Austin, TX

[Gypsy]

Every year a good freind of mine and I visit each other. This year it's my turn to go down for a visit. Last time we were there we really didn't go anywhere really. Just kind of hung around their place and spent time together. Which was very lovely. But this time we were hoping to.... I don't know, see a little of Austin? She's a grad student at University of Texas (if that's the Longhorn school)... so nothing too expensive in terms of places to go and things to do please.

Would also appreciate a couple of resturant reccomendations. She's a vegitarian (her fiance is a steak and potatoes man)... so no place that has a menu that reads, " Meat, with a side of meat. Third meat option available." One 'nicer' restuarant would be nice though, as we will be celebrating my birthday.

I have a Zagat's subscription but... real people's experiences are always the best. 1886 Café, Gumbo's, Reed's Jazz & Supper Club, Eddie V's Edgewater Grille, São Paulo's, Castle Hill, Madam Mam's are what caught by eye from the Zagat site. Plus, there are always some great local places that Zagat misses as I well know.

Oh... and being a Pser.. if there is any blingy place I need to stop by at... please, feel free to let me know. (won't make it to WF in Houston, unfortunately).

 

[diamondlove]

hi Gypsy,

I''m pretty familiar with Austin so hopefully I can be of some help to you. What type of activities do you enjoy doing? Austin is terrific for outdoorsy type of things such as boating and jet skiing out on Lake Travis -- esp. this time of the year. Also, being the capitol of Texas you could visit the actual Capitol or even the somewhat new Texas Bullock Museum.

Food- that''s hard bc almost everything I love in Austin is meat related (bbq!)...hmmm... there''s a good seafood place on 6th street that''s called the Boiling Pot. They have yummy boiled blue crabs and crawfish (when it''s in season).

A good hangout/dessert cafe you MUST visit is Mozart''s. It''s pretty central to town and it overlooks Lake Austin. On the weekends there''s usually a musician playing live music there. The place is great for gelato, cakes, coffee and good conversation.

http://www.mozartscoffee.com/


Austin is also known as the music capital of the world so def. fit in some live music venues if you have the time.
e.g. http://www.austinlivemusic.com/
http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/music/

Hope that helps!
DL

 

[sumbride]

Well, I was going to recommend a trip out to The Salt Lick in Driftwood until you mentioned the vegetarian... it''s family-style all-you-can-eat bbq and while it''s FABULOUS, the only veggie options are potatoes, coleslaw, and tomato pickles! It is byob though so maybe you could have your friend byoV!

My favorite restaurant in Austin is Chuy''s on Barton Springs Road... it''s TexMex and I don''t get a lot of that here in MD. It''s cheap too! Shady Grove right next door is another local favorite. Go sit out on the lawn with your drinks while waiting for a table. Threadgills is a nice local restaurant, but I''ve been gone too long to know much more of the newer ones. The Pecan Street Grill on 6th is a great place for dinner too. Most places in Austin aren''t particularly fancy.

There''s a lot to do in the Austin area that''s free. I spent four years just north of there, broke as can be, and had a great time. Within the city itself, you can go swimming in Barton Springs, go hiking on Mount Bonell, watch the bats on the Congress St. bridge at Sunset, coffee and music at Rutamaya on S. Congress, and the warehouse district bars and music venues on 4th street. There''s a great mini-golf course on Barton Springs as well... Peter Pan Mini-Golf. It''s got the big dinosaurs, etc. A couple of blocks away, hit Sandy''s Frozen Custard for old-style cheap cones. The new "local tourist" thing is the Flagship Whole Foods store... it''s HUGE. And it''s a nice cheap lunch. Go watch them dip things in the chocolate fountain, and there''s a walk-in beer cooler. We went a few times on our last visit just because of the novelty of a 50,000 sq. ft. grocery store with a multi-level parking garage!

As for shopping, I haven''t had much occasion to shop for bling in Austin, but Book People is my favorite book store, right on 6th near Whole Foods. I like to spend an hour or so at Toy Joy on Guadalupe for novelties nobody needs... but who can resist a wind-up nun that breathes fire? There''s great shopping on Bee Caves in the rolling hills off of 360, S. Congress, the Arboretum...

