Bill Norris will open two new bars for the Alamo Drafthouse this month: a tequila-based bar in Southwest Austin called 400 Rabbits and an East 6th cocktails-only spot in a former brothel dubbed Midnight Cowboy. more ›

While sifting through restaurant emails this afternoon, we noticed an event tonight we'd initially overlooked: a cocktail, champagne, and dessert pairing evening at one of our favorite spots, UT-area fine dining beacon The Carillon. Tickets are $32.50 per person and the event kicks off at 6pm (in about three hours.) Better late than never? more ›

February isn't traditionally a big month for Austin's food scene, but Anthony Bourdain and Eric Ripert aren't the only thing going this month for Austin's food nerds. In January, the culinary website StarChefs.com announced that their regional "Rising Star Awards" would be making a debut appearance in Austin in 2012 - each year, the site selects four metro areas and interviews and reviews a multitude of restaurants and chefs before making their top picks. more ›

It seems that R.E.M. aren't the only thing that decided to calls it quits today. In what can only be called an auspicious start to Austin Restaurant Week, both Downtown lounge mainstay The Belmont and critically acclaimed El Arbol announced their closures on Wednesday.

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FINO's semi-spontaneous late night events are a big hit with the cocktail set, and they've just sent word of a new, last-minute addition. Tomorrow from 9pm-midnight, FINO Bar Manager Josh Loving and Houston legend Bobby Heugel of Anvil will collaborate behind the bar.

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When Bill Norris announced on Twitter that he was moving on from Haddington's and had an "exciting new opportunity" ahead, cocktail-o-philes were abuzz with where he would land next. more ›

After a gestation period of nearly two years, David Bull's triple threat of Congress, Bar Congress, and Second opened in the final days of 2010 to near universal acclaim. Since then, the formal space Congress has found itself the recipient of the Austin American-Statesman's only current five-star review, and the forward-thinking Bar Congress has been spotted on the pages of Imbibe and Esquire, among others.

Leading the charge on the beverage side of the Congress project are beverage director June Rodil (who we'll speak with later this week) and bar manager Adam Bryan. Bryan relocated from Portland several years ago, and worked with Lambert's and East Side Show Room before taking the reins at Bar Congress late last year. We recently discussed the bar's six-month anniversary, the challenges of craft cocktail creation, and...coconuts. more ›

It wasn't so long ago that Texas spirits pretty much started and ended with Tito's. But while Mr. Beveridge and his company produce a vodka we can all be proud of, Texas now boasts a much larger array of spirits that showcase new ideas, bold flavors, and the ongoing search for something new and unique that has boosted local and craft spirit sales across the country. On Friday, Launch787 and Google Places are throwing a party called "MIX" to celebrate Texas Cocktails, and all you need to attend is a ticket. more ›

• After additional train runs during SXSW boasted ridership, Capital Metro is now considering adding more train runs on Friday and Saturday.
• Pinetop’s passing noted by the BBC.
• Pete Cashmore, the CEO of Mashable talks about the emergence of the private-group, location-based services that were big at SXSW. Even if you have no interest in tech, there are worse things to do than listen to Cashmore and his awesome accent.

Where: Parkside, 301 E. Sixth St., 474-9898 When: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., daily Why We Love It: Inventive cocktails plus a swank beer selection and a generous bar menu—all for half-price—equal a great happy hour at one of Austin's finest restaurants. more ›

For the past couple of weeks, we've been speaking with local bartenders about their recommended libations. But you know what? The Informed Drinker has some drinking recommendations of her own, based on thorough field research gained from office happy hours, various dates, Alamo Drafthouse sing-alongs, “you go girl” confidence-building sessions, lunch meetings gone awry, feigning interest in spectator sports, and celebrating the fact that it's Tuesday. more ›

It wasn’t until we saw the troupe that we finally understood why people had mourned the death of vaudeville and the end of the era where burlesque was a popular public amusement. Before seeing the Jigglewatts, we’d never really gotten the entertainment value of boobs before. Yet those girls converted us! more ›

Mess With Texas during SXSW last year was a huge hit in the cozy confines of Red 7 and MWT2 promises to be an even bigger bash with a wide variety of musical acts and comedians on tap. Waterloo Park is the host this year and this year’s free, all ages show kicks off at noon on Saturday the 15th. But of course there are so many other day shows, parties, and what not going on in the town that the sponsors (including Forcefield PR, Record Store Day, JetBlue Entertainment, Fuel TV, SuperDeluxe.com, and Garnier Fructis) want to give you V.I.P. treatment if you can write a witty piece of prose. As has been the case with other stellar Waterloo Park shows, local entity Transmission Entertainment has helped organize this brouhaha. more ›

