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September 2007
Your A-List: Best Mexican Restaurant
With crowds of young couples on dates, teens and families streaming in every day and night, the restaurant must be doing something right. Chuy’s offers fresh Mexican food with a Texas and New Mexican twist from a menu that is highlighted by enchilladas, sizzling fajitas and a bevy of combination plates.
From Chuy’s mission statement found on their Web site: “We wanted to preserve the homey feeling of the way restaurants were in the 50’s. That meant creating a menu that reminded us of home. Which is exactly where we looked to find our tasty recipes. They came from friends and family who created them from scratch, or had them handed down from family before them. Some recipes originated in the Rio Grande Valley and the Davis Mountains. Still others came from New Mexico. A few recipes we tweaked. Others we left alone. But every ingredient had to be fresh.”
But the draw to Chuy’s isn’t just its quality Tex-Mex; dining at any of the locations is an experience in itself. The family-friendly environment extends beyond the dining room and into the community, as well, as evidenced by Chuy’s annual parade, which has become a fixture on the Austin scene.
Whether you want to drink a cold margarita while watching a game at the bar, celebrate a Little League championship or spend a casual first date in a relaxing environment with savory food, Chuy’s seems to be the spot.
Others receiving votes: Maudie’s (14 percent), Fonda San Miguel (9 percent), Guero’s (8 percent), Polvo’s (7 percent), El Arroyo (7 percent), Nuevo Leon (5 percent), Baby Acapulco (5 percent), El Chile (5 percent), Vivo (5 percent), Manuel’s (4 percent), El Sol y La Luna (4 percent), Sazon (3 percent), Flores (2 percent), Mr. Natural (1 percent)
Write-ins: Amaya’s Taco Village, Angie’s, Antonio’s, Azul Tequila, Casa Garcia, Curra’s, El Azteca, El Borrego, El Gallo, El Mercado, Enchiladas Y Mas, Evitas Botanitas, Fuego’s, Habenero’s, Iguana Grill, Jaime’s Spanish Village, Jalisco Vallarta, Jardin Corona, Juan in a Million, La Posada, La Reyna, La Tapatia, Las Manitas, Los Comales, Maria’s Taco Xpress, Matt’s El Rancho, Mesa Rosa, Nueva Onda, Rosie’s Tamale House, Santa Rita, Serrano’s, TacoDeli, Texican Café, Tres Amigos, Trudy’s, Z’ Tejas
A personal aside: Mexican food is to Austinites as water is to the wildflowers; we’ve just gotta have it. My personal allegiances have bounced around for years and change by the week, making it hard for me to make a selection as my favorite. But, if forced to pick at gun point, well, I couldn’t. So, in no particular order, I will allow myself three: El Borrego de Oro, Las Palomas and Manuel’s. Oh, and El Meson. See, it’s impossible.
Photo by Alex Jones For American-Statesman
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Your A-List: Best Singer-Songwriter
Colonna beat out Bill Callahan (18 percent) and Bob Schneider (12 percent) and the rest of our seeded contestants, along with an eye-popping 26 write-in candidates, two of whom, Sara Hickman and Gordy Quist, actually topped vote totals for several official nominees. As you can see, the competition was rather intense.
Colonna has made a name for herself in Austin and beyond with a smoky, weathered voice reminiscent of Bonnie Raitt. As much as her sound is rooted in Texas blues, there is also more than a hint of Motown in the voice of the Lake Charles, La., native who moved to Austin in 2000 and has since put out two accessible, soulful albums with a country bent.
Listen to Wendy Colonna on SoundCheck360
Read Michael Corcoran’s 2005 story about Colonna.
Others receiving votes: Bill Callahan (18 percent), Bob Schneider (13 percent), Bruce Robison (9 percent), Patty Griffin (9 percent), Joe Ely (4 percent), Patrice Pike (4 percent), Ray Wylie Hubbard (3 percent), Slaid Cleaves (3 percent), Eliza Gilkyson (2 percent), Jimmy La Fave (2 percent), Jimmie Dale Gilmore (2 percent), Sara Hickman (1 percent), Hayes Carll (1 percent), Gordy Quist (1 percent), Darden Smith (1 percent), Will Scheff (1 percent), David Hamburger (<1 percent)
Write-ins: Mark Ambrose, Marcia Ball, BettySoo, Jesse Dayton, Alejandro Escovedo, Kevin Fowler, David Garza, Philip Gibbs, Susan Gibson, Jon Dee Graham, Butch Hancock, Terri Hendrix, Red Hunter, Southpaw Jones, Robert Earl Keen, Shelley King, Ginger Leigh, Rip Lorick, Monte Montgomery, Willie Nelson, John Pointer, Matt Powell, Will Sexton, Dale Watson, Carolyn Wonderland, Woode Wood
A personal aside: Although he has been in the area only a brief time, and Dripping Springs is not quite Austin, my vote would have to be with Sam Beam, aka Iron & Wine. Check out the excellent XL cover story on him from Thursday and read our review of his latest album, ‘The Shepherd’s Dog,’ a departure from his sparse debut ‘The Creek Drank the Cradle.’
Photo by Laura Cox
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Passing of a legend
The old cliché that a dog is man’s best friend certainly rang true in the Odam household. Heisman (1994-2007) was the constant companion of me and, more accurately, my folks over the past 13+ years, always there to provide love, play and, sometimes, consternation over his long and pleasure-filled life. Heisman passed away Wednesday morning, the way I’d want to — peacefully, with little pain, and on the heels of a night when he uncharacteristically ate an entire platter of cheese. We Odams love cheese.
In the spring of 1994 I had moved back to Houston from the University of Southern California in an attempt to regroup and sort out my life following a disastrous foray into the college experience. Living in an apartment in a town almost entirely void of friends — excepting a few close ones — who had all moved off to school as I originally had, I wanted to get a puppy to keep me company, provide some entertainment and someone/something to love on. I went to the SPCA with my girlfriend at the time (Heisman out-lived all of my amorous relationships, save the wonderful one in which I am now) and instantly fell in love with the cutest black-and-white terrier mutt you’ve ever seen. He was a few months old at the time, full of spunk and mischief, as all dogs are at that age.
As my friends and I sat around my hazy apartment watching football or MTV or the walls, the holy terror — to this point called “Puppy,” a name taken from his pound tags — would dart around the furniture chasing balls, socks, his shadow. His ability to stop and turn on a dime, to slide between the tightest of passages formed by chairs and couches, to burst with speed from one end of the apartment complex to another in a blur of fur, reminded us of the greatness that was Barry Sanders, the former Heisman Trophy winner from Oklahoma State University, who was at the time humiliating NFL defenses with similar skills. The new best friend of me and my roommate Rup had earned his proper name. Hence forth, he would be known simply as “Heisman.”
