Austin Way - 2014 - Issue 1 - September+October
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THE AUSTIN NATIVE SHARES BOYHOOD AND OTHER MEMORIES WITH RICHARD LINKLATER Hawke Ethan THE MAESTROS OF COOL BEHIND AUSTIN’S BRAVEST & BOLDEST HOTELS, BARS, MUSIC, RESTAURANTS FESTIVAL MADNESS ACL MUSIC, AUSTIN FILM & MORE! PLUS: CHARLIE STRONG GLEN POWELL KATY AND MATT CULMO EVAN SMITH austinway.com NICHE MEDIA HOLDINGS, LLC AUSTIN WAY PREMIER ISSUE | FALL FASHION
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Ethan Hawke
Transcript of Austin Way - 2014 - Issue 1 - September+October
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The AusTin nATive shAresBoyhood And oTher memories wiTh RichaRd LinkLateR
HawkeEthan
The MaesTros of CoolBehind AusTin’s BrAvesT& BoLdesT hoTeLs, BArs,musiC, resTAurAnTs
fesTival MadnessACL musiC, AusTin FiLm & more!
PlUs: Charlie sTrongglen PowellKaTy and MaTT CUlMoevan sMiTh
austinway.comniche media holdings, llc
aUsTin wayPreMier issUe | fall fashion
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The fab five: Bettye Hughes Peters (second from left) horses around with her Tri Delta sorority sisters in a UT Austin dorm room, circa 1944.
The year was 1944. Franklin D. Roosevelt was about to enter his fourth term
as president, and America’s boys were overseas—attempting to end the war
after invading Nazi-occupied Europe with our allies on the rocky coast of
Normandy, France. Back in Austin, a growing number of young women
were beginning a new school year at Texas’s largest university.
With thousands of young American men away from home, class sizes had
been dwindling across the country—so much so that admissions offices were
actively recruiting females and their dollars to keep colleges afloat. Sorority
houses had never been more alive as a result, but the times were defined by
conservation efforts. Magazine advertisements shamed women who bought
what they didn’t need: “The Silk in 185 Pairs of Stockings Will Make 1 Army
Parachute—Take Better Care of What You Buy.” So sorority sisters, like the
ones occupying the four-year-old Tri Delta house on West 27th Street, followed
the era’s new fashion trends: painting thin black lines on the backs of their legs
to give the illusion they were still wearing stockings under their garments.
The stands at Texas Memorial Stadium that year were filled with the heav-
ily female student population. “Yeah, Horns!” the crowd would cheer for the
Longhorns. (It would be another decade before a cheerleader coined “hook
’em Horns.”) Despite the gas shortage making it nearly impossible for Texas
fans to drive to games, and even though the war sent some of the best players
to army training camps, football remained Austin’s favorite pastime, with
many servicemen and -women in attendance; they were given free tickets as
a thank-you for their service. Darrell K. Royal—the winningest football
coach in UT history and the man for whom the stadium would later be
named—was an army boy himself, at the time serving in the Army Air Corps
and playing football for the Air Force team.
As for the women, their battle was against custom and tradition. On the
front lines—as is often the case in times of rebellion—were collegiate women,
proving themselves capable of much more than waiting patiently for their
sweethearts to return. AW
SISTERS OF WARSEVENTY YEARS AGO, AT THE HEIGHT OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR, WOMEN RULED THE SCHOOL.
BY JANE KELLOGG MURRAY
12 AUSTINWAY.COM
FRONT RUNNER
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NATURE DOESN’T
NEED PEOPLE.
PEOPLE NEED NATURE.
Human beings are part of nature.
Nature is not dependent on human
beings to exist.
Human beings, on the other hand, are
totally dependent on nature to exist.
The growing number of people on the
planet and how we live here is going
to determine the future of nature.
And the future of us.
Nature will go on, no matter what.
It will evolve. The question is will it
be with us or without us.
If nature could talk, it would probably
say it doesn’t much matter either way.
We must understand there are aspects
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12 // FRONT RUNNER
30 // LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
32 // LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER
34 // … WITHOUT WHOM THIS ISSUE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE
36 // THE LIST
85 // INVITED
STYLE41 // THEY’VE STILL GOT IT As By George marks 35 years,
owners Katy and Matt Culmo reflect
on how they’ve evolved and where
they’re going.
44 // BOLD MOVES Austin women aren’t afraid to go
big, day and night, with attention-
grabbing bags and shoes this fall.
46 // DURABLE BEAUTY Longtime ACL Fest photographer
Cambria Harkey focuses on her line
of gorgeous handcrafted leather bags.
48 // STYLE SPOTLIGHT The freshest collections and
boutiques debuting in Austin.
50 // EAU, MY WORD! A stunning new fragrance from
Hermès is inspired by luxe leather
handbags—and French literature.
54 // UNDERSTATED ELEGANCE The season’s statement-making
watches only look expensive.
CONTENTS Fall 2014
46Inspired by her girlhood summers on the ranch, ACL Fest photographer Cambria Harkey has created a luxurious line of handmade leather bags.
18 AUSTINWAY.COM
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; niC
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CULTURE57 // LOVE FEST The ACL Music Festival has evolved
and expanded in every way, but its
heart remains the same.
60 // GOING HOMESouth Korea’s Do Ho Suh explores a
universal theme in his fall exhibit as
the Contemporary broadens its scope.
62 // MAKING THE SCENEAt the 21st annual Austin Film Festival,
the writers are the real celebrities.
66 // CULTURE SPOTLIGHT Installations, exhibits, and shows not
to miss this season.
68 // SULTANS OF SPEED As the Tudor United SportsCar
Championship celebrates its
inaugural season, the series brings
the aristocracy of auto racing to
Austin’s Circuit of the Americas.
PEOPLE71 // EVAN ALMIGHTY In less than five years, Evan Smith
has grown The Texas Tribune into a
model of nonprofit journalism.
74 // READY FOR ACTIONAustin native Glen Powell holds his
own with the genre’s best in
The Expendables 3.
76 // THE SWEET LIFERenowned promoter Louis Messina
works with the biggest acts in country
music, and his wife, Christine, has
turned the Candy Jar into an irresist-
ible stop for kids and parents alike.
78 // STRONG MUST SUCCEED He already said not to expect a title, but
in his first season of UT football, Coach
Charlie Strong has a lot riding on the
team’s performance.
80 // THE MINIMALISTLiving simply and helping others, Tab
Barker has built seven schoolhouses
and three water systems in Nicaragua
and doesn’t plan on stopping soon.
TASTE 93 // CHEZ LAVThe upscale French restaurant has
quickly made itself at home in the heart of
East Austin.
74Down-home Texan Glen Powell makes his move to Hollywood action star.
71As editor-in-chief of The
Texas Tribune, Evan Smith has made an impressive
impact on the state’s political coverage .
57The Austin City Limits
Music Festival will once again take over Zilker Park for two exciting
weekends in October.
CONTENTS Fall 2014
20 AUSTINWAY.COM
Necklace $360Bracelets from $125
PH
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BY
RA
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96 // THE NEW BBQ MECCA96 // THE NEW BBQ MECCA96No road trip required: The Hill
Country’s legendary spots have come
to Austin.
98 // GET YOUR FIXE98 // GET YOUR FIXE98In an exclusive interview, chef James
Robert discusses how he and Keith
House are crafting a progressive
Southern destination at Fixe.
100 // DIRECTORS’ CUT 100 // DIRECTORS’ CUT 100Before their book and fi lm festivals
take over Austin, Steph Opitz and
Erin Hallagan compare notes at
Hudson’s on the Bend.
102 // TASTE SPOTLIGHT 102 // TASTE SPOTLIGHT 102See what’s new on the local
culinary scene.
104 // DRINKS TO REMEMBERThree of Austin’s top mixologists
share their modern takes on classic or
forgotten cocktails.
FEATURES 106 // A KIND OF 106 // A KIND OF 106BROTHERHOODAustin native Ethan Hawke talks
with fi lmmaker Richard Linklater
about how he viewed working for
12 years on Boyhood as an opportunity
to show the art of real life.
Photography by Rainer Hosch
112 //THE MAESTROS112 //THE MAESTROS112OF COOLVisionaries Larry McGuire,
Liz Lambert, Freddy Fletcher, and
Bridget Dunlap have shaped Austin’s
entertainment and hospitality land-
scape into what it is today.
By Tobin Levy
Photography by Michael Thad Carter
120 // NATURAL INSTINCTS120 // NATURAL INSTINCTS120Austin stays true to its bohemian roots
with fl oral, ethereal fall fashions.
Photography by Dror Baldinger
106Ethan Hawke discusses his recent role, which was 12 years in the making, as well as his Austin roots and what projects are next.
Western denim shirt, Levi’s ($68). Macy’s, Barton Creek Square, 512-329-2300; macys.com. Jeans, Levi’s Made & Crafted ($169). By George, 524 N. Lamar Blvd., 512-472-5951; bygeorge austin.com. Leather belt, Banana Republic ($60). Barton Creek Square, 512-328-4484; banana republic.com. Boot, Tommy Bahama ($225). The Domain, 512-852-5001; tommybahama.com
CONTENTS Fall 2014
22 AUSTINWAY.COM
phot
ogra
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by C
asey
Dun
n (in
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r); L
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(sp
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ON THE COVER: Ethan Hawke Photography by Rainer HoschStyling by Gaelle Paul for Walter Schupfer ManagementGrooming by Mira Chai Hyde for Walter Schupfer Management using Chanel Sublimage and OribePhotography Assistance by Stephen Gorme and Jared ClatworthyVideo by Nardeep KhurmiSitting Editor: Danielle YadegarJacket, Diesel ($298). The Domain, 512-833-0655; diesel.com. Shirt, Billy Reid ($115). 1122 W. 6th St., 512-354-1884; billyreid.com
143Homes in Austin have become a model of environmentally sustainable design.
149Country music
landmark Broken Spoke celebrates a milestone.
130 // A CASTLE FOR A MOON KINGChaotic Moon CEO Ben Lamm
revels in the art of surprise in his new
Zilker home. By Caitlin Ryan
Photography by Bode Helm
136 // THE PRICE OF IVORY African elephants are being hunted
to extinction. Chelsea Clinton shares
the Clinton Global Initiative’s efforts to
save them. By Elizabeth E. Thorp
HAUTE PROPERTY
143 // GREENHOUSE EFFECTThe green movement in Austin real
estate is becoming a template for the
rest of the nation.
146 // RECLAIMING THE PASTGable Bostic and Tyson Pendergrass
are turning salvaged wood and metals
into functional modern furniture.
GUIDE149 // CELEBRATING 50 YEARS Country-music landmark Broken
Spoke doesn’t miss a (two-) step in a
changing city.
150 // FALL HARVESTWhere to find the flavors of the season,
served with friendliness and creativity.
152 // THE ART OF CRAFT BEER With so many local beer hall options,
the finest ales, IPAs, and lagers are on
tap across town.
154 // FARM TO MASSAGE TABLE Locavores can indulge in farm-fresh
ingredients and distinctly Austin
themes with these fall spa treatments.
FREELY SPEAKING156 //HAVE IT YOUR WAYAustin’s restaurants are catering to
our every dietary desire: “Excuse me,
waiter, is there bread in my bread?”
CONTENTS Fall 2014
24 AUSTINWAY.COM
2014 THE DAWN OF A NEW ERA
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SOMMELIER-SELECTED WINES TO TOAST THE SEASONLocal wine experts weigh in on which varietals are worth a sip this autumn.
imbibe
style
Austin doesnÕt feature
the typical fall crispness
that calls for boots, but
here are a few iterations
that you can actually
wear in Central TexasÕ
temperate weather.
FALL BOOTS YOU CAN WEAR IN AUSTIN
COME FOLLOW US
at austinway.comWe have the inside scoop on Austin’s best parties,
dining, style, and more.
JOIN US ONLINE
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Browse the newest
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most exclusive parties.
SEE THE LATEST FROM LAST NIGHT’S EVENTS
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Copyright 2014 by Niche Media Holdings, LLC. All rights reserved. Austin Way magazine is published 6 times per year. Reproduction without permission of the publisher is prohibited. The publisher and editors are not responsible for unsolicited material and it will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication subject to Austin Way magazine’s right to edit.
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above, from left: With my husband, Steve, at 2012’s State Dinner Gala at the LBJ Presidential Library, which this year hosted the historic Civil Rights Summit; with interior designer Meredith Ellis at our Austin Way dinner at Searsucker in July; moderating a panel with Orange Is the New Black creator Jenji Kohan at last year’s Austin Film Festival. (See my story on this year’s AFF on page 62.)
Steve and I were the guests of developer Tom Terkel of Four T Realty and his wife, Colleen, at the Waller Creek Conservancy fundraiser at Stubb’s that ran in conjunction with last year’s Austin City Limits Music Festival. This year’s fundraiser returns to Stubb’s on October 8 with Fitz and the Tantrums.
What does it mean to
love a city? In Austin, we hear
all the time how special we are—
another spot on a national “Best of”
list, another fawning story from a
national publication. When we travel,
it’s a given we’ll hear something like,
“Oh, you’re from Austin? I’m dying to
go there!” And sure enough, more
than 100 newcomers are drawn here
daily, lured to our green Central
Texas oasis by the promise of a fun,
accepting city where you can hear live
music at the grocery store, eat
barbecue that’s better than in your
dreams, and go night swimming in
Barton Springs under a full moon.
It’s a lifestyle packaged in a
university town, state capital, and
high-tech mecca, which means a lot of
smart and creative people are stuck
next to you in traffic (and nothing has
brought the city together more than
our contempt of gridlock). We cling
fiercely to what we love and have a
hard time letting go of beloved
nightclubs, watering holes, and
restaurants. But we’re also deceptively
good at welcoming and accommodat-
ing new people, institutions, and,
yes, growth.
I was attracted to Austin 14 years
ago because of my love of music and
journalism. But I stayed here because
of the people. They are why my
husband, Steve, who works at the
University of Texas, and I decided to
make a home here and raise our son
Gabe, now 8.
No matter how successful they are
or what they’re going through, the
Austinites I encounter every day are
incredibly giving, generous, and
encouraging. As the editor-in-chief of
Austin Way, it will be my privilege to
share their stories with you. I hope
each issue will remind you why you
don’t want to live anywhere else.
Stay up to date with all that’s going on in Austin at austinway.com.
kathy blackwell
30 AustinwAy.com
Letter from the editor-in-Chief
for Women
I N T R O D U C I N G
THE DOMAIN
AUSTIN
512.490.0812
E XPER I EN CE TH E N E W P O LO S TO RE,
FE AT U R I N G TH E I CO N I C CO L LEC T I O N FO R M EN
A N D TH E N E W WOM EN ’S P O LO CO L LEC T I O N
for Womenfor Women
I N T R O D U C I N GI N T R O D U C I N G
THE DOMAINTHE DOMAIN
AUSTINAUSTIN
512.490.0812512.490.0812
E XPER I EN CE TH E N E W P O LO S TO RE, E XPER I EN CE TH E N E W P O LO S TO RE,
FE AT U R I N G TH E I CO N I C CO L LEC T I O N FO R M EN FE AT U R I N G TH E I CO N I C CO L LEC T I O N FO R M EN
A N D TH E N E W WOM EN ’S P O LO CO L LEC T I O NA N D TH E N E W WOM EN ’S P O LO CO L LEC T I O N
With guest Jason Dial, Circuit of the Americas president and CEO, at the first dinner party Austin Way hosted at LaV.
ph
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above, from left: My wife, Meredith, and I at this past April’s Rise School of Austin pre-tournament cocktail party, paying tribute to the legendary James Street; Becky Beaver, Maryleigh Dejernett, John Duncan, Jennifer Braham, Barbara Kelso, and I celebrate the Women & Their Work Gallery at this year’s Star Bash.
Stay up to date with all that’s going on in Austin at austinway.com.
Welcome to the inaugural
issue of Austin WAy! We are
proud to bring Niche Media and our
mission to Connect, Captivate, and
Celebrate… with Consciousness to this
wonderful and welcoming city. Our
mission comes to life in our beautiful
and insightful magazine content, at
events that will bring our business
partners and our readers together to
celebrate this dynamic city, and on our
website, austinway.com, with its fresh
and current eye on Austin!
We began our journey almost a year
ago and are thrilled to see it come to
fruition. I am delighted to have
Editor-in-Chief Kathy Blackwell by my
side, and together with our team of
Deputy Editor Jane Kellogg Murray,
account executives Jackie Van Meter
and Catherine Kuchar, events and
marketing manager Monika
Kowalczyk, and University of Texas
intern Rebecca James, we couldn’t be
more proud of our magazine!
The people of Austin have been very
receptive and welcoming, with many
going out of their way to help us get off
to a great start. We appreciate the
support of arts and cultural partners
like the LBJ Presidential Library &
Museum, Circuit of the Americas, and
the Paramount Theatre, to name a few.
We look forward to growing along with
Austin and to becoming a part of the
fabric of our community.
It is an honor to serve as publisher
of Austin Way, a role that allows me to
meet and build partnerships with the
businesses and people that make
Austin such a vibrant and dynamic
market. Austin is unique and free
spirited, and Austin Way is here to
capture what makes our city special.
Now if I could just figure out when to
wear a tie!
lou delone
32 AustinwAy.com
Letter from the Publisher
L I F E I S A B O U T M O M E N T S
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tt L
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s (L
ink
La
te
r); M
at
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ain
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(s
Mit
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d); r
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ca
s.
co
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n (L
ev
y)
The artistic director for the Austin Film Society, which he
founded in 1985, Linklater has a host of film credits to his
name, including the cult hit Dazed and Confused (1993), Before
Sunrise (1995), School of Rock (2003), Before Sunset (2004),
Bernie (2012), and Before Midnight (2013). For this issue’s cover
story, he speaks with actor and longtime collaborator Ethan
Hawke about working together on the movie Boyhood.
How did the popularity of Boyhood compare
with the reception of your other films with
Ethan Hawke? This one seems kind of odd—that people
are rushing out to see it, that people seem compelled to see it.
We never quite had the planets lined up to this degree.
How would you describe the experience—the
risk and time involved in the film? I don’t think
that for a second any of us were anything but grateful to have
the opportunity to even do this.… What mattered was what
we felt about it and how it was evolving. We didn’t have to
justify it to anyone. It was just kind of amazing that we were
given this kind of freedom.
RichaRd LinkLateRfilmmaker, writer, page 106
The editor-in-chief of
lifestyle blog Camille Styles
and columnist for Texas
Monthly, Smith Ford has had
her writing and styling work
published in magazines such
as Esquire, Glamour, Teen
Vogue, and Real Simple.
She wrote “Arbiters of Taste”
on By George.
What sparked your
love of fashion? It
started with my love of
fashion magazines. From a
young age, I would sneak as
many fashion magazines as I
could into my mom’s grocery
cart. I started dressing my
two brothers in looks
inspired by the outfits I
admired in the pages of the
magazines I loved.
Describe fashion in
Austin. When it comes to
style in Austin, I love that
anything goes! Austinites love
vintage and are guaranteed to
stay true to themselves in
whatever they wear.
What makes you most
proud? Styling shoots and
collaborating with one of my
greatest mentors, photogra-
pher Dan Winters, with whom
I have gone on many creative
adventures; and my daugh-
ters—Ellie (2½) and Greta
(born in July).
Born and raised on the
Gulf Coast of Mississippi,
Carter wasn’t always
heading toward a career in
photography. He grew up
loving music, painting, and
Cajun food. After studying
music in both Nashville and
Denver, he finally found
Austin, where he has lived
for 10 years and now calls
home. Carter photographed
the subjects of the hospitality
titans feature in this issue.
How do you put your
subjects at ease while
photographing them?
Finding common ground
with the subject and making
simple conversation usually
helps. Mimosas also work
quite well.
Where do you prefer
to shoot? Generally in an
environment that the subject
has a special connection with.
When did you know
you wanted to be a
photographer? I was
pursuing a degree in graphic
design, and I took a black and
white film class my senior
year as an elective. I knew
pretty soon that photography
was what I wanted to do.
Shortly after, I took out a loan
for some equipment and
never looked back.
LauRen Smith FoRd writer, page 41
michaeL thad caRteR photographer, page 112
A native Austinite, Levy
spent years in New York then
Marfa before returning to
her hometown. She is a
freelance writer and editor,
who penned our hospitality
titans feature.
What resonated with
you most about speak-
ing with these Austin
tastemakers for this
feature? I’ve never talked
with any of them about the
why and how of their work or
about their relationship to
Austin. Like me, Larry
McGuire and Freddy
Fletcher are natives. Though
from West Texas, Liz
Lambert might as well be.
Then there’s Bridget Dunlap,
who’s spent minimal time
here before starting the
Rainey district, but she
created a new downtown
destination that I wish I’d
had in my 20s. Nothing good
ever came out of my time on
Sixth Street—at least not that
I remember.
How do you pass time
in Austin in the fall?
I usually spend my evenings
with friends outside at
Justine’s or Licha’s. And
I’ll definitely head out to
Marfa for the El Cosmico
music festival.
tobin Levywriter, page 112
34 AustinwAy.com
...without whom this issue would not have been possible // Fall 2014
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Carla McDonald
Lisa Fletcher
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Beck
Charlotte Burke
Samantha Davidson
Patrick Dempsey
Mark Webber
Darlene Fiske
Michael Dell
John Paul DeJoria
John Mackey
Marc Winkelman
Wayne Weaver
Nak Armstrong
Adrian Quesada
Kevin Brodwick
Matt Luckie
Hal Jones
Doug Guller
Chris Hendel
Ava Late
Noelle Norvell
Andy Roddick
Eloise DeJoria
Leslie Nichols
Brian Sharples
Ross Moody
Gov. Rick Perry
Wendy Davis
Greg Abbott
Jason Dial
Scott Walker
Lisa Jasper
Jim Ritts
Elaine Garza
José Buitron
Jack McDonald
Barbara Kelso
Tory Burch
Robert Rodriguez
Ray Brimble
Jane Fischer Baudouin
Patty Griffin
Gary Clark Jr.
Zoltan David
David Kurio
Dr. Gregory Nikolaidis
Dave Shaw
Pat Tate
Red McCombs
Brooke Brown
Ben Crenshaw
Daryl Kunik
Ashley West
Kristen Chin
Mark Sullivan
Keith Zimmerman
Lyndon Boozer
Emily Moreland
Andy Phillips
Catherine Robb
Cile Montgomery
Patty Hoffpauir
36 AustinwAy.com
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THEY’VE STILL GOT ITAS BY GEORGE MARKS 35 YEARS, OWNERS KATY AND MATT CULMO REFLECT ON HOW THEY’VE EVOLVED AND WHERE THEY’RE GOING. BY LAUREN SMITH FORD
When By George moved to the corner of
Sixth Street and Lamar Boulevard 15 years
ago, the intersection wasn’t the epicenter of
the city it is now. There were no high-rise
apartments nearby, and Whole Foods had yet
to build its 80,000-square-foot flagship store.
The across-the-street neighbor was a dirt lot
from which used cars were sold. So it was a
bold move, but Matthew and Katy Culmo
had a feeling it was where they needed to be.
They were determined to stay true to the
theme of fearlessness that has been a constant
throughout the innovative Austin store’s
35-year history. Now, as they look to the
future of the brand—a new management
agreement with McGuire Moorman
Hospitality and the
Matt and Katy Culmo took a chance on Austin
and have never regretted their decision.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 42
AUSTINWAY.COM 41
STYLE Arbiters of Taste
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“I buy thIngs that don’t have expIratIon dates.
I have never been Interested In trends. I lIke thIngs
that have value... I want to make sure people are happy
wIth whatever they buy.”—katy culmo
launch of an e-com-merce site—the stylish pair reflect on how they arrived here.
In 1979, when she was just 26, Katy purchased By George—the green-shag-carpeted little shop in the Dobie Mall on the University of Texas campus—from its original owner, former Austin City Council member George Humphrey. It cost $26,000. “I was making $800 a month, and George cosigned the bank note for me. It was the best opportunity of my life,” Katy recalls. “I was so scared. But I knew how to work hard, and I knew how to do paperwork, and that’s really what business is—making agreements and fulfilling them, paying your bills, and being nice to people.”
Katy’s editor’s eye and knack for buying just the right pieces from a collection were present from the beginning. By George thrived under Katy’s leader-ship. She was guided by a philosophy she still follows: “I buy things that don’t have expiration dates. I have never been interested in trends,” she says. “I like things that have a value. People work hard for their money, so I want to make sure they are happy with whatever they buy.”
In 1987 she met her husband, Matt, whom she credits with helping to develop her brand. It was Matt’s idea to open a men’s store and to move By George closer to downtown after outgrowing loca-tions on the Drag and on 29th and San Gabriel. In 1999 they enlisted their favorite fine artists and designers to work on the new Sixth and Lamar space. They immediately knew they were on to something when sales increased 500 percent. “We moved all the merchandise from San Gabriel down to Lamar and spent all night merchandis-ing,” Katy remembers. “Everyone who came into
the store thought it was all brand-new merchandise, and it sold out within a week.”
After years of selling contemporary lines, enter-ing the world of high-end designer goods became the next natural step. Matt remembers trying to persuade designers to sell to one of their stores in Austin in 2007. “It was a negotiation,” he says. “Every designer wanted to know who they were going to hang with. We got to the point where I said, ‘One of you needs to take a stand here.’” And they did: Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, and Marni made the first buy to fill the store with new products. Then within a year, the economy dropped out. As the retail world panicked, they stayed put and bought for the next season. Katy and Matt sold the Guadalupe store in 2006 and opened the more casual South Congress satellite store in 2007.
When Katy looks back on some of her favorite moments, she still vividly remembers walking up the steps of the grand Lanvin headquarters in Paris for her first buying appointment, the article that
contInued From page 41
from left: Katy Culmo at By George; Tibi designer Amy
Smilovic with Katy and Sea of Shoes blogger Jane Aldridge.
Matt Culmo is credited with bringing menswear
labels to By George.
42 austinway.com
STYLE Arbiters of Taste
Cathy Horyn wrote about the store for The New
York Times in 2008, and the honor she felt when a
shopper proposed to his girlfriend in a By George
dressing room. Her greatest joys have come from
her customers and employees, some of whom have
worked for her for 20 years. She especially loves the
stories of loyal By George fans who still wear and
treasure a sweater they bought from the Guadalupe
store decades ago.
As the retail business changes, with tech-savvy
shoppers wanting to know what is available before
they even walk into the store, Katy often feels nos-
talgic for the old days. “By George has always been
experiential. The relationships you build with
customers who come in the store are intimate. I
love to see women’s faces light up when they walk
into the store. I love being able to give them special
attention and to see them walk out happier than
when they came in,” Katy says.
The new management agreement with McGuire
Moorman Hospitality means MMH will manage
the new e-commerce site and help reimagine the
South Congress store, with Matt and Katy’s direc-
tion, by adding men’s lines to the pieces for women
as well as gifts and lifestyle products.
