Austin Monthly December 2020

I Luv Video’s Final Days PAGE 72 The Best & Worst of 2020 PAGE 56 December 2020

THE LATEST

TRENDS, THE BUZZIEST NEW

BREWERIES, AND COUNTLESS STYLES TO QUENCH YOUR THIRST.

EO ER U VUV T H EBP P •CIULLT RIED IESOS U E

This Year, You’ve Earned a

The Best in

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December 2020

58 What’s Brewing?

Meet the designers, architects, and exciting new brewmasters that are defining Austin’s cutting-edge beer scene today.

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Curtain Call: The Rise, Fall, and Hopeful Rebirth of I Luv Video

Owner Conrad Bejarano might’ve had to close the city’s last great video store, but that’s not the end of the story.

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Top Mortgage Professionals

Whether you’re refinancing or buying for the first time, look to these peerreviewed pros.

Shannon Harris of Urban Jungle Brewing pours himself a glass.

SARAH KARLAN

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December 2020

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ED I T O R ’ S

L E T T ER

1 6 | W EI R D

H I S T O R Y

9 6

Contents Scout 21 Local holiday gift guide 2 2 KUTX’s Pause/Play and other must-listen podcasts 2 4 Music Lane gives South Congress a chic new note 2 6 The To-Do List 2 8

Feast 35

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Chicken-fried steak’s 2020 makeover 3 6 Former ad man Mo Pittle brings an irreverent swagger to Jewboy Burgers 3 8 Best Chinese restaurants, The Pickle House hot sauces, and Paprika shines 40

Beat 49 Staring down an uncertain future in a year of historic closures 5 0

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The secret recipe behind Nathan Hill’s bar empire 5 2 Chas Moore’s mission to rethink public safety 5 4

ON THE

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C OV E R

Real Ale Axis IPA Beer,

by Nick Cabrera

B AG A N D TAC O S : A M N A I JA Z ; H I L L : D R E W A N T H O N Y S M I T H

The Best & Worst of 2020 5 6

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December 2020 | Vol. 28 | No. 12 Editor in Chief Chris Hughes Creative Director Sara Marie D’Eugenio EDITORIAL Executive Editor Madeline Hollern Senior Editor David Leffler Contributing Writers Dan Gentile, Trey Gutierrez ART Contributing Photographers Nick Cabrera, Sarah Karlan, Annie Ray, Drew Anthony Smith Contributing Illustrator Abbey Lossing Photography Intern Amna Ijaz DIGITAL Digital Manager Abigail Stewart Digital Media Coordinator Rosie Ninesling INTERNS Landry Allred, Hunter Bergfeld, Manuela Guerra Fletcher, McKenzie Stewart

ADVERTISING Publisher Stewart Ramser Associate Publisher Julie A. Kunkle Digital Sales Manager Misty Pennock Senior Account Executive Tina Mullins Account Executives Dana Horner, Mike McKee, Christina Olivarez Ad Sales and Sponsorship Coordinator Jillian Clifton

WEBSITE AND SOCIAL MEDIA austinmonthly.com

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CEO Todd P. Paul President Stewart Ramser Vice President of Sales Julie A. Kunkle Editorial Director Rebecca Fontenot Cord Director of Operations Hollis Boice Audience Development Director Kerri Nolan EVENTS Events Director Macaulay Hammond ACCOUNTING Accounting Manager Sabina Jukovic

CONTACT US Mailing Address 1712 Rio Grande St., Ste. 100 Austin, TX 78701 (512) 263-9133 Advertising Inquiries advertising@austinmonthly.com Job Inquiries jobs@austinmonthly.com Story Ideas ideas@austinmonthly.com Letters to the Editor feedback@austinmonthly.com Subscriptions, Renewals and Address Changes Austin Monthly P.O. Box 15815 North Hollywood, CA 91615-5815 (818) 286-3160 subscriptions@austinmonthly.com austinmonthly.com/subscribe Back Issues and Bulk Orders info@austinmonthly.com or (512) 263-9133

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Editor’s Letter Reason to Cheers

Chris Hughes Editor in Chief chughes@austinmonthly.com @cmhughestx @chris_hughestx

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J OE 4 -PACK Collaborative projects have become a big part of brewing today (see p.

64), and now we have our own. Starting Nov. 28 at St. Elmo Brewing Co., you’ll be able to pick up 4-packs of Joe, the coffee stout we made with the brewery using Spokesman Coffee beans.

INS TAGR AM SP OTL IGHT Living in Austin for nearly 20 years, I’ve driven past the Buford Tower countless times.

Its beauty and uniqueness has never failed to disappoint me. Being so close to all the new developments within downtown, the presence of the tower is often minimized and forgotten. As a local photographer, I wanted to put my own little digital twist on it and bring out the beauty of this great historical landmark. —Erin Newman-Mitchell; @erinnewmanmitchell

PD E H IOTO TO R :C M R EED GIATN B E D F O R D, I N STAG R A M : E R I N N E W M A N - M I TC H E L L

I STARTED MY magazine career in Boston with a focus on cocktails and craft beer. In fact, my first feature assignment sent me to Vermont, where I was to report on the elusive founder behind Hill Farmstead, still ranked as one of the world’s top breweries. The night prior to our interview, I showed my inner Texan by ignoring weather advisories and driving my wife’s Mini Cooper through a massive New England snowstorm. After spinning out into a snowbank, I looked toward the dashboard and saw the gas gauge needle hovering near empty—a chilling revelation considering my cellphone was nearly dead and GPS didn’t work in that rural part of the state. With temperatures dipping into the 20s, I began imagining myself trapped in freezing conditions overnight. But with a little luck and enough adrenaline to push the car out of the drift, I was able to reach a service station and, eventually, my destination.

Despite the cataclysmic circumstances involved, I still consider that one of my favorite assignments. Because what drew me to write about craft beer—and especially talented figures like Shaun Hill—was the independent, risk-taking spirit of the subject. That remains true today, where many of these daring entrepreneurs are guiding (or even starting) companies in one of the most precarious economic times in America’s history. As of August, the Texas Craft Brewers Guild reported that one in three operations didn’t think they’d survive the coronavirus pandemic. Yet they persist, with resourcefulness, a singular vision, and an enviable amount of hope.

In our cover story, “What’s Brewing?” (p. 58), we eschewed any arbitrary rankings in favor of an exploration of what’s driving the industry today. More than ever before, that includes a sophisticated combination of design, technical know-how, and creative ingenuity. You’ll see how aspects like label art and taproom architecture are determining who succeeds or fails, and why a long-overdue shift in brewery demographics is reinvigorating the category with fresh new perspectives.

That homage to small businesses continues in writer Dan Gentile’s feature, “Curtain Call: The Rise, Fall, and Hopeful Rebirth of I Luv Video” (p. 72), in which he profiles Conrad Bejarano, the owner of Spider House and the recently shuttered I Luv Video. Even as he’s forced to step away from the latter after more than three decades, the cinephile is exhibiting the type of concern and forethought endemic of small business owners. As we enter in that season of gift-giving and holiday gatherings, it would behoove everyone to support those like Bejarano, St. Elmo Brewing Co., and other indies who care not just about the next sale, but the culture they’re contributing to and the legacy they’re leaving behind.

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Go for the Bold

M O D E L : AC H O L N . M AY E N

Never mind neutral territory— Uwakima Udom is all about the statement piece. The Nigeria native has dabbled in bag making since 2008 after her sister, local clothing designer Unyime Udosen of U4U Designs, requested that she learn to make accessories so they could eventually collaborate. “She gave me this handbag and said, ‘Look at how that’s made and figure it out.’ And so, I did,” she says. After years of perfecting the craft, Udom launched Uwakstar Designs, her vibrant line of handmade purses, head wraps, and accessories, in 2018. Many of the pieces are made of Ankara, an African fabric known for its bold colors and patterns, such as the Ankara Wood Frame Clutch in Yellow Fish Scale (pictured).

“When I see the fabric, I’m always super excited, because it brings joy,” the designer says. “You can’t hate a fabric that is so bright.” Shop the brand at uwakstardesigns.com.

AMNA IJAZ

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Scout Gift Guide ⑤

The Big Give This holiday season, surprise your loved ones with a few of these locally crafted presents. By Madeline Hollern

①

❶ Lounge around in these stylish PJs. Katie Kime Austin Toile Long Pant Pajama Set ($108) at katiekime.com ❷ Add this ornament to

②

your holiday tree. El Arroyo Guac is Extra Ornament ($16) at elarroyo.com

❸ Get a facial-worthy glow at home. Milk + Honey Blue Tansy Balm ($98) at milkandhoney.com

④

❹ Show your support

toward this local mental health organization.

Bryan Anthony’s It Doesn’t End Here Necklace Benefiting the SIMS Foundation ($45) at bryananthonys.com

③

❺ Shake up your cocktail

⑥

game. Violet Crown Spirits Texas Wildflower Trio ($25.99) at derelictairship.com

❻ Help your pup stay

⑦

hydrated on daily walks.

Woof Water Bottle ($45) at getwoofwater.com

⑧

nice and cold. VoChill in Blush ($44.99) at vochill.com

❽ Complete your outfit

○ ⑨

with these cowhide leather boots. Alvies The Guadalupe Boots in Anejo Nightcap ($285) at alvies.com

❾ Fill your house with a

soothing wintry scent.

Luna Tigre Peppercorn & Spice Glass Container ($16) at lunatigre.com Indulge in a sweet treat.

Delysia Chocolatier Winter Collection Chocolate Truffles ($24) at delysia.com

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WO O F WAT E R : A S H L E Y R A M I R E Z ; A L L OT H E RS : C O U RT E SY V E N D O RS

❼ Keep your wine glass

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Scout Sounds of the City

H E AR AND NOW Driving home for the holidays? Delve into these other captivating local podcasts.

When the Lights Go Down A new podcast explores the state of live music in Austin.

By Madeline Hollern AS THE CITY navigates canceled festivals, banned gatherings, and empty stages, a new podcast begs the question: “What Happens to the Live Music Capital of the World When the Music Stops?”

Launched this fall by KUT and KUTX Studios, Pause/Play is helmed by radio hosts Miles Bloxson and Elizabeth McQueen and features biweekly episodes that chronicle how the pandemic is affecting the local live music scene. “I’ve been in music for a long time in Austin, and I knew that music was important, but I didn’t know that it brought $1.8 billion dollars a year to town,” McQueen says. “I knew that South by Southwest was important, but we had no idea how many people depended on SXSW and how much they depended on it.”

The show includes interviews with entertainment venue owners, nonprofit directors, and musicians, such as multi-instrumental artist Mobley, who lost up to 70 percent of his annual income with the cancellation of SXSW, and hip hop artist TEDDYTHELEGACY, who has struggled with unemployment and contracting COVID-19 in June.

Despite the heartbreaking narratives, Bloxson hopes the podcast ultimately leaves listeners inspired. “Even though [musicians] might be going through difficult stages in their lives, they’re still optimistic,” she says.

“And I hope that we in turn can respect the creative community more, and make sure they are compensated for the type of entertainment that they provide, because music brings everybody together.” The hosts plan to do two 10-episode seasons. Listen to Pause/Play on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and NPR One. 24

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Over the Lege Politics has never felt wilder or more divisive than in 2020. Luckily, this political comedy satire show hosted by Stephanie Chiarello helps parse through the madness with a sense of levity. Focusing on the Texas Legislature, it features interviews with special guests such as Travis County Clerk Dana DeBeauvoir and State Rep. Eddie Rodriguez.

Austin Found Get a unique glimpse into the history of the capital city thanks to journalist Michael Barnes and radio host J.B. Hager. The show explores everything from the 1918 pandemic that hit Austin in three waves to the city’s race riots in 1964 to the origin of its quirky Austin Aqua Festival, which lasted from 1962 to 1998.

Miles Bloxson and Elizabeth McQueen are the hosts of Pause/Play.

I L LU ST R AT I O N BY S A R A M A R I E D ’ E U G E N I O ; M I C RO P H O N E : DA N L E F E B / S H U T T E RSTO C K ; E L I Z A B E T H : M A RT I N D O N A S C I M E N TO ; M I L E S : G A B R I E L C . P É R E Z

The Orange Tree A must-listen for true-crime fans, this gripping documentary pod hosted by Haley Butler and Tinu Thomas chronicles the gruesome 2005 murder of 21-year-old Jennifer Cave that shocked Austin. Named after the West Campus condominiums where her murder took place, The Orange Tree includes interviews with Cave’s family members and her convicted killer, former UT student Colton Pitonyak.

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Scout Neighborhood Guide

What to Do at Music Lane

Dine Frequented by celebrities like Reese Witherspoon and Justin Bieber, fastcasual chain Sweetgreen is beloved for its sustainably sourced grain bowls, hearty salads, and seasonal offerings. Dine alfresco under a 100-year-old Heritage Oak on the patio of Aba, a celebrated Mediterranean concept from Chicago. The restaurant features signature dishes such as crispy short rib hummus, shawarma spiced skirt steak, and decadent orange blossom crème brûlée pie.

Stay

Clockwise from bottom left: Neighborhood Goods sells millennial-approved items, including Taschen coffee table books; Hotel Magdalena has a laid-back design inspired by Barton Springs and 1970s lakeside culture; the hummus with lamb ragu at Aba.

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The biggest hotel to date by hospitality group Bunkhouse (which also helms SoCo’s Austin Motel and Hotel San José), Hotel Magdalena drew design inspiration from Barton Springs and 1970s lakeside culture.

Largely tucked away from street view, the stylish hotel boasts 89 guest rooms, a central pool deck with a view of the downtown skyline, and a guests-only pool bar.

Order brunch at its onsite restaurant, Summer House on Music Lane, which includes sweet and savory options like ricotta pancakes, smoked salmon tartine, and brioche breakfast sandwiches.

Shop In addition to perennial favorites like Lululemon and Madewell, Music Lane has a plethora of new-to-Austin options, including chic women’s clothing store Reformation, modern mattress company Tuft & Needle, and popular perfumery Le Labo. Looking to knock out your holiday shopping? Splurge at local jewelry brand Nak Armstrong’s brick-and-

mortar or peruse the millennial-approved labels at Neighborhood Goods, such as Faherty, Boy Smells, Create & Cultivate, and Cancelled Plans. (The latter brand’s cleverly named candles, like French Exit and Social Anxiety, make great stocking stuffers.)

Explore Elevate your fitness and self-care routine at Equinox, a bougie New York–based gym that includes cycling, barre and yoga, and reform Pilates studios as well as an in-house spa. Be on the lookout for the debut of SoHo House, the international members-only social club, which is slated to open its Austin outpost at Music Lane next spring. *Openings could be affected by COVID-19.

Check websites or call ahead before you go.

