Sanford's Austin Travelogues

I’ve been back for a few weeks now but I’ve been meaning to write about the whole experience for my own personal reference. What follows are some edited thoughts I posted on the VLV board (from which I got tons of great recommendations) while I was there, along with newer reflections and whatnot.  This is to serve as a reminder that life can still be awesome at times and to hold on to those joyful times in my memory.

Austin, Feb. 16 - 21

Cassie and I got in on a Thursday right around dusk, which was appropriately Malick-esque. We rented a car, checked into our chilled out hotel and proceeded to Live Oak BBQ because we were starving. Place was empty and had all the charm of a bomb shelter, but the brisket was pretty good. Sometimes it's okay to set the bar low. Then we wanted to check out the 6th St. area, which is the big “night life” area of downtown Austin and where SXSW just takes over the city. We started on East 6th St. which is basically like Bartertown for punks and hippies. Enough food trucks and dive bars in one condensed area to make Portland green with envy. Unreal. Had some really good tacos with some salsa that made me sweat buckets and Cassie laughed at me.

Then we proceeded to check out the other side of 6th St which was like some college freshmen's wet dream. What a fucking sideshow. I can only imagine this area is pure bedlam during SXSW. The bars there were super corny, so I tracked down a good brewpub, The Ginger Man. Impressive selection.

Friday, we started the day off right with breakfast at Mi Madre's. Food of the gods. Ate so much that I wasn't hungry again for 8 hours, straight up. Then the lady wanted to do a lil' outlet shopping down in San Marcos, which was a fun lil' side trip. Cassie showed that Victoria Secret outlet who was boss.

Migas breakfast tacos

Sopapillas!

Thumbs up!

Came back to town, got ready for dinner. Tried to get in at Barley Swine, which I knew was gonna be a bust since it was nearly 8, and sure enough, a 2 hour wait. Must be some food (editor’s note: it is). So we went over to Olivia and had a very nice, fancy meal.

Then, in search of another good brewpub, found the Draught House up by the college, which had a great selection, but hardly anywhere to sit besides the rainy patio. Would be an amazing to hang during nice weather.

Texans are understandably just BEWILDERED by rain it seems. It barely rained at all this winter and fall down there. Girls were walking around at night in shorts and t-shirts just like "WUT IS THIS STUFF?!?"

Lots more after the cut!

Saturday: Round 1 of Hoover's Southern Kitchen. Missed the breakfast menu, but chicken fried steak is pretty much a breakfast food in my book. Absolutely enormous portions, great sides and slightly surly yet efficient service. Love it.

Later I flew solo around town while Cassie was studying. Stopped by the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar, which was packed with jamhands for that new Miyazaki anime flick. Went next door to the guitar shop, which had some serious pro gear. Rolled over to End of An Ear, said waazzzzaaaap to former Olympia resident Judd. Very nice shop.  Picked up the 2008 and 2009 issues of Snake Pit, which are super crappy, yet still oddly compelling. Then went to I Luv Video on Guadalupe in hopes of bumming out/embarrassing Ben Snake Pit, author/artist of aforementioned crappy comic, but he wasn't there. Very cool store, though. Kind of a mini-Scarecrow video vibe. We "carbo-loaded" for dinner at Enoteca Vespaio, which was delicious.

They def keep Austin weird

Keith Carmack-approved section

Sunday: Race Day. 

So early

In your honor

Boom, roasted

Up at 5:30 am (Ugh!), race at 7 am. 18,000 people total. Best weather I’ve ever raced in, about 50 degrees and clear skies. It was really fun. After spending a few days here eating the local cuisine, I total understood all the huffing and puffing from many of the local runners. There were a couple brutal hills in the last 3 miles. Whoever made that course is a jerk. Finished in 2:09, promptly showered and headed to Hoover's for round 2, breakfast menu. BBQ Chicken and Hoe cakes, oh my god yes. I was in heaven.

mmmhmmm

 So after taking down the half marathon and round 2 of Hoover's, my day continued to kick ass. In fact, it was probably one of the best days of my life and definitely the best day I’ve had since my mom died. First of all, the sun was out and it was like 60. As a pasty white NW'er, it was like I had never seen the sun before in my life. Perfect weather. Cassie had to study and nap out, so I walked to the University of Texas baseball stadium, which was a block away from our hotel, and watched a few innings of Duke VS. UT. This was quite the novelty to me to be standing in the sun in February watching a baseball game. Very cool. 

