A Surprising Dinner with Mal

Every Friday (mostly), Mal meets some friends at Urban Air for a couple of hours of trampoline jumping and playground fun. 

James and I had planned to meet for dinner afterwards last night, our first family dinner out since before the pandemic. I had told Mal we were going to do this, at a restaurant James and I had selected, and that I knew they probably wouldn't have any food he'd like, but he could just hang out and drink soda.

When I mentioned this to my friend, she offered to take Mal home with her so our kids could play together and James and I could have a date night. I asked Mal, and he preferred to go with us. First surprise.

After he'd played a couple of hours, we went to the restaurant, where James was waiting. Second surprise: Mal ordered food. Chicken tenders and fruit.

The plate came, and a very hungry Mal was extremely happy about the fruit.

He ate some strawberries and grapes, then picked up a little piece of cantaloupe. "What is this?" he asked. I said, "It's a melon, like watermelon, but it's called 'cantaloupe.'" (Yes, we've had it at home before and, no, he's never tried it.)

Mal stuck his tongue out and touched it to the cantaloupe. I guess it passed the tongue test, because Mal popped it into his mouth and rolled his eyes in ecstasy. He then ate more of the cantaloupe. MAJOR third surprise. Major. He actually ADDED a food to his palate instead of removing a food from it. I honestly could have cried (if you have one of these eaters, you get it; I didn't before... it's a lot).

THEN, Mal pulled off the tip of one of the chicken tenders. I said, "That's just coating. You should eat some chicken." But he ate the fried batter, then reacted. "It's hot!" and drank some water.

Normally, that would have been the death sentence for the chicken making further encroachment onto Malcolm's taste buds. But this time, he pulled out his knife, cut off a slice of chicken, and ate it. Water. Again. And again.

Eventually, he'd eaten everything but a few grapes! And he didn't even have ketchup until the last tender.

Sometimes in parenting, we have to really celebrate what might seem like small milestones. This was a HUGE deal to us. I'm proud of Mal for trying new food and for keeping with something that normally would have put him right off! Maybe there's hope for him to expand what he'll eat over time, after all!

COVID-lyfe Chuck E. Cheese review: They're trying!

I'd promised Mal that I'd take him to Chuck E. Cheese today after his doctor's appointment (just a spoonful of sugar and all that jazz). I'd been following the emails explaining what they would be doing to try to mitigate spread of the coronavirus, and it didn't sound like it would be too imposing. The actual result is just a little sad, though.

First, I asked Malcolm which location he wanted to visit; there are two equidistant between the doctor's and our home. He chose the one where we had his 4th birthday party because it has his favorite game, where you get to be a truck driver and pull on the horn. Now, I DID know that they'd said they were going to close some games down to keep people distanced. I didn't think about that when Mal was getting so excited about one specific game.

We arrived just at the arcade opened, and immediately there was a problem (for me; probably not for you). If you read my previous post, you now know that I'd left my phone at home. Instead of doing the blacklight-visible stamp on each person's arm, to cut down on physical contact, they now have you take a selfie with your kid(s) so you can show it to them on the way out. Just as the lady was calling a manager to see what to do (answer: bracelets), I remembered that I had not one but two actual cameras in my purse. So we took a selfie and went in.

I was wearing a mask when I was interacting with an employee, but since there were only two other families (dad/son, mom/two kids), we were able to keep plenty of space between us and I did not when we were playing.

Mal cried when he saw that the truck game was one of the ones that got axed for social distancing. Then he HOWLED when he saw that the Caribbean pirates shooter game was also closed. I showed him that the Spongebob game was live, but when we activated it, it was SO LOUD that Mal ran away from it. Also, it wasn't working right, not registering "whacks" for points and therefore tickets.

I was about to ask if they could cancel my pizza order (a last cheese hurrah for Malcolm before the dark, dairy-free days ahead), when we saw Monkey Ball, another of Mal's favorites. We started to play it... AND IT WAS SO LOUD.

I asked the attendant if there was any way to turn the games down at all. She said there was not. There actually is; I've had employees do it for me before. Regardless... I went back out to the car to get Mal's headphones.

