One of the ten million things I love about Austin is how well this town lends itself to the creative class—those of use dreamers who eschew cubicle jobs and want to figure how to put matzoh on the table through some fun, interesting endeavor that pays (I’m trying hard to avoid the word “work” here). It’s precisely because Austin embraces this lifestyle that I’ve been able to support my writing habit through putting on camps and shows and performing non-traditional weddings and working all sorts of nutty gigs. And oh, how I admire my creative class cohorts. Back around 2002, I met David Ansel at a dinner party thrown by Lisa Kaselak. David was just starting a business, inspired by a trip he took to Real de Catorce (a Mexican village I would one day come to count on for my annual escape-Christmas plot). David’s business, the Soup Peddler, involved making good, homemade soup and delivering it to people’s homes. By bicycle....

We sat down with Blank one morning at Hudson’s last week - sunlight filtering in through the wine glasses which stood at silent attention during these rare peaceful moments before the deliveries and phone calls begin, and long before the first customer touches lip to fork. Despite his multiple accolades, you will find no pretention here: Blank emerges from the kitchen, suntanned and smiling, to sit down and chat with Austinist in the midst of the Texas Hill Country Wine and Food Festival. ...

A couple of weeks ago, I blogged about the uplifting and relaxing experience of taking my son to court for truancy. Brief recap: In Texas, if, say, your seventeen year old child, who lives independently, takes care of himself, buys his own food and gas and concert tickets, owns his own car, and demonstrates daily acts of thoughtfulness, compassion and general total-duded-ness, decides that having to attend chemistry first period is not part of his Desired Life Experience, and if, say, he does this forty-seven times in a row, there’s a very good chance that you, the parent, will find yourself in a court case titled State of Texas vs. Henry’s Mom....

Photo from the Casserole Queens WebsiteCasserole Queens (Home-delivery Comfort Food) Phone: (512) 905-6967 or (512) 905-6986 [Website] Casserole Queens, the brainchild of chef Sandy Pollock and business partner Crystal Oakes, is a casserole delivery outfit servicing south, central, and north Austin with hearty throw-back fare. Great for busy working families or anyone looking for a little bit of oven-y comfort food, the Casserole Queens fill a food delivery niche with a kicky, campy retro feel.......

aGLIFF Aferparty Preview Midnight Opening Night Party featuring special guest Rev. Troy Perry, founder of MCC and star of the opening night film, Call Me Troy Friday, September 28th @ Austin City Hall 9pm-Midnight Centerpiece Film Afterparty Saturday, September 29 @ Club de Ville 10pm Art Party Thursday, October 4 @ Arthouse 10pm-Midnight Closing Night Party Saturday, October 6 @ AMoA Downtown 10pm-Midnight The annual Austin Gay and Lesbian International Film Festival (aGLIFF) is......

After moving to Austin from New York last year, it was easy to feel disappointment in the limited food delivery options available. The restaurant delivery services aren't always prompt and charge steep delivery fees, many of the good ethnic food restaurants are dine-in or take-out only, and the best of the pizza places only deliver within a mile or two of their locations. Which brings us to The Soup Peddler, a unique concept in......

With great weather, a social atmosphere, and big crowds, there were many good times to be had at last year's Texas Hill Country Wine and Food Festival Sunday Fair in Georgetown. Having braved the long drive, we found a huge, beautiful park filled with white tents full of salsa, BBQ, chocolate, tamales, and copious amounts of booze. This is probably one's best chance to experience the gluttony of the THCWFF at a moderate cost,......

Ah, Austin. Quirky, quaintly subversive, and highlighted by outlandish old hippies with a hankerin’ for the demon weed, our fair city is cutely characterized in Zach Scott Theatre's wildly popular Keepin’ It Weird. The show isn’t perfect (towards the end especially – it gets downright hokey), but dag gummit if you’re not having fun in the first five minutes, chances are you’re dead, you’re Pat Robertson, or you’re from Dallas. This show should be......