The tipping point in coming to terms with the fact that I might not yet be ready for the responsibility of a dog came when Heisman escaped my apartment for a few days. Following 48 hours of worrying about his whereabouts, and concerned I had lost him for good, I found myself walking through my complex’s parking garage. Around the corner came a buxom blonde shouting, “Cowboy … Cowboy …” With her words still lingering in the concrete edifice, who should come running around the corner, emasculated with a goofy red handkerchief tied around his neck, but the Man himself. He jumped into my arms, as I told the dejected neighbor that, indeed, this dog was mine, and his name was “Heisman,” not “Cowboy.” The terror and embarrassment in his eyes said it all. I would make sure he never found himself in such a degrading situation again.
After realizing that my lack of maturity and my roommate’s and my foggy-headed inability to even take good care of ourselves did not meet the level of love or commitment Heisman deserved and required, I liberated him to my parents’ house, replete with massive backyard, possums, squirrels, two more dogs and an endless supply of love and attention. They had done a pretty good job with me, although evidence of said would not become fully apparent until late in my 20s, and I figured if anyone could do a good job raising a mischievous, plucky, adorable animal, they could.
On a more symbolic level, he was also something else. He was a bridge — a loved one whose life marked a passage of time in my own life. A period of great change and development. When I bought him, I was a rudderless 19 year-old looking for a canine pal. Now, with his passing, I am a man who has (more or less) found his way in the world, and he was with me throughout, not judging me or questioning my motives, just there to enjoy the lazy changing of the seasons.
Pulling up to the house in Wimberley this weekend, and not having him run to greet me, whimpering with excitement and wagging his tail while one ear stands at attention and the other rests flat on his scruffy head, will break my heart a little. As I sit out on the patio and read a book while the sun sets, my hand will move to the side of the chair, but he won’t be there to scratch on the head. And he won’t come jumping into my bed in the morning, nuzzling me from my slumber. It will hurt, but as the pain diminishes, I will be left only with the great joy and love he brought to my family and friends. Man’s best friend, indeed.
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Zocalo Cafe delivers fresh-Mex
The original owners of Galaxy Cafe (Kelly Chappell and Chris Courtney), along with their business partner Jay Bunda, expanded their growing culinary empire this summer by opening Zocalo Cafe. The new restaurant, located just a few doors down from the Galaxy on West Lynn, brings a fresh, healthy approach to Mexican food while maintaining robust flavor.
The restaurant, which is decorated in a sparse, modern and peaceful style by designer Clarisa Hulsey, resembles a refined boat house in Baja. With more than 20 tables inside and another 10 or so on the outdoor patio, the cafe, which resides in the location formerly occupied by West Lynn Cafe and Cosmic Cafe, has enough room to easily seat its dinner and lunch crowds, which are continuing to grow in the restaurant’s fourth month of business.
Beyond simple expansion, the ownership, along with chef Michael Wake, formerly of Whole Foods, wanted to make sure they were a healthy addition to the already crowded landscape of Mexican restaurants in town.
“The menu of interior Mexican food was two-fold — filling a need in the neighborhood and complimenting our existing business at the Galaxy,” Bunda told me recently. “The idea was fresh, lighter food than the typical Tex-Mex offerings all over town. Homemade tortillas, vegan rice and beans, reasonable portions, etc.”
Despite the fact that the restaurant forgoes traditional jack and other fatty cheeses, opting for queso fresco instead, as well as frying tacos and tortilla chips in non-trans fat oils, all of the flavor you have come to expect in Mexican food remains.
All meals begin with lightly fried tortilla chips, served now with two warm salsas, a verde and roja. Both salsas have distinctive and powerful flavor with just the right amount of kick. If you really want to make the chips happy, order the ceviche ($6.75), which is definitely my favorite in town. Often a tricky dish to pull off, the folks at Zocalo have mastered this fresh fish concoction that features marinated white fish, the ripest of avocado, crunchy onions and bell peppers with a taste of jalapeno to provide some zing. Not to be outdone by its seafood menu mate, the campechana ($6.95) is just as fresh, but with a sweet burst of flavor and spicy aftertaste. The saucy combination of shrimp, scallops, mixed peppers and onions is best served on a cracker as opposed to the ubiquitous chips.
The tacos de carnitas ($6.75) feature succulent, flavorful pork that is well seasoned. The tacos del barrio ($6.50), which can be served with ground beef or turkey, maintain flavor without dripping grease all over your plate, and are topped with fresh, crisp produce. The crispy stacked enchilaldas ($7.95) can be served with either beef and ranchero sauce or green chile chicken and tomaillo sauce. The presentation is elegant, if not slightly confusing, almost like a taco cake, but once you crack the shells with your fork, you can dig in from any angle.
If you prefer to eschew beef in favor of fish, try the snapper with chipotle slaw ($9.95). The sizable filet is slightly seared and served over a crispy tortilla and topped with grilled tomatoes, cabbage and carrot slaw and chipotle cream sauce that gives the fish a spicy finish. Each dish is served with moist, well-seasoned rice and either black or refried (although pureed may better describe these) beans that are mixed with garlic, topped with queso fresco and always seem fresh and hot. All of your favorite Mexican beers are served in bottles or cans — along with Dos Equis on tap, as co-owner Chappell confessed he just had to have tap beer to drink with the delicious campechana — in addition to aguas frescas and frozen sangria.
If the homemade tortillas, rice, beer, beans, fish, and meat haven’t filled you up, you can forget the whole “guilt-free dining experience” and attack the dessert menu, which features a firm yet moist tres leches ($3.95) that is heavenly, or try their churros, ice cream with caramel sauce or chocolate cheesecake.
Although Zocalo, like its sister restaurants, features counter-service, it continues in the tradition of excellent customer service, for which Galaxy has become known, with a friendly and efficient staff that gives the restaurant a feel of a regular sit-down joint.
Building on the success of the wildly popular Galaxy Cafe, the owners of Zocalo appear to have found the perfect restaurant and menu for their new Clarksville eatery, as evidence by the crowds of patrons who have come from around the city to enjoy their fresh take on interior Mexican food. If the lunch and dinner crowds are any indication, the new weekend brunch service, which began last weekend, will end up becoming an equally big hit among locals and those who have already made Zocalo a destination location.
Zocalo Cafe [site]
1110 West Lynn [map]
472.TACO
Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Mon.-Fri. | 10 a.m.-10 p.m., Sat.-Sun.
Menu PDFs: Lunch/Dinner | Weekend Brunch (10 a.m. - 2 p.m.)
Permalink | Comments (1) | Categories: Food
‘The Bachelor’ recap: Episode one
‘The Bachelor’ recaps: Now with 12 percent more sarcasm.
I thought it would be a one-off bit. I thought my days of watching non-Bravo-programmed reality television would be as short-lived as last season’s eight episodes of made-for-TV wife-hunting humiliation. I was wrong.
