#willyougowithme

Trailer date:

To some, paying $15 for a sandwich from a food truck may seem excessive.  Dock & Roll Diner will have you reconsidering this investment.  (Especially now that they aren't parked near that taco trailer that appeared to never empty its trashcans so they overflowed and you had to step over the garbage and it attracted Grackels galore.  Ewww.  It was all a bad dream...)

These guys were the first to bring the briny, slightly sweet New England creation to the Austin scene in 2011.  And they are doing it right.  Lobsters sourced from Ready Seafood Co. in Maine are blended with an array of locally sourced veggies in various combinations so that they can satisfy all the geographical imperatives of the lobster roll.  The Maine Event is the canvas: "Freshly picked Maine lobster claw and knuckle meat served chilled with Dock & Roll's special house mayo, our own Dock Salt, and chive. Served on a freshly baked split top roll. The Maine Event is the foundation for all other lobster roll variations..."  From there you can venture not too far across the Maine state line for a Rhode Island or Massachusetts set up.  Or, if you're feeling randy, as far away as Asia and Mexico.         

As the weather warms and the inclination to wear searsucker shorts and dockers grows (theoretically), so should the urge to visit Dock & Roll.  They now have 2 locations:

South Austin at 1503 S. 1st St. next to Elizabeth St. Cafe

Dating fail:

Walking date:              

Rich cajun food, passionate people, a culture of partying, brass bands...what's not to love about New Orleans, LA?  Well, that pervading urine smell on Bourbon Street maybe...but there is so much more to this illustrious port city.   

If you haven't yet discovered Frenchmen Street, you're missing out.  The Official New Orleans Guide describes it as, "Light years removed from the glitzy neon lights and blaring cover music of Bourbon Street but, in reality, only walking distance away, is a compact musical enclave where the “locals” hang out. A two-block-long entertainment district where, on any given night of the week – including normally dead Mondays – you can hear live sounds and a wide variety of music as only New Orleans musicians can perform."  

On a recent trip, we wandered in and out of music venues.  Some uber-hip, like the Spotted Cat and d.b.a.; others catering to a slightly older, 'I like to sit down while I listen to music' crowd.  We danced in the street to the punchy, vibrant sounds of a local band.  We rifled through the eclectic Frenchmen Night Art Market.  It was a pretty good time.  Laissez les bons temps rouler!

Lunch date:

"Cheap and cheerful!"  I stole this phrase from my girlfriend Melanie - I think it's a UK-ism.  It perfectly describes the Cuban Sandwich Cafe in Austin.  Our server was busy but helpful, taking time to decipher the Cuban drink menu for us.  As a sandwich fanatic, I wouldn't dare pass up an authentic, pressed Cuban sandwich.  The salty pork, tangy mustard and pickles were neatly nestled in crunchy baguette-style bread.  Yum.  Mr. Honeybunny enjoyed his ropa vieja as well - it was a huge portion.

Speaking of cheap and cheerful...there is currently a Restaurant.com coupon available.      

Location:

Happy 70th birthday Rod Stewart!

Many of the songs in his impressive catalog would form a perfect date night soundtrack.  Few tracks are sweeter than "Have I told you lately that I love you...?"   Bonus: It was written by Van Morrison.  

A kinetic riot of color and sound, the Chinese New Year celebrations at Austin's Chinatown complex (where MT Supermarket is located) are tons of fun.  Lions and dragons (and undoubtedly goats this year!) dancing, special treats for sale, drumming and parading.  Take a few hours to ring in the new year here or at a Chinatown, Chinese Restaurant, or Chinese market near you!

Chinatown Austin, TX

Saturday, Februrary 21