food for thought | pâté

To recommence my regular blog segments, I thought I'd start with the horribly neglected food for thought.  This week I wanted to talk about pâté, but first a little back story:

Russians, like so many other ancient cultures, believe in consuming as much of an animal that's been slaughtered for food, as possible.  For this reason, eating liver was never a big deal at my place growing up - I just knew better than to tell any of my squeamish Australian friends about it!  Americans are similar in this regard, one mention of eating liver will send them running for the hills, but since I've seen first-hand how liver is washed and treated: I've never been afraid of it.  In fact, it's often been said in my family that a medium-rare piece of steak has more bacteria than a (correctly prepared) liver dish.

Pâté (pat-ay) is a meat spread that's made almost entirely of liver (either chicken, duck or pork) and it's very popular all over Europe and Russia.  Perhaps it's the Russian in me - or perhaps it's simply because I've tasted it before (pardon me when I say that no one who tries it dislikes it) - but I love pâté!

It wasn't something I never noticed on the menus in Atlanta but here in Austin, almost every trendy restaurant I've been to around town features pâté on its menu.  This surprised me because, as I mentioned, Americans don't typically eat liver... perhaps ignorance is bliss!  Case and point: Will loved pâté when he first tried it and I know that if the main ingredient had never been mentioned; he'd still be eating it to this day!  There are few things better than a slice of rye bread with brie and a smear of pâté on top. Yum yum!

Russian for dinner

Without doubt my fave restaurant in Austin is the Russian House. Its fabulous, traditional dishes coupled with its eclectic decor collection of all things Soviet and imperialist Russia: make me feel strangely comforted and at home.  Whenever I'm there, I feel a part of me awakening that's usually buried and dormant in everyday (westernized) life.  Maybe it's the complimentary shot of vodka you receive as soon as you're seated, the classic Russian movies that play on the big screen TV in the dining area that I watched to death as a kid or the enormous variety of infused vodka that I always feel compelled to sample but for me, eating at the Russian House is like therapy and dinner all at once.  That's why when Will asked me where I wanted to go for dinner before he left town for the weekend, my choice was obvious.

Eating our way around town

As I previously mentioned, Will and I arrived in Austin before any of our furniture or kitchen utensils did so this gave us a chance to eat out a lot more than usual (both of us love to cook) and explore local restaurants. 

One of our very favorite places was the Russian House on 5th St in Downtown Austin. Having grown up with Russian cuisine and culture: I found both the food and atmosphere very authentic. My eyes wondered around the walls and shelves clad with vintage and eclectic memorabilia from the Soviet Union as I sipped on a delicious vodka infused with elder flower and orange.

For the best spicy tuna sushi roll I've (seriously) ever tasted, there's no better place (and we've been to several) than Bar Chi on Colorado St, Downtown Austin.  There's a distinct night club vibe in this Japanese restaurant and you won't feel like a crazy person if you feel like a cocktail with your sushi lunch: more than likely every one around you will be drinking too! 

For coffee, cake or a weekend brunch in a very romantic setting; my absolute top recommendation is Chez Zee in northwest Austin. Complete with fairy lights, a pet friendly dining terrace, seasonal decorations and an enormous cake fridge - this American Bistro will put any girl in the mood for love!! 

Finally, for finger-licking American BBQ we loved County Line on the Lake.  The family sized meals and platters are enormous!  Even with the two of us sharing a 'Rib King Platter,' there was plenty to take home, making it one of the cheapest (good quality) meals we've had.  Another awesome thing abut County Line is it really is on the lake - looking out the windows or stepping out onto the patio, you are literally overlooking a beautiful lake; complete with swans, turtles and fish swimming merrily by.  This picturesque restaurant is definitely a place we will be taking our out of town visitors to.  

The Rib King platter

County Line on the Lake