After being goaded into giving recaps of “The Bachelor” last season, a show I had never seen even five minutes of previously, I figured my tenure as snarky reality-TV blogger would fade into Web obscurity. But then word came that the new Bachelor was an Austinite. And, well, there’s local relevancy there; my bosses came down into the basement where I was hiding and told me that my services would be required yet again. I felt like Michael Corleone in “The Godfather III”…
Before we get to this season’s televised debacle, I want to go out on a limb and guess at some of the archetypes that will undoubtedly be on display this season. After last season, I think I can make a pretty good stab at how this will all go down. The Bachelor will be worshipped as a can’t-do-wrong Adonis with abs almost as perfect as his teeth. There will be lots of drinking and crying. The television show will always be referred to by contestants as “this journey.” One woman, who seemingly came on the show as a bet with friends, will find herself among the frontrunners, only to constantly battle with herself as to whether television is actually the place to find a husband. There will be scheming and back-stabbing, with one of the contestants, who probably suffers from neurosis and insecurity, making some serious headway while the other ladies wonder how someone so unstable (and trashy) can capture the heart of their man. The Bachelor will always be shown in a positive light and will rarely ever have to prove his worth to any of the ladies; that is their job. A few of the contestants will pine for their would-be husband yet be intimidated by the format of the show, refusing to acknowledge that, much like “Survivor,” “The Bachelor” is a contest. And there will be some wonderful connections made and some serious chemistry between several of the women and the Bachelor. Oh, and booze and bikinis. And booze. And hot tubs. And superlatives.
But I could be wrong, so let’s do this thing!
The show kicks off with a guarantee that it will be “better and sexier” than ever. Doesn’t seem like that should be too hard. But in case the average viewer did not read between the lines, the voiceover promises the “sexiest Bachelor” and “craziest women” yet. Crazy and sexy = good television. Don’t tell Ken Burns.
We find out early that Mr. Womack is a bit of a riches-to-rags-back-to-riches story. He grew up in Atlanta before a divorce led him and his mother and siblings to Texas. Unfortunately, viewers will probably only remember he is from Austin, but lest we never forget, that big ol’ Southern accent is 100 percent Georgia. State stereotypes have already been set back 100 years thanks to this program.
Womack, who quit college after a year or so to work as a roughneck or something for a decade, arrives in Malibu to find his future wife and wonders, “Who couldn’t fall in love here?” Well, to start, the first few hundred people who appeared on various versions of the show, er, journey on which you are about to embark. But, you were being rhetorical. I understand.
While Womack arrives at his Bachelor pad, the crazed women bounce around their hotel rooms like Catholic schoolgirls who have been main-lining Red Bull and snorting female-formulated Cialis for three weeks while foregoing food and sunlight. Lori (nicknames to come for all who make it past the first episode part of the journey) succinctly states what should be the intended goal for all the women this early on: “Don’t cry; don’t get drunk.” I imagine at least a few will not take her advice. Oh, the road to hell, and TV-marriage/reality fame, is paved with good intentions.
Cut to the journey’s host, Chris, asking Womack about his wealth and how a dude who owns bars in a city crawling with gorgeous twenty and thirty-somethings is on this journey. The Bachelor, who sheepishly confesses to being a millionaire (whether that is liquid or not is irrelevant, it seems), says that his relationships in the past have failed due to bad timing or the situation being wrong. Read: He spends too much time running bars and making money, I assume. Womack does profess to like all sorts of women: sexy, old-fashioned, crazy, quiet, etc., to which Chris responds that he has a schizophrenic sister whose tongue he’d happily cut out and they could just send everyone home. No, not really. In general, Womack seems sincere in his hope to find a wife, if not a little naive.
As night descends, Womack goes out on the driveway as the travelling cages, er, limos pull up with the amphetamized would-be Calypsos. Our heroic Bachelor then spends the next 15 minutes welcoming the women who attempt to make a strong first impression via all manner of odd behavior, from speaking (clumsily) in a foreign language to walking barefoot and generally falling all over themselves in full-gush mode. Possibly the best introduction line comes from Jessica, a news anchor from Florida, who tells the Bachelor that she had heard he was hot but she didn’t expect a fire extinguisher. Huh? That’s like saying she heard he was smart, but she didn’t expect him to be a lobotomy. Maybe she and Ms. Teen South Carolina were separated at birth. Not to be topped, Michele (ok, we’re going to go ahead and name her “Jersey Shore” already; no point in waiting when it’s that obvious) tells Flanagan that he is “everything I’m looking for.” Way to set standards, Ms. I-Just-Met-this-Dude-30-Seconds-Ago.
After their initial greeting, Womack heads into the mansion for a little meet-and-greet and finds the drunken sorority sisters making homecoming mums for him. He says he is “literally beside himself.” Ouch. After displaying such proper usage of the subject and object pronouns in earlier conversation, quite the tricky grammatical minefield, Womack trips up with the ol’ “I was literally…” But, as it turns out, he does have an identical twin, so we’ll give him the benefit of the doubt on this one. I literally just bit my metaphorical tongue.
The next few hours, or minutes — I have no idea how they edit this show, but I did hear one woman say that hopefully she’d be proposed to in six weeks — consist of Womack doing his chivalric best to spend a few minutes with each of the ladies. Nothing too exciting comes from these interactions, so I’ll give you the high points, and we can delve into more detail as the weeks continue — that is if I don’t literally gouge out my eyes.Stephanie and Erin play a game of one-upsmanship in seeing who has broken their face more often. Jenni, a dancer for the Phoenix Suns, gets the First Impression Rose (don’t ask); Lindsey gives the Bachelor a yellow rose and then butchers what I think may have been “The Yellow Rose of Texas;” Melissa gets wasted, loses a falsie and sounds drunker and more desperate than girls at 2 a.m. at the Chuggin’ Monkey; Morgan decides to differentiate herself by showing Womack her webbed toes. Ladies and gentlemen, your 2007 fall candidates for most likely to humiliate themselves over the next two months.
After the roses are distributed, at least half the ladies who left rose-less bid fond farewell to their 15 minutes. And cry. Really? After one night? In the words of one of the contestants, “Always the bridesmaid, never the bride.”
The tease for next week and the rest of the season promises fighting, tears, bikinis, calls to 911 and making out. Lots of making out. After all, it is the sexiest, craziest, most fantabuloustest Bachelor ever.
It’s gonna be a long two months.
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GigglePants meets the Upright Citizens Brigade
Saturday night, the troupe hosted — and opened — for one of the best touring improv outfits in the country, the Upright Citizens Brigade Touring Co., a boon not only to GigglePants but for the UT population at large.
GigglePants’ 20-minute set Saturday night at the Texas Union consisted of three short-form games. The first game, moderated by team captain Michael Bird, replete in official’s gear with stop clock and referee jersey, was called “Forward-Reverse.” In it, the players had to improvise a scene based off of a suggestion, and each time Bird yelled out “switch,” the players would have to physically reverse their course and play the scenes backward. The game, which inspired lots of slapstick physicality, highlighted the young players’ ability to work with space and objects, as well as demonstrate their memorization skills.
The games “Dime Store Novel” and “Beasty Rap,” in which players act out scenes based on an improvised narration and come up with spontaneous rhyming beats, further exhibited that this student troupe has found a home on the stage. The fun they have was evident as the players approached each game with unbridled enthusiasm and hardly an iota of self-consciousness. It was exciting to see that the improv virus being spread through the city had reached UT, and that the future of improv in Austin looked bright with the enthusiastic kids at UT ready to help lead the charge.
