Monument Cafe
500 S. Austin Ave
Georgetown, TX 78627
512-930-9586
http://www.themonumentcafe.com/
This is one of my favorite "comfort" food spots. I think I could eat here multiple days in a row and still enjoy it. What is so good about it is that it feels like your mom or grandmother is cooking for you out of the garden. They always have some special but I tend to like the fried chicken or whatever fish they have that day. The veggies are in season. Friday, they had okra and butternut squash. The eggs are also local. The same items I am getting at the farmers market. My kids like fresh vegetables and enjoy the place. All of their limeade, lemonade and strawberry lemonade (my favorite) are fresh squeezed. I haven't ever experienced a horrendous wait to eat and I think you can call ahead. The staff is always very helpful. We ate with a friend requiring a gluten-free meal and the chef came out to speak with him about how the food would be prepared. I was impressed.
The newest addition to Monument Cafe is the Monument Market. They have locally made cheese, fresh fish, vegetables from local farmers, even fresh milk with the cream on top.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Mount Bonnell - Austin Texas
Mount Bonnell
3800 Mt. Bonnell Dr.
Austin, TX 78731
http://www.austinparks.org/apfweb/park.php?parkId=287
Mt. Bonnell undeniably has one of the best views in Austin. After you hike up the long stone staircase you can go straight ahead to the pavilion to see a terrific view up and down Lake Austin. Or if you go down the trail to left you can see a great skyline view of Austin. As you follow the trail back up to the pavilion and beyond off to the left the views are a bit disconcerting. You can look down onto some beautiful homes on the lake. You can teach the kids some great lessons on history by having them research who the mountain was named for. http://www.west-point.org/joseph_bonnell/mt-bonnell_narrative_history
3800 Mt. Bonnell Dr.
Austin, TX 78731
http://www.austinparks.org/apfweb/park.php?parkId=287
Mt. Bonnell undeniably has one of the best views in Austin. After you hike up the long stone staircase you can go straight ahead to the pavilion to see a terrific view up and down Lake Austin. Or if you go down the trail to left you can see a great skyline view of Austin. As you follow the trail back up to the pavilion and beyond off to the left the views are a bit disconcerting. You can look down onto some beautiful homes on the lake. You can teach the kids some great lessons on history by having them research who the mountain was named for. http://www.west-point.org/joseph_bonnell/mt-bonnell_narrative_history
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Austin Bat Colony at Congress Bridge
Austin Bat Colony
Bat Conservation International link below
http://www.batcon.org/index.php/get-involved/visit-a-bat-location/congress-avenue-bridge/subcategory.html?layout=subcategory
What a great thing to do all ages! And it is educational. We have taken people with kids as young as 4 up to my grandmother who is in her 80's to see the bats depart in the evening. Everyone loved it and talked about it for days afterward. This is the largest URBAN bat colony in the US. We have watched the bats several ways. We have been under the bridge, which has a carnival atmosphere. There are vendors selling everything from ice cream to light up toys for the kids. However, you cannot get the full effect of how many bats are departing because the trees block quite a bit of the view. We have watched the bats from up top, which allows you to see the colony flying for miles but you don't see them coming out of the crevices in the bridge. It is crowded and a busy street so watch the kids closely. Our favorite was to take a boat tour which puts you in the water under the bridge. You can see them departing and because you are on the water the trees don't block your view of the almost 2 million bats flying into the distance. We went on Capitol Cruises http://www.capitalcruises.com/bat-watching/.
The boat ride cost us $10 for adults and $5 for kids. We were put on the waiting list so that we didn't have to pay in advance but we were able to get on the boat because others were late or didn't make it.
This is a highly recommended activity for anyone in the Austin area.
Bat Conservation International link below
http://www.batcon.org/index.php/get-involved/visit-a-bat-location/congress-avenue-bridge/subcategory.html?layout=subcategory
What a great thing to do all ages! And it is educational. We have taken people with kids as young as 4 up to my grandmother who is in her 80's to see the bats depart in the evening. Everyone loved it and talked about it for days afterward. This is the largest URBAN bat colony in the US. We have watched the bats several ways. We have been under the bridge, which has a carnival atmosphere. There are vendors selling everything from ice cream to light up toys for the kids. However, you cannot get the full effect of how many bats are departing because the trees block quite a bit of the view. We have watched the bats from up top, which allows you to see the colony flying for miles but you don't see them coming out of the crevices in the bridge. It is crowded and a busy street so watch the kids closely. Our favorite was to take a boat tour which puts you in the water under the bridge. You can see them departing and because you are on the water the trees don't block your view of the almost 2 million bats flying into the distance. We went on Capitol Cruises http://www.capitalcruises.com/bat-watching/.
