Austin tour p.2: what I ate

The real question is what didn't I eat?  Austin has so many great cafes, restaurants, and food trailers that it was hard to fit it all in to 5 days.  But I tried.  Oh, I tried.

Casa Chapala: By the time we checked into the hotel and got Jon signed in for the conference, it was after 2pm.  We just popped in here for what we thought would be a small lunch to hold us over until dinner, but it ended up being pretty big.  No complaints about that, obviously.  Food was pretty good, but I don't think it's the kind of place that I'd specifically go back to again, just because there are so many other places to eat in Austin.  But definitely worth it if you need a quick and yummy meal and don't have time to go too far from downtown.

Where: Downtown, on the corner of 2nd and San Jacinto Blvd.

Moonshine Patio Bar & Grill: Jon had been planning a part of the conference with another meteorologist (he flies hurricane hunter planes!) via phone and email, and so he wanted to officially meet Jon for dinner to go over a few things before their program on Sunday.  Surprise - I went, too.  Unfortunately, I was too full from lunch to have an actual meal here, which sucked because the menu was pretty good.  I settled on an appetizer of corn dog shrimp (beer battered shrimp) and shared the fried asparagus.  

Photo from collegebarscene.com.

Two nights later, Jon's co-workers were in town for the conference and one of them decided to get dinner with us.  We suggested Moonshine because I was eager to try a real meal there and it wasn't too far from the hotel.  There was a small wait, so we got drinks (I tried the Loosen Bros. Dr. L Riesling and it's fantastic).  I liked how the restaurant was set up; there's a bar inside which was kind of crowded.  They checked us in for the restaurant out front at a podium, and instead of sending us into the bar, they brought us around to the patio bar.  Smaller, but quiet, and just off the patio area where we ended up having dinner.  A built-in stone fire pit added to the ambience outside.

Our meal started with seasoned popcorn brought to the table.  I skipped the appetizer this time and settled on the pecan crusted catfish for my meal.  Topped with crawfish tails, homemade hot sauce and brown butter sauce, it was... well, as my dad says, it made my tongue slap my face happy.  Enough said.

Where: Corner of Red River & 3rd St. just behind the convention center.

Elizabeth Street Cafe: This is one of the places I read about on a blog before we got to Austin.  French-Vietnamese Cuisine?  The adventurous spirit in me was intrigued.  Jon and I went for breakfast Sunday morning before the conference began later that afternoon.

Where: 1st & Elizabeth.  The number 10 bus has a stop just nearby.

The restaurant is so open and airy feeling inside, despite having limited seating (there is additional seating with heaters outside).  The waitresses all wore similar outfits of dresses with tights (totally my style), and the decor was a perfect mix of patterns and colors.  In short, I wanted to live here.

There are a few seats at the counter, where you can also order bakery items like baguettes, croissants, and macaroons.  Can you believe I'd never had a macaroon before that day?  I'd also never eaten breakfast with chopsticks before, so you know, it was a monumental kind of day.

Most of the time when I go to a restaurant, I expect to see some menu items that I wouldn't necessarily cook at home to draw my attention.  Call me a snob, but I can't even waste my time at chain restaurants for dinner anymore because it's the same old food that I could cook better, healthier, and cheaper at home.  Elizabeth Street Cafe did not disappoint.  With a cuisine labeled 'French-Vietnamese', how could it?

I got: Roasted Pork & Wood Ear Mushroom Omelete with a side of mango, cucumber, basil and crispy shallots.  This is one of those meals that I'm going to dream about for breakfasts to come.

Jon ordered the special which was a quiche with pork belly, chilis, and gruyere, topped with herb salad.  It was as good as it sounds (that is to say - friggin wonderful).

It was too hard to say no to the bakery offerings at ESC.  We brought two macaroons and a Nutella eclair (!!!) back to the hotel.  They didn't last much longer than that.

Crepes Mille: I spent a lot of time wandering around South Congress on Sunday, and had such a hard time deciding where to do lunch.  I settled on a crepe from the Crepes Mille trailer.  The menu isn't online, but they have all sorts of both savory and sweet crepes.  I got some sort of chicken curry with shredded carrots.  When it came out, it seemed like it was swimming in curry sauce, but as soon as I cut the crepe open, the chicken absorbed all the sauce and it was delish.

