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Buckeye in Longhorn land

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The one huge thing going for Austin is it is the live music captiol of the world.
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For one day. Okay, three.

:) Seriously though, SXSW is great. In recent years it has been better than CMJ, in my opinion. Unfortunately I missed this years but heard that there was an unfortunate lack of free beer and food from the labels-- part of what made this festival great: a BBQ feel. I think that SXSW will come to overshadow the CMJ marathon in importance due to the simplicity of it. With the CMJ event in NYC, long the most important label gathering in the country, you have to cab all over the place and it is very difficult, not to mention expensive, for out-of-towners to figure out where to go, how to do it, and what is going on. With the emergence of SXSW (it used to attempt to primarily showcase local stuff) you can now get the same number of bands all in one tiny area and in a relaxing, down-home setting. It is like vacation for all the industry wonks.

At the same time, to declare a live music capital on those three days is kind of funny. NYC has 50 times the music of Austin going on every day the rest of the year, not to mention still having a nearly identical marathon for three or four. . .

No harm in being proud of what you got, though. It's a great festival and cute little town. :wink:
 
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sushichic- try the Trudy's challenge next time you're in Austin. Start off the day at the campus Trudy's ordering your limit (2) of martinis. Then work your way to the other 3 Trudy's locations around Austin getting your limit at those establishments. My friend did that last weekend. He couldn't remember anything after the third stop. A designated driver is highly recommended.

Cincibuck, outstanding post. You captured Austin's atmosphere well.

A few comments:

Sounds like you spent most of your time in central Austin based on your comments. Indeed, the "island of blue" does seem a bit out of place, but it does add to Austin's character. It's also a much smaller island than you probably realize, as almost everything in Austin proper west of Lamar Blvd is your typical Texan red. I've always marveled at the political line of demarcation that the aformentioned road creates. But nobody really cares and we're all happy for the most part, so in this case ideological differences don't matter.

As far as the statues of Confederate icons go, it's a complicated issue. At the surface, it appears we are stubbornly clinging to antiquated principles (to put it very nicely), so I can't blame you for your reaction. The reasoning behind their existence is twofold: 1. The man who donated the land for the UT campus in the 1870's, Littlefield (he has a fountain and building named after him), did so on one condition: that statues honoring Jefferson Davis and Robert E Lee be made and displayed in prominent locations. 2. After WWI the plan was to put the Jeff Davis and RE Lee statues in a boat along with George Washington, with Woodrow Wilson at the bow. This, of course, symbolizes World War I's (and consequently Wilson's) effect of finally unifying a divided country under ONE flag. For reasons unknown to me, this plan never happened. I hope that clears things up a bit.

I think burnt orange is beautiful. :biggrin: I'm also a fan of the band uni's. I can understand how both would rub most people the wrong way though.

Salt Lick, eh. Their food isn't what it used to be, and the price has doubled in the last decade. But if you plan on getting drunk, yeah, it's cheap. Better barbecue can be had about an hour north in Llano at a place called Cooper's. I strongly urge anyone who has the time to make the drive. You will not regret it. The drive itself takes you through arguably the most beautiful country in Texas. And the food, well, Salt Lick ain't got nothin on Cooper's.

Again, great post Cinci. I enjoyed the read.
 
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EH- I am a survivor of the trudy's triangle/chalange/triad/ whatever. I must say that by the end of the night I was crawling on the floor and was very sick the next morning. I think that it had more to do with the sweet and sour mixed with olive juice though than the tequila.

I agree with you about the partisan lines in Austin to an extent but I still think that there are quite a few liberals hiding out in the hills(Travis county does vote overwhelmingly for the donkey) For the most part you are correct people still get along fine. Just can't stand when some dirty hippie blocks the drag for a protest.

As for Coopers you are right on the money. I have family out in Mason(home of another coopers) and it is still my favorite place to go. Coopers has actually been mentioned in the New York Times food section as a top five BBQ spot in the Nation. Great food, worth the drive, but make no mistake it is about a 2 hour drive.

As for the band unis well I think that we might have the worst ones in the nation. That being said I must admit that I have never understood why people think that our band is so good. This has got to be the only thing that aTm has on us. The burt orange is another story, I think that it is perfect along with our uniforms. I wouldn't change them for the world. Oh and "The Eyes of Texas" is one of the greatest school songs in the nation. Why would we change one of the most recognizable things about our school and switch to anything from indiana?
 