Baseball!

UT fans are quite enthusiastic

Then, I set out to track down a few local breweries to see if they were open to the public at all. There’s this dumb law in Texas where they can’t sell beer at the same place its brewed, unlike in Washington. I found the warehouse where Austin Beerworks is located, but there was not a soul in sight. So, I found out Circle Brewing was nearby, rolled over there and they just happened to be having an open house/tasting. Total stroke of luck. Very cool brewery and their Nightlight Stout is fantastic.

 

Circle Brewing

Fancy beer and clear skies

After that, I had my first Alamo Drafthouse experience, which I detailed in my review of “Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance.” Totally awesome experience.

I am not worthy!

Later, we went out to La Condesa for some gringo'd out fancy Mexican food per one of Cassie’s clients recommendations. It was good, but overpriced. Probably the only place we ate at where I wouldn’t go back just because there are so many cheaper and better options for Mexican food down there.

Anyways, that day was absolutely wonderful. Half-marathon, sunny weather, baseball, fancy beers, a crappy Nic Cage movie and a nice dinner with my homegirl. Can’t get much better than that.

Monday: Mi Madre, round 2. Incredible yet again. Possibly my favorite place that we went. I really dug that Manor Rd area. Hoover's, Mi Madre and Thunderbird coffee all right next to each other. Yes, please.

After that, we had a lil' nerd excursion (don't judge me) to a few Austin area sites where they filmed the show "Friday Night Lights." We found Coach Taylor's house in North-ish Austin, which was cool, but we felt like total creepers. Then we went down to DeValle to check out the football field and fieldhouse, which is now all fenced up and abandoned. Pretty awesome. “Clear eyes, full hearts, CAN’T LOSE!”

Yo Coach! Your daughter is hot!

Changing schools between seasons? Nothing a little paint can't fix!

Texas forever

That night, we lined up at quarter to six at Barley Swine. Austin people on VLV were right, this place is THEE shit. Just the beer selection alone was enough to make it awesome, but the food was some next level shit. We sat at the bar and a punx lookin’ dude with a fade and tattoos was our server and he was nice and we chatted about beers and stuff. Pricey, but probably the best meal we had all around.

After dinner, we went to the Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar to see the live action Oscar Nominated Short Films. I've always meant to check these out when they screen them at the SIFF theater in Seattle, but never get around to it. Some were good, some were kind of odd. Almost all of them were super sad and either about deep-seeded regret or loss. "The Shore" ended up winning on Oscar night, which was probably my least favorite. But, again, an overall awesome movie-going experience.

Tuesday: the legendary and incredibly hyped Franklin BBQ.

(wipes drool off keyboard)

Our last chance to make it happen. We rolled up at 10:15 AM, already like 35 people in line. Austinites, you are another breed. Anyways, about 2 hours later, I was knuckle deep in some of the finest ribs and brisket I had ever tasted. We took down 2 lbs of ribs, 1.5 lbs of brisket and one sausage link. Fuck wasting space with sides. It was pure bliss. Never thought I’d wait in line for 2 hours for food, but I think it was worth it. Very special. I did not eat the rest of the day and we wandered around the Texas capitol building and the UT campus in a post-BBQ daze til it was time to fly home.

Read about what Charles Whitman did in this tower in 1966

All in all, Austin is a fine, fine city. The food culture there is truly special. Combine that with the weather and all the art and music culture, it's no wonder it's such a magnet for punx and hippies. It’s like as if Bellingham and Portland collided with each other and then it never rained again. I was not stoked to return to the rain in Seattle, I’ll tell you whut. One of the best vacations ever.