Road Trip 2: Date Night in Austin

Longhorn located behind the University Co'op
keeping watch over a parking lot of food trucks

I wasn't sure I could recall our last date night (not true, our last night was February 22, 2014 and was ruined by the fact that I finally succumbed to the stomach virus that had been making its way around our family shortly after finishing dinner). But, since my birthday was on the horizon, Hubby and I thought it might be nice to take a trip to Austin for an overnight get away this past weekend. Having deposited the children and our crazy dog with my inlaws and BIL and SIL in Temple (thank you, thank you, thank you!) and our guinea pigs left in the care of my SIL/BIL and our nieces in Houston (thank you, thank you, thank you!), we hit the road to the Bat City on a dreary, Scottish November day.

Hubby is Austin savvy, having grown up only an hour away and also having attended the University of Texas for his graduate degree. But, the city has changed quite a bit since he lived there, and finding a good lunch spot took some time. Fortunately, Mother's Cafe is still serving great vegetarian cuisine as they have been since 1980. Mother's Cafe is sort of a Texified Moosewood Restaurant. The atmosphere is comfortable and casual. We happened to hit Saturday brunch, so there was a harpist. Seated next to the restaurant's indoor water feature and munching on chips and some pretty tasty salsa, we were very content. Hubby ordered migas and the daily pancake (mixed berry). I opted for the guacamole salad, which was limey and refreshing, and a bowl of the soup of the day, which happened to be Mexican Rice. Mother's is proof that vegetarian food need not be boring or flavorless. The Mexican Rice soup was filled with flavorful veggies which the waitress said had been marinated or roasted (depending on the veggie in question) before being added to a homemade vegetable stock. I look forward to returning to this vegetarian haven on future trips to Austin.

After lunch, we drove to the Harry Ransom Center on the UT campus to see a temporary exhibit, "Producing Gone with the Wind." If you happen to be in Austin between now and January 4, 2015, this free exhibit is well worth a visit to the Harry Ransom Center. Several original costumes were on display. The museum is also screening some of the original screen tests for the movie. And, what trip to a Gone With the Wind museum exhibit would be complete without some GWTW merchandise including coffee mugs, magnets, trivia books, and tee shirts with catch phrases from the movie. Frankly my dear...

After a quick stop by the University Co'op to pick up a few stuffed longhorns for the kiddos and a quick break at our hotel to change into dinner clothes, Hubby and I drove to South Congress to do some window shopping. We stopped by Heritage Boot to check out the impressive selection of fancy cowboy boots. I spotted a really cute pair embroidered with cacti for a mere $1250. Yes, these boots were definitely out of our price range. But, it was still fun to look and admire. We also checked out The Turquoise Door, which specializes in Native American jewelry and Latin American folk art -- think awesome Dia De Los Muertos sculptures and Mexican tin Christmas ornaments. I could have spent quite a bit of time in the Turquoise Door, but it was almost time for dinner. 

Steak Tartare at Henri's

Since it was my birthday weekend, I was given total dinner venue selection authority. I knew I didn't want anything too fancy, since we planned to go dancing after dinner. So, after a bit of research, we made reservations at Henri's. 

Henri's specializes in two of my favorite things -- cheese and wine. It's a cozy restaurant with seating space for maybe 30 people at the most (if you include the tiny bar). Each table has a little glass jar filled with Trivial Pursuit cards so that you can quiz your dining partner while you await your cheese board. Overall, the atmosphere was cozy and casual -- exactly what I wanted. Hubby and I ordered steak tartare as a starter. Really, is there anything in this world better than raw beef with a raw egg on top? I've eaten more than my share of tartare through the years, but I've not had one better than Henri's. The beef was flavorful and perfectly seasoned. We followed the tartare with a "Monger's Board." The Monger's Board is a charcuterie board. You can opt for either 2 cheese and 1 meat or 3 cheeses and 2 meats. The cheese chef will personalize your Monger's Board with your wine selection for the evening. Accouterments such as homemade mustard, dried figs, and persimmon jam round out the plate. I should have taken a photo of the board. But, Hubby and I were so focused on eating a meal and actually having an adult conversation, that it didn't occur to me to photograph the board until the next day.

The night was still young when we left Henri's. Even though I really wanted to go back to the hotel for 12 hours of uninterrupted sleep, I rallied and we headed to The Broken Spoke. The Broken Spoke is a Texas dance hall. For 50 years (it celebrated it's birthday this month), the Broken Spoke has offered great live music to enthusiastic Two Steppers. Hubby and I happened to be there on the night that The Derailers were playing (one of Hubby's favorites). The Broken Spoke is exactly as I imagined it. The building is a little shabby (parts of the ceiling are held up by plywood and the ladies' room stalls have curtains instead of doors). But, it certainly doesn't lack ambiance. We arrived early and watched the end of the nightly "dance lesson" before hitting the floor ourselves. If I do say so myself, we held our own given that we haven't actually danced in years and given that I'm not Texan. We weren't the worst dancers and we enjoyed watching the best. We didn't make it to last call (not even close), but we stayed out way past our usual bedtime.

Sunday morning started as all Sundays in Austin must, with breakfast tacos. There are so many great breakfast taco spots, but we stuck with one of Hubby's favorites, Taco Shack, home of the Shack Taco. Taco Shack has many locations, but we ate at the downtown shack, which was less of a shack and more of a restaurant in the lowest level of an office building. The menu features many different types of tacos as well as migas and burritos. But, for us, there was only one choice -- The Shack Taco. Filled with chorizo (because we hadn't had enough nitrates the night before), potatoes, eggs and cheese and served in a warm tortilla, it's hard to beat The Shack Taco. Hubby was quick to point out that Taco Shack is superior because they cook the potatoes separately from the eggs, which means that the final potato product is crispy rather than mushy. Yes, Taco Shack was the perfect ending to our perfect Austin date night. 

There's a lot to explore for a foodie couple in Austin. We only just tipped the iceberg this past weekend. But, we made notes of spots to hit on our next visit and also established a few favorites. And, hopefully our next date night won't be that far away. 

Texas Forever.