Following GigglePants’ performance, the crowd was warm for the stylings of the master improvisers from the Upright Citizens Brigade. The five-person troupe, consisting of Eli Newell, Chris Gethard, Lennon Parham, Neil Casey and Chad Carter, took a few scenes to get warmed up, but once they did, it was clear that UCB’s reputation is well-founded. The troupe played two sets of long-form improv, both based on the interview format, in which they would bring a student on stage and question her about details of her life as a student at UT. After the light and breezy interrogation, the troupe would improvise a half-dozen scenes based on the answers.
From the massive size of UT dorms, to failed relationships and pop culture references, the quintet dazzled the crowd with rapid-fired edits and a cerebral but accessible flow of comedy that kept the crowd of about 125 in stitches. The group possessed an ease on stage that underscored the fact that they have been trained to trust and listen to one another in a way that has fostered an amazing sense of group mind. With no member ever outshining another or ever looking to be bailed out, it was obvious these folks could do this college tour, which only just began Saturday at UT, with their eyes closed.
Following the UCB’s set, members of GigglePants had the chance to play on stage with their guests in a quick game of “Freeze Frame,” an opportunity that undoubtedly thrilled the young performers and inspired them to keep plying their craft in hopes of one day reaching the level of their newfound friends from New York City.
Photo of UCB’s Eli Newell, left, and Lennon Parham by Kim Espinosa
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Live from New York…it’s Spoon
Fans of Spoon take note, Rolling Stone is reporting the Austin rockers will be the musical act on the second episode of ‘Saturday Night Live’ this season. The show will air Oct. 7 at 10:30 p.m. Check this space in the coming days for an announcement about another national television appearance by an Austin band.
Permalink | | Categories: Music
Your A-List: Best WiFi Hot Spot
Located in the heart of SoCo, the original Jo’s is packed with runners, workers, students and slackers looking for their morning jolt of java. The small coffee shack next to Hotel San Jose hums throughout the day with sandwich eaters, ‘Net surfers and locals wiling away their lunch hours, or sometimes the entire day. Whether checking their MySpace messages or Craigslist for job openings, or creating PowerPoint presentations, patrons seem to always enjoy the sidewalk cafe that offers benches, chairs and tables that serve as a perfect setting for people watching.
With the emergence of downtown as a destination for eating, drinking and socializing, Jo’s put up its shingle in the trendy Second Street District, attracting office workers, tourists and window shoppers looking for a caffeinated oasis in the downtown grid. Much like its flagship, the downtown spot offers wireless access along with unlimited people watching, and delicious sandwiches, salads and assorted beverages of all varieties.
Whether your work and play take you north or south of the river, Jo’s has got you covered.
Jo’s [site]
242 W. Second St.
512.469.9003
1300 S. Congress Ave.
512.444.3800
Others receiving votes: Freebirds (23 percent), Whole Foods (18 percent), Austin Public Library (10 percent), BookPeople (7 percent), Round Rock Public Library (6 percent), Flipnotics (5 percent), Capital Metro buses/park and rides (2 percent), Austin Convention Center (2 percent), Wooldridge Square (1 percent).
Write-ins: Austin Java, Galaxy Cafe, Homer’s Bar and Grill, Java Jive, Mozart’s, Pluckers, Ruta Maya, Spiderhouse, Third Base
Permalink | | Categories: Your A-List
Your A-List: Best Icehouse
Whether you want to enjoy a cold one and some chicken tacos while you peruse the liner notes of your most recent music purchase from Waterloo Records (Sixth Street and Lamar Boulevard location), a retreat where the kiddies can play while you enjoy a beer (Capital of Texas Highway location) or a brew on the way home form work (38th Street), there’s a Waterloo Ice House for you.
The menu, served by a helpful and friendly staff, stays true to its Texas roots with delicious burgers, crunchy onion rings and crispy french fries, as well as some lighter salad fare for those who might lack a Texas-sized hunger.
Waterloo Ice House, named after the original town that sat here on the Colorado River, continues its tradition as an Austin original by making sure it sticks to local flavor on the stage as well as the menu. And with such a legendary following, it is no wonder the venerable pit stop celebrated its 30th anniversary with a menu created by Ray Wylie Hubbard, Ray Benson, Kelly Willis, Bruce Robison, Jon Dee Graham and other local musicians.
Waterloo Ice House [site — under construction] Multiple locations
Others receiving votes: Freddie’s Place (14 percent), Doc’s Motorworks (13 percent), Phil’s (7 percent), C. Hunt’s (7 percent), Aussie’s (6 percent), Junior’s (3 percent), Chisholm Trail (2 percent), Angel’s (2 percent).
Write-ins: Billy’s, Cindy’s Gone Hog Wild, Draught House, Kahuna’s, Ranch 616, Stubb’s
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In search of Austin’s hottest bachelor and bachelorette
To wit, we’re having a contest to find Austin’s Hottest Bachelor and Bachelorette. We’re looking for folks who’ve got the smarts, drive and sparkling personality that makes them stand out from the rest of the pack. Oh yea, and people who are easy on the eyes. Real easy on the eyes.
If you think you’ve got the goods to be considered Austin’s Hottest Bachelor or Bachelorette, send your name, a couple of sentences telling us about yourself and a headshot to austin360contests@statesman.com. Feeling a little shy or self-deprecating? You can also nominate friends; however, you must have their permission before submitting.
The gallery of nominees will go live for voting in early October, and winners will be announced Oct. 30.
Permalink | Comments (6) | Categories: Misc.
Upright Citizens Brigade coming to UT
UT’s improv comedy team Giggle Pants will be hosting, and opening for, the TourCo at a free show this Saturday night as part of UCB’s fall tour.
UCB TourCo and Giggle Pants
Saturday, September 22 at 7pm
Texas Union Theatre
Free
Permalink | | Categories: Comedy
65,000 fans; 65,000 opinions
After almost 36 hours of live music at ACL, the fun has finally come to an end. I walked around Sunday afternoon and evening getting responses from festivalgoers — highs and lows, best shows and worst, etc. (Note: Most of the interviewing was done before Wilco, The Decemberists, Ghostland Observatory and Bob Dylan took the stage, so those bands are missing from most responses.) This sampling represents a good cross-section of fans from the weekend, but it is just a small group of folks. Use the comments section to tell us what you thought were the highs and lows of the festival.
On a personal note, my favorite shows of the weekend included: Wilco, The National, Del McCoury Band, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Common, LCD Soundsystem and Björk
Matt Gatewood (Austin)
Highlight: Zap Mama
Biggest letdown: Cold War Kids
Chloe Weiss (Austin)
Highlight: Lax security re: bag searches, Zap Mama (“Coolest woman I’ve ever seen, and I picked up some serious dance moves from her and M.I.A.”)
Biggest letdown: Stephen Marley playing same set at fest as he did at night show and Barton Springs being closed
Eden Teagle (NYC)
Highlight: The National
Biggest letdown: The White Stripes canceling — “I think the White Stripes definitely lost some fans this weekend.”