A B A A N D N E I G H B O R H O O D G O O D S : C O U RT ESY V E N D O RS ; H OT E L M AG DA L E N A : N I C K S I M O N I T E

ALREADY THE CITY’S trendiest thoroughfare for dining, shopping, and staycations, South Congress Avenue just got a little more buzzworthy with the arrival of Music Lane. Here’s a peek at the new development between Academy and Riverside Drives, which is home to upscale restaurants, boutiques, and Bunkhouse Group’s latest gem, Hotel Magdalena. musiclaneatx.com —Madeline Hollern

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Scout Events

By Madeline Hollern

SPOTLIGHT

The Nutcracker: Home for the Holidays No seasonal event delights quite like The Nutcracker. The timeless holiday ballet scored by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky features spirited dancing, iconic music, elaborate costumes, and, ordinarily, the roar of the crowd. But while the ongoing pandemic has prohibited Ballet Austin from hosting its usual live performances in 2020, the show must go on—only in a different format. This year, for its 58th annual production, the organization is hosting a virtual alternative featuring interactive experiences with the cast, crew, and artistic team, along with signature dances and scenes from the ballet. Viewers can enjoy performance-themed arts and crafts, culinary tips and treats, and family-friendly games and activities from home. The digital experience also highlights dozens of video-on-demand featurettes with cast interviews, studio rehearsals, production tricks of the trade, and music tutorials. After all, listening to the “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” and “Waltz of the Flowers” is a treat no matter where you are. For event dates and more information, go to balletaustin.org/performances/thenutcracker.

H O L I DAY P O P - U P BA R S

All month long, The Roosevelt Room and Nickel City turn into Christmas-centric pop-up bars called Miracle on Fifth Street and Sippin’ Santa, respectively. In addition to over-the-top decor and holiday music at both spots, The Roosevelt Room offers seasonal cocktails, while Nickel City crafts Tiki-themed libations.

The drinks are available on-site and to-go. miracleon5thst.com; sippinsantapopup.com

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W I N T E R H O L I DAY BA S H

Catch an episode of this streamed video series with singer/ songwriter Lucinda Williams, who is performing covers and donating a portion of proceeds to independent music venues that are suffering due to COVID19. Williams is also hosting editions on Dec. 17 and 31. acl-live.com

Bring the family to this outdoor fundraiser for Carrying Hope, a nonprofit that provides backpacks with comforting items and essentials to children entering the foster care system. The socially distanced event includes mini-photography sessions, take-home cookie-and-cocoa kits, and a visit from Santa Claus. carryinghope.com

CA P I TA L C I T Y B L AC K F I L M F E S T I VA L

For its eighth iteration, this annual film festival goes virtual. Watch movies and music videos written, directed, or produced by Black filmmakers, and films that address topics and issues relating to the Black community.

Through Dec. 6. capcitybff.com

12/5 VA N E S SA W I L L I A M S

As part of its Live from

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the West Side: Women of Broadway series, Texas Performing Arts presents a livestream performance with Grammy-awardwinning singer Vanessa Williams. The concert features a mix of Broadway showtunes, pop songs, and personal stories from the artist. texasperformingarts.org

12/18 A K A R AO K E C H R I S T M A S CA R O L

Collective theatre company Rude Mechs is transforming its annual spinoff on A Christmas Carol into an interactive, at-home theater event where you and your family are the stars.

Starting Dec. 18, participants can download an app that feeds them lines of their chosen character, from Scrooge to the Ghost of Christmas Past. rudemechs.com

T H E N U TC R AC K E R : A N N E M A R I E B LO O D G O O D ; C O C K TA I L : R A N DY S C H M I DT

To-Do List

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SPOTLIGHT

C O U RT ESY AU ST I N T R A I L O F L I G H TS

Drive-Thru Holiday Events There’s no doubt that holiday celebrations will look a little different this year. Thankfully, you can experience two seasonal festivities from the comfort and safety of your own car. For its 56th year, iconic Zilker Park festival Trail of Lights has transformed into a drive-thru event that will last two weeks longer than usual, through Jan. 3. The colorful spectacle features more than 2 million lights, with 70 holiday displays, 90 lighted trees, and several illuminated tunnels. In addition to general admission tickets for vehicles, the event also offers dash and premiere night passes, which both include early access to the trail, a box of holiday cookies, and bottled waters. For another spirited celebration, head over to Peppermint Parkway, a new drive-thru event at Circuit of The Americas that runs through Dec. 27. The one-mile-long attraction includes millions of lights, a 60-foot spiral light tree, giant light sculptures of beloved holiday icons, and characters like dancing elves and Santa. Cruise past its various elaborate scenes, including a gingerbread alley and enchanted forest, and enjoy hot cocoa and seasonal treats from drive-up concessions. Oh, what fun it is to ride! austintrailoflights .org; thecircuit.com/peppermint

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Holiday Destinations

GEORGETOWN

Savor sweet moments on the Most Beautiful Town Square in Texas with a weekend of shopping and celebrating in Georgetown. You’ll have no problem finding one-of-a-kind gifts for everyone on your list. Make plans to stick around into the night to watch as downtown Georgetown sparkles to life with a myriad of festive lights, it’s magical!

VisitGeorgetown.com

LAFAYETTE IN A PINCH

In Lafayette we believe fun shouldn’t be an expense. It’s one reason we’re known as the Happiest City in America, even when your budget is tight and you’re in a pinch. Check out all of our favorite things to do in Cajun & Creole Country at little to no cost at LafayetteTravel.com/InAPinch.

LafayetteTravel.com/InAPinch

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ROUND ROCK

Downtown Round Rock glows up this holiday season with a seriously sparkly light display. Beginning when the sun sets on Dec. 1 and twinkling to life every night through the end of the month, you and yours can delight in a safe and festive family outing.

DowntownRoundRockTexas.com/HometownHoliday

GOLIAD

The modern town of Goliad began in 1749 when the Spanish moved the Mission Espiritu Santo de Zuniga and its Presidio here from Guadalupe River at Mission Valley. Full of history and small town charm, Goliad has many historical and natural attractions that appeal to even the most discerning visitor.

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Seoul Food decades of existence, as EJ has doubled down on traditional Korean preparations like its banchan and a four-hour beef bone broth that’s the cornerstone of budae jjigae. Now, many of those customers that were first introduced to Korean delicacies in CK’s teen years are sharing those experiences with a new generation. “One of our customers that started coming here as a baby just called and asked if they could have their wedding reception here,” he says. korea houseaustin.com —Chris Hughes

ELLIE KIM

CK Kim grew up inside Korea House, where his parents, Hwang and Pok-cha Kim, put him to work in high school serving bibimbap, bulgogi, and other Korean “slow food” that’s made its way into the local culinary lexicon. The first of its kind when it opened in 1988, the restaurant is now considered just as noteworthy for its longevity as for its cuisine, something that continues to progress under the direction of CK’s wife, EJ. In 2017, out went the sushi bar that felt like a necessity in the restaurant’s first several

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Feast Variations on a Theme

At his eponymous restaurant, owner Adam Jacoby uses all-natural beef from his family’s ranch.

Mary’s Cafe. lucysfried chicken.com

Comfort food personified, chicken-fried steak is getting an upgrade courtesy of better ingredients and a true chef’s touch.

By Chris Hughes

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Rosewood Gulf Coast Chop House

Lucy’s Fried Chicken

As chef-owner Jesse DeLeon says, “the magic is in the meat.” At his East Austin restaurant, that means tri-tip sourced from 44 Farms that’s more marbled than a typical cut. Not wanting to hide that beef behind a chunkier batter, he’s developed a milanesatype breading that consists of egg, flour, and crushed saltines. rosewoodatx.com

Brined in the same solution as his fried chicken and cooked at a lower temperature, chef James Holmes is able to keep his chicken-fried steak extra tender. Not only can diners choose between two types of gravy (poblano and Pearl beer), but they can opt to have it served on a loaded baked potato, an idea borrowed from Strawn, Texas, institution

Jacoby’s Restaurant & Mercantile Owner Adam Jacoby’s two grandmothers “would basically chicken-fry everything: squash, tomatoes, deer,” he says.

So, even though his restaurant menu changes seasonally, chicken-fried steak remains a staple.

Another family connection comes in the form of its all-natural, dry-aged beef, which is raised on the Jacoby Family Ranch in Melvin, Texas. jacobys austin.com

The Switch An everyday offering at their Dripping Springs restaurant, as well as a Friday special at its two Stiles Switch BBQ locations, owner Shane

Stiles and pitmaster Will Spence’s more traditional cube-steak version is defined by the slathering of sawmill gravy on top.

Accentuated by houseground pork sausage and bacon fat, it’s a dish that can inspire lifetime devotion…and maybe a nap. theswitchdripping .com

Little Ola’s Biscuits Searching for a more substantial dinner item to complement the nightly cocktail program at his recently transformed restaurant (formerly Olamaie), chef-owner Michael Fojtasek turned to a chicken-fried steak that utilizes 44 Farms top sirloin and a cream gravy that swaps in chicken fat for regular butter. olamaieaustin.com

PA S HR OTO A MCARREI ED IDT’ E U G E N I O

Batter Up!

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Feast Tastemaker

With his new brick-andmortar on Airport Boulevard, Mo Pittle has become burger royalty.

OY TO THE WOR L D For those not border savvy, Mo Pittle has a few keys to a great El Paso–inspired burger.

How to go from ad man to culinary nomad? It takes a little luck, a lot of self-confidence, and one hell of a good burger.

By Chris Hughes THE FIRST TIME Mo Pittle ever cooked professionally, he was well into his 40s. His only help was his wife and friends that had been called in on a favor. And his kitchen was a food truck that he’d outfitted on credit and some guidance he’d discovered on Google (“I seriously just typed in ‘how to start a food truck in Austin,’” he says).

The crowd he drew that fall day in 2016 were the parents and pledges of UT’s Sigma Alpha Mu, the fraternity he attended while in school there more than two decades prior. He’d fondly remembered a Burgers and Beer event and had swung by the house to propose kicking off his Jewboy Burgers concept in a similarly low-key environment. A parents’ weekend was agreed upon, and Pittle anxiously prepared for his new role as a restaurateur.

A more inauspicious beginning couldn’t have been imagined.

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First, the fledgling chef only brought a half-filled propane tank for the grill, which ran out within in an hour (“At home, that would last me a month,” he opines). Also, he was still figuring out the finer points of prepping food in the confines of a truck, and they found themselves ducking shooting grease as they attempted to put frozen latkes into the boiling oil of the fryer. By the time the event ended, Pittle and his friends were as filthy and burned as the vehicle, which they then had to clean for three hours in order to scrub away the remains of their disastrous first shift.

After pivoting from his full-time career in the advertising world—including working on Beto O’Rourke’s 2008 City Council campaign—the El Paso native started to have serious misgivings about his decision to leave his “cushy job” for unknown opportunities in Austin. But he was mas-

Know Your Onions “Onions release moisture when they hit the grill, which helps keep even a well-done burger juicy. That’s why we smash the meat right over the top of them.”

Forgo Tomatoes “I hate the feel, the smell, everything about tomatoes.

It’s just a bitter fruit that bleeds goop all into your bun.”

Bring the Heat “Peppers are not only easy to grow, they’re a great way to reduce salt. They enhance flavor without a lot of unnecessary spices.”

SARA MARIE D’EUGENIO

Bun Voyage

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sively in debt on the truck, and he refused to quit based off an initial misstep. Nor was he deterred during Jewboy’s rocky first few months next to Mattress Firm on Burnet Road, when the truck’s hot water heater broke down during a media event, and he was working off a generator that burned out almost immediately.

Maybe I should have just started that T-shirt company for larger men, he would often think while deepcleaning the truck at his commissary space. (Pittle is built like a linebacker; fitting, seeing as how he explored walking onto the UT football team… until he realized he was just going to be used as a “live tackling dummy.”)

But after being recruited to a food trailer court on East Sixth Street with electricity, then an even more lucrative one at 5000 Burnet Road in May 2017, his fortunes began to change.

Not only did he begin to understand the intricacies of running a mobile eatery, he started to fully realize his culinary vision.

“It’s just narcissism,” he says in his typical self-effacing manner. “I grew up in a Jewish household, and that household happened to be in El Paso, where Mexican food is everything. It’s the best food in the world.”

Taking elements from both cultures—as well as techniques from some of his favorite restaurants—he built a singular burger concept that has recently expanded into a brickand-mortar restaurant on Airport Boulevard this September. Freshly ground chuck from Longhorn Meat Market is first seared on a flat top over griddled onions, a lesson he learned while watching the line cooks at Rosco’s Burger Inn in El Paso as a child. He steams cheddar over the top to add another layer of juiciness to the patty, à la White Castle. And he garnishes each offering with options like Hatch green chiles, housecured pastrami, chile con queso, and yes, latkes (no longer frozen, but parbaked and fried), as a nod to the border cuisine that inspired his abrupt career change four years ago.

“It’s my marketing background that says you have to include a narrative,” Pittle explains. “Elements that make for a great communications campaign also make for a good business model. But, at the end of the day, a burger has to stand on its own.”

GREAT DESTINATIONS

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Feast Where to Eat

Brisket fried rice, General Tso’s chicken, and more at Old Thousand.

Where to Eat Best Chinese Restaurants • C H I N A FA M I LY R E S TAU R A N T

•

Best of the best $ Most entrees under $10 $$ Most entrees $10 to $25 $$$ Most entrees over $25

Restaurants in the Austin Monthly Dining Guide are selected and reviewed by the editorial team

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The Drag seems an unlikely place for such serious food, but that’s what you’ll find here: generous chunks of white fish bathing in a broth of toasted chili oil, silky mapo tofu, and crispy Chongqing chicken scattered with dried peppers. For those wanting to avoid UT’s campus area, there’s a second location farther north on Airport Boulevard. Lunch and dinner daily. 1914 Guadalupe St., Ste. B, (512) 284-7671; 6801

Airport Blvd., (512) 520-4171 $$ C H I N AT OW N

One of the oldest Chinese restaurants in Austin, Chinatown has perfected the art of Asian cuisine at both of its locations. Sushi is served daily, and weekends usher in chef-owner Ronald Cheng’s famous dim sum service. The duck entrees, such as a version smoked with oolong tea and the classic Peking duck (upgrade with a side of duck bone soup), are excellent. Lunch and

dinner daily. 2712 Bee Caves Road, Ste. 124, (512) 328-6588; 3407 Greystone Drive, (512) 343-9307 $$ DIN HO CHINESE BBQ

There’s nothing like taking a seat in view of Din Ho’s cutting station, with its rows of glistening chickens, barbecue pork, and crispy-skinned ducks. But even if you’re still squeamish about dining in, takeout here never disappoints with hearty noodle soups, steamed buns that remain fluffy and inviting, and hot pots boasting a

range of seafood. Lunch and dinner daily. 8557 Research Blvd., Ste. 116, (512) 832-8788 $$ • FAT D R AG O N Owners Humphrey Ho and May Chen might be dentists by trade (they’re still practicing), but they also know their way around great dumplings, both of the steamed and soup variety. Though the menu dips into Korean and Japanese fare, Sichuan cuisine is their specialty with options like fish and Chongqing beef laden with plenty of tingly, mala heat. Lunch

PA S HR OTO A MCARREI ED IDT’ E U G E N I O

KEY

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PANTRY ES SENTIAL S

The Pickle House hot sauces

PA S HR OTO A MCARREI ED IDT’ E U G E N I O

SAM ADDISON COMPARES pickle brine to another Southern staple, the buttermilk biscuit, where the results depend largely on the ratios of several key ingredients. But that’s as far as you’ll get when probing him for answers about his recipe—something he’s now spun off into several jarred variations. At his production space for what was then Pogue Mahone Pickles (now The Pickle House), one of his employees poured the Fresh Dill & Garlic brine over a plate of crispy fried chicken, and the light bulb went off for Addison. Today, that addictively bright and sour pickle base is the centerpiece of a bottled vinaigrette and hot sauces in two varying levels of heat, which are fantastic on breakfast tacos, grilled veggies, and anything fried. All of his products can be found at Central Market, Wheatsville Co-op, or online at thepickle.house/shop. —C. Hughes

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Feast Where to Eat

and dinner Tue-Sun. 8650 Spicewood Springs Road, Ste. 109 (512) 258-7587 $$

balls, squid, and curry duck. Lunch and dinner daily. 10901 N. Lamar Blvd., (512) 873-8235 $$

L I N A S I A N BA R +

W U C H OW

DIM SUM

A hip downtown restaurant with an upscale, modern take on classic Chinese. The braised eggplant and the fiery mapo tofu are standouts, along with the dim sum brunch on Sundays. Ordering curbside? Make sure to tack on a pack of their frozen dumplings. Dinner daily; Sunday brunch.

500 W. Fifth St., Ste. 168, (512) 476-2469 $$

Wu Chow’s founding dim sum chef, Ling Qi Wu (who also worked at La Traviata), decided to venture out on her own with this Clarksville restaurant that focuses on healthier and organic ingredients. Her extensive dim sum brunch on weekends is one of the best in the city, but don’t overlook the chef’s nightly dinner options, such as salt and pepper lobster tails and sautéed beef with foie gras.

Lunch and dinner daily; dim sum on weekends.

1203 W. Sixth St., (512) 474-5107 $$

NOODLE

• O L D T H O U SA N D This playful Chinese American spot is offering both takeout and delivery options to get your fix of its General Tso’s chicken, brisket fried rice, and kung pao cauliflower. If you’re feeding a group, take advantage of its Lucky Family meals, which includes eggrolls, soup, xiao mian, Mongolian beef, and more.

Lunch and dinner daily.

1000 E. 11th St., Ste. 150, (737) 222-6637; 4805 Burnet Road, (737) 222-6637 $$ TC NOODLE HOUSE

Started by brothers Ting and Ye Lin in the Mueller neighborhood in 2013, Xian Sushi and Noodle became Austin’s firstever hand-pulled noodle restaurant. Now with three area locations, it’s the best place to get your made-to-order noodle fix in sizes ranging from thicker, chewier pappardelle to a more delicate vermicelli.

They’re famous for their spicy lobster dumplings and red-braised beef noodles for very good reason. Lunch and dinner daily. 1801 E. 51st St., Ste. C370, (512) 469-7878; 13201 Ranch Road 620 N, U208, (512) 219-7070; 3401 Esperanza Crossing, Unit 106, (512) 614-4028 $$

R E S TAU R A N T

From the same family that owned the muchmourned Tien Hong comes this Teochewbased concept that explores both Chineseand Vietnamese-style dishes. For example, a whole section of rice noodle soups brimming with options like fish

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Paprika’s quesadilla especial with nopalitos, steak, and refried lentils.

XIAN SUSHI AND

Restaurant days and hours could be affected

by COVID-19. Please call or visit websites first.

December 2020

SPOTLIGHT MEXICAN FOOD

Paprika Budding star Margarito Perez gets personal on a food truck menu that gives quesadillas their due.

A MEXICO NATIVE that grew up in Indiana, Margarito Perez says he’s always struggled with the phrase “authentic Mexican food.” What does that mean for someone whose culinary experience in the Midwest came largely from cooking for himself in a single-parent household? Whose education came from checking out cookbooks (“even Rachael Ray’s,” he laughs) from the local public library? A longtime “wantrepreneur” that rose up the ranks at Oasthouse Kitchen + Bar and Garbo’s Lobster, Perez wondered if Austin even needed another taco truck. So, he started his first solo venture (built on three maxed-out credit cards and a small bank loan) around the type of food that felt true to himself.

Yes, tacos are on the menu, but they include carnitas cooked sous vide (a nod to his time tinkering in restaurant kitchens) and a ground beef variety that is “authentic” only in the sense that it’s what he often prepared for himself in Indiana. Regardless of how inspiration struck, Perez’s food is flat-out phenomenal. At his red truck on North Lamar, everything sings, especially quesadillas that are layered with melted mozzarella and provolone, refried lentils, and toppings like nopalitos and marinated steak.

The chef admits that his salsa recipes change daily, such as a green sauce that occasionally swaps in avocado, and a red variety that varies its chile profile. It’s all based on instinct and taste, Perez says. By trusting in himself—like he does across the concept—he’s created one of the most exciting restaurants in town. paprikaatx.com —C. Hughes AMNA IJAZ

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September 2020

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Holiday G I F T

G U I D E

Diamonds Direct: Diamonds By The Yard Necklace This beautiful Diamonds by the Yard necklace is the perfect holiday gift for all ages! The classic diamond necklace is available in a variety of carat weights set in 14 karat white gold.

Pricing starts at $1,150.

512-691-9950 | 11104 Domain Dr. Austin, TX 78758 diamondsdirect.com/virtual

Tuft & Needle Bedding Give the gift of a good night’s sleep this holiday season. Tuft & Needle offers quality mattresses, bedding and furniture at an affordable price.

1011 S. Congress Ave. Suite 130 tn.com/austin

Still Austin’s Straight Bourbon This South Austin distillery has taken the Texas whiskey world by storm, with their striking blend of old-world distilling techniques and contemporary creative thinking. Still Austin’s flagship Straight Bourbon makes for a perfect yuletide sipper, with warm cherry overtones and hints of cinnamon, allspice and toffee. Try it in a hot toddy beside a crackling fire! stillaustin.com

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Shopping in 2ND St. District Choose from dozens of specialty shops, and enjoy delicious dining options along the way. Explore our unique offerings, events, and parking details at 2ndStreetDistrict.com.

2ndStreetDistrict.com

May Your Skin Be Merry and Bright!

Call now and receive a holiday gift certificate for the following specials: Botox: $199 per area TCA Peel: $499 Facial Filler: $550 per vial (512) 501-1010 malenaamatomd.com

Fara Coffee Happy holidays from our Fara family! Every bag sold benefits the Fara Foundation supporting the families in Matagalpa, Nicaragua. Available on Amazon or at your local HEB and Costco. Visit our website to learn more about the foundation and to find your closest retailer.

Faracoffee.com

Avant Western Boot The Avant Western boot from Maison Margiela: a Parisian take on a Texas classic, featuring a hidden wedge for a little extra lift. Find it at By George. bygeorgeaustin.com

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December 2020

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Korman Collection Diamond Ring Go big or go bigger! Everyone deserves some sparkle this year. Call (512) 451-9292 for more details. kormanfinejewelry.com

Precision Camera and Video Find your perfect camera at the lowest price with Precision Camera, Austin’s favorite photography and videography store for shooters of every experience level since 1976.

PrecisionCameraATX.com

Remington Family Distillers All I want for Christmas is you (and maybe some Caffe Del Fuego Reserve, Remington Vodka and a private tasting too). Remington Family Distillers, 252 Frog Pond Lane Building A, Dripping Springs, TX 78620 rfdistillers.com

Twin Liquors Twin Liquors Cadillac Margarita Cocktail Combo Pack $39.99.

Includes: Don Julio Blanco Tequila 375ml & Grand Marnier Liqueur 375ml; To make: Shake 2 oz. tequila, 1 oz. Grand Marnier, and 2-3 oz. fresh lime juice with ice. Strain over fresh ice in a festive glass with an optional salted rim. Garnish with lime wheel. twinliquors.com

World Interiors Give the gift of light this holiday season with World Interiors’ Element Industrial Modern Table Lamp Collection.

These unique lamps vary from small to extra-large sizes, featuring real wood bases, hand-blown glass, and Edison light bulbs this collection is sure to provide a distinct look. worldinteriors.com

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I L LU ST R AT I O N : S A R A M A R I E D ’ E U G E N I O ; C LO S E D S I G N : E R I KS B RU DZ I N S K I S / S H U T T E RSTO C K ; V I RU S : C O U RT ESY C D C

End of an Era The Austin of my youth has been vanishing for years.

After COVID-19, it’ll take a city-wide effort to preserve the remains of a near-forgotten town. By David Leffler December 2020

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Beat The City

IN JANUARY 2014, I sat in a booth across from my best friends, Daniel and Rodrigo, at Mother’s Cafe in Hyde Park, an Austin classic we’d been frequenting since moving in together for our sophomore year at UT. Shifting uncomfortably in my burnt-orange hoodie, I made awkward attempts at small talk until, finally, I gathered the courage to discuss my real intentions for the dinner gathering.

“Guys...my dad has cancer.”

The words hung in the air as we sat in silence, three 21-year-olds who’d never had to confront life’s cruelty before. Looking back, that conversation remains a milestone in my life—the beginning of facing my father’s mortality and entrusting those I love with my deepest fears. But even more, as we visited that restaurant for semi-weekly meals, it was a reminder that institutions like Mother’s (a staple on Duval Road for 40 years) aren’t just neighborhood anchors: They’re the foreground for our most formative moments. And suddenly, with COVID-19 tightening its grip across our communities, we’re at risk of losing them for good.

My childhood was centered in Crestview, an unassuming North Austin neighborhood whose 50

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congregating grounds like Dart Bowl and Top Notch have figured prominently into Richard Linklater’s vision of this city (Boyhood and Dazed and Confused, respectively). Over the years, that once-working-class area has shifted dramatically as costs of living have skyrocketed, a microcosm of the changes we’ve seen across town over the past few decades. I’ve often avoided acting like the stereotypical native Austinite bemoaning these reforms, but with the pandemic-fueled economic downturn causing small businesses to shutter en masse, the gravity of their closures—and the voids they’ll leave for future generations—has me slipping into cliché.

According to a September survey conducted by the National Restaurant Association, more than half of all Texas eateries will likely close by early 2021. The capital city’s entertainment- and tourist-heavy economy has been hit especially hard by this phenomenon. To date, roughly 1,500 Austin businesses have closed over the past nine months, and, like many locals, several held cherished memories for me. Dart Bowl, which shut down in mid-July after more than six decades in business,

Threadgill’s Old No. 1 is one of countless local haunts that have shuttered this year.

AMNA IJAZ

10/28/20 12:22 PM

The adage “Think globally, act locally” has never been more appropriate. was where I spent my weekends as a kid, killed time after getting out of class at McCallum High School, and later drank Lone Stars with my brothers when the holidays rolled around. Threadgill’s Old No. 1, the music venue said to have birthed musical acts like Janis Joplin after Kenneth Threadgill opened it up under Travis County’s first beer license in 1933, was where I worked as a waiter for the better part of four years. And the recently shuttered Cap City Comedy Club, in its nondescript strip mall spot, was where my dad and I shared one of our last laughs together.

Unfortunately, our city’s hardly out of the woods.

With vital social distancing protocols needed to prevent the further spread of the coronavirus, many businesses are teetering on the edge of oblivion. A number of them (including South Austin brunch spot Bouldin Creek Cafe and Donn’s Depot, the honky-tonk famous for its country crooning, elaborate holiday decor, and ageless owner) have successfully raised tens of thousands of dollars to keep their doors open, at least for a little while longer. The struggles of others, like Mother’s, which officially closed in mid-October, have been reported on—only to fall to the wayside in the relentless media cycle tracking 2020’s chaos and loss. But with residents suffering their own economic woes, countless more landmarks are bound to bow out.

The question is, can Austin slow this mass exodus and preserve some shred of its integral culture? Better yet, what will replace these local icons when the dust settles? The answers aren’t simple, nor are they encouraging. At a time when America’s biggest companies are seeing record profits and billionaires’ fortunes are exponentially growing, Austinites must step up where they can by supporting neighborhood restaurants, grocers, and shops rather than surrendering to the corporate convenience of Amazon and other online outlets. Indeed, as we grapple with a pandemic that’s brought the world to its knees, the adage “Think globally, act locally” has never been more appropriate.

At this point, I’ve come to grips with the reality that my already-changing city will emerge from this crisis with a different face—one scarred by trauma, uncertainty, and strife. The oft-lamented extinction of Old Austin has failed to slow, with looming evictions for businesses and thousands of at-risk citizens casting a shadow of displacement that knows no bounds. And yet, while there are so few encouraging signs around town these days, I can only hope this town channels the hard lessons I learned as a 21-year-old: That pain begets progress, and that better days defined by resiliency, reverence for the past, and hope for the future still lie ahead.

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DREW ANTHONY SMITH

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Beat Straight Talk

Nathan Hill

Kitty Cohen’s). You don’t want to be a trendy place; you want to be here for decades, to be the spot the next generation is inspired by.

Bar Owner

What’s your favorite bar story?

Few entrepreneurs have done more to spur Austin’s music scene and preserve the city’s spirit over the past decade than Nathan Hill. A lifelong service industry worker who got his start waiting tables at Kerbey Lane Cafe, the 37-year-old has since built an empire of inviting watering holes across the East Side, including The White Horse, Stay Gold, Frazier’s Long & Low, and, most recently, High Noon. Here, Hill shares the inspiration behind his bibulous vision and opens up about the challenges of operating (and surviving) during a pandemic.

Interview by David Leffler

What first drew you to bars?

I wanted to own my own bar since I began waiting tables at 15 years old.

Food goes bad and is hard to keep track of; alcohol stays good and makes people happier [laughs]. After moving down here in 2002 from a tiny town in Maryland, I landed a gig at the Kerbey Lane by UT’s campus, where I worked for my first five years in town. Eventually, I made the jump to what’s still one of my favorite bars in Austin: The Hole in the Wall.

How did The Hole in the Wall shape your view of Austin?

Being behind the bar there really solidified this city’s ethos for me— gave me a real feel for what this town was and what it still can be. The regulars would sit and talk about seeing Blaze Foley and Townes Van Zandt perform, about having a frontrow seat to Austin’s golden age. I got to thinking, why can’t that happen again? Why can’t the next generation of Austin musicians take the mantle and continue the legacy that makes this place so special? I had a lot of friends who were incredible artists that couldn’t break through to gain the notoriety they deserved, so I decided to create that scene. That’s how The White Horse was born.

Describe what the earliest days were like at The White Horse.

Back then, in 2011, there was a movement around opening Brooklyn and LA bars to cater to all the new people moving into town. We went the other way—What does Austin feel like to us? We saw an opening for a younger person’s country music that isn’t the red dirt, mainstream Nashville sh*t. The place was wild in the beginning, a heavy Bandito hangout with pool balls getting thrown across the room and beer bottles getting broken on heads. But that added to its lore at the time. We were just giving people Lone Stars and pouring the cheapest whiskey we could find.

