From riding around in Ubers throughout Austin, I learned that breakfast tacos were a ~thing~  I had to try before I left the city. So, after doing some quick searching, I found the best ones near where I was staying.

They come from a food truck called Veracruz All Natural - not just any food truck, but one of the most essential food trucks in Austin.

Established in 2008. 

We started out in a tiny trailer on East Cesar Chavez selling snow cones, smoothies, and natural drinks. As more and more people started visiting our trailer they asked for food, so we started making tacos and tortas. We moved to a larger trailer on E Cesar Chavez, and opened an additional trailer on Manchaca. The demand for our tacos continues to grow and we are so grateful for our wonderful clients who come regularly to enjoy our fresh food. 

Our specialty is authentic, fresh tacos and salsas. Our tortillas and chips are homemade and we shop everyday to buy the freshest ingredients. We have been featured by Rachael Ray, Rolling Stone, and Austin Eater! (ABOUT)

This truck has a whole section dedicated to breakfast tacos, as well as other tacos, quesadillas, tortas and drinks.

Reyna and Maritza are sisters and best friends. They were born and raised in Veracruz, Mexico. They moved with their family to Austin, TX after graduating from High School and have lived here ever since. In fact, they love Austin so much that they never want to leave! 

Reyna grew up helping her mother in their family restaurant near the beautiful Veracruzana beach. Starting at a very young age, both her grandmother and mother taught her the ins and outs of the kitchen and she has loved to cook ever since. She especially likes to be creative with her recipes and continually tries to do new things with her cooking. In addition to being creative, she is passionate about using both organic and fresh ingredients in her cooking.

So, I ordered one "Migas," which had eggs, tortilla chips, avocado, pico de gallo, and monterey jack cheese. This particular breakfast taco has been named on of the top 5 tacos in America by Food Network. I also got a taco with bacon egg and cheese.

The migas was good, but without one of the yummy dipping sauces on the side, it didn't blow me away. I guess tacos are simple by nature, but with such a prestigious award, I was thinking maybe there would be just a bit more. This was a good taco, though, and the bacon/egg/cheese one was good, as well. Just used some extra spice from the dipping sauces.

Overall, good tacos. Definitely better with some zing from the sauces.

Grade: B

In 2013 Matt Welsch, the Vagabond Chef, traversed the country by motorcycle discovering and exploring the culinary renaissance in the United States. At the end of the year, Welsch returned home to the Wheeling bringing with him a wealth of restaurant and food experience, inspiration, and excitement which became the foundation of the Vagabond Kitchen. 

The first incarnation of Vagabond opened on June 8, 2014 in the McLure Hotel. The Vagabond Kitchen operated there until December 2015, at which point the restaurant closed its doors to relocate in a new and better location. Unfortunately, that location fell through at the last second. In an effort to remain on the lips and tongues of the Ohio Valley, the vagabonds operated out of the First State Capitol Building as a lunch counter called the State Cellar. 

It is now with great excitement that we reopen our doors as the Vagabond Kitchen, right where we should have been all along: in the heart of downtown Wheeling. Come into Vagabond at 1201 Market Street for a truly unique experience. Chef Welsch and his team have taken flavors from all over the world and translated them into something new for the regional palette. A meal at the Vagabond Kitchen is unlike any anywhere else!

We didn't have a ton of time, but I did want to check out the new place. I see his dinner specials, and they look amazing, so I need to try that again soon. But, on this visit, I had a simple "The Brews" burger, which had blackened seasoning and bleu cheese. Also, I got a side of pasta salad. The burger was good - heavy on the seasoning and tons of melted cheese. The pasta salad was tasty - wouldn't have hated more dressing. But, overall, a good meal and I can't wait to come back and try something out for dinner.

Grade: A
 

Savannah's Candy Kitchen is apparently a ~thing~ in Atlanta, so I stopped by this shop in the airport to check it out.

From a mother’s kitchen in Woodbine, GA to Savannah, GA, candy from the Strickland kitchen is still down home delightful. 

