Sifting Through Austin

Got these updates in my inbox and thought I’d share. The loyalty program at The Roaring Fork seems like you could rack up some rewards fairly quickly. I went ahead and signed up.

Roaring Fork Restaurants Launch “RF Rewards” Program 

Austin, Texas (June 30, 2009) – The Roaring Fork, with two locations in Austin including its newest along Quarry Lake on Stonelake Boulevard, recently launched a new guest appreciation program called “RF Rewards.”  The new rewards program is designed to reward frequency with the additional benefit of helping to offset the continuing economic doldrums.  RF Rewards, available at all Roaring Fork locations – Austin, San Antonio and Scottsdale, will reward guests 10 percent for every dollar spent in the restaurant at lunch, weekend brunch, dinner and happy hour.  Registration is free and available both in the restaurants and online at www.roaringfork.com.

Once registered, Roaring Fork will mail new members a personalized card within approximately three weeks of signing up.  Members can then immediately begin earning rewards points to be redeemed once a minimum of $50 is spent (or once $5 in rewards is accumulated).  The rewards may be redeemed on Sunday through Wednesday after 5:00 pm at any Roaring Fork location.  Rewards members are also first to receive news on special promotions, seasonal menu items and recipes as well as a tasty treat on birthdays and anniversaries if the guest provides this information upon registration. 

According to Garry Hubbard, general manager of the Roaring Fork at 7^th and Congress, “This new program has been extremely well-received, with more than 450 RF rewards members signing up locally since we launched in mid-May. Frequent guests along with newcomers love the economics and the sense of appreciation,” he said.

Hubbard notes that this is a great program for corporate entertaining because of the generous rewards percentage. A host could easily earn enough credit after one dinner to provide a future complimentary dinner for two or more.  RF Rewards do not apply to tax and gratuity and the rewards cannot be redeemed for the purchase of gift cards

About Roaring Fork

Founded in 1998 by Larry Foles and Guy Villavaso, The Roaring Fork specializes in bold American flavors using wood-fired cooking techniques. The Roaring Fork is located at 10850 Stonelake Blvd. and at 7^th and Congress Ave.  Hours of operation at Stonelake are lunch daily at 11 am, dinner daily at 4 pm, and brunch Saturday and Sunday from 11 am to 4 pm. Happy hour is nightly from 4 until 7 pm. The Congress Ave. location is open for lunch daily at 11:00 am, happy hour from 4:00 until 7 pm, Tuesday through Saturday and all night Sunday and Monday. Dinner is served nightly beginning at 5 pm. Villavaso and Foles also own the highly acclaimed Eddie V’s and Wildfish Seafood Grille restaurants located in Texas, Arizona and California.  For more information, including reservations, visit www.roaringfork.com.

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Some of the new menu items sound tasty and the decor updates should be nice. Check it out!

Stubb’s Bar-B-Q Adds New Menu Items, Refurbishes Dining Room:

Upgrades Remain True to Restaurant’s Sense of Texas Tradition

 (June 2009) Austin, TX – Stubb’s Bar-B-Q, Austin’s saucy, iconic barbecue joint best known for serving up outstanding live music and mouthwatering food, has made some recent upgrades that will enable the historic restaurant and venue to thrive in the 21^st century with a balance of innovation and tradition. Long celebrated as the Live Music Capital of the World’s best spot for catching some soulful grooves, Stubb’s is spicing things up with a few new menu changes that will continue to prove the restaurant is home to the best darn barbecue in the Lone Star State.  

 Since 1968, when the legendary C.B. Stubblefield first fired up the pit, Stubb’s has been a Texas favorite, thanks in part to the restaurant’s tantalizing, savory barbecue dishes and sides. While the Stubb’s menu still features superb barbecue staples like scrumptious beef brisket, peppery sausage and well-seasoned pork ribs, new additions such as the Cattleman’s Plates ($12.95 ea.) (Stubb’s version of a blue plate special) are bringing even more flavor to the table. A daily menu special, the Cattleman’s Plate features seasonal, contemporary dishes like chorizo and apple stuffed pork loin; chile-rubbed smoked salmon; and the smoked chicken chile relleno. The new appetizer menu includes offerings such as smoked duck quesadillas ($7.95); and jalapeño smoked chicken wings ($6.95).  And in honor of its commitment to fresh, unprocessed ingredients, Stubb’s has eliminated all pre-made foods from its menu, opting instead for homegrown recipes featuring the most natural foods available. Iodized salt has been replaced with higher quality sea salt in the Stubb’s kitchen, and the fryer’s cottonseed oil was swapped for healthier canola oil. From the old-fashion Southern cornbread to the creamy ranch dressing, every bite of Stubb’s new menu is a celebration of fresh and hearty home-cookin’.

 The Stubb’s menu isn’t the only thing that’s seen some recent improvements. The restaurant’s cool and casual interior has been spruced up with new cobalt blue stained-glass windows near the indoor stage, and custom zinc-and-pecan seating and rich leather-upholstered booths and stools. Exposed electrical conduits have been hidden behind the walls, and the beautifully carved antique bar has been extended an additional six feet, enhancing the Western elegance of Stubb’s main dining room. And by closing up the pass-through area leading into the kitchen, Stubb’s creative director Margaret Vera has doubled dining-room seating.

 Vera, who spearheaded the cuisine and décor changes at Stubb’s, knows how important it is for the restaurant to maintain its beloved rugged style and well-seasoned menu. “Our development style here is like the food – slow-cooked,” Vera says, adding that the many long-held traditions of Stubb’s will never be exchanged for the modern, urban lifestyle thriving on the restaurant’s front porch. Instead, Vera and her staff have put careful thought into each and every detail of the restaurant and venue, guaranteeing that Stubb’s will continue to be the best spot in Texas for great music and even greater food. 

 Stubb’s Bar-B-Q is located in the heart of Austin’s most popular live-music district at 801 Red River St. For more information about Stubb’s and the recent menu and décor changes, call (512) 480-8341, or visit www.StubbsAustin.com.