As stated in yesterday’s blogpost, I will also be writing a bit about things to do in the city of Austin. Since I consider myself a somewhat critical consumer, therefor not eating at franchise places or shop at Walmart, I will post a list of cool diners, stores and other useful information. I’m hanging out with some locals, most information on this list is gathered trough their knowledge of the city. I think it is important, for several reasons, to focus on local specialties and knowledge. It get’s you places you’d never know existed. So, here it goes:

Food:
Since I have a bit of a food fetish, at least, that’s what I’ve been told, I’d like to eat stuff we can’t get back in The Netherlands, or can’t make as good as they do it over here. Like BBQ, for starters. People here have made it into a fine art. I will eat veggie food for 2 week straight after this trip, to compensate, but the BBQ is just so good here, I can’t resist. There’s a few places I’d recommend:

• The Green Mesquite (Barton Springs): “Horrifying Vegetarians Since 1988”  is their slogan, and that’s just about right. They serve excellent BBQ here, ribs, sausages, brisket, you name it. It’s one of the older and original eateries here in Austin. This place was already an eatery in the late 1800′s. Besides BBQ, they also serve Chicken Fried Steak, a Texas specialty of ground chicken with a crust of batter and corn flakes, topped with greasy, thick, white gravy. It’s good if the layer of batter isn’t too thick. Unfortunately, the one at Green Mesquite wasn’t that good, I’d recommend to stick to BBQ there. I had a side dish of Okra, a green vegetable, somewhat Zucchini like, that the slaves brought with them from Africa back in the days, if I recall correctly. It’s pretty good. Try it.
• Art’s Rib House (South Lamar): Haven’t visited this place yet this year, but it sure is on my things to do list. Discovered it a few years back when the guys from Peter Pan Speedrock couldn’t stop ranting about it. It has a fine selection of ribs, about 6 different kinds. I’d suggest you take a full rack of Babyback pork ribs. They are delicious. Especially with some good old BBQ sauce, and some mash or potato salad on the side. Portions are large, ribs are sublime and so tender, the flesh almost falls off the bone.
• Stubbs (Red River): Possibly the best know place to eat BBQ in the whole of Austin, and home of the famous Stubb’s BBQ sauce. Besides restaurant, also one of the bigger SXSW venues, outside. Motorhead is playing this year, that will be kick ass. But, this is the food section, so let’s stick to that. You can order 4 different kinds of BBQ here. Ribs, Brisket, Sausage or Chicken, if I’m correct. For 17 or 18 dollars, you can do an All You Can Eat BBQ. The excellent food is served with a slice of white bread, 2 sides and a small plate of pickles, raw onions, and the best of all, pickled Serrano peppers. Deliciously good stuff, can’t get enough of the damn peppers here. If you are around on Red River, and don’t feel like driving all the way up town, Stubbs is the place to go for BBQ.

Of course, another thing Austin is known by, is the Tex Mex food. I’ve had both traditional Mexican food in the deep South of Texas (about 10 miles from the Mexican border)  as Tex Mex up in Austin. There are some differences, but what it comes down to, is that traditional Mexican food is a lot more sober and basic than Tex Mex. I really prefer Tex Mex, which has way more variety. Two of the places I’d suggest:

• Polvo’s (South 1st): Discovered it when we were over here the first time with The Spades, and were staying over at the house right besides it. It’s a nice restaurant with a cool patio and it’s always quiet busy, but service is quick and accurate. Typical Tex Mex kitchen, with Fajita’s, Burrito’s, Taco’s, etc. I recomment to take the tortilla chips and walk inside for the salsa. There’s a salsa-bar there with 3 different kinds of salsa and really good pickled carrots, onions and jalapeno peppers. The food is basically all good. I had a steak Polvo’s, which is a steak on a bed of peppers, onions, mushrooms and spinach that are cooked in some sort of broth. Goes with rice, guacamole, cream and a burrito on the side. If you finish this one, you’ll be good for the rest of the day. If you want a light lunch, or prefer fish, I suggest to eat a Sevice. That’s a salad of raw white fish that is sprinkled with lime juice. The acid of the juice “cooks” the fish (it coagulates the proteins, the same thing that happens if you heat the fish). The salad is  tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, jalapeno’s and of course fresh cilantro (or Koriander, as we call it). It comes with some crackers, and it is delicious when made properly and fresh.
• Arana’s (South 1st): This place is really a typical place you only know of if you are familiar in Austin. It’s quite far outside of the Downtown area, and it’s a small, sober place, run by Mexicans. Food is a bit less Tex and a bit more Mex. However, the Texas influences are still there. You can have typical things there as chopped liver, tongue or pork foot. But, fear not, there’s also “normal”  food. And that is just damn right perfect. I had a plate of fajita’s (both pork and beef) for 7 dollars. It comes with a salad, rice, guacamole and some tortillas. I recommend you to take the grilled jalapeno’s on the side. I think they where the best grilled peppers I ever ate. Smokey flavour, hot, but not too hot, and a bit sweet due to the caramelized sugars from grilling them. Put them in a tortilla, order some extra cheese, put that in the tortilla too, and eat it with your food. It could make a meal of it’s own.

