EASTside April/May

EAST Farm Fresh THE FRESHER

side

OF AUSTIN

choosing food with care

RBI AUSTIN

MORE THAN JUST A GAME

BREAKFAST

for any appetite

9

MAY 12, 2016

TICKETS AVAILABLE AT; WWW.FOTOSDEMIALMA.COM

WWW.LATINITASMAGAZINE.ORG

eastside / editor’s note

Stay Tuned W

ell, our first publication went out in February, and it has been a tense and rewarding adventure (as it is with any new project). Our whole family got involved in delivering magazines; even our two 4-year-olds were fantastic little troopers as we took to the streets. We are truly blessed to have such a talented team of writers and photographers working towards a common goal of sharing beautiful and engaging stories, leaving readers feeling more connected and having a greater appreciation for their community.

There’s a plethora of untold stories here. We are just on the cusp of getting them to you since only so much content can fit into each issue. We love that a good amount of non-profit organizations reside on the east side, and we get to tell about the wonderful things they are doing in the community. We love that it’s an eclectic group of individuals who make up Austin’s history (and future)—those personal stories will be told too. As we are digging deeper, we are continually meeting people who are using their passions and abilities to shape our culture in a positive way.

In this issue, we are privileged to tell just a few of the stories that involve this region’s farmland.

East Austin has fertile soil where we can share, commune, and eat together over a tasty meal brought to you by the farmers down the road (that’s as fresh as it gets, folks!) And those fresh meals are prepared by some of the best culinary talent this town has to offer or can even be prepared by you to be enjoyed over a picnic table in your backyard or neighborhood park.

LET US SHOWCASE WHAT'S Great ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS

We were pleasantly surprised by all the positive feedback and enjoy hearing the numerous story ideas of the incredible things going on here. Austin has so much to offer, but there is something special about the personality of the east side, and our goal is to capture that as we tell your story. We are looking forward to telling more stories just like these. So stay tuned.

Sincerely,

For More Information Contact us at

Will & Ashley Bowling info@eastsideatx.com

EAST Farm Fresh THE FRESHER

On the Cover We headed out to Springdale Farm on a rainy Wednesday to watch them pick their fresh carrots, beats, kale and harvest their newly laid duck and chicken eggs. For the cover shoot, co-owner Paula Foore, arranged a portion of the days gatherings in a nice basket, and with about 10 clicks of the camera a clean and fresh cover was born compliments of Eric Morales.

side

OF AUSTIN

choosing food with care

RBI AUSTIN

MORE THAN JUST A GAME

Springdale Farms is located at 755 Springdale Rd. and their indoor farm stand is open 9am-1pm every Wednesday & Saturday. www.springdalefarmaustin.com

[the fresher side of austin]

BREAKFAST

for any appetite

advertise@ eastsideatx.com Get all that is in this issue and more every day at EASTSIDEATX.com eastsideatx.com

3

www.ngkf.com

p, who has plans to open up a second Rainey Street. The bar features plenty eer and food.

THE 78702 4pm - 12am, Wed-Sun: 11am-12am

ommercial Real Estate News for East Austin

Hours: M-T

EAST THE FRESHER

n the move: live oak brewing company COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE FOR EAST AUSTIN

OF AUSTIN

1801 East 51st Street, Suite 365-501 Austin, Texas 78722 512.809.9804 eastsideatx.com 3301 E 5th St, Austin, TX 78702

Live Oak Brewing founder Chip McElroy has purchased that 22Publisher acre property to turn into brewery’s new home, a move that will Nillo the Studios allow Live Oak to begin canning their beers and to double producCreative Will Bowling tion capacity within aDirector year of moving into a 22,000 sq. ft. brewing facility.

Managing Editor Ashley Bowling

We approach each client’s real estate needs with a methodology that analyzes the financial, cultural, operational and strategic impacts of their real estate strategies as they relate to their business operations.

Live Oak Brewing is truly a home-grown Austin enterPhotoCompany Editor Eric Morales prise. We are the city’s oldest craft brewery, making extraordinary lagers and Account ales since 1997. Live employs an old-world style Executive LoriOak Bodine of brewing rarely found in America today but practiced extensively Copy Editor Bowen throughout Germany and thePam Czech Republic.

Culinary Contributor Chambers for the project, and OPA Design Studio handled theTaylor architecture BIG RED DOG Engineering handled the Civil Engineering. Structura Culinary Photographer Ashley Haguewood is the general contractor. Live Oak hopes to move in to their new digs later this year.

Contributing Photographers Whitney Runyon, Jen Rachid, Chrissy Dollar, Jessica Klima

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Contributing Writers Jess Hagemann, Rick McGee, Camille Smith, Adam Gestwicki, Blakely Kneisley, Eric Morales, Ben Haguewood

OPENING

ut Newmark Grubb Knight Frank - Austin • Investment Sales

Jacob Hernandez Eastside Austin Specialist

side December 2015

Submissions info@eastsideatx.com

Advertising advertise@eastsideatx.com

Copyright © 2016 Nillo Studios, LLC. EASTside Magazine is published by Nillo Studios, LLC. No portion may be reproduced without express written consent. Editorial or advertising does not constitute advice, but is rather considered informative. Expressed opinions are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ownership.

D: 512.329.2783 M: 936.648.8813 jahernandez@ngkf.com

The Lustre Pearl bar has CONNECT WITH USopened! The new location is located at 114 Linden Street. The bar is owned by www.eastsideatx.com Bridget Dunlap, who has plans to open up a second eastsideatxmag location on 94 Rainey eastsideatxmag Street. The bar features plenty of cocktails, beer and food. eastsideatxmag

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Hours: M-Tue: 4pm - 12am, Wed-Sun: 11am-12am

4 EASTside | Apr/May 2016

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contents

26 features

Editor’s Note 03

14 A Healthy Edge

EASTside Local 06 Art+Entertainment 09 Style+Beauty 20

A small seed planted by the YWCA more than four decades ago to foster community gardens has blossomed into a multi-layered nonprofit that helps east-siders live a healthier life.

Waking up on the East Side 44 24 Breakfast is the most important meal of the day! Here on the east side we have endless options on how and where to fill our stomachs as we begin our morning routine.

We’ve narrowed it down to just a few places serving up the best—from the glutenous, to the traditional, to the freshest, in order to appease any appetite.

Go+Do 33

36 RBI Austin: More than just a Game

Home+Away 41 Sip+Taste 45

14 [the fresher side of austin]

RBI Austin is so much more than baseball; it is working to help kids on the east side and beyond get through their youth and adolescence knowing they always have a large support group to get them to a place where they are self-sustainable and able to thrive.

eastsideatx.com

5

eastside / local

PHOTO BY: ASHLEY HAGUEWOOD

EAST AUSTIN THERE’S SOMETHING COOL HAPPENING HERE

2131 THEO DRIVE

523 THOMPSON

BUY, SELL, LEASE

DELEA BECKER 512.472.8833

DELEA@BECKREIT.COM BECKREITCRE.COM

Q& A

solar panel ASK AN EXPERT

East-sider and solar panel expert, Jeff Wolfe, gives you everything you need to know when considering alternative energy.

In your opinion, what are the top 5 reasons to go solar? Independence from

nies in Austin” and get a pretty good list of the local firms, but I recommend doing homework on each one. Keep in mind; reviews are readily available online but can be tricky to navigate.

For someone just starting to think about solar panels, where should they start or to whom should they talk?

Every hour the sun pelts the earth with enough energy, in the form of photons, to satisfy global energy needs for an entire year. Current solar technology can convert about 15-20% into usable electricity for homes and businesses. Solar panels convert the photons from the sun into DC current and inverters convert that DC current into the usable AC electricity.

rate changes: saving money and feel good about where your energy comes from. It’s cool. Why wouldn’t you unless you have lots of trees?

There’s a cool startup here in Austin called SolarAdvisors (thesolaradvisors.com). For a reasonable fee, they help you design the right system, get competing bids, and pick the right contractor.

They will also evaluate any existing bid you may already have. You can Google “Solar Compa6 EASTside | Apr/May 2016

find more at eastsideatx.com

How does solar equipment work?

What maintenance is required for solar power systems? How long does the solar equipment last? Little to no maintenance is re-

quired. The equipment should last for 25 years or more.

Solar panels can be a huge investment. How long does it take in Austin before the savings outweigh the cost?

Between a 30% federal tax credit and a rebate provided by Austin Energy, you can see a return on investment between 6-10 years depending on which equipment and contractor you pick. Don’t forget that houses with solar PV systems sell faster, and the system will add non-taxable value to your home.

Is there an impact on one’s property taxes? Solar energy systems are exempt from property taxes in Texas, but you must fill out and file an application with the Comptroller of Texas.

What is the proper orientation for the solar collector to be the most effective? Are some houses not suited for solar panels because of roof orientation or shady trees? Solar panels can be placed

east, south and west. Due south will produce the most energy, but all 3 are okay.

Austin Energy requires a 6-hour window of full sun to qualify for the rebate, so homes with lots of trees shading the roof will probably not qualify.

How does one estimate the best number or power output of solar panels for their home? Typically, roof space is the limiting factor,

but as a rule of thumb, I never recommend producing more than 80-90% of your monthly electrical needs from solar energy. At least not until battery storage is cost effective. In my experience, a 7kW system, or about twenty-three 300W solar panels, will meet this rule for the average house in Central Texas.

How does one measure the size and amount of solar panels needed? Every house is totally unique, so the best way is getting a consulta-

tion from a local solar contractor or SolarAdvisors. Most of the industry will measure your roof with satellite imagery and give a recommendation based on how much you can fit on your roof combined with your monthly electrical consumption. If you have your bills on hand, they will generally turn around a proposal in less than 24 hours.

With solar panels, do people sometimes go “off-the-grid” or always stay connected? 95% of the market is grid-connected today. Unless you’re building a house where there’s no existing utility infrastructure, the cost of batteries is cost prohibitive to offer anything more than back-up when the grid is down.

Any thoughts of the future of Austin and solar panels, with respect to energy consumption and population growth?

Bloomberg has called solar the fastest growing source of electrical generation in the U.S., and we may already be at the point where solar energy is meeting all new energy demands, at least in certain regions. As costs continue to drop, I’m confident solar will continue supplying an increasing amount of Austin and U.S. energy needs.

Rebates for solar panels are decreasing, but the cost of solar panels also has been decreasing. Is now a good time to buy?

