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July 2009
Your A-List: Best Place to Buy Clothes for Going Out
Want all of the hot styles of L.A. and NYC without having to fly 1500 miles and spend money staying at a fancy hotel in Westwood or SoHo? Girl Next Door, located in the growing 2nd Street District, has you covered with fashions from hot designers and a large selection of designer jeans from names like Frankie B., Genetic Denim, Rock & Republic. Spend an hour or so in GND picking up the latest designs in jewelry, shoes and cute casual clothes, and all you’ll need is your own Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda and you’ll be ready to “Sex in the City”-it-up. Or however that goes.
In addition to the stylish looks coming from both coasts, this week’s winner, with 51 percent of the vote, also carries some locally designed products such as the casual and active wear by Erebelle.
Since I must plead a little ignorance when it comes to such things, I will let GND’s Web site do the talking:
“Each item is something special, whether it’s wardrobe staples like tops from Vince Clothing and Ya-Ya, the designer denim you just have to have, ingwa; melero’s sultry tops and dresses for evening, or a uniquely-dyed silk dress from Lotta Stensson for a more elegant occasion. The richest colors, best fit and most luxurious fabrics are what you’ll find in our clothing. Austin shopping hasn’t been the same since our store opened in 2004, and now you can have the hottest designer women’s clothing no matter where you live!”
Girl Next Door [site]
25 W. 2nd St. [map]
Others receiving votes
- Emeralds, 11 percent
- SoLa, 5 percent
- Estilo, 4 percent
- Adelante, 3 percent
- Service Menswear, 3 percent
- Downstairs Apparel, 3 percent
- Blackmail, 3 percent
- Goodie Two Shoes, 2 percent
- New BROhemia, 2 percent
- New Bohemia, 2 percent
- Shiki, 2 percent
- Vivid, 2 percent
- Keepers, 2 percent
- Gallery D, 2 percent
- Minx, 2 percent
- Parts and Labour, < 1 percent
- Mode, < 1 percent
- Soigne, < 1 percent
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Your A-List winners: Best Arcade
Live music, art exhibits, comedy? Sure, those things are nice, but who doesn’t like a good old-fashioned night of video game playing? Add to the mix food and cocktails, and Dave and Buster’s has come up with the recipe for alternative adult entertainment. With 50 percent of the vote, the arcade that doubles as a bar and restaurant serving a variety of standard pub grub and a host of cocktails and assorted beers, is the winner of the Your A-List poll for Best Arcade.
Others receiving votes
- Main Event, 25 percent
- Austin’s Park and Pizza, 17 percent
- Blazer Tag Adventure Center, 6 percent
- Millennium Youth Entertainment Complex, 2 percent
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Is Jon Stewart America’s most trusted newscaster?
Following the death of Walter Cronkite, once considered the Most Trusted Man in America, Time did a poll to find out whom Americans consider the most trusted newscaster in the country.
The answer, according to this unscientific poll of over 9,000: Jon Stewart. The comedian outdistanced NBC’s Brian Williams, who has appeared on Stewart’s Comedy Central show multiple times.
Time even went to the trouble of breaking down the voting on a state-by-state basis. For the record, Stewart took 37 of 50 states (tying in Kentucky), including Texas, in which he bested Williams 41 percent to 31 percent.
Poor Katie Couric only won in Iowa. Silver lining: maybe she could get a head start on the 2012 presidential primaries.
Again, the results are not scientific and may be eschewed by the fact that Stewart’s supporters are likely more passionate in their admiration and trust than the fans of the network anchors. They could also be a result of the demographics of Time.com’s readership. Regardless, it is somewhat interesting.
The results:
- Jon Stewart: 44 percent
- Brian Williams: 31 percent
- Charles Gibson: 19 percent
- Katie Couric: 7 percent
In more Stewart-related news, Slate’s Ron Rosenbaum writes an open letter to Stewart asking the comedian to change his name back to his original Jewish surname, Leibowitz.
Image from Timepolls.com
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Powerful breast cancer tribute on ‘So You Think You Can Dance?’
And now for something completely different … sentimentality and dance both covered in my blog.
I don’t watch the juggernaut “So You Think You Can Dance?,” not that there’s anything wrong with the show. Just not my bag. But after being alerted to this video last night at Marita’s house, I had to share the contemporary routine performed by contestants Ade and Melissa.
The piece, a tribute to those diagnosed with breast cancer (note: I do not call them victims, because they are anything but), was choreographed by Emmy-winner Tyce Diorio, who explained, “I just felt compelled to talk about breast cancer and a friend who was faced with it.”
I found the piece incredibly touching on a personal level, as my mother has bravely battled breast cancer with grace, faith and fearlessness I could only hope to approximate should I ever face similar circumstances. She finishes her final round of radiation next week, so the timing could not have been more poignant for me.
