The Austinot

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Guest Blog: The Mighty Cone – Pioneer Among Austin Food Trucks

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The Mighty Cone is a pioneer among Austin food trucksEditor’s Note: Since The Mighty Cone’s food trailer court shut down on South Congress, they relocated to The Picnic at 1720 Barton Springs Road.

This guest blog post is by Kristin Sheppard.

Austin is inundated with so many fantastic food trucks that it’s easy to forget they weren’t always here. In the last couple years there’s been a sonic boom, with gourmet delights exploding from every vacated Airstream, bus, and trailer. Each day it seems that new ground is broken and we are testing the limits of what complicated concoctions can be produced in a tiny room on wheels. Mere street food is elevated to an art form, and isn’t that the way it should be? [Read more…]

Austin Coffee Shops Hunt #5: Hip and Young at Thunderbird Coffee

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As you arrive at Thunderbird Coffee on Koenig, you’ll probably first notice how it glitzes up an otherwise drab street. Dogs and their owners may be lounging on the open-air patio. Bay windows cover most of the available wall space, allowing natural light to filter into the coffee house. The spacious interior of Thunderbird is marked by pastel-colored walls and obtuse hanging lanterns. If it’s not too packed, grab a seat at a table or couch.

Established in 2007,  this coffee shop is where people come together – the type of place where you and yours can grab drinks and chat. Though the music may seem a bit too overbearing for casual studying, you’ll probably see many people clicking away at their laptops regardless. There aren’t many power outlets available, so those who do study will probably be planted for a while. The clientele is mostly composed of hip twenty-somethings who have time to kill. Still, the drinks and food at Thunderbird have cultivated a community of regulars of all ages. [Read more…]

Austin Coffee Shops Hunt #4: Bennu Coffee

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At first glance, Bennu Coffee adds a touch of elegance to the Austin coffee shops scene. Walk through its doors and you’ll see high-backed chairs surrounding varnished tables and counter tops. Elegant sofas line the walls beneath paintings and pictures from local artists. A grandfather clock slowly ticks across the room.

Look a little deeper though, scratch beneath the surface, and you’ll find that Bennu Coffee is more than an upscale coffee house. Over the years, it has partnered with many environmental, social and cultural organizations to make Austin, Texas a better place to live. Plus the coffee is delicious and it’s a great place to study – that too. [Read more…]

Austin Coffee Shop Hunt #3: Caffe Medici

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Caffe Medici is a local Austin coffee shop that has succeeded through its customer loyalty. This place has been recommended to me more times than any other coffee shop. Since the majority of the recommendations were positive, I decided to place it high on my list of shops to check out. Here is what I found out:

Founded in 2006, Caffe Medici opened up shop with a Clarksville location. The company was started with a simple mission: be responsive to customers, their neighborhood and the environment. Customers quickly began to appreciate Caffe Medici for its myriad of available coffee styles. You can get anything from an espresso, to drip coffee, French press, or latte. Moreover, the employees of Caffe Medici take the time to study each type of coffee so they can explain and customize for their customers. Soon, however, Caffe Medici’s reputation outgrew its small seating capacity. It was time to grow. [Read more…]

Austin Coffee Shop Hunt #2: Genuine Joe Coffee

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Austin coffee shops come in many different shapes and sizes. You can find them in strip malls and shady groves. Today I’m delighted to review Genuine Joe Coffee, a house-turned-coffee-shop with a unique concept of its own.

I haven’t seen a city that enjoys renovating houses into businesses as much as Austin, Texas. It’s pretty rad, I admit. There is a type of informal and rejuvenating je ne sais quoi that comes with ripping out the carpet of an old two bedroom to set up shop. Because Genuine Joe is among Austin’s [Read more…]

Austin Coffee Shop Hunt: What Makes A Coffee Shop Great?

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According to those of you who read my last blog entry about Epoch Coffee, every coffee shop should be treated individually, according to its own strengths and weaknesses.

So I come to you with a question:

What makes a coffee shop great?

A popular and intelligent coffee blog called Coffee Cup News uses the following criteria to rank the quality of a coffee shop. I’d like to run the list by any coffee gurus who read this blog regularly and get your thoughts. Here is this list with my thoughts on each topic. What do you [Read more…]

Austin Coffee Shop Hunt #1: Epoch Coffee

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Epoch Coffee in Austin TexasWhen it comes to living in Austin, coffee shops are a way of life. Austin is filled with different kinds of people, yet here you can find coffee shops that accommodate even our weirdest denizens.

Got a friend who loves martial arts? Send ’em to Kick Butt Coffee. Looking to impress a fine young lady on your first date? Maybe Mozart’s is the place for you. And if you’re looking to change the world, well, Dominican Joe is the place to go. They are ridiculously passionate about their support of non-profits in the Dominican Republic. What I’m getting at is simple: coffee is more than a drink in Austin. It is an expression of our individual identities and values.

So now I am on a mission to find Austin’s most unique [Read more…]

The Austinot Tex-Mex Food Challenge #4: Taqueria Arandas

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Hi, everybody! Thanks for keeping up with my Austinot Tex-Mex Food Challenge series. Though the Austinot is more than an Austin food blog, we do love to feature good food!  We’ve made a lot of progress on the hunt for the best Tex-Mex in Austin, and I’m grateful for all of the advice you’ve sent my way.  There have been a few specific suggestions I will focus on from here on out:

 

  1. Branch out food-wise.  Since I’m relatively new to Tex-Mex, I’ve been sticking to traditional Tex-Mex entrees. You’ve given me so many different food suggestions that I don’t know where to start! From now on, I will branch out and order plates that include more that one type of food. If nothing else, I’ll order different styles of food wherever I go.
  2. Eat less gringo-ey. I had no clue that every Texan is a self-proclaimed Tex-Mex connoisseur. Now I know. I have been directed toward multiple restaurants where “true” Tex-Mex can be found by readers who live and die by their Tex-Mex.

[Read more…]

Austin Java: More Than Just Austin Coffee

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Austin Java on Barton SpringsEditor’s Note: Austin Java is closing its Barton Springs location on July 1, 2018, due to rising property taxes. A new location will open at 5404 Manchaca Road.

Running an Austin blog, I have one of the greatest jobs in the world. Every day I get to explore Austin, meet fascinating people, and write about a city that I love to discover.

Most days, I’m out and about and normally have a long list of people who I’m meeting with. More often than not, my meetings are one right after the other. Because of this routine, I’m frequently looking for great local spots to work from for the day.

Enter Austin Java on Barton Springs.

I don’t know about you, but in order for me to plant myself for a few hours and get down to interviews and writing, I have certain things that I’m looking for when it comes to establishments. [Read more…]

The Austinot Tex-Mex Food Challenge #3: Chuy’s Tex-Mex

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I am sure you’ve heard of Chuy’s. It’s basically a household name around Austin. Beginning in 1982, Chuy’s Tex-Mex was formed from the remains of an old barbecue restaurant on Barton Springs.  Two friends named Mike and John barely scraped together enough cash to buy the building, much less fill it with decorations. So the guys thought for a second and bought the first cheap decor they saw, which happened to be paintings of Elvis and Stevie Wonder. Thus an avalanche of color and diversity flowed into Chuy’s Tex-Mex…that hasn’t stopped yet. Today, you’ll find Chuy’s spreading Austin Tex-Mex to various states beneath the Mason-Dixon line.

Walking into Chuy’s N. Lamar location for the first time was a shocking experience. [Read more…]

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