You’ve since opened several spots, like Stay Gold and Frazier’s Long & Low, with varying styles. What’s your secret?

I’ve avoided being a one-trick pony by changing my partnerships up and being open to new ideas. The White Horse, you can tell, is a place Denis O’Donnell and I opened up; Stay Gold has a dark, dive-y vibe because I partnered with The Hole in the Wall’s Will Tanner. My newest venture, High Noon, has a ’70s West Texas desert feel that sprung from my partnership with Jeremy Murray (of

Oh man, years ago, on Christmas Eve, a semi-regular came into The Hole dressed as Santa. Someone was karaokeing Meatloaf’s “Paradise by the Dashboard Light,” and he was up onstage, not singing, just kind of bouncing off the bar’s front windows.

My door guy was telling him, “Santa, you’re gonna go through the window.

Santa, you’re gonna...” and then, boom, he falls through and is just lying there on the sidewalk, stunned, with glass all around him. The best part is that an ambulance showed up immediately—I mean, within seconds—and, it turns out, the paramedic had been sitting at the nearby traffic light reminiscing about the crazy things he’d seen at the bar.

Right on cue, Santa came flying through that window.

With so much uncertainty, what’s it like running a bar during the pandemic?

Owning a bar, or any small business, is about figuring out how to survive, no matter what. That’s especially true during the pandemic. We have to be job creators now, because we’re not getting the help from above that we need. It’s difficult—I’m in a money hole more than I’ve ever been, but that’s what I signed up for. We have to do our part to help stimulate the economy, because it takes all of us to preserve Austin’s legacy. If there’s a path to figuring it out, I’m going to find it. I’m going to mortgage every Monopoly card I’ve got before I fold.

Any new ventures in the making?

Right now, I’m just trying to do right by our workers and ensure our bars can navigate the proper health protocols. But down the road, hell yes.

I’m sure opening another White Horse would be successful, but I’d be pretty bored. I want to create a place that feels like it’s its own unique world. That doesn’t make it any less scary, though: Every time I open up a new spot, I lose sleep thinking, This is the one that’s going to be an abject failure. It’s scary, but that’s just the nature of the beast.

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Beat Politics

Rallying Cry After years of building political inroads, Chas Moore and the Austin Justice Coalition are converting city-wide protests into generational policy reform. By David Leffler

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Greg Casar and Natasha Harper-Madison to defend these advancements and incorporate racial equity across its 2021 agenda. Key points of this include decreasing police presence in schools, managing expected changes to the land development code, and expanding our mass transit system. And while these breakthroughs have riled conservatives like Gov. Greg Abbott, Moore says 2020’s victories are just the first steps in AJC’s mission to make Austin a safe, fair, and anti-racist city in the years to come.

“We’re not changing our strategy to reimagining public safety—we’re just expanding it,” he says.

“Whether it’s holding APD accountable or addressing the gentrification decimating our communities, it’s clear that we’ve got a lot of work to do.”

Chas Moore and AJC have been central to reshaping Austin’s recent public safety policies.

MONTINIQUE MOORE

FOLLOWING GEORGE FLOYD’S death in May, Austin, like countless cities across the world, rallied to hold weeks of demonstrations protesting police brutality. Easily the largest show of support for the Black Lives Matter movement, these marches brought long-overlooked racial inequities and needed criminal justice reform to the forefront— spurring local leaders to take the unprecedented step of reallocating upwards of $150 million from the budget of the Austin Police Department (APD).

For many Austinites, these changes represented a drastic shift in city politics. But for Chas Moore, executive director of the Austin Justice Coalition (AJC), they were the satisfying outcome of a yearslong ambition that began in Houston. Raised by grandparents who told him of the struggles and realities of growing up Black in the South, Moore first came to embrace his inner activist after arriving at UT in 2006. “I really didn’t see white people in Houston unless I went to Target. Suddenly, I’m surrounded by them,” he says. “My first day on campus, a truckful of white guys yelled ‘Go home, n*****s.’ That really woke me up.”

Emboldened to create change, Moore led campaigns to address the university’s lack of diversity and a number of race-fueled incidents (including times when students of color were being hit with bleach-filled water balloons). Still, he says, everything changed after Trayvon Martin’s 2012 murder—a seminal moment that, alongside his own experience in the criminal justice system as a teenager, fueled him to found AJC three years later. “When I was 17, a judge told me, I know you’re a good kid, but I’m going to teach you a lesson,” he says. “I’m 32 now and, being a convicted felon, it’s a lifelong punishment. It impacts your housing, your job security, your schooling.”

In the five years since launching AJC, Moore has built it into Austin’s most formidable activism coalition, heavily influencing key initiatives like renegotiating the city’s contract with APD’s union and rewriting the department’s de-escalation policies. This experience didn’t just help usher in a new generation of activists, he says: It put them in a position to lead this summer’s protests, especially a June 7 rally that brought thousands of Austinites together in a display of racial unity.

What distinguishes AJC, though, is its ability to turn protests into policy. In addition to directly helping shape City Council’s August budget, Moore is now working with leaders like Council Members December 2020

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The Best and Worst of 2020 From million-dollar library heists to Alex Jones’ latest antics, this year has provided ample fodder for our annual list of the city’s good, bad, and just plain weird. By David Leffler Best Top Shelf After watching its sales grow by more than 20 percent in 2019, Tito’s Handmade Vodka became the best-selling spirit in America this year. For context: The homegrown liquor company annually sells nearly 100 bottles for every Austin resident.

Burn Notice While covering March’s Super Tuesday Democratic primaries, MSNBC anchor Brian Williams declared Driftwood’s Salt Lick BBQ the best in Texas—a bold, inadvisable decision in the Lone Star State. The Texas Tribune’s Evan Smith promptly set the yankee straight, declaring that “identifying one barbecue restaurant as the best in Texas” is more controversial than gun control.

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All Aboard Derailed by rain damage and heated contract disputes between the city and its operator, Texas Special, Austin’s Zilker Zephyr train has been out of commission since May 2019. But more than 18 months later, there’s finally light at the end of the tunnel, with local officials unveiling a $525,000 plan to get the locomotive chugging by summer 2021.

Hot Wheels Drawn by millions of dollars in tax breaks, Elon Musk announced in July that Tesla’s new billion-dollar Gigafactory is coming to town.

Beyond bringing jobs and economic development to Del Valle, the production plant is being promoted as an “ecological paradise” equipped with a boardwalk and hiking and biking trails.

Run M.O.C. Oscar winner, co-owner of Austin FC, UT’s Minister of Culture—Matthew McCo-

I L LU ST R AT I O N BY S A R A M A R I E D ’ E U G E N I O ; C ROW D : V I C H I N T E R L A N G / S H U T T E RSTO C K ; S A LT L I C K : K E N N Y B R AU N ; C O RO N AV I RU S : C O U RT ESY C D C ; T ES L A : C O U RT E SY T E S L A

Beat Year in Review

December 2020

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naughey wears a lot of hats around here. The latest title for Mr. Alright, Alright, Alright? Minister of Culture (M.O.C.) for the entire city. His first foray into his new role has been a public safety campaign pushing citizens to #maskup to combat COVID-19.

On the March American cities were consumed by protests condemning police brutality in the wake of George Floyd’s killing, Austin included.

By far the biggest showing took place on June 7, the 11th straight day of demonstrations, when the Austin Justice Coalition’s “Black Austin Rally and March for Black Lives” protest spurred thousands of Austinites to march from Huston-Tillotson University to the State Capitol.

Forward Progress A year after his exoneration for being wrongfully convicted of the sexual assault of a 4-year-old in 2013, Leander native Greg Kelley is back on the gridiron for Eastern Michigan University. The 25-year-old high school football star received a full-ride scholarship to play safety for the Eagles this fall.

Chain Reaction If you didn’t buy HEB’s signature slogan (“No Store Does More”) before 2020, you better now. Since the pandemic’s outset, the beloved grocery chain has been the steadying force for Texans, using complex economic modeling systems and advanced safety measures to stock up on essential goods and protect employees—precautions that were light-years ahead of the government’s early response to the virus.

Worst

B E N P O RT E R P H OTO G R A P H Y

True Colors In one of the biggest busts by the city auditor’s office, Austin Public Library employee Randall Nelson Whited was charged with a first-degree theft felony for stealing $1.3 million in...printer toner. Whited amassed his underground ink empire by stealing and reselling the goods online over a 12-year period.

Walking the Line In January, APD officers received calls that a South Austin man was walking on a city power line like a tightrope. After jumping down from his perch and being admitted into a drug treatment facility for using methamphetamine, the highflyer said he’d climbed the electrical line to escape a pack of dogs he believed was chasing him.

Match Point For 18 years, Texas men’s tennis coach Michael Center ran one of the nation’s top programs, but his legacy is now tainted by his involvement in the 2019 college admissions scandal. Center was sentenced to six months in prison after investigators discovered that he received

$100,000 from a Silicon Valley venture capitalist in exchange for an unearned scholarship that allowed his son to attend the university.

Hot Wings Most Austinites have mixed feelings about grackles, but 67-year-old Rodney Lynn Cook took things to another level when he set fire to a grackle sculpture that had been installed in front of Austin City Hall. Emergency crews arrived to save the piece, titled “Ganador,” but not before the bird was burnt to a crisp.

HEB’s handling of the coronavirus is something government officials across America should be envious of.

Safety First Former UT football standout Earl Thomas was the subject of one of the most jarring domestic disputes in recent memory when, in mid-April, he was caught cheating and subsequently held at gunpoint by his wife. According to reports by TMZ, the All-Pro safety was found in bed with several women and his brother, Seth, at an Austin Airbnb.

Glass Act The internet has been overwhelmed with videos of angered customers refusing to wear face coverings during the pandemic, but none like what Fresh Plus in Hyde Park experienced in August. After being asked to wear a mask, 31-year-old Wayne Ayres (later arrested) repeatedly hurled Topo Chico bottles at the store’s front windows, sending shards of glass flying across its floors, which resulted in a $20,000 repair bill.

Going Viral Back in March, an ill-fated trip to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, by a group of UT Spring Breakers led to 60 of the students contracting COVID-19. The incident, which embarrassed the university and made headlines nationally, provided an early case study for contact tracing during the pandemic.

Don’t Mask, Don’t Tell Conspiracy theorist and coronavirus-denier Alex Jones was a magnet for controversy in 2020, drawing attention for claims that he was planning to eat his neighbor if supemarkets ran out of food and leading anti-mask rallies outside the Governor’s Mansion. He also confronted city workers monitoring access to the Barton Creek Greenbelt, telling a local lifeguard that he’s part of a “criminal power grab.”

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BY TREY G U TIERR EZ AND C H RIS H U G HE S Electric Jellyfish isn’t just any old hazy. It’s Austin’s No. 1 craft obsession.

P H OTO G R A P HS BY N IC K CA BRER A A N D SAR AH K AR L AN

QUALITY INGREDIENTS THAT hinge on the fickle nature of any agricultural harvest; talented brewers who offer a wealth of perspectives; even that label that was oh-so-thoughtfully designed to get you to reach for it in the first place.

There are dozens of factors that go into making a great beer. In these heady times, that’s become even more apparent as the Austin brewing community has come together to support, innovate, and further one of the best craft scenes in the country. Hey, we’ll toast to that!

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The Missing Ingredient After years of being ignored, Austin’s whitewashed beer scene is embracing a diverse new outlook.

By David Leffler

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IN THE FALL of 2013, Shannon Harris sat in his cramped Los Angeles apartment surrounded by a collection of empty beer cans. Despite the look of it, the New Orleans native wasn’t in the midst of a days-long bender; he was at the tail end of a marathon tasting session that would forever change his life. At the time, Harris admits, he knew little about beer other than mainstream lagers like Bud Light, MGD, and Coors. But after sampling more than 25 types of stouts, IPAs, and Kölsches with a friend that night, he couldn’t help but wonder why he hadn’t been exposed before. “When it comes to beer and Black people, we’ve got Colt 45 and malt liquor,” he says. “That’s all that’s ever been pushed to our communities.”

In the seven years since, Harris has committed himself to defying that stereotype by forming inroads at Austin breweries, producing countless homebrew batches, and creating a rigorous self-education program about the vast (and growing) world of craft beer. As his love of the category has grown, so has his consciousness about being the only Black person in the room— an experience he says is all too common in an industry dominated by white men.

To raise awareness about this issue (while also charting his growth as a brewer), Harris created the popular Instagram account @thebrewbrotha—a platform that’s cemented him as one of the city’s most exciting new brewmasters and a powerful advocate for taking on systemic racism in the field. He sees that as the only way to change an industry that, from its customer base to its ownership ranks, is overwhelmingly white. “If you don’t have a diverse staff, you won’t bring in a diverse array of consumers,” says Harris, who’s already collaborated with local brands like Hi Sign Brewing. “People want to see someone behind the bar who looks like them, to be in an environment that’s welcoming to folks of all types.”

That lack of diversity is the beer scene’s worst-kept secret. A 2018 survey conducted by the Brewers Association, the national organization for craft beer makers, found that 88 percent of American brewery owners were white, the vast majority of whom were men. Even more startling, a mere 1 percent of these breweries were Black-owned. A similar breakdown exists within Texas, says Caroline Wallace, deputy director of the Texas Craft Brewers Guild (TCBG). She points to San Antonio’s Weathered Souls as the only Black-owned establishment in the entire state.

Women are equally underrepresented, with Christine Celis at Celis Brewery boasting the lone female-owned brewery (minus a few husband-and-wife teams).

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WHAT’S BREWING

Shannon Harris is set to open Austin’s first Black-owned brewery, Urban Jungle, in 2022.

At a time when social justice is at the forefront of the national dialogue, it’s vital that the industry address these deep-seated issues, Wallace says. In that vein, TCBG began hosting keynote panels in 2019 on topics like the value of diversifying brewery staffs through intentional hiring practices.

More recently, the guild championed this summer’s Black is Beautiful campaign, which saw more than 100 Texas breweries (including more than two dozen in Austin) come together to raise money for organizations combating police brutality. Looking ahead, the organization has established a diversity and equity committee to continue these initiatives among its constituents.

“2020 was not only time to do these things, it was past time to do them,” Wallace says, noting that deficits around gender in craft beer have been curbed faster than those connected to race and ethnicity. “Prioritizing diversity and inclusion isn’t

just the right thing to do, it’s the smart thing. When you appeal to more people, you’ve got a far larger market and opportunity for growth.”

These efforts, paired with the emergence of leaders like Harris and Hold Out Brewing’s marketing and hospitality manager, Sheila Garcia (who co-leads the local chapter of the Pink Boots Society, an international organization for women working in beer), speak to a broader appetite for change within Austin’s beer community. To this point, Harris was able to raise more than $60,000 on Kickstarter to open Austin’s first Black-owned brewery, Urban Jungle, by 2022. “Whether it’s through initiating dialogues or pushing for better hiring practices, we’re planting the seeds for diversity here. But it’s up to Austin’s breweries to water them and ensure they flourish,” he says. “The goal is to be the first Black-owned brewery in town, not the last.”