The dance, set to Maxwell’s cover of Kate Bush’s “This Woman’s Work,” moved the judges to tears, as well as many of the audience members. I wish the dance could have gone on as long as the judges’ commentaries.
Note: Dick Clark Productions seems to be patrolling YouTube and taking down clips, but this one appears up for now. How long it stays up, I don’t know.
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Twitter-sized reviews of recent movie releases
Let’s face it, your attention span ain’t what it used to be. Neither is mine, for that matter. So, I went ahead and cribbed this bit (pun intended) from colleague Chad Swiatecki and have decided to give you easily digestible, to-the-point reviews of several of the recent releases I have seen. Maybe I will save you $8, or maybe I will help plan your weekend. Besides, many people complain movie reviews give too much of the movie away. In this format … impossible.
If you want some full-sized reviews of recent movies, check out the excellent work of Statesman film critic Chris Garcia.
- “(500) Days of Summer”:Woody Allen starter kit for Gen “WHY?” Strong showing by JGL, but female characters unrealized. Realistic-ish but not a 1st date movie. (B)
- “Bruno”: Satire is cutting and scary. And Cohen has serious guts to pull some of it off. Unfortunately more offensive shock comedy than satire (C+)
- “Away We Go”: Writing is extremely self-satisfied. Hard to believe 30-somethings going thru 20-something ennui. Rudolph is great. Twee soundtrack (C)
- “Public Enemies”: Beautiful movie with characters I could never really care about. Acting’s strong, especially Cotillard & Crudup. Film needs more action. (C+)
- “Food, Inc.”: Important film that delivers a startling message without being doomy & gloomy. May make you take stock of what you put on your plate. (A)
- “The Hangover” As with many comedies, the 3rd act drags on a bit too long & stalls at times. Could use more editing. Still a funny shaggy-dog story. (B):
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Your A-List: Best Comedy Venue
There may be venues that get bigger names from the national comedy, and improv has been taking off here over the past decade or so, but none of the clubs specializing in the aforementioned areas have quite the history as The Velveeta Room on East Sixth Street, winner of this week’s poll with 38 percent of the vote.
Besides being a platform for many of the up-and-coming stand-ups in town, the Velveeta Room opens its doors each Thursday to pros and amateurs alike, who have the opportunity to try and squeeze as many laughs from the audience in their allotted three minutes. Sometimes it is painful, sometimes it is brilliant, but it is almost always entertaining to see people experiment with the idea of what makes people laugh.
The Velveeta Room has a long and colorful history dating back to the slightly more sketchy days of Sixth Street in the 70s. For a somewhat complete (if hazy) retelling of the history of the Velveeta Room, Esther’s Follies and Sixth Street of old, check out the history section of the Velveeta Room’s Web site.
The Velveeta Room [site]
521 E. 6th St
469.9116
Others receiving votes
- Capitol City Comedy Club, 27 percent
- Esther’s Follies, 26 percent
- ColdTowne Theater, 4 percent
- Hideout Theatre, 3 percent
- Kick Butt Coffee, 2 percent
- Salvage Vanguard Theater, 1 percent
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Barton Springs pool may be closing … for months
I have no hard data to back this up, but it seems to me that Barton Springs pool has been busier this summer than any extended period of time I have witnessed in the past decade. Undoubtedly, the 100+ degree temperatures of the past two months have played a major role in that.
So, I am sure the headline above mentioning a closing of one of Austin’s most beloved institutions will come as a horrible scare.
Before everyone freaks out, it should be noted that the timing for the closing of Barton Springs pool has not been decided upon, according according to a memo from the city.
Here’s to hoping the work is done in the fall and winter, allowing hillside loungers, lap swimmers, diving board acrobats, yoga enthusiasts, pick-up artists and capoeira practitioners to continue enjoying the Springs during the sweltering months.
Asher Price reports the following on the Statesman’s City Beat blog:
The Barton Springs Pool could close for six to eight months for repairs to a bypass culvert that routes Barton Creek flows around the pool, according to a City of Austin memo.The memo does not say when the pool would close.
The culvert, built about 35 years ago, channels creek water that may have contaminants or pollutants around Barton Springs Pool. About six months ago, city staff noticed water leaking from the pool into the culvert, said watershed protection department engineer Stan Evans. Evans said there are about a dozen holes in the culvert. With current drought conditions, the water loss puts pressure on efforts to protect the endangered Barton Springs salamander, he said.
Repair costs could run from $2.4 million to $4.7 million, according to the July 20 memo, from Victoria Li, director of the Watershed Protection and Development Review Department and from Sara Hensley, director of the Parks and Recreation Department, to the mayor and City Council.
“The best option for repairing the bypass is not clear at this time,” the memo says. “Relative level of disturbance, cost, longevity, flooding, potential impact to the salamander, and time required for pool closure must all be considered. Pool closure during construction will be a major issue for the public from a recreation standpoint and for the city due to lost revenue.”
