This place started it all: Somnio's Cafe (1807 South First St.)

I've been failing at eating out lately. I can be pretty picky, but I've honestly just had a few bad restaurant experiences since going veggie. When I told MikeDub I'd take him to dinner tonight, I hadn't a clue where to go, but I knew I didn't want thai. I asked him about vegetarian restaurants, and he rattled off of few... but when he mentioned Somnio's (not vegetarian, but veggie-friendly featuring local produce and free range animals) I was all in.

Somnio's in the reason I started my food blog. Check out the original meat-inspired post here. Tonight was extra special, as the awesome waitress Jenny asked me if I came here often. I told her yes, and that it was this restaurant that had inspired Eating Up Austin. To my delight, she told the owner, and he came out to meet us. He's a chemical engineer who was tired of the lack of jobs in Austin and always loved to cook, so he opened Somnio's. Very cool.

For me, it was the "crazy crispy medallions" with eggplant. This dish featured breaded eggplant topped with crispy buckwheat noodles that were shaped into crazy little swirls. It looked awesome and tasted even better. Before the vegetable kick, I tried this same dish, but with pork tenderloin. Also amazing. Because entrees at Somnio's come with any salad on the menu, I had the bud, which is filled with yellow beets, garbanzo beans, and pecans. I've not tried another salad yet at Somnio's, as I'm obsessed with this one. You always get a choice of (ever-changing) side with the entree as well. Tonight I had the green pepper stuffed with butternut squash and lightly breaded, and it was exquisite.

Somnio's is great. Amazing food, local grown, neat atmosphere, good people. A testament to the great vibe of this place is what happened just as we were leaving. Our rad waitress that I mentioned earlier, Jenny, came running to the parking lot with our forgotten leftovers (and I must mention that Somnio's uses paper boxes instead of styrofoam).

Two thumbs up, five stars. Seriously, why are you still sitting there—go experience it for yourself already!