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Sacrifice your Facebook friends for a free Whopper from Burger King
So it appears Burger King has thrown its hat into the sarcasm ring.
In the past few months, I’ve heard plenty of people asking whether their “friends” would be notified if they were “de-friended” on Facebook. It’s the “Who shot J.R.?” question of the cyber generation. The answer, of course, is no. Burger King wants to change that.
The same company that brought you SubservientChicken.com (in which you could command a man in a chicken costume to perform dance moves via Web cam) is now bringing you Whopper Sacrifice, a widget for Facebook that allows you to de-friend 10 people in exchange for a FREE WHOPPER! The catch: when you de-friend said people, their and your feeds will display that you have “sacrificed” them for said supersaturated fat delivery system.
It’s not clear whether the de-friending is permanent or not. (Or whether anyone on Facebook actually eats at Burger King.) Of course, you could also just quickly accept 10 of those people from high school/college you don’t really like who have been in your queue for months and then summarily de-friend them and get your grease on. (And, yes, there is a limit one Whopper per 10 ex-friends, fatty.)
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Your A-List: Best Pet Store
With 38 percent of the vote, relative newcomer Lofty Dog in the 2nd Street District, is considered the cat’s pajamas by you, the readers. Lofty Dog (get it? you put your animals on a pedestal and live in a loft) caters to the recent urbanites who have moved downtown, along with office workers looking to walk to buy pet food, thereby saving them a stop on their drive home.
Owner Veronique Michalik eventually grew tired of the land development business she’d worked in for years, and decided she wanted to own a pet store. She called up her sons, got the family on board, and opened Lofty Dog in September of 2007. The business is truly family-owned and operated, with Michalik and her two sons, Colin and Ian (along with Ian’s girlfriend), serving as the stores only employees.
The light, airy and decidedly un-doggy-smelling store carries a host of premium and natural dog and cat foods, along with toys, treats, clothes (UT or rhinestone-studded jumper for your pug, anyone?) and petphemera. As an added bonus for those living in the 01-05 zip codes, the store also delivers pet food and hopes to expand its in-store services to include grooming and daycare in 2009.
Beyond offering all of your necessary and unnecessary but oh-so-adorable pet gear, Lofty Dog also sponsors meet-ups and events, such as this Thursday’s “Poochinis,” an evening that includes manicures for the dogs and Tito’s martinis and Z Pizza for their owners. Oh, downtown, is there anything you can make hip (or add booze to)?
Lofty Dog
403 W. 2nd St.
476.5050
(Free two-hour parking available in the City Hall garage)
Hours
Monday - Saturday: 10:00 am - 7:00 pm
Sunday: 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Others receiving votes
- Bark ‘n Purr, 27 percent
- Tomlinson’s, 15 percent
- Herpeton, 4 percent
- Rivers & Reefs Pet Center, 4 percent
- Gallery of Pets, 3 percent
- Just for Pets, 2 percent
- Zookeeper Exotic Pets, 2 percent
- River City Aquatics, 1 percent
- Bark ‘n Bubbles, 1 percent
- Amazonia, < 1 percent
- Aquatek, < 1 percent
- K9Lives, < 1 percent
- Partners, < 1 percent
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‘Doubt’: Streep and Hoffman at their heavyweight bests
When I heard that Philip Seymour Hoffman and Meryl Streep were going to be playing the leads in John Patrick Shanley’s film adaptation of his Broadway super-hit “Doubt,” I was over the moon. What lover of acting would not freak over the idea of (arguably) the greatest actor of her generation going toe-to-toe with (arguably) the greatest actor of his? But then I read a couple of lukewarm reviews, including one from The New Yorker’s Anthony Lane, with whom I usually agree, and decided maybe I should skip it. Thank God for slow Tuesday nights, skepticism and award screeners.
I watched “Doubt” at home last night and was simply blown away by the acting. Streep and Hoffman are Ali and Frazier, raging war (here spoken and unspoken) in several scenes that leave you emotionally confused and battered. I was torn between being knocked into the back of the couch and drawn to its edge.
