Bistro Vonish: Rich, Decadent Vegan Cuisine Served in a Trailer

Vegans don’t just eat salad. That’s one of the messages that chef Craig Vanis wants to send through Bistro Vonish, a vegan food trailer situated down the street from Elan East. Another is that vegan fare isn’t just for vegans. Meat-eaters can attest to that — Vanis’ cuisine is 100% free of animal products, but reviewers have given the chef an enthusiastic two thumbs up for creating mouthwatering dishes that eaters would never would have pegged as vegan.

Vanis’ menu is constantly changing, but some examples of dishes he’s offered before include pear-arugula pizza, mac and “cheese,” apple jam kolache (a European pastry), and chocolate mousse pie. If you dine here and enjoy your experience, it’s worth it to consider joining the Bistro Vonish supper club. Supper club members are invited to private, five-course, prix fixe dinners that highlight Central Texas produce.

Even though Bistro Vonish is a newcomer to the Austin dining scene, Vanis already has big plans for it. Later this year, he’ll be opening a brick-and-mortar version of his eatery.

Bistro Vonish
3111 Manor Road
Austin, TX 78722
(203) 989-7762
www.bistrovonish.com
www.yelp.com/biz/bistro-vonish-austin

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 June 30th, 2015. We suggest you like our page to keep informed about future sweepstakes and community happenings.

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Do You Have What It Takes to Escape From Puzzle Room Austin?

Imagine being locked in a room — literally — with a group of friends, and the only thing that will set you free is successfully solving a puzzle. At Puzzle Room Austin, this could be your next Saturday night.

The current scenario that participants are charged with solving is dubbed Escape From the Super Villian’s Hideout. The premise is you’re being held captive by a bad guy called the Befuddler, who is planning a scheme that would wipe out the city, so it’s up to you and your group to save the day by solving a series of puzzles and codes. You have an hour to solve them, and if you make it, Puzzle Room staffers will take your photo and post it on their website!

Only 33% of the groups have won; the record so far has been 49 minutes. Participants have reported that the puzzle is challenging but not impossible to solve, and it makes for a great team-building activity or fun thing to do with friends for a bachelor party or birthday. After you’re done, you can easily make the 10-minute drive back to Elan East, or continue the party by hitting one of the bars or restaurants near the Puzzle Room. After all, a celebration might be in order if you’re successful! Puzzle Room Austin is open Thursday and Friday nights, and all day Saturdays and Sundays.

Puzzle Room Austin
111 W. Anderson Lane
Austin, TX 78752
www.puzzleroomaustin.com
www.yelp.com/biz/puzzle-room-austin-austin

The Peached Tortilla: Austin Dining not far from Elan East

Find tasty fusion fare near Elan East at The Peached Tortilla. This Austin eatery actually encompasses a food truck, a catering service, and a sit-down restaurant, which means that diners have a number of opportunities to explore its tasty food. The food truck, for instance, appears at spots throughout Austin to serve lunch. The Peached Tortilla's restaurant resulted from the truck's popularity, making the food available to even more local diners.

If you visit the truck, you'll find a selection of burgers, burritos, tacos, and bowls, each blending a number of flavors in an inventive way. The JapaJam Burger, for instance, tops a burger with sweet tomato jam, cheese, barbecue sauce, and tempura beer-battered onion strings; the Banh Mi burrito gathers the traditional Vietnamese sandwich into a new form.

Restauarant-goers have even more options. The Peached Tortilla's current dinner menu offers Crispy Umami Chicken Wings, the Thai Chop Chop Salad with tofu, apple, radish, and more, and the Hangar Steak Ssam with kimchi and rice.

The eatery also has a number of inventive cocktails as well as craft beer and wine. There's even an extensive whiskey list with some bottles imported from Japan and Taiwan.

To find out more about this Austin restaurant, visit The Peached Tortilla's website.

The Peached Tortilla
5520 Burnet Road
Austin, TX 78756
www.thepeachedtortilla.com
www.yelp.com/biz/peached-tortilla-austin

MotoGP: Exhilarating Austin Racing near Elan East

This weekend, Austin's Circuit of the Americas racetrack welcomes another world-class race to the city: the 2015 MotoGP Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas. The race pits some of the world's best motorcyclists against one another in a thrilling competition to crown the world's fastest bike.

It happens from April 10 through 12, and it features three classes of motorcycle: 1000cc Superbikes, Superstock 1000 bikes, and smaller 600cc bikes. The result might be some of the most exhilarating racing you'll see anywhere.

In addition to the races, the 2015 MotoGP features several other interesting events. There'll be an aerobatic demo in which a top pilot performs breathtaking aerial feats in a specialized airplane, a freestyle motorcycle demo, and a moto trials demo. Capping off the weekend will be a Cheap Trick concert at the Austin360 Amphitheater.

