A Long Weekend in Austin Unveils the Capital City's Charm & Underbelly (Pt. 2)

Our recent trip to Austin was a fascinating study in Texas cuisine and human psychology. Yep, Austin is a pretty strange place with plenty of free spirits. And speaking of spirits and things that go bump in the night, we start the “flip side” of our Austin weekend with a visit to the city's most popular “hangout.”

BatFest 2007 – Literally millions of bats call Austin's Congress Avenue Bridge home. Hey, who needs to seek out or even build a Bat Cave when you have a perfectly comfortable man-made structure to hang your ... well ... bat? We had a great time at this annual event. The kids actually enjoyed the educational exhibits and we all discovered a couple of relatively new food products of note. No, not BBQ bat or Buffalo bat wings. Sweet Leaf Tea (www.sweetleaftea.com) and Brown Cow Yogurt (www.browncowfarm.com) are healthy and tasty alternatives to the more mass-produced varieties normally lining your grocer's shelves.

Guero's – This popular Mexican standby was used as a location for Quentin Tarentino's most recent cinematic effort entitled “Grindhouse.” Quinton's half of the old-school inspired double feature was titled “Death Proof” and featured none other than Kurt Russell as a sadistic, over the hill stunt car driver. I was feeling a little over the hill myself when we entered Guero's cozy confines. That soon changed ... thanks to some tasty chicken tacos with guacamole. The margaritas weren't half bad either!

The Texas Tower – Here is the second Kurt Russell reference in this column (certainly a new Dixie Dining record). Kurt again played the bad guy in a 1975 movie (“The Deadly Tower”) about the campus sniper who terrorized the UT campus in 1966. It is certainly an eerie feeling to stroll the grounds surrounding the tower. We paused for a moment and visited the gardens that were planted as a memorial to the shooter's many victims. This is a somber but worthwhile stop when you're in Austin. OK, no more about Kurt Russell – at least in this column. Well, first let me close by saying that “The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes” was a classic piece of Hollywood cinematography.

LBJ Library & Museum – More education can be had at this surprisingly well done and fascinating museum. The help was very friendly and the exhibits & artifacts truly revealing. We chuckled at LBJ's homespun sense of humor and marveled at the museum's recreation of the Oval Office during LBJ's tenure. We were also reminded of Lady Bird's Southern grace and care for the environment, making this experience another must when in Texas' capital city.

Threadgill's – We hit Threadgill's on Riverside Drive for a hearty Sunday Gospel Brunch following our early morning LBJ pilgrimage. The live music provided a nice backdrop and the crispy smoked bacon was perfect. Add eggs, biscuits, grits, a zesty salsa, and countless other selections to the party and you're talking a very delicious and filling start to the day. There are actually two Threadgill's locations in Austin – both offer good eats and tons of local character.

Driving about 15 miles outside of town, we snapped a picture of an old general store and later stopped by Driftwood Vineyards for some breathtaking views of the Texas Hill Country. The nearby Mandola Estates Vineyards was decidedly more upscale with its Tuscan-inspired structures and a gourmet Italian restaurant. Mandola was apparently opened by the same family that founded the Carrabba's restaurant chain before they sold out to the corporate suits who oversee the Outback Steakhouse brand. However tempting, high brow Italian cuisine was not exactly on this trip’s agenda. We had our minds set on smoked meat --- and lots of it.

Salt Lick BBQ does offer down on the ranch, rustic atmosphere, yet the grub this visit was nothing better than average. This is likely another example of a place just getting (to coin a old cowpoke phrase) “too big for its britches.” Rapid growth often makes it hard to maintain food quality and consistency. It is affordable enough here and not the least bit pretentious, so Salt Lick is a great place to gather with young'uns or those unruly desperadoes you call friends. I will say that Salt Lick's BBQ sauce is mighty tasty. It's blending of buttery texture and well-balanced spices reminds us of other fave sauces sampled in the Texas BBQ hotbeds of Luling and Lockhart.

