The Logbook of the Saturday Dining Conspiracy

The Saturday Dining Conspiracy is a loose collection of people (mostly myself and Lawrence Person) who like to go out on Saturday night and try new (to us) and different (mostly) places to eat.

We've been doing this since about Fall 1994, I think, but didn't start keeping these official logs until February 1996.

Manifesto

The Saturday Dining Conspiracy is for:

• Good food.
• Good service.
• Quality pepper grinders.
• Decent bathrooms.
• Good value for the money spent. We're not pigs, and we don't necessarily give places high marks just because they serve a large quantity of food. On the other hand, we don't like going someplace, spending $50 each on a meal, and coming home still hungry.

The Saturday Dining Conspiracy is against:

• Places that take discount cards or coupons, but try to impose special conditions. I understand that a lot of restaurants are marginal operations, and they may get in over their heads by agreeing to take these cards or coupons. But if that's the case, they can:
  • Post a notice up front (preferably at the front door) stating conditions in advance.
  • Stop taking discount cards or coupons (and make that very clear at the front door, as well).
  I don't mind as much if the place is honest up front about conditions: but when they start imposing conditions as you order, or (the gravest sin) after the check comes, that's when we walk away.
• Long waits for a table.
• Reservations (most of the time).
• Snotty, pretentious places, especially ones that require a jacket, or make media announcements about how they're reducing the spice level of their food because "Austin palates can't handle it."
• Places that charge more than $1 a glass for soft drinks and don't offer free refills.
• Places that stiff you with any automatic gratuity above 15% for parties of five or more.

The Pepper Grinder Rating Scale

The Men's Room Rating Scale

A Saturday Dining Conspiracy Glossary

An Alphabetical Index to the Saturday Dining Conspiracy

An Index by Type to the Saturday Dining Conspiracy

Quick Comments from Lawrence

Notes on Breakfast In Austin

SDC Hate Mail

Other SDC Mail

The SDC Policy on Hostages

Notes, credits, and disclaimers

The SDC has...shall we say, non-mainstream views.

For example, I personally can not stand whole tomatoes, or large chunks of them, in my food. Keep this in mind when we get to Italian places.

For another example, both Lawrence and I think that Fonda San Miguel and Pizza Niza are two of the most over hyped and overrated restaurants in Austin. We've been to both twice, and been disappointed both times.

Please also keep in mind that Lawrence and I are most definitely not vegetarians, and our choices will reflect a bias towards red meat.

Not a Top Ten List

I've decided, rather than doing a standard Top Ten list, to start listing where I go when I want good food of a certain type.

If I were to do a top ten list, Number One would be pretty easy, though: short of foul weather or significant events in the lives of my friends, you can find me every Thursday night at Thai Kitchen (most recently, the one on Guadalupe). You can also consider that my recommendation for Thai food.

For the rest:

• Indian: Clay Pit.
• Steak (high-end): Ruth's Chris.
• Steak (medium priced): Outback.
• Chinese: Pao's Mandarin House in Lakeway.
• Dim Sum: T&S Seafood Restaurant (10014 North Lamar). Tien Hong is good, but expensive, and has a very long (hour plus) wait.
• Cajun: None.
• Italian: None.

As of July 1, 2000, all SDC entries will contain latitude and longitude information, referenced to the WGS-84 datum (unless otherwise noted).

The Conspiracy: