July 2011

A u s t i n a r t s + c u lt u r e

T HE

Neighborhoods is su e

j u ly 2 0 1 1

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Find home in Austin’s Urban Core.

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148 Woodland Trail - $800,000

3311 Far View Drive - $2,990,000

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$600 MILLION IN AUSTIN LUXURY REAL ESTATE WAS ENTRUSTED TO THE ELITE 25 LAST YEAR

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T R IBE Z A 54

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features How We Live The Really White Vigilante

A Ride with Annick Beaudet The Breakfast Club

d e pa rtm e nt s

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cover photogr aphy by michael thad c arter Dining

Communit y

Social Hour

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Exposed

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Perspective

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Arts

Arts & Entertainment Calendar

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Style

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Things We Love

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Style Pick

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Street Style

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Dining Pick

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Restaurant Guide

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Our Little Secret

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from left: andra liemandt and family by cody hamilton; taco deli breakfast tacos by shannon mcintyre; Sarah wittenbracker and family by cody hamilton; currie person by kenny braun; david courtney and family by paige newton.

Contents

Everything

in Texas is Bigger,

2012 FIAT® 500 Voted both “Best New Design” & “Best Value”of Texas.

THE

© 2011

Thank you to the Texas Automotive Writers Association for adding to our proud list of awards.

Chrysler Group LLC. FIAT is a registered trademark of Fiat Group Marketing & Corporate Communications S.p.A., used under license by Chrysler Group LLC. Awarded by the Texas Auto Writers Association.

INCLUDING THE ACCOLADES.

fiatusa.com

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Editor’s Letter

PUBLISHER

George T. Elliman EDITOR + creative director

Lauren Smith Ford DESIGNER

Avalon McKenzie Editorial Assistant + Events

Carolyn Harrold

Senior Account ExeCutives

Ashley Beall Andrea Brunner Kimberly Chassay

Account Executive

Dylan Sack

principals

Chuck Sack Vance Sack Michael Torres

Anniversary

y e ar

La s t s u m m e r ,

I came to know Austin in a new way as we spent months on the house hunt to buy our first home. We had been renting in Hyde Park for years and decided…it was time. I wanted to keep an open mind, so we looked in just about every ‘hood in the city — Clarksville, Crestview, Brykerwoods, French Place, Bouldin, Zilker, Tarrytown, Hyde Park, Deep Eddy to see everything from the bare bones modern to the old but charming bungalows. Along the way, I became obsessed with the hunt. I would scour MLS day and night, constantly emailing our realtor (thanks Gerald Bodle of Austainable Properties for being so patient) with links to places that just might be our dream house.

I thought I was incredibly indecisive, but when I walked into the cozy Craftsman we now own for the first time, I realized that I just hadn’t found her yet (her because she’s been deemed the Olivia House in honor of the home’s original owner). The disappointment and tears I had shed (had no idea it would be such an emotional process) over the first two houses we made bids on that at the time I thought I couldn’t live without all made sense because I was waiting for this house. A year later in the Olivia House, we truly feel part of the community in our neighborhood (even if there is a bit more pressure to keep the yard looking spiffy than we felt in laid-back Hyde Park).

For this year’s Neighborhoods issue, we went straight to the inside sources in each ‘hood to find out what they love most about their area for a whopping story we call “How We Live.” Take tours of places like Crestview with interesting residents like Jessica Shortall (the Director of Giving for TOMS) and her husband Clay (an architect) who traded in their urban digs in London for the blocks of Crestview, one of our favorite Austin communities. Each of our savvy sources gives us their Top 10 to do and see in each place. Julia Smith, who works at Corcoran & Co., is married to Evan, the CEO and Editor-in-Chief of the Texas Tribune and has lived all over Austin and beautifully writes about her experiences in this month’s Perspective. Next up for team TRIBEZA is the August Nightlife issue and then one of my personal favorites, the September Fashion issue. We’ve all been blogging away on Tribeza.com, so head there for daily updates from our team or visit our TRIBEZA Facebook page to tell us about your favorite neighborhood in Austin.

interns

Autumn Ashley Aurora Bell Sheila Buenrostro Rachel Core Jovana Gojkovic Catherine Hong Dawn Kay Joyce Pickens Carol Shih

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A career highlight — meeting my first true love Mark-Paul Gosselaar (also known as Zack Morris of Saved by the Bell) pictured left with Breckin Meyer on the right. Check out their new comedy on TNT Franklin & Bash.

Lauren Smith Ford lauren@tribeza.com

COLUMNISTS

Kristin Armstrong Tim McClure Carla McDonald

1122 W. 6th Street | (512) 477-2700 | havengalleryaustin.com

A u s t i n a r t s + c u lt u r e

GLASS WOOD

Illustrators

M E TA L

Joy Gallagher

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Kenny Braun Michael Thad Carter Courtney Chavanell Annie Forrest Cody Hamilton Paige Newton Shannon McIntyre Dave Mead John Pesina Annie Ray Cory Ryan Jay B. Sauceda WRITERS

Jackie Rangel Lisa Siva Clay Smith Karen O. Spezia

Copyright @ 2011 by TRIBEZA. All rights reserved. Reproduction, in whole or in part, without the express written permission of the publisher, is prohibited.

TRIBEZA is a proud member of the Austin Chamber of Commerce. mailing address 706a west 34th street austin, texas 78705 ph (512) 474 4711 fax (512) 474 4715 www.tribeza.com Founded in March of 2001, TRIBEZA is Austin's leading locally-owned arts and culture magazine.

CERAMIC MIXED MEDIA PA I N T I N G JEWELRY J U DAIC A

A New Cosmic Nest Wisp

by Colin Schleeh

by Christian Price Frazer

Haven GALLERY & FINE GIFTS An eclectic mix of two and three dimensional fine art and fine craft

Social Hour

A selection of party pics from happenings in every corner of the city.

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Mark Skateboards Launch Mark Gobble and Marc English celebrated the launch of their new company, MARK Skateboards, with a release party at Industry Screen Printing headquarters, where guests enjoyed custom screen-printing as well as drinks

by Live Oak Brewing Company. MARK features intricate and vivid designs, available at skate shops around Austin.

Austin Area Urban League Young Professional Mixer The Austin Area Urban League recently re-launched its Young Professionals (YPs) group with a mixer at Dirty Bill’s, featuring jams

by DJ Quick Draw and drinks by Absolut Vodka. The YPs are a devoted group of diverse, passionate and engaged individuals dedicated to transforming their generation and community through philanthropic efforts, social outreach and education.

Mark Skateboards: 1. Maksim Kleimenov & Mickie Brunton 2. Cameron Larson & Ariane Leverette 3. Jesse Reed & Justin Olejnik 4. Joseph Blalock & Lauren Hammonds 5. Steph & Gilbert Pugh 6. Kat Bobbitt & Jonathan Rea Urban League Mixer: 7. Austin Bingham & A.J. Bingham 8. Angela Dusk & Virginia Cumberbatch 9. Jovan Price & Chris Howard 10. Rhea Sen & Nikki Green 11. Austin Fay & Shelby Harcarl 12. Kevin Overton & David Brewer.

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P h oto g r a p h y by j o h n p e s i n a

summer 2011 Isda Eileen Fisher Bell by Alicia Bell Johnny Was Collections Nicole Miller Tracy Reese Lauren Vidal Paris Lundström Collection Three Dots Marisa Baratelli Robin Kaplan Designs Jewelry from Amanda Sterett

1601 w 38th st at 5 jefferson square (512) 458–5407 gardenroomboutique.com monday–saturday 10am to 5:30pm

social hour

austin

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Betty Lash

Guests celebrated the grand reopening of Kate Merrick-Smith’s renowned eyelash boutique, Betty Lash, in its new location at 515 West 15th Street as well as the launch of Merrick-Smith’s lines Be Belle Make Up + Beauty and Organic Glow, Nature’s Sunless Tan. The event featured cocktails, delicious gelato from Tèo and an exciting photo booth by On the Flip Side.

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Grounded in Music Chapeaux & Champagne

Grounded in Music, an organization that provides music education programs to Austin’s youth, hosted Chapeaux & Champagne at Travaasa. Austin notables designed one-of-a-kind hats for an exciting raffle, and hat-clad guests competed in a hat contest, with the winner receiving an overnight stay and spa treatments at Travaasa.

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Betty Lash: 1. Chuck Smith & Kate Merrick-Smith 2. Jenifer Daniels & Grant Sanregret 3. Jessica Stevens & Danielle Winkles 4. Lauren Lovell & Jen Kaplan 5. Courtney Buie & Cory Ryan Grounded in Music: 6. Kate Hull & Michelle Valles 7. Bettina Dahl, Lisa Hickey & Rebecca Valdespino 8. Melanie Jones & Autumn Rich 9. Annie Mahoney, Elena Garcia & Elizabeth Baird 10. Heather Wagner Reed 11. Andrea Villarreal & Sekara Ortega 12. Stacy Whitworth & Caroline Hammond.

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P h oto g r a p h y by j o h n p e s i n a

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social hour

austin

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Texas Swing

Project Transitions hosted the 16th annual Texas Swing at Saengerrunde Hall. The night was fueled by delicious barbecue and cobbler by Scholz Garten, and boots scuffed the floors to the music of The Derailers, Crooks, Whiskey Shivers and more. The event benefited Project Transitions’ hospice and housing programs for people living with HIV/AIDS.

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Blanton B Scene

The Blanton’s recent B scene, the museum’s bi-monthly art party, coincided with the opening of the summer exhibition, "About Face: Portraiture as Subject." The event featured performances by el john Selector, Not in the Face and the Kathy Dunn Hamrick Dance Company. Attendees toured the new exhibition and enjoyed appetizers and cocktails.

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Texas Swing: 1. Aaron Ward & Christina Brookes 2. Jessie Johnson & Matt Browning 3. Paul Smith & Callie Thompson 4. Adam Pruitt & Alyssa Barker 5. Rob Bacak & Josh Mazour Blanton B Scene: 6. Anah Wiersema & Amy Thibaudeau 7. Jaimey Sloan & Brooke Calhoun 8. Stephanie Topolgus, Brady Dyer & Kathleen Brady Strimpert 9. Aimee & Aaron Borders 10. Aurora Bell (Hair & makeup by José Luis Salon) 11. Jonathan Terrell 12. Lorena Seidel & Brenda Ramirez 13. Hillary & Chris Bilheimer with Margaret Goerig.

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As always, Lifeworks’ signature event, The White Party, lived up to its reputation as the hottest event of the year. Chaired by Camille Styles, Kendra Scott, Heather Newby and Joe Ross, the event, held at the Long Center, featured all-white cabanas, a tasting grove with bites by Bess, Walton’s, Paggi House and more, as well as an exciting auction and fun tunes.

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Gray Hawn’s Romancing Mexico Exhibit Opening

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Photographer Gray Hawn showcased images from her Romancing Mexico series with an opening in a raw downtown space.

The exhibit featured spectacular shots of dances and ceremonies traditional to the Toltecan and Mayan cultures.

W Hotel Application Launch Party

The W Hotel celebrated the launch of their new smartphone application with a party in the Secret Bar. DJ Johnny Phelps kept the party going as guests sipped cocktails and checked out the application on iPads.

The White Party: 1. Elizabeth Spruiell & Pepper Ammann 2. Joey Leak & Casey Laine 3. Kevin Sooch & Alexandria Coe Gray Hawn’s Exhibit: 4. Zoe Adams & Susan Wise 5. Brian & Macey Krpec 6. Sylvia Orozco & David Garza 7. Gray Hawn & Jerry Jeff Walker 8. Cathy Marlow & Jonna Juul-Hansen 9. Michael Torres & Nancy Harte 10. Lisa Morgan, Mike Leamon & Glenda Facemire 11. Lauren Garrick & Kyle Hanes W Hotel Party: 12. Erica Welch & Jenny Murphy.

P h oto g r a p h y by j o h n p e s i n a

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social hour

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Lawn Party

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Hosted by

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Criquet ShirtS / howLer BrotherS / toMS ShoeS / Breed & Co. / triBeZa wedneSday / June 1St / 6-8PM the FrenCh Legation MuSeuM 802 San MarCoS Street booze

x

burgers

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hot dogs x music

RSVP to http://tinyurl.com/lawnparty

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Lawn Party TRIBEZA teamed up with Criquet Shirts, Breed & Co., Howler Brothers and TOMS to throw a Lawn Party at the French Legation Museum. Guests played classic lawn games on the museum’s grounds while enjoying 50s tunes. Beer by Victoria and cocktails by Savvy and Deep Eddy Sweet Tea Vodka were a perfect complement to the warm spring day, and

Yeti’s virtually indestructible coolers, which are available at Breed & Co., kept the drinks cool all through the event. Frank served up some of their famous dogs and Michael Terrazas and his team from The Woodland passed out their delicious corn fritters.

Lawn Party: 1. Chase Heard, Mason Brent & Andy Stepanian 2. Natasha & Adi Anand 3. Joanna Wilkinson & Joe Ramos 4. Shaun Jordan with Elizabeth & Aaron Stanley 5. Brad & Noelle Otts 6. Hobson Brown & William Nachman 7. Frank Ward, Nicole Carbon & Joseph McMahan 8. Brent Standefer & Haley Terrill.

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P h oto g r a p h y by j o h n p e s i n a

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Lawn Party: 9. Tommy Jacoby & Erin Keigher 10. Tracy Campbell & Miguel Cambo 11. Clayton Christopher & Brandon Cason 12. Partygoers 13. Mackenzie Snyder & Paige Newton 14. Judy Cardenas & Kate Risinger 15. Anisa Webb & Ashley Kaplan 16. Luke Thompson & Will Hardeman 17. Place setting by Breed & Co. 18. Anna & Margarette Trimble with Wade Miller.

P h oto g r a p h y by j o h n p e s i n a

tribeza.com

july 2011

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community

profile

exposed

Drew Gressett owner of hat creek burger co.

F

or Drew Gressett, starting a successful business in his hometown was always a part of the plan. “Since high school, I’ve always wanted to have my own hamburger stand,” says the self-proclaimed burger guru. “When I travel I love finding the best burger in town.” So, it was only natural that after spending a few post-college years honing both his palate and his business skills in Washington, D.C., Dallas and China, Gressett would feel pulled back to Austin to follow his passion for patties.

“I remember reading Pour Your Heart Into It about the story of Starbucks, and it was all about how if you truly have a passion for what you’re doing, the success will follow,” he says. Driven by ambition and a desire to create a community-minded hub, Gressett launched the first Hat Creek Burger Co. outpost in 2008 as a trailer along West Sixth Street. Although navigating the fast-paced hospitality industry was a learning experience, he remained undaunted, and continues to be as the business grows, by pulling inspiration from the sense of fellowship cultivated in his restaurants. “What we’re trying to establish is just a great, fun place where people can come together, feel comfortable and enjoy good food.” Gressett’s dream will really come full circle this fall with the opening of a new flagship location in his native Westlake. “Growing up, I must have driven by that corner a million times, and never once would I have thought I’d have my hamburger shop there someday. When we open it will be surreal.” J. rangel

9Questions for Drew

If you weren’t in your current career, what else would you try? A pro golfer who gets to travel the country and play great golf courses. This is slightly unrealistic due to my playing ability, but it would be a dream come true!

If you were an inventor, what would you invent? A 2,000 calorie pill that you could take when you were busy to get full. It would have all the real nutrients of a healthy meal. It would give you energy to run or work without having to stop and eat.

When and where are you happiest? Hanging

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out with my wife Shelby and our new baby girl Lucy Bell. We would probably choose to walk at Lady Bird Lake and go eat a big breakfast at the Original Pancake House in North Austin (Austin’s best kept breakfast secret) and then go home and take a nap!

How do you measure success? Eight great friends to carry your casket at the end of your life.

Who would you take a cross country trip with? I would take all the guys who were in my wedding. It would be a fellowship trip for the ages — start in San Diego and six months later end up in Maine!

