Justine’s French Cuisine

One of my friends was browsing Austin.360.com, and she stumbled upon this restaurant, Justine’s.

Justine's coquilles St. Jaques layers bacon and scallops on skewers. (photo by Mike Sutter, Statesman)

From the looks of it, Justine’s is a French eatery in East Austin. It  is simple, with a menu that has a few options, which can appeal to anybody.

The owner, Pierre Pelegrin, restored a 1937 house on the East Side, in September.

It appears that the restaurant is only open for dinner and only from 6:30 pm to 2:00 am. What is also interesting is they’re closed on Tuesdays.

Mike Sutter, from the Austin American-Statesman, recently gave Justine’s an 8.1 out of 10.

Here is its address and phone number:

4710 E 5th St.
Austin, TX 78702

(512) 385-2900

Mandola’s Italian Market and Restaurant

Mandola's Italian Restaurant

So, breakfast and chocolate are at the top my favorite foods list. Something that is not too far behind is good Italian food.

The chains are good (Olive Garden and Macaroni Grill), but a few months ago, I was introduced to Mandolas, a little Italian Market which also has a restaurant in it.

Located in the Triangle, down Guadalupe, Mandola’s is easy accessible by car or bus (1L/1M).

The menu boasts authenticate Italian cusine, and the best thing is, it doesn’t leave you feeling like you ate a lot of food. The portions are a little pricey, but can also last two meals, if necessary.

What’s even better than the restaurant, is the bakery (you knew it was coming) which has chocolate cake, cannoli, and gelato. The restaurant is amazing.

Two thumbs up!

Mother’s Cafe and Garden

With more and more people jumping on the Vegan bandwagon, Austin has definitely  been ahead of the game. In a previous post, I mentioned Veggie Heaven, a restaurant located on Guadalupe that caters to the vegans and vegetarians around the area.

Another restaurant that is purely vegan is Mother’s Cafe and Garden. Even though it is strictly vegan, Mother’s appeals to everyone with their  diverse menu.

They offer:

• salads
• soups
• sandwiches
• pastas
• weekend brunch
• an Austin staple: enchiladas.

Mother’s is one of the few places where you can get a vegetarian Mole sauce. The sauce, especially over enchiladas is AMAZING.

Mother’s also offers a great atmosphere, with their garden patio and live music.

After dealing with a fire that took out the entire back patio two years ago, Mother’s is back and in full swing,  ready for anything.