iPad Ordering:

iPad Ordering

Lucky Robot features a really cool iPad ordering and payment system. I was curious how to see how the waiter’s role changed when the iPad ordering system was used. Even though our orders were entered directly into the iPad, our waiter was attentive and was there to answer questions, deliver food and keep our drinks full. This system made it really convenient to split checks between our group, pay by credit card directly from the table and didn’t leave us wasting time waiting for a check. We were all very impressed with how smoothly the iPad ordering worked and it helped create a unique dining experience.

The Food:

Brussels Sprouts: The Brussels sprouts were crispy fried and tossed in a lemongrass soy sauce. These were really good and I would recommend them as a starter, or even a side to an entree.

Brussels Sprouts

Seaweed Salad: This was a traditional seaweed salad. If you like seaweed salad, you’ll like this.

Seaweed Salad

Quesadilla: The quesadilla was pretty amazing. It included candied bacon, ginger scallions, goat cheese, mixed cheese, and topped with queso fresco. How can you go wrong with those ingredients?

Quesadilla

Okonomiyaki: I have a hard time pronouncing Okonomiyaki. Luckily, since I was ordering on an iPad, I didn’t have to embarrass myself trying to say it when ordering. Okonomiyaki is a “Japanese Street Pizza”. The Lucky Robot dish is made with shrimp & krab, topped with QP, tonkatsu, pickled ginger, scallions, bonito and sesame. I really enjoyed it!

Okonomiyaki

Salted Caramel Rice Crispy Treat: This was a nice way to cap off a great meal and we easily shared it between four people (it was much bigger than it looks in the picture). It hit the spot, and was a great dessert for only $2.

Salted Carmel Rice Crispy Treat

Overall, the food was fantastic. I’ve never been to Zen, so I don’t know how it compares to the previous menu, but I really enjoyed everything I tried (which seemed to be the consensus in our group). I would highly recommend checking out Lucky Robot.

Location:

Lucky Robot is located at 1303 S Congress Ave Austin, TX 78704 across from Jo’s Coffee and next to Amy’s Ice Cream.

Gallery:

Restaurants We Luv: Lucky Robot Japanese Kitchen – Austin, TX Luvs 2 Eat

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The Ultimate Guide to Eating Paleo (Infographic) Luvs 2 Eat

I won’t go into too much detail about the Paleo Diet itself. There are so many resources available on the web. The quick and dirty is this. Paleo focuses on eating animal proteins, healthy fats, veggies and fruits, while avoiding grains, dairy, legumes, soy, sugar, alcohol, added sugars and processed stuff. I’m not into fad diets (my Dr. actually recommended this diet to me), but it’s hard to argue with something that tells you to eat meats/fruits/veggies and cut out all the processed crap.

Here are a few pics of the food. (Sorry for the cell phone shots. I didn’t have my DSLR on-hand)

Sunshine Slaw:

Paleo Pad Thai (No that’s not noodles):

Ginger-Lime Grilled Shrimp:

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Paleo 101 Luvs 2 Eat

30 x 30 Challenge Update:

First things first, I’ll start with a quick update on the 30 x 30 Challenge. I finished up my first Whole 30 in September and it was awesome. When all was said and done, I felt great and lost a little bit of weight in the process. I liked it so much, I’m going to be eating Whole 30 style as much as possible. Let’s be realistic though. I’m a food blogger, so I will probably fall off the wagon a couple of times a week.

• Starting Weight: 210
• Today’s Weight: 197
• Total Challenge Weight Loss:  13 pounds (27 more to go)

Getting My Buns in Gear:

While diet is an important part of weight loss, exercise is another important factor, and I have some extremely exciting news. My knee has been progressing well. (I tore my PCL, MCL and Meniscus last February and am still on the road to recovery.) It’s been doing so well in fact, that I’ve signed up for two big events next year.

First, I’ll be running in the Livestrong Austin Half-Marathon in February. Fighting cancer is a cause near and dear to my heart. Unfortunately it’s a disease that impacts too many people. My Brother, and Dad are both cancer survivors and I’m very lucky they are still around. I run in honor of their fights, and in hopes that someday no one will have to hear the words “You have cancer”. You can find my fundraising page here.

In April, I’ll be hopping on my bike and riding from Houston to Austin in the MS150. Multiple sclerosis is another disease that is absolutely crippling. I’ve seen first-hand what the disease does to a person, and like cancer, is another disease that no one should have to live with. A cure needs to be found. You can find my fundraising page for the MS150 here.

Finally, I’ve discovered this really cool fitness community called Fitocracy. I’m logging all of my workouts there now, so feel free to follow me on Fitocracy.

30 x 30 Challenge Update: Getting My Buns in Gear Luvs 2 Eat

The first week of Whole30 is now behind me. I feel pretty good about where I’m at. Now that my body is more acclimated to my new eating style, I’m going to try to incorporate some exercise in week 2. I’m also not going to bed early enough, so I’d like to get more sleep in week 2.

