IkkiCon

 Hey kids!  Want to know the least amusing way to piss away $20 or more on New Years Weekend?  Go check out IkkiCon!

 IkkiCon is the slightly more bloated and pretentious older brother of the other Austin "anime" convention, Anime Overload.  Many of the vendors, local sponsors, and volunteers are the same at both conventions, but IkkiCon brings with it an overly commercialized feel.  Anime Overload is cobbled together each year by local folks who love Japanese Animation and Pop Culture.  It may not be as pretty as IkkiCon, but the vibe is far more personable.  I got the feeling from nearly everyone I dealt with at IkkiCon that the only aspect of me that was welcome at their convention was the greenbacks in my wallet.

 As I point out in the Anime Overload blog, there are two types of people patronizing these conventions; people who are really interest in Japanese animation and pop-culture in some manner and people who are just fans there to be seen in their costumes.  The conventions are designed for the first kind of people.  There is a full boat of seminars presented by a wide variety of people; animators, voice-actors, clothing and costume designers, models, toy-designers, artists, writers, etc.  IkkiCon has a far larger draw than Anime Overload, bringing in talent from all over the world to share with Austinites their skills and insights.

 Unfortunately, the majority of the patrons are there to be seen, not to see.  They have a cursory knowledge at best about the culture and the industry.  They just like to dress-up as their favorite cartoon (yeah, I said cartoon... that drives anime-geeks NUTS) character and mill about with other shallow morons pretending to matter for the weekend.

 Let me provide for you an example.  My daughter was dressed-up as a particular character, Cos-playing, but just walking the vendor alley with her sister and I.  Someone she met at Anime Overload saw her from down the hall, and ran up squealing about how she had missed my daughter and wondered were she had been (the convention started on Friday).  Now, here's the thing, during their hugging and cavorting, neither girl even attempted to call the other by name.  In fact, despite the advances in modern technology that allows each of us to stay in contact with one another, I don't think either of them had spoken or typed a word to one another since the Anime Overload convention some 6 months ago.  None of that mattered.  What mattered was the spectacle they were engaged in for the benefit of those who might be watching.  Each would be able to say that they were "connected" because they "knew" yet one more nerd at the cartoon-geek round-up.  

 This was the norm.  

 I overheard another couple of bloated sponge-funguses who managed to find a clean t-shirt and crawl out of their mother's basement discussing with a vendor their self-defense and survival skills.  These two man-boys had mistakenly convinced themselves that A) things learned during days of video-game playing would translate to the real-world when mommy finally kicks them out or dies and B) that the vendor actually cared about the bravado of yet another couple of dateless wonders.

 Sadly, IkkiCon saw fit to give these kinds of nerds some power.  First of all, let me say that it is a damn shame that you would have to pay $20 to see the vendors.  THE VENDORS, people, are the folks who have paid money themselves so that they can sell their wares to convention-goers.  IkkiCon saw fit to divide the vendors into two classes; amateurs who are in my opinion the heart-and-soul of the convention circuit and who are the featured vendors at Anime Overload, and professionals who have come all the way from China to sell their mass-marketed gear at a 2000% mark-up.  To see what the high-end vendors were pushing, you had to have paid for your pass.

 Now, there was one entrance to the main vendor room, and at that entrance was a hapless lass with a speech impediment who volunteered for this gig and was trying to get her hours in (otherwise she would lose her free pass).  At the back of the room were two exits each going into the same hall, and each doorway had posted a teen-geek that reminded me of the fry-cook from the Simpsons.  We walked out one of these exits, realized there was nothing to see there, and turned around to go back in to the vendor area. 

 "You have to go around to the entrance." the geek said.  "This is an exit."  There was no one around.  There was no crowd who's entrance and egress had to be carefully managed.  There was just a little nerd on a power-trip.  We walked back around and through again.  This time, I made clear in a load voice just how lucky we all were that the doorway-nazis had been posted, otherwise the ensuing chaos might have doomed us all.  

 IkkiCon could learn a few things from the smaller, friendlier, and better Anime Overload.  However, I have heard from those on the inside that Anime Overload is striving to be more like IkkiCon.  That would be a shame if it were to come about.  IkkiCon has the advantage of drawing in more talent, and therefore having more to offer those really interested in Japanese Pop Culture, but if it means having to wade through a crowd of idiots and to deal with assholes at every door, it simply isn't worth it.

