How often do you get the chance to cure cancer by knocking back a few? Pretty much never—which is why the Austin Wine Festival this weekend is so noteworthy. Not only does it give you the opportunity to taste wines from 30 Texas wineries, the festival will also donate all proceeds to Lance Armstrong’s Livestrong foundation, as well as the Austin Farmer’s Market. What could be better than funding cancer research and tasty goat cheeses......

Back in early 2006, foodies were abuzz about the pizzas and Italian food products on offer at Mandola's Market on 47th Street. The shop fast became a neighborhood mainstay and maintains a loyal following. When we recently became aware that they were also planning a combination winery and restaurant venture in Driftwood (home of The Salt Lick), we contacted Mandola Estates hospitality head Lynn Zeller to find out more. The upshot of our talk:......

We really wanted to like the Belmont restaurant. In fact, after a shaky first experience, we decided to give it another chance. After all, talented Chef Ben Nathan, decor by Joel Mozersky, some decent word-of-mouth and a pretty website had us convinced that our first experience there--inconsistent cocktails, incompetent bar service and half-assed bar food--was most certainly a fluke. We're sad to say just how wrong we were. Our second trip offered really good......

What’s the best thing about Cantina Laredo, the new corporate crapulence located on the back end of the 2nd Street District? Leaving it, steaming mad, after being told the waiter couldn’t close out a bar tab after waiting 45 minutes for a table; waiting 20 minutes at the bar, without any service, while trying to close that same bar tab; being told by the helpless hostess to try again later, because they’re "really slammed";......

Starting this Friday, Austinist has yet another perfect excuse for getting out of the city for a day and enjoying the nearby hill country: Clifford's Original Wine Bar is opening its doors. [Visit Clifford's Website] Built in a clearing on the rolling hills of Wimberley, just minutes from Wimberley Square (roughly 40 minutes from Travis Heights), Clifford's Original stocks a fabulous selection of wines both domestic and international, with a well-represented assortment of reds and......