“Doubt” tells the story of a Catholic school in the Bronx that is having a crisis of leadership, with Streep’s Sister Aloysius playing the rigid taskmaster principal and Hoffman’s Father Flynn playing the warm-hearted, affable and avuncular leader of the parish. Aloysius is riddled with paranoia and driven by a self-assuredness that lead her to command her fellow nuns to monitor carefully the goings-on at her school. Duty-bound and gun-shy but eager, the young Sister James (the amazing Amy Adams) concocts a story, by way of very loose circumstantial evidence, that Father Flynn has acted inappropriately with a young altar boy, coincidentally the only black youth in the school.
What ensues in the cat-and-mouse game between Flynn and Aloysius is a meditation on the conflicting ideas of staunch moral certitude and doubt, as outlined wonderfully in Flynn’s opening sermon.
The movie is unadorned and feels as if it was adapted from a staged play, which generally works with this material, especially considering the tight confines of the school serving as the perfect boiling pot. Streep’s Queens accent is a bit much early and almost tends to the caricature, but her nuance, especially in her eyes, retrieve the character from that misfortune.
Despite my love for Hoffman, his characters are often unlikable sorts, living conflicted and often self-hating lives, so it is compelling and ironic that his Flynn, a character accused of the heinous crime of child molestation, is one of the most likable in his career. In addition to the lead roles, and Adams tortured and eager character, there is Viola Davis, who, in one scene with Streep, gets at the heart(breaking) core of the film. There is no point in me describing it here, it simply needs to be watched and felt to be appreciated.
The ambiguity of the characters’ moral dilemmas and the film’s ending, especially considering the context, will leave you breathless. And while “Doubt” may not be 2008’s best movie — the cinematography and direction are uninspired, and artistic attempts at camera angles in a few scenes feel forced — there was not a movie I’ve seen in the past year (at least) that features better acting in multiple roles.
Get showtimes for “Doubt” in Austin here.
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Rolex saved Owen Wilson’s life? Reeeaaally?
Some people consider public relations flacks (whether in-house or hired-out) to be destined for their own circle of hell. But they’re being a bit harsh. These folks are just trying to make a living while promoting the benefits/virtues and/or mitigating the damage of their clients or products. Sometimes.
Then there are pieces like this, that just make you want to claw your eyes out and never watch TV or the Internets again, much less spend a dollar on anything besides kale grown by your next door neighbor.
Melrose Jewelers, a company that “sells nearly 400 styles of Rolex watches on its Web site along with brands including Cartier, Omega, Breitling and Audemars Piguet,” put out this piece of PR flackery that not only overhypes its product to a ridiculous degree, but does so at the expense of actor/writer Owen Wilson’s life and his reported attempted suicide.
From the Marketwire press release on MSNBC:
Rolex: Melrose Jewelers reports that, after a frightening suicide attempt in 2007, Rolex watches appeared to play an essential role in actor Owen Wilson’s recovery. On August 29, 2007, Time magazine reported: “speculation about his drug use, depression over his May break-up from Hudson and a recent fight with a friend have peppered the coverage of Wilson’s hospitalization.” A People magazine cover story out Friday quotes a friend as saying: “Owen was very despondent. He slit his wrists. He almost did not make it.” It was a dark period in Wilson’s life, and Rolex watches played a key role in helping Owen regain his bearings and his success.Although Owen Wilson has worn a Rolex GMT Master in the popular films “Wedding Crashers” and “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou,” he chooses to wear a Rolex Submariner in his everyday life. It is not surprising that he would make such a choice. The Rolex Oyster Perpetual Submariner originally was designed for diving and known for their resistance to water. The first Rolex Submariner was introduced to the public in 1954 at the Swiss Watch Fair. Copied by other watchmakers, the Rolex Submariner is recognized as a classic, and one of the most widely recognized luxury products in the world. The Rolex Submariner is part of Rolex’s Oyster Perpetual Professional line. After returning home from the hospital, Owen was captured by a photographer walking on the beach, wearing his Rolex Submariner. Later, he was seen riding his mountain bike in Santa Monica with the Rolex Submariner on his wrist. Obviously, the quality of a Rolex watch helped Owen realize and appreciate the quality of his own life.
