Edgar Barguiarena - The Austinot

Best Austin Craft Beer Joints: North by Northwest

August 26, 2014 by Edgar Barguiarena Leave a Comment

Now this is how you do a Vertical! NXNW has a flight of their barleywine from the last 4 years on tap during the holidays.

The craft beer scene in Austin is blowing up. For every new brewery that opens, there are at least three bars that pop up, eager to serve you the best local beers that Austin has to offer.

Continuing the tradition Eric started with his Best Burger Joint in Austin series, I’m profiling and reviewing the best craft beer joints in Austin, with the occasional stop or two at bars that have room for improvement. I’ll take into consideration everything from beer selection to ambiance to overall value, and everything in between.

Please join me as I try to catalog your favorite watering holes in Austin, and let me know what you think in a comment below.

North by Northwest

What is the oldest, still active craft brewery in Austin? If you guessed North by Northwest because of the title of this article, you’d be wrong. But not by much. Live Oak lays claim to being the first still active brewery, founded in 1997. Having opened their doors just two years later in 1999, NXNW is a relatively close second. It’s hard to believe that one of Austin’s first brewpubs has been open for 15 years now. [Read more…]

9 Most Amazing Rooftop Photos of Austin You’ll Ever See

August 6, 2014 by Edgar Barguiarena 13 Comments

200 feet above Rainey Street, the traffic on I-35 doesn’t seem quite as bad. Almost tranquil even. I am following one of Austin’s most daring rooftop photographers as he makes his way across the roof of a Rainey Street highrise.

This image was captured solo using a tripod with a 15 second exposure. On the unfinished JW Marriott looking westward.

[Read more…]

Find BBQ Nirvana at La Barbecue in Austin, Texas

July 14, 2014 by Edgar Barguiarena 7 Comments

There is nothing short about this beef (Credit: Edgar Barguiarena)

There is a moment. A moment when you’re utterly certain you’re trying what could possibly be the best version of your favorite food group. A moment you take in as you stare down at a heaping brontosaurus beef rib sitting on a tray.

You know you couldn’t possibly balance the tray with one hand, for fear you might spill your prize, as everyone who has been standing in line for over an hour looks on.

La Barbecue has been smoking meat in Austin for over two years in two different locations. They are ready to [Read more…]

The Long Center Hosts Free Fun All Summer Long

July 1, 2014 by Edgar Barguiarena Leave a Comment

Bring a blanket, grab your favorite trailer food, and have yourself a picnic.

Summers in Austin are divine. That is, if you’re brave enough to put up with the sweltering heat, or are simply accustomed to it by now.

Those of us who have lived here long enough have found ways to deal with it, usually through a combination of live music, refreshing drinks, and food trucks.

For the third year in a row, Austin’s backyard, aka The Long Center, will be hosting several free and family friendly events that allow us to embrace the heat together, against one of Austin’s most picturesque backgrounds. [Read more…]

Summer Jam 2014: Cajun, Afro Latin, Psych Dub, Craft Beer

June 17, 2014 by Edgar Barguiarena Leave a Comment

Audiences listen to Body Rock ATX at MapJam 2014 (Credit: Gabriel Cristóver Pérez for KUTX)

On January 2, 2013, KUTX, now owned by The University of Texas, began to pump out 29,000 watts of what they dub “The Austin Music Experience.”

98.9 FM had gone through numerous musical reformats before finally settling on a winning formula for a musically diverse city like Austin. That’s no small task for a public radio station in the Live Music Capital of the World, with competing stations offering the usual mix of pop, Spanish, and country programming.

But a diverse musical playlist isn’t enough to stand out in Austin, so KUTX stepped up their game and started offering unique and free concert events that highlight our musical culture. [Read more…]

ATX Safer Streets Exclusive Video Interview

May 19, 2014 by Edgar Barguiarena 1 Comment

Sara Levine, Founder of ATX Safer Streets

What happens when a normal citizen becomes fed up with a city’s lack of action in response to a city-wide crisis? Over 3,500 signatures and more than 42 pages of testimonials from frustrated Austinites get collected, demanding action.

