Austin I still love you
Austin is the city I’ve lived in the longest.
For me it’s a place brimming with nostalgia, while also representing the hometown I so eagerly left after college. Having been gone, I come to more fully appreciate Austin’s sustained quirks, even in the face of non-stop growth.
And this Labor Day Weekend, I had the good fortune to stay with the Marn and visit with old friends (Hi Isabel! Hi Payton!) that made their way back here. Coming home to Atlanta had me thinking: as much as I knew this place from before, what is Austin about in 2022?
When you Google this (yes, I love to ask Google highly subjective questions), it’s the city’s events line-up that populates the top handful of links. And honestly from happenings alone, one can clearly see why Austin remains special. You’ve got:
Hot Luck, featuring “world-famous chefs and musicians” from May 26-29th
Willie Nelson’s 4th of July Picnic and Fireworks, a tradition since 1972
Pecan Street Festival, one of the largest and longest running music, food, arts and crafts festivals in the nation on Sept 17 and 18th
ACL, now a major two-weekend spanning music festival in Zilker park, ACL makes it tricky to secure an Airbnb Oct 7-9 and Oct 14-16
Armadillo Christmas Bazaar, with, you guessed it, more live music, food and plenty of Christmas shopping if you’re into arts and crafts, fine art and other gifting-friendly items
In addition to Austin’s surplus of live music, great food, and festivals, this city has a real love for the house-turned restaurant, a look that I love for its cozy, neighborhood feel. Below is yet another sample, this time of Clarksville restaurants, which each nestle into their surroundings and use decor to celebrate the personality of their food and this quaint part of the city:
Bar Peached
Stepping inside “The bones of the historic bungalow provide a homier setting than the more minimalist Peached Tortilla, and playful touches like a cactus print wallpaper and woozy paintings from local artist Phoebe Joynt provide personality.” Austin CultureMap
Meet the team behind Bar Peached.
Pecan Square Cafe
Stepping inside Deeply set on a lawn that used to lead to Cafe Josie, Pecan Square Cafe is one of three new restaurant concepts from MML Hospitality, who crafted the restaurant “inspired by coastal northern California residential architecture of the 1960s.” To me it looks like Santa Fe style.
Lin Asian Bar + Dim Sum
A menu must “If there’s a signature dish at Lin, it’s the soup dumplings. These tender steamed morsels burst with an unctuous broth and savory pork filling. Drizzled with a touch of ginger-infused vinegar, they are eyes-roll-back good.” Tribeza
Cheers to a great week and a tasty upcoming weekend!