Austin360 blogs > Out & About > Archives > 2009 > March > 11
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Your A-List, Best Place to Score a Last-Minute Gift
A-List voters have done your work for you. They’ve voted on the best shops to score a last-minute gift. And Numero Uno was the local hardware store with the high-end accessories, Breed & Co., which attracted 20 percent of the vote. You can purchase flowers, plants, food, cookware and decorative accents as well as hammers, paint and ladders.
BookPeople — selling much more than just books — took second with 13 percent of the vote. Waterloo Records, which carries all your favorite local musicians, came in third with 12 percent. And look: Another hardware store, Zinger, scored fourth with 10 percent.
Several traditional Austin businesses did well in this category — Toy Joy (9 percent); Emeralds (8 percent); Sue Patrick (6 percent); Tesoros Trading Co. (6 percent); Terra Toys (4 percent). Following the parade with 3 percent or less are Aviary, Blanton Museum of Art gift shop, Sparks, Austin Museum of Art store, Mercury Design Studio and Big Red Sun.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Biz & High Tech, Style, Your A-List
Your A-List, Locally Owned Business
Maybe that’s why Amy’s topped the A-List vote for Best Locally Owned Business with 22 percent of the vote. Waterloo, the classic local record store on North Lamar Boulevard, came in second with 12 percent. Top Notch burger stand piled up 10 percent, and Schlotzsky’s, the once and future sandwich chain, 9 percent, followed closely by 24-hour munchie oasis Magnolia Cafe.
Soul Food haven Hoover’s won 8 percent, while Homeslice, the New York-style pizza on South Congress grabbed 7 percent. Guero’s, the Tex-Mex fiesta across the street from Homeslice, carved out 6 percent. Taking 3 percent or less where Vulcan Video, Hotel San Jose, Spiderhouse, I Love Video, Birds Barbershop, Daily Juice, Ruta Maya, Service Menswear, Flipnotics and Aviary.
Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment Categories: Biz & High Tech, Your A-List
O&A Social Schedule for March 11
Almost SXSW …
6:30 p.m. “Who Needs a Drink … Locals Only Pre-SXSW Party” at Malverde
7:30 p.m. Hyatt Austin Grand Reopening
8:30 p.m. Pre-Texas Film Hall of Fame Party at a private residence
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O&A SXSW 3: Alternatives to walking
March 8 Facebook query: Michael wonders: “How to SXSW without walking? Others do it.”
Note the answers on my wall say a little something — usually sweet — about my FB friends.
Aaron Haley: Rascal?!Stephen Tatton: Segway?
Kate Hersch: Car and driver
Linda Ball: Taxis? Pedicabs? The kindness of friends?
Stewart Guss: Limo and driver!Adam Ayres: Sedan Chair. Totally sedan chair.
Deanna Deolloz: Bike.
Kathy Kennemer Genet: Hoveround … seems to be fun in the commercials Tim Vasquez: I’ll actually be flying over the city doing traffic for the Emmis Radio group during SXSW. That WOULD be the way to get around.Chad Swiatecki: You want my spare? [Aren’t you the gentleman? I’d say yes, Chad, if sitting down didn’t hurt more than walking.]
Roz Andrews: Sneaker skates?
Erin Geisler: You could tune in to a certain public radio station, which will be broadcasting the Decemberists showcase, and many others, live.
Tim Vasquez: Or, use a pedicab service for barter and say you will in exchange for thier service, you will have them on your popular blog! (My salesperson in me.)
Tip Jar: Out & About had planned to cover 100 parties during the 10 days of SXSW. Not gonna happen. Not with these roasted gams. Yet your social columnist promises to post 100 juicy SXSW reports with your help. Send news tips, street anecdotes, celebrity sightings and party pics (only the best) to mbarnes@statesman.com and check my Facebook, Twitter and austin360.com blog accounts for updates on your own good reporting. It’s my party and I’ll post if I want to …
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O&A SXSW 2: Selling Mishka through Matthew McConaughey
A very professional firm has been pitching to anyone who will listen an interview with Mishka, a reggae singer signed as the first act on Matthew McConaughey’s Just Keep Livin’ recording label.
Well, the artist is virtually unknown in this part of the world. And his patron is Austin royalty. Why not a short interview with McConaughey to pump up interest?
Nothing doing, says the firm. A phoner with the nebulous singer or nothing. Predigested compliments from MM will be available.
Well, both parties will be in Austin for SXSW (official showcase, Stubb’s indoors March 19), so we’ll see who actually lands a credible interview with McConaughey about his fondness for Mishka. Meanwhile, we’ll borrow this quote from TwentyFour Bit Music News, which we assume graciously took the publicist’s bait.
“He’s intense,” Mishka said of the Hollywood star turned hit record producer. “Like I say, he’s a very grounded person, but he can be very meticulous. Going over everything with a fine-toothed comb. He wouldn’t overlook a single millisecond of recorded sound.”
Tip Jar: Out & About had planned to cover 100 parties during the 10 days of SXSW. Not gonna happen. Not with these roasted gams. Yet your social columnist promises to post 100 juicy SXSW reports with your help. Send news tips, street anecdotes, celebrity sightings and party pics (only the best) to mbarnes@statesman.com and check my Facebook, Twitter and austin360.com blog accounts for updates on your own good reporting. It’s my party and I’ll post if I want to …
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment Categories: Music, SXSW
Helen Thompson Reception at Kirk Gallery
The Austin style community reveres writer and editor Helen Thompson. A certified veteran of local, regional and national publications, Thompson nevertheless maintains a rigorously contemporary tone and diction.
Elaine Garza, Helen Thompson
A little VIP party at Kirk Gallery downtown celebrated her editorship of Austin Monthly Homes, the domestic design, decor and lifestyle variation on the city slick, Austin Monthly.
Jeff Sartor, Tiffany Taylor, Leon Chen, all of Tiffs Treats Cookie Company
A certain cross-section of the guest list was foreseen: AM writers (J.B. Hager); AM reps (Ashley Nelson); AM publicists (Elaine Garza and gal pal Sam Davidson); AM or party vendors (we met a charming young man, Jeffrey Sartor, pushing his company’s delivered cookies — Tiffs Treats).
Stephen Moser, Jeff Kirk
Also present were the dear, inveterate socializers (Stephen Moser, Stephen Rice, Heath Riddles); the consummate host (Jeff Kirk) and Kirk Gallery neighbors (jewel-festooned Kappie Bliss and Charles Erwin from Beyond Tradition).
Ashley Nelson, Henry Burk
We also finally met Tad Speegle, whom we promised to introduce to Austin’s social scene, oh, a year ago, but we kept missing each other at parties. He wore some enormous, distinctive accessories which we are dying to ask about — along with that promised post-Vicodin martini.
Kathy Kelley, Bobby Bacon