And there''s a lot to do near Austin as well. A quick trip into the hill country and you can see how beautiful Texas can be. Go down to Fredericksburg for Antiques and you can even drink beer in the streets. San Antonio is a nice day trip, great outlet shopping in San Marcos, go tubing on the Guadalupe in New Braunfels or the dance hall in Gruene.

OK, now I want to go back to Texas... Hope this helps you some!

 

[appletini]

I love the old pecan street grill--so yummy. Also look into South Congress Cafe, Beck''s, and Z''Tejas. Perhaps you should float the river in New Braunfels, that is always a fun Texas thing to do.

 

[scarlet16]

Date: 7/10/2006 11:30:10 PM
Author: sumbride
Well, I was going to recommend a trip out to The Salt Lick in Driftwood until you mentioned the vegetarian... it''s family-style all-you-can-eat bbq and while it''s FABULOUS, the only veggie options are potatoes, coleslaw, and tomato pickles! It is byob though so maybe you could have your friend byoV!

My favorite restaurant in Austin is Chuy''s on Barton Springs Road... it''s TexMex and I don''t get a lot of that here in MD. It''s cheap too! Shady Grove right next door is another local favorite. Go sit out on the lawn with your drinks while waiting for a table. Threadgills is a nice local restaurant, but I''ve been gone too long to know much more of the newer ones. The Pecan Street Grill on 6th is a great place for dinner too. Most places in Austin aren''t particularly fancy.

There''s a lot to do in the Austin area that''s free. I spent four years just north of there, broke as can be, and had a great time. Within the city itself, you can go swimming in Barton Springs, go hiking on Mount Bonell, watch the bats on the Congress St. bridge at Sunset, coffee and music at Rutamaya on S. Congress, and the warehouse district bars and music venues on 4th street. There''s a great mini-golf course on Barton Springs as well... Peter Pan Mini-Golf. It''s got the big dinosaurs, etc. A couple of blocks away, hit Sandy''s Frozen Custard for old-style cheap cones. The new ''local tourist'' thing is the Flagship Whole Foods store... it''s HUGE. And it''s a nice cheap lunch. Go watch them dip things in the chocolate fountain, and there''s a walk-in beer cooler. We went a few times on our last visit just because of the novelty of a 50,000 sq. ft. grocery store with a multi-level parking garage!

As for shopping, I haven''t had much occasion to shop for bling in Austin, but Book People is my favorite book store, right on 6th near Whole Foods. I like to spend an hour or so at Toy Joy on Guadalupe for novelties nobody needs... but who can resist a wind-up nun that breathes fire? There''s great shopping on Bee Caves in the rolling hills off of 360, S. Congress, the Arboretum...

And there''s a lot to do near Austin as well. A quick trip into the hill country and you can see how beautiful Texas can be. Go down to Fredericksburg for Antiques and you can even drink beer in the streets. San Antonio is a nice day trip, great outlet shopping in San Marcos, go tubing on the Guadalupe in New Braunfels or the dance hall in Gruene.

OK, now I want to go back to Texas... Hope this helps you some!

OH MY GOD...Saltlick is to die for. I live in NY and when they were here for the BBQ festival, it was pretty much the only thing we ate! I''d HIGHLY recommend it!

 

[Gypsy]

Date: 7/11/2006 1:39:04 PM
Author: appletini
I love the old pecan street grill--so yummy. Also look into South Congress Cafe, Beck's, and Z'Tejas. Perhaps you should float the river in New Braunfels, that is always a fun Texas thing to do.

Floating the river sounds fabulous. Would you mind explaining what it is? lol?

'Lake Austin and lake Travis. Can you go swimming there?

Salklick sounds fabulous... but won't work. I won't make her feel uncomfortable.

Music recommendations sound great too.

Cafe Mozart sounds perfect.

Sumbride all this is fabulous. ", you can go swimming in Barton Springs, go hiking on Mount Bonell, watch the bats on the Congress St. bridge at Sunset, coffee and music at Rutamaya on S. Congress, and the warehouse district bars and music venues on 4th street. There's a great mini-golf course on Barton Springs as well... Peter Pan Mini-Golf. It's got the big dinosaurs, etc. A couple of blocks away, hit Sandy's Frozen Custard for old-style cheap cones."

