Georgetown, Texas Real Estate Blog Your Host: Edward Lui

…I will celebrate any discounts I can get!

If you like to try out new restaurants (and who doesn’t?), then Restaurant.com is having a promo. Typically you have to spend $10 to get a coupon worth $25 at a local restaurant. The only “catch” is that you have to spend $35 on your total bill or get 2 entrees or something like that. However, if you enter the promo code: PUMPKIN you’ll get an 80% discount! That means you spend $2 for a $25 gift certificate! Not bad eh? Coupons are good for 1 year, so I bought 4 coupons for: Wink, Zoot, Louie’s 106 and Aquarelle

Those are all new restaurants for me with the exception of Wink, and it was good enough to want to go again! Look for these restaurant reviews in the next 12 months on my blog! Have you been to any of these restaurants? I would love to hear your experience and recommendations. Feel free to comment and share with other readers!

By the way, do you want an even better discount? Sign up for an account with Upromise.com and register your credit cards. If you purchase these gift certificates through the Restaurant.com link on your Upromise.com account and you purchase your meal with the credit cards that you have registered you’re also saving money towards your child’s education! Man, what a deal! So far, I’ve amassed a total of $83! Wowzers!

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Yes, it’s that rare moment in the Lui household where we all go out to eat…and I actually get pictures…and I actually blog about it. I’ve been meaning to talk about this place because it’s one of my favoriteS.

Welcome to Gumbo’s, a cajun-style restaurant that doesn’t overdo the spicy stuff!

The special occasion was that it was Autumn’s Birthday, she turned 32 on September 4th so we went out and ate here. First - the non-food related observations:

I called the restaurant before it opened and left a message for my reservations. I asked for a return call and never got it and so I had to call again. A small annoyance, but one that I remember nonetheless. Second, is the website. I went to www.gumbosroundrock.com and registered to be a a “VIP member” of the VIP club. Ok, I’m not sure what that means either, except that I’m supposed to get a free gift via e-mail and I still don’t have it. I was hoping to get a “percent off” coupon so I could use on my meal. And no, that’s not being cheap, thats good stewardship baby!

The bread at this place rocks. It comes with seasoned butter and right off the bat I asked for another piece of bread with butter. I could eat that stuff for a meal, but exhibited immense, almost super-human self-control, so I could have room for the entree. I even gave Sabrina, my 8 month old, small pieces of it to occupy her and she liked it too, despite just two small teeth in her mouth.

We didn’t order any appetizers and jumped right into two entrees:

Shrimp and Crawfish Tails - in a creamy mushroom, bacon and garlic sauce, topped with grated parmesan

and the Tortilla-Crusted Salmon - pan-sauteed, topped with a sauteed crab cake, and served over chipotle cream sauce, with sweet potato puree, sliced fresh avocados and jalapeno corn relish.

The salmon was cooked just right, medium-rare, for our tastes and the rich and creamy sauce on the pasta dish was just perfect with the crusty bread. Is your mouth watering yet? Well, the best thing was dessert!

You’re looking at the New Orleans Style Custard topped with chocalate liqueur and garnished with rolled wafers….it was free because of my wife’s birthday, but if you were to spend the $5.95, it would be worth every penny. We licked that plate clean…well, not literally, but close.

Total bill was in the neighborhood of $50 with tip and tax. Not bad for a family of 5….but somewhat pricey considering that this family of 5 only shared two entrees! Food quality here has never let me down and the waiter (Eric?) was very good. The only other restaurant in Round Rock that I equally like is Main Street Grill. I’ll have to write on that sone another day…unless you want to treat.

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Finally. A restaurant I can brag about. That only takes me 10 minutes to drive to. That I can bring my kids to. That doesn’t break the bank. What more can a father want?

On Friday, Autumn, myself and our good friends, David and Melissa, went on a double date to check this place out. PLAKA GREEK CAFE is the newest restaurant in Georgetown, Texas so we just had to find out how good the food really was. The first thing you’ll notice as you pull in to the restaurant is that there is plenty of parking. If every table in that restaurant was full, I bet that parking lot would still have space. That’s not something you see everyday!

