After reading the Statesman story about restaurateur Lola Stephens-Bell handing out ice water to Austin’s homeless to cool them down on these 100 degree and higher days, I knew it was finally time to check out her place, Nubian Queen Lola’s Cajun Soul Food. A group was quickly formed via Twitter and e-mail, and I called Lola to make a reservation for 7 p.m. the following night, a Tuesday.
The group included me and Adam, Ilyse, Darrell from Bella Verdi Farms, David and Betsy, and Jennifer and Roderick. When we arrived, …

A couple weeks ago, I overheard a new friend, Brian, talking about bacon to fellow food blogger Logan of Boots in the Oven. My ears immediately perked up and I asked what this bacon talk was all about. Turns out, Brian’s brother Greg Bass cures and smokes pork belly at home and gives portions of bacon to friends and friends of friends. The Austin Chronicle referred to Greg as an “extreme bacon hobbyist” in an April story about local restaurants curing their own bacon.
Greg and Logan met at a hog-butchering …

Yesterday morning I talked Austin food with Andy and Bryan on KGSR’s Late Show. Those guys are so fun to chat with and it was great to go back for my second radio interview. A couple weeks ago, I brought miracle berries so they could experience a food trip. Next Friday, I’ll be on again at 8:30 a.m. CT, talking about all of these new burger joints around town.
In between segments, they told me about professional drummer Joe Humel, and the New York-style bagels he sells through his company, Rockstar …

When Dana mentioned offhandedly that her husband Mike rents wine storage space in Austin, I figured she meant that he had a locker at one of the cheap storage facilities on the outskirts of downtown. I couldn’t have been more far off!
On a Friday night, Adam and I met Mike and Dana at the Brown Building on 8th and Colorado and got cocktails at The Brown Bar.
The Brown Building was designed by Charles Henry Page, a leading Austin architect, in 1938. Constructed by Herman Brown, the building featured elaborate Deco-style …

In the case of Wyatt McSpadden’s Texas BBQ, the answer is yes. This gorgeous coffee table book showcases work by one of the best photographers in the state documenting the steaming, dripping, juicy foodways of Central Texas.
The book itself is a piece of history and is filled with photos from McSpadden’s twenty years documenting barbecue around Austin. For me, it was like a walk down memory lane as I’ve enjoyed many of the same spots for authentic barbecue, prepared by pit masters that have been smoking meat for decades.
Favorites like …