Where: At the corner of South Congress and Gibson.  Cash only, but there's an ATM right out front (not to mention all over the city).
Stubb's BBQ: Anyone else a fan of Stubb's BBQ sauce?  Jon and I discovered it in the "Eat This, Not That" books as one of the healthiest (read: low in sugar) BBQ sauces out there.  On the bottle, it says they're located in Austin, TX, so we made plans to visit the restaurant when we were there.  I got brisket; Jon got pulled pork.  Served up central Texas style with a slice of bread, the focus is on the meat.  On most nights, Stubb's also acts as a live music venue (their tagline is cold beer | live music).

Where: Red River & 8th St.  Walk there via 6th street if you want a peek at the different bars and shops without actually having to go in any of them.  6th was still decorated for Christmas when we were there, so that was a nice treat.

Hey Cupcake: I know food trucks and trailers are becoming ubiquitous all over the US, but I've never seen more in one city than I did in Austin.  And I think most of them aren't even mobile on a daily basis; there are bunch of 'food trailer parks' around Austin where several take up a semi-permanent residence.  When you're out and about on your own, and need a quick bite, they are cheap and yummy, so I did take advantage of them on this trip for sure.
Before I even stopped to get my lunch at Crepes Mille, I bought two cupcakes from Hey Cupcake.  They put them in this nice little to-go box with a separator inside, but I still managed to tip them around by the time I got back to the hotel.  But no matter - Jon and I agreed that they were still tasty.

No picture of the mushed cupcakes, sorry.

Crappy iPhone picture, sorry.

Where: They've got several locations, but I hit up the Hey Cupcake trailer on Congress & Milton.  There are a bunch of other food trucks parked here with picnic tables and when I was there, a man playing guitar.

Annie's Cafe & Bar: I stumbled across Annie's one day when I had set out to explore the 2nd Street Shopping district.  It turns out, I am not the fancy boutique type of girl.  I had more fun looking around the vintage shops on South Congress than looking through designer shoes and jewelry, so my shopping day was over not long after it started.  I desperately did not want to go back to the hotel, so I was trying to find a place that I could just sit with the iPad and read with a cup of tea since it was kind of drizzly and chilly outside.  On the search for another place, I rounded a corner and saw Annie's.  It's an inviting kind of cafe I imagine I'd find in France, so I walked in and plopped down at a table.  The only downfall I had was that unlike some of the other places I'd been so far, Annie's only offered a cup of tea rather than a pot.  I went through it pretty quickly.  Because it is counter service (full service if you sit at the bar), and I didn't want to leave my camera bag and iPad sitting there, I just made my cookie last as long as I could.

After awhile, it was lunch time and Jon and I were going to meet at a sandwich place a few blocks away.  Instead I had him and his coworkers meet me here (since it was filling up and I already had a table).  Our sandwiches and my soup were quite good and fresh.

Where: On (North) Congress, between 3rd and 4th.

Snack Bar: There's only so much I can do to entertain myself every day.  After walking around for so long, my feet start to get tired, and all I want to do is sit.  But not in the hotel.  So I try to find someplace that welcomes people who want to order little and sit for awhile.  Besides Starbucks.  I'd wanted to try Snack Bar and all its retro glory, but didn't think we'd have a chance go make it there for dinner or drinks, so I walked all the way down to S. Congress on a cloudy, chilly day (Monday?).  There was only one other guy there drinking coffee, and earlier in the week I'd seen a girl sitting around with her laptop there, so I didn't feel too bad.  A small order is better than no order, right?

A pot of tea (naturally) and fresh toasted banana bread.  I chose to sit outside despite the chill in the air, right next to the fire.  It was actually very cozy.  I stayed for about 45 minutes before I had to walk back to the hotel to meet Jon.
Where: South Congress and James St.

From my seat outside at Snack Bar, I could turn around and see Jo's Coffee.

Jo's Coffee: The Jo's coffee most people probably know of in Austin is on South Congress.  And I had planned to go there, but I got lazy and instead went to the one on 2nd St.  The SoCo location is outdoors (covered), but the downtown location is indoors.  It has a retro kind of vibe to the decor (which I love).  I got a pot of tea and a breakfast taco, and sat at the counter.

Where: S. Congress & James or 2nd St between Colorado and Lavaca.

Iron Works BBQ: We passed by Iron Works in the cab just before we got to our hotel.  I actually thought it was an iron works place, to be honest.  And I guess that's not too far off since it used to be one.  This was just around the corner from the convention center, so we figured it'd be an easy spot to meet for lunch.  

