Discover the Best Things to Do in Austin, Food & Drink deals and more!
Fried Chicken and Belgian Waffle at Chez Zee American Bistro (Credit: Madison Pilkington)
Many in search of sparkle peer over jewelry and makeup counters. But there is an enchanting place in Austin offering more fulfillment than shiny objects sold in department stores. Like the crimson baby grand piano tucked in the corner, it’s one-of-a-kind. Welcome to Chez Zee American Bistro. [Read more…]
Jenny Grayson welcomes you to Casa de Glaze (Credit: Casa de Glaze)
Whenever you’re rambling around downtown Austin, you’re guaranteed to see something new. Be it a local artist selling paintings, a brand new food truck or a spellbinding street performer, there’s no shortage of cool things to discover. It’s how we roll.
So, when I discovered a bakery selling cupcakes from the back of a bike last week, I shouldn’t have been surprised. But Casa de Glaze is more than a quirky experiment. Built on rock solid recipes and fueled by the energy of its charismatic owner, this mobile eatery is quickly making a name for itself in the Austin baked goods scene. [Read more…]
Juniper in East Austin (Credit: Robert Lerma)
Juniper is East Austin’s newest upscale restaurant. This dining destination on Cesar Chavez combines old-world kitchen style with Texas Hill Country ingredients, so it’s no wonder that it’s next to impossible to get a weekend reservation.
I’m not doing you any favors by writing this article. By the time you’re done, you’ll be reaching for your phone, hoping to get a table in Juniper’s intimate dining area. Good luck. I was barely able to snag a spot at the chef’s counter.
Here are my top five reasons why reservations go so fast. [Read more…]
A visit to Café No Sé is a sweet treat for any patron. (Credit: Nick Simonite)
Although no se means “I don’t know” in Spanish, Café No Sé knows how to hold its own along one of Austin’s most well-known streets.
From my perspective, South Congress Hotel serves as a peek into Austin’s future. The minds behind this hotel that hosts Cafe No Sé are greater in number than Austin’s typical local business, but this doesn’t mean they’re any less invested in the spirit of our city than the mom and pop shop down the street. These Austin entrepreneurs have gone to great lengths to grow their hotel with Austin, as the city changes from a once-hidden gem of a town to a top destination. They acknowledge and embrace the cranes permanently caressing the skyline, but strive to preserve the infamous weirdness that put this city on the map. [Read more…]
Austinites loved the stuffed hamburgers at Your Mom’s Burger Bar, so the news hit hard when the owners announced the closing of their only location on Airport Boulevard in May 2014. After a year and a half hiatus, Ryan and Gina Blackmore are back with a fresh concept under a familiar name. [Read more…]
Combozola Black with Sweet Onion Jam and Saba at Driskill Grill. (Credit: Susannah Haddad)
Roll up to The Driskill Hotel and try not to feel giddy. I dare you.
Located smack in the heart of downtown, this stately, behemoth of a hotel woos even the most cynical hipsters among us. The Driskill is the luxe southern darling here in the Capitol City, and the Driskill Grill is its culinary heartbeat. [Read more…]
Discussion before dinner in the dark during The Blind Cafe (Credit: The Blind Cafe)
Standing outside the American Legion, watching the sun set against a showy peach sky, I am equal parts hungry and excited. I have arrived with fifty other Austinites for a multi-sensory pop-up dinner at The Blind Cafe.
I have to admit I’m just a bit nervous, though. I eye my plus one, Lisa, secretly praying she’s excited and not about to bail before we head in. Our chef-prepared vegetarian feast, complete with an after-dinner concert and discussion is going to be amazing, but it will be enjoyed in utter, complete darkness.
The Blind Cafe facilitates unique, pop-up dinner events across the United States that promote positive social change and host legally blind keynote speakers. What that means is that dinner guests are guided by blind waitstaff into a pitch dark dining room where tables of six to eight people sit together. There they enjoy dinner, listen to gorgeously curated live music, ask questions about what it’s like to be blind and listen to the experiences of the blind facilitators hosting the event. All of this in the dark without a single glimmer of light or distraction. [Read more…]
The Tasty app allows you to pick the food category that fits your mood (Credit: Tasty)
It’s safe to say I’m a foodie. When I’m not trying a new restaurant, I’m drooling over online menus of restaurants I wish I could go to. We can’t have too much of a good thing, but at the rate new restaurants are opening in Austin, it’s challenging for this humble foodie to keep up!
Thankfully, an inspiring group of young engineers has created an app called Tasty. It puts my foodie problems to rest and has the potential to change the way we all experience dining in Austin.
As coworkers and housemates, Mokshika Sharma, Federico Galarraga and Dimitar Dimitrov spend a great deal of time together. They have two things in common: passion for food and interest in technology.
“We are all from cultures immersed in food,” notes Sharma. “I’m Indian, Fede is Spanish and Dimitar is Bulgarian.” Their culinary [Read more…]
What do Michael Caine, Clint Eastwood and Leatherface have in common? They’ve all wandered into an old general store 23 miles outside of Austin, called Cele Store.
This location has been the backdrop for several movies, including Secondhand Lions, A Perfect World and Texas Chainsaw Massacre I, II and III.
So if you’re into Hollywood, horror and/or smoking hot BBQ, you might want to buckle up and drive east to Manor, TX. [Read more…]
Alamo Drafthouse’s Crispy Buffalo Cauliflower
Guest article by Colin Gray
Want to reduce or eliminate meat and animal products from your diet, but still love the junk food that makes Captain Planet sad?
Well, there’s good news and bad news. The bad news is, um, not all vegan alternatives are made equal (one of the fake meats I tried is best described as “squidgy”). The good news is there are plenty of vegan junk food options in Austin that delete the guilt, but keep the pleasure.
Here is a list of my top five favorites.