Podcasts: The Night Owl

Upstairs at the Subject of My Favorite Night Owl Podcast

Happy Halloween Austin!  I'm not here to judge your Halloween related decisions from over the weekend, but I am here to remind you that The Night Owl podcast would be perfect for enjoying this evening.   There are new episodes, though my all-time favorites remain those from the series about The Tavern.  

Food: Tumble 22 Sold and Will Expand

Old School: When T22 was a Food Trailer Behind Star Bar

The headline says the spicy part: Tumble 22 has been sold to private equity firms which plan to expand the chain.  You can read more about it in Eater.  This is interesting news (at least to me) as Hattie B.'s prepares to enter the Austin hot chicken market after expanding into other Texas cities.  

Formula 1: Las Vegas 2023 Tickets About to Go on Sale

 Tickets for the 2023 Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix are going on sale next week.  Estimated base price is $500 (which is a more than what you pay in Austin).   Tickets will be available to the general public on the 5th.   I don't know about all early access/presale options, but American Express members will be able to buy tickets during a November 1st-3rd presale period.  

Check out the track layout (with a straight shot down the Strip from The Venetian to Planet Hollywood/The Cosmopolitan).   A street course through Vegas at night should be quite the spectacle.   The race weekend will be November 16th-18th in 2023.  

Food: Prime Rib Friday Update

 

Prime Rib with Twice Baked Potato and Asparagus (for health)

I went to Lonesome Dove for Prime Rib Friday.  All of us agreed today's prime ribs were the best we've had since the new location (at 6th and Colorado) opened earlier this year.    Also, the PRF special is now $20 and crabs at $7 each.  1/2 price bottles of wine are still available.  You've been informed, so make a reservation and enjoy.

If you don't feel like eating beef on a PRF day, the trout is a good alternative.  I've had it and enjoyed.  A friend had it today and enjoyed it as well.

Food: ALC Steaks Wagyu Ribeye

16oz Wagyu Ribeye, with Asparagus for Health

 

As you may know, the Formula 1 was in Austin last weekend.  I have two friends with whom I attend the race every year, and part of our race weekend tradition is a visit to ALC Steaks.  Last time I had been to ALC was in June, and whilst there I enjoyed the 16oz wagyu steak (from Beeman Ranch) from the specials menu.  It was fantastic (the marbling in wagyu is intense); I liked it even better than the bone-in, dry-aged, grass-fed strip from 44 Farms.  Thus I was pleasantly surprised last Friday when the 16oz wagyu was still in the specials section.  Again I ordered it (see photo above) and again I was highly impressed.  

I don't know what the long term availability of this steak is, but if you are at ALC Steaks anytime soon I highly recommend that you try it.  It is every cent worth the $65.  

Also, I have a rule-of-thumb for steak: if they name the farm/ranch of origin on the menu, it is probably going to be good.  

View from the Turn 9 Grandstand

REI Mastercard

 If you have the REI Mastercard from Capital One, note that the 5% reward for buying from REI will be 10% during the period from November 1st-7th.  

Air Travel: Updates on International Non-Stops To/From Austin

 

Stock Photo from an SWA Flight to Denver... Pretend this the North Atlantic

Too much information on direct flights to list, so visit KXAN for more information.  As I've mentioned before, as a long-time resident of Austin I love seeing more direct flights to exciting places become available from AUS.  

Also, my PSA for those of you flying out of Austin: prices for airport cocktails can be quite steep at our airport as compared to many other airports I've visited in the past 18 months.  

Backpacking: Grand Canyon

 

I realize I'm a little overdue in writing my planned Grand Canyon guide, so I'll be brief with today's point.  If you have been preparing to hike in the Grand Canyon this Fall: prepare harder.  This advice is especially for people living in Texas or other places with landscapes lacking in verticality.   Hit the leg weights, hit the StairMaster (or as I call it, the "Stair Bastard"), and ride your bike.  If you are in Austin, load up a pack and hike up one of our larger hills multiple times multiple times per week.  Do this in the boots you plan to wear.  Trust me, you'll thank me for this later.  

Some examples of good hills in Austin are (included but not limited to): the Hill of Life (end of the Barton Creek Greenbelt trail), the hill on Mesa Dr. from 2222 up to the top, or Far West from Bull Creek up to Mesa.  

Food/Zilker Area News: Hattie B's Nashville Hot Chicken Coming to Austin

 

I'm fan of (reasonably) hot chicken, and whenever I visit Nashville I try to obtain some delicious Hattie B's.  Thus, I was pleased to learn they will be coming to Austin and opening a location on 2529 South Lamar (the site of the former Maria's Taco Xpress).  Hattie B's has a location in Dallas and plans to open one in Houston.  I do not yet know when the Austin location will open.  

You can read my thoughts on Hattie B's in a 2021 post about visiting Nashville.