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THERE ARE NOW more than 8,000 craft breweries in the country (300-plus in Texas alone), which means standing out on store shelves has never been more challenging. That’s why brands are becoming more design conscious, as they seek out artists like Lauren Dickens, known for forging Independence Brewing Co.’s matte black aesthetic. “With countless options at your neighborhood HEB, you want to create this ‘billboard effect,’” she says. Here, four of the city’s top designers explain how they are not only catching consumer’s eyes, but capturing the unique story and outlook behind each brewery project they touch.

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Keith Davis Young listened to a lot of Steely Dan’s “Aja” in order to channel the nostalgic vibe St. Elmo was aiming for with its flagship Kölsch. “They told me Carl is the type of beer your grandpa would stack in his garage,” he says.

Paying homage to the history of Zilker Brewing Co.’s taproom, which was a former auto body shop, Sam O’Brien designed its Pit Stop label to look like a vintage oil can with a peach sprouting a checkered flag.

Bald eagles have long been used as brand imagery at American breweries like Anheuser-Busch, so Lauren Dickens put a local spin on it with a screaming grackle for Independence Brewing’s Austin Amber.

To match the “bold and clean” brewing style championed at Austin Beerworks, Christian Helms gave their line of core offerings a simple, strippeddown look that stands in stark contrast to its more ornate competition.

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WHAT’S BREWING

Brewers don’t live in a bubble. In fact, most are now teaming up with fellow companies across the globe to build up new skills, markets, and some world-class collaborative beers.

FOR TIM BULLOCK, co-founder of South Austin’s St. Elmo Brewing Company, craft beer is an industry comparable to music. To his point, both have deep roots in Austin via a wealth of high-profile talents that rarely, if ever, work in isolation. “You’ll find time and time again that the innovative musicians are the ones coming up with new playbooks, keeping themselves relevant,” he says. “One key to that innovation is collaboration.”

Over the years, that type of creative exchange has taken many forms at Bullock’s operation, from coffee ales brewed with beans from Spokesman Coffee Roasters to a sinfully malty IPA created with local drag queen Louisiana Purchase. Most often though, the joint ventures that have had the greatest success are those between like-minded

Dream Teams These three recent collaborations gave back to social causes, the community, and beer fans in general.

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December 2020

Black is Beautiful Black-owned San Antonio brewery Weathered Souls joined forces with brands from around the world (including Austin) on an imperial stout project that helped raise funds for police brutality reform.

Holdfellow Saison Two emerging brewmasters, Brent Sapstead (Hold Out Brewing Co.) and Garrett Crowell (Yokefellow), conceived this citrus-forward saison as a primer for beer lovers unfamiliar with their operations.

All Together IPA Furloughed hospitality industry workers received aid through this beer made by Brooklyn-based Other Half Brewing Co. and four of the city’s most community-minded operations, including Jester King.

C O U RT ESY A L L TO G E T H E R B E E R

Come Together

businesses. Think of these as craft beer jam sessions where various teams converge on neutral ground for mad-scientist-levels of experimentation using novel yeasts, unconventional adjuncts (fruit purees, teas, and spices), and seemingly every possible hop combination under the sun.

Even as the industry weathered a difficult 2020 because of COVID-19, breweries continued to release collaborations at an impressive rate. While it didn’t hurt that such pandemic-era partnerships (many of which have taken place over email) helped drive sales during a historic economic low point, their motivations for doing so went beyond simple dollars and cents. “Craft brewers are incredibly busy people, and this is our best opportunity to pick each other’s brains,” says Jonathan Harris, co-owner of Hedgehog Brewing Company, which recently produced a Maltesers-inspired chocolate stout with Celis Brewery. “Collaboration is what ensures our community’s overall standard of knowledge is always increasing.”

With Austin’s growing reputation as an industry powerhouse, local brewers are now enjoying increased opportunities to learn from the world’s best. For example, in 2018, renowned Danish brewery Mikkeller traveled to Austin to create an ambitious, open-fermented wild ale with Jester King Brewery called Bughaven. There was also Joe Mohrfeld and his team at Pinthouse Pizza partnering with storied Paso Robles, California, brand, Firestone Walker Brewing Company, over a crisp, American-style IPA (Electric Union) that combined the best aspects of both operations’ flagship ales.

Perhaps most notably is Real Ale Brewing Company’s anticipated annual release of Blakkr, an imperial black ale that was first conceived in 2014 with Minneapolis’ Surly Brewing Company and Indiana’s 3 Floyds Brewing Co.—a high-octane beer inspired by their mutual love of metal music.

As the city’s brewing scene continues to plumb these educational endeavors, new skills and techniques are fed back into the community. Not only is such openness invaluable for promising talents like Harris, who is currently finding his footing in a scene dominated by more established craftsman—it also ensures boundary-pushing advances that defy complacency. “It doesn’t matter if you’re a veteran brewer,” says Bullock. “Sometimes the most innovative ideas come from complete outsiders. The more you box yourself in, the less likely it is that you’ll find the idea that could potentially revolutionize the community.”

ABBEY LOSSING

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Premium Blend

S H U T T E RSTO C K BY: P E A N U T B U T T E R : A F R I C A ST U D I O ; J E L LY: B A I B A Z ; P E P P E R : E R M A K O KS A N A ; P E C A N : I N N A K R E AT I V; F LOW E RS : TAT I A N A M I S H I N A ; D R I N K : LU N A S E EST U D I O S ; T E A : S L AV B U K H A L ; TA N K : B E N O I T D AO U ST

In their ongoing race to discover the next big thing, brewers are trying anything and everything to distinguish themselves. Here, just some of the far-out ingredients being utilized to keep the craft community on its toes.

PEANUT BUTTER

F L OW E R S

A N D J E L LY

Roughhouse Brewing Floral Print Brewer Andy Pasternak adds calendulas, dandelions, and scented geranium from his family’s ranch to this botanical farmhouse ale.

4th Tap Brewing Co-op Supernaut A nostalgic variant of an imperial milk stout that’s conducive to waxing on about the salad days of recess and sack lunches.

H A BA N E R O P E P P E R S

Hedgehog Brewing Mango Tango Fruit-forward with a lingering burn, this farmhouse brew takes the term “peppery saison” to muy picante new heights.

G AT O R A D E P OW D E R

St. Elmo Brewing Co. Jinx This glugable green-tinted lager is both the cause and solution for a good time, with hangover-fighting electrolytes mixed right into the batch.

P E CA N S

(512) Brewing Company Double Pecan Porter Pee-can? Puh-cahn? No matter how you pronounce it, everyone can agree this porter tastes best when aged in oak whiskey barrels for (512)’s hotly anticipated annual bottle release.

EARL GREY TEA

Blue Owl Brewing Cool & the Gang The floral tea is mixed with tart citrus in a quaffable sour ale that is Austin’s answer to the Arnold Palmer.

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What to Do at Breweries Besides Drink

Disc Golf at Live Oak Brewing Co. The free-to-use nine-hole disc golf course at this urban oasis is just the type of activity to pair with a classic, cloveforward hefeweizen and a cool spring afternoon.

Detoxifying is (seriously!) on the agenda.

Lotería Brunch at Independence Brewing Co. Cap off an eventful weekend with some Mexican bingo and a bowl of hangover-curing menudo from on-site food truck Margie’z Place.

If You Build It Crowlers and rare releases are just part of the draw as breweries become architectural feats that stun by their surroundings alone.

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Pints & Poses at Circle Brewing Co. Even if you don’t sip your complimentary beer, this $15 class—where certified yogis guide participants through an hour of detoxifying Hatha yoga—is well worth the price of admission.

IN THE NOT-TOO-DISTANT past, standing around a kegerator and staring at the metal siding of a utilitarian warehouse was the extent of a taproom visit. But not so today, where going to a brewery is an experience in which the setting is as much of a draw as the draft selection. Case in point: Central Machine Works, which opened last November on East Cesar Chavez Street. A 1940s-era metal works and machine shop that once built airplane parts

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WHAT’S BREWING

C E N T R A L M AC H I N E WO R KS : A N D R E A C A LO ; V I STA B R E W I N G : M A R K A DA M S

Top: Central Machine Works on the East Side; Bottom: Vista Brewing creates an indoor-outdoor connection in Driftwood.

during World War II, it was converted into a near-10,000square-foot brewery complete with a German-style beer garden and live music space. Spearheaded by David Clark of Kartwheel Studio, it includes revolving art installations, overhead lights from New York’s original JFK International Airport, custom leather booths, and decorative pieces repurposed from the space’s past, including a 110-year-old machine that used to turn metal stock. With much of its façade kept intact, as well as employees well-versed in the history of the building, it’s like a museum visit—albeit one that serves housemade lagers and sessionable pale ales.

The same could be said for Vista Brewing in Driftwood, which has become as popular on weekends as the original Salt Lick BBQ. Brewmaster Pat Korn’s traditional, low-ABV beers are now standard-bearers in the field, but much of Vista’s foot traffic can be credited to Stephen Oliver of OPA Design Studio. Taking advantage of the bucolic surroundings, Oliver decided to create an “indoor-outdoor connection that produced a sense of retreat.” Not one mature tree was removed in the fabrication of the company’s two main structures (a tasting room and a 5,000-square-foot brewery with underground draft lines running between them), which uses large bi-folding casement windows to “frame the view” of the Hill Country’s rolling hills. An on-site garden and 16-hive apiary, which provides ingredients for its restaurant, are an easy stroll from an outdoor beer garden complete with an exterior tap wall.

That effort to bring the natural beauty of a site indoors—as well as to bridge a connection between a brewery’s operational aspects and its public interface— have become hallmarks of Oliver, who’s emerged as the unofficial architect of the Central Texas craft beverage industry. At Live Oak Brewing Company, he used the canvas of its 22,000-square-foot campus near the airport to construct a natural amphitheater within a grove of oaks for a beer garden whose sightline leads directly to the taproom and a bar framing its massive BrauKon brewhouse.

Whether converting an old Tejano nightclub into Oddwood Ales’ brewery and pizza kitchen or overhauling the former Uncle Billy’s Brewery & Smokehouse on Barton Springs Road into the aquatic-themed site of Austin Eastciders second facility, Oliver knows how to make the best out of any situation—and that has transformed the functional into the fantastic all across the city.

“Once, just being a brewery where people could visit and sit around at picnic tables was such a novelty,” he says. “But now there is so much competition, a cool space factors into a decision where you want to hang out. I love creating places where the city just kind of goes away, and there’s room to stretch and play.”

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WHAT’S BREWING

WHAT’S OLD IS new, as brewers are starting to look further into the past to both foster their latest innovations and honor a practice that’s thousands of years old (it dates back to 3,400 B.C.). Recreating ale styles once thought lost to history presents quite the technical challenge, though, with projects often demanding old-world brewing methods, extinct ingredients, and, if done correctly, scholarly levels of historical research. Now, beer fans are benefiting off that sweat equity with rare East German porters, a pils style popular before WWII, and an IPA built on the high seas.

C I R C L E B R E W I N G C O. ARCHET YPE HISTORI CA L I PA

To recreate the strong pale ales exported by Britain to India in the 18th century, co-founder Ben Sabel and head brewer Taylor Lapour aged this malty brew in wood barrels for more than three months to simulate a prolonged boat journey.

Each batch was also inoculated with a wild yeast that would have accumulated naturally over the course of one of those lengthy voyages.

L I V E OA K B R E W I N G C O M PA N Y P R E - WA R P I L S

even came with a branded church key to pop the punch-top lid, just like gramps used to.

JESTER KING B R E W E RY PAT T I N S O N P O R T E R

On his visit to Jester King last year, renowned beer historian Ron Pattinson brought with him a recipe for an early 20th-century sour porter from East Germany. In his interpretation of this nearly forgotten libation, cofounder Jeffrey Stuffings uses five types of hops and the brewery’s signature mixed culture, which contains several strains of Brettanomyces.

This flavorful American lager follows a recipe popular before Prohibition’s onset, employing a partial corn grit mash for a beer that’s as crisp and crushable now as it was in 1912. On a recent release, select six-packs

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Some of the city’s biggest luminaries share their favorite way to unwind.

JEFFREY STUFFINGS Co-founder at Jester King I’ve had the privilege of going to Cologne, Germany, where the Kölsch originated, and I can say St. Elmo Brewing Co.’s Carl does a very nice job of estimating those at the source. It has a crisp malt character that you could drink by the liter.

CHIP MCELROY Founder at Live Oak Brewing Company There were plenty of breweries that said, “We’ll make Belgian beers,” then just made them so funky they tasted bad. But not at Jester King, whose farmhouse beers are excellent—especially its Le Petit Prince.

AMY CARTWRIGHT Co-founder at Independence Brewing Co. The ABGB has always been a great refuge to enjoy a beer and some pizza under their live oak trees. Their Industry Pilsner is not only my go-to, but simply one of the best lagers around.

WILL GOLDEN Co-founder and director of brewing at Austin Beerworks Southern Heights [Brewing Co.] Tahitian Dreamin’ is packed full of tropical and citrus hop character. It’s got a great mouthfeel and drinkability without the hop burn you get with a lot of new-school hazy IPAs.

SARA MARIE D’EUGENIO

Blast From the Past

What the Pros Drink (Besides Their Own Beer)

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Roughhouse Brewing cellars beers in a limestone cave found on its San Marcos property.

Ale Stars

HEDGEHOG BREWING

It can be difficult keeping up with the number of new breweries opening up each year, but these seven standouts are worthy of all the buzz.

H O L D O U T B R E W I N G C O.

C O U RT ESY RO U G H H O U S E B R E W I N G

A more appropriate name can’t be imagined for this much-delayed project located behind sister concept Better Half Coffee & Cocktails. This May—more than two years after its announcement— the brewery finally opened the doors of its Quonset hut to show off the unique Nordic-influenced pale ales of former Real Ale brewer Brent Sapstead. holdout brewing.com N O M A D I C B E E RWO R K S

To capture the inviting atmosphere of the pubs they frequented backpacking through Europe, brothers Dan and Bryce Tyranski curate their tap wall with ales ranging from the accessible (easy-drinking blondes) to the esoteric (saisons brewed with pineapple and basil). nomadicbeerworks.com

O D DWO O D A L E S

Taylor Ziebarth began this solo endeavor as an on-the-clock experiment at his former digs, where he started fermenting Adelbert Brewery’s base beer in wine barrels alongside Brettanomyces. Though his brewpub offers a range of crowd-pleasing styles, the spirit of that fateful, tongue-tingling first brew lives on in Oddwood’s array of wild-sour bottle releases. oddwoodales.com

When they’re not working their day jobs (one practices law while the other handles all aspects of brewery distribution), this two-man operation sees brothers Jonathan and Chris Harris experimenting with wild-fermented, barrel-aged ales whose tartness comes courtesy of a natural yeast strain they collected six years ago near Liberty Hill, Texas. hedgehogatx.com FA M I LY B U S I N E S S B E E R C O M PA N Y

Best known as the brewery co-owned by Supernatural star Jensen Ackles, Family Business succeeds primarily by way of its locally grown talent, including Nate Seale (formerly of (512) Brewing Company), whose outstanding German Dunkel represents the strongest iteration of the style in recent memory. familybusiness beerco.com

ROUGHHOUSE BREWING

As just one example of how Davy Pasternak takes both inspiration and ingredients from the picturesque environment around him, the head brewer recently built a cellar out of a naturally occurring limestone cave uncovered on his San Marcos property in which he now makes a number of spontaneously fermented ales. rough housebrewing.com

V I S TA B R E W I N G

The pastoral beauty of Vista’s sun-drenched tasting room, built around 21 acres of towering oak trees and sprawling nature trails, is only heightened by veteran brewer Pat Korn’s masterful Belgian-inspired creations. As a result, every element works in tandem to create a one-of-a-kind experience. vistabrewingtx.com December 2020

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Shock Value

Joe Mohrfeld (center) and his brewing crew at Pinthouse Pizza.