The boat ride cost us $10 for adults and $5 for kids. We were put on the waiting list so that we didn't have to pay in advance but we were able to get on the boat because others were late or didn't make it.
This is a highly recommended activity for anyone in the Austin area.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Riscky's Barbeque - Fort Worth, TX
Riscky's Barbeque - Fort Worth, TX
www.risckys.com
We arrived at Riscky's (the location on Main Avenue) at about 6pm on a Saturday with a group of 18 people. We were seated immediately even though it was packed (I think my sister-in-law must have called ahead). We had 2 servers working our table which was helpful. The waiters did a great job keeping the drinks full. However, our side of the table was done eating before the other side even got their meals.
My husband got a large pour of Shiner Bock on tap and I ordered a margarita. The margarita was yummy, it was made with reposado tequila and blue curacao.
The menu was BBQ 101 and not a lot of options if you didn't want a full 1lb. of meat. I ended up getting a sandwich with a house salad topped with house vinaigrette. They really use the term "salad" loosely. It was lettuce and croutons (no joke). It was a good thing the vinaigrette had some flavor. My sandwich was really good and I ate it with jalapenos. My husband had a full brisket plate with sides so I tried those. The beans and coleslaw were good. The potato salad was not anything I would eat again. It was bright yellow and tasted like mustard. There must be someone out there that likes it that way since this place has been around since 1927.
The kids menu was a typical kids menu. I must have the only kid in the world that doesn't like french fries. The prices were decent (it was BBQ after all). For a family of three we spent about $45 (tip and alcohol included).
This was an average meal with average service.
www.risckys.com
We arrived at Riscky's (the location on Main Avenue) at about 6pm on a Saturday with a group of 18 people. We were seated immediately even though it was packed (I think my sister-in-law must have called ahead). We had 2 servers working our table which was helpful. The waiters did a great job keeping the drinks full. However, our side of the table was done eating before the other side even got their meals.
My husband got a large pour of Shiner Bock on tap and I ordered a margarita. The margarita was yummy, it was made with reposado tequila and blue curacao.
The menu was BBQ 101 and not a lot of options if you didn't want a full 1lb. of meat. I ended up getting a sandwich with a house salad topped with house vinaigrette. They really use the term "salad" loosely. It was lettuce and croutons (no joke). It was a good thing the vinaigrette had some flavor. My sandwich was really good and I ate it with jalapenos. My husband had a full brisket plate with sides so I tried those. The beans and coleslaw were good. The potato salad was not anything I would eat again. It was bright yellow and tasted like mustard. There must be someone out there that likes it that way since this place has been around since 1927.
The kids menu was a typical kids menu. I must have the only kid in the world that doesn't like french fries. The prices were decent (it was BBQ after all). For a family of three we spent about $45 (tip and alcohol included).
This was an average meal with average service.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Sandy Creek Park Austin TX
Sandy Creek Park
http://www.co.travis.tx.us/tnr/parks/sandy_creek.asp
![]()
This is one of our favorite hang outs. It is a short drive from our home (about 20 minutes) to get in the clear cool water of Lake Travis. There is a boat ramp at this park but if you take a left instead of the right to the boat ramp there are a few trails that lead down to the water. There is always parking available and you can find a semi-private spot to chill. We take along our inner tubes and floats so that we can sit in the water for hours. Bring a small cooler with food and drinks. Otherwise we have seen families setting up for the day with tents for shade and lots of picnic food, I am usually tempted to ask if I can join them. Dogs are welcome.
Usually there is a $10 day use charge for the park but the boat ramp is closed this year because of low water levels and we have yet to see anyone manning the ranger station.
http://www.co.travis.tx.us/tnr/parks/sandy_creek.asp
Usually there is a $10 day use charge for the park but the boat ramp is closed this year because of low water levels and we have yet to see anyone manning the ranger station.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Sea World San Antonio
Sea World San Antonio
http://www.seaworld.com/sanantonio/default.aspx
We visited Sea World San Antonio this week. I hadn't been there in about 10 years. The cost is expensive for a family. Individual adults single day tickets are $60, kids $50. There are some coupons out there for $5 off but I decided to go with the full price and take advantage of the Fun Pass. We can go back as many times as we want until January 1 for that price. Our out of town friends purchased the Family Four Pack for $47.50 per person. We purchased a general parking pass online and upgraded to preferred parking when we got to the park for an extra $5. The closeness of the space was well worth it, especially when we were tired at the end of the day.
