Special Out of Town Edition: Moonshine

Friends from Austin have usually raved about Moonshine, so when we had to be in town for a hearing, we decided to check it out. We went in at lunch time and there was quite a crowd. It was too hot to eat outside, so we were seated at a cozy little table next to the window. Right away, we liked the country-chic decor. It felt airy and bright, like eating at my husband's grandma's house. And the food was almost as good.

We started with a plate of homemade potato chips with sour cream dip. The hubs really enjoyed the dip, but I wasn't crazy about the chips. I was expecting something akin to Zapp's, but we we got were more like Baked Lays in both flavor and texture. Pass (at least for me).

I had a small Indigo Spinach Salad. First, I love that Moonshine allows you to buy just half a salad. It was a perfect lunch portion. Second, the ingredients in this one just scream summer: blueberries, peaches, fresh spinach. It was the perfect meal for the space we were in, the season and the time of day: bright, fresh, and not overly filling. The complimentary cheddar muffins on the side were also quite good, and helped to round out the meal nicely.

Service was very good. The place was crowded, but they seemed to have a good ratio of servers-to-guests, and we never wanted for anything. Most surprising was the check. I guess we're getting used to Houston prices on everything, but this was a very good value.

Overall, I'll join the ranks and recommend Moonshine. It was just as good as I expected, based on my friends' reviews. It was much better than many other casual lunch places. And it was damn sure better than rain.