A celebrity is expected to show up at a multitude of events, and Owen used the Rolex Mentor and Prot´g´ Arts Initiative Benefit in New York City to make his entrance back on the social scene after his crisis. As Liz Smith wrote in The New York Post on November 11, 2007: “THE APPEALING Owen Wilson is easing his way back into public life after hospitalization and a rumored suicide attempt. He appeared — looking good — at the Rolex Mentor and Prot´g´ Arts Initiative gala in Lincoln Center this week.” In contrast, the National Post of Canada was not so kind when they wrote: “And who was that I saw swooping in, last-minute, into a swirl… Well, that was the bad-day-having-of-late clown Owen Wilson, who just that week was also staring out from People magazine with a cover that read: ‘Picking up the Pieces.’”
Whatever the hawks of the media choose to write, it is clear that Rolex played a major role in Owen Wilson’s recovery. Back in good form, the actor is nothing less than a comic genius in a time when comedy is a necessity. Wearing a Rolex Submariner and attending Rolex Benefits helped Owen Wilson realize his life was valuable and worth living. Once again, the precision and quality of a Rolex proves to be a lifesaver in more ways than one.
Come on, Melrose, nothing about how the amazing strength of the band stopping the blade from cutting through to the wrist? De-spicable!
I wonder if Mike B. at Melrose Watches has received any complaints at his listed phone number or email address. Of course, the unfortunate part is that if Wilson has a promotional contract with Rolex, that may allow people like Melrose Watches to use his name and image any way they see fit. Ouch.
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Marat Safin: The Ivan Drago of tennis
He added: “It’s OK, I can survive. Just some small problem that I wasn’t in the right place at the right time. Yes, I won the fight. I’m good, I’m OK.”Safin, 28, arrived on Saturday night and asked for a tournament doctor.
Tournament director, Paul McNamee, said: “I wasn’t sure why he was arriving so late, why he was requesting to play a day later, but now I know why.
“I saw him in the lobby and he didn’t look good. He said, ‘I need two things, I need to see a doctor and I need to practice.’
“So I got the doctor and he gave him some treatment and then Safin went and practiced.”
Despite the bruises, world number 29 Safin combined with his sister, Dinara Safina, to give Russia a win over Italy.
Safin hit 14 aces on his way to a 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 win over Bolelli, after Safina beat Flavia Pennetta 7-5 6-3.
“My serve saved my game today,” said Safin. “I couldn’t ask for a better start than that.”
No word yet on Safin’s alleged reading for the sequel to “Eastern Promises” or about the dust-up Andy Roddick got into outside of a recent Meridian West concert. (For the record, Roddick could kick my ass with his eyes tied behind his back.)
(Photo from AP)
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Jeff Tweedy’s son, Spencer = Budding legend
This has apparently been making the rounds on ye’ olde Internets, but I just saw it today. Apparently Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy’s son Spencer, he of the band formerly known as The Blisters, started a blog at the end of last summer. What on earth could the son of a music legend have to say that I would find informative or entertaining, you may rightly ask. Well, quite a bit, actually, thanks to both the topics and his well-defined writing voice. As with any 13 year-old, he covers on his blog the basics — you know, humorous and irreverent postings about his Bar Mitzvah, spending vacations in New Zealand hanging out with Neil Finn and celebrating his birthday in the company of TV stars. The usual.
Spencer explains the reasons behind his blog thusly:
Beginning in 2007, Spencer Tweedy’s Blog has seen many different faces, its own and others. Whether I’m writing the ramblings of a travel fanatic or those of an internet geek, my blog has come a long way from its beginning. At first, it was solely a review page that analyzed different websites. But as my enthusiasm grew and my writing skills improved, I needed a more wide category to base upon. I tried many; politics, music, technology. But it wasn’t until recently I realized what my blog should be: My blog. Why didn’t it occur to me sooner? The name is ‘Spencer Tweedy’s Blog’ after all! I can write what I want! So, after being reborn on my 13th birthday, Spencer Tweedy’s Blog now stands as a/an [insert appropriate adjective here] figure in the internet community.
I officially feel old and incompetent. Either this kid is genius or has a ghostwriter. Although I am leaning toward the former. However, he does proclaim to be a fan of both the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs, so how much could he really know anyhow? Damn kids.
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Top 8 Movies of 2008
Thinking back over last year (feels so good to call 2008 last year), it wasn’t one of the greatest movie years in recent memory. Of course, it had a lot to live up to, with 2007 bringing us such gems as “No Country for Old Men” and “There Will Be Blood.”