Where do you go in Austin to get away? I love going biking on the Greenbelt. Although I have

to walk my bike at times due to the challenge of the terrain. You feel like you’re in the middle of the mountains in Montana. Great feeling!

Who are your fantasy dinner party guests?

George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and James Baker because these guys have witnessed and been a key role in so much recent history. They are all great leaders and it would be interesting to understand how they made important decisions.

At age seven, you wanted to be? A professional basketball player. I was all about NBA basketball!

What do you never travel without? A Bible and golf clubs — two of life’s staples. If I ever got stuck out of town, I would want to have these two items!

P h oto g r a p h y by e y e c a n dy by co ry rya n

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community

perspective

i n h er ow n wor ds

Julia Smith A Sense of Place — from her 20s in East Austin to her current abode in Tarrytown (with other stops along the way), this mother of two always feels at home...as long as she’s in Austin.

W

hen I was growing up in a small town in Northeastern Ohio, Austin seemed sun-baked and glamorous.

My uncle lived here with his family in a house that couldn’t have been more different from ours — glass doors leading out to a pool in the backyard, and the entire house on one level, no going upstairs to bed or down to the basement when tornadoes came.

By the time I was in my 20s and living in Manhattan, I wanted in. I came down for family Thanksgiving in 1991 and marveled at the perfection of the weather, the deliciousness of the migas and the cheapness of the rent. It didn’t hurt that my cousin was living in a group house on East 12th Street with a few band mates and friends from college. As soon as I visited this den of coolness, I began questioning my choices. These guys had cars, and dogs. Why was I killing myself in New York?

By the following summer, I’d become one of them, moving into an annex group house next door and sliding into the rhythms of Austin life.

Our rent was $140 each, easily covered by a couple of weeks of temp work. Sure, life without air conditioning wasn’t fun, but as long as you could jump into Deep Eddy or Barton Springs, you’d feel cool for the rest of the day. Besides, just move slower. It’s summer in Austin!

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I didn’t have a car when I got here, but luckily, there was plenty of temp office work to be had within walking distance downtown. In the morning I’d greet the ladies still out working close to the slumping motel on the highway. They were always cheerful, at the end of their shifts just as I was at the beginning of mine. I loved it there and never felt unsafe, although the police used to stop us pretty regularly, white kids on the wrong side of I-35, surely there for no good reason.

From there I moved to a bungalow in Clarksville, where the whole world was my crispy Jeffrey’s oyster. By that time I’d met Evan, another New York transplant who shared my love of Elvis Costello and running in the heat; we got a dog and settled into the neighborhood. The rent was a little steeper — $950 a month — but we felt like real grown-ups, driving off to work at real jobs each day and coming home to walk our dog in the evenings.

Fresh Plus became our go-to grocery store.

We loved everything about living in Austin, and so naturally that was exactly when Evan got a great job offer in Washington, D.C. In February of 1994 we said goodbye to our familiar friendly neighborhood and relocated to Northwest D.C. Long story short: we were back within eight months, poorer, wiser and certain that Austin was our home. We gathered up all our courage and bought a lovely two-bedroom Victorian in Hyde Park.

The halcyon Hyde Park days! Big trees, beautiful houses painted in bright colors, friendly and fascinating neighbors and another Fresh Plus within walking distance. We swore we’d never leave, and when our daughter was born in 1997, the neighborhood opened up in a whole new way: we became regulars at the annual fire station festival; we knew exactly which blocks to hit on Halloween; and we acquired plenty of riding toys for all those nice sidewalks.

Baby number two hammered home the reality that the house was too small, no matter how many ways we tried to make our lives fit into those tiny Victorian rooms (and closets). By this time, Hyde Park — and just about everywhere else in Central Austin — was white-hot. We fell in love with a house a few blocks away from Shipe Park and made a full-price offer…only to be told that “a couple from Dell” had seen the house, gone outside and sat in the car, then sent their realtor in to make a full-price, all cash offer. Ouch. Eventually we quit trying to stay in the neighborhood and moved to a massive, fading “soft contemporary” in Pemberton Heights.

Another new neighborhood to explore! We were half a mile from the Shoal Creek Greenbelt, the streets were filled with other kids and the house was perfect for large parties, so we began hosting them on behalf of several (continued on page 30) P h oto g r a p h y by m i c h a el t h a d c a rt er

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community

perspective

The Smith family; Photography by Jay B. Sauceda

Introducing the Carpet Reloaded Collection by

Golran

non-profit organizations. (The bonus for them? No need to hire valet parking — the nice wide flat streets could easily accommodate hundreds of cars.) We threw so many parties in that house! Jonathan Demme was the celebrity guest at the very first party we hosted for the Austin Film Society. We hosted a book-signing party for Lauren Bacall, who was terrified that our sweet mixed-breed hound would emerge out of some dark corner and make a snack of her Pomeranian.

It was a great party house, but not a terrific living-in-therest-of-the-time house, so recently we relocated once again, to Tarrytown. It’s lovely over here, quiet and established. I feel safe letting the kids disappear into the neighborhood. We even have a pool, something that seemed so exotic to me as a kid.

Sure, we felt like we belonged in Clarksville, in Hyde Park and in Pemberton. We’ve been certain a few times that we were on our way to Travis Heights, Judges Hill and Rollingwood. I guess that as long as we’re in Austin, we’re home.

Julia Smith works at Corcoran & Co., a firm that provides strategic fundraising solutions to non-profit organizations. Her husband Evan is the CEO and Editor-in-Chief of the Texas Tribune.

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JULY Calendars arts & entertainment

Entertainment Calendar Music Marc Broussard with ALPHA REV and Chic Gamine

July 6, 8pm Antone’s

Steve Earle

July 7, 7pm The Paramount Theatre The Glitch Mob

July 7, 8pm La Zona Rosa

Perla Batalla

July 10, 7pm One World Theatre Kelly Willis and Bruce Robison

July 15, 7 & 9:30pm One World Theatre

Matthew Morrison

July 17, 7:30pm Bass Concert Hall

July 23, 8pm The Paramount Theatre Owl City

July 27, 7pm ACL Live at the Moody Theater Vonda Shepard

July 30, 7pm One World Theatre Katy Perry with Robyn

July 30, 7:30pm Frank Erwin Center

Children

Ottmar Liebert

July 22, 7 & 9:30pm One World Theatre

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The Getaway (1972) Austin Film Festival’s Made in Texas Film Series

July 13, 7:30pm Bob Bullock Texas Spirit Theater Centerstage Presented by the Austin Film Festival

July 24, 3pm Ballet Austin

Austin Film Society Avant Cinema 4.5

Hal Sparks

July 20-23 Cap City Comedy Club Sixth Annual Funniest Filmmaker in Austin Finalist Screening Presented by the Austin Film Festival

July 26, 8pm Cap City Comedy Club Paul Mooney

July 27-30 Cap City Comedy Club

Theater

Other Davis Cup: USA vs. Spain

July 8, 2pm Frank Erwin Center

Children of Paradise Performed by the Paris Opera Ballet

July 9, 12:30pm The Long Center Caleb 5K Run

July 16, 8am Shoreline Church Texas Rollergirls Bout 6

July 16 Austin Convention Center

Life Ki-do Karate Camp

July 21-13 Shops at The West End

Hairspray

CowParade Austin 2011

Improv Summer Camp

Lights. Camera. Help.

Film Festival Saturday Matinee

July 8-Aug 13 Zilker Hillside Theater

July 5-8 West Austin Youth Association

Christina Perri

July 20, 9pm The Mohawk

July 13, 7-9pm Alamo Ritz Downtown

July 13-16 Cap City Comedy Club

christmas in july in the west end

Wizard Apprentice Academy and Dragon School

The Wooden Birds

Austin Film Society Doc Tour

Dan Cummins

Footloose

Eels

July 20, 8pm Antone’s

Film

July 27, 7-9pm AFS Austin Studios Screening Room

July 11-15 The Hideout Theatre

July 20, 7pm Stubb’s

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Summer Jam starring Norman Brown and Richard Elliot with Pamela Hart and Charmin Greene

July 11-15 Scottish Rite Children’s Theatre Austin Summer Musical for Children

July 30-31 The George Washington Carver Museum & Cultural Center

July 30, 3pm LBJ School

Comedy Cedric “The Entertainer”

July 8, 8pm ACL Live at the Moody Theater

An Evening of Comedy with Michael McDonald

July 9, 7pm The Parish

Through Aug 28 ZACH Theatre Moliere’s The Imaginary Invalid

July 21-Aug 14 The City Theatre

The Physicists

July 22-30 The Vortex

July 28-Oct 16 Throughout Austin

from left: photograph courtesy of gallery black lagoon; farrah fawcett, 1980, andy warhol, image courtesy of the blanton museum of art; theatre image courtesy of the paramount.

Arts Calendar July 1 Julia C. Butridge Gallery

Austin Museum of Art

July 2 Davis Gallery

Blanton Museum of Art

The History of Thought: Hawkeye Glenn & Leon Alesi Reception: 6-8pm Through July 29

11th Annual Summer Group Show Through Sept 3

Good Design: Stories by Henry Miller New Works: The Mona Lisa Project by Rino Pizzi Through Sept 11 About Face: Portraiture as Art Through Sept 4

EVENT p i ck

July 9 Wally Workman Gallery

Paramount Summer Classic Film Series

Group Show: Rivers Reception: 6-8pm Through July 30

July 16 Gallery Black Lagoon

Fourth Jewelry by Artists Exhibition & Trunk Show 12-6pm

Portraiture as Art Exhibit at the Blanton Farrah Fawcett, 1980, Andy Warhol

Champion

Bloom: Claire Falkenberg Through July 9 Harry Ransom Center

4th Jewelry by Artists Exhibit & Trunk Show Necklace by Jasmine Turner

Becoming Tennessee Williams Culture Unbound: Collecting in the 21st Century Through July 31

Ongoing

Lora Reynolds Gallery

Arthouse at the Jones Center

Javier Tellez: Letter on the Blind, For the Use of Those Who See Through July 31 Ely Kim Through Aug 28

Susan Collis: So it goes Through July 16

Mexic-Arte Museum

16th Young Latino Artists Serie Print Project XVIII Through Aug 28

Women & Their Work

Lauren Woods Through July 23

Through September 4 austintheatre.org

A

s much as Austinites enjoy being outside, sometimes it’s just too hot. This summer there are plenty of outdoor options for film lovers, including Deep Eddy Movie Nights and the Cinema East series at the French Legation Museum, but for those needing more than a little shade, the Paramount Theatre’s new film programmer, Jesse Trussell, has put together an exciting lineup for their 36th Annual Summer Classic Film Series. According to Trussell, “I try to focus on new restorations of classics, films that are under-screened in Austin and our big traditions — Casablanca opening the series, Lawrence of Arabia in 70mm, Gone With the Wind closing.” Offering everything from old favorites like The African Queen and The Leopard to legendary horrors like The Shining and Aliens, the series has something for everyone, as well as an array of perfectly paired double features — think A Very Swayze Weekend and Monsters from Beyond. Trussell, who has programmed for the Austin Film Festival and his own summer screening series, recommends The Sound of Music sing-a-long on July 30 as well as a series with Iron and Wine’s Sam Beam, in which Beam is presenting two on his favorite films, The Last Picture Show and Paper Moon on July 27 and 28, and playing a concert at the theater on July 29. Tickets to shows start at just $7 online and $9 at the box office, and discounted Flix-Tix booklets are available. Visit austintheatre. org to purchase tickets and view the complete line up. C. harrold tribeza.com

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Art Spaces F e at u r e d g a l l e ry

French Legation Museum

Museums Arthouse

700 Congress Ave. (512) 453 5312 Hours: Th–F 11–7, Sa 10–5, Su 1–5 arthousetexas.org Austin Children’s Museum

201 Colorado St. (512) 472 2499 Hours: Tu 10–5, W 10–8, Th–Sa 10–5, Su 12–5 austinkids.org AMOA Downtown

823 Congress Ave. (512) 495 9224 Hours: Tu, W, F 10–5, Th 10–8, Sa 10–6, Su 12–6 amoa.org AMOA Laguna Gloria

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n 1839, Alphonse Dubois de Saligny was sent to Austin as the chargé d’affaires, responsible for surveying the cultural and political landscape of Texas. Unimpressed by traditional log cabin structures, Dubois constructed his own home in the Louisiana-Bayou style with European flourishes. Today, Dubois’ legacy still stands as the French Legation Museum, the oldest wood-framed structure in its original location in Austin. “Texas was a brand new nation without credit on the world stage,” says the museum’s Programs Coordinator, Franke Smith. The French Legation Museum is a remider of the transition period, when a newly independent Texas had begun to forge international ties. Visitors to the museum can tour its many rooms and explore an intriguing collection of mid-19th century antiques, including a few of Dubois’ original furnishings. The museum also hosts a variety of activities open to the community. In the fall, commemorating its 170th anniversary, the museum will launch a major restoration project. For more information, visit frenchlegationmuseum.org. L. siva

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3809 W. 35th St. (512) 458 8191 Driscoll Villa hours: Tu–Sun 10–4 Grounds hours: M–Sa 9–5, Su 10–5 amoa.org

Blanton Museum of Art

200 E. MLK Jr. Blvd.

(512) 471 7324 Hours: Tu– F 10–5, Sa 11–5, Su 1–5 blantonmuseum.org The Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum

1800 Congress Ave. (512) 936 8746 Hours: M–Sa 9–6, Su 12–6 thestoryoftexas.com Elisabet Ney Museum

304 E. 44th St. (512) 458 2255 Hours: W–Sa 10–5, Su 12–5 ci.austin.tx.us/elisabetney

French Legation Museum

802 San Marcos St. (512) 472 8180 Hours: Tu–S 1–5 frenchlegationmuseum.org George Washington Carver Museum

The Art Gallery at John-William Interiors

3010 W. Anderson Lane (512) 451 5511 Hours: M–Sa 10–6 , Sun 12–5 mannfinearts.com

1165 Angelina St. (512) 974 4926 Hours: M–Th 10–9, F 10–5:30, Sa 10–4 ci.austin.tx.us/carver

Artworks Gallery

Harry Ransom Center

Austin Art Garage

300 E. 21st St. (512) 471 8944 Hours: Tu–W 10–5, Th 10–7, F 10–5, Sa–Su 12–5 hrc.utexas.edu LBJ Library and Museum

1214 W. 6th St. (512) 472 1550 Hours: M–Sa 10–5 artworksaustin.com

2200 S. Lamar Blvd., Ste. J (512) 351-5934 Hours: Tu–Sa 11–6, Su 12–5 austinartgarage.com Austin Art Space Gallery and Studios

2313 Red River St. (512) 721 0200 Hours: M–Su 9–5 lbjlib.utexas.edu

7739 North Cross Dr., Ste. Q (512) 771 2868 Hours: F–Sa 11–6 austinartspace.com

Mexic–Arte Museum

Austin Galleries

O. Henry Museum

B. HOLLYMAN GALLERY

419 Congress Ave. (512) 480 9373 Hours: M–Th 10–6, F–Sa 10–5, Su 12–5 mexic–artemuseum.org 409 E. 5th St. (512) 472 1903 Hours: W–Su 12–5

Umlauf Sculpture Garden & Museum

605 Robert E. Lee Rd. (512) 445 5582 Hours: W–F 10–4:30, Sa–Su 1–4:30 umlaufsculpture.org

Galleries Art on 5th

1501 W. 5th St. (512) 481 1111 Hours: M–Sa 10–6 arton5th.com

1219 W. 6th St. (512) 495 9363 Hours: M 10–3, Tu–Sa 10–5 or by appointment austingalleries.com 1202-A W. 6th. St. (512) 825 6866 Hours: Tu-Sa 10-5 bhollymangallery.com Birdhouse

