Why I'm now a College Football Fan

Hurray for College football! I'm no football fan or a Longhorn fan at that, but while thousands of Longhorn Fans spend the weekend in Dallas, I basked a day in Austin's rare fall weather. I managed to hit four of Austin's staple places where I smothered myself in an abandoned town.

Stop #1: Book People

Forget Borders and Barnes & Noble. If you live in Austin, this Austin independent bookstore reminds the avid reader why Austin is great. If reading were a vice, I'd be in trouble! I sometimes forget that there's only one location, and it's in downtown Austin. 6th and Lamar.

Stop #2: Trudy's

I'll be honest. I'm not the biggest fan of Tex-Mex food, but for some reason, which I believe to be the drinks, Austinites love this eatery. There's always a wait, which also bugs me. But today, the weather was in the 70s and the sun invited the remaining Austin-dwellers (which I'm convinced were 30) to enjoy a Flaquitie Plate.

Stop #3: Spider House

Why stay indoors when this cozy coffee house and wine bar attracts you with an airy outdoor patio. Conveniently located on the same block as Trudy's, on weekends, Spider House offers their house wine special at $3... Even better you get to pick: Merlot, Chardonnay, or Cabernet. Why pick? You can have all three under $10.  

Stop #4: Arab Cowboy

As the night cooled into the low 60s, I meandered indoors to my regular sheesha lounge. What can I say? I was in the neighborhood. More about this new escapade in a previous blog.

More Balloon Boy, Kind of

A funny thing happened to Adrianna Huffington--yes, of the Huffington Post--on the way to talk about Afghanistan on the Ed Show.

She was ambushed! Not physically, but accidentally. Long story, short. She and Ed--yes, of the Ed Show--had a heated argument about why the media was still talking about the Ballon Boy incident. Both brought up fair points. But, why do I feel bad for Adrianna? Well, why not? If I had an angy Ed yelling at me on live television, I might cry. Watch it.

Tarka Indian Kitchen

Clay Pit, Austin's downtown Indian restaurant, has a fabulous baby sister: Tarka Indian Kitchen. A smaller, fast-food, self-serve, and more casual environment attracts anyone from the hot-tolerant to the mild-tolerant. And since its opening, two weeks ago, the new eatery has drawn a crowd every night. 

The menu includes Indian classics such as kebabs, saag, tandoori chicken, biriyani, basmati rice, flaky naan, and (my favorite) crispy, buttery samosas. Yum. The drink selection--ranging from Limca, to Coca-Cola, to wine, and Indian beer--is limited, but suits the fast-casual setting.

Tarka's only downfall? Choosing which two or three menu items to limit yourself to. You'll want to order the entire menu. And the food is incredibly fresh, you won't believe it's fast! Hands down, it's some of the Austin's best (and most inexpensive) Indian food.

Location: 5207 Brodie Lane 
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays. 
11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.