Eric Fuchs (San Antonio)
Highlight: Paolo Nutini
Jake Walker (San Francisco)
Highlight: Robert Earl Keen playing his Christmas song with everyone singing along
Michael Ferguson (Austin)
Highlight: DeVotchKa — “They may be from Colorado, but they play this amazing Eastern European pop and had everyone clapping along. Easily the best I saw all weekend.”
Biggest letdown: “Muse’s pompous political message that was played before their final song. And the fact that I ran into every ex-girlfriend I’ve ever had.”
Navdar Namaky (Austin)
Highlight: “I think half the people at the Common show did not know who they were seeing (due to Rodrgio y Gabriela cancelation), but it was amazing. Arcade Fire was also amazing; it was like what Wagner must have been like in the 1870s.”
Will Cornforth (Austin)
Highlight: Arctic Monkeys
Biggest letdown: Spoon — “They just didn’t pack a punch. There was not enough guitar and too much piano in the mix, and this is coming from a piano player.”
Amanda Watkins (Austin)
Highlight: “James Hunter was excellent.”
Biggest letdown: “They need to hold this thing about a month later. It’s too hot and too big. I’ve been to every one (ACL Festival), and this is the weakest one yet, because of the lineup. They need more unknown bands like the ones KGSR finds.”
Thomas Hunter (Houston)
Biggest letdown: “Too many Longhorn fans.”
Regina Bartholow (Austin)
Highlight: “The fire! I’ve never seen black smoke that high! And Muse rocked, but The Killers were the best.”
Christina Choate (Austin)
Biggest letdown: “We needed skydivers because they were awesome at Flugtag!”
Don Bartholow (Austin)
Highlight: “I thought LCD Soundstystem was great. I loved the lead singer’s witty banter. They were the band I saw whose CD I’ll now go buy.”
Emily Lesh (Austin)
Highlight: Arcade Fire
Biggest surprise: “The amazingness of the last 4 songs of Wilco’s set. I happened to be getting food during Preservation Hall Jazz Band and caught some of them … pretty awesome. Other favorites: LCD Soundsystem, The National, Ghostland Observatory
Biggest letdown: White Stripes canceling, Bob Dylan. Annoying new thing: Having to show ID every time you got a beer instead of just showing it once and getting a wristband.
Lisa Genz (Austin)
Biggest letdown: “We were pretty let down by Blue October. They never really got the crowd into it.”
Emil Joseph (Austin)
Highlight: “Paolo Nutini. He sounded just like he does on the album.”
Jamie and Susan Powell (Norman, OK)
Highlight: “Robert Earl Keen, Lucinda Williams. Sunday’s lineup was the best.” This is our third year, and it gets better every year.”
Biggest letdown: “But it seems this year is a little more geared to a younger audience. We usually leave by 7 p.m. each day.”
Andrew Taft (Austin)
Highlight: “Not too dusty and not too hot. I’m here to see Bob Dylan.”
Biggest letdown: “No jam bands like Widespread Panic or String Cheese Incident.”
Marianna Wilde (Austin)
Highlight: Queens of the Stone Age
Biggest letdown: “Tons of people. Friday was so crowded it was almost not fun. And with White Stripes and the other bands dropping out, I was hoping for a partial refund.”
Jessica Frommert (Austin)
Highlight: Security was easy and hassle-free but still made people feel safe.
Darryn Niebrugge (Austin)
Highlight: “So much easier than in years past.”
Biggest letdown: “Disappointed I missed Cold War Kids and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah.”
Amanda Brown (Austin)
Highlight: “I was really impressed with Andrew Bird and had never heard of him.
Biggest letdown: “They need to go back to having canned beer instead of draft. Draft beer was too easily spilled.”
Jeremy Luce (Austin)
Highlight: “Arcade Fire was a highlight for sure. From where we were sitting it was loud as hell. Blonde Redhead was also top 3.”
Biggest letdown: “I almost slit my wrists when the White Stripes cancelled but saw the end of Muse and they were (expletive) good! Bloc Party was like ‘blah.’ ” The scheduling of My Morning Jacket and Wilco at the same time.
Jessica Boone (Houston)
Highlight: “I thought LCD Soundsystem was great.”
Biggest letdown: “Not near enough trash cans.”
Wilco puts on ACL taping for the ages
Do you ever have one of those shows where you can’t shake the goose bumps for the first 20 minutes, when you feel a lump in your throat and are basically overwhelmed with the sonic beauty engulfing you? Yeah, I never had either really, maybe Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter in Paris in 1997 came closest, but such was my state of being at the beginning of the Austin City Limits taping by Wilco Saturday, September 15.
The band, introduced by ACL Producer Terry Lickona as the “one band that sums up better than any other” the type of music ACL aims to air, opened their 90-minute set with “You Are My Face,” a song from Wilco’s latest release “Sky Blue Sky” that starts out hushed and dreamlike before kicking into overdrive with the whisper-to-a-wail vocals of Tweedy and the powerhouse licks of guitar genius Nels Cline.
Following the first song, the band made it clear that they did not intend to use their third ACL taping solely to push their new record, as they launched into the layered and frantic “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart,” one of a handful of songs they would play from 2002’s critically-acclaimed “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.” The song was the perfect platform to demonstrate the band’s ease of transition from a complex, layered cacophonous sound to a clean and simple one.
Wilco stuck with older songs for the first half of the set with crowd favorites like “Handshake Drugs,” a song that featured Cline at the top of his powers. The avant-garde guitar wizard has such a heightened sense of timing, space and tone, that his contributions to even the most simple three-chord songs elevate Tweedy’s tunes to almost unimagined heights. Backed by the sweaty pounding rhythm of drummer Glen Kotche, the full resounding bass of John Stiratt and the rhythmic and melodic contributions of keyboardist Mikael Jorgensen and multi-instrumentalist Pat Sansone, Tweedy and Cline led a full frontal aural assault that came across pitch-perfect in the ACL studios, the ideal setting in this town for a concert, in this writer’s opinion. Every note from all six of the members was discernible, creating a sonic fabric that gave the sensation that you had just walked into the band’s rehearsal space.
The 16-song set weaved old Wilco classics from the past dozen years, re-imagined with new vitality, with a half dozen new songs from “Sky Blue Sky.” Tweedy even decided to toss long-time fans a gift with the song “Too Far Apart,” from the band’s debut album “A.M.” from 1995.
Saturday’s taping exemplified a band at the height of its creative power, playing with a joy and cohesion most bands could only dream of in a setting that illuminates a band of Wilco’s power, allowing them to transcend a 90-minute musical experience from the earthly to the sublime. It is no wonder then that this is the band ACL producers hold as the paragon for their shows; it just doesn’t get any better.
Set List
“You Are My Face “
“I Am Trying to Break Your Heart”
“Pot Kettle Black”
“Handshake Drugs”
“Shot in the Arm”
“Side with the Seeds”
“Via Chicago”
“Impossible Germany”
“Sky Blue Sky”
“Too Far Apart”
“Jesus, Etc.”