The Lucky Lizard Curios and Gifts

 One of the first things I did when I moved to Austin was visit 6th Street.  6th Street one of the places that Austin is famous for, after all, and it seemed to be where all the action was.  I learned while in Europe that you need to get out and explore any city you move in to if you really want to enjoy it to its fullest.  I can take you on a tour to Frankfurt, Germany that would blow your mind, and I am quickly developing a similar knowledge of Austin. 

 Austin's catch-phrase is "Keep Austin Weird", a tribute to its artsy and liberal-hippy nature in an often overly conservative state.  Austin is known for its music, its art, its bat-colony, and is becoming known for film-production.  "Keep Austin Weird" has unfortunately been copy-righted and commercialized, and Austin struggles to become more like cities on the coasts, sacrificing much of its unique flavor.  A rare few businesses and venues in Austin work hard to truly keep Austin weird.

 One of the focal-points of weirdness in Austin is The Lucky Lizard Curios and Gifts.

 The Lucky Lizard is not your typical tourist-trap.  Its owners focus on things that are off-beat and "spooky".  The best expression of this idea in my mind are the comic books and television shows from the 1950s and '60s that focus on monsters and strangeness, like "Tales from the Crypt" or "The Twilight Zone".  I have always been drawn to strangeness of this nature; carnival spook-houses, side-shows, tattoo studios.  Probably explains why I became a tattoo artist.  The Lucky Lizard caters to all of these interests.

 When you walk-in, you will find all kinds of weird nick-knacks.  They carry a collection of plush animals and matching ceramic figurines, each with a grinning skull for a face.  A wide variety of Austin and horror-film inspired t-shirts lines one of the walls of the shop.  Jewelry and prints by local artisans dot the sales-floor.  They also carry numerous horror-film related toys and memorabilia, particularly related to the old black-and-white classics; Frankenstein, Dracula, The Mummy, The Wolf Man, and The Creature From the Black Lagoon. 

 And, it has The Museum of the Weird.

 The proprietors have assembled a collection of taxidermy oddities, horror-film props, wax-figures, and even a couple of actual mummies.  As you walk in, you are greeted by the "Zultan", a fortune-telling machine that was once popular on America's boardwalks and similar to the device featured in the Tom Hanks film Big.   The narrow hallway that makes up the bulk of the museum is CRAMMED with odd items and information about those items and the history of the American Sideshow, including a wax figure of P.T. Barnum.  You can walk the short hall in a few minutes, or spend an hour reading about the collection and checking out all the exhibits.  There is a selection of Bigfoot footprint casts and information about the legendary creature.  The walls feature heads of animals born with two-faces or beasts like the famous jackelope.  One display case is dedicated solely to deformed animals, such as calf with two-faces and 6 legs and a pig cyclopes.

 The first year I went, the hallway was the whole museum, which was more than enough.  I have taken my children back at least once a year since, and have made certain that friends visit the museum when they are in town.  The second year I visited, The Museum of the Weird was being expanded.  It featured a viewing area at the end of the hall where you could see the Egyptian Monitor Lizard for which the shop was named, along with two other little beasties.  The proprietors rescued and rehabilitated all of their lizards, and the Egyptian Monitor happily has the run of the place.

 My last visit, which was just this month, allowed my daughter and I to tour the completed expansion.  We were escorted past the lizard viewing area and up three stories to meet the Egyptian Monitor in person.  She was far more interested in getting outside for a little sun than basking in the attention of her fans, but I did get to pet her and ask questions about her, which was awesome (and a privilege I am not certain every visitor gets).  Then we were taken into The Museum of the Weird's theater.  Here was a small viewing room with chairs facing a stage were horror films are shown on Saturday Nights and where a side-show performer does his set.  

 These additions were made because The Lucky Lizard and The Museum of the Weird are striving to be more than just another off-beat shop in Austin.  They are offering something unique and special to the community, both for fans of strangeness and the artists that create it.  Saturday brings you a "family friendly" spook-show, and Sundays has been reserved for a BYOB showing of The Walking Dead television series.  Doc Ravencraft is available to perform seances, discuss the bizarre artifacts from the "Cabinet of Curiosities", and provide an entertaining journey into the paranormal.  It is an experience that is uniquely Austin, one that should not be missed.

 Even the websites are cool.  Check them out below, tune into Chris Walden's THE SHADOW HOUR on Wednesday nights, and interject a little strangeness into your world.  