This is just great... if anyone else wants to chime in it'd be fabulous. Thank you!


ETA: do ya think I could have used 'fabulous' moe than I did? LOL. I was completely sincere though. Also we aren't going till labor day weekend -- I'm just an anal planner.

 

[jcrow]

my FSIL and her husband live in austin. when we go eat at a place downtown. i think it''s called moonshine? it''s a laid-back atmosphere. we are both veggies too. don''t remember what we ate, but we must have found something- esp. since she recommended it.

 

[sumbride]

You can swim in the lakes, but here's a list to the top swimming places... most are even better than the lakes!

Deep Eddy is a concrete pool but spring-fed and they used to have a diving horse there (oh, back in the '30s I think) and they have photos of that on display. Blue Hole in Georgetown is where I used to hang out in college. Hippie Hollow is an infamous nude beach at Lake Travis, but they have other beaches too. Here's a much larger list of places in the area, but most aren't in the city limits.

Tubing/Floating on the river is a very passive activity, but lots of fun. You rent inner tubes from a company, usually one per person plus one for a cooler, tie them together, and plop in the water. Then you float. That's it. Just float! You can play and splash,etc... but it's not particularly dangerous or strenuous. Just apply sunscreen and only drink moderately and you'll be ok!

There are tons of companies that rent tubes and run shuttles up and down the river. Here's one just to show you what it's like.
You're going to have a FABULOUS time in Austin!!!

 

[jcrow]

if you want to venture just outside of austin, i''d recommend going to greune, tx. it''s this antiquie town. great leisurely shopping. and they have this bar that has live music. it''s where they filmed the bar scene in the movie "micheal." i am sure lots of other stuff famous happend at that bar. not far from greune, tx is san marcos, tx. they have a fab. high-end factory outlet mall.

 

[appletini]

The lakes are more for boats and water skiing.

Floating the river is everyone gets an innertube, and special tube for the cooler (or a tube with a built in cooler) and litterally float down the river while drinking adult beverages. So fun and relaxing, and great people watching.

 

[appletini]

Oh yes, definitely outlet shopping in San Marcus. I heard they now have a Crate & Barrel outlet. And get some Mexican Martinis at Trudys.

 

[sumbride]

Oh, I don''t know if you''re a history buff at all, but UT has the LBJ Presidential Library. It''s free and open to the public every day except Christmas, and it''s really interesting if you like that sort of thing. I went in college in my public history class and loved it, took my politically minded boyfriend a few years ago and he''s STILL talking about it. Plus, did I mention, it''s FREE.

 

[RedRaider]

"my FSIL and her husband live in austin. when we go eat at a place downtown. i think it''s called moonshine? it''s a laid-back atmosphere. we are both veggies too. don''t remember what we ate, but we must have found something- esp. since she recommended it."

I second that on the Moonshine Cafe'' at the corner of Red River and 3rd Street. The food is absolutely to die for, and they do have veggie options. Have dessert! Chuy''s is also yummy is you''re in the mood for Tex-Mex.

Esthers Follies is a must-see for nightly entertainment. It''s on 6th street. Way too much fun!

Now, for the jewelry shopping... The nicest jewelry stores are Calvin''s (on Far West Blvd. off the Mopac), Benold''s (on Anderson Lane), and if you like casual jewelry, James Avery is nice (and local). There are several JA''s in Austin, but there is one right next to Benold''s. Also, in the Arboretum, Kirk Root Designs and David Zoltan (jewelry designer of the year). Also, Sheftall''s on 39th Street just off Lamar. If you feel like driving about 30 minutes, Salado (north of Austin) has Gregory''s, which carries high-end designer jewelry. What I really like about them is that they carry a ton of each designer -- not just five or six pieces, but practically the designers whole collection. We have personally bought an engagement ring, diamond earrings, a diamond tennis bracelet, wedding bands, and a Cyma watch there. Their customer service is second to none. There''s also neat shopping in Salado. Yes, I am jewlery obsessed!

