Food

Decades of history, and hours in a BBQ smoker, have cemented Austin’s food scene as one of the richest and most vibrant cities in America. In 2024, the esteemed Michelin guide toured our best restaurants, and while seven received their elusive star, they also recognized a handful of other worthy establishments with more added on this year. Many local favorites fell short of Michelin’s Bib Gormand recognition, with a few recent opening making the cut after a short couple of years after opening. As lifelong Austin residents, senior Cooper Johnson and I set out to see if these new restaurants are worthy of their recognition.

Ramen del Barrio - 1700 W Parmer Ln Suite 100

Stocked with lychees and an aroma of fresh fish, Hana market is a quiet haven for Asian food products impossible to find in an HEB, but tucked away in its corner, Ramen del Barrio finds a way to be loud. Decorated with custom mythological artwork, dark wood accents, and hanging paper lanterns, Ramen del Barrio drowns out all the other dull competition it stands close to. With a line that wraps outside the automatic doors of the Hana foodcourt, del Barrio has attracted both Latin and Asian audiences with their unique take on ramen, a fusion between the rich tonkotsu of Japan and the slow cooked carnitas of Mexico. Chef Chris Krinsky opened his first installation of RDB in his parents garage shortly after lockdown, and finished the first brick and mortar location just two years later, with a larger venue opening later this year. Following their Bib Gormand commendation in Michelin's 2025 review of Austin, Ramen del Barrio has never been more popular, and any doubts we had about their validity vanished as I tried the delicious steaming bowls of Mexican fusion.

The carnitas tonkotsu is their flagship dish, and for good reason. In an instant, the smell of Mexican pork familiar to every Austinite bellows out from the rich broth. The bowl contains a perfect mix between the two cultures: tortilla strips, grilled peppers, and onions coupled with cut radish, thick tonkotsu and noodles. Amateur food critic and St. Andrew’s senior Cooper Johnson tried the mole tsukemen, the same bowl with mole as the broth, and called it the “lovechild between everything that makes Mexican and Japanese [cuisine] great.” We rated Ramen del Barrio a 9.2/10, a must try for any diner fond of either food.

La Santa Barbacha - 2806 Manor Road

La Santa Barbacha opens like a warm, slow Sunday morning. After years of family breakfasts in Central Mexico defined by the rich barbacoa cooked by their father, the Landaverde siblings have refined their familial recipes and brought them to Austin. Daniela and Rosa de Lima Hernandez both studied gastronomy and business, and that knowledge has allowed them to combine their beloved inherited meal with elements that set them apart from any other taco truck. What makes their barbacoa so special is the layers of history and love that surrounds it, and now the ritual meal that brought their community together is working its magic on Manor road near campus.

Every dish at Santa Barbacha is wrapped in one of three of their warm, signature tortillas: beet, corn, or green corn. The quesabarbacha, one of their most popular dishes, is a simple barbacoa quesadilla wrapped in a vibrant red tortilla and covered with cilantro and chopped onions. The slow cooked meat coupled with melted cheese was phenomenal, but nothing stood out until we tried the crispy cheese taco, a fried cheese covered tortilla that houses both barbacoa and crunchy chicharon. The textural phenomenon of fried cheese covering both soft and crusted meat made this dish shine among the other simpler ones. However, neither of our dishes compelled us to talk about them, and we left slightly disappointed. Cooper Johnson later reflected that it paled in comparison to his personal favorite taco joint Taqueria 10/10 on north lamar.

While Michelin commendations look amazing posted in windows or in a review, there are thousands of restaurants just as good that go overlooked. Ramen del Barrio and Santa Barbacha were both phenomenal in their own right, and I strongly encourage any local to try both. However, your favorite bowl of noodles or an innovative Mexican dish might be tucked away a few minutes from home, silently, without recognition from social media or food critiques. You may just have to look a little harder for it.

Today, the back line stretched down the entire cafeteria. Excitement weaved through the clusters of eager students and teachers. And yet, the front line and salad bar remained sadly desolate. Only one food could provoke such a response.

SAGE employees rushed back and forth to keep the grilled cheese in stock. “SAGE grilled cheese is the highlight of my week,” Sophomore Sophie Yahin noted. “It never ceases to brighten my day.”Freshman Emma Bereshkovsky added that the sandwiches are “deliciously crispy.” 

Student opinions on SAGE meals certainly vary. In a form sent out to the student body, there were many meals that were listed in both the favorite and least favorite meal answer boxes. And yet, there are plenty that are obviously very popular, like the grilled cheese. Other favorites include the tacos, pasta, and burgers. 