“Hate it Here”
“Walken”
“I’m the Man Who Loves You”
“Hummingbird”
“On and On and On”
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Your A-List: Best Breakfast Tacos
You can add up all the yellow wristbands, Crocs, Bluetooth earpieces and burnt orange bumper stickers in Austin, and collectively their popularity will still pale in comparison to that of the omnipresent breakfast taco. Austinites of all ages, races and sexes worship at the Church of the Breakfast Taco.
The write-in votes alone surpassed any category up to this point, but, alas, there can only be one winner. So, with 19 percent of the vote, TacoDeli is the winner of the Your A-List poll for Best Breakfast Taco.
Despite my personal preference for fruit or cereal in the morning, it seems most in this town can not get their day started without a heaping helping of eggs, sausage, bacon, potatoes, beans, salsa, and whatever else your little heart desires, wrapped into a warm tortilla.
Since you can’t fling a tortilla without hitting a breakfast taco-vending establishment in town, how does one purveyor distinguish himself from the glut of glutton-feeders? Convenient locations? Good service and prices? Friendly staff? Sure, all of those need to be in place, but it seems TacoDeli has made its mark with a unique take on potatoes. Instead of browned and quartered potatoes, TacoDeli mashes their taters with a nice garlic concoction, giving their tacos a flavor and texture that lets you know exactly who made the delicious grease bomb you are about to use to kick off your morning.
Beyond the unusual treatment of their primary starch, TacoDeli also appeals to its regular customers with crispy bacon, fresh fish tacos and a creamy green sauce that has just the right amount of kick.
And, unlike many restaurants, gas stations, street vendors, TacoDeli more or less sticks to the idea that breakfast tacos are meant as a morning or daytime snack. The two TacoDeli locations are only open for breakfast and lunch, closing at 3 p.m. each day to focus on the next morning’s onslaught of hungry (and sometimes hungover) patrons.
I understand that getting someone to switch their breakfast taco allegiance is akin to asking them to change their primary care physician or hair stylist, but if you haven’t tried TacoDeli, maybe you should. Nineteen percent of respondents couldn’t be wrong. Could they?
As for my personal vote, well, a wise woman once told me that “breakfast tacos are for chumps.” And as heretical as that may sound, I tend to agree. Although all my friends eat them. Oh, the contrarianism. Old habits die hard.
Taco Deli [official site]
12001 Burnet Road
1500 Spyglass
Hours
Weekdays: 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Weekends: 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Others receiving votes: Maria’s Taco Xpress (17 percent), Taco Shack (17 percent), Rudy’s (14 percent), Juan in a Million (13 percent), Taqueria Arandas (5 percent), Las Manitas (4 percent) Taco Cabana (4 percent), Tamale House (4 percent), El Chilito (3 percent), Chango’s (1 percent)
Write-ins: Amigo’s Barbecue, Bill Miller Barbecue, Bouldin Street Cafe,Casa Alde, Casa Garcia’s, Casa Maria, Cilantro’s, Curra’s, Dan’s, Don Luis Super Taco, El Arroyo, El Flaco, El Gallo, El Meson, El Rincon, El Sol y La Luna, Enchiladas y Mas, Flores Mexican Restaurant, Fran’s, Hornito’s, JJ’s, Jardin Corona, Jim’s, Jim Bob’s, Joe’s Bakery, Ken’s Tacos, La Familia, La Posada, Little Mexico, LT Country Store, Magnolia Cafe, Mama Mia’s, Maudie’s, Mi Madre’s, Michael’s Tacos, Nueva Onda, O’s Campus Cafe, Polvo’s, Rosie’s Tamale House, Salt Lick, Taqueria Vallarta Jalisco, Toby’s Cafe, Torchy’s, Vasquez Tacos, Waterloo Icehouse, Whataburger, Whole Foods
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Your A-List: Best Austin Landmark
You can see it from Interstate 35. You can spy it from the edge of the Hill Country. From miles away down South Congress, the building that is sited on one of Austin’s highest points is a beacon guiding you into downtown. It’s the winner of the Best Austin Landmark category in the Your A-List poll. With 43 percent of the vote, you just can’t seem to quit the Texas Capitol.
A National Historic Landmark, the building designed by Elijah E. Myers was constructed over seven years, from 1882-1888, and opened to the public April 21, 1888, San Jacinto Day.
The home of Texas’ democracy, the pink granite building was originally meant to be constructed of limestone, but scarcity of materials led to the switch to granite from Marble Falls. School field trips and tours of proud citizens routinely make their way through the spectacular rotunda, which is ringed with portraits of every Texas governor. A strategic position under the rotunda allows for simple whispers to reverberate throughout various parts of the old building.
Just as spectacular as the senate and house galleries is the massive lawn that expands to the south side of the building and serves as a beautiful shaded respite for visitors and picnickers on sunny days.
But Texans are not the only folks who love their historic renaissance revival-style building: the Texas Capitol is No. 92 in the “America’s Favorite Architecture” poll that ranked the top 150 favorite architectural projects in America.
Whether you stand at the foot of the building and marvel at the Goddess of Liberty perched atop the dome, stretch out for a nap on the verdant lawn or simply admire the glistening pink dome from afar (a task made easy by laws in place that make for unobstructed viewing), there’s no denying that any other landmark in town just doesn’t measure up.
Others receiving votes: University of Texas Tower (29 percent), “Hi, how are you?” mural (7 percent), Frost Bank Tower (6 percent), Pennybacker Bridge (4 percent), Stevie Ray Vaughan statue (4 percent), Mount Bonnell (3 percent), Enchanted Rock (2 percent), Ann Richards Congress Avenue Bridge (1 percent), Austin City Hall (<1 percent)
Information and photo taken from the State Preservation Board and The Handbook of Texas Online from the University of Texas and The Texas State Historical Association.
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There’s a tear in my beer: The Ginger Man being forced out
Beer lovers, and those who are sad at the recent developments in downtown Austin, will soon have more tears to shed into their adult beverages. The Ginger Man manager Kristen Jacobson has confirmed that the beloved Austin pub, which has been serving happy customers since April 1994, will lose its lease, held by Austin Trust Co., in April 2009.
Jacobson said the Ginger Man plans to relocate to another location downtown and hopes that the watering hole can find a spot with a backyard, such as the one in existence at the current pub.
In place of the bar with one of the best beer selections this side of the Mississippi will be — you guessed it, condos! Jacobson told me that Gables Residential has big plans for 304 W. Fourth St. Additionally, Gables also now owns the tract where the former Fox & Hound sits, and Austin Trust Co. has said that Gables has also signed a lease for the parking lot at the corner of Lavaca and Fourth streets, giving it control of the entire block.
Calls to Gables were not returned.
Image by Mark Matson for American-Statesman
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Interview: Michael Davis, director of ‘Shoot ‘Em Up’
Tell me about your original animation concept and how the movie initially came to life.
It was very helpful for me to figure out the rhythms, when I needed to up the suspense, or have the clever moment. It’s literally shot for shot what was in the movie. And it became a great tool not only for me to sell the project to the studio, ‘cause they could see what they were getting, but then the actor could see, you know, Clive said, “Oh my god, this guy’s got it figured out.”
Was this the first time anyone had ever brought this type of treatment to the studio or actors?