It got busy fast with all of the conference attendees, but the line moved quickly and there was plenty of seating.  We sat out on the heated covered porch.  Jon's coworker Chris got ribs - he said they were alright.  I got brisket, this time on a sandwich, and I thought it was fantastic.  They served it up with pickles and onions, so I tossed those suckers on the brisket, squirted some sauce, and dug in.  

Where: 1st & Red River St, just behind the convention center.

A customer placing her order at Iron Works BBQ.

The story behind IWB

Le Cafe Crepe: I forget what made me stop here for breakfast one day.  I think Jon needed to get to the conference early and didn't have time for breakfast, and so I showered up and pulled out the iPad in search of food nearby.  The road outside is under construction, so I probably would have walked right past if I weren't actually looking for it.

There must have been a break in the conference because just after I went in to the near empty cafe, meteorologists started coming in filling out the rest of the tables.  (My overachiever husband wasn't one of them.)  My server was super cool with me sitting there reading and offered to refill my tea pot for me.  I ordered the Morning Crepe (eggs, spinach, mushrooms, onions, and Swiss) and it was so damn good that I told Jon I'd get up early with him to get breakfast there again the next morning.  Only on that day, he ordered the special, and I was jealous that I didn't.  There were cheesy potatoes involved, you guys.  And bacon.  And a big fried egg on top.  Whaaaaaat?

Where: San Jacinto and 2nd.

I should have gotten this on the second morning.

But whatever, this was still good.  And healthier.  So hah!

Turf & Surf Po' Boy: That day I was meandering around trying to find a place to sit and get some tea, I saw Turf & Surf Po' Boy across the street.  You guys know I am not too good to eat street food.  And I have to say, I love po' boys.  And fish tacos.  But the tiniest part of me was a little skeptical of street fish.  But then it was like, forget it, the Yelp reviews are all good and I just want a damn po' boy.

So Chris suggested it for lunch on Wednesday and I was on board.  Don't be put off by the condition of the trailer... or the cardboard signs.  The food is damn good.  I got a crawfish po' boy, but Jon surprised me by getting fish tacos.  And he doesn't even usually eat fish!  I can't even describe how yummy these were, especially for having come from a truck on the corner in a city in the middle of the state.  Just scroll down to the pictures already.

Where: Currently at 4th and Congress, but they said they've got to move soon.  Whatever you do, if you go to Austin, find them.

Easy Tiger: I found this place online the day before we left for Austin.  It's a bakery/beer garden.  I'm a carb-o-holic, and my husband brews his own beer (mentioned just so you know that he's a beer connoisseur  not an alcoholic, hah), so it was kind of a win/win for the both of us.  This was our last dinner in Austin, but we didn't even really eat a true meal here.  Because just about every review of the place mentioned their 'boards', we got two to share.

Not my picture, and not what I ordered, but you get the idea.

The cheese plate had three types of cheeses, three kinds of breads, and a cranberry compote in the middle.  The German board was served with a large house-made pretzel (the ones pictured are the small), a bratwurst, kraut, beer cheese, potato salad, and house mustard.  The two boards were enough to fill us up as a meal, so you can do like we did and opt for that rather than getting a sandwich or something.  To finish off the night, we shared a pain au chocolat and bought a baguette to go (and brought it back to Virginia with us only slightly worse for wear).  We really enjoyed Easy Tiger and would go back next time we visit Austin.

Where:  Behind the Hilton Garden Inn, on 6th between Sabine St and Frontage Rd.  Walk along the rowdy bars on 6th and keep walking until you think there's nothing left.  You'll hit Easy Tiger before you reach the highway.

Torchy's Tacos/South Austin Trailer Park: So breakfast tacos are a big thing in Austin.  My dad makes them for breakfast all the time for us when we visit, so they're nothing new to us, but I like that it's a common thing in Austin.  I specifically heard good things about Torchy's.  Jon was supposed to come with me on our last morning in Texas to get breakfast here, but he ran short on time and couldn't.  So I just went alone.

Then I got there and realized that even though the breakfast tacos sounded just fine, what I really wanted was a 'lunch' taco.  And I suppose I could have gotten one for breakfast, but instead I asked Jon if he wanted me to come back and pick us up some tacos for lunch so we had some food before we went to the airport.  And he said yes.  So I did just that.  After the capitol tour, I took the bus back down to Torchy's and got Jon a green chili pork taco, and the fried avocado taco for myself thanks to a recommendation from my friend Abby.  Good call, Abby.  That taco was awesome!

Where: On S. 1st St, just before Elizabeth Street.  They do take credit cards, by the way.

Bacon, egg, and cheese breakfast taco in corn tortillas.

