Friday, August 22, 2008

Veg Out! Austin - Ben's Top 5 Plates of Nachos

I suggest that Austin vegetarians bookmark this neat web site:
"Veg Out! Austin... where herbivores eat out in Central Texas"

Besides mentioning Magnolia Mud, a recent article by Ben recommends 5 tops picks for vegetarian nachos. You can read all about his top 5 list here.

Just briefly, here are the recommended choices, in no particular order:

Alamo Drafthouse at the Ritz, Nacho Libre with grilled tofu

Freebird's World Burrito, Nachos with black beans and queso

Magnolia Cafe, Super Nachos

ZuZu's, Black Bean Nachos

Chuy's, Special Nachos

Good to know!

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

The sights, tastes and smells of Austin, TX


The editors at Conde Nast Traveler answer questions and share travel secrets, tips, and dispatches from the road, and apparently Julia Bainbridge (one of their writers) has a soft spot for Austin.

I think that Julia has nicely captured some of our current mystique, and she reminds me of some things that I ought to go enjoy before the summer is through.

She mentioned our Magnolia Cafe in the category of "good coffee." I have to agree with her, after drinking a few cups of what they call American-style coffee in Europe this summer, it's nice to be home.

Here is her lovely article about Austin if you'd like to read it for yourself.

Friday, July 11, 2008

Spreading the Love: The Food Trailer Culture in Austin

Rich from Plano recently visited Austin, and he has a couple of good tips for visitors. Who knew that you could stay at the Barton Creek Resort at an incredible price through Expedia? As for dining,

We hit Magnolia Cafe, Chuy's Tex-Mex, County Line BBQ, and tried a new place Gumbo's. Along the way, there might have been a Shiner or two. You can read his blog post here.

But this was his "pièce de résistance" - Hey Cupcake.

We'd like to tell you more about Austin's trailer culture. The city is enjoying an unusual phenomenon these days: micro-restaurants serving absolutely delicious food out of mobile trailers. Hey Cupcake is located on S. Congress Ave, about 2 blocks north of Magnolia Cafe South. They've become a big attraction for both residents and tourists in our SoCo neighborhood.

So, if you've visiting Austin, you should definitely come visit us at the Magnolia Cafe. But you should also try to fit in a meal or dessert with one of our friends in the trailers. They're an Austin experience.


Hey Cupcake on South Congress Ave.


LuLu B's Thai Sandwiches on South Lamar


Flip Happy Crepes, near Zilker Park

Saturday, June 28, 2008

From the Way Back Machine: the waitresses with Kent Cole, 1982



Back story: the Omelettry West was the first incarnation of today's Magnolia Cafe. Kent and his wife Patricia were asked to help open a new location for the Omelettry. K & P were quickly made part-owners of the new venture and went to work. Kent only learned to cook the day before the official opening.

A year later, Kent found himself single again. Perhaps that explains the gorgeous look of the waitresses in this picture.

The photo was taken by Jack Rheem for a special project: a 13-month calendar to be sold to customers (the extra month was called "Thermidor" which explains the extra long Texas summer between July and August). Each month featured a beautiful B/W photo of the early staff and cafe environment. It is the ultimate collector's item for Magnolia Cafe followers.

I'll eventually post all of the pictures to this blog. Thanks for your interest.

dP

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

YouTube introduction to the Annual ROT Biker Rally, Austin, TX

It's here! It's time for the motorcycles to engulf downtown Austin and the Travis County Expo Center. We've got a video from YouTube to help you get excited:



The official rally takes place over three days, June 14-16, at the Expo Center.

FREE PARADE & CONCERT on June 13th:
Congress Ave (from 2nd to 11th and 1 block on each side) will be closed for the parade from 4pm Friday to 2am Sat. The parade will happen at about 7:30pm and the concert should end around Midnight.

Magnolia Cafes, at two locations near downtown, will be welcoming visitors and locals with excellent home-cooked food 24 hours.

www.rotrally.com For road closure, concert and parade info, visit the City of Austin's web site.

Monday, April 21, 2008

Neon Sign of the Magnolia Cafe - Austin, Texas - "Sorry, We're Open"


Neon Sign of the Magnolia Cafe - Austin, Texas - "Sorry, We're Open"
Originally uploaded by JIMWICh

This beautiful picture of our sign was posted by a fan on Flickr. The owner of the picture has suggested this music as well. What an interesting combination! Please feel free to play this podcast to enjoy the sounds of Texas (?)