Wendy's Upgrading Its Salads

Wendy's upgrading salads, but it will cost you

I am finding more and more restaurants upgrading their menus to offer healthier choices. I'm glad to see that. However, we all need to remember that eating healthier can be more expensive especially when you eat at a restaurant.

I carry my lunch to work often and enjoy a health sandwich, fresh vegetables and fruit. I control what goes into my lunch and I find it a lot cheaper.

4th of July Austin at Seaholm

Its going to an amazing long weekend of endless fun!! Wanted to reach out and let you know about The Electric Company's first event on the 4th!

TBird and the Breaks! The Bright Light Social Hour! Anthropos Arts! Til We're Blue or Destroy!

The Electric Company is pleased to announce its inaugural event: A 4th of July Celebration that is free to the public which will benefit local nonprofit Anthropos Arts. Set downtown at the Historic Seaholm Power Plant, this will be the most ideal location to view the fireworks while taking in a lineup of some of Austin's most exciting up and coming musicians all while enjoying ice cold beer, libations, BBQ, Tex Mex, and more from some of Austin's favorites. Onsite valet parking is available & the show is all ages and family friendly.

Event Details:
July 4, 2010
The Electric Company presents 4th of July Austin
at the Seaholm Power Plant
Benefiting Anthropos Arts
4pm – 10pm

Featuring the fabulous sounds of:
T Bird and the Breaks
http://www.myspace.com/tbirdandthebreaks

The Bright Light Social Hour
http://www.myspace.com/thebrightlightsocialhour

Anthropos Arts
http://www.anthropos.org

Anthropos Arts is a nonprofit that aims to enhance music education outside the classroom by matching local musicians with students from schools in East Austin.
'Til We're Blue or Destroy

Legendary Tequila Ambhar® Launches in Austin

Tequila Ambhar, a hand crafted, single barrel, small batch tequila, is now available in Austin. Created by Austin-based Santo Spirits, Inc. Ambhar is produced by hand at an artisanal distillery outside of Arandas, Capilla de Guadalupe, Mexico, and imported in Platinum, Reposado, and Añejo bottling. Winner of numerous national and international awards, Ambhar is a return to the art of tequila, offering an authentic experience of one of the world’s oldest distilled spirits.

The name Ambhar was derived from Mexican mythology, and honors the story of a beloved goddess who was recreated on earth as the blue agave. The iconic bottle is reminiscent of a vintage decanter, and is filled by hand, individually labeled and numbered. A dragonfly medallion, a symbol of the storied goddess and rebirth, accompanies each bottle.

The top grade blue agave harvested for Ambhar is sourced in both highland and lowland regions, creating its unique smoothness and flavor characteristics. Unique to the brand, Ambhar’s agave is selected based on sugar content, a higher gradient factor than simply age alone. Its recipe calls for a sugar content in a specific range, which is proprietary to the company. The entire process of creating Ambhar is completed by hand, using careful distillation and artisanal processes to develop Ambhar’s smooth yet distinctive and versatile flavor. Ambhar is often served neat for sipping but also features superbly in cocktails and as a flavorful counterpoint to vodka.

First launched in 2009 in Nevada, Ambhar is now available in Austin and statewide at area retailers and is featured at popular restaurants, bars and clubs. Ambhar has won the following national and international awards and distinctions:

2010 San Francisco World Spirits Competition

GD USA Package Design (Graphic Design USA)

Ultimate Spirits Challenge

International Spirits Challenge 2010

WSWA Tasting Competition

For more information, please visit http://www.ambhar.com/.

Media Contact: Angela Fulcher
afulcher@strategisbrand.com
512.470.1970

Umiya is Secret Gem in Cedar Park, TX

I was out driving and decided to eat lunch. I thought about having something different. After some thought, I decided to a try a place I kept driving by, but hadn't tried. It was a little Japanese sushi place called Umiya. I decided to try it. After eating there, I wished I had tried it sooner.

I was greeted by the friendly wait staff and seated immediately. The decor is very simple and the restaurant is small. What it lacked in size, it made up for in selection. The menu is quite extensive, but I decided to go with a lunch special. They had a sushi and sashimi combination for $15. So, I tried it. It came with a soup, miso, and a salad with a delicious dressing. The miso soup was excellent and full of tofu and very hearty.

While I was waiting, the sushi chef sent over a sample of one of his creation. It was a very delicious roll. I was very pleased and couldn't wait for my meal. The fish was extremely fresh and the portion size were large. I have seen portion sizes that were just shavings from fish. I was very pleased.

I will be trying a couple of their rolls later. If they keep up the quality, I don't think I will need to drive outside of Cedar Park to get great sushi. Also, the menu includes Korean food. So, I will be going back to try those dishes out.

My only issue is the music. It was a little too loud for me. Aside from that, the prices were very fair for the quality and quantity of fish. The wait staff did an excellent job and took very good care of me.

1540 Cypress Creek
Suite 106
Cedar Park, TX 78613
(512) 257-0888

Kung Fu Buffet in Cedar Park, TX now open

There is a new Chinese buffet, Kung Fu Buffet, in Cedar Park, TX. I haven't tried it out yet, but will probably drop by later this week to check it out and evaluate it.