Read the full entry here, which includes a Q&A with watershed protection department engineer Stan Evans.
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Trattoria Lisina: Little Tuscany in the heart of Texas
While the explosion of restaurants in the heart of the city has been a welcome element of our city’s growth, sometimes one needs to leave his watch at home and escape the heated concrete of the city to decompress.
A trip out to Damian Mandola’s Trattoria Lisina offers a welcome change of pace and a chance to unwind, in true Italian fashion, for a meal that can stretch out its legs and linger for hours.
The 30-minute trip to Driftwood from downtown Austin may not transport you all the way to Siena, but the massive stone building set aside a winery just at the foot of the Central Texas Hill Country does its best to approximate the feeling of Tuscany.
Our helpful waiter directed us to an Allegrini Palazzo della Torre 2005 ($40) not listed on the menu, as the restaurant is apparently transitioning its wine selection and no Mandola reds were among the offerings Saturday night, that had a long finish with flavors of berries and raisins that went well with the meats (salami, prosciutto and mortadella) in our antipasti plate ($12). The asparagus on the plate, however, seemed an afterthought that crunched with more gusto than desired and lacked flavor, and the roasted onion could have benefited by forfeiting its plate space for a similarly cooked clove of garlic. We also submitted to the fried charms of the calamari which was accompanied best by the subtle piquancy of the peporoncini aioli, which went quickly.
As the plates, glasses and bottles begin to collect, you come to recognize one minor drawback of Lisina: the four-top tables do not offer adequate space for all of the food and drink you may desire. Fortunately, our waiter graciously and quickly offered a folding side table on which to place one of our serving plates. This lack of space could possibly be alleviated by serving meals at massive banquet tables, as they do in Siena’s contrade, but that may be a little too close for comfort.
While the tables are located relatively close to one another at Lisina, you do not have to worry about your conversation bleeding over to other tables, however, as the high ceilings and concrete floors make for an aurally rambunctious dining environment, despite the acoustic tiles covering the majority of the ceiling, that goes well with the restaurant’s communal famiglia experience. The tables ringing the central dining room, on what used to be the patio before the Texas sun proved itself more unbearable than its Tuscan counterpart, offer a slightly less noisy atmosphere, though not considerably so.
After finishing our first bottle and appetizers, we moved on to another recommendation from our knowledgeable waiter, a Castello Monaci Negroamaro ($40), the dark berry and slightly spicy aroma of which accompanied well our disparate main courses. It should be noted here that Mandola’s partner, Dr. Stan Duchman, apparently has an amazing personal wine collection, and the co-owner would be proud of his staff’s working knowledge of the bottles on hand at Lisina.
Head chef and general manager John Lichtenberger served on the opening team for (Michelin three star) Le Bernardin in New York City, currently under the culinary stewardship of Eric Ripert, and his French influences could be tasted in the rich Halibut special, which was pan seared and served in a decadent lemon butter sauce.
The Sicilian style breaded pork chop hid behind a bit too much breading but was punched up and topped with a moist and flavorful salad of mixed greens, cherry tomatoes and fresh mozzarella, which provided zest to an otherwise unremarkable dish that left me reaching for my water.
The lasagna bolognese ($14) could have benefited from more seasoning and a stronger tomato presence, but the rotisserie chicken ($16) — another nod to France — was a pleasant surprise, its juicy, tender meat bursting from beneath its heavily seasoned and aromatic skin. The accompanying cucumber salad, with its colorful flavor components of red onions and cherry tomatoes, contrasted nicely the herbed, savory flavor of the succulent meat.
The table lay the two-plus hour meal to rest with a wonderful tiramisu ($8) which begged lustfully for just a nip more of rum and the eye-opening affogato ($4), which had us putting down our spoons to sip the creamy fusion of vanilla ice cream and espresso.
The best part of a meal at Lisina does not appear on the menu, however. It is the opportunity afforded one to slow down and let a meal to unfurl naturally with no accompanying anxiety as to where one must be after dinner. After all, if you’re going to get out of town for a relaxing dinner, the last thing you should be worried about is how quickly you need to get back to the city.
Trattoria Lisina [site]
13308 FM 150 West
Driftwood, TX 78619 [map]
Hours
Sunday, 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Monday, Closed
Tuesday - Thursday: Noon - 9 p.m.
Friday: Noon - 10 p.m.
Saturday: 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.
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Snoop Dogg and Talib Kweli give props to Buzz Aldrin
To commemorate the 40th anniversary of the moon landing, musicians Snoop Dogg, Talib Kweli, Soulja Boy and Quincy Jones come together to give props to astronaut Buzz Aldrin, who joins them in the studio to lay down tracks for the song “Rocket Experience.”
Who knew that the hip-hop luminaries were such big fans of Aldrin, the second man to step foot on the moon?
It’s ineffable.