1304 E. Cesar Chavez St. By appointment only birdhousegallery.com Brocca Gallery

1103 E. 6th St. (512) 628 1306 Hours: Tu–Sa 11–5 broccagallery.com

Bydee Art Gallery

1050 E. 11th St., #120 (512) 480 3100 Hours: Tu–Sa 11–7 bydee.com

champion

800 Brazos St. (512) 354 1035 Hours: Tu–Sa 11–6 championcontemporary.com Creative Research Laboratory

2832 E. MLK Jr. Blvd.

(512) 322 2099 Hours: Tu–Sa 12–5 uts.cc.utexas.edu Davis Gallery

837 W. 12th St. (512) 477 4929 Hours: M–F 10–6, Sa 10–4 davisgalleryaustin.com Flatbed Press

2830 E. MLK Jr. Blvd.

(512) 477 9328 Hours: Tu–Sa 10–6 flatbedpress.com Gallery 5619

5619 Airport Blvd.

(512) 751 2360 gallery5619.org Gallery Black Lagoon

4301-A Guadalupe St. (512) 371 8838 Hours: W–F 3–7 galleryblacklagoon.com Gallery Shoal Creek

2905 San Gabriel St., #101 (512) 454 6671 Hours: Tu–F 11–6, Sa 11–4 galleryshoalcreek.com grayDUCK gallery

Jean–Marc Fray Gallery

1009 W. 6th St. (512) 457 0077 Hours: M–Sa 10–6 jeanmarcfray.com La Peña

227 Congress Ave., #300 (512) 477 6007 Hours: M–F 9–5, Sa–Su 9–3 lapena–austin.org Lora Reynolds Gallery

360 Nueces St., Ste. C (512) 215 4965 Hours: Tu–Sa 11–6 lorareynolds.com Lotus Gallery

1009 W. 6th St., #101 (512) 474 1700 Hours: M–Sa 10-6 lotusasianart.com Maranda Pleasant Gallery

2235 E. 6th St. (713) 922 8584 By appointment only bigmodernart.com Mass Gallery

916 Springdale Rd. Hours: W 7–9, Sa 12–5 massgallery.org The Nancy Wilson Scanlan Gallery

6500 St. Stephen’s Dr. (512) 327 1213 Hours: W–F 9–5 sstx.org

608 W. Monroe Dr. (512) 826 5334 Hours: W–Sa 11–6, Su 12–5 grayduckgallery.com

Okay Mountain Gallery

Haven Gallery & Fine Gifts

Positive Images Gallery

1122 W. 6th St. (512) 477 2700 Hours: M–Sa 11–6, Su 11–4 havengalleryaustin.com

1312 E. Cesar Chavez St. Hours: W 7–9, Sa 12–5 okaymountain.com

1118 W. 6th St. Hours: M–Sa 10–5, Su 11–4 (512) 472 1831

Pro–Jex Gallery

1710 S. Lamar Blvd., Ste. C (512) 472 7707 Hours: M–F 10–6, S 12–4 Red Space Gallery

1203 W. 49th St. (512) 740 6133 By appointment only redspacegallery.com

Russell Collection Fine Art

1137 W. 6th St. (512) 478 4440 Hours: Tu–Sa 10–6 russell–collection.com sofa

Yard Dog

1510 S. Congress Ave. (512) 912 1613 Hours: M–F 11–5, Sa 11–6, Su 12–5 yarddog.com

Alternative Spaces ARTPOST: The Center for Creative Expression

4704 E. Cesar Chavez St. artpostaustin.com Austin Presence

301 E. 33rd St., #7 By appointment only sofagallerytx.com

2785 Bee Cave Rd., #336 (512) 306 9636 Hours: Tu–F 10–6, Sa 10–4 austinpresence.com

Stephen L. Clark Gallery

Big Medium

1101 W. 6th St. (512) 477 0828 Hours: Tu–Sa 10–4 stephenlclarkgallery.com Studio 107

411 Brazos St., #107 (512) 477 9092 Hours: Tu–Sa 1–6 studio107.com Testsite

502 W. 33rd St. (512) 453 3199 Hours: Su 2–5 fluentcollab.org Wally Workman Gallery

1202 W. 6th St. (512) 472 7428 Hours: Tu–Sa 10–5 wallyworkman.com Women & Their Work

1710 Lavaca St. (512) 477 1064 Hours: M–F 10–6, Sa 12–5 womenandtheirwork.org

5305 Bolm Rd., #12 (512) 385 1670 bigmedium.org

Clarksville Pottery & Galleries

Quattro Gallery

4001 N. Lamar Blvd., #200 (512) 454 9079 Hours: M–Sa 10–6:30, Su 12–4 clarksvillepottery.com

12971 Pond Springs Rd. (512) 219 3150 Hours: M–Tu 10–3, W–Sa 11–4 quattrogallery.com

Domy Books

Roi James

913 E Cesar Chavez St. (512) 476 DOMY Hours: Tu–F 1–9, Sa 12–9, Su 12–7 domystore.com

3620 Bee Cave Rd., Ste. C (512) 970 3471 Hours: By appointment only roijames.com

Julia C. Butridge Gallery

United States Art Authority

Pump Project Art Complex

To have your gallery considered for listing in the Arts Guide, please send a request to events@tribeza.com.

1110 Barton Springs Rd. (512) 974 4025 Hours: M–Th 10–9:30, F 10–5:30, Sa 10–4 ci.austin.tx.us/ dougherty/gallery.htm

702 Shady Ln. (512) 351 8571 pumpproject.org

2906 Fruth St. (512) 476 4455 unitedstatesartauthority.com

things we love

Fresh Local Favorites Chameleon Cold-Brew Coffee Like most people, sometimes we need a little help getting going in the morning time, and sometimes the line at our usual coffee spot is just too long. Luckily, Steve Williams, the owner of one of our favorite East Side coffee shops, Bennu, and Chris Campbell have created Chameleon Cold-Brew Coffee, Austin’s only bottled, cold-brewed coffee. Made with 100 percent organic Fair Trade-certified beans, it can be served hot or over ice, black or blended with your favorite dairy, sweeteners or flavors. Chameleon Cold-Brew is available at an ever-growing list of retailers ranging from Wheatsville Co-Op to Magnolia Café.

Visit chameleoncoldbrew.com for a complete list of locations and some suggested recipes — we recommend trying the “South of the Border” made with Horchata.

Rallyhood Patti Rogers’ idea for Rallyhood.com — an app that makes it easy to organize a group (a team, a class, a club, a committee or just friends helping friends) — that was born out of her experience of being supported by her own neighborhood when she was battling cancer. “Our community showed up. They fed my family, not just with dinners but with love. Casseroles, prayers, and good thoughts filled our living room and carried us through,” she says, “And as my health and well-being were restored, I had a new calling — to make it easy for other communities and groups (big or small, serious or fun) to come together and get stuff done. People want to help, the want to contribute, but they also want it to be easy.” At Rallyhood.com, users can create a rally-site in less than 60 seconds.

Then, invite other members to join and share a calendar, files, tasks, video, messages, money and life, all in one place. Rallyhood eliminates the headache of group-coordination (reply-all chaos, hunt for lost attachments, organizing volunteers, keeping up with last minute schedule changes, multiple sites and multiple log-ins) by bringing all the social and work-together tools into one uber-friendly to use application. “The inspiration and essence for Rallyhood is this — great things happen when we come together. It’s how we build and support our communities. It’s how we fire-up and overcome,” Rogers says.

“It’s how we celebrate and grieve. It’s how we live, learn, give and play.

Rallyhood’s mission is to make it easy and fun to bring these groups together and get stuff done.”

Green Living Pick

NurturMe An Austin-based company is offering a new take on baby food — naturally grown and quick dried, their foods maintain more nutritional value and come in easy to use palm-sized pouches. Parents can just add water, formula or milk and nourish their babies without feeding landfills. Each recyclable box contains eight pouches. For more information and to learn about founder Caroline Freedman’s story, visit nurturme.com.

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chameleon cold-brew photo courtesy of chameleon cold-brew; Patti rogers by king lawrence; nurturme photo courtesy of nurturMe.

style

PRESENTS

with the Photographs by Bill Wilson

AND LUXURY CAR RAFFLE

2011

BENEFITING THE CENTER FOR CHILD PROTECTION Announcing two of the stars of this year’s show:

JACKIE MOONEY CAROL ADAMS Commercial Escrow Officer - Prominent Title

President- Animal Trustees of Austin

JOIN US ON DECEMBER 4, 2011 AT THE HILTON AUSTIN www.centerforchildprotection.org

CO-CHAIRS

DANCE DIRECTOR

Dr. John Hogg & Charmaine Denius McGill

Sabrina Barker-Truscott

CHECK BACK NEXT MONTH WHEN TWO MORE AUSTIN STARS ARE REVEALED!

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(first row from left) the butler family by lyndsay stradtner; the shortall family by michael thad carter; loren kirkpatrick by dave mead; (second row from left) the cumberbatch family by michael thad carter; caroline huddleston by cody hamilton; currie person by kenny braun; (third row from left) the liemandt family by cody hamilton; the courtney family by paige newton; bruce curtis & fred daniel by kenny braun.

How We Live

We went ‘hood to ‘hood to find out what Austinites in every corner of the city love most about their zip codes.

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Crestview:

Close in, and Far Out London transplants Clay and Jessica Shortall find their very own modern-day Mayberry in one of our favorite neighborhoods.

By Jessica Shortall Photography by Michael Thad Carter 40

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hen I was a kid, I dreamed of living in a place where people knew each other — a neighborhood that was truly about neighbors. But then I discovered cities, and their buzzing energy and accessible drinking establishments and good restaurants. How would I choose?

In 2008, when my husband Clay and I threw a dart at the map and moved to Austin after three years in the U.K., we found a realtor and headed straight for 78704. We were hip. He’s an architect. I work for TOMS. Clearly this was the neighborhood for us.

Two weeks later, when we were beat down by prices and on the verge of giving up, our realtor looked us in the eye and said, “Come with me.”

That afternoon, we found ourselves in Crestview, 78757, and within a month we were calling it home. Sure, we wondered at first if this was actually still Austin. It was five miles north of downtown! We were used to hearing people trade death threats outside of our window. We had bus passes and lived in 300 square feet. We were urban.

But this neighborhood reached out and grabbed us. Example: One night, we were walking our dog Blue, and an elderly neighbor stopped to chat with us. (Crestview was built on an old cotton farm in the 1950s,

offering bungalows to newly returned GIs and their wives and some original residents still live here.) A retired botanist, this neighbor had a beautiful garden. I mentioned this, and he bent down, pulled a handful of beets from the ground, and handed them to me. I was dazzled that a place like this still exists — only five miles from downtown.

Like the neighborhood bumper stickers say: “Crestview: Close In, and Far Out.” So our love affair with Crestview began.

One warm spring night this year, we were walking with Blue and our new son Otis, and we heard music. We turned down Richcreek and came upon a little band playing in their front yard. Guitar, bass, banjo, washboard, and a seven-year-old. We stopped to watch, and someone handed me a cold can of Lone Star. Two months later we threw a party with the same band, The Native Transplants, playing on our patio.

This time they brought their steel guitar and did a fantastic cover of “Sleepwalk.”

This is a talk-to-your-neighbor-over-thefence neighborhood that refers to itself, with not even a touch of hipster irony, as Austin’s “modern-day Mayberry.” Joining the neighborhood Yahoo group will expose you to owl-lovers, breastfeeding activists and parents organizing beers at the local pizzeria.

There are yoga classes in Brentwood Park — also home to a good elementary school and small pool. The independent grocery store has been fending off developers’ offers for our little “mall” (grocery, pharmacy, dry cleaner, jeweler, barber, hairdresser, acting school, pizzeria) for years.

Crestview also is, unsurprisingly, a neighborhood of walkers. Young couples and their babies (we’re in the middle of a baby boom) and older folks stop to chat on regular evening strolls. Every Christmas, a

self-organized committee puts up luminarias along Arroyo Seco, and in the December evenings you can see parents and their kids, bent over the empty milk jugs with flickering flames, as dusk settles on the neighborhood.

Life in the big city wowed us with its energy. Life in a small town sounded lovely but impractical. And then Crestview seduced me with its simple solution: Austin, boiled down to its essentials. A small town smack in the middle of a growing city. Crestview gave us the best of both worlds, and for that, I’ll love it forever.

Jessica Shortall is the Director of Giving for TOMS. Clay Shortall is an architectural designer (clayshortall.com) with Austin-based and international projects. Their son, Otis, is a year old and is a professional, full time baby.

Jessica’s Crestview

Top 10

1. Experience the Little Deli (7101a Woodrow

4. Genuine Joe (2001 W. Anderson Ln.) is

about as local-feeling a coffee shop as you get in Austin. The armchairs and couches are old, the baristas (who I think might never want to be called that) are friendly and the coffee is good.

5.

People line up out the door for a table at Enchiladas Y Más (1911 W. Anderson Ln.). You’d never guess it from the outside, but this hole-in-thewall Tex-Mex place makes good, straightforward plates at great prices, and a strong margarita.

6. Crestview’s Wall of Welcome on Woodrow

is a long and beautiful mosaic, telling the history of the neighborhood. It’s a great spot to snap family and kid photos.

7. Have I been to Lala’s (2207 Justin Ln.) since

I had a baby last year? No. But just knowing this neighborhood institution/dive bar is there, serving cans of Lone Star and sporting its decades-old, year-round Christmas decorations is enough for me, for now.

8. The new Burnet Road Farmer’s Market

Ave.). Tony, the owner, is from New Jersey (like me), and it shows in his pizza, Italian subs and meatball sandwiches. BYOB with booze bought from the grocery store across the parking lot and hang out with couples, old folks and families on picnic tables that spill out of the restaurant. Then go inside and measure yourself on the doorjamb.

Step back into the 50s with Top-Notch Burgers (7525 Burnet Rd.), which serves fantastic flat (not fat) burgers and great fried chicken, in decidedly un-updated surroundings.

2.

10. Tam Deli (8222 North Lamar Blvd.,

…speaking of, the walk-in beer fridge at the IGA Minimax (7108 Woodrow Ave.) grocery store (family-owned since the 1950s) is pretty fantastic.

3.

Chris P’s or Joe’s insane Vinyasa classes at YogaYoga (2167 W. Anderson Ln.). All the classes are great, but these guys are vindictively loving and changed my (sporadic) yoga practice forever.

(6701 Burnet Rd.) is giving it a go — and with enough support, I hope it will stick around!

9.

D33). Not technically Crestview, but this simple Vietnamese place makes a char-grilled pork sandwich that is rivaled, as sandwiches go, only by its own fried shrimp sandwich. Go for lunch and order your cream puff the minute you sit down — the sisters who own the place make them themselves every morning, and they sell out fast. tribeza.com

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ford street Mi Casa es Su Casa is the motto on this special South Austin street where a true sense of community reigns.

p h oto g r a p h y by R en e R en t er i a

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ford street

The Neighborhood

South Lamar

— ben kweller — Ford Street Resident + Musician

n the early 1950s, each house on Ford Street received a Sycamore sapling as it was built. Many saplings are now dying off, but the one in our yard is at least 35 feet tall. I’ve been here for over 20 years and in the ‘hood for 30. We are moving, and it is really sad for us because we know everyone on Ford Street and love them all! It’s the greatest group of the most creative and loving folks I’ve ever met. It’s really hard to leave and miss watching the kids grow up. But, I’m so happy the kids have a sense of identity and community to take with them. They truly have a village. It’s really a Camelot — a shining moment that could disappear or endure — but I know we’ve made an impact on some of those around us. They now see it’s possible for a mere urban street to become a real village. I think it gives others confidence that they can create a special community too. It’s been a true privilege to live here.”

— Carol Stall — Ford Street Resident 44

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i l lu s t r at i o n by ava lo n m c k en zi e

ford street photographs courtesy of carol stall; black & white photograph courtesy of mary jacobs.

“Our street-wide e-mail group is pretty unreal.

