Uchi | Austin

James Beard award winning chef Tyson Cole's Uchi kicked things off on our first night in Austin. We enjoyed stellar sake, elegant sashimi, early bird makimono specials and wildly creative hot and cold tasting dishes. With seafood flown in daily from the Tsukiji market in Tokyo and ingredients sourced from local farmers, this contemporary Japanese restaurant is sure to please the most discerning of sushi lovers.

1 | daily specials

2 | kaki kanro | oyster, tomatillo, green apple

3 | sushi chefs

4 | maguro bigeye tuna sashimi | goat cheese pumpkin seed oil, fuji apple

5 | chopsticks

6 | tako imo | octopus, purple potato, hatch chile, hon shimej

7 | shag tempura roll | salmon, avocado, sun-dried tomato | takara nigori sake box

8 | wagyu hot rock "sear it your­self" | wagyu beef, ponzu, japanese river rock

9 | sakana carpaccio | citrus, olive oil

10 | wagyu chili | ponzu, thai chili, orange supreme

11 |  801 South Lamar | Austin, TX  

bats on congress

If you visit Austin between March and early fall, head to the Congress Street Bridge around 8pm to see the bats emerge on their nightly flight. The narrow deep openings underneath the bridge are said to house some 750,000 to 1 million bats, making it the largest urban colony in North America. (They migrate north from Mexico, giving birth to their pups in June!) It's pretty wild, I've never witnessed anything quite like it. 

ATX

First there was Boulder. Then came New Orleans. There was short stint in Vegas. And a long week on Sanibel/Captiva. 

Austin was magical. Girls weekends always are! This city was all STARS and HEAT, live music and mechanical bulls. 

Must: party on dirty 6th. shop south congress. bar crawl along Rainey Street. watch the bats at dusk. visit the food trucks. tour the capital. dance the two step. eat BBQ and Mexican and drink lots of Lone Star.

Kia Cadenza at No. 9 Park

In a unique test drive meets dining experience, hosted at one of Boston's best, No. 9 Park, guests took the 2014 Kia Cadenza for a spin through Beacon Hill and Downtown before enjoying an outstanding three course meal. 

Luxurious and comfortable, where high performance engineering and technology meets a handsome urban sedan, the Cadenza is making strong first impressions as it gets introduced across North America. 

"The style was influenced by a private jet, particularly the wing area, and the flowing lines of a yacht." ~Louis Kim, Design Manager

A modern design and sophisticated finishes, plush leather seats, a sunroof stretching from front to back, buttons and cupholders in convenient locations - it is certainly an enhanced driving - and in my case - backseat riding, experience.  

"Premium is the level of satisfaction experienced over a long period of time, the first impression should make a huge impact, but that impact should last and intensify as time passes." ~Kim

Salad of Mixed Greens | heirloom tomatoes, marinated watermelon, grilled halloumi

Carnaroli Risotto | corn, bluefoot chanterelles, parmigiano-reggianoAtlantic Hake | heirloom tomatoes, shellfish, plankton and saffron aioli

Duet of Beef | ricotta and whey, chickpea farinata, broccoli rabe

Olive Oil Cake | local strawberries, whipped mascarpone, fennel

Vanilla Rum Bavarian | peaches, mint, baba cake

The Kia Cadenza experience was truly a pleasure. So was this meal.

P.S. More No. 9 Park here.