The Austin Experience: Day 1

For four days Ev and I were hosting one of our good friends (Mike) from high school at our house.  Here’s a chronicle of our escapades broken into each day’s debauchery.

Friday Saturday

After some flight troubles getting here Friday (finally arriving Saturday at 2am), we got things started off the right way with breakfast tacos.  In true Austin (and Mike) fashion we made our way over to the Mueller hanger for some trailer breakfast tacos (on those glorious homemade flour tortillas) from Me Llamo Taco and iced coffee from Elixer Coffee.

Properly fueled we headed down to South Congress to get our guest some real deal cowboy boots at Allen’s Boots.  Did you know they make boots out of elephant ears?  Me neither.  Now we do.  He got goat.  Not a b-a-a-a-a-d choice.  Sorry.

Post-boots, with an hour-plus long line for Hopdoddy we happily headed down to Snack Bar for meal #2.  Awesome sandwiches, but if you’ve never been, get the Tomago Yoko, which defies all description and just has to be tried.  It’s like an Asian hash/pancake/shrimp cake topped with Sriracha.  Crazy good.

Completely satisfied and unable to consume anything else, we headed over to Red’s Porch for some proper day drinking and Olympics viewing.  We were all exhausted and headed back home for more Olympics (and naps) before heading out to Papi Tinos for dinner.  But!  Before dinner we hit up East Side Showroom for a little speakeasy-era cocktails.  I told the bartender “I like gin.  Make me something.”  He did and it was ok, but not something I’d order again.  Too sweet with St. Germaine.  Note: Ev’s Imperialist cocktail was incredible.

Next we moved onto our patio dinner at Papi Tinos, which featured some great music, worm salt (…), and extremely spicy habanero peppers (see below).  We shared some good guacamole and bad salsa to go with the mezcal and margaritas.

To cool our tongues and (over)fill our stomachs, it was only appropriate to mosey over to Coolhaus for an ice cream sandwich.  Post-indulgence we headed over to Dirty 6th to check out the mayhem known as Saturday night.  The crowds were out and we were not impressed, so we ducked into The Driskill to get a glimpse of old school Texas.  The Prairie Home Companion-esque music and miles of cowhide-covered couches transported us back to a simpler, less drunk time in history.  And with that Saturday was finally in the books.

Not bad, huh?  Well that was only the first day.  Keep reading to find out how Day 2 (of 4!) went.

 

Thoughts? Leave a comment!