WEEKEND

Unexpected Austin

By Elizabeth Payton

For Texans, an escape to the “people’s republic of Austin” is like a foreign getaway within state borders. Enjoy a weekend of down-home food, live music and unique shops in this vibrant, youthful city.

SoCo

Austin’s hipster central is the SoCo (South Congress) neighbourhood. Check in to the Hotel San José, a motor court in 1939 and now a design-conscious hotel. You can nibble on a cheese plate in the courtyard lounge or walk down the street to the Woodland, a hip modern diner with retro comfort food, for a snack. For a shot of caffeine before you hit the pavement, the original Jo’s (purveyor of the city’s best coffee) is right in the hotel parking lot. The shops lining South Congress Avenue are defiantly indie: Blackmail has great vintage cowboy boots and a “death before pastels” aesthetic while Parts and Labour is packed with goodies from local artists and designers. When you’ve had enough, grab a cold one at the outdoor picnic tables of Güero’s Taco Bar, a neighbourhood institution.

Downtown

SoCo is like a little bit of Brooklyn in the heart of Texas, but this surprising city also boasts a little bit of DC. Austin’s downtown district is small and pleasantly walkable. History and culture buffs will want to wander the corridors of power at the State Capitol and grounds – there’s an entertaining free tour. Then, to see where the deals are really done, book a night at the Driskill, the grande dame hotel where presidents and movie stars have stayed. While downtown, shopaholics will want to browse the upscale home decor boutiques of newly gentrified 2nd Street or the nearby 6th and Lamar zone. Nest is a standout store, with a compelling mix of modern and vintage design pieces.

Dining

Austin’s beyond-barbecue dining scene is booming – though ribs-and-brisket joints like Lambert’s, in town, or The Salt Lick, just west of the city, remain major institutions. Latino breakfast spot Las Manitas, a diner with lickety-split service and great chorizo scrambled eggs with thick homemade corn tortillas, is a great place to kick off the day. For dinner, Bess Bistro in downtown’s tiny warehouse district, owned by Hollywood actress and Austin native Sandra Bullock, has terracotta leather banquettes, chandeliers and innovative Southern-meets-Continental mains with a killer mac-and-cheese side served in a mini cast-iron skillet. Or book a table at Starlite, a romantic room with reinvented classics like a ceviche-style “tartare” of Hawaiian walu.

What to do

After dinner, check out Austin’s famed music scene; we like Antone’s for jazz and blues and Momo’s Club for rock. Warning: the college-kid-packed 6th Street entertainment district is often compared to Bourbon Street for a reason. If you prefer a more laid-back vibe, the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema is a one-of-a-kind theatre/bar chain (there are four locally) with gourmet food and drinks service at your seat. Daytime activities include an afternoon at the spa or on the golf course at the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa – it’s near the airport, so great for a quick pre-flight nine. Before you leave, though, make sure to stop by Central Market, a local emporium with a huge variety of chili specimens and other foodie treats. Grab a souvenir bottle of Tito’s Handmade Vodka, a local spirit that has been named the world’s best – yet another example of Austin’s charming surprises.

(Elizabeth Payton is a freelance travel and lifestyle writer living in Vancouver.)

Useful information

Las Manitas, 211 Congress Ave., 512-472-9357
Güero’s Taco Bar, 1412 South Congress Ave., 512-447-7688

TOP PHOTO: ACVB PHOTO
SOCO: ACVB PHOTO / AMLI