The man behind the famous Savannah, GA Candy is, Stan “The Candy Man” Strickland. The story begins in Woodbine, Georgia where his mother worked in a candy factory known for their Pecan Pralines, Log Rolls, Glazed Pecans, Peanut Brittle and Divinity Candy. At home, would always make candy and pralines, especially during the holidays. She was an old-fashioned baker who measured with the “cup” of her hand and always used the best fresh ingredients. For Stan’s mother, cooking and baking was an art form. Stan baked with his mom in the kitchen learning how to make her spectacular homemade Southern delights. 

Stan decided to share his family’s sweet Southern delights with others at his Savannah, GA candy company. Over thirty years ago, Stan opened Savannah’s Candy Kitchen on historic River Street. Visitors quickly discovered that Stan’s kitchen was the place to experience and taste down home Southern sweetness. In order to keep up with the demand for his candy, Stan had to expand; he made sure to keep his recipes fresh and homemade no matter how big the kitchen grew. Now the original Savannah’s Candy Kitchen store on River Street occupies over 4,200 square feet and every square foot is filled to the brim with the best candies, cakes, and confections in the South. He has also added new stores in Savannah's City Market, the Atlanta Airport, Charleston, Nashville, and National Harbor, Maryland. 

Our Savannah pralines have put us on the map and let us expand our candy selection to include all kind of wonderful Savannah sweets including Savannah cakes, pecan pies, pecan log rolls, glazed pecans, praline layer cakes, and much more. We are the largest candy company in the Southeast and we are proud to share all of our creations. We are so confident in our products that we offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee. If you are unhappy with your item for any reason we will gladly refund your money or ship you a replacement at your request (OUR STORY).

While I had no idea what a gopher was, I did know I needed it in my mouth as soon as I saw it.

Shop our hand made Gopher Turtles and see why they are consistently one of our Best Selling items. These wonderful creations come in Milk Chocolate Gophers, Dark Chocolate Gophers, and White Chocolate Gophers with pecans or peanuts. To create a perfect Gopher Turtle we first make a batch of caramel from scratch, stirred by hand in our authentic copper kettles, then pour this over a bed of the best pecan pieces, and finally finish it off with a rich chocolate topping. These wonderful Southern Sweets are a staple in many of our Gift Baskets Online, because our customers love them!

These things are super good!  I mean, how could it not be? The thing that stuck out to me, though, is the chocolate itself is milky, creamy goodness. And, everything else is just icing on top!

Grade: A

Second Bar + Kitchen is bright, open and modern. I think they were a bit confused when I wanted a table for one, but after the initial awkwardness, I was seated, delivered a glass bottle of water and began to pore over the menu.

Located in the Second Street District, Second Bar + Kitchen combines seasonal ingredients with local artisan products to create a true farm-to-table experience. Second Bar + Kitchen offers small plates for sharing, locally-recognized salads, delicious pizzas, entrees and desserts to enjoy. Second Bar + Kitchen is open for lunch, dinner and weekend brunch.

From the bar, Second Bar + Kitchen offers a wide selection of finely crafted cocktails by Director of Bars + Beverage Jason Stevens, an approachable wine program from Wine Director Paula Rester and a selection of eclectic beers.

So, the Congress Burger is the must-have. From Eater:

The sumptuous blend of brisket and chuck comes nicely seasoned between a thatch of Gruyère and shallot confit. Making it extremely easy to customize are sides of leaf lettuce, tomatoes, and sweet pickles, not to mention two ramekins with sharp mustard and homemade ketchup.

The Congress Burger has: ground brisket + chuck · shallot confit · gruyere · greens · tomatoes · horseradish pickles. I got truffle pomme frites to go with it. Yummm.

The burger is great. They are simple ingredients - but high quality, and that makes all the difference. Every individual piece was tasty, and combined, great. The truffle aioli sauce that came with the fries was divine, as were the sharp mustard and homemade ketchup.

While it's nothing completely strange or out of the ordinary, it nails the solid burger category and has the perfect fry complement.

Grade: A

"Broadly offered on American menus, the beef-and-mushroom-blended burger, otherwise known as “The Blend,” was conceived of and incubated by the Healthy Menus R&D Collaborative (HMC), an educational initiative of high-volume culinary leaders developed by the Culinary Institute of America in partnership with its founding member, the Mushroom Council. The Blend concept is an example the innovative and strategic culinary insights that are used to address the substantial health and environmental imperatives that face the foodservice industry." (Source)