Thanks! I’ll put Valentina’s on the agenda. It’s a good day when I can combine work with good food!
To Austin I go
BTW, did you weigh before and after the trip?
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I didn’t, but a friend on the trip did and he put on 7 pounds. I think he had one more serving of banana pudding than me, however.
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Time for a quick workout
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I ate at Valentina’s with some friends this morning. Their brisket was top notch. The chorizo was excellent as well. Killer tortillas, good salsa. It was as advertised, very, very good. I will return again. I’ll be back down that general direction when things cool off as Texas now has a lift-served bike park (who would have guessed that!) It’s probably an hour away (Burnett), but Valentina’s is worth a drive. For any Texicans who might be curious, yes, I stopped at Czech Stop on my way home.
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What’s that?
A downhill off road bike park where instead of riding your bike (earning) to the top, there is a lift that takes you and your bike up there. I think they originally started doing this at ski resorts during the off season. It is pretty surprising (and exciting) to have one here in TX. The “mountain” is 350 feet of vertical. It doesn’t sound like much compared to the big parks (some of which approach 5000 of vertical), but in reality, I expect it to be quite enjoyable.
Here’s a link:
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I enjoy BBQ as much as the next guy… Especially spicy Texas… but 7 lbs in a weekend? 
Now that is puttin’ some BBQ away… YIKES!
LUCKY FELLER
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Oh that’s really cool. I have an awesome mountain bike, but no trails around here, and I’ve always wanted to ride some real mountain bike trails.
If you make your way to the Fort Worth area (I do realize that it isn’t currently walking distance), I’d be happy to bike with you. If you get here without your bike, we can get you set up with one as well.
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Cool, we usually don’t travel much in the states, but we do occasionally make it to fort worth cuz one of my mom’s best friends lives there
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Since we were talking food here… I got a bunch of hatch chiles… gonna make some hatch stuff tomorrow 
Hatch chicken, hatch scalloped potatoes with hatch sausage, hatch avocado salsa, hatch squash with hatch bacon… I had lime/hatch cookies tonight as a “preview”
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They were pretty tasty. It was kind of like a golden oreo with a sweet lime creme with a little hatch in there. It tastes a bit like a bold key lime pie.
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Hope it’s ok to bring back an old thread, but I am going to Austin for a work conference next week. It’s only my second time to visit Texas and the first was just driving across Texas when I moved from Alabama to Oregon about 15 years ago. My wife is coming, too, and kids are staying with grandparents. 
here are the bbq/ Tex mex recommendations I have dug up so far
Valentina’s (must be good if it’s been featured in a lesson)
Distant relatives
Matt’s El rancho
La barbecue
Any other recommendations on places to check out?
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The Salt Lick is good but it’s a little ways out of Austin (Driftwood), I’ve eaten there a few times. I’ve also tried Stubb’s BBQ in Austin but they were only doing a Sunday Brunch Buffet so I can’t really remember anything specifics other that I was stuffed when I left.
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How serious are you about this? lol. Remember that many of the best BBQ places aren’t open on Mon-Tues so plan accordingly.
Here are my MUST HAVES if I was in Austin a couple days after BBQ:
Valentina’s for breakfast…get the Real Deal Holyfield
Leroy & Lewis…get the beef cheek and everything else. They’re located in a really cool setting, biergarten, etc.
La BBQ is supposed to be the cat’s meow recently…I’d have to go there.
If you want the best of traditional Texas bbq, take a short drive down to Lockhart and eat Kreuz Market (pronounced Krites)
And if you really want to dig into this, let me know and I’ll call you and we’ll talk. This has easy potential to be a life-changing trip for you and your wife. You need to make up your mind how much you really want your life to change.
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I’d keep going but this is enough to send y’all to the moon and back a couple times. The first 3 I mentioned are more craft BBQ with modern flair mixed with other food genres. Kreuz is what you would have found in Texas 50 years ago and before. It’s almost two different BBQ genres now and Valentina’s could be one of its own. My goodness you’re in for a treat.
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Thanks, @BanjoBen! These recommendations are just what I was looking for! If barbecue can change my life, I’m all for that.
