Alex and I headed to Austin, TX early in the day on Saturday, 11/6/21, for an Evening with The String Cheese Incident, who was playing at Stubb's Bar-B-Q. We stopped in Dripping Springs, TX to visit the Deep Eddy Vodka Tasting Room on our way there, and we are so glad we did. It's the perfect experience for so many different occasions. Bachelorette party, day date, just want to catch up with friends? This place caters to all of the above. From delicious mixed drinks to tasting flights to photo ops to food trucks, this place really has it all. My personal favorite cocktail was The Spring Sling, and since it was my first time going there, Alex and I opted to try a tasting flight. We tried the Ruby Red, Orange, Peach, and Lemon flavors. Deep Eddy’s vodkas are all made with real fruit, and the taste of each of their signature vodkas really does reflect that. They’re here for one reason and one reason only - to bring people together, which is a concept I can really get behind. They recommend getting there before 2:30 p.m. on Saturdays, as the place is popular and can fill up fast! If they don’t have a food truck posted up outside, you are allowed to bring your own food, picnic style. It is first-come, first-serve, tours are currently suspended, and last call is 4:30 p.m. They'd already put up a few Christmas decorations, too, so I was pleased since Christmas is my all-time favorite holiday. They also have a gift shop area where I purchased a t-shirt that says, "Lemon Introduce Myself" on it, which I found hilarious - very cute!
The Deep Eddy Vodka Tasting Room is located at 2250 US-290, Dripping Springs, TX 78620.
We headed to the hotel after this to check in and get settled. I did quite a bit of research looking for a place to stay that wasn't overpriced, that was in walking distance to the concert venue, but that would also provide us a unique, fun experience. I chose the East Austin Hotel, which is a European-style boutique hotel. Their cabin rooms don't have private bathrooms but have a section in the hallway of four all-gender bathrooms with showers. We really weren't sure how we were going to feel about the set up, but we didn't have an issue with it at all. If you're not down with that, their Poolside or Waller Rooms are what you need to book and do have private bathrooms in the rooms. There are very cute robes hanging in your room for you to use, as well as a bag with shower shoes of two different sizes. I really felt transported back to Europe during our stay here because there were thoughtful touches everywhere around us with the minimalistic vibes you'll find when visiting most European countries. We also found the bed to be so incredibly comfortable for a hotel. All of their doors are quite heavy, so I was careful not to let them close loudly behind me when I got up in the middle of the night. There is a parking garage you can park in for $25/night; just ask them to add the charge to your hotel bill when you are checking in. The public can also utilize the garage for an hourly fee, and there is a meter in the garage for those purposes where you can pay and register your vehicle. There is also a $150 incidental fee that will be charged to your card upon check-in, but it will be credited back to you after you check out.
The hotel has a rooftop bar called the Upside and has an in-house restaurant called Sixth and Waller. We did check out the bar, but we are saving the restaurant for a future visit. I loved the hotel, and even Alex said we need to keep it in mind for future trips to Austin due to the great location, affordable pricing, and amazing decor. I wish I could remember the name of the guy in the lobby who checked us in and out because he was so friendly and complimentary. When we were leaving on Sunday, he remembered why we were staying there and asked us if we enjoyed the concert. You don't find that kind of service everywhere you go!
The Upside
East Austin Hotel is located at 1108 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78702.
On the agenda for the evening was An Evening with The String Cheese Incident, a band that's been around since 1993 - almost as long as I've been alive! Alex describes the band as bluegrass meets jam band meets rock. I wasn't too excited to see them, but I bought tickets to this show for Alex since a show we were supposed to go to back in September for him was cancelled last minute, and he does so much for me that I wanted to do something for him! I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the concert since those genres are not something I typically choose to listen to. Of course, any time I spend with Alex ends up being a blast, no matter what we are doing. The venue they played at, Stubb's Bar-B-Q, was one of the coolest ones I've been to, and I certainly will be keeping an eye out to see if anyone else we want to see will be playing there in the future.
Stubb's is located at 801 Red River St., Austin, TX 78701.
A short walk away from the concert venue was a corner with an abundance of food trucks, and one in particular caught my eye. DittyDog's motto is, "This Hotdog Will Change Your Life," and in the moments Alex and I were sharing their chili cheese dog, we really did feel that way. We also split an order of their bacon, cheese, and ranch fries, which were equally delicious, and this late night snack gave us the energy we needed to walk back to our hotel and curl up in bed for the night.
DittyDog is parked at 519 E 7th St., Austin, TX 78701.
Sunday morning came quick, and my two main goals were to have coffee and brunch before heading back home. I'd already scoped out places to meet these needs, so we walked over to Revival Coffee after we'd gotten ready for the day. I'd chosen Revival Coffee partially because it was close to our hotel and partially because of rave reviews and an aesthetic that caught my eye from scrolling through their Instagram account.
I've been branching out and shying away from my typical, always safe order of white chocolate mochas and opting to try more adventurous flavors, like Revival's Fruity Pebbles Latte, which will brew up feelings of nostalgia immediatly by transporting you back to early mornings as a child enjoying a delicious bowl of cereal. Revival's interior is so adorable and once entering the building, you feel almost as though the color pink is giving you a hug. It's hard to be upset when you're encompassed by vibrant, pink hues and endless lattes. Revival also offers seasonal lattes - right now, they have limited edition cocoa melts by Sweet Surprise Treats! They also sell alcohol and often host events or celebrations, most recently the Día De Los Muertos Celebration or Harvest Moon Festival. If you fall in love with this place as much as I did, you can purchase some Revival merch, too! I don't have anything yet, but if I end up making this a regular stop during Austin trips, I may invest in something.
Revival Coffee is located at 1405 E 7th St, Austin, TX 78702.
We had an 11:15 a.m. reservation at Salt & Time Butcher Shop and Salumeria. We actually got there about 11 a.m., and when we first arrived, it didn't seem like many people were there. At first we thought maybe that meant it wasn't a popular, well-known brunch spot, but after we were seated, the restaurant quickly filled up and became a lively, bustling establishment full of friends catching up, singles sitting at the bar, couples chatting, and any other combination of people you can think of. Our waitress was busy handling a larger table so one of her co-workers took our drink order, and she did come over to apologize and asked us to let her know if we needed anything at all. We didn't mind and were pleased to see co-workers supporting one another - that kind of teamwork is usually what makes a business so successful.
Let me tell you, this farm-to-table restaurant really stole our hearts that morning. I tried their Country Style Benedict, and I am not exaggerating when I say it was the best eggs benedict I've had to date. From the housemade biscuit to the hot sauce hollandaise to the crispy chicken skin topping, the flavors of this dish were perfection, but the country ham really pulled the dish together and resulted in bursts of flavor and excellence. Alex tried the Brunch Burger and thought it was incredible. We tend to order two dishes we both really want to try, and then, we eat some off our own plates and switch. We did this that day and both thought the meat on the burger was perfectly cooked. The sour pickles on the burger are what made the dish for us, but we're both pickle fiends. The burger was served with beef fat fries, and the ketchup was even made with the freshest of ingredients. My favorite cocktail was The Sage Advice, and Alex thought their Bloody Mary, which had a piece of their cured sausage as garnish, was quite tasty. The Sangria was also yummy and refreshing. This place is a must try, and making a reservation is a good idea. You can even purchase some incredible cuts of meat, marinades, or fresh fruit and veggies, etc. on your way out!
Salt & Time Butcher Shop and Salumeria is located at 1912 E 7th St, Austin, TX 78702.
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