David, Melissa and Autumn ordered the Gyro Wrap Combo, which is sliced lamb and beef in a pita with some veggies and tzatiki sauce. It came with a choice of soup or feta salad and we all chose the salad. I wanted to try something different since I could mooch off of Autumn’s gyro, so I got the Mousaka. The menu describes the mousaka plate as “Layers of eggplant, potato, and ground beef, topped with a béchamel sauce. Served with Avgolemono soup, spanakopita, and tiropita and topped with tzatiki sauce.” Uh, ok. Sounds Greek to me. (pun intended). I substituted the soup for a feta salad and they were cool with that.

Everything tasted very fresh…they were a little skimpy on the tzatiki sauce, but when I asked for a little extra they gave me about half a bowl full. Nice. The only downside is that they had to microwave my mousaka prior to serving it to me since all the food is prepared beforehand and is laid out cafeteria-style. Think Luby’s. What I like about Luby’s though is that they use heat lamps and broilers and all that fancy stuff to keep the food warm and the crispy stuff, “crispy.” I think if my mousaka was already kept hot and they served it like that it would have been a better presentation then “nuking” it in the microwave right in front of me for about a minute.

Besides that, it was all very yummy. We topped the meal off with some good ‘ole fashioned Baklava. We also brought our youngest, Sabrina, with us and she enjoyed the atmosphere too. Afterwards, we all went to City Lights Theatres to see the movie, Iron Man, and liked it very much…it put Sabrina to sleep though, but her ticket was free.

Plaka Greek Cafe is located in Georgetown, Texas at the intersection of I35 and Williams Drive. You can’t miss it. Stay in the far right lane because it comes up quick! Oh yeah, our bill for Autumn and I came to just about $20. Check it out and share your experience with everyone in the comments section below. It’s always beneficial to me when I get recommendations on what to order.

You’ve got to check out Chantal’s on the Georgetown Square! I went to this restaurant about a month ago and had this delicious roast beef sandwich au jus. I think that’s a fancy way to say you have permission to dip it in the French Onion Soup without looking like a caveman. Sorry Geico Cavemen, that wasn’t a slam.

All of the meat was so tender and mouth-watering good, especially since you get to dip it in the soup. Did I mention that you can dip it in soup like dipping Oreo cookies in milk? I had lots of fun dipping that sandwich of mine. My goal was to drink the soup by dipping it and not have to use my spoon. My friend didn’t know I was having so much fun…all he got was a salad. Not your typical looking salad, it looked like they forgot to cut off the romaine lettuce and just stuck the whole thing on his plate! He dipped his salad in dressing, but not nearly as cool as “au jus.”
I think the bill was $35 for two. If you want a low-risk way to check out their food without spending a ton on dinner, make it a lunch date.

The atmosphere is great too, set in an old historic home off the square. I’m taking my wife, Autumn, there for lunch tomorrow. I think it’s the best food in Georgetown…great for a date! Tomorrow will be the confirmation. Yum Yum, here I come!

keywords: best restaurant in georgetown, texas, great food in georgetown, texas, city of georgetown, texas

There are a ton of Tex-Mex choices in Georgetown, Texas…ask some professional eaters, and most would agree that Dos Salsas is the Georgetown favorite. However, Mexican food rates a little low for me…just slightly above Indian food. So after about 5 years of living in Georgetown, I decided to try the “local favorite” and took out some clients to eat there this past Sunday.

I couldn’t figure out what was so great about it…I tried the chimichangas and they tasted pretty much the same as any other Mexican Restaurant I’ve been to. The meal was hot, it was real cheesy and everything (lettuce, guacamole) seemed very fresh. Was it good for Mexican food…yes. Did it seem very different than other Mexican restaurants…no.

They also have an outdoor sitting area which was nice and it is very conveniently located in downtown Georgetown…but parking is difficult as that place seems to be always packed. Give this place a try and tell me what you think! Am I missing something here?

keywords: city of georgetown, texas, mexican food in georgetown, texas

Today I took the family into Austin to buy some Japanese food and do some other errands. We were wondering where we should go for lunch, when suddenly, out of the blue, I saw the sign “MANDOLA’S ITALIAN MARKET.”

I immediately recognized that as one of the favorite restaurants from a recent restaurant poll I conducted, and pulled in to the parking lot. This place is incredible! The food was served hot and everything tasted so fresh! You can purchase authentic Italian food right in the store and prepare your own homemade Italian meal at home, or just order it in the restaurant and have them do all the work! There is plenty of seating indoors and outdoors and it is located in a real snazzy place called The Triangle.

I was so stuffed when I left the place, I couldn’t squeeze in any of the delicious homemade cakes and gelato that they had there. I already know what I want to try next time (the gnocci) and will be be sure to leave just enough room in my stomach for a big slice of chocolate espresso cake.