Are you hungry now?

Austin tour p.1: what I did

For anyone who has ever tagged along with someone on a business trip, you know how it goes: a lot of alone time. And that was fine with me, since I'm somewhat of an introvert and actually enjoy doing my own thing. Obviously, I would have loved spending the days with my husband, but since it wasn't an option (he's got a work ethic, and all that), touring Austin alone sure beat the pants out of staying in Virginia by myself.

Our trip came pretty quickly following Christmas, and during the Christmas season I couldn't spare a minute between viewings of A Christmas Story and The Holiday to see what there was to do in Austin. It wasn't until the day before we left that I bothered to do a little searching. I found some cool things to check out, and I can't say I did them all, but I thought it would be helpful to share what I did do, for others who may be heading to Austin themselves.

Stevie Ray Vaughan Memorial Statue: Before Jon had to report to the convention center for his presentation, we had some time Sunday morning to walk to breakfast together.  I had copious amounts of food, so I've saved that for another post.  On our way back to the hotel, we thought we'd pay homage to guitar god and native Texan, Stevie Ray Vaughan.

Where (Stevie Statue): You can find the statue along the trail at Lady Bird Lake (which by the way, bears more resemblance to a river) in a park called Auditorium Shores.  Walk south over the 1st St Bridge and bust a right.

Downtown Austin from Auditorium Shores

South Congress Street (also known by hipsters as SoCo): I spent the rest of Sunday exploring the SoCo district.  About a mile from our hotel (the Radisson just along the river at Congress & Cesar Chavez St), SoCo is packed with true vintage shops (so much polyester!), cafes, boutiques, food trucks, etc.  I even wandered off South Congress and into the residential neighborhoods surrounding it.  I walked past a Baptist church on Sunday morning which was practically bursting with song.  Yeah... I loved it.  So much to see.  Definitely visit South Congress if you go to Austin.

Iconic 'i love you so much' on the side of Jo's Coffee at South Congress & James St.

Greetings from Austin mural on the side of Roadhouse Relics, S. 1st  & Annie St.

Where (South Congress): Congress St south of Lady Bird Lake to Oltorf St.

This little fella is named Jalapeno and I am smitten with him!  Austin Pets Alive is an adoption agency that has mini-locations around Austin every day.  I stumbled upon this one on South Congress and met Jalapeno.  I seriously racked my brain for ways to get him home on the plane with me.  I LOVE HIM.

Sunset reflections on the building across from our hotel.

Austin City Limits/Willie Nelson Statue: My Nan loves Willie Nelson.  Like, she named her dog Willie, and even though she's 72, I'm surprised she hasn't yet bucked up and gotten some sort of Willie tattoo to show her dedication (my Nan can be pretty badass, y'all).  So yeah, obviously I wanted to visit Willie's statue when I was in Austin.  He's a Texas boy, and lives in Austin (or used to, anyway).  Part of 2nd street was named for him.  They kind of love him there.  

Fun fact: Willie's statue was dedicated on 4/20 at 4:20.

If you're a music fan, or you've ever flipped through a TV Guide as a kid (or at least drew on the covers, like I did), you're probably familiar with Austin City Limits.  You can read about the history of the show and venue here, but quickly I will say that the pilot was shot in 1974 with - who else? - Willie Nelson (though he wasn't quite the music icon that he is now).  Nowadays, Willie practically runs the place.  His statue sits out front, his pictures are all over the place, and I'm pretty sure he shells out a good chunk of cash there.

The day I set out to catch a tour of ACL was rainy, so I ended up being the only one to show up and had myself a private tour.  I wish I could remember the name of my tour guide (Don, maybe?), but he was head of merchandising and very cool.  I learned loads of info about the studio and the show, as well as the artists that have performed there.  Seriously, take this tour if you ever visit Austin.  It's fascinating.

Backstage

There are 4 dressing rooms (if I remember correctly).  This is one of the larger  rooms.  The last person to use in the dressing rooms before I toured was Greg Allmann.

"Willie's Porch"

One of the highlights of the tour, for me, were the two photo galleries which are available to balcony and mezzanine ticket holders for ACL shows.  The first of the two we visited was that of ACL's long-time photographer, Scott Newton.

The one and only.

Says the photographer of the Ray Charles picture: "While I was out of position, I saw him briefly arch his back and stomp his foot, singing triumphantly, and do what you see, visually encapsulating all that he was and what he was doing.  I got in position and waited for him to do it again.  I still remember that click as if it were today."

