Vino Vino in Austin is more than just your neighborhood wine bar. Beyond vino, the restaurant offers a variety of specialty cocktails, beer, and an extensive food menu. Vino Vino offers over 20 wines by the glass, selected by the owner who may come check on you during your visit. The menu is full of tapas-style plates, as well as a few larger plates and even a take-out menu. The interior has a comfy casual environment with dim lighting and wooden decor, where you can graze on a cheese plate and sip on a bold, earthy red all night long.

Many locals agree that the Old Fashioned is one of the best in town, especially during happy hour when it is $2 off. Happy Hour offers $2 off all wine, beer, and house cocktails, as well as a selection of half-priced appetizers. Happy hour is held 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Saturdays.

The kitchen and bar have varied hours, so be sure to visit the website so you don’t miss the chance to try your favorite dish!

Vino Vino
4119 Guadalupe Street
Austin, TX 78751-4222
(512) 465-9282
www.vinovinoaustin.com
www.yelp.com/biz/vino-vino-austin

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr Maurits Verbiest

Chicken Lollypop combines the cuisines of two cultures to create a flavor-filled dining experience in Austin. This small cafe serves Chinese-Indian fusion fare, boasting a succinct menu of sandwiches, wraps, soups, signature entrees, and fried rice.

The naan wraps are a popular choice here. Chef Imitiaz Shaikh cooks chicken or paneer (Indian cheese) in a Szechuan sauce and wraps it in naan with green chutney and a yogurt sauce. The chef also cooks chicken breast in a house ginger sauce and pairs shrimp with spicy Manchurian sauce. You can add such signature house items as sautéed spinach and herbs and Bombay potatoes with green peas and spices. While the flavor in each dish is great, the price is even better. Menu items are $10.99 and below.

You’ll find Chicken Lollypop inside the East Braker Lane Food Mart. The restaurant is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

Chicken Lollypop
1005 E. Braker Lane
Austin, TX 78753
(512) 909-9826
www.facebook.com/Chicken-Lollypop-619479071400593/
www.yelp.com/biz/chicken-lollypop-austin

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr/sara marlowe

From reheating leftovers to warming up bowls of canned soup, your microwave sees a whole lot of messes from its various daily tasks. You may think that you need to use a store-bought cleanser to get out those tough, caked-on stains, but if you want to avoid those harsh chemicals, you can actually make your own cleanser at home. Follow these steps for cleaning your microwave in an all-natural way.

1. Pour one cup of vinegar into a microwave-safe bowl, and then add one cup of hot water and stir the two together.
2. Place the bowl with its vinegar solution in the center of the microwave and turn it on. Let it run on average power for 10 minutes.
3. Keep an eye on the bowl and remove it from the microwave when you notice it starting to boil (likely somewhere between 5 and 10 minutes). Note: Be sure to use an oven mitt, as the bowl will be very hot.
4. Wet a rag with lukewarm water and give the inside a good wipe-down to remove the now-loosened debris inside.
5. Once all of the debris is steam cleaned away, create a simple solution of lemon juice and water. Dip another rag into the homemade cleanser and give the microwave another wipe-down to freshen things up.

How to Clean Your Microwave Naturally With Just a Lemon [The Kitchn]
How to Clean and Shine Your Microwave Without Cleaner [One Good Thing]
Use a Lemon to Make Cleaning the Microwave Easy [Lifehacker]

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr Camera Eye Photography