When most people think of Austin food, they think of barbecue and Tex-Mex, but Austin is also becoming known for its food trailers. Several new ones have opened up in the past year, offering everything from upscale fare using local ingredients, sushi and Cuban sandwiches to Asian fusion, Indian and even disgusting sounding full-meal donuts that are supposedly delicious. And of course there are taco and barbecue trailers too.
Today my mom, sister Jo, brother-in-law Gabe and I sampled La Boîte. Not technically a trailer but a shipping container, this café offers pastries, coffee and sandwiches, using local ingredients when possible. I had been reluctant to try it since a place that bills itself as “true euro” is bound to turn me off. But La Boîte seemed like the perfect compromise on this sunny early spring day – vegetarian friendly and close to home (though not within walking distance). More importantly, most of the other trailers I’ve been meaning to try are closed on Sundays and/or during the day.
First the container. It’s a pretty cute setup. Just a plain gray container with a display case and not much else. You design nerds would probably like it. The whole front and one of the sides open all the way up, and there are plenty of little stools scattered around outside.
The food was ok, and according to Mom, the coffee was great. Which is pretty much what I expected. I would probably come here often if it were within walking distance and I drank coffee. The baked goods looked cute and homemade (I think they are homemade – they’re definitely not made on site). There was a good mix of sweet and savory as well as three different sandwiches. You have to get there early though for the croissants.
Jo and Gabe had the veggie sandwich, which was spinach and feta spread with pesto and roasted red pepper. It was a veggie sandwich for non-vegetarians. In other words, it didn’t really have enough substance if you need to be careful about eating enough protein. I had a ham and gruyère sandwich with “caramelized” onions and mustard. The flavors were nice, but the onions were sweated, not caramelized. The bread used for both sandwiches was not really baguette-like but soft, like Mom’s home-baked French bread (but better – sorry, Mom!). It was tasty and didn’t cut up your mouth, but the bread-to-filling ratio was a little too high. I suppose you can’t have too much filling though if you’re “true euro.” Mom’s ham croissant looked pretty good, but I didn’t taste it.
In all, it’s a cute place, and though I probably won’t make an extra trip just to come here, I might swing by if I’m in the neighborhood. I hope it does well – the more little places like this, the better!
More trailer reports sure to follow, perhaps when Tiffany comes to visit in March.
VIVRE POUR MANGER 
Right now, I’m more jealous of the “sunny early spring day”.
So, I’m going to have to eat one of those doughnut sandwiches and take pictures for the guys in the office. I hope you’re up for it.
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Of course I’m up for it. I may just have a plain donut though. That trailer is right next to the Odd Duck Farm to Trailer stand, so as long as we go on a day when they’re both open, I’ll be fine.
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I totally want to try that doughnut place. Sound so gross.
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Hmm….the bread thing. My plan is to work on that….maybe it’s because I don’t use LOCAL ingredients and serve it in a shipping container. Or, maybe I’m just not that great a bread baker….I feel a bread making class coming on. (Do have a tiny bit of a sunburn on my neck. Tiffany, be advised, close to freezing again in two days.)
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I mean the bread you used to make when we were little.
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Hi Jessica, I am so glad you made it to our little corner of South Austin to give La Boite a go.
The bread rolls we use are a traditional french style bread–not baguette–but they are called ‘pain au lait’. Something you would find in most french boulangeries and indeed are more dense than the baguette.
I would encourage you to try one of the croissants some time–our pastry chef Barrie (www.barriebaking.com) makes really wonderful traditional croissants that have proven very popular with the Austin crowd (hence on occasion they’re sold out!).
I will certainly look at how we can get the vegetarian sandwiches a little more veggie friendly–our sandwiches change daily according to what is in season and/or available through our different providers.
I want to also give you a little insight into our use of the term ‘true euro’. I chose this as we are trying to keep our offerings as local as possible. As with most small European eateries, they tend to work with a handful of local purveyors to create their menu. We’re doing this from our coffee to our sandwich ingredients working with local farms like Richardson Farms, Pederson Farms and Full Quiver Farms.
Thanks again for stopping by and we truly appreciate your perspective and feedback!
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Thanks for checking out our little blog! We (or at least I) never thought we’d attract any outside attention. I mentioned the bread because the menu on your website describes your sandwiches as “baguette sandwiches” so I was expecting something different.
I would imagine it isn’t easy to cater to vegetarians, and you wouldn’t want to end up with a bunch of unsold/uneaten tofu sandwiches at the end of the day. At any rate, my sister and brother-in-law thought the veggie sandwich was tasty and really liked the pesto.
I should mention that I moved to Austin from Berlin (and have lived in France and Switzerland – most of our contributors have lived abroad), which is why I’m a bit particular about the Euro label in general. Local ingredients are always a good thing though no matter what you call them. I’ll be sure to stop by for a croissant sometime. I was eying those sausage brioches too…
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