Post if you need an egg, if you need to borrow a car for 20 minutes or if you have extra cans of paint after a project. We even have a street-wide DVD library! Just walk to your neighbors and borrow the latest Harry Potter for your kids.”

act: Fun F Ray e Stev i n used h Vaug ive on to l treet.

S Ford

Long-time Ford Street residents Adam and Julie Butler and their three boys had their family photo taken at Zilker Elementary School. Julie says: "We love the school and neighboring Little Zilker Park. It's a community meeting place. The school has quite an Austin theme running through it, and music and art are big parts of it with an amazing parent community. Parents organized to have the portable buildings painted, and we are standing in front of one in this photo."

p h oto g r a p h y by ly n ds ay s t r a dt n er o f l i f e i n m ot i o n p h oto g r a p h y

Adam Butler’s

ford street Ford Street, like the automaker, I always tell the pizza delivery dispatch.

-----------------------------But I’ll tell you this, it’s home to the 78704 list serv, 20 kids, one rock star, a chef, three photographers, educators, academics, state employees, a builder, a BBQ magnate, a civil war reenactor, a European auto mechanic, a doctor, a psychologist, the engineer for Austin City Limits, power moms, the Crazy Aaron, some advertising types and very frequent block parties.

-----------------------------Need some homegrown cilantro?

Drop a transmission?

Want a sprinkler system?

Ping the list serv; there’s a neighbor who can handle it.

-----------------------------Hungry? Hit Luke’s Inside Out next to Gibson. We buy local, as in people-that-live-on-ourstreet-local.

-----------------------------Friday Night?

Shabbat shalom. Interfaith couples light the candles, tear the challah and drink the fruit of the vine. Others just crack the Lone of the Star.

-----------------------------Saturday night?

Walk to South Lamar or just lobby the neighbors to open

their secret saloons.

-----------------------------Sunday morning?

Soccer at Little Zilker. We have our own league. No uniforms.

Barefoot vs. Shoes. Love of the game.

-----------------------------Fifty years ago there wasn’t a tree on our street. We were the edge of Travis county. But the American dream got built and saplings got assigned yards.

-----------------------------We lost our two WWII vets not too long ago, but we memorialize them with Carol’s new poems and Ruth’s old photos at most gatherings.

Our trees are real tall now.

Roots. Area midwives have caught over a half dozen babies in the last nine years on this street. There’s something in the water, we say. Time marches on, we know.

-----------------------------Lately we’ve rallied to save our schools. We’ve shared nannies and recipes. We’ve appreciated each other and watched the kids race up and down the street.

Faster and faster.

-----------------------------Fences make good neighbors.

But gates cut into fences, connect backyards and make Ford Street. tribeza.com

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Loren Kirkpatrick on his bike at 8:07pm in front of Rio Rita where he and his buddy Shaun Jordan (pictured right) typically meet every Tuesday evening.

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Lo r e n K i r k p a t r i ck ’ s

East Side welcome to loren ’ s world! He shares his personal favorite locales and activities from more than 20 plus years in Austin, and 15 years living on the East Side of town.

“

My favorite thing about the East Side is the trees. The soils are richer and that includes both what can grow and what has grown on the East Side. From great music and food, East Austin contains the diversity that makes for a vibrant neighborhood and city.”

Art + Creative Spaces Baby Blue Studios 1522 E. 12th St.

Bill Baird’s compound is always exploring the collective music consciousness of Austin.

Big Medium 5305 Bolm Rd. #12, 78721 Red Bluff Studios 4907 Red Bluff Rd.

If you are not hiring the folks over there, you should be. Great place to go and get creative.

Bars Longbranch Inn 1133 E. 11th St.

Any chance to see Stockbauer in full form. With so many other options on the East Side these days, this one makes even more sense and is easier to enjoy.

p h oto g r a p h y by dav e m e a d

La Perla 1512 E. 6th St.

Practice your Spanish. Shrimp for $1.25!

Rabbit’s Lounge 1816 E. 6th St.

Drink it up while you can, for we will miss it. Thanks Rabbit and Ryan for the good times.

Scoot Inn 1308 E. 4th St.

See Longbranch Inn — oldest railroad bar in town.

Swan Dive 1906 E. 12th St.

Lots of live music. Waxploitation spinning makes for fun dancing.

This re-emerging venue is a great step over into the East Side, and check out Galloway’s sandwich shop or get your haircut at the Barber next door. Open late on weekends.

TC’s Lounge 1413 Webberville Rd.

Junior Kimbrough would have played here — Monday nights and every night — all night long.

Yellow Jacket Social Club 1704 E. 5th St.

New kid on the block, in the old Cafe Mundi — owners Stan, Mimi and crew have created a lively bar.

Think Emo’s sans music circa 1996.

Coffee Shops Progress Coffee 500 San Marcos St. Rio Rita 1308 E. 6th St.

Tasty infused drinks. Coffee house and great place to connect quietly with friends inside, or step outside and listen to bluegrass on the back porch.

Food Amity Bakery Coming to the East Side in 2011!

Barrie Cullinan’s barriebaking.com will help you locate plenty of places on the East Side and West Side to find her amazing breads and croissants.

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East Side Guide

Dai Due Austin daidueaustin.com

Jesse Griffiths is really a food magician, and any supper club you can catch consider yourself lucky!

El Azteca 2600 E. 7th St.

Cabrito! — Like eating at El Rey Del Cabrito in Monterrey, Mexico (sort of, a lot closer).

Cisco’s 1511 E. 6th St.

If the migas and fajitas don’t satisfy, they serve alcohol for breakfast, and I mean early for Longhorns games at noon.

Hoover’s 2002 Manor Rd.

Pork chops, collard greens, black-eyed peas, jerk-style BBQ. Need I say more?

Eastside Café 2113 Manor Rd.

One classic East Side eatery, Huevos Mexicanos!

Franklin Barbecue 3421 N. I-35

Worth the wait at least two times a month, get there early!

The Good Knight 1300 E. 6th St.

The June Rose cocktail is a nice way to cool off in the summer, and its history and pride in its namesake makes this a nice conversation starter.

Joe’s Bakery & Mexican Food 2305 E. 7th St.

They batter and deep fry their bacon! Need I say more?

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Juan in a Million 2300 E. Cesar Chavez St. Egg’s Mexican Con Queso.

This is all you need to start the day off right.

Justine’s 4710 E. 5th St.

Pierre and Justine have built a dream location for getting out and enjoying the great brasserie, cocktails and exceptional waitstaff. They serve late and the record collection is worth a visit alone.

Little Thailand 4315 Caldwell Ln. Del Valle, TX

I have spent more birthdays here than I care to remember. Although Dick has passed away, his family is carrying on the tradition. Best place to go shopping for gifts. There is always something there I end up giving to someone — including the Bloody Mary mix.

Nubian Queen Lola’s Cajun Soul Food Restaurant 1815 Rosewood Ave.

Cooking good and doing good — this is it! Closed Sunday to feed those in need.

Papatino 1306 E. 6th St.

New Mexican restaurant open now next to Rio Rita. lan’s traditional Mexico City comida tipico de D.F. Tastefully re-done to keep the character of the original house and a generous outdoor areas to dine and wine. Viva la raza!

Sam’s BBQ 2000 E. 12th St.

Mouton is not for everyone, but I am sure it is the best Mouton on the East Side!

Three Little Pigs 1209 Rosewood Ave.

Behind East End Wines. Pork Slider and Meatloaf with Cracklin’ — now open for lunch mid-week if you’ll come and visit.

Victory Grill 1104 E. 11th St.

Best place to mingle with the community and hear some blues. You can rent out the Victory Grill for your next dance party.

Music Stores Switched On 1111 E. 11th St.

Amps, musicians' source.

Trailer Space Records 1401 Rosewood Ave.

Great collection of punk and off-beat records, shows and music gatherings.

Outdoors + Sports Baseball Govalle Park 5200 Bolm Rd. Home of the Texas Playboy Baseball Club, and home to many East Side BBQs and intersquad play. The tree in left field is one of the larger oak trees I have seen on the East Side.

Capitol City Trap & Skeet Club 8707 Lindell Ln.

Try and hit the rabbit. We are in Texas and you never know when you might have to prove you are truly a Texan and can hit a target.

First Tee Austin 5501 Ed Bluestein Blvd.

Cheap golf, beautiful stretch of land along creek. Even if you don’t play golf, this is a learner’s course and has a huge stretch of pecan trees along the creek — bring a bag and fill up with pecans.

Roy G. Guerrero Colorado River Park 400 Grove Blvd.

Hiking and floating river below Longhorn Dam. The “Secret Beach,” while notso-secret, is a great place to enjoy the river with dogs and go for a little swim, although you might want to wait a few days after it rains.

OTHER Cinema East 802 San Marcos St.

Now hosted at the French Legation every other Sunday.

Recently featured movie — Winnebago Man. Maybe not best place for Tree of Life but great place to see a movie.

East End Wines 1209 Rosewood Ave. East Side Drive-In 1001 E. 6th St.

Music in the neighborhood

Hotel Vegas & Volstead 1500 E. 6th St. Traditional boarding house for Austin’s creative class, offering affordable leases on studios and studio apartments.

Mexitas Event Center 1109 N. I-35 Need to go check out your bingo skills at least once.

Michoachana Meat Market 1917 E. 7th St., #1

Affordable eats with a wide selection of meats that are not usually offered in such quantities and styles. All your Latin spice, just add water.

Rain Lily Design + Farmhouse Delivery farmhousedelivery.com, 914 Shady Ln.

Wednesday happy hours, Shakespeare on the Farm.

If you can make it you will eat well and be inspired.

Stephanie Scherzer and Kim Beal continue to amaze as the farm grows and more and more innovations materialize on a weekly basis.

Loren Kirkpatrick is an East Austin resident, recovering entrepreneur, real estate broker and UT Alumnus.

The East Side 11th St.

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Kealing Park 2 3

4

I-35

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6th St.

Texas State Cemetery

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Cesar Chavez

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1. Franklin BBQ East Side Yoga 1. 2.

Franklin BBQ 3.

Blue Dahlia Bistro 2. East Side Yoga 4. East Side Pies 3. Blue Dahlia Bistro 5. French Legation Museum 4. East Side Pies 6. Progress Coffee 5. 7.

French Legation Museum Shangri-La 6. 8.

Progress Coffee East Side Show Room 7. 9.

Shangri’La Cheer Up Charlie's 8. 10.

EastFast Side Show Room Folks Cyclery BirdsUp Barbershop 9. 11.

Cheer Charlies Buenos Café 10.12.

Fast FolksAires Cyclery 13.

The Good Knight 11. Birds Barbershop Rio RitaAires Café 12.14.

Buenos 15. Takoba 13. The Good Knight 16. The Liberty 14. Rio Rita 17. Domy Books 15.18.

Takoba Your Mom’s Burger Bar

16. The Liberty 17. Domy Books 18. Your Mom’s

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A U S T I N A R T S + C U LT U R E

presents

STYLEWEEK

2011

SEPTEMBER 22 - 29, 2011 FASHION SHOW THURSDAY 9.29 Photography by Valeria Castillo

Leslie Begert’s Bouldin Creek She’s lived and travelled around the world, but feels right at home in the 78704.

BY Leslie Begert PHOTOGRAPHY BY Michael Thad Carter

e moved to Austin from Shanghai, China, where we lived for six years. Then, it was Buenos Aires, Argentina.When we met, we were both living in London — Mark had been working as a trader there for many years, and I am from London (although I was born in Greece to Norwegian and Venezuelan-American parents and raised in Barcelona, Spain). Mark is from Dallas, so when it came time for us to start a family, Austin seemed a natural choice, since we could be close to his family.

I never thought in a million years that I would be a Texan! But then again, I never thought I’d marry an American or that I’d end up living in China either...

Mark and I love Austin because it is so open minded.

It’s full of interesting people doing interesting things. And they are all in varied walks of life. It has a wonderful, nurturing artists’ community (I’m a sculptor). Austin also has a really positive environment. People who are here are really happy to be here. They feel fortunate to be in Austin and that creates a really positive energy. No one is trying to ‘get out.’

As for Bouldin Creek, we love the fact that it offers such an eclectic mix of neighbors and styles of houses. It has a wonderful ‘neighborhoody’ feel to it. We know so many of our neighbors, be it through our dog or our kids. Bouldin has got lots of families with kids the exact same

age as ours, and we have a wonderful community where we all get together a lot — kids play and parents have some cold ones. It’s such a luxury to have that within blocks of your home. We also love that we have bars, restaurants, shops, parks and swimming pools that we always walk to.

We love not getting into our car.

Leslie Begert is a sculptor represented in six galleries around the U.S. View her work locally at Scott + Cooner (115 W. 8th St.), where her installation "Baby Heads" is currently on display with Deborah Page Projects. For more information, visit lesliebegert.com.

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David Courtney’s

Hyde Park

By David Courtney Photography by Paige Newton

ello, we’re the Courtneys and this is charming Hyde Park.

Since leaving Temple, where I was born and raised, and moving into my UT dorm room way back in May of 1984, my mail, except for a few semesters abroad, has been delivered solely to Austin addresses, none of which have been more than six miles away from the intersection of 43rd and Duval in Hyde Park. After multiple rentals in West Campus, years of bachelordom in that beautiful little stone cottage directly across Barton Springs Road near Shady Grove (perhaps you attended a party there?), and a period of premarital bliss spent shacked up with my soon-to-be in a tiny two-dog house in Allandale, my wife, Kendall, and I got married and bought our little “Hyde Park Charmer” in the fall of 2000.

Between then and now we’ve expanded both our family, with our daughter Sarah in 2003, and our house, with a small remodel in 2005. And while the neighborhood has changed a little over the past 10 years too, it has retained, and even improved upon, everything that makes it the great and quintessentially Austin

neighborhood that it is.

The 50s-ish post office and the historic Fire Station Number 9 at 43rd and Speedway still make that intersection look like Mayberry, and the very historic Elizabet Ney Museum on 44th between Avenues G and H, even with its recent renovations, stands much like it did more than a century ago, when the sculptress was creating an early incarnation of Austin’s art scene alongside her masterpieces. One block west, across Avenue G, are the pools (swimming and wading), playground and tennis and basketball courts of Shipe Park, which even though not huge by city park standards has plenty of good grassy space for lolling away an afternoon. A few blocks west, over on Avenue B, there’s the tiny, picturesque and quite creatively named Avenue B Grocery, where you’ll have much more success filling your stomach with one of their made-toorder deli sandwiches than you will filling your cart with actual groceries from all two

of their hundred-year-old and very short aisles of necessities (they don’t have carts).

And then there’s Vino Vino, the instantly comfortable Guadalupe wine shop/wine bar/restaurant that opened a few years ago amid a small and inexplicable hubbub with the neighbors. Who could oppose a neighborhood wine shop/wine bar/ restaurant? Other relatively recent additions include a 43rd Street edition of the Parlor, or, as both it and its North Loop predecessor of the same name are referred to at our house, the Punk Rock Pizza Parlor. Both have great pizza, great juke boxes, and great, if a little grimy, 80s-Austin punk rock ambiance, but the Hyde Park location is much larger and features a full bar. The best-beaten path, though, between our home and any point in the neighborhood, or the rest of town for that matter, runs from our front door to the area around the intersection of 43rd and Duval. All of our favorite places are there: Julio’s Cafe tribeza.com

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for roasted chicken, crazy-good Mexican martinis (one and a half will do the trick) and superb Mexican breakfasts; Asti Trattoria for excellent Italian home-style; Quack’s 43rd Street Bakery for chocolate croissants, thematically-decorated butter cookies (who doesn’t need a cookie shaped like a mustache for National Mustache Day?), and double macchiatos (Sarah sticks with milk); Dolce Vita for gelato and nightcaps in an Old World sidewalk café meets Les Amis (remember Les Amis at 24th and San Antonio?) sort of setting, a vibe that is hard to come by in Austin these days. And the new kid on the block, Antonelli’s Cheese Shop for cheese, wine and cheese and wine advice. The great thing about this particular conglomeration, like everything in the neighborhood, is that their proximity to one another makes for endless combinations. Okay, not endless, but you can imagine the possibilities.

