New Neighbors

North Austin shopping destination debuts 5 new tenants in food, fashion, and furniture

Domain Northside is expanding its offerings, including one spin-off of an Austin-based business.

Rendering courtesy of Domain Northside

As Austin grows, it works to balance new, much-demanded chains with old community gathering places. Places like The Domain and its neighbor Domain Northside give those changes a place to let downtown breathe while making sure Austin stays up to speed.

Domain Northside recently added five businesses to its offerings, bringing food from Austin and beyond, fashion, and furniture shopping. The five new businesses — Curry Up Now, Joybird, Easy Tiger, Rothy's and Gorjana — all arrive independently, and all but the latter are open now.

“We are thrilled about the latest additions to our tenant mix,” said Northwood Retail senior marketing director Alison Goodman in a press release. “Domain Northside’s growth has brought a unique retail, dining and entertainment experience to the city of Austin and these new businesses further our mission to provide a lively and dynamic space for our guests.”

Curry Up Now, serves “Indian flavors and ingredients in an approachable way,” which some have described as Indian fusion — hard to argue when you’ve seen the burritos. It also creates bowls, tacos, “Sexy Fries and Naughty Naan”, along with the more authentic traditional dishes and street food it's known for. This is a great option for groups with varying diet restrictions, serving vegetarian, vegan, gluten free and Halal foods.
Joybird, a furniture company that commits to an updated mid-century modern style, emphasizes its online capabilities, but operates showrooms in a handful of lucky cities. This handcrafted furniture is simple but exciting for its engaging textures and bright, solid colors. The Domain Northside showroom is the second in Texas and the chain is still fairly small, with only five other locations.
Easy Tiger, a widely recognized Austin staple opened a new concept, Pretzel Bar, that’s exactly as described. This location is coffee counter-sized, with a handful of pretzel types to start with, dips, and charcuterie sides à la carte. Pretzel Bar is located in Lavaca Street Bar, providing drinks to complement the salty snack or sandwiches.
Rothy’s, a sustainable fashion company acclaimed for its innovation, recycles plastic bottles into shoes, bags and accessories. Eco fashion, while useful, can often look one-note, but Rothy’s diverse selection could fool anyone. The company counts “125 million single-use plastic bottles and 400,000 pounds of ocean-bound marine plastic” repurposed into its products so far.
Gorjana, a jewelry company also located on South Congress (and in Houston, among other non-Texan cities), is the only new tenant yet to open. This fall the Laguna Beach-based brand sells affordable pieces with dainty and simple designs in both plated and solid gold. It continues expanding into diamonds and other gemstones, and offers customizations for layering, adding charms, and onsite engraving.

Domain Northside contains local brands as well as some of the country’s biggest, such as Apple and AT&T. Austinites are likely to stop by for errands and stay for the many dining options, or simply to find something to do with friends on a free evening. For a full list of Domain Northside tenants, visit domainnorthside.com.

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The Wellness One Percent

2 Austin spas named among world's best by Condé Nast readers

Photo courtesy of Lake Austin Spa Resort

Lake Austin Spa Resort has reached the top of the list for U.S. properties.

Just in time for Austin's festival season comes a reminder to cool it and do some intensive skincare: Condé Nast Traveler readers have voted for their favorite spas in the world, and two Austin spots are on the list.

Lake Austin Spa Resort has been named No. 3 among the "Best Destination Spas in the US & Around the World," which was also No. 1 out of the American contenders. In the 2023 awards, it was second in the country, and it could continue moving up the ranks worldwide if it beats the Ikbal Thermal Hotel & SPA in Turkey, or BodyHoliday in St. Lucia — two very tall orders.

It is joined by Miraval Austin Resort & Spa at No. 20, the only other Texas resort on the list. There were 30 spas and resorts on the list overall.

Contributing writers from the magazine acted as reviewers to make sure the selections were covered in firsthand detail.

"Everything is centered on wellness," wroteLake Austin Spa Resort's reviewer, Texas contributor Allison Bagley, "from the exceptional spa treatments to the healthy cuisine and the stunning natural setting."

The 40-room resort looks Texan to folks who know what to look for — lots of mixed stone and timber construction, plants everywhere, and vaguely rustic interiors — but doesn't get cheesy with references to the Lone Star State. As Bagley points out, this isn't a place to pop over between errands, but a retreat from the city about 30 miles away.

Lake Austin Spa Resort's gently eclectic interior.Photo courtesy of Lake Austin Spa Resort via Condé Nast Traveler

The review also covered the expected stuff: a largely female clientele, a "cottage feel," a soft bed, and some of the spa's own products in the bathroom. But more amenities less central to the typical spa experience were also praised, including the room service menu featuring ingredients grown on site, guided stargazing sessions, and the approachability of classes by Paul, the yoga teacher.

"One of the pools is housed inside a barn — it's a striking setting," wrote Bagley of highlights that didn't fit neatly into the pre-determined review categories. "And I loved that the spa treatments use products grown on the grounds (wildflower and organic honey are used in the facial scrubs) and that some treatments take place in semi-open settings."

In a release, Lake Austin Spa Resort expressed gratitude and shared more tips about the property.

“Moving up from the #2 position to #1 is a true testament to the passion and dedication of our entire staff, who work tirelessly to create transformative experiences that have a lasting impact," said general manager JoAnn Lenhardt in the release. "We are sincerely grateful to Condé Nast Traveler readers for their trust and ongoing enthusiasm for our Texas Hill Country retreat."

In addition to Bagley's favorite things, the property also calls attention to its stand-up paddle boarding, cooking demonstrations, fitness classes, and a special treatment tool that's the only one of its kind in North America: a Comfort Zone Zone Skin Analysis Scan. It also shares four awards from 2024 alone, coming from Travel + Leisure, USA Today 10, Elle Magazine, and the Hotel O-Awards.

At Miraval, Austin-based contributing writer Stirling Kelso took note of similar highlights like a natural setting removed from the actual city of Austin, a focus on wellness, and Texas stone architecture. One big standout, although it might just be Kelso's clever turn of phrase that emphasized it, is the clientele.

Miraval Austin interior Miraval's stark, modern looks.Photo by James Baigrie, courtesy Miraval Austin via Condé Nast Traveler

Answering, "Who stays here?" Kelso writes, "The wellness one percent. This is where high-powered professionals come to detox, restructure, and take a break. You'll see men and women ambling around in robes and yoga gear. Note that cell phones technically aren't permitted except in dedicated zones, although we saw more than one person breaking the rules."

It also sounds — and looks from pictures — like Miraval is a more stark, modern experience than its Lake Austin competitor. The art is not of nearby flora and fauna, but abstract shapes and references to Eastern design. Kelso also points out that wine, beer, and cocktails are available, despite being rare at wellness retreats.

With both falling in the world's top 30, Austinites surely can't go wrong choosing either spa. More information about the selected properties, broken up into similar elements for easy comparison, is available at cntraveler.com.

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