Best Burger in Town...shhhh don't tell anyone!

I hesitate to do this post because I don't want to blow up their spot and have held off until now but...The Hills Cafe on S.Congress has the BEST burger I have ever had.


Hill's is so unassuming from the outside but it’s all a façade. These people know what they're doing! The inside is very laid back, their booths are named after famous country singers. Also, there is a great back patio with lots of seating and even a tree house!

Their buns are made daily and have almost a sweet taste to them. I'm not a big fan of the sweet over savory but they make it work. The french fries are my favorite, big wedge fries with lots of seasoning on them. YUM!

If you are ever down south and in the mood for a burger, do yourself a favor and go to The Hill's Cafe!

~ A very fat and happy Laura

A little facelift for the pups

So I bought these little guys (Fu dogs) at TJ Maxx last week, but didn't quite want to go with the b/w theme, so I bought some orange spray paint and primer for a little face lift.

In the end I want them to resemble this (Fu dogs from CB2, ~$50,) at only half the cost and a little work.

Fu dogs from CB2

I will post the "after" pictures once it STOPS RAINING! :(

~Rachel

Chronicle's Best of Party

Last night I was excited to be the chosen member of the Texas Freedom Network (TFN) staff to attend the Best of Austin Chronicle Party to accept our award for best Nonprofit, on behalf of the whole staff. I was a very nice event at the new AT&T Conference center on UT's campus. Free food and booze always generates a great turnout.

If you live in Austin and support the issues TFN promotes be sure to grab your ticket to this years Austin Gala! (I wouldn't be a good fundraiser if I didn't plug my own event! )

~Laura

Hipster of the Week!

Location: Beerland, Red River

Sorry for the poor quality of the picture, it was taken with a camera phone at night

This lovely hipster is wearing the ever necessary plaid shirt and a spandex mini skirt. Now personally I don't think anyone, no matter how skinny you are should be sporting one of these but clearly people disagree with me. The best part of this outfit were the royal blue pumps with the sparkle ankle socks, my phone sucks and couldn't capture the awesomeness. I don't really get this style either but I've seen it more than once.

The Renowned...Lustre Pearl

We have arrived... for happy hour that is.

A few friends and I made it to Lustre Pearl, finally, after all the chatter that has been going on around Austin for the past few months.

It was pretty much what I had expected, very "Austiny" (I know, you are probably sick of hearing that, as any new establishment in Austin is described with the same adjective.) Honestly, though it is really "Austiny." Huge backyard w/ plenty of tables and chairs to just chill and relax, ping pong table, taco truck, I mean if that isn't Austin, then what is?! Please tell me, no really, please.

Anyway, the one thing that I'm sure most people would gripe about (besides the neighbors not picking up their dog's poop) is the lack of A/C. The house is wide open (doors, windows, everything) and apparently the only place that has A/C is the bathrooms (thanks Laura, for checking that out!) So the general consensus (my friends and all of Austin) is that Lustre Pearl is rad!

~Rachel

HOT DOGS!

If you know me at all you know I've never met a hot dog I didn't like. When I heard that Starlite was closing I was sad but excited to hear a new restaurant was going in its location called Frank's and the majority of their menu was going to be hot dogs! Yesterday, I finally made it to Frank's and it met and exceeded all my expectations. The menu is basically hot dogs with all different toppings. Anything from cole slaw to chili. They also have a full bar and an extensive beer list. But most notably they have bacon infused Maker's Mark. Who doesn't need a little whiskey at lunch? The atmosphere is super laid back. Clientele ranged anywhere from families with young children to businessmen. They are open additional hours, Thursday through Satruday until 2am, which could be very dangerous for me.



I had the Slaw Dog and LOVED IT! The cole slaw was super horseradishie but good. I also had the waffle fries with buffalo bleu sauce which was amazing also. Don't let the color of the sauce turn you off. Franks has made it into the normal lunch rotation, for sure. If your in the mood for a hot dog you should check out Frank's, they will not disappoint! Brunch hours are being added soon!

~ Laura

CHEESE the way to my heart!

