Judy Rae Merhar - The Austinot

Avenue B Deli Preserves Old Austin in Sandwich Form

June 19, 2015 by Judy Rae Merhar 6 Comments

Avenue B Grocery & Market in Hyde Park (Credit: Nomadic Pursuits)

I love Hyde Park for its quaint cottages, abundance of trees and multi-cultural vibe. You’re just as likely to see grandma walking her lapdog as you are a tattooed pedestrian on a unicycle.

But there’s another reason I gravitate towards this area of Austin. It’s a place where Star Wars and Brie imported from the Isle de France co-exist. A place where you can buy an ice cold soda pop and deli sandwich wrapped in paper and sealed with tape, then glide past squeaky screen doors to an outdoor picnic table to unwind amid the jaunty tune of birds serenading in oak trees.

This place is my little slice of Hyde Park heaven, Avenue B Grocery & Market. [Read more…]

Latika Body Essentials Is Lathering Austin, Naturally

June 10, 2015 by Judy Rae Merhar Leave a Comment

Latika owners Mazzi and Erez Peled (Credit: Batch Austin)

There is a place in Austin that will leave you feeling fresh and renewed. On a recent Sunday afternoon, warm smiles and the scent of honey and almonds greeted me and my daughter as we entered Latika Body Essentials. The inspiration for the trip: soap!

The couple behind Latika exude a healthy glow. It helps that beautiful skin is practically a birth right in their home country, Israel. But it isn’t fair to give all the accolades to their country. Mazzi and Erez have made it their passion to pamper their skin and educate others on the benefits of natural ingredients. They’re beaming from head to toe, and their passion for their soap is infectious! [Read more…]

Day Trip to Wimberley for a Tasting at Cypress Creek Reserve Rum

May 28, 2015 by Judy Rae Merhar Leave a Comment

Cypress Creek Reserve Rum in Wimberley, TX

Cypress Creek Reserve Rum based in Wimberley, TX

There are three things I dread during summer: sweat, swimsuits and sunburns. Rum offers a hand, a beacon of hope and joy to make all of the above a little more bearable – and at times, enjoyable! Its reliability and comfort wash away cares and concerns. And it happens to be the companion of a colorful assortment of summertime beverages: mojitos, pina coladas, hurricanes and daiquiris.

This liquid gold is synonymous with good times. So as soon as I heard we had a rum distillery a stone’s throw from Austin that offers tastings and tours, I was there within 24 hours. [Read more…]

David Highfill Shakes and Stirs at The Driskill Hotel Bar

May 13, 2015 by Judy Rae Merhar 4 Comments

Inside the elegant Driskill Hotel (Credit: The Driskill Hotel)

Editor’s note: David Highfill passed away on March 25, 2019. May he rest in peace.

My relationship with The Driskill began twelve years ago when I surprised my mother-in-law with afternoon tea. Imagine our surprise to find we were the only reservation. This hotel’s high level of service was apparent when I noticed a harpist with waist long blond hair sitting beside a table set for two. It would have been easily justifiable for the hotel to cancel this indulgence, but they didn’t.

For the next two hours this lovely women played, solely for us. It was surreal hearing the gentle melody flow through the foyer as we nibbled through three tiers of delicacies and sipped steaming cups of tea. It was an unforgettable moment.

Years since, I’ve experienced the indulgence of waking up beneath plush piles of soft linens under the roof at 6th and Brazos, enjoyed Mother’s Day brunch with my girls under crystal chandeliers and spent countless hours with a coffee cup and croissant at the hotel’s bakery, 1886. And when I gave birth to my third daughter, Emma Pearl, our first stop wasn’t home. It was 1886 to pick up a four layer buttercream cake topped with lavender roses my husband had pre-ordered for my 30th birthday. I only associate good memories with The Driskill Hotel, including the day I met David Highfill. [Read more…]

Experience Perfumed Fields at Hill Country Lavender

April 29, 2015 by Judy Rae Merhar 4 Comments

Lavender fields forever in Blanco, TX (Credit: Tasha Brieger)

A book introduced me to Tasha Brieger, owner of Hill Country Lavender. Jeannie Ralston’s The Unlikely Lavender Queen: A Memoir of Unexpected Blossoming is the story of a couple who, after several trips to Provence, noted how similar the Hill Country was to the terrain and climate of southern France. Jeannie and her husband Robb Kendrick, a professional photographer, became pioneers when they opened a lavender farm in Blanco, TX in 1999. [Read more…]

Baked by Amy’s Creates Sweet Dreams from Scratch

April 21, 2015 by Judy Rae Merhar 1 Comment

Baked by Amy’s on Hwy 183 in northwest Austin

Erin Fellows, Head Baker and Managing Partner at Baked by Amy’s

Prepare to be smitten with Erin Fellows. Her crystal blue eyes and button nose are framed by blond locks of shoulder length hair, resembling the adorable animated Cindy Lou from Whoville, the knee-high girl with charms even the Grinch couldn’t resist!