After I got home, I looked up the website and found out that it’s owned by the same guy that is on a PBS cooking show and helped start the Carabba’s Grill restaurants. ‘Nuff said. If somebody knows Damian Mandola, please tell him to open up a restaurant in Georgetown, Texas. I’ll be his number one patron.

Sorry Romeo’s, Olive Garden, or any other Italian restaurant out there….you ain’t got nothin’ on Mandola’s.

I just got this list from my neighborhood website…it’s priceless! If you have kids, you might try to hit a couple of these restaurants on a single day. You know, just do the “I’ll just have a water” deal and just eat the free bread (or order a salad so you don’t look too cheap), but when they’re not looking just steal your kid’s burger. After 3 or 4 restaurants, you’ll be set! Your budget will never be broken again! Hallelujah! Or you can do the honest thing and just fatten up the kid.
These restaurants in Georgetown, Texas and surrounding areas are grouped by weekday:

MONDAY
Margaritas - kids eat free all day
Hangtown Grill - kids eat free all day
Gattiland - moms eat free
TGI Friday’s - kids eat free and get free animal balloons
Texadelphia South - kids eat free
Zuzu - kids free after 6:00 p.m.
La Salsa - kids eat free after 4:00 p.m.
Double Daves Pizza - kids under 5 eat free
Serranos - kids eat free
Joes Crab Shack - Kids meal $0.99 up to two meals per paying adult

TUESDAY
Spaghetti Warehouse - kids eat free at night
Pizza Hut - kids eat free at night
Fazoli’s - kids eat for $0.99 from 5:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Kerbey Lane - kids eat free all day
Denny’s - kids eat free from 4:00 - 10:00 p.m.
Chick-fil-A - kids eat free after 5:00 p.m. with purchase of adult meal
Bennigan’s - kids eat free after 5:00 p.m.
Zuzu - kids eat free after 6:00 p.m.
La Salsa - kids eat free after 4:00 pm
McAllisters - kids eat free with purchase of adult meal
Double Daves Pizza - kids under 5 eat free
Central Market - N. Lamar kids eat free
Joes Crab Shack - $0.99 kids meals up to two per paying adult
Sombreros - kids eat free for each paying adult

WEDNESDAY
Luby’s - kids eat free after 4:30 p.m.
EZ’s - kids eat free all day
Moe’s Southwest Grill - kids eat free after 5:00 p.m.
Central Market - kids eat free after 5:00 p.m.
Zen - kids eat free after 5:00 p.m.
La Salsa - kids eat free
Double Daves Pizza - kids under 5 eat free
Stone Canyon Cafe - $0.99 kids meals at night
Joes Crab Shack - $0.99 kids meals up to two per paying adult

THURSDAY
La Salsa - kids eat free
Double Daves Pizza- kids under 5 eat
Joe’s Crab Shack - $0.99 kids meals up to two per paying adult

SATURDAY
Luby’s - kids eat free all day
Texas Land & Cattle - kids eat free from 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

SUNDAY
Souper Salad - kids aged 3-5 eat for $0.50; kids aged 6-12 eat for $0.99
Zen - kids eat free all day
Texadelphia - kids eat free at certain locations

ALL WEEK
Cici’s Pizza - kids under 3 eat free
Fresh Choice - kids aged 2 and under eat free; kids aged 3-5 eat for $.99;
kids aged 6-8 eat for $2.99
Denny’s - kids eat free on their birthday
Pizza Hut’s lunch buffet - kids eat free

If you have any more, please add a comment!

 (This 6lb burger is definitely NOT the one I ate at BB’s)

My friend Mark and I went to lunch today and we were craving a burger, so naturally we went to BB’s Home Cooking.

The burgers are great, because the bread is just so yummy.  It’s buttery, sweet and kind of crunchy on the edges.  I wish they just sold some of that bread by itself and I would be perfectly happy with a meatless burger. 

My wife and I try to replicate our favorite eat-out dishes.  One day we took some good quality, freshly ground chuck, tenderly formed it into a patty and grilled it.  Then came the tricky part…the buns.  I tried to fry it up in some butter…added a bit of sugar and hoped for the best.  I was sure I had it right!  The meat was delicious…the bread, well it just wasn’t the same.  I’m thinking one day I’ll ask the owner how he makes the buns, until then, it’s BB’s for me.