We’re the Courtneys. Meet us at 43rd and Duval, in charming Hyde Park.

David Courtney is an associate editor and the Texanist at Texas Monthly magazine. Kendall Courtney works in the Investment Management Division at the Teacher Retirement System of Texas. Sarah Courtney just completed the second grade with flying colors and is an avid unicyclist, dancer, diver and parent pleaser.

45th St.

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Guadalupe

Hyde Park

Duval

38th St.

TRIBEZA Picks 1. Mint Salon 2. Vino Vino 3. Gallery Black Lagoon 4. The Parlor 5. Avenue B Grocery 54

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6. Elizabet Ney Museum 7. Daily Juicy Café 8. Quacks 43rd Street Bakery 9. ASTI Trattoria 10. Dolce Vita

11. Mother’s Café & Garden 12. Antonelli’s Cheese Shop 13. Hyde Park Bar & Grill

i l lu s t r at i o n by ava lo n m c k en zi e

SMS Photography

.

.

family affair A father and daughter share why Clarksville is the “best neighborhood in the world.”

BY

Currie & Jim Person

PHOTOGRAPHY BY

currie's View few years ago, after a frenetic decade in New York City, I moved back to my childhood neighborhood of Clarksville, with my boyfriend Patrick and our dog Greta, a long-legged Great Dane mix. Our evenings are tranquil, and we love dinners at home followed by evening walks. When the cicadas start their serenade and the blistering sun gives way to cool evening breezes, we wander, just to stretch our legs, get a little fresh air in our lungs and walk off the lingering heaviness of dinner.

West Lynn, the central neighborhood thoroughfare, feels like the main street of a friendly, yet chic, single-traffic-light town. A couple blocks away, Matthews Elementary, with its rolling green lawn and classic brick 1916 facade, seems nostalgically sweet and unchanged from my years spent there two decades before. Along West Lynn and

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Kenny Braun

down the hill, young couples sip fragrant coffees on the porch at Café Medici, and on summer nights, the usually plain and unassuming parking lot of Bond’s Television & Electronics is often filled to capacity with families spread out on quilts and perched on folding lawn chairs, waiting for an outdoor screening of a classic movie to begin.

Further down the main drag, Sledd’s Nursery, housed in a former filling station on the corner of West Lynn and 12th, presents an abundant tangle of flowering plants, vines and shrubs. Just on the other side of the sprawling verdant rows, a small but lively group gabs animatedly at the outdoor tables lining the sidewalk in front of Cipollina. The tall bistro windows display intimate clusters gathered inside sharing thin-crust pizzas and glasses of wine amidst the warm glow of candles and vintage pendant lamps.

We nod and smile hellos to our neighbors as they walk by enjoying the temperate evening, riding bikes, walking their dogs or simply strolling, as we are. En route back to our house, we pass under the antique neon signs of the neighborhood institutions Nau’s Drug and Anthony’s Cleaners, the cool blue light of the 1950s interiors spilling

across the sidewalk. I recall so many fond afternoons spent with my father at Nau’s classic soda fountain counter, chatting over burgers and milkshakes, my feet dangling from the swiveling stainless stools.

We often end our walks rambling through the long park that stretches between 9th and 10th Streets, as Greta bounds through the tall grass. Windows from the surrounding houses shine through the dark around us and the evening’s quiet settles in.

These walks have a magical, cinematic quality — a strikingly beautiful portrait of our small Clarksville community fully engaged in life, framed by lovingly preserved architectural vestiges of the past. Though the specific street scenes change season to season, year to year, the enduring feeling and pleasures of community remain delightfully the same.

Currie Person grew up in Clarksville, moved to New York City to attend New York University and remained there for over a decade working as a feature film location scout. She returned to Austin four years ago and opened Spartan, a boutique featuring a tightly edited collection of beautiful and functional objects. Her new venture, Martineau & Bird, curates local monthly gatherings focused on explorations of art, food and design.

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jim's View

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because the less-than-accurate old notes often overlapped (one surveyor, after doing a job for me, said, “I’m not going back into Clarksville, life’s too short”).

What Clarksville did have was a rural feel in the middle of the city, with lots of trees, creeks and buildings that looked like farmhouses. Half the lots were empty, or the houses on them were vacant and falling down. As I said, the legwork was arduous, but, with the help of a variety of partners, we bought enough property for about 40 homes, the lots ranging in price from $500 to $5,000.

The bankers had effectively redlined the area, but we finally talked Charlie Betts at Franklin Savings into making the first loan. Once we got the first house built and a permanent loan in place, a comp was established and the rest were easier. Our price points were low, generally around 50K, and we found plenty of buyers.

Now, with almost all of Clarksville built out, remodeled and gentrified, it has lost some of that rural feel but retains a unique charm and an even more unique mix of residents.

Then there’s the location – Nau’s hamburgers, Jeffery’s, Mathews School, proximity to UT, The Capitol, Downtown, Whole Foods, Barton Springs, Deep Eddy, etc. Yep — the best neighborhood in the world.

Born and raised in Mississippi, Jim Person is a real estate developer, sportsman, father and grandfather who currently resides with his beautiful wife of four decades in Clarksville and Paris.

The Person family in and around Clarksville in the 70s and 80s.

Photographs courtesy of currie person.

My friend Dick Clark used to say that Clarksville was the best neighborhood in the world, by way of it being the best neighborhood in Austin, Austin being the best city in Texas, Texas being the best state in the United States, and the United States being the best country in the world.

Still can’t say I disagree with him.

Clark and I were early pioneers in Clarksville in the 70s, coming along after the hippies and students seeking cheap rents in the 60s. We were a bit hippy-ish ourselves, but we were serious about our business, Clark with architecture and me with developing real estate, and both with making money. We built our homes on 11th, across the street from each other.

When young people ask me about getting into real estate development, I advise going to work for a developer for a couple of years. You learn in a year or two what will take you five to ten years to learn doing it yourself, but my idealistic self decided I was going to do it differently and no one could teach me that, or so I thought.

Clarksville provided that wonderful opportunity to work much harder than normal developers and make much less money. There was a reason established developers were not buying in Clarksville. In Clarksville proper (West Lynn, 10th, Mopac, Waterston) there were no paved streets; property ownership was difficult to determine with the property passed down for generations, sometimes without wills or deeds; and surveying was difficult

Currie’s Clarksville

Top 10

Clarksville

1.

It’s hard for me not to start the day with a steaming Americano from Caffé Medici (1101 W. Lynn St.) — kind staff, delicious coffee and catching up with the neighbors before work.

West Lynn

Enfield

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3 4

W. 5th St., #202), a lovely and welcoming studio with talented teachers.

3. Neighborhood jogs with my big

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dog, Greta, and a visit to the 9th St. Dog Park.

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2. Morning yoga at Black Swan (1114

4. Happy hour cocktails and nibbles

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with friends at Jeffrey’s bar (1204 W. Lynn St.) — the Thumbalina salad is so crisp and fresh.

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5. Milkshakes at Nau’s Enfield Drug

(1115 W. Lynn St.) classic soda fountain.

6.

The most relaxing facials using organic and locally made ingredients at Neu Skin (1411 W. 6th St).

7. Super thin crust kale pizza at Cipollina (1213 W. Lynn St.).

Tribeza Picks 1. Fresh Plus 2. Cipollina 3. Jeffrey's 4. Zocalo Café 5. Nau's Enfield Drug 6. Caffé Medici 7. Galaxy Café 8. El Interior

8.

Alfresco summer movies at Bond’s Television & Electronics (100 W. Lynn St.).

9. Willis Littlefield’s front yard

Christmas light display on W. 12th St. during the holidays.

10. Cold drinks and a spin around the dance floor at Donn’s Depot (1600 W. 5th St.).

i l lu s t r at i o n by ava lo n m c k en zi e

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Back Home

After a jaunt in the big city, designer (and the very dapper) Graham Cumerbatch rediscovers his hometown, carrying on his parents’ legacy of giving.

By Graham Cumerbatch Photography by Michael Thad Carter

fter four years away at college and two working in New York, I never thought I’d be this content to live with my parents again. My parents moved into our current neck of the woods while I was a sophomore in college. It’s our sixth different neighborhood in Austin since I was born. My mother and father moved to Austin in 1980 just after they were married and when city development pretty much ended a half hour outside of downtown.

Aside from UT Law School, there were very few attractions my parents could reference to convince their families that they weren’t crazy for moving to Texas. My dad grew up in New York City. My mother was born in Cincinnati but spent her formative years in Indiana, North Carolina and D.C. She and my dad both had always looked to their faith as a guide for life’s big changes.

Moving was no different. As a result, we’ve lived all over Austin. And, the houses and neighborhoods we’ve lived in make

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for convenient landmarks in our family’s Austin history.

I was born in 1985 in the West Austin neighborhood of Bryker Woods. After that, our tracks crisscrossed as far east as Red River — where my younger sister, Virginia was born — and as far South as Manchaca, on the edge of Buda. The years we spent in stroller-friendly and then-cheap Hyde Park — where my youngest sister was born and where we adopted my brother Benjamin — were some of my favorite. After that, I spent all of my teen years in a ranch-style house on Shoal Creek, and there’s a spackled-over hole in the wall to prove it.

But, it’s not just the places we’ve lived that define our version of Austin. Perhaps even more so it’s the kind of work my parents have dedicated themselves to over the years. Whether it’s starting a church in South Austin, working with nonprofit service programs in East Austin, sitting on boards at City Hall or building intercultural and interfaith relationships all over the city, they’ve always had a

very interconnected view of Austin’s neighborhoods. In a city, people tend to carve out their lives in 20-minutedrive enclaves, and that’s a fairly unique perspective.

After I graduated college, I spent a year living back at home. By then, we had been living in Pemberton Heights for a little over three years, but it still didn’t feel like home to me. It wasn’t until I returned from New York last July that Austin felt like home again and I began to appreciate my parents’ new neighborhood, mainly for its location (just 10 minutes from downtown and 15 from the East Side). But, moving back home has been less about the neighborhood and more about getting to know Austin all over again and reconnecting with the civic legacy of my parents. In many ways, it feels like things have come full circle. In a nice bit of symmetry, my parents’ house is only a few minutes away from the house I was born in. There’s no feeling quite like rediscovering your hometown, and there’s no town quite like Austin.

Graham Cumerbatch (pictured far left) and his close knit family love parts of every neighborhood they have lived in over the years. tribeza.com

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Back Home

Graham & Virginia’s

Top 10

A selection of favorites from all the Austin neighborhoods they’ve walked.

1. Sandwiches, soda and candy at Avenue B Grocery & Market (4403 Avenue B). When we lived in Hyde Park, we also attended Hyde Park Baptist School, just a couple of blocks away.

After school, our mom used to take us to this old-fashioned corner store for a treat.

2. Keeping fit at YMCA

Town Lake Branch (1100 W. Cesar Chavez St.) When we were kids, it’s where we played basketball and tee-ball. Now it’s where we get in our semiregular 20 minutes on the treadmill. I miss tee-ball.

3. Vintage furniture at

Next to New (5435 Burnet Rd.) My mom’s always had an expert eye for quality secondhand furniture.

This has long been one of her go-to spots.

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4. Snow Cones at Casey’s New OrleansStyle Sno Balls (808 51st St.) Austin’s never been short on snow cone spots, but this oldAustin treasure off of Airport has always been our favorite. Super fine ice and tons of syrup — it’s perfection in a Styrofoam cup.

5. A burger at Hill-Bert’s

(1501 W. 35th St.) Everyone’s got their favorite burger in Austin. But, for people who grew up here, it’s got as much to do with taste as nostalgia.

Our fondness for one of the oldest burger joints in Austin goes back to Sunday night takeout — after long days at church when mom and dad were too tired to cook dinner.

6. New duds at Buffalo

Exchange (2904 Guadalupe St.) Having learned the importance selfpresentation at an early age, the Cumberbatch kids have always had a thing for style. While we sometimes disagree as to what that entails, Buffalo Exchange is probably the one place that tends to have something for each of us.

7. A swing and a swim at

Shipe Park (4400 Avenue G) This was one of our favorite parks growing up. Back in the day we loved the swimming pools, huge (to us) swings and the best wooden playscape in town. But, it’s still a great spot for a grownup picnic.

8. Thai Food at Madam

Mam’s (2514 Guadalupe St.) People argue a lot about where to get the best Thai food in Austin.

But, when a place is this delicious and hugely filling and five minutes from your house, what’s there to argue about?

9. Cold bliss at Amy’s Ice Cream (3500 Guadalupe St.) Oft-cited? Yes. Overrated? Never. As far as we’re concerned, Mexican Vanilla is one of the true gastrological wonders of the world.

10. A great cut at Agape

Barbershop (3218 E. Martin Luther King Blvd., #103) Finding a good barber is very personal. My dad and I have been going here for several years, and even when I lived in New York, I couldn’t bring myself to get cut anywhere else. Mr. Reggie is a hair savant.

P h oto g r a p h y by j o h n p e s i n a

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Sarah Wittenbraker’s

Top 10 to Deep Eddy/Tarrytown

in New York, UT grads Sarah and Rick Wittenbraker returned to Texas and settled into West Austin six years ago. Sarah, an interior designer, and former editor of Austin Kidbits, shares her family’s favorite spots in the Deep Eddy/ Tarrytown area.

After working

1. Although breakfast is served 24 hours, we hit Magnolia Cafe (2304 Lake Austin Blvd.) early on Saturdays, then stroll over to Lady Bird Lake to walk off our pancakes.

2. Blazing summer days are bearable thanks to neighborhood pools — the tucked away Reed Park and fabulously freezing Deep Eddy (401 Deep Eddy Ave.).

3. Disappearing into dive bars is no longer on our agenda, but a drink with the local cast of characters at Deep Eddy Cabaret (2315 Lake Austin Blvd.) is a good thing.

4. The lakeside Mediterranean villa and lush gardens of Laguna

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Gloria (3809 W. 35th St.) always amaze me. Art classes for kids and adults are an added bonus.

5. Work is better with a view of the water.

Mozart’s (3826 Lake Austin Blvd.) is a nice change of scenery for the coffee shop laptop crowd.

6. Walking to the Howson Library (2500 Exposition Blvd.) is a weekly outing. A stylin’ mid-century building houses a great selection and helpful staff.

7. Palm Tree Hugger nachos at Hula Hut (3825 Lake Austin Blvd.) are a favorite — preferably followed by a sunset cruise on a friend’s boat. (We’re accepting invitations.)

8. If skin care expert Tracy Bethel’s hydrafacial at Tracy Bethel Skincare can put instant glow into my dull, sleep-deprived skin, then there’s hope for all of us.

9. I get nostalgic in Over the Rainbow (2727 Exposition Blvd.) — an independently owned toy store with a small town feel. The ladies here are experts on picking birthday gifts and children’s books.

10. Walking the trails and picnicking at Mayfield Park (3505 W. 35th St.) makes for a perfect afternoon.

The kids and I find the peacocks hilarious...and loud...and everywhere.