Photo: Michael Kraus

Texas is known for many things and cheese is not one of them. BUT there are a couple that are worth trying. Today, I read a good article about Texas Cheese! ....all of which I have enjoyed during my time in Austin. Read article

I highly suggest you do yourself a favor and have yourself a taste. If you are interested in food at all you should join the Tasting Table daily email list.

~Laura

Mighty Cone

This weekly trailer post is Mighty Cone 1603 S. Congress Ave. in the thick of all the South Congress goodness.

Atmosphere

5-kind of in a weird spot with a bus stop very close.
7-right of S. Congress, easy to find and lots of umbrellas for shade in the August heat.

Price

8-a good price for a full meal.
8-good deal for quality of food sold out of a trailer

Quality of food
6-good products used, just something about it a little off.
8-thought it was very good, just kinda hard to eat? Awkward w/ the cone, etc...


Accessibility
7-a little hard to get to just because of the limited parking on S. Congress....oops I missed that big free parking lot.
10-there was a parking lot behind the food trailer(s) that was FREE!


Cleanliness
8-very clean and lots of recycling options.
8-super clean, what Laura said.


Local
8-in the middle of the craziness that is S.Congress.
8-good local location and Hudson on the Bend is an Austin staple


Service
9-good service
9-good service, just dont go when there is a bus full of 16 yr. old girls.


Item menu & rating

- Hot & Spicy Chicken and Avocado & Fries - there was some flavor on the chicken that did not agree with me. The avacado was a little too large and didn't taste right fries - 6 The fries were good and well seasoned - 8

- Hot & Spicy Chicken, thought it was really good, liked the crust that was on the chicken - 8

Would you eat there again?

- probably not, it wasn't bad but it also isn't something I am going to crave.

-definitely

Laura & Rachel

Quarter Life Crisis?? --- and no I am not quoting the horrible John Mayer song

picture courtesy of Eyes tothesky.com

Since we all feel this way but just can't bring ourselves to discuss or accept the fact that we are growing up, I figured I'd throw it in everyone's face. I connected with this article and felt most, if not all of my friends could relate. Read with caution, openness, fear but most of all a sense of humor.

An excerpt from the article:

Having so much — youth, ability, independence — can feel like the worst possible scenario. What remains, though, is the potential for the years with anxiety and without direction to be reclaimed. Scheer sees real opportunity here. “If you feel you’re in crisis, this is a great opportunity to draft a five-year plan with steady concrete goals to help you get to where you want to be. Anyone can transform their life in just a few years.” Michael Kimmel says “There is life on the other side of this, and it’s actually a pretty good one. Growing up may be hard to do, but in the end, the gains outweigh the losses.” In other words: it might just be time to grow the fuck up... click link below to read more.

http://www.eyeweekly.com/article/55882



Thanks Ade for sharing!

~Laura

A little taste of home

Order and they shall come

Last weekend a group of my friends gathered at Canyon Lake (the only lake around the Austin area with any water in it worth boating on) for a well known summer Maryland tradition, eating Maryland Blue Crabs. My friends Dave and Ryan grew up in Southern Maryland(wherever that is...sorry guys I had to) and me being from right outside of D.C. we thought, what is a summer without a little Blue Crab?

Dave the Master Crab Cooker!

Since flying to Maryland for the weekend was out of the question we decided to have Maryland brought to us, all the way in the middle of Texas. We ordered 3 bushels (about 7 1/2 dozen) and had them shipped overnight and they arrived Saturday morning at 10:00 a.m. You can't have crabs without some Old Bay and Malt Vinagar so both were present as well.

Setting up the feast

The aftermath of Crab Fest '09

Now I grew up eating Blue Crabs and taking them apart and getting out every last bit of meat out of them was ritualistic for me. Our significant others on the other hand thought this ritual to be a little strange, but they indulged us in our nostalgia for a weekend. It was a lot of fun, a learning experience for some but fun was had by all. I hope it becomes a tradition no matter where I live.

Mookie (Ryan's dog) is over Crab Fest '09

~ Laura

Euro who?

