Childish Humor Helped Name Serious Austin Burger Joint

Where do I begin this story?  There's the easy, ever popular and eternally funny your mom joke.  Yo Mama's so dumb that she tripped over a cordless phone.  Or, Yo mama's so old that when she was in school there was no history class!

I could begin this story on the importance of mothers.  Scientific studies point to the overwhelming value of a mother's love, hugs and support.

But maybe this story can simply start by saying how freaking awesome Your Mom's Burger Bar (1701 E. Cesar Chavez Ste. B) is!  After several weeks of hearing how much I needed to try Your Mom's, the word of mouth advertisement became too much to resist!

"We don't have [the] budget to have a marketing campaign," said owner Ryan Blackmore Thursday when he personally sat down with us to talk mano a mano about burgers.  "When we started out, Yelp hit us up and we started with I think five stars, and it just escalated to where we had nothing but five stars and we became number one on Yelp."

Although Your Mom's is a serious burger joint, it did begin with the infamous 'your mom' wise crack when Blackmore asked his wife where she wanted to go eat lunch one day.  She said with a grin, "Your mom's."  Blackmore just knew it was to be the perfect name for an up and coming restaurant later on when entering the restaurant biz became a reality.

Blackmore, a California native, moved to Austin from South Padre Island seven years ago with his wife, Gina.  He worked in several restaurants, where he says he had to conform to a certain style - one that wasn't his own.  But now, he gets to have his own creative outlet and does damn well what he pleases.  Mashed potatoes and corn stuffed burger?  No problem!  He just created it.  It's not even on the menu yet and already customers are asking for it because of a Thrillist review giving it lots of props and praise.  This is all part of Blackmore's plan to offer great food by great people.  "We've done no advertisement, it's just word of mouth and just getting great burgers out there," he said.

I had the Willie Nelson - a half pound beef patty wrapped with bacon and stuffed with American cheese, tossed in honey bar-b-q sauce, topped with a fried onion ring on Texas toast.  Man, oh man!  I know some people are purists and just like their patty without being stuffed, with only your average fixins', but geez Louise the Willie Nelson is fantastic.  You can see the cheese sort of escaping when the burger arrives at your table.  But the time you bite into the burger, the cheese is gushing and flavor is just singing like a fat lady at the opera inside your mouth.  It quite honestly is one of the best hamburgers I've ever eaten.  Writing this review is a little painful as I have to recall the burger without having another one of Your Mom's creations right in front of me.  Blackmore himself recommended the Willie Nelson when I ordered, despite my initial desire to have a plain and simple burger to test out this place.  But good thing he convinced me otherwise.

As for the fries: crisp and delicious!  I can't recall the spices on the regular fries, but I'm almost certain there was cinnamon on the sweet potato fries I'd gotten for my little boy.  (He loves sweet potato fries, and loved these twice as much!)  I previously heard the french fries weren't always up to par.  "That was a learning experience and getting the recipe just right," Blackmore said.  "We were basically working out kinks and fine tuning them.  Now they are tip top and I get compliments about the fries.  Fixed!"

Your Mom's has been at its East Cesar Chavez location for about six months.  It's a little tricky to find, but it's basically at the corner of Cesar Chavez and Chalmers behind the red and yellow painted Taqueria Las Cazuelas.  Before its permanent residence on the east side, Blackmore had a location downtown for about five months.  It was inevitable that he'd move to a spot where he could serve up burgers non-stop.

With so many burger joints out there, there's got to be a copycat. But Blackmore said the copycat he believes copied him is someone everyone knows - the Food Network's Guy Fieri!  "I started my stuffing process a little over a year and a half ago. My wife and I were researching some things and noticed that Guy Fieri had started stuffing his burger with chorizo.  But I had my chorizo stuffed burger first!  When we first thought of it we researched online and couldn't find anyone stuffing burgers with chorizo," Blackmore said.

If there's ever any doubt, just ask the man himself who lays claim to this delicious mouth-watering method. "Oh man, now Guy Fieri's got it, now he's going to coin it and it's going to be his. But make the record straight, I used chorizo first," said Blackmore with a laugh.

The only bad thing to say about this excellent burger joint is that who knows what the new generation of your mom jokes will be like with a place like this around.  They'll turn the old favorites to compliments.  But that might not be half bad.  Whose mother deserves to be put down?

You can give Your Mom's a call at 512-474-MOMS.  Blackmore also offers catering, which kind of makes me want to throw a party just to have it catered by Your Mom's.  Go check them out and then post your own comment below.  We definitely want to hear what you have to say.
  
Under new Federal Trade Commission guidelines, which require bloggers to disclose information regarding potential conflicts for items reviewed in their blogs, the Austin Citysphere was not compensated for this story.