The new arrangement feels like a full-circle
moment for Katy. “Larry [McGuire] and his part-
ners started their business when they were in their
mid-20s, which is when I bought By George,” she
says. “It’s a really exciting transition that creates
this hopefulness for By George really living on,
because let’s face it—how will I get through the
Metro in Paris on my walker?” she says with her sig-
nature laugh. “I never imagined what By George
would become, and I am really proud. In my heart,
I am still just that girl with a little store in the
Dobie Mall!” 524 N. Lamar Blvd., Ste. 103, 512-472-
5951; bygeorgeaustin.com AW
AUSTIN LOVE
In addition to carrying renowned global brands,
By George keeps it local by representing collections
from these Austin designers…
CAMBRIA HANDMADE: Cambria Harkey is an
award-winning photographer, but we think she found
her true calling when she launched her line of bags and
accessories. Made from deerskin, bison, and cowhide
leather, Harkey bags are fashion-meets-function at its
best. (See page 46 for more on Cambria Handmade.)
cambriahandmade.com
MARGOT WOLF: Jewelry designer Margot Wolf
uses metalsmith techniques in her line of sterling silver,
bronze, and 14k gold pieces, which are inspired by
nature and geometry. margotwolf.com
NAK ARMSTRONG: By George is the first and
only retailer to carry the much-anticipated collection
from CFDA award-winning jewelry designer Nak
Armstrong. His designs suspend stones in metal frames,
allowing him to create multilayered statement pieces
that are lightweight. nakarmstrong.com
SBJ AUSTIN: Founded by longtime By George
employee Mallary Carroll, the easy-to-wear collection of
vibrant prints and patterns puts a fun twist on timeless
looks. sbjaustin.com
STOWE PROVISIONS: Started by two childhood
friends, Mark Stowe and Mark Howard, Stowe
Provisions’ line of classic Americana-style leather
belts and goods are cut, dyed, and painted by hand.
stoweprovisions.com
clockwise from left: The interior of By George; Katy and Matt checking out new merchandise; clothing and accessories on display at By George.
“BY GEORGE HAS ALWAYS BEEN EXPERIENTIAL. THE
RELATIONSHIPS YOU BUILD WITH CUSTOMERS ARE
INTIMATE. I LOVE SEEING THEM WALK OUT HAPPIER THAN
WHEN THEY CAME IN.”—KATY CULMO
AUSTINWAY.COM 43
Mo
de
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al
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elsBold Moves
Austin women Aren’t AfrAid to go big, dAy And night, with Attention-grAbbing bAgs And shoes this fAll. PHotograPHy by bill diodato StyliNg by KadEEM grEaVES
MENSWEARSleek masculine lines give a
new edge to day wear. Coat, Stella McCartney
($2,745). Neiman Marcus, The Domain, 512-719-1200;
neimanmarcus.com. Blouse, Ralph Lauren Black
Label ($325). Neiman Marcus, see above;
ralphlauren.com. Pants, Brunello Cucinelli ($955).
Neiman Marcus, see above. Handbag, Giorgio Armani
($2,195). Neiman Marcus, see above. Loafer pumps,
Jason Wu ($1,140). Neiman Marcus, see above
44 austinway.com
STYLE Accessories
FLORALAutumn flowers
are in bloom. Turtleneck, Vince
($265). By George, 1400 S. Congress Ave.,
512-441-8600; vince.com. Leather
skirt, Tod’s ($3,945). 800-457-8637;
Neiman Marcus, The Domain, 512-719-1200;
neimanmarcus.com. 18k rose-gold vermeil
lace cuff, Aurélie Bidermann ($1,065).
barneys.com. Zena clutch, Jimmy Choo
($450). Neiman Marcus, see above.
Olexa pumps, Tory Burch ($275).
The Domain; toryburch.com
SHINEThis season, silver
adds cool shimmer. Dress, Stella
McCartney ($1,995). Neiman Marcus, The
Domain, 512-719-1200; neimanmarcus.
com. Handbag ($3,400) and wedges
(price on request), Prada. Neiman
Marcus, see above
BLACK & WHITEModernize the
achromatic palette. Top, Rag & Bone
($295). Nordstrom, Barton Creek Square,
512-691-3500; nordstrom.com. Pant, Ralph Lauren Black
Label ($665). Neiman Marcus, The Domain,
512-719-1200; ralphlauren.com. Bag
box, Chanel ($12,000). Neiman Marcus, see
above. Pumps, Manolo Blahnik ($955). Neiman
Marcus, see above
LASER CUTSleek graphic
patterns define modern fall style. Dress, Altuzarra ($1,795). Neiman
Marcus, The Domain, 512-719-1200;
neimanmarcus.com. Minaudière, Reece
Hudson ($1,295). Valentine’s Too,
Davenport Village, 512-347-9488;
reecehudson.com. Booties, Christian
Louboutin ($1,595). Neiman Marcus, see above
austinway.com 45
phot
ogra
phy
by p
aige
new
ton
DURABLE BEAUTYLONGTIME ACL FEST PHOTOGRAPHER CAMBRIA HARKEY FOCUSES ON HER LINE OF GORGEOUS HANDCRAFTED LEATHER BAGS. BY KATHY BLACKWELL
Her brand of leather bags is called Cambria Handmade, but it takes a trip to
Cambria Harkey’s studio near the Colorado River for the name to sink in.
Harkey doesn’t use a sewing machine of any kind. Every stitch and zipper on
her luxuriously soft hobo bags, satchels, and weekenders for men and women
is done by hand.
This handmade approach reflects who Harkey is. The generous, spirited New
Mexico native, who has lived in Austin since 2000, can’t think of girlhood sum -
mers on her family ranch without reminiscing about the feel and scent of the
saddles and saddle bags she would work with all day long. Though she’s self-
taught, her mother instilled in her the pleasure of working by hand—doing it any
other way just feels wrong. “It’s always been in my blood,”
Harkey recalls. “My mother is a really hard worker; she was
raised on a ranch, so that’s how I learned. I never learned to
use a sewing machine.”
Harkey’s work ethic has served her artistic instincts
well. As the longtime director of photography for C3
Presents, she has crawled over stages to shoot performers
from Pearl Jam to Arcade Fire at every ACL Festival since
its inception. She also has shot C3’s other festivals, such as
Lollapalooza in Chicago and Brazil. It’s a physically
demanding art form—just like hammering and hand-
sewing bison, deerskin, and elk hides for hours to trans-
form them into bags, something she has done since college.
“Leather is one of those things that ages with you and kind
of melts into your body. If you wear it every day, it takes the
form of your shoulder,” she says.
Much like the supple material Harkey uses to craft her
wares, Cambria Handmade has shaped itself into a
unique part of the Austin style scene since its formation
several years ago. Her core line of bags is sold online and
at stores such as By George (524 N. Lamar Blvd., No. 103,
512- 472-5951; 1400 S. Congress Ave., 512-441-8600) and
Stag (1423 S. Congress Ave., 512-373-7824). But her cus-
tom work has evolved into a huge part of her business,
which she operates out of a studio in East Austin owned
by hotelier Liz Lambert.
“It’s not an easy business. People think it’s very charm-
ing to be a true artisan or craftsman, but they don’t realize
how physically challenging it is. It’s so hard on your hands,
your back, your body,” Harkey says. Despite the physical
demands of both of her crafts, Harkey will once again lead
the photo team at ACL Fest this fall while continuing to
oversee Cambria Handmade. (Her right-hand man, Jesse
Baerenrodt-Hayspell, works on the core line when she’s
out of the studio.) She says, “It’s super rewarding to make
something with your hands, see it come to life, then give it
to a person and see them use it all the time. It takes it to the
next level for me.” cambriahandmade.com AW
INSIGHT:
CELEBRITY FANS:
Emma Thompson, Robert
Plant, and Rachael Ray
all own Cambria creations.
CAMBRIA’S OWN:
Harkey still uses the bag
she made for herself in
1997, a simple saddle
bag with a zipper. “It’s
pretty dorky. It’s funny
how many people want
it. I tell them, ‘You can’t
really get it without 17
years of use.’”
Cambria Harkey handmakes all of her leather bags out of her studio in Austin.
WHERE TO
BUY CAMBRIA
HANDMADE:
Her products are sold in
Austin at By George, Stag,
Spartan, Hotel Ella, and
Hotel Saint Cecilia. She
also sells at El Cosmico in
Marfa, and in Colorado,
Virginia, New York, and
Seattle; and online at
cambriahandmade.com.
46 AUSTINWAY.COM
STYLE Behind the Label
THE DOMA IN 512 .834 .2800 S TUARTWE I TZMAN.COM
Coach ($495). The Domain, 512-339-9994;
coach.com
Dolce & Gabbana ($2,495). Neiman Marcus, The Domain,
512-719-1200; neimanmarcus.com
//arm candy // GRAY IS THE NEW BLACK
Rebecca Minkoff ($395). Neiman Marcus, The Domain,
512-719-1200; neimanmarcus.com
Ralph Lauren ($2,500). The Domain, 512-490-0812;
ralphlauren.com
Giorgio Armani ($2,395). Neiman Marcus, The Domain,
512-719-1200; neimanmarcus.com
FALL’S BEST CARRYALLS COME in shades from pewter to charcoal.
// NOW TRENDING//
VINTAGE REVAMP
Bright & Lovely TORY BURCH BRINGS HER SIGNATURE STYLE TO AUSTIN THIS MONTH.
The seventh for the brand in Texas, Tory Burch’s first stand-alone
store in Austin opens at The Domain this month. “Austin is an
incredibly vibrant city with a unique culture and great music. We
are thrilled to be launching here,” says Burch. “We know our
brand resonates with local women who epitomize effortless style
and share our love of color, print, and special details.”
A fan of SXSW, Burch can’t wait to see locals wearing her
designs at the music festival in March, but until then, Austinites
can visit the 3,200-square-foot boutique to scoop up the
floral-themed Fall line. The full range of ready-to-wear,
handbags, shoes, jewelry, leather goods, and accessories will be
available as well as fragrances and a newly launched beauty
collection. The Domain, no phone at presstime; toryburch.com AW
debut
new in town
Beloved Austinite Masha
Poloskova introduces
Garment, a boutique that
offers a curated mix of
independent labels and
one-of-a-kind designer
vintage wares. Brands
such as Thierry Lasry and
LD Tuttle will commingle
with vintage Chanel,
Missoni, and Christian
Lacroix. “Austinites
celebrate individual style.
That’s what we love most
about our customers,”
says Poloskova, who
owns Moss. Her favorite
staple item: “I love
vintage jackets!” she
says. “A 1980s YSL blazer
or ’90s Chanel jacket is
always in style. It’s an
easy way to incorporate
vintage into your
wardrobe without
looking too retro.”
701F S. Lamar Blvd.,
512-462-4667;
shopgarment.com
1980s Gucci bag, ($195).
THE PUSH TO POLOIn conjunction with Ralph Lauren’s fi rst-ever Polo line for women, The Domain locale rebrands as a Polo Ralph Lauren store this month. The new Polo line includes signature Ralph Lauren nods such as fl oral dresses, serape coats, pinstriped suits, and denim, all in accordance with Lauren’s special touch of Americana. The Domain, 512-490-0812; polo.ralphlauren.com
FLIP IT GOODIn honor of National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, Texas-based fl ip-fl op maker Hari Mari is giving double its usual donation to Dell Children’s Medical Center for each pair of sandals sold in September. harimari.com
2
1
48 LA-CONFIDENTIAL-MALACAZINE.COM
STYLE Spotlight
MOSS
705 South Lamar Blvd.
www.mossaustin.com
512-916-9961
Your favorite luxury labels at a
fraction of the price.
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heart of the scent seconds after application, and the base notes that linger long after the perfume has dried on the skin.
With Cuir d’Ange, the first spray bursts into a generous—but not overly floral—bouquet that’s just sweet enough for a woman and yet robust enough for a man. Minutes later, it settles into a gorgeous veil of caramel, pipe tobacco, and a sprinkling of breezy wildflow-ers. It feels beautiful on the skin, too, like cool, expensive, powder-soft suede—“angel leather,” asserts Ellena, referencing the words of early-20th-century French author Jean Giono, who has been a source of inspiration for Ellena for more than three decades. In his autobiogra-phy, Jean le Blue (Blue Boy), Giono describes his father in his cobbler’s workshop, “busy making shoes in angel leather for some god with a thousand feet.”
For Ellena, who compares his process of creating fragrances to that of writing a book, Giono’s phrase “angel leather,” combined with his
epiphany at the Hermès vault, provided the compelling concept Ellena needed for his next fragrance masterpiece.
Tell us more about the
connection you make
between literature and
fragrance.
I am a writer of smells. For me, perfume is more a poetic creation than a concept. It touches us, moves us, fires our imagination. I have a writer’s approach. I tell stories with perfume. Perfumers all use the same ingredients and raw materi-als. It’s their writing talent that makes the difference. Why are you inspired by
the author Jean Giono?
I see literature—with a capital L—as significant. It has always fueled my imagination, but it’s true I have a special relation-ship with Jean Giono, which must derive from our Provençal origins and how we understand the world. Why did it take 10 years to
create Cuir d’Ange?
It’s a slow process—and very
Eau, My Word!A stunning new frAgrAnce from Hermès tAkes its inspirAtion from iconic leAther hAndbAgs—And sensuAl french literAture. by mandi norwood
At his workshop in the south of France,
Jean-Claude Ellena was inspired by the leather used to make classic bags like the Hermès
Oxer duffel (far right) to create his Cuir d’Ange
fragrance (right).
When Jean-Claude Ellena became “the nose” of Hermès 10 years ago, his first port of call was the maison’s leather vault in Paris. Providing specialized storage for the skins that form the brand’s iconic luggage and handbags, “It was a marvelous treasure,” Ellena recalls, “an Ali Baba’s cave, where each piece of leather was arranged by characteristic and color.
“There I saw and touched
the most beautiful leather, even some that weighed only a few grams in my hand, so soft that I hardly dared to handle it,” he says. “I realized that each leather, tanned naturally, had a different scent, and the most beautiful and expensive pieces smelled of flowers…. I was seized by happiness and decided right then that I wanted to create a perfume inspired by leather.”
This month, 67-year-old
Ellena’s dream is realized in the form of Cuir d’Ange (“angel leather,”) a fragrance that’s both gentle and assertive, shifting between delicate heliotropes and woody hawthorn, bashful violets and narcissi, and unrestrained musk.
As with all fragrances, there are layers of notes: the top notes that provide the first fragrant impression, the middle ones that form the continued on page 52
“I realIzed that each leather had a dIfferent scent,
and the most beautIful smelled
of flowers.”—jean-claude ellena
STYLE Fragrance
50 AUSTINWAY.com
1900 University Avenue · Austin, Texas 78705www.MeetAtTexas.com · Facebook/MeetAtTexas.com
WELCOME TO THE
CENTER OF IT ALL
Everything you need in the heart of Austin. Award-winning cuisine in our 4-star restaurant, a Grand Ballroom for life’s celebrations, a high-tech conference center for effective learning and com-fortable accommodations for business travelers, festival attendees, sightseers and football fans. You’ll appreciate the convenience — and you’ll love our Texas hospitality.
“I don’t thInk smells have a gender any more than colors, sounds, or tastes
do.... for me, perfumes are lIke works of art.”—jean-claude ellena
demanding. The hardest
thing is [figuring out] how I
am going to translate the
concept into a physical
presence. Until the moment
comes that the product
matches the idea in my head,
I put it aside; I come back to it
later, I work on it. That’s why
it can take 10 years.
Cuir d’Ange is appealing for both women and men. How did you accomplish that?I don’t think smells have a
gender any more than colors,
sounds, or tastes do.
Unfortunately, societies have
created codes that we find
difficult to break from. These
codes are a framework that
help us live in an increasingly
complex world, but one from
which we sometimes want to
be free. For me, perfumes are
like works of art and, as such,
aren’t intended for men or
women, but for all mankind.
In your book, The Diary of a
Nose: A Year in the Life of a
Parfumeur (Rizzoli, $25), you say there is a miscon-ception that your perfumes only contain natural ingredients, nothing artificial. I see all ingredients as smells,
whether they’re natural or
artificial. I love them all. I
don’t differentiate between
them, so long as they serve my
idea. The advent of chemical
ingredients has given us a
much broader olfactory
palette. How lucky we are!
What are your own personal favorite scents?
The smell of human skin
without perfume—my wife’s
and my children’s.
Tell us about your studio. Why did you choose to have it in Grasse?I live and work in the South of
France near Grasse, the
perfume capital. I was born
there. It’s an incredible space,
steeped in history, filled with
light and smells. The workshop
I come to every morning is a
house designed in the ’60s and
built into the side of a hill. The
workshop is open; the doors
are never closed. My work
tools are sheets of paper, a
pencil, a fountain pen, an
eraser, smelling strips, and
smelling-strip holders. The
laboratory is at the far end of
the house, as far as possible
from my office, so that I’m not
distracted by the smell. I work
exclusively from memory.
You have created many iconic fragrances, includ-ing Van Cleef & Arpels’s First and Bulgari’s Eau Parfumée au Thé Vert. Do you consider Cuir d’Ange to be a new classic?I sincerely hope so—to have a
perfume that stands outside of
time, a perfume beyond
fashions and trends.
What’s the difference between French and American tastes in fragrance?For Americans, the notion of
cleanliness dominates.
Pleasure is allowed if it’s
useful—for example, smelling
clean and having good
longevity—whereas French-
style perfuming likes a bit of
controversy and the body’s
own smells.
How did you finally realize your vision for Cuir d’Ange? Was it a “voilà!” moment?Suddenly, an instant will
come when you say, “That’s
it! That’s what I was looking
for.” Creating a fragrance is a
terrible and terrifying
process because I’m the kind
of person who is continually
dissatisfied until that
moment comes. And then
the pleasure is very short.
Like sex—French-style!
cuir d’ange is number 12
in hermès’s hermessence
collection of perfumes and is
available exclusively in hermès
stores. 51 highland park
village, dallas, 214-528-
0197; hermes.com AW
Jean-Claude Ellena uses the simplest tools—pen, paper,
smelling strips (left)—and his finely tuned nose to create
fragrances for Hermès.
contInued from page 50
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STYLE Fragrance
52 AUSTINWAY.com
for online use code GCFALL2014 at checkout
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understated elegance indulge in the season’s statement-making
timepieces that only look expensive.
by roberta naas
photography by Jeff crawford
Elegance and austerity are not mutually
exclusive. A number of respected watch
brands are catering to the demands of savvy
Austin women, who want both high quality
and design at a sensible price. These excep-
tional timepieces satisfy both by being
on-trend and on budget.
For more watch features and expanded coverage, go
to austinway.com/watches. AW
clockwise from left: This Tudor Glamour Date watch ($5,100) is crafted in stainless steel with a double bezel set with 60 diamonds and a black dial set with 11 diamonds. It houses a self-winding mechanical movement and is water-resistant to 100 meters. Russell Korman. 5011 Burnet Road,
512-451-9292; tudorwatch.com
Simply elegant, this Tissot Lovely timepiece ($925) has a jewelrylike stainless steel bracelet and a mother-of-pearl dial. The Swiss watch features a sapphire crystal and is accented with 38 diamonds. Russell
Korman, see above; ustissotshop.com
From David Yurman, this Classic watch ($2,800) is a 30mm quartz Swiss-made timepiece. The Domain, 512-834-8700;
davidyurman.com
Crafted in stainless steel, this Omega Constellation watch ($5,100) features a domed, scratch-resistant sapphire crystal with antireflective treatment and an elegant diamond star pattern on the dial. It is water-resistant to 100 meters. Russell Korman, see above; omegawatches.com
accessories, from top left: The Montblanc Meisterstück Solitaire Tribute to the Mont Blanc fountain pen ($1,150) celebrates Europe’s highest peak. Paradise Pen
Company, 2901 S. Capital of Texas
Hwy., 512-347-9907; paradise
pen.com. Bag ($3,400) and wallet ($580), Prada. prada.com. Scarf, Brunello Cucinelli ($1,455). Neiman
Marcus, The Domain, 512-719-1200;
brunellocucinelli.com
St
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54 AUStinWAy.Com
STYLE Time Honored
Solerno & Sparkling
1 part Solerno Blood Orange Liqueur
5 parts Prosecco or any dry sparkling wine
Glass: Hi-Ball
Garnish: Orange slice
Build ingredients in a tall glass over ice, stir
to incorporate. Garnish with an orange slice.
DiScOver mOre reciPeS at
SolernoliQUeUr.CoM
Great cOcKtaiLS Start WitH reSPONSiBLe meaSUriNG
Ph
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by
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- S
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Ja
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& N
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ia
Visit www.bestbuddies.org to learn how to get involved.Best Buddies is a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated
employment and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).
CHRIS BOSH AND THOMAS BEGUIRISTAIN
PH
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Eddie Vedder and the
rest of Pearl Jam will
headline ACL again this
year; they were
headliners in 2009.
LOVE FESTTHE ACL MUSIC FESTIVAL HAS EVOLVED AND EXPANDED IN EVERY WAY, BUT ITS HEART REMAINS THE SAME. BY MICHAEL VENTRE
Austin is only about 230 miles from Laredo, but for
young Adrian Quesada, it was an almost mystical
place. And it was a TV show—Austin City Limits–
that made it seem that way.
“I remember watching it when I was younger,”
says Quesada, guitarist for Spanish Gold, a
featured act at the Austin City Limits Music
Festival, which will once again take over Zilker
Park for two weekends in October. “It felt like
Austin was such a faraway land. Even just three
and a half hours from home, it seemed like a
magical place.”
Since then, Austin has adopted Quesada as a
native son, as it has countless other artists who have
migrated to the city over the years for the musical
nutrition it offers. CONTINUED ON PAGE 58
AUSTINWAY.COM 57
CULTURE Hottest Ticket
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Austin City Limits, the
PBS series marking its 40th anniversary, sent out
the beacon to millions of fans. The ACL Festival
now dances in its light. Austin-based C3 Presents,
which organizes the festival, licensed the ACL
brand in 2002 and operates the event separately
from the TV show, although a few select performers
are typically tapped to tape an episode while
they’re here for the Fest.
“When you’re on that stage,” explains Quesada,
who has played the ACL Fest with his previous
band, the much-loved Grupo Fantasma, “you can’t
always tell how special it is. But when you see that
iconic city backdrop, it’s a pretty amazing feeling.”
The festival crowd will be a large one for Spanish
Gold, a supergroup of sorts, with Patrick Hallahan
of My Morning Jacket and Dante Schwebel of
Hacienda. Spanish Gold released its debut record
this summer to critical acclaim.
The ACL Fest expanded to two weekends for
the first time last year, and the upcoming lineup is
arguably its most glittery yet. Muscular homegrown
acts like Spoon and Spanish Gold will share billing
with international-class headliners such as Pearl
Jam (a repeat from 2009), Eminem, and Outkast.
Regular three-day passes for both weekends are
sold out, although VIP and Platinum badges and
packages were still available at press time.
Longtime Austin resident Jim Eno, a drummer
for critical favorites and ACL Fest veterans Spoon,
is also a producer with his own in-home studio.
Because he greets so many bands both at home and
when he’s touring, he serves in a casual capacity as
an unofficial ambassador.
Eno just produced the Australian band The
Preatures, who will make its ACL Fest debut this
year. “They were here for a month recording,” Eno
says. “They loved the fact that they were in a little
house about a mile away from the studio, and they
were really able to soak up all the culture. They
loved it and had a great time. They’re excited to
return to ACL. I hear that from a lot of people I run
into on tour.”
Although Austin’s reputation in the music world
has remained sterling, change is natural. “When I
first got here, rent was cheap; pot was cheap,”
observes Ray Benson, who arrived in town with his
fellow Asleep at the Wheel members in 1973. “Now
rent ain’t cheap; pot ain’t cheap,” he jokes. One thing
that hasn’t changed: Asleep at the Wheel will once
again welcome opening-day crowds with its distinc-
tive brand of Western swing and country music as
they have for every ACL Fest since the beginning.
Benson, who will also appear with Milkdrive on
Weekend Two, has witnessed the event’s transforma-
tion from cozy to sprawling: Daily attendance is
about 75,000. “The ACL Festival is one of the things
“The ACL FesTivAL is one oF The Things ThAT reALLy puT AusTin on The mAp As
A desTinATion For young peopLe over The LAsT 12 yeArs.”—ray benson
The Joy Formidable were a breakout act at last year’s festival.
Spoon comes home to play ACL this year.
Queens of the Stone Age performed at last year’s ACL Fest.
ConTinued From pAge 57
58 AUSTINWAY.com
CULTURE Hottest Ticket
Last year’s ACL Fest was the first to take place over two weekends.
Ray Benson and the rest of Asleep at the Wheel will continue their ACL Fest tradition this year.
“It gets bIgger and bIgger every year. It went from
a festIval that was a bIg deal In austIn to a festIval
that Is a bIg deal around the world.”—adrian quesada
that really put Austin on the map as a destination for
young people over the last 12 years,” he says.
By working her phone with a pleasant level of
fanaticism, C3’s Amy Corbin, senior promoter of
the Fest, has helped lure the biggest names in the
music business. Corbin, who has been with C3
since the festival’s inception, is one of the main rea-
sons it has evolved into such a musical heavyweight,
right up there with Coachella, Bonnaroo, and
Haim rocks out at at the 2013 ACL.
Lollapalooza (which is also produced by C3).
“We do have a game plan every year,” she says.
“We try to stick with some trend in music, what
people are listening to.” That would explain the
presence of Lana Del Rey, Lorde, and Sam Smith
on the bill with veteran headliners like Pearl Jam
and Beck. And sometimes she mixes in a surprise.
“We weren’t sure if we were going to get Eminem
because he wasn’t doing very many dates,” she
admits. “That was a big get for us.”
For all the promotional heft that the Festival
exudes, there is still the magnet of Austin itself that
draws artists and fans alike. For the price of admis-
sion, you get a dizzying array of acts as well as the
zeitgeist of a city that is undefeated in defending its
“Live Music Capital of the World” title. Quesada
fondly remembers the early days of the festival,
when artists could drive right up to the back of the
stage. Security is tighter now. Entrances are more
complicated and coordinated. Yet he embraces the
exponential growth of the event.
“It gets bigger and bigger every year. It went
from a festival that was a big deal in Austin to a fes-
tival that is a big deal around the world,” Quesada
explains. “As musicians, we’d be silly not to want to
play in front of as many people as possible. As
much as I like smaller festivals, the idea of getting
in front of that many people who are paying that
much attention to the music in one place is great.
“This festival,” he adds, “is most people’s favor-
ite gig.”
aCl music festival, october 3–5 and october 10–12, Zilker Park; aclfestival.com. weekend passes are sold out. vIP passes, $1,050; Platinum passes, $3,500; vIP and Platinum travel packages are also available. AW
Crowd Pleasers
Plan your fest around these not-to-be-missed acts.
St. Vincent- friday, 5:15 pm: Rolling Stone calls
annie Clark, who grew up outside dallas, “the most
thrilling solo artist in indie rock.”
Beck - friday, 8:15 pm: the innovative musician
returns to aCl on the heels of his frst studio album in
six years.
SpaniSh Gold - saturday, 12:30 pm: expect
soulful rock with the right amount of groove from this
super trio.
tromBone Shorty & orleanS aVenue -
saturday, 2:30 pm: It’s impossible not to dance your
heart out when trombone shorty is on stage.
the aVett BrotherS - saturday, 6:15 pm: this
north Carolina group has a loyal following in austin
for good reason.
Jenny lewiS - sunday, 5 pm: the songwriter’s
return with The Voyager has been a most welcome one.
Spoon - sunday, 6 pm: our indie rock heroes continue
to build their legend with their eighth album.
the replacementS - sunday, 6 pm: they go up
against spoon, so it’s a good thing aCl fest is now two
weekends.
lorde - sunday, october 12 only, 7 pm : the new
Zealand teenager will soon release the frst single from
the new Hunger Games movie.
pearl Jam - sunday, 8 pm: the seattle legends
return after fve years to close another aCl fest.
