Celebrate Spice at Austin’s 25th Annual Hot Sauce Festival!

If you love spicy food, but your tastes go beyond what the average person considers “spicy,” you can finally enjoy a truly spicy meal surrounded by people who share your taste buds at Austin’s 25th Annual Hot Sauce Festival. An estimated 15,000 spectators attend every year, and there are more than 350 entries every year. This year's festival will take place at Fiesta Gardens on Aug. 23, and if you’re planning on attending you should be prepared to taste some of the spiciest foods imaginable!

All of the food and fun at the Hot Sauce Festival is for a good cause — it doubles as a fundraiser for the Capital Area Food Bank of Texas, and last year’s festival raised over 45,000 meals in just six hours!

The event is only three miles from Elan East, and it's free and open to the public, but attendees are encouraged to donate three nonperishable food items or $5 to the Capital Area Food Bank of Texas.

25th Annual Hot Sauce Festival
Sunday, Aug. 23 starting at 11 a.m.
Fiesta Gardens
2101 Jesse E. Segovia St.
Austin, TX 78702
www.austinchronicle.com/hot-sauce

Meat Lovers Rejoice — Dai Due Butcher Shop and Supper Club Has Achieved National Acclaim!

Humans are omnivores by default, but those who love meat might use the word “carnivore” to describe their tastes. The chefs at Dai Due Butcher Shop and Supper Club love meat just as much, and you can experience their creations close to home — it's less than a half-mile away from Elan East. Dai Due was named one of Bon Appetit’s 50 best new restaurants of 2015, and once you taste a few things off of their menu you’ll understand why it was given this honor.

Dai Due doesn’t just create delicious dishes from prime cuts of meat. The chefs and owners also support local farmers and ranchers that share their vision of providing eaters with the highest-quality food possible. If you want to chow down on a meat-heavy meal and do something to support the community, make reservations at Dai Due!

Dai Due Butcher Shop and Supper Club
2406 Manor Road
Austin, TX 78722
(512) 524-0688
www.daidue.com

Unit D Pizzeria: A Brand New Upscale Yet Casual Spot Specializing in Neapolitan Pies

Some pizzerias take pride in having huge menus. Others, like Unit D Pizzeria, takes pride in keeping the offerings "deliberately concise," focusing on excelling at a handful of winning dishes. This pizzeria, which opened about two weeks ago in a spot that's less than a half mile from Elan East, seems to have hit a home run with this formula, if reviews are any indication — diners praise the well-curated menu.

Start your meal with the kale salad, which features pickled peaches, golden raisins, and millet, before moving onto the cheese and charcuterie board. When it comes to pizza, the mushroom pie has its share of fans, but reviews agree that you can't go wrong with any of the pizzas here. They're all thin-crust Neapolitan style pies made by hand by chef Chris Turgeon.

The atmosphere is casual but upscale, with dark, curved wood as well as stellar service. Note that Unit D doesn't deliver or offer takeout, so reserve this place for when you're in the mood to sit down and enjoy a meal in the dining room. Chances are you'll be happy with your choice!

Unit D Pizzeria
2406 Manor Road
Austin, TX 78722
(512) 524-1922
www.yelp.com/biz/unit-d-pizzeria-austin

The Halal Corner: A New Restaurant Offering High-Quality Mediterranean Fare

A great new restaurant located less than two miles away from Elan East, The Halal Corner offers authentic Halal and Mediterranean food made with love and care. Run by a Jordanian family who also owns Kismet Cafe, The Halal Corner is has the same friendly service diners have enjoyed for years at the family's first restaurant.

Open for just a few weeks, The Halal Corner is already gaining a reputation for serving high-quality, delicious and reasonably-priced cuisine. Kebobs, falafel, and hummus are all seasoned with spices imported from Jordan. Combination plates like the gyro over rice with white sauce and the Mediterranean BBQ are sure to please. If you can't decide what to order, staffers are happy to offer you samples. The restaurant has plenty of seating both inside and on the patio, and with order-ahead pick-up and catering services, too, The Halal Corner is a great new dining option in the area.

The Halal Corner
1200 Barbara Jordan Blvd.
Austin, TX 78723
(512) 480-0048
thehalalcorner.com
www.yelp.com/biz/the-halal-corner-austin

La Barbecue Joins in Texas Barbecue Week with its La Frito Sandwich

You have a lot of options for barbecue in Texas, and there's no better time to sample a slew of them than Texas Barbecue Week. However, if you prize convenience first and foremost, make La Barbecue your top priority during the week-long feast. It's located only three miles away from Elan East, and it's joining in the fun until July 18.

Like the other eateries involved in Texas Barbecue Week, La Barbecue serves up a special plate in honor of this Texas version of Restaurant Week. Of course, La Barbecue's legendary brisket will star. The La Frito sandwich, the centerpiece of the Barbecue Week platter, contains chopped brisket, chipotle slaw, sliced jalapenos, gooey cheese, and, for some added crunch, corn chips. During Texas Barbecue Week, you can snag the decadent sandwich for $12.75. While you wait in line, you might even get a complimentary pour of beer, as is customary at La Barbecue.