Max Parfait Proprietor Perfects His Burgers for All to Eat

Our second stop on the 7 best burgers of central Texas tour takes us to Max Parfait.  This little hamburger shack on wheels makes stops at the Barton Creek Farmers Market on Saturday, and the HOPE Farmers Market on Sunday.

MP's proprietor, Zarghun Dean, showed us the ins and outs of his food trailer, which features a pretty nice wood burning grill inside.  Dean says it's commercial grade, and he likes to use pecan for flavor.  Admittedly, the pecan burning in Dean's truck brings me back to spending the fall season in Missouri.  It smells so awesome, and as people walk around the market the aroma seems to draws customers in.

"The big challenge for us was just figuring out where we're going to be set up, getting the word out because when you're mobile, you don't have that location where people are driving by every day and seeing you," Dean said.  "Our big challenges were after we got started."

The burgers are tasty, although maybe priced a little high.  Dean says the reason for that is because he uses quality ingredients and produce that comes straight from the farmers market where he's located.

One of ACS's reviewers, Adolfo Ibarra, noted the burger seemed a little small.  "I wish it was bigger," he said.  "I kind of scarfed it down in four bites.  But it was good!"

The cheeseburger with jalapenos we ordered (toppings are extra) did seem a little small at first, but I'd have to say it's deceptive.  Once you get going on the burger, it's larger than it looks.  The flavor is pretty big, too.  Ibarra liked how the burger came nice and "juicy."

The atmosphere is also nice.  A picnic table is just outside of the trailer, and there is another 20 feet away.  Dean has camping chairs set up outside of his trailer for customers to sit and relax while they enjoy their burger.  Asked where the name Max Parfait comes from, "Max Parfait is from an old Duke Ellington song," said Dean.

"One of his band mates, Max Roach, he dedicated the song, it's called The Little Max and at the end he calls it Parfait.  So it was a perfect reference to his band mate."  Listen closely to the video and you'll be able to hear the jazz number that became the namesake for Dean's little hamburger place that could.

"Music's a part of what we do here," said Dean.  "I love that old era jazz.  It's a CD I absolutely love.  One day I was listening to it and I looked on the cover and saw what the name was.  I said 'man that would be a cool name for a burger joint.'"

Dean is happy regulations against food trailers haven't gone to the extreme yet in Austin.  City council members have been looking at regulations that would limit how and where operators could legally set up their business.  Having a food trailer, Dean said, has allowed him to start his business.

"Food carts right now, food trucks and food trailers, are the one kind of relatively easy food business to get off the ground here in Austin," said Dean.  "If you want to do a restaurant, it takes you a year, year and a half to get through all the bureaucratic hurdles.  But doing a food truck is relatively easy, even though they're trying to make it a little tougher for us."

Check out the Max Parfait Twitter page to see where you can find Dean next, and you might even find an internet coupon to make your burger a little bit more affordable.  (Photo above from Austin Burger News)

Under new Federal Trade Commission guidelines, which require bloggers to disclose information regarding potential conflicts for items reviewed in their blogs, the Austin Citysphere was not compensated for this story.

Net Zero Subdivision Recognized at DIY Network Premiere

The DIY Network hosted a special screening of its new show, "This New House," at the Solutions Oriented Living (SOL) subdivision here in Austin this evening. The screening was part of a special event honoring the SOL subdivision as the first Net Zero energy housing development in the city.

The homes in the subdivision are 100% electric, and are capable of producing as much energy as they consume. They are also owned or being rented by lower-income Austin residents, falling below the Median Family Income in the city. Fourteen of the 16 homes are occupied at this time, with two still available to own.

The SOL project is the first example of the City of Austin's strategy to partner with the private sector to create sustainable developments that are also affordable options for housing. SOL’s affordable houses were made possible by a partnership between the city, Austin Housing Finance Corporation, Guadalupe Neighborhood Development Corporation (GNDC) and the design builder KRDB of Austin.

For more information about this project, go to www.solaustin.com.

A Unique Brazilian Experience on Austin's East Side

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Food fans with a flair for a taste of festive food won't have to travel far come this weekend.  That's because a South American celebration of sorts will get underway with the grand opening of Rio's Brazilian Cafe (408 North Pleasant Valley Road) from 5-10 p.m Sunday.

"We're a small cafe that serves traditional and contemporary Brazilian food," said owner Ben Googins.

Googins and partner Elias Martins specialize in Brazilian street food.  Googins said he spent several years teaching English in the Samba country and earned a respect for the people and food of that country.