AUSTINWAY.com 59
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GOING HOMESOUTH KOREA’ S DO HO SUH EXPLORES A UNIVERSAL THEME IN HIS FALL EXHIBIT
AS THE CONTEMPORARY BROADENS ITS SCOPE. BY TOBIN LEVY
For Louis Grachos, executive director of the Contemporary Aus-
tin, the fall exhibition by South Korean artist Do Ho Suh reflects
the fulfillment of one of the primary objectives he established for
the museum when he took the helm of it almost two years ago. “I
felt we needed to make a strong statement by bringing in some
of the artists who are really making important strides internation -
ally,” he says. This is not to the exclusion of local artists; collabora-
tive efforts are in the works with Co-Lab Projects, Canopy, Okay
Mountain, and UT’s College of Fine Arts. But Grachos and senior
curator Heather Pesanti are also reaching out to international artists up
for the challenge of working with two disparate spaces: the Jones Center and
Laguna Gloria.
The selection process includes inviting to Austin the artists who were being
considered for a 48- hour introduction to the city. To date, no one has declined
the offer. “This was something that was a big challenge in Buffalo,” says Pesanti,
who, like Grachos, came from the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo, NY. If
the artists are interested, they are invited to submit a proposal.
Much of Suh’s work explores the concept of home and what it
means, particularly when a person moves. “It’s such a universal
theme and so relevant for Austin, a city flooding with ex-pats,”
says Pesanti.
The show at the Jones Center features Suh’s reimagining of two
of the New York apartments and a studio—all in the same build-
ing—in which Suh once lived and worked. The artist’s outdoor
piece, Net-Work, at the lagoon at Laguna Gloria, continues to
address the idea of home and place through his interpretation of the
fishermen’s nets he saw in a Korean village. “He loved watching the fish-
ermen at the end of the day draping their nets over a series of poles and mending
them,” says Grachos. Suh’s net is 70 feet long, and the webbing is made of gold-
and chrome-plated male figurines. The artist identifies with the turtles he found
there on his initial visit. As Pesanti notes, in many ways he, too, carries his home
on his back. Do Ho Suh’s exhibition runs September 20–January 11 at the Jones
Center, 700 Congress Ave., 512-453-5312 and at Laguna Gloria, 3809 W. 35th
St., 512-458-8191; thecontemporaryaustin.org. AW
Net-Work by Do Ho Suh, 2010.
60 AUSTINWAY.COM
CULTURE Art Full
Jonathan Demme and Susan
Sarandon at the 2013 Austin Film
Festival luncheon, where both
accepted awards.
A script reading of Vince Gilligan’s 2 Face with Thomas Haden Church,
Will Ferrell, and Linda Cardellini during the 2013 Austin Film Festival. right:
The film festival has attracted some of the most esteemed directors working
today, including Ron Howard.
phot
ogra
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by J
ack
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(how
ard
)
Now entering its third decade, the Austin Film
Festival might be one of the most highly regarded
writers’ festivals in the country, but it feels com-
pletely organic to this laid-back city. At what other
event can you eat barbecue next to Ron Howard
on the lawn of the French Legation, have lunch with
(or near) Johnny Depp, sit next to James Franco
at a panel, and watch huge stars like Will Ferrell
read from a script written by Vince Gilligan of
Breaking Bad?
The 21st annual festival is a celebration of, in
many cases, the unsung hero of television and film:
the writer. Over the weeklong course of panels,
screenings, and parties, film lovers and aspiring
writers alike can commingle with their heroes of
the written word. It’s where writers like Gilligan,
Callie Khouri (Nashville, Thelma & Louise), and
David Chase (The Sopranos) get the same fan treat-
ment their actors typically receive.
One of those writers this year will be Matthew
Weiner of Mad Men, who is being honored with the
Outstanding Television Writer award at the fest’s
awards luncheon, which is always a sellout. This
will mark a return trip for Weiner, who screened his
show at the Alamo Drafthouse and sat on panels
when he came to the fest during the third season of
his critically acclaimed AMC series.
“We are thrilled to
MAKING THE SCENEAT THE 21ST ANNUAL AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL , THE WRITERS ARE THE REAL CELEBRITIES. BY KATHY BLACKWELL
ENJOY THE FEST
ALL YEAR LONG
In addition to the week in October,
the Austin Film Festival hosts special
screenings and conversations with
filmmakers throughout the year. And
the best of its panels and screenings
can be found in On Story, a podcast
and PBS-affiliated TV series; there’s
also a book, released at last year’s film
festival, On Story: Screenwriters and
Their Craft. onstory.tv
CONTINUED ON PAGE 64
62 AUSTINWAY.COM
CULTURE Festivalia
Matthew Weiner will receive the
Outstanding Television Writer
award at this year’s festival for his work
on Mad Men.
THIS IS TEQUILA, EVOLVED®
Please enjoy Milagro responsibly. | MilagroTequila.com Milagro Tequila, 40% Alc./Vol. (80 Proof) ©2014 William Grant & Sons, Inc. New York, NY.
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,
The popular Food & Film cocktail fundraiser at the Driskill always kicks off the festival with bites
from many of the hottest restaurants in town. AFF this year will debut a more formal gala, The Film
Party. Says AFF’s Barbara Morgan, “Overlooking the beautiful Austin skyline from the 55th foor of the
Austonian Club, The Film Party will play host to flmmaking luminaries, decadent cuisine and cocktails,
and a one-of-a-kind, flm-inspired live auction.” The Film Party: tickets $250, October 25, 7 pm, the
Austonian Club. Film & Food: tickets $100, October 22, 7 pm, the Driskill Hotel.
New this yearp
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“we hAve hOnOreD Our MiSSiOn OF ChAMPiOning
STrOng nArrATive STOryTelling. nOw in Our 21ST
yeAr, AFF reMAinS COMMiTTeD TO exPlOring An
ever-ChAnging inDuSTry.”—barbara morgan
have Matthew Weiner join us once again, this time as our Outstanding Television Writer,” says Erin Hallagan, creative director for the Austin Film Festival. “His body of work and keen sense of storytelling truly encapsu-late what AFF stands for.”
Weiner’s appearance will follow the late-summer release of his feature film, Are you here, with Owen Wilson, Zach Galifianakis, and Amy Poehler. Joining
Weiner as an honoree is Jim Sheridan, who will receive the Disting uished Screenwriter Award for his work on such movies as The
Boxer and My left Foot.In addition to the panels
and keynotes, the film festival is known for giving audiences a sneak peek at some of the most-talked about movies of the season, often with their stars or writers in attendance, such as nebraska last year with Will Forte.
“Since day one, we have
honored our mission of championing strong narrative storytelling,” says cofounder and executive director Barbara Morgan. “Now in our 21st year, AFF remains committed to exploring an ever-changing industry through panels, workshops, screenings, Q&As, and unparalleled networking opportunities.” Austin Film Festival, October
23–30, passes and badges
available at various levels;
austinfilmfestival.com AW
Actor James Franco at the 2012 Austin Film Festival.
why NOAH HAWLEY
OF FarGO LOVes aFF
Austin’s noah haw-
ley will return to the
Film Festival on the
heels of his critically
acclaimed Fx series
Fargo, inspired by the
Coen brothers’ flm
of the same name.
hawley, an author
who has worked on Bones and created My Generation and The
Unusuals for ABC, is working on the second season with a new
cast, set in the late 1970s. hawley took a break from Fargo—
slated to start flming in January—to talk to us about AFF.
You’ve been a panelist and a judge at past AFFs. What
keeps you coming back?
As a writer, i love that it’s the writer’s flm festival and that the
focus is really on the writing—which in the movie business tends
to be the forgotten component. They’ve expanded into television,
where the writer is the boss. everyone comes to the festival be-
cause they know there’s a real focus on that original voice. i like
to give back and to try to hold the door open for the next person.
What will you share with attendees about your experi-
ence so far with Fargo?
My hope is that what i contributed to the adaption game is this
idea that there are no rules; you can be as creative as they let
you be, and you push for that. Another aspect was, sure, you’ve
written the script, but how do you get that flm made and not
compromise on the vision for it? in my case, i’m following in
the footsteps of the Coens—who are not just Oscar-winning
writers, but also two of the greatest flmmakers of our time—so
the execution of the material was critical. i will be talking
about the conceptual process through the fnal execution.
Are there any moments that stand out from past festivals?
i’ve staffed on one show, Bones, created by hart hanson.
hart was given an award at AFF two years ago on the same bill
with Johnny Depp. i remember being with hart, who couldn’t
understand why he was on stage with Depp. it was such a funny
moment for him, and i was glad that i was there to share that.
What are you most looking forward to?
This was the third year of the ATx Television Festival, so Aus-
tin as a destination for creative people to talk about their busi-
ness continues to grow, of course, as the city continues to grow.
it’s always really exciting to go now as a hometown guy. i love
taking the bus downtown to it and then going home to my kids.
it’s a nice dynamic. At the same time, because i’m there with
my kids, i can’t really run around and do all the fun stuff.
The cast of the first season of Fargo, Michael Schneider, Billy Bob Thornton, Allison Tolman, and Colin Hanks at a Television Academy event.
COnTinueD FrOM PAge 62
64 AUSTINWAY.com
CULtUre Festivalia
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THE WO RLD’ S
FRESHEST COCKTAILS
POP-UP ARTon view
Works of more than 35
contemporary global
artists—both prominent
and emerging—will be on
display and for sale at the
inaugural three-day Pop
Austin International Art
Show, October 17–19.
“We want to make a
wave in this town,” says
cofounder Matt Randall,
“[and] establish Austin as
a global art city by
bringing in major
international artists, while
showcasing local artists
to legitimize them on an
international scale.” One
of the enterprising locals,
Bale Creek Allen, will
have work exhibited
among creations by
global artists such as
Andy Warhol, Shepard
Fairey, and Takashi
Murakami. Fair Market,
1100 E. Fifth St.;
popaustin.com
AAKRA: Self-portrait, Huang Yan, 2008.
More than a pretty face: Vivien Leigh poses for a makeup still while shooting Gone With the Wind.
Dancers from the Budapest Dance Theatre during a
rehearsal for Stravinsky
Inspirations–The Firebird.r
An opening- night party at
Fantastic Fest.
// SEE, HERE//
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DANCING WITH FIREThe Firebird opens Ballet Austin’s 2014-2015 season September 26–28. Igor Stravinsky’s 1910 ballet is adapted from a Russian folktale, in which the Phoenix—the bird of fi re—gives her life for love but ultimately rises from the ashes. Ballet Austin Artistic Director Stephen Mills pairs the fantastically cos-tumed production with the stripped-down Agon, George Balanchine’s contemporary 1957 master-piece in which dancers perform in simple leotards. The Long Center, 512-476-9151; balletaustin.org
A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWNCofounded by Alamo Drafthouse’s Tim League in 2005, Fantastic Fest takes over the newly reopened Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar September 18–25 for its 10th year, celebrating genre fi lms with red carpets, awards, and parties. Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar, 1120 S. Lamar Blvd., 512-861-7040; fantasticfest.com
2
The Making of Gone With the WindVIEW UNSEEN MOMENTS FROM “THE GREATEST ROMANCE OF ALL TIME.”
Celebrating the 75th anniversary of the classic Hollywood fi lm,
this exhibition, on view September 9–January 4, 2015, gives a
peek behind the green-velvet curtain with more than 300 rarely-
if-ever-seen pieces. In addition to audition footage and producer
David O. Selznick’s memos, the collection includes three gowns
worn by Vivien Leigh’s Scarlett O’Hara—displayed together for
the fi rst time in a quarter century—which the Center was able to
preserve after receiving more than $30,000 in donations from the
fi lm’s legions of fans around the world. Harry Ransom Center, The
University of Texas at Austin, 300 W. 21st St., 512-471-8944; hrc.
utexas.edu AW
behind the
scenes
1
//must-attend // QUARTER-CENTURY CELEBRATIONThe manicured grounds of Laguna Gloria will once
again host the La Dolce Vita Food & Wine Festival. The
Contemporary Austin fundraiser has evolved into a
community tradition, now celebrating its 25th anniver-
sary. The evening benefits the art museum’s education
programs, and festivities will be marked by tastings from
Austin’s top-tier eateries: Trio, Swift’s Attic, Salty Sow, and
more will be joined by newcomers like Searsucker,
Chavez, and Noble Sandwich Co. Besides the fine fare,
the night promises art demonstrations from the art school’s
faculty members. Tickets are $175; for $200 ticket holders
gain access to the cocktail lounge, curated by Tipsy Texan
David Alan. October 16, 7-10 PM. Laguna Gloria, 3809
W. 35th St., 512-458-8191; thecontemporaryaustin.org
66 AUSTINWAY.COM
CULTURE Spotlight
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The latest and most exciting incarnation of auto racing comes to Austin on September 19 and 20, when Circuit of The Americas (COTA) hosts the Tudor United SportsCar Championship. The event will involve nearly 50 teams and more than 125 drivers during two days of legendary racing, which will also include the only US appearance of the FIA World Endurance Championship that will run in conjunction with the TUSCC under the banner of Lone Star Le Mans. “Not only will we have the four classes of the Tudor United SportsCar Championship competing in the morning,” says Russell Kelly, US brand man-ager for Tudor Watch USA, LLC, “but the FIA World Endurance Championship (where we are the official timing partner) will be racing into the night. Add a Blue Oyster Cult concert between the two races, and it will be nonstop excitement.”
Austin as a destination for this series is rooted in the DNA of the city itself and the excellence of COTA, considered by experts to be the best auto-racing venue in North America. “Austin itself is an incredible city, and Circuit of The Americas
SultanS of SpeedAs the Tudor uniTed SporTSCar ChampionShip celebrAtes its inAugurAl seAson, the series brings the AristocrAcy of Auto rAcing to Austin’s circuit of the AmericAs. by maTT STewarT
is the best track in the nation by far,” says racing icon Scott Pruett, who is driving car No. 01 for Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates in the Tudor series. “When you see a facil-ity like COTA put all that effort and energy into state-of-the-art safety barriers and run-off areas and what they’ve put together for the fans for viewing, it has a great rhythm and flow that make it a place I love.”
The series is strengthened by the sponsorship of the Tudor watch brand and Rolex’s racing heritage. “Rolex essentially pioneered motorsports here in the US when it began its relationship in 1959 at Daytona,” says Kelly. “It’s a proven platform, so it was only natural for us to continue that relationship with Tudor.”
The legacy of Tudor is a cornerstone of the TUSCC’s suc-cess, and the nature of timing itself is the other pillar. “It is an ideal fit for Tudor to be associated with endurance sports car racing [because] every event we have is based on time,” explains IMSA president Scott Atherton. “It’s the 24 Hours of Daytona, the 12 Hours of Sebring, and the Six Hours of Watkins Glen. It is always a measurement of time.”
This initial year of the Tudor United SportsCar Championship is something that race fans have never seen, as the series blends the best of Grand-Am Road Racing that was previously sponsored by Tudor’s parent company, Rolex, and the American Le Mans Series under the manage-ment of the International Motor Sports Association. It’s proving successful with the die-hard fans of both Grand-Am and the ALMS. “Loyal ALMS fans who wouldn’t go to a Rolex sports car race and fans of a Rolex sports car race who wouldn’t do an ALMS race have now come together,” shares Pruett. “[At] Watkins Glen’s Six Hours of the Glen we saw the biggest crowds in years—there were also record-breaking crowds at Sebring and Daytona. There is this powerful energy that is not just for 2014, but for 2015 and beyond.”
Because the TUSCC is a new class of racing, the calen-dars of both former series had to be combined in a strategic way. “The Grand-Am Series and the American Le Mans Series [were] 22 separate events at 17 separate tracks. We were able to boil that down to truly be a best-of-the-best calendar [with] 12 stops on our championship this year,” Atheron explains. “There isn’t a weak link in the chain.” Tudor United SportsCar Championship, Circuit of The Americas, September 19-20; for a complete list of events, visit circuitoftheamericas.com AW
“alms fans who wouldn’t go to a
rolex car race and fans of a rolex car
race who wouldn’t do an alms race have now come together.”
—scott pruett
The Tudor Championship race will involve nearly 50 teams and
more than 125 drivers during two days in September.
68 AUSTINWAY.com
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It was under the Capitol dome, during the Wendy Davis fillibuster in 2013, that Evan Smith’s Texas Tribune captured the attention of people across the country, including President Obama.
Evan almightyIN LESS THAN FIVE YEARS, EVAN SMITH HAS GROWN THE TEXAS TRIBUNE INTO A MODEL OF NONPROFIT JOURNALISM. BY S. KIRK WALSH
From Evan Smith’s 14th-floor corner office, the
CEO and editor-in-chief of The Texas Tribune
can look out of his floor-to-ceiling windows onto
the pink granite rotunda of the Capitol. It was
there, on the floor of the Senate Chamber, that
State Senator Wendy Davis’s abortion filibuster
placed not only the Mizuno-wearing Fort Worth
politician on the national map, but Smith’s
nonpartisan, nonprofit online organization as
well. On that June 2013 night, President Barack
Obama tweeted: “Something special is happen-
ing in Austin tonight” continued on page 72
AUSTINWAY.com 71
PEOPLE View from the Top
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with a link to The Tribune’s YouTube channel and live stream. “That was the moment I thought, Okay, this has now morphed from a regional curiosity to a phenom-enon,” remembers Smith on the one-year anniversary. By the end of the captivating 11-hour filibuster, The Texas Tribune website and live stream attracted more than 183,000 viewers at its peak.
“You have it as an organization—spikes and pla-teaus, spikes and plateaus,” says Smith, dressed in a pressed suit and sea-green tie. “That was a spike. It was a great day for us. We have the luxury as a non-partisan organization of not caring what that day was about or not caring about the outcome of that day. A lot of people out in the world hate hearing that. ‘Aren’t you outraged? Aren’t you elated over the fight?’ No, it’s not about that. From our perspec-tive, it’s a day when the mission of The Tribune to provide greater access to the inner workings of gov-ernment was never better realized.”
What sets The Tribune apart from other online media is its innovative nonprofit model. Instead of relying on ad revenue, funds to support the site’s operations are generated through fundraising from donors and corporate sponsors as well as events, especially the annual Texas Tribune Festival, which this year will be held September 19–21. Featured speakers include Davis, Governor Rick Perry, and Senator Ted Cruz, among many other political luminaries.
“There is a lot of misconception and misunder-standing behind the economic model for The Tribune,” says Smith. “Except for public radio and television stations, most people haven’t ever seen a nonprofit supporting a news or media organization.” Despite the challenges in his role as chief fundraiser, The Tribune has raised $24 million in four and a half years. Expanding its reach further, The Tribune also partners with KUT, to produce original radio jour-nalism, and with The New York Times, with the staff generating state-related content for the paper’s
Texas editions twice a week, including Sundays. Smith also continues to host Overheard with Evan Smith, his interview show that airs on KLRU and other PBS stations across the country.
Like many others in Austin, Smith is a transplant, having grown up in New York State. He attended Hamilton College in Clinton, New York, and the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. He moved here to join the staff of Texas Monthly, where he worked for nearly 18 years, eight of those as editor. Months before his departure to start up The Tribune, the magazine garnered the presti-gious National Magazine Award for General Excellence—the second one of his tenure. When he speaks of his Texas Monthly days, Smith points across the street to the magazine’s current home. (“I could zipline across to Congress,” he says with a laugh.)
A self-described “early-to-the-office, early-back-to-the-house type,” Smith often arrives at work an hour or two before the other staff members. “Everyone here arrives much later,” Smith says with a smile. “That might be a factor of their youth. They have the stamina and patience to be here when the afternoon has turned to night. I do not.” As often as possible, dinner with his wife, Julia, daughter Carson, and son Wyatt is a top priority. Also, when his schedule permits, Smith attends after-school events at St. Stephen’s Episcopal School, where both of his teenagers are students.
A year after the Davis filibuster, The Tribune is focused on her bid for governor against Greg Abbott and the other political races on the November ballot as well as the controversies over University of Texas’s regent, Wallace Hall Jr.; UT President Bill Powers’s recent resignation; and an investigative multipart series about workplace injuries in Texas. “You can’t surf off your reputation for very long,” Smith says.
On a side table in Smith’s office is a framed photo-graph of Texas Ranger Prince Fielder, swinging mightily at a fast-moving pitch. The photo was a gift from one of Smith’s former writers at Texas Monthly,
from left: Smith in a meeting at The
Texas Tribune; interviewing
Supreme Court Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor
for his show, Overheard with
Evan Smith, on KLRU.
cONTiNuEd frOM pagE 71 Mike Hall, because the two often used the metaphor of baseball when discussing the ideals of excellent journalism. “You only get a [limited] number of times at the plate,” explains Smith. “You ought to swing for the fences every time, knowing that half of the time you’re going to strike out and you’re going to swing so far and corkscrew yourself into the ground and literally fall over. But the other times, you’re going to hit one a mile.
“I believe—always swing as hard as you can at the ball, in everything you do,” says Smith. “An asteroid could fall from the sky tonight and then what would you have? What are you waiting for?” Texas Tribune festival, September 19–21, university of Texas, badges: $240–$300; texastribune.org AW
INSIGHT:
First thing he does in the morning:
“Look at Twitter.”
secret to staying on top oF his busy
schedule: “fear of embarrassing The Tribune.”
most apolitical gathering spot oF
politicians in austin: “Las Manitas, may
she rest in peace.”
best spot For a taco: “curra’s. it’s my
favorite place to eat Mexican food—breakfast, lunch,
or dinner.”
Favorite public policy topic in texas:
“demographic inevitability. it’s also the topic that gets
the least attention in the Texas Legislature.”
top interview subjects For
Overheard with evan Smith: “aimee
Mann, ira Kaplan, and georgia Hubley of Yo La
Tengo, and Jason Schwartzman.”
how long it has been since he’s
eaten texas barbecue: “i’ve been a
vegetarian since January 1984. i used to edit the
Texas Monthly barbecue issue. i can tell you that my
heart wasn’t in it.”
72 AUSTINWAY.com
PEOPLE View from the Top
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READY FO R ACTIONAUSTIN NATIVE GLEN POWELL HOLDS HIS OWN WITH THE GENRE’S BEST IN THE EXPENDABLES 3. BY JULIET IZON
The old chestnut “You can take the boy out of Texas…” is certainly accurate in
the case of actor Glen Powell, who costarred in the summer blockbuster The
Expendables 3. In 2007, while still a senior at Westwood High, he shot his first
major film as a cocky Harvard student in the Denzel Washington
–
directed
The Great Debaters. Washington’s agent, Ed Limato, advised
him to move to LA, but Powell replied, “Thanks, but no
thanks. I’ve got a good thing going in Austin.”
Limato, the legendary agent who died in 2010, persuaded
Powell to attend the premiere of the film in LA, and the
young actor did not arrive without his Texan accouter-
ments. “I walked in wearing Wrangler’s and a cowboy hat.
Limato [looked at me and] said, ‘Did you just get off a farm?
We’re going to have to get somebody to dress you,’” the
actor recalls with a laugh.
Although Powell’s career ultimately necessitated a move
to LA, the sixth-generation Texan and UT alumnus frequently returns to Austin
as well as to his family’s 3,000-acre ranch outside of Dallas. “Austin is all about
margaritas on the water, grabbing breakfast tacos, jogging around [Lady Bird]
Lake,” Powell says. “It was so hard to leave, because that’s the way life should be.”
Making the difficult leap to Hollywood was the right move, however. In The
Expendables 3, Powell appears alongside action star gods like Sylvester Stallone,
Harrison Ford, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. His character, Thorn—a wild mix
of intelligence and muscle—urges the other “young” Expendables (including
boxer Victor Ortiz and MMA fighter Ronda Rousey) to
“think before they shoot,” he says. And while even seasoned
thespians might have had the jitters around such an accom -
plished group, Powell was nothing but grateful. “I felt like I
won a sweepstakes where you get to shoot guns with all your
favorite action stars,” he says. “I thought, I definitely don’t
belong here, but this is pretty damn cool.”
Stallone thought otherwise. “Sly said, ‘We searched the
globe for [someone] who could be the young Expendable.
There’s nobody [right now] who’s the young action star. You
could be the next Stallone or Tom Cruise,’” Powell shares.
But he hasn’t forgotten his days as a struggling actor. “I remember walking
into an audition, and they said, ‘Here’s the song you’re going to sing; now pull
down your pants.’ I wasn’t sure this town was for me. But it’s worked out because
now I don’t have to pull my pants down in auditions anymore.” AW
Glen Powell on his family’s 3,000-acre
ranch outside of Dallas.
INSIGHT:
HIS TEX-MEX SPOT:
“Cisco’s in East Austin has the best
migas you’ll ever have, hands down.”
FAVORITE ESCAPE:
Powell’s family ranch near Dallas is
“Disneyland for adults. There’s a golf
course, horses, a petting zoo. It’s crazy.”
74 AUSTINWAY.COM
PEOPLE Talent Patrol
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The Sweet LiferenowneD promoter LOUIS MESSINA works with the biggest names in country music, anD his wife CHRISTINE has turneD the canDy Jar into an irresistibLe stop for kiDs anD parents aLike. BY KATHY BLACKWELL
With her husband, legendary concert promoter Louis Messina, constantly on tour with some of country music’s biggest stars, Christine Messina puts a spe-cial value on family time. A trip with their daughters, ages 5 and 8, last year inspired Christine to open The Candy Jar, a whimsical store and party space marking its first year in the Hill Country Galleria. She and Louis saw how fami-lies flocked every day to a candy store in Rosemary Beach, Florida. “Why don’t we have a place like this in Austin?” he asked, and she knew right then she wanted to create a similar experience back home. “The area is full of young families. The growth is unbelievable,” says Christine.
Instead of a paintbox explosion of primary colors, Christine, who has a
business degree from the University of Texas, chose a French Country theme, accented by chandeliers, carousel horses, and tasteful but welcoming displays. “A lot of candy stores give you heart palpitations when you walk in; they’re like circuses,” she says. She wanted a space more inviting to parents.
“Everything she described became reality,” recalls Louis, his upbringing in New Orleans apparent in his cadence. (The New Orleans-style Snoball machine in The Candy Jar was his influence.) The 40-year music industry veteran in 1975 cofounded Pace Concerts, which eventu-ally became part of Clear Channel. As founder of The Messina Group, he represents artists like Taylor Swift, Kenny Chesney, and, for 20 years now, George Strait.
The Messinas, who married in 2005, moved to Austin from Houston four years ago to give their daughters a safe, nurturing environment (three of Louis’s grown sons also live here). “It’s a real life,” Christine says. “For us, every-thing is about the children. The kids who slip through the cracks always tug on us.” With that in mind, charities they support include the Dell Children’s Medical Center as well as its Surgical Global Outreach program, Caritas of Austin, SafePlace, Austin’s Children Shelter, and Zach Theatre.
Louis recently wrapped up the record-breaking, two-year Cowboy Rides Away Tour with Strait. After a family trip to Hawaii, he is preparing to travel for months yet again as Swift, Chesney, Ed Sheeran, and Eric Church all embark on or prepare for big tours.
Meanwhile, Christine is focusing on the store’s first birth-day party; on Sugar Rush, her packaged collection of curated sweets; and on ensuring The Candy Jar is ready for Halloween through Easter. She hand-selects merchandise and supports three local vendors: Maggie Louise Confections, Laura Atlas’s Kiskadee Chocolates, and Naked Fox dessert bars. Naked Fox made custom treats for all of the guest stars at Strait’s final show in Dallas, including Faith Hill, Chesney, Martina McBride, Vince Gill, and Sheryl Crow. “My artists are always looking for the hookup,” Louis says. “They’ll look right through me and search for Christine.” The Candy Jar, Hill Country Galleria, 12700 Hill Country Blvd., Bee Cave, 512-402-1177, thecandyjartx.com AW
Louis and Christine Messina relish their time together at their West Austin home.