“I love how much they have tacos with lots of variety and options,” said Sophomore Halle Williams enthusiastically. “I also really like any day when they have pasta, especially the alfredo sauce.” Across all the interviews and responses, pasta and tacos seemed to be particularly popular.

But of course, the desserts spark equally robust opinions. St. Andrew’s students love the cookies, brownies, and various pudding options. “One time the cookies were warm and it was the best day of my life,” Williams said. “They were life-changing.”

SAGE chef Jann Saenz has also noticed meals that provoke an overwhelmingly positive response from students. As the “seasonings guy,” he is in charge of the meals in the back line. There, he has noticed the most popular options include mac and cheese bar, beef chilli, and of course, the grilled cheese. His personal favorite is the Mac and Cheese, “which we’re going to have today,” he added excitedly during our interview. 

His favorite meals to prepare are anything that represents different cultures. “I love when we do something totally different than what people are used to,” said Saenz. For example, he loved doing the “cowboy Thanksgiving” meal before Thanksgiving break this year, with beans, soup, and corn chowder. 

While there are many meals students love, there are also some least favorites. Many students said on the form that chicken pot pie and breakfast for lunch aren’t particularly their favorites. When asked what they would change about SAGE lunches, several anonymous contributors said they wanted some meals to be brought back, particularly the orange chicken.

Ultimately, SAS students are so thankful for SAGE meals. One contributor on the form said, “SAGE is amazing and delicious” and that everyone should “be grateful.” 

For the final question in my interview with Saenz, I asked what he would tell the St. Andrew’s community about SAGE. “It always makes us feel good when you guys say something about the food like ‘thank you,’” he answered. “It makes us know that we are doing a good job.”

During the holiday season many people make large quantities of cookies for holidays, parties, and other occasions. Because of this, you see a large increase in the sales of store-bought cookie dough that you can throw in the oven quickly. I reviewed seven different types of cookie dough based on their flavor, texture, cooking ability, and overall appeal so you can decide which cookie will make for a perfect addition to your holiday season menu!

Pillsbury Chocolate Chip

The Pillsbury chocolate chip cookie is a timeless classic seen globally within most grocery stores. The brand was originally created during 1869 and the Pillsbury website makes a claim saying “Americans bake over 17,000 batches of Pillsbury cookies per hour during the Christmas season.” Could this be the perfect holiday season cookie?

This chocolate chip cookie baked quickly, and by following the directions was easy to bake just right and avoid any burning. The edges were slightly crispy when cooled, but overall it was a very chewy cookie. This chocolate chip cookie, which you can buy in either a pack of 24 small cookies, or a pack of 12 with bigger cookies, had a very simple, classic chocolate chip cookie taste. While some who taste tested this cookie believed it to be a little too basic, it received an overall average rating of 7.9/10 by one St. Andrew’s Journalism class. While this cookie was easy to make, tasty, and on the cheaper side, costing just under $4.00 for a pack of 24, it lacks the classic homemade chocolate chip cookie taste that makes chocolate chip cookies one of the most popular cookies in the world. 

Festive Kitchen Dubai Chocolate

The Dubai Chocolate Cookie, a little more unique than the chocolate chip cookie, is the second cookie on this list. With the spike of a pistachio chocolate bar that has more recently gained lots of popularity online named Dubai chocolate, you now see all varieties of baked goods modeled after the pistachio-chocolate flavor. Lots of people love this unique flavor combination, but others feel this specific flavor has become too widespread among other desserts and has lost its original appeal. 

This cookie had a chocolate base and a pistachio filling. And being the only filled cookie on the list, it baked a lot differently than some of the other cookies. Instead of baking flat, the Dubai chocolate cookie was a lot more rounded in the center where the filling was, making it look like it wasn’t done in the oven. Because this was also a chocolate cookie it was hard to tell if it was burning. In terms of taste, the cookie base tasted nice and very chocolatey, but the filling wasn’t close to the typical Dubai chocolate taste, so that's something to be aware of if you really want something that tastes like the chocolate bar. If you like a filled cookie, and especially if you like Dubai chocolate, this is a good cookie to check out. While it is sold slightly less universally than Pillsbury, you can still pick this cookie up at stores such as Central Market and HEB at just over double the price as the Pillsbury chocolate chip cookies. Overall, this cookie received a 5/10 rating and was also the most expensive cookie on the list, costing $17.99 from Central Market. 

Pillsbury Oreo 

Moving back towards Pillsbury cookies, the Oreo cookie was one of the most heavily anticipated cookies on this list. Due to Oreo being the most popular cookie worldwide, I had high expectations for an Oreo flavored, non-Oreo cookie. 

