Spiderhouse United States Art Authority 2906 Fruth in Austin

Austin has a strong and vibrant art community and anytime a new venue opens where artists can showcase their work, it is a good thing. If they sell beer and wine it's even better. Spiderhouse fills the bill with their latest acquisition of the old Austin Plasma Center building. Instead of bums and students selling their bodily fluids the building now gives starving artists and budding performance art practitioners a place to show what they've got. There is a pretty good size room with a stage and a small gallery in the front as well as a separate room that houses a handsome looking bar. It is located near the corner of Guadalupe and 29th Street directly next door to Ruby's BBQ and easily within walking distance of the University of Texas at Austin. As of right now they are only open for special events but they seem to have one or two a week at least. I know they have already hosted art openings and a fashion show and I'll keep and eye on their calendar for future occasions. The exterior looks like some sort of government building on the front. In fact it reminds me of a small town post office, but both sides of the building are adorned in huge and very interesting looking murals, both black and white and full spectrum color. Along with the original Spiderhouse and their subsidiary businesses, Eco Clean and I Love Video this is a much needed and greatly appreciated addition to the alternative art scene that helps make Austin what it is. http://www.spiderhousecafe.com/

Milto's at 29th and Guadalupe in Austin Texas

Let's face it, drinking a beer or mixed drink in a different bar everyday for a year is a hard thing to do, but finding a different place that sells a beer, for on site consumption, every day is a little less difficult. All you have to do is have a beer license in Austin Texas to have me blog about you and I welcome suggestions. This place is considered a two fer because I made a video next door, and then this one, which made it two for one stop. Actually three, which you will see tomorrow. This is the best Pizza in town for people who love thin crust New York City and Long Island Style Pizza. They sell beer and they stick to a recipe that works. They used to be painted up like a New York City "Big Apple" tourist T-Shirt but that decor changed with the times. The pizza did not. They still make the best New York City Style pie in town by far, hands down. I like some other Pizza joints around here and they make great Western and Central New York State style Pizza's, but Milto's has the city, NYC, down pat. It's on Guadalupe at 29th in a very hopping and vibrant part of town. Of course, the same could be said for much of the rest of Austin as well, and much will be in days to come. You'll just have to tune in every day to find out. Milto's has calories with no guiltos, baby. Plus salads, spaghetti, cheesecake, vino and of course, beer.

J Black's Feel Good Bar on West 6th Sixth Street in Austin Texas

Location, location, location. I guess you've heard that before, haven't you? I think it might be because it is such true and accurate advice. This place would die in a shopping center in far South Austin but it is a huge success in the downtown West Sixth Street Entertainment District. This is my favorite restaurant and bar section of town. There are at least ten eating and drinking establishments within a short walk of each other and the Whole Foods Flagship Store and National Headquarters is located at the end of the street just across Lamar from the best record store in America: Waterloo Records. Across the street from them is BookPeople and REI, well you get my point. J Black's Feel Good Bar is where I would take a date once I knew her well enough to hope that she would become amorous at the end of the evening. Fifth or sixth date, no pressure, great dinner in a very swanky cool joint and your odds skyrocket. It's so strange how such a blatant ploy can still work so well in this modern skeptical world. When I asked to take pictures in this place they were fine with it but they wanted me to wait until they had put away all of the bottles of liquor that were sitting on the bar as a result of restocking. I only had 20 minutes left on the parking meter so I ignored their request and you can't even tell. Not to mention the fact that it makes no sense to hide that you are doing a huge bar business, in a very successful and swanky joint, on the best side of town. Anyway, this is a great place with nice furniture and unique architectural details like the exposed beam, wicked looking ceiling in the back lounging area and the deck on the roof. Be sure to click on the pictures to enlarge them and look at all of the neat details. Cork Floor is some great stuff, check it out. http://www.jblacks.com/