I’ve been in the industry for 12 years, and every year I’ve said the same thing, “Now is the time to buy!” And honestly, the payback period has been relatively consistent over the years as Austin Energy likes to maintain a rebate level that supports the payback I’ve mentioned before. So as equipment prices come down, Austin Energy adjusts the rebate level. But yes, the rebate in Austin is slated to be phased out over the next few years, and I don’t believe technology prices will make up for the difference for a few years after that. So take advantage of it while you can!

contact:

www.solaredge.us

[the fresher side of austin]

ALHWEDDINGS.COM INFO@ALHWEDDINGS.COM 512.431.4161 eastsideatx.com

7

O U R FAV E E V E N T S

Pick 8

FOR THE EAST SIDE

&

APRIL MAY The Horsepower Rodeo

April 8-10 MotoGP is the fastest and wildest motorcycle racing in the world. These bikes are completely custom speed machines, built purely for the GP series with 240-horsepower. Unlike any other motorcycle racing series, these bikes are built from scratch. The MotoGP pilots are the fiercest competitors on two wheels. The battles are intense; the rivalries run deep. General admission single day passes are $39-$59. circuitoftheamericas.com | 9201 Circuit of the Americas Blvd.

Celebrate Me!

April 9, 12-4pm George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center presents a global, cultural, educational event that provides children with the opportunity to explore other cultures by learning and experiencing the music, dance and stories that are central to a particular culture from around the world! Free for all ages. carvermuseum.org | 1165 Angelina Street

Plant-Based Cooking On a Budget

April 16, 10am-12pm Learn to harness the healing power of a plant diet with Dr. Dane Mosher and Chef Priti Bhatt of West Holistic Medicine at the Sustainable Food Center. Explore how phytonutrients— the naturally protective chemicals found in plants—support good health and why going organic doesn’t have to break the bank.

8 EASTside | Apr/May 2016

Recipes include Mixed Berry Kanten and Kale-Currant Salad with Miso Lemon Dressing. Participants leave with insights into nutritional approaches to healing and tools needed to go green!

Tickets: $40 donation which goes to help families in need learn how to cook. sustainablefoodcenter.org | 2921 E 17th St. Bldg. C

Farmgrass Fest 2016

May 14-15, 1:30pm Saturday & 12pm Sunday.

This is a charitable event you don’t want to miss, hosted by Simmons Family Farm in nearby Niederwald. Proceeds go to an emergency medical fund to help farmers in central Texas. The line-up includes Doug Moreland, Shinyribs, & more. Plus food from some of the tastiest food trucks in Austin and a kids activity area sponsored by Energy Island. Tickets are $40-$125; kids are free. farmgrass.org | 100 Simmons Family Farm Road, Niederwald, Texas (off of CR 224)

Jeff Dunham “Perfectly Unbalanced” Tour

May 5, 7:30pm Popular comedian, Jeff Dunham, is loading up the bus (along with his cast of characters) and heading to the Frank Erwin Center for their “Perfectly Unbalanced” tour. Dunham has been named Pollstar’s #1 Comedy Tour in North America for 3 years running and has set the record for viewership on Comedy Central. Tickets are $47. www.uterwincenter.com | 1701 Red River

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Untapped Festival Austin

May 14, 3-10:30pm This popular 5th annual festival at Carson Creek Ranch features over 75 breweries, 300 great brews and a stellar music line up spanning two stages with bands like Atlas Genius, Deletion 3030, Jr Jr, Kaleo and more. Don’t miss the VIP ‘Stout Package’ to Untapped Austin, giving festival-goers access to early entry, the Untapped Clubhouse, side stage access, an open bar featuring beer and wine. Plus food from some of Austin’s best restaurants. Tickets range from $32-$137. untapped-festival.com | 629 Dalton Lane

Journey and The Doobie Brothers

May 18, 7pm Journey and The Doobie Brothers will bring the “San Francisco Fest 2016” tour to the Austin 360 Amphitheater. These two iconic groups helped define the “San Francisco Sound.” This time they are performing with special guest, Dave Mason. Tickets are $40-$135. austin360amphitheater.com | 9201 Circuit of the Americas Blvd.

Weird! True Hollywood Tales: The Beatles Story

May 21, 8pm The Salvage Vanguard Theater hosts bi-monthly lectures revolving around a historical theme with related biographies. THT is a pop culture history lecture series that focuses on the fascinating lives and strange deaths of iconic celebrities, Hollywood tragedies, and shocking scandals from the 20th century.

Tickets are $10. salvagevanguard.org | 2803 Manor Road

Arts + entertainment April + May 2016

10 enter-

tainment TERRANY JONES EXPANDS THE SPACE FOR SOUND.

12 art in the making ARMADILLO CLAY HAS BEEN MAKING THE

A place for the particularly savvy potters Page 12

GROUND WORK FOR EAST SIDE ARTISTS FOR DECADES.

eastside / entertainment

THE VALUE OF ART IN MUSIC Thoughts from Austin’s Rap Ambassador, Tee Double WORDS BY: ADAM GESTWICKI PHOTOS BY: ERIC MORALES

10 EASTside | Apr/May 2016

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For most musicians starting out, they sometimes don’t understand the business behind music, how to make themselves lucrative, or how to brand their work as valuable. They don’t know if there’s space for their sound.

Terrany will tell you, “Sometimes artists are so happy they get into a venue; they don’t care what the stipulations are. They see getting a few free beers as thanks enough for a half hour set.” In no other business are three beers enough compensation for the work provided, so why is that suddenly okay in these situations?

T

errany Johnson, rapping under the moniker Tee Double, began making music at the age of 7. By the age of 9, he produced and shipped out his first mix tape. On weekends, he’d go to Sears with his mother.

While she shopped, he’d rig up microphones to tape recorders, press play on one stereo and record on another. He’d make a demo tape in the time it took her to shop or at least have a few tracks down before customer service got wind of what he was doing. You can probably guess this was the 90’s with the technology he was working with.

Fast forward to today—his home studio is more impressive than most recording spaces.

There’s a lineage of gear stacked up: each keyboard and drum machine iconic for the certain sounds it produces. Walk into the room and you’ll be met with a continuous pulsing of sound, rhythmically weaving itself together, encasing you into a beat. Every time he mentions a keyboard, he talks about the importance of its unique sound. Its signature tone is something the machine owns and can’t be duplicated. That’s wisdom he expels to anyone else with whom he works: “Own your Music.” Adherent to that ideology, it’s important to put value on your art and craft. His belief is that “other people won’t value it, or give it any worth until you see the value in it first.”

He hasn’t slowed down since his start but has gone on with the same tenacity, releasing at least two albums per year, and being an active proponent in Austin’s music community, whether it be through working on the board at SXSW or Black Fret, an organization that serves to give financial support and music grants to up-and-coming artists and groups.

All of his work has culminated into founding and working through the UAA (Urban Austin Alliance).

“I started the Alliance as a means to help artists where I wish I would’ve had help.

Not only in talking to venues, but helping them understand how to manage their income, save for recording equipment, even sometimes helping them record and produce. That can be a struggle, when you’ve been broke, and someone gives you $5,000. In the long run, $5,000 is nothing if you don’t use it the right way. In the moment, it looks like every problem you’ve ever had has been solved and you’ve got everything you’ve ever wanted… and you finally have enough for that PS4 you wanted.”

He says he’s called the Ambassador because he’s the guy who gets things done—the guy who doesn’t mind being in the trenches with venues and making sure everyone’s getting what they deserve. He’s constantly working and making a space for sound in Austin for up-and-coming R&B artists. This is not to say that venues are the enemy. Terrany will say that when artists succeed, the venue succeeds. People get excited about talent, they want to see talent, and venues should be looking for what they find of value in you, rather than just filling a bill.

[the fresher side of austin]

“Other people won’t value it, or give it any worth until you see the value in it first.”

contact:

terrany@kineticglobal.net teedouble.com teedouble.com/UAA.html terranyjohnson kineticglobal TerranyJohnson

eastsideatx.com

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eastside / art

Warm Hearts, Dirty Hands inside austin’s oldest father-son owned pottery supply store WORDS BY: JESS HAGEMANN PHOTOS BY: ERIC MORALES

“It’s not very glamorous,” Craig Freiburger, owner of Armadillo Clay and Supplies, says by way of apology, but I can already tell this is where the magic happens.

A

bright and cheery storefront greets the casual shopper as soon as she walks in the door. My first thought is, “Okay, what part of my budget can I allocate to art supplies this month?” as the offerings on display go far beyond the expected clay. Sure, there are glazes, bisque ware, and of course wet clay available, as well as slip for sale by the gallon, but there are also paintbrushes, glass sheets and rods for fusing and lampworking, not to mention a full bookstore. My favorite part is the example of what glazed bisque ware looks like, showcasing the potential inherent in raw material.

Behind the scenes, things get even more interesting. A giant sheet metal warehouse extends above and behind the storefront, housing pieces of machinery both familiar and unfamiliar. Forklifts cart heavy bags of pulverized clay powder from as far away as Kentucky and South Carolina. The powder is mixed with clay balls, flux, and sand inside multiple lofted metal vats to produce Armadillo’s signature red and white clay bases, in addition to custom clay mixes for particularly savvy potters.

As Craig explains, red clay gets it color from the higher iron content. Iron can react with a glaze during the firing process, creating all kinds of different effects in the finished piece; for that reason, it’s important to keep the red and white clays separated. Reasons that people might want custom mixes include sculptors who need more grit for their hand-built structures to resist shrinkage, versus potters who throw clay on a wheel and require a smoother, creamier consistency.

Armadillo Clay’s customer base ranges from high school art classes to art therapists and professional potters all around Texas. Craig,

12 EASTside | Apr/May 2016

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haul. But why fix what isn’t broken? Craig’s adult son Brent, who will inherit Dad’s business, likes what he calls Armadillo’s “antiquated” ways. “We know our customers by their first names.”

a longtime potter himself, initially rented studio space in the warehouse to local potters but had to stop once liability became an issue. He still owns a couple oxidation kilns that the public can rent to fire their pieces, and Armadillo also hosts classes and gallery exhibits several times a year. You can check out their glazing workshop May 14-15, or see about renting their gorgeous outdoor sculpture patio for a private event.

All of Armadillo’s ten employees, Brent jokes, “have their PhDs in Ceramics.” With over 200 combined years’ experience, any staff member can answer just about any clay-related question. As a team, they have offered unbeatable service and product quality for over 35 years and can boast of a clientele that has experienced little turnover for that same reason. “It’s the best part of the job,” both Craig and Brent affirm. “People keep coming back to us. We’re like one big family here.” There’s room for more!

Though the east side has seen its fair share of change since 1979, when Craig first bought the acre that Armadillo sits on, the business itself operates much the same as it ever did.

Purchase orders and receipts are still filled out by hand; it was a “big deal” when the website recently got its much-needed over-

Native Knowledge: Check out Armadillo’s glazing workshop May 14-15, or even see about renting their gorgeous outdoor sculpture patio for a private event.