We went on a Tuesday and there were hardly any lines for the rides. Mid-week is definitely best for these types of parks. We had four adults and three kids under 10. We went to the new Shamu show, One Ocean, which was spectacular to see. I struggle with the moralness of these animals in captivity but my five year old was amazed at the tricks. We watched the Sea Lion show which was cute, at the top of the splash zone we only got a misting of water. The show with the water skiers was a favorite. All the kids rode the Shamu Express, Journey to Atlantis and Rio Loco. The big kids also rode the Steel Eel. The Rio Loco was a lot of fun with a chance for spectators to spray the riders with water, 25 Cents for two shots of water. Well worth that quarter!
Our group arrived after eating lunch before we entered the park and stayed until closing. We brought bottles of water and refilled them at all the water fountains there which had great tasting cold water.
The adults enjoyed this and the kids thought is was one of the best days ever! If you can swing the cost it is recommended.
http://www.seaworld.com/sanantonio/default.aspx
We visited Sea World San Antonio this week. I hadn't been there in about 10 years. The cost is expensive for a family. Individual adults single day tickets are $60, kids $50. There are some coupons out there for $5 off but I decided to go with the full price and take advantage of the Fun Pass. We can go back as many times as we want until January 1 for that price. Our out of town friends purchased the Family Four Pack for $47.50 per person. We purchased a general parking pass online and upgraded to preferred parking when we got to the park for an extra $5. The closeness of the space was well worth it, especially when we were tired at the end of the day.
We went on a Tuesday and there were hardly any lines for the rides. Mid-week is definitely best for these types of parks. We had four adults and three kids under 10. We went to the new Shamu show, One Ocean, which was spectacular to see. I struggle with the moralness of these animals in captivity but my five year old was amazed at the tricks. We watched the Sea Lion show which was cute, at the top of the splash zone we only got a misting of water. The show with the water skiers was a favorite. All the kids rode the Shamu Express, Journey to Atlantis and Rio Loco. The big kids also rode the Steel Eel. The Rio Loco was a lot of fun with a chance for spectators to spray the riders with water, 25 Cents for two shots of water. Well worth that quarter!
Our group arrived after eating lunch before we entered the park and stayed until closing. We brought bottles of water and refilled them at all the water fountains there which had great tasting cold water.
The adults enjoyed this and the kids thought is was one of the best days ever! If you can swing the cost it is recommended.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Home Slice Pizza in Austin
Home Slice Pizza 1415 South Congress Street, Austin TX http://www.homeslicepizza.com/
We visited Home Slice Pizza last night. It was my first visit there, only my husband had been previously. We arrived about 5:30pm, there were 4 adults and 3 kids under 10. The wait for indoor seating was 30 minutes but we could be seated outside immediately. The temperature at the time was 101 degrees. We decided to go ahead and eat outside. That was a great choice. We sat at a picnic table in the shade with large fans blowing. The kids were given plates of dough to play with (VERY NICE TOUCH). We ordered a family style spinach salad, garlic knots, large 1/2 pepperoni and 1/2 cheese pizza and a medium Margherita pizza. I thought the pizza was great and I liked the New York style crust. Our friends from St. Louis and used to St. Louis style pizza weren't as enamored but chowed it down anyway. The atmosphere was definitely Austin with colorful body art on almost everyone (I enjoy that) and very friendly. There were a few 20 somethings (of which I am not) that sat down in front of one of the fans and smoked (remember, we were outside) which blew it right at us but our server was great and asked them to move, which they were very cool with.
I liked it and would eat there again. We paid about $63 for our meal (non-alcoholics drinks/not including tip). I definitely recommend this if you like pizza, Austin culture, have kids
We visited Home Slice Pizza last night. It was my first visit there, only my husband had been previously. We arrived about 5:30pm, there were 4 adults and 3 kids under 10. The wait for indoor seating was 30 minutes but we could be seated outside immediately. The temperature at the time was 101 degrees. We decided to go ahead and eat outside. That was a great choice. We sat at a picnic table in the shade with large fans blowing. The kids were given plates of dough to play with (VERY NICE TOUCH). We ordered a family style spinach salad, garlic knots, large 1/2 pepperoni and 1/2 cheese pizza and a medium Margherita pizza. I thought the pizza was great and I liked the New York style crust. Our friends from St. Louis and used to St. Louis style pizza weren't as enamored but chowed it down anyway. The atmosphere was definitely Austin with colorful body art on almost everyone (I enjoy that) and very friendly. There were a few 20 somethings (of which I am not) that sat down in front of one of the fans and smoked (remember, we were outside) which blew it right at us but our server was great and asked them to move, which they were very cool with.
I liked it and would eat there again. We paid about $63 for our meal (non-alcoholics drinks/not including tip). I definitely recommend this if you like pizza, Austin culture, have kids
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)