This one had a similar baking experience to the chocolate chip Pillsbury cookie. It was quick, easy to not burn, and created a chewy and soft cookie with a crispy edge. As predicted, the Oreo cookie was a big hit among St. Andrew’s students, receiving an average rating of 8.3/10, making it the highest rated cookie by the Journalism class. It was described as tasting like an “Oreo dipped in milk” and was the perfect combination of an Oreo and a homemade style chocolate chip cookie. This is a great cookie to try if you love Oreos, want to try something a little bit different than a chocolate chip cookie, or just want something easy to make for the family. The Oreo cookie dough is priced the same as the Pillsbury chocolate chip cookie dough at $4.00.

Pillsbury Peanut Butter 

Another great Pillsbury option to try is their peanut butter cookie dough. In addition to a simple peanut flavored cookie, Pillsbury makes a Reese's pieces cookie dough that you can get in a 12 or a 24 pack. This cookie bakes slightly differently than the other Pillsbury doughs. The peanut butter cookies aren’t as flat as the chocolate chip or Oreo cookies, making them slightly denser. They have a strong peanut butter flavor and taste exactly like the inside of a Reese’s, meaning if you are a fan of the chocolate, it's likely that this cookie will be a hit for you. 

St. Andrew’s students who tried this cookie had mixed reviews. Some students rated it as low as a 3/10, and some as high as a 9.5/10. Because of this mixed rating, the St. Andrew’s students average rating for this cookie was 6.6/10. However, I believe it depends entirely on how much you like peanut butter and Reese’s, and this dough retails for $4.00 at most grocery stores. 

Sweet Lorens Chocolate Chip

The second chocolate chip cookie is the Sweet Loren's chocolate chip cookie. With this cookie being gluten free, plant based, and dairy free it's more accessible to those with allergy restrictions, meaning this might be the perfect cookie for large family gatherings or events. 

While this cookie took slightly longer to bake than the others, it was thicker, and more comparable to the Dubai chocolate cookie in thickness. The Sweet Loren’s cookie also had a much different taste than the cookies from other brands on this list. Due to the oat flour used in the recipe, the cookie has a more hearty taste. Another advantage this cookie offers is being a slightly healthier option than Pillsbury, Festive Kitchen, or Nestle Tollhouse. The Sweet Loren’s website claims the dough is made "totally free of the usual junk.” Whether you want a more allergy friendly cookie, something more guilt-free, or just want to try the Sweet Loren’s cookie, you can find it in most grocery stores for $6-7 dollars. This cookie received a St Andrew’s student review of 7.1/10 making it lower rated than the Pillsbury chocolate chip cookie, but still higher up than some of the other flavors. 

Nestle Tollhouse Chocolate Chip

The final chocolate chip cookie is from Nestle Tollhouse. While this cookie was similar to the Pillsbury chocolate chip cookie, it has a slightly deeper brown color and in terms of taste has a richer flavor. While Nestle-Tollhouse may be known for the chocolate chip cookie recipe they put on the back of their chocolate chip bags, this cookie was a very strong candidate for store-bought cookie dough. It baked well, and was the most similar to a homemade cookie out of the seven different doughs on this list. 

This cookie was not rated by the St. Andrew’s community, but out of the 10 people who tried and rated this cookie, it received a rating of 8.7/10. Meaning that this cookie was rated the highest out of the chocolate chip cookies on this list, and higher than any of the other cookies. Overall, the Nestle Tollhouse chocolate chip cookie is the best option for a quick and easy cookie. This Nestle Tollhouse cookie is available for $4.00 dollars at grocery stores.

Nestle Tollhouse Santa’s Cookie

The last cookie on the list is the most fitting for the season. This brown-butter version of the classic chocolate chip cookie also has milk chocolate chips and sprinkles. The unique addition of brown butter was a controversial decision according to the reviews. While one St. Andrew’s student claimed that the cookie tasted like “dog food,” other students thought it was a great seasonal cookie for the winter. Nestle Tollhouse’s Santa’s cookie is a great fit for the winter months and is sold at the affordable price of $4.00. 

St Andrew’s students gave this cookie an overall rating of 6.1/10 but had many mixed reviews, believing it wasn’t as good as some of the other cookies but was still a fun and festive cookie. 

In conclusion, while the Nestle Tollhouse chocolate chip cookie was the highest rated, and overall deemed the best store bought cookie dough on this list, each cookie reviewed would make a great quick treat this season. Especially during the holidays when everyone is busy cooking, celebrating, and hanging out with family, having a pack of store bought cookie dough on hand to prepare a tasty and low-effort dessert for everyone is a great resource to have this season.