It’s been a long time in the making but Takoba will finally be open as of July 1st. We visited them before during the early rounds of the World Cup and we really liked the place. One of our favorite things about Takoba is that they have their own dedicated parking lot. It’s about a 1 minute walk to the front door… parking is a big problem in some central Austin areas but Takoba has you covered. Check out their menu HERE.

Like any good East Austinite, I am always eager to try the latest restaurant to venture past I-35.  I read on EA about the closing of Bossa Nova (man, I am going to miss their vegetarian chili), and the opening of Braise and after glancing at their menu online I was pretty sure I would be there this weekend.  I sent the menu to my husband (Steve, the Canadian) and he agreed trying Braise was high on the priority list.  So 3 hours ago we dipped our feet into the latest endeavor by the owners of Jezebel.

Here’s the scoop:

We sat down, were offered tea, water, or fruit juice (I should have found out more about this option but didn’t…).  I asked about wine and they said that they are still working on the liquor license (a particular problem since it is across the street from an elementary school).  They said one could bring their own or they were offering a free glass of house red or house white with each course.  I had the red (light and summery but nothing special) and Steve had the white (buttery chardonnay) and there is lone star on tap…not sure if this will change.

We ordered two appetizers, the mussels and the escargot.  Loved both — the mussels were in a light tomato-based broth with saffron, perfect for summer.  The escargot were shell-less on the plate in a garlic/wine/butter sauce with thyme and a kick of red pepper.  Both dishes were excellent.

For the mains, Steve ordered the pork shoulder perched atop black beans simmered with pineapple.  I don’t eat meat so I didn’t try the shoulder but the beans were excellent and Steve enjoyed the shoulder.  I had the blacked bass and wasn’t terribly in love with it. We each ordered the half portion which I really love about their menu and the smaller portions were the perfect size.

We ordered the blueberry buckle a la mode for dessert which felt a bit like a blueberry muffin-cake.  It was ok, I didn’t swoon over it and for 7.95 felt it could have been sexier.  The coffee, however, was french press and quite flavorful (hurray for french press!!).

Meal total: $60 (2 apps, 2 half portion meals, dessert, 2 coffees and an iced tea)

The manager came over and chatted with us, anxious to hear how we enjoyed our meal and indicated they are still working out the kinks.  I got that impression as well –  I think they are well on their way to being a fantastic addition to the east side and are really committed to creating a great place to enjoy some excellent food.  I suspect the menu will evolve over the next couple of weeks and when I told the manager I wasn’t in love with the bass, he seemed to really appreciate the feedback and said they were working on that dish.

I highly recommend giving this place a try — if nothing else to give your feedback in order to contribute to this lovely little eatery as it tweaks its menu and finds its niche over in the former Bossa Nova spot.  You won’t be leave with an impoverished palate.

Takoba has been opened for a couple of weeks now and this is one of the best places in East Austin to check out the World Cup. USA is playing Ghana this Saturday morning and this might be the place to be. We tried some of their food offerings during Italy’s first game and it was pretty freaking good. The salsa was amazing and their tacos were even better. They have a full bar with a spacious interior and an even more spacious outside patio. Check out the pictures below to see for yourself.

What a heavenly combination! We don’t know what it is, perhaps that sweltering Texas heat, but the HOPE Market has been a little … sparse … the past few weeks. Although Johnson’s Backyard Garden has made a fine showing with some new produce, and there’s some delicious prepared Indian food now, too, the market has seemed to be in a bit of a slump lately.

But this week they’ve announced a Tomato Festival and the return of our beloved Dai Due. Though we (sadly) don’t expect anything of La Tomatina Fight proportions, we are super excited about Dai Due’s food and tomato taste testing! Check it out this Sunday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

“Celebrate the bounty of Texas tomato season by coming by HOPE Market for free samples of more than a dozen varieties of organic heirloom tomatoes, hot BLTs and tomato sandwiches from Dai Due Butcher Shop, and live music from Christy Hayes and Her Sunday Best and more…

Come by this Sunday to enjoy food, festivities, and BIG DISCOUNTS on TOMATOES!”