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Gifts for Stereotypical Austinites

Our holiday gift guide: What to buy for the stereotypical Austinite

Katie Friel
Dec 3, 2013 | 6:00 am

With Thanksgiving gone, it's time to focus on the coming flurry of gift-giving holidays. Luckily, CultureMap has you covered.

Everyone has an opinion about Austin — and the fine people who live here — so why not make a list poking fun at the reputation we've garnered? Today we present the first installment in our Holiday Gift Guides: What to buy for the stereotypical Austinite.

The best part is that, stereotyped or not, we'd all probably like to find a few these under our tree.

Since we're not "from" Austin:
Filson Medium Duffle Bag
Stag, $325

Since everyone living in Austin is from, well, not Austin, we spend a lot time schlepping home for the holidays. Might as well make sure your beloved Austinite travels in style with this bag from South Congress boutique Stag. While Stag is technically a men's shop, this durable and stylish tote is perfect for men or women.

Since we all have dogs:
Melly Collar - Brody
Mellycollars.com, $24.95

Handmade in Austin, these Martingale-style collars come in a variety of colors and patterns, including a bunch of reflective options perfect for walking your pooch at night. As if stylish collars weren't enough, Melly donates a collar to area rescue organizations like Austin Pets Alive! with every purchase.

Want to check them out in person before you buy? Mellys are available at independent retailers around town.

Since we only drink beer:
Local beers
Whip In, prices vary

There is no shortage of fantastic local breweries in Austin. Want to surprise the Austinite in your life? Head to Whip In and grab enough beers from these local breweries to stock the fridge: Austin Beerworks, Hops & Grain, Argus Cidery, (512) Brewing Company, Jester King Brewery, Kamala Brewing, Rogness Brewing Company, Real Ale, Adelberts Brewery, St. Arnold Brewing Company, Independence Brewing Co., Thirsty Planet Brewing and Guadalupe Brewing Company are all available at this South Austin staple.

Bonus? Pick up a Whip In growler and have the bartender fill it up from the draught. Delish! Double bonus? Grab yourself lunch; you'll need fuel for your holiday shopping.

Since we're all obsessed with breakfast tacos:
Austin Breakfast Tacos: The Story of the Most Important Taco of the Day by Mando Rayo and Jarod Neece
BookPeople, $14.99

Local "taco journalists" Mando Rayo and Jarod Neece have been blogging about Austin's favorite food for a while, but last summer they complied the best of their work into a tome dedicated to the delicious breakfast taco. With suggestions for best places to grab a bite and more than 40 recipes to test out at home, this book will make sure that no one in Austin is ever deprived of the most important taco of the day.

Bonus? If you want to go the extra mile, order directly from Rayo and Neece's blog and receive a signed copy.

Since we live for barbecue:
Fire cupping session
Hiatus Spa + Retreat, $45 a la carte

Standing in line
Franklin Barbecue, free

So here's the thing about living in Austin. Since everyone from Texas Monthly to Anthony Bourdain to Bon Appetit named Franklin Barbecue the best in the country, people have flocked to the little shop on East 11th Street, bringing with them a very, very long line.

Want to create the ultimate day of indulgence for your Bat City giftee? Stick with the fire theme and book them an early reservation for a fire cupping session at Hiatus Spa + Retreat. While they're being pampered and detoxified, offer to spend your morning in line at Franklin. When they emerge from their treatment, you can retoxify them with gift of some of the best barbecue in the world — and the luxury of waltzing right in with you.

(Disclaimer: this might not make you the most popular person with your fellow line-waiters, but it's guaranteed to score you mad gift-giving points.)

We don't want you to move here:
"Welcome to Austin" T-shirt
Kong Screenprint via Etsy, $20.00

Maybe we should have kept our mouths shut about Austin's barbecue, beer and babes, because like it or not, people just keep coming here. In 2012, Bruce Braden and Ryan Burkhart of Kong Screenprinting printed their "Welcome to Austin, please don't move here" T-shirts, which proved so popular people have started creating imposter shirts.

We only watch movies at places we can eat or drink:
Gift cards
Various cinemas, various prices

Austinites love to go to other cities and complain about the movie theater. "Oh, you don't have a waitress at this Regal? Well in Austin …"
But it's true. Why go to a "normal" movie theater when you can watch Hunger Games while sipping a 512 Pecan Porter and eating a basket of queso fries? Violet Crown Cinema, Alamo Drafthouse and iPic Theaters all offer gift cards for the cinefile in your life. There really is nothing better than scoring the couch in the back of the Alamo Ritz or a chaise lounge in the first row at Violet Crown.