Since 2015, Pinthouse Pizza’s Electric Jellyfish has captivated the city like no beverage before. But how did a hazy, aggressively hopped IPA become craft royalty? Its creator tells the story.

ON OCT. 2, 2006, a fire engulfed a 40,000-square-foot warehouse in Yakima, Washington, destroying 10,000 bales of hops. Paired with catastrophic weather across Europe the following year, a scarcity of those aromatic little cones ensued, upending the beer industry for years. Wallowing in the ripple effects of that persistent shortage was brewmaster Joe Mohrfeld, who’d helped launch Pinthouse Pizza on Burnet Road in 2012. A recent transplant from Fort Collins, Colorado, Mohrfeld was anxious to get his hands back on some of the more coveted varieties, including Simcoe and Citra—hops he’d worked with as the head brewer at Odell Brewing Co. 70

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For Austin brewers, the dust didn’t start to settle until 2013, when the world’s hop supply began to swell beyond pre-2006 levels, and traces of the more newly developed, fruit-forward varieties again began to eke into the market. And that’s when Mohrfeld pounced.

Creating a number of hop-forward IPAs with prosaic names like “Test Batch #3,” he flooded the tap lines at the Burnet location and gauged the reaction of his customer base. What Mohrfeld was looking for was a star brew to feature at the upcoming Pinthouse Pizza on South Lamar, one which would differentiate itself from Man O’ War, the flagship beer at his original restaurant.

The most promising of these experimental beers had only one glaring issue: It kept coming

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B A R R E L S : KOYA 9 7 9/ S H U T T E RSTO C K ; B E E R : S H A N E LO P ES / S H U T T E RSTO C K

out excessively cloudy. At places like Hill Farmstead in Vermont, a type of juicy, unfiltered IPA was beginning to sweep the New England beer world. But in 2015, what was eventually dubbed “hazy IPAs” had yet to infiltrate the South.

Debuting the beer at a friends and family night at Pinthouse South Lamar that fall, Mohrfeld admits to being nervous. “I didn’t want people thinking we were cutting corners,” he says. And what is now called Electric Jellyfish (named after a line in Wes Anderson’s The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou) received a mixed reaction.

Most notably, Adam DeBower, co-founder at Austin Beerworks, was visibly frustrated with his friend and fellow brewer.

“Adam was there that night, and he was actually very mad at me,” Mohrfeld says with a laugh. “He turned to me and said, ‘I can’t believe you would even serve this! You’re better than this.’”

But Mohrfeld believed in the beer, and further, he was convinced that filtering stripped out the malt proteins and hop oils that made American IPAs special.

Selfishly, he’d also been stuck on the filtering side of production at Odell for more than a year—an arduous process that often reduces predictability—and he’d swore he’d never succumb to it in his future endeavors.

Despite his naysayers, Mohrfeld’s gamble worked.

Within months, Electric Jellyfish was not only Pinthouse’s bestseller, it paved the way for a hazy IPA phenomenon that’s still thriving in Austin today. But how did a pricey IPA (a 4-pack retails for $18) come to enchant an entire city? And not just for a brief duration—which could be chocked up to novelty—but incite a growing buzz that continues to grow year after year?

Mohrfeld credits the ever-evolving recipe, which concentrates on fruitier, less bitter hops than one would find in a more traditional West Coast IPA. Gone were the piney, herbaceous notes that had made IPAs a polarizing style for decades. Electric Jellyfish is soft and pillowy, with a tropical flavor profile that appeals to a wider demographic. Little did wine and White Claw drinkers know, but what they had always been searching for in a beer was Citra, Simcoe, and Sultana hops.

More importantly, Mohrfeld and his brewing team are constantly tweaking the recipe to keep up with changing palates. Modern drinkers, they’ve found, want less and less bitterness, so they’re regularly changing the hop bill to appeal to their audience.

Some might argue that scarcity also plays a part in Electric Jellyfish’s success, which could be a valid argument. Even in its most prolific production year, Pinthouse was only able to make 11,000 barrels—a number that Mohrfeld says won’t dramatically increase, even with a new location on East Ben White Boulevard (the company’s fourth). But when accounting for Austin’s insatiable infatuation, the brewer points to something else entirely.

“There’s just something about the appearance of that beer,” he explains. “It has a type of iridescent glow that’s immediately recognizable. It has this sheen that I think has become a visual cue. Sitting in a bar or Alamo Drafthouse, I can spot it and think, Yeah, they’re all drinking Jellyfish.”

Suds by the Numbers W H AT D E F I N E S A S M A L L C R A F T B R E W E RY *

= 6 million barrels of beer or less annually W H AT D E F I N E S A M I C R O B R E W E RY $5 billion Impact on the state economy in 2019, which is 3rd-highest in the country

= >15,000 U.S. beer barrels annually

46th

Texas’ rank for craft breweries per capita

20.8%

percentage of Texas’ total craft brewing operations (341 as of 2019) based in Austin

D U R I N G C OV I D - 19 Yet orders for tall boy cans shot up

31,000+

80%

jobs created by the craft beer industry in 2019

Texas breweries saw sales drop an average of

M O S T P O PU L AR B E E R S T Y LE I N AU S TI N

71%

❶ ALE S AN D I PA S ❷ HA Z Y AN D N EW E N G L AN D S T Y LE - I PA S ❸ L AG E R S AN D PI L S N E R S

28% reported drinking beer from breweries they’d never tried before throughout lockdown

*AC C O R D I N G TO B E E R- F O C U S E D N O N P RO F I T B R E W E R ’ S A S S O C I AT I O N

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CURTAIN CALL:

THE RISE, FALL, AND

HOPEFUL REBIRTH OF

I LUV VIDEO Through his celebrated video store, owner Conrad Bejarano built a film archive that educated and entertained for decades. Now, the search is on for a successor to Austin’s cinematic lifeblood.

BY DA N G EN TIL E

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P H OTO G R A P H S BY A N N IE R AY

December 2020

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P H OTO C R E D I T

The I Luv Video owner at his Airport Boulevard location, which shuttered in September.

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CONRAD BEJARANO IS one of the worst customers in I Luv Video history.

He’s been a member since day one and has had at least 10 different accounts, making a new burner each time his late fees reached the allotted $10,000 limit on the video rental store’s antiquated point-of-sale software. All told, Bejarano says, he probably owes the business six figures in penalties for “long-term” rentals of his favorite films, Blade Runner and Spartacus.

They probably wouldn’t even let him in the door if he didn’t own the place.

“I’m the worst offender when it comes to late fees. It’s like, ‘Dude, I returned that movie, I swear!’” he says. “Then you’re cleaning the car, or you find it under the couch. So we’re really sympathetic to people forgetting. If you have five bucks to pay, great, just come back and enjoy movies again.”

Established in 1984 at the corner of Slaughter Lane and Menchaca (then Manchaca) Road, the shop grew into a cultural force in Austin over its three-plus decades. At its height, there were five continuously running I Luv Video locations across town, two of which had attached pizza kitchens.

But as streaming services expanded and Austinites began forsaking that Friday night ritual of renting movies, shop after shop closed, and the entire library was consolidated into the last location on Airport Boulevard—resulting in what is estimated to be the largest video collection in the world.

Like many Austin institutions—such as longtime local competitor Vulcan Video, which closed in April—I Luv Video’s lone remaining shop became a casualty of the twin threats facing similar legacy businesses today: a changing culture and the coronavirus pandemic. In early September, they rewound their final tape and locked the shop’s doors forever. But for Bejarano, the final credits on his business haven’t run just yet.

The store’s 36-year run is just one part of the cultural legacy that Bejarano has helped craft in Austin since moving from Arizona in the early ’80s. He’s also the owner of campus area institution 74

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P H OTO C R E D I T

C

December 2020

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CURTAIN CALL

P H OTO C R E D I T

Bejarano surveys his vast film archive, which includes more than 120,000 videos.

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Spider House, one of the city’s pioneering coffee shops; the neighboring Spider House Ballroom that has served as an incubator for local talent across a spectrum of performing arts; plus EcoClean, an environmentally safe laundromat (don’t get him started on the unregulated dry-cleaning industry).

Bejarano’s businesses have helped the weird go mainstream, but they have also suffered from the same demons facing society at-large—be it the inevitable push and pull of technology, occurrences of sexual harassment in the workplace, and the harsh real estate realities that threaten the future of local brick-and-mortars. Places like I Luv Video and Spider House are part of the soul of Austin, and their evolution in many ways mimics both its growth and decline.

“It’s kind of like a psychedelic: It’s hard to explain if you haven’t been,” says Ian Graham, a 14-year I Luv Video employee whose band The Well often played at the Ballroom. “This place shouldn’t have existed. It was like another planet.”

Jay Gordon of Blackout Signs drew this early concept design for Spider House's sign.

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IN THE AGE of Netflix, video stores seem like cute relics of the past, but they were revolutionary in their prime. The very first video rental shop, Video Station, opened in West Los Angeles in 1977 with just 50 licensed films, including The Sound of Music. By 1983, nearly 10 percent of American households owned VCRs, but all wasn’t smooth in the burgeoning industry, with Universal Studios pursuing legislation in Congress to protect copyrighted material from redistribution—an effort that eventually fell flat after the Supreme Court ruled in favor of a consumer’s right to videotape television programs in 1984. As a result, the country hit play on The Great Video Rental Shop Boom.

Conrad Bejarano was living in Phoenix, Arizona, at the time, where he took up a job at a video

store called Sounds Easy alongside his brother, Chuck. His marketing savvy led to a promotion to open a second store in Flagstaff. But after a spring break trip to Austin with his father (a proud UT grad), he fell in love with the capital city and decided to take his VHS-hustling talents to Texas.

Alongside his friend John Dorgan, Bejarano’s business partner until 2017, he opened London Video in UT’s Dobie Mall in 1984 with an initial investment of just $7,000.

The lease might’ve come with free room and board inside the dorm, but the student body wasn’t nearly as receptive as expected, and the two soon jumped ship for South Austin, where they opened the first I Luv Video in a nondescript, 600-squarefoot space on Menchaca Road. Although Blockbuster Video wouldn’t launch until a year later, other large chains were already on the rise, so the duo leaned into an irreverent marketing strategy that projected themselves as fellow titans of industry. Their initial store even sold T-shirts that listed fake locations in Paris and Madrid.

“There were tons of national stores, so we thought we’d do one better than that,” Bejarano says. “Let’s just say that we have video stores all over the world, and I Luv Video is No. 56.

The gimmick worked. Buoyed by its growing reputation, I Luv Video expanded to a total of five shops by 1989 despite the perplexing economics behind the business: Studios would price tapes at around $60 wholesale, which, unlike your average mom-and-pop, benefited chains like Blockbuster that had the capital to purchase dozens of copies of new releases.

“In order for you to make your money back, you’ve got to rent it out 35 times,” says Jamie Avila, who served as general manager over all the stores from 1988 to 1995. “And a video tape doesn’t last that long. I was always fascinated by how they made it work. It met payroll, it met rent, it just flowed.”

That was because I Luv Video took a far different approach than its competition, particularly with regards to demographics. The means just to play VHS tapes was still too expensive for many consumers at the time, so they rented out VCRs for 99 cents to attract lower- and middle-income customers. They also refused to compete in an arms race to stock up on copies of popular films like E.T. and instead tracked down independent and foreign films, developed relationships with middlemen in other cities to import tapes from Asia, and wrote directly to directors like Russ Meyer, who would send them copies of their films.

The company’s growing archive of rare movies made it a magnet for members of Austin’s film community, including director Richard Linklater and longtime employee Teresa Taylor, the memorable actor selling Madonna’s Pap smear in Slacker (later immortalized in a mural at the Airport location). For critics like The Austin Chronicle’s Richard Whittaker, the collection proved an invaluable resource.

C O N R A D B E JA R A N O

CURTAIN CALL

December 2020

10/27/20 3:02 PM

The video store's original location on Slaughter Lane and Menchaca Road.

C O N R A D B E JA R A N O

DINNER AND A MOVIE

“What appealed to me was there was a sh*t ton of stuff there I hadn’t seen. I’m not sure where it came from or if any of it had been technically released in America,” he says. “I was able to see a bunch of Japanese films that I was just vaguely aware of from reading books. I didn’t know they really existed beyond myth.”

For less-knowledgeable customers, the staff of film geeks were crucial to the store’s success, parrying requests for out-of-stock new releases with recommendations of obscure alternatives.

“Typically, with a mainstream store, you’d go there knowing they’re going to have 100 copies of Top Gun. It was very vanilla and very safe,” says Bejarano. “There was no way to compete with that, so it was all about salesmanship.”

Part of that involved setting a vibe—a skill that Bejarano excels at. The same offbeat aesthetic that would eventually infiltrate the furnishings at Spider House extended into the I Luv shops, where every spare inch of real estate was crammed with film memorabilia knickknacks. Free beer was given away on Tuesday nights to entice customers on the slowest day of the week. And several locations stayed open until 3 a.m.

Whereas Spider House was adamant about not having televisions, each of Bejarano’s video stores had dozens hanging from the ceiling—an unprecedented innovation at the time. The staff of overeducated artists and musicians played their favorite films, which sparked a dialogue and ensured more out-of-the-ordinary rentals. Bejarano had created a group of stores that not only were renting out entertainment, but were destinations unto themselves.

“You didn’t have Netflix, you didn’t have all the subscription television you have now,” says Nathan Garcia, who was an employee and bookkeeper at I Luv Video from 1992 to 1998. “You went with the family to pick out a video on Friday night; it was a get-together and it was time well spent.”

Business peaked in the early ’90s, then had another huge spike with the adoption of DVDs later that decade. Eventually, though, convenience overpowered any sort of “cool” factor, and those hours meandering between towering shelves of discs and VHS tapes gave way to the menu-diving minutiae of streaming services.

“When Netflix went full streaming, it was like night and day. It just knocked the wind out of us,” says Graham. “Four or five years after that, the kids coming

In a 1994 commercial that aped Saturday Night Live’s famous “Hans and Franz” sketch, two I Luv Video employees dressed in bulging bodysuits with the nametags “Tons” and “Buns” sold customers on a revolutionary new idea: a video rental store that also delivered pizza.

