What They’re Saying: Good things for Texas

For anyone contemplating a move to Texas, right now is as good a time as any. The Dallas Business Journal recently published an article written by G. Scott Thomas naming the top four job-growth spots in the nation. Guess which state occupied 4 of those 4 spots? Here’s a sneak peek from the article.

Dallas came in No. 2, with 71,300 private-sector jobs created between June 2005 and June 2010. It follows No. 1-ranked Houston, which gained 129,800 private-sector jobs. Austin came in third, with 56,100 new private-sector jobs; San Antonio ranked No. 4, with a gain of 32,600 private-sector jobs.

The good news doesn’t stop there.

Austin had the biggest one-year gain, up 8,400 private-sector jobs.

Give me a call when you get here and I’ll help you find the perfect house to go along with your perfect new job.

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“Who You Gonna Call? Ghostbusters!”

I could not have set up this week’s posts better if I tried. We started out with ghosts at the Driskill and dinner at Parkside. Now it’s Ghostbusters with Parkside benefitting the 6th Street Austin Association.

After reading Anna’s guest blog about Parkside, I bet the street food mentioned in the flyer will be nothing short of supernatural (*wink, wink*).  She did call Chef Shawn Cirkiel a wizard. Go find out for yourself and don’t forget your lawn chair.

If you go, let us know what you thought in the comments section.

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Parkside Gastropub on 6th Street

Last week’s guest blogger, my sister, is back to tell us how her Austin food crawl ended. It started on South Congress and finished up at Parkside on the corner of 6th and San Jacinto. You’ll be making reservations soon, too.

I’m so glad to be back and thrilled to hear that some of your readers enjoyed the post. (Feel free to leave comments here, too.) I ate my way through Austin a couple of weekends ago and every bite was amazing (and all the extra time on the treadmill was worth it!). My Saturday night ended at Parkside, a restaurant just a block down from the Driskill. I read about the gastropub in Bon Appetit magazine who named it as one of the Top Five Places to Eat in Austin. And was it ever! I began with the Paula’s Pomegranate drink. It’s topped off with a bit of Cava. Yum! It was all uphill from there. I chose a bass and avocado dish from the raw bar that made me want to lick the plate. The flavors were so simple and somehow they turned into magic on my tongue. Chef Shawn Cirkiel must be part wizard. Every plate bursted with fresh seasonal flavors: tomatoes, corn, fresh herbs, crisp green beans. My lamb was crusted in finely chopped bacon. Oh my.

I eagerly anticipated my third dessert of the day. Did I mention that our afternoon snack was warm apple pie from the 1886 Cafe and Bakery at the Driskill? If you read my other post you know Cutie Pies was first. My first bite of the cinnamon sugar doughnut with brandy-citrus marscapone filling left me a touch disappointed. The doughnut was lovely but something was missing. I dipped the second bite in the honey ice cream on my plate and tada! More magic. As if the chef had put the ice cream on the plate for any other reason that to eat it with the doughnut. I blame the lapse on the spicy and full-bodied Shiraz I drank with my bacon-crusted lamb.

All in all, Austin was delicious that day. I can’t wait to do it again.

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Ghosts at the Driskill?

I recently stumbled upon the website Haunted Texas while researching my post about the Driskill Hotel in Austin. My recent guest blogger (and sister), stayed there during her recent food crawl last weekend (more about that coming soon) and it inspired me to introduce or reacquaint (whichever may be the case) my blog followers with this Austin landmark. It’s everything you expect an old hotel to be and so much more. The decor is something I like to call cowboy chic (*grin*). The finishes are rich and beautifully aged and the accents of cow hide and cowboy statues make it uniquely Texas.  Check out this video gallery from the Driskill’s website to see for yourself. This is where the ghosts come in. After you watch their ghost videos head on over to Haunted Texas and read a little more about Jeanine Plumer’s version.

The most haunted building in Austin and the most haunted hotel in Texas — perhaps the U.S — is The Driskill Hotel in downtown Austin.

She doesn’t mess around, does she? I’m not sure if her claims are true, but then again ghosts are not blogging about their hauntings the last I checked. On the other hand, she managed to get at least a pilot episode shown on PBS/KLRU, our local PBS station. I’ve been to the hotel many times without so much of a rattling chain. I guess even specters need a day off or two.

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The Mighty Cone, Cutie Pies, And A Guest Blogger, Oh my!

Jennifer has so kindly offered me the reins of her blog today. I am her slightly older sister from north of Austin, but still an Austinite at heart. I raved about a recent trip to the South Congress food trailer park and she asked me to share it on her blog.

My husband and I started our food crawl at the Mighty Cone trailer. I walked right past the sign declaring their fried fare as “deep sauteed” (only in Austin, I tell you) and ordered my first chicken and avocado Mighty Cone. What appeared at the trailer window was anything but ordinary. The chicken was fried, as I expected, but so was the wedge of avocado! Shocking, exciting, and just plain delicious. Cool, creamy slaw, fried chicken, fried avocado and a tortilla in a cone. Yep, it’s as good as it sounds.

