DDD in Austin

For the fourth year in a row I booked a cruise that coincided with the Super Bowl.  Last year I met two couples from New Orleans while playing Progressive Trivia during the cruise.  We made up a team called "The Who Dats".  After that cruise ended we kept in touch and in the summer I got an email from them and they asked if I would like to join them in 2012 for the Super Bowl on a cruise on Royal Caribbeans Voyager of the Seas out of their hometown on New Orleans.  I decided that I would join them and it would be my first time in New Orleans, so it would be a double bonus.

As the day got closer I noticed that I would actually be done with work the Wednesday before the Saturday cruise departure, so I was thinking that this would make a great opportunity to try some DDD places before the cruise.  I really didn't need to get to New Orleans until Thursday so what to do and where to go on Wednesday.  I searched flights and DDD places and after thinking about Atlanta, I decided that Austin, Texas would be a good place to try.  I contacted my high school friend, Deborah, who lives there if she might be interested in joining me and not only did she agree, but she also volunteered to do the driving, which was great for me as cars are very expensive there. 

A word about Deborah, she is one of the most giving and great people that I know.  She gives tirelessly to the cause of Breast Cancer and to the treatment and health of animals.  While my sister-in-law was going through her cancer problems a few years back, Deborah helped both my sister-in-law and myself with understanding all the complications, I can only say that she is a very special person to me!

Mueller's Barbecue in Taylor, Texas

Mr. Mueller, Deborah and me

My Brisket Sandwich and Beans Lunch

I took the morning nonstop from Dulles to Austin and arrived into Austin about 11am.  Deborah came and picked me up and we headed northeast of Austin to the small town of Taylor about 45 minutes from the Texas capital.  Our destination was MUELLERS BARBECUE.  As we arrived and looked over the menu, the staff offered us a small burnt end of their signature beef brisket.  It was awesome, the bark was unreal.  Barbecue bark is that black or brown "skin" of the brisket that has all the spices that the chef has applied to the meat and alot of flavor.  I decided upon the small brisket sandwich with a side of beans, a real barbecue lunch!  I was able to meet Mr. Mueller, the grandson of the the man who founded the restaurant over half a century ago.  His father who passed away a few years ago was the chef who cooked with Guy on the show.  He gladly signed my book and while Deborah and I ate, we were very well attended to by the staff, who made sure that all was well.  This was not done just for us but everyone in the restaurant. 

From Mueller's we headed back to Austin and passed a really growing and thriving high tech area.  Austin is not only home to the Capital of Texas, but also the University of Texas Longhorns and the maker of the computer I am banging this blog on, Dell Computers.  We got back into Austin and headed to our next location GREEN MESQUITE. 

Jambalaya at Green Mesquite

The restaurant is a small place that serves up alot of different meals.  The decorations are retro and I really liked the joint.  I decided to get the Jambalaya, which Guy cooked on the episode.  It was very good with homemade sausage, which really gave the plate a kick of heat.  A really great meal! I was able to get the server and manager to sign  my book and away we went.

The next stop was probably one of the most uniquely decorated places I have ever been to.  It reminded me of Hillbilly Hot Dogs in West Virginia, I guess it would be the Hillbilly place of Austin.  Welcome to MARIA'S TACO XPRESS.  This is a funky joint decorated with statues and paintings all over the place with great seating both inside and out.  I was getting pretty full by this point and decided upon a taco and Deborah got a very appealing salad.  Deborah's friend came over and visited with us during this stop and it was nice making a new friend and hearing all about the Austin area.  As Maria was not in, the most senior employee signed my book, a really cool thing!

Maria's Taco Xpress

Unique Decor at Maria's

Being pretty full and still having a few places to try, we took a break and Deborah took me on a driving tour of Austin into the more ritzy areas of the city.  It was a fun ride in her funky VW Westfalia Bus.  It is sort of a mobile work space for her.  We had a fun stop where she performed some maintenance on the bus right in downtown Austin, pretty cool in my book!  Probably the highlight of the day wasn't a restaurant but a short hike that we took along the river, it was just a great respite!

We headed into the 6th Street corridor where Austin gets it nickname "World's Live Music Capital".  On the weekend this area is alive with music, bars and restaurants all over.  It is a very busy and lively area.  The night we were there it was not so alive, but that was ok with me.  We stopped at a bar called CASINO EL CAMINO.  This bar is known for it's hot and spicy burgers.  We spent a few moments with a drink and just sort of took into the funky attitude of the place.

They have a loft area with a pool table and really cool old movie posters on the walls.  A really fun and funky place.

From there we went to our last stop a classic diner-cafe called MAGNOLIA CAFE.  The tag line here is "Sorry - We're Open".  Magnolia has two locations and we went to the south side location, which is where Guy filmed the episode.  The menu is large and varied and I decided to go breakfast for dinner.

 I tried their signature Pumpkin Pancakes with real maple syrup.  they were delicious and  make a great ending to a wonderful day of great food and visiting with a very special friend.  Deborah dropped me off at the hotel and I had to get re energized for the trip to New Orleans very early the next morning, but that is a story for the next blog.

Thank you so much Deborah, it was a wonderful day!