P h oto g r a p h y by co dy h a m i lto n

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Travis Heights Two takes on one of our city’s most beloved ‘hoods nestled west of I-35.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY

Kenny Braun

Margo and Jonathan Tate with their daugher Maggie. tribeza.com

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Margo Tate & Family e originally chose Travis Heights because we loved the old neighborhood feel, the architecture and short drive to downtown. Since moving in, we have discovered walking to South Congress eateries and the Stacy Parks and trails. We also hit Lady Bird Lake, and Jonathan swims laps in Stacy Pool during the summer mornings before work. We’ve lived here for five years, and the best day of the year on our block has to be Halloween. This must be the most active street in Austin on October 31. Each year hundreds of trick-or-treaters stampede over our front porch. Homes up and down the street (including ours) are transformed into haunted houses. There are tombstones in the front yards, electric chairs and fire breathing spiders, just to name a few of the sights along the spooky gauntlet called Travis Heights Boulevard. We regularly walk to South Congress with our friends and kids for dinner (The Mighty Cone and Homeslice Pizza are our regular spots). Our best memory of all though was bringing our daughter Maggie home from the hospital. We were greeted by our family with open arms and smiles — it was a fun celebration and a cherished memory. margo tate Jonathan Tate is a commercial real estate broker, and Margo Tate is a stay at home Mom and owner of an event-planning company, m.tate events. Maggie Tate loves to color with sidewalk chalk. Jonathan and Margo both grew up in South Texas (San Antonio and Corpus Christi, respectively) but found their way to Austin for college and grad school and stayed.

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“

Adjacent to South Congress and downtown and populated with an eclectic mix, Travis Heights is light on pretension and heavy on amenities.

— Bruce Curtis

Bruce Curtis ravis Heights anchors Austin south of Lady Bird Lake, showcasing Victorian mansions and Texan bungalows shaded under a canopy of Live Oaks. Here, I, live history at the Allidi House. Peter Allidi, a Swiss immigrant, artist and designer of note was hired in the 1920s to build Travis Heights homes and create frescoes for the city and university. His wife Esther Allidi, a perfumer, went on to start the 1950s Austin institution Mrs. Allidi’s Food Products out of the unusual brick and limestone basement.

Shiplap painted cocoa brown with a contrasting red traditional glass topped front door, the house is a modest 160-square-foot bungalow built in 1927 and methodically restored to near original. While rehabbing the front facade I removed shutters flanking the door and unearthed a wall of original side panels with all original Depression glass. The interior houses a collection of contemporary art, white bisque and oddities and is a perpetual motion exercise in shifting spatial orientation. The renovated kitchen features soapstone counters and floor to ceiling beadboard walls, hewing true to form and function. The studio garage built midcentury by a nascent Haliburton underwent

like rehabilitation and now has dual rolling farm doors painted red. At one point, a previous owner used the structure as a feline leukemia triage. It now contains my studio and via a separate entrance my partner Fred Daniel’s production office. Before purchasing the house in 2002 I stalked it, parking outside each evening for a week, I was drawn to its simple cottage feeling and strong lines. I have always wanted people to be comfortable in my home yet be able to sit next to a gloss white wild boar and not be alarmed.

The yard mingles tropical with native Texas landscaping, a lush and shaded private garden perfect for frequent dinner parties with family and friends. Adjacent to South Congress and downtown and populated with an eclectic mix, Travis Heights is light on pretension and heavy on amenities. The quiet hilly streets are perfect for walking Colonel Klink, our standard Dachshund and Town Lake Animal Shelter alum. An appropriate pied-à-terre after a day at work designing national commercials and feature films. bruce curtis Bruce Curtis is a film and commercial production designer. This fall a Richard Linklater film written with Skip Hollandsworth that Curtis designed will introduce audiences to Carthage, Texas with help from Shirley MacLaine, Jack Black and Matthew McConaughey.

Bruce Curtis (left) and Fred Daniel (right) at home in the Allidi House. tribeza.com

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SCULPTED

ARMS AUSTIN’S NEWEST BAR FLAT ABS

LIFTED

barmethod.com 1611 WEST 5TH

SEAT

LONG

FIRM

THIGHS AUSTIN

Andra Liemandt, her husband and daughters thought they were going to stay in the Monarch while they were building a house, but loved it so much that it’s now their permanent home.

Downtown dwellers cultivate small-town charm and big-city culture wrapped into one.

An Unexpected

Neighborhood

BY JACKIE RANGEL // PHOTOGRAPHY BY CODY HAMILTON tribeza.com

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t’s no wonder that people are clamoring to live in Austin’s downtown area — the calming waters of Lady Bird Lake, the abundance of eclectic live music, the familiar sense of community — it has all the sophisticated amenities of a major city, plus the added benefit of local charm. In comparison to other bustling cities, Austin’s downtown is an oasis, inviting visitors to leisurely engage with one another and the surroundings, to become a part of the neighborhood fabric.

Andra and Joe Liemandt originally moved their young family to The Monarch with the intention of staying for only a year while building a home on the lake. Three years have now passed, and today this young family is even more in love with their downtown lifestyle than they were at the beginning. While moving a family with two young children into the fray of downtown may seem like an atypical decision, the Liemandts have found that the change of pace has enhanced their daily lives on multiple levels.

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For musician/mom Andra, the close proximity to Austin’s live music scene and the ease with which she has been able to take care of her two young daughters, Kate, 5, and Elle, 2, has proved a rewarding combination. Having recently formed the band The Cover Girls with five of her close friends, Liemandt appreciates the continuous lineup of concerts and performances that are merely steps away from her door. “I love mu-

sic, and because I’m a fairly new musician, I need to hear as much of it as I can just to help with fostering who I am as a mom and as a person,” Liemandt says.

While likening the downtown vibe to the “contemporary, young and edgy” sound of The Bravery, Liemandt also notes that The Monarch itself embodies the traditional support system and values of a classic neighborhood, albeit modernized in form. “I talk to

my neighbors on a daily basis,” she says. “We text, we see each other on the elevator — I have such a community feel here. Everyone is so kind and generous, and willing to reach out and help with the girls.”

Joining a handful of other young children in the building and following in their mother’s footsteps from an early age, Liemandt’s daughters participate in a weekly music class at The Monarch. Built-in social and enrichment activities like this are only a small example of the opportunities available to children downtown. From the park to the Austin Children’s Museum to storytime at

“

Being a mom downtown rocks.

Totally and completely rocks.

You don’t feel isolated the way you can when you live in a house.”

— andra leimandt —

Rooms with a View — Danny Hamilton and Paul Hilliard traded their Tarrytown digs for the W Residences. Their favorite downtown haunt? Lofty Dog (403 W. 2nd St.). Hamilton says: “It’s the goto destination for all the pet owners downtown.”

BookPeople, the Liemandts are constantly out exploring and taking advantage of their hyper-local surroundings. “Being a mom downtown rocks. Totally and completely rocks. You don’t feel isolated the way you can when you live in a house.”

For Joe Liemandt, convenience is key. Officing out of a smaller apartment on a lower floor in the building, he practically works from home. Removed enough to create a true office environment, yet close enough for midday visits from his wife and daughters, his daily commute consists of an elevator ride. In fact, he uses his car so infrequently that they have actually had to jumpstart its battery tribeza.com

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“

I can’t tell you how often I run into friends downtown. It’s a destination; everybody ends up here, so it’s great.”

— Caroline huddleston —

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on more than one occasion.

But for the Liemandts, a slight inconvenience like that is hardly noticeable, in comparison to the broader benefits of their multi-faceted urban lifestyle. eeking a similarly dynamic change, Danny Hamilton and Paul Hilliard originally made the transition from Tarrytown’s intimate neighborhood to the Ashton last summer and then moved into the W Austin Residences in February for the flexibility to travel for extended periods of time. It was not until they had experienced downtown’s diverse offerings firsthand as residents, that they realized numerous unanticipated advantages to their new home.

“It offers a beautiful view of modern high rises above Lady Bird Lake, and coupled with a vibrant and active community — arts, music, shopping, dining, parks — it’s like a New York City neighborhood feel, but on a much smaller scale. Almost like a great Woody Allen movie,” Hamilton says.

Making use of the neighborhood’s ample public space and proving that

pets and condos can in fact mesh well, the couple takes their two dogs, Boomer and Biscuit, to Republic Square Park, Auditorium Shores or just around the trail for their daily dose of exercise. Although initially apprehensive about moving the animals to a smaller domestic space, they have been pleasantly surprised to notice lifestyle improvements all around.

“We’re all happier and healthier, and these good long walks have been such a wonderful addition to our lives,” Hamilton says.

And on the subject of walking distance, having local favorites like La Traviata, Lamberts and Congress right around the corner ranks high on their list of positives as well. Hilliard and Hamilton acknowledge that unless they are in search of Tex-Mex, venturing beyond their neighborhood spots is becoming increasingly unlikely. t is exactly this feeling of a centralized cultural hub that attracted Caroline Huddleston to her downtown home at the AMLI. A Dallas native and previous New York City and Washington, D.C. dweller, she is no stranger to the constant buzz of city life.

“Austin was a significant

change for me, but it’s just as sophisticated, the quality just as high as in other places. Plus, downtown has this approachable community feel that you don’t find in a bigger city.”

For Huddleston, this feel is fostered by things like outings to the weekend farmers market at Republic Square Park, running into friends around the trail or daily visits to Royal Blue Grocery, where workers not only know her name, but also her breakfast taco preference.

Currently a graduate student at the McCombs School of Business, she also values the quick access to both faculty and friends that a downtown residence affords, noting that the convenience has made many of her classmates want to move to the area. “I can’t tell you how often I run into friends downtown. It’s a destination; everybody ends up here, so it’s great,” she says. For Huddleston, however, in comparison to her Manhattan apartment, these perks have simply been bonus points in Austin’s favor. “When I came here, I doubled my square footage, added a bathroom and decided not to have a roommate — and I still pay less rent.“ Overall valueadd indeed.

The AMLI on Second is the perfect location for UT MBA Student Caroline Huddleston.

She says: “Downtown has this approachable community feel that you don’t find in a bigger city.” tribeza.com

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HOME SWEET UNCOOL HOME Austin artists are moving to the last place you’d think of.

BY

Clay Smith

PHOTOGRAPHY BY

Michael Thad Carter

here is a certain kind of person, we like to think, who lives downtown: young, adventurous, hip ­— someone whose auditory nerves are excited, rather than harassed, by late-night noise. We like to think that artists of all stripes — visual artists, filmmakers, musicians, writers — choose to live downtown because the vibrant life downtown offers, with its easy access to shows, exhibitions, restaurants and a frenetic energy best described as “buzz,” is geographically unique.

But what if, as in other cities across the nation, Austin’s downtown is too expensive for many artists, those who aren’t established (or trust-funded)? Anyone who saw Nathan Christ’s documentary Echotone this spring — about Austin musicians like the Black Angels, Ghostland Observatory and Black Joe Lewis grappling with how not to get priced out of a city that otherwise nurtures them and that they love — knows that it’s not easy for Austin artists to live in the center of things. But

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what if Austin’s artists are moving instead to a neighborhood that, although it has its comforts, isn’t in imminent danger of being labeled “hip”? There’s not one single neighborhood Austin’s artists are uniformly overtaking — not even East Austin — but the Westgate area, south of Ben White Boulevard, is attracting artists because of its relatively cheap housing and even because of (and not despite) its uniformly suburban feel. Featuring a Central Market that functions as a tasty, bustling community center, a popular Yoga Yoga, a Hyde Park Bar and Grill and Regal Cinemas, the shopping center at the heart of the Westgate neighborhood seems constantly active. Take Westgate Boulevard a few miles south of that shopping center, and you’ll end up at the South Austin Artists Co-Op, a space for area artists to both create and exhibit their work.

But the residential blocks in Westgate do have a cookie-cutter, suburban feel.

With street names like Lariat Way and Side Saddle Street, the neighborhood seems more like a developer’s plan than a neighborhood artists would choose to inhabit. But that’s part of the appeal for

Eric Braden, 25, works as a director and writer, is a recent Brooklyn transplant and feels right at home in the Westgate area. “I looked a little on the East Side, but I like being out of the way,” Braden says. “There’s a lot of trees and train tracks nearby that are active where it’s nice to walk along. I get inspiration.” tribeza.com

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Sculptor Dana Brown, 35, moved to Austin from Portland, Oregon in 2006 and chose Westgate for its smalltown feel. He says: “Westgate is like the place I grew up in, and it felt familiar.�

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painter and sculptor Dana Brown. “I think artists find inspiration in a lot of places,” Brown, who is 35, says. He moved to Austin in 2006 with his wife from Portland, Oregon, first living on South First Street, then finding an apartment closer to Westgate, and now finally settling there. Brown says that cities like Austin and Portland attract artists from all over the nation, a lot of whom had “average suburban upbringings.” Moving to Westgate “was like the place I grew up in and it felt familiar,” he says. Because it wasn’t that expensive, he and his wife were able to find a house where he could turn one of the rooms into a home studio.

Westgate feels “like a small town” to Brown. “I think that a lot of artists want to make their work in a way that they’re not having to find that next meal,” he says. Westgate allows them “to then make their artwork in a way that they have time for it; they have access to other artists.”

Genre-hopping musician (and realtor) Patricia Vonne says housing gets cheaper the farther south you look. “A lot of my musician and artist friends including myself live in South Austin,” she says. “It’s artist friendly and is affordable the more south you go.

You get a lot more bang for your buck especially south of Ben White. You can buy an 800-1,100-square-foot house in the range of $130-150,000.” estgate is appealing even to artists younger than Brown who might typically live in East Austin. Twenty-five-yearold Eric Braden probably dislikes limiting a description of his work to just video directing and music writing (he

Cari Palazzolo of the band Belaire is featured in Echotone, the new documentary that “provides a telescopic view into the lives of Austin’s vibrant young musicians as they grapple with questions of artistic integrity, commercialism, experimentation and the future of their beloved city.”

is also a writer and he was a cartoonist in college). “I’m not really musically trained at all so I take things that I like and manipulate them until it sounds like something I haven’t heard before,” he explains. He moved to Austin several months ago from Brooklyn and has a job as a counselor at a summer camp.

“I looked a little on the East Side, but I like being out of the way,” Braden says.

“After working all day, my favorite thing is to go home and work on music, and I love seeing my friends every now and then, but often times they just want to hang out and I feel like I need to be productive every day. I hate it when I don’t get to produce something.” (He means what he says. For someone as young as he is, he has a lot under his belt — check out his music videos on Vimeo by typing in the name of his video production company, Nervous Room Service).

Braden lives in an apartment next to hectic Ben White Boulevard, but he likes taking walks through Westgate. “There’s

a lot of trees and train tracks nearby that are active where it’s nice to walk along.

I get inspiration.” Like his neighbor Dana Brown, Braden finds inspiration in suburbia. He grew up in Katy, the vast suburb outside Houston. He doesn’t think suburbia is heaven (“when I go to certain places outside of Ft. Worth, it creeps the hell out of me,” he points out), but he finds inspiration in it nonetheless.

He’s fascinated by the staid boredom he says suburbia can engender. “There are certain realities about human existence that are being avoided in suburbia,” he says, and that has been a fruitful reality for him to explore. When he returns to Katy to visit his parents, it feels almost like a ghost town. “I never see anybody.

Cars live there and the people are just tucked away. It’s strange.” He lives in suburbia, but he lives right by a freeway.

Suburbia is more complex — and has more fertile aesthetic ground — than we give it credit for. “It can be a bad thing for artists to avoid suburbia,” Braden says, “because it’s so American.” tribeza.com

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Michael Schliefke, The Really White Vigilante The East Side’s really white vigilante, Michael Schliefke, has taken up the pen in defense of his ‘hood, and the result is a record of the area’s changing character — in comic book form.

BY

Carolyn Harrold

ny East Sider will tell you that the neighborhood is changing, and while it would be hard not to admit that this progress has its benefits, most will also rattle off a laundry list of places they miss and reasons the area used to be better. However, unlike most residents, instead of just talking about it, artist and loyal East Austinite Michael Schlief ke has documented his neighborhood’s gentrification in a series of comic books starring a pretty typical white guy turned superhero fighting to preserve his beloved ‘hood. While Schlief ke may not dress up in a Mexican wrestling costume and terrorize East Side hipsters like the hero in his comics, he has found his own way to preserve the area’s history. Through a series of three, soon to be four, comic books, written and released over the past four years, Schlief ke captures the changes happening on Austin’s East Side, recording businesses and buildings and even communities that have come and gone.