I don't know whether the games just seemed loud because so many were closed and the ambient noise was lower, or because we just haven't gone anywhere in three months, so we've gotten used to a more quiet life. Regardless, I could have used headphones.

The two-player games were all only working on one side (except for air hockey, since that would be pretty pointless).

When I realized this, we went back and looked at the Caribbean game. One side WAS open! Mal played that about 30 times.

After maybe 20 minutes, both other parties left, and it was just us inside of Chuck E. Cheese for about an hour and a half.

The playground areas were off-limits.

Anything was for more than one person and couldn't be halfway shut down was just closed altogether.

I do hope they'll keep the drink spacing this way for all eternity. I swear, no one's going to die of thirst if they wait fifteen seconds for the person in front of them to finish filling up those communion cups that Chuck E. Cheese gives out when you order a soda.

One weird thing: They didn't have any lids or straws out. I have straws, and they might give you a lid or a straw if you ask. But they weren't out. And the napkins aren't on the tables anymore; there are many fewer napkin dispensers and they're placed in a common area. I'm sure that saves time cleaning them. It's another thing I think would be great to keep permanently, even after we have a vaccine and this thing passes in seriousness fourteen years from now.

Chuck isn't making in-person appearances, which is fine with Mal. Mal is freaked out and hides from the mouse (rat?) every time. This location does happen to still have the old animatronic thing that did come to "life" a couple of times. They also played a KidzBop-style cover of "Sorry, Not Sorry" at least three times in the two hours we were there.

This Chuck E. Cheese is on the border of Austin and Round Rock; I'm not actually sure which one it is in. I'm guessing Austin? Anyway, Austin has recently passed a resolution that goes into effect I'm not sure when (maybe already) that masks are again mandatory in public. Although our illustrious governor has said that private citizens cannot be given citations or arrested or punished in any way for not wearing masks, he has now said that it's fine for businesses to require it and enforce the wearing of masks. And the city has said that if businesses are not enforcing it then THEY can lose their business licenses. This whole thing is bass-ackward. Some dude making $11 an hour at Chuck E. Cheese shouldn't be the one trying to get idiots like me to wear my mask except when I'm physically eating or drinking. If it's mandatory, then it should be, like, an enforceable law. It's an individual's responsibility, not a business's (for their employees? yes).

Regardless... just as we were cashing out our tickets to go, three or four families came in at once. The manager, who hosted Mal's birthday party, actually, came over to us with surgical masks and asked if we were going to hang out. I said no, and he said, "Okay, because you're going to have to wear masks now." I told him we had masks and put mine on. I didn't make Mal because, again, he wasn't talking to anyone or getting close, and we were on our way out. The guy was super pleasant.

I support wearing masks. I know that restaurants and bars are exempt from the mandate, but that's supposed to be after you've been seated. At Chuck E. Cheese, that's only like 1/5 of your time there. So I get it.

However, between so many games being closed and then the idea of having to be masked the whole time... it was just kind of not the full experience. We'll probably wait until that vaccine seventy-two years from now to go back to places like this. I also canceled our reservation for tomorrow for Urban Air. If they have to require all of their guests, including jumpers, to wear masks... meh. (I mean, also, it's likely that Mal's digestive stuff will be iffy tomorrow - see previous post - so that and trampolines don't mix.)

So, even though it's sweltering and indoor places to play would be nice, we'll stick to visiting family and playing in water until it's safe to get back out/in there.

Our Morning, in Pictures

Thursdays are Toddler Story Times at the local library, so around 9:45, we suited up, Mal got onto his tricycle (after I caught both of the cats he let out), and we walked over. We were a little early, so Mal did several puzzles first.

After "tasting" most of the treats on the numbers puzzle (sorry, Jonestown friends; the germs should be dead by the time your kids get to this), he went to look for the stepstool.