Day 6 was pretty exciting for me. I finished up my physical therapy, where they had a little graduation ceremony. It was awesome. It’s hard to believe that I spent the majority of this year recovering from my knee injury. In fact, I was on crutches for more than 3 months. Now on to the food.

Breakfast Day 6

• Egg whites
• Sunday Bacon
• Leftover Coleslaw from day 3

Lunch Day 6

I had a delicious grilled salmon salad with mixed greens, capers, olives and a homemade vinaigrette. You’ll have to take my word for it though, because it was so good I forgot to take a picture.

 Dinner Day 6

• Mixed green salad with olive oil and balsamic vinegar
• Chicken seared on the stove top and finished in the oven
• Roasted spaghetti squash with garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper

  Breakfast Day 7

• Egg whites
• Sunday Bacon
• Spaghetti squash (Yep…for breakfast)

Lunch Day 7

We went out to for my co-workers birthday to one of my favorite lunch spots, Sushi Niichi. I had Sashimi Sampler C (Salmon, tuna, white tuna, and yellow tail).

Dinner Day 7

I had a grilled chicken salad, but got home late and didn’t take a picture before dinner.

What I’m Listening to Today

Mumford & Sons has a new album coming out September 25th, which I’m pretty excited about. I’m really liking the new song I Will Wait, which they released on YouTube yesterday.

Today’s Inspiration

“I Have Not Failed. I Have Just Found 10,000 Things That Do Not Work.” – Thomas Edison

Whole30 Wrap-Up: Days 6 & 7 Luvs 2 Eat

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My first weekend on the Whole30 and it went well. I’m feeling pretty good and I can already see my midsection tightening up a little bit. It’s hard to believe it’s only been 5 days. I got over my fear of eating paleo at restaurants during the Whole30, and had lunch at Threadgill’s celebrating my cousin’s, uncle’s and mom’s birthday.

Breakfast Day 4

• 2 Central Market organic eggs with onion and Canadian bacon.
• 3 Heavenly Villagio Marzano tomatoes

Lunch Day 4

• Leftover grilled chicken breast
• 2 cups mixed greens
• Cucumber
• Kalamata olives
• Capers
• Balsamic Vinaigrette

Dinner Day 4

• Salmon
• Left over cauliflower rice from day 3
• Broccoli with garlic sautéed in olive oil
• Watermelon, grapes and cantaloupe (not pictured)

 Breakfast Day 5

• Eggs again. I really need to start coming up with new options for breakfast
• Left over Cole Slaw from day 3
• Bacon
• 1/2 Large Hass avocado with kosher salt and smoked paprika

Lunch Day 5

Lunch at Threadgill’s. This was my first restaurant meal since starting the Whole30. It wasn’t too bad, since I looked at the menu at home and planned what I would eat.

• Grilled Tilapia with pineapple salsa
• 2 sides of steamed broccoli, which I doused in lemon juice
• (Don’t worry. I did not eat the tortilla strips)

Dinner Day 5

Dinner was at Galaxy Cafe. I did not plan ahead and had a minor melt-down when trying to decide what to order that would fit in the Whole30.

• I had the Zocalo Burger which included grilled onions and jalapeno. I had no cheese and substituted the chipotle mayo for yellow mustard.
• Side salad (no pictured)

What I’m Listening to Today

Atmosphere – Sunshine: I been listening to Atmosphere since my brother introduced me to the group many years ago. This track is one of my favorites and a perfect Saturday morning song.

Today’s Inspiration

This is my favorite scene, from one of my all-time favorite sports movies, Cool Runnings.

Whole30 Day 4 & 5 Wrap-Up Luvs 2 Eat

Day 3 was rough. I woke up and my allergies were terrible and I was tired most of the day. Apparently that’s the norm for Day 3 of the Whole30. It didn’t help that Friday is typically our Marketing Department’s go out to lunch day, which I’ve elected to skip during the Whole30. I’m bummed I will not be attending for the next 30 days. Oh well life goes on (at least I’ll save some money).

Things got a little more exciting when I got home. A paleo cookbook I ordered recently, Well Fed: Paleo Recipes for People Who Love to Eat, was sitting on my door step. I quickly glanced through it and I’m already excited about all the recipes I will be making. Who knew eating paleo could be so exciting.

Traffic wasn’t bad, so I got home a little bit earlier than usual. This allowed me to spend some quality time in the kitchen (as you can see from my dinner below).

Breakfast

• 2 pasture raised scrambled eggs (from Pasture Verde) with sweet wild onions sauteed  in olive oil.
• 1/2 of a large Hass Avocado sprinkled with a little bit of salt and smoked paprika
• 2 pieces of Canadian Bacon
• 1 Cup Watermelon

Lunch

Lunch was just left overs from Day 2 except I had paleo approved Santa Cruz apple sauce.

• 5 oz. Grilled Chicken seasoned with salt, pepper, smoked paprika and garlic powder
• Grilled veggies including asparagus, yellow squash, yellow bell pepper, cherry tomatoes and shallot
• Santa Cruz Organic Apple Sauce

Dinner

I was extremely proud of dinner. My wife is a rice-aholic so I wanted to make something we could share. The paleo rice turned out great!

