Fall is finally here y’all!! The heat in Austin has been so overwhelming the past few weeks so when we woke up to weather in the 50s, Will and I decided to have date night at one of our favorite outdoor spots, Cosmic Coffee and Beer Garden. Although Cosmic has a gravel patio, I just knew I had to break in my favorite new shoes from Zara!
Y’all…these shoes are an absolute dream!! They are like Manolo Blahnik and Amina Muaddi had an affordable baby!
I didn’t expect this, but baby blue or powder blue has become my most worn shade this month and might be my favorite color for fall. Here’s what I threw together to pair with my shoes.
There are few things I love more in life than a good happy hour. Luckily, some of the top restaurants in Austin love them too and offer some of the best food and drinks in town at a fraction of the price. From $5 martinis to 50 percent off on food and wine, I’m breaking down my five go to spots for happy hour in Austin.
Taking the top spot on my list is Clark’s. We love going to Clark’s any day and any time so I especially love going when I can get a deal on my favorite food and drinks. Will and I love a good martini–Hendricks with a twist, straight up–so you can catch us here having a little tini time and enjoying the most delicious burger and fries in town for half-off!!
The Deal:
Monday-Friday: 3-5 p.m.
$5 Martinis, oyster shooters and draft beer, half off burgers and 50 cents off oysters.
Saturday and Sunday: 3-5 p.m.
Half off all bottles of wine.
2. Jeffrey’s
Jeffrey’s is not only probably the best restaurant in town (in my opinion), they also have one of the best happy hours. I love this happy hour because they change it each night so it isn’t just the same deal every day. As a wino, I live for their Sunday night deal, which is half-off ALL wines, because I get a chance to try some of the most beautiful wines in the world at a really accessible price point.
The Deal:
Monday: All night
25 percent off all items marked with a diamond and $2 off beverages.
Tuesday-Sunday: 5-6 p.m.
25 percent off all items marked with a diamond and $2 off beverages.
Sunday: All night
Half-off any bottle from the Jeffrey’s Cellar.
3. Buffalina Due
When we first moved to Austin last year, I fell in love with Buffalina and when they closed, I was devastated. Luckily, they have a second location in north Austin and I make Will go as often as possible! Is there anything better than half-off on a beautiful bottle of wine and a couple of pizzas? I think not. A must-try if you are in Austin!
The Deal:
Seven Days a Week: 4–5:30 p.m.
Half off all wines under $100, $5 house wine, $5 draft beer, half off all pizza
4. Neighborhood Sushi
Many Austinites will tell you to try Uchi while you’re in town, but my go-to spot for sushi is Neighborhood Sushi. I love their vegetable tempura and I think their sushi is the best in Austin. They also have the perfect location right on South Congress so once you’re done with happy hour, you can walk down the street to enjoy some of the live music Austin has to offer.
The Deal:
Monday-Friday: 4:30-6 p.m.
$10 beer and a sake, $2 off drinks, 25 percent off all food.
5. The Backspace
We love the Backspace! It is a hidden gem in downtown Austin that serves incredible pizza and wines (lots of other food and drinks too, these are just my faves.)
The Deal:
Tuesday-Saturday: 5-6:30 p.m.
Half-off antipasti and half-off beers and wines by the glass.
I hope you get a chance to try these spots out soon! What are your favorite happy hours in Austin?! Leave me a comment and let me know!
We have had wild few weeks here in Austin! After finding out our lease couldn’t be renewed on our current house, we decided to buy our first house. While the process was wild–have you heard about the real estate market in Austin?!–we finally found a house and are moving in this weekend. To celebrate, I wore my current favorite dress. I love this dress because you can easily wear it during the day with tennis shoes or turn it into a sexy look for the evening.
Celebrating closing on our first house!! I wore the dress loosely here without attaching any of the buttons and paired it with my favorite Vejas.
To transition this look from day to evening, simply swap the tennis shoes for heels, add some hoop earnings and a great clutch. by fastening the buttons on the front and back, this dress goes from casual and comfy to chic and sexy.
From day to night, I have been living in this dress. While it is a little bit pricey, I believe it is worth the money. Not only is it machine washable, it is also incredibly versatile. In the fall I plan to pair it with tan knee-high boots…stay tuned for that!