For those who are interested in going there first, here's the address.

401 E. Whitestone Blvd #C106
Cedar Park, TX 78613
(512) 259-8588

New Book: THE ICING ON THE CUPCAKE

A STORY OF ONE WOMAN’S HEARTBREAK, SELF-DISCOVERY, AND LOVE OF BAKING

Filled with Mouth Watering Recipes for Unique Cupcake Creations

ON SALE APRIL 6th

Author Jennifer Ross spent well over a year testing cupcake recipes, interviewing bakery owners and collaborating with a professional baker to create her own confection, debut novel: THE ICING ON THE CUPCAKE.

This charming novel tells the story of a young woman’s decision to leave everything she knows behind and start a new and delicious life for herself, after being jilted by her fiancé who was deemed the most eligible bachelor in Dallas. Before long she opens a gorgeous bakery called The Icing on the Cupcake and realizes that finding herself first is much sweeter than finding a man.

Complete with decadent cupcake recipes, THE ICING ON THE CUPCAKE is a fun summer read about a young woman experimenting with innovative ingredients—and with a life beyond her wildest dreams.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:Jennifer Ross is a former Wall Street Journal reporter. She lives in Austin, Texas, where she bakes almost daily for her three children and friends.

AUSTIN ICON SKI SHORES CAFÉ RETURNS APRIL 2

Venerable Austin institution is reopened — and reinvigorated

AUSTIN (March 26, 2010) — A waterfront Austin dining institution is back, and better than ever.

Ski Shores Café, owned by the Fowler family since 1954, announced it will reopen April 2 under new management — serving the same great fare and now much more, in a vastly expanded, open-air facility now approximately double the previous capacity.

New Ski Shores Café amenities — spacious, indoor-outdoor dining and a full bar, table service and a full wait staff, an expansive deck, additional boat slips and even call-in, dockside delivery — abound in the longtime local favorite, which will now open seven days a week and operate year-round.

Long noted for classic American food in a lakeside setting, the café has added new menu offerings to the mix. However, Ski Shores’ loyal following will be pleased to learn that all of the iconic Austin eatery’s longtime, signature menu items remain, including the legendary Border and Scooter burgers, the popular pizzas, catfish sandwiches, famous fries, fried okra, and much more.

Led by Restaurant Freedom co-founders Rick Engel and Mark Turner, the Ski Shores Café management team brings years of entrepreneurial expertise and restaurant industry experience to this local waterfront icon.

“We are delighted to revive and update an Austin institution, keeping the great feel of Ski Shores intact, as a great place for families, boaters and our Lake Austin neighbors,” says Rick Engel, Restaurant Freedom CEO and co-founder. “This has always been a special place, and now it adds faster service and expanded attractions.”

“Ski Shores has always been about spending a day with friends on the water and stopping here — It’s one of the things that ‘makes Austin Austin,’” said Turner. “For fifty-plus years, people have come here to enjoy the unique waterfront setting. There’s something for everyone here and we have painstakingly preserved that legacy, while improving the experience.”

SKI SHORES/2

For more than 50 years, boaters (and jet skiers) have pulled right up to the dock to grab some refreshment and take in the relaxing views at Ski Shores Café, located just a short boat ride west of the 360 bridge (and by car, off 2222 near the end of long and winding City Park Road).

With the new additions and amenities of Ski Shores Café, today a visitor can:
Boat in, “tying down” at one of several new cleated boat slips
Disembark and walk across the expansive deck or hang outside at the new palapa bar
Be seated by wait staff – no more standing in line, or long waits
Order any original Ski Shores menu item, or choose from a variety of all-new menu offerings
Relax and enjoy scenic views, live music several days a week, or catch the game on several flatscreen TVs
Bring a laptop and jump online using the venue’s free wireless wifi
Grab basic boating amenities, such as ice, or sunblock
Order dockside delivery direct to your boat
Bring your dog!

Kids (and parents) can enjoy a gated playscape area, and everyone can go in the game room, or play washers or shuffleboard. Visitors also may order carry out, or if located in designated nearby neighborhoods, may take advantage of in-area, full-menu delivery.

ABOUT SKI SHORES CAFÉ PARTNERS
Local business partners Rick Engel and Mark Turner have reinvigorated the eatery. The pair have a successful, long history of developing, operating, reviving and restoring Austin institutions. Engel and Turner are owners in, and operators of Austin restaurant concepts Little Woodrow’s, Austin Java, Uncle Billy’s Brew & Que and the Austin-area Texadelphia restaurants.

All of these, including Ski Shores, are supported by Restaurant Freedom, which offers a complete array of professional management services — including operations management, strategic marketing (including complete campaigns and social media), accounting, payroll, human resources, IT/POS support and more, for restaurateurs.

Ski Shores Cafe
2905 Pearce Road

Austin, TX 78730

(512) 804-0326
For more information, please visit www.skishoresaustin.com