Rob Balon - June 29 Speaker
Dr. Rob Balon, local food critic and restaurant expert brought us an entertaining talk!
Dr. Rob Balon has his own website about dining out in Austin. Dr. Balon grew up in a restaurant family - his grandmother started a restaurant in Connecticut and he grew up eating her food. He told stories of getting started on KLBJ radio and on TV in Austin. Dr. Balon has a passion for food and gave us some background about restaurants in Austin. 25 years ago, the Austin food scene was fairly wretched with mostly BBQ and Tex-mex restaurants. Today there is much more variety. Local restaurant owners son and father Bryce Gilmore and Jack Gilmore have led the charge along with David Bull who was at the Driskill and now has his own restaurant at 2nd and Congress Avenue. Paul Qui was the winner of Top Chef and stayed in Austin to start his own restaurant. Recently opened Olamaie on San Antonio with its traditional upscale southern cuisine is an example of what's going on today. There are an astonishing number of new restaurants in Austin of all types and cuisines, but they still all need to deliver on the food!