He kept telling me that the stool was "Mal's." He's really into possessions and that things need to belong to him. He's been possessive on behalf of others for a long time (crying when I let a lady at McDonald's use my phone, or when the maintenance guy took our microwave, etc.), but recently takes it very personally that we have several drawers in our common area that are specifically for D's arts and crafts. He'll reach in, pull out the glitter or food dye, and say, "Mal's," then fuss when I remind him they're D's... until I give him something else to play with.

Anyway, we were talking about these books, and I walked over to other aisles to see if there were any more stools. I said, "Nope. There is just that one stool with the grown-up books." So he would say, "Mal's stool? Grown-ups." Over and over.

 Finally, it was time ot hear a story.

He was the only kid there, so he got some one-on-one attention from Mona, one of the two librarians who does story time (the other one, whose name escapes me but I'll remember after next week) moved here after retiring from working for Clark County, so we were in Las Vegas at the same time!

Anyway, the second week of being the solo toddler has really been to our benefit, as you know well that this child is active and just doesn't sit still naturally. The librarians have been so patient with him, waiting for him to come back, and even changing out books to keep him plugged in. Love it!

After the stories, he colored a dog... and got distracted when his soccer sticker fell off.

When he was finished with the picture, we walked up and across the very busy street to the Subway James told me about. I'd not been before. It's super beautiful there!

We had a coupon for buy one and a drink/get one free, so I got a veggie on multigrain flatbread, and he had a melted ham and cheese. This is the first non-PB&J sandwich he's ever eaten!

Oh, and check out that lake view out the window! It was so pretty, we decided to finish the meal outside. Did I mention we set a record for today's high? It got up to 83 in Austin proper, but I don't think it broke 80 here.

On our walk home, we passed a filling station (what my Mema used to call it) that has a locally well-known barbecue joint inside. I hadn't noticed this sign before.

When we got home, Mal wanted to check the mail. It was empty, but we waited... see down the street? It's the mail truck!

There was something from the company that built Mal's swingset!

It was a flying disc! (Not a FrisbeeTM.) We played with that in the back yard, but I don't have pictures because... it's hard to take pictures of yourself playing not-Frisbee. I also moved a bunch of random old fence wood to the back of the yard and made a rectangle where I think I'm going to throw wildflower seeds for spring. I want to garden, but I have no idea what I'm doing. This seems like maybe a place to start.

After a while, we came back in and Mal watched Daniel Tiger, finished his lunch, and relaxed.

We ended up going back outside later, to the front yard, and spent a couple of beautiful hours raking, pulling out dormant stuff, replanting things, and clearing out old growth. Again, I don't know gardening, but I can use a rake. And so, apparently, can this kid.

He had a lot of fun, and we both got filthy. We raked, we swept, we watered. We met our caddy-corner neighbor, whom James met before we moved in. He has a neat screened-in porch with a writing desk at the front corner, and I often see him sitting there with the lamp on reading when I go past. It makes me happy.

Finally, we got this view as a parting gift from our day!

Eating in Oak Hill, Austin

Last Update: October 24, 2015
Update Details: Added a review of Milano Cafe

I just looked up "Oak Hill" on a map. This is it:

As you can see, our apartment complex is near the west edge, and we're about a mile west of any restaurants.

When we moved, I asked on our community's website for some local restaurant recommendations. Many gave me tips about placed to eat in Bee Cave. Most of those were in the Hill Country Galleria area.

Ehh, that's not really our speed. Hill Country Galleria is a fancy schmancy outdoor "mall" and it's not the kind of thing we seek out. We like local, and when I asked for nearby recommendations, I knew we'd have to drive, but I was still thinking "In the general neighborhood.

So, since we were unable to find much help beyond searching Google Maps and then cross-referencing Yelp reviews, I decided to make it our mission to eat at every Oak Hill eatery and report back to you!

There are quite a few national chains around here, and I won't comment on them unless there is something spectacularly good or bad about them. Otherwise, assume that Whataburger is Whataburger and Domino's is Domino's (although they were very nice and brought my pizzas out to me the other day, since I had the baby in the back seat and it would have been a pain in the rear to get him out just to pick up three pizzas... and how would I have carried all of those back at the same time, anyway?!).