I, too, love San Marcos for outlet shopping. They also have the glass-bottom boats there with the underwater pig show.

I personally like HEB Central Market better than Whole Foods. It''s also on Lamar and 35th Street. It''s more crowded than Whole Foods, but I think the selection is nicer.

Whew!

Have fun, but be prepared to sweat. It''s hot and muggy down there this time of year. That''s why I chose to go to Texas Tech -- for a dry heat!

~RedRaider

 

[Gypsy]

Date: 7/11/2006 9:02:12 PM
Author: RedRaider
''my FSIL and her husband live in austin. when we go eat at a place downtown. i think it''s called moonshine? it''s a laid-back atmosphere. we are both veggies too. don''t remember what we ate, but we must have found something- esp. since she recommended it.''

I second that on the Moonshine Cafe'' at the corner of Red River and 3rd Street. The food is absolutely to die for, and they do have veggie options. Have dessert! Chuy''s is also yummy is you''re in the mood for Tex-Mex.

Esthers Follies is a must-see for nightly entertainment. It''s on 6th street. Way too much fun!

Now, for the jewelry shopping... The nicest jewelry stores are Calvin''s (on Far West Blvd. off the Mopac), Benold''s (on Anderson Lane), and if you like casual jewelry, James Avery is nice (and local). There are several JA''s in Austin, but there is one right next to Benold''s. Also, in the Arboretum, Kirk Root Designs and David Zoltan (jewelry designer of the year). Also, Sheftall''s on 39th Street just off Lamar. If you feel like driving about 30 minutes, Salado (north of Austin) has Gregory''s, which carries high-end designer jewelry. What I really like about them is that they carry a ton of each designer -- not just five or six pieces, but practically the designers whole collection. We have personally bought an engagement ring, diamond earrings, a diamond tennis bracelet, wedding bands, and a Cyma watch there. Their customer service is second to none. There''s also neat shopping in Salado. Yes, I am jewlery obsessed!

I, too, love San Marcos for outlet shopping. They also have the glass-bottom boats there with the underwater pig show.

I personally like HEB Central Market better than Whole Foods. It''s also on Lamar and 35th Street. It''s more crowded than Whole Foods, but I think the selection is nicer.

Whew!

Have fun, but be prepared to sweat. It''s hot and muggy down there this time of year. That''s why I chose to go to Texas Tech -- for a dry heat!

~RedRaider

Um. Uh.

Okay... I went to an Ag school undergrad with Earth Day, hippies, and cows with holes in them (Holey Cows).... but UNDERWATER PIG SHOW???

Innertubing is a MUST! Already on my list0-- number ONE activity to do. Moonshine Cafe and Chuy''s are on the list too. Will leave jewelry store picking from this list to my friend as she''ll know which one is convenient... don''t want to inconvenience anyone... PLUS I''m an hour from NY and am going to San Francisco this month AND GOG this month so I won''t be bling deprived. David Zoltan might be my preference if there is time.

We''ve been to the Central Market. It was nice. *shrugs*... but we have nice grocery stores here too. LOL.

Outlet shopping. Sounds fun... but probably won''t want to do that, honestly. Unless we go while the guys are at the ball game -- Astro''s Mets. We''ll see. Not a priority. I have tons of stuff and am saving $$ for the wedding and the ring re-set.

LBJ Presidential Library might actually be a great idea! Thanks!

Will ask about greune, tx. I love antiques.

Oh this is great... will have to just have my friend read this thread and see what she thinks. Oh... I''m excited. We NEED a real vacation.

 

[jcrow]

more on gruene, texas''s dance hall here. it doesn''t look like much (after all it''s texas''s oldest dance hall), but it was a great time for us when we went.

here is gruene''s website.

 

[Gypsy]

Don''t think the men are going to go for it. But you never know... will ask because it looks fun to me! Thanks Jcrow!

 

[jcrow]

no prob. funny you said that! they reason i went was because a man suggested going to the town. we went on a business trip to san marcos. on our time off he pretty much insisted -although we totally didn''t mind- that we go to gruene. i am glad we did, that was the best part of our trip. it even topped shopping at the outlet stores!!