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Your A-List: Best Place to Picnic
Sure, it’s 100 degrees outside seemingly every day at this time of year. But, generally, Austin is a wonderful town in which to enjoy a meal outside. There may be dozens of places to head for an outside meal, but nothing beats Zilker Park, at least according to the Your A-List poll. With 25 percent of the vote, Austin’s most famous park is the winner of the Your A-List poll for Best Place to Picnic.
Austin’s signature park hosts a slew of events and activities that run the gamut, from friendly soccer games to gigantic concerts, but when its not overrun with folks, it’s great for a picnic, from the grilling out and eating at a picnic table variety to the bare-bones basket on a blanket in the grass endeavor.
From the City of Austin’s Web site:
In 1918, A.J. Zilker deeded the 35 acres surrounding Barton Springs to the City of Austin. In 1932, Zilker agreed to give the military school established during the First World War an additional 330 acres, joining the 35 acres on the north side of the original tract if the city would buy the acreage from the school for $200,000. This action was approved in a bond election and despite the economic depression of the 1930’s, the land was developed into Zilker Park.
Click link below for complete results.
Others receiving votes
- Mount Bonnell, 13 percent
- Capitol grounds, 12 percent
- Lake Austin, 7 percent
- Lake Travis, 6 percent
- Shores of Lady Bird Lake, 5 percent
- Mayfield Park, 5 percent
- Westlake Beach, 5 percent
- Auditorium Shores, 4 percent
- French Legation, 4 percent
- Brushy Creek Lake Park, 3 percent
- Barton Creek Greenbelt, 3 percent
- Pease Park, 3 percent
- Waterloo Park, 3 percent
- Republic Square, 2 percent
- West Enfield Park, < 1 percent
- Little Stacy Park, < 1 percent
- Gillis Park, < 1 percent
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Your A-List: Best Bowling Alley
Fads come and go. But some things stand the test of time. Witness bowling. Dart Bowl, the Your A-List winner, may jazz things up a little with rock music and special lighting from time to time on Rock ‘N Bowl nights, but its appeal is pretty much the same as that of bowling alleys for decades: no-frills design and aesthetics, lots of lanes, greasy food and pitchers of beer. Since it is Austin, however, Dart Bowl does step its game up a little in the food and booze departments with its cheesy enchiladas, cheap beer nights and full bar. And in this weak economy, who can’t appreciate Monday Dollar Nights, when games, shoes, hot dogs, sodas and nachos only cost $1 each from 9 p.m. to Midnight.
Click link below for complete results.
Others receiving votes
- Westgate Lanes, 17 percent
- Texas Union Underground, 12 percent
- 300 Austin, 9 percent
- Highland Lanes, 6 percent
- Main Event, 3 percent
- Interstate Lanes (Round Rock), 3 percent
- Saengerrunde Bowling Alley, 2 percent
- Millenium Youth Center, < 1 percent
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Radiohead’s online digital department offers new green product
Those who saw Paul Thomas Anderson’s “There Will Be Blood” undoubtedly remember the haunting and searing soundtrack produced by Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood.
Radiohead recently unveiled its online digital department, where you can now purchase the MP3 of the soundtrack for £ 7.50, which is about $12.
The most recent addition to the store, which opened about a month ago, is a lightweight jacket made of recycled plastic bottles.
Fans can also purchase disc 2 from the “In Rainbows” discbox and Thom Yorke’s album, “The Eraser.”
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Michael Showalter and Michael Ian Black take product shilling to a new level, God bless ‘em
I am sure if you would have told the two Michaels 15 years ago that they would still be on TV, they would have been both thrilled and possibly disgusted. I am also pretty sure that if you told them they would be doing live commercials during said show, they would be mortified. C’est la vie.
With all sorts of media scrambling to find ad revenue, it appears the show on Comedy Central will be the first of its kind to feature live adverts, according to AdAge.com.
Sounds like something out of a Simpsons’ Telemundo-satirized bit. “Y super gracias a Goya.”
[From AdAge]
In what is believed to be a first for a scripted series, “Michael & Michael” will feature live commercials during six of its seven episodes, as Messrs. Black and Showalter humorously wax poetic about the virtues of products including Unilever’s Klondike, Dunkin’ Donuts, Mike’s Hard Lemonade and Palm Pre. Klondike will be featured in the premiere episode, and the brand will also sponsor a web micro-series featuring the Michaels riffing on the ice-cream bar’s classic tagline, “What would you do for a Klondike bar?”Mr. Showalter said the sketch show’s reality-based format provided the actors their first opportunity to put their brand of self-referential meta-humor to work for sponsors. “I think we felt like with this show in particular, since we were playing ourselves making a TV show, we could do something where we’re basically doing promotions for advertisers as ourselves and it wouldn’t necessarily pull you out of the show we’re making,” he said. “We see it as the old-timey ad, the kind you hear on the radio all the time, where we just stand there and talk right to the camera, ‘This is the product, and this is why it’s great.’”
