SXSW Post: Restaurants with a Great Beer Menu

With great beer, one also also needs some grub.  Here's a list of restaurants with a good beer selection to satisfy both your thirst and your hunger.  While the restaurants different in styles of food, rest assured that the beer menu is sure to please.

Barley Swine  2024 South Lamar Blvd  (512) 394-8150 - While it may not seem so given the neighborhood, this establishment is on the swanky side.  Prepare for shareable small plates and communal dining as you indulge in a well-crafted beer selection.

Black Sheep Lodge 2108 South Lamar Boulevard  (512) 707-2744 - If you're looking for all American burgers, this is the place to go.  Try the sweet potato fries.  They'll make everyone alright. 

Black Star Co-op  7020 Easy Wind Drive  (512) 452-2337 - This place was a legend in the making.  Blackstar is the first cooperatively owned brew pub.  Not only that, they have an upscale yet casual menu. 

Contigo 2027 Anchor Lane (512) 614 - 2260 - Ranch style dining in Austin style.  Good beer, good beer, and good times await.

Easy Tiger  709 East 6th Street - 512-614-4972  - This brand new bakery and bar pays tribute to the fermentation that makes bread and beer possible. Hop on down there and have a brat, pretzel, and beer. 

Foreign and Domestic 306 East 53rd Street (512) 459-1010 - The patio at Foreign and Domestic is quite nice and quite a gem.  Come here with open minds, open mouths, and ingredient combinations that make you feel like Andrew Zimmerman.

Frank 4th and Colorado 512-494-6916 - Hot Dogs. Cold Beer.  Need I say more?  Well, yes.  Also, cocktails. 

Hopfields  3110 Guadalupe St.  512-537-0467- This new bar in town is cozy, sweet, and all sorts of fun.  As the name implies, the beer menu is well-crated and hopping. 

Opal's Divine three locations- Opal's is now an Austin landmark.  With three locations in Austin, huge patios, free wifi, it is the perfect spot to grab some grub, a beer (or scotch), and a few hours to catch up on emails between  parties. 

Uncle Billy's 1530 Barton Springs Road  (512) 476-0100, also at Lake Travis- One of Austin's first brewpubs, Uncle Billy's beer menu features award winning brews along with local beers.  Put on some boots, have some beer and bbq, and you'll be an honorary Texan.  For a few hours at least. 

Whip-In  1950 S Interstate 35  (512) 442-5337 - Can we say classic Austin Gem?  This little convenience stores turned craft beer mecca crossed with spicy Indian influenced deliciousness.  It is the perfect spot for the food and beer lover in you. 

2011 SXSW Guide to Getting Your Drink On

  