From the anger and frustration that the main character expresses in the loosely autobiographical comics, it is easy to imagine Schliefke as another bitter hipster who just happened to get to the neighborhood before

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the next few waves arrived. But when we meet at his house, tucked away on a quiet, tree-lined block near Holly Street, his passion for his art and the East Side outweigh any bitterness he may feel.

Originally from Upstate New York, Schlief ke has lived in Austin for nine years, always on the East Side. His first place was further north, on Cherrywood and Manor, an area that he describes as almost unrecognizable now, long before El Chilito and when Mueller’s was the place to go for barbecue. After that he moved to Bolm Studios with Shea Little, Jana Swec and Joseph Phillips. They made a living space and a working space in the warehouse, and Schlief ke describes it as that “rugged, studio-lifestyle of an artist.” He lived there for almost four years, volunteering for the East Austin Studio Tour. Over the years, he has managed to support himself on the East Side without taking a day job, but he did have to start renting a more affordable studio in North Central Austin. There he paints and draws and teaches around 14 private art classes a week. “Years ago you used to be able to just find a giant warehouse on the East Side, split it up and go for it, but those spaces are no longer easily available and not affordable,” he explains.

Artist Michael Schliefke hangs out at an East Side piñata shop, which served as a setting in the second issue of his comic, The East Side Vigilante.

For the past four years, he has been working on his comics, The Tales of The Really White Vigilante. While the stories and characters are entertaining, it is the illustrations and the settings, the closed restaurants like Gene's New Orleans Style Poboys and Taco Sabroso, that carry the message about what is being lost and gained through the area’s rapid development. Schlief ke does not imagine that the gentrification is going to stop or even slow, but says, “I think the secret is to be cool with everything and not go in and do something crazy, like build a giant house on your property or be a complete idiot to everyone around you. Adapt to the neighborhood.

Let the neighborhood change you, instead of you changing the neighborhood.”

Schlief ke, who also witnessed gentrification in Boston, explains, “Artists are the first ones in, and then a salon or coffee shop opens, bars, then condos. Then everyone’s out, moving to a new part of town.” But he is hopeful for Austin. “However long this has been going on — eight years now, whatever — it still hasn’t killed East Austin yet.

Which is pretty nice.” As the characters in his comics do, he recognizes both the pros and cons of the development of the East Side, and he is here until the rent goes up.

P h oto g r a p h y by co u rt n e y c h ava n el l

The cover for Michael Schliefke' East Side Vigilante Volume Three; Painting by Ian Shults (ianshults.com).

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Austin’s own showroom with an exceptional eye for sophisticated chic furnishings.

18th-19th C. antiques, current furnishings and “new” antiques, and industrial salvage.

www.wendowfineliving.com

18th C French, “new” antiques, c

A Ride with Annick Beaudet The City’s Bike Program Manager shows team TRIBEZA the commuter’s way to cruising around Austin.

By L auren Smith Ford // Photogr aphy by Cody Hamilton

bottom image courtesy of annick beaudet.

W

hen I heard that female cyclists (particularly beginners) are the “indicator species” for how bike friendly a city is, I realized our staff might be just the right riders to take on the assignment of touring the city with the City of Austin’s bike program manager, Annick Beaudet. Nationally in 2010, the gender split for bicycling commuters was 75 percent male and 25 percent female (in Austin, it’s 64 percent male to 36 percent female). “If more women are bicycling, this means the bicycle network is perceived as safe and accommodating. So by this indication, Austin is on the right track to becoming an even better place to get around by bicycle.”

I rallied two other TRIBEZA staffers and beginner female riders, designer Avalon McKenzie and editorial assistant Carolyn Harrold, to join me on a two-wheeled tour on Austin’s bike routes.

Our day began with getting outfitted on hybrid bikes from Mellow Johnny’s (not without fueling up on tacos and coffee from Juan Pelota Café first of course). We met up with Beaudet

at Zilker Park to begin our ride.

She has worked for the City of Austin off and on for the last 10 years, beginning her career as an entry-level urban planner, then focusing on land use planning.

In 2006, she started focusing on sustainable transportation planning. A born and raised Austinite, she’s been commuting by bicycle since age 12 and rides competitively (she’s a two-time Texas State Time Trial Champion and an Ironman finisher). “It’s important that Austin’s bike network be planned and designed by experienced engineers and urban planners, but also by people who actually ride bikes,” she says. “Much of our staff at the Bicycle Program rides regularly for transportation or recreation, which I believe is a big part of our success.”

From Zilker Park, we took the Barton Springs Bike Lanes to the Mopac Feeder bike lanes, a short stretch that runs parallel to Mopac. “It’s such a good feeling to be speeding on your bicycle if you look over to Mopac and see stopped traffic,” she says giddily.

This particular stretch illustrates the Program’s coordination

with the Texas Department of Transportation to make their highways more bike friendly for stretches within the city of Austin.

The star of the routes seems to be the Lance Armstrong Bikeway because it connects other routes.

As we rode north to south and east to west, we became more confident in our pedaling and were each surprised by the short cuts we were able to take and how fun and invigorating commuting could be. Beaudet updated us on some of the city’s upcoming projects like a trail from Central Austin to the City of Manor (the commuter and recreational trail could be in place by 2014) and among others, the Mopac Bicycle Bridge over Barton Creek, one of the highest ranked projects in the City’s Strategic Mobility Plan (would create access in the Mopac Corridor, connecting Southwest Austin with Downtown, Zilker Park and beyond).

All three of us began the ride tentatively, but were collectively surprised by how easy it was to get around the city and how safe we felt. After just a few hours, we got back to Mellow Johnny’s feeling invigorated and in the

The City Bike Program Manager Annick Beaudet, outside the gates of Barton Springs.

mood to shop for our own wheels.

But what inspired us most was the startling fact Beaudet shared with us — “If half of Austin’s commuters carpooled or biked just one day a week for a year, they’d save more than a million and a half gallons of gas. And the CO2 emissions prevented would be the equivalent of making 1,500 Austin households carbon neutral for the whole year.”

To get started, Beaudet suggests a Bicycle Traffic Skills 101 course. Class schedules are available at austincycling.org. To purchase one of the city’s new Bike Maps, contact Pete Dahlberg at (512) 974 7834. tribeza.com

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The Breakfast Club

BY Jessica Dupuy PHOTOGRAPHY BY Shannon McIntyre

From East to West and North to South, every ‘hood in Austin has its own unique morning-time haunt.

Take one bite of Upper Crust Bakery’s signature cinnamon rolls and you will see why they sell about 450 a day. tribeza.com

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H

ow do you start your day? Do you roll out of bed, pour a cup of coffee and go? Do you linger over the morning paper with eggs, toast and fresh orange juice? Is there a regular pit stop you make on your way to work for a little morning sustenance?

There’s no question that the best way to start your day off right, is to break your evening fast with a little something in your stomach. For years Austin’s go-to breakfast spots included the likes of Kerbey Lane and Magnolia Café where weekend mornings saw scores of people waiting in line for gingerbread pancakes and specialty omelets, but these days, the choices are endless, with popular restaurants around town offering special weekend brunches and regular breakfast spots popping up everywhere.

Below are a few of our favorite selections around town.

Upper Crust Bakery Those in the Allandale/Brentwood area know the secret to a good breakfast. It comes in the form of flaky croissant dough rolled tightly with butter, sugar and cinnamon into a mammothsized cinnamon roll. Crispy on the outside, moist and chewy on the inside, these famous morning pastries aren’t the only things that have this family-owned European-style bakery on the map — try their selection of sandwiches on homemade bread or their chocolate chip cookies — but the cinnamon rolls certainly take top billing.

According to owner Stephanie Shuster, the rolls are a special recipe devised 27 years ago by her sister and then bakery owner, Valerie. “When we used to roll out our croissant dough, we would have to trim the edges of the dough to roll the croissants. But we hated to waste things,” says Shuster. “So Valerie reserved all of the trimmings, sending them back through the sheeter and rolling them up again with cinnamon and sugar before baking them. It was just an experiment at the time, but now we sell around 450 a day and up to 1,000 a day during the holidays.”

And while you can easily swing by Upper Crust for a cinnamon roll and cup of Joe to-go,

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you’ll find most area residents have made a ritual of lingering over the morning paper with a simple-yet satisfying breakfast.

Counter Café Central and Downtown Austin have a plethora of primo breakfast haunts. From the fried egg sandwich on a fresh challah bun at 24 Diner or the country chicken and waffles with a cup of Intelligentsia coffee at Frank to the weekend brunch favorite of huevos y carne asada at La Condesa or the Big Boy omelet at Jo’s, there’s no shortage of sensational breakfast options. One of our favorites is the tiny little dinner/dive with nothing but a single row of two-top tables and a long service counter, the Counter Café. Sure, they get a lot of recognition for their burger — and rightfully so — but their buttery biscuits with gravy or classic stack of buttermilk pancakes are unmatched for a stickto-your-ribs breakfast. Not only is this old-timey café a favorite for its flavorful offerings, but also for its locally-sourced, naturally-raised and primarily organic ingredients. Pair that with a relaxed, down-home friendliness, and you’ve got a perfect welcome to the day.

Just ask Robert Malina, a local mortgage

broker for PrimeLending and self-proclaimed home chef. “When I feel the need for a big breakfast, I prefer the pork chop and eggs at the Counter Café,” says Malina. “It’s a simple bone-in chop. It’s not dressed up, it only has salt and pepper, which is all it needs, and it’s cooked perfectly. It comes with eggs as you wish — although I prefer sunny side up — and of course, crispy breakfast potatoes. Add a cup of coffee and you have a breakfast of champions.”

South Congress Cafe In its eight years at the corner of South Congress and Monroe Street, the South Congress Cafe never fails to draw a steady crowd for dinner, lunch and breakfast. Known for a menu with particularly bold and spicy flavors, this vibrant café offers the sweet side of breakfast an equally bold temptation with its carrot cake French toast.

As indulgent as it sounds, this decadent dish arrives as thick slices of carrot cake prepared with cinnamon-vanilla egg batter in traditional French toast style and served with a rich cream cheese-pecan syrup. And while it certainly satisfies even the most voracious sweet tooth, it’s a good idea to clear a few hours of naptime for a post-meal coma.

The Carrot Cake French Toast at the South Congress Cafe is made of fresh baked carrot cake dipped in cinnamon vanilla egg batter and grilled to golden brown. It’s served with the Cafe’s original cream cheese-pecan syrup and seasonal fresh fruit. tribeza.com

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The specialty tacos are the key at Taco Deli — pictured are the El Popeye (spinach, scambled eggs and crumbled queso fresco Mexican white cheese), the Vaquero (eggs scrambled with mix of corn, toasted poblano and red peppers with monterrey jack cheese), the Migas Royale Plate (migas topped with queso, monterrey jack cheese, avocado and pico de gallo).

Wash it down with a watermelon aqua fresca.

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Java Dive Café West of town, near Lake Travis, residents have experienced a wave of new breakfast spots in the past couple of years. Long ago, you could get a hefty breakfast taco with brisket and eggs from the old Jim Bob’s barbecue on Highway 71.

Unfortunately, Jim Bob’s is long gone and along with it the mammoth breakfast tacos, but with recent additions such as Baguette et Chocolat and Maudie’s Tex-Mex, you no longer have to drive all the way into town for a good breakfast.

A fairly recent addition to this area that has grabbed our attention is Java Dive Café. Despite its name, the Java Dive is a step up from what you normally might consider a “dive.” Located in a shopping center along Ranch Road 620, this charming little bistro offers a delightful selection of breakfast treats including breakfast sandwiches and tacos, sweet baked goods and omelets. But what sets this locale apart is its 100 percent organic and primarily gluten-free menu, a mission that strikes a chord with owner Roni Liberman who believes those who have different food allergies should still be able to eat delicious food.

We like the whole-wheat breakfast taco with homemade turkey sausage as well as the triple berry muffin, but the gluten-free waffles are a special sweet and spongy morning surprise. They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and Java Dive reminds us that we can have a hearty and heart-healthy meal in one.

Blue Dahlia Taco fans flock to Juan in a Million, and with the size of their monster breakfast tacos, it’s easy to see why. But if you’re in the mood for something more refreshing, Blue Dahlia is the place. Designed after a French countryside bistro, this East Side locale offers a menu of baked goods, salads and sandwiches using local and organic ingredients.

A favorite of Texas Monthly executive editor Pamela Colloff, she says, “I love Blue Dahlia for their brunch and amazing homemade breads, but I also love the atmosphere. The outside patio feels a bit like the South of France.”

Among their lunchtime favorites are the open face “tartine” sandwiches on fresh-baked wheat bread with a number of different fixings.

But we like Blue Dahlia for its morning morsels including blueberry blintzes with sweet ricotta and their assorted breakfast breadbasket with different spreads. This quaint neighborhood spot may not be for the big breakfast eater, but it certainly fits the bill for the healthy, grazing morning diner in us all.

Chez Zee This northwest Austin favorite is known for its whimsical décor, it’s enormous pie selection and its weekend brunch — more specifically its famous weekend brunch dish, crème brulee French toast. Though you’ll hear myriad recommendations for the lobster benedict and the challah bread French toast, which are both popular options, the crème brulee French toast in all of its dense, sweet and creamy glory, is perhaps the most popular brunch item. So popular, in fact, that owner Sharon Watkins has adjusted the menu to offer both full orders as well as appetizer-sized triangles of the dish to satisfy customer cravings for both sweet and savory orders.

“We were looking for what would set us apart with our breakfast menu, but also something that could easily be made in large quantities,” says owner Sharon Watkins who developed the recipe in the early 1990s.

Watkins uses fresh challah bread and tears it up in chunks. The bread is then infused with the crème brulee mixture and packed tightly into a spring form pan to set overnight. The bread is then baked, sliced into wedges and toasted. “Now we serve about 600 meals for brunch on the weekends and a large portion of those are the crème brulee French toast.” And

for those interested in having it at home, Chez Zee also fills mail order requests with loafs of the favorite recipe shipped anywhere across the country.

This year, thanks to items such as the crème brulee French toast, Chez Zee was the only Texas selection for the Open Table Diners’ Choice awards for the Top 50 Restaurants for Brunch in the United States.

Taco Deli Like barbecue, Tex-Mex and burgers, everyone in Austin has a breakfast taco preference: the Shack Taco at Taco Shack for its chorizo potatoes; the basic bacon and egg taco at Elsi’s Restaurant with fabulously fresh salsa; or the migas taco from Torchy’s.

But Taco Deli is towards the top of our list of favorite breakfast tacos.

When one of their tacos makes the list for the “63 Tacos To Eat Before You Die” from Texas Monthly, you know you’re dealing with a good breakfast taco contender. Though the spicy Cowboy taco with beef tenderloin, grilled corn, caramelized onions and roasted peppers made the Texas Monthly list, we love the breakfast options including the Vaquero (the Cowboy taco with eggs instead of steak), the Jess Special with migas mixings and fresh avocado — not just because this writer happens to share the same name — and the build your own option with a heaping scoop of Taco Deli papas (Mexican-style mashed potatoes.)

Taco Deli also makes the list for its vibrant morning vibe. Whether down by the Barton Creek hike and bike trail at Barton Skyway or the hip new location at North Lamar and 42nd, this morning wake-up favorite always pleases with a laid-back Austin crowd and a satiating taco experience.

Whether planning a weekend brunch with friends or looking for a place to grab something on the go for work, with a little investigating, your breakfast of champions is just a block or two away. tribeza.com

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Howl Interiors The fantastical meets chic in this South Lamar shop curated by Barry Jelisnki and his creative vision.

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images courtesy of howl interiors.

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art interior design store, part studio and part museum of oddities, Howl Interiors is a venture into the unexpected. An eclectic selection of pieces stud the Barry Jelinski pre“Ginsberg had something he studio, from a colonial-era teak box with brass sides over the funky wanted to say to the world, inlay work to three-dimensional, double-faced and eclectic Howl Interiors on Lamar. and so do I.” Through Howl, mirrored towers that protrude into the room.