I don’t think anybody else has ever done anything like this. I think that there’s 3-D animation programs, but the actual hand-drawn which I did myself, which is laborious, I don’t think they’ve ever seen before.
It seems like a long way from Parsons to “Shoot ‘Em Up,” but I guess the animation you used to sell the project is the intermediary of sorts.
I was actually doing animated cartoon when I was in sixth grade. My teacher gave me Super-8 camera and I was doing little animations through junior high and high school.
Now that you have “Shoot ‘Em Up” in the can and can show it to studios, I guess you won’t be needing to use animation again to sell movies to the studios, or is it something you’d want to stick with in order to get a vision for the film?
I think it helped me - forced me - to see the movie in more clarity. And also, I was able to test ideas out. There was a certain sort of Loony Tunes, sort of violent action quality to it, and I can see the rhythms better than if I just did drawn storyboards. You could see, “Oh you know what? It needs something more specific; it needs to be more energized.” It makes the editorial part of it snap. I think the animation helped me; I’m sort of somebody who believes in karma, and I don’t wanna cut corners, so I’m planning on the next movie doing the animation. But what I’m hoping to do is hire someone to help me. (laughs)
There are quite a few references to John Woo’s “Hard Boiled,” along with nods to Sergio Leone and James Bond. It’s kind of a movie for cinephiles in some ways, although almost any movie will have those kind of allusions, but how do you keep the winks to the cinephiles without losing the general moviegoer?
I think because the movie works if you don’t know the references at all. I mean, I’ll go see a Tarantino movie and hardly see one percent of the references. The movie needs to stand on its own, and in “Shoot ‘Em Up,” you’ve got this new kind of action hero who’s the ultimate underdog; he’s the homeless hero. But he has the moral certitude. Any injustice in life, whether it’s somebody driving a car badly, he corrects the situation. So I think he’s very identifiable. I think everybody in life, they go and they say, “Oh, I hate the guy who just took that handicap parking spot; I wish I could do something about it.” And it’s kind of a wish fulfillment. Here’s this guy when anybody out there is kind of a jerk, he punches them.
And if they have a gauche trucker mud-flap girl earring, he can shoot it off…
Yea, or bad toenails. Or whatever. And I think people all of a sudden, in a larger than life mythic hero, if they can find every day traits in him that they can seem themselves in him. Or a wish fulfillment - I wish I’d handled that situation that way. This angriest man in the world, meeting out justice, they like. So I think they don’t have to get any of the references in the movie because he’s an identifiable character. And then I’m giving them the eye candy - the fun action sequences. I don’t think they need to see any of the winks in the movie.
You mentioned Mr. Smith getting a second chance. If you go back to the films you were making before, this one kind of seems like a stark departure. Is there a way in which you see this movie as a second chance for you?
That’s so funny; I never really thought about Mr. Smith getting a second chance, and I getting a second chance at my career. I was about to drop out of the film business because I was making these low-budget indie teen romantic comedies and not paying the bills with what I was getting paid. And a lot of people on the internet would say, “Well, how is this guy who does these romantic comedies doing a big action movie? He’s not the guy.” And the thing that I’d like these people to understand is that it’s really, really hard to get a chance to make a movie, any kind of movie. Once you make a movie in one genre, that’s what people want to typecast you as. And it felt so hard to get any movie made. Well, if somebody wants me to make another romantic comedy, hey, I love making movies. I’ll just keep doing that. But I had written spec scripts with action heroes prior to that, but nobody’s going to give me, with no track record, a chance. So you take what you can get and you sort of go with the momentum of your career. Don’t fight the current.
But, as I said, back in sixth grade, I was writing and loving James Bond and you just need to find a way. I also feel like “Shoot ‘Em Up” is a better movie because I made these independent movies because they all were sort of quirky and a little bit off beat. I had some weird characters in there and everybody sees (names) and they go, “That’s a Michael Davis movie. I don’t know what it is, but the way you have those buddy characters talking or the way you have a little bit of a sexual frankness, there’s a specific voice” And as much as “Shoot ‘Em Up” conforms to the action genre — I’m giving you the big action set pieces, I’m giving you the mythic hero, but I’m twisting it. You’ve never seen an action hero eat a carrot. You’ve never seen an action hero who gets so angry at the way somebody is sipping their coffee.
I feel like my voice and my personality is coming through. I have an indie film voice that’s coming through in a big studio movie. And I think that makes it more fun and much fresher than the standard genre fare. The indie film experience informed “Shoot ‘Em Up.” But I’m really pleased how you talked about the second chance. I was this angry guy when I was thinking about getting out of the business. There was a time when I was at the mechanics, and I wasn’t getting any attention, and I had this tire iron, and I started yelling, and they immediately fixed my tire, and my wife said, “You’re not angry about this tire thing, you’re angry about this bigger thing in your life.” And I put that anger into the character of Clive Owen.
I understand that Clive worked a lot with you almost in a sense of being a writing partner to a degree. Clive gives such a nuanced a realistic performance in such an exuberant and over-the-top setting, it seems the movie would be hard to be pulled off as well as it was without him. How did you get him, and was he your first choice from the outset?
First off, Clive Owen, of any actor in the entire world, he was my first choice. I’d seen him in Croupier. Have you seen him in these BMW shorts? He looks so cool in those as the action hero. I knew I wanted him, and I felt the movie needed a fresh action star, someone who we hadn’t seen. And the world had wanted to see Clive as an action hero. You got a taste of it in “Sin City,” and everyone had wanted to see him be Bond. So he was my number one choice. and luckily he was the studio’s number one choice. So we sent him the script, we sent him the animation. They sent the Ain’t It Cool News article about the animation to him. Somewhere buried in there Harry said, “You know who’d be cool in this is Clive Owen.” So, I think maybe the public appeal of the desire to see him maybe helped him. Then the next thing was Clive’s biggest fear was he’s got all this action in there, and wondered “Could Michael pull this off?” And I had drinks with him, and I was all excited and showed him the animation and had all my answers. And he decided I knew what I was doing. Here’s a guy, everybody wanted him. He’s worked with Spike Lee, Alfonso Cuaron, and I’m nobody. How’s he gonna pick me at the point where he can pick anybody?
Do you ever stop and pinch yourself and think,”Wow, is this really happening?”
Right now. I’ll do it right now. (pinches self) I’m still doing it. I walk and see the posters and I can’t believe that it’s happening to me.
To view Davis’s original animation that helped him to pitch the movie to New Line and Owen, click here.
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Your A-List: Best Athlete with Austin Ties
The seven-time Tour de France winner has long held a place in the heart of Austinites thanks to his incredible athletic accomplishments and indomitable spirit. Beyond shattering records around the world and finishing victory laps draped in the beloved Texas flag, Armstrong achieved iconic status when he overcame testicular cancer that metastasized to his brain and lungs and returned to the top of his sport.
More than a cycling maestro, Armstrong, arguably the most aerobically fit athlete in all of sports, has championed the cause of cancer research in places as lofty as the White House and written books that have inspired countless cancer patients and their families.
