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Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Bonnaroo: The 1927 New York Yankees of music fests
ACL Fest, you have been put on notice. The Bonnaroo Music Festival set for June 11-14 in Manchester, Tennessee announced its lineup today, and it is a Murderers’ Row of amazing acts.
At my advanced age, I’m not too down with the festival scene, — in fact, the last non-Austin festival I went to was the original Bonnaroo Festival in 2002 — but this lineup is really amazing, and were I a little more ambitious, I would give serious thought to considering attending again this year. Alas, with the traffic, people, bad sight lines, heat, short sets and general exhausting nature of the scene, I will probably just stay home and listen to my iPod at Barton Springs Pool. A few names that piqued my interest:
- Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
- Phish
- Nine Inch Nails
- David Byrne
- Wilco
- Al Green
- Snoop Dogg
- Elvis Costello Solo
- Erykah Badu
- The Mars Volta
- TV on the Radio
- Gov’t Mule
- Andrew Bird
- Band Of Horses
- MGMT
- The Decemberists
- Girl Talk
- Bon Iver
- Bela Fleck
- of Montreal
- Allen Toussaint
- David Grisman Quintet
- Animal Collective
- Neko Case
- Santogold
- Femi Kuti and the Positive Force
Austin acts announced: Okkervil River and Alejandro Escovedo
Ticket information here.
The full slate of artists will be announced at a later date.
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Where to eat on Valentine’s Day
With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, if you don’t have reservations for dinner, you better get busy, as most of the city’s best restaurants are full or filling up quickly.
Of course, you can pull the ol’ “it’s a corporate-based, greeting card holiday, and I show my lady/man I love her/him every day.” Despite the validity of said claim, it’s probably not the best tack.
You could also prepare a romantic dinner at home or head out to a bed & breakfast in the Hill Country for the weekend. Or just rent a movie. But you can do that any weekend. Valentine’s Day is the perfect opportunity to blow a couple hundred bucks on a great meal, and don’t we all deserve a little indulgence this time of year? Besides, if you take her/him to a really nice restaurant, you don’t really have to get a gift. Just blame the recession. You have my approval.
Below are 11 of my favorite restaurants in the Austin area. Many are booked, but there are still some tables available. I included the ones that are at capacity to save you the call. You can send me thank-you chocolates at a later date.
Aquarelle (606 Rio Grande St., 479.8117): Austin’s best French restaurant is booked for Valentine’s but will be open on February 15.
East Side Cafe (2113 Manor Rd., 476.5858): Fresh and simple flavor components with a wonderful waitstaff await you … if you want to eat early (5:30 p.m. and earlier) or late (8:45 p.m. and later).
Eddie V’s (301 East 5th St., 472.1860): Surf and turf will be hard to come by here on Valentine’s Day, unless you want to eat at 4:45 p.m. or 10:45 p.m.. They will be open on the 13th and 15th, however. As an added bonus, appetizers are half-price Sunday and Monday starting at 4:30 p.m..
Hudson’s on the Bend (3509 Ranch Road 620 N., 512.266.1369): If you have a hankering for espresso-rubbed elk backstrap or the best beef tenderloin in Central Texas, surprsingly, you are in luck. Hudson’s has slots open at 5:30 p.m., 9 p.m. and 10 p.m.. Eat your crème brûlée on the patio after you stuff yourself silly.
Jezebel (914 Congress Ave # 100, 499.3999): Unfortunately, my favorite restaurant is booked solid. There a few times available on Friday the 13th, however, if you want to dine on Chef/Owner Parind Vora’s sublime creations.
La Traviata (314 Congress Ave., 479.8131): This quaint and authentic Italian joint on Congress Ave. is not as ostenatious as its peers, and it never fails to impress. You are in luck, if for only a hot minute, as they have tables available at 10 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. They will be offering a prix fixe menu with eight options per course for $48.
Musashino Sushi (3407 Greystone Dr., 795.8593): Here’s an interesting take on the Valentine’s Day madness. My favorite sushi restaurant is not taking reservations, but they are taking “call-aheads.” This apparently means you will be able to get a table, but you will have a wait to deal with once you arrive. Sounds kinda fishy (intended), but well worth it.
Roaring Fork (701 Congress Ave., 583.0000): Centrally located with good American flavors, they have just a few openings left, at 5 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.
Ruth’s Chris (107 W 6th St., 477.7884): My favorite steakhouse in town is booked on Valentine’s Day. That leaves Friday the 13th at 6:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m. or later.
Uchi (801 S. Lamar Blvd., 916.4808): They take limited reservations as is, and it appears from online sources that getting a table there on V-Day is an impossibility.
Wink (1014 N. Lamar Blvd. # E, 482.8868): One of my three favorite spots in town, Wink is booked. They will be extending hours and open for business on Sunday for the belated romantic dinner, however.
For a list of more Valentine’s Day options, check out Statesman food critic Mike Sutter’s excellent Fork Lore blog.
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