It all happens just a short trip away from Elan East, and if you'd like to buy tickets you can find out more on the Circuit of the Americas website.

2015 MotoGP Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas
Circuit of the Americas
9201 Circuit of the Americas Boulevard
Austin, TX 78617
circuitoftheamericas.com/motogp

Stretch near Elan East at Austin’s Eastside Yoga

Many of the online reviews for Eastside Yoga praise the helpful instructors. They all earn high marks from customers for their patient, friendly approach to teaching yoga. It should come as no surprise that the proprietors of this studio near Elan East take great pains to make sure their pupils are comfortable, given that they founded Eastside Yoga specifically to bring the peace and calm they'd experienced through yoga to the people of Austin.

In their cozy neighborhood studio, Steven and Elsa work with a team of highly trained teachers to do just that. They hold a variety of yoga classes starting with the classic Hatha. This slow-flowing class caters to newbies with its focus on linking breath to movement. Strengthen and Lengthen, on the other hand, adds an element of more challenging weight training to typical yoga.

Check out Eastside Yoga's entire roster of classes for one that fits your needs and fitness level.

Eastside Yoga
1050 E. 11th Street
Austin, TX 78702
(512) 779-8543
www.eastsideyoga-austin.com
www.yelp.com/biz/eastside-yoga-austin

Figure 8 Coffee Purveyors: A Hip Austin Cafe near Elan East

Austin's Figure 8 Coffee Purveyors might be one of the best places to grab coffee near Elan East. The space itself is welcoming and cool, with rich woods and retro accents giving it a distinctive character. The coffee itself is highly praised: regulars note that the cold brew iced coffee is refreshing and smooth, and coffee and espresso drinks receive equally high regard.

Regulars note that the atmosphere here makes it the perfect place to relax with a cup of coffee and a book, a laptop, or for good conversation with a friend. Long communal tables offer plenty of space, and there's room at the coffee bar, too.

Figure 8 is a relatively new Austin cafe, and many Yelpers note that they would not be surprised if it became quite popular (and crowded) as more and more people learn about it. If you'd like to check it out for yourself, visit the Figure 8 Coffee Purveyors website to learn more.

Figure 8 Coffee Purveyors
1111 Chicon Street
Austin, TX
https://www.facebook.com/figure8coffeepurveyors
http://www.yelp.com/biz/figure-8-coffee-purveyors-austin-2

Daruma Ramen: An Austin Restaurant near Elan East

Ramen once had a reputation as cheap fast food for thrifty college students, but in recent years the dish has undergone a bit of a renaissance as inventive restaurants have done their part to present ramen in new varieties with fresh ingredients. Sure, the noodles of old remain — although now they're typically made with more care, served in a hearty broth made from scratch. However, they're now paired with fresh vegetables, seasoned proteins, and much more.

The area near Elan East offers a few places to enjoy this renewed version of ramen, including Austin's Daruma Ramen. This restaurant serves lunch and dinner daily, offering ramen dishes like Shio Ramen with soft-boiled egg, boy choy, seaweed, and more, and Miso Ramen with shredded chicken, bean sprouts, soft-boiled egg, and scallions. Vegetarians and vegans will find a few tasty options here, like a Veggie Ramen made with veggie broth. The stock's made from whole chicken broth.

Visit Daruma Ramen's website to find out more about this Austin restaurant!

Daruma Ramen
612-B East 6th Street
Austin, TX 78701
http://www.darumaramen.com/
http://www.yelp.com/biz/daruma-ramen-austin

Indulge In Sweet Treats Near Elan East at Austin’s Sugar Circus

Visit Sugar Circus's website to see this week's cupcake flavors: options like lemon raspberry, chocolate peanut butter, carrot cake, and creamsicle are the latest creations, but the treats change weekly, which means there's almost always something new to try at this Austin bakery near Elan East. Some of the treats are even vegan-friendly: made without animal byproducts, these special cupcakes are well-regarded among regular visitors. Sugar Circus makes a point to offer sweets that are suitable regardless of dietary restrictions, and that focus has made the place a favorite among Austin diners.

In addition to cupcakes, Sugar Circus also serves pies, cheesecake, cinnamon rolls, cookies, and much more. You can pair your pastry with coffee or tea. Need a custom cake? Sugar Circus does that, too — you can learn more by visiting their website.

If you'd like to visit Sugar Circus, this Austin bakery's open Wednesdays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. and on Sundays from noon until 5 p.m.

Sugar Circus Bakery
2613 East 5th Street
Austin, TX 78702
http://www.sugarcircusatx.com/
http://www.yelp.com/biz/sugar-circus-austin

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 April 30th, 2015. We suggest you like our page to keep informed about future sweepstakes and community happenings.

For mobile users, click here to enter.

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