By Saira Ukani
Austin has changed quite a bit since my college days at the University of Texas—but fortunately, there’s one thing that’s stayed constant here: the incredible food and creative cocktails. Despite the plethora of options, if I could spend one gluttonous day hitting my favorite spots, it would look a little something like this:
First, I’d start my morning with an Oat Milk Vanilla Latte from Radix House. Admittedly, it sounds plain and boring, but in all honesty, it never disappoints. This little gem of a food truck is located on William Cannon, and the coffee is packed with flavor—so much so that loyal customers and newcomers alike line up bright and early to get their fix. Rest assured, if Vanilla Lattes aren’t intriguing to you, Radix House offers a variety of choices, including but not limited to infusing your tea or coffee with CBD. Interesting twist, right?
After coffee down south, I would meander downtown for Dim Sum Brunch at Wu Chow, which is only offered on Sundays from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Make sure to save your appetite as you’ll be departing with a belly-full of dumplings, potstickers, and crispy turnip cakes galore. The soup dumplings are my personal go-to! Even better, you can make your brunch “boozy” if your heart desires. Wu Chow offers fun, tropical options for cocktails, like their “My-Ties”, and serves them in the cutest tiki cups. And yes, these ceramic cups are so precious that you will want to purchase some for your home!
Since food comas indeed exist, a little cat nap at this point in the day wouldn’t hurt. But, if you’re a trooper and want to rally, TLC on South Lamar is the place to be on a beautiful, sunny day. Begin with a pitcher of their signature margarita to share, and make sure to ask for cups with tasty, tajin rims to take it to the next level. Once your stomach is settled from Dim Sum brunch, treat yourself to a seafood boil for dinner! TLC offers a “make-your-own seafood boil” and provides all the tools to make it a memorable experience. From sausage, to mussels, to king crab, you simply can’t go wrong. In my opinion, TLC’s boils bring campus tailgating (pre-covid) back to life—those were the days… To really enhance your stay, check out TLC’s outdoor patio and seat yourself at a picnic table.
After dinner at TLC, Uber to Brazos Street for a nightcap at Here Nor There. You’ll approach a locked gate, type in a special code, and proceed down a set of stairs to be greeted with a coupe glass filled with complimentary champagne. This swanky, hidden speakeasy is decorated impeccably, and the cocktails are equally as swoon-worthy. Believe me, they even have methods to chisel images onto their ice cubes! Another unique feature is that you’ll be provided with a black light to read an otherwise blank menu—to any Harry Potter fans, think of Marauder’s Map! For folks with a sweet tooth, some of my personal picks are Milk & Honey and Cookies & Cream–the fluffy, light marshmallow topping is truly one-of-a-kind. All in all, it’s the perfect place to end a busy day of exploring Austin’s food and drink scene.
If you couldn’t tell, I love ALL things food and cocktail related! Without a shadow of a doubt, Austinites are lucky to be surrounded by incredibly talented chefs and mixologists. My next area to conquer is the East side. So, if you have any suggestions and/or comments, please feel free to share—you can find me and my teammates on Instagram at @wire_austin! Until next time…