There’s tons of more places to eat in Austin. I mean, it’s the States, people eat out here all the time. Most of them are good, but try and be a bit critical in your pick. You wouldn’t want to spend your money on crap like McDonalds, Starbucks, Wendy’s or that sort of stuff. A few other places that are good:

• Freddies (South 1st): Diner with a huge garden on South 1st street. American cooking (Burgers are great) and some TexMex too, if I recall correctly. Really nice to sit in the garden, have a Lone Star and a burger (they serve veggie burgers too there!). You can built your own burger, choosing the toppings, sauces, and cheeses yourself. Highly recommended.
• Jackalopes (6th Street): Although I’d like to keep out of 6th Street in general (it’s the Stratumseind of Austin), there are some cool places there to drink, check shows or eat. Jackalope’s is one of the better places there. They play cool music (Germs, Black Flag, Roky Erickson, that kind of stuff), and have really good, flame broiled hamburgers and ranch fries there. If you are lucky, during SXSW you can have your burger there with a free beer, complimented by some beer sponsor probably. Just a nice place, downtown.
• Shady Grove (Barton Springs): A bit further up north than the Green Mesquite is Shady Grove. A simpel place with a big patio, and good food. Small selection of food, big selection of burgers. Really good Chicken Fried Steak. Good brisket for burrito’s or salad. Try local specialty, the Frito Pie. It’s basically a small bag of tortilla chips, folded out in a basket, with shitload of home made chili, jalapeno’s, cheese and onions on it. It’s good good good!
• Barton Creek Saloon (Barton Springs): Once your done eating at the Shady Grove or the Green Mesquite, and it’s either monday, tuesday or wednesday, go to the Barton Creek Saloon for cheap beers. It’s bit to the south again, and on the first 3 days of the week, it serves $1,- Lone Star beers. Needless to say the place is filled with local misfits and other weird people, but that’s the way I like it. A bit like my own dive bar, Buitenbeentje, in Tilburg. Only 10 times as big, and with a juke box that has Creedence, Allman Brothers, Ramones and even Sublime in it. Good hang out.
• The Hot Dog King (Red River): Really, really good hot dog stand, just outside of the Red Eyed Fly. About 8 different kinds of hot dogs, also veggie and even vegan dogs. All char broiled freshly before served. Toppings to be put on by yourself. Sauerkraut, jalapeno’s, relish (that’s really good stuff), ketchup, etc. And a variety of hot sauses. Please be careful with Dave’s Insanely Hot Sauce. It claims to be one of the hottest in the world. I found out the hard way, it is.
• Jo’s (South Congress): For good coffee (a rarety here in the States in most diners), don’t go to Starbucks, but go to Jo’s on SoCo. Nice place, run by cool people, in the shopping area of SoCo. Variety of hot coffee’s, iced coffees, some beers, and simpel food. Free WiFi and a large patio to consume whatever you purchased. The Iced Belgian Bomber was one of my favorite coffees that still tastes like coffee, unlike that crap they call Frappachino Double Late Fuckballs, sold at Starbucks. The coffee is all fair trade of course (although that label can be questioned everywhere they state that).

Alright, this is it for now, I could go on an on about food here, but this will make a good start. Today, the first music shows of SXSW are on, so more about that the following days. One small world of advice for all the people that don’t own a music badge or wrist band. Check www.austinshowlist.com for a schedule of all the free day shows during SXSW. If you plan wisely, you can see most of the bands that are playing for free as well.