Lamberts | Austin

Of all the barbecue in Austin - how does one choose? 

Lamberts Downtown Barbecue made the cut for lunch one hot and sticky afternoon, it is

upscale as far as BBQ joints go, located in a trendy warehouse space with exposed weathered brick and beams and comfy olive leather booths. My fancy plate of barbeque features brown sugar and coffee rubbed brisket and maple and coriander encrusted pork ribs, with classic supporting acts - tangy slaw and warm collard greens. I sipped on a lovely cocktail called Gin Tucker made with raspberry, Earl Gray and Gruet sparkling. The Bloody Marys in abundance were also fantastic.  And last but certainly not least, the baked mac and cheese is out.of.this.world, a must order for the table.

 Lamberts Downtown Barbecue

401 West 2nd St.

Austin, Texas 78701

La Condesa | Austin

For modern Mexican food in Austin, La Condesa was a big hit. A bright energy encompasses the high walled, tastefully decorated space. In the dining room, a flurry of delicate light bulb strands drape across the ceiling, backed by a bold and colorful wall mural. The dishes are equally as captivating, we loved the watermelon queso fresco guacamole and the Cochinita pibil tacos with cabbage, pickled onions, cilantro and jalapeno. They've got one of the best tequila selections in town, and oh yea, house margaritas are made with fresh pineapple juice and a CACTUS SALT RIM.

 La Condesa
400A West 2nd Street
Austin, TX 78701

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.