Ruby's BBQ at Guadalupe and 29th Street near U.T. in Austin Texas

I've seen Ruby's BBQ thousands of times as I have driven north on Guadalupe Blvd. (the drag)near the University of Texas in Austin. I don't know why I have never gone in there before but there seem to be a lot of places in Austin that I am aware of yet never patronized. I guess there are just so many choices that I could never visit everyplace, so I don't even try. This blog has changed all of that and I have to be adventuresome if I'm going to stand any chance of getting my daily fix of pictures and video to keep this string going. In the case of Ruby's that is a good thing for me. This place has a look and feel to it that is enticing and the aroma is heavenly. Nothing smells better than woodsmoke and meat except maybe kind bud but we're not going to go there. They serve about a dozen different premium beers and a bunch of domestics but the main focus is on ribs and brisket and they seem to have them mastered. The place had a steady stream of customers for the half hour I hung around and when people would get up from their table and leave all that remained were a few rib bones, sucked clean, and a big wad of messy paper towels. The decor is pretty interesting with thousands of posters plastering the walls in the outdoor patio section and lots of odd and unique artifacts on display inside. Lots of notable musicians and visiting dignitaries have passed through their doors and they have mementos from many of them adorning the wall space. It's an easy place to find if you are ever in Austin. It's located between Milto's Mediterranean Cafe and The Spider House Art Space at the corner of 29th Street and Guadalupe Blvd. just past the Chevron Station when travelling north. I can't personally vouch for their food because I still haven't ever had any of it, but if I had asked around I'm sure I could have found a dozen people who would. They all seemed to know the menu by heart and that tells you something.

http://rubysbbq.com/

Jovita's on South First Street in Old South Austin Texas

Jovita's opened in 1992 but I swear it feels like I have been going there longer than fifteen years. I remember the first year they opened my buddy Will Indian called me up to make sure I would come and see his band The Rhythm Rats and I said hell yeah, but I'd never been to Jovita's before and wasn't sure where it was so I called some other Mexican Restaurant with a similar sounding name and they gave me directions to the new place in town. The first time I went there it was just a little house that had an addition tacked on the back and an old garage used for beer storage but it already had character and was mostly an outdoor, nice weather place. Every year since then it has gotten better and bigger and more and more impressive, obviously they have good construction worker connections and they pump much of the profit back into the property. What I'm really impressed with is all of the new stonework. If they cover the north wall with stone they can forget about further expansion in that direction but they will have a hell of a fortress. Actually, I think the place is the perfect size right now but I know I would change my mind if I went in and couldn't find a seat. That's just the kind of guy I am. Cornell Hurd plays on Thursday Nights and just about anybody else in the world could show up on the other nights. Plus, the food is pretty damn good. I've eaten a bunch of it and I'm not done yet. One thing I really like about this place is the people. The faces change but they are always friendly. I asked the girl working the bar and cash register if I could take pictures and she said sure. Later, a guy came in and he started talking to me as I was taking video. I should have stopped and talked to him because the girl told him that she told me that it was O.K. to take pictures and she asked if he was alright with that. I heard him say: "We like cameras" and I realized then that he was probably the boss.

http://www.jovitas.com/

Saxon Pub on South Lamar Blvd. in Austin Texas

About halfway between downtown Austin and the Broken Spoke there is a big suit of armor, made out of sheet metal, standing by the side of the road on South Lamar Boulevard, it is pretty hard to miss if you ever drive that route. When you see it you are at the Saxon Pub, a South Austin Institution. If you are like me and prefer your bars to be of the dark in the daytime variety, this is about as close to heaven as you can get. The bar owner turned up some of the lights so I could make a video and it still took some manipulation in the processing to brighten things up enough to be visible. Near darkness and video don't go well together but near darkness and cold beer get along just fine. This place has smaller suits of armor strategically placed around the place, and the sound system for live music is one of the best in the city. Speaking of live music, they sure have the bases covered with as many as four different bands in a single evening; starting around 6 p.m. and going late into the night. Many big names have graced the stage from Willie Nelson to Bonnie Raitt but they were just sitting in with the booked acts like Willie's daughter and Bonnie's old guitar player, Stephen Bruton. I've recorded some YouTube music videos in there myself, in the past, but my camera can't come close to the sound and feel of the live performances. It's just something you have to experience first hand. The place is pretty spacious, as far a neighborhood bars go, and although their parking lot isn't huge I've parked next door at Binswanger Glass, after they've closed for the day, and there has never been a problem or even a threat of being towed away. This is the kind of place that always has a few familiar faces at the bar and often plays host to international music fans from all over the world. It's a must visit during SXSW and you never know who might drop in and play a tune or two. I don't write reviews, but if I did this would be a five star joint. Oh, and what they say about no one under 21 permitted in the bar is a fact I can attest to. Actually, just being over 21 isn't enough, you had better be able to prove it and a New York State drivers license won't do unless you are already obviously well past 21. I know because I got kicked out of the bar, along with my 23 year old nephew, back in 2000. I guess you can't be too careful when your liquor license depends on it. Of course, it didn't stop me from going back by myself the next time I felt like it. Let the youngsters fend for themselves is what I say.

http://www.thesaxonpub.com/

http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/story?oid=oid%3A82418