“My artists are always looking for the [candy] hookup.
they’ll look right through Me and
search for christine.”
—louis messina
76 AUSTINWAY.com
PEOPLE Dynamic Duo
1 9 9 2 6 T h u r m a n B e n d R d . | S p i c e w o o d , T X 7 8 6 6 9
R e s e r v e At L a keTr a v i s . c o m 0 1 . 8 0 0 . 2 1 4 . 3 1 4 2
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In an impressively long profile last month, ESPN The Magazine asked some ques-
tions that a great many of us college football fans—us Longhorn football fans, in
particular—have been asking since Charlie Strong took over as head coach of the
University of Texas Football program: “Can he handle the job? Is there any pos-
sible way to prepare for it?”
While the Worldwide Leader in Sports didn’t exactly answer the latter, the truth
is that there are a number of ways to prepare for being head coach at Texas. You
can run 33 miles a week, as Strong does. You can become a heralded assistant
coach and consistently impress iconic bosses like Lou Holtz (at South Carolina)
and Urban Meyer (at Florida), only to get passed over for top jobs time after time.
You can lead Louisville’s program to such prominence that, finally, a hungry and
desperate Texas program comes knocking. And—this one’s important—you can
spend as much time as humanly possible recruiting and coaching and doing one
of college football’s toughest jobs. For better or worse, that means spending as little
time as possible talking with magazines that aren’t ESPN The Magazine.
In our case, “as little time as possible” meant 10 minutes at Big XII Media Day
this summer. And that’s OK. Because, as football fans, we want Charlie Strong to
Strong Must SucceedHE ALREADY TOLD US NOT TO EXPECT A TITLE, BUT IN HIS FIRST SEASON OF UT FOOTBALL, COACH CHARLIE STRONG HAS A LOT RIDING ON THE TEAm’S PERFORmANCE. BY MARK MAYFIELD
Darrell K. Royal Stadium during the Ole Miss Rebels-Longhorn matchup last September. The Rebels won the game 44-23. above: Coach Strong and the team at a scrimmage in April.
78 AUSTINWAY.com
PEOPLE Game Changer
“We have core values in this program, and We expect our players to abide by those values.”—charlie strong
succeed. And, as Texas fans, we kind of need him to. “He’s not a PR guy, not a baby kisser, and he’s not
going to be a fishing pal,” says Brian Davis, a sports-writer who covers the Longhorns for the Austin
American-Statesman. “He doesn’t like to stand around and shoot the breeze.”
What Strong is, as Davis and others who have seen enough of the coach to know, is a man with a prophet’s obsessive certainty that discipline plus values plus character equals winning. He’s in it to win—and he’s going to win his way.
“He goes at it for the long haul,” says Bill Samuels, chairman emeritus of Maker’s Mark bourbon and a former trustee at the University of Louisville, where Strong coached for three seasons before accepting the job in Austin. “The discussions he and I had took place mostly while sitting at basketball games. We didn’t talk a lot about football. The conversations were all about values and character.”
The point wasn’t lost on the seven Longhorn play-ers who had been kicked off the team as of press time, nor the three others who have been suspended. Strong’s approach was almost comical to those of us on the outside—and the fact that SB Nation’s hilari-ous parody, “Charlie Strong Has Kicked You Off the Team,” went viral this summer shows how many people across the country were watching him.
Then receivers Kendall Sanders and Montrel Meander were arrested on sexual assault charges in July. Both were summarily cut, and there aren’t many left who are arguing against Strong’s approach.
“We have core values in this program,” Strong told us during our brief time together in Dallas. “We expect our players to abide by those values. You take away something that’s important to them—and football is really important to a lot of these players—and you make sure that, [by taking games] away
from them, they understand how important it is to represent this great university not only on the field, but also off.”
The thing is, you can’t really argue with the results. Strong guided Louisville to a 25-14 record, including a 23-3 mark for the last two seasons and a huge Sugar Bowl win over Southeastern Conference powerhouse.
For us Longhorn fans who are coming up on 10 years—10!—without a national title, that success looks intoxicating. Strong, of course, is having none of it. He has gone out of his way to lower expectations, tell-ing Texas fans on a bus tour in a matter-of-fact manner that the team “will not be in the national championship game” this season. Those candid remarks didn’t sit well with a whole lot of us. But far from taking back the comment, the coach “has owned it,” says Davis. “I’m telling you, he gets big-time credit for that.”
That’s quite an adjustment for anyone who saw much of Mack Brown, the former coach that Strong is replacing and who was the best politician Austin has seen since George W. Bush lived here.
Brown went 158-7 in 16 seasons in Austin, but then 30-20 over the last four years. It left the impression that Longhorn football lost its edge. So UT went out and invested $5 million a year in Strong, who’s got enough edge to pass as a razor.
He’s ravaged our roster in the name of discipline. He’s banned the “Hook ’Em” hand gesture from the field until his players have, presumably, earned the right to use it. And he’s honed in on discipline, val-ues, character, and winning.
He may not be our pal, and he may not pretend to be. He’s certainly not the coach we had, and he’s probably not the coach we expected.
We’re about to find out if he’s the one we need. AW
from far left: The Texas Longhorns take the home field last year during coach Mack Brown’s 16th and final season; Strong during a team practice in March.
AUSTINWAY.com 79
PeoPle are talking
Austinites share their thoughts and
predictions for Strong’s first year
as UT head coach.
“Charlie Strong stands on the precipice
of an amazing opportunity with one of
the top football programs in America. I’m
so excited for our team and cannot wait
to see the impact he’ll make, on and off
the feld. A good year ahead for much-
needed changes. ”
—Tyson Cole, executive chef and owner,
Uchi and Uchiko
“I predict a 8-4 regular season and a
bowl game win, to fnish 9-4.”
—Tim Taylor, Austin real estate attorney
and passionate Longhorn fan
“I am happy to see Charlie Strong hired
to be our new coach. He’s the man for the
job. I have had the opportunity to build
a relationship with him, and I pray we
have a great year. If not, I will be here
still supporting our team and coaching
staff. I’ll be sticking with my university
through the good and bad times—it’s my
alma mater! Hook ’Em! Let’s Go Horns!”
—Vince Young, former NFL quarterback
and member of the UT Division of
Diversity and Community Engagement
A student at Escuela Cien Amigos in Martillo, Nicaragua.
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Every night when he’s Austin, Thomas “Tab” Barker
sleeps in a teepee in the backyard of his home. It’s a
magical ritual for the founder of Project Schoolhouse,
which builds elementary schools and clean water
systems in rural Nicaraguan communities.
“Sleeping in a teepee connects you to things you
don’t understand, and you don’t understand why
you feel connected to them, but it feels good,” says
Barker, 40, a native of Wyoming who moved to
Austin 12 years ago on a musical whim.
A gypsy soul with an economics degree from
Carleton College, Barker studied in Argentina on a
Fulbright grant, then taught elementary school
English in Costa Rica and spent four years traveling
the world, from Central and South America to
Europe. During a three-month stay in Spain, he began
playing saxophone with a flamenco guitarist and
became friends with Javier Del Castillo of Austin.
After leaving Europe, he returned to the US, where
he embarked on travels here, including a stop in
Austin to visit Del Castillo. Three days after arriving,
he decided this was the city for him. He was particu-
larly drawn to the innovative and diverse East Side.
“There’s something about East Austin that I found
really attractive,” Barker explains. “Everybody spoke
Spanish, and it felt like another country, which is
where I had been for
THE MINIMALISTBY LIVING SIMPLY—LOOK WHERE HE SLEEPS—AND DEVOTING HIS LIFE TO OTHERS, TAB BARKER HAS BUILT SEVEN SCHOOLHOUSES AND THREE WATER SYSTEMS IN NICARAGUA, AND HE DOESN’T PLAN ON STOPPING SOON. BY KEITH RYAN CARTWRIGHT
Every night he’s in Austin, Tab Barker sleeps in a
teepee in his backyard.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 82
Barker and a professor outside
a temporary school in Martillo,
Nicaragua.
80 AUSTINWAY.COM
PEOPLE Spirit of Generosity
DARRELL K ROYAL RESEARCH FUND FOR ALZHEIMER’S DISEASECHANGING MINDS $2,000,000 raised since March 1, 2012
$850,000 awarded to 5 Texas scientists
researching Alzheimer’s disease, funding
the Edith Royal Caregiver Support and
Education Permanent Endowment.
Te board and volunteers of the DKR Fund
would like to thank the hundreds of generous
donors who have donated their time and money
in memory and honor of Coach Darrel K
Royal and his wife Edith.
Dollars directed to the Beautiful Minds in
Texas are dedicated to improving brain health
in all stages of life by funding research for
improvements in detection, treatment, and
prevention, while enhancing the knowledge
base for educational and support initiatives.
Our vision is for the DKR Fund to lead
Texas in the global fght against Alzheimer’s
and related disorders.
Ava and Steve Late
THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR GENEROUS SPONSORS! AT&T, Alice Kleberg Reynolds Foundation, BMW of Austin/Ava & Steve
Late, Cain Foundation, Capital Point Partners/Alfred Jackson, DK & Mike Reynolds, Heritage Title Company of Austin, Inc., Laurée & Jim Bob Mofett,
Mike A. Myers, Rita & Henry Hortenstine, Tommy & Sandy Rouse, Dinah & Barry Barksdale, Charles W. Matthews, Eloise & John Paul DeJoria, Julie &
Ben Crenshaw, KCL Foundation, Ken & Lorrie DeAngelis, S. Jack Balagia, Schweitzer Family Foundation, Sheri & Winston Krause
www.dkrfund.org
Featuring Vince Gill & Friends!
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the last four years. I had just wandered around the world by myself. The city just turned on, and it felt like a warm embrace.”
Barker rooted himself in the local music scene, but something else was calling as well. He remembered the school at which he taught in Costa Rica, for which he had helped raise money to build a classroom for the kids, who had previously been taught in a shabby house with little more than a single lightbulb hanging from the ceiling. He began putting his plan for Project Schoolhouse in motion.
It was a tall order, but Barker felt “well-suited” to work on such a project. Settled in Austin, he began liv-ing a minimalist lifestyle so that his philanthropic dream could take effect. He bought a home in an eclectic East Austin neighborhood, where he rents out all but the one room he uses as his office. The rent from tenants offsets his monthly living expenses while he sleeps in his teepee. He opened a bookstore, Books Beyond Borders (which he closed in 2011), in an effort to donate tomes to schools in developing countries and, about the same time, his vision for what would become Project Schoolhouse began to take shape.
“I always figured I would go to Nicaragua,” Barker says. “It was the poorest country in the region, and it was near Costa Rica, which was my reference point. In my life, when I’ve made decisions, many of them are just made. If it feels right, I just go with it. Somehow doing work in Nicaragua was the obvious thing to do.”
Since starting Project Schoolhouse in 2004, Barker has built water systems and six schools (he’s
working on his seventh), helping the small commu-nity of Rio Lindo. On his most recent monthlong trip to the region, Barker went back to Sector Zamora de Cuatro Esquinas, where the rural community inau-gurated Escuela Sofia Mendoza, the schoolhouse he completed last year. The hard-to-reach village is only about 150 miles from Managua, but requires a 10-hour journey that includes taking a bus, hiking, and riding a horse to cross an overflowing river.
According to Barker, he typically budgets $33,000 for the school and another $25,000 for the water sys-tem, while the rest of the $70,000 budget accounts for transportation, materials, and other costs. Project Schoolhouse is a slim operation, raising money in low-key ways such as with private dinners and dona-tions through its website. It also organizes volunteers for building trips each year.
The key to a successful project is teaching the community to mobilize itself. The water systems installed at four of the seven schools have the capac-ity to supply water to every home in the community. Barker and his team require the family of each home to provide the project with 40 days’ worth of labor—“they’ll work because they want water”—for the right to tap into the system.
Although Project Schoolhouse has dominated Barker’s life, he says he gets more out of it than he puts in. “It gives me something in my life that there’s no other way to get. I can’t quite put my finger on what it is, but I feel it every time I see a new school.” For ways
to help, visit projectschoolhouse.org. AW
from left: Barker with two students at Escuela Santa
Edubijes in Manceras, Nicaragua, in 2009; the first-ever Sod Farm
Festival in Sheridan, Wyoming, raised more than $20,000 for Project Schoolhouse in 2011.
Charity registerOpportunities to give.
Ben, Willie, and darrell Present links & lyricsWhat: Country musician and vocalist Vince
Gill joins forces with pro golfer Ben Crenshaw
and country music legend Willie Nelson
for Links & Lyrics, a songwriters’ showcase,
performance, and golf tournament; all
proceeds will be donated to the Darrell K.
Royal Research Fund for Alzheimer’s Disease.
When: September 5; 8 pm
Where: Barton Creek Country Club,
8212 Barton Club Dr. and ACL Live,
310 W. Willie Nelson Blvd.
Contact: Table sponsorships start at $5,000.
866-946-3606; dkrfund.org
Ballet austin Presents Fête 2014What: A black-tie-optional evening of
dining, dancing, and a live auction will
beneft arts education and access for the
Central Texas community. This year’s event
is inspired by Ballet Austin’s production of
Belle Redux/A Tale of Beauty & the Beast,
debuting in February.
When: September 20, 6 pm-12 am
Where: W Austin, 200 Lavaca St.
Contact: Individual tickets start at $750.
512-476-9151; balletaustin.org
Beauty oF liFeWhat: Support Hospice Austin at the annual
Beauty of Life event, which includes
shopping, a silent auction, raffe, brunch,
and a keynote address by author and
journalist Mitch Albom.
When: October 9, 9:30 am
Where: Hyatt Regency Austin, 208 Barton
Springs Road
Contact: Tickets/sponsorships start at $150.
hospiceaustin.org
andy roddick Foundation GalaWhat: The ninth annual Andy Roddick
Foundation Gala will feature a performance
by Darius Rucker. Proceeds will beneft the
foundation, whose mission is to expand
opportunities for local children in low-
income communities.
When: October 17
Where: ACL Live, 310 W. Willie Nelson Blvd.
Contact: Tickets: $59–$220; Table
sponsorships: $10,000–$30,000.
512-298-1960; acl-live.com/calendar/
darius-rucker
“If It feels rIght, I just go wIth It.
somehow doIng work In nIcaragua
was the obvIous thIng to do.”—tab barker
continued From page 80
82 AUSTINWAY.COM
PeOPLe spirit of generosity
CREATIVE PEOPLECAN’T BE STOPPED.
BEcOME ATEXAS INNER cIRclE MEMBER
and enjoy VIP benefits
butler school of music
department of theatre & dance
department of art & art history
texas performing arts
landmarks
the center for arts and
entertainment technologies
Discovering truth and beauty through creativityutexas.edu/finearts
Photos: MAR K shELDoN, IGoR LAR IN, sANDy cARsoN, chR Is LEE
Texas Performing Arts season artists featured here:Dr. Lonnie Smith Trio (above), Hubbard Street Dance Chicago (below)
Reserve your table by phone or online today!
512-476-TACO benjiscantina.com
7 1 6 W. 6 t h Street
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40 Years rootedAustin City Limits CeLebrAtes
40 yeArs: Two hisTory-in-The-
making concerTs aT The moody
TheaTer will debuT on Pbs
This ocTober.
It’s no ordinary birthday bash when it comes to
Austin’s heavy-hitting music history. ACL Live at
The Moody Theater hosted a legendary show June
26 benefting KLRU-TV, the creator of Austin City
Limits, to celebrate the music series’ historic four-
decade run on television. The all-star evening, hosted
by Jeff Bridges and Sheryl Crow, kicked off with
Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Bonnie Raitt, joined
by Jimmie Vaughan, the soulful Brittany Howard
of Alabama Shakes, and
Austin City Limits celebrated 40 years with longtime friends Bonnie Raitt and Jimmie Vaughan, who covered a classic blues shuffle by Billy Emerson, “Pleasure Is All Mine.”
Continued on pAge 86
AUSTINWAY.com 85
INVITED
Hunter Ellis
David Rockwood
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// INVITED spotlight //
INTIMATE
OCCASIONS
DURING AUSTIN WAY ’S
SERIES OF PRIVATE DINNERS,
INVITED GUESTS CAN MINGLE
WITH SELECTED NOTABLE
AUSTINITES AND THE EDITORS.
SEARSUCKER HOSTED KEYE
TV ANCHOR HUNTER ELLIS,
THE TEXAS TRIBUNE’S REEVE
HAMILTON, GSD&M’S DAVID
ROCKWOOD, AND MORE ON
JULY 31 TO TOAST NEW EDITOR-
IN-CHIEF KATHY BLACKWELL.
Gary Clark Jr. for
a rock rendition of “Wrap it Up.” The audience
was brought to their feet more than once, with
Howard getting a standing ovation after belting
out “Heartbreaker,” while Grupo Fantasma’s
energizing Latin funk had everyone dancing.
Backstage, Doyle Bramhall II was spotted
cozying up with girlfriend Renée Zellwe-ger, while Outlaw Country legends Robert Earl Keen, Kris Kristofferson, and Joe Ely
reminisced. The unforgettable four-hour event
ended with all performers joining Ely in a
special rendition of Buddy Holly’s “Not Fade
Away.” Back in April, the show paid tribute to
its inaugural headliner, Willie Nelson, the late
Stevie Ray Vaughan, and others by celebrating
the legacy they helped create. (Oscar winner
Matthew McConaughey inducted them into
the fi rst Austin City Limits Hall of Fame.) Dur-
ing the summer concert taping, producer and
musician Lloyd Maines was also honored in
the special induction ceremony. Both evenings
will be broadcast as part of a two-hour prime-
time special, Austin City Limits Celebrates 40
Years, airing Friday, October 3, at 8 PM on PBS.
Brittany Howard and Sheryl Crow
Doyle Bramhall II and Renée Zellweger
Forrest Preece
Jeff Bridges and Sheryl Crow
Doyle Bramhall II, Sheryl Crow, Jimmie Vaughan, Robert Earl Keen, Joe Ely, Bonnie Raitt, Gary Clark Jr., and Jeff Bridges
Andy Langer, Gary Clark Jr., and Kris Kristofferson
Joe Ely, Terry Lickona, Robert Earl Keen, and Lloyd Maines
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 85
86 AUSTINWAY.COM
INVITED
SMALL-SCREEN ACTORS, direc-tors, writers, and fans descended upon
Austin June 4-7 for the third annual ATX Television Festival. Highlights from the week of screenings and parties include a special 25th anniversary of Hey Dude, where the always-lovely Christine Taylor reunited with the rest of the show’s cast. Meanwhile, comedienne Nasim Pedrad nodded to her SNL departure,
telling attendees she was focusing on filming Mulaney, which premieres on Fox this October. And 40 years after he achieved a cult following as The Fonz on Happy Days, Henry Winkler
accepted the award for Achievement in Television Excellence. The fest was capped by a party celebrating FX Networks with cast and crew from The Strain and Fargo, including Austinite and Fargo creator Noah Hawley.
INSIDE THE TUBE
Keith Carradine
Henry Winkler
David Lascher and Christine Taylor Sarah Drew
Guillermo del Toro and Corey Stoll
Lea DeLaria, Uzo Aduba, and Danielle Brooks
Mia Maestro
Lyle Lovett Amy and Larry Bloomquist
Brian Lusson and Bill Williams
Kelly Hall, Julie Schneider, and Craig Puccetti
Lyle Lovett with Lady and David Huffstutler
Edward Flores and Jim Spencer
David and Christie Deschodt, Stella and Malcolm Belisle, and Summer and Tommy Lawton
HEARTFUL AUSTINON MAY 3, nearly 600 of Central Texas’ leading executives and physicians gathered at The American Heart Association’s 17th Annual Heart Ball for a night of fine dining, dancing, and high-dollar bidding that raised over $500,000 to fight cardiovascular disease and strokes. The black-tie affair, held at the Hilton downtown, included a live auction where guests graciously bet on luxury vacations and all-inclusive hunting trips, followed by touching testimonials from those who directly ben-efited from the efforts of The American Heart Association. Later in the evening, guests were all ears as Lyle Lovett and his Acoustic Group gave a dazzling live performance that featured entertainment for the whole audience, ranging from Lovett’s new singles to classic country hits.
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AUSTINWAY.COM 87
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ON APRIL 26, Austinites clad in black and white gathered at the fabulous home of Peggy O’Shaughnessy to celebrate and support Women & Their Work. A silent art auction included the creations of Beili Liu and the photography of Micky Hoogendijk, and the Ephraim
Owens Experience added a live jazz soundtrack to the starry evening. Entertainment was positively celestial with both astronomy and astrology on site—guests mingled by the backyard telescope, guided by Craig Newswanger, while Donna Woodwell of Four Moons Astrology doled out her stellar wisdom to curious partygoers. Delectable bites and sweets were provided by Fête Accompli.
STAR BASH
Ephraim Owens
Khaki and Peggy O’Shaughnessy
Susi Page and Susie Foy
Beili Liu and Judy Jensen
Karen Oswalt with Matthew and Katy Culmo
Sara Oswalt, Betsy Clements, Lindsey Hanna,
and Jennalie Travis Lyons
Sherri Smith and Becky Beaver
Chez O’Shaughnessy
Tommy Vascocu and Carol Wagner
Liz Young and Clayton MaxwellMicky Hoogendijk
Tiana Hux Dews
Tim Neece and Maryleigh Dejernett
88 AUSTINWAY.COM
INVITED
WEEKEND BRUNCH
AWARD-WINNING COCKTAILS
EXQUISITE TASTING MENUS
AN AUSTIN ORIGINAL
200 CONGRESS AVENUE
AUSTIN, TEXAS 78701
512 827 2760
congressaustin.com
Top 10 Cocktail
Bars in Austin
-Thrillist
Top 100 Best
Wine Restaurants
-Wine Enthusiast
Best New Restaurant
in the U.S. 2010
-Esquire
RE-DEFINING
REAL ESTATE
Specializing in Luxury Residential
Properties for 23 years:
* Working with luxury home buyers who knowwhat they want and sellers who know what they have
* New Construction
ANA SWANSONABR, ALHS, BROKER®, CLHMS
512.663.5816 • [email protected] • Analuxuryhomes.com
1611 W. 5th Street, Suite 100, Austin TX 78703
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Lois Kim
David Smith and Karen Brimble
John Teinert and Pierre Fay
Laila Peabody Scott, Heidi Marquez Smith, and
Heather Wagner Reed
Brett Kilroe
Ricardo Ainslie, Daphny Ainslie, and D.J. Stout
Clay Smith and Steph Opitz
WELL-READ AUSTINITES gathered at the W Residences
on July 23 for a special Texas Book Festival literary salon featuring
James Magnuson, the head of the Michener Center for Writers at
UT. Guests including Marc Winkelman, Mary Herman, Karen
and Ray Brimble, and Paul Stekler listened as Magnuson read from
his latest novel, Famous Writers I Have Known. Sipping on libations
from Austin Cocktails in the home of Nona Niland, attendees
learned of the 2014 festival’s headlining authors—including Martin
Amis, Ziggy Marley, and Lawrence Wright—and met acclaimed
photographer Dan Winters as his festival poster image was unveiled.
A LITERARY FÊTE
INVITED
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Lisa and Chris Russell with Laura Worth
Kristen O’Brien and Lyora Pissarro
Killy Scheer and Oliver Mansfield
Barbara Kelly and Dianne Talley
Paul Rubin, Karin Wilkins, Lisa Russell, and Lyora Pissarro
THE
ARTIST’S
WAYLYORA PISSARRO, THE
youngest of the Pissarro family of
artists, was the girl everyone
wanted to meet, as the Russell
Collection Fine Art Gallery hosted
an intimate reception in June to
highlight the young prodigy’s
collection of work. Pissarro follows
in the impressionistic footprints of
her great grandparents while
effortlessly blending in her mother
and grandfather’s modernism
approach. Several signed art
pieces were available for
acquisition at the event, along
with an exclusive 65-piece
display of artwork from all five
generations of the infamous family.
Suzanne McFayden Smith
INVITED
joseluissalon.com
joseluisboutique.com joseluisagency.com
(Salon & Boutique)
Lamar Union
1100 S. Lamar #2135
Opening Late 2014
(Salon)
Hartland Plaza
1717 W. 6th Street #123
512.474.1146
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Chez LaVTHE UPSCALE FRENCH
RESTAURANT HAS QUICKLY MADE
ITSELF AT HOME IN THE HEART
OF EAST AUSTIN. by stirling kelso
In 2011, when Ralph and Lisa Eads visited the
building site of their restaurant LaV (pronounced
as in “c’est la vie”)—what they envisioned as a
sophisticated dining experience with an artful
menu and serious wine program—they faced an
empty lot in East Austin anchored by an aban-
doned gas station. To the untrained eye, this slice
of real estate must have looked like it was more
appropriate for squatters than du vin-loving diners.
Still, the Eadses saw its potential, and went about
putting together a star-studded design and culinary
team for what they called their “field of dreams.”
Their architecture firm, the Alabama-based
McAlpine Tankersley Architecture, used the
area’s industrial roots as inspiration for LaV’s
exterior. The result—a 1920s-esque structure that
could have had a former life as a hardware or feed
store—looks like it’s lived on East Seventh Street
for decades. Inside, the restaurant is divided into
four separate dining rooms (designed by Susan
Ferrier of partner company McAlpine Booth &
Ferrier Interiors),
Guests in the wine bar are seated at one of two community tables in front of a wall of wine; glass orbs evoke the sense of Champagne bubbles.continued on page 94
AUSTINWAY.com 93
taste so Many Dinners (so Little time)
LaV’s two-story wine cellar offers a vast array of vintages for
every occasion and budget.
In the know
The LaV team shares insider tips for dining at this hot Austin establishment.
Best seat in the house:
Every table in LaV sits in a corner or
against a banquet. No one is stranded
in the middle of the room. “One of my
favorite seats is the corner of our lounge,
which gives guests a view of the amazing
painting behind the bar and a peek at the
mysteriously beautiful State Cemetery
across the street,” says owner Ralph
Eads. “If you like to people watch, that
is defnitely the best seat in the house.”
Whom you’ll dine next
to: General Manager Jamie Wagner
shares, “On any given night, you may
be sitting next to chef Shawn Cirkiel,
the team from C3, or Coach [Charlie]
Strong. Or our own [pastry] chef Janina
[O’Leary] may be dining with her
4-year-old son, who comes in for more
than just the desserts.”
top vintages: “We have more
than 150 wines priced under $100 on
our Tour du Monde list—each is outstand-
ing,” says advanced sommelier Vilma
Mazaite. “From Occhipinti Frappato
2012 ($86) to Dominique Mugneret
‘Malconsorts’ 2011 ($283), we have a
number of lesser-known wines that are
absolutely delicious and offer really
great value.” ph
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from left: Executive Pastry Chef Janina
O’Leary puts the finishing touches on
her signature brioche doughnuts, served
with a seasonal jam and vanilla bean
cream; green bean niçoise with pickled onion, potato confit,
and soft-poached egg.
independent in purpose but very much equal in drama.
In the main dining room, flowing drapery and tall fabric banquets create intimate dining environments in an otherwise airy space. Elegant dark wood tables set with crisp white china and French Guy Degrenne glassware are matched by the caliber of food coming out of the kitchen: Executive Chef Allison Jenkins (whom the Eadses lured from Ajax Tavern at The Little Nell in Aspen) lets many of her seasonal French Provincial-style dishes—baby octopus, grilled whole fish, roasted chicken for two—stand on their own, with a little help now and then from olive oil, salt, and fresh herbs. The chicken liver paté, served with house mustard and crisp cornichons, is expertly executed as is the under-stated wood-oven bouillabaisse.
