 | |||
| FEATURES | BLOGS | DAILY DIG | GEAR |
Lost in Austin
A tiny taste of Texas mess
By CHRISTINE LIU
del.ico.us
reddit!
To the benefit of my sun-deprived, music-loving, perpetually hungry sensibilities—and, conversely, to the detriment of my health—I spent the latter half of last week in Austin, Tex., for the awesome 24/7 party otherwise known as the SXSW festival.
The following are a smattering of palpable realities, culled from my empirical observations over the course of four days during one of the most hulking, outsider-infested, no-holds-barred events hosted this side of the Mississippi. Which means, of course, highly subjective truths—my favorite kind.
BATHING IN BARBEQUE BEEF BRISKET
I must have had this stuff every two hours in Austin. Experiencing the full gamut—tender, fatty, chewy, dry, moist—I became a full-blown addict. Not only did almost every food-serving party dish it up (meaty beans and pickles often completed the picturesque picnic), I also dug it at Stubb's BBQ [801 Red River St., Austin. 512.480.8341. stubbsaustin.com], where the brisket is lean, smoked and a saucy foil to fried okra nuggets.
DINNER AND A MOVIE JUST GOT PWNED
Rarely anything could top the experience at Alamo Drafthouse Cinema [320 E. 6th St., Austin. 512.476.1320. originalalamo.com]. Not only does the theatre front as a mind-blowing arthouse, you can order incredible food and drink right from your seat. Servers dart mysteriously in the dark, and you settle the bill before the film ends. Who's to say that green chili mac 'n' cheese and Domaine St. Michelle doesn't pair awesomely with Gus Van Sant?
WHITE BREAD AIN'T DEAD
Wherever you go, expect white bread—spongy, unabashedly processed slices of bleached carbs. Yeah, sure, innocuous. Yet the "Get Yer Hot Dawg Here!" ordered at Cajun-themed The Boiling Pot [700 E. 6th St., Austin. 512.472.0985. theboilingpot.ypguides.net] literally arrives as a naked wiener lying forlornly on a slice of Wonder in a paper boat. Now I'm starting to get creeped out.
MUNCHIES HAVE FOUND THEIR MATCH
The endless stream of bars downtown and their respective oceanic crowds is enough to addle anyone's sense of decorum. However, with the zoo comes a serious upside: insanely plentiful street food. Torchy's Tacos [511 E. 6th St., Austin. 512.474.7000. torchystacos.com], The Onion [116 W. 5th St., Austin. 512.476.6466. myspace.com/austinonion] and glowing trucks bear the best in greasy late-night grub. Don't miss the Best Wurst, Kebabalicious and Hot Dog King vendors.
MADE IN TEXAS
It may be the furthest thing from the icy waters of Russia or Norway, but apparently Austin is the proud origin of Tito's Handmade Vodka [titos-vodka.com]. I'm usually wary of "local" spirits (see Somerville's Cossack vodka), but this stuff is of surprisingly fine quality and boasts a great independent-entrepreneur dream-come-true tale. Quaff a beer-respecting bottle of Shiner Bock or Bohemian Black Lager [shiner.com], brewed in Shiner, Tex., at Spoetzl Brewery, the oldest independent brewery in the Lone Star state.
IMPRESSIVELY PROGRESSIVE
My host in Austin, who happens to be a hard-core vegan baker (hand-mixer tattoo and all), claims to have no issues eating in what I perceived to be utter meat land. Wheatsville Co-op [3101 Guadalupe, Austin. 512.478.2667. wheatsville.coop] satisfies even the most discriminating food whore and the Austin Farmers' Market [E. 4th St. & Guadalupe, Sat 9am-1pm, austinfarmersmarket.org]—shutting down traffic with its sustainable goat meat and local empanadas—is crazily first-rate. Smitten.
