Night Clubs
-
A Changing SOLA: Welcome “EL Burro”
Bwahhaaaa… the place is already closed and gone. Awaiting the next iteration. Last month, South Lamar (SOLA) lost a 15+/- year old dining establishment. A a “cheap and cheerful” go-to spot called La Feria. It wasn’t expensive, it certainly had character, however, it was not a hopping place. The neighborhood was sad to see it go. So out with the old and in with the new. Venture a few blocks up the street and you’ll find El Burro, a sister restaurant to Vox Table. Being a resident in the hood, I had to give it a whirl, of course. The place is cute, has a great bar serving super-effective margaritas and…
-
Hotel Van Zandt and Clementine’s, Cocktail Hour
I joined two friends for cocktails on Rainey St. and we decided to pop over to the Hotel Van Zandt to see the new place and check out the bar. Both friends are in the fine dining industry and were curious to see what the Van Zandt had to offer. Of course, good help is hard to find in Austin and there was no surprise in seeing staff migrating from one entity to another. There were a number of familiar faces from The W Hotel who were now at Van Zandt. We settled into wine, some signature cocktails and a spread of charcuterie; well-balanced, great breads, and sultry cheeses. Nicely done. The music and social…
-
An Old Fashioned Taste Off
I’ve started to enjoy the taste of an Old Fashioned. While never a whisky or bourbon drinker, I suddenly find myself really liking the taste of them. So I thought it would be fun to go out for a taste comparison. I grabbed a buddy and headed to two of Austin’s hot spots, LaV and Lonesome Dove. LaV won hands down on presentation and taste. The solid ice ball helped cool the cocktail, but didn’t water it down. The Lonesome Dove version was very cold, but the cubed and broken ice melted and diluted the drink too much. Both were equal on price point, just slightly shy of $13.00 each.…
-
Midtown Mexican; La Mancha Tex Mex on Hancock
Service Manager, Joey Carmona, always serves up a great time at La Mancha Tex Mex Tavern on Hancock. I entertained a few friends for a weeknight dinner and we sampled a number of items from the menu: street tacos, quesadillas, and fajita tacos. All were superb. The street tacos a bit heavy on cilantro, but the meat was very tender and quite flavorful. I would be remiss if I failed to suggest the infused tequila. Tonight’s medley featured tequila infused with jalapeño and pineapple. It was smooth, delicious and took the edge off of a rough Tuesday.
-
Lanai Nightclub is Closing, Sad to Hear It
A seven year run is a pretty good haul for a downtown bar. Lanai was always a fun place to hang out on a rooftop and see the sights of the city. I’ve always commened them for their outreach, inclusiveness, and great attitude. If out and about, stop by the closing party.
-
Where the Streets Have No Way
SXSW is a pain for drivers. Here’s some help to traverse downtown. Link 1 Link 2
