Celebrating 2012's inaugural U.S. Grand Prix, Austin Fan Fest 2012 comes to downtown Austin from November 16-18th. If you haven't heard, the U.S. GP is a Formula 1 race taking place that weekend at Austin's newly constructed Circuit of the Americas race track, and Austin Fan Fest brings the city even more fun with an array of musical acts from all over the country, along with great local and regional bands.

Fan Fest's headline performers Aerosmith, Flo Rida, and Enrique Iglesias will play on main stages for the Fest's three night engagement, while smaller stages will showcase acts like Lupe Fiasco and The Wallflowers.

Around downtown Austin, attendees can also interact with F1 racing related installations, like racing simulators and Formula 1 cars. Arts exhibits, parties, and family friendly events all over downtown make the whole thing complete.

Want to know more? Click here to learn about Austin Fan Fest 2012.

The humble hamburger is a great go-to meal, especially when you don’t have a lot of time. But with a few simple ingredients, you can elevate the fast food staple into something truly special. Here are five ways to make your burger a little better.

Make a patty out of ground turkey and mix it with a little dill. Stuff the middle with a chunk of Brie cheese and grill until the meat is cooked and the cheese melts. Serve on a roll with pickles and lettuce.

Mix Chinese five-spice powder into your ground beef to give it a rich, complex flavor. Once the patty has cooked, glaze the top with a soy ginger sauce and serve with cilantro, cabbage and pickled carrots.

Make a Chicago-style hot dog burger by topping a traditional patty with sweet relish, chopped white onions and hot peppers. A little ketchup and mustard will bring this one over the top.

For a classic French bistro take on the hamburger, gently caramelize onions in a pan and ladle them generously over the cooked burger along with a slice of Gouda cheese and crisp, thick-cut bacon. Serve on a buttery brioche roll.

To give your burgers a special kick, mix in adobo seasoning, red onion and finely grated lime peels into your ground beef. Grill ears of corn until kernels are just cooked, strip the kernels off and mix them with queso fresco and a little bit of mayonnaise to top the burgers.

Texas is one of the country’s big destinations for barbecue, with a beef-centric menu and some serious slow-cooked flavor. The Hill Country is rife with barbecue joints, but locals will almost unanimously recommend J Mueller in Austin. Owner John Mueller hails from a barbecue dynasty in Taylor, Texas – his grandfather Louie’s restaurant is internationally known as one of the temples of Texas ‘cue. It took a lot for John to set out on his own, but he quickly found success in Austin. His business has had some ups and downs since then, but since opening the new location in Austin’s Bouldin Creek neighborhood, things have been looking up for Mueller. And for good reason – this is incredible barbecue, perfectly tender and flavorful. The brisket here is the meal of choice, and it’s done up as well as you can possibly do it. Beef ribs and sausage are also quite good. Note that this place has become a little more popular since it was profiled on Anthony Bourdain’s TV show.

J Mueller BBQ
1502 S. 1st Street
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 229-7366
http://www.yelp.com/biz/jmueller-bbq-austin