Jeff Lucas, Comedy Central’s exec VP-ad sales, said Messrs. Showalter and Black have been more proactive than most talent when it comes to openness to product integration.
“Michael and Michael are very forward-thinking. They’ve been doing this a long time, and they also know the economic realities of television, so they know want to play ball,” Mr. Lucas said. “This helps them, it helps us and, most importantly, it helps our advertisers get their message across in a new and innovative way.”
If this is what it takes for the two “alternative comics” to bring their meta-humor back to the small screen, so be it.
To be honest, at least they are being as up front as possible about their commercial messaging, as opposed to shows like “Chuck,” which use product placement in them which, despite the wink and a smile, turn out to be rather stomach turning.
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Bill Maher at Bass Concert Hall Friday
This review was written by Statesman writer Patrick Beach.
“I love America. It’s Americans I can’t stand.”
Oh, that Bill Maher. For more than an hour and a half Friday, the “Real Time” host and stand-up comedian (why are there no Perry Como-esque lie-down comedians?) ran through topical and timely material — Mark Sanford, Jim Ensign, sex scandals (“Republicans are just bad at sex”), lingering contempt for George W. Bush, the economy and, of course, religion.
Maher’s gift is that he’s smart and assumes his audience to be, too, a little edgy but not to such a degree as to diminish his mass appeal. As such, a lot of Friday’s material seemed rooted in shared assumptions, as in this one on Bush: “For eight years the channel was stuck on ‘Hee-Haw’.”
Good line, sure, but it would have been nice to have been challenged a little bit. Similarly this comparison of Bush to Obama: “You can’t change the world in a day but you can get the smell of stupid out of the furniture.”
One exception was this reference to Gov. Rick Perry’s ham-fisted attempt to shore up his anti-Washington bona fides by asserting (wrongly) Texas’ right to secede: “Texas secession? Over my thrilled body.”
The King of Perp didn’t get much love, either. “I knew Michael Jackson was gonna die,” Maher said. “He looked pale.”
And of course Sarah Palin’s abrupt resignation as Alaska’s governor gave Maher the chance to share a characterization much of the audience seemed to share. He adapted a crude four-letter acronym for hot moms, calling her a “moron I’d like to forget.”
The length of the show — that’s a long time to tell jokes — made Maher’s occasional reference to what one presumes were notes on a music stand forgivable. And the crowd seemed in a forgiving mood, eager to escape the grind of ghastly news, if only for a little while. As Maher said at the outset: “I know there’s a recession on — I better be (darned) good.”
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News anchor says a very discomfiting ‘goodbye’
Ron Burgundy called. He wants his bit back.
This is probably the strangest sign-off and profession of love I have seen in a long, long time.
So, Mike Snyder is leaving the NBC station in Dallas. Probably a time to get a little misty. After all, he has been doing the news there for 30 years.
Wait, this just in …
Snyder is not actually leaving the station. He is gone from the 10 p.m. show, but will still be around for the 5 and 6 p.m. broadcasts. He says he is doing it to “pursue other interests” and attend dinners and Indian Princess gatherings with his daughters. Pursue other interests? Like … catching “Murder She Wrote” reruns at 8 p.m.?
Sounds like a typical sports coach saying he is “choosing to leave” to spend more time with his family. But what do I know?
From the looks of this video, you would think he was about to undergo experimental surgery or ship off to Afghanistan.
Narcissism doesn’t really get any better than this.
I don’t know what else to say, really. Except, “I love you, Jane.” (That will be my new catchphrase for the second half of 2009, by the way.)
Roll the tape …
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R.I.P. Shuggie’s
Although its humorous, tongue-in-cheek press release credits a drive-by carried out by a rival chain as the reason for its “death,” the closing of Shuggie’s at the Trailer Park at 1311 S. First St. has a much more peaceful and natural cause.
After selling burgers, shakes, chicken sandwiches and other deliciously heart-stopping foods for the past 10-plus months, with a three-month winter hiatus mixed in, the owners of Shuggie’s, a spin-off of Torchy’s Tacos, have decided they want to focus on doing what they know and do best, which is serving tacos.
While Shuggie’s was doing a “nice business,” according to co-owner Bob Gentry, the ownership group decided they “can’t be all things to all people.”
Torchy’s will move its Trailer Park operation into the former Shuggie’s trailer, which has two service windows, allowing for better service to its legions of fans. The elimination of Shuggie’s will also afford more parking for Torchy’s, which can overflow with people during peak hours, Gentry said.
While Gentry says ownership has no interest in expanding into the world of franchising, despite regular inquiries from outsiders, Torchy’s does have its eye on expansion, with North Burnet Road and Southwest Austin being locations of specific interest, with a possible eastside expansion down the line.