• 5 oz. flank steak
• Paleo “rice” (it’s really Cauliflower and onion cooked in coconut oil) inspired by Nom Nom Paleo. This stuff is awesome! Diana couldn’t even tell it was cauliflower.
• Paleo friendly cole slaw (Olive oil, white wine vinegar, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, mustard). I’ll be posting the recipe once I perfect it.

What I’m Listening to Today

Trampled by Turtles – I randomly found this band browsing through songs on Spotify. My current favorite track is Wait So Long. (Trampled by Turtles and the band I mentioned yesterday, The Lumineers, will both be playing at Austin City Limits (ACL) this fall).

Today’s Inspiration

Whole30 – Day 3 Wrap-Up Luvs 2 Eat

Day 2 was relatively smooth. We went grocery shopping last night, so I had many more options to choose from today. I had a little bit of a headache in the afternoon, but my hunger level hasn’t been too bad. I overcame my first challenge today. We had a going away party at work today for our intern, which happened to be an ice cream party. I stayed strong and passed on an ice cream sandwich. One small step for man, one giant leap for me.

Breakfast

I woke up a little bit earlier today to throw together a heavier breakfast this morning.

• 2 pasture raised scrambled eggs (from Pasture Verde)
• 1/2 of a large Hass Avocado sprinkled with a little bit of salt and smoked paprika
• 1 strip of bacon
• 3 Heavenly Villagio Marzano tomatoes

Lunch

I totally flaked and forgot to take a picture at lunch, but I had a tuna spinach salad. It looked pretty much the same as the salad I had on Day 1.

• Yellow fin tuna in olive oil
• 2 cups spinach
• Balsamic vinaigrette – 2 tablespoons Macadamia Nut Oil (from what I can tell it’s paleo approved), 1 1/4 teaspoons Balsamic Vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon organic brown mustard, a pinch of salt, a pinch of dried dill.
• 1 cup Watermelon on the side

Dinner

For dinner, I braved the 100 degree heat and spent some quality time with my BBQ grill.

• 5 oz. Grilled Chicken seasoned with salt, pepper, smoked paprika and garlic powder
• Grilled veggies including asparagus, yellow squash, yellow bell pepper, cherry tomatoes and shallot
• 12 Bing Cherries

What I’m Listening to Today

The Lumineers - The Lumineers have quickly become one of my favorite bands. I have been listening to this CD pretty much non-stop since it came out earlier this year. One of my favorite tracks is Ho Hey.

Today’s Inspiration

“Invictus” by poet William Ernest Henley

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll.
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

Whole30 Day 2 – Wrap-Up Luvs 2 Eat

They had an official challenge starting on August 1. The timing couldn’t have been better. I just got back from Hawaii, and when I went on vacation, so did my diet. I was looking for something to get me back on track, and I believe the Whole 30 is exactly what I need.

Day 1 wasn’t bad. I didn’t feel any hungrier than normal. I hadn’t gone to the grocery store yet, so I managed to get by with what I had in my fridge and pantry. I will say it’s going to take a little effort to figure out how to replace all of those calories I used to get from carbs. I felt like I ate well today, but only ended up having around 1,000 calories.

Breakfast

I kicked off the morning with my go to breakfast, microwave egg whites. They’re super easy to make, but they do stink up the house. I just take a microwaveable bowl and spray the edges with Olive Oil using our Misto Gourmet Olive Oil Sprayer. This makes clean up so much easier. I then put the egg whites in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time. After each 30 seconds I check to see if they’re done. At around 2 minutes my egg whites are cooked to my liking. I then season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and smoked paprika.

Lunch

For lunch I took 2 cups of spinach leaves and topped those with a can of tuna (I like the solid white albacore tuna from Central Market). I also topped it with an olive oil vinaigrette I whipped up.

Dinner

I have a ton of spinach in the fridge, so I had another salad for dinner. This was topped with Central Market brand oven roasted turkey, kalamata olives,  olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. I also had a cup of fresh pineapple for desert.

I can already tell it’s going to be an interesting month. I’m excited to see what the next 30 days hold for me. Do you have any tips for surviving my first Whole 30?

Whole 30 – Day 1 Luvs 2 Eat

Well, it’s been one week since I started my 30 by 30 Challenge. The first couple of days were rough. My body had some serious adjustments to make with so many changes. I can already tell a lot of improvement though. My energy level is noticeably higher, I’ve been in a better mood, I’ve been able to concentrate much better and my sleep quality has improved.

My knee was acting up this week, so I didn’t get to exercise as much as I would have liked. I’ll be resuming my rehab workouts tonight and should be back on the exercise bike on Thursday (hopefully).

Weigh In Results:

• Staring weight: 210 lbs.
• Today’s Weight: 204.5 lbs.
• Weight loss this week:  -5.5 lbs.
• Total Challenge Weight Loss: -5.5 lbs.

Week 1 was much more successful than I expected. I don’t think I’ll be seeing a loss of almost 6 pounds every week, but it’s a great start. Thanks again for all your support!

Weigh-In Wednesday – Challenge Update: Week 1 Luvs 2 Eat