 

[RedRaider]

"I, too, love San Marcos for outlet shopping. They also have the glass-bottom boats there with the underwater pig show."

LOL!! I guess I should have explained it better. They have an underwater show. Basically, the audience sits underground in an aquarium-like area. The performers entertain you in an underwater show. Swimming pigs are part of the performance.

Oh. I think I got the name wrong on one of the jewelers. It''s Zoltan David.

~RedRaider

 

[jcrow]

RedRaider- HA! i was hoping you''d come back to explain. thanks!

 

[Gypsy]

That is funny. On this vacation our men have declared that they will not: shop. hunt antiques (which they regard as a specialized type of shopping torture) or go dancing (or they will go with us, but won't dance). PITAes both of them! We wouldn't be spending the night at the BB-- which they might do along with-- because our friends are on a budget. So basically, the men would cry foul at the suggestion to go there.

Mostly we are all home bodies. Three of us are into gourmet cooking, three of us are into reading, all of us are into movies, water activites, history, and all of us are into animals. They have 2 cats and a dog, and my friend's parent's run an animal refuge. Not big drinkers or partiers... fairly boring in fact. LOL That's why going to a bar and listening to Jazz on a nice night, or the tubeing thing are perfect. We love trying new restuarants...but also really love cooking together. Love wine. Music. And anything romantic for couples to do is nice. Guys will be going to a ball game one of the days so the two us will have some time to do things we like without them.... But mostly we'll probably be spending time as a foursome.

 

[Gypsy]

Date: 7/11/2006 10:58:51 PM
Author: RedRaider
''I, too, love San Marcos for outlet shopping. They also have the glass-bottom boats there with the underwater pig show.''

LOL!! I guess I should have explained it better. They have an underwater show. Basically, the audience sits underground in an aquarium-like area. The performers entertain you in an underwater show. Swimming pigs are part of the performance.

Oh. I think I got the name wrong on one of the jewelers. It''s Zoltan David.

~RedRaider

WHEW! That actually sounds like a lot of fun!! Although don''t know how my friend would feel about trained animal performers... would have to ask.

Zoltan David! Got it.

 

[appletini]

Gourmet food---go to the Driskill grill, we went there our engagement weekend, and it rivals Napa Valley. I love Central Market, I''m a regular at the one in Houston. You might want to check out their cooking classes (plus they include wine).

Gruene & New Braunfels are neighboring towns, so you could float the river and eat grab lunch at the Gristmill. And San Marcus is on the way there from Austin.

 

[Ann]

I LOVE Austin, I go every month for my fix.

(ok, my daughter just graduated UT, so I have an excuse)

Everyone has listed such great places, thanks I needed some new places to check out.

What about shopping on South Congress (already mentioned?)
Yep, the music on 6th street, fun

Walking through Zilker Park, along Lake Austin

Tubing is a blast, wear your sunscreen.

Have fun, Austin is one of the best cities in the US.

 

[Gypsy]

Date: 7/11/2006 11:45:05 PM
Author: appletini
Gourmet food---go to the Driskill grill, we went there our engagement weekend, and it rivals Napa Valley. I love Central Market, I''m a regular at the one in Houston. You might want to check out their cooking classes (plus they include wine).

Gruene & New Braunfels are neighboring towns, so you could float the river and eat grab lunch at the Gristmill. And San Marcus is on the way there from Austin.

Oh wow. Could make a day of it! Awesome! Driskill grill looks amazing... and a little too expensive. Four hundred dollars for four people (which is what the bill would be trust me. 3 of us wouldn''t be able to resist the tasting menu. It''s happened before.) can go right to my honeymoon. lol. My 31st B-day isn''t that much of an event.

Gristmill has definite potential. Although with a cooler and Central Market we''d probably just picnic! Unless the Gristmill is not to be missed.

"Yep, the music on 6th street, fun

Walking through Zilker Park, along Lake Austin

Tubing is a blast, wear your sunscreen."

Sunsceen 50. Check.
Tubing. Check.
Music on 6th street. Check.

Ziker park in September... hmm. Water bottles.. lots of water bottles. LOL.