Flip Happy Crepes – We love this place, which somehow sprouted out of a mobile home park in South Austin. Even the restaurant (if you can call it that) is housed in a vintage Airstream trailer. Where else would you expect to find authentic French crepes??? They serve both savory and sweet crepes here, but our decision was easy: Blueberry with Lemon Curd dusted with powdered sugar. If all this sounds somehow familiar, Flip Happy was recently featured on Food Network's “Throwdown with Bobby Flay.” They easily defeated Flay and welcome all other comers. The combination of the trailer trash setting and uptown vibe make this a one of a kind dining experience. BYOC (Bring Your Own Chardonnay).

Stevie Ray Vaughn Memorial – This was a not to be missed photo opportunity for a certified music junkie like yours truly. I actually once saw Stevie Ray in concert and shared in the world's sadness when we lost him way too early. You can find Austin's tasteful tribute to a native son along the southern bank of the Colorado River. Vaughn is depicted wearing a long trench coat, which I would not suggest as ideal togs for the mid-summer Texas heat.

Torchy's Damn Good Tacos – Would you believe another revelation? Like Flip Happy, this is another fine example of the trailer cuisine that seems to be taking Texas by storm. I ordered a green chile taco at the trailer's window and then passed the brief wait by shooting a few hoops with the boys while Eileen cooled her heels alongside the peaceful, tree-shaded creek that runs behind Torchy's. Thanks to Austin Daze magazine for bringing Torchy's to our attention. Get here ASAP – this will not be a well-kept secret for long. It’s hot – damn hot!

We then buzzed by Marta's Bakery for a much-anticipated taste of her famous pumpkin flan, but sadly the door was locked tight. Undaunted, we made the short drive to the Whole Foods Market World Headquarters, which our new friend Bud Royer of Round Top, TX calls pure “food pornography” indulgence. I couldn't resist the calorie laden Tres Leches (three milks) cake. It is rich, super-moist and over the top dee-lish! Treat yourself to this food wonderland and do some browsing of your own. We are convinced that your head will be also spinning with the choices and possibilities.

Toy Joy – This could very well be one of the world's coolest toy stores. Forget about Toys R Us and get to Toy Joy to bring out the true kid in you. Toy Joy is a virtual wonderland of gag gifts, gizmos, and whatchamacallits. They seem to specialize in retro toys from baby boomer childhoods and low cost Japanese gadgets that make delightful stocking stuffers. Visit their web site (listed below) today for a peek and a big fat childish smile.

Southside Market & BBQ – This was our last stop on the trip home and no doubt the finest BBQ we sampled on the entire Austin jaunt. The BBQ chicken and link sausage were both superb and the chopped beef BBQ sandwich was honestly as good as you'll find anywhere. This is not just euphoric, end of the journey hyperbole, folks. It's truly special stuff. We grabbed a tall bottle of Elgin Hot Sauce on the way out and started plotting our return to this Texas treasure conveniently situated along Highway 290.

We'll be back, Austin. Thanks for the memories!

• Driftwood Vineyards – Driftwood; 4001 Elder Hill Rd; www.driftwoodvineyards.com

• Flip Happy Crepes – Austin; 400 Jessie Street; 512 552-9034; www.fliphappycrepes.com

• Guero's – Austin; 1412 S. Congress Avenue; 512 447-7688; www.guerostacobar.com

• LBJ Library – Austin; 2313 Red River Street; 512 721-0200; www.lbjlib.utexas.edu

• Mandola Estates – Driftwood; 13308 FM 150 W; 512 858-1470; www.mandolawines.com

• The Salt Lick BBQ – Driftwood; 888 725-8542; www.saltlickbbq.com

• Southside Market – Elgin; Hwys. 290 & 95; 512 285-3407; www.southsidemarket.com

• Threadgill's – Austin; 301 W. Riverside Drive; 512 472-9304; www.threadgills.com

• Torchy's Damn Good Tacos – Austin; 1207 S. 1st Street; 512 366-0537

• Toy Joy – Austin; 2900 Guadalupe; www.toyjoy.com; 512 320-0090

• Whole Foods Market – Austin; 525 N. Lamar; 512 476-1206; www.wholefoodsmarket.com

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For further information on great Southern restaurants and food sources, please stop by our own web site at www.dixiedining.com or drop us a line at 10115 Cottonwood Canyon Drive, Houston, Texas 77095. We can be reached directly by telephone at 662 404-0816 or 281 605-8610. We look forward to hearing from you.

Until next time … “May the Fork Be with You!”