But Erin has something Cindy Lou lacks. She can bake! To smell divine, some women spritz themselves with liquid botanicals. Erin’s presence is followed by the fragrant mixture of buttercream and chocolate. [Read more…]

La Patisserie: Scrumptious Piece of Paris in Austin

April 15, 2015 by Judy Rae Merhar 3 Comments

A tray of decadent French macarons at La Patisserie in Austin

“When I’m having a bad day, I go to work.” Welcome to the sugar coated world of Soraiya Nagree, owner and pastry chef at Austin’s La Patisserie.

A darling little cottage sits surrounded by a sprinkling of flowers and colorful umbrella canopies that offer shade for outdoor café tables. While the scene is inviting and tempts passerbys to stop and relax, it’s the dainty pastel confections inside that will entice their return.

Maybe it was the soft melody of Edith Piaf in the background. Maybe it was the pale shade of pink that enrobed four golden layers of cake behind glass. Or it could have been the decadent chandeliers that dripped with sparkling crystals. But one thing was certain, the day I walked into La Patisserie, I was transported. No passport, luggage or language tutorial needed. The only requirement: a little self- indulgence. [Read more…]

BeeSweet Lemonade: 10 Year Old Makes Sunshine in a Glass

April 6, 2015 by Judy Rae Merhar 2 Comments

Mikaila Ulmer with BeeSweet Lemonade Stand

Mikaila Ulmer got her start through Lemonade Day Austin (Credit: Josh Huskin)

Her long lashes accentuate bright eyes that radiated one word, happiness. Sporting a plaid skirt, white button down blouse and a pair of Nike tennis shoes, the young woman sitting opposite me exuded a vibrant energy that was contagious!

I’m not sure which was sweeter, Mikaila Ulmer, the founder of BeeSweet Lemonade, or the liquid in my glass that tasted like summer. Mikaila bounced in her seat with excitement as she explained a recent trip to Los Angeles where she was invited to swim with the sharks, though not the kind that slice through the Pacific. She was invited to appear on a recent episode of Shark Tank, a TV series where entrepreneurs pitch their business idea in hopes one of the judges will financially back their creative endeavor. [Read more…]

Sit Back, Relax and Enjoy Your (Wine) Flight at Departure Lounge

March 24, 2015 by Judy Rae Merhar Leave a Comment

Departure Lounge at W 5th and Guadalupe in Austin

Above the entrance to Departure Lounge

Editor’s Note: Departure Lounge closed its downtown location in July 2017. Owner Keith Waldon plans to open a new location in the airport.

It bodes well for a place that can make a woman with four kids recall the sensation that accompanies the words sleek and sexy. It took a departure from suburbia for me to embrace this opportunity to escape.

Once settled into your plush seat, you too may decide to linger. No flotation device required and you won’t find safety information in your seat back pocket. But this downtown destination may induce wanderlust you’ve been stowing in your overhead compartment.

Departure Lounge inspires your mind to open and – like a fine glass of wine – breathe. This isn’t your typical travel agency; Departure Lounge is a coffee and wine bar that happens to sell customized travel. [Read more…]

Heartless Machine Finds New Purpose for Antique Instruments

March 11, 2015 by Judy Rae Merhar 2 Comments

One of Christopher Locke’s “Heartless Machines:” an old brass instrument which connects to your iPod or iPhone

Thankfully the sun wasn’t shining the day I met Christopher Locke, owner of Heartless Machine, or I would’ve been blinded by the countless brass instruments strung across his shop, oddly resembling the dangling nocturnal colony that clings to the underbelly of Congress Bridge.

These discarded musical remnants wait to be freed from restraint. Though the metal scraps may not have a heartbeat, Mr. Locke has engineered a way to unlock a melody that caused my heart to skip a few beats.

Where Vintage and Modern Co-Exist

Alternating from smooth as glass to an aching quiver, Ruthie Foster’s cover of Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire” was amplified and clear. Her lyrics weren’t coming from a live performance and I wasn’t idling in traffic listening to the radio, nor was this melody coming from an electrical box requiring an outlet. Instead, it came from a recycled brass instrument attached to an iPod [Read more…]

Where Vintage and Modern Co-Exist

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