Austin: Sushi Zushi & Salt Lick - Part 2

We had a blast this weekend in Austin for our friends Jesse and Kevin's birthdays. We partook in some World Cup, USA vs. England action at Alamo Draft House. 

Then we ate at Sushi Zushi, a restaurant that prides itself on variety what with its sprawling menu complete with nearly 100 roll selections. It's enough to make sushi purists cringe. We are far from traditionalists, however, so we relished in the opportunity to taste from among Sushi Zushi's inventive creations. Oh, and we're not really cocktail people, but their cocktails were delicious and chock-full of fresh ingredients.

Zen Tea-Tini

These were the favorite rolls of the night: 

L - Godzilla Roll: fried crawfish, cream cheese, serrano chiles, chives wrapped in avocado and topped with sriracha sauce. (This one was by far the crowd favorite)

R - Colonnade Roll: shrimp tempura, asparagus, creem cheese and avocado topped with plantain and chipotle sauce. (The plantain was an unexpected pop of sweetness)

-Sunday-

It was indeed time to make our yearly pilgrimage to the Salt Lick. We had been looking forward to the BBQ goodness for weeks and eating sparingly all weekend so as to save room for Family Style plate after plate. The 30-minute drive to the Salt Lick complex was agonizing for our stomachs, and as soon as we pulled up, that familiar smokey scent permeating the air greeted our noses. 

As always, the BBQ was well worth the self-imposed deprivation and the drive. The beef brisket, which we usually find to be under-seasoned and on the dry side, was uncharacteristically juicy with a spicy, delicious char on the outer edge. Really we needn't bother with descriptions because a picture says a thousand words. Our mouths water just looking at the Family Style plate pictured above. 

The beef ribs really wowed us. They're only available on Sundays, and honest-to-God, they're the best ribs you'll ever put in your mouth. Smoke flavor soaked all the way to the bone, and the meat was fall-apart-tender. Eating these ribs made us understand for the first time how and why Tofu gets down on steak bones. She gets a crazed look in her eye that we only see when we give her a taste of red meat. We really did go animal-style all over these ribs, forgetting that we were in the company of friends and tearing into them like cave people. Each rib is worth every penny of the $4.95 you'll spend on 'em. Word to your mom.

These are the sides that come with every Family Style meal: potato salad, cole slaw and bread. They're good, but why fill up on distractions?

These pits are some of the only you'll find in the United States.