This is an update for my 2010 SXSW guide to imbibing in Austin.  If you're looking for places to try some interesting cocktails, taste some regional brews, or sip on some wine, you've come to the right place.  The variables that I used to choose bars to include on this list includes variety in selection, atmosphere, and location.  This is definitely not a comprehensive list of bars in Austin. These are places that I might frequent to enjoy a quality wine, beer, or cocktail.  Here's a Twitter list of Beer, Wine, and Cocktails tweeters to follow. View Beers, Wines, and Cocktails in a larger map Downtown Area Beer Gingerman Pub 301 Lavaca St Austin, TX 78701 (512) 473-8801 gingermanpub.com - Most taps you'll find in Austin and Dog Friendly @austingingerman Opal Divine's Freehouse 700 West 6th Street  Austin, TX 78701  (512) 477-3308 opaldivines.com/ - Dog friendly @opaldivines BD Riley's 204 East 6th Street  Austin, TX 78701-3626   (512) 494-1335  bdrileys.com  @bdrileys Fado's Irish Pub 214 W 4th St  Austin, TX 78701  (512) 457-0172  www.fadoirishpub.com/austin  Dog Friendly @FadoAustin Wine Max's Wine Dive 207 San Jacinto Boulevard   Austin, TX 78701   (512) 904-0105   maxswinedive.com/ - Dog Friendly @after_midnight Trio at the Four Seasons 98 San Jacinto Boulevard   Austin, TX 78701   (512) 685-8300   fourseasons.com/austin/dining  @FSaustin Mulberry   360 Nueces Street, Austin, TX 78701 (512) 320-0297  mulberryaustin.com  Dog Friendly @mulberryaustin Cocktails Haddington's  601 West 6th Street  Austin, TX 78701  (512) 992-0204  http://www.thehaddington.com/  @haddingtons Congress / Second Bar and Kitchen / Bar Congress  200 Congress Ave  Austin, TX 78701  (512) 827-2755  http://www.congressaustin.com/ Dog Friendly @CongressAustin Frank Restaurant   407 Colorado Street  Austin, TX 78701-2918   (512) 494-6894  hotdogscoldbeer.com @hotdogscoldbeer La Condesa 400-A W 2nd Street  Austin, TX 78701  (512) 499-0300  lacondesaaustin.com @lacondesaaustin Peche 208 W 4th St. Austin, Texas  512.495.9669 pecheaustin.com @peche_austin W Hotel   200 Lavaca St  Austin, TX 78701  (512) 542-3600  @whotelatx Walkable from Downtown, but put on some comfy shoes. It'll be a 20-30 minute walk. Beer Zax's Pints and Plates 312 Barton Springs Road  Austin, TX 78704-1213  (512) 481-0100  zaxaustin.com - Dog Friendly @zaxaustin Dog & Duck Pub 406 West 17th Street  Austin, TX 78701-1207  (512) 479-0598 dogandduckpub.com Dog Friendly @dogandduckpub Uncle Billy's 1530 Barton Springs Road  Austin, TX 78704-1013  (512) 476-0100  unclebillysaustin.com Dog Friendly @unclebillys Cocktails Paggi House  200 Lee Barton Dr  Austin, TX 78704  (512) 473-3700  paggihouse.com Dog Friendly @paggihouse The Good Knight  1300 East 6th Street  Austin, TX 78702-3371  (512) 628-1250  thegoodknight.net  @thegoodknight East Side Showroom 1100 East 6th Street  Austin, TX 78702-3211  (512) 467-4280  eastsideshowroom.com/html Wine House Wine  408 Josephine Street  Austin, TX 78704 (512) 322-5210  housewineaustin.com Dog Friendly @housewine Uncorked Tasting Room 900 East 7th Street   Austin, TX 78702-3217  (512) 524-2809   uncorkedtastingroom.com Dog Friendly @uncorkedaustin South Austin Beer Whip In Convenience Store  1950 South I H 35 Austin, TX 78704-3628 (512) 442-5337 whipin.com @whipin Opal Divine's Penn Field  3601 S Congress Ave  Austin, TX 78704-7250  (512) 707-0237 opaldivines.com Dog Friendly @opaldivines Black Sheep Lodge  2108 South Lamar Boulevard  Austin, TX 78704-4993  (512) 707-2744  blacksheeplodge.com Dog Friendly @blacksheeplodge The HighBall  1142 South Lamar Boulevard  Austin, TX 78704  (512) 383-8309  thehighball.com @highballaustin Red's Porch 3508 S Lamar Blvd  Austin, TX 78704 (512) 440-7337 redsporch.com/ Dog Friendly @redsporch Just a week bit North Austin Beer Black Star Co-op  7020 Easy Wind Dr  Ste 100  Austin, TX 78752  http://www.blackstar.coop/  Dog friendly @blackstarcoop Draught House Pub and Brewery 4112 Medical Parkway Austin, TX 78756-3715   (512) 452-6258  draughthouse.com  Dog Friendly @draughthouse Flying Saucer Draught Emporium 815 West 47th Street  Austin, TX 78751-2360  (512) 454-8200  beerknurd.com Dog Friendly @flyingsauceraus Alamo Drafthouse Village  2700 West Anderson Lane   Austin, TX 78757    (512) 452-7521  drafthouse.com  @drafthouse Wine Vino Vino 4119 Guadalupe Street  Austin, TX 78751  (512) 465-9282  vinovinotx.com Wink  1014 N Lamar Blvd Ste E   Austin, TX 78703  (512) 482-8868 http://www.winkrestaurant.com/ Cocktails FINO Restaurant Patio & Bar 2905 San Gabriel Street, Austin, TX 78705  (512) 474-2908  finoaustin.com @fino_austin Tigress  100 N Loop  Austin, TX 78751  (512) 600-3232 *no website, please call for hours - typically Wed-Sun 4-11 pm Far out North, South, East, or West! Beer Dig Pub   401 Cypress Creek Rd   Cedar Park, TX 78613   (512) 996-9900  http://www.thedigpub.com/  Opal Divine's Marina  12709 North Mopac  Austin, TX 78727  (512) 733-5353  opaldivines.com/marina/inde.. Dog Friendly @opaldivines North By Northwest Restaurant  10010 North Capital of Texas Highway   Austin, TX 78759-5837   (512) 231-8157   nxnwbrew.com Dog Friendly @nxnwbrew Red Shed Tavern 8504 Congress Avenue South  Austin, TX 78745  (512) 280-4899  redshedtavern.com Urban An American Grill The Westin Austin at The Domain  11301 Domain Dr Austin, TX 78759  urbanatthedomain.com also good for wine and cocktails @urbandomain Uncle Billy's  6550 Comanche Trail  Austin, TX 78732   (512) 266-0111   http://www.unclebillysaustin.com/   @unclebilly's Wine Fion Wine Pub, Bee Cave 11715 Farm to Market 2244, Austin, TX 78738  (512) 263-7988  wildwoodwineandspirits.com Dog Friendly @fionwine The Grove Wine Bar and Kitchen  6317 Bee Caves Rd  Austin, TX 78746 (512) 327-8822 http://grovewinebar.com/ Dog Friendly @grovewinebar