Austin has been my home for a year now. When we moved in March of 2020, the world seemed to be crumbling around us and it took me a while to get acquainted with the city. But now, a little more than a year since we moved, I feel like I’m fully at home here and want to share my favorite parts of the city with all of you.
If you’ve been following me for a while or follow my Instagram account, you’ll know that I’m a pretty big foodie. So it’s only fitting that I start off this list by talking about my favorite restaurants in Austin. I broke this one up into two categories–my favorite places for brunch and lunch and another one for my favorite dinners in Austin. I did this because Austin is very vibey. I usually enjoy places with great patios more during the daytime and a sophisticated interior for the evening. So here we go!
Whether you’re visiting Austin for a quick weekend or live here full time, you’ll want to check these brunch/lunch spots out. I personally live for a Saturday brunch or long, bougie lunch during the week and Austin has the dreamiest restaurants that were basically made to do just that. First things first, Clark’s is my Mecca. I live for everything about Clark’s. In my eyes, they can do no wrong–even though most of their seating is now in their parking lot and it backs up to king of a noisy street, I just love it! Order yourself a bottle of wine, oysters and some shoestring fries and just enjoy your day! Truly the best.
I also love Josephine House and Aba for lunch and brunch. I will say that Josephine House is more of a vibe place for me than great food, but it is lovely and so nice for a girls brunch. Now Aba is a totally different story. They have the best patio in Austin, in my opinion, and incredible food! If you go, make sure you’re sitting outside and order some cocktails, the lamb ragu hummus, the whipped feta and the hamachi.
Jeffrey’s, ATX Cocina, Launderette
When it comes to dinner, I live for these three spots. They are totally different cuisine wise and by occasion. If you’re looking for a good, somewhat casual dinner, I would definitely recommend Launderette. Located in the up-and-coming East Austin, this spot is very hip and the food makes me feel like I’m hanging out in the south of France. When we go, I order the Brussel Sprouts, whole fish and french fries.
If you’re looking for an upscale, cosmopolitan Mexican restaurant, look no further than ATX Cocina. Our friends took us for the first time when we were preparing to move to Austin and we go back all the time now! In addition to having the coolest interior, they also have incredible cocktails, an impressive wine list and AMAZING food! We always get the chips and guac (duh), the octopus, the queso fundido and the pork tomahawk.
For special occasions and VERY romantic date nights, you have to go to Jeffrey’s. The Austin staple is located in Old Clarksville (the cutest neighborhood in Austin) and has the most sophisticated and cozy interior of any restaurant in town. If you can, ask to be seated in one of the booth enclaves. Pre-pandemic, Jeffrey’s was known for their martini cart–where they would make you a martini table side. I can say even without the cart, the martinis are incredible and not to be missed. Once your mini-time is over, take a look at their impressive wine list (we love the Châteauneuf-du Pape and Frog’s Leap) and literally anything on the menu. The steaks are SO good and the sides and starters don’t disappoint either. Jeffrey’s is the nicest restaurant in Austin and probably the most expensive too. If you’re looking to save some money, but have a great experience, go on a Sunday night when their entire wine list is half off!!
Thank the lord Austin is such an active town so I have a chance to walk off all of the food I eat here! When we moved to Austin last March, pretty much the only thing that was open was the trail around Town Lake and I pretty much went every day. The Trail Foundation made a huge effort to make the trail safe to all during the pandemic and it was such a solace for me. I still walk it regularly now with Charlie and we also love to go paddle boarding on the lake! It is such a fun workout and you and your significant other/friends can pack a picnic on the water by connecting your boards and floating together.
Although we have lived in Texas for more than seven years, we never really explored anything outside of Houston and Dallas until we moved to Austin. We have barely scratched the surface when it comes to visiting all of the Lone Star state, but we have totally fallen in love with the Texas Hill Country and wineries. The best part is that most of these within an hour of Austin so we can do a quick day trip or have a nice weekend away. Our favorite places in the Hill Country so far are Round Top, Dripping Springs and Fredericksburg.
BASICALLY BRIT 