the Blog
You’re going to find my in-depth reviews about places I’ve traveled to, kitchen adventures (and maybe mishaps) , restaurants I’ve visited far and wide (looking at you, Dublin) and tons more behind the scenes of what happens at The Monique Story!
Restaurant Review
June 12, 2018
Most of us have had the typical cheese fries and hot wings from a bar, but Academia is taking bar snacks to a brand new level. These are hand crafted by Chef Victor Sandoval, formerly at Parkside Projects. They’re perfect accompaniments to the already established cocktail menu. We started with the Plancha-Crisped Blue Crab Cake with […]
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June 8, 2018
We all know how much I love cheeseburgers, and I’m so excited that I got to try the phenomenal bites at Liberty Burger in Dallas! They’re a Texan company using high quality meats, produce, and dairy from local farms. Their burgers are all super unique, like the Baby Bella burger with a big onion ring and […]
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June 5, 2018
One of the most anticipated restaurants is finally open – The Brewer’s Table is creating incredible dishes that change with the seasons. I was pleasantly surprised with how many of the dishes were plant-based, full of fresh herbs, and incredibly light. We started with some snacks for the table including smoked fish dip, puffed lager chicharrones, […]
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Lotus + Cleaver is a new Chinese BBQ spot at The Domain and it’s showcasing fresh, light and unique dishes. Juniper Olive Oil cocktail made with namazake, cocchi americano, dolin blanc, and juniper berry mist. Lee’s Singapore Slaw is 20+ ingredient salad made with so many delicious fresh ingredients including a ginger-plum dressing. The Sweet […]
June 1, 2018
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May 29, 2018
The 2nd Annual Hot Luck Festival was even better than I could’ve imagined: I had some of the best smoked meats, enjoyed cuisine from the most talented chefs, met a ton of many friendly faces, and oh, the tequila. Here are a few of my favourite bites from the weekend! Al Fuego: Central Standard’s grilled […]
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May 19, 2018
I recently had the pleasure of being invited to Cyclone Anayas at The Domain to try their menu. This was one of the most impressive media dinners I’ve attended in a long time. Executive chef Jason Gould is creating incredibly fresh, delicious eats and sourcing locally from places like East Poultry. I can’t say one bad thing […]
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May 9, 2018
There are a plethora of amazing food trucks in town and it can get overwhelming. However, 5000 Burnet is home to some of the BEST trucks in town, including JewBoy Burgers. Chef Mo comes from El Paso and grew up Jewish. That meant mashups like chile latkes and pastrami on everything. These burgers are made with […]
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Another year, another AFW Festival under the belt. This was my second year to attend – last year Joel bought me a weekender pass as a gift, and this year I received a media pass! I was anticipating the AFW weekend since last year, and I can’t believe it’s already gone! Here are some highlights […]
May 8, 2018
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April 23, 2018
Like most Austinites, I loooove a good brunch. Trace at the W Hotel has an extraordinary brunch (and it won’t break the bank like you might think). I had such an amazing experience and I want ALL of you to go try it! We ordered the fried quail and grits – this dish is spicy […]
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April 18, 2018
The amazing food at Turf ‘N Surf inside Lavaca Street Bar isn’t just quesadillas and po’boys… they have an INCREDIBLE, vast, and freakin fresh raw bar! I was delighted to taste so much of the raw bar menu and share it with all of you! First up we have the lump crab stack with ripe […]
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April 16, 2018
Y’all know that one of my favourite restaurants in town is Andiamo – they’ve been here for 14 years and have consistently amazing, authentic, fantastic Italian cuisine. I had a sneak preview of their new spring menu and you can see all the details with pictures below! I loved every SINGLE menu item. Seriously. It […]