La Barbecue
Texas Barbecue Week
July 12 to 18
902 E. Cesar Chavez
Austin, TX 78702
(512) 605-9696
www.tmbbq.com/events/texas-barbecue-week-2
www.labarbecue.com

New Facebook Sweepstakes! Enter to Win an iPad Mini!

To enter the Sweepstakes, visit our Facebook Page and then look for the Sweepstakes tab (image shown below) located on our Facebook Page to enter. Sweepstakes ends August 31st, 2015. We suggest you like our page to keep informed about future sweepstakes and community happenings.

For mobile users, click here to enter.

Learn More About Wine This Weekend at a Free Tasting at the Austin Wine Merchant

You might think that becoming a connoisseur of fine wines is an expensive hobby, but the folks at Austin Wine Merchant are out to prove you wrong. They strive to make top-shelf wines accessible to everyone by hosting weekly complimentary wine tastings in-house. And since Austin Wine Merchant is less than 10 minutes away from Elan East, you can easily join in the fun this weekend.

Just head to the wine shop on West 6th Street at noon on Saturday, and you'll be treated to a flight of three to five wines. You can never quite predict what'll be on tap on any given week, either. Austin Wine Merchant's barkeeps pour everything from $8 bottles that you'd crack open on a girls' night in to $100 wines fit for a fancy celebration. Each week focuses on a different varietal, so the hosts simply pour whatever makes sense to keep with the overarching theme.

Austin Wine Merchant
Free weekly wine tastings
12 to 3 p.m. every Saturday through Dec. 19
512 W. 6th Street
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 499-0512
austin.culturemap.com/eventdetail/austin-wine-merchant-weekly-wine-tasting-2015
www.theaustinwinemerchant.com/index.html#

La Madeleine: French Cuisine in a Charming Cafe Setting

Beloved chain French cafe La Madeleine has opened a new location in Austin, about two miles away from Elan East. A favorite for Texans since the late '80s, La Madeleine brings lovely and delicious pastries, soups, sandwiches and entrees all with French flair. It offers high-quality coffee paired with breakfast treats like almond croissants, chocolate dipped coconut macaroons, and of course Madeleines. There's also a complimentary bread-and-jam station to pair with your morning brew.

The offerings for lunch and dinner include staples like French onion soup and beef bourguignon, along with salads and lighter fare that'll fill you up – but be sure to save room for dessert! Though larger than some of the other locations, this La Madeleine features a welcoming working fireplace to keep you cozy in colder months. The service is friendly, with staff members calling a cheerful "bonjour!" to everyone who sets food in the eatery. Their enthusiasm is all part of an overall delightful experience.

La Madeleine
1201 Barbara Jordan Blvd.
Austin, TX 78723
lamadeleine.com
www.yelp.com/biz/la-madeleine-austin-6

The Omelettry Has Moved to a New Location! Have You Checked Out the New Digs Yet?

After about a month into its new location (its former home was in Rosedale), The Omelettry seems to have hit its stride. Reviewers have been giving this legendary Austin breakfast spot two thumbs up for the larger space and the fact that it now accepts credit cards! And, it’s a bit closer to Elan East, too.

But don’t think that these changes have any bearing on the menu. No, The Omelettry still serves the same breakfast favorites it’s been offering since 1978, when owners Kenny and Joni opened their doors. Now run by Kenny and son Jesse, the eatery puts a high value on consistency, assuring eaters that whatever breakfast meal they might have fallen in love with as a child is still available today.

If you’re an Omelettry newbie, some popular options include the cheese omelet and the Spanish omelet, as well as the gingerbread pancakes. But, regulars say you can’t go wrong with anything on the menu. Not only that, everything is under $10!

The Omelettry
4631 Airport Blvd.
Austin, TX 78751
(512) 453-5062
theomelettry.com
www.yelp.com/biz/the-omelettry-austin-3

Celebrate the Globe’s Best-Known Band at “Ladies and Gentlemen…The Beatles!” Exhibit, Opening Saturday

Only the best of the best musicians receive a Grammy, so it makes sense that the Grammy Museum only showcases the work of top performers from the past and present. Unsurprisingly, The Beatles land on that list. That's why the Grammy Museum curated and designed "Ladies and Gentleman…The Beatles!" The traveling exhibit portrays the everlasting impact that the band had on the music scene at the time, and how it continues to affect tunes today.

The exhibit will be on display at the LBJ Presidential Library, just a little more than a mile from Elan East, beginning this Saturday, June 13. It follows the trajectory of The Beatles' career from the moment they set foot on American soil in 1964 through the highest point of their fame in 1966. More than 400 items commemorate the historic band, including rare photos, artifacts from their tours, and instruments actually strummed by some of The Beatles, contributed by private collectors.

The LBJ Presidential Library
Ladies and Gentlemen…The Beatles!
June 13, 2015 through Jan. 10, 2016
2313 Red River Street
Austin, TX 78705
(512) 721-0200
www.lbjlibrary.org/press/ladies-and-gentlementhe-beatles-exhibit-to-open-june-2015

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