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Why not support our Texas Hill Country wineries and impress your friends and family at the same time with the wide variety and high quality of Texas wines?
I’ve asked a handful of knowledgeable, wine-loving local friends how to make the holidays more festive with Texas wine. Now I know I need to try more Texas wine!
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A really good chocolate chip cookie just can’t be beat. I would even argue that they are the best dessert of all time! Chocolate chip cookies are classic and comforting, but the coolest part is that they can be made so many ways. Whether you like chewy, bakery-style cookies or giant, thick cookies or crispy and flat cookies, there’s definitely a perfect chocolate chip cookie for you in Austin.
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If you are into local restaurants, wineries, and farmer’s markets at all, you’ve likely sampled or bought Con’ Olio’s Ultra Premium olive oil or balsamic vinegar. They are offering their popular Olive Oil + Balsamic Vinegar class online.
That’s right, now we can experience this virtual burst of knowledge and flavor comfortably in our own homes. Con’ Olio is one of those places in town with a reputation that precedes it. I’ve long heard great things about their Olive Oil + Balsamic Vinegar 101 classes from foodie friends.
This Austin business has been on my radar for some time now, ever since I met owner Tabatha Conarko at a wine tasting and class at the outstanding El Gaucho Winery. I am so looking forward to this!
Disclosure: Con’ Olio invited me to join in a Olive Oil + Balsamic Vinegar 101 class. Look for social media coverage on Oct. 22, when I actually participate.
Con’ Olio’s classes are about so much more than olive oil and balsamic vinegar, although those ingredients are the core components of the class. The classes include an educational aspect and pairings with complementary flavors. I’m really looking forward to trying out their new classes, scheduled once weekly through mid-November.
Current dates for the Con’ Olio Virtual Class: Olive Oil + Balsamic 101 are October 22 and 27, and November 5 and 12. The classes are $40 per person, plus tax.
Here is the lowdown from the class description and press release.
Conarko will lead the class, guiding attendees through a variety of flavors: intense and robust, mild and buttery Extra Virgin Olive Oils (EVOOs), and light and dark balsamic vinegars. She’ll go over when and how to use each one. In the Con’ Olio class, Conarko will also pair these EVOOs and balsamics with lots of tasty goodies, like Antonelli’s cheese and prosciutto, apples, caprese salad, artisan bread, and Amy’s Ice Creams.
In the class, Conarko will go over the myths and truths of the Mediterranean diet and its health benefits. She’ll also talk about how the fine Con’ Olio EVOOs and balsamic vinegars are produced and will teach participants how to detect the freshest olive oil and when they have gone bad or are low quality.
Guests will be asked to pick up their plates via contactless curbside pickup at the Con’ Olio Arboretum location, from 1-4pm the day of the class. That same day, participants will receive an email with a Zoom link to the class. Classes should run about 45 minutes, with a 10-15 minute Q&A at the end.
I’m getting excited to see how many long-established Austin eateries are finding their online groove with these classes. Like many of you, I’m still staying home more often than not and avoiding crowds in an effort to socially distance myself safely for as long as necessary.
These virtual classes, cooking kits, and tastings help bring people together. Even while we are physically apart, the need for human connection is real. We also want to support our local businesses and enjoy the excellent food and drinks these Austin eateries have to offer.
I’m grateful to Con’ Olio for adding this fun – and tasty – class to the growing number of ways to virtually experience Austin’s best at home. If you sign up, let me know what you think!
10000 Research Blvd, #130 – Con’ Olio Virtual Classes
@theAustinot wants to know:
What is your favorite Austin local online class or tasting you’ve tried in 2020?
No more boring dinners! If you have run through your repertoire of go-to recipes, and can’t stand the thought of looking at that sourdough starter mess again, El Alma is here to help!
Now you can sign up for an absolutely genius El Alma At Home monthly membership program. They have considered a wide range of budgets and perks, so that everyone can join if they’d like. El Alma At Home membership tiers start at $5 and go up to the VIP membership at $75.
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Want to channel your inner Argentinian? Buenos Aires Café is here to make it easy! Besides dancing the tango and tossing back some Malbec, the make-at-home empanada kit from Buenos Aires Café is a fun way to show off your South American style.
Their take-home Amaro tastings and date night kits from their Milonga Room speakeasy are also excellent ways to do so for drinkers with a sophisticated or adventurous palate. Another way to celebrate Argentinian flair is to enjoy an upcoming cooking class with Chef Reina Morris and Paola Guerrero-Smith. Or you can try a date night with Guerrero-Smith and her husband.
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Well, I done did it. When I moved here from NYC six years ago, if you told me I’d end up having a kid and living in an Austin suburb, I would’ve called you insane. Yet two months ago, my wife, three-year-old, and I moved into an adorable home in Cedar Park. It’s even on a cul-de-sac for Pete’s sake. We’re officially ‘burbing.
While the cool kids in Austin proper consider Cedar Park a cultural wasteland, I’m here to set the record straight. Sure, it may not be a bastion of foodie goodness like the city’s hipper neighborhoods, but Williamson County dwellers have more than chain restaurants and fast causal to keep the taste buds tantalized.
Here’s an insider’s guide about where to eat in this fine town of friends and families, including a couple spots just outside the city limits.
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If you are looking for incredible food, local wine & craft beer, and great ambience, look no further than Los Olivos Market in the heart of Buda, TX. From their menu to their retail shop, they offer a unique experience for each person that walks through their door.
I visited with my wife and our 2-year-old son. We all sincerely enjoyed our time and were amazed by the wonderful food and friendly people.
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Breaking Texas whiskey news! Our friends at Milam & Greene have just launched their super limited, grain-to-glass, Distillery Edition Straight Bourbon Whiskey.
Three years in the making, it’s a show stopper, a true culmination of years of brewing, distilling, and blending. Starting August 22, 2020, you can secure your reservation for a bottle on their website for pickup at their Blanco Distillery.
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You know that goofy feeling you get when you find a new favorite place? Of course you do! I almost did a little socially-distanced tap dance during my first visit to Hold Out Brewing, but that would be too goofy, even for me. As happy as I was, nobody wants to see that.
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You need to go to Beerburg Brewing. Like, yesterday. I mean it. Read this, then drive on over. Or make plans to. You’ll be happy you did! This is my new favorite place, and here are the many reasons why….
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