Austinist & Gothamist are proud to announce our SXSW day party, taking place on Wednesday, March 12 at the Mohawk. The party kicks off around 11 a.m., and the day ends at 6, but not before Shout Out Louds, Shearwater, Liam Finn and Phosphorescent perform. As usual, the party is free, open to all. See you then! more ›

Green Drinks gets computer savvy this month with a focus on greening computer usage and IT. Rebecca Thorburn, a member of the Climate Savers Computing Initiative, will be on hand to discuss the non-profit organization's dedication to promoting climate conservation through the widespread deployment of energy efficient hardware and power management software. more ›

This month's Green Drinks is kicking the New Year off with some eat-right type resolutions. Salila Travers, organizer of the Sunset Valley Farmer's Market and owner of Aztec Organic Pest Service for over 25 years, will be on tap to share her passion for organic foods and nutritional expertise with the environmentally aware and sustainability professionals that make up Austin Green Drinks. more ›

Stock.xchng Austin Green DrinksFriday, November 30Opal Divines Freehouse (700 W. 6th)5:30-7:30ish[info]Green drinkers gather once again this Friday at Opal Divines. On tap this month is Brandi Clark - founder of Environmentality Inc. She is also co-chair of the Austin Sustainable Business Council, past chair of the Urban Forestry Board, and founder of the AustinEcoNetwork. Her goal is to create a focal point for environmental issues and information in Austin and raise the dialog about what... more ›

Post by Paige Davis Join Austin's globally-aware and sustainability-conscious for this month's Green Drinks Happy Hour at Opal Divine's. These monthly gatherings are open to anyone involved and interested in finding innovative ways to meet the challenges of a sustainable future. Mix and mingle with the folks from Meridian Solar who will be on hand to talk about their success in creating renewable energy systems. Spread the green word and chat it up with other... more ›

Already considered the "Best New Club in Austin" by those who know, the Mohawk continues its ever-accelerating expansion with the introduction of the Grizzly Bar, a "happy hour saloon" that will operate inside the Mohawk from 5-8pm on most days. Think of it as a place to enjoy a leisurely post-work drink before really starting your evening programming. The Grizzly Bar will be a daily platform for political banter, beer pyramids, spitting, and arm wrestling.... more ›

So that’s my plan for 2007: to sweat like a motherfucker. Laughing, fist-pumping. In bedtime comfort. Dancing with you. more ›

THURSDAY [19] fashion/party • "Sneek" peek party for "The Royal Family," a new clothing/accessories boutique located within Austin Mopeds. Drinks by Tito's Vodka, catering by Kenichi, music by DJ Tats. Afterparty to follow at The Peacock. Party starts at Austin Mopeds (500 San Marcos St. #104, 7-10pm, RSVP Required) art • "Reflections": New Work by Sylvia Angeli Artist's Reception at Gallery Soco (6-9 pm) art • Austin Responds: Weighing and Wanting: Four of Austin’s... more ›

While gathering in the conference room to watch DVDs about your esteemed corporate founder or practicing falling off of chairs and into each other's arms as part of a trust exercise have always been a great way to spend an hour or two not surfing the internets at work away from your cubicle, the Writers' League of Texas has introduced a new program that will make you not dread the email from Human Resources,... more ›

Strut, our favorite affordable (seriously) boutique on South Congress is having a 40 % off storewide sale for First Thursday. Drinks (because let's face it, we all look better after a few) and the DJ get it started at 6pm. If you haven't checked out this store yet, you should. They have the best sales, great jewelry and prices that are affordable, not in that, "Oh well, I'll turn a few tricks this weekend so my rent check doesn't bounce," sort of way, but in that, "Wow, these shoes are really cute and only $10, I'll take two pairs because I do a lot of walking turning tricks to pay my bills," sort of way. Got it? more ›

Last weekend the Zilker Hillside Theatre hosted Ballet Under the Stars, a free evening ballet performance by the Austin Dance Ensemble. This weekend they bring you yet another wonderful - and free - dose of culture, this time with the Austin Civic Orchestra's Zilker Park Summer Pops Concerts. The program's theme is "Film Scores Through the Decades", and as such they'll be performing themes from movies spanning over seven decades, including The Wizard of... more ›

Break out the tennis whites and seersucker. The Physical Plant Theater Company is hosting their second annual garden party this Saturday. Venue: idyllic. Food: delicious. Drinks: abundant. Silent auction: will take your money. more ›