In addition to its locations at 2801 Guadalupe St., the Trailer Park on South First Street and 2809 S. First St., Torchy’s has also remained busy with a booming catering operation, Gentry said, and has recently begun expanding into numerous coffee shops around town. (I noticed this morning that Torchy’s Tacos are now being served at Flipnotics on Barton Springs Road.)
While devotees of the burger trailer will likely miss the green chili cheese fries and chicken-fried, bacon-topped burgers they’ve come to love from Shuggie’s, Gentry notes there are other local businesses specializing in hamburgers and doing them well, and the company’s press released urges lovers of Shuggie’s to continue to support local burger shops such as P. Terry’s, Hat Creek Burger Co. and Sandy’s.
To celebrate the “life” of Shuggie’s, there will me a “memorial” at the Trailer Park this Sunday from 6 to 10 p.m. Considering the tenor of the press release, expect some good humor in addition to specials on food as the sun sets on a burger stand that was gone too soon.
Photo by Mark Matson FOR AMERICAN-STATESMAN
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Saturday is Free Day at Barton Springs pool
It’s 1,000 degrees outside. Did you know that? 1,000 degrees.
It’s so hot that I have not visited one swimming pool this young summer that actually felt completely refreshing and cool.
That’s why I’ve never been more thankful for Barton Springs. And everyone can be thankful that this Saturday, the Springs is free for all.
The 68-degree spring-fed pool will be open from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday. It will still cost $3 to park in Zilker, so walk, bike or find a spot in the Robert E. Lee Drive lot for a completely free experience.
The heat this summer has driven what seems like abnormally large crowds to the Springs, as I have seen some of the longest lines in recent memory over the past few weeks. One friend told me he waited 45 minutes a couple of weeks ago, but he may have just been suffering from heat stroke.
I can’t imagine how big the crowd will be Saturday, but with no waiting around for change, the line should move quickly.
Photo by Alberto Martinez AMERICAN-STATESMAN
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Saving a buck and dropping the ball in the Steve McNair case
As many know, McNair had recently opened Gridiron9, a restaurant near Tennessee State University. The bar and grill, which McNair hoped would offer relatively inexpensive and healthier food options for local students, according to ESPN.com, was temporarily closed Saturday following the homicide-suicide. It has since become an impromptu memorial for McNair, with fans leaving flowers and writing messages on its windows.
Davidson A.M. had scheduled a story for this week on the restaurant’s opening, with quotes from McNair. Unfortunately, seemingly at the desire to save a buck — or a few thousand — by not having to reprint its thousands of papers, which they home deliver for free, even to non-subscribers, Davidson A.M. went ahead and ran the story on the front page and then distributed copies throughout the community on Wednesday with the headline, “McNair opens Gridiron9, hopes to add others.”
Jack Silverman of Nashville’s alt-weekly, Nashville Scene, reports that his copy arrived with a note from Davidson A.M. publisher Ellen Leifeld attached:
“To our readers,
This edition of Davidson A.M. includes a story about former Titans quarterback Steve McNair.
The story, including an interview with Mr. McNair, was prepared before his death last Saturday. This edition of Davidson A.M. was printed last Friday. It is common practice for newspapers to print some feature sections several days before their distribution.
We apologize for the timing of the story.”
Seems pretty crass and tasteless to me. Not only is McNair now dead, his restaurant is closed, and the paper’s headline could not be any more appalling and incorrect if it tried, as McNair will not be adding any more soon.
Silverman writes, “Over on my side of town, The Tennessean’s weekly Davidson A.M. supplement has been a topic of discussion on the East Nashville listserv, mostly because Gannett sees fit to throw it in the yards of everyone in the neighborhood, regardless of whether you’re a subscriber. As a result, the papers are littering the area, strewn across streets and sidewalks.”
Editor and Publisher has reported the following: “That had all been done and processed Saturday morning,” said Bob Faricy, the Tennessean’s vice president/market development. “We really could not find a feasible way to pull all of them back and re-do it in a reasonable time.”
Faircy said that the supplement with the McNair story was pulled from subscribers’ editions of The Tennessean, but was still delivered to non-subscribers.
Regardless of the paper’s time crunch, this recent lack of taste and display of stinginess on the paper’s part will lead to even greater disdain from non-subscribers of the ubiquitous weekly supplement.
Image of the Davidson A.M. taken from Jack Silverman’s blog at Nashvillescene.com. Image of Gridiron9 from AP.
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Your A-List: Best Place to Take the Kids
You can take the kids to Barton Springs or Zilker Park any ol’ day of the week. And while the runner-ups in this poll offer entertainment and natural beauty that we are lucky to have right in the middle of town, if you really wanna blow the kids’ floaties off, make a day out of it and head down to ye olde German waterpark, Schiltterbahn.
Located in New Braunfels, the massive waterpark bills itself as “The Hottest Coolest Time in Texas.” The resort, which is situated on the Comal River, offers two sides which can be accessed by a tram, with dozens of water adventures of various degrees of “thrillitude” on each side that can entertain both children and adults for hours.
