Austin: In 17 Hours

Since moving to Fort Worth, I often hear from people who do not live in Texas ask, "Have you been to Austin yet?" And from people who live in Texas, "You should go to Austin." So Jessica and I made a quick trip to Austin, we had seventeen hours to spare in a day.

We arrived in time for dinner so I picked Manuel's Downtown. A family friend who lives in Austin recommended this restaurant. I have read the food reviews and being an architect I paid close attention to comments like, "the back room is romantic." I am always curious how the experience of space make customers more romantic. We arrived after dinner hours but the place was still active with people which I am always happy about, in Fort Worth it seems dinner hours rarely go past nine. We sat in the back room but not so romantic, in my opinion. Colored neon lights wrap the room underneath the perimeter of bench-style seats, who wants restaurant carpet highlighted with colored lights? Not nice. But the food was excellent as well as the vibe.

For breakfast, we selected Magnolia Cafe on S Congress Avenue for its Austin's institutional rave reviews. The interior is definitely a kaleidoscope of uninhibited art on all its surfaces but it does not take away from the food. I am not a food critic but I think anyone who has tastebuds would find something on their extensive menu to please.