When in Austin...

As you probably know, dear reader, I spent most of last week in Austin, Texas, defending (successfully!) my dissertation. I have almost no photos to post, but even so, this is a good opportunity to promote some of my favorite Austin haunts.

Central Market: Perhaps it is lame to think of a grocery store as a destination, but nevertheless, this a great place. Whole Foods still out-wows Central Market, but I have never gone to Whole Foods to truly shop. In comparison, I went to Central Market twice in five days last week.

Mi Madres: I probably would not treasure this place, or even know about it, if it wasn’t in my old neighborhood.  Still, I know many people who have never lived nearby who also swear by Mi Madres’ Tex-Mex—particular for breakfast and brunch. The food is consistently good and the prices are very reasonable. Most importantly, it feels just like a neighborhood place should: comfy, friendly, no pretension. Rex and I found Mi Madres on our first trip to Austin. We were particularly impressed when we learned that the owners lived in the neighborhood; that sold us on the East Side. 

Franklin BBQ: Obviously, Franklin needs no promotion, but I do want to take moment to write about the line. Yes, waiting for Franklin BBQ, which takes a minimum of three hours during the summer months, is a big investment. But approached with the right attitude, standing in line with fellow smoked-meat devotees can be very rewarding. Everyone has a story, and one will hear lots of very interesting ones on any given morning while in the Franklin cue. Plus, food just tastes better when one has worked for it. And remember--that’s why the line is so long: It takes a great amount of time and effort to slow-smoke meat over an open fire. If it could be produced on an assembly line, you could get it at Rudy’s, and then you wouldn’t want it.   

Black Star Co-op: When we first moved to Austin, Rex and I went to several of Black Star’s promotional events where they served great homebrews, sold shares, and explained the concept of a cooperative brew pub. I didn’t get it. Brewing craft beer is an art—why would anyone want to do it by committee?

It wasn’t until Black Star opened that I grasped the value of a co-op. (Which is funny, because I’m a farm kid, who should have known about co-ops. Why I didn’t associate them with owner-operator values is another story.) Anyhow, after Rex and I first went there, I quickly realized that the co-op was less about finding the best way to brew beer and more about finding the best, most ethical way to do business. Black Star employees are paid a living wage and no tipping is allowed. Fairness and transparency in how service workers are compensated? What a concept! More to the point, Black Star’s food menu is creative, high-quality, and local—an interesting take on pub grub. The regular rotation of Black Star brews is also distinctive and of high-quality. On my latest trip, I was lucky enough to indulge in their version of the Berliner Weisse, which they call the Waterloo. It’s a summer seasonal made with peaches, wonderfully tart and refreshing—one of my favorite beers of all time. Not a popular style, only a few beer nerds appreciate Berliner Weisse, so the brewer took a risk when he came up with this one. But obviously, the board supported the brewer in what might have been a commercial disaster. Long story short: If a restaurant can be run based on democratic decision making and shared profits, any business can. 

A big, little beer (Avery's Maharaja); a regular-sized beer with average ABV (Black Star's Elba), and a very small, big beer (Black Star's Waterloo). 

I’m running out of steam now, but another Austin-centric business worth patronizing, in my humble opinion, is Salt and Time. I had some of Ben’s excellent bacon on my last trip. It reminded me of the bacon that came from our hogs, killed and processed in Petersburg, when I was a kid.