I have yet to give the moniker “best thing I ever ate” to any particular place I’ve been, but if I were start Elizabeth Street Café would be the place. This café is what I expect from the Austin foodie scene. It’s a small, very cozy café that serves French Vietnamese food with indoor and outdoor seating. On a nice summer day in Austin, the outdoor patio is definitely the place to be. The day I went was not one of those days. Instead it was a rainy spring day and I had just gotten off a plane that sat through a hailstorm shortly after landing. In search of some comfort food, I turned to Elizabeth Street Café to try the pho. The wait was little long, however, standing there and smelling all the goodness made me certain that the wait was worth it.
Although it was not “that traditional pho” I have been in search for, it gave me an entirely new experience. I almost ordered the vegetable pho, but opted for the beef instead. I loved how the traditional accouterments were readily available and labeled at my table. The pho itself blew my taste buds away with a very flavorful broth that went well with the raw beef, tendons and brisket I had with my meal. Hands down this is my favorite pho soup to date and it was so unexpected.
I ended my meal with a blueberry macaroon and it was macaroon heaven. I have no other words to describe just how balanced this small bite was with a hint of blueberry and a truly perfectly soft macaroon.
If you ever find yourself in Austin, even for just a day, definitely make a stop at Elizabeth Street Café and you won’t be disappointed.