The "concept" of "home cookin'" in the restaurant scene is a bit of a conundrum. The idea that there is a formal genre around recreating the home-style meat-two-veg paradigm for the general dining public defeats the purpose a bit, doesn't it? Sure, there's plenty of great home cookin' in Austin: Our town is built on piles of mashed potatoes and chicken-fried steak. But most places that offer this cuisine are offering just that: cuisine. It's a concept, and you get dressed up to go and eat it. You might, after all, run into someone you know or want to hang out for the band afterward. Well, sometimes, that's not what we want on the menu. When going out for home cookin' gets to be too much, but you still crave that mom-and-pop touch, head to Tony's Southern Comfort, the last name in comfort food. Tony's delicious dishes may very well qualify as cuisine, but it won't matter. You'll be too busy swooning and grinning at the very low-key atmosphere, the personal service, and the flavors that take you home to notice. (Note: Tony's is as family-style as it gets. So on Sundays, you might want to gussy up a bit.)