2011 SXSW Guide to Happy Hours

Happy Hours are plentiful in Austin, and trying to curate a short list was really difficult.  Here's here's a short list of happy hours with respective commentary.  I've also included two links of intensive happy hour websites.  Happy Hour is usually 5pm - 7pm, with reverse happy hours during the last two hours of operation.  Be forewarned that these happy hour spots can get very crowded, and you might find yourself employing some parkour tricks to pounce on empty tables.

Austin Frugal Feaster - This one hasn't been updated in a while as it has restaurants listed that are closed, but most of the restaurants are still open.

Austin Food Journal's Calendar - This one is more interactive with a scrolling calendar.

Jeffery's - 1204 W Lynn St   Austin, TX 78703   (512) 477-5584 -  Jeffery's is one of those classic Austin restaurants.  I haven't been for Happy Hour in quite some time, but I do remember having a foie gras slider the last time I was there.  That's right, I said foie gras.

Eddie V's - 301 E 5th St   Austin, TX 78701    (512) 472-1860  - @NatanyaP likes Eddie V's, and my @Windaddict/@HopSafari enjoys the happy hour there as well.  It is also in the heart of downtown.  I've enjoyed their crab cakes at events many times as well.

Fonda San Miguel - 2330 N Loop Blvd W   Austin, TX 78756  (512) 459-4121 - @FondaAustin - Fonda San Miguel is an Austin icon.  Christian Bowers says that's where he first took his wife on a date many years ago.  Fonda serves tasty lamb chops and mushroom quesadillas, and most of all, I love their petit four desserts.

Quality Seafood -   5621 Airport Blvd  Austin, TX 78751  (512) 454-5827 - Quality seafood isn't really a restaurant perse.  It is more like a diner inside of a seafood market, but don't be put off.  The prices are right, and the food is pretty tasty.  They have daily specials and $2 fish tacos on Tuesday.  I didn't enjoy the crab cake here.  Order the gumbo instead.

Paggi House - 200 Lee Barton Dr  Austin, TX 78704  (512) 473-3700 @paggihouse - I love Paggi House for the atmosphere, service, and the dog friendly patio.  Not only are the deals great, the presentation of the food here has been tops.  I haven't been let down here yet!  Half off selected drinks and half off appetizers.


 
Trio at the Four Seasons - 98 San Jacinto Blvd  Austin, TX 78701 (512) 478-4500  @FSaustin - Trio understands happy hour.  With fabulous deals, cheery staff, great selection of wine, and to scrumptious lamb sliders, Trio has earned my happy hour loyalty.  Half off selected wines and appetizers, not to mention the new addition of a cocktail menu.  


McCormick's and Schmick's - 401 Congress Avenue  Austin, TX 78701   (512) 236-9600 @MccormickSchmicks - While it isn't the very best Austin has to offer, McCormick's and Schmick's is a great place to go for cheap eats.  With a purchase of a drink (minimum $2, ice tea counts), order from a reduced price menu in the bar area.  From half pound burgers and fries for 2.95 to a healthy serving of hummus and pita for 1.95, you can't go wrong.  McCormick's and Schmick's offers a regular happy hour and a reverse happy hour.  Get there early or practice your ninja skills in snagging a seat.  It can get crowded during happy hour.  Menus may different at both locations.

