Banana pannacotta @ Flinderz
Pannacotta on breakfast menus is in vogue at the moment, with variations springing up all over Perth. Texturally, Flinderz's quinoa granola with banana pannacotta, honeycomb, berries, nuts and honeyed jersey milk is all kinds of right, with crunch from the granola and toasted pistachio nuts, pops of juice from the berries and creaminess from the banana pannacotta.

Saffron Pannacotta @ Samson's Paddock
When a pannacotta has that sexy wobble, you can't help but get a little bit excited as it's set down on your table. Samson's Paddock's version is inventive with the use of saffron, accompanied by a scoop of hazelnut ganache, pralines and raspberry jelly.

Vanilla Soft-Serve Cronut @ Sugar & Nice
Just when you thought a cronut couldn't get more insane (I mean it's a deep-fried hybrid of donuts and croissants), Sugar & Nice decided to split it in half and fill it with dreamy, house-made vanilla soft-serve. It's then coated in a salted caramel sauce and accompanied by crunchy pieces of malteser milk crumbs. It's extremely decadent and oh so delicious! Share it among friends or eat it yourself. Either way, it's incredible.

Rump Steak @ Porter & Rye
At this modern European restaurant and bar, tasty slabs of meat catch your eye as you enter this haven of beef. With their own dry-aged meat and a selection of knives for you to choose from - you just know they take steak seriously here.

Baby Back Pork Ribs @ Opie's Barbecue
About halfway between Austin and Llano, on beautiful Highway 71, Opie’s Barbecue serves slow-smoked BBQ seven days a week. Just inside the door is a holding pit, and when they lift the top and reveal their offering of proteins, just start pointing at what you want and they will snag it for you. Take your tray of selections to the counter, and while they slice it up for you, pick from an array of homemade side items and desserts.

Sausage Rings @ Hays County Bar-B-Que
On the I-35 frontage road in San Marcos, Hays County Bar-B-Que is an easy stop between Austin and San Antonio. The hardworking Hernandez family will take care of you, with an array of meats, slow-smoked in one of several large smokers. You can dine inside, or you could go to the back, where you will find a space unlike any other in Central Texas, with lots of tables, games, a stage and a bus-turned-bar.

BBQ @ Black's Barbecue
According to the friendly folks at Black’s Barbecue, they are the oldest BBQ joint in Texas run by the same family. Long a staple in Lockhart (declared the “BBQ Capital of Texas” by the Texas Legislature), Black’s recently opened a location in Austin near The University of Texas and another (Kent Black’s BBQ) in nearby San Marcos. After you chow down, so long as their staff are not overrun, they will happily take you on a tour of the kitchen/pit.

BBQ @ Valentina's Tex Mex BBQ
Valentina’s Tex Mex BBQ, a popular BBQ trailer on bar-and-restaurant-lined West 6th Street, recently moved a few miles south of downtown. A San Antonio native, proprietor Miguel Vidal blends smoked barbecue with Tex-Mex offerings into an array of barbecue tacos served on homemade flour tortillas. Want a brisket taco with salsa and queso? Smoked chicken with pickled onions? Pulled pork on tortillas chips? Not a problem at Valentina’s.

BBQ @ Stiles Switch
Stiles Switch is a popular market-style joint in North-Central Austin. Step up to the counter, and they’ll cut a fresh brisket sample for you to enjoy while you decide what to order. Want just a slice of meat or several pounds? No problem. Pick your meats and/sides, and they will put them on a butcher-paper-covered tray and move you down the counter and on your way to your table. Throw in craft beers on tap, several flat-screen TVs and an outdoor patio, and you have yourself quite the spot to spend a meat-filled afternoon.

Brisket @ Micklethwait Craft Meats
Micklethwait Craft Meats, a tiny trailer serving smoked meats, homemade sides, desserts and bread, sits not far off the interstate at E. 11th St. Like other popular craft-meat trailers, you can expect a line, but Micklethwait’s hours are a tad longer than some, so getting fed isn’t a problem. You can enjoy your meal on a picnic tables and even snag a smoothie from their smoothie-trailer neighbor.