Brittany Highland - 3/21

Best Outdoor Patios in Austin: Austinot Blogger Edition

August 14, 2015 by Brittany Highland 5 Comments

Whether it’s happy hour after work or a late night out with friends, nothing says relaxation and celebration like time spent on an outdoor patio with a drink in your hand. Next time you feel closed in by the walls around you, step outside to enjoy one of the best outdoor patios in Austin.

Our team of bloggers joined together to create this list. It’s a compilation of their personal favorite patios in town, in no particular order. If you want to see other Austinot Blogger “best of” lists, check out our articles on the Best Taco Stands in Austin and the Best Cocktails in Austin. [Read more…]

Trailer Food Tuesdays Announces Season Finale Lineup

July 28, 2015 by Brittany Highland Leave a Comment

Trailer Food Tuesdays at The Long Center (Credit: David Ingram via Flickr CC)

Trailer Food Tuesdays has had a fabulous fourth season. With two summer events behind us already, the season finale is right around the corner on August 4, 2015. We know what you came here for. Here are the food trucks you can expect to salivate over during the next Trailer Food Tuesdays at The Long Center: [Read more…]

Best Cocktails in Austin: Austinot Blogger Edition

February 13, 2015 by Brittany Highland 1 Comment

Vieux Carre at Peche

When it’s time for happy hour or date night, how do you choose between the overabundance of adult drink choices around town? All in the name of “the job,” Austinot.com’s team of bloggers have scoured our fair city and come up with this collection of the best cocktails in Austin.

Peche: Vieux Carre

Bill Tucker

In the immortal words of my bartender, this cocktail is as if a Manhattan and a Sazerac had a delicious love child. Very appropriate. Built on the back of a rye and cognac base, the Vieux arrives with a sweet yet subtle orange aroma. The whiskey backbone is balanced out by a healthy dose of sweet vermouth and bitters, giving the cocktail a perfect balance.

Add to the mix an upscale vibe in the heart of downtown, and you have a winner. Accessible, delicious and full of rich [Read more…]

Black Fret Poised to Change Lives of Local Musicians in 2015

January 16, 2015 by Brittany Highland Leave a Comment

Graham Wilkinson, awarded $10,000 by Black Fret (Credit: Flipintex Fotos)

If you love Austin’s music scene, but haven’t heard of local non-profit Black Fret, that changes now.

Imagine being a talented musician trying to make a living following your passion. You have a fan base, regular shows and even a couple of albums. But it’s an uphill struggle every day, and you find yourself having to refocus energy into another job so the bills get paid.

Then a local non-profit comes along and offers you a chance to play private shows for music patrons in Austin. Your exposure grows among these influencers, and then you get news that will change your life and career: [Read more…]

10 Most Popular Articles of 2014

January 5, 2015 by Brittany Highland Leave a Comment

As the new year begins, we’re taking a moment to look back on 2014 and celebrate the articles our community loved most. Walk with us down memory lane as we present Austinot.com’s 10 most popular articles of 2014.

#10 Top 7 Grilled Cheese Sandwiches in Austin

Grilled cheese sandwich at Burro Cheese Kitchen (Credit: Bill Tucker)

You’ll enjoy our list best with a local snack in your hand, and we have just the thing you need. We rounded up the best 7 grilled cheese sandwiches in Austin, from greasy spoon joints to [Read more…]

Austin Musicians to Receive $100,000 at Inaugural Black Ball

October 15, 2014 by Brittany Highland 1 Comment

The Paramount Theatre will host the inaugural Black Ball on November 8, 2014 (Credit: JD Hancock via Flickr CC)

On November 8th, a new event will be introduced to Austin, TX. Under the historical roof of Congress Avenue’s Paramount Theatre, non-profit Black Fret will award $100,000 to 10 local music artists at the inaugural Black Ball.

Black Ball has been a long time coming. Following its Launch Party at the beginning of 2013, Black Fret marked its 100th member a year later. Throughout 2014, new members have continued to sign on to support Austin musicians and promote the maturing of our city’s music industry. The organization hit 170 members in October 2014.

Membership in Black Fret is exclusive and limited. Only [Read more…]

82nd MedFest: Don’t Miss the Oldest Festival in Central Texas

September 18, 2014 by Brittany Highland Leave a Comment

Visitors flood to MedFest to enjoy food, live entertainment and Mediterranean culture (Credit: Emily Poole)

There’s nothing like Austin’s MedFest. Since this Mediterranean celebration has nearly made it to its 82nd year, it’s fair to assume a lot of Austinites feel the same way.

This year’s festival is scheduled for September 26-27, 2014. As always, it will be hosted by St. Elias Orthodox Church on 11th Street between Red River and Trinity. A little bit of trivia for you: MedFest was originally founded in the 1930’s to raise funds to build St. Elias. The church’s cornerstone was laid in 1934, but MedFest was too much fun to end. Generations of devoted volunteers have allowed this event to become the oldest continuously running festival in Central Texas.

Want to know why MedFest has proved so popular? It’s all about old world tastes and sounds that hold a foreign feeling of excitement. Here’s what you’ll find at MedFest 2014… [Read more…]

Trail of Lights to Charge Entrance Fee in 2014

August 25, 2014 by Brittany Highland 4 Comments

The light displays are always brilliant (Credit: John Reese via Flickr CC)

The Trail of Lights Foundation announced on Friday that they’ll be charging an entrance fee in 2014. Before you have a conniption, take a breath and consider the important facts: [Read more…]

White Linen Night Charms for Food and Wine Alliance

August 4, 2014 by Brittany Highland Leave a Comment

White Linen Night on August 2, 2014

This guest article is by Lisa Taylor.

As a longtime Austinite, it’s always fun for me to introduce people to the city I love so much. When presented with that opportunity recently, I knew I had to find a unique venue to start the Austin journey with my friend in question. Never one to pass up the chance to get dressed up, sample wine and listen to live music, I dove into my day planner and came up with the perfect local event.

On an unusually cool, breezy Saturday evening in downtown Austin, the 2nd Street District put on White Linen Night, benefiting the Austin Food and Wine Alliance.

Situated between 2nd and 3rd streets right off Lavaca, the white tents were set up, vendors were present and the band, The Waller Creek Vipers, piped music toward the crowd. Attendees looked crisp and polished in their all white ensembles. Because of the cooler temperatures, everyone was in good spirits. [Read more…]

Best Taco Stands in Austin: Austinot Blogger Edition

June 18, 2014 by Brittany Highland 3 Comments

Shrimp taco and Whit taco from Pecos Tacos in Austin

Whit Taco (top) with the Shrimp taco (bottom) at Pecos Tacos

At the Austinot, we embrace the taco culture of our city. The moist texture of the tortilla, the freshness of cilantro, the spice of housemade salsa…is your mouth watering yet? [Read more…]