots throughout the city): the South Congress trailer park ('South Congress Food Trucks' — the cluster of food trailers on South Congress Avenue near the Continental Club that is the most visited trailer park in Austin, featuring trailers with menus ranging from Korean BBQ to Vietnamese banh mi): East Side King (the Japanese pub food trailer founded by the celebrated Austin chef Paul Qui (the winner of Top Chef Season 9 (2011-2012)) that sparked the East Austin food trailer renaissance).
- 5
Uchi — Austin's Most Acclaimed Restaurant
Uchi (801 South Lamar Boulevard, Austin — the Japanese-influenced restaurant established 2003 by chef Tyson Cole (the James Beard Foundation Award winner for Best Chef: Southwest in 2011 — the most prestigious culinary award in the United States) that is consistently rated the finest restaurant in Austin and one of the finest in Texas): the Uchi concept (the restaurant that combines the Japanese izakaya tradition (the informal Japanese gastropub concept) with the freshest sushi-quality fish available and the fermented, pickled, and preserved vegetables and sauces developed by Cole and his culinary team): the Uchi signature dishes (the 'machi cure' (the smoked yellowtail with dried miso and ponzu — the dish that is the most ordered at Uchi and the dish that best represents Cole's philosophy of combining Japanese technique with Texas flavours), the 'walu walu' (the olive oil-poached escolar (Lepidocybium flavobrunneum — the deep-water fish with the highest fat content of any commercial fish, the fish sometimes called 'white tuna' or 'super white tuna') with sea salt and lemon), and the 'mac & yogi' (the lobster mac and cheese with shaved black truffle — the indulgent dish that is the most Instagram-photographed at Uchi): the Uchi restaurant group (the Austin-based restaurant group that also operates Uchiko (4200 North Lamar Boulevard — the 'sister restaurant' to Uchi, opened 2010 with a menu focusing on 'farm-to-table Japanese' and Uchiba (the izakaya concept)), the Loro Asian Smokehouse (the collaboration between Uchi and the Odd Duck group — the Texas BBQ and Japanese comfort food hybrid that is the most successful restaurant concept Austin has produced in the 2010s)).
- 6
Amy's Ice Creams & Austin's Dessert Culture
Amy's Ice Creams (1012 West 6th Street, Austin — the Austin-based ice cream company founded 1984 by Amy Simmons (b. 1956), now with 13 locations in Austin, Houston, and San Antonio — the most beloved ice cream company in Austin and one of the most beloved ice cream brands in Texas): the Amy's Ice Creams concept (the ice cream shop famous for the 'crushing' technique — the Amy's scoopers (the 'Amy's crew' — the employees who are hired for their personality and performing ability as much as their ice cream scooping skills) who 'crush' mix-ins (the candies, cookies, brownies, fruit, and other inclusions that can be mixed into the ice cream) into the ice cream on the cold marble slab in the style of Cold Stone Creamery (which Amy's predates by many years) but with significantly more theatrical flair): the flavours (the Amy's flavours (the rotating menu of 300+ flavours, with approximately 30-40 available on any given day) include the Mexican Vanilla (the most popular Amy's flavour — the vanilla ice cream made with Mexican vanilla extract), the Shiner Bock (the ice cream made with Shiner Bock beer (the dark lager brewed in Shiner, Texas by the Spoetzl Brewery (founded 1909) — the most beloved regional beer in Texas)), and the Sweet Cream (the simple, elegant ice cream made with cream, sugar, and vanilla that reveals the quality of Amy's dairy)): the Amy's experience (the characteristic Amy's store (the quirky décor, the staff in their Amy's shirts, the queue on weekend evenings that wraps around the building) — the most beloved Austin food institution after Franklin Barbecue.