 The Lucky Lizard Curios and Gifts

 412 E. 6th Street

 Austin, TX 78701

 512 476-5493

 The Museum of the Weird

 The Shadow Hour

The House of Torment

 Halloween is easily my favorite holiday.  I grew up in the 70's and 80's, when it was still common for kids to wander their neighborhoods with no concern about their safety.  Trick-or-treating was something that you perfected into an art form by the time you were 12.  I love horror films, ghost stories, monsters... and Halloween was a celebration of all the above.

 One of the Halloween Traditions that I have always enjoyed is the "spook-house".  In fact, when I go to carnivals, theme-parks, or festivals, if they have a spook-house, I check it out.  When I was a kid in Fort Wayne, Indiana, the best spook-house was the one put on by the local Boy Scouts at an old church; the Haunted Castle.  They still put it on every October, but the church has since been demolished.  Back then, spook-houses were usually put on by a local group trying to raise money for their organizations.  Now, franchises have stepped in with a goal of making a profit, for better or for worse. 

 The House of Torment is one of those franchise spook-houses.

 As an adult, my love of things scary has been shared with my daughters.  My eldest daughter is 17.  Next year, she might be busy with classes, busy with college, or would prefer to go with her friends.  I saw this year as possibly being the last year that she and I would be able to share in this tradition.  It had been a few years since we last went to a spook-house together (not counting the one at Six Flags and the one last year at the Texas Renaissance Festival), so I made a special point of going this year.

  The House of Torment probably has the largest advertising budget in our area.  They advertise on billboards, on radio, television spots, and have deals worked out with local businesses to give their customers discounts (I received a coupon from Sonic for $2 off my ticket price).  The local House of Torment is in a building that was formerly a movie-theater at Highland Mall.  This has been their site for several years, and they have permanent structures in place.  This tells me either they are making enough money to cover their rent of the site for the year during the season, or that the property owners also bought into the franchise.

  

 Either way, the House of Torment is the big money-maker among the seasonal spook-houses in Austin. 

 I was leaning toward going to the House of Torment simply because they are right down the road, they are the most visible, and their advertising suggests that they are the best in the area.  One ad claimed that they were rated as the #2 haunted house in the nation, and another placed them in the top 13.  Word-of-mouth, though, had not been in their favor.  I did some searches on-line, and found both positive and negative reviews, with a few complaining about how the crowd at the site were made up of "thugs and gang-bangers" and that the employees acted disinterested and bored, including the costumed actors.

 Still, I decided to give them a shot.

 The tickets were about $20 each, and paid for both "shows".  My Sonic coupon took $2 off each ticket, but had I planned this out a little more in advance I could have taken advantage of a Groupon purchase of about $15 for the VIP passes (normally $30 each).  I purchased my tickets on-line for the second show (7:30) on a Saturday.  We arrived early, expecting (correctly) a line, at 7pm.  Corrals were in place for each 30 minute showtime, and we were first to arrive for the 7:30 show.  Two different kinds of employees greeted us outside; guides in "House of Torment" t-shirts for crowd control and taking tickets, and actors in costume who entertained the crowds while they waited.

 The actors were very engaging, making jokes, acting spooky, and posing for pictures.  The costumes were impressive.  There was a girl (I am assuming it was a girl) dressed as a demented female robot.  Her costume had lights and made strange noises, and she would occasionally stop and "spit" a black fluid from the masks "mouth" onto the ground.  She walked in a stiff, mechanical manner and creeped people out.  Another actor was dressed as a pirate, spoke with kind of an Irish brogue, and cracked jokes as he worked the crowd.  The guides were polite and friendly... nothing like the negative reviews I had read.  The crowd itself was a diverse mix.  Highland Mall is in or near "da hood" and is the "bad mall" in Austin, but that was not reflected by the crowd that night.

 The spook-house itself was impressively decorated.  The lighting was minimal, foggy, and carried the sounds of creepy music and noises marked often with the shrieks of pre-teen girls either ahead or behind us (while waiting in line, a gaggle of 12-14 year old girls shrieked there heads off every time a costumed actor came near... who they thought they were putting on a show for I have no idea).  The costumed actors inside went out of their way to be creepy, and were all convincingly attired.  There were several animatronic characters, including a couple of massive demons, a flayed dog, and other strange beasts. 