Save room for sweet works of art by Janina O’Leary, a 2013 James Beard Award semifinalist who formerly worked at Daniel and Per Se in New York. You can slather warm brioche doughnuts with berry jam and vanilla bean pastry cream; a chocolate delice comes with honey lavender ice cream.
Those stopping in for a post-work get-together or a celebratory pair of Carte Blanche cocktails—sinful sips made with gin, Cocchi Americano, and Amaro Nonino—might settle in the more casual wine room, named for its floor-to-ceiling bottle rack and slate-topped tables carved out with ice buckets. This social space is also one of the best to enjoy LaV’s new mezze menu, a collection of happy hour–priced small plates that give a shout-out to French cuisine’s Middle Eastern ties.
The neighboring bar and lounge transports diners with a wall-to-wall painting of lavender fields, a visual tie-in to the Provincial-style plates. “Sipping a lavender-infused cocktail at the bar while gazing at the beautiful painting is the quickest trip to Provence you’ll ever make,” says frequent diner Carla McDonald, founder and editorial director of The Salonniére, the website dedicated to the art of entertaining.
From the beginning, wine was a priority at LaV. (Ralph Eads is a wine lover; French, in particular, is his elixir of choice.) He handpicked advanced sommelier Vilma Mazaite—whose long list of credits includes working with Michael Mina
at his namesake restaurant in Las Vegas and Mario Batali at Babbo in New York—to craft a wine collection of more than 4,500 bottles, second to none in the Texas capital. On the 64-page menu, you can browse more than 1,000 labels, including owner favorites such as Domaine Leflaive, a white Burgundy, and Clos Dubreuil, a boutique red Bordeaux. There’s also a glass-enclosed wine cellar with a private dining table that can seat up to 12 for dinner. “From the label options at the table to the restaurant’s design, wine was always an important focal point,” says Mazaite.
LaV may be visually and gastro-nomically transporting, but it also has a strong Southern spirit, thanks to its friendly, on-point staff and sophisticated yet approachable vibe. “It’s a great addition to Austin’s restaurant scene and it underscores our city’s growing reputation as a top food town,” says McDonald. So while you’re popping open a rare Right-Bank Bordeaux or diving into basil escargot, you never forget where you really are: the new culinary heart of Austin. LaV Restaurant, 1501 E. 7th St., 512-391-1888; lavaustin.com AW
CONTINuED FROM paGE 93
94 AUSTINWAY.com
TAsTe so Many Dinners (so Little Time)
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this one you will want to call home
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Smoke. Meat. Fire. Blood. The elements of great barbecue couldn’t be
more visceral—or more Texan. The secrets of successful ’cue have long
been held by a handful of rural Texas families, whose food inspired
long-distance pilgrimages to towns like Lockhart, Llano, and Taylor.
Over the past five years, though, a seismic change has taken place.
Since those now infamous lines started forming at his trailer in 2009,
the rising fortunes of Aaron Franklin and his impeccable brisket have
created a ripple effect, leading talented upstarts and old-guard
families to open their latest barbecue ventures in Austin. Veteran ’cue
critic Mike Sutter sees the migration in simple terms: “Llano and
Lockhart look at Austin and say, ‘Wait a minute. We invented this
thing. Shouldn’t we be getting a piece of the action?’”
The legendary families have made a big Austin noise of late: While
Louie Mueller continues to draw fans to Taylor and Mueller siblings
John and LeAnn Mueller famously paired up for JMueller BBQ, then
parted ways in 2012. When asked why rivalry is so prevalent in Texas
At Terry Black’s BBQ, ribs are
cooked to perfection on the
smoker.
The New BBQ Meccano road trip required: the hill country’s legendary spots have come to austin. by tom thornton
96 austinway.com
taste the Dish
clockwise from
far left: Michael Black at Terry Black’s BBQ; La Barbecue has been ranked among the best barbecue in town; pulled pork and brisket sand wiches and sausages with red onion slaw from La Barbecue.
barbecue families, Sutter says,
“Barbecue speaks to our animal
natures—hands and teeth, fat and fire.
Think of it as dogs around their favorite
bowl. You don’t want to get in the
middle of that.”
LeAnn Mueller recruited pitmaster
John Lewis (a Franklin veteran) to lead
the charge at her La Barbecue trailer
(902 E. Cesar Chavez, 512-605-9696;
labarbecue.com). More than a year and a
half later, the decision has paid off:
Sutter, among other critics, recently
ranked La Barbecue number one on his
list, besting even Franklin. Brother
John is still operating in the same zip
code, albeit with a slightly lower profile,
at John Mueller Meat Co. (2500
E. 6th St., 512-571-6509; john
muellermeatco.com). His beef ribs
and brisket can still be perfect on the
right day.
In other rivalry news, Lockhart
legend Black’s arrives in Austin in
dueling factions. Twin brothers
Michael and Mark Black recently
opened Terry Black’s BBQ in South
Austin (1003 Barton Springs Road,
512-394-5899; terryblacksbbq.com) to
strong acclaim. Both brothers are
Black’s veterans—Michael estimates he
logged 15 years, including manning the
pits after college graduation. When
asked why they chose Austin, Michael
explains, “If you’re a country singer,
you go to Nashville. If you’re doing
barbecue, now you want to be in
Austin.” The brothers’ move was
prompted by some changes in
Lockhart: “My uncle started using
rotisserie cookers, and we prefer doing
it old-school. Our sides are home-
made.” In response, the Lockhart
Black’s, owned by their grandparents
and uncle, opened a UT-area location
(3110 Guadalupe St., 512-398-2712;
blacksbbq.com) and a food truck. The
campus location serves barbecue
that is made in Lockhart and then
is trucked to Austin daily; the
tiny storefront does not do
in-house smoking.
Another legendary name, Cooper’s
(217 Congress Ave., 512-474-4227;
coopersbbqaustin.com), will arrive
downtown this fall, as owner Terry
Wootan continues his successful
expansion. The Austin Cooper’s
will cook on-site and serve three meals
a day. While barbecue won’t start until
11 am, kolaches and coffee will be
available early. A second story will
house a late-night sports and music bar.
With so many barbecue options,
Michael Black says: “The quality in
Austin is now the best in the world. We
painted a mural on our wall that says
the new bbq capital of texas.
This is the new mecca.” AW
Franklin BarBecue Takes cover, Goes To air
Following a two-week closure,
Franklin Barbecue returned in
July after completing a
planned upgrade. The
addition enclosed kitchen
facilities to reduce the staff’s
need to cook outdoors and run
flights of stairs. “It’s not the
ideal addition—we wanted
restrooms and another serving
area,” says co-owner Stacy
Franklin, “but we ran into
parking and permitting
issues.” Franklin says a phase
two is planned, which will
add a second counter—a
change that could shorten the
restaurant’s legendary line.
Besides the new kitchen,
Aaron Franklin’s PBS series,
BBQ with Franklin, which
is being produced by KLRU,
will head to the airwaves soon.
Says Franklin: “It’s been a lot
of work, but this kitchen will
be awesome for our staff, and
we’re excited to see the PBS
show get going!” 900 E. 11th
St., 512-653-1187; franklin
barbecue.com
“BARBECUE SPEAKS To oUR AnImAL nATURES—hAndS And TEETh,
FAT And FIRE.”—mike sutter
Pulled pork sandwich at Franklin Barbecue.
austinway.com 97
Austin’s restaurant scene is taking a Southerly turn. James Robert and Keith House, veterans of Eddie V’s, plan to put their Southern roots down with Fixe, slated to open late this fall in the new IBC Bank tower downtown. The concept—executed through design partnerships with Pinnacle Construction (pinnacle austin.com), Nelsen Partners (nelsen partners.com), and EDG Interior Architecture + Design (edg design.com)—celebrates opulent country living with rich wood tones throughout the space. Plans for artistic, rustic touches include antique windows to section off the kitchen from the main dining room and a screen-door installation to welcome guests.
Influenced by the dishes his mother cooked for him, Robert is the master-mind behind the “Sunday Supper” menu to be served nightly. Austin Way sat down with the chef for an exclusive preview of what’s to come.
Your chef de cuisine, Zach Hunter,
who already has a pair of two-
Michelin-star restaurants under his
belt, is a relative newcomer to
Austin. What do people need to
know about him?
I hired Zach as an appetizer cook eight years ago [when we opened up Eddie V’s] in Scottsdale, Arizona. He reminded me a lot of myself when I was his age. He rose up the ranks pretty quickly and took over that restaurant when I came back to Austin in 2007. Through the connections he made, he was able to cook in Spain at [Mugaritz], which was at the time ranked number four in the entire world, and later at Atera, in New York City. What’s unique about Zach’s
approach to cooking?
He brings a perspective to food that you don’t really see much of here yet, so
having someone like him on your team is invaluable if you are looking to push the boundaries of cuisine. He injects that modernism and progressiveness into what would otherwise be tradi-tional dishes.… We’re bringing new life to recognizable Southern cuisine. How so? What do you think the
menu will be like?
We’re devoting an entire section of the menu to grits—an heirloom variety made in the Carolinas, and the best I’ve ever had. We’re pairing grits with traditional ingredients, like shrimp—except we prepare it with shrimp butter infused into a clarified butter, and fold shrimp roe into a shrimp butter aioli. We’ll also make dishes like potato salad, which will have the same components you would find in any traditional potato salad—but you’ll have to dig around to find those ingredients. We incorporate pickled quail eggs, and underneath the whole dish is a sharp aioli base. With each bite, you discover something different. It’s very playful, very surprising.The layout of the restaurant is
sectioned off into rooms. This was
intentional, yes?
We want to transport you into a Southern home. It has a residential feel throughout, from the furniture to the décor to the fixtures. That was the inspiration behind it: the warm feeling you get when you are welcomed into someone’s home. Is there a best seat in the house?
There’s a chef’s table—number 11—which sits right off a square pass table where Zach and I will be. As far as feeling like you are a part of the process and excitement, I know that’s the table I would book for myself. You can take in the theatrics and the buzz and the energy of the kitchen. 500 W. Fifth St., 512-954-3493; austinfixe.com AW
Get Your Fixe In an exclusIve IntervIew wIth Austin WAy, chef James RobeRt dIscusses how he and Keith house are craftIng a progressIve southern destInatIon downtown at fIxe. by jane kellogg murray
clockwise from top: Grains at Fixe are paired with traditional Southern ingredients, but always with a twist; served atop “Potlikker” pinto beans with pickled jalepeños, Fixe’s pork shoulder is braised for three hours; Fixe co-owner and executive chef, James Robert.
“We’re devoting an entire section of the menu to
grits—an heirloom variety, and the best i’ve ever had.”
—james robert
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98 AUSTINWAY.com
taste sneak Peek
phot
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klar
Steph Opitz and Erin Hallagan have a lot in com-
mon: Each in their early 30s, they moved to Austin in
the past few years, and they play crucial roles in two
of the city’s standout festivals, which overlap for one
manic weekend downtown. Opitz is the literary
director of the Texas Book Festival (October 25-26),
and Hallagan is the creative director of the Austin
Film Festival (October 23-30). The two women
recently got together for dinner at Hudson’s on the
Bend, which turns 30 this year. Over three decades,
Chef Jeff Blank has served sophisticated and exotic
game dishes at the restaurant, about 25 miles from
downtown, near Lake Travis. Over a decadent,
three-course meal at Hudson’s, the two festival pros
discussed the perils and perks of their respective
dream jobs as well as Austin’s dining scene.
Steph Opitz: Last year after my first Texas Book
Festival, you said, “Don’t worry, every year it gets
easier.” But you just got a promotion from confer-
ence director to creative director so do you still
think that’s true?
Erin Hallagan: I feel like I’m in my first year
again, now that we’ve realigned our team due to the
festival’s growth. We’ve combined the conference
department [focusing on writing for film, televi-
sion, and new media] with our film programming
to produce an even stronger platform for great
storytelling.
EH: Has your job changed very much from the
first year?
SO: Yeah… slightly, in a more stressful way. There
are so many things that I can and want to improve
upon from last year. We’re partnering with the Texas
Teen Book Fest [formally the Austin Teen Book
Fest]; we rebranded it and moved it to the weekend
before the TBF to have bookended weekends.
[Waiter brings amuse bouche of goat cheese brioche with
Jack Daniels–infused jam.]
EH: Seriously cheese and liquor: It’s all I need.
SO: The most stressful thing about our jobs is being
a tastemaker. We roll the dice about how the audi-
ence will feel about a book that doesn’t even see the
light of day for months. Last year we had James
McBride as one of our featured authors, and a month
later he won the National Book Award.
EH: There’s a certain amount of risk taking; last year,
clockwise from above: Steph Opitz and Erin Hallagan dining at Hudson’s on the Bend; the
restaurant’s picturesque patio; a roasted corn and ricotta goat cheese tower topped with a
sesame- and almond-crusted crab cake in a guajillo sauce.
INSIGHT:
WHERE:
Hudson’s on the Bend:
3509 Ranch Road 620 N.
512-266-1369; hudsonsonthebend.com
WHEN:
Open Sunday
–
Monday 6 to 10 PM; Tuesday
–
Thursday
5:30 to 10 PM; and Friday
–
Saturday 6 to 9 PM
Directors’ Cut BEFORE THEIR BOOK AND FILM FESTIVALS TAKE OVER TOWN
AT THE SAME TIME, RELATIVE AUSTIN NEWBIES STEPH OPITZ AND ERIN HALLAGAN COMPARE NOTES AT ONE OF THE AREA’S DINING
MAINSTAYS, HUDSON’S ON THE BEND.
100 AUSTINWAY.COM
TASTE On the Town
from left: Peanut butter pie; Opitz (left) and Hallagan in the homey dining
room at Hudson’s on the Bend.
“Oh, my gOsh, this [crunchy ruby trOut] tastes the way yOu wish chicken
nuggets wOuld taste.”—steph opitz
we were confirming people who worked for Netflix series like
house of cards and Orange is the new black before they were even
released. We guessed those shows were going to take off; luckily
they did.
[appetizer: Venison prosciutto with salmon curing on a salt block with jalapeño oil and red chili oil. crab cake with sesame-almond crust, fire-roasted corn sauce, herb ricotta cheese, avocado, chipotle lime ver blanc.]SO: What are some of the themes you’ve seen recently?
EH: This has been going on for a while, but the emergence and
acceptance of the antihero, protagonists who are likeable in their
unlikableness. You see it more in television because you get the
opportunity to explore a character over a trajectory of a series,
like with mad men.SO: Well, Don Draper goes back and forth, which is pretty
impressive.
EH: It’s such a layered story, and that’s where the craft is really
powerful [mad men creator Matt Weiner is being honored by the
festival this year]. And you see it in true detective, and we have the
director [Cary Fukunaga] coming in.
[main course: crunchy ruby trout with mango habanero aioli and corn-bread pudding, sweet corn risotto with roasted beets, balsamic-marinated tomatoes and grilled zucchini, and a cilantro pesto.]SO: Oh, my gosh, this tastes the way you wish chicken nuggets
would taste.
EH: Are there certain topics or genres that you outsource to
your committee instead of choosing yourself?
SO: I’m a Minnesotan and therefore did not take Texas history
in high school, so I rely heavily on the committee to know which
of the hundreds of Texas books are the best.
[sinful dessert arrives: delicious peach and blueberry cobbler and the peanut butter pie.]SO: I can’t believe this is our first time here. We’ve licked all the
plates! Where else do you like to go?
EH: I’ve been frequenting the East Side. I go to Contigo weekly,
I love Foreign & Domestic, and one of my favorites is Justine’s.
The manager, Jardine Libaire, is a beautiful writer who has
hosted a few writers groups; you feel like you’re transported back
in time. We’re also cooking more because there are so many great
farmer’s markets, including the one at Mueller, and we like to sup-
port Green Gate Farms. It’s become a culinary exploration.
SO: We do the Johnson’s Backyard CSA. We’re in SoCo, so we
like Snack Bar, and The Backspace is close to my office down-
town. I adore the Micheladas at Hotel San José. Since I’m still so
new to town, I basically go wherever someone suggests we meet.
EH: I really love dive bars. I feel like a night where you go to
Lucy’s Fried Chicken and then Ginny’s Little Longhorn Saloon,
the music there is always so good... you can’t go wrong.
SO: Oh! I went there for Chicken (Expletive) Bingo! My friend’s
child got baptized, and then we went there.
EH: Ha! Welcome to Austin. AW
Austin Film FestivAl
October 23–30; Film & Food
Fundraising Party, October 22,
7 pm, at the driskill; tickets
$100; austinflmfestival.com
(see “Festivalia,” page 62.)
texAs Book FestivAl
October 25–26, with authors such
as martin amis, edan lepucki,
and lawrence wright.
First edition literary gala,
October 24, at Four seasons
austin; tickets $500;
texasbookfestival.org
AUSTINWAY.com 101
Executive Chef Troy Knapp of The Driskill Grill and 1886 Café & Bakery.
// NOW EAT //
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AT LASTAfter a very long wait, Austin can fi nally taste the culinary guns Olamaie has been promising since its fi rst pop-up dinner more than a year ago. CIA-trained Executive Chefs Michael Fojtasek and Grae Nonas have worked with Mario Batali and Thomas Keller, and now join forces in a modern Southern restaurant housed in an Austin landmark—with a seasonal menu focusing on local ingredients. 1610 San Antonio St., 512-730-0652; olamaieaustin.com
VEGGIE DELIGHTAustin’s vegetable-loving foodies will rejoice in Uchi and Uchiko’s new tasting menu. “Vegetarians get tired of the limited offerings they get at other restaurants,” says Director of Culinary Operations Philip Speer. “They know they can get something satisfying and creative with us.” The daily fi ve-course tasting menu ($51) includes items like the Komaki roll and a sweet corn sorbet. A monthly 10-course omakase menu ranges between $170-$220. Uchi, 801 S. Lamar Blvd., 512-916-4808; Uchiko, 4200 N. Lamar Blvd., 512-916-4808; uchiaustin.com
2
OLIVE PICK
Rustic design and ranch-to-table fare defi ne Jacoby’s, the new Austin outpost of the
family ranch and cafe in Melvin. Savor the Jacoby beef burger or enjoy healthier offerings
along with craft cocktails. The adjacent market carries artisan foods as well as Jacoby
beef, lamb, and wild boar. 3235 E. Cesar Chavez St., 512-366-5808; jacobysaustin.com
Healthy Choices THE MAN BEHIND 1886 CAFÉ & BAKERY’S MENU LOOKS TO REDUCE THE HISTORIC LANDMARK’S ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT.
Following summer-long renovations, The Driskill’s café
reopens this month with an updated and expanded dining
room, including a patisserie-style layout with grab-and-go
fresh pastries. The Driskill Hotel’s executive chef, Troy Knapp
(he’s best known for the Driskill Grill—the hotel’s high-end
restaurant), reveals the reasoning behind his changes to the
classic Texas comfort- food menu.
Ethical eating: “When the restaurant was closed, it was an
excellent time for us to make a few menu changes. We’re not
opening with a new menu, just making sure the ingredients we
are buying are from producers who make us feel good about
their animal welfare, ethics, and environmental stewardship.”
Sacred cow: “We recently switched to grass-fed beef. From
a health standpoint, it’s important for the person eating it.
When you take the corn out of the diet, you drastically reduce
the chances of E. coli for the cattle.”
Curated coffee: “We’re now working with Ferra Coffee,
based out of Boerne, Texas. What’s really special is that it’s
roasted once we order it. It sits in a green stage, sourced
directly from the growers, which gives the worker a fairer wage.
There’s no one handling it in between, so it never sits on a
shelf.” 1886 Café & Bakery at The Driskill, 604 Brazos St., 512-
391-7066; 1886cafeandbakery.com AW
fresh finds
// new in town// ONLY IN TEXAS
insight
Domestic olive oils are at
their best during the
winter, after freshly
harvested olives from
autumn are pressed and
bottled. But the intensely
flavorful, aromatic
ingredients can still be
enjoyed in their prime in
Central Texas this time of
year: Con’ Olio extends
an olive branch to the
Southern hemisphere as
it puts the fresh,
award-winning EVOOs of
Chile, Peru, and Australia
on tap this month. Con’
Olio Oils & Vinegars,
Second Street District,
215 Lavaca St., 512-495-
1559; The Arboretum,
10000 Research Blvd.,
Ste. 130, 512-342-2344;
Hill Country Galleria,
12918 Shops Pkwy.,
Ste. 550, 512-263-4373;
conolios.com
Extra-virgin olive oils from Chile, Peru, and Australia are
on tap at Con’ Olio.
1
Shrimp with corn butter at Olamaie.
102 AUSTINWAY.COM
TASTE Spotlight
robin banisterbroker associate | elite 25 | 512.589.6090
luxury
redefned
The TreasuryAT THE OASIS
6535 Comanche TrailAustin, TX 78732512.266.6444
thetreasury-austintx.com
AUSTIN’S BESTKEPT SECRET
Experience our unique furnishingsfeaturing new items, antiques,
architectural pieces, art and bronzes
Where visions become a statementof livable and gracious style
Offering Design Services
phot
ogra
phy
by J
ody
hor
ton
RECIPE:
PÉCHÉ’S BLOODY 75
1 � oz. absinthe rouge, made
in-house*
½ oz. fresh lemon juice
½ oz. simple syrup, made
in-house
Splash of Montmartre Brut
*Miller’s absinthe infusion
comes from an old recipe for
absinthe rouge, but his version
combines Kübler absinthe,
hibiscus, toasted macadamia
nuts, vanilla bean, and dried
black currants.
Shake the absinthe rouge,
lemon juice, and simple
syrup with ice and pour into
a martini glass. Top off with
bubbly and garnish with a
twist of lemon.
from left: The Scofflaw at Garage Cocktail Bar was originally created during the Prohibition era; Einstein on the Beach at Pleasant Storage Room is a spin on the Singapore Sling, and the Bloody 75 at Péché is an absinthe drink “that doesn’t taste like absinthe.”
Drinks to RememberAUSTIN LE ADS THE WAY IN PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES OF BAR LIFE. HERE, THREE TOP MIXOLOGISTS SHARE THEIR MODERN TAKES ON CLASSIC OR FORGOTTEN COCKTAILS. BY JANE KELLOGG MURRAY
Equal parts scientist and artist, truly great mixologists know how to tame a
potent spirit with harmony and precision. Nothing quite puts their skills to the
test like rediscovering and reinventing drinks from days (and nights) gone by,
and that’s exactly how these three bartenders are helping to keep Austin’s craft
cocktail scene fresh and relevant.
At the speakeasy-style Garage Cocktail Bar (503 Colorado St., 512-369-
3490; garagetx.com), hidden inside the McGarrah Jessee parking garage,
barman Chauncy James predicates his original cocktails on long-forgotten
classic recipes. Take the Scofflaw—a drink originally created during the
Prohibition era—which the East Side Show Room veteran reimagined with his
house-made blueberry grenadine. It may seem odd to romanticize a time when
consenting adults were forced to congregate in window-
less rooms drinking spirits mixed in bathtubs. But sitting
in the dimly lit Garage with a coupe glass in hand, it’s easy
to feel like you’re indulging in a sophisticated pastime.
“There are drinks that have withstood the test of time,
but now we can make them more dynamic,” says Alfonso
Hernandez, also an East Side Show Room alumnus. Using
midcentury Havana as muse, Hernandez designed the
beverage menu for the recently opened Pleasant
Storage Room (208 W. Fourth St., Unit D, 512-322-
9921; pleasantrumbar.com). The Einstein on the Beach—“the
thinking man’s tiki drink,” he says, and one of the few non-
rum-based cocktails on the menu—is a spin on the
Singapore Sling, a Southeast Asian recipe first mixed in
1915. “I took drinks that I knew had potential and revived
them,” Hernandez says, noting that he adds a dash of
absinthe to the original recipe.
Next door, Péché (208 W. Fourth St., 512-494-4011;
pecheaustin.com) has built a reputation for inadvertently
converting the unadventurous liquor drinkers of today
into absinthe enthusiasts—a spirit historically adulated by
the likes of Oscar Wilde, Ernest Hemingway, and Henri
de Toulouse-Lautrec. Behind Péché’s bar, Larry Miller
describes how he scours tattered cocktail tomes to repopu-
larize the drinks of yesteryear. He has a few original
creations as well, such as the Bloody 75. “It’s the first
absinthe drink I’ve made that doesn’t taste like absinthe,”
he boasts. Cheers to that. For recipes for all three of these
cocktails, visit austinway.com. AW
104 AUSTINWAY.COM
TASTE Cheers!
THE GARDEN ROOM
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512.458.5407 | www.gardenroomboutique.com
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Buyer, Seller & Landlord Representation
Playing the role of a divorced father of two in Boyhood, Ethan Hawke ages and grows over 12 years. But he never considered it a risk. As he tells longtime friend and partner in film, Richard Linklater, the Austin native saw it as yet another opportunity to show the art of real life.
additional reporting by k athy blackwell
photography by rainer hosch
A Kind of Brotherhood
106 AUSTINWAY.com
Western denim shirt, Levi’s ($68). Macy’s, Barton Creek Square,
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George, 524 N. Lamar Blvd., 512-472-5951; bygeorgeaustin.com.
Leather belt, Banana Republic ($60). Barton Creek Square,
512-328-4484; bananarepublic.com. Boot, Tommy Bahama ($225). The
Domain, 512-852-5001; tommybahama.com
opposite page: Leather jacket, Kenneth Cole New York ($398).
Dillard’s, Barton Creek Square, 512-327-6100; kennethcole.com.
Jeans ($198) and knit-sleeve shirt ($158), 7 for All Mankind. Neiman
Marcus, The Domain, 512-719-1200; neimanmarcus.com. Leather belt,
Banana Republic ($60). Barton Creek Square, 512-328-4484;
bananarepublic.com. Black boots, Frye ($378). Allens Boots, 1522 S.
Congress Ave., 512-447-1413; allensboots.com
AUSTINwAy.com 107
TwenTy years ago,
Austin filmmaker Richard Linklater and Austin-
born actor Ethan Hawke launched what would
become one of the most successful ongoing collabo-
rations in independent cinema with the talkative
and intimate Before Sunrise. The two friends have
made many movies together, including the Before
Sunrise, Before Sunset, and Before Midnight trilogy
and the locally shot The Newton Boys. Their eighth
and most ambitious film, Boyhood, a lovingly realis-
tic portrait of a family shot over a dozen years, is
one of the most talked-about movies of the year. An
ambitious and novel project, yes, but one full of
intelligent and thoughtful observations as well as
the comfortable acceptance of life’s imperfections.
Those characteristics also shape how the two
men interact. They instinctively follow each other’s
thoughts no matter where they lead, never losing
the other. When the two longtime friends launch
into a conversation, you can imagine sitting with
them on a back porch in Austin—Linklater with a
Texas drawl that takes its time, Hawke with his pas-
sionate staccato—discussing life and the creative
process well into the hot night.
Here, after the release of Boyhood—shot in Austin,
Houston, and other parts of Texas—Linklater talks
to Hawke about working with Austinites Ellar
Coltrane (who stars as Mason Jr.) and Charlie Sexton
(the legendary local guitarist who basically plays
himself), the reaction to the movie, and what’s next
for Hawke.