@Garyvee at SXSW 2010 w/ @koshadillz, @flexmathews

I knew little about Gary Vaynerchuck prior to SXSW 2010.  I had heard that he did some wine videos and he had a book out.  I did cite one of his articles in my Online Culture, Offline Behavior articles, but I hadn't really dug deeply into this world of GaryVee.  I attended his SXSW 2010 panel, and I was surprised.  Gary didn't talk about anything new.  Gary didn't talk about anything I didn't already believe or implement.  In the first 10 minutes of his talk, I could have sworn he was reading my mind (and website).  However, Gary delivered his message in such a way that it made an impact.  He was energetic.  He was passionate.  And he used the F-bomb at least 40 times.  Thom Singer counted 28, but he missed quite a few.  This man gives a simple message such a punch that I swear the room was like a religious cult.  Here's some highlights and comments from the panel.  Also, there was impromptu rapping at the end of the panel that was awesome.  It is probably better than anything else you'll see at SXSW music.  :oP  Note: These aren't my videos.  These were on youtube. The rappers were @flexmathews and @Koshadillz.  Awesome job to both! Video One   Video Two   1. "We don't care enough about thank you's." No one these days give enough gratitude.  Thank people.  Thank everyone on who responds to you on Twitter.  Thank them for coming. Thank them for listening to you.  I'm an adamant believer in this point.  Successful people don't get that way on their own.  I've never done anything on my own.  Be it dog training, hypermiling, cooking, or writing, there was always and there still is a strong support system taking care of me.  In every single activity I've ever attempted, I've had a mentor.  That mentor was there to advise me when I was confused, to encourage me when I felt overwhelmed, and to be happy for me when I accomplished even the smallest achievements.  To those people, thank you.  Now YOU thank those people in YOUR life.  2. "Don't sell your product when it comes out.  Sell your product before it comes out."  This is self-explanatory.  Create the buzz about your product.  Get people interested in it before you have it out.  Don't wait until the last minute to start promoting it when it already on the shelves.  By then, it is too late. 3. "Experience and interaction are paramount."  Business is built on relationships.  There's no denying it.  Gary said, "Any interaction be is a handshake, hug, or butt-grab can turn into business."  Business is also personal (also preached by Jason Calacanis), and it is high time that we started building relationships and then business.  We can use social media to build those relationships.  There are many ways to not use Twitter effectively, and one such way it to use it as an information dissemination tool.  Information is good, but it is not at all sufficient for creating relationships.  For example (if you are standing, please sit as you might hit the floor laughing), there is a certain company in Austin that doesn't understand social media.  To give you a little background, they offer consulting services that cost $250 for the initial meeting, and they think they were worth every penny.  They thought social media was useless.  Of course the CEO's account was only following 16 people and had 17 followers after six months.  Their marketing plan was to put fliers on cars in grocery store parking lots.  They wanted to post fliers with those little pull off tabs in gyms, coffee shops, and on neighborhood mailboxes (which is illegal).  This company also posted service ads on craigslists.  I asked if they knew any teachers in the area (should be the biggest referrals of their business), and they knew none.  The excuse was, "We'd have to buy them lunch and talk to them."  This marketing style was the antithesis of what Gary preached.  He would have had a field day with this company.  I'm sure the F-bomb count would have been pretty high.  4. "Do what makes you happy."  Follow your passions.  If you do it well, and you create waves, there will be arrows in your back.  Gary has the same message as Randy Pausch, except Randy doesn't use the F-bomb.  Both people have the same inspirational message and eerily the same words.  I'll probably be using both Randy and Gary in my lectures from now on.  I also got a hug from Gary afterwards.  Totally awesome.

Driving the Chevy Volt at SXSW2010

I was one lucky chick on Monday during SXSW.  Exceptionally lucky.  I got to take the new-under wraps-still in prototype mode Chevy Volt for a spin.  Here's the report of the fun along with some photos and information.  Since the Volt is not yet released, I wasn't privy to some information.  This is piecemealed from the bits of information that I was told or have read.  I apologize for any misinformation.  
 
The Volt isn't a hybrid vehicle or is it; this topic is highly debatable. We'll stay away from the debate for now.   From what I know, it is essentially an electric vehicle with a gas generator that powers the battery when need be.  The Volt was designed run on the battery for the first 40 miles, and then use the gas generator to power the battery.  The explanation for the seemingly arbitrary 40 miles is because the average American commute is 20 miles.  40 miles using only electricity would mean a round trip commute to work without using a drop of gas.  And thusly, the Volt was designed with a 40 mile battery pack.  I wasn't even given a ballpark estimate on the size of the gas tank, however, a full tank should get about 300 miles.   
 
Cool Features:

The interior was very modern and the buttons were all "touch" buttons. You didn't have to actually depress the button, rather it functioned like a touch screen. It had a very Ikea feel to it.  I was told that the transmission shifter would be redesigned, so it won't look like what's in the photos. 
In addition to the regular horn, there's a "friendly" horn to warn pedestrians who can't hear your car because it is so quiet. I do mean quiet. That car didn't even have a detectable hum (I was in a semi-noisy area). The car also had a rear backing camera with video built into the dash.
 