 The House of Torment had several obstacles common to other spook-houses.  There was a rickety "bridge", an air-jet, a tilted-room, and one walk-way that was lined with air-bags, forcing you to push your way through the tight space.  There were no options on the path, you simply walked from area to area, with different spaces having different themes (one show was a burned-out future city, the other a pirate/jungle theme).  The lighting was consistent throughout, so no attempt was made to change the ambiance or using the lighting to frighten you.  

 The actors also only had really one trick in their bag.  The floors in most areas were smooth boards, allowing an actor with knee pads to slide suddenly at you after just a short run.  This might startle you the first few times, but after the 12th or 13 time you simple expected it.  It was the same in both shows.  The second show also ended abruptly in the gift shop.  I expected to be deposited there at the end, but not in half the time it took to get through the first show.

 For an extra $5, you could shoot at pop-up zombie-targets at a paint-ball shooting range.  We passed on that.

 While the House of Torment was not the scariest spook-house I had been in, it was impressive.  As to it being worth $20 a ticket, well, it was worth it to spend the evening with my daughter.  Otherwise, probably not.  No doubt there are other spook-houses in the area that are less expensive and probably are more exciting.     

The Bat City Bombshells

 If you were not in attendance for the It's Hot... Take It Off burlesque show September 10th featuring the Bat City Bombshells at the Red Shed Tavern, then you missed a great show.  At just $5 at the door, it was also probably the best ticket for the price in town that night.

 For those who are unfamiliar with the art of burlesque, American Burlesque (derived from the Victorian Era burlesque shows of Europe), are related to, at least in my mind, the shows of the Vaudeville Era.  Burlesque differs in that their main feature is the strip-tease, which is showcased with mildly raunchy comedy, playful musical skits, and dance numbers.  To me, burlesque represents a period of innocence in the American psyche, something more sexual than the typical Vaudeville Show but less jaded than the performances of Exotic Dancers in modern strip-clubs.  The girls in the burlesque shows that I have seen differ from their "exotic" counterparts in that they seem to genuinely be having fun.  Burlesque is about the tease, not the display.  The give-and-take between the performers and the audience is not as one-sided as it is in a "gentlemens club".  A burlesque show titillates and entertains.  It is a turn-on on more than just a physical level.

 Burlesque is simply more fun, and no troupe I have seen in Austin is more fun than the Bat City Bombshells.

 The show was emcee-ed by Nicole Lucas, a comedic wit that was sharp and sassy, a perfect compliment to the performers on the stage.  Cindi's Gifts provided a basket of erotic goodies that was raffled-off and some t-shirts that were handed-out during the show.  The Red Shed Tavern was a superb venue, offering a stage situated outdoors in a spacious and well manicured back-lot.  Even the weather co-operated, treating us to a break in our 100+ degree weather with a cool evening for the performance.

 The ladies were amazing.  The Bat City Bombshells mix classic burlesque skits and modern dance numbers.  The performers ranged from those having years of experience to a few girls who had never performed burlesque for a live audience until that night.  The skits were humorous, sexy, and fun.  Three of the girls, including the notorious Sherry Bomb, treated the audience to a feathered-fan strip-tease, a tradition in burlesque.  There were several sultry solo dances, a couple of the girls dressed as husband-and-wife did a skit and strip-tease about a woman who just had enough with being ignored, and the finale took the audience to a car-wash where the girls made getting a car clean a little dirty.  All the while, the girls were smiling, winking, and having just as much fun as we did in the audience.

 That is simply what makes burlesque great.

 The Bat City Bombshells are an Austin Original, appearing at finer venues all-over town.  Check out their website and like them on Facebook for details about the girls and up-coming shows.  Burlesque is a bit of lowbrow fun, and the Bat City Bombshells do it like no one else in town.

I love my life.

The Kolache Factory

 Before moving to Austin about, man, has it really been 7 years ago(?)... I had never heard of a "kolache".  Indiana is not exactly the center of the universe, so many of the trends that are common in civilization are unknown to the barbarians living deep in the cornfields of the Midwest.  A "kolache" in this case is an American version of a traditional Central European wedding dessert.  Of course, while theirs is filled with sweet fruits and jellies, we fill ours with meat, eggs, and vegetables and eat them for breakfast.

 We're kooky like that.