I will be crossing that vast water, people affectionately call a "pond" for a speedy Eurotrip. I promise (really) to report once I get back and I/we will reside our dutiful positions as amazing blog writers (or something like that...) Wish me well and I will catch you on the flip side!

XOXO,
Rachel

Summer Sabbatical

Sorry to those of you dedicated 'A little Bit of Wonderful' readers, we are on a bit of a summer sabbatical and should be back by mid-August!

Click Here to read another blog we LOVE to occupy your time!

~ Rachel & Laura

A little P&P is good for the soul.

Pitch & Putt on 201 Lee Barton Drive is one of my most fave things to do after work or on a weekend. For y'all that don't know, it is a par 3, 9-hole course in the middle of Austin. It gets a little crowded after 5 on weekdays and afternoons on weekends, but it is worth it!

Heath "pitching" it up...

My friend was here a few weeks ago, and that is the 2nd place (1st place, Chuy's for Mesican) we went! We had a blast, despite the 100 degree temperatures and farmer tans that came of it!

Our "hobo" cooler, thank you 7-11 attendant.

I was playing amazing, till around cerveza numero tres...

Sowwy... but yummy food and golf to report!

Sorry, it has been so long since the last blog update. I guess life got a little hectic, but Buenos Aires Cafe gave me the umpf I needed to get on here and tell you how great it was!

We went to the new location on East 6th Street last week. For appetizers (sorry ate them too fast so there are no pics) we had emapanadas; Verdura-spinach, ricotta, parmesan cheese and onions, also had the Pollo-chicken, red bell peppers, green onions and herbs. Both were so yummy, but very rich and heavy.

building across from the cafe (though it was nifty.)

Then for the main dish we had salmon, 2 prawns, potatoes, asparagus, carrots and some other amazingness. It was the special that day so unfortunately, I can't remember all the extras that made it so great!

My recommendation is to def give it a try! It wasn't that expensive and the atmosphere was great, as well as the service!

Hipster of the Week!

It isn't just 20 somethings that have been infected with the hipster virus. This week's young (looks about 12) hipster was spoted at the Santigold show at Stubb's this week in the full hipster uniform. The only part that is a little confusing are those cropped sweatpant looking pants? This is a new requirerment? I guess we'll find out.


Have a great weekend! We will continue our regular posting next week so don't forget to stop by.

~ Laura & Rachel

ps: if you get a chance to see Santigold, do it! It was a great show!

There's Still Time!

As I get older I feel more of a responsibility to give my dad some awesome random gift. In my never ending search for the perfect fathers day gift I came across three noteworthy gifts. So due to my urge to procrastanate today I will share them with you.

1) Beer Holster ($49.00) - RedEvelope.com carries this wonderfully unique gift for any dad who enjoys a cold beverage on the go. I quickly crossed this one off the list because my dad proudly announced the last time I was in Florida that he was off the bottle. But it would have been in the running had he still been a drinker.

2) Humminbird SmartCast RF35 Wristwatch Fishfinder (83.99) - found on gizmag.com. This cool little gadget allows you to find fish without having one of those expensive detectors on your boat. You put the bowie in the water and strap the watch to your wrist and you are good to go. I personally hate fishing and have yet to go on a fishing trip with my dad but he loves to fish.

3) Golf Ball finder ($35.00)- found on Golfgiftsgalore.com. Another hobby of my dads is golf. My parents play at least three times a week. No matter how good of golfer you are there are always going to be those days where you lose at least 3 balls in the front nine. I figured this inexpense gift is perfect. Who knows if it really works but for 35 bucks it worth a try.

If you are low on funds and haven't seen this ecard site it is worth checking out. http://www.someecards.com/ I know I can always find the right card for the occasion.

Happy Friday!

~ Laura

Trailer Food... Def an Austin thing

PHOTO BY INUYAKI.COM/FLICKR CC

Seems that Gus at The Atlantic doesn't quite embrace the Austin trailer scene as much as Austinites do. Let's be honest, we just love us some aesthetic quirkiness and great, quality food.