We only eat locally, organically grown and seasonal:
CSA Box
Johnson's Backyard Garden, $33 per delivery

We patronize Wheatsville Co-op, the city's bevy of farmers' markets and restaurants where we know the produce is as fresh and local as possible. Even when we go to Central Market, the grocer in the produce aisle will saunter over to fill us in on the exact location of the farm where our carrots were grown.

Surprise your loved one with a home delivery of a Johnson's Backyard Garden CSA box. For $33, the person on the receiving end will get a large box of local, seasonal and organic produce delivered right to his or her front door.

It's not just JBG that offers these boxes; Green Gate Farms and Urban Roots Farm also offer CSA box memberships.

We are stuck in traffic all the time:
One audio book per month
Audible, $150.00

This American Life app
iTunes, $2.99

For a relatively small city, Austinites spend a lot of time commuting. A mile on I-35 during rush hour can easily take the better part of an hour. Want to give us the best gift ever? Give us the gift of distraction. A yearly subscription to Audible allows users to download one book a month directly through the company's app.

In case one book a month isn't enough to get through the grind, surprise your Austin loved one with the This American Life app, which brings the show's entire 18-year history directly to your smartphone. For $2.99, it's a true bargain.

Pick up a copy of the quintessential Austin breakfast taco guide.

Austin Breakfast Tacos Mando Rayo
Photo courtesy of Joel Salcido
Pick up a copy of the quintessential Austin breakfast taco guide.
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Way out West

Texas' Big Bend named one of the world's must-see destinations for 2023

Hannah J. Frías
Oct 28, 2022 | 4:28 pm
Big Bend National Park
Photo by Adan Guerrero on Unsplash

Big Bend made National Geographic's Best of the World 2023 list.

The pandemic took a toll on pretty much ever industry, especially food and travel. But some destinations suffered less than others: Big Bend National Park out in far west Texas became a hot spot for road trippers from Texas and beyond. To that end, National Geographic Travel included the vast natural wonder in its recent Best of the World 2023 list.

The annual list rounds up 25 global destinations "under the radar, ahead of the curve, and ready for you to start exploring," according to the article. National Geographic editors frame the list within five categories: Community, Nature, Culture, Family, and Adventure.

Big Bend landed in the Nature category, "5 wildly underrated natural escapes for 2023," and it's in good company: The list also includes the Azores, Botswana, Slovenia, and the Scottish Highlands.

According to a release, the list is themed around "travel destinations and experiences that leverage the benefits of tourism to strengthen their local communities, natural and built environments, and sense of place." Big Bend fits right into that criteria, attracting tourism to small-town communities near the park such as Marfa, Alpine, Presidio, Marathon, and Fort Davis, which all benefit from the influx of people passing through to Big Bend.

The park itself welcomed over 394,000 visitors in 2020, about 15 percent less than 2019. 2021 more than made up for that deficit, though: Big Bend welcomed a record 581,000 visitors as travelers continued to seek open spaces and natural wonders.

Apart from contributing to the local economy, the National Geographic article touts the park's locale in a "remote and arid part of west Texas," which "nurtures more cactus species than any other national park, as well as birds such as roadrunners and bright yellow Scott’s orioles, and mammals such as javelina."

So pack the car and plan your next trip out west, and don't forget some of our top tips for off-the-grid adventures in the area.

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Concert news

Shania Twain rides into Texas to reclaim her throne on upcoming world tour

Alex Bentley
Oct 28, 2022 | 3:03 pm
Shania Twain
Photo by Louie Banks

Good news: she's coming to Texas. Bad news: you have to go to Dallas or Houston to see her.

Good news for Texans: Shania Twain is coming to the Lone Star State. Bad news for Austinites: you'll have to head to Dallas or Houston to catch her. The country music star's expansive world tour dubbed the Queen of Me Tour will head to Dallas on July 21, 2023, and Houston on July 22, 2023.

The Texas dates are the last of 44 North American concerts currently scheduled on the tour before Twain heads to Europe for five final shows.

This is Twain's first tour in nearly five years; she last played in Dallas in June 2018. She'll be joined on the tour by a variety of well-known current female stars; Arlington native Mickey Guyton will be her special guest in both Dallas and Houston.

