texas roundup

That about does it for our trip to Texas, the previous posts are a summary of our 4 days in Austin and surrounding Hill Country (including election day in the bluest spot in Texas). It was my first trip to this state and I had a wonderful time. Thanks to Burke for guiding us through the quintessential Austin experience... right down to KGSR and the Chronicle. And to Terry & Ryan who gave us the grand tour of UT athletics ( football, basketball and golf). We also gleaned some good advice from the slim volume of the the Kinkster's "walk" in austin : The Great Psychedelllic Armadillo Picnic.

We did park ourselves at TGI Fridays to try and see the bats take flight at the Congress Street bridge, but apparently they have moved on to a warmer climate already? Smart- why didn't I think of that?

We had to try the bat hotline. 512-416-5700, ext 3636 This time of year it's just advertisements, so we hung up feeling like suckers!

Pinetop Perkins

I have always heard Austin is the self-proclaimed live music capital of the world, but I didn't quite get a feel for that staying on S Congress even though we were right across from the famed Continental Club.

When you crack open the weekly copy of The Chronicle you start to get the picture.
Unfortunately, we were not in town on the weekend, but *every* night of the week there is quite a selection. After our dinner at Threadgill's we continued on to Antone's, the home of blues and got to see 95 yr old Pinetop Perkins on the piano, with Willie "big eye" Smith on harmonica, who is no slouch either at 72! I was thrilled to get some photos in the low light of Antone's. Though we were enjoying the music, we eventually tired of standing in the audience. We moved on for a nightcap at the Driskill Hotel bar where we saw two other live performances. On the way back to our car we heard the music from countless others drifting out of nearby venues into the night air.

keeping austin weird on s congress

While I may have been a little grumpy about the noise at HSJ, I did love the independent shops on South Congress. There was the huge jackalope parked in front of Jo's coffee shop that was whisked away on election day and the largest costume shop I've ever seen!(Lucy in Disguise with Diamonds) I tried to convince my husband to get haircut in the retro barber shop.

In all of my favorite shops there was a sensory overload / purchase paralysis due to the overwhelming selection. It made for fascinating shopping and good retail therapy!!! While we are discussing great shops in Austin, I have to give a shout out to Toy Joy (thanks again Burke!) on Guadalupe. This was worth the drive over and if I had ever been in this shop as I kid, I would have easily hidden under a pile of toys so I would never have to leave.

austin eats

We were fortunate enough to get good sound dining advice for Austin. Of course we went to Threadgill's on N Lamar and had some chicken fried steak! We were urged to go here instead of the world headquarters location that was much closer to our hotel. Here are some other spots we tried:

• Uchi: Yes, good sushi in landlocked Austin! This will also sound bizarre for a Japanese restaurant, but I loved our dessert: jizake crème caramel with brown butter sorbet & ginger consommé. I especially recommend this place if someone else is picking up the tab!


• El Meson Taqueria: We went in search of good mexican at breakfast. This spot is out near the airport and trust me, if we are ever back in Austin, I will be back for lunch. The menu is cheap and delicious! If you want to hydrate like the rest of the patrons at breakfast, grab a glass bottle of coke to wash down your meal...
  
• Saltlick: We got family style "all you can eat" bbq. Delicious! I'll never forget the smell as I got out of the car in what seemed like the middle of nowhere (driftwood).
  
  Up in Connecticut you don't see breakfast tacos... but we came across plenty of them on our trip. If you are departing on a morning flight out of Austin, there is a Saltlick outpost at the airport and you can design your own breakast taco before you hit the jetway.
  
• Hula Hut: This is mexican meets polynesian fare on the shores of Lake Austin. I think the decor is more polynesian than the food! There sure is a lot of eye candy inside and out and I'd love to go back for happy hour. For a Monday we couldn't believe the amt of business lunching going on at this zany outdoor spot! We never did make it to chuy's or shady grove. They're on my list for next time
  
• The Woodland: We didn't eat here, but we scored some fine cocktails and empanadas at the bar. This cool hipster spot is of course on S Congress and I loved the pies on display at the counter. I got a throwback vibe from the moody ligthing, like being in an Edward Hopper diner, but without the loneliness.


• Jo's Coffee: This outdoor spot was right next to our hotel always seemed to be buzzing with locals getting their caffeine fix. I got my daily scone and coffee and retreated back to the HSJ courtyard which is further from the street and much quieter. Your people watching factor is greatly reduced though...
  
• Vivo's: I went here with my cousin who works at UT, so I will confess, I thought we were going to Bevo's for Mexican! The outdoor patio looked very lush and inviting, but A/C was beckoning on this hot day. I had their puffy taco which may not be the most exciting thing in the world, but it's still was better than any mexican you can get in CT! Before leaving we were sure to check out the bathroom sinks, generously stocked with ice cubes and rose petals. We drove back to campus, roses by our side and passed El Chile, which is on my list for next time.

I never did try or Amy's Ice Cream or get to Central Market.
We still have a lot to try when we return to Austin!

burnt orange

Anyone who knows me knows I love orange, so even though I'm not a big sports fan, I felt right at home in austin where you can always find someone who supports the longhorns. my cousin is an athletic trainer on campus, so we toured the athletic facilities (for football and basketball) and they were quite impressive, especially the trophy room for football. Unfortunately, we were not in town over the weekend, so I didn't get to see the team beat Baylor alongside 90k other fans.

too cool for school

Since this was our first trip to austin we decided to stay on south congress (more about that later) and we had a hard time deciding between Hotel San Jose and Austin Motel... In the end we went for hipness and this hotel doesn't disappoint, but next time I would probably stay somewhere else. The walls are very thin and even though we paid to stay in the back of the property away from the road we constantly found our room noisy.

I am curious about Hotel Saint Cecilia also by Liz Lambert and set to open later this year. It's near S Congress, but actually around the corner on Academy Drive. Maybe this spot will be quieter? Our last morning HSJ, it didn't help that American Apparel's alarm went off at 5 am and the Austin's finest finally came to investigate out about 8:30. We were all too happy to leave for the airport.

For the price we paid, there was nothing wrong with HSJ *just* being a hipster's glorified motel room. And for the record we were in room 46, just a grand standard. It was a great location though, right across from the continental club and down the street from some cool shops and restaurants.

I'll never forget spending election night in the what may be the bluest spot in Texas, with Obama's voice booming through the HSJ courtyard and beyond.