So with the start of our new "Trailer Park reviews" here is a taste or distaste (yes, I throw in bad jokes everywhere) of someone that is not a lover of the alternative style that is Austin.

http://food.theatlantic.com/artisans/chicken-and-waffles-texas-style.php

Enjoy!

~Rachel

Trailers aren't Trashy Anymore!

At least in Austin... This weekly post is our attempt at rating the food trailers around town. So many have popped up in the past year we feel the need to try them ALL! So every week one unsuspecting food trailer will be subjected to our very scientific litmus test. To kick off our food trailer segment we picked Torchy's Taco's at 1311 S.First Street, Trailer Park Eatery!

Torchy's Chicken Fajita Tacos

Atmosphere-

8-laid back

8-always very laid back and a great place to bring dogs

Price -

7-I have an expectation that trailer food s/b über cheap, my own obstacle to get over!

8-affordable for the amount of food you get

Quality of food-

7-wasn't a fan of torchy's the first time I tried it (I know, I know...)

second time around much better

9-always very consistent, my personal favorite breakfast taco's in town

Accessibility-

6-lunch time rush=limited parking

7-big parking lot, but can get crowded

Cleanliness -

6-it's in a trailer park, you can't have high expectations

7- It's kind o fhard to tell what's going on in there

Locale-

8-in a good spot for south austinites, easily visible and easy to find for the rest of us

8 - good location not too far south or too far north

Service-

7- took over 20 minutes for my food to arrive :(

10- I usually went on a Sunday and they must have their A team working.

Rachel

Laura

1 - very poor to 10- Awesome

~Laura & Rachel

Sine Die!

Don't miss Texas Freedom Network's Sine Die (from the Latin "without day" means "without any future date being designated for resumption") fiesta tomorrow night from 5:30-7:30 at Scholtz's Garden. Show up early for free beer and food! A collective sigh of relief is heard throughout the state...Kiss the session goodbye and come hangout with local progressives! Music by Dennis Campa, from KOOP Radio's "Adventures in Sound" (http://www.koop.org/ or http://myspace.com/adventuresinsound917)

It should be a good time. Hope to see you all there!

~ Laura & Rachel

Santigold, previously SantOgold...

Place: Levi/Fader Fort, SXSW 2008
Who: Santogold
What: Amazingness

I just happen to stumble upon her last year when she performed at the fort. She was the type of artist that you automatically start bopping your head to and smiling! A lot of people compare her style to MIA, but I think she def has her own vibe.
So all y'all better check her out before June 15 when she will be playing at Stubb's!

www.stubbsaustin.com


Below is her Myspace to hold you over till then... I know, I know... but it's only 2 weeks away! See you then.

www.myspace.com/santigold

Buy Local!

This weekend I was introduced to the South Austin farmers marketing. It was an awesome experience. The farmers market opens at 9am which is nice because I am not an early bird by any means. We got there by 10am and there was still a large variety of good meats and produce available. There are about 30-35 tents set up everything from produce, meats to handmade glass vases. It was great to see so many people out supporting local. The highlight of my trip was Aunt Nita's Hummus, if you are a hummus fan this stuff is the BEST! She makes all different kinds but I ended up settling on the black olive hummus. I figured I would share this little piece of heaven with all of you.

Check it out on Saturday!

~ Laura

Hipster of the Week!

Hipsters like to be outdoors too!

This weeks hipster sighting was at Twim Falls. Notice the bright colored bathing suits and the crazy sunglasses are still prominate. Hanging out at the falls is awesome and totally worth the mile walk to the only little bit of water on the trail. As you can tell from the picture the water level is the lowest I have ever seen it. But there is still enough water for the dogs to play and for humans to be about chest deep. It was a perfect day to take the dogs for a swim. If you have never been you should check it out.

~ Laura & Rachel

Al Franken Comes to Tejas!

photo courtesy of Needlenose.com

Tonight I will be attending a fundraiser to benefit the Al Franken Recount Fund. Franken is on the verge of heading to D.C. to be the crucial 60th vote in the Senate. His vote is needed to help pass important legislation on health care, the economy, the nomination of Judge Sotomayor, and much more. Don't miss it! Should be a good time! Click here for more information!

