tuck's Site

I've known for years that Waterloo Ice House made an excellent Burger, but I've recently had a hankerin' for pancakes. Now let me explain.
1- I like butter on my pancakes.
2- I won't consume corn syrup and most all maple flavored syrups have a corn syrup base.
3- Most restaurants serve butter and corn syrup.
4- As a result I bring my own butter and real maple syrup when I go out for pancakes.

I've tried McDonald's for pancakes. Tasty but small and only 3 for $1.89+tax.
For years I've visited the Omelettry, Burnet and W 49th St where there offer only margarine and maple flavored corn syrup. Thus the habit of taking my own butter and RMS was born. Monday morning I was in North Austin and chanced to stop at Waterloo @ Burnet and Steck for some breakfast.
Now most recently I've been eating the gingerbread pancakes at the Omelettry but finding them dry and bitter. I had planned on having one of Waterloo's wonderful overstuffed breakfast taco's (choice of 3 ingredients for $2.25, one is usually plenty {You'll need a fork or spoon for the overflow}), but noticing cinnamon pecan pancakes on the menu I chanced to ask if they served butter, "No, margarine" and if they served real or fake syrup, "Ohh, real maple syrup". So I said, "A short stack of Cinnamon Pecan Pancakes (2 huge pancakes/$4.95--$5.85 for 3), hold the trans-fats and Two eggs poached easy."
Well, even without the flavor of the traditional saturated fats in real butter these pancakes were to kill for. Simply the best pancakes I have had in like forever. Yes they are that good.
Then this morning I was downtown and went to the 6th and Lamar location and discovered that they have individual servings of whipped Land-o-Lakes butter available which completed the experience to perfection.
So to sum up a long story I've found the perfect breakfast restaurant, so when in Austin, Texas do a cinnamon pancake breakfast at the Waterloo @ 6th and Lamar. You won't be sorry.

My Friend JimDon recently turned me onto a wonderful Blended Scotch. I've been a Scotch fancier since the day my second wife and I separated. She packed up her things and then I was alone and feeling like an alcoholic celebration. I had been reading a magazine in which was an ad for Cutty Sark featuring "Captain Courageous" one Ted Turner who had recently captured the America's Cup. I thought, hey, maybe Scotch will be the ticket. It was for me. I lived the taste and the buzz. Not long after I discovered the Miracle of Single Malt Scotch. The first single malt I drank was Knockando and to this day the best Scotch on the Rocks I have ever enjoyed was that 1969 "NoCanDo". It had a smokey, peaty character that was smooth as glass and I enjoyed many a bottle over the next three years (1981-1984) and in fact bought the last eight bottles of the 1969 vintage Knockando planning to store it away for ten or fifteen years but of course, it was all gone within the year. After that I went on a quest for a scotch of such soothe richness that was to culminate this fall when my friend JimDon turned me onto a Scotch made JMR (Jon, Mark and Robbo) called "The Smokey Peaty One" For the first time in nearly a quarter decade a Scotch, and a blended at that, reminded me of the one Scotch I have never been able to forget. If you like scotch whiskey, this is one for your shelf, even if you are a single malt snob like me. They also make "The Smooth Sweeter One" and "The Rich Spicy One" also worthy of consideration for your liquor cabinet. I rate the Peaty One with four stars only because IL hold out hope for perfection in the future but until then This one is a wonderful substitute. Did I mention it is very affordable as well? Under $30. in Fort Worth. Oddly though, JMR is not available in Austin. Some arcane explanation about each area of Texas having a different "Book" and that even though everyone buys from the same master distributor each region has it's own list of available distillates and you can't get anything not on your local list even if it is available in other nearby cities. WTF????