RichaRd LinkLateR: i want to ask you
about the way we spent 12 years on this life
project really contemplating fatherhood. this
film is called Boyhood, but it could have been
called Motherhood or Fatherhood. We are both
fathers. i feel like this collaboration was
unique, catching us at a certain point in our
lives. how do you feel about it?
ethan haWke: I think that’s been the
strength. My son, Levon, was born right before we
started shooting, so this spanned his whole life. He
doesn’t remember any time when I wasn’t working
on Boyhood. Maya feels the same way; she was 5
when we started filming. You were always a little
ahead of me with your daughter Lorelei. So that
was really fun for you and me to talk about our
experiences as fathers. And what’s really hard
about the movie coming out is the level at which
people judge my character, Mason Sr., and I see
how we all want perfection from our parents. But
none of us had perfect parents, and none of us are
perfect parents ourselves. Once you break up the
nuclear family, perfection is no longer possible.
You’re trying to make something positive out of the
broken pieces, right?
108 AUSTINWAY.com
above: Jacket, Diesel ($298). The Domain, 512-833-0655; diesel.com. Shirt, Billy Reid ($115). 1122 W. 6th St., 512-354-1884; billyreid.com. Straight leg jean, Citizens of Humanity ($194). Gatsby’s Menswear, Hill Country Galleria, 512-243-8808; gatsbysmenswear.org. Black boots, Frye ($698). Allens Boots, 1522 S. Congress Ave., 512-447-1413; allensboots.com
right: Leather jacket, Kenneth Cole New York ($398). Dillard’s, Barton Creek Square, 512-327-6100; kennethcole.com. Jeans, 7 for All Mankind ($198). Neiman Marcus, The Domain, 512-719-1200; neimanmarcus.com. Leather belt, Banana Republic ($60). Barton Creek Square, 512-328-4484; bananarepublic.com. Black boots, Frye ($378). Allens Boots, 1522 S. Congress Ave., 512-447-1413; allensboots.com
AUSTINwAy.com 109
You’re just trying to make it work.
You know what I think is strange? People’s response
to this movie has been really positive, and it’s made
me think that this movie is so true to the nuances
and weirdness and erratic movements of normal,
daily life that people must really like their own lives
a lot more than we usually let on. What they’re
seeing is nothing extraordinary.
No, not at all.
The biggest, best mystery is this kid Coltrane. He is
handling himself so beautifully. When I asked
Charlie Sexton about what he thought about the
movie, he told me the biggest miracle of the whole
movie is that the kid didn’t turn out to be a jerk.
I think the best thing for Ellar Coltrane has
been you and Patricia Arquette, people who
started young in the business. He admires you
as professionals who kept doing it in a healthy,
good way. You never got swallowed up. What
else did Charlie have to say for himself?
He was just vintage Charlie. He said so many smart
things about [the movie]. He loved it, and it’s so
strange; he has a small part in it, but he said his
phone has been ringing off the hook, all the
different, weird people from his life, calling him up
wanting to talk about the movie.
Aw, man, that’s just great. This is how organic
this film could be: We were just like, “Maybe
Charlie’s a good roommate for you?” And I told
him, “Six years from now, you come back, and
we’re going to see you in concert,” and he was
like, “Sounds good, if I’m still alive.”
[Laughs] It all sounded so far-fetched back then,
you know?
It’s funny how your character ends up an
insurance guy. When was it that we realized
our dads were both in insurance?
We’d already known each other almost a decade.
Somehow we hadn’t put it together. We were
driving through Houston, and you started telling
me some more stories about your dad and growing
up there and how similar it was to where my father
lived in Fort Worth. People assumed we met in
Texas. Of course, we really kind of met in Vienna.
Not literally, but you know what I mean.
Yeah, 20 years ago right now we were there
shooting Before Sunrise.
Isn’t it amazing?
I remember someone asked us if were going to
work together again. We kind of looked at
each other and said, “Well, I hope so.”
I don’t think we could’ve ever predicted we
would’ve done this much. What’s strange is
when I think back on that period, I had no
warning of how much lay ahead. I didn’t think
like, oh, we can make eight movies together. I
knew that it was kind of a big deal to meet a
filmmaker who had an ethos that I believed in.
There are not that many filmmakers who are
as dedicated to making movies about real
people as you are. When people say what a risk
it was to say yes to Boyhood, I just kind of laugh,
because the goal of my life is to create some-
thing with meaningful characters, right? And
to get to create a portrait of a father, and really
explore fatherhood from all its angles, not just
raising some 6-year-old in some silly narrative,
but to actually get to explore being a father
over a decade, was such an unbelievable
opportunity.
Isn’t it funny how risk averse people’s
minds get? When I hear, “Oh, this is a
risk,” I think, no, this is an opportunity.
When do you get a canvas to try and make
a film like this? If you look back on your
career and say “risk,” the biggest risk I
ever saw you take, in relation to me, was 20
years ago, coming over to Vienna on a film
you felt likely wouldn’t work. I remember
you saying, “How’d you get this financed?
Who is paying for this? [Both laugh]
Because this could be terrible if we don’t
do it right.” And we were off to the races
then. Look at where your career was at
that moment, post-Reality Bites, and you
were the go-to guy, getting every script.
You came over to work with me to make
no money, for a thing you thought might
not work unless we threaded the needle
just perfectly: That’s a risk.
I’ll give you that. And let’s also not forget,
everybody in my life told me not to do that.
[Both laugh] It was like, “That’s not the right
move now.”
People act like we have some big design,
even with the Before movies.
Kind of the miracle of Boyhood, and where it
differed, was that there was a plan. We had
planned to do it for 12 years. If you had
released Before Sunrise, Sunset, and Midnight as
one movie, it would be pretty cool. And it
would be a lot like people responding to
Boyhood. But the trick with Before is, it wasn’t
planned. That just kind of happened. Boyhood
“This movie is so True
To The nuances and
weirdness and erraTic movemenTs of normal,
daily lives, so people
musT really like Their
own lives a loT more Than we usually
leT on.” –Ethan hawkE
110 AUSTINWAY.com
had the same creative challenges that the Befores
did, but with the fun of an ensemble, like we had
with The Newton Boys.
I got asked the other day, what’s the film of
yours that you felt is the least understood, and
before they even finished the sentence, I said
The Newton Boys. That was such a special little
production. The critics and the studio were
like, “Eh, you’re trying to be Bonnie and Clyde,
and you’re failing.” And we really didn’t get
the chance to say, “No, really we want to be the
opposite of Bonnie and Clyde.” But what can
you do, you know?
One of the most fun movies I ever made in my life
was The Newton Boys. I’m doing this Western right
now [A Valley of Violence], so I’m in Santa Fe. And
this old cowboy comes up to me—he’s really a horse
wrangler and a gun dude. Someone is talking to me
about how much they love Boyhood, and he goes,
“Yeah, I haven’t seen your new movie or whatever,
but you’ll never do better than Jess Newton,
because that’s the best character you ever played.”
[Laughs] And if that old cowboy liked the movie,
that’s all you need.
Ethan, you’ve got a much more varied career
than I do. I just have to focus on one thing, one
film. I’ll talk to you, and you’ll be like, “I’ve
done two films,” and I haven’t done
(expletive)!”
We could get into that, but if your movies would pay
me more, I could take more time off. [Both laugh]
What’s your next project?
In Good Kill, I play a drone pilot; it explores the
contemporary Air Force. It’s a pretty interesting
film [from Gattaca director Andrew Niccol] that
premieres at the Venice Film Festival in September.
It’s based in Las Vegas; it’s a beautiful metaphor, all
of these guys basically living in the city of sin,
passing judgments from the sky, terminating lives
from the other side of the planet. It’s pretty intense.
And right now I’m finishing that movie in Santa Fe.
As I get older I start to go, “I’m going to apply my
skill to all of these different genres, and treat it much
more like a craftsman.”
That’s what people like Gene Hackman have
been doing for ages, and it’s a noble calling. I
always think that actors are the bravest people.
Putting themselves out there, representing
humanity. That’s what the job is, yes?
That’s what the job is. But it’s fun.
To get a backstage look at the photo shoot with
Ethan Hawke, visit austinway.com. AW
Leather jacket, Polo Ralph Lauren ($1,295). The Domain, 512-490-0812; ralphlauren.com. Corduroy
shirt, Diesel ($298). The Domain, 512-833-0655; diesel.com
Styling by Gaelle Paul for Walter Schupfer Management
Grooming by Mira Chai Hyde at Walter Schupfer Management
using Chanel Sublimage and OribePhotography assistance by
Stephen Grome and Jared Clatworthy
Video by Nardeep KhurmiSittings Editor: Danielle Yadegar
AUSTINwAy.com 111
112 AUSTINWAY.com
The MaesTros of Cool
These visionaries are elevating the city’s entertainment and hospitality scene on their own terms. We can’t imagine an Austin without
Larry McGuire, Liz Lambert, Freddy Fletcher, and Bridget Dunlap—and why would we want to?
BY TOBIN LEVY PhOTOgr aPhY BY MIchaEL Thad carTEr
Larry McGuire has built an empire of sophisticated, food-forward restaurants, from the New England-inspired Perla’s on South Congress to the reimagined Jeffrey’s in Clarksville. And he accomplished this in just eight years time. His string of successes with busi-ness partner Tom Moorman, starting with Lamberts downtown when he was all of 24, makes him one of the most influential restaurateurs in town.
But McGuire, who also owns Clark’s (Perla’s little brother), Josephine House ( Jeffrey’s sister), and the French-Vietnamese Elizabeth Street Café, is not searching for the next big thing in dining. In fact, his impending move is no move at all; he’d rather focus on longevity, on making his existing restaurants an indisputable part of the city’s iden-tity, his inspiration being the classics like Polvos, Vespaio, Chuy’s, and Güero’s.
“People don’t give those restaurants enough credit,” he says. “Just to keep something going like that—they are Austin institutions. I think we’re get-ting there with Lamberts and Perla’s, but we have not done it yet. That’s why we haven’t opened any more restaurants and why we don’t have any plans to go outside Austin. We really want them to live here and be here for a long time.”
McGuire is the handsome face of his restaurants, but he wishes that weren’t the case. “I really am pretty shy, and I think that eating out should be about whom you’re with and enjoying the two hours and relaxing. It shouldn’t be about meeting some random person that you saw on Eater.”
Despite his local fame, the concept of celebrity chefs and restaurateurs somewhat confounds him. “I find it funny that people are now interviewing restau-rant people on things like gun issues,” he says. “I’m glad people have opinions, but at the same time we’re just here to provide a service and hospitality. I take that pretty seriously.”
Perhaps that’s why you won’t often find McGuire working the room at any of his restaurants. “When I’m there, I’m pretty focused,” he says. “I’m thinking about how good the food is and how dim the lights are.” It is all about the details, which take time to per-fect. Already a signature one: the Jeffrey’s valets, who look like young Tenenbaums clad in pink seer-sucker shorts with reflective piping and yellow Fred Perry polos.
This doesn’t mean that McGuire Moorman Hospitality won’t embark on new ventures. The part-ners are getting into retail, working with By George owners Matthew and Katy Culmo to help them launch an e-commerce site and remodel the South Congress store (see page 41). Fashion is a relatively new interest, though his sartorial taste could be described as casually dapper. More than one reporter has gone the way of the red carpet and asked what he was wearing.
In July, McGuire honed his fashion experience by attending his first Men’s Market Week in New York, a favorite retreat. “In New York, it’s nice to be anonymous, to be able to experience restaurants as a diner again.”
t h e r e s t a u r a t e u r Larry McGuire
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AUSTINWAY.com 113
opposite page: Josephine House. this page: Restaurateur Larry McGuire at Jeffrey’s.
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114 AUSTINWAY.com
Bridget Dunlap has transformed Rainey Street with her
bars Lustre Pearl, Clive, Bar 97, and the Container Bar,
turning it from a sleepy, hidden neighborhood into a
defining hot spot for those who go out on any sort of regu-
lar basis. There are now Rainey Street people, along
with Sixth Street people, East Siders, and so on. “The
East Side is so—and I’m so sick of this word—hipstery,”
says Dunlap. “They are the people who ride bikes and
whatever. Not my jam.”
The Queen of Rainey Street, as she’s referred to by
many, embraces expletives and is unapologetic if that
offends those around her. Though she often comes off as
snarky on page, she translates differently in person. Yes,
she speaks her mind, but she would also be the kind of
good friend who actually tells you if your pants aren’t f lat-
tering. The Houston native who’s “43, no, 44” loves the
city and its outdoor lifestyle, but there’s not an Austin sen-
sibility she feels the need to imbue in her bars. “I wouldn’t
think, oh, this piece of Austin is mine. I really need to nur-
ture it and make it into something else for the people.”
In fact, her larger mission is to brand her four Rainey
Street bars as a package that could be re-created and
placed in college towns across the country. “I want to
work smarter, not harder,” says Dunlap.
t h e
n i g h t l i f e
t i t a n
Bridget
dunlap
“I wouldn’t thInk, oh, thIs pIece of austIn Is mIne.
I really need to nurture It and make It Into
somethIng else for the people.”
—bridget dunlap
clockwise from top: Container Bar; Bridget Dunlap at Container Bar; Bar 96.
AUSTINWAY.com 115
Part of her business savvy is moving out of her comfort zone in order to
appeal to other people’s, such as opening her sports bar, Bar 96, even though
it’s impossible to imagine her watching a football game or a ball cap reining
in her wild red curls. “You have to look at what people are asking for, and
everybody was asking for a sports bar,” she explains. Afterward, Dunlap
focused her attention on Mettle, a sleek East Austin bistro with an unex-
pected menu (fried chicken, fish and chips, and beef tongue tacos) and an
extensive list of specialty cocktails she’ll never order. She’s loudly pro Tito’s
and Topo Chico, pro red wine, and anti (other people’s) mixologists.
Her final Rainey Street endeavor will be the creation of a new Lustre Pearl
across the street from where the original one used to stand after moving to
a new location on East Cesar Chavez to make room for a mixed-use
development project. The original Lustre Pearl building (which she now
refers to as Lustre Pearl East, although it still might experience a name
change) will serve food. Dunlap is also working on another East Side eatery,
this one Italian and currently dubbed Nuns and Lovers. She plans to have all
three open by South by Southwest, at which point she’ll turn her attention to
Dunlap ATX, the parent company she runs with her husband, Chris Parker.
On the upper half of her right arm, the names of the two men in her life—
Dunlap’s 11-year-old son, Asher Skye, and Parker—are inked in cursive that’s
legible from six feet away. In between them is a sizable butterf ly in need of
detail, as if it’s on its way to the imago stage, just not quite there yet. The tat-
too artist “is annoyed I still haven’t gone back to get the tattoo finished,” says
Dunlap. “I was there for four hours. Who can sit still for that long?”
116 AUSTINWAY.com
Freddy Fletcher is the epitome of calm while sitting in his
tandem kayak in the middle of the Colorado River in
Bastrop, where he moved from Austin two years ago. The
60-year-old yoga enthusiast and longtime runner has more
than earned this kind of serenity: His ACL Live at the
Moody Theater has been an unmitigated success almost
from the moment it opened its doors three years ago.
The three-story music venue is such a part of Austin’s
nightlife scene that it’s hard to imagine the anxiety that
Fletcher lived with during its development. “It was scary
thinking people were going to go, ‘You really screwed up a
great, historic PBS TV show,’” says Fletcher from his office at
ACL Live, which is on the street named after his uncle, Willie
Nelson. His fear was that, as the new venue for the iconic
Austin City Limits tapings in addition to the regular concerts,
he would disappoint a lot of people, including friends and for-
mer band mates such as Delbert McClinton and Billy Joe
Shaver. (Fletcher used to be a touring drummer.)
“I grew up here and wanted to preserve the history,” he
says. “This has always been a music town, and I felt like
Austin really needed a world-class facility.” Fletcher’s hope
was that he and his partners would build something that
would become a legacy like Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium,
and they appear to have succeeded, routinely drawing
t h e m u s i c
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AUSTINWAY.com 117
top-name acts—including his uncle and his mother, Bobbie—and sell-out
crowds. As for Austin City Limits, the iconic show is in its 40th season, with tap-
ings this year by Nick Cave, Jeff Tweedy, and a star-studded anniversary
concert with Gary Clark Jr., Jeff Bridges, Sheryl Crow, and more.
In many ways ACL Live is the antithesis of Arlyn Studios, the 7,000-square-
foot commercial recording studio he founded in 1984. Where ACL Live is
expansive and distinctly urbane, the studio—favored by some of the indus-
try’s most renowned musicians (the recording roster includes everyone from
Stevie Ray Vaughan and Ray Charles to Wilco and Toro y Moi)—has been
largely restored to the way it looked in the 1950s and ’60s. It has low ceilings,
wooden posts, walls, and beams, and is housed in a nondescript South
Austin building that was once owned by Willie Nelson and was known as
the Austin Opry House, a concert hall that reveled in “Outlaw Country.”
“The studio has a lot of history for me,” says Fletcher. He named Arlyn after
his late father and remembers his mother playing piano there when he was a
boy and a restaurant stood in its place. “Arlyn is my baby,” he’ll likely say,
more than once, in even the shortest conversation. Lisa Fletcher, Will
Bridges, T. Murphey, and Chief Engineer Jacob Sciba are now partners.
Fletcher and his associates at Arlyn have a new venture in the formation
stage. They are collaborating with a nonprofit whose global initiative is to
provide instruments to children around the world. “Right now it’s my num-
ber-one project,” says Fletcher. “I firmly believe you’ve got to leave the world
better than when you found it. There’s not a better gift than an instrument.
You know, music changes people’s lives.”
“I grew up here and wanted to preserve the
hIstory. thIs has always been a musIc town, and
I felt lIke austIn really needed a world-class
facIlIty.” —freddy fletcher
Freddy Fletcher at ACL Live at the Moody Theater.
right, from top: The view from the stage
at ACL Live; the venue’s exterior.
118 AUSTINWAY.com
About 15 years ago, Liz Lambert took a huge risk on a
1930s flophouse and turned it into the Hotel San Jose, a
sort of au courant time capsule instantly embraced by a
newly burgeoning city particularly wistful when it
comes to change. She showcased a design sensibility
that was unique and sophisticated without being osten-
tatious or infringing upon the city’s ethos. The
transformation of South Congress soon followed (she
also opened the popular Jo’s Coffee next to the hotel),
and people started referring to her in one-breath rever-
ence as “Lizlambert.” She was given collective carte
blanche to realize her visions.
In 2006, she started Bunkhouse Management to over-
see her slow and deliberate expansion, including the
Hotel Saint Cecilia in 2008, the first truly high-end bou-
tique hotel in town; the historic Hotel Havana in San
Antonio; and the 18-acre El Cosmico trailer and teepee
park in Marfa. There’s a fascination with Lambert’s proj-
ects, especially the ones still veiled in secrecy.
Bunkhouse’s latest project is a ground-up hotel in Todos
Santos, an untouched area in Baja Sur, about an hour
from Cabo San Lucas. “It’s in a great little artist village
and on the beach, so we’re really excited about that,” says
Lambert. Bunkhouse will work again with San Antonio’s
Lake/Flato architects on the property.
Lambert is exploring the possibility of more out-of-state
projects. When asked if they’ll have a Texas sensibility,
she says, “If it means a certain sort of honesty to it, I think
so. But maybe they’re talking about a particular type of
hospitality, which is a really welcoming one, and which I
think we do really well.”
Her properties are all different, but they come about the
same way, she explains. “We explore the place and the
community, and then we come up with a story of the hotel.
Once we have a vision of what that is, we design around it.”
Lambert’s projects also pay homage to Austin’s identity
as a music capital. Both the Saint Cecilia, named after the
patron saint of arts and music, and the San Jose offer vinyl
libraries for guests. Posters of Keith Richards, John
Lennon, and Johnny Cash adorn the walls. And every
South by Southwest in March, locals flee to South by San
Jose to be reminded of what the festival is really about:
gathering with friends in a parking lot to listen to bands
and enjoy a few beers.
And many Austinites will make the trek to El Cosmico
for the eighth annual Trans-Pecos Festival (September
25-28), featuring the Old 97’s, Deertick, Heartless
Bastards, and Bill Callahan, among others. With such an
expansive landscape to work with, El Cosmico is the proj-
ect with no end in sight. “All of the properties are special,
but this is one I continue to nurture,” Lambert says. Trans-
Pecos Festival, September 25-28, 802 S. Highland Ave. El
Cosmico, Marfa; elcosmico.com AW
t h e h o t e l i e r
LIZ LAMBERT
“We explore the place and the
community, then We come up With a story of the
hotel. once We have a vision of What that is,
We design around it.” —liz lambert
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AUSTINWAY.com 119
opposite page from top: One of a cluster of buildings at the Hotel Saint Cecilia; the hotel’s lounge area. this
page: Hotelier Liz Lambert.
Larry McGuire
Clark’s Oyster Bar: 1200 W. sixth st., 512-297-2525; clarksoysterbar.com
elizaBeth street Café: 1501 s. first st., 512-291-2881; elizabethstreetcafe.com
Jeffrey’s: 1204 West lynn st., 512-477-5584; jeffreysofaustin.com
JOsephine hOuse: 1601 Waterston ave., 512-477-5584; josephineofaustin.com
lamBerts: 401 W. second st., 512-494-1500; lambertsaustin.com
perla’s: 1400 s. Congress ave., 512-291-7300; perlasaustin.com
BridGet dunLap
Bar 96: 96 rainey st., 512-433-6604; bar96austin.com
Clive: 609 Davis st., 512-494-4120; clivebar.com
COntainer Bar: 90 rainey st., 512-320-0820; austincontainerbar.com
mettle: 507 Calles st., 512-236-1022; mettleaustin.com
lustre pearl (two reincarnations, coming soon): 94 rainey st., 114 linden st.
Freddy FLetcher
aCl live at the mOODy theater: 310 W. Willie nelson Blvd., 512-225-7999; acl-live.com
arlyn stuDiOs: 200 academy Dr., 512-447-2337; arlynstudios.com
Liz LaMBert
el COsmiCO: 802 s. highland ave., marfa, 432-729-1950; elcosmico.com
hOtel havana: 1015 navarro st., san antonio, 210-222-2008; havanasanantonio.com
hOtel san JOsé: 1316 s. Congress ave., 512-444-7322; sanjosehotel.com
hOtel saint CeCilia: 112 academy Dr., 512-852-2400; hotelsaintcecilia.com
JO’s COffee:
242 W. second st., 512-469-9003; 1300 s.Congress ave., 512-444-3800; joscoffee.com
h o t s p o t s
These local tastemakers
made their marks on
Austin with establish-
ments that ooze cool.
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IPSEM LOREMNULLAM ALIQUET EROS MOLESTIE VOLUTPAT SCELERISQUE.
MAECENAS TEMPUS DICTUM CONVALLIS. ETIAM FAUCIBUS.
BY JANE DOE PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL DIODATO
natur al instinctsAustin stAys true to its BohemiAn roots With
FlorAl, ethereAl FAll FAshions.
PhotoGrAPhy By Bode helm
AUSTINWAY.com 121
Wool jacket ($698), scarf ($78), floral silk dress ($398), and leggings, ($28), Polo Ralph Lauren. The Domain, 512-490-0812; ralphlauren.com. opposite page: Lava ombre wrap blouse, Derek Lam 10 Crosby ($395). Neiman Marcus, The Domain, 512-719-1200; neimanmarcus.com. Ellsworth leather pant, MiH Jeans ($990). RedBird Boutique, 3663 Bee Caves Road, 512-514-0027; mih-jeans.com. Black starburst cuff, Kevia ($175). Maya Star, 1508 S. Congress Ave., 512-912-1475; kevia.biz. Needaride boots, Stuart Weitzman ($745). The Domain, 512-834-2800; stuart weitzman.com
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Vintage dress, Christian
Lacroix ($425). Garment, 701 S. Lamar Blvd., Ste. F, 512-462-4667; shop garment.com. Hat, Federica
Moretti for Tibi ($360). By George, 524 N. Lamar Blvd., 512-472-5951; tibi.com. Feather leather pendant, Coach ($225). The Domain, 512-339-9994; coach.com
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Gobi sweater ($850) and Fran dress ($325), Calypso St. Barth. The Domain, 512-339-9963; calypsost barth.com. Silver and gold rutilated quartz diamond earrings ($1,250); labradorite, iolites, and lapis cuff ($1,625); and labradorite, blue topaz, and peridot cuff ($600), Rene Escobar. Valentine’s Too, Davenport Village, 3801 N. Capital of Texas Hwy., 512-347-9488; rene escobarjewelry.com. Montana bracelet, Vincent Peach ($6,995). Wendow Fine Living, 1512 W. 35th St. Cutoff, 512-284-9732; vincent peach.com. Vintage boots, Larry Mahan ($250). Garment, 701 S. Lamar Blvd., Ste. F, 512-462-4667; shop garment.com
124 AUSTINWAY.com
Printed top ($1,695) and trousers ($695), Roberto Cavalli. Neiman Marcus, The Domain, 512-719-1200; neimanmarcus.com. 18k white-gold geode, diamond slice, and diamond hoop earrings ($56,125); cocobolo wood diamond pavé square bangle ($15,900); and 18k yellow-gold, brown-diamond crosspin cuff ($11,450), Kimberly McDonald. Neiman Marcus, see above
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Top ($100) and pant ($350), MICHAEL Michael Kors. Macy’s, The Domain, 512-490-3300; macys.com. Rayne necklace, Kendra Scott ($80). 1400 S. Congress Ave., 512-354-4737; kendrascott.com
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Vintage sweater ($225) and vintage dress ($425), Missoni. Garment, 701 S. Lamar Blvd., Ste. F, 512-462-4667; shopgarment.com. Semiprecious crystal pendant, Burn16 ($1,100). burn16.com. Cuff ($750) and bracelet ($630), Dina Mackney. Julian Gold, 1214 W. 6th St., 512-473-2493; juliangold.com
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Jumpsuit, Brunello Cucinelli ($2,445). Neiman Marcus, The Domain; neimanmarcus.com. Hustonian lariat with Tahitian pearl ($2,310), Moorean pearl and diamond lariat with pavé diamonds and South Sea Tahitian pearls ($4,200), and Explorer cuff ($412), Vincent
Peach. Wendow Fine Living, 1512 W. 35th St. Cutoff, 512-284-9732; vincent peach.com. Black ring ($203) and gray ring ($75), Kevia. Maya Star, 1508 S. Congress Ave., 512-912-1475; kevia.biz. Rainbow moonstone and white-sapphire cuff ($750) and 18k gold, sunstone, carnelian, and peridot cuff ($1,125), Rene
Escobar. Valentine’s Too, Davenport Village, 3801 N. Capital of Texas Hwy., 512-347-9488; rene escobarjewelry.com
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Sweater ($995) and skirt ($550), Suno. By George, 524 N. Lamar Blvd., 512-472-5951; sunony.com. Confetti narrow diamond bracelet ($1,650) and Hampton cable bracelet ($4,700), David Yurman. The Domain, 512-834-8700; davidyurman.com. Epic boot, Ariat ($220). Allens Boots, 1522 S. Congress Ave., 512-447-1413; allensboots.com
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Cady dress, Etro ($1,058). Neiman Marcus, The Domain, 512-719-1200; neiman marcus.com. 18k yellow-gold, quartz, and diamond wood bangle, Kimberly McDonald ($3,475). Neiman Marcus, see above. Ring, Elizabeth and James ($85). Catherine Nicole, by appointment only, 512-739-8221; elizabeth andjames.us. Cowboy hat, stylist’s own
beauté: Prtty Peaushun Skin Tight Body Lotion in Medium ($39). prttypeaushun.com. MAC Full Coverage Foundation ($31), Haute & Naughty Lash ($21), Brow Finisher ($16), Shaping Powder Pro Palette in Emphasize ($17), Cremesheen Glass in Boy Bait ($20). MAC, The Domain, 512-834-0010; maccosmetics.com. Nars Duo Eyeshadow in Alhambra ($35), Duo Eyeshadow in Key Largo ($35), Shimmer Eyeshadow in Mekong ($25), Contour Blush in Olympia ($42). Sephora, The Arboretum, 9722 Great Hills Tr., Ste. 115, 512-342-8484; nars cosmetics.com. Leonor Greyl Mousse au Lotus Volumatrice ($46), Spray Structure Naturelle ($38), Serum de Soie Sublimateur ($46). leonorgreyl-usa.com
Styling and set design by Lisa Lupo at lisaluart.comMakeup by Bethany Karlyn for Prtty Peaushin Skin Tight Body LotionHairstyling by Louise Moon/ louisemoon.com for Leonor GreylModels: Diana Georgie at Photogenics and Kristen Kassinger at LA Models
from opposite: Ben Lamm welcomes guests into his home via a 250-lb. door
made of Brazilian peltogyne, the only naturally occurring
purple wood in the world; his bedroom features Andy
Warhol wallpaper.