~Laura

Perla's, a new gem in town!

www.perlasaustin.com

I know a pearl is not really a gem, but its 2:30 p.m. on a Friday afternoon and that's about all the creative energy I could muster up. I digress...

I tried this new "gem" (okay, I'll stop) out last night and all I have to say is it was delish! It was great service, great food, and great atmosphere. It definitely has an "east coast" vibe to it, with the servers dressed in their pastel shirts, ribbon belts, and khakis. I ended up ordering the Grilled Striped Bass with Figs, Carmelized Endive, Arugula. It was a very unexpected, pleasant surprise. The figs gave the bass a sweetness that I definitely was not expecting.

I would recommend any seafood lover or geologist (just one more) in the Austin area to try it!

Have a great weekend!
~Rachel

Margot and the Nuclear So & So's at Mohawk

Hey everyone,
Margot and the Nuclear So & So's are playing at Mohawk Saturday night. Needless to say I am super stoked and can't wait to see them live! Telekinesis is opening for them. Doors open at 10 pm, be there or...
www.mohawkaustin.com

Hipster of the Week!

This week's hipster comes to us from L.A. another city
that has exploded with hipsters.
Gotta have the black tight jeans, the goofy shoes and if you notice he has his crazy sunglasses in his hand. The most important piece of his outfit is his Obey t-shirt. You can't show up to a gallery showcasing Frank Shepard Fairey's work not wearing a piece of his art.
Fairey is best known for his Andre the Giant tags that later evolved into Obey the Giant campaign he is also know for the famous 2008 Obama "HOPE" poster.
As we all know hipsters are all edgy art loving gallery goers.

~ Laura & Rachel


If you enjoy these posts you may want to check out another funny site http://www.latfh.com/

*If you happen to have a hipster siting that you feel is worthy of a post please feel free to email us at littlebitofwonderfulaustin@gmail.com

Take a Listen

Do you ever get to that point where everything on your ipod is crap? I felt that way about a week ago so I decided to download some new music. Shows I saw at SXSW and look forward to seeing at ACL were the inspiration. Living in Austin I do try and see as much live music as I can. I am by no means a music expert or claim to have impeccable taste so with that said proceed with that in mind.

1) Band of Horses - Cease to Begin

Made up of four guys from Seattle. If you know me at all you know I love a good indie pop boy band. Band of Horses has thoughtful, well constructed lyrics that are easy to relate to. I like the catchy their lyrics but their upbeat sounds.

2) School of Seven Bells (SVIB) - Alpinisms

Made up of two twin sisters and guy they have a very creative, abstract and in my opinion the kind of music that would be playing in my dreams. ( That explans why one critic called it dreamy pop) They are different from anything I've heard in awhile and interesting. It was refreshing to find out that not all their tracks sound alike which comes happens often with super creative and different bands. I think they are worth checking out. They are playing the Friday of ACL. Interesting Fact- The band is named after a mythical South American pickpocketing training academy.

3) Blind Pilot - 3 Rounds and a Sound

Made up of two guys from Portland. Seeing them live this year at the NPR Showcase at SXSW was all I needed to be totally hooked. Going into those showcases you have no idea what to expect but every year I am pleasantly surprised by who I end up seeing. They had the whole crowd in total awe with their simplistic/touching lyrics yet there was something that set them apart from just another folk poppy bands. They are both incredibly talented and humble on stage. I wish I could articulate my feelings about their sound better but I guess you'll just have to listen for yourself.


Other artist totally worth checking out: Fleet Foxes, Bon Iver, Jamie Lidell and Solidgold

~Laura

Max's Wine Dive

Max's Wine Dive

My friend, Garcia, and I went to Max's Wine Dive last week, so I decided to write a little review about this new Austin establishment.

First, we both started off with a glass of wine and the pan borracho (drunken bread.) It was delicious and just keep getting better with every bite, seriously, more amazing the more we ate!

