Take a bite out of the Big Apple with a hefty slice of crispy New York-style thin crust pizza at Home Slice Pizza. This Austin pizzeria offers a retro, diner-esque ambiance with tables and a counter, while Italian-American cuisine comprises large plates of Italian comfort food.

Plenty of salads and antipastos head up the menu, with hot and cold sandwiches, calzones, and design-your-own pizza options following suit. In the traditional style, pizza slices are served on white paper plates. (The menu even tells you the "proper" New York way to eat a slice if you haven't gotten the method down!) If you have room, treat yourself to a cannoli or a slice of cheesecake or tiramisu for dessert. Beer, wine, and soda are available by the glass, carafe, or bottle.

Home Slice Pizza is open 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 11 a.m. to midnight Fridays and Saturdays, and noon to 11 p.m. Sundays. Take-out is offered.

Home Slice Pizza
1415 S. Congress Avenue
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 444-7437
www.homeslicepizza.com
www.yelp.com/biz/home-slice-pizza-austin

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr Owen H R

The famous po' boy is a sandwich made famous in Louisiana, but Austin’s Turf N’ Surf Po Boy does a great job of imitating the sandwich's crispy French bread, fried seafood, and generous toppings. This dark, nondescript restaurant looks unassuming from the street, and the inside is decorated with eclectic wall art and industrial decor that is fairly standard in the Austin area.

It's the food that really makes Turf N’ Surf Stand out, however, and the menu lists fried favorites that are served piping hot and positively packed with seasonings. The hush puppies are arguably the most popular menu items, but the fish tacos and, of course, the po' boy sandwiches come in close behind. The menu also includes fresh fish salads, cilantro fries, and pulled pork platters that are equally as tasty.

If you’re looking for a taste of New Orleans in the Austin area, this is the place to get it.

Turf N' Surf Po Boy
407 Lavaca Street
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 276-2763
www.facebook.com/pages/Turf-N-Surf-Po-Boy/364351950938
www.yelp.com/biz/turf-n-surf-po-boy-austin

CC-BY-SA-3.0/Flickr/kae71463

Since its inception in 1973, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) has demonstrated success in its mission to "protect and recover imperiled species and the ecosystems upon which they depend." Administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), the ESA separates dwindling species into two categories: Endangered, which means it's in danger of extinction; and Threatened, which means the species might become endangered in the near future. In the U.S., the ESA has been instrumental in restoring the populations of the Grizzly bear, Steller sea lion, Atlantic leatherback and green sea turtles, and the whooping crane, to name a few. However, there are still more than 1,500 endangered and threatened species in the United States.

If you want to learn about said species—some of which might even be right outside your front door—surf over to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service website. There, you'll find an interactive map that spotlights threatened and endangered species in all 50 U.S. states. Click any state of the map to find an alphabetical list of a state's periled species, info about where a species is commonly found within a state, plus intel on the species' recovery plans. Success stories are highlighted, too, showcasing the positive impact of the ESA initiative.

Get to Know Your Species [U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service]
Endangered Species Act Overview [U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service]
ESA Basics [U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service]
110 Success Stories for Endangered Species Day 2012 [Center for Biological Diversity]

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr/BFS Man