One of the coolest things about the park, besides the wicked uphill water slides, is the fact that you can bring your own picnic to the park, saving tons of cash on food. Throw in free parking, tubes and life jackets, and the price of admission starts to look pretty enticing, especially with temperatures soaring above 100 degrees all summer.
Complete results
- Schlitterbahn, 34 percent
- Zilker Park, 15 percent
- Barton Springs Pool, 12 percent
- Austin Children’s Museum, 7 percent
- Deep Eddy Pool, 4 percent
- Volente Beach, 4 percent
- Brushy Creek Splash Park, 4 percent
- Rock Rock Express, 3 percent
- Austin’s Park and Pizza, 3 percent
- Southpark Meadows, 3 percent
- BookPeople, 3 percent
- Lake Travis, 2 percent
- Little Stacy Park, 2 percent
- Butler District Park, 2 percent
- Dinosaur Park in Bastrop, 2 percent
- Lady Bird Lake< 1 percent
- Shipe Park< 1 percent
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Your A-List: Best Club DJ
Singer-songwriters and rockers may rule the local music scene in Austin, but over the past 10+ years, the DJ scene has been growing. DJ Mike Swing is one of the pioneers of the scene in Austin and is the winner of this week’s poll.
Mike Swing has been keeping clubs bouncing for years in Austin at clubs such as Six Lounge and Qua. As a youngster, he first fell in love with the vinyl sounds of his father’s collection before seeing a picture of Techniques turntables in an issue of Vibe magazine in 1995. It was then he decided he wanted to be the one making the vinyl sing in his own style. Swing eventually moved on to his own radio program, Urban Concepts, on KVRX in Austin, where he exploded onto the Ausitn hip-hop scene.
A 2008 interview with Austinihiphopscene.com reported that Swing’s show “was the first Hip Hop radio program at The University of Texas at Austin to play modern R&B and to obtain the number one spot for a college/community radio program in the Austin, Texas market according to the Arbitron rating system.”
After successfully working in promotions and supplying local DJs with his record pool, Moodswing Urban Entertainment Group, a venture that continues today, Swing decided to get behind the wheels in the clubs, and has supplied to music for frenzied nights of dancing at pretty much every club in Austin that has mattered in the past five years.
You can catch the avowed Michael Jackson fan at Cuba Libre Thursday evening and Six Lounge Saturday night.
Complete results
- DJ Mike Swing, 65 percent
- DJ Chicken George, 5 percent
- DJ Mel, 4 percent
- DJ Manny, 4 percent
- DJ Kurupt, 3 percent
- Toddy B, 3 percent
- Car Stero (Wars), 2 percent
- DJ Dallas, 2 percent
- Seth Cooper, 2 percent
- Rapid Ric, 2 percent
- Soul Happening DJs, 1 percent
- DJ Johnny Bravvo, 1 percent
- Boba Fett, 1 percent
- Prince Klassen, < 1 percent
- Syko, < 1 percent
- DJ Hella Yella, < 1 percent
- Stay Gold, < 1 percent
- Big Face, < 1 percent
- DJ Orion, < 1 percent
- DJ Komson, < 1 percent
- Starsign, < 1 percent
- DJ Chicken Kiev, < 1 percent
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Fourth of July weekend food/booze specials
And while it’s always a good time to fire up the grill and throw on some hot dogs or burgers, or watch Dad man the pit while praying he doesn’t pull a Homer Simpson and blow up the neighborhood, sometimes it is more enjoyable to sit back and let somebody else do the work.
With that said, here are a few dining/boozing options for Fourth of July weekend. So dust off that Francis Lightfoot Lee costume and have a blast this weekend, whether you’re doing the grilling or not. (And, please, eat and drink responsibly.)
Chris’ Little Chicago: Chicagoland transplant Chris Miller makes, in my opinion, the best damn dog in town. (Read my profile on him here.) Stop by his trailer on South Lamar this weekend for the following specials (and as an added bonus, bring a football or frisbee and enjoy the grassy acreage behind his trailer with some old-fashioned leisure activities.)
- Friday: Italian Beef Sandwich, potato chips and a canned soda or water for $6.50. Go all the way and “Get it Sweet Hot and Wet,” as Miller likes to say.
- Saturday: Fire Dog (spicy Polish sausage with mustard, onion, relish and peppers on top) with potato chips and canned soda or water for $5. For the Kids on Saturday: Two Jr. Dogs with ketchup & mustard, potato chips and canned soda or water for $4
- Sunday: Buy two hot dogs (any style) and get the third one FREE (of equal or lesser value).
You can also buy a hot dog and drink and get a FREE order of French fries.
Chris’ will be open Friday and Saturday from 11:00 a.m. - 7:30 p.m. (or until folks stop coming) and on Sunday from Noon - 5:30 p.m.