Pan Borracho

For the main course we both couldn't resist the fried chicken. It was just taunting us from the minute we saw it on the menu... When the fried chicken arrived they attempted to take the pan borracho away, which was greeted with "touch it and die" stares from both of us. The fried chicken was amazing. It had a bit of a bite with the jalapeño & buttermilk marinade, but dipping it in the chipotle honey changed the taste of the chicken completely. My plan was to only eat half and take the rest home. Well that didn't exactly happen since there was nothing left for leftovers.

Max's Fried Chicken

All and all it was a great experience. The staff was very attentive and the food was great. The only "complaint" (for lack of a better word) was the atmosphere, I felt like Dallas/Houston was transported to Austin... Also, the acoustics of the place was terrible. We had to scream at each other the whole time to hear anything. Those being minor inconveniences in what was a great time!

~Rachel

Introducing --- Hipster of the Week

To preface this section we mean no disrespect to hipsters or their culture. Living in Austin it is a fact of life that this style is popular. We felt it necessary to give credit where credit is due. Therefore we are embracing all hipsters and their style. Every Friday we will choose one very lucky and unaware Austin 'Hipster' we believe deserves recognition.

A few notes: Every hipster comes equipped with some or all of these items to make them a true 'hipster' 1) a rad pair of sunglasses, preferably very colorful , most popular choice Ray Ban wing fares. 2) Plaid or V-neck shirts are a must, 3) Skinny Jeans 4) and you can't forget the scarf in 90 degree weather. Enjoy!


This week goes to a very friendly genelman we met siting at Key Bar on w.6th. It was his birthday (that is why he was collecting dollars on his shirt...I guess it's a New Orleans thing?) We chose him because he is in our eyes the quintessential hipster. Plaid shirt check; skinny pants check; scarf in 90 degree weather check and our favorite acessory his wild and crazy sunglasses!

Have a great weekend!

~Laura & Rachel

Stay Tuned...

photo courtesy of www.maxswinedive.com

I'll be doing a review for Max's Wine Dive very

soon (this week.)

This review will be based on us being "regular"

patrons, rather than the Austin bloggers

opening/party they had last week...

Stay tuned.

~Rachel

Getting to know Laura Anne & Rachel Leigh

Hello everyone! Just wanted to share a little bit about ourselves with you before we get this going! We decided to just answer ten questions about ourselves, instead of writing a long, drawn out bios, that you would never read anyway! Enjoy!

Rachel = pink
Laura = blue

1) What cities have you lived in?
Batesville, AR, Monmouth, IL, Jacksonville, IL, San José, Costa Rica (summer) and nearly every zip code in Austin!
Pittsburgh, PA, Chevy Chase, MD, Cincinnati, OH, Barcelona Spain (a summer) and Austin, TX!

2)What is your favorite smell?
Freshly baked bread & cut grass
New tennis shoes & Gasoline.

3) Where would someone most likely run into you in Austin?
Townlake/Clarksville walking Cali, El Patio eating Mesican food, or Woodrow's enjoying the sun.
Torchey's Taco's on S.1st(getting my weekly fix) or The dog park.

4) What is your favorite food/drink?
Gin & Tonic/a big juicy, tender steak
Jack and Coke/Cesar Salad

5) What is your favorite website (besides facebook)?
Design Sponge or Grain Edit (toss up)
Gawker (the perfect amount of gossip and "news")

6) If you had to describe your music taste in one word what would it be?
I was going to say Eclectic but Laura stole it, ;) so I would say "Indie."
Eclectic

7) What is your favorite place to be on a typical 102 degree Austin Summer day?
Anywhere outside in Austin with water & beer in arm's reach.
Barton Springs, Little Woodrows.

8) What is one of your guilty pleasures?
I still watch MTV like a 15 yr old girl.
Singing cheesy music alone in my car.

9) Fill in the blank.....The other night I________.
Drank wine, cooked dinner, & smoked a cigar with my bff since I was 13.
Had a bunch of people over for dinner and there are wine glasses everywhere!

10) What are two things I always have in my purse?
Carmex & a mirror
Some kind of chewy sour candy & contact solution.

11) Insert recent favorite picture
http://www.100abandonedhouses.com/
http://intelligenttravel.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/02/27/the_last_sunray_barcelona_3.jpg

Coming soon......