Here in Austin, Armstrong has inspired hundreds of recreational cyclists to take their love for the sport to new levels. You can’t drive the streets of Austin or the farm roads of the surrounding Hill Country without seeing droves of spandex-clad folks riding to their hearts’ content.
The Lance Armstrong Foundation has raised countless millions of dollars and remains one of the few celebrity charities that truly feels as if it is at the core of its founder. But this is a contest about Best Athlete, not just most charitable, and it is hard to argue with a man who was named the Associated Press’ Male Athlete of the Year from 2002-2005.
(To see my personal pick for Best Athlete with Austin Ties, click here.)
Others receiving votes: Vince Young (25 percent), Earl Campbell (17 percent), Cat Osterman (4 percent), Major Applewhite (3 percent), Andy Roddick (3 percent), Drew Brees (3 percent), Ricky Williams (2 percent), Kevin Durant (1 percent), Colt McCoy (1 percent), T.J. Ford (<1 percent), Chris Mihm (<1 percent)
Write-ins: Ben Crenshaw, Desiree Ficker, Gilbert Tuhabonye, Roger Clemens
(Image by Deborah Cannon/AMERICAN-STATESMAN)
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Your A-List: Best Barbecue
The County Line, which expands well beyond Travis County and state lines with multiple locations outside of Austin, is the epitome of family and cowboy kitsch, with Western decorative motifs, a Flintstonian slab of beef hanging on the wall and a friendly staff. But it is the mammoth beef ribs and scrumptious sausage that have made the Austin establishment that began on Bee Cave Road a legend for more than 30 years.
Beyond meat, however, The County Line has made a name for itself with its famous secret recipe sweet bread, that, once topped with honey butter, will make your head spin. Add to all that delicious meat and bread some chunky slaw, savory beans, or a jumbo baked potato, and you may need help getting out the door. But if you have trouble leaving the restaurant in a timely manner, that’ll just leave you more time to enjoy the beautiful lake and Hill Country views at the Austin locations.
And, should you not happen to be fortunate enough to live in Austin, fret not, The County Line will ship ribs anywhere in the United States.
(To read my personal choice for the Best Barbecue in the area, click here.)
The County Line BBQ (official site)
Check site for locations and hours.
Others receiving votes: Salt Lick (17 percent), Rudy’s (11 percent), Iron Works (9 percent), Cooper’s (7 percent), Artz Rib House (7 percent), Kreutz Market (6 percent), Stubb’s (4 percent), Smitty’s (3 percent), Green Mesquite (1 percent)
Write-ins: Bert’s, Bill Miller, Black’s, Chisholm Trail, City Market, Crosstown, Donn’s, Hoover’s, House Park, John Mueller’s, Lamberts, Louis Mueller’s, Mann’s, Meyer’s, Mike’s Barnyard, Opie’s, Pok-e-Jo’s, Ronnie’s, Ruby’s, Sam’s, Smokey Mo’s, Southside, Uncle Billy’s, Wright’s, Zimmerhanzel’s
Image of rack of pork ribs, left, and “Big Daddy” beef ribs, at The County Line on Bee Cave Road by Kelly West/AMERICAN-STATESMAN
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In the stands: Overrated?
I assumed more of the same would be in order as I went to Royal-Memorial Stadium on Saturday evening to watch the #4-ranked Horns take on lowly Arkansas State. Boy, was I wrong. The Horns looked horrible for more or less the entire game. Had Arkansas State not dropped so many balls that hit them squarely in the hands, Colt McCoy, who looked confused and lost most of the game, could easily have been responsible for four interceptions in the first half alone. And while UT was embarrassed by being refused admission to the end zone repeatedly in a first and goal scenario from the 3-yard line, eventually turning the ball over on downs, it was ASU’s failure in the red zone that decided this game. Two missed field goals and a boneheaded pass into coverage that led to a UT interception, with a wide-open ASU receiver in the corner of the end zone no less, was the difference in this game.
ASU outgained Texas. They looked better on offense (especially their lightning-quick quarterback Corey Leonard, who turned heads all day) and defense. Texas’ secondary looked porous, and their tackling, which was strong in the first half, looked half-hearted at best in the second.
Texas should have lost this game. They did not play well enough to beat a team not even ranked in the top 100 in the nation. They can talk all they want about it being the first game of the year, how they still won as a team and how they expect more of themselves, but if this is the effort and execution they bring to the field this Saturday against TCU, Longhorn nation will be weeping by day’s end.
On the bright side, at least they’re not Michigan.
Highlight of the day: Listening to myopic Longhorn fans boil over with anger each time ASU gained yards, screaming, “Just think what OU will do to ya,” then making a 180 just seconds later and proclaiming Texas’ national championship hopes alive and well thanks to a well-executed screen pass. ‘Horns Football - Catch the Insanity!’
Photo of Colt McCoy by Deborah Cannon/AMERICAN-STATESMAN)
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Sound off: The Felice Brothers
Not to be outdone, by the two originals, Emo’s Lounge took a more melodic slant on the evening, welcoming the alt-country Mice and Rifles, The Mercers (which features arguably the strongest voice in indie rock in Austin — Peter Wagner), and finally the always entertaining Golden Bear, which played a show to a sadly limited crowd due to the draw of the other bands and the fact that GB was seemingly playing a warm up show for their Saturday night gig at the Scoot Inn. Finalists in ACL Fest’s the Sound & The Jury, Golden Bear took the small crowd in stride and still put on an amazing show.
But despite all of these great Austin bands, the highlight of my evening was taking in a set from The Felice Brothers from New York. The six-man band signed to Loose Records has received quite a bit on attention in Europe but were on their first big tour of the U.S. Earlier this summer, The Mercers (in a bit of a booking oddity) played The Mountain Jam in Hunter Mountain, N.Y., where they played on the same stage as The Felice Brothers. Wagner and Co. told the brothers that if they were ever down in Texas to look them up and come play with them. Well, that time came Friday night.
Following The Mercers blazing set, The Felice Brothers took the stage looking like some kind of hybrid beat Zydeco band, playing wartime mountain blues punctuated with an accordion. The rag-tag band of brothers and friends played with an exuberance that lacked any pretense and centered around the celebration of a blues pathos that seems long forgotten among young bands. They harkened back to another era, as if they had been workers for the Tennessee Valley Authority who quit their jobs and moved up to the Catskills to make music and stomp their feet. It was M. Ward, had he grown up in New Orleans. It was Bob Dylan if he had The Gourds as his backing band instead of The Band.
Hot on the heels of a show at the Viper Room in Los Angeles, where apparently the boys made quite an impression on their impromptu drinking buddy Keanu Reeves, the boys, despite traveling the country in a crammed tour van, were in great spirits and seemed to be relishing the moment. Near the end of their set the brought up another friend made at the Mountain Jam, Papa Mali, who added some funky blues guitar to the mix, proving that these sons of Appalachia are as adept at making friends as they are at moving people’s feet and souls.
To listen to this band from another era, and one of which this era could use a lot more of, check out The Felice Brothers MySpace page. And keep an eye out for the next time they come through town.
(Image from The Felice Brothers’ MySpace page.)
