In early June, after my first post about Joe Humel, Jeff Salamon, an acquantance and writer for the Statesman, picked up a bagel at Wheatsville and posted on his Twitter account, “OMG, Jodi Bart is right: Austin finally has a good bagel.”

A month later, Facebook reminded me that it was Jeff’s birthday. I posted, “Happy Birthday! Did you kick off the day with a rockstar bagel?”
His response: “Two! A poppyseed and a garlic. Even though you don’t really know me at all, Jodi, you know me all too well.”
A happy …

Labor Day marks the traditional end of summer and while the weather is still in the upper 90’s, calendars and inboxes are filling up with fun events around town.
Austin Restaurant Week kicks off on Sunday, Sept. 13-16 and the following week — Sept. 20-23. The event is a great opportunity to try fixed price meals at higher end eateries throughout the city from $25-$35. Five percent of the proceeds will go to the Sustainable Food Center and AIDS Services of Austin.
On Sunday, Sept. 13, the JCAA invites the community to …

Of all Jewish holidays, Passover is the one most commonly observed by otherwise non-observant Jews. The seder, or dinner service during Passover is composed of a four course meal, lots of wine, comfortable chairs, and did I mention all those cups of wine?
Those that observe Passover remove chametz (meaning: leavened foods) from the home. This commemorates the fact that the Jews freed in Egypt were in a hurry, and did not have time to let their bread rise. It also reminds us that we were all once slaves, and we …