“We got the delicious pizza and beer,” they said in their best Arnold Schwarzenegger impression. “We got lots of artsy-fartsy, cult, and foreign movies," says Buns (played by Bejarano). Tons adds, "So save your energy and get it all at I Luv Video, where we are going to… plump you up!”

In one of Bejarano’s many strategies to stave off Blockbuster's unrelenting corporate pressure, the company decided to marry the two concepts by equipping the location at IH-35 and Braker Lane with a full kitchen. The one at Slaughter and Menchaca went a step further by also adding a full arcade.

But overall, the concept proved a logistical nightmare.

Still, that didn’t stop I Luv Video Pizza from operating for seven gluttonous years, serving eccentric creations like a taco pizza with corn crust and black bean sauce.

Although trailblazing in the moment, the pizza side of the operation was shuttered in 1996 to make way for Bejarano’s foray into coffee, Spider House.

C O N T I N U E D O N PAG E 9 4

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M A N G S A A B G U RU/ S H U T T E RSTO C K

Austin’s Top Mortgage Professionals

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Whether you’re buying a new home or looking for a place to set up shop, you need a trusted mortgage professional by your side to make the stressful process easier. Consider these 98 individuals the best of the best in the Austin area.

Commercial Arturo Azua Chase (512) 891-5205 arturo.azua@chase.com David Bednarek Classic Bank (512) 778-6305 dbednarek@classicbank.com Alan Dale Chitwood Loan Star Capital Bank (512) 858-5159 alan.chitwood@lscb.com ★ James Copeland Austin Mortgage Associates (512) 789-7169 jamesc@austinmortgage assoc.com Alexis Smith Michael SouthStar Bank (512) 456-0035 alexis.michael@ southstarbank.com ★ Amy Oehler Cornerstone Home Lending (512) 354-4529 amy@biglifehomeloangroup .com Alex Olmos Amplify Credit Union (512) 940-5567 aolmos@goamplify.com ★ Nick Pronsky Legacy Mutual Mortgage (512) 709-4372 nick.pronsky@legacymutual .com

Steffani Scarborough SouthStar Bank (512) 263-5900 steffani.scarborough@ southstarbank.com Shirley Sheffield Amplify Credit Union (512) 519-5487 ssheffield@goamplify.com ★ Brandon Sparks Barton Creek Lending Group (512) 796-4569 brandon@bartoncreek lending.com

Residential Christine M. Adams University Federal Credit Union (512) 997-4603 cadams@ufcu.org Ashley Austin Anderson Benchmark Mortgage (512) 413-1332 ashley.anderson@ benchmark.us Randy Atkinson Capstar Lending (512) 459-2400 randy.atkinson@ capstarlending.com Nancy Baier Cornerstone Home Lending (512) 986-4124 nbaier@houseloan.com Jacob Baker Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation

(254) 933-9500 jacob.baker@fairwaymc.com Nate Beita Supreme Lending (512) 431-7055 nate.beita@supremelending .com Zander Blunt PrimeLending (512) 381-4642 zanderb@primelending.com Chad Bowman Veterans United Home Loans (512) 646-0800 chad@veteransunited.com Cameron Breed SWBC Mortgage Corporation (512) 531-1805 cbreed@swbc.com Kevin Breeland Amplify Credit Union (512) 834-6593 kbreeland@goamplify.com ★ Josh Brown Legacy Mutual Mortgage (512) 776-1413 josh.brown@legacymutual .com Scott Brown Loan Depot (512) 620-7054 scbrown@loandepot.com John Burnam SWBC Mortgage Corporation (512) 632-2012 john.burnam@swbc.com

Candy Buzan University Federal Credit Union (512) 797-5580 cbuzan@ufcu.org

(512) 775-2073 david@loansbyprodigy.com

John Campbell Prodigy Mortgage (512) 983-4108 john@loansbyprodigy.com Brian K. Campbell Supreme Lending (512) 587-8640 brian.campbell@ supremelending.com Silvia Ward Carden Benchmark Mortgage (512) 592-5455 silvia.ward@benchmark.us Drew Carls Legacy Mutual Mortgage (512) 797-1719 drew.carls@legacymutual .com Ian Carmichael NRL Mortgage (512) 537-8000 ian.carmichael@nrlmortgage .com Marcela Castillo SWBC Mortgage Corporation (512) 531-1805 marcela.castillo@swbc.com JD Cobb Elite Financing Group, LLC (512) 557-1264 jd@efgtx.com David Cockrell Prodigy Mortgage

Sean Condon First United Mortgage Group (512) 808-9489 sean.condon@ firstunitedbank.com ★ James Copeland Austin Mortgage Associates (512) 789-7169 jamesc@austinmortgage assoc.com ★ Terry Council Amplify Credit Union (512) 904-2403 tcouncil@goamplify.com Ian Craig Amplify Credit Union (512) 498-3071 ian.craig@bbva.com Elizabeth Crowe KBHS Home Loans (512) 963-4501 ecrowe@kbhshomeloans.com Christopher Crump Success Mortgage Partners, Inc. (512) 893-5674 ccrump@smprate.com Brad Cullipher Mutual of Omaha Mortgage (512) 426-9853 brad@myhouseloan.org Renee Damron CLM Mortgage (512) 786-1817 renee.damron@clmmortgage .com

★ Top Vote-Getters

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Austin’s Top Mortgage Professionals Tim Dockery Guaranteed Rate Affinity (512) 970-3711 tim.dockery@grarate.com

Michelle Ikonen Legacy Mutual Mortgage (512) 897-6329 ikonenteam@legacymutual.com

Stephanie Donnell The Home Loan Expert (737) 300-9740 stephanie@thehomeloan expert.com

Linda Ingram City Bank (512) 342-6900 lingram@citybanktexas.com

Brian Dorsey CMG Financial (512) 922-3133 bdorsey@cmgfi.com Joan Dumais BancorpSouth (512) 784-5626 joan.dumais@bxs.com

Address: 3403 Glenview Ave. Austin, TX 78703

NMLS# 1031976 Website: stephaniedonnell.com

Phone: (737) 300-9740

STEPHANIE DONNELL Certified Mortgage Advisor ™ The Home Loan Expert The biggest difference between Stephanie and other loan officers is that she is a Certified Mortgage Advisor™ which puts her in the one percent of loan officers in the U.S. who have undergone this extensive training and education. Being in the mortgage industry for almost 20 years she has found providing a human touch to be essential in order to understand her clients’ future goals and design a mortgage product that meets those needs. Stephanie does more than just offer low rates and fees. She takes pride in providing up-front client education with video explanations and an easy-to-follow loan process. She is with you every step of the way, from application to closing and beyond! In her spare time, Stephanie and her husband, T.J. (a local real estate appraiser), love spending time with their three children and cheering on their favorite teams.

Marie-Lynn Dunn CrossCountry Mortgage (203) 500-5609 mdunn@myccmortgage.com Jeff Engeling SWBC Mortgage Corporation (512) 531-1814 jengeling@swbc.com Melanie Hadley Cornerstone Home Lending (512) 314-7312 mhadley@houseloan.com Ashley Hall Barton Hills Mortgage (512) 444-2700 ashley@bartonhillsmortgage.com Tiffany Hentrup University Federal Credit Union (512) 997-4608 thentrup@ufcu.org Mark Nathan Howard Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation (512) 592-8181 mark.howard@fairwaymc.com Justin Hrabovsky CMG Financial (512) 665-8353 justinh@cmgfi.com

Jolene Jaehne First Centennial Mortgage (512) 321-4663 jolene@gofcm.com Pam Jamison PrimeLending (512) 582-8778 pam.jamison@primelending.com Andrea Keith Supreme Lending (512) 524-8352 andrea.keith@supremelending .com Jeffrey Kern Hamilton Home Loans (512) 720-9278 jeffrey.kern@ hamiltonhomeloans.com Max Leaman LoanPeople (512) 710-1400 team@maxleaman.com Jason Lewis Supreme Lending (512) 799-2996 jason.lewis@supremelending .com Amanda Lombardi Roberts & Co. Mortgage Lending (781) 248-6904 alombardi@robertsandco.us Danielle Lombino Panacea Mortgage (800) 499-1562 dani@onlineprime.com Michael Ludwig Guaranteed Rate Affinity (305) 914-1426 michael.ludwig@grarate.com

Tyler Hughes CMG Financial (512) 777-8518 thughes@cmgfi.com

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Address: 13809 Research Blvd., Austin,TX 78750 Phone: 512 777-8518 NMLS# 1025063 Website: OwningAustin.com

TYLER HUGHES Sr. Loan Officer CMG Financial

As an experienced mortgage professional and an Austin resident for 10-plus years, Tyler is dedicated to providing his clients an experience as unique as the city itself.

Tyler is dedicated to making what can feel like an overwhelming process, as smooth and as simple as possible. This mindset allows his clients to keep their focus on the excitement of their new home and away from the stresses of the financing process.

While he has a team of talented professionals behind him at CMG, Tyler still devotes all of his time to being hands-on for every loan and for every client to ensure a perfect experience.

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Address: 3600 W. Parmer Lane Ste. 200 Austin, TX 78727

Address: 3600 W. Parmer Lane Ste. 200 Austin, TX 78727

Phone: (512) 940-5567

Phone: (512) 638-5770

NMLS# 701335

NMLS# 1262579

Website: goamplify.com/business/alexolmos

Website: goamplify.com/mortgage/brandonrains

ALEX OLMOS

BRANDON RAINS

The modern business owner faces more challenges than ever before. To succeed in a competitive market like Texas, they need partners that understand the lending landscape and the opportunities available. In my 19 years of finance and commercial lending experience, I pride myself on offering transparency to each of my clients. When we’re not working, my wife and I support a variety of nonprofits, including Meals on Wheels, Red Cross, and Habitat for Humanity.

My real estate career began in 2014. I discovered my passion for helping families find their first home and my calling as a mortgage loan originator. My experience working with first-time home buyers has taught me to go the extra mile to make sure my clients feel prepared for their purchase. When I’m not at work, I’m helping grow my own little community by spending time with my wife and two kids.

Commercial Lending Officer • Amplify Credit Union

Mortgage Loan Originator • Amplify Credit Union

Address: 3600 W. Parmer Lane Ste. 200 Austin, TX 78727

Address: 3600 W. Parmer Lane Ste. 200 Austin, TX 78727

Phone: (512) 498-3071

Phone: (512) 834-6593

NMLS# 208536

NMLS# 231989

Website: goamplify.com/mortgage/iancraig

Website: goamplify.com/mortgage/kevinbreeland

IAN CRAIG

KEVIN BREELAND

One of the first things I learned about the mortgage industry was the importance of relationships-a bad experience as a borrower will trump a good rate. That’s why I do whatever it takes to prepare my borrowers for their home loan and the next financial milestone. I split my spare time between my love of music and my love of the outdoors.

You can also find me exploring Austin’s many parks with my dogs.

If I’ve learned anything in my 40+ years in the mortgage industry, it’s that no two days are ever alike. Each new lending opportunity comes with an unusual guideline or an uncommon requirement; it is thanks to my experience that I am able to find the right loan for every borrower and every situation. In my free time, you can probably find me spending time with my grandchildren or volunteering my services to First Tee.

Mortgage Loan Originator • Amplify Credit Union

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Mortgage Loan Originator • Amplify Credit Union

December 2020

10/27/20 4:58 PM

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Address: 3600 W. Parmer Lane Ste. 200 Austin, TX 78727

Address: 3600 W. Parmer Lane Ste. 200 Austin, TX 78727

Phone: (512) 904-2462

Phone: (512) 519-5487

NMLS# 1844070

NMLS# 961565

Website: goamplify.com/mortgage/rickzamora

Website: goamplify.com/business/shirleysheffield

RICK ZAMORA

SHIRLEY SHEFFIELD

As a loan officer, I take a relationship-based approach to lending. Even after the paperwork has been signed and the deal has been closed, my role is to provide my clients with the open communication and responsiveness they deserve from their financial institution. In my free time, I am a fierce advocate for the refugee community. I helped found an organization that works with inner-city families to help improve their quality of life.

For over three decades, I have worked with Texas business owners to help them realize their dreams. One of the biggest challenges business owners face is finding a lender who is willing to put in the work for an approval. I believe it is the responsibility of every commercial lending officer to be an advocate for their clients. In my free time, I am a fearless advocate for fire safety education.

Mortgage Loan Originator • Amplify Credit Union

Commercial Lending Officer • Amplify Credit Union

Address: 3600 W. Parmer Lane Ste. 200 Austin, TX 78727 Phone: (512) 904-2403 NMLS# 836476 Website: goamplify.com/mortgage/terrycouncil

TERRY COUNCIL

Mortgage Loan Originator • Amplify Credit Union My career as a mortgage specialist began in 2004. As a result, my clients benefit from years of experience as both a mortgage professional and an Austin native. I’ve seen the market at both its worst and its best, and my approach to real estate lending means my clients are always ready to make the right decision for their families. When I’m not at work, I enjoy making memories with my wife and two kids.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE

AMPLIFY TEAM

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Austin’s Top Mortgage Professionals John McClellan Supreme Lending (512) 645-2038 john.mcclellan@supreme lending.com ★ David Medrano University Federal Credit Union (512) 997-4630 damedrano@ufcu.org Jana Merchant CrossCountry Mortgage (512) 870-7607 jana.merchant@ myccmortgage.com Aaron Miller Thrive Mortgage (512) 930-7888 aaron.miller@thrivemortgage .com Chad Mullenix CMG Financial (512) 874-3717 cmullenix@cmgfi.com

dan@mortgagesolutionslp .com

(512) 775-6820 john@texasloanexperts.com

Joey Pochron CMG Financial (512) 748-4023 jpochron@cmgfi.com

Cole Simecek SWBC Mortgage Corporation (512) 531-1805 csimecek@swbc.com

Trey Powers City Bank (512) 203-5869 tpowers@citybanktexas.com

Mark D. Smith Legacy Mutual Mortgage (512) 776-1363 teammarksmith@ legacymutual.com

★ Nick Pronsky Legacy Mutual Mortgage (512) 709-4372 nick.pronsky@legacymutual .com Brandon Rains Amplify Credit Union (512) 638-5770 brains@goamplify.com Daniel Reagan Movement Mortgage (512) 947-1700

Michael Nasserfar Movement Mortgage (512) 797-8916

Brian Reed IHS Mortgage, LLC (512) 775-4949 brianr@ihsloans.com

Beth Nicoson Bank of Texas (512) 527-6815 bnicoson@bankoftexas.com

Eddie Rinehart Guaranteed Rate Affinity (512) 823-2971 eddie.rinehart@grarate.com

Pat Odom Legacy Mutual Mortgage (512) 776-1400 pat.odom@legacymutual.com

★ Shelley Rodocker Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation (254) 931-7721 shelleyr@fairwaymc.com

★ Amy Oehler Cornerstone Home Lending (512) 354-4529 amy@biglifehomeloangroup .com Mark Orr Colonial (512) 837-3411 mark.orr@gocolonial.com ★ Josh Penland Legacy Mutual Mortgage (512) 776-1420 josh.penland@legacymutual .com ★ Dan Peterson Mortgage Solutions LP (512) 645-5408

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Tony Ruff Movement Mortgage (512) 999-1257 tony@tonyruff.com Jonathan Sarver Hill Country Mortgages (512) 487-4503 jonathan@ hillcountrymortgages .com James Schell HomeVantage Mortgage (512) 468-1207 jschell@askinfinity.com John Schutze Texas Loan Experts

Eiric Smith PrimeLending (512) 716-3527 esmith@primelending.com

Scott Williams University Federal Credit Union (512) 422-9364 smwilliams@ufcu.org John Youngblood Supreme Lending (512) 279-1134 john.youngblood@ supremelending.com Rick Zamora Amplify Credit Union (512) 904-2462 rzamora@goamplify.com

★ Brandon Sparks Barton Creek Lending Group (512) 796-4569 brandon@bartoncreeklending .com Mary Stephens Supreme Lending (512) 524-8328 mary.stephens@ supremelending.com Amanda Stewart LoanPeople (512) 765-4300 amanda@maxleaman.com Melanie Taliaferro Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation (512) 825-1196 melaniet@fairwaymc.com ★ Michael E. Task Movement Mortgage (512) 746-7855 mtask67@gmail.com Greg W. Vesely SouthStar Bank (512) 243-7430 greg.vesley@southstarbank .com Katie White Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation (512) 922-7602 katie.white@fairwaymc.com Marsha Wiley Benchmark Mortgage (512) 592-5432 marsha.wiley@benchmark.us

How This List Is Made Using an online survey, Austin Monthly solicited peer nominations from mortgage professionals in the Austin metropolitan area, asking them to nominate people who they would trust with the care of their or their family’s loan needs. To ensure the nomination process is peer-based, full contact information was requested. Austin Monthly then tallied the results, selecting the top 10 to 15 percent of vote recipients in each practice area before submitting the final list to our fact-checking process, which includes a review of good standing.

