Month-a-versaries

I don't celebrate Valentine's Day. I hate the holiday. More on that later. Or not. Haven't decided yet if I want to acknowledge such a forced holiday's existence since it isn't really worth my time.

However, Mr. H and I celebrate our month wedding anniversaries. We're using the 12th of each month to try an Austin restaurant that we've never been to before. This has been a lot of fun and we've discovered a few new favorites! It also turns an ordinary day into an unexpected date night.

So here's what we have so far:

October: South Congress Cafe

I'd technically been here before for a work lunch, but Mr. H wanted to try it and I'd never been for dinner. Food is excellent. I had a pasta with jalapeno olive oil, loads of veggies, and shrimp. Deee-lightful. Highly recommend. They also have a fairly lengthy cocktail list, including the Austin-famous Trudy's Mexican Martini (owned by the same people). We've been back again and had an equally fantastic (maybe even better?) meal. Definitely intend on taking visiting friends here in the future.

November: Sao Paulo's Restaurante

I'd been here before as well, but only for their a-maz-ing happy hour. The food was quite good (I had paella), but it probably won't make it in to our usual rotation. Definitely check out the happy hour. Really cheap margs, really cheap chips and queso. Perhaps a future get together spot?

December: Asti Trattoria

This was probably the most expensive restaurant we've gone to for an anniversary meal (South Congress Cafe is a close second) and definitely has the decor of a modern fine dining establishment. However, I was highly disappointed by my meal. I ordered a saffron seafood risotto with a "spicy" tomato sauce. The sauce was not only not spicy, but I would go so far as to say bland. The meal was saved by the bottle of wine we split, delicious bread and appetizers, and the Quack's cupcake I got across the street before heading home.

January: The Grove Wine Bar

This place is a little off the beaten path for us (360 and Bee Cave). We first saw it over a year ago when we were searching for wedding venues and visited a couple in the area. This meal left me smiling and wanting more more more. It is definitely a new favorite. Awesome wine list as you would expect from a Wine Bar. The menu has something for everyone - pizza, salad, paninis, pasta. We opted to split an order of bruschetta (they serve three toasts open face with your choice of 3 toppings.We went for traditional fresh mozzerella, basil, garlic and olive oil; sausage, roasted peppers and goat cheese; and figs, brie and apples). Then we split a pizza. The Chicken Little (chicken, loads of garlic, caramelized onions, gorgonzola, and rosemary) was divine. I wanted to go back the next day and get another one. And I like variety in my meals. We topped the meal off with a flourless chocolate tort that was worth every single one of its 1,500 calories.

February: Woodland

We spend a decent bit of time on South Congress and have thought about dining here many times. This was the perfect choice for a cold February evening. I was craving comfort food, and comfort food I got. The interior looks like a cabin straight out of 1960. They have a fun and interesting cocktail list and a somewhat limited menu (not a bad thing for me). I got shrimp and grits with bacon in a spicy creole sauce. I've had a lot of shrimp and grits in my day and these were definitely in the top 3. The service was so-so. I think we got there right at the beginning of their dinner rush when every single server in the place was double seated. The servers were also all wearing vintage clothing, but I got the impression that was just the way they are, not that it was a Woodland-enforced dress code. Restaurants like this are among the many reasons I love Austin.

What restaurants do you recommend?