Austin Chronicle Digs Pork; Rob Balon Gets Lucky

Restaurants reviewed this week in Austin: Elaine's Pork & Pie on the east side and Lucky Robot on SoCo, in the old Zen space.

First up: the Austin Chronicle visits Elaine's, a "tiny snuggery [that] seems like it jumped out of a Southern Living postage stamp." Rachel Feit likes the moist, flavorful pork sandwich but would like to see it served on a toasted bun. Her preference: the pork tacos, wherein the "flavors work beautifully." As for the pies? "So good, they should come with FDA warnings," especially the bourbon buttermilk pie.

At KVUE, after weeks of reviewing places like Carmelo's and Curra's, Rob Balon just goes balls-out crazy and visits an actually new restaurant: Lucky Robot, the new concept from the folks that brought us Zen. Deeply impressed by the iPad ordering system, Balon calls it an "accommodating, a little bit edgy, and very Austin type of experience," likes the hamachi serrano ("Oh, baby!") and says that the okonomiyaki will "kill ya," which is probably a compliment. Here's the video:

· Review: Elaine's Pork & Pie [Austin Chronicle]
· Dining Out With Rob Balon: Lucky Robot [KVUE]

Lucky Robot. [Photo: Andrea Grimes/EATX]