We try new restaurant Urban, and, what makes a "foodie?"

Last week, Megan and I joined a few other bloggers in town to try out Urban, a new restaurant inside The Westin, which technically speaking, is inside of The Domain.  Did you just get a vision of a Russian doll?  Because I did.

Anywho.  We were lucky enough to sit with Becky Bullard from Texanthropology, who is also an Austinist food writer and Examiner drinks writer, as well as her friend Jessica.  Before our samples arrived, we got to pondering this matter: Just what, exactly, makes a foodie?

But like I am about to do with you, we were suddenly interrupted by gorgeous food before we could dive too deeply into that question.

Grilled Crab Cake with Avocado, Micro Cilantro, and "Dynamite" Sauce. "Dynamite?" Yes, dynamite. To indicate a flavor explosion, if you will, and after licking it off my spoon, I'd say that's an accurate description.

Texas Quail, with Green Tomato Chow Chow, Grits, Guajillo Honey.  Teehee, "chow chow." I have no idea what that means!  But let's pretend we do anyway. The chow chow was fabulous!

Seared Tuna.

Bar Steak with Chile Arbol Chimichurri, and Sweet Corn Bisque. Let me tell you something. That bisque was ridonkulous. We all decided to call it not bisque, but rather, a "little bowl of heaven."  I wish I could reach out of the computer screen and offer you a spoonful of this amazing bisque.

(PS. Are you wondering why these food photos are in a completely different, altogether better league than the photos you normally see on Austin Eavesdropper?  That is because Megan took them. Isn't she too good.)

Chef Mizael Saucedo, who put together the sample menu for the evening, came to Urban from Bess Bistro - Sandra Bullock's restaurant.  For dessert, he served us Avocado Tres Leches, far and away my favorite dish of the night.  We heard that Mizael used his mom's classic Tres Leches recipe, and when he added the avocado, his mom got mad at him.  Well.  What the dish loses in classic form, it gains in screams of ecstasy.  I am being serious.

There are no words for Avocado Tres Leches.  Only guttural sounds. We were so taken with it, we forgot to take a picture.

Alright, so back to our original question.  What makes a foodie?

Here is my opinion.  I think most people are snobby about something.  Me?  Books.  I'm sorry, I don't like Twilight.  Oh well.  But television?  Five words: The Real Housewives of New York.  See?  I'm kind of a dumbass in that department.

(My mom is the most hilarious example of this high culture/low culture thing, by the way. Namely when it comes to movies.  She loves Big Night, Happiness, these two French flicks she's been raving about ... but, also, White Chicks.  Yes.  THAT White Chicks.  As in, starring the Wayans brothers).

So "food" is one of those things, I think, where if you train your palate long enough on high quality versions of things, you get to become a "foodie." The only time this gets tricky is when people have different definitions of "quality."  Which to you, might mean "local," but to someone else, might mean: "imported from its country of origin." Gruyère cheese that actually comes from the town of Gruyères, for instance.

What do you think makes a foodie?

Oh, and! I almost forgot to thank lovely Jetté Momant, for inviting us out, and putting this lovely tasting at Urban together. Thank you dearly, Jetté!