There are smart phone apps connected to OnStar so that you could program the volt to charge at a certain time or to start air conditioning in the car before you actually turn the car on. You can also use the smart phone app to honk the horn.  I did download the application on my iphone, but since I wasn't connected to the car, I couldn't play with the features. 

Driving: 

This car is so quiet that I'm afraid I wouldn't remember if the car was on or off.  Driving the Volt is exactly like how Josh Bauer describes driving his Tessla.  There is no Vroom Vroom.  You just get on the gas and it goes.  While I didn't get to see what the Volt really had, I did get to try the turbo button.  I wasn't clear on the technology of it, but it does give your ride some "OMPH!"  

The dash also has a monitor on it with a green ball in the center, if you accelerate too hard, the green ball moves out of the "happy zone" and turns yellow.  If you brake too hard, the green ball moves out of the "happy zone" and turns yellow.  While I'm familiar with many of the tools that have this type of user interface, I'm not sure about the technology behind this one.  

Some issues to ponder: 

The dash of the Volt didn't have a Miles per gallon or MPKilowatt indicator on it that I could see.  I think I was told that there was one, but I didn't get a chance to see it.  The battery gauge did have an indicator with how many miles were left, but I'm not sure how that is calculated.  Presumably, more rough driving should consume , but how does the battery know how rough you'll be driving for the next few miles?
The Volt does have an OBD port for the scan gauge, but I'm not sure if the scanguage would be able to give miles per gallon readings as there is no gas engine.  I'm not sure if the scanguage would be able to measure CO2 output from a generator.  Additionally, I was told that the generator can turn on to power the battery randomly.  In that sense, gas used by the generator isn't a function of the current electricity used.  The numbers may be inaccurate.  Again, since I wasn't given all the details, I might have some misinformation on this.  I didn't have my scanguage on me (I decided to not drive in Austin that day due to SXSW traffic), otherwise I would have tested it.  
 

The plug.

Woozers.  It sure was bright out.

The front.

The back.

The very modern interior.
I also attended the Chevy Veggie drive in which a group of Austin Food Bloggers drove down to Pearl Farmer's Market in San Antonio, ate lunch at Farm to Table, and then back to Austin in a variety of 2010 Vehicles.  A big thank you to Chevy, @gmtexas, and Yeti Coolers. Enjoy the pics below! Photos by John Knox. 

Camaro and Donna

Pearl

Tasty Touring and I sample some candied nuts.

I like big paella pans.

Where we ate.

The crowds. 

Big enough for a body.

 Yummy Sammich at Texas Farm to Table. 

