Mandola’s Italian Market: Shop and Dine in Bee Cave

Mandola's Italian Market is a popular place to shop and dine in Bee Cave, Texas. Every nook and cranny in the marketplace area is packed with imported treasures, ranging from dried pasta and ladyfingers to oil-packed capers.

But there's no need to wait until you get home to chow down: Mandola's operates an attached trattoria that offers a range of delectable goodies, and the restaurant's aroma wafts around the marketplace, tempting you to sit down for a quick bite after you finish your shopping. Yelp reviewers rave over the bruschetta topped with fresh tomatoes, garlic, and basil, and they say you shouldn't miss the traditional antipasto selection of cured meats, cheeses, and assorted relishes and marinated vegetables. Hot meals like deep dish lasagna and chicken parmesan are also available, and you can even order take-out family-style meals for up to six people.

Visit Mandola's website to learn more about this Bee Cave market!

Mandola’s Italian Market
12815 Shops Parkway
Bee Cave, TX 78738
(512) 600-8500
www.mandolasmarket.com
www.yelp.com/biz/mandolas-italian-market-bee-cave

Bowl a Strike, Bite Into Baked Brie at The Goodnight in Austin

The Goodnight is a retro-inspired bowling alley with more style and polish than some older alleys from decades past. This smaller venue hosts just eight bowling lanes and four custom billiards tables within its atmospheric space, which boasts pendant lights that hang from the ceiling and luxurious leather chairs that offer ample seating for you and your friends. Meanwhile, the 80-person dining room and two private lounge areas create a relaxing space to enjoy food and libations before or after your game.

Enjoy baked brie, pulled pork sliders, and fresh salads along with a handcrafted cocktail, or stop by for the weekday happy hour to enjoy special prices on food and drinks (as well as half off bowling and billiards!).

The Goodnight
2700 West Anderson Lane
Austin, TX 78757
(512) 459-5000
www.thegoodnight.com
www.yelp.com/biz/the-goodnight-austin

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Lucky’s Puccias: Try a Grilled Sandwich From This Famous Food Truck

A puccia is a type of flatbread from the Puglia region in Italy, but in Austin, most people would recognize it as the hearty sandwiches served by the famous Lucky’s Puccias. This often buzzed-about white and orange food truck is located in the Market District area of downtown, and it features a few small tables outside where customers can enjoy their sandwiches.

The menu includes puccia sandwiches made on fresh baked bread and topped with organic ingredients, and then the whole thing is baked in an oven to create a wood-fired taste. The signature sandwich is the Lucky’s Puccia, which features prosciutto, tomato, mozzarella, and chipotle mayo. Other puccias come with a variety of other meats or vegetables to accommodate vegetarian customers.

The wait at Lucky's can be a bit long, but regulars recommend stopping by one of the nearby bars for a drink while you wait for your tasty sandwich. Lucky’s Puccias is open daily.

Lucky’s Puccias
817 W 5th Street
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 739-8785
www.facebook.com/LuckysPuccias
www.yelp.com/biz/luckys-puccias-austin

Truluck’s: Fete a Special Occasion Over Steak and Seafood

The next time you’re celebrating a special occasion, consider making a reservation at Truluck’s. This upscale steak and seafood restaurant in Austin has a festive feel, from its light-covered marquee and beautiful stone patio to its romantic, old-fashioned interior. The eatery is very large and features a dark wooden bar and spacious tables that can accommodate the whole family.

On the menu, Truluck’s offers premium cuts of steak, Florida stone crab, and Chilean seabass, and its extensive wine list and handcrafted cocktails pair perfectly with any entree. Appetizers like the famous smoking shrimp cocktail start the meal off right, while the dessert martinis and extravagant cakes conclude every meal on a sweet note.

Truluck’s serves dinner seven days a week. Happy hour is held between 4:30 and 6:30 p.m. daily.

Truluck’s
10225 Research Boulevard
Austin, TX 78759
(512) 794-8300
www.trulucks.com
www.yelp.com/biz/trulucks-austin-2

Reduce Neck Cramps and Other Workday Ailments With These Ergonomic Furniture Ideas for Your Home Office

Do you feel stiff and sore after a long day spent in front of the computer? Even telecommuters struggle with an achy neck and shoulders, but luckily, working from home makes it so that you can set up your workspace in a way that feels comfortable. Here are desk and chair ideas to make your home office more ergonomic.

  • The standing desk. If you start to feel stiff and cramped after 8 hours sitting at your desk, eliminate the sitting entirely with a modern standing desk. These high desks are proven to reduce the user’s risk for obesity and cardiovascular disease, and they also keep you feeling alert and focused.
  • The saddle stool. Instead of slumping forward in your traditional desk chair all day, try switching it up with a saddle-style stool with casters on the bottom. This type of “active seating” encourages the user to sit up straight, improving your posture and allowing for easy movement around the room.
  • The ball chair. You may look a little silly sitting on one of these ball-shaped chairs, but they’ll sure make the workday more fun. Perch on top of the ball and you’ll engage your core while you work.
  • The laptop riser. If you can’t afford to invest in a whole new desk, try adding a simple laptop stand. This raises your laptop up to eye level, eliminating that arch in your neck that leads to cramping and stiffness.