At least that’s my excuse in only being able to come up with eight movies for my year-end list. It didn’t help that I missed out on some movies about which I have read and heard really good things. So, before I give my Top 8, I will confess I did not see the following movies, which very well may have made the list. (“Happy-Go-Lucky,” “Wendy and Lucy,” “Frozen River,” “Waltz with Bashir,” “Rachel Getting Married,” “Doubt,” “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” and “In Bruges.”) I’m sure I’ll get to them soon, and I resolve (among several other things) to get to more movies this year.
1. “Slumdog Millionaire” - A breathtaking, unapologetic tear-jerker of a movie with amazing cinematography that gives a wonderful sense of India and tells a story of love and redemption against all odds. (Of note, screened at Austin Film Festival. Read Chris Garcia’s discussion with filmmaker Danny Boyle here and Charles Ealy’s interview with star Dev Patel here.)
2. “Man on Wire” - Slow-moving, atmospheric story of one man’s ambition and the personal costs of said.
3. “The Wrestler” - If Mickey Rourke doesn’t get nominated for an Oscar, I will eat my hat. Every self-effacing joke, pained expression, hopeful smile and desperate act of trying to reclaim past glory rings true. I can’t imagine anyone else pulling off this role. (Check it out with live wrestling at the Alamo Drafthouse at the premiere on Friday, January 9.)
4. “Synecdoche, New York” - Charlie Kaufman’s tortured and neurotic genius has never been on such wonderful display as with this script. He is once again at his ambiguous best as a writer with a movie that makes some feel tortured and others hopeful. Phillip Seymour Hoffman is simply as good as it gets in a movie that could have used a little more directorial discipline. (Of note, AFF also screened this one. Check out my interview with Kaufman here.)
5. “The Dark Knight” - Visually stunning, complex and somewhat morally ambiguous, this is the best comic book movie I’ve ever seen, and Heath Ledger gives the best supporting performance of the year. Bonus points for the IMAX experience.
6. “Milk” - I was a bit ashamed to say that I did not know the story of Harvey Milk, or the pervasiveness of the legalized discrimination of gay people in America, before seeing Gus Van Sant’s moving biopic. The use of stock footage adds great detail and texture to a movie that Sean Penn carries with heart, soul and dignity.
7. “Let the Right One In” - Vampires seem to be all the rage these days, unfortunately this vampire flick got less attention than the lesser “Twilight.” It’s a beautiful, sparse (thank you, Sweden) depiction of youthful alienation and our desire to feel connected and loved.
8. “The Counterfeiters” - Wonderful performances highlight this morally-charged tale of Jewish concentration camp prisoners and their involvement in forging money for the benefit of their Nazi captors.
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Your A-List: Best Women’s Clothing Store
Certainly you can get away with wearing jeans and sandals pretty much anywhere in Austin, but that’s no fun. When you’re headed out and about, you wanna look nice, and chances are, if you’re a lady you’ve graced the stores mentioned in this week’s You’re a-List poll for Best Women’s Clothing Store.
This year’s winner in that category is the stylish and sophisticated By George, which took home 19 percent of the vote.
I must admit that I thought By George had only been around for a decade or so, but a little research on the Internet revealed that By George, and owners Katy and Matthew Culmo, have been rocking the designer fashions since 1977.
The By George flagship, which has been named one of the country’s Top Ten Boutiques by Lucky Magazine, is located at 6th Street and Lamar Boulevard and was joined recently by its little, slightly more casual sibling down south on South Congress Avenue. While the two stores have unique feels and merchandise, they both take pride in offering fashion that rises above and beyond trends.
By George
524 N. Lamar Blvd.
472.5951
1400 S. Congress Ave.
441.8600
Others receiving votes
- Strut, 16 percent
- Emerald’s, 13 percent
- Goodie Two Shoes, 10 percent
- Parts and Labour, 9 percent
- SoLa, 6 percent
- Girl Next Door, 5 percent
- C.Jane, 4 percent
- Feathers, 4 percent
- Moxie and the Compound, 3 percent
- Adelante, 2 percent
- Blackmail, 2 percent
- Estilo, 2 percent
- Shiki, 2 percent
- Y & I, 2 percent
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Your A-List: Best Local Web Site
(As an obvious admission of conflict of interest, let me say I work for Austin360.com and used to work for Austinist.com)
In a town where everyone has a blog, thousands Twitter and there is a plethora of wonderful entertainment sites, it is quite an honor for us at Austin360 to be voted as the winner, with 31 percent of the vote, of this year’s Your A-List poll for Best Local Web Site.
