If there is one thing that Austin doesn't get enough of, it's being celebrated for our cultural achievements. No one ever talks about how cool we are, what good chefs we have or what great music comes out of Austin. Never. We fly pretty low on the radar, never getting any attention for anything.
Just kidding.
Austin topped a lot of lists this week, starting with Texas Monthly's picks for best new bars and restaurants. (Qui ended up on both.) Austinites also managed to land on Southern Living's Most Stylish Southerners and GQ's 25 Best Restaurants in America. (Spoiler alert: No. 1 is Qui.)
Southern Living named local designer Alyson Fox and jewelry maven Kendra Scott as two of the most stylish southerners. Southern Living also named Paul Qui and East Side King/Qui PR guru Deana Saukam (Qui's fiancée) among the most stylish, proving that Qui is indeed the King of Austin and we must bow down in his presence.
GQ also announced its picks for the 25 best restaurants in the U.S. Only two restaurants from Texas made it on to the list: La Barbecue and Qui. Coming in at No. 13 is a big win for the Austin barbecue trailer that was carefully watched after polarizing pitmaster John Mueller was ousted and replaced with John Lewis in 2012. Though La Barbecue is often overshadowed by Franklin Barbecue (Lewis worked with Aaron Franklin at the beloved East Austin spot), Lewis is making his mark as one of the preeminent pitmasters in the country.
And, GQ's No. 1 pick for the country's best restaurant went to Qui. Writes the magazine, "If Paul Qui isn't the most fearless chef in America, he's surely the most confident." Based on his cheddar cheese ice cream sandwich alone, we couldn't agree more.
Qui topped, well, everything.