I'm going to list all of the restaurants I've been able to find, and then whether or not we've eaten there yet. James and I will review the places we've been as time permits, but just know that so far, we've not had any "Yuck! Never again!" experiences. Which is pretty exciting!

Southwest Parkway - 

Milano Cafe - 4601 Southwest Parkway. Tucked in between a liquor store and a Subway, this Sicilian restaurant is welcoming and surprisingly spacious, with interesting (if minimalistic) design quirks. We, of course, brought our baby and, while the restaurant is very nice, we felt welcomed and comfortable. The owner and his son spoke with us about kids, and the boy really loved my pasta.

I had the Tortellini Piementosa: shrimp, sun-dried cherries, sun-dried currants, capers, cranberries and fresh seasonal berries in a light creamy mint and pesto sauce. Actually, the "light" part kind of makes me laugh because it wasn't heavy, but I'm pretty sure it was basically butter with mint and pesto. It was delicious.

Neither my husband or I got appetizers, but the entrees came with a small salad. We were able to eat both of our meals in their entirety (sharing a bit with the kiddo) and didn't feel overstuffed or sluggish afterwards. The ingredients were fresh, the presentation was delightful, and the whole experience was great. Can't wait to go back.

Price for both of us, no drinks, was around $50 with the tip.

Highway 71/290 - 

Donut Tacos Palace - 5446 W. US Highway 290 Service Road.
The menu indicates that the "donut taco" is a new item. Although the sign doesn't look *too* new, I can't help but wonder whether they created it because people made a joke about the name and asked why they didn't have any donut tacos. Even if it were just separate doughnuts and tacos, this place would be perfect for my family. I love some doughnuts, but my husband and daughter like their protein, so here is the best of both worlds.

They have lots of doughnuts. Lots and lots. Variations on the same themes, a lot, but also a huge variety of actually-different-tasting doughnuts. A good selection of cake and yeast. Plus, they'll custom-make hand-shaped doughnuts (but I doubt they'd do the ones my husband thought would be funny to serve at our boy's birthday party). They had Longhorn and #1 shapes available, and there are pictures of the "ILY" hand shape.

Lots of savory options, too. Typical doughnut house kolache with sausage, cheese, jalapeno; cheese and strawberry cheese kolache; and croissant sandwiches and sausage rolls. Their online menu shows sweet croissant options, but these might have to be specially-ordered or might just be at a different location because they didn't have any here.

This line? It took them about three minutes to handle all of the people, all the way to the door. They know what they're doing.

Maple bacon yeast doughnut.

Bacon, egg, and cheese donut taco. This was the most expensive thing we got; it's $4. My husband said it was really good, but probably worth closer to $2.50. (He doesn't remember the prices at Gourdough's Public House. You put a doughnut somewhere people don't expect it, and it increases in value by at least 50%!)

Strawberry cheese kolache. The bread was yeasty and light. Very tasty!

James got the maple nut without realizing it was a cake doughnut. Although he likes cake doughnuts, he said he wished he'd tried a yeast (I guess I forgot to share a bite with him?) until he actually got into it and said that it was like coffee cake and he loved it!

I didn't see these until later, when my son went to smear his face all over the glass. Don't be a sucker like us and get plain doughnut holes! They have FILLED doughnut holes!

Very festive decor for our August 29 visit.

Final take: Everything was very good. Our total bill was just under $11 for: donut taco, maple nut cake, maple bacon yeast, half dozen doughnut holes, sausage croissant, strawberry cheese kolache. At $4, the taco was the most expensive thing by a couple of bucks. The regular breakfast tacos are closer to $2-$2.50.

I can see us returning here an awful lot.

Taquiera Chapala - 6116 W. US Highway 290 Service Road. TBV. (But we've eaten at the other one on South Congress and it's solid, affordable "neighborhood" Mexican food.)

Sesame Hill - 6156 W. US Highway 290 Service Road. TBV, maybe. They deliver. We've ordered from them and it was a good value and what you'd expect from Chinese take-out. More details to come.

Austin Pizza Garden - 6266 Highway 290. New York-style pizza in a historical building. More details to come.