“With over 200 combined years’ experience, any staff member can answer just about any clay-related question.”

WHERE WE CAME FROM Owner Craig Freiburger moved from California to Austin in 1978 after graduating with a Bachelors degree in Art. He purchased the

east side property where Armadillo Clay and Supplies was born. The business he named for the old Armadillo World Headquarters,

a famous Austin music venue dismantled in 1980. Parts of Armadillo’s warehouse were salvaged from The ‘Dillo’s wreckage.

[the fresher side of austin]

These days, Armadillo is surrounded by other artists’ studios and workshops, and funky food trailers like Flitch Coffee just three blocks north.

contact:

512.385.7311 3307 E 4th Street armadilloclay.com armadilloclay armadillo_clay

eastsideatx.com

13

“Food is part of all of us.

It’s a shared existence.”

14 EASTside | Apr/May 2016

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A Healthy Edge Sustainable Food Center

A small seed planted by the YWCA more than four decades ago to foster community gardens has blossomed into a multi-layered nonprofit that helps east-siders live a healthier life.

“We serve people who eat,” says Ronda Rutledge, Executive Director.

“We help the low income mom who is struggling to put healthy food on the table and the foodie who wants to eat local and enjoys the gourmet aspect of food.”

Housed in a nonprofit village near the MLK metro rail on East 17th Street, the Sustainable Food Center (SFC) building is solar-powered and a 4-star rated green energy space with a commercial kitchen and community room that can be rented to the public for community events, neighborhood meetings, dinners and birthday parties.

The impetus for SFC was growing healthy food, and it has not strayed

far from its roots. On the SFC grounds is a teaching garden and community garden. Even the second floor balcony squeezes in a small garden with a mix of foods, some used in cooking classes held downstairs. east Austin has some of the most fertile farmland in central Texas, though less than 1% of food consumed in Austin is sourced locally. “Our approach to food security goes back to that philosophy of teaching a man to fish,” adds Ronda. “The beautiful thing about Austin is that we all have things to learn from each other, walking alongside the people that we serve. We believe that the community’s inherent power and leadership is the foundation for a truly equitable and sustainable food system.”

WORDS BY: RICK MCGEE PHOTOS BY: ERIC MORALES

[the fresher side of austin]

eastsideatx.com

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Everyone Can Participate As the population of east Austin shifts like many communities across the country, SFC has orchestrated an economic circle of life. A wide array of cooking classes are offered to the public: some for a fee and some for free. Monies generated from fee-based classes help support those provided for free. “People that can afford the fee-based classes get a great deal and also know their contributions are helping others in the community,” says Betsy Boone, Marketing and PR Manager.

Impact Beyond the East Side The impact of SFC is felt throughout Austin and in some cases, other parts of the country. “We were born on the east side of Austin 40 years ago and have grown into a sustainable food thought leader,” Ronda says with pride. While much of the healthy food action begins at the SFC building, most of the real game is played in kitchens, yards, schools, churches, farms and farmers’ markets spread across town and from coast to coast. SFC has provided ‘seed to table’ training for communities from California to North Carolina. Closer to home, SFC manages four farmers’ markets across the city. “We bring the management, volunteers, information tent, infrastructure for credit card payment, double dollar program, live music, and local farmers and food vendors bring the good food,” adds Ronda.

Simple Steps In 2008 when people across east Austin felt economic hardship, low-income families had to rely on 16 EASTside | Apr/May 2016

food banks and scramble to grow their own food.

SFC could not keep seeds on their shelves. Through its “Spread The Harvest” project, SFC seeks to reduce financial barriers by providing free gardening materials, including seeds. “The majority of our clients can’t afford to shop at a Whole Foods, nor do they have one in their neighborhood,” says Ronda.

SFC encourages clients to grow and prepare food with produce like kohlrabi, a root vegetable that grows like a weed and can be turned into all kinds of amazing dishes. It might be weird looking, yet it’s grown in abundance around Austin. “The Happy Kitchen/La Cocina Alegre® program teaches families to take advantage of locally grown produce mixed with condiments, spices and other foods they buy at the grocery store,” Ronda explains.

Other small changes people learn are to switch cooking oils, avoid soda, and change to 1% milk rather than 2%.

The Hunger Gap A native Cherokee from Big Spring, Texas, with twin daughters and a full plate at the office, Ronda somehow finds time to focus on larger issues that impact the healthy lives of families in east Austin.

When asked what keeps her up at night, Ronda quips, “Climate change. There might be a vegetable garden at the White House, which is a great image, but our government is not making enough real progress, and we still incentivize commodity crops over fruits and vegetables.” As she reflects on this thought, Ronda smiles: “We can close the hunger gap by teaching families to grow, share and prepare healthy foods on their own.”

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Grow Local

• Community gardening classes • Public gardening classes • Garden leadership training • Spread the Harvest project • Citizen Gardener certification Summer camps and field trips

Farm Direct

• Four SFC Farmers’ Markets (Downtown, Sunset Valley, The Triangle, East) • Double Dollar Incentive Program • Farm to School • Farm to Work • Farm to Cafeteria

The Happy Kitchen La Cocina Alegre®

• Community cooking and nutrition classes • Public cooking and nutrition classes • Worksite Wellness cooking classes • Private cooking classes • Summer camps and field trips • Commercial kitchen and community room rental

“We can close the hunger gap by teaching families to grow, share and prepare healthy foods on their own.”

Begin Your Healthy Journey Sustainable Food Center is adding a sweet touch to its gardens and food classes: honey. A new apiary will open this spring and essential bee keeping classes begin April 17.

Upcoming Classes:

Cook Healthy 91 Cents Self-prepared healthy food is not just good for you; it’s also very affordable. The Happy Kitchen cookbook (page 147) compiles the list of ingredients to make spaghetti squash with garlic and parsley.

This nutritious entrée is recommended for autumn and winter and covers the ‘veggies and grains’ food groups at a cost of 91 cents for each of four servings. “It might take more time to eat healthy foods that you prepare yourself than hitting the fast food restaurant on the way home from work. If you have 30 minutes or an hour, get to it,” encourages Joy Casnovsky, Program Director of The Happy Kitchen.

Learn Near Home Joy’s cadre of 43 facilitators enable The Happy Kitchen to teach healthy cooking principles to more than 600 people in their own communities each year. Food behaviors are altered in six-week courses as students learn to cook healthy, consume more fruits and vegetables and take advantage of unprocessed foods. They also learn how to simplify the complex nutrition labels at grocery stores. “Students learn that 5% is low and 20% is high, rather than worrying about milligrams. They gain confidence to identify healthy foods and knowledge to buy, grow and cook with nutrition in mind,” says Joy.

Cooking at Church A forty-three year background in nursing prepared Jackie Williams to help educate and empower her

community to eat healthier, cook seasonally and more affordably. “Being in the health profession made me realize people do not know how to eat healthy nor understand the impact of unhealthy food on their lives,” Jackie says with urgency.

Each September, Jackie facilitates the six-week cooking class at Greater Mt. Zion Baptist Church for thirty participants, an extension of The Happy Kitchen program. Jackie emphasizes local, seasonal and cultural appropriate foods while also encouraging attendees to shop at farmers’ markets and grow their own food.

Students also learn to change their food buying patterns. “My students become grocery store basket watchers,” Jackie says proudly. Her eyes sparkle as she talks about experimenting with new foods and fun snacks. A class favorite is popcorn cauliflower that is seasoned, roasted and mixed with turmeric, a cancer fighting plant long used in Chinese and Indian medicines. Jackie’s next class this September will be somewhat special. “It will be a new class in a new commercial kitchen at a brand new church,” Jackie enthuses.

HEB Partnership Removing obstacles to healthier lives is an overriding goal at The Healthy Kitchen and its partnership with HEB who provides funding for cooking classes, some provided at five local stores.

Eager participants learn about locally grown foods and seasonal selections all the while knowing the ingredients can be found in the grocery aisles where they take classes.

[the fresher side of austin]

• Intro to Food Gardening • Home Composting • Essential Beekeeping Skills • Grow your Medicine: Cultivating, Harvesting and Storing Herbs • Seed Saving • Rainwater Harvesting • Community Garden Leadership Training • Gone Wild: Recipes for Gut Health • Essential Knife Skills • To Your Health: Plant-Based Cooking on a Budget • Savor the Flavor: Cooking with Herbs • Handmade with Love: Natural Bath and Beauty Products • Spice it Up: The Healing Power of Spices • To Your Health: Medicinal Uses of Herbs • Yes, We Can: Tomatoes • Butchery for the Home Cook: Making Homemade Jerky For more details and a full list of classes, visit sustainablefoodcenter.org/get-involved/classes-events

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“Community gardens require sustained support from the larger community, not just one person. It’s a social endeavor as much as a science project.”

PHOTOS BY: CHRISSY DOLLAR

Grow Healthy Food Garden Stewards

Growing & Learning

The term anthropology is derived from Greek words and literally translated means ‘the study of the human.’ Along with a degree in biology, it provides a necessary background for Sari Albornoz, Grow Local Program Director, to build an extended community of Garden Stewards across Austin. “Community gardens require sustained support from the larger community, not just one person. It’s a social endeavor as much as a science project,” states Sari. What separates successful community gardens from those that fail is often social and organizational skills like team building, conflict resolution, effective communication, and appealing to interests rather than positions. “It’s amazing to see people gain skills they can apply more broadly in their lives as they build and support a community garden,” Sari adds.

An IRS Taxpayer Advocate by day and a Community Garden Volunteer by night keeps Regina Mitchell’s hands full and sometimes dirty.

Children swarm around her with never ending questions. “Kids are usually hesitant their first day, so I show them a bug and they scream ooh!” laughs Regina as she wipes a spec of mud from her cheek. “Then we smell the herbs, and I give them vegetables to take home or a flower for their mama.” The tricks of an experienced gardener are well played at Festival Beach Community Garden.

A Sensory Interaction The Grow Local Program has influenced more than 120 school gardens, over 55 community gardens and hundreds of family gardens around Austin. Children exposed to community gardens at a young age have a sensory interaction with healthy food. They smell the soil, see a carrot being pulled from the ground, feel the sun and wind on their faces and hear the birds chirp, all while creating lasting, powerful memories about nutritional food. “Food is part of all of us,” comments Sari. “It’s a shared existence.”

18 EASTside | Apr/May 2016

find more at eastsideatx.com

An idle two acres owned by Austin Parks & Recreation is now a fertile haven for gardeners in a ‘first of a kind deal’ coordinated by SFC, managed by volunteers, enjoyed by the community and replicated five times across the city. “Our role is more administrative now that we are rolling,” says Sari.