I reluctantly walked past a sandwich trailer, a smoothie cart, and some bbq. I had Hey Cupcake in my sights and trudged past the sno cones and MaxParfait Burgers and Belgian Fries (that one was particularly hard to bypass). Just shy of my destination, I stopped short at a hot pink and green cart with the word pies in its name. Cutie Pies. Hey, I read about that in Martha Stewart Living this month. Could it be the same one? Not only was it the very same pie lady but she was offering free samples.

Cutie Pies Menu

I tried a couple, and with much deliberating, I settled on a coconut and pecan pie. That’s right a whole pie–small but all my own. No slices here. I sat at a nearby bench, wilting beneath the punishing Texas sun, and savored that delicious dessert. Stuffed and too hot to keep going, I waved good bye to Hey Cupcake and promised to return on my next trip. I intend to try each and every one of those food trailers.

Oh and I saw a man strumming his guitar for the crowd. We’re not the Live Music Capitol for nothing!

I guess that makes for a pretty short food crawl but I will be back to give it another try! Yum.

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From Here To There

For those of you looking for a new home in Austin, especially if you’re new to the area, the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce website provides brief descriptions of the different areas of town. Now, for $5 you can get a more complete list in their Newcomer’s Guide. Or you can contact me and I’ll give you the rundown on Austin neighborhoods for free.

The City of Austin: Austin Connection webpage has a good collection of area maps to get you started. You can see maps for libraries, hotels, parks, bus routes, downtown and plenty more. Alas, the bike map link seems to be missing but this one works just fine. And so does this one.

This maybe the coolest map yet. It displays live music venues and who’s playing by the date. Technology and live music is what Austin does best!

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What They’re Saying . . .

Everyone seems to be talking about what’s going on in Texas and Austin, in particular. What They’re Saying is your place to find the latest Texas news in a flash. Let’s get started.

Catch my first blog interview with Socialite Auctions, an online, luxury consignment store based in Los Angeles. The proprietor (my sister) keeps my closet stocked with the best clothing, shoes, and purses at the best prices! Read the interview, then head on over to SocialiteAuctions.com. Check out her First Shopping Special and get free shipping on one item. Tell her Jennifer sent you.

Kiplinger’s Magazine names Austin as the #1 city for the next decade. It’s nice to know everyone else is finally catching up to what Austinites already know.

1. Austin, Tex.
Austin is arguably the the country’s best crucible for small business, offering a dozen community programs that form a neural network of business brainpower to help entrepreneurs.

Read the whole article to hear more good things about our favorite city.

Parenting Magazine picks Austin as one of the Best Cities for Families in 2010. My family and I concur. We love it for all the reasons mentioned in the article and so many more.

Brian Williams on NBC’s Nightly News revealed CNBC’s 4th annual Best State for Businesses List and drumroll please . . . Texas is #1. We’re not surprised either but delighted nonetheless.

Finally, with odds of one in 18 septillion (not a word I get to use often or EVER) Joan Ginther has won the lottery four times. She bought them all in the small, rural town of Bishop, Texas but has since relocated to Las Vegas. I guess she needed somewhere to spend all that money in a hurry. Those casinos weren’t built on winners, my friends. However, the lady certainly knows how to beat the odds.

Well, that’s it for today. Check back often for our next round-up of Texas related news.

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The Quintessential Austin Lunch

If you’re new to Austin or just here for a quick trip, I have the perfect places for you to eat lunch and sample the local culture at the same time. These are my lunch time staples that after a lifetime in Austin, I still cannot go without. Classics, I tell you!

Let’s start with Matt’s El Rancho on South Lamar. If you could taste Austin, this would be it. Matt’s has been around since 1952 and I’ve been eating there since at least 1982. What’s good? Everything. But my favorites are the cheese enchiladas and green enchiladas (they’re covered in a tangy green sauce and that’s covered in queso–oh my). Always hard to choose, but knowing I can come back anytime (except Tuesday) makes it a bit easier. Walk through the carved wooden sun on the front doors and know what it means to be an old-school Austinite. Also a regular haunt for Longhorns of all ages–University of Texas Longhorns, of course.

Option number two is the ever popular Hula Hut. In their own words:

In June 1993, Mike Young, John Zapp and Andy Norton put a new twist on Mexican food with the inception of Hula Hut. Uniquely situated on the banks of beautiful Lake Austin, this tropical Texas paradise is just minutes from downtown and features a unique mix of Mexican and Polynesian cuisine, otherwise know as “Mexonesian.”

Come early to miss the crowds or grab a seat at the bar and try one of their fruity concoctions while you wait. Go for one of the Pipeline Enchiladas and yes it’s big! Hula Hut isn’t as old as Matt’s El Rancho but it showcases the best of Austin just as well.

Oh and they are both just as wonderful for dinner, too.

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Welcome to Finding Austin!

This blog is intended to be a source for all things associated with moving to and living in Austin. I am a realtor with Keller Williams and I’ve moved enough times to know what it takes to pack up the house and settle into a new place. I want to help you find that perfect home but receiving those shiny new keys is only the beginning. Where to eat, shop, get a haircut, and find a new dining room table? I’ve got you covered. You’ll find all those answers and so much more in my blog posts. I’ve lived in and around Austin my whole life; this is my playground and I want to welcome you to the sandbox.

I’ll show you why I love Austin and hopefully you will, too.

Feel free to leave any questions in the comments. I’ll find the answer you need. This is Finding Austin, after all.

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