SXSWi 2010 Core Conversation: The Yelp Effect

Yelp is the new four-letter word.  Slapped with three class-action lawsuits, there is no doubt that Yelp brings out the fury in business owners.  I'm a Yelp user, and I have been since 2008.  Addie Broyles and I hosted a core conversation at SXSW 2010 entitled "The Yelp Effect: When Everyone's a Restaurant Critic."  The original focus was to discuss how user-generated reviews had changed the challenges that restaurants faced, but it quickly turned into a conversation about Yelp.  She_Eats from the Houston Press wrote up a very thorough review of the conversation, and the hashtag for the conversation was #theyelpeffect.  Here's some of my personal thoughts that we may not have discussed at SXSW.  I am NOT employeed by Yelp, nor do I have any comments on their legal situation.  I'm a user that sees both the good and bad of Yelp.  A big thank you to the always thoughtful Addie Broyles for inviting me to share my thoughts.   1. Yelp is a social community, and reviews are the commonality among the users.  Many people see Yelp as a review site, which it is, but it also a community of people who happen to write reviews.  Yelp uses have also been called anonymous.  This may be true for the lurkers or the mostly inactive users on Yelp, but most users are NOT anonymous.  In the age of social media, most of the users are identifiable.  Users are pretty easily identified by the places they review, their photos, or other profile information.  Even users with the most generic profiles have been identified by the community.  This business was sniffed out by the community, and well, it didn't go over so well.  To say that users are completely anonymous is a misunderstanding.  Additionally, Yelp Elite members are required to use their real names and real photos.  2. "I don't trust Yelp."  This was a common phrase muttered at the core conversation, and I would totally agree if I didn't know many of the Austin Yelp users in person.  While I do read reviews and view star ratings with a grain of salt, there are some users that I do trust.  I know their likes and dislikes.  I know that they have experience dining out.  And I know that there are not the type to give a restaurant a low rating without considerable thought.  3. "People on Yelp must be *insert derogatory adjective here.*"  The demographics of Yelp users might actually surprise you.  Most users are over 21, well-educated, and typically interested in food beyond just stuffing their faces.  You might think that Yelp users must be lazy-do nothings because they "waste" their time on Yelp.  Here's a video on cognitive surplus that might help you understand why people use online tools including Twitter, Blogging, and Facebook.  Spending time socializing with people (even if online) is not a waste of time in my opinion.  They are contributing to a community, and using that cognitive surplus.  4. "10% of the dining experience comes from the food." There are so many factors that influence one's mood, perception, and memory of a dining experience that ultimately feeds into review.  Stay with me for a moment as I dive into some academia.  People in happy moods tend to ignore negative information, and people in grumpy moods tend to think more logically about situations.  There's an vast amount of research in the field of social psychology that investigates that impact of mood on perception and memory.  For example: Let's say that I receive terrible service along with some fairly satisfying and tasty food.  I would hazard to guess that the service might put a damper on my experience and therefore I might rate the restaurant worse the food actually was.  On the other hand, there are some restaurants I frequent because no matter how terrible my day was, they always put me in a good mood.  Thank you @FSAustin and @MilanoAustin. Perspective also influences memory.  Research has shown that in relationships, people who are anxiously attached (about 10% of the population) tend to remember things much worse than they actually were. People who are securely attached (about 60-70% of the population) tend not to remember past events as bad as they were, or they may not remember them at all.  At the Business of Software Conference 2009, Dr. Jennifer Aaker gave a presentation about Disneyland.  Disneyland is actually a miserable place. The lines are long.  The food is expensive.  But our memories of Disney are fantastic.  Disney is so skilled at branding and framing, that we have great memories of the miserable time we had.  That's just some food for thought.  5. Yelp can be likened to a focus group for your business.  People come, pay, and give you feedback.  What's more?  They are your actual consumers.  What better focus group can you get than to get actual consumers?  However, the catch with this focus group is that they put it online for the world to see.  My advice for a business would be to use their free business owner's account to reply (politely).  That reply is also up for the world to see.  For further details on how to use Yelp, check out their business owners section or contact me. You might say, "But that review is blatantly wrong!" or "I don't agree!"  This isn't easy for people (myself included) to get negative feedback about ourselves.  Humans are designed to have high self-esteem.  We are also susceptible to group think (groups that don't think or listen to feedback).  We tend to ignore things that are inconsistent with our own beliefs, and we tend to look for opinions that are consistent with our own opinions.  We are angry when someone disagrees with our self-perception.  There's no way around this sticky issue except to accept it.  We all get negative reviews.   As a professor, when those course evaluations come in, I'm sure to get at least one negative evaluation.  I typically get 90-95% "We LOVE Ms. Chen!" evaluations, and 5-10% "I hated this class!" evaluations.  Sometimes those were correlated to the students' grades, and sometimes not.  I had one student who knew she was going to fail my course, but she gave me a hug on the last day of class and wrote me a thank you note.  I also had one semester where I had such good evaluations that students protested to the department head when I told them I was no longer teaching, but that's pretty out of the ordinary.  I did teach at that institution for the next three years.  There's no pleasing every single customer as there is no pleasing every single student.  I take my feedback, improve, and I move on. At this point, I'm fairly certain that this post will turn into somewhat of a novel.  I'll end this post by saying that Yelp is not a perfect website.  There are things I would like to change and policies I'd like to implement if I could.  However, let's not throw the baby out with the bathwater.  Yelp is a useful website for both consumers and restaurant owners.  I've also found that once most businesses have learned how to navigate and use Yelp effectively, much of the anxiety surrounding Yelp disappears.

Happy Hours Galore during SXSW

There's no lacking of Happy Hours in Austin, and to try to hit up all of them would require some teleportation talents.  Here's two links to popular webpages that sum up most of Austin's Happy Hour deals as well as a short list of my favorites that are fairly close to Downtown Austin.  So grab a fellow SXSWer and head on down for tasty bites and refreshing drinks.  

Austin Frugal Feaster
Austin Food Journal's Calendar

My Downtown Faves
Paggi House - 200 Lee Barton Dr  Austin, TX 78704  (512) 473-3700 @paggihouse
I love Paggi House for the atmosphere, service, and the dog friendly patio.  Not only are the deals great, the presentation of the food here has been tops.  I haven't been let down here yet!  Half off selected drinks and half off appetizers.