“Volunteers like Regina make things happen.”

Two heart attacks at a young age and memories of her daddy gardening in the backyard spurred Regina toward her new passion. “It really made me think about the foods I put in my body,” comments Regina. People from all over the world live in the nearby community. They rent affordable plots or volunteer to work the soil. “We might not share the same tongue, but we all speak garden language,” smiles Regina.

Create a Healthy Relationship Connecting Urban & Rural

Springdale Farm Partnership

A Local Food System

Where can you obtain fresh produce and meats, grab a taco for lunch, listen to live music and meet a farmer or two? At one of seventeen farmers’ markets around Austin, four of them created and managed by SFC. Of particular interest to fixed income residents is the Double Dollar Incentive Program sponsored by SFC and funded by a variety of foundations and the City of Austin. Participants receive dollar for dollar matching up to $20, for monies spent on fruits and vegetables at farmers’ markets. “We often hear people could not afford to feed their family fresh produce without the Double Dollar program,” states Andrew Smiley, Deputy Director.

In 1992, Glenn and Paula Foore started a landscape business in east Austin, enticed by an economic redevelopment program to hire east-siders. Seventeen years later, they rolled the dice and founded Springdale Farm. “I’ve always been a gardener,” reflects Glenn. “So we grew into a farm.”

The local food system enabled by Springdale Farm and other urban farmers allows the Austin community to connect and learn about healthy food from each other. “There’s no reason to make a 60,000 mile salad,” smiles Glenn as he shared an insiders’ joke about the aggregate distance traveled for the foods in a typical salad bowl. Participants at farmers’ markets and Springdale Farm build relationships with their very own farmer right in the neighborhood and farmers build loyal customers in return. “It’s all about connecting urban and rural together through social and commercial interactions. It makes everyone more invested in each other,” adds Andrew.

Smiley wears the look of his namesake when asked the typical reaction of a first time Double Dollar cardholder at a farmers’ market. “Initially there’s trepidation because of the unfamiliar surroundings.

We seek out newcomers and introduce them to local farmers and quickly watch meaningful relationships form, some that remain in place for many years.”

Situated on 5 acres a short three miles from the State Capital, Springdale Farm welcomes a broad community of foodies, restaurant chefs and participants in the SFC Double Dollar program where “$20 gets you $40,” reminds Andrew. Paula and Glenn are on a mission to steal customers away from fast food restaurants and put the best possible healthy food on everyone’s table. “Our community includes the grower, the cooker, and the eater,” says Glenn. “And our partnership with SFC enables us to make healthy, affordable food accessible to everyone.”

It’s more than an urban farm on Springdale Road. There are food trucks, dinners, events, school tours, bicycle groups and weddings. One evening the Texas Cattlemen Association sent 150 people over for dinner. “Sometimes it feels like I am holding three basketballs under water at the same time,” remarks Paula.

“There are many entry points into sustainable food for anyone who wants to eat healthier,” Ronda enthuses. “Start by growing your own food or take a cooking class to learn about knife skills and healthy dishes, or make a farmer your new friend at a farmers’ market.”

contact:

512.236.0074 2921 E 17th St. Bldg. C sustainablefoodcenter.org sfclocal SFClocal SustainableFoodCenter

“Our partnership with SFC enables us to make healthy, affordable food accessible to everyone.” [the fresher side of austin]

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theof return retro Vintage-inspired fashion is back! Designers are combining groovy florals with flattering shapes to show off fun and classic personalities. Infusing florals, colors, and funky-intricate patterns into a wardrobe can bring a modern twist to retro silhouettes. Mixing these classic designs with emblematic accessories keeps you looking eclectic and intriguing. Be certain you’re strolling in style with these retro finds from Recollect Vintage.

20 EASTside | Apr/May 2016

Vintage 1970 Neiman Marcus Floral Garland Minidress

by Recollect Vintage

find more at eastsideatx.com

Style + beauty

April + May 2016

20 retro

fashion

beauty

Modest yet bold is the statement to make.

WE’VE GOT YOU COVERED WITH RETRO FINDS FROM RECOLLECT VINTAGE. PLUS A SIMPLE,

Loose but structured

YET BOLD, LOOK TO

curls, thick bangs

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fun-colorful shadows shaping the eye. Pink highlights the cheek bones, and simple, modest lips let the eyes do all the talking.

SILHOUETTE.

contacts+credits: Model: Taylor Brandegee | @taydevochka Stylist: Afsaneh Taki | @afsanehtaki Photographer: Eric Morales | @ericmphoto Wardrobe Provided by: Recollect Vintage @recollectvintage recollectvintage.com

Vintage 1970s Psychedelic Print Cotton Dress

by Recollect Vintage

22 EASTside | Apr/May 2016

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Vintage 1960s Floral Print Trellis Dress

by Recollect Vintage

“Classic Champagne Cocktail” with bitters & sugar

by Bribery Bakery

“Franny” vodka, rosemary, blood orange, & bubbles

by Bribery Bakery

[the fresher side of austin]

eastsideatx.com

23

1960s Neiman Marcus Teal Boucle Suit & 1960s Florence Alper Rainbow Agate Blouse

by Recollect Vintage

Breakfast The Fresh, Hardy & Down Right DecAdent

24 EASTside | Apr/May 2016

find more at eastsideatx.com

NATIVE KNOWLEDGE

Sprinkles Anyone?

Bribery Bakery Decadent Desserts & Delicious Design WORDS BY: JESS HAGEMANN PHOTOS BY: ERIC MORALES

The bribes found at Bribery Bakery are the type you’ll want to give yourself as a reward for a hard day’s work. Indulgence is easier—and yummier!— than ever before with the opening of Bribery’s newest location in the ground floor of the Mueller AMLI Apartments.

Stop by first thing in the morning for savory bacon and gruyere popovers or cream cheese-frosted cinnamon rolls literally as big as your face. Come back for the after-school happy hour from 3-6pm, offering two-dollar discounts on literary-themed cocktails and reduced-price cupcakes for the kiddos, or wine and late-night plated desserts.

On the dessert menu, between Caramel Creme Brûlée and Strawberry Grapefruit Mousse, you’ll find Billie’s Sundae, named for owner Jodi Elliot’s eight-year-old daughter. Billie’s Sundae features all her favorites: vanilla bean ice cream, hot fudge, brownie bits, and lots of cherries. Eight of them to be exact.

If you ask Jodi about her favorite sweet treat, it’s the chocolate chunk pecan cookies. They’re substantial, she says, for “when you want something that’s going to do the trick. They’re satisfying and have a little bit of everything, both the sweet and the salty.”

Bribery also offers at least one naturally gluten-free option every day, usually some form of a delicacy layering custards, nuts, and cremes. These are not necessarily ‘healthier’ options, but as Jodi says, “If you’re going to do dessert, you might as well do it right!”

Exquisite pastries demand an equally sumptuous environment. Patrons equate Bribery’s unmistakable

interior (from the floral damask wallpaper to neon lighting, everything is a shocking shade of fuchsia) with the experience of “walking into a dollhouse.”

Gilt-framed mirrors and velvet-upholstered thronestyle chairs lend the whole cafe a sense of luxury, while fairytale details like tabletop glass shaker jars full of sprinkles (so you can add sugar to your sugar) keep the cafe as fun and kid-friendly as it is perfect for a date.

Jodi adds: “Interior design is my outlet. I wanted [Bribery] to be fun, whimsical, and bright. It should be a treat to come here. Everything is so neutral these days.

Browns, tans, grays. Dining should be an experience.

People can’t help but smile and be in a better mood when they’re surrounded by bright colors!”

Passersby are sure to be tempted by the threedimensional display case that juts out over the sidewalk to make sure it won’t be missed. Inspired by New York’s famous window displays, Jodi alternately themes the case around upcoming holidays or to showcase local art.

Bribery is far from Jodi’s first foray into the industry.

She took her first kitchen job at age 16 in San Antonio, then went on to attend the Culinary Institute of America. There she specialized in pastry arts, a niche that took her variously to London, New York City, and

[the fresher side of austin]

THIS LOCATION IS OPEN WED - SUN AND CLOSED ON MON & TUES. STAY TUNED AS JODI ANTICIPATES TUESDAYS TO BE RESERVED FOR COMMUNITY “DINNERS" AS SHE PLANS TO HOST OR RENT OUT THE SPACE FOR PRIVATE EVENTS.

Portland, Oregon.

After moving back to Texas in 2009, Jodi helped open Foreign and Domestic, another east Austin restaurant, where she introduced Saturday morning “Bake Sales.” Her baked goods became so popular that her fans encouraged her to open her own bakery—and Bribery was born.

The Mueller location is her second store and currently employs fifteen, most of them women, as Jodi finds it’s great to be surrounded by ‘girl power’ in a male-dominated industry.

contact:

512.297.2720 1900 Simond Ave. #300 briberybakery.com briberybakerymueller briberybakery briberybakery

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Republic of Meat

Dai Due

The Bounty of Texas and a Roaming Chef Find a Home in East Austin.

WORDS BY: BEN HAGUEWOOD PHOTOS BY: ASHLEY HAGUEWOOD

Chef Jesse Griffiths is not a secessionist, but if Texas did leave The Union, it wouldn’t affect his menu. The in-season fruits and vegetables, varied range of beer, wine, sodas and native Yaupon tea, cuts of meats – butchered from whole animals (pork, beef, venison, quail, and more) – even the olive oil, come from inside the state’s borders, and the closer to Austin the better.

26 EASTside | Apr/May 2016

find more at eastsideatx.com

NATIVE KNOWLEDGE

JOIN DAI DUE’S SUPPER CLUB! IT’S A CHEF-CHOSEN SET MENU OF VARIOUS COURSES WHERE EVERYONE EATS THE SAME THING. DEPENDING ON THE NIGHT, THE MENU WILL INCLUDE A MAIN COURSE OF WILD GAME, TEXAS GULF SEAFOOD, OR FRIED OR GRILLED LOCAL CHICKEN.

contact:

512.524.0688 2406 Manor Rd. daidue.com daidue

Dai Due’s storefront opened in August 2014, but Chef Griffiths is no new kid on the block. The Denton native moved to Austin to cook and work in the service industry in 1998 and has lived within walking distance of the Manor location ever since.

The combination restaurant-butcher shop is not just a shrewd way to make an extra buck, but a culmination of years of experience and long-term relationships with farmers and ranchers.

Long-time Austinites will recognize Jesse from Austin farmers’ markets, both downtown and Mueller, where his booth sold fresh, organic meats and sausages, or from the mobile supper club where he first combined his butchering and cooking skills for guests. Now they’ve found a home and full expression at every meal.