Oak Hill Centre, at the corner of 290 and William Cannon, 6705 Highway 290.
Via 313 - Detroit-style pizza (cheese on bottom, sauce on top). More details to come.
Chen Z Noodle House - TBV.

Donut Hole - 6863 W. Highway 290. Doughnuts, kolache, coffee, and murals. More details to come.

Center of the Hills, on the north side of the "y," 7010 Texas 71.
Thai Taste - Thai food. Yelp users cannot agree on this place. It's great. It's gross. Who knows? One thing that came up was that this place is pretty utilitarian. Whatever. Actually, the interior reminded me a lot of Heche en Mexico (see below) in terms of concrete flooring, muted colors on the walls, and minimal "flair." I'm not sure why that matters, but if you're expecting zen rock gardens and fountains or things of that nature, maybe go somewhere else? But if you want really good food (at least in our experience), you should check this place out.

We went at lunch. I recommend lunch! Their special is right at eight bucks per person. After I ordered my beef pad thai, the waitress asked me if I wanted soup or salad. I said, "No, thanks," then she asked, "Do you want an extra eggroll then?" I guess my husband saw my confusion and said, "It comes with the meal." So I followed his lead and ordered the coconut chicken soup.

So, to be clear, the $8 lunch comes with either soup or salad and an eggroll. Another Yelp thing is that the eggrolls are pretty much the same ones you can buy at Costco, which is true. But I don't have a deep-fryer, so I can't cook them up exactly the same. Anyway, the other food more than made up for a "fast food" eggroll!

Coconut chicken soup. Mildly coconutty. Light and refreshing, with mushrooms and green onions.

My beef pad thai.

James' pad cashew with tofu and brown rice.

The portions aren't outrageous, but we both brought a bit home. They have some desserts that look fun, but I'd have to be hungrier to try them. And then, which would I pick? Thai pancakes? Sticky rice with mango? Fried banana?

Whatever the shopping center is called, on the south side of the "y,' 7101 Texas 71.
Jim's Restaurant - Okay, it's a chain, but only in San Antonio and here. Diner food. Great family place. Breakfast all day. More details to come.
Tucci's SouthSide Subs - TBV.
Verona Ristorante Italiano - TBV. Soon, hopefully. Honey?

Donn's Texas BBQ - 7001 Oak Meadow Drive, just behind Planet Fitness and Goodwill in the above-referenced shopping center. Barbecue. Order at the counter, eat it at family-style picnic tables. Good stuff. More details to come.

Delaware Sub Shop - 7212 Texas 71. Usually has a coupon in Community Impact newspaper. TBV.

Jack Allen's Kitchen - 7720 Texas 71. Upscale American southwest food, locally sourced. Amazing happy hour from 4-7 during the week with half price appetizers, but their appetizers are not just fried stuff. Spinach gorgonzola ravioli, anyone? Indoor and outdoor seating, beautiful view with fans and even misters. More details to come.

Sundance BBQ - Thomas Springs and Circle, a food truck midway between 290 and 71. My son and I were on our way to the zoo the other day when we passed this trailer that said "Brisket Tacos" on the front.

I made a mental note to come back by on the way home. I was glad that I did! I went simple and just got a brisket taco... he has red onions and pickles, but I don't like pickles, so just went the onion route. And barbecue sauce.

Then, it was torture. My son had fallen asleep in the van, so I had to bring the tacos home to eat. Which means I had to smell them in the car. At the intersection of Thomas Springs and 71, I was about to faint from the delicious, enticing, smokey aroma, so I unwrapped one of the tacos... and the light turned green!

Finally, I got home and my child woke up, so I had to make sure he was back to sleep before I could eat. He fell asleep on my skirt, so THEN I had to spend about ten minutes slowly extricating myself. THEN I finally got to try the still-warm (wrapped in foil) taco.

Oh my. The barbecue sauce was perfect: not at all sweet, with a tiny kick, and not too much of it. The meat was almost chipped, very buttery soft, and delivered on all of the smokey flavor that the smell had promised. I'd bought one of these for me and one for my daughter, who was sleeping when I finished mine. I almost ate hers, but decided that would be cruel and unusual punishment.