Trio at the Four Seasons - 98 San Jacinto Blvd  Austin, TX 78701 (512) 478-4500  @FSaustin
Trio understands happy hour.  With fabulous deals, cheery staff, great selection of wine, and to scrumptious lamb sliders, Trio has earned my happy hour loyalty.  Half off selected wines and appetizers.

McCormick's and Schmick's - 401 Congress Avenue  Austin, TX 78701   (512) 236-9600 @MccormickSchmicks
While it isn't the very best Austin has to offer, McCormick's and Schmick's is a great place to go for cheap eats.  With a purchase of a drink (minimum $2, ice tea counts), order from a reduced price menu in the bar area.  From half pound burgers and fries for 2.95 to a large serving of hummus and pita for 1.95, you can't go wrong.  McCormick's and Schmick's offers a regular happy hour and a reverse happy hour.  Get there early or practice your ninja skills in snagging a seat.  It can get crowded during happy hour. 

Navigating Food and Music Festivals like a Professional

I proudly admit that I'm a festival junkie. From vino to music to gigantic dog shows, I've become a veteran at navigating crowds, feeding my stomach, and having fun. Here's a few tips and tricks I've picked up. Enjoy and I hope to see you at some of the upcoming events.


Tickets:

• For expensive festivals such as Austin City Limits Festival, Fantastic Festival, or SXSW, you can always opt to buy a wristband early for a cheaper price. If I'm bent on seeing many shows, this is the route to go. 
  
• If you'd like to go to a particular show, but not dying to go, I suggest that you play Russian roulette with some economic principles. This is where supply and demand come into play. According to what I learned in ECON304 (I made an A in that class back in 2000), you have to play the game early in the show or late. Also, our grades were dependent on how we played these economics games in class, so needless to say, I was motivated to make good deals. 
• Playing early means that you're going to go the safe route and buy a ticket or wrist band when they go on sale, even getting codes to presales. You can usually easily Google the show name and the word "code" to get some hits. Playing late in the game is riskier, but can yield better deals. 
• Take Fantastic Fest2008's preview of Zack and Miri Make a Porn and the Air Sex Championships for example. I played the game early, and I played the game late. I secured a ticket, but I was pretty unhappy with my seat (WAY up in the balcony). Luckily, I tried to buy another ticket later, and low and behold, some front row seats were released. I snagged one for the low price of 26.50.  You can see me here at 3:28.  It was pretty easy for me to get rid of my original ticket since demand was still sky high. 
  
• I also played the late game at ACL 2009. I had a wristband, but due to work, I decided to sell it. When I finished up work early on Sunday, I decided to try my luck at a ticket. The game now is in my favor. There is little to no demand for tickets late on Sunday. Unused ticket prices should drop as they are a sunk cost, with little demand. After parking in a free spot just a 3 minute walk away from Zilker Park, I stopped the first person I saw and snagged a free ticket. I offered to pay, but he refused. Go back and brush up on economics. It'll come in handy.My ACL rocked.
  
• If tickets to the festival you want to attend is out of your price range (i.e. most wine and food festivals), volunteer for the event. Usually, shifts are fairly short, you'll get to know the vendors better (always a plus), you'll get to attend other festival events and activities, and you'll probably get a free tee shirt. Houston Cellar Classic has GREAT perks for their volunteers.

Food:  This is an important topic for all of us. If you only hit up one festival a month, you'll probably stay in relatively good health. If you hit up one festival or food event per week (or four in a single week), keeping yourself at a healthy weight can be a challenge. I've been asked many, many times why I don't weigh 400 lbs. These are my tips for staying in shape.

• If you're going to a festival with subpar food (not tasty or healthful), eat prior. That just goes without saying or bring your own. I've never been stopped from bringing my own food to an outdoor festival. Indoor festivals can be trickier, but I've still never had a problem.
• If you are going to a food festival where free samples will be offered, do not eat before. The old tip of "eat a little so you won't be too hungry" is a joke in my professional opinion (as a social psychologist). The problem with food samples at a festival is NOT eating unhealthful foods (though they usually are). IMO, the problem is with over-eating because one wishes to try all the samples. If you're going to over eat, you're going to over eat. You're not going to stop eating simply because you're not hungry. Most of us are opportunistic eaters. I keep this problem at bay with a few tricks. 
• I have a rule about what foods I eat. I only eat foods that are really good for me, or taste really fantastic. When I sample foods, I take just a big enough bite so I know what it tastes like. Enjoyment from eating a particular food drops off after the second bite, so it's not like I'm really enjoying that 3rd, 4th, or 5th bite. If you've been to food event with me, you'll notice I'll end up with a plate of food with only one bite missing.
  