 This morning I was a little early arriving at the post office to ship about 3 dozen packages to eBay auction winners (check out my other blogs about an Exit Strategy).  Across the street from the Post Office I use on North Lamar is a Kolache Factory store.  I have had a kolache before, but never from the Kolache Factory.  The name makes me think of an automated-process involving conveyor belts or maybe a Rube Goldberg Machine.  The building is located near what I refer to as "the medical district" (due to the number of hospitals, doctors' offices, and medical-suppliers in the immediate area), and aside form the outdoor dining area it has the look of a small factory.

 Inside, the look is completely different, more like an up-scale doughnut-shop.  The two people behind the counter were friendly and quick to serve, and the kolaches; traditional and American, were on display behind them.  The guy who took my order pro-actively offered to heat mine up.  The microwaves are placed under the check-out counter, right at genital-level... which I am not certain is very safe for employees who might be employed there for a long period... but, fuck it, I don't work there and as long as their mutant radioactive kids have enough brain-cells to take my order in the future then they are welcome to continue to irradiate their genitals to their hearts-content.

 Though, now that I think about it, given where they place your food to "heat it up", it might be wise to be nice and polite to these guys.

 I ordered a sausage-and-cheese kolache and a ham-and-cheese croissant.  The kolache was basically a dinner roll with some cheese-paste and a clone of an Eckrich breakfast sausage in the middle.  The sausage and cheese was baked in the roll and doesn't stick out on either side like at some places, and the cheese was not overwhelming.  The most flavorful aspect of the kolache was the little bit of salted butter that had been brushed onto the roll, otherwise it was, well, a roll with sausage and cheese.

 The croissant was awesome.  Now, to be fair, I like croissants, so I may be a little biased.  My girlfriend does not like croissants, so no matter how I might rave about the filling, it is wrapped in what she would describe as a "vile waste of dough".  The filling in this pastry was excellent.  The ham is cubed to a point of almost being ground-ham, and the Swiss (?) cheese held all the ham together.  A "dollop" of ham is really the only way to describe it, like it had been placed in the croissant with a medium-size ice-cream scope.  

 The croissant rocked.

 The best part, though, was the price.  I spent less than $4 for two filling breakfast pastries.  

 The Kolache Factory is also a Texas original, starting near Houston about 25 years ago.  They are spreading out, coming to a town near you.  If you haven't checked them out yet or have one opening near where you are, I highly recommend paying them a visit.  It is hard to beat the value you get for the price.

The Kolache Factory

3706 North Lamar
Austin, TX 78705
512-467-2253

The Hideout

 Let's get something out of the way right now.  Fuck Starbuck's.  Fuck them right in their collective ears.  Starbuck's represents everything that is wrong with our Capitalist System of economics.  Sure, on the surface, you have an American business that has become successful... becoming the model for other coffeeshops across the country.  Indeed, they often buy-out those shops.  They provide jobs for good people and they have a brand that is followed by the masses all-over the world.  The downside is that the American Coffeeshop epitomizes the "mom-and-pop" business.  When someone opens a coffee-shop, it is usually themselves and their family members that actually operate it.  They are invested in how the business runs, knowing who their neighbors and customers are, and creating an environment.  Starbuck's tears the soul right-out of the coffeeshop.  Oh, sure... they pay lip-service to the idea of being a part of the community and they model themselves after the mom-and-pop shops, but when the people behind the counter are minimum-wage earners and not the people for whom this kind of business is a dream-come-true, when it is about peddling as many cups-o-joe as possible and not about creating a place... It just sucks.

 I don't do Starbuck's unless I want a coffee and there is no local option to choose from, and then I have to want coffee really, really bad.  

 With that said, let's talk about the Hideout Theater and Coffeeshop on Congress.  The Hideout caters to and has a focus upon performers; comedians, actors, vaudeville, and burlesque.  It is one of those businesses that "gets" what it is to be a part of Austin.  

 I love this place.

 The first time I visited, it was to catch a burlesque show.  The place was packed, but the folks behind the counter were jazzed about the crowd; happy, friendly, and quick-to-serve.  You could tell that the people were not just employees... they recognized that they were a part of something special, something that goes beyond serving coffee, beer, and sandwiches.  

 I'll talk about burlesque in another post.