In addition to offering so much of the great entertainment content you get in the print version of the Austin American-Statesman, we at 360 are proud to offer thousands of entertainment and movie listings, hundreds of photo galleries and videos that enhance our reporting and often work as stand-alone pieces, and over a dozen blogs that range from the arts to music, movies, food and more that keep you connected and informed with Austin’s entertainment world.
In a move to stay interactive with our community, we’ve also taken to the social networking and micro-blogging waters, with our Facebook page and Twitter feeds, the latter of which has helped us to deliver you breaking news, updates from music fests and more.
All of the sites in this year’s poll do great work, and we appreciate the acknowledgment of those who voted for Austin360.
Others receiving votes
- Statesman.com, 24 percent
- TheScrewShop.com, 8 percent
- Austinist.com, 7 percent
- AusChron.com, 7 percent
- Do512.com, 5 percent
- BurntOrangeReport.com, 4 percent
- News8Austin.com, 4 percent
- LonghornNation.com, 3 percent
- Texas Monthly.com, 3 percent
- DailyTexanOnline.com, 1 percent
- ShowlistAustin.com, < 1 percent
- UnlockAustin.com, < 1 percent
- SXSW.com, < 1 percent
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Your A-List: Best Place to Take a Tourist
It seems that at least alf the folks I meet who have had the ocassion to visit Austin always end up mentioning “some restaurant out by the lake that had just an awesome sunset.” The restaurant of which they speak is instantly recognizable as the winner of the Your A-List poll, with 18 percent of the vote, for best place to take a tourist, The Oasis.
While there may be better meals to be had in town or better venues for live music, it is pretty damn hard to argue with the signature selling point — the sunsets (replete with bell ringing and much hoopla) — at Beau Theriot’s restaurant which was opened in 1982.
Even a massive fire in 2005 could not stop this Austin landmark on Lake Travis, which re-opened just days after the fire and came back bigger and better than ever, with three stories of decks and enough room for a party of almost any size. In addition to the restaurant, there also plans under way to add condos, shopping and an entertainment district of its own.
Others receiving votes
- Barton Springs Pool, 16 percent
- South Congress Avenue, 15 percent
- Mount Bonnell, 14 percent
- Texas State Capitol, 11 percent %
- Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum, 7 percent
- Lady Bird Lake Hike and Bike Trail, 6 percent
- Zilker Park, 5 percent
- Whole Foods Market, 3 percent
- UT Tower, 2 percent
- Blanton Museum of Art, 1 percent
- LBJ Library, 1 percent
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Your A-List: Best Hangover Breakfast
In a town where people enjoy their fair share of imbibing, it is important to have a roster of eateries on which one can rely for a post-overindulgence meal. Fortunately, Austin is no slouch in this regard. While some may tend to a hangover with a bit of hair of the dog, the best way to sop up a hangover is by eating a lot of empty calories and queso. Lots of queso.
The winner of the You’re A-List poll for best hangover breakfast (although, as often as not, lunch is just as likely to be the day’s first meal after a battle with the bottle), with 23 percent of the vote, is Kerbey Lane CafĂ©, a landmark in Austin dining of the late night and early morning variety since 1980.
With locations spread across town, there is almost certainly a Kerbey Lane within crawling distance for you on those mornings that seem to come way too soon and seemingly never end. Whether you’re a traditionalist who loves steak and eggs, have a taste for some Tex-Mex and migas, or like to mix traditions with The Paris Texas Platter (migas, French toast and queso), there is almost certainly something for you on the 24-hour breakfast menu to help you through the early part of a long day and fill you up nicely for that nap you just know you want to take when you’re done.