The nightly supper club continues to get deserved attention, but the breakfast and lunch menu shows a range and level of attention infrequently lavished on humble dishes like biscuits and gravy, pancakes, burgers, and hash (made from housecured meats, sweet potatoes, fennel, scarlet turnip, eggs and beet ketchup) to give you an idea. Like every dish Chef Grif-

fiths creates, the ingredients are at the fore, and the commitment to seasonal vegetables and recently butchered meats does not translate into a limitation. The Central Texas Breakfast, for example, resembles the same components one might find at a national chain diner (eggs, grits, bacon, sausage, toast and jam), but to call the ingredients simple ignores the skill and effort that brought them to the table. The eggs come from an heirloom flock in east Austin, and the proof is in the bright creamy yolk. The grits are ground from Texas-farmed corn, and the difference in texture and flavor will make you wonder what you ate at that continental breakfast buffet. The sausage is made from free-roaming venison, and the thick-cut bacon is substantial, hardly resembling the flimsy stuff at the supermarket. Add in biscuits, velvety churned butter, and jam that clearly began its life as actual fruit, all made in-house, and you’ll understand the proverb for which the restaurant is named, “from the two kingdoms of nature, choose food with care.”

You only get so many meals out, so choose your restaurant with care.

[the fresher side of austin]

eastsideatx.com

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A Brunch for All Seasons

Hillside Farmacy WORDS BY: BEN HAGUEWOOD PHOTOS BY: ASHLEY HAGUEWOOD

As the temperature rises in Austin, days will grow longer and the nights later. Whether you’re looking to soothe a headache or cause one, Hillside Farmacy has a cure.

28 EASTside | Apr/May 2016

find more at eastsideatx.com

At three years old, it’s fair to call Hillside Farmacy an east Austin brunch mainstay, but that does not mean it, or its menu, is static. Chef and Co-Owner Sonia Cote awaits the change of the seasons the way only a chef can, thinking through new dishes and updates to existing ones that will showcase spring’s harvest – much of it coming from the east side urban farms of which Chef Cote is both patron and champion.

Hillside Farmacy serves a robust lunch and dinner menu rounded out with charcuterie, cheeses, and a fresh raw bar, but much of the original inspiration for the restaurant came from couple and co-owners Jade Place and Gregg Mathews’ craving for hearty brunches, punctuated with (and prolonged by) stiff drinks, that they missed from their stint in Brooklyn. For obvious reasons, walking distance was key.

The East 11th location once anchored the neighborhood with east Austin’s first pharmacy but sat vacant for years before the Hillside owners began restoration.

They retained much of the neighborhood institution’s important legacy in more than name only. The walls are lined with refur-

bished shelves, and the full bar hints at the soda fountain past in appearance and playful reference on the drink list, serving inventive and classic mixtures like the Country Doctor (ginger, fresh apple, and cinnamon) and the traditional Brooklyn egg cream—both ideal vessels for a shot of whiskey or other booze from the bar.

As seasons change, many of the brunch favorites will stay but will be lighter on the palate. The rustic ‘eggs in a bowl’ dish, for example, will feature locally raised Happy Chick Farm eggs poached and nestled atop cubes of country bread, sautéed kale, and ripe tomatoes. Fresh, local produce, much of it grown in east side soil, is incorporated across the range of dishes on Hillside’s diverse menu, from the light fruit-filled parfait, the rotating omelet, or the plentiful mac and cheese, “loaded” with pancetta, broccoli, and topped with a poached egg – bulging with viscous golden yolk.

For this east Austin staple, fresh produce equates to a fresh menu that you don’t want to miss. So head to the Farmacy next time you’re aching for a hearty meal or needing a stiff cocktail.

[the fresher side of austin]

NATIVE KNOWLEDGE

HALF PRICE OYSTERS ON MONDAYS 5PM TO CLOSE.

contact:

512.628.0168 1209 E 11th St. hillsidefarmacy.com hillsidefarmacy

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NATIVE KNOWLEDGE

SATURDAY AND SUNDAY BRUNCH OFFERS $2 BLOODY MARYS AND MIMOSAS

Tacos make up the bulk of the menu, and breakfast is served all day. Diners can build their own taco, choosing from the twenty-plus items, or choose one of the menu’s signature combinations like the popular Flaco (spinach, egg, mushrooms, tomato, and cheese) or add an egg to any combination. The Hatch (hatch chiles, black beans, guacamole, cheese, and pico) and the filling Paco’s Pick (steak, potatoes, poblano, and grilled peppers) are favorites.

However, it’s not all meat and potatoes. Paco’s menu has evolved with Austin’s taste and is happy to use recent local purveyors, including vegan chorizo made from local chef-prepared Tempeh and High Brew coffee brewed by their east Austin neighbors.

If you have time to linger, the menu includes a full array of traditional plates, tortas, and gorditas, and take advantage of the generous Happy Hour (from 4-9pm, Tuesday-Friday), which is best enjoyed on the crushed granite patio, surrounded by sun-worn leather saddles, rusted horseshoes, and aging beverage signs tacked to the walls. But if you have to be in the office early, take it to go, and start the day replete with a taco worthy of being called a meal.

Paco’s Tacos

WORDS BY: BEN HAGUEWOOD PHOTOS BY: ASHLEY HAGUEWOOD

Sometimes you want more than the basic two-ingredient breakfast taco, ubiquitous in Austin from gas stations and trailers to chain restaurants, but you don’t want to make a serious study of an overly clever menu or test your stomach with curious ingredients before you’ve digested the morning news.

Paco’s Tacos strikes the welcome balance of familiar and distinct with a blend of traditional methods, ingredients, and made-to-order eggs, served in imaginative combinations with fresh updates on predictable toppings.

Wrapped in their blended corn and flour tortillas, you can top them off with a rotating cast of seven housemade salsas, ranging from traditional red, green tomatillo, and creamy jalapeño to spicy Chile de Arbol and searing Habañero which is not for the timid.

30 EASTside | Apr/May 2016

The east Austin mainstay was a long time coming. Just minutes away from Margaret’s childhood home, Margaret and Alan Baldree have owned the 51st Street home that became Paco’s for nearly 25 years, long before they converted the living space to a cozy, multi-roomed dining area. The couple planned and tested menu items until their plans came together, and the timing was right. The goal was always to offer casual, comforting food that locals – including themselves – would want to eat. find more at eastsideatx.com

contact:

512.323.6206 1304 E 51st St. pacosaustin.com PacosTacosAustin

COMING

2016

2102 E M FRANKLIN AVE.

MOCKINGBIRDATX.COM

• 4 MILES FROM DOWNTOWN • WALKING DISTANCE TO MUELLER

AUSTIN CENTRIC REALTY | C: 512.789.6255 | ROSS@AUSTINCENTRICREALTY.COM

bar supplies

WE ARE EXCITED TO BE YOUR NEIGHBOR! come by, say hello, & check out our great selection of liquor, beer, and wine.

Bitters

1199 airport blvd 512.524.0754 www.theaustinshaker.com

[the fresher side of austin]

eastsideatx.com

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9

eastside / do

Growing Food & Growing Community!

Grab a shovel and get involved, meet your neighbors, be a part of the urban growing community. Check out the places in east Austin that are growing food and creating green spaces.

community gardens

PHOTO BY: CHRISSY DOLLAR

Windsor Park Community Garden

5801 Westminster Dr. This garden is a very practical initiative of the local church, to meet both social and physical needs of people in the local community. It’s also a great learning environment where all can share knowledge. Plus it’s a heap of fun, doing wholesome work outside in the sun!

Mueller Community Garden

2708 Sorin Street Mueller’s Community Garden is an organics-only garden, open to both Mueller residents and Mueller neighbors citywide.

Members have the opportunity to pay $30 per growing season beginning in spring

and fall, or a reduced rate of $50 for the entire year.

Alamo Community Garden

2101 Alamo Street Originally an educational garden for youth, Alamo Community Garden now is home to both adults and children. This garden is a collectively run urban garden that exists to provide space to its members to grow organic produce and to promote community. alamocommunitygarden. weebly.com alamocommunitygarden@gmail.com

UT Concho Community Garden

2108 Concho Street Concho’s mission is to serve as a resource

32 EASTside | Apr/May 2016

for the community by promoting the practices of community gardening, sustainable agriculture, & environmental cooperation. They seek to provide an open space for the forging of a community that grows with one another, the exploration of important environmental topics, and connecting to nature through food. facebook.com/ utconchocg/ gardening@UTenvironment.org

New Day Community Garden

2215 E M Franklin New Day Community Garden exists to provide a neighborhood garden space for healthy food (for families, low income and youth), as well as build community, beautify the neigh-

borhood, & promote sustainable living. newdaycommunitygarden.org facebook.com/newdaycommunitygarden/ newdaycommunitygarden@gmail.com

Homewood Heights Community Garden

2606 Sol Wilson An urban community garden in east Austin conceptualized, organized, and sustained by neighborhood volunteers. facebook.com/Homewood-Heights-Community-Garden

Good Soil Community Garden

1190 Chicon Street Good Soil is a small community garden with 15 plots. Plots

find more at eastsideatx.com

are free of charge, and water is provided. communitygardensaustin.org/?page_id=83

Blackshear Neighborhood Garden

2011 E. 9th Street The garden is divided into a section of shared neighborhood rows plus a section containing 14 plots.

There’s several fruit trees, composting

by East Side Compost Peddlers, a kids adventure playground, and a plaza for neighbors to gather.

Monthly work parties on alternating Saturdays and Sundays are provided. Everyone’s welcome! facebook.com/ BlackshearCommunityGarden caitlin.macklin@gmail. com

Festival Beach Community Garden

35 Waller Street Festival Beach Community Garden is a 2-acre property, divided into affordable garden plots and community spaces.

Since opening in 2010, the garden has grown to include more than 80 gardeners growing a variety of fruits, vegetables, flowers and plants. The site provides communal tools, irrigation and a space for educational and community events.

Planning committees are volunteer-driven, made up of gardeners and community members. festivalbeachgarden. org info@festivalbeachgarden.org

Godo+

April + May 2016

32 do gardening FIND A COMMUNITY GARDEN CLOSE TO YOU AND MEET SOME NEIGHBORS WHILE SOAKING UP THE SUN.

34 go &

see, smell, taste

PLANTS ARE MORE THAN JUST FOOD SOURCES. THEY ARE THERAPEUTIC. JUST RIGHT DOWN THE STREET, YOU CAN VISIT THE PLACE DOING ALL THE RESEARCH.

