After foul weather wreaked havoc on the Texas 25 on Thursday, it was a little disheartening to see the torrential rains yesterday afternoon. Thankfully, they've now stopped, and the Sunday Fair will wind down the Texas Hill Country Wine and Food Festival today as planned. Tickets will be available at the door. For those who had Texas 25 tickets, The Statesman reports that your ticket and $15 will get you into the Sunday Fair if you wish to attend. Cooking demonstrations from chefs like John Besh and Rebecca Rather will take place throughout the afternoon. One final tip: the Old Settler's Music Festival is also happening at The Salt Lick, so allow yourself some time for traffic and parking, as crowd may be large. Cheers! more ›

For years, the Austinist staff has fielded queries from friends and acquaintances about SXSW goings-on. "Can I walk to The Salt Lick?" "Does it really take 90 minutes for a Casino El Camino burger?" But most of all: "What showcase do you recommend to see some good new bands I don't know about?" This year, we've made the answer official. Austinist is presenting an official nighttime showcase featuring six different American acts at Spiro's on Thursday, March 13. We've done a lot of listening to different bands and entire showcases, and believe that this one has great potential to impress you. The roster: more ›

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:... more ›

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,... more ›

Things we learned at the 2006 Wine and Food Foundation of Texas Tour de Vin at Whole Foods Market: more ›

At the top of the Austinist don't-miss list for people who eat and/or drink is The Wine & Food Foundation of Texas' fourth annual Tour de Vin on the downtown Whole Foods Market terrace next Thursday, October 5, from 6:30 – 9:00 p.m. Participating chefs and restaurants include Austin culinary heavyweights; Amuse Bouche – A Catering Company, Aquarelle, Bistro 88, Castle Hill Café, Cibo (Will Packwood, a Food & Wine’s 2001 Best New Chef... more ›

A mere four miles from The Salt Lick, Driftwood Vineyards is an ideal detour for those shuttling out-of-town guests to the BBQ haven out in the Hill Country. The tasting room sits at the top of a long, unpaved road and overlooks Driftwood's grapevines and some beautiful countryside. While the setting was enjoyable, we had our suspicions about Texas' ability to compete with California or Oregon wines, some of which were confirmed. We began... more ›

The celebrity whose name we are now embarassed to type because we've typed it so many times in the last few days has gone and talked about Austin on national television again. We thought she was out on the road to promote a movie or something, but apparently she just wants to gab ad nauseum about our favorite city. This time, Ms. Bullock -- we couldn't resist! -- was on the Daily Show talking with... more ›