• If you don't like it, you can discretely spit it out. Don't waste stomach space and calories on food you don't like. 
• If you do come home with a plethora of food, get rid of it quickly. I came home with a gigantic box of chocolates from the Austin Chocolate Festival this year, and it left the house as quickly as it came, in someone else's stomach.
• Exercise on a regular basis regardless of whether or not you are a festival junkie.

Rules, Regulations, & Tidbits:

• Make sure that you check all the rules and regulations of the venue. Some common rules are no backpacks, no strollers, no dogs, no gigantic cameras, no outside drinks (especially alcohol). Many festivals will check your bags. Make sure that you abide by the rules to prevent getting the boot. 
• If the event is free and open to the public, be assured that food will run out and parking will be a pain.  Get there early to get in on the fun, or else go hungry, thirsty, and park five miles away.
• Bring a festival partner.  You may need someone to drive you home, or you might need someone to help you tag team the long lines.  At Taste of Austin, my sister would stand in the longest lines while I got food from vendors with no lines.  By the time I had my hands, bags, and mouth full, she was already at the front of the long time.  I'm efficient all the time, not just when I drive.
• Use websites like Yelp, Do512, Facebook, and other local event bloggers to find unofficial events and specials that are going on along with the festival.  I follow AustinEavesdropper & This is Life in Austin. 

What to Pack:

• If the event is dog friendly, make sure you bring some water for your puppy and clean up supplies in case he/she needs to make a potty.  Check the weather, and leave Fido at home if the festival is in direct sun or over 80 degrees.  Make sure your puppy is also well-behaved and read these guidelines. 
  
• If the event is outside, wear sunblock.  It doesn't matter if it isn't sunny, wear sunblock.  Skin cancer isn't fun.  If it is rainy, bring a poncho or umbrella and carry a ziploc bag for your cell phone.  Water logged cell phones don't work.  
• Ladies, pack light.  You don't need 30 lbs of make up with you.  Sunblock, sunglasses, and lip gloss is all you really need. After five hours of walking, your tiny purse is going to feel like a cinder block. 
  
• If you bring your children, make sure they are under control.  Kids should not be allowed to run amok grabbing food off of tables and playing chase in crowded areas.  

What to Wear: 

• Dress for the weather.  If it is going to be 60 degrees outside, leave that cute little black dress at home unless you want to suffer from hypothermia.  
• If the event is going to be 100 degrees, wear shorts because heat stroke isn't cool.  No pun intending.  The EMS isn't going to care about how fashionable you look when they are trying to save your life. 
  
• No high heels, unless you want to break your ankle or suffer from blisters.  Remember, it's a festival, not a fashion show.  Save high heels for the run way.  Wear something comfortable.
  

Getting to know the vendors: 

• Don't be afraid to bring your own business cards if you make a connection with a vendor you like.  If you see a musician, food vendor, or artist that you'd might like to see again, give them your card.  
• On the other hand, only take promotional items from vendors you like.  If you'll never buy their products, please don't grab the expensive promotional fliers and brochures.  You'll just throw it away anyways.  It's a lose-lose situation. 
  
• If you stay late, you might be able to get donations from the vendors.  They don't want to take home all their extra products.  I had vending space at the Eukanuba Reliant Dog Shows for many years, and at the very end, I would get massive amounts of dog and cat food donations as I was trying to load my equipment.  I took those donations to local rescue groups and animal shelters. At food events, you might go home with boxes of sandwiches, tacos, burritos, or pizzas.  I'd freeze it, and feed myself for a month. 

Searching for Deals: 

• Local restaurants and hotels might run deals during large festivals.  For SXSW 2009, many local restaurants offered dishes at half off.  Check those out here. Yes, indeed.  
• Uchi (I've visited again and had a wonderful time since my last post) was running deals so good that I ate there twice during SXSW and once during ACL.  The average price per diner across these three visits was a mere $20.  I'm very happy to see that Uchi had my favorite roll at half off.  Shag me, baby!
• For very large festivals like SXSW, someone somewhere on the internet will take time to sort through all the event and activities into an easy to use spreadsheet.  Check out this spreadsheet from SXSW 2009.  Thank you to who ever made this wonderful guide. 
• Book your hotel ASAP, especially for SXSW. You can always cancel, but once they are booked, you'll be sleeping on the sidewalks or in a hotel lobby.
  

*This guide was previously intended for a website I had many moons ago: howtosurvivegradschool.com.