This is a new experience for me. Trying a Starbucks next to the freeway that doesn’t have inside seating. The downside is that the wireless connection out here is lacking. The good thing is that it is a beautiful night to be out on the patio with my Caramel Frappuccino.
If you go walking at the Domain on a Friday evening, you can experience several things. You can stop and admire the red roses. You can catch a rock band playing on the Great Lawn stage. Drop in at Flaming Pizza and build your own pizza creation. Make friends with a grackle who really just wants to taste a bit of your pizza. And as you walk back, you can catch the sun as it begins to set behind the power lines. Not too bad for a Friday evening.
Here is an interesting concept for a restaurant. Pizzas treated as tapas. 100 Pizzitas also has several full blown pizzas to choose from if you prefer not to sample some of the 100 different 6.5″ sized ones. My favorite tonight was number 59 – Provolone cheese, bacon, York ham, mushroom & cream. There is also a view of the Texas State Capitol building from the patio to enjoy.
What you see here is the stone oven that baked my Pesto Pizza. It included pesto sauce, mozzarella, chicken, fresh basil, and Parmesan. The Blue Baker seems like a nice relaxed spot to grab some grub, make use of the free Wi-Fi, and chill out for a bit. Beware, you may soon see my dusty self hanging out here after a long, hot hiking session in the area.
We received a one day cool front in the area today. No more 100 degree weather (until tomorrow). We decided to celebrate by hanging out on the patio of a local establishment for Happy Hour. The nice sunset is an extra bonus. 🙂
The UFC fights brought everyone out to Bombshells tonight to watch the Main Event. Ronda Rousey did not disappoint – unless you were looking for a fight that would last beyond 34 seconds into the first round. She is simply amazing! It was nice to sit out on the patio and enjoy all the action.
My afternoon plans were to attend the “Quesoff” at the Mohawk in downtown Austin. These plans were squashed when I showed up about thirty minutes early and the line went down the block and wrapped up the hill from there with no end in sight. Apparently, queso contests are extremely popular on beautiful sunny days in Austin. So, instead, I checked into Pelon’s for some brunch. This place is nice with a gorgeuos deck and groovy air-conditioned interior. The food needs a little work, but the location is perfect and the staff was great. See you next year, queso judging party!
My Friday evening consisted of a nice Jazz/Blues band at the Domain and a pizza on the patio of Flaming Pizza which overlooks The Great Lawn with its small amphitheater. This is a casual pizza joint that just opened a few weeks ago. My pizza of choice was the “Bacon n’ Shrooms” with white sauce, mozzarella, mushroom, applewood bacon, garlic, and arugula. Yummy! They only make one size pizza, about 11 inches, and you can build your own or pick one of their specialties off the menu. I believe they will all have a thin crispy crust, hot from the flaming oven. The next time I return, I will load up on a build your own version, starting with Canadian bacon and then piling on more toppings from there. 🙂
It is Sunday, so of course I was off to a lazy, late start to my day. Lucky for me, Blue Dahlia Bistro serves breakfast all day. I couldn’t pass up the “French Crepes w/ Vermont maple syrup & Ghirardelli chocolate sauce and berries.” And to add to my chocolate fix for the day, I slurped down the Peppermint Mocha. The restaurant is located on a small hill on the East side of Downtown Austin and there is a nice view of the Capitol Dome from this area. There is a patio on the front and the back of the restaurant, and today there was a cool accordion player to set a nice, relaxing mood. Check it out if you get the chance.
Happy New Year Internet Friends! I am going to bring in the New Year in Downtown Austin and I needed some food to help me make it through the night. A hearty burger from Casino el Camino did the trick. This place on Sixth Street is both a bar and it has a small, but awesome, kitchen in the back. There is eclectic art on the walls, a patio for hanging out, the best jukebox, and an upstairs area for relaxing and chatting. I ordered the Chicago Burger – bacon, romaine lettuce, tomato and cheddar cheese. Totally yummy! Secret Tip – When you order your food, don’t give them your real name, because when it is ready, they will call you over the loudspeaker in a fun way. It’s best to make them call out something funky to entertain the whole bar. 🙂
earthrobert 