Others receiving votes
- Juan in a Million, 22 percent
- Magnolia Café, 21 percent
- Maria’s Taco Xpress, 9 percent
- The Omelettry, 6 percent
- Tamale House, 5 percent
- Taqueria Arandinas, 5 percent
- Star Seeds, 4 percent
- El Sol y La Luna, 2 percent
- El Chilito, 2 percent
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Sparks headed for spot next to Zima in the booze graveyard
Someone take away the hipsters’ skinny white belts and those big wooden paddles from the frat bros … MillerCoors is discontinuing the production of Sparks, the booze-and-caffeine-infused energy drink that helps get your night off to a strong start or a horrific end.
Check out this post from SFist for more details.
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Snow’s BBQ in Lexington
After five years of serving barbecue mostly to locals in the small Texas town of Lexington, Snow’s BBQ — thanks to laurels bestowed earlier this year by Texas Monthly and, subsequently, The New Yorker — went from little-known gem to regional star to the Mecca of Meat in the blink of an eye. Snow’s, which sells meat for only a few hours each Saturday, was soon being flooded with visitors from around the globe (80 percent to 90 percent of their business is now out-of-towners), and their weekly orders skyrocketed from 300 pounds to 1,000 pounds. The restaurant’s charming backstory and odd operating schedule seemed to add heavily to the mystique. Of course, with great honor comes great responsibility. And gushing praise and sudden stardom wrapped in a precious narrative can be a double-edged sword. (Just ask “Juno” screenwriter Diablo Cody.) Everyone loves taking shots at the king, and everyone’s an expert. So, with a bit of skepticism and a huge appetite for barbecue, a dozen or so friends and I headed over to Snow’s to find out what all the fuss was about and see if the meat could live up to its growing mythology. Situated between Austin and College Station, Lexington is home to about 1,000 people. It’s a one-stoplight, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it kind of place where kids play in the streets and everyone admittedly knows everyone. Sitting on Main Street across from an old peanut warehouse and down the road from a cattle auction site, Snow’s BBQ opened in March 2003 and resides in what was once the farm and ranch store of owner Kerry Bexley. The place has a few tables inside with a covered area of picnic benches outside by the barbecue pits.
When Bexley, who works at the lignite mine outside town, decided he wanted to open a barbecue joint, he knew there was only one partner to ask to join him. Between his people and management skills (he is a former amateur rodeo clown and ran a rodeo for a dozen years) and Tomanetz’s seemingly unmatched touch as a pit boss, Bexley figured they could be a formidable team. With a restaurant that is open only on Saturday mornings from 8 until they sell out, usually around 11 a.m. or noon, that hard work comes very early on weekend morning, after both Bexley and Tomanetz, who is a custodian for the Giddings Independent School District, have worked all week at their day jobs. The briskets are thrown over the coals between midnight and 1 a.m., then Tomanetz comes in at 2 a.m. and throws on the chicken, pork and ribs. The briskets smoke eight to 10 hours, the other meats smoke six to 10 hours, all over oak coals. After the smoke and Tomanetz have done their work, it’s showtime.
But one taste of the finest brisket in the land is a reward great enough for an unusually early wake-up call. The meat simply melts in your mouth like red velvet cake. The most impressive part of the brisket might have been that each cut of our entire brisket was cooked as perfectly as the next, a mind-bending consistency that put the rest of the meats to shame. Those who prefer a crusty, caramelized edge to their brisket might prefer a rub different than that used by Snow’s, but nobody can argue with beef that crumbles at the touch. The sausage was loosely packed and flavorful, though no more impressive than that of Smitty’s Market or Kreuz Market in Lockhart, while the ribs were a little dry. The most curious piece of meat was a pork shoulder that looked like a pork loin. It was juicy and tender but lacked the flavor of some better pork I’ve had in some other joints. The meat came with traditional sides of slaw and potato salad, both of which were fresh and tasty, as well as the standard pickles, onions and white bread. But who needs sides when the star of the show is so sublime? Beyond the food, however, it is the plain-spoken, unpretentious nature of Bexley and Tomanetz and the family atmosphere they have cultivated that makes a trip to Snow’s worth your while. Snow’s — named after Bexley’s childhood nickname, Snowman — has handled well the explosion of interest and the pressure that comes with it. “There is always the stress level of (meeting expectations),” Bexley said. “I’m very concerned to try to fulfill the honors we received.” Though it might be hard to officially crown any one barbecue spot as the best in the state — a task akin to a parent picking his favorite child — a tireless commitment to quality and a welcoming and unique atmosphere has earned Snow’s barbecue a spot among the state’s elite smoked eats.