These Active Desk Chairs Want To Transform The Way You Sit [Huffington Post]
Five Health Benefits of Standing Desks [Smithsonian.com]
Ditch Your Office Chair for a New 'Standing Desk' [Wired]

Milk + Honey Day Spa: Relax and Rejuvenate at This Modern, Organic Spa

Although most people think of plush furnishings and elaborate creams and oils when they think of a day at the spa, Austin’s Milk + Honey Day Spa takes an entirely different approach to a day of pampering. This modern spa focuses on healing, wellness, and relaxation through its natural and organic treatments, and its stylish environment is comfortable yet sparse. Wooden walls, minimal furnishings, and airy, light-filled rooms feel completely tranquil and inspiring at the same time.

Milk + Honey provides treatments for both men and women, including massages, facials, and nail treatments for hands and feet. Many guests choose to purchase treatment packages that offer multiple services for a discounted rate. Whether you’re booking a bridal shower or you simply want to pamper yourself on a day off, Milk + Honey Day Spa will leave you feeling rejuvenated and inspired.

Milk + Honey Day Spa is open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

Milk + Honey Day Spa
100A Guadalupe Street
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 236-1115
www.milkandhoneyspa.com
www.yelp.com/biz/milk-honey-day-spa-austin

Design Your Own Dessert at Tutti Frutti Frozen Yogurt in Austin

With reliably friendly service, a clean, modern atmosphere, and ample seating inside and out, you can’t go wrong with a visit to Tutti Frutti Frozen Yogurt. This might just be one of the best places in North Austin to satisfy your sweet tooth (without too much guilt!), as the cafe offers an ever-changing selection of frozen yogurt flavors and a vast array of toppings.

Banana pudding, original tart, cotton candy, and caramel salted popcorn are just a few of the flavors loaded into the colorful self-serve stations along the wall. Dose out your chosen froyo flavor, then add toppings from the toppings bar. There, you'll find cookie dough bites, fresh fruits, granola, and candies, and you can add as many as you want before paying by the ounce at the end.

Tutti Frutti Frozen Yogurt
13429 US Highway 183 N
Austin, TX 78750
(512) 257-0886
www.tfyogurt.com
www.yelp.com/biz/tutti-frutti-frozen-yogurt-austin

Jasper’s: Gourmet Cookout Cuisine

While the words “gourmet” and “cookout” aren’t normally used in the same sentence, they are at Jasper’s restaurant in Austin. This uniquely conceptual eatery is stylish and upscale, but its menu of so-called backyard cuisine is anything but pretentious.

Enter the sleek, modern dining room, with its dim lighting and artistic décor, and you’ll be met with a menu filled with Maytag bleu cheese potato chips, Texas gulf crab cakes, and Pimentón Rotisserie Chicken, as well as slow-smoked baby back ribs prepared just like they are in backyards all across Texas. Cast iron sides are the perfect accompaniments, and Jasper’s full bar churns out thoughtful cocktails, craft beers and premium wines to go along with the meal. For a gourmet spin on a taste that’s truly Texan, Jasper’s is one of the very best spots in town!

Reservations can be made online or by calling Jasper’s directly.

Jasper’s
11506 Century Oaks
Austin, TX 78758
(512) 834-4111
www.jaspersaustin.com
www.yelp.com/biz/jaspers-austin-7

How to Use Color to Brighten Your Home at 3500 Westlake

It’s not uncommon for renters to have restrictions when it comes to making changes to the look of the unit; however, there are a number of other ways to brighten up your space without the use of paint. Here are just a few!

  1. Add a pop of color in the kitchen by mixing and matching brightly hued chairs with a neutral table. Paint your existing set in a bright yellow, rich navy blue, or trendy turquoise.
  2. Set out vases of fresh flowers throughout your home for an all-natural burst of color. Think daisies, hydrangeas, and tulips in equally colorful vases.
  3. Top your bed and sofa with a variety of mismatched throw pillows in complementary hues. While they don’t all have to match completely, choosing one color scheme will help you to keep things looking stylish.
  4. Add artwork from local thrift stores and home decor shops housed in painted frames. You can also try a “dipped” look by painting the entire bottom half of the painting and frame in one bright shade.
  5. Add removable wallpaper that you can easily peel off when your lease is up. Use a floral or striped style on one accent wall for a magazine-worthy look.

20 Ways to Add Color to Your Home Without Painting [Brit + Co]
Top 10 Tips for Adding Color to Your Space [HGTV]
7 Ways to Add Color to Your Dining Room [Dwell]

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