I liked these so much that the next morning, I took my husband for breakfast. That's when I found out that they serve breakfast all day. In addition to the menu above, they have: bacon, egg and cheese - $3; add sausage - $4; add brisket (The Beast) - $5.

My husband said that The Beast was "pretty spectacular." I got another brisket taco and it was just as delicious the second time. Swing by this truck! He's there from 8 AM until 4 PM every day but Sunday.

William Cannon west of Mopac -

North side -

Yaghi's New York Pizzeria - 4220 W. Wm. Cannon. TBV.

P. Terry's Burger Stand - 4228 W. Wm. Cannon. This isn't McDonald's so don't expect it to be very fast! Excellent burgers, chicken sandwiches, and veggie burgers. You can also get fries, a shake, and an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie, but that's all they make here (unless you come for breakfast, when they add an egg burger, "breakfast potatoes," and banana bread)! They make it fresh when you order, so even in the drive-through, you're going to have to wait for a while. Nothing is ever frozen, and they cut their own potatoes every day. Everything is delicious, and the fries are enough for two people. Or one really enthusiastic (and hungry) fry fan. A combo meal will set you back about $7, and the sandwiches alone are $4, or in the $2.50 range for a single patty with or without cheese.

Wholy Bagel - 4404 W. Wm. Cannon. Bagels made from scratch, breakfast and lunch offerings, desserts and pastries. TBV.

D'Lites of Austin - 4404 W. Wm. Cannon. I know I said "no national chains," but this is pretty special. It's an ice cream shop and bakery and grocer specializing in "diet" items: low carb, gluten free, low sugar, etc. Every day they have a special (free sprinkles, buy two/get one free take-homes, etc.) and their website lists which ice cream flavors will be available on any given day. TBV.

Cypress Grill - 4404 W. Wm. Cannon. Louisiana cafe. Also typically has a coupon in the Community Impact paper. Live music on Thursdays and New Orleans brunch on weekends. TBV.

Yanagi Japanese Restaurant and Sushi Bar - (warning: their website has music!) 4404 W. Wm. Cannon. I've only had the sushi and the avocado bomb, so we'll have to go and try their food food, too. Sushi is really good; several fairly original offerings. More details to come.

South side - 

Mandola's Italian Market - 4301 W. Wm. Cannon. Italian food and grocery. TBV.

Torchy's Tacos - 4301 W. Wm. Cannon. A veritable Austin institution, known for "Damn Good" Mexican street food. We have eaten at the Guadalupe location and the trailer on South First, but this one is TBV. Breakfast burritos are great. Apparently they're in Colorado now, too, so it's sort of national, but it started here! More details to come.

Kerbey Lane Cafe - 4301 W. Wm. Cannon. Another Austin institution. This is a sort of upscale diner with seasonal features and local artists' work for sale displayed on their walls. Great family place. The service staff is friendly and accommodating. I usually order from the seasonal menu because I hate to feel I might have missed out on something awesome. More details to come.

Flores Mexican Restaurant - 4625 W. Wm. Cannon. Pretty big Tex-Mex restaurant, one of four in the area. Hey, parents! There is a (n outdoor) playground here! TBV.

Hecho En Mexico - 6001 W. Wm. Cannon (southeast corner of Escarpment and Wm. Cannon). Small cantina serving contemporary interior cooking. This seems like the real deal, and a nice break from the chain-y Tex-Mex offerings all over the place around here. Lunch is typically under $10 and dinner is in the $10-15 neighborhood. Service feels really personal. More details to come.



Okay, have I missed any? I realize that there is a "cafe" (where everything is nuked) on the 9th floor of ACC's Pinnacle campus, then of course there are the McDonald's, Jersey Mike's, etc. but we don't need to go into all of that, right? If I've overlooked any Oak Hill restaurants, let me know!

James and I will update this page periodically, noting at the top when and what updates were made. If you have an opinion (especially if it differs from ours), let us know!