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Your A-List: Best Place to Hear Live Music on a Weeknight
If you’ve got an out-of-town friend in town on a weekday and want to take them to hear some live music and get a good taste of what Austin is all about, chance are you’d take them to the Continental Club, winner, with 22 percent of the vote, of the Your A-List poll for best place to hear live music on a weekday.
When some complain about transplants ruining their town, they speechify about how they have been here for 30 or 40 years. That’s impressive and all, but the Continental has been around for over 50 years and is still going strong. The club, which was originally a private supper club which hosted such jazz/swing titans as Glenn Miller and Tommy Dorsey, is rumored to be the first in Travis County to leagally sell booze. The 50s gave way to burlesgue in the 60s and then a rotating cast of legendary songwriters and roots rockers in the 70s and 80s. In 1987, current owner Steve Wertheimer, one of the most familiar faces in South Austin, bought the club and restored it to its former glory.
Others receiving votes
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Your A-List: Best French Fries
The winner of the Your A-List poll for best French fries obviously think as highly of their taters as you do. How else could you explain the massive statue of fries outside of Hyde Park Bar & Grill, winner with 36 percent of the vote.
Whether you’re getting them as a side to your burger or just making a late-night pit stop to soak up the extended happy hour booze, people seem to love Hyde Park’s fries. They’re breaded and come served with some secret sauce that must have an ingredient in it that make people come back time and time again.
Others receiving votes
- P. Terry’s, 13 percent
- Billy’s on Burnet, 9 percent
- Top Notch, 9 percent
- Hut’s, 8 percent
- Phil’s, 7 percent
- Sandy’s, 7 percent
- The Tavern, 4 percent
- 219 West, 3 percent
- Quality Seafood, 2 percent
- Starlite, 2 percent
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Yoga on the cheap
Everyone from Major League Baseball players to screenwriter Charlie Kaufman have caught the yoga bug. Despite the amazing benefits of the practice and all the effusive commentary we hear on it from friends, it can be hard to get motivated to do yoga. It takes time, patience, sweat, discipline and money. For those of you who have been avoiding gettin’ all stretched out at the Church of the Open Hip (trademark, Rebecca Onion) due to the financial strain, you have no more reason to complain. Seventh Street Yoga is offering a promotional special that allows you to take unlimited yoga classes for only $75/month. The program requires a minimum two month commitment, but if you’re a regular practitioner or a curious novice, it seems the deal is worth exploring. Find out more at the their Web site.
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Your A-List: Best Place to Sip Wine
The wave of condos downtown, as well as on the east side and SoCo, has been accompanied by an explosion of wine bars.
While these new bars have seen varying degrees of success and patronage, you’d have to drive a little further north to find the winner of the Your A-List poll for Best Place to Sip Wine.
A little over a mile up Guadalupe St. from The University of Texas, bordering Hyde Park, you will find Vino Vino, winner with 19 percent of the vote.
Opened in October of 2006 by Jeff Courington and Kelly Bell, the refined yet warm and inviting bar offers tables for groups of all sizes and an impressive collection of over 300 bottles of wine, priced from $17 - $80. The establishment, which initially offered only full bottles of wine, has since expanded to include wines by the glass ($6 - $15) as well as a delicious menu that can meet any appetite, with offerings ranging from small plates (cheese assortment, calamari, charcuteries, etc.) to full meals (pasta, beef short ribs, fish).
The wait staff is always affable and eager to assist the non connoisseurs, with the house’s “random red” (a daily house selection ranging in price) often serving well as an introduction for those who are intimidated by wine lists or simply indecisive. (For you beer lovers, Vino Vino also offers Real Ale, Chimay and Full Sail drafts.)
Outside of being Hyde Park’s preferred evening destination for dates, groups of friends and families looking to sip wine, the folks at Vino Vino also offer Saturday tastings from 3 p.m. - 5 p.m. and larger-scale events, such as its springtime Pink Fest, where they offer samplings of 44 roses, and its fall Turkey Fest.
