Place: Qdoba
Lunch: 3 tacos, Chicken Mexican Gumbo, Dr. Pepper
Three days in Texas and NOT ONE FREAKING TACO. OR bowl of Chili, now that I think about it.
I flew to Austin on Tuesday on business and returned last night. After three days of walking downtown in warm non-coat weather, returning to see my car completely encased in a thick layer of ice (we're talking a good quarter inch) was sort of ironic.
Austin was a bit of a surprise to me. I realize "Austin City Limits" is shot there, but didn't fully comprehend just how music rooted that town is. Downtown (which is all I saw) is a very lively scene even late into the night. It's probably harder to find a restaurant without a stage than one with. And most of the downtown restaurants are very nice non-chain establishments with absurd menus some might think are written in a second language. If they have anything in common, it's the liberal use of goat cheese. I don't think I saw a menu without it. It's like Panera Bread bought all of downtown and speckled it with future concepts.
And just TRY to find a street corner where somebody isn't mumbling "Any spare change?" at you. Nobody carries signs, and they leave you alone immediately after asking, which is nice, but I guess a liberal city in a warm climate just attracts panhandlers. Somebody even publishes a homeless newsletter, which homeless people buy for $.25 and sell to the general public for the $1 face value.
The city is very self-aware of its unique status. There's some sort of group called "Keep Austin Weird" that's dedicated to the city's uniqueness.
I reserve the right to further explore this city in the future.
Lunch: 3 tacos, Chicken Mexican Gumbo, Dr. Pepper
Three days in Texas and NOT ONE FREAKING TACO. OR bowl of Chili, now that I think about it.
I flew to Austin on Tuesday on business and returned last night. After three days of walking downtown in warm non-coat weather, returning to see my car completely encased in a thick layer of ice (we're talking a good quarter inch) was sort of ironic.
Austin was a bit of a surprise to me. I realize "Austin City Limits" is shot there, but didn't fully comprehend just how music rooted that town is. Downtown (which is all I saw) is a very lively scene even late into the night. It's probably harder to find a restaurant without a stage than one with. And most of the downtown restaurants are very nice non-chain establishments with absurd menus some might think are written in a second language. If they have anything in common, it's the liberal use of goat cheese. I don't think I saw a menu without it. It's like Panera Bread bought all of downtown and speckled it with future concepts.
And just TRY to find a street corner where somebody isn't mumbling "Any spare change?" at you. Nobody carries signs, and they leave you alone immediately after asking, which is nice, but I guess a liberal city in a warm climate just attracts panhandlers. Somebody even publishes a homeless newsletter, which homeless people buy for $.25 and sell to the general public for the $1 face value.
The city is very self-aware of its unique status. There's some sort of group called "Keep Austin Weird" that's dedicated to the city's uniqueness.
I reserve the right to further explore this city in the future.