 The coffeeshop rocks.  They have relatively the same drinks you would expect from the big corporate machine; frappes, cappuccinos, espresso drinks, etc.  The prices are competitive with those other places as well.  What you don't get at those other places is the atmosphere... the vibe.  Hanging on the walls of this place is a rotating display of art by local artists; whimsical, political, realistic, child-like... As an artist, I can tell you what a boon it is to have a place like The Hideout who will display your art.  Try walking into your local Starbuck's and getting your work displayed.  Yeah, not without going through and getting approved by the corporate office, and only if your work meets whatever standard they are trying to maintain as per their brand.  

 The food is drawn from other local businesses.  This morning I went in and had an espresso-shake made with Amy's Icecream, a croissant sandwich by a local vendor, and my girlfriend had breakfast tacos from Torchy's Tacos.  Even with the food and drinks offered, The Hideout is a hub for many things that are "Austin".

 The seating offers a variety of options, from over looking the street to sitting in a private corner in the back.  You can come in here on your own or with a large party, and not only find adequate seating, but you can usually be as open or private as you want.  My kids and I like to sit at the table that is on the stage (for when they have local musicians perform) and watch the early morning activity on Congress.  

 Even the music playing caters to the uniqueness and community conscious vibe of the place.  It's not piped in from some corporate-approved digital soundtrack, and is not your top-forty drivel.  Most mornings you will either hear from a local musician or they are pulling music from around the world.  It is always something different and always helps complete the mood.  The Hideout is the kind of coffeeshop where you can relax with your friends, sit on your computer and work on a book or artwork, or just get your thoughts in order.

The Coffeeshop supports the improv theater, which is the heart-and-soul of The Hideout.  These folks are students of just about every style of improv you can imagine; short form, long form, Chicago-Style, NY-Style, CA-Style, Austin-Style... especially Austin-Style.  They teach improv to those who are interested, even offering a free introductory class for the curious.  They are dedicated to their craft and keeping the art-form alive-and-well.  They offer classes for adults and children. 

 The Theater has something for everyone.  Comedy is their main billing; offering not only a venue for local, amateur, and professional comedians, both Stand-up and improv, but also a stage for a variety of performers.  You get the feeling that everyone involved feels like they are a part of a family, and that they are keeping something of the essential showman experience alive from the days of vaudeville. There are several shows each week, and every show is unique.  For those who are looking for something "Austin" to do, The Hideout is one of the best tickets in town. 

 I cannot recommend this place more highly.  Check out The Hideout for coffee in the morning, for information about what is going on with the creative community, and for an entertaining evening.  

 The Hideout Theater and Coffeeshop

 617 Congress Ave  

 Austin, TX 78701

(512) 443-3688 (H-I-D-E-O-U-T)

The Cedar Door

 The Cedar Door on 2nd (Willie Nelson Blvd) and Brazos has been an Austin Original since 1975.  What drew our attention is its claim as the "Home of the Original Mexican Martini".  In my review of Chuy's, I point to their Mexican Martini as one of the best in Austin, so it only made sense that I needed to try the original.

 Recently remodeled, the Cedar Door has an impressive outdoor seating section overlooking Brazos, banquet rooms, and glass garage doors facing 2nd St.  The interior was spacious, with large flat-screen television within easy viewing distance in any direction you looked but also not everywhere you turned you head.  You could watch the televisions or focus on the conversation at the table with equal ease.  

 The staff was friendly, and it seemed like the servers make a point of letting you enjoy your food and the atmosphere while themselves not getting in the way.  Our waitress did not hover around our table or her section of the restaurant, but kept our drinks filled.  The check came a little more slowly than I would have liked, but then it is the kind of place that encourages you to sit and relax.

 The menu, which also recently changed, included what I would consider common sports-bar fare.  For example, we ordered fried mushrooms as an appetizer and I had the chicken-friend chicken.  The fried mushrooms were similar to those you get at Cheddar's, and the chicken-friend chicken was a step below Applebee's.  Price-wise, though, these same items were slightly less expensive than from the two places I mentioned.  We went with the top-shelf Mexican Martini, and we didn't like it as much as its counterpart of Chuy's.  It was good, maybe even a little smoother than Chuy's Mexican Martini, but it lacked the same spicy-kick.  

 If you are not a fan of spicy food, then you would probably favor the Cedar Door's drink over Chuy's. 

 Over all, it was a cool place to eat; just a couple of blocks from 6th St, good food, great atmosphere, and a competitive price.  If you are looking for a place that everyone can afford to hang-out at before hitting the bars on 6th St, then check out the Cedar Door.

 The Cedar Door

 2nd and Brazos

 Austin, TX

 512-473-3712