Cru Wine Bar: From 2 p.m. to close, Cru is getting in the bicentennial spirit by offering a three-course meal for $19.76. Check out the menu here.
Ranch 616: The upscale grill will be offering a special 4th of July menu that includes the following that can be served as appetizer platters or individually: Sugar-Cured Grilled 1/2 Quail, Scallion Grilled Beef Vacio Sliders, Mesquite Smoked Pork Brisket Sliders, Chile-Lime Grilled Tiger Prawns, Rosemary & Garlic Lambcicles, Mesquite Smoked Baked Potato Salad, Truffle Fries, Tony’s Agua Fresca of Mango-White Peach Lemonade
The Woodland: Head down South Congress for free appetizers with the purchase of an entree on the Fourth of July. You can also grub for free on a few Woodland appetizers at The Mohawk, as they will be dishing it out on Friday the 3rd for their afternoon happy hour that runs from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and includes kiddy pools, free grub and drink specials.
Mama Fu’s: Get red, white and Fu, as Mama’s has said this Fourth of July and receive $5 off any order of at least $20. But you gotta say, “I want Red, White and Fu,” so there’s that.
Veggie Hot Dog Eating Contest: For those of you veggie lovers or people who just love competitive eating, check out the Third Annual Veggie Hot Dog Eating Contest at 2 p.m. on the Fourth of July at the Tiniest Bar in Texas.
Hyatt Regency Austin’s Marker 10 patio: Stop along the trail at the hotel for free watermelon slices from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the Fourth of July before taking in the fireworks. The bar and grill will also be serving a fancy backyard menu that will feature fresh watermelon martinis, Texas pulled pork sandwiches with an arugula watermelon salad and refreshing watermelon skewers drizzled in local honey and aged balsamic vinegar.
Z’Tejas: [From their press release] In honor of the July 4th holiday, guests can enjoy a bucket of four ice cold Bud or Bud Light beers or four famous Leo’s Street Tacos, each for the low price of $7.04! This incredible deal will be available starting July 2 at 4 p.m. and run through July 5.
Photo of the Italian Beef from Chris’ Little Chicago provided by Chris Miller.
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Your A-List: Best place to celebrate an anniversary
You’re a busy person. You’ve got names, numbers and dates to remember, people to call back, promises to keep. But no matter how busy you think you are, there is one date you must always remember — your anniversary.
Don’t be a chump/chumpette who thinks simply buying a $3 Hallmark card and a few puny roses are enough to commemorate the special date. At least once a year, you’ve got to step your game up. Your “fabulous” cooking won’t be enough, you need to find that special place. For many, the answer is this week’s winner, Uchi, which received 19 percent of the vote.
The South Lamar Boulevard temple of sushi won the honor after beating out Austin fine dining pioneer Jeffrey’s, the interior Mexican extravagance of Fonda San Miguel and the delicious game-loving restaurant Hudson’s on the Bend. The precious yet modern Austin bungalow restaurant, designed by architects Michael Hsu and Joel Mozersky, came to life in 2003 and, at the time, was a welcome two-star addition to the growing sushi scene. In the past six years, Tyson Cole’s creation has become a paragon of creativity and quality in the Austin restaurant scene, drawing rave reviews from critics and diners alike.
Uchi prides itself not only on the freshest of ingredients but also on top notch service, a forward-thinking approach to flavor components and decadent presentation. Needlefish displayed as a sort of flying dragon complemented with a citrus vinaigrette presented in an oyster shell on a bed of salt in a wooden bowl is just one example of the fanciful culinary delights you may find at Uchi. In addition to classic fish preparation and flavors, Cole and his crackerjack staff, who have a say in initial menu suggestions, also like to throw in a taste of the local, as evidenced in Uchi’s madai sashimi of black snapper with ruby red grapefruit.
With its commitment to flavor, presentation and service, Uchi is certain to knock the socks off your special one. And with food and service this good, why wait for a wedding or engagement anniversary? Just celebrate the anniversary of another week or month passing.
See complete poll results after the jump.
Others receiving votes
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Your A-List: Best local song from the past year
Austin has long had a reputation as being a home for the singer-songwriter. It’s no surprise then that Sugarland native and Your A-List winner with 47 percent of the vote, Ben Mallott landed in our city.
In his steel-tinged “Heartbreaks,” Mallott sings, well, of heartbreaks and how they will beset all of us in the end. Truer words never sung, Mr. Mallott.
Statesman music critic Michael Corcoran, when pressed for a comparison, likened the songwriter to a country Nick Lowe who has shown a knack for first-rate songwriting.
You can check out Mallott, who credits old standards, a juvenile heart, and his mother’s Ray Charles albums as inspirations, at the newly revamped Flipnotics every Thursday in July before he heads out west for a couple of dates.
Check out complete poll results after the jump.
Others receiving votes
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