Sara Levine founded ATX Safer Streets after she received an overwhelming response to her petition calling for action. In less than two months, with the help of Butch Dowdy, Joseph Doyle, and several other volunteers, Sara has made considerable progress.

The first call to action was to gather data about drinking habits, driving habits and local transportation options. Austinites reponded: 651 anonymous respondents gave critical insight into our late night transportation habits. The data was alarming [Read more…]

Don’t Settle for the Tex-Mex Version: Best Micheladas in Austin

May 5, 2014 by Edgar Barguiarena 5 Comments

Dos Batos: perhaps the most authentic Michelada served in Austin – only $5-6 bucks too!

As the temperatures in Austin begin to steadily rise, the urge for a cold cocktail tends to increase in tandem. But after long summer nights, the headache creeps in the next morning, slowly sapping your will to live.

Enter the Michelada: a beer cocktail that is equal parts delicious and refreshing with the added benefit of being a “hangover cure.” So what exactly is in this miracle concoction?

Let’s start with what it’s not: a “bloody mary” beer. The biggest misconception with Micheladas in the U.S. is that they’re just beer mixed with ice and whatever bloody mary mix is lying around behind the bar (typically poured with a light Mexican beer). If you order one and the bartender comes back with a red drink, they ain’t doin’ it right. [Read more…]

Best Austin Craft Beer Joints: Porter Ale House and Gastropub

April 21, 2014 by Edgar Barguiarena Leave a Comment

Your friendly neighborhood bar, set to the background of South 1st traffic

Editor’s Note: Porter Ale House closed on July 27, 2017.

The craft beer scene in Austin is blowing up. For every new brewery that opens, there are at least three bars that pop up, eager to serve you the best local beers that Austin has to offer.

Please join me as I try to catalog your favorite watering holes in Austin, and let me know what you think in a comment below.

First Impressions: Porter Ale House and Gastropub

The 78704 zip is home to plenty of good bars and some of the best restaurants in town, but it was never quite considered a craft beer destination. The opening of ABGB last year started to change that reputation and the recent debut of Austin’s first dedicated craft beer bottle shop, Whichcraft, further solidified this status. Further south, just within the boundaries of the 78704 zip code on South 1st near 71, Porter Ale House and Gastropub is another welcome addition to the now thriving craft beer scene in South Austin. [Read more…]

Austin B-cycle Brings Bikesharing to Austin

April 7, 2014 by Edgar Barguiarena 1 Comment

Ideal location for B-cycle, across from la Barbecue. Bike in, BBQ out.

Ah, springtime in Austin. It’s a magical time of year. Lady Bird Lake is overflowing with all manner of water craft, bar and restaurant patios all around the city have a one-hour wait, and bikes reclaim their status as a viable form of transport around town.

About five weeks later, the brutal heat starts smoldering our fair city, but what a glorious five weeks! The Austinot has written several articles on how to beat the heat, and even a few others on how to get around town. But this spring and summer, Austinites will have another option to add to the list. In characteristic Austin fashion, it’s a thinking “outside the box” kind of approach.

Want to get around town quickly and cheaply, but don’t own a bike? No problem! Austin’s new B-cycle program, part of a nationwide network spread around over 20 cities, quietly launched late last year. They have just completed their initial 40 station roll-out and are more than ready for the inevitable onslaught of new riders. [Read more…]

SXSW 2014: Opening Dialogue on Austin’s Drinking Problem

March 24, 2014 by Edgar Barguiarena 12 Comments

Out-of-towners taking in the Frost Bank Building from The Ginger Man’s patio

By all accounts and measures, SXSW 2014 was a juggernaut. The festival of all festivals had record attendance this year, along with more national and global media coverage than ever before. The latter, unfortunately, wasn’t always for the best of reasons.

At approximately 12:30 AM on Thursday March 13th, Rashad Charjuan Owens evaded police capture for a suspected DUI arrest and rammed through a barricade near 11th St. and Red River, killing 3 people and injuring dozens of others before he was finally captured just a few minutes after initially fleeing.

Even though South by Southwest has now been around for 27 years, those few minutes will forever alter how we view our biggest party of the year. [Read more…]

North by Northwest

First Impressions: Porter Ale House and Gastropub

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