Although I just got back from a vacation to England a few weeks ago, my body (and mind) were more than ready for this 3-day weekend in celebration of Memorial Day! We had friends in town visiting from Dallas and ‘played tourist’ around the Austin eating great food and relaxing. Here’s a recap of our shenanigans.
Friday
Friday <3M and I took it easy and did our standard date night at Whole Foods. We had a gift certificate that was burning a hole in my pocket and eating at the Whole Foods Happy Trails Bar is one of our favorite ways to ease into the weekend.
I enjoyed a glass of bubbly, we split some hummus & pita, and for my meal I had a piece of grilled salmon with a side salad. It’s the BEST deal really, you pay for the salmon from the seafood counter then walk it over to the bar where they season and grill it for you. You can add a salad or fries fo a few bucks and it’s the best meal. Plus the salmon is always perfectly cooked.
We wrapped up the night by filling up M’s growler with some beer from the bar and snagging a pint of Halo Top which I enjoyed a few spoonfuls from when we got home. Once home we stayed up late watching the movie Game Night. If you love silly comedies, definitely check it out.
Saturday
I ventured down to the farmer’s market on Saturday morning where I picked up a Meyer Lemon kombucha from Buddha’s Brew. It was so tasty — sweet with a tart finish. I also stocked up our favorite balsamic, white lemon balsamic from The Texas Hill Country Olive Company which we use to make this Sonoma Valley inspired breakfast.
After grabbing a coffee, I treated myself to a spin class at LOVE Cycling. It’s such a great, sweaty workout and since I hardly ever spin anymore, it was an awesome way to kick-off the weekend!
Our friends arrived in town hangry for lunch Saturday afternoon so we all met at Fareground where everyone could get whatever they were craving. I opted for the salad trio with chicken from Contigo. Contigo killed it with their beet & orange salad (must make at home soon, recipe inspiration here!). Our friends had sushi from Ni-Kome and <3M went with a classic Contigo burger!
While the boys went to watch some fútbol at a friend’s house, us ladies ventured over to SoCo to explore the shops, picking up some kicks at Tom’s, window shopped for boots at Allen’s and grabbed a few souvenirs from Parts & Labour — my favorite local store. It was really hard to resist the cute pocket tanks at Parts & Labour, I’m still thinking about them today! We also grabbed a late afternoon caffeine fix at Jo’s to last us through the night.
For dinner Saturday night we went to Eden East on Springdale Farm — my absolute favorite farm to table restaurant in Austin. I love eating out at the picnic tables under the twinkle lights. And the best part, it’s BYOB so we enjoyed some Dandy Róse and wine from our Winc subscription.
We had a great meal at the farm and while every dish is so thoughtfully composed, the group’s favorite dish was the Texas Blue Grab with a fried green tomato. I could have ate it for all 5-courses it was SO tasty! I also swapped the lamb on the menu for a blackened red fish as I’m not a fan of red meat. The fish was perfectly cooked and flakey while the mole was full of smoke!
Sunday
Sunday started with a trip to the gym where I lifted #allthethings and did a quick 15-minutes on the elliptical. Afterwards, we all packed up and headed to the W Hotel Wet Deck for a few hours in the pool.
The W isn’t really my scene but our friends had lots of fun. There was a DJ with great tunes, we scored a few lounge chairs right by the edge, and I got to flip through my Austin Monthly magazine.
I snacked on the tastiest grilled veggie plate with hummus and splurged on a $7 Topo-Chicio (I know!). But on the upside, the people watching was unreal so the 5-hours we spent there flew by so quickly.
After the pool, everyone was ready for some naps so while <3M and our guests slept, I showered and relaxed by practicing my calligraphy. I’m working on some goodies for Teddy V. Patisserie’s Cookies & Champs customer appreciation party this Wednesday. If you haven’t had Elisia’s chocolate chip cookies, you NEED to get on it! You can find her at the farmers markets!
Sunday night we had a super later dinner at Kemuri Tatsu-Ya. I’ve eaten at Kemuri before and thought it was good. I had the same impression again this past visit. The food really is tasty but not crave-able or memorable to me which is why I’m so confused that it’s won so many accolades this past year. Here’s my quick review
- If you don’t have a reservation, the wait is absurd ~ we waited 1 hours 45 minutes on a Sunday
- Service/Staff were kind of unfriendly
- Overall interactions were rushed from hostess to waiter to food runner
- Asked for a fork and was told ‘You’re waiter can bring that to you’
- Both visits they forgot part of our order (which we never received even after questioning)
- Food is tasty enough
- Highlights includes: Tokyo grifter cocktail, karaage chicken, guaca-poke, chili cheese takoyaki, and BBQ tsukemen (dipping ramen)
- I liked the daily sashimi, though I’d rather have Kome
- The pecan pie was sad — the crust was hard and horrible but the yuzu flavor was prominent
Monday
Monday we wrapped up a few light household chores and said goodbye to our friends. Before officially falling back into the work week, <3M and I decided to further enjoy our staycation with a trip to Pool Burger.
I had high hopes for Pool Burger but was again a little disappointed. The ambiance is definitely tiki with a 70’s vibe and the service was quick! Thank goodness, because both M<3 and I were starving! I also loved that Pool Burger has plenty of non-alcoholic drink options (hello Mexican Coke and Coke Light!) and offered a lettuce bun in place of traditional bread.
I liked my veggie burger enough to eat it all (I was also super hungry!) it was really crisp on the outside but mushy on the inside so I left feeling kind meh. I think it may be made with beets & black beans…a bit unsure.
<3M felt the same way about his All-American burger ~ kind of like a play on a Big Mac with a cheeseburger and 1000 Island dressing but of the quality of P. Terry’s and at a much higher cost.
Our verdict, we probably won’t go back unless we were visiting Deep Eddy for a swim but I’m glad to at least have checked it out since there was so much hype around it. We wrapped up Monday night and our staycation by binging on Westworld (we’re only on season one) and grilling a light meal with chicken and a delish Greek Watermelon Mint salad (similar recipe). It was so refreshing and full of fresh flavors!
The weekend was seriously relaxing and a true staycation in Austin. I couldn’t have asked for a better holiday weekend soaking up the sun, eating delicious food, and catching up with friends!
How’d you enjoy your weekend?