130 AUSTINWAY.com
Chaotic Moon CEO ben lamm revels in the art of surprise, and his new Zilker home is no exception.
BY CAITLIN RYAN phoTogRAphY BY DRoR BALDINgeR
a Moon King
a Castle for
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Austin native Ben Lamm does things energetically, quickly (though not hastily), and with conviction. The cofounder and CEO of Chaotic Moon Studios knows what he likes. He’s
emblazoned the offices and website of his software design and development company with simple yet bold mantras like “We’re the Best” and “We are Smarter than You.” His atypical attitude has helped to build Chaotic Moon’s national reputation for innovative solutions as well as attracted clients like Marvel Entertainment, Taco Bell, and Whole Foods. “We talk a big game, but we back it up with support. It’s a nice element of surprise the entire time someone works with us,” Lamm says.
The 32-year-old bachelor extends the same appetite for the unexpected to every decision he’s made for his new domicile in the Zilker neighbor-hood. From furniture to fixtures and artwork, the majority of his two-story, 3,100-square-foot home was custom-designed in conjunction with Spaller Glover Design Build (housetaught.com) and interior designer Beth Taylor of Wheelhouse Design (wheelhouseaustin.com). Lamm loves nothing more than to hear the reactions of people when they first see his house, with its arid front yard, geometrical windows, and a 250-lb. front door made from the only naturally occurring purple wood in the world, Brazilian Peltogyne.
“I’ve heard everything from, ‘Your house looks like a chateau or a hidden castle’ to ‘I feel like I’m about to step inside a church,’” he says. But once guests enter and step onto the reclaimed white oak floors, the house unfolds into a kaleidoscope of rich, royal colors. “The big purple door on the front is the only hint about what you’re about to see,” he notes. “The interior is so full of light that almost everyone is surprised by it.”
Lamm bought the house when it was only half-finished, knowing he would be able to success-fully inject his distinct point of view into the remainder of the project. Working closely with Ivan Spaller, the architect lauded for unusual projects like the Bouldin Castle on Mary Street, Lamm set out to create a retreat just minutes from downtown that would not only delight his guests but energize him and leave no space underutilized. Together, Spaller and Lamm formed an opinionated team in which they collectively and spiritedly fought for the best design decisions.
“Ben and I worked together like no one I have ever worked with before—period,” says Spaller. “Mentally, we challenged each other to frequent standoffs. At times I felt he was a sort of Manchurian
candidate, at others a prophet. We would frequently tangle like serpent warriors... and I guess that’s why we made such a good match, like Romulus and Remus.”
Guests are ushered into, not to a formal foyer, but an entertainment room, complete with a bar and pool table. The space is predominately purple (Lamm’s favorite color) and peppered with an array of art, including retro prints from Disney artist Eric Tan. Much like the Chaotic Moon offices, the entryway makes an immediate, vibrant statement; it sets the tone for the journey through the rest of the house. “One of the things I kept in mind with every design decision I made was how it would affect the flow of the house as you walked from room to room. Every time you’re in this house, I want you to see something new,” Lamm says. “There’s a really fun feel to the whole place with the custom pieces and color combina-tions—I’d have to call it ‘eclectic chic.’”
Mini art galleries pop up across the home and run the gamut from a Star Wars print next to an Andy Warhol adjacent to a $3 Peruvian painting
“There’s a really fun feel to the whole place with the
custom pieces and color combinations—I’d have to
call it ‘eclectic chic.’” —ben lamm
132 AUSTINWAY.com
clockwise from opposite: The entertainment room features
a bar and pool table; the living room has a fun feel
with an eclectic mix of furniture styles and colors;
the dining room boasts a reproduction of Warhol’s The
Last Supper on the ceiling.
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134 AUSTINWAY.com
downstairs from an original Salvador Dalí. The
most show-stopping pieces, however, are the fruit
of a collaboration with New York City’s Flavor
Paper (flavorpaper.com), which produces hand-
screened and digitally printed wallpaper. Flavor
Paper owns the rights to some of Andy Warhol’s
most notable works, including The Last Supper,
which Lamm commissioned to be reproduced for
the ceiling above his dining table. “[The dining
room] is where you really bring everyone together.
And when you have that [fellowship] reflected
above you with an iconic, colorful piece like
this—how can you not sit down together and not
feel like you’re part of a shared experience?”
Lamm also knew he’d have to get creative with
the 15-foot vaulted ceiling in the master bedroom,
so Flavor Paper created a black and gold print of
another Warhol classic, Rorschach. “[The piece]
becomes a sort of ‘headboard wall’ that is central
to the theme of the whole room,” he says. Beneath
the print and between crimson drapes is Lamm’s
revolutionary YuMe bed, made from ventilated
memory foam that heats and cools the mattress
during sleep. “It’s like sleeping on an air condi-
tioner,” he adds.
While Lamm avoided purple in the two guest
rooms, a sense of majesty is still palpable. He
wants his guests to feel as though they’re at a spa
when staying the night, and he takes great pride in
outfitting the bathrooms and bedrooms with the
most luxurious soaps, scents, and linens. Referring
to these rooms as “works in process,” he admits he
always sees opportunities to improve the form and
function of his house, much like he does with his
business.
However, an informal polling of Lamm’s friends
would undoubtedly position the pool as the
crowning achievement of the home. Lamm called
upon Frank Vidaurri with Cody Pools (512-835-
4966; codypools.com) as well as a designer at
Chaotic Moon to create what would fondly be
dubbed “Lamm Springs” by its frequenters. With
nearby Barton Springs as the pool’s inspiration,
Texas limestone was brought in and cut to mimic a
naturally occurring pool. “The entire backyard
has a completely different feel from the front of the
“I can only be still so long. I love to be involved in a
lot of things, so I will keep working on this house and evolving it. Just this week, I decided to add palm trees.”
—BEN LAMM
house, and [the pool is surrounded by] lush
bamboo and palm trees,” Lamm explains.
On any given day, a handful (or sometimes,
several dozen) of Lamm’s friends and associates
can be found at Lamm Springs, enjoying the
play-hard counterbalance to their work-hard
mentality. The pool has become such a summer
staple that Lamm’s creative colleagues have
created tongue-in-cheek Lamm Springs memora-
bilia like Lamm-branded T-shirts and crazy
straws. To top it off, a neon Lamm Springs sign is,
as Lamm would say, in process by a local artist.
Many might consider it a perfect oasis, but Lamm
isn’t finished. He plans to build a screen-less
outdoor patio with the leftover limestone.
“I can only still be so long,” he explains. “I love
to be involved in a lot of things… So I will keep
working on this house and evolving it.” He laughs
and then reveals, “Just this week, I decided to add
palm trees.”
Wheelhouse’s Taylor acknowledges this
ingenious—if not mischievous—spirit and looks
forward to what’s to come, saying: “Ben brings a
unique energy and passion to any project, [and]
that makes for an exciting process. He is not
scared to take risks and knows exactly what he
wants while trusting us to turn his most innovative
ideas into reality.” AW
from opposite: In the master bedroom, Flavor Paper created a black and gold print of Warhol’s
classic Rorschach, which acts as a headboard wall; in the
backyard, Lamm created what his friends fondly call “Lamm
Springs” out of Texas limestone, which was brought in and cut to mimic a naturally occurring pool.
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I t’s an unimaginable horror. Satao, an iconic male African bush elephant who was born in the late 1960s, should have lived a natural life of 70 years. But he was found dead in Kenya’s Tsavo East National Park in June. Poachers took down Satao, who weighed an estimated seven tons,
with a single poisoned arrow to his flank. His signature ivory tusks, which weighed more than 100 pounds each and touched the ground, had been hacked off. The Tsavo Trust, a conservation group that monitors the elephant populations of Tsavo in partnership with the Kenya Wildlife Services, knew Satao well because of its focus on protecting large “tuskers” who are lucrative targets for poachers. But Satao was so horribly butchered that the conservation groups who tracked his every move for years could not immediately identify him. They searched for him in the park for more than a week in the hopes that they might spot him, before he was confirmed and pronounced dead, two weeks after the day of his death.
Why would anyone want to kill the world’s largest land mammal—a highly intelligent species with a lifespan nearly as long as a human’s? An animal with powerful family bonds, a memory that far surpasses ours and spans a lifetime? Through years of research, scientists have found that elephants are capable of elaborate thought and deep feeling. In fact, the emotional attachment ele-phants form toward family members may rival our own. Elephants mourn deeply for lost loved ones, even shedding tears and suffering depression. They have a sense of empathy that projects beyond their species and can even extend to others in distress.
So why are these gorgeous creatures being slaughtered? It’s for that objet d’art on your mantelpiece, the necklace in your jewelry box, the hair ornament on your dresser, and the ivory keys of your custom piano.
While elephant poaching has been a grave challenge at different times in the last century, it has recently risen to alarming levels. In 2012, some 35,000 African elephants were killed, about one-tenth of the remaining population, representing the worst mass slaughter of elephants since the international ivory
trade was banned in 1990. Roughly the same number were killed last year as well. African forest elephants, in particular, have been devastated by poaching and have declined by about 76 percent since 2002. At this rate, African forest elephants could effectively be extinct over the next decade.
The wildlife trade is one of the world’s most profitable criminal activities and ranks fifth globally in terms of value—estimated at $7 billion to $10 billion a year, behind the trafficking in drugs, people, oil, and counterfeiting. Increasing con-sumer demand for ivory, especially in Asia, is causing the price of ivory to skyrocket, fueling the illegal trade in elephant ivory and the mass slaughter of elephants in Africa. Today’s ivory traffickers are well-organized syndicates that function as transnational criminal networks and often participate in traf-ficking drugs and weapons, and some have links with terrorist networks.
According to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), as much as 70 percent of elephant ivory is transported to China, where it is sold for up to $1,500 per pound and carved into jewelry, religious figurines, and trinkets.
In September 2013, at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) annual meeting, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton unveiled an $80 million endeavor to stop the ivory trade. The Partnership to Save Africa’s Elephants (the first big international cause championed by Hillary Clinton after she stepped down as secretary of state) collaborates with the Wildlife Conservation Society, World Wildlife Fund, African Wildlife Foundation, International Fund for Animal Welfare, the Nature Conservancy, Conservation International, and 11 other nongovernmen-tal organizations to halt the decline of African elephants.
Chelsea Clinton, due with her first child in the fall, still keeps a packed schedule at the foundation, passionately promoting initiatives close to her heart: empowering women and girls, promoting clean drinking water, com-bating childhood obesity, and stopping the elephant poaching crisis. We sat down with Clinton, vice chair of the Clinton Foundation, to talk about her efforts to save African elephants.
The PrIce of IvoryWith the ever-expanding worldwide market for luxury goods, African elephants are being hunted to extinction for their valuable tusks. Here, Chelsea Clinton shares her passion for these exceptional
animals and the Clinton Foundation’s efforts to save them.
by elizAbetH e. tHorp
opposite page: Satao, a male bush elephant born in the late 1960s, was killed for his tusks in Kenya’s Tsavo East National Park earlier this year.
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Elephants continue to be slaughtered for ivory at an alarming rate.
Years ago it was a major issue, then it quieted down until CGI’s 2013
announcement. When was the first time you learned about the horror of
elephant poaching?
I remember vividly: My mother’s parents moved to Arkansas right before Christmas in 1987, and I remember my grandparents asking what I wanted for Christmas. My grandmother said, “We’ll give you a membership and a subscription to anything that you want,” so I picked National Geographic and pos-sibly Greenpeace or Conservation International. Even though I was a kid in Arkansas, I was so fasci-nated by the wider world and just as fascinated by animals. It was also the real awakening of the envi-ronmental movement.
50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Save the Earth was a book that resonated with me as a kid, and I just wanted to know everything I could about what was happening with the environment and conser-vation. I was so shocked that elephants were under such duress, and the only thing that I could do was to ask my grandparents to continue to support organizations that were trying to save the ele-phants as my Christmas present every year.You had very progressive grandparents to
give you philanthropic subscriptions instead
of a Barbie.
My grandfather always gave me a remote-controlled device. It was my grandmother who was very much the social consciousness, and then my grandfather would give me the cool, shiny new toy. Last September, the Clinton Foundation
announced a three-year, $80 million commit-
ment to combat elephant poaching. How does
CGI coordinate this gigantic undertaking
with so many different partners?
First, by bringing them all together. It was the first time that many of these organizations had come together, and the first order of business was to understand the landscape of who was doing what and where. That hadn’t been mapped.
There are three parts of the CGI commitment: You stop the killing, stop the trafficking, and stop the demand. One of the first things we did was assess what each organization was doing and where there were the gaps—whether func-tionally or geographically—so that the additional monies could be invested in helping to fill those voids.
Or they could be used to double down on strategies that were working: the Howard G. Buffett Foundation made an investment in Gabon, because Gabon had already started to increase its emphasis on conservation, increase its num-ber of rangers and ranger training to try to protect its elephants. Because of their
serious intentions, the Howard G. Buffett Foundation allocated more funds to this project. Now because of the security dynamics, we have US Marines train-ing Gabon rangers because it’s not only about protecting the elephants; it’s about protecting the security of the country. Gabon, like so many countries where poaching is happening, is being preyed upon by armed groups who are destabi-lizing forces throughout West Africa and East Africa.
Tell me more about security concerns and
government cooperation.
The Marines are in Gabon, and Interpol is now part of our CGI commitment. The FBI is working with Interpol, as are various national intelligence groups because increasingly, poaching is part of the most nefarious activities throughout Africa—whether it’s running guns or people or drugs—so there’s a real security interest not only for the countries that are affected but for all of us to stop the poaching. Having lived through 9/11, I think people will
be very interested to know that poaching has
direct links to terrorism and Al Qaeda in
North Africa.
The trafficking of animal parts is the [fifth] most lucrative illegal activity, after people and drugs. And increasingly it’s the same people and groups that are engaged in all of those nefarious activities. There’s irrefutable evidence that Al Qaeda in North Africa, the Lord’s Resistance Army in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and the Janjaweed from Sudan coming into Uganda and the DRC are all engaged in poaching because, sadly, ivory is an easily accessible commodity to them. It’s become a lubricant that continually greases the wheels between the shipment of drugs, guns, and people. I don’t think many people realize the brutality
involved when elephants are killed for ivory.
It is true that, increasingly, poaching is militaristic, but that doesn’t make it any less brutal. Elephants can’t survive without their tusks. Another miscon-ception that exists in much of the world is that taking
off the tusk is like extracting a tooth. Elephants cannot live without their tusks; it’s crucial to their survival. What happens with the ivory after the elephants are killed? Is there a
supply chain or black market?
The tusks are removed from an elephant carcass and then trekked out to a port. In East Africa, a lot of ivory flows out of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, or Mombasa and Kenya up and down the coast, and it largely goes to Asia.
China by far is the biggest market; Vietnam and Thailand are also signifi-cant markets. The vast majority [of ivory] is transported in tusk form. When it gets to China, it then is cut down and made into commodities and luxury
“Stop the
killing, Stop
the trafficking,
and Stop
the demand.”
—Chelsea Clinton
138 AUSTINWAY.com
Chelsea Clinton photographing wild
elephants during her 2013 trip to Africa.
Elephants form deep emotional bonds with family members that
may rival our own.
While working to protect elephants in Garamba National Park in the DRC, park rangers show a tusk they confiscated.
Government-issued weapons for fighting poachers and tusks seized in Chad’s Zakouma National Park. In the last decade, 90 percent of the park’s elephants have been poached.
AUSTINWAY.com 139
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goods—whether it be ivory Buddhas, chopsticks, hair
clips, or the handles of a luxury handbag.
Why the high demand for ivory in Asia?
In China, historically, ivory has been synonymous with
ascension into the middle class and prosperity. One of
the challenges along the continuum with trying to stop
the demand is to find replacement products—so that
ivory is no longer synonymous with rising affluence, but
that, say, a Louis Vuitton handbag could be.
When you went to Africa last summer, what did you
learn about elephants and conservation from being
on the ground?
We talked about elephants everywhere; we were where
there are indigenous elephant populations—from Malawi
up to Tanzania. In Tanzania, we were in Tarangire
National Park; it was amazing not only to see the
elephants in all of their magnificence but also to see the
families of elephants, to understand on a deeper level
why it’s so important that the matriarchs—which are
increasingly the ones that are killed because they’re the
oldest and have the biggest tusks—not be slaughtered.
Without the guidance of those older figures, often it’s
hard for younger families to survive.
And the park rangers are in such peril protecting
the older elephants.
Yes. What was arguably even more powerful was meet-
ing the rangers on the frontlines of this effort—more
than a thousand rangers have been killed over the last
decade protecting elephants and other wildlife—meet-
ing these courageous rangers who are putting their lives
on the line. They feel called to this work for the ele-
phants’ sake, but also recognize this is important to
their country’s future.
Why do you think elephants mean so much to you
and your mother?
The first elephants that I saw were in the Little Rock
Zoo when I was little. What I felt then was just magni-
fied profoundly later when I went with my mom to
Africa as a teenager, then most recently last year. It is
this sense of a family, ultimately—the family unit of ele-
phants and the affection and the commitment to their
families and to the other elephant families in the area.
Also, elephants are so crucial to their ecosystem.
They’re sort of the honeybees of the African savannah
or their forest environments. So that mix of an apprecia-
tion for the affection and family love that is so tangible
with understanding of how crucial they are to other
animal families has resonated with me from a young
age, and it still continues to affect me.
It’s almost a year since you and your mother
announced CGI’s $80 million elephant poaching
commitment. Can you share any progress reports?
When President Obama undertook [the fight against]
wildlife trafficking, my mom recommended Judith
McHale—who worked for my mom in the State Depart-
ment, liaising on conservation efforts there—and she’s
now chairing the commission. We fully support everything
the administration has done and strongly support an
ivory ban here at home. We think that’s a critical move for
the United States to make—not only for our own moral
standing, but also because there is no argument for ivory
being indispensable. There are very good substitute
materials—whether it’s for a piano or a musical pick, or
any of the utilitarian uses of ivory—so we really have been
deeply enthusiastic about the commission’s work.
I understand you’re doing something during
New York Fashion Week regarding ivory traffick -
ing and elephants?
Yes, the details are still being worked out. Most of the
major luxury goods houses don’t use ivory. The challenge
is: How do we help their products become substitutions for
ivory, in East Asia, in particular? Something like a Louis
Vuitton bag or an Hermès scarf or Donna Karan dress—
how can those become the same types of status symbols
that ivory historically has been? Also, how can we work
with the fashion industry here in the United States to raise
awareness about this issue so that American consumers
become aware of why you should never buy ivory?
How can someone who is reading this help?
One, don’t buy ivory, which sounds self-evident, but it
isn’t. You’ll see stores that still sell ivory, because there is
no carbon-dating equivalent for ivory. It’s impossible to
assess its age, so a lot of new ivory gets laundered through
antique stores. It’s just very important to not buy ivory.
The second thing is to support organizations that are
really making a difference in this fight (
SEE SIDEBAR),
to support our partners—whether that’s big organiza -
tions like the Wildlife Conservation Society, which has
the most extensive efforts throughout Africa, or more
localized organizations like the African Wildlife
Foundation, which is helping to provide economic
opportunities to many of the vulnerable communities
around parks, often through eco-tourism programs.
There’s such a range of organizations that are doing tre -
mendous work that are part of our CGI commitment—yet
even more work could be done if there were even more
resources to do it.
And also use your voice to help educate others about
why this issue is so important, particularly given the
number of misconceptions around ivory. An elephant
must die to take a tusk, so I think that’s really where young
people can help play a big role, using their voice off-line
and online, because a lot of people just don’t know what
a tragedy elephant poaching really is, not just for the ele-
phants but for the most affected communities. Ultimately,
we all bear the responsibility. AW
BE ACTIVE IN THE BATTLE TO STOP ELEPHANT POACHING.
“Each day, it is estimated that 96 elephants are brutally killed in Africa for their ivory. Only a global movement will end the
slaughter and help to ensure the survival of this magnificent animal.
The Clinton Foundation is an important part of this movement,” says Cristián Samper, president
and CEO of the Wildlife Conservation Society. “Secretary Clinton and Chelsea Clinton have
used their leadership to bring attention to the threat facing
Africa’s elephants and to help gather partners across the globe
to join together in this fight. We are working on all fronts to stop the killing, and to stop the trafficking
and demand for ivory.”
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS CRISIS AND TO MAKE A
DONATION, GO TO:
African Wildlife Foundation
awf.org
Clinton Foundation’s Partnership to Save Africa’s
Elephants clintonfoundation.org
Conservation International conservation.org
International Fund for Animal Welfare
ifaw.org
Nature Conservancy nature.org
Wildlife Conservation Society wcs.org
World Wildlife Fund worldwildlife.org
SAVE THE ELEPHANTS
opposite page: African elephants in the Masai Mara game reserve in Kenya.
140 AUSTINWAY.COM
“Don’t buy ivory. Support organizationS that
are really making a Difference. anD uSe
your voice to help eDucate otherS.”
—chelSea clinton
AUSTINWAY.com 141
PH
OTO
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AP
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UN
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THE GREENHOUSE EFFECTTHE GREEN MOVEMENT IN AUSTIN REAL ESTATE IS BECOMING A TEMPLATE FOR THE REST OF THE NATION.BY MARY ANN AZEVEDO
Austin architect Peter Pfeiffer doesn’t just design green buildings; he lives
and works in them. From his office at Barley & Pfeiffer (1800 W. 6th St.,
512-476-8580; barleypfeiffer.com) to his residence in Central Austin,
Pfeiffer treats his own properties as laboratories of sorts, testing features
before recommending them to clients. “Everything we design for our cli-
ents’ homes was probably already built in something we own,” he says. In
2001 Pfeiffer designed a 4,175-square-foot home on River Road for his
family of six. The property cost nearly $940,000 to build and is today val-
ued anywhere from $1.4 million to $1.8 million.“The idea of my house
was to make it use less energy by the nature of its design,” he says. “We’re
trying to get people to think more deeply—beyond just gizmos.”
His home sits on a mid-size lot and was situated to take advantage of
the prevailing breezes and good solar orientation in such a way as to
maximize passive cooling in the summer and passive solar heat gain in
the winter. An open central stair tower was included to help cool the
home while providing its center with glare-free daylight. Other features
include a ventilated radiant-barrier roof system, rigid foam wall and
attic insulation, carefully sized roof overhangs, a sealed attic, hydronic
heating, and a water-based air-conditioning system that uses the swim-
ming pool as a heat sink. “Our average monthly utility bill has ranged
from $125 to $175 per month,” he says. “That’s really low for a house that
size with that many people—and also has a swimming pool.”
Pfeiffer is not alone in his commitment to green building in Austin.
Years before the US Green Building Council (USGBC) even came into
existence in 1993, Austin’s leaders had paved the way with an innova-
tive program, Austin Energy Star Homes, in an effort to prevent the city
from needing to build more power plants. Pfeiffer played a role in the
creation of that program. With that, the city
Furman + Keil Architects designed this environmentally
sustainable West Lake Hills home with deep overhangs to
maximize shading, operable windows for natural
ventilation, and regionally and sustainably sourced materials.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 144
AUSTINWAY.COM 143
HAUTE PROPERTY
ph
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“The idea of my house was To make iT use less energy
by The naTure of iTs design… To geT people To Think
more deeply—beyond jusT gizmos.”—peter pfeiffer
Peter Pfeiffer’s home was included in the Cool
House Tour.
adopted its first energy code in 1985 in an effort to help builders meet or exceed their energy requirements through techni-cal support—and not just inspections. The city established a green-building ratings system for sin-gle-family homes in 1991, which served as a model for LEED ratings established by the USGBC. Eventually, Austin’s ratings systems came to include multifamily and commercial properties.
“We were always a step ahead,” says Richard Morgan, green-building and sustainability manager for Austin Energy (austinenergy.com). “Ours was the first US sustainability rating program. Throughout
the 1990s, programs in Atlanta, Scottsdale, and other cities used our program as a template to build their own programs. And when the LEED ratings system began, our staff was involved with that.”
A prime example of how popular green home building is in Austin is the 700-acre Mueller mixed-use site, set three miles from downtown and two miles from UT. The sustainable, master-planned community features single-family homes, town-homes, and condos built with nontoxic and recyclable materials. The developer’s goal is to give residents a place to shop, eat, work, and play without having to get into their cars. Such urban infill
projects with sustainable design will only become more popular in Austin, believes Philip Keil, princi-pal of Furman + Keil Architects (708 rio grande
st., 512-479-4100; fkarchitects.net). “I’d like to think of this as not a trend but as simply good building practices,” he says.
Furman + Keil designed two homes on June’s Austin’s Cool House Tour, the 18th annual event led by Austin Energy Green Building and the Texas Solar Energy Society. The green-building movement is widespread across the city and beyond. “We’ve seen ranch properties that are implementing green practices such as rainwater collection,” Keil says. “When you have a lot of land and are distant from the city, collecting rainwater makes a lot of sense.”
Wayne Jeansonne, founder of Austin-based Solluna Builders (1011 meredith dr., 512-804-
2050; sollunabuilders.com), has been in the green-building business for 12 years and has four projects under contract now, compared with two at this same time last year. The builder echoes Keil’s sentiments about rainwater collection. “The city’s drought has made people aware of the need to con-trol their own water destiny,” he says. Jeansonne recently installed a 30,000-gallon water tank on a home with 4,000 square feet of air-conditioned space. “They filled up the tank in two and a half months,” he says. “For every inch of rain on 1,000 square feet of roof, a homeowner is collecting 625 gallons of water.”
One of Jeansonne’s projects was building a net-zero-energy home for a Round Rock couple who lived in a 2,100-square-foot home and sought to downsize and live more sustainably. “I wanted to do my bit to save the planet,” says Karen Cripe. “My husband was more interested in the cost savings.” When their homeowner’s association wouldn’t allow them to make certain changes to their house, they found a plot of land and built a 1,400-square-foot net-zero-energy home from the ground up for about $290,000. “We’re heading into retirement and try-ing to keep our lives as low-maintenance as possible,’” she explains.