This weekend the good folks at Vino Vino will be celebrating the fizzy stuff, with its Oodles of Bubbles Fest ‘08, which allows customers to pay $10 to sample all 41 of the bar’s bubbly offerings. Ooddles of Bubbles takes place in Vino Vino’s parking lot this Saturday from 2 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Vino Vino
4119 Guadalupe
465.9282
Others receiving votes
- Cru, 14 percent
- Malaga, 14 percent
- Cork & Co., 12 percent
- Uncorked, 8 percent
- Vespaio, 7 percent
- Wink, 6 percent
- Green Pastures, 5 percent
- House Wine, 5 percent
- La Traviata, 3 percent
- Enoteca, 2 percent
- Zoot, 3 percent
- Saba, 1 percent
Write-in: Vino 100, The Grove, Salt Lick
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Wanna be a U.S. Senator from Illinois? Get out your credit card
The silly, silly Internets are at it again.
As you may have heard, Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich has gotten into just a little bit of hot water by trying to profit off the appointment of President-elect Barack Obama’s resigned senate seat.
Now, it can be yours. The seat is up for sale on eBay, with a current bid of $99 million. Better start saving up that baby-sitting money.
In related news, the Minnesota Independent says that Obama’s incoming Chief of Staff, former Illinois congressman Rahm Emanuel, is rumored by GOP sources to be the whistleblower on Gov. Blags. So much for those sharp elbows being intended strictly for Republicans. (More on that development from Daily Kos.)
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Apple getting that NASCAR application ready for new iPhone?
Soon, even your third cousin Cletus will have an iPhone.
The rumors have been flying around the Internet, and now it seems more and more likely that Walmart will soon be selling a low-end iPhone with 4GB of memory.
Bloggers and the commenterati have been going crazy slamming the idea and are up-in-arms of their status symbol being reduced to purchase by the lowest-common-denominator shopper at America’s least-cool store, with one commenter going so far as to say that the new budget iPhones should be sold in a gross brown color in order to signify that the user is simply a poseur and not a hip “true” iPhone user. This is what we’ve come to.
Of course, the punishment may simply be in the phone itself, as 4GB does not seem like it will allow for much storage of music and videos or any of the gillions of cool applications that Mac offers for the bigger, “real” iPhones.
Let the stampede (of customers and slaggers-off) begin. Or at least soon.
Update: Since I know next to nothing about technology, I asked our tech writer Omar Gallaga for his take on the latest developments. He says: “Yeah, it’s looking like it’s gonna stay close to $200 and won’t be the 4GB one. Apple is already undercutting its premium pricing with AT&T. They won’t want to go any lower than that for at least another 6 months.”
He goes on to say that he thinks it will be the 8 GB for around $197 and possibly the 16GB, as well, if the Walmart rollout happens.
“The 4GB was discontinued quite a ways back. It’s not like Apple to go digging back through their old stock and reintroducing it at a cut-rate,” Gallaga said.
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Fran Drescher hopes to whine her opponents into submission in the U.S. Senate
Andrew Cuomo, Caroline Kennedy, Fran Drescher … one of these things is not like the other. One of these things just isn’t the same.
With Al Franken running for senate in Minnesota and Jesse Ventura having already been that sober-minded state’s governor, it was starting to seem like the northern state had a monopoly on strange political choices. New York may soon be throwing its hat into the ring, as word has come out that actress Fran Drescher has designs on the senate seat vacated by Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.
“Fran Drescher, actress, women’s health advocate and public diplomacy envoy for the U.S. State Department, announced that she is throwing her hat into the ring of contenders for the senate seat being vacated by Secretary of State-designate Hillary Rodham Clinton,” Drescher spokesman Jordan Brown told CNN in a written statement late Monday.
Well, good for her, I guess. I had no idea of her previous diplomatic experience.
Now if we can only get Mr. Belvedere appointed as Ambassador to the U.N., we’ll really have something going.
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The 2009 presidential inauguration: It’ll get ya drunk
Millions of visitors are expected to descend on the city to celebrate Barack O
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That’s hilarious. Well, like anything attempting to be viral, either it will go crazy-popular, or become an icon of scorn and ridicule in the online community.
We shall see…but for me, I’ll stick with Culvers.
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I called to complain, and was respectful, but firm in that it was a despicable, gross way to prey on someone’s misfortune to hock a product. The exchange went something like:
[Sales guy doesn’t transfer me to PR, or can’t, or
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