Newton says this Dave Matthews Band picture is one of his favorites on a technical level.  The layers of fore-, middle, and background create a sense of depth that bring the viewer into the photo.

The largest dressing room, also used for events (the president was here recently!).

The second photo gallery was dedicated to legendary rock 'n roll photographer, Jim Marshall.  As the tour guide put it, Marshall basically lived the photography version of 'Almost Famous'.  He was self-taught, and at a young age began shooting some of the biggest names in rock music.  He toured with the musicians, and became friends with them.  From his website: "He was the chief photographer at the Monterey Pop Festival and Woodstock, the only photographer granted backstage access at the Beatles' last concert, the only photographer to squeeze Janis Joplin and Grace Slick into a single frame."

He shot the iconic photo of Johnny Cash (seen below) taken at San Quentin Prison.  Apparently, Marshall asked Cash to do "a shot for the warden", and this is what he came up with.   And if you're familiar with the Allman Brothers At Fillmore East album cover photograph, it, too, was taken by Jim Marshall.  The band hated being photographed and wouldn't crack a smile, that is, until Marshall asked a dealer (yeah, that kind) friend for some coke, waved the baggie in front of the band and told them they wouldn't get it unless they smiled.  And so they did.

Where (ACL): The Willie Nelson statue and entrance to ACL is on the corner of 2nd and Lavaca.  The ACL box office (tour tickets are $10) is along 2nd between Lavaca and Guadalupe Streets.

Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Library: I love history.  But when I first saw the banners along Cesar Chavez St. advertising the LBJ Presidential Library, I wasn't sure I'd get a chance to visit the UT campus and check it out.  But with not much else to do on a rainy day, I got a bus ticket and went.

LBJ's presidential limousine

I have mixed feelings about LBJ.  Part of me sees him as a little sneaky, a little tricky, and I wouldn't necessarily be surprised if it ever came out that he had some involvement in JFK's assassination (not that I'm a crazy conspiracy theorist or anything).  However, he also did a lot of good things for our country that still affect us today, and for that, I like him.  I still don't really know how I feel about him, but the library exhibits were very interesting, and I had a good time exploring and learning.

Where (LBJ Library): On the UT Campus along Red River St, by 23rd.  I took the Airport Flyer bus (#100) from downtown.  Definitely something to check out if you have time and enjoy history and/or presidential libraries.

Texas State Capitol: And finally, the last thing I did on my trip.  We had to catch a bus to the airport at noon on Thursday, so I got up early to squeeze as much in as possible.  I grabbed a breakfast taco at Torchy's Tacos, then took the bus up to the Capitol (and then took it back down to Torchy's, got lunch tacos to-go, walked over to SoCo to get Jon a souvenir, and took a bus back up to the hotel... all by 11:30 am).

I had kind of put off visiting the Capitol, even though it was recommended by several people.  I wanted to wait until a sunny day, so my last chance was Thursday morning.  I got there just in time for a tour (semi-private this time; just two of us were there).  The tour lasts about a half hour - 45 minutes, and is pretty interesting.  The capitol building itself is stunning.  Check out the rotunda: The dome is 118 feet high (don't quote me on this), and the star at the top measures 8 feet across, tip to tip.

I didn't have a ton of time to spend here, but I wish that I did.  I did run over to the visitor's center (on the grounds, in a building to the right if you're looking at the capitol) to get a Christmas ornament (we collect them when we travel), and wanted to explore a little more in there.  Definitely something I'd like to visit again next time I am in Austin.

Senate

Texas has some ridiculously young senators.  Jaykay!  I found out that the babies are children, grandchildren, or nieces/nephews of senate members.  They call them "mascots" and have appeared on the posters since 1911.

The amount of detail all through this building is astounding.

House of Reps was about to go in session.  I didn't have time to stick around, but it was cool to see them preparing.  Check out the San Jacinto Battle Flag in the back.

View from the Capitol.

It's a star.  And the lights spell out TEXAS.

Even the doorknobs are decorated in lone stars.

The outside of the capitol is "sunset red" granite.

You can see the capitol all the way down South Congress St.

Flag used in the 1835 Texas Revolution

Stars

Stars everywhere

Where (Capitol): 11th and Congress.  I think I took the #10 bus from 1st Street, but I think the 1L and 1M will also stop around here.

Texas State Flag

Flying back to the East Coast: Nighttime aerial view of The District.

Could I have written any more?  Good God.  I hope some of you found this informative, and a little interesting.  Austin is a great city and I think you should all go (and take me with you).