The tour was announced in conjunction with the news of the upcoming release of her new album, also called Queen of Me, due out on February 3, 2023. Her first album since 2017, it is also the first with her new record label, Republic Nashville.

The sales of that album will add to her record of being the best-selling female artist in country music history, a record she's achieved despite releasing only five albums in her 30-year career.

Twain has remained a star all these years thanks to three massive albums — 1995's The Woman in Me, 1997's Come On Over, and 2002's Up! — each of which sold over 11 million copies in the U.S. alone. She also has seven No. 1 hits and eight more top 10 hits from those three albums.

Tickets for the tour will go on sale starting 10 am Friday, November 4 at LiveNation.com. Citi cardmembers will have access to presale tickets beginning 10 am Tuesday, November 1 until 10 pm Thursday, November 3 through the Citi Entertainment program.

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News You Can Eat

7 spooky things to know in Austin food right now: Restaurants and bars bite into Halloween

Brianna Caleri
Oct 28, 2022 | 1:47 pm
Macarons by Bakery Lorraine in Austin.
Photo courtesy of Bakery Lorraine

A special Halloween roundup of fun-scary food news in Austin.

Editor’s note: There are so many Halloween weekend events offering delicious snacks to sink your fangs into, and cocktails to drive you to madness, we were spellbound. We have you covered with a special Halloween roundup of fun-scary food news.

Hotel Van Zandt's rooftop bar and restaurant, Geraldine's, has fun things going on every night through Halloween itself. On October 28 and 29 there are regularly scheduled nighttime live music sets, followed by the weekly jazz brunch on October 30. Then on Halloween one of Austin’s truly weirdest bands (fronted by puppets), Fragile Rock, puts on an emo show to remember. Reserve on OpenTable or hope for room at the bar.

We’ve heard of spending Christmas at Chinese restaurants, but how about Halloween? Old Thousand, always ready with holiday spirit, is hosting Goth Night on October 29 at its 11th Street location. The special menu is darkly creative, with black vinegar “Damned Dumplings,” “Sacrificial Lamb Bao,” a restorative-potion themed hot pot; black sesame Crème brûlée, and special on-theme cocktails. Call (737) 222-6637 to reserve.

Wes Anderson fans do not need Halloween as an excuse to dress in costume, but here’s one for inspiration. The Carpenter Hotel is dressing up in the style of the Grand Budapest Hotel — at least, culinarily — on October 29 for a six-course dinner (starting at $160 for two guests). These include unexpected but very friendly flavor combinations like savory apple and cheddar cookies and sausage with white beans, onion, and toast. Reserve on Eventbrite.

Few Halloween frights are as intimidating as trying to find a cool booze-free event, but fear not. Yacht Drops is a new sober cruise line on Lady Bird Lake, debuting October 29 with dancing, bites by Siete, non-alcoholic beers by Athletic Drinks, and zero proof whiskey and tequila by Spiritless. A portion of ticket sales benefits Keep Texas Waterways Clean. A costume contest and pro photographer ensure that your Halloween efforts are appreciated. Tickets ($75) on Eventbrite.

Now that Second Bar + Kitchen has taken over the rooftop bar at East Austin Hotel, the Halloween tradition is theirs to uphold. On October 29 from 4 pm to 12 am, the bar welcomes disguised and casual Austinites for a costume contest, dancing, and scary-delicious drinks: vampire's bite shots, mad eye mules, witch’s brews (“prosecco punch with worms”), and poisoned apples (with spiced rum, caramel, bourbon cream, and sour apple liqueur).

Fareground, the sunken downtown food hall, is hosting an all-ages event on October 30 for low-key vibes and maximum commitment to the theme. A screen outside will show Hocus Pocus for free, with seasonal concessions, popcorn, cotton candy, and $4 happy hour drinks. Vendors inside make this movie much yummier than most theaters, with a lot more variety, and will hand out candy for trick-or-treaters. The movie starts at 7 pm. RSVP on Eventbrite.

Whether you’re looking for luxe treats to wow party guests or delicious sweets to hoard at home, Bakery Lorraine at Domain Northside is ready. Until October 31, the bakery is sending out black cat tarts (chocolate mousse and vanilla filling), mummy tarts (lemon curd topped and meringue), phantom of the opera cake slices (pumpkin spice sponge cake and buttercream with dark chocolate glaze), and other cute, spooky pastries.

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