Austin, TX (Homewood Suites)

I was doing my version of a drive by in Austin.

Come in late afternoon, install product next morning head home or to the next gig.

Tip to remember

Always ask the front desk staff for recommendations.  They know there town better than you do.

If I am tired (don't want to cook) or at a property were I can't cook my line of questioning is as follows:

"Where can you recommend to eat?  I can eat in a chain restaurant any night.  What should I definitely visit/try before leaving (insert name of town or city).

If I plan to cook I ask

"Can you recommend a local grocery store with fresh produce and a butcher and fish monger"

Another tip to remember

Pay it forward or (depending on how religious your upbringing was) do unto others as you would have them do to you.  For those of you in Yorba Linda (Dittos Rush) Don't be an @ss.

When a front desk person makes a really good recommendation I usually bring them back some food from the restaurant.  

One to thanks them for their recommendation, 

Two to bless them as most service people usually get the stressed out road warrior or someone who wasn't taught how to treat people by their parents (mean people suck).

Three restaurant portions are huge and often I want to try a starter, entree and dessert.  I recently started losing weight (by design) and have lost 90 lbs.  You cannot loose weight eating huge restaurant meals unless you are under 25 or run marathons or both.

Austin

I decided to cook.

Kenny (you got to like people with your name) recommended a H E B grocery less than half a mile from the Homewood Suites.  He also pointed out a Full Service Walmart, but Walmart doesn't have butchers or fish mongers.  

Prepackaged meat is safe.

Previously frozen seafood stocked by unmotivated teenagers or twenty somethings may not be safe.

I set out planning the following menu"

Steak

Potato

Onions and mushrooms

Sauteed spinach with garlic.

I needed butter to sautee onions, mushrooms, garlic and spinach.

Also needed butter for the potato

Picked up a gallon of ice tea (Why is this ever sold in smaller containers?)

The butcher was located next to the Fish Monger.

I had some $$ left in my per diem so I thought let's get a starter.

I selected some nice 21-25 shrimp (number indicates how many per pound)

I asked if they steamed seafood and they did without additional cost.  I had the shrimp seasoned with Old Bay

When I picked up my Shrimp he mentioned a killer special 5 oz lobster tails for $4.95 OMG

So I upgraded to surf and turf

The picture below show an excellent relatively health meal.

Tip #3

You do not have to do everything in the hotel room or from scratch.  If you can get a quality product for a good price take the extra help.  See above

Pics

Cooking close ups

The complete meal
Steamed shrimp starter
Sauteed Onions and Mushrooms
Sauteed spinach with garlic
Steamed lobster tail with melted butter
Top Sirloin medium rare

How I cooked and why

In a mall kitched you need to think what food holds at temperature and what food doesn't do well reheated or held at temperature

My cook progressed as follows:

Potato in microwave

Saute onions and mushrooms with garlic and butter

Hold potato and onion and mushrooms for final warm up

Pan fried steak in mushroom pan.  Didn't wash out the pan as I wanted those flavors added to the steak

Pulled steak to allow juices to rest.

Washed out fry pan and sauteed spinach

Reheated potato, onions and mushrooms and seafood in microwave while spinach sauteed.

Melted lobdter butter in microwave in a juice glass.

A really delicious and filling meal for $30.

Thank you Austin, HEB, Homewood Suites and Kenny.

Veni, Vedi Edi

Ken