Last week's interview with The Soup Peddler (a/k/a David Ansel) perhaps left you breathless with his promise to unveil a gazpacho recipe from his book, The Soup Peddler's Slow and Difficult Soups. But don't be fooled: this recipe actually errs on the side of quick and easy, so let your tastebuds seize the dream. Gazpacho Andaluz 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 4 cloves garlic 1(6-inch) section of baguette, sliced lengthwise 1 onion, chopped......

In America, we rock summertime barbeque. Hamburgers, ribs and the sacrosanct tofu pup all roast under our fair dominion. But soups are not quite within the purview. Austin's very own authority on the subject is trying to change that. His name is David Ansel, known to many as The Soup Peddler. He rose to fame locally in 2002 by delivering homemade soup to residents of Bouldin Creek (atop a yellow bicycle, of course, with......

Actually, at the risk of sounding crass, what we really need at this point is your money. You see, this Saturday, while you and your hedonistic friends are gallivanting around Eeyore’s Birthday Party, we’ll be slogging up hill after hill on our bike as part of the Hill Country Ride for AIDS. This annual event raises money to provide essential services to hundreds of people living with HIV/AIDS in Central Texas. As government funding for......

David Ansel's Soup Peddler is getting together with the Alamo Drafthouse to put on a fundraiser for the New Orleans Musicians' Clinic. ChiliGumbo will be featuring a tasty cajun meal while showing a movie about the music of the same origin. New Orleans is the heart of American music. Its beats have resonated for over 100 years, and Its traditions go back much farther. The documentary Make It Funky! is its story. In addition......

T U E S D A Y [31] » [music] Ghetto Princess, Secular End, The Total Foxes, Tomorrow's Too Late at Emo's » [comedy] Live Comedy Happy Hour at Beerland (8pm) » [karaoke] Karaoke Explosion at The Peacock » [books] Galt Niederhoffer presents Taxonomy of Barnacles at Bookpeople (7pm) » [politics] Austin League of Women Voters puts on the State of the City dinner with Mayor Will Wynn as the evening's speaker at the Austin......

: : FRIDAY : : [culture] End of Ramadan (EID) Festival, 9:30am-4:30pm @ Richard Moya Park [homework] Deadline for the Soup Peddler's Soupie Cookbook [film] New Movies! @ Your Local Theater! [dance] Armagetdown with New Berlin, DJ Big Face and DJ Manny, 9pm @ Progress Coffee [music] Cruiserweight, The Fall Collection, The Always Already and Paper Airlines @ Emo's [music] Fluffer's Union and American Graveyard @ Trophy's [theatre] Paul Rudnick's "The Most Fabulous Story......

Austin's beloved Soup Peddler needs your help, readers. Recipes are now being collected for this year's Soupie Cookbook which helps benefit local charities like Mobile Loaves and Fishes. You have to act fast, though, as the deadline is this Friday, November 11. The Soup Peddler's website has all the info. You need to submit your family recipe as well as a special story about that recipe. It feels lame to quote Martha Stewart, but......

T U E S D A Y [27] film · Scion presents their weekly screening + Q&A at the Drafthouse South Lamar. This week: Adam Bhala Lough's "Bomb the System", with music provided by DJ Mel. (RSVP, 6:30pm)music · Zookeeper, Goldrush and Hopewell at Stubb's music · The Black Angels, The Black and Lalaland at Emo's books/pop-culture · UT Professor S. Craig Watkins discusses his latest book, Hip Hop Matters: Politics, Popular Culture, and the......

[This post by future Austinist contributor Ami] But who needs love when the soup, salad, entrees, and desserts now available from Austin’s very own Soup Peddler are better than sex! (At least if memory serves - it has been a while since we’ve actually… well, never mind). It seems like everyone loves the Soup Peddler and we are no exception. After all, what’s not to love? The Soup Peddler, formerly known by his birth......