36 go &

make a difference

A STORY OF MENTORS, FRIENDS, AND BROTHERS

PICK YOUR

{ANTI-POISON} figs, kumquats, & galangal, oh my!

WORDS BY: JESS HAGEMANN PHOTOS BY: WILL BOWLING

Of east Austin’s American Botanical Council (aka, ABC), Education Coordinator Jenny Perez says: “This is our apothecary and our grocery store.” With over 300 different medicinal and culinary plants on the grounds at last inventory, the ABC was founded in 1997 as an educational facility to teach the public that “plants are more than just food sources but have therapeutic properties as well.”

NOW I KNOW MY ABCs

For as long as disease has existed, the antidotes to disease have been found in the plants that surround us every day.

34 EASTside | Apr/May 2016

Next time you’re feeling under the weather, consider foregoing a bunch of over-the-counter pharmaceuticals for a tin of Jenny’s homemade decongestant salve. It combines eucalyptus and thyme leaves, mustard seed powder and peppermint, with creamy coconut oil—and smells like heaven.

A self-described “plant detective,” Jenny is forever concocting infused honeys, tea blends, and other yummy medicines to just give away to those open to trying them. When she’s not in the kitchen, you’ll find her assisting head gardener Toby in ABC’s copious flower beds or the greenhouse, where there’s always work to be done depending on the season.

The majority of the plants grown at ABC aren’t native to Texas. Special consideration must therefore be given to planting heat-sensitive vines in shadow find more at eastsideatx.com

and saturating drought-sensitive shrubs with reclaimed rainwater using a gravity-fed irrigation system.

MEDICAL BOTANY

Indigenous peoples have a longstanding tradition of using plant medicines as their first line of defense. For three quarters of the world’s population, plants remain the primary healthcare modality.

Germany has never stopped using herbs. All their doctors are trained in herbal medicine as well as modern pharmaceuticals. “Even though developed countries are supposed to be the ones to have it all figured out,” Jenny says, “we can learn a lot from other countries’ usage of traditional medicines.”

Plants may be used before starting a Western medication—in some cases even rendering further treatment unnecessary—or to mitigate a pharmaceutical side effect. Because some medications should not be combined with herbal remedies,

however, ABC’s website is “loaded with information for both physicians and patients to consult as a reference space.” ABC’s trained herbalists confer with members personally to answer their questions, and also sell helpful books in-store and on their website.

modes of food preparation. For example, eating raw carrots is great for fiber but doesn’t allow the body to access the carrots’ fat-soluble carotenoids. Dipping those same carrots in ranch dressing or steaming them in olive oil does!

Growing up in Texas, Jenny admits she was initially “terrified of the forest.” She’d never been in one! It was while studying Herbal Sciences at Bastyr University that she realized “you really need a guide to know everything about plants. But they’re part of our ancestral birthright; they’re in our DNA.”

“Nature speaks in patterns,” Jenny affirms.

“You learn how to navigate and forage if you need to. The best method of learning,” she continues, “involves all the senses. When you touch the plant and smell it, instead of just reading about it, there’s a place for that knowledge in your brain.”

DOES A BODY GOOD

VISIT OR VOLUNTEER

The beds to the front of the Casemill Homestead (an old farmhouse built in 1853 that now serves as the ABC’s headquarters) are organized by their various somatic uses. The Respiratory Garden, for example, includes thyme—historically used to clear mucus from the lungs. Similar beds group plants that treat the digestive, excretory, and nervous systems, respectively. In other words, for as long as disease has existed, the antidotes to disease have been found in the plants that surround us every day.

Spring and fall are the most popular seasons at ABC, as Texas weather tends to be the most accommodating during these months. The summer and winter, however, might provide for more personalized educational opportunities.

The back beds, on the other hand, are organized by country of origin, making it easy for Toby-the-gardener-and-secret-chef to harvest a medley of world flavors in one fell swoop.

On May 7, save the date for Herb Day. Learn about the wide variety of plants growing at the ABC, then purchase your own starts to take home and harvest for years to come! Herb Day will feature renowned East Coast herbalist David Winston and plenty of kid-friendly activities like scratch-n-sniff plant tables.

A bed marked “Southeast Asia” boasts spicy-smelling galangal, saffron, and curry plants. It makes its home between Mediterranean and French cuisine-themed beds. Still other beds are typed by “Chinese Medicine” or “Ayurveda” (a system of preventative medicine from the Indian subcontinent).

INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

Pharmacy students at the University of Texas have the option of completing a 6-week rotation in phytomedicine at the ABC. Each student picks one plant to focus on, learning all about its medicinal properties and experimenting with the best methods of dispensing that plant’s medicine. Does the medicine work best as a salve (topical application), a tincture (water or grain alcohol-infused with the plant leaves and flowers, typically ingested with a dropper), or prepared as an oil (for use in cooking)?

Herbal pharmocopeias, or guides for making and dosing herbal medicines, inform the students’ work and serve as “launching-off points” for contemporary research.

In addition, all Texas State University dietitians visit ABC for a 2-week rotation concerning food-as-medicine. They look at how common food plants came to enter the staple diet and the various benefits of different

Bus route #20 drops off right outside the ABC’s doors. Plan a family fun day that includes not only learning about the environment but also doing the environment a good turn by utilizing public transit.

Otherwise, join the world’s freshest and cheapest potluck. Anytime the ABC finds itself with an overabundance of herbs, spices, or veggies, Toby volunteers to create a giant soup or salad spread. The whole community can participate in the feast, at a suggested donation of only $3/person.

The ABC always needs reliable volunteer help.

Anyone looking to fill community service hours for any reason should contact Toby.

FIND OUT MORE

As a nonprofit organization, the ABC is almost entirely funded by grants and membership dues. Your membership includes an automatic subscription to the HerbalEGram.

Among other topics, this digital newsletter details the results of the ABC’s interns’ research studies on underutilized medicinal plants.

Or look for HerbalGram, a professional journal of herbal medicine archived on the ABC website. As Jenny explains, HerbalGram “connects the history of each plant’s use with current scientific evidence” on what makes the various plant molecules so efficacious. “Plants have so much to offer us,” she says. “We just need to keep paying attention!” [the fresher side of austin]

Did You Know?

• Left to over-ripen, cilantro becomes coriander. Coriander seeds make an excellent poultice for wounds because they are naturally antibiotic. When King Tutankhamen’s tomb was opened, his mummy was discovered surrounded by coriander seeds, as he’d died with an open leg wound!

• Brushing up against stinging nettles feels like being bit by a fire ant, as both nettles and ants employ the same formic acid. Stinging nettles can be safely eaten when dried or blanched.

• If you are bitten by a fire ant, try applying witch hazel medicated with lavender or lemon balm. All three of these plants are cooling and antiinflammatory.

• Many plants exhibit a doctrine of signatures, whereby the plant suggests what it’s good for. Cauliflower, for example, looks like a brain, and guess what? It’s a brain superfood.

• It takes 10,000 pistils from saffron blooms to gather just one ounce of usable material. That’s why saffron is so expensive!

• In Japan, it’s common for family members to clap their hands three times before eating. This practice “clears the air” and positions people in the present moment, so as to bring awareness to their food and the act of eating.

• The Casemill Homestead originally sat on 400 acres of farmland. Austin’s most fertile soil is found east of I-35, which is why so many great farm programs exist in east Austin today.

contact:

512.926.4900 6200 Manor Rd. abc.herbalgram.org abc@herbalgram.org

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HOME WORDS & PHOTOS BY: ERIC MORALES

Making a difference in someone’s life can be as simple as stopping to ask how things are going and then truly listening. At the end of the day, most of us just want to know that there are people we can depend on should we need them. At some point or another, everyone needs someone.

36 EASTside | Apr/May 2016

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TEAM

IT’S NOT JUST BASEBALL

PHOTO BY: ERIC MORALES

“IT’S ALL ABOUT THE KIDS AND DEVELOPING THESE YOUNG BOYS AND GIRLS AND GIVING THEM THE TOOLS TO BE SUCCESSFUL.”

[the fresher side of austin]

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37

Christopher Sanders

RBI Austin is so much more than baseball; it is working to help kids here get through their youth and adolescence knowing they always have a large support group to get them to a place where they are self-sustainable and able to thrive.

Christopher Sanders is one of those youth.

He is still a minor, but he has already set foot on a major league baseball field and enjoyed a game of baseball. Sanders will, for the rest of his life, be able to cherish this moment. But, the real magic is that through RBI Austin, he feels he has built lasting friendships and a new extended “family.”

Shelley & Christopher Sanders

BY 2015, 14 FIELDS WERE BEING USED IN EAST AUSTIN THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN, LOCAL LITTLE LEAGUES, AND AREA SCHOOLS.

The baseball experiences can be positively overwhelming. “Just to tell your baby, ‘Your dreams came true!’” smiles Shelley Sanders, Chris’s mother, as she reflects on the reality that RBI Austin has helped create for her son. She adds that it has nothing to do with winning or losing at that point, but it is more about the experiences. “That’s something I would have never been able to provide. He had the opportunity to venture out and look.”

Nothing this grand, in terms of baseball or community, was expected. “It was just some kids from the neighborhood. We started thinking we were just going to play summer baseball, and it turned into so much more.”

It seems other families also feel they got involved in something that would have a greater effect on their lives than they could have possibly imagined.

Dennis Reyes, now a coach with RBI Austin, tells his experience when his son, Jacob

38 EASTside | Apr/May 2016

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Ramirez, started with the league that is more than just a league. “What I realized very quickly,” Reyes explains, “was that they weren’t interested in Jacob just as a baseball player. They were interested in him as a human and in developing him as a person in society in addition to helping him get there.”

Reyes, a city employee with an odd work schedule, tells of how RBI Austin coaches would drive out to Dale, Texas, to pick up Jacob for a practice or for a game when he was unavailable to make the drive himself.

Reyes realizes that the people involved with RBI Austin work overtime to ensure the kids are able to stay involved. Not only that, but in the off-season, the coaches are still a part of Jacob’s life. “It’s all about the kids,” Reyes affirms. “And developing these young boys and girls and giving them the tools to be successful. They don’t just forget about you when the baseball season is done—they’re there.”

Sanders and Reyes are two families who have been with RBI Austin since near the beginning and have been able to experience the benefits of what is possible within the community they are building together.

Community and friendships are emphasized. Everyone is considered family. It’s clear to hear that as they talk about one another. In

“MOST OF THE COACHES ARE MY FRIENDS. I CONSIDER THEM FAMILY.”

