Last week, I flew to Buenos Aires to shop for good yarn, work on my tan, hunt Nazis, and escape SXSW, which, the older I get, the more freaked out and paralyzed all those music choices leave me. I love traveling for more reasons than I can name, but near the top of the list of “Why I Fling Myself So Far” is Because I Just Love Coming Home to Austin. As with the overwhelming majority of my trips to other countries, I did absolutely no research before leaving, figuring I’d rely on a combination of my travel companions’ plans and a we’ll-just-see-what-it’s-all-about-when-we-get-there attitude. Being a wool-whore, I did invent a narrative in my head before leaving, one that had our plane landing on a runway surrounded by flocks of sheep eagerly waiting to offer up their fleece to my anticipatory needles. Buenos Aires, I decided, would be quaint and earthy. In this naïve sense, I was very much like all those folks who come to Texas figuring we all live on ranches and get around on horseback. more ›

Mid-March, or SXSW rather, is a time when Warehouse District bars turn into rock venues and 6th St. meat markets become home to once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to see that next big thing at a smallish venue. We’ve never made it to Ninety Proof Lounge but all that might change when Zizek comes to the hotspot that is “upscale without the attitude” on March 13th. Zizek is a regular shindig in Buenos Aires that provides artists an opportunity to display their genius -- reggae, hip-hop, cumbia, folk, dancehall, electro, you name it, they got it. The intent is to provide an Argentine slant on the various genres and showcase the talent that lies within the country. And of course, party hard, dance the night away, and take the show on the road! more ›

ACL Previews Interview: Ghostland Observatory Previews: The Broken West, Big Sam’s Funky Nation & Rose Hill Drive Previews: Billy Joe Shaver and Fionn Regan Previews: Brandon Rhyder and Ocote Soul Sounds Interview: The Broken West Previews: Sylvia St. James, Jeffrey Steele, and Amy Cook Interview: Bloc Party ACL Fest Updates: Google Mashup, Contests, Eco-Chic Previews: Augustana, Amos Lee Interview: Peter, Bjorn, and John ACL Band Clash, Round 3: Wilco Vs My Morning Jacket Travis... more ›

Maru (Japanese) Location: 4636 Burnet Rd [map] Phone: (512) 458-6200 Cost: Starters $5-8, Maki Rolls $6-13 Atmosphere: Not much to speak of, as it's on a nondescript part of Burnet Road in some modest and anonymous white-walled digs. Food: There are three reasons to visit Maru, and they are simply the freshness of the fish, the affordability of high-quality sushi, and the modest $5 corkage charge. Maru's decor is as plain as can be,... more ›

This is a popular week for air conditioners to flake out, Karmalized discovers. Trinsic Solutions blog got to hear new chief of police Art Acevedo speak at the Metropolitan Breakfast Club. Ali at Blendor rates the Buenos Aires Cafe. Home Girl was touched by The Untelling. ITPT takes on the new Bachelor. Favorite Random Blog Site of the Week: Okay, it's not a blog, but the official site for the Texas organ donor registry... more ›

Julie Powell is a hero to food geeks everywhere, but Austin food geeks should be especially proud. Long story short: An Austin native without formal culinary training, she and her husband packed up for NYC a few years ago, and, soon after, she began the cathartic process of plowing through Julia Childs' tome, "Mastering the Art of French Cooking." A year later, she had recreated every recipe in the book, blogging the whole way through. The blog begat a book - The Julie/Julia Project - and the rest is food geek history. more ›

The greatest sporting event in the world begins tomorrow, so it’s time to think about where to watch all of this year’s World Cup games. Contacting a friend with a high definition television is a good idea, as all 64 games will be shown live in HD. If you don’t have HD, not to worry, as all the games will also be shown live on ESPN, ESPN2, and ABC. The opening match, between Germany and... more ›

Mexican food is almost ubiquitous in Austin. Its popularity seems to be fed by the same reason that so many people eat at chain restaurants: they are comfortable with familiarity and thus frequent most often those places that will not offer challenges or surprises. Any Mexican restaurant you go into will most likely have the same, standard fare and won't make anyone have to question what each thing is on the menu. Although we ourselves... more ›