Let your mouth lead the way and eat until your heart's content; just don't count on the beef to bog down the menu, or your arteries for that matter, like that of Fogo de Chao (309 E. 3rd Street) or Estancia Churrascaria (4894 Highway 290 West in Sunset Valley)!  Googins points out Rio's is the only authentic Brazilian restaurant option in town that does not offer all-steak-all-the-time.  And for the frugal:  "Our most expensive dinner is $11," he said.

Googins' restaurant got its start nearly four years ago in a highly unlikely location, the Austin Farmers' Market at 4th and Guadalupe.  Although the business produced homemade bread, sauces and salads to be sold at stores and markets,  it always shared a space with other establishments.  Rio's was even at a 6th Street bar for a time but the relationship didn't last because the bar closed.  "We kind of did the flip side and had our products out there," he said, "but never had our own spot.  Now it's all us."

Customers will find a casual, laid-back atmosphere, along with a calm and cool staff with "tattoos from head to toe."  That's not surprising for an Austin-based business.  Googins is tickled that Rio is building quite the following.  From he farmers' market crowd, which is mostly an older patronage, to the young folks on the east side, Rio's may be around to stay - in one location.

"It's always been something we've wanted to do.  We've been in Austin just over four years.  Austin's a great place to get started.  The weather's great year round," said Googins.

When you go, Googins recommends the Samba Combo.  Buy one of the salgadinho (savory pastries), then add a soup/salad/or side of Yuca fries or cheese bread, or even another salgadinho - up to three items. Mix and match to create your own meal.  Full lunches and dinners are available.

Googins' journey with Rio's Brazilian Cafe, from catering meals inside borrowed kitchens to offering Brazilian sauces and breads at local markets, has led Rio's to becoming a permanent fixture in Austin's vast food scene. A journey to Brazil may just be a short car ride away.  "We're very passionate about it.  We believe in our brand," said Googins.

It's a small world after all.

Austin Organizations Serve Up Lunch All Summer Long

Breakfast is served.  Lunch is ready.  But now that school's out for summer, meals for thousands of children in central Texas may not make it into mouths of the hungry.

According to the Texas Department of Agriculture, 2.1 million Texas school children rely on school breakfasts and lunches to stay fed.  As classrooms go empty for summertime fun, state leaders hope the stomachs of kids won't be empty.

Summer food nutrition programs are once again picking back up.  The Texas Department of Agriculture, along with the Austin Independent School District, are spreading the word now so that parents know options are available.

Austin ISD officials announced Tuesday its Summer Food Service Program for Children is available to all children in attendance, no matter what their household income is.  Parents do not need to apply for the program.  All children, ages one to 18, are eligible to receive breakfast and lunch free of charge.  To find out locations and times for the food service, click here.
 
The Texas Department of Agriculture is also partnering with resources in each community, like the Capital Area Food Bank.  Last year in Travis County, more than 381,000 meals at 92 sites in Travis County helped keep children fed during the summer.  With help like this, children can focus on having fun instead of wondering about their next meal.

For more information on AISD's program, contact the district's Central Food Service Department Office at 414-0251.  People who are eligible to participate in the program must not be discriminated against because of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, religion, or political belief.

APD Wants Guns for Groceries

The Austin Police Department will exchange guns for vouchers at grocery stores this weekend in East Austin.

The "Guns for Groceries" event aims to get guns off the street and keep them out of the hands of those who might use them to commit violent acts.

Participants will receive grocery vouchers that range in value from $10 for a toy gun, air gun or BB gun to $100 for a handgun or rifle and even $200 for assault weapons. APD asks that unloaded guns be brought in bags, with the ammunition in a separate bag.

Guns can be turned in anonymously and no IDs will be checked; however, the weapons will be checked to see if they may have been used in a crime.

The exchange, funded by the Greater Austin Crime Commission and APD, will happen on Saturday, June 5, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Austin Cornerstone Church at 1101 Reinli Street, north of Capitol Plaza.


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How Police Plan on Cutting Down Crime Along E. Riverside Drive Corridor

Austin police say the month of May begins a noticeable increase in violent crime along the East Riverside Drive corridor.  That's why APD's South Bureau, the Austin Fire Department, and the Public Assembly Code Enforcement Team will be activating a response mission to reduce criminal activity, including robbery of individuals and aggravated assaults.

Members of the initiative will be visiting clubs and bars to enforce occupancy limits, building codes, city ordinances and alcohol laws.  The teams hope to earn a trusting partnership with area businesses to help police enforce laws, thereby cutting down on incidents of violent crime.


Police say the victims are mostly Spanish speaking immigrants who frequent clubs and bars.  APD's South Central District Representative seeks to provide community outreach and education for residents by making citizen contact.  Police say past violent crime reduction efforts have proven successful to communities where task force members focused their attention.