FoodFash

Adventure Begins in the Kitchen

ACL 2015 – Tunes & Eats

October 7, 2015 by Kristin

ACL 2015

Weekend 1 of ACL 2015 – ch-ch-check!  This was my third ACL in a row with Emily, my college roommate {the blondie pictured above}, and we’ve got our fest process down.  Luckily for Em, I learned the hard lesson of over-doing it my first year.  I was soooooo excited to live in Austin, the weather was perfect, I was bouncing from stage to stage with two college buddies, I thought after-partying was a good idea, and I thought after-after-partying was an even better idea.  Day 2 of the festival was miserable.  I stood sickly in the rain as I feigned excitement over Metric, walked a soaking wet walk home, changed into PJs, ordered Chinese food, and gave my wrist band away for the remainder of the fest.

Cafe Josie Austin

So like I said, things are totally different now.  First off, we eat and we eat well!  Since I live walking distance to Zilker Park, we were able to stop at one of my neighborhood favorites, Cafe Josie, for a line-less {yet fabulous} lunch.  I veered from my usual goat ribs order and went with the redfish tacos and an aperitif. I’m super obsessed with aperitifs lately.  So herby and refreshing, they’re my lunch cocktail of choice.

After arriving and splitting a bottle of white wine {they come in reusable water bottles and are most definitely the way to go}, we walked straight to the HomeAway stage to watch Albert Hammond Jr., who was one of the first bands I discovered on Sirius XMU in 2006.  I haven’t gotten much into his new albums, but I loved that he played so many tunes from Yours to Keep, like In Transit, 101, and Everyone Gets a Star. It was nostalgia at its finest.

The rest of the day was non-stop.  We went straight from Albert Hammond Jr. to Leon Bridges, Brand New, Tame Impala, and Foo Fighters.  Although I don’t have a video of Leon Bridges, he’s a must see. A young gentleman from Fort Worth, Leon’s soulfully vintage sound is sure to make you feel good. And gracefully skipping over Brand New, Tame Impala was my favorite of the day.  Balancing established hits and tracks from their newest album, Tame Impala’s playlist was ideal for old and new fans, alike. And lastly, Foo Fighters. Playing a decent set, they allowed the older members of the crowd {like me!} to cross things like hearing Everlong live off their bucket list.

Juiceland Ginger Kale

After eating well and a tune filled day, my best advice is to go home early {skip that after party}, SLEEP, and do it all again.  Oh! And fit in a Juiceland trip when you can.

South Congress Cafe Austin

We kicked off Day 2 with green smoothies, pulled ourselves together, and re-kicked off Day 2 by heading to South Congress and putting our name on the list at South Congress Cafe.  My advice for a trip to South Congress Cafe is to never go starving and always have the desire to shop.  They’ll take down your number and text when your table is ready, which is likely an hour later.  That hour will give you plenty of time to shop the strip {Parts & Labour, Y & I, Maya Star, By George, Allen’s Boots, Uncommon Objects}.  I ordered the burger with smoked gouda, crispy prosciutto, and caramelized onion and I would do it again in a heartbeat. Crispy prosciutto was like a heavenlier version of bacon {if you can imagine such a thing}.  And the fries were on point!

Day 2’s lineup wasn’t super impressive {to us}, so we took our time heading back to the house and then to the fest.  We stayed for most of Alabama Shakes, but when Em noticed there wasn’t much of a crowd gathering in front of the Miller Lite stage, we darted over for a front row TV on the Radio spot.  Not much was played from my fav album, Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes, but Tunde Adebimpe’s powerful voice and indie-rock-before-indie-rock-was-adult-comtemporary dance moves were more than enough to satisfy this old fan.

We ended the music portion of the night on that high note and chose watching the Gators WHOOP Ole Miss at the beer tent over listening to Drake.  You gotta love a Texas festival’s appreciation for college football!

Josephine House Austin

Day 3 started off with a mutual favorite, Josephine House.  Ever since Em’s first visit, we’ve joked about {and ordered} a bevy of beverages.  Before the food arrived, our table was filled with waters, French press coffees, and Jo House Fruit Cups {Old Overholt Rye, muddled lemon, lime, orange, mint, cucumber, house fruit cup blend}.  Not wanting to commit to total savory or total sweet, we split the lemon ricotta pancakes {which I’ve uncharacteristically eaten about three times this month because they’re that good} and short rib hash.  We left full and ready to take on our last day fest-ing day.

Beginning with Strand of Oaks and The Decemberists, I could only half pay attention because I just wanted it to be Kurt Vile time.  I missed seeing Kurt Vile at Fun Fun Fun Fest a few years back and seeing him play was my top priority this year.  And he didn’t disappoint.  Standing at the shady stage on a sunshiny but breezy day, we got a little Jesus Fever, Pretty Pimpin’, Goldtone, and Wakin on a Pretty Day.  At that point, I couldn’t have asked for anything more.

ACL Fest 2015

And then The Strokes played.  It was too dark, too dance-y, and too far away for a video, but wow!  I heard a lot of rubbish and forecasted disappointment over The Strokes headlining Weekend 1 and, although I disagreed plenty before, I soap-box-style disagreed afterward.  The Strokes have been relevant for almost two decades, were pioneers in making indie rock accessible, and were likely influential to half the bands that play at ACL each year.  That, in conjunction with putting on a solid rock ‘n’ roll performance, made them the perfect last taste of my ACL 2015 weekend!