Before opening Jelinski’s message is a plea “You can’t put a label on anything here,” says Howl, he co-founded Ballpark Market and to rethink our living space: designer and founder Barry Jelinski. “There’s Rue 22 antique shops “I want people to seek some modern furniture, there’s Eastern furniture, in Denver, Colorado. inspiration. Maybe Howl there’s European furniture, new, old — all of it. will inspire them to reexamine the way they Howl has something for everybody.” surround themselves. If you’re going to put Though he never received formal training, care into anything, make it your house, your apartment, where you Jelinski has cultivated a passion for interior design since childhood: spend your time.” the designer first picked up a circular saw at the age of eight and Channeling Ginsberg’s innovative spirit, Jelinski draws from began designing pieces for his mother’s antique store during college. his background as a seasoned traveler and antiquarian to combine “Afterward, when I was wondering what direction my life was going to antique and repurposed materials in unique ways. “The old stuff has take, I thought back to what I enjoyed doing most in my life, and that soul,” he remarks. “And that’s what Howl is about: creating soul where was being creative and making things,” he notes. In Denver, Colorado, you live.” One of his latest works, for example, is a table constructed Jelinski co-founded Rue 22, an antique store, and Ballpark Market, an from a 100-year-old piece of wood set atop chrome legs, highlighting urban flea market and the first of its kind in the area.

Jelinski’s emphasis on counterbalance of seemingly contradictory Seeking greater freedom and a more social line of work, Jelinski influences. “There are organic elements, manmade opened Howl in 2005, where he now showcases both industrial elements, soft elements,” he observes. “It antiques he has collected as well as his own work Howl Interiors created in the studio behind the store. The name, 1601 S. Lamar Blvd., Ste. A doesn’t matter what two things are, but if they can speak to each other, then that’s what the Howl aesthetic is Howl, was inspired by Allen Ginsberg’s work by that (512) 291 2123 about.” L. SIVA name, reflecting the poem’s intensity and expression. howlinteriors.com

Beau Comeaux: Implied Fictions July 9 - August 20, 2011 Opening Reception Saturday, July 9th 6-8pm

1202-A West Sixth Street Austin, Texas 78703 512.825.6866 www.bhollymangallery.com

Now Open!

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1700 B. South Congress Ave. (enter on Milton) 512.912.9779 feathersboutique@hotmail.com feathersboutiquevintage.blogspot.com

705 b south lamar 512 916 9961 info@mossaustin.com www.mossaustin.com

Now carrying shoes from Jeffrey Campbell and Dolce Vita

Photography: Amanda Elmore

style

s t r e e t fa s h i o n

ellen alger,

32, wears earrings by local designer Augustina Rodriguez.

Travis Austin,

28. His favorite bike shop is Austin Bikes.

lisa schergen,

29, shops at Prototype and keeps in shape by biking everywhere.

andrea barbosa,

25, loves shopping at Madewell.

Cycle Style

AL Foote,

20, shops at Clown Dog Bike Shop.

AUSTIN’S ECO-MINDED RIDERS show off their summer threads

samantha coray, 20,

shops at Feathers and Laced with Romance for the best vintage finds.

eleanor rosaire,

shawn o’keefe,

29, likes to shop at Savers.

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36, likes to shop at Freewheeling Bikes, and for clothes he hits up Service Menswear.

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P h oto g r a p h y by a n n i e fo r r e s t

Janel Jefferson, Mother Oba, acrylic on paper, 78x51 inches

Rivers Group Show July 9 - 30

Wal ly Workman Gal ler y 1202 W. 6th St. Aust in, TX 78703 512.472.7428 www.wallyworkman.com Tuesday-Saturday 10-5

 austin

dining

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Contigo 2027 Anchor Ln. (512) 614 2260 contigotexas.com/austin

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s I approached Contigo one night, it seemed like a mirage. Its enormous neon sign unexpectedly emerged above an industrial stretch of East Austin, illuminating what appeared to be a ranch filled with herds of people — not livestock — making merry beneath strands of twinkle lights.

Had I stumbled upon some sort of apparition? No, it was Contigo, a very real new restaurant in the heart of Austin. Inspired by the ranches of South Texas, this sprawling cantina aims to recreate a rural experience in the most unlikely of places: beside the urban warehouses and runways of the

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Only the pickled beets seem unremarkable.

Sausages are made in-house and are worth trying. The Crepinette is a savory patty of ground pork, currents and mushrooms, wrapped in caul fat and sautéed, then served warm over an herb salad. The Italian Sausage Special was a tasty fennelspiced link served on a crusty baguette.

And my favorite dish was the Rabbit and Dumplings, a cast-iron skillet brimming with moist rabbit, succulent veggies, savory au jus and topped with fluffy biscuit-like dumplings.

Beer is a ranch prerequisite and Contigo offers over two dozen, including a citrusy pint of local Live Oak Hefeweizen. The wine list is brief but diverse and we enjoyed a rare sparkling Lambrusco Bianco and deliciously pert Pietra Santa Zinfandel, both served in tumblers rather than fancyContigo’s building, furniture and aesthetic was all pants stemware. Handcrafted inspired by Ben Edgerton’s cocktails like the refreshing El (pictured right) family ranch in South Texas (conPepino and the zingy Moscow tigoranch.com). Edgerton Mule were perfect antidotes to old Mueller airport. And it does so and chef/co-owner Andrew Wiseheart (left) met during the Texas heat. with great success. their childhood at Laity Service was promising at Beyond its rustic ranch gate Lodge Youth Camp. first, but as the evening wore (and ample, well-lit parking lot), on, became less and less attentive. So as we Contigo unfolds into a rambling open-air waited for our server to reappear, we kickedcompound. Leafy trees and metal awnings back and soaked up the scenery. Contigo create a canopy of shade, while ceiling fans has the comfortable worn-in look of a ranch, whirl breezes around, even on mercurybut with modern updates: sleekly polished busting nights. The communal tables in the concrete floors; retractable corrugated tin courtyard seat 100 or more, while smaller walls; wooden chairs with leather backs; and covered tables provide more intimate dinsteel-trimmed rough-hewn tables, most of ing options. Imbibers can belly-up to the which were filled the night we visited. We welcoming bar or retire to a smaller lounge spotted diners not only from the nearby Muelaround the corner. In the side yard, guests ler development, but also students, convencan play a friendly game of washers. tioneers, a table of nurses and one of our city’s Although the menu is ranch-inspired, top chefs. co-owner/chef Andrew Wiseheart has given Contigo is no mirage; it’s a delightful slice chuck wagon grub a fresh twist. Delicious of ranch life right here in Austin. I highly white bean dip is blended with duck fat for recommend you saddle up your Prius and added creaminess and flavor. Tempura-batmosey on over. K. SPEZIA tered fried green beans are addictively good.

P h oto g r a p h y by j o h n p e s i n a

dining Avalon’s South Austin Favorites

staff neighborhood picks Lauren’s Central Austin Haunts 24 Diner

600 N. Lamar Blvd.

(512) 472 5400 I have yet to order something I don’t like at this lively and much needed addition to the restaurant scene. When I need some nourishment, it’s succulent roasted chicken with veggies or the chopped salad. But when it’s guilty pleasure time, we indulge in chicken and waffles or… the sinful bacon gorgonzola burger.

Madam Mam’s

2514 Guadalupe St. (512) 472 8306 Even though I didn’t go to UT, there’s something about walking on the Drag that makes me feel the energy of being a co-ed again. I am always up for a stroll to my favorite Thai spot, which happens to be on the Drag, the center of all the campus action. My husband, brother and I have always loved ‘Mam’s’ as we call it and all three have the exact same order — pad see ew with chicken and vermicelli, please… delish!

Salvation Pizza

624 W. 34th St. (512) 535 0076

Sit at one of the outdoor picnic tables on the porch or slide into a table inside the old house for the best thin crust pizza in town.

Clever combos like white pie with chicken, fresh garlic, prosciutto and sage deliver as well as the classics like pepperoni and mushroom.

Texas French Bread

2900 Rio Grande St. (512) 499 0544

The most melt-in-your mouth cinnamon croissant around. This is my go-to neighborhood coffee stop and now (like Lance Armstrong himself), one of our favorite dinner spots with a rotating weekly menu of prepared from scratch, fresh dishes.

Wheatsville CO-OP

3101 Guadalupe St. (512) 478 2667

My favorite vegan and TRIBEZA designer Avalon McKenzie introduced me to this spot, which has become somewhat of our office cafeteria. From the delicious sandwiches and smoothies made to order from the deli to the rows of organic options, a lunch break at the CO-OP always re-energizes.

Magnolia Cafe

1920 S. Congress Ave. (512) 445 0000 As a native Austinite, I’ve been going to Magnolia for as long as I can remember.

Their flamingo sandwich is my current favorite (I go with hummus instead of cheese). Other favorites from my pre-vegan days: carrot cake and whole wheat waffles with bananas cooked inside.

Bouldin Creek Coffee House

1900 S. First St. (512) 416 1601

This artsy vegetarian spot serves a bit of everything.

With healthy breakfast options, like fruit and granola, to a full menu of coffee drinks and a delicious veggie burger, there is something for everyone. My usual order is the V-Lux salad with their homemade tahini dressing.

Homeslice Pizza

1415 S. Congress Ave. (512) 444 7437 After living in New York for four years, I can easily say that Homeslice makes fantastic pizza. Their ingredients are fresh and their staff is beyond friendly. If you’re not in the mood for a slice, their Greek salad is a healthy alternative.

Hotel San José

1316 S. Congress Ave. (512) 444 7322 The Hotel San Jose isn’t just for tourists! They have a beautiful outdoor patio that is perfect for relaxing with friends.

Jo’s Coffee

1300 S. Congress Ave. (512) 444 3800 The folks at Jo’s know coffee. My favorite drinks are their iced Americano and soy latte.

Carolyn’s Cherrywood Choices Bennu

Monarch Food Mart

1402 E. 38th 1/2 St. (512) 478 7425

Not your average bodega, zip into this convenience store next to Cherrywood Coffeehouse for all of the necessities, including an impressive selection of boxed and bottled wines and beers and an array of hard to find treats.

guide

Taco-Mex

2611 Manor Rd. (512) 524 0860 With no interior, this literal hole in the wall serves up some of the best migas tacos in town, for only $2.

Hang out with the assortment of regulars or slip into RBM Food Mart and grab a drink while you wait for the friendly staff to make your overflowing taco.

2001 E. MLK Blvd.

(512) 478 4700 Owned by friendly husband and wife duo Steve and Stephanie Williams, this East Side coffee shop outfitted with vintage office furniture provides a buzz to area business types and students alike all day and all of the night.

Morning barista Jesse Hill pours an irresistible Don Quixote, one of their many gourmet mochas.

The Butterfly Bar

2307 Manor Rd.

A badly needed addition to the ‘hood, this whimsical beer garden and wine bar tucked away behind the acclaimed VORTEX Repertory Theater boasts a large deck and private yard outside and a 100-year-old bar inside.

Fiesta

3909 N. I-35 (512) 406 3900 Offering everything from typical groceries to colorful ponchos and serapes and an array of international and specialty foods, this super store lives up to its name on the weekends when vendors set up booths outside, and the parking lot feels like a party.

TRIBEZA publisher and our resident foodie, George Elliman likes so many restaurants in each neighborhood that it was hard for him to pick just a few, but here goes. Justine’s to the East because the escargot, the duck confit and the atmosphere always deliver. The Grove to the West for delicious pizza, the best spaghetti and meat balls. Paggi House to the South — the historic setting with delicious lobster bisque, risotto or duck breast. Then, there’s 34th Street Cafe for the Hack Salad at lunch or Chicken Picata for dinner, Fleming’s at the Domain for filet mignon and Truluck’s downtown for fresh red snapper or crab legs. And of course he can’t forget Ranch 616 for fish tacos, Vespaio for spaghetti carbonara with an egg on top, La Traviata, Eddie V’s, Roaring Fork, Enoteca, Annie’s, Chez Zee, La Sombra, Cipolina, Zocalo’s, Mandola’s, Apothecary, Vino Vino, the list goes on...

For the complete TRIBEZA Restaurant Guide, please view our May Cuisine issue online at tribeza.com.

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BIO

• LANDSCAPE • DESIGN • IRRIGATION CHRISTIE BIEBER

owner

110 East Main St. Llano, Texas 325.423.0146

www.arosyoutlook.com TRIBEZA is now available for delivery. Subscribe today by visiting tribeza.com

tribeza.com facebook.com/tribeza twitter.com/tribeza Subscribe to our weekly eNewsletter by visiting tribeza.com.

Joshua Baellow Beyond Sold

Contact: (512) 627 4937 Josh@AustinCityLiving.com www.AustinCityLiving.com

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Thanks Austin !!!

(512) 354 6500 www.biolanddesign.com christie@biolanddesign.com

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WELLS MASON GALLERY abstract expressionism and deconstructivist art please come see our new gallery in east Austin. by appointment only.

727 airport blvd austin, texas 78702 (512) 466-9577 www.wellsmason.com

our little secret

Paige Alam casa de luz

Casa de Luz 1701 Toomey Rd. (512) 476 2535 casadeluz.org

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B

ack in college at the University of Texas in the late 80s, my taste buds and desire for margaritas at Chuy’s on Barton Springs often led me past this mysterious, macrobiotic restaurant nestled behind Zach Theatre and the baseball fields. I’d take the back road on Toomey and see the quaint Casa de Luz and wonder if I was near Zen enough to walk through its doors. Part of the charm of the vegetarian and organic restaurant, literally named “House of Light,” is how it is set back from the street and customers must walk down a pathway lined with gazebos, cobblestones and lush greenery. Basically, the entire experience is about centering your mind and body, which is essential for a high energy, dramatic and casually intense person like me.

After maturing enough to realize I needed something beyond salt-laden drinks and fried tortilla chips, Casa de Luz called me

in for an overhaul. Nowadays, whenever my friends, husband, our three young daughters and I need a quick reset with our diets, we make an appointment at the calming, off the beaten path vegetarian restaurant. Our oldest child once nearly gagged upon eating such wholesome food there, giving me proof that perhaps she may have become too accustomed to processed foods.

After paying at the front of Casa, you quietly serve yourself a drink, soup and salad and sit down. As the health wizards prepare fresh food in the exposed kitchen, you can rest easy knowing your digestive system will soon be receiving natural, unprocessed and uniquely tasty foods. A self-professed lover of queso, I learned from Casa de Luz that my favorite Mexican food lunch there, which includes kale, kidney beans and homemade tortillas untouched by dairy, can be satisfyingly delicious. My colorful plate, served by a kind and unhurried staff, is filling, but I never leave feeling bloated and regretful. Their chefs combine the most healthful ingredients, including some things I have never even heard of, for flavorful dishes without all the guilt, fat and caloric content of the meals that I have spent much of my adult life consuming.

As a distance runner and former television health reporter, I know I should be kinder to my body. Casa de Luz, which also houses a community center and school on its grounds, focuses on healing. Others I know, after enduring cancer or diet-related illnesses, head to Casa one or more times a week for the natural foods.

If you are going to share our little secret, please do so quietly and know your insides will be thanking you. I’m no poster child for Casa de Luz, but I’m attempting to step up my nutritional ways to be a worthy customer. The great news is they would welcome me warmly no matter what. PAIGE ALAM Paige Alam is a faith, family, friends and food lover who lives in Central Austin with her husband Jamil and their three daughters Layne, Riley and Quincy.

P h oto g r a p h y by a n n i e r ay

From Walter Knoll, the ever-so-clever Living Platform Loft sofa: Just pull out the seat and it’s a daybed. Designed by EOOS.

115 West 8th Street Austin 512.814.8702 • scottcooner.com