Lucy Stolzenburg, executive director of the Texas Solar Energy Society (txses.org), points out that attendance in the Cool House Tour (in which Pfeiffer’s home was also featured) was up 20 per-cent in 2014 compared with the previous year. Even more interesting was the mix of attendees. “The staff working on the tour says the crowd looked a bit younger this year,” Stolzenburg notes. “That’s a positive sign. We’re not just marketing to the move-up market but also to the first-time home buyer. That’s really important.”
For his part, Jeansonne thinks green building will continue to penetrate the Austin market. “I started out when this was a niche market and con-sidered exotic in Austin,” he says. “But it’s gone from extreme to mainstream.” AW
conTinued from page 143
Solluna Builders created a net-zero-energy home for Karen and Dan Cripe in Round Rock that was part of Austin’s 2011 Cool House Tour.
144 AUSTINWAY.com
haute property
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AUSTIN NATIVE & MEMBER
[email protected] | 512.968.6419
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Ranked by the ABJ as a Top 20 agent in Austin.
Specialist with the Million-dollar guild designation.
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Mid-Century reduxtyson pendergrass and
gable bostic are CreaTInG
MOdern FUrnITUre THaT
reCaLLS THe CLaSSIC LIneS OF
MIdCenTUry deSIGn WITH a
TeXaS TWIST. BY DEBORAH L. MARTIN
Gable Bostic and Tyson Pendergrass have known
each other since college at Texas Tech University,
where they met via Pendergrass’s wife and Bostic’s
girlfriend. They bonded over their shared love of
the form and function of midcentury design and
an interest in creating something that was distinctly
their own. “I was a carpenter to pay my way through
college,” says Pendergrass, “and Gable was studying
architecture. We both come from families who had
a tradition of making things with their hands.” They
learned the value of good solid craftsmanship at an
early age.
Tre chic: The Tre table was born when Pendergrass and Bostic needed a way to use
leftover triangle forms from an order for the Tre bar stool.
146 AUSTINWAY.com
abode & beyond
Their company, Petrifed Design, is a true partner-
ship with both men participating every step of the way,
beginning with sketch pads and pens. Says Pender-
grass, “Gable does the computer design work so that
we can put a piece into production. And then we do all
the fabricating together.”
In 2011, working part-time out of a barn on a ranch in
Burnet, the two men decided to take the plunge and call
it a career. They were using reclaimed wood but quickly
realized that in order to do bigger production lines they
would have to veer away from that model, so they began
to source local, native-Texan woods like pecan and wal-
nut. All the metals are sourced locally as well.
“We recently bought 23 pecan trees from a local or-
chard that was affected by the drought,” says Pender-
grass. The wood is being milled and dried and will be
ready for production soon. “It’s a great story to say that
we are using local wood, helping a drought-affected
farmer, and producing a true Austin, Texas product,”
he adds proudly.
Their frst foray into the world of commercial com-
missions came in 2012, for Salt & Time Butcher Shop
and Salumeria in East Austin. “We made all the furni-
ture as well as the bar tops for Salt & Time,” Pender-
grass explains.
The next year they followed that up with a project
for Wright Bros. Brew & Brew on San Marcos Street.
“We used the Tre stools again and also created a chair
based on the same design.” Working with a local interi-
or designer, they fabricated tables, beer taps, and other
details like the bright yellow powder coating on some
of the metal elements. “The owners of Brew & Brew
are the Wright Brothers,” he explains, “so they wanted
some aviation-type details.”
With the commercial work becoming more abun-
dant, they had to create a way to streamline their pro-
duction methods. So they made a jig that allows them
to create the identical bends in metal for, say, 50 or
more stools at a time. “We can produce one or 10, and
they will be exactly the same each time,” Pendergrass
says. That’s useful for these two artisans who insist on
building everything themselves, by hand.
What’s next for Petrifed Design? “We just fnished
a job for Houndstooth Coffee in Dallas: 50 interior
stools, 20 exterior stools, and eight tables. So now we
are celebrating—and resting.” They won’t be resting
long, however. New projects are on the horizon, both
near and far. He adds, “Austin is a unique place that cel-
ebrates local artisans, and we are benefting from that
mind-set. If you are a good person then good things
happen. That’s our philosophy.” Petrifed Design, 6910
Shirley Ave., 806-790-1622; petrifeddesign.com AW
“Austin celebrAtes
locAl ArtisAns
And we Are
benefiting from
thAt mind-set.”— tyson pendergrass
clockwise from top left: Bostic (left) and Pendergrass in their workshop; the Nodo chair was inspired by Moorish tile work; the Shirley lamp comes in four colors and recalls clean midcentury design.
AUSTINWAY.com 147
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celebrating 50 yearsCountry-MusiC LandMark Broken spoke doesn’t Miss a (two-) step in a Changing City. by sarah beckham
When James White opened the Broken Spoke on November 10, 1964,
there wasn’t a whole lot around it. Today, the little red dance hall is
smack in the middle of a growing Austin—more specifically, in the
midst of a bunch of new apartments on South Lamar Boulevard.
“They’re really close,” says Ginny White-Peacock, the Spoke’s gen-
eral manager and White’s daughter. But, she says, some of those new
neighbors are also new customers.
As this Texas institution turns 50, stop by to pay homage and do
some two-stepping. Wear your cowboy hat, or your ball cap, or even
your hipster fedora. All hats, all ages are represented in a Saturday-
night crowd. Keep an eye out for James White (who marked another
milestone this year, turning 75), reigning over it all in a Western shirt.
For the celebration in November, White-Peacock expects Spoke
longtimer Alvin Crow to lead a lineup of other mainstays. The stage
where they’ll play is a hallowed spot in country music. White-Peacock
remembers country legend Ernest Tubb’s performances there: “He
would always play me a song,” she recalls. And a family photo shows
Willie Nelson holding her when she was 6 months old.
Pictures of famous visitors grace a memorabilia room dubbed “The
Tourist Trap,” because, well, they get a lot of tourists. Broken Spoke pil-
grims arrive from everywhere—Poland, Japan, Korea, Australia, even
Iran. And, White-Peacock says, they all tell her the same thing: “This is
what we thought Texas was going to be like.” 3201 S. Lamar Blvd., 512-
442-6189; brokenspokeaustintx.com AW
Fans from all over the world flock to the Broken Spoke for a real down-home country music experience, telling the general manager and founder’s daughter, “This is what we thought Texas was going to be like.”
AUSTINWAY.com 149
the guide the Best of Fall
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aphi
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(fish
)
Local seasonal dishes served at Trace include this spice-crusted tile fish with eggplant, tomatoes, olives, and herbs.
Barley SwineChef-owner Bryce Gilmore
and his team have created an
ever-changing tasting menu
that offers up to 15 courses of
small plates for $75. All dishes
are crafted with farm-fresh
ingredients, and the beer and
wine lists are also labors of
love. Forget the long wait time
of the restaurant’s earlier
days; Barley Swine now
encourages reservations.
2024 S. Lamar Blvd.,
512-394-8150;
barleyswine.com
ContigoA turn to the cooler weather
means the return of Contigo’s
hot toddy menu. The East
Austin restaurant’s patio is
the perfect place to sip a
warm drink and savor
chef-owner Andrew
Wiseheart’s “fresh quality bar
food.” A popular fall dish is
the rabbit with carrots,
Fall HarvestWHERE TO FIND THE FLAVORS OF THE SEASON, SERVED WITH AUSTIN FRIENDLINESS AND CREATIVITY. BY SARAH BECKHAM
IN SEASONThe duo behind Contigo debuts an eatery focused on fresh produce.
General manager Ben
Edgerton and chef Andrew
Wiseheart had an immedi-
ate hit on their hands in
2011 when they launched
Contigo (SEE LISTING).
Their second collabora-
tion, Gardner, is slated to
open this fall with a menu
emphasizing seasonal
vegetables. Edgerton shared
the stories behind both
restaurants.
Camp buddies: Edgerton
and Wiseheart met as kids
at summer camp.
A ranch in the city:
“Contigo is a restaurant
modeled after my family’s
ranch in South Texas. It’s
a tribute to my family’s
traditions and heritage,”
Edgerton says.
A family name: “We
wanted to name this
restaurant Gardner after
Andrew’s father, as a way to
pay tribute to his family and
the relationship between
father and son,” who
bonded over cooking and
dining together.
1914 E. Sixth St., Unit
B; gardner-austin.com
cipollini onions, and sage
dumplings.
2027 Anchor Lane, 512-614-
2260; contigotexas.com
Eastside CafeIn autumn, the grilled okra
skewers with garlic aioli
appetizer “is so popular, we
sell out as soon as we make it,”
says chef-owner Elaine
Martin. “And the collards
with smoked ham hocks
bring back memories of my
childhood in East Texas.”
Sister restaurant Elaine’s Pork
& Pie is next door.
2113 Manor Road,
512-476-5858;
eastsidecafeaustin.com
Foreign & Domestic Chef-owner Ned Elliott
brings NYC restaurant scene
cred and Austin neighborli-
ness to his spot on North
Loop. This summer, Foreign
& Domestic kicked off a
monthly Indie Chefs Table
series, inviting nationally
known chefs for one night to
speak to guests and collabo-
rate in the kitchen.
306 E. 53rd St., 512-459-
1010; fndaustin.com
Lenoir“I’ve never seen a restaurant
scene change so quickly as in
Austin over the seven years
I’ve been here,” says chef-
owner Todd Duplechan.
Hints of what he envisions for
his menu this fall: persimmon
salad with fennel, seaweed
and pecan butter; and toasted
shrimp ravioli with taso
broth, okra, and tomato.
1807 S. First St.,
512-215-9778;
lenoirrestaurant.com
Odd Duck“This is a great time of year,
as summer crops finish up
and overlap with fall bounty,”
says Sam Hellman-Mass,
one of chef Bryce Gilmore’s
partners at Odd Duck.
Hellman-Mass helps create
the menu that he says could
include peppers, tomatoes,
butternut squash, and apples
for fall.
1201 S. Lamar Blvd.,
512-433-6521; oddduck
austin.com
OliviaThe fare at Olivia changes
daily, with dishes inspired by
France, the American South,
and the restaurant’s own
backyard. Besides the fruits
of its own garden, other
menu standouts include
freshly cut pasta, charcute-
rie, and chef-owner James
Holmes’s signature lamb’s
tongue fricassee.
2043 S. Lamar Blvd.,
512-804-2700;
olivia-austin.com
TraceLawrence Kocurek, chef at
the W Austin Hotel’s
restaurant, is a hometown guy
who supports local growers
like B5 Farms: “Jamey Gage
is a great guy and passionate
about what he does.” And, it
turns out, Kocurek’s dad and
Gage’s mom grew up together
in Del Valle. Now that’s
having roots.
200 Lavaca St., 512-542-
3660; traceaustin.com
Wink Restaurant & Wine BarA leader in bringing fresh,
seasonal dining to Austin,
Wink was opened in 2001
by chefs Stewart Scruggs
and Mark Paul. Order from
the à la carte menu or
choose between the chef’s
and vegetarian tasting
menus. All are constantly
updated based on
ingredient availability.
1014 N. Lamar Blvd., Ste. E,
512-482-8868; wink
restaurant.com AW
150 AUSTINWAY.COM
THE GUIDE Devour
Combining the Business of Real Estate Brokerage
with a Passion for Design, Architecture Art
JeannetteSpinelli.com
pho
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aphy
C
ourt
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Wrig
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Bro
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Bre
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Ale and hearty: Austin’s beer scene is
thriving from east to west and everywhere
in between.
The ABGBThe Austin Beer Garden
Brewing Co. (aka The
ABGB) welcomes patrons to
bring their dogs, sit outside,
and soak up South Austin
with one of its “always” or
“sometimes” beers. If you
get into a winding, Richard
Linklater movie
–
style
conversation, fortify
yourself with the food
menu’s standards, like
pizzas, sandwiches, and
salads as well as a range of
seasonal picks.
1305 W. Oltorf St., 512-
298-2242; theabgb.com
Craft PrideStart or finish up a Rainey
Street visit at this hand -
some, bar with 54 beers on
tap. But don’t use the
ple thora of ale options as an
excuse to drink away your
envy of the amazing
Texas-shaped wood
The Art of Craft Beer WITH SO MANY BEER HALLS IN AUSTIN, THE FINEST ALES, IPAS, LAGERS, AND MORE ARE ON TAP ALL ACROSS TOWN. BY SARAH BECKHAM
PERFECT PAIRINGCofounder Matt Wright tells us more about how beer and coffee team up at Wright Bros. Brew & Brew.
Meeting of the minds:
“The idea of combining a
coffee shop and a beer bar
came naturally. It was
something we wanted to
exist as customers.”
Menu standout: “Our
regulars’ favorite drink
combo is called the Brew
& Brew: a shot of espresso
with steamed milk, paired
with a beer chosen to
complement the coffee and
served side by side.”
On the grid: “The beers
we offer on our 38 taps
change frequently, so we’ve
laid out our beer board in
a grid to help customers
quickly find the styles they
like. Lighter beers are up
top, darker on the bottom;
less hoppy beers are on the
left, and more hoppy are
on the right. Love IPAs?
Go straight to the top right
and see what’s new.”
500 San Marcos St.,
No. 105, 512-493-0963;
thebrewandbrew.com
sculpture/ light fixture
gracing the ceiling.
61 Rainey St., 512-428-
5547; craftprideaustin.com
Draught HouseAustinites have been
sudsing it up here for 45
years. Today, patrons can
pick from a wide selection of
beers on tap (75!) from
Texas and beyond. The
tasty accompaniments for
the beverages come from a
rotating cast of food trucks.
4112 Medical Pkwy.,
512-452-6258; draught
house.com
Easy TigerIf it feels like a movie set
here—specifically, an indie
feature with an impressive
beer selection—that’s
because this downtown
beer garden got its look
from Veronica Koltuniak,
who used to be a Hollywood
set decorator. Plot twist:
Easy Tiger also has a
beloved bake shop.
709 E. Sixth St., 512-614-
4972; easytigeraustin.com
The Ginger ManThis pub has been pleasing
Austin beer lovers with its
vast menu for 20 years. Dark
and cozy enough on the
inside to bring a date, it has
ample seating outside for
your next work get-together.
There are outposts in other
Texas cities as well as on the
East Coast.
301 Lavaca St., 512-473-
8801; thegingerman.com/
austin
Hi Hat Public HouseSmall and cheery, the Hi
Hat takes pride in its craft
beer list and beer events, its
food, and its friendly (and
never snobby) vibe. “We are
very much a neighborhood
bar,” manager and beer
buyer Habeab Kurdi says.
“We have a lot of regulars
who come in.” Browse the
tap list online before you go,
or get a recommendation
from the bartender.
2121 E. Sixth St.,
512-478-8700;
hihatpublichouse.com
HopfieldsAlthough it’s located just
north of the UT campus,
this European-inspired bar
and restaurant has grown-
up allure. There are 42
beers on tap last we
counted (the offerings
change weekly) as well as a
unique and creative
wine-based cocktail menu.
3110 Guadalupe St.,
512-537-0467; hopfields
austin.com
Pinthouse PizzaIt’s the season at Pinthouse
for hoppy ales, like cus-
tomer favorites ATX Pale
Ale and Best Coast IPA.
“These will be served
alongside our mainstay
offerings: our f lagship Man
O War IPA, Iron Genny
Pale Ale, and Austin’s first
session IPA, Calma
Muerta,” says director of
brewing and co-owner Joe
Mohrfeld. The friendly staff
will help you make the right
pick, even if you don’t speak
f luent beer-ese.
4729 Burnet Road,
512-436-9605;
pinthousepizza.com
Whip In Is this spot on Interstate 35
in Travis Heights a brewery
and craft beer destination?
Affirmative. A place to eat?
Yes, again. A gourmet
grocery? That, too. Oh, and
don’t forget it’s also a live
music venue—this is Austin,
after all. Exit now.
1950 S. I-35, 512-442-5337;
whipin.com AW
152 AUSTINWAY.COM
THE GUIDE Imbibe
WITH CHAMPION BIG WAVE SURFER MAYA GABEIRA
WWW.OCEANA.ORG/CATCHABREAK
Maya Gabeira surfs the infamous swell at North Shore, Oahu Hawaii
Maya fearlessly conquered the
largest wave ever surfed by a woman.
Her next challenge? To protect the
ocean she calls home. Our oceans are
in trouble from threats like
overfshing and climate change and
they need our help. Join Maya and
Oceana and let’s help the oceans catch
a break.
www.oceana.org/catchabreak
HELP THE OCEANS CATCH A BREAK
phot
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by C
hris
Cris
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/Co
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Enliven all five senses with treatments inspired by local music legends at Travaasa Austin.
Away Austin SpaThe W Austin is creating a
buzz upstairs: 33 stories above
the Away spa is a thriving
rooftop apiary built to
preserve the dwindling local
honeybee population. The
Body Honey (100 minutes,
$225) uses honey from last
year’s spin in an apricot scrub
to invigorate the skin. The
treatment wraps up with a
coconut milk and wild honey
body cocoon.
W Austin, 200 Lavaca St.,
512-542-3626;
austinawayspa.com
Hiatus Spa+RetreatA masque of antioxidant-rich
local carrots is the focus of
Hiatus’s October special: the
18 Carrot (80 minutes, $195;
H-Circle members, $128).
The treatment begins with a
dry-brushing to remove dead
skin cells and culminates with
a full-body massage under the
Vichy shower, finished with
The Alpine Rabbit cocktail of
Farm to Massage Table LOCAVORES CAN INDULGE IN FARM-FRESH INGREDIENTS AND DISTINCTLY AUSTIN THEMES WITH THESE FALL SPA TREATMENTS. BY JANE KELLOGG MURRAY
GARDEN GURUTrisha Shirey, director of flora and fauna at Lake Austin Spa Resort, celebrates 30 years of tending to the 19-acre property’s bountiful gardens this September.
What can people learn
from your classes?
A lot of people grow herbs
but don’t realize the num-
ber of ways they can use
them. I teach homemade
bath and body treatment
classes so people can learn
how to prepare fresh herbs
for home use—in potpourri,
drinks, cooking, and home
spa treatments. It’s nice to
use natural scents instead
of artificial ingredients.
What are some healing
effects of the fresh
herbs offered in the
Gifts of the Garden
signature treatment
(100 minutes, $325)?
For someone who has
issues with sleep or stress,
lavender is a good healing
herb since it is calming
and soothing. Mint is
energizing and a good
pick-me-up.
Which product do you
recommend for worn-
out skin?
I love the rosemary sea salt
scrub. It’s so refreshing,
and it’s an antioxidant,
which a lot of our spa
guests appreciate.
12611 Riverbend Road,
512-593-7583; lake
austin.com
fresh carrot juice, walnut
liqueur, and bourbon.
1611 W. Fifth St., 512-362-
5777; hiatusspa.com
Horseshoe Bay Resort“My favorite time of year in
the Hill Country is when the
wildflowers bloom,” says
Tracy Harper, director of
spa and recreation. The
600 varieties still flourishing
in autumn, according to
the Lady Bird Johnson
Wildflower Center, inspired
the Texas Wild Flower
Journey (105 minutes, $230),
which uses natural
products from Texas
producer FarmHouse Fresh.
A cleansing citrus grass
salt scrub is followed by a
honey magnolia wrap,
and an agave oil full-body
massage leaves a
radiant finish.
200 Hi Circle North,
Horseshoe Bay, 830-598-
2511; hsbresort.com
Milk + Honey Day SpaMilk + Honey began
producing its own spa
products this year. It’s a
locally handcrafted line of
luscious and fresh-scented
creams, oils, and scrubs
encased in beautiful amber
apothecary glass bottles.
Indulge at the day spa with a
customized Lux Facial (90
minutes, $170), which utilizes
Milk + Honey’s new pome-
granate facial oil and vanilla
cardamom lip scrub, or
purchase the goods online or
in one of the salons—a fourth
location opens this fall in
Sunset Valley.
512-263-1115; milkand
honeyspa.com
Sage Hill InnAchieve a youthful glow the
natural way: The spa at this
estate, 30 minutes south of
Austin, sources essential oils
from olive trees at First Texas
Olive Oil Company in
Wimberley and lavender from
the purple fields at
Hummingbird Farms in
Johnson City. These ingredi-
ents are combined
in a lavender-infused hand
cream and an olive oil
soak and scrub in the Garden
to Table Facial
and Hand Treatment
(60 minutes, $95).
4444 W. FM Highway 150,
Kyle, 512-268-1617;
sagehill.com
The Spa at Four Seasons AustinNew to the spa’s offerings is
Hummingbird Farms’
lavender. “We fell in love with
its truly world-class products,”
spa director Mary Kate
Piotrowski says. “What
started with [Hum-
mingbird’s] Jack and Debi
Williams wanting a small
herb farm took on a deeper
meaning when Debi was
diagnosed with breast cancer.
She became much more
concerned about the quality
and integrity of ingredients.”
Try the Lavender Lemongrass
Journey (110 minutes, $260).
98 San Jacinto Blvd.,
512-478-4500; four
seasons.com/austin/spa
Travaasa AustinIndulge all five senses in the
signature treatments (50
minutes, $135 per person),
inspired by Austin’s live music
legends. The Rose Massage
with organic rose oil wraps
the table in Janis Joplin
–
approved tie-dyed sheets,
while the On the Road Again
Massage uses hemp oil—
appropriate for any Willie
Nelson fan. Try the Couples
Double Trouble Massage,
influenced by bluesman
Stevie Ray Vaughan, with
blue cypress, agave, and
sandalwood oils.
13500 Farm to Market Road
2769, 512-364-0061;
travaasa.com/austin AW
154 AUSTINWAY.COM
THE GUIDE Relax
E V E N T S • H A P P E N I N G S • P R O M O T I O N S
NOT TO BE MISSED
WESTLAKE DERMATOLOGY
Westlake Dermatology® introduces UltraShape®, the latest non-surgical breakthrough in body-shaping technology. UltraShape selectively targets and eliminates fat cells safely and efectively with ultrasound energy. Treat stubborn fat on the abdomen with no bruising, swelling, or downtime.
8825 Bee Caves Road Call 512.328.3376 Visit westlakedermatology.com
THE GRAND BALLROOM AT THE
AT&T EXECUTIVE CONFERENCE
CENTER
The Grand Ballroom is an extraordinary space for weddings and events in the heart of Austin, Texas. Features within the venue include a magnificent 10,000-square-foot ballroom, unique reception and pre-function areas, expert staff, and an award-winning culinary team for artful catering.
1900 University Avenue Call 512.404.3616
AUSTIN FILM FESTIVAL’S FILM &
FOOD FUNDRAISING PARTY
Event: October 22 at 7:00pm
Austin Film Festival announces the 12th annual Film & Food Fundraising Party, an evening dedicated to honoring Austin as both a thriving film industry and renowned culinary hotspot. Held in the historic Driskill Hotel, this evening of specialty cocktails and innovative cuisine brings together Austinites and visitors alike to celebrate the arts.
Driskill Hotel | 604 Brazos Street Visit austinfilmfestival.com/events/filmandfood
THE OASIS ON LAKE TRAVIS
You have to see it for yourself. More than just a restaurant, Te Oasis on Lake Travis is an Austin institution. From the breathtaking view to the delicious food, world class margaritas, beautifully appointed indoor event spaces and friendly people, Te Oasis ofers an unforgettable experience for everyone. Multi level decks, spilling down the blufs of Lake Travis, insures each guest a perfect view, earning Te Oasis the well-deserved title, Te Sunset Capital of Texas.
6550 Comanche Trail Call 512.266.2442
BENOLD’S
JEWELERS’ ‘THE
EARS HAVE IT’
Event: September 19-20
Join us Friday and Saturday, September 19 & 20, during regular business hours to shop hundreds of new styles of earrings, all 20% of. Earrings start at $35, and styles include beaded, diamond, hoops, studs and more.
For more information, go to benolds.com or call 512.452.6491.
mo
de
l
Illust
rat
Ion
by D
anIe
l o
’lea
ry
One of the fine, if over-coddling,
schools we sent our son to during his
fine and over-coddled life had a
pedagogical philosophy called
DWOK, or Different Ways of
Knowing. The school operated under
the assumption that every child is a
unique flower with different educa-
tional needs and a different pace of
learning. The underlying philosophy
was this: Everybody is special. We all
get a trophy.
A generation of kids has grown up
believing this. An entire crop of
special flowers is blooming in Austin
at the unofficial rate of 100 new
residents per second, and all they
want to do is go to restaurants. If you
look at Austin restaurant menus these
days—which you have plenty of time
to do while waiting in line—you might
say they specialize in DWOE, or
Different Ways of Eating. Everybody
is special. We all get a menu.
There was a time, in a recently
remembered past, when your Austin
restaurant food options were thus:
“Would you like that chicken-fried
steak with or without cheese gravy?”
If you wanted a vegetarian meal, it
was either overdressed salad from a
bag or a forced bulgur march to
Mother’s. But now, you can have it
your way everywhere, no matter how
obscure that way might be.
At Odd Duck, an excellent eatery
in South Austin, DWOE is infinitely
on display. Odd Duck goes much
further than marking a menu item
with a little G in a circle. There are six
separate menus available in addition
to the main one: dairy-free, gluten-
free, a menu for celiac disease
sufferers (super gluten-free), nut-free,
pescatarian, and vegetarian. This
situation isn’t an outlier. More than
likely, it’s the dystopian menu future.
Or just the dystopian future, period,
though brown-rice veggie sushi at HEB
and gluten-free communion wafers
don’t exactly look like Blade Runner.
This is the birthplace of Whole Foods,
after all. Now the rest of the food scene
has caught up, largely thanks to a new
generation of customers who can order
a gluten-free beer with a straight face.
Just look at Austin’s gold standard
for fine dining, Uchi, and its sister
Uchiko. Perhaps feeling sorry for
diners who can’t enjoy the sinful foie
gras nigiri, the restaurants recently
announced a daily five-course
vegetarian tasting menu and a
monthly 10-course Omakase menu.
Omakase is a Japanese phrase that
means “I’ll leave it to you;” it comes
from the Japanese word for “entrust.”
As in trust the chef, which is slightly
ironic when you circle back to DWOE.
Overall, it’s good that modern
restaurants are sensitive to the
situation. Celiac disease causes great
suffering for many people, as does
lactose intolerance. And it’s both wise
and sensible not to eat meat.
But how much should we demand of
our restaurants? There’s a difference
between people with serious health
concerns and picky eaters who are
trying to turn ordering into an art
form. There are many different and
totally legitimate ways of eating, but
maybe some are best practiced at
home. You’re an adult and can figure
out what is and isn’t fish.
And now, if you’ll excuse me, my
chicken-fried steak with cheese sauce
has arrived. AW
HAVE IT YOUR WAYAUSTIN’S RESTAURANTS ARE CATERING TO OUR EVERY DIETARY DESIRE. EXCUSE ME, WAITER, IS THERE BREAD IN MY BREAD? BY NEAL POLLACK
156 AUSTINWAY.COM
AND FINALLY…
They choose us for fnancing and commercial banking services.
Treaty Oak Distilling Co. Gives Green Bank Five Stars
GREEN BANK, N.A. MEMBER FDIC EQUAL oppoRtUNIty LENDER
GreenBank.COm | 512.617.6850
1717 West 6th Street, Suite 110
Hand-crafed, Top-Shelf, Custom. Our bankers have added a new take to an industry built on consolidatons and
out-of-town guys—know your customers, know your town and get it done. The accolades are piling up and we get
to work with some prety neat clients.
Talk to Green Bank for commercial loans and real estate, lines of credit and business accounts. You’ll see why
Treaty Oak Distlling Co. and many other businesses raise their glasses to Green Bank.
e s t . 1 8 1 8
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