Qui (Austin)

For my first trip to Austin, I had two must-visits on my list: Franklin BBQ and Qui. Qui is the upscale dining concept from Top Chef champion Paul Qui. Austin is pretty big on having outdoor dining areas, so at Qui you can choose between the warm, dim dining room or the bright patio.

There was an amuse bouche of a nori (seaweed) chip with Vermont cheddar foam

The cocktails here are worth ordering. I tried the Manila Envelope made with Batavia arrack, benedictine, lime, coconut, orange, and hops ($10)

I veered towards ordering his interpretation of Filipino dishes, since those would be the ones I can't find anywhere else.

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Austin, Texas

Eden East
Franklin BBQ
Qui

Brick & Mortar (Cambridge, MA)

Finding a good bar within walking distance from work is always a welcome thing. Enter Brick and Mortar, an upstairs "speakeasy" next to Central Kitchen. The small space gets pretty busy even on weeknights.

The beer menu is pretty small since the focus is on cocktails. For a hot summer night, try tall drinks like the Red Duster Swizzle (Beefeater dry gin, Madeira, Campari, falernum, lime, and bitters). There are also classics like the ginger-y Mamie Taylor. Cocktails run about $12 and up. 
For me personally, though, I wish they had a bigger menu for me to try out on multiple visits!

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