“IT WAS JUST SOME KIDS FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD, AND WE STARTED THINKING WE WERE JUST GOING TO PLAY SUMMER BASEBALL, AND IT TURNED INTO SO MUCH MORE.”

fact, the only time the sport of baseball was brought up was when the interviewees were explaining what the RBI World Series is. The underlying theme heard again and again is how the people involved in RBI Austin work as a team to create community and guide these young men and women. The game of baseball is simply a reason for everyone to come together.

“They’re mentors. They are for life,” Reyes adds. “I saw Jacob grow tremendously in the few years he was involved. Our youngest one, [Laure Reyes], is also involved with it right now. It’s a family affair and a family atmosphere.”

RBI Austin is volunteer-based, and the volunteers are both from the east side and from all over Austin. RBI Austin hopes to create or simply reinforce the positive guidance young people need in their lives by building these strong bonds.

Reyes now volunteers and is a coach, giving back and helping other children the way RBI Austin has helped his kids. “It’s not just about numbers, wins and losses. They truly care about you, and they’ve not shown me anything different. So, I dedicate my time and energy to RBI. They’ve been nothing but good to us. Why would you not want to be associated with something that’s helping you and the community?”

Laure Ramirez

Jacob Ramirez, a former RBI player, Laure Reyes and their Dad

SUMMER LEAGUES Jr. RBI: Boys ages 4-12 & Girls ages 4-14

How, specifically, is RBI going beyond the baseball field to make a difference? Matt Price, a founder of RBI Austin explains, “The hub of the whole program is mentors. Mentoring is at the core.” Price prays for a movement in the Austin culture, for Austinites to take ownership of their town and work together to bring stability into the lives of those who need it by becoming mentors.

• T-Ball: Ages 4-6 (boys and girls)

The kids share experiences from their perspectives. Christopher Sanders, the young man who played on a major league field, recalls the feelings he had when he first became involved with RBI and realized that the coaches were actually mentors who were reaching out. “In the beginning, I was like, I don’t know this guy. Not sure if I want to let him into my personal life.” Sanders explains that as the season went on, he grew closer with his coaches. “Most of the coaches are my friends. I consider them family.”

Cost is $10 per player (from Austin ISD schools). Cost for players from other schools is $100. Applicants may apply for the $10 rate; scholarship applications available. Registration opens April 1.

Jacob Ramirez, a former RBI player and Laure Reyes’ older brother, recalls that his positive feelings were instant. “Joining RBI was refreshing. It was great to be part of an organization that wasn’t just league play. They want to be more than just your coach. They want to be your friend, your mentor.” Four years after Ramirez’s RBI Austin career, he still keeps in touch with Matt Price. Ramirez plans to become a mentor himself once he completes his apprenticeship as an electrician, and his schedule improves. [the fresher side of austin]

• Coach Pitch: Ages 7-8 (boys and girls) • Baseball: Ages 9-12 (boys) • Softball: Ages 9-14 (girls) • 1 practice per week on weeknights (varies by team) • 1–2 games per week

RBI: Boys ages 13-18 • Junior Division: Ages 13-15 (boys) • Senior Division: Ages 16-18 (boys) • Most games and practices on weeknights • 15-game schedule • 3-4 days per week (between games & practices) Cost is $50 per player (from RBI Austin schools). Cost for players from other schools is $150. Scholarship applications are available upon request.

Register Now! Deadline is May 6.

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How did RBI Austin begin? Matt Price originally became involved with summer league coaching through a Reagan High School. teacher friend and wanted to give east Austin kids the opportunity to play during the summers. It did not take long before Price felt called to serve a higher purpose. “Getting to know some of the players in 2009,” recalls Price, “let me know that even though there was a need in the baseball arena, there was a bigger need in their lives, in their character as young men. We saw a need for mentorship, a need for guidance.” According to Price, 73% of the kids at Oak Springs Elementary alone are fatherless. “… a lot of stats out there that talk about fatherless youth, from incarceration to high school dropouts, teen pregnancies. When you grow up in a family without a father, the chances are greater for going down one of those paths. It’s the kind of situation where kids are often set up for failure.”

So RBI Austin sets out to go beyond the baseball field to create a family and faith-based environment for everyone and teaches kids and parents about a lot more than baseball. Everyone feels like family, and the support is there for everyone. RBI Austin was small when Sanders and Reyes got their kids involved. Now, RBI Austin has around 250 active volunteers and 584 kids enrolled in the program. That’s quite the large family.

• 450 LBS WEIGHT CAPACITY • FULLY ADJUSTABLE SUSPENSION • MADE BY FAIR TRADE ARTISANS • 60 SECOND SET-UP • COMPACT AND LIGHT WEIGHT • 10% OF SALES GIVEN TO NONPROFITS • DURABLE, TRIPLE-STITCHED SEAMS • MILDEW RESISTANT FABRIC

RBI Austin has initiated a Mentor Match program wherein a mentor is matched with a child in 4th grade, and the mentor stays with that kid until they graduate high school. If anyone is interested in becoming involved, a mentor is required to meet with a child only twice a month, whether at school or on a weekend for an hour or two. A few hours a month may not seem like enough, but mentors and coaches work to make themselves available for kids and families on and off the baseball field at all times. Building the long-term consistency is where RBI Austin hopes to make the largest impact. “We have 50 long-term mentors, and our goal is to get 50 new mentors a year,” says Price.

Ultimately, there is no article, no story that comes too close to capturing the feeling of what these children and families are experiencing. If you love baseball and want to be part of a large family, check out RBI Austin. RBI Austin is faith-based, and in addition to mentoring, incorporates Bible study for youth who wish to participate. Kids can play ball, and adults can be part of the village that it takes to raise a child. It does not matter where you come from. Everyone is welcome.

“THE HUB OF THE WHOLE PROGRAM IS MENTORS.”

contact: SHOP AT OUR WEBSITE WWW.SOCOHAMMOCKS.COM 40 EASTside | Apr/May 2016

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rbiaustin.org info@rbiaustin.org 512.381.7137 rbiaustin rbiaustin

Home + away April + May 2016

You’re only a days drive away from one of Texas’ most spectacular wonders— Big Bend.

Page 44

42 home

IF ONLY WALLS COULD TALK: TAKE A LOOK INSIDE ONE OF EAST AUSTIN’S HISTORICAL LANDMARKS THAT HAS MAINTAINED ITS FORMER GLORY.

44 away

IF CAMPING IS ON THE AGENDA THIS SPRING, WE’VE GOT THE PLACE FOR YOU.

eastside / home

MAJESTIC REMAINS

of a time not so long ago WORDS BY: CAMILLE SMITH PHOTOS BY: JESSICA KLIMA

On what was once a quiet corner in east Austin sits a charming house with a story to tell. Sun streams in through tall, wavy windows overlooking the lush and well-cared for garden.

On the back porch, a chicken called Patsy Cline pecks at the ground, and a cat by the name of Mr. Kitty makes his presence known by letting himself in through a creaky screen door. Outside, Itty Bitty steps over bricks engraved with the word “Texas” and wraps her furry feline tail around the leg of a chair. It is a house full of light and warmth and would feel like home in any era. Today, however, Debbie Utley is preparing to say goodbye and pass on her skeleton key to a new and worthy tenant.

The house is formally known today as the Boothe-Santa Ana House. It was built in 1895 on land that once belonged to John Robertson, the fifth mayor of Austin and a former resident of the French Legation Museum. In the time before the house was

42 EASTside | Apr/May 2016

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built, several liens were placed against the property in exchange for services provided, including one by H.T. Kealing, an African-American principal and the namesake of Kealing Jr. High. The home’s original owners were C.E. and Cordelia Boothe who ran a mattress manufacturing company. In 1959, it was purchased by the Santa Ana family who lovingly cared for the home for over 40 years and had the home deemed an official Austin landmark.

Eleven years ago, when Utley purchased the house, she “struggled with how to live in it.”

The home had undergone few changes, and she wanted to preserve the integrity of the home while creating a more functional space for herself. She moved the kitchen from the back of the home (typical of the era) to the

The house holds many quirky features and authentic patinas from years gone by.

“There’s something about every room that I love,” says Utley.

middle in order to create a more functional living area for modern day life. Layers of time, linoleum, and paint were peeled away on the walls and floors to expose the original woodwork. Behind the grit and grime of 100 years past, the majestic bead board uncovered in her bedroom revealed character and history. The house holds many quirky features and authentic patinas from years gone by.

“There’s something about every room that I love,” Utley says, and it is easy to see why. The original window sashes open up in such a way to maximize airflow, and every nook glows with sunlight.

Maintaining original features, the home still shows off its original front door, pine floors and much of the original hardware. The intricate solid-core door displays a turning doorbell, which still rings with charm. Its ornament is one-of-a-kind. In her renovations, Utley used salvaged pieces and maintained the historical authenticity of the home. In fact, her closet and bedroom features large windows restored and reclaimed from Pease Mansion.

Utley came to this area for some peace and quiet, but today hordes of SXSW attendees clamber by, and there’s a never-ending drone of music in the distance.

The neighborhood dynamic has changed, as has Austin in general. Utley says she has lost sight of the Austin she once knew. She

wants so badly to pick up her beautiful house and plop it down in the country somewhere, but the badge of historical significance decrees it must stay where it’s always been.

When she purchased the home, Utley was able to meet the Santa Ana family and was bestowed with the home’s original paperwork: a handwritten deed, scrawled in tiny, meticulous handwriting and, of course, a skeleton key. While she is considering bequeathing the crumbling deed to an Austin museum, she is searching for someone worthy of inheriting her skeleton key.

Utley has poured her energy and time into the house and wants the new tenant to be mindful of the historical significance and respect the house’s personality.

While Utley may be leaving for greener pastures, the house will remain, as will several houses in the area that bear the emblem of an Austin landmark. The Boothe-Santa Ana home, and others like it, will endure as evidence of Austin’s formative years and serve as majestic reminders of times not so long ago.

contact:

​ cott Hayes, Broker Associate S 512.786.8300 austintexasrealestatetoday.com scotthayes@realtyaustin.com ScottHayesGroup

[the fresher side of austin]

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eastside / away

A Weekend In

BIG BEND desert in bloom

NOT TOO FAR AWAY FROM THE VIBRANT LIGHTS AND SOUNDS OF EAST AUSTIN IS ONE OF AMERICA’S BEST KEPT SECRETS, A DESERT WILDERNESS MANY DO NOT KNOW EXISTS IN THE BEND OF FAR WEST TEXAS.

Take a scenic drive to Santa Elena Canyon where you can do a short hike into the mouth of the canyon, or just soak in the view from the lookout point.

if you go

If you prefer a cabin, try the Chisos Mountain Lodge, complete with front-porch views and indoor plumbing! While Chisos Mountain Lodge offers in-park dining, food is limited. Try your hand at some gourmet camp side cooking if you’re feeling adventurous!

your list. Take note of the spectacular Ocotillo plant, with its spindly green stalks and bright red blooms.

Rafting or canoeing the Rio Grande is another fantastic way to enjoy the park. Rentals and guided trips are available through a variety of outfitters in Terlingua. Desert Sports has experienced guides and affordable prices.

Saturday

Sunday

If you are a camper, primitive campgrounds are world class accommodations in Big Bend. The sites off Glenn Springs Road offer spectacular views and true seclusion.

Check availability of sites when you arrive at the park stations since you

Challenge yourself to a longer hike, such as the Window Trail, and immerse yourself into the beautiful landscape of the Chihuahuan Desert.

Wildlife is abundant, and if you are a bird watcher, spring is an excellent time to check species off

Get up early to bask in one more breathtaking sunrise. Do a short hike to the Hot Springs located on the banks of the Rio Grande to soak your tired feet. As you leave the park, drive north towards the small town of Marathon. You will be

Stay:

Getting Around:

Safety:

WORDS BY: BLAKELY KNEISLEY

Friday

cannot reserve your spot ahead of time.

If you only want to day trip into the park, try La Posada Milagro guest house in Terlingua or an AirB&B. The Nomad Tipi and the Desert Pearl are two far-out options.

44 EASTside | Apr/May 2016

A high-clearance vehicle is not absolutely necessary to get around the park but is required for most primitive camping and maintained dirt roads.

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Pay close attention to the park’s rules regarding its border with Mexico and warnings regarding wildlife sightings, complete with black bears and mountain lions.

amazed at the wide array of landscapes you will see within the boundaries of the park. Getting a little hungry? Then grab a bite to eat at the Marathon Coffee Shop. If you have time, walk around the historic Gage Hotel.

If your trip allows for more exploration time of far west Texas, check out the Starlight Theatre in Terlingua or Donald Judd’s famous aluminum boxes at the Chinati Foundation in Marfa.

Forecast:

Spring days are warm and mild, with highs in the mid 80’s, but desert temperatures can drop drastically by night. Be sure to pack layers, especially for hikes.

Sip + taste

April + May 2016

46 taste feature UNIT D PIZZERIA - NO ORDINARY PIZZA JOINT

48 taste

expert

A UNIQUE AND SUPER-SIMPLE BREAKFAST RECIPE FRESH FROM THE GARDEN

51 sip

feature HANGOVER SALAD IN A GLASS

Unit D’s “The Sausage” Dai Due smoked venison sausage, kale, radicchio, sage, aged maple vinegar

eastside / taste

A New Standard in Pizza

The Neo-Neapolitain Way—Respecting the Tradition While Incorporating New Techniques WORDS BY: BEN HAGUEWOOD PHOTOS BY: ASHLEY HAGUEWOOD

46 EASTside | Apr/May 2016

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NATIVE KNOWLEDGE

HAPPY HOUR: 5-6:30PM MON, WEDFRI FOR DISCOUNTED DRAFT BEER AND HALF PRICED FEATURED BOTTLE OF WINE.

T

he heart of Unit D Pizzeria’s luminous open kitchen and dining room is the wide-mouthed Neapolitan oven, burning Texas Post Oak at 900 degrees. From pizzas to sides, they don’t use gas. The oven is representative of owner Shalou Barth and Chef C.T. Turgeon’s approach to making their hallmark pizza and sourcing the restaurant’s dynamic menu of charcuterie, cheeses, sides, and the evolving list of beer and wine. They search both near or far to use the best.

Owner Shalou Barth, a native-Texan, returned from travels to Italy and a stint in San Francisco with a taste for Neapolitan-style pizza served in a casual wine bar, but with also a more expansive vision, “I consider our pizza neo-Neapolitan,” the owner noted.

The exacting standards of Neapolitan pizza, governed by Naples-based Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (VPN)—where Chef Turgeon supplemented his ample culinary experience —serve as a guidepost, but Shalou and Chef Turgeon have forgone certification to remain imaginative and open to outstanding ingredients. “We respect the tradition, but we also want to incorporate more challenging applications and techniques and be able to source the best ingredients, no matter where they’re from,” said Chef Turgeon. The Mushroom pizza, for example, uses fresh mushrooms but is also sprinkled with porcini powder, drawing on C.T.’s background as Sous Chef at a Michelin-starred molecular gastronomy restaurant.

“It’s a welcome change from cooking that relies so heavily on chemistry to something so rustic and singular, but fundamentally it’s a comfort food and the flavors should be approachable.”

The array of pizzas include a balanced composition of ingredients that go far beyond the skillfully executed house-made mozzarella and organic San Marzano tomatoes one expects at a top-notch pizzeria to include a range of lively ingredients from smoked venison sausage (from neighbors Dai Due), bresalao (aged, dried Italian beef), and guanciale (cured pork jowl), to farm-fresh Calabrian and sweety-drop peppers, radicchio, kale, and more. It also lavishes cheeses like rustic stracciatella, tallegio, and fontina. All-VPN disqualifiers, these tasteful embellishments satisfy diners looking for the elegant simplicity of the classic Neapolitan or those desiring a stirring of the senses.

we can offer.” The tomatoes: sweetly acidic, organic San Marzano’s from the farm of renowned pizza maker Chris Bianco. The charcuterie: from Texas boar to European classics, accompanied with house-made condiments like shallot confit, orange mustard, and champagne-pickled peaches.

The wine and beer: small growers and biodynamic wines you won’t find on grocery store shelves and limited-run kegs of beer. All of this served in an elegant space designed by Shalou’s husband Eric Barth (owner of A Parellel Architecture) that features rustic hard-wood tables made by east Austin’s Hatch Workshop, bright pine walls, and a woven cedar ceiling.

Owner Shoulah Barth’s vision for straight-forward excellence and precision carries over to the restaurant’s every feature from the food and beverage lineup to the design. “We really cultivate relationships with our purveyors and that pays off in the products

There is not an unthoughtful item on the menu and that care adds up to pizzas, small plates, salads, and charcuterie and cheese boards that one must experience to understand. It’s a new standard all its own.

contact:

512.940.9611 2406 Manor Rd. unitDpizzeria.com unitDpizzeria unitdpizzeria

The menu’s creative flourishes balance the comfort of the familiar with the delight of the new.

[the fresher side of austin]

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47

eastside / chef de cuisine

a fresh garden breakfast

with Taylor Chambers

T

WORDS BY: ASHLEY BOWLING PHOTOS BY: ERIC MORALES

he inspiration for the recipe this month came from the freshest of food ideas—to take what we have in the house (or backyard even) and make it into something beautiful and delicious. Plus Chef Taylor is getting tired of consuming breakfast tacos every morning. Nowadays, if he’s eating a breakfast taco, it’s without eggs because according to Taylor, “he’s over it.” He elaborates, “If you’re eating a taco before noon, then it’s a breakfast taco, regardless of what’s inside.”

Taylor and his new bride have been getting fresh food from Johnson’s Backyard Garden (JBG) here in east Austin. JBG delivers a box of fresh organic produce and eggs every week. Taylor explains, “Since we work a lot, it’s very convenient. Then I have to try and figure out how to use it all over the next two weeks.” That’s what inspired this unique, super-simple recipe as a breakfast alternative to the default breakfast tacos that we all are accustomed to.

salsa

10 guajillo peppers 2 morita peppers 2 large tomatoes, largely chopped 3 garlic cloves 1 t. oregano 1 t. cumin 1/2 c. apple cider vinegar Salt to taste De-seed the peppers and toast in a pan on medium heat until peppers start to smoke.

Remove from heat and cover with hot tap water. Soak until soft. In the meantime, roast tomatoes over medium heat until skin starts to turn brown. Add garlic to pan, and cook for 1-2 minutes. Remove garlic then toast oregano and cumin for a minute or so. Grind the spices into a fine powder. Add all ingredients to blender and blend until smooth. Pass the salsa through a strainer to smooth. Season to taste with salt.

48 EASTside | Apr/May 2016

steamed chickpea breakfast salad Serves 4

2 c. steamed chickpeas 3 slices of bacon 2 c. broccolini, bite-sized pieces 3 c. kale, stems removed and torn to bite sized portions (sub any hearty dark green) 1 c. cherry tomatoes, halved 1 T. apple cider vinegar 4 eggs Salt and pepper to taste Garnish: radish thinly sliced red onion thinly sliced Directions for Steamed Chickpeas: To make these, you will need raw chickpeas that have been soaked overnight in water.

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Go ahead and make the whole bag and save what doesn’t get steamed to make hummus or falafel. You can also leave the left over chickpeas in a container out of the sunlight, covered with a moist paper towel to sprout them and make a super food.

Using a colander and a large pot of water, steam the chickpeas for about one hour or until they are soft but not mushy. These can be made a few days ahead of time or the night before. A can of chickpeas may be substituted but will alter the taste a bit.

Directions for Breakfast Salad: Begin to heat water on stove in a medium sized pot to a simmer for the poached eggs, which will come last. Cook bacon in a large skillet to desired crispness. Remove bacon, place on a paper towel, and chop when cooled. Use the rendered fat of the bacon to sauté the broccolini. Place broccolini in skillet, then be sure to leave the broccolini alone and don’t rush to stir; this will allow for some

Steamed Chickpea Breakfast Salad

SEE PAGE 50 FOR FULL RECIPE

[the fresher side of austin]

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49

eastside / chef de cuisine

Steamed Chickpea Breakfast Salad (RECIPE CONTINUED)

telling your story

READ ONLINE AT

eastsideatx.com CONNECT WITH US AT

eastsideatxmag

50 EASTside | Apr/May 2016

good color. (For all vegetables, wait about 60 seconds until stirring to achieve a nice char.)

Cover the broccolini for 2 minutes to let it steam. While broccolini is cooking, remove stems from the kale and tear into smaller pieces. Remove broccolini from the skillet and add the steamed chickpeas. Add a little more fat to the pan if it seems a bit dry. (Butter or coconut oil is a good substitute for bacon fat.)

Cook chickpeas for 2 minutes until some nice color is achieved. Add the sliced tomatoes in with the chickpeas and season with salt. Once the tomatoes start to break down, add in kale.

Splash the veggies with apple cider vinegar and a bit of water to help wilt the greens.

Cover and cook for 1-2 minutes. Remove lid and cook for about 2 minutes more. Reduce heat, add cooked broccolini, bacon and salt & pepper to taste. Keep at a low simmer while poaching the eggs.

poaching eggs: Poaching eggs is not as daunting of a task as one may think. It’s as simple as it gets, really.

Once water is boiling, turn heat down until it’s at a simmer. Working one egg at a time crack them