 

[sumbride]

The Gristmill is good and fun, but not necessarily a "not to be missed" place, so if you''d rather picnic, that might be a good way to go. Central Market rocks, but the Whole Foods prepared food area is huge and would be a great pre-picnic stop. All my friends in Austin eat there all the time.

6th street is the well-known bar/club strip, but ever since MTV took "The Real World" to Austin, 6th street is kind of, well, young. I spent a lot of time on 6th street in college, but as soon as I was of age, I actually preferred 4th street. It''s just a couple blocks over, but the crowd is a little more sedate, a little more relaxed... there''s definitely room for both, but if you want to sit and enjoy music, head over to 4th. If you want to watch everyone around you get drunk on shots, 6th street is your place. but that''s just my experience. The people watching is wonderful on either street.

The neat thing about the Austin area is that everything is pretty close together. We''ve given you lots of little towns to check out, and they''re literally just next to each other. You can get I-35, go south, turn right, and boom boom boom, get a whole tour of the hill country!

 

[hopefulheidi]

Regarding Tubing:

I''ve been a few times the past couple of years and I''ve had a blast.

Unfortunately we''ve been a little short on rain around here lately and the news has been talking a lot about the poor tubing conditions in the area. When the rivers are short on water, tubing is a whole lot less fun: much more getting up out of the tube and scrapping your bum on rocks.

http://www.riversportstubes.com/Weather.htm That website will show you the current conditions on the guadalupe river, including the amount of water currently being released into the river. Obviously the more water, the more wicked the conditions. At the current rate, I''d be hesitant to go though.

Usually my boyfriend and I just end up shopping on the weekends, or heading out to the movies because we''re lame. When we have out of town visitors we always visit the same places though: The Oasis which has a great view of Lake Travis (and yes we''ve been there in the past year, even after the fire there are still ample places to sit), The Capitol which really is quite a beautiful building, and Austin''s Park and Pizza for video games, putt putt golf and go karts.

 

[DIAMOND*QUEST]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH Austin, home sweet home! Ok, here''s my input. I did not read all the thread, so I may repeat those before me.
My absolute favorite eating experience was at Hudson''s On the Bend. A little pricey, but would be an experience you will never forget. They have a website and a sample menu so check that out for sure. It is on Hwy 620 and if you take hwy 2222 you will see lovely homes, pretty views of the lakes, and fun winding roads on your way there. Here are some others:
Chuy''s
Burger Tex- no veggies here, except lettuce, pickles ect.
Katz''s Deli and Bar
Threadgills
Magnolia Cafe
Amy''s Ice Cream- The best Ice cream on the planet. I kid you not.

For a water theme, I would go to Schlitterbahn in New Braunsfels. Not far from Austin and it is much better than floating the rivers. A couple of years ago it was ranked number 5 for water themed parks. Look up their website as well.
This is just a short list after a quick brainstorm.

 

[Ann]

The Driskell

I treated myself to 3 nights there this winter.

I got a glimpse of the Bridal Suite down the hall. Very pretty.

Their dining room is awesome, but yeah, major money needed in there.

 

[Gypsy]

I''m just amazed at the depth and breadth of the information you all have given me. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

First, the river conditions website is a great resource.... and I''m gonna hope for a VERY rainy August. lol. Great info!

Hudson''s On the Bend sounds great... but it seems to be focused on game. And well... that''s definitely not going to fly.

I was honestly thinking of just going with ethnic for the birthday. Persian, actually. Apparently there is a pretty good Persian restuarant in Northwest TX named Alborz. I''m persian, and here in NJ there are no decent persian restuarants like there all in DC and CA where I lived before. DF loves persian (although he isnt'' persian)... Best friend would be happy cause she''d get some nice vegitarian fare, and her FI is game to try anything usually. So I think that''s going to be my goal.

Amy''s Ice Cream is on The List. It joins Chuy''s.

Lots of great cafe''s have been mentioned so I think I''m going to let my friends decide... I''m sure they''ve heard of/ been to some of these places.

The heads up about 6th street is VERY welcome. We''ll definitely shoot for 4th street, much more our scene.

The Driskill. Ah... well. There''s always the year after next!

 

[ladykemma]

definitely chuy''s, barton springs, and zilker park.