‘Til next year, ACL!

Filed Under: lifestyle, Travel Tagged With: acl 2015, aclfest, austin, austin city limits, texas

FoodFash’s Favorite Brunch Spot

December 8, 2014 by Kristin

Josephine House Steak & Eggs

There are two things that FoodFash doesn’t particularly enjoy: restaurant reviews and committing to a single favorite.  For reasons as simple as food is personal, company kept is critical to a dining experience, and I can {sometimes} be fickle – reviews and a single favorite are just not typical FoodFash offerings.

Josephine House Polenta

But today, as I sit here looking through my Instagram library, I can’t help but notice I have a clear favorite in the brunch department.  Josephine House has become my go-to spot, and here’s why:

– I rarely order the same thing twice.  This is a huge feat for a restaurant, to get me out of a dish rut.  If I really, really love a dish, I’m most likely going to order it every time.

– The dishes are unique.  Forget your typical eggs benedict, shrimp & grits, and pancakes, Josephine House’s menu is full of dishes that you’ll only find at Josephine House.  Check out the menu!  It’s creative and adventurous and I never leave thinking “I could have made this better at home”.

– Cucumber gimlet.  Theirs is of the best I’ve had and they never flinch at my off-menu order.

– Ambiance.  Whether seated indoors or out, I feel like I’m on vacation whenever I arrive.  Maybe this is why I bring every visitor that comes my way to brunch here?

– Location.  It’s a mere three blocks from my house and I love walking through my neighborhood and arriving at such an adorable spot.

Josephine House Savory Porridge

As far as FoodFash dish recommendations go, I’ll always order something savory and egg-topped.  I’ve been digging their grit-equivalent dishes {polenta in the middle picture and farro in the bottom picture}.  And the steak and eggs is definitely worthy of being a rotating regular.

Filed Under: restaurant reviews Tagged With: austin, brunch, josephine house, texas

ACL 2014 Tunes & Eats

October 8, 2014 by Kristin

ACL 2014

Before I was even able to unpack from Italy, it was time to pick up Emily from the airport for ACL weekend!  I squeezed in a little work on Friday {Em was a good sport and came to work with me}, we ate lunch at St. Philip {yumm!}, and then we were off to Zilker Park to meet up with Justin and Heidi.

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Day 1 consisted of CHRVCHES, St. Vincent, Foster the People, Beck, and a huge surprise.  When we met up with Heidi after St. Vincent, she showed up with VIP wristbands to the Samsung stage where, not only were we able to watch bands play from the top of the stage, but were treated to bbq, vodka/ginger beers, and air conditioned bathrooms.  We couldn’t, and still can’t, thank Heidi enough for sharing this experience with us!

DCIM100GOPRO

On the morning of Day 2, I took Emily and Justin to one of my favorite brunch spots, Olivia, where I gorged on a bison burger sans bun and the best french fries in all of the land {seriously}.  We sipped brunch cocktails while we planned out our day and then walked over to the fest.

Olivia

Day 2 was insanely crowded.  We began at Poliça, rushed over to Samsung to see Lana Del Ray from above, crossed the park again to see Interpol, then hiked back to Samsung for the Foster DJ set and Eminem.  It’s amazing that we all managed to stay together.  It’s even more amazing that Heidi pulled us aside to introduce us to Mark Foster and Isom Innis of Foster the People!

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Day 3 started out much the same as Day 2.  We brunched at Josephine House {another favorite of mine} with Emily’s cousin.  Polenta and grits was my breakfast of champion choice.

Josephine House

But by the time we made it to the fest, we lost half our crew.  Emily and Heidi were beat, so Justin and I peeled through the slightly-less-crowded crowd to see Real Estate and Spoon.

DCIM100GOPRO

After Spoon, I trekked back to my place to get ready and pick up Em for Uchiko dinner, where we topped off an amazing weekend with an even more amazing meal!

Uchiko

If you’re curious about any of the bands listed above, most of the names are hyperlinked to the YouTube videos of my favorite songs.

Til next year, ACL!

Filed Under: lifestyle Tagged With: acl 2014, austin, austin city limits, texas

The Gameday Breakfast

September 26, 2013 by Kristin

Game Day Breakfast

As a second generation Florida Gator, I learned the importance of a substantial gameday breakfast early on.  And since I’m a savory breakfast kind of gal, egg sandwiches have always been my gameday go-to.

HEB Spicy Corn Relish

When I opened my September HEB Primo Picks box, visions of spicy egg goodness immediately popped into my head.  I toasted up some sprouted wheat bread, topped with sliced avocados, an over-medium egg, and HEB‘s Spicy Relish that Corn.  I dove in with a fork and knife (which were oh so necessary) and immediately wished I had more avocado so I could treat myself to seconds – it was SO wonderful.

Texas Tea and Vodka

Wonderful and… hot!  I dug through the box to see what I could snack on to calm the burn, when I found the perfect thing: Peach Texas Tea.  And then I thought “if this is a gameday breakfast, then surely this tea should be turned into a cocktail”.  So there ya have it!  As I cheer on the Gators in Austin this season, I’ll be enjoying a Texa-fied start to my gameday with a spicy corn relish egg sammie and a Texas Tea with a splash of Tito’s.

Filed Under: recipes Tagged With: austin, breakfast, corn relish egg sandwich, gameday, gators, heb, primo pics, recipes, september, texas

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