Professionals do not and cannot pay to be a part of the list.

We recognize that many good mortgage professionals are not included on the list; this is only a sampling of a huge array of talented professionals within the region. We encourage all consumers to do their own research before selecting a mortgage professional.

Austin Monthly uses best practices and exercises great care in assembling content for this list. It does not warrant that the data contained within the list are complete or accurate.

Austin Monthly does not assume, and hereby disclaims, any liability to any person for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions herein whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident, or any other cause. All rights reserved. No commercial use of the information in this list may be made without written permission from Austin Monthly. If you see an error in the information listed, please contact info@austinmonthly.com.

Winners Congratulations! If you’d like to display this accomplishment with a plaque, please visit our official store at austinmonthly.com/plaques.

December 2020

10/28/20 2:07 PM

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Address: 9390 Research Blvd.

Bldg. 2, Ste. 305 Austin, TX 78759 Phone: (203) 500-5609 NMLS# 1119271 Website: texasloanapp.com

MARIELYNN DUNN Senior Loan Officer

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CURTAIN CALL

LUV LIFE Conrad Bejarano shares the top 10 rentals in I Luv Video’s 36-year history.

1. Annie Hall 2. Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky 3. The Big Lebowski 4. Blade Runner 5. Star Wars: Episode V—The Empire Strikes Back 6. Spirited Away 7. Suspiria (’77) 8. Frankenhooker 9. The Holy Mountain 10. Easy Rider

in weren’t raised in Blockbuster. They weren’t used to browsing by the alphabet and just scavenging.”

One by one, the locations closed, until only the Airport Boulevard store (which moved down the block into its current home in 1999) remained.

When the coronavirus pandemic hit in the spring, employees were quick to adopt masks and supply hand sanitizer, but the staff collectively decided it wasn’t safe to operate by late March.

“We’re basically working with petri dishes from people’s houses,” says Graham. “It was a collective decision. Conrad might have been the captain, but we ran the ship all the time. As our little family, we made the decision.”

Six months later, I Luv Video announced that the shop would close forever, leaving Bejarano in the strange position of owning 120,000 films and no one to rent them out to. In a career peddling culture, he’d seen the decline of live music and other vestiges of Austin’s artistic underpinnings, and he was reluctant to watch another domino fall to the gods of growth and development—at least, not without a fight. And maybe a Hail Mary solicitation from Quentin Tarantino.

AUSTIN MIGHT HAVE a coffee shop on nearly every corner today, but back in the 1990s, the main purveyor was Les Amis Café at 24th and Nueces Streets. Bejarano viewed that relative dearth of options as an opportunity to create more cultural gathering places. To that end, in 1995, he purchased a ramshackle 1930s house built just north of the UT campus that had once been a Fruth family dairy farm, a crash pad for Janis Joplin, and the rumored final resting place of three ghosts.

He called it Spider House and acquired a license to sell liquor as well as coffee. Outside the house, a winding terraced patio soon filled up with paintchipped steel benches, hanging reclaimed window sash frames, and bizarre stone fountains—a perfect motif for a slacker oasis.

“I remember at the time, people would joke about how you never knew what Conrad was going bring in from whatever junk sale he went to,” says Jason McNeely, a managing partner at Hotel Vegas that worked as a Spider House barista starting in 2006. “He was always out there looking for new things. One day it could be new plants, a giant canopy, or a box of used Christmas lights.”

The year after they opened, his neighbor, Clifford Antone, decided to moved his legendary blues club to a downtown location at Fifth and Lavaca

His priority remains finding a dedicated person committed to keeping the store’s legacy alive.

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Streets. Bejarano took over the building with the intention of running it as a music venue named Clifford’s, in honor of Antone’s legacy, but after the original owner of EcoClean (located in the same Guadalupe Street strip center) decided to walk away from the business, Bejarano put his energies into salvaging Texas’ only wet cleaners.

It wasn’t until a decade later that Bejarano would get his chance at broaching the live music arena, when a nearby plasma center closed in the midaughts. Originally called United States Art Authority, the converted space soon morphed into a proper music venue, thanks in part to the booking talents of Spider House baristas Jason McNeely and Brian Tweedy, who would go on to become managing partners of Hotel Vegas.

“At the time, there wasn’t a whole lot of competition with music venues,” says McNeely, who played in bands when house shows were the norm and venues didn’t invest in local bands like they do today. “My philosophy about it was that I was trying to bring back Old Austin—the experience a lot of younger people hadn’t really experienced at that point.”

By the time the two disembarked to join the partnership at Hotel Vegas in 2011, what was then called Spider House Ballroom (also referred to as 29th Street Ballroom) was one of the most acoustically celebrated spaces in town, with a distinguished atmosphere that didn’t compromise on its sense of punk energy.

But like with I Luv Video, a shifting entertainment landscape and an aging clientele eventually caused the concept to alter its programming. The theater and comedy acts that had formerly rounded out its calendar dominated its stage by the mid-2010s. Spider House Ballroom stopped actively booking bands and instead let outside promoters schedule events like “BedPost Confessions” and “Sh*t-faced Shakespeare,” in which one member of a classically trained acting troupe sabotages a production with some heavy pre-gaming.

Then the venue was struck by scandal.

Following a 2017 Facebook post accusing Bejarano’s business partner of inappropriate behavior, writer Sarah Marloff at The Austin Chronicle ran a 2018 cover story alleging that John Dorgan had sexually assaulted the girlfriend of staff member Jeremy Rogers in 2014, as well as a female employee in 2015.

In an email response to the Chronicle, Bejarano claimed to have no knowledge of the events until the social media post, which contradicts some details in the published article. Even today, because

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of ongoing litigation, Bejarano says there are still details he’s not at liberty to discuss—although he’s quick to denounce his ex-partner.

“John and I had not gotten along for years,” he says. “To put it bluntly, he was a total a**hole. That’s why he lost his best friend, his business partner, and his wife. Because he had a terrible alcohol and drug problem.”

After news of the scandal broke, Dorgan was banned from the property, and business ties were severed. Several lawsuits and countersuits later, Bejarano believes Dorgan to be hiding somewhere in El Paso, but he insists they haven’t spoken in years. Despite the wave of negative press, the controversy was blamed squarely on Dorgan, rather than a pervasive toxic culture within Spider House. Yet its reputation didn’t go unmarred, and Bejarano ended up closing their kitchen in favor of independent food trucks parked on-site, thus downsizing the staff significantly.

By then, the Guadalupe location of I Luv Video (located next to EcoClean) had already closed, having consolidated its video collection in the final store on Airport Boulevard in 2015. Other beloved local businesses like Toy Joy and Ruby’s BBQ had also vacated the area, leaving Spider House as one of the last remaining relics of what was once one of the most popular and influential intersections in the city.

TODAY, CONRAD BEJARANO lives near Barton Springs in a house he bought decades ago. He has a wife and four children, three of which are named after characters from his favorite movies (including Bronte from Green Card and Sebastian from Blade Runner). He likes to work on trucks in the alley behind his house—a hobby that has led to his new neighbors calling both code enforcement and the police because of his “unsightly” broken-down Dodge Ramcharger.

Spider House hasn’t received any federal assistance with regards to the pandemic, and he worries about the state of live music in Austin. (“It will take years, if not a decade, to recover,” he predicts). The Ballroom’s diverse cross-section of artistic communities makes him hopeful that it will prove one of the lucky surivors. But right now, Bejarano has a more pressing issue at hand: What to do with I Luv Video’s considerable archive of tapes and DVDs that are now collecting dust in the boarded-up Airport Boulevard location?

From the rarest of bootleg foreign films to the store’s multiple copies of Pulp Fiction, Bejarano has made it his mission to find a suitor for each and every one of his 120,000-plus films. According to him, breaking up the collection would go against the egalitarian spirit of I Luv Video, where rare art-house releases were celebrated as much as big-budget hits. There’s also an element of rebelling against censorship, with Bejarano citing Blockbuster Video’s once-dubious practices of removing scenes from movies (admittedly, he also just prefers the original unedited VHS versions of the Star Wars trilogy). Niche collectors have made partial

offers, particularly with regards to specific genres, like its deep catalog of horror films. Yet Bejarano insists it’s an everything-must-go deal. “I Luv Video was the people’s store,” he says. “We carried everything from A to Z because it’s important that you have that huge, open range of all these people’s talents. Like any good library, no one wants to have any censorship.”

Something the average consumer might not know is that the copyright on movies purchased wholesale allows for them to be screened publicly without paying royalties. That means, in the right hands, I Luv Video’s library could hypothetically be used as the basis for an educational cinema or drive-in without having to pay a studio (as long as they don’t charge admission). Most importantly, films that have gone out of print would gain a second life, without depending on the gatekeepers at streaming services like Hulu and Netflix.

Bejarano has been in talks with several prominent local candidates, such as Alamo Drafthouse executive chairman Tim League, who sent an email inquiry within an hour of the announcement of the last store’s closure. Unfortunately, the theater chain recently purchased Vulcan Video’s inventory, which will be rented out of its South Lamar location (for free, but subsidized by late fees). He’s also reached out to Richard Linklater at the Austin Film Society, but there are concerns about parsing up the collection. Academic institutions and a few wealthy benefactors have contacted him, but none have been deemed a good fit—at least not in comparison to Bejarano’s ideal candidate: director Quentin Tarantino.

“I’ve been trying to get a meeting with that guy this whole time,” he says. “If Tarantino wants it, he can have it. He could just put ‘Tarantino Video’ on it—I don’t care. People would come from all over the country. How cool would that be for Austin? It could be the only place in the country with a Tarantino Video.”

But that begs the question, what is the value of three-plus decades’ worth of accumulated DVDs and VHS tapes? While Bejarano estimates that it’s millions of dollars, he counters that if the right person emerges, “they can have the inventory.”

Despite the altruistic sentiment, he admits that he could still cave and sell to a private collector if circumstances don’t change soon. That would be an absolute last resort, though. His priority remains finding a dedicated person or organization committed to keeping the store’s legacy alive, uncensored, and within city limits.

“I’ve been blessed to have a video store that not only gave me an income for almost 40 years, but provided for the creation of Spider House,” he says.

“It’s important to keep it in Austin; that’s the main goal. Culturally, I think that the city really needs to preserve it.”

Yes, the fate of I Luv Video remains uncertain.

But if the right person steps up, Austin could maintain its grasp on unparalleled portions of film history. And unlike the latest streaming service trial, the impact of that library wouldn’t just last for 30 days, but for life.

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Weird History Holidays on Ice

When the 1973 Oil Crisis left America scrambling to save energy, the Zilker Holiday Tree went dark for the first—and only—time in its 53-year history. By Rosie Ninesling

The 155-foot holiday tree has been a gathering ground for Austinites for more than half a century.

IN OCTOBER 1973, Egyptian and Syrian forces launched a coordinated attack against Israel on the holiest day in Judaism—beginning what became known as the Yom Kippur War. Within weeks, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) instituted an embargo against the U.S. for its support of Israel in the war, igniting a staggering oil shortage that caused petroleum prices to quadruple in the months to follow.

The scene in Austin was grim, with lines of vehicles snaking around tappedout filling stations. To conserve energy, a national speed limit of 55 mph was implemented, businesses and libraries locked their doors, and with the holidays on the horizon, citizens were urged to keep their Christmas lights tucked away. Even the beloved Zilker Holiday Tree, residents came to learn, would remain dark.

While there was heavy pushback from disgruntled locals (“Scrooge would have been proud,” wrote an Austin-American Statesman staff writer), a third grader at Barrington Elementary named Jon Madani was especially crushed by the news. After winning the school district’s annual art contest, he was supposed to be the one to flip the switch during the tree’s opening lighting ceremony. But with no lights to turn on, Madani was denied his coveted prize.

By March 1974, the oil embargo was lifted, restoring energy to thousands of relieved Austinites. But it wasn’t until 2013 that Madani rightfully received the recognition he was due, when Mayor Lee Leffingwell invited the then-middle-aged contest winner to return to Zilker Park to illuminate the tree. “I would say it was fulfilling,” Madani said of the belated ceremony. “We close chapters in our lives all the time. I can officially close the chapter on this.”

Volume 28/Number 12, December 2020, Austin Monthly (Publication No. 001-163), is published monthly, 12 times a year, by Open Sky Media, Inc., 1712 Rio Grande Street, Suite 100, Austin, TX 78701. Subscriptions are $14.95 per year for 12 issues. For customer service inquiries or to change your address by providing both the old and new addresses, contact: Austin Monthly, P.O. Box 15815, North Hollywood, CA 91615-5815. Telephone (818) 286-3160 or email subscriptions@ austinmonthly.com. Periodicals postage paid at Austin, TX, and at additional mailing offices. Copyright 2020 by Open Sky Media, Inc. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. Unsolicited manuscripts without return postage will not be returned. DISCLAIMER: Advertisements in the publication do not constitute an offer for sale in states where prohibited or restricted by law.

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