In this corner, Austin Texas restaurant X. In the other, your pantry.

Canje didn’t do anything wrong exactly, delivering unique and tasty menu offerings and stellar service. But we left hungry. And if you can’t hear your date, is it really a date? Details.

Chili belongs in a bowl, not on a plate. Salmon should be tender, not dry. Getting to know the table next to you should be optional, not unavoidable. Sorry, Caroline, it's a no. Details.

Take a stroll through Tel Aviv, settle into a chair, and prepare to use your fingers (and lick them clean). We enjoyed every minute - and bite - of our Ezov experience and think you will too. Details.

Welcome Gracia, baby sister to Gusto! Cigars all around (or not, because I don't smoke). But is this new Rosedale restaurant worthy of passing up a date with big sis? Details.

All local all the time. Zero waste drives everything they do. The farms they work with "mean everything." But is dining at Intero as inspiring as these ideals? Details.

Do table tents, plastic-covered menus, and a margarita that serves three imply an "elevated take" on "traditional Mexican hospitality?" New ATX restaurant La Popular says "Yes, indeedy." Details.

Is little Launderette in the east Austin Holly neighborhood “all washed up”? Or is this celebrated 8-year-old restaurant still an excellent place to clean ... your plate?. Details.

Rainbow bi-hawks, picnic style dining, an adorable, quirky house in in East Austin, and zero pretension. There's a lot to love here, but unfortunately the food didn't top the list. Details.

Unique and lovely Ling Kitchen of ATX, where every single dish looks like a present from someone who clearly must think you hung the moon and stars. But is what's inside delicious or disastrous? Details.

Innovative dishes, healthy portions, & reasonable prices while at the same time striving to secure a living wage for restaurant staff? L'Oca d'Oro is doing it. Details.

Is eating the food or simply staring at it more of a sublime experience? It's a close call. Red tomatoes, purple cabbage, yellow eggs, green cilantro ... taste the rainbow. Details.

Where reading the menu is almost as good as the food itself. H-E-B is a valiant contender, but Odd Duck, with unique offerings and a passionate staff, is the clear winner. Details.

A large variety of tasty, unpretentious, and authentic selections accompanied by yummy frozen margaritas, all at relatively reasonable prices, trumps Costco alternatives. Details.

So, so delicious. So, so expensive. Go, indulge, savor, and celebrate and get the crab pasta for sure (truly divine) but go armed with a plan and pace yourself to avoid post-dinner receipt shock. Details.

It's not for every week or even every month, but if you have a special occasion and want to leave well served, well fed, and smiling, you can't go wrong with the Salty Sow. Details.

Excellent service and cozy ambiance don't make up for underwhelming and overpriced dishes that can be made much more cheaply (and with leftovers!) at home. Details.

A $4 bowl of rice and beans ... and a $90 bottle of wine? A perplexing pairing, but is Uptown Sports Club nonetheless "all that and a bag of chips"? Details.