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HL- Driving like your grandmother? :wink2: Yeah, I speed. Made it to Cherokee (15 miles north of Llano) from Austin in 90 minutes a couple months ago.

You have family in Mason? I guess it's safe to say you know a few people with the last name of Stubbs then. I went hunting last year at a buddy's ranch (his last name Stubbs, of course) in Art. Nice place.
 
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Hey, I want in on posting pics of A-town!!
- Few notes: 1) Salt Lick BBQ DOES have a lot on Cooper's; they are both spectacular in their own, unique way(Cooper's-old hill country town setting, with open-pit style bbq and vinegar-based thin sauce. Salt Lick- Atmosphere city baby, middle-of-wilderness, hillcountry setting, excellent quality brisket, saugage, and ribs with a mustard-based, thicker sauce. Homemade bread is also a huge bonus as opposed to Cooper's Mrs. B's loaves. Just illustrates the differences though; Salt Lick- country pavilion, group gathering dinner setting, Cooper's- the ultimate, mid-day, low key, heartland bar b que chill-out spot w/ some spectacular meat quality cooked the right way, in 8, 10 foot long smoke pits. 2) I forgot my next point; the bbq was making me hungry.


Mount Bonnell Overlook Point in the hills along Lake Austin; looking north(away from downtown).

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Yes, UT is a fairly tightly-nestled campus on the edge of downtown Austin. But a remarkable feat of architectural and cosmetic design considering the infrastructure needed to support the daily commute of 50,000 students while supplying a sufficent amount of asthetically-appealing, open area for lounging.
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One of my favorite spots on campus- the East mall, repleat with seasonal gardens and a grand overview of east campus and DKR-Memorial Stadium, and of course flanked by the Tower and main mall concourse.
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The South Mall overlooking the capitol and downtown on the south edge of campus.
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It's been a while since I was in Columbus long enough to test out and verify eateries, but here goes:

1. If you have the time go to German Village. We do mean brats, mets and kraut in Ohio. Schmidts Sausage Haus has become a little too Bob Evans for me, but the quality of the sausage remains high. "You could do wurst," he said, trying to keep a straight face.

2. As a student (60s) I loved Planks on the west side of the village. It's lost some of its bare-wood-floors, neighborhood-bar charm over the years, but I still go back at least once a year and when the garden is open it's a great place to drink vast quantities of beer, people watch, and sing Across the Field. Very reasonable prices.

3. The original Max and Ermas operates out of GV. Great burgers... my personal favorite is the one with blue cheese... and fries.

4. Alas, we have no Shiner Bock in Columbus. Gambrinus was the local brewrey and the stuff they produced in the 60s was... let me put it to you this way, they once delivered two barrels of the stuff to a Phi Delt party for FREE. Within minutes the call went out and a rescue party sent out to buy some real beer. Imagine that, beer so bad that frat rats would rather pay than drink for free! They've brought the place back as a touristy micro brew bar. I was not impressed, but I only gave it one shot.

There is an excellent local beer from Cincinnati, Christian Moreline (sp), (wonderful creamy finish) but they have had little success in marketing it. You'd have to look for it to buy it. The same folks brew Sam Adams for the region, so you can drink Sam and tell yourself it's a local brew. If you can find it, try some Little Kings Cream Ale. Very tasty and don't be put off by the small bottles, Little Kings will knock you on your ass. Honker Ale is a good buy and there are some Cleveland brands I've enjoyed, but I don't have enough experience with them to make a recommendation. Someone from the city by the lake is sure to get on and add to the list.

A little CRS kicking in here, there was a terrific Italian restaurant in Grandview a few years back and I'm assuming it's still in operation. Seating on the sidewalks at night and terrific food and service... a bit on the pricey side, but you get what you pay for. Anyone from Columbus know what I'm talking about? (good, cause I don't) As you can tell from my posts, I'm no fan of corporate food. Bennigans, O'Charlies, Applebys et al give me no joi d' vive. But if that's what blows your skirt up, you'll find lots of it here in Ohio.
 
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I bet you were right at home in Austin with the "Keep Austin Weird" folks, Its nothing but local business oweners working to compete with the chili's of the world. Honkers isn't bad. The first time I had it I kept refering to it as goose head (guess I had one too many) The german village sounds right up my ally(being from a very german family myself) Im not a big sam adams guy, and generally try to stay away from any drink named after a cream. And now I'm hungry
 
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cincibuck said:
A little CRS kicking in here, there was a terrific Italian restaurant in Grandview a few years back and I'm assuming it's still in operation. Seating on the sidewalks at night and terrific food and service... a bit on the pricey side, but you get what you pay for. Anyone from Columbus know what I'm talking about? (good, cause I don't) As you can tell from my posts, I'm no fan of corporate food. Bennigans, O'Charlies, Applebys et al give me no joi d' vive. But if that's what blows your skirt up, you'll find lots of it here in Ohio.
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Grandview is a favorite of mine in the late summer. I think the restaurant you're talking about is Trattoria Roma? Or right down the street is Spagio. Both have f'ing amazing food (there are lots of Trattoria Roma's around the country but its not a chain, more like a generic name for an Italian restaurant I think). Trattoria Roma has great pasta, and Spagio has great everything else. Also on Grandview there are tons of other restaurants and bars that are worth checking into. Almost all the places have outdoor seating, decent street and off-street parking, and "small-town" kind of atmosphere, even though its just a few minutes south-west of campus.

Also check out Short North, south of campus on High Street...plenty of nice restaurants there. One of my favorite places in Short North is The Happy Greek. Tons of great Greek food and after 9:00 it turns into a bar. Just south of Short North is the North Market. Thats something I like a lot, its like modern twist on a farmers market - think like a grocery store, but full of restaurants instead of produce. Tons of good delis, pasta places, and ethnic food there.

I have only been in Columbus for about 2 years, but I don't see Columbus as having its "own" personality. Its more like mixing Cleveland and Cincinnati together and you get something else. I'm from Cinci, and it seems like Columbus lacks icons along the lines of Skyline Chili, Montgomery Inn, Graeters Ice Cream, etc. Granted, C-bus is a much newer town in comparison to Cinci or Cleveland. I also agree that Austin probably out-classes Columbus in culture. We're not exactly an LA, NY, or Seattle, but if you look around you'll find some unique aspects to Columbus.

EDIT: Which reminds me! Guys from Texas, if you come up here and see Skyline Chili, thinking "Oh sweet, they have chili here!" I can GUARANTEE that you will HATE it. Cincinnati style chili is sweet, not spicy (something I'm STILL not used to, after having lived there for 12 years). I'll take the texas stuff over Skyline any day. But if you go in there with an open mind, you might like it...
 
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I'm glad someone warned the Texans about Cincinnati chilli. It ain't my cup of tea... overtones of chocolate and cinnamon in a thin tomato sauce and then dumped onto overcooked pasta... yuck! The natives are nuts about it and at least twice a year a letter to the editor enters the Enquirer from some out of towner who thinks he's discovered the best thing since Christmas. Go figure.

Graeter's ice cream is in a class of its own. The company uses nothing but the best, lots of real cream and sugar, and hunks of chocolate or fruit depending on flavor.

There used to be an ice cream store on the nw corner of High, about a block or two north of campus, Gordons, that had a better than average product and terrific strawberries dunked in dark chocolate and then placed in the ice cream freezer. Fabulous!

Thanks to Rocketman for Spagio's name. Terrific Italian food and a wonderful atmosphere.

As for culture, both Austin and Columbus benefit greatly from having a university in their midst... and both schools benefit from having the state legislature in town... "Here, have four tickets to the game. By the way we need money for..." Just ask the presidents of Miami, Ohio U (our OU) or Bowling Green what an advantage tOSU enjoys.

I loved my visit to Austin. It has a unique feel to it and, to borrow from my hippie dippie days, sends out good vibes, but I wouldn't allow anyone to claim it any more culturally aware than Columbus. Culture is more than pop, and when you go beyond that you would have to give Columbus a big edge.
 
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Well im not sure that there are many towns in the world more anti-pop than austin. I think that I would need and example(i guess you could call the increasingly prevalent movie industry pop, even that is robert rodriquez type stuff though). I will admit that it is not the hippie haven that it once was but to call austin pop is a new one to me. Maybe im just comparing it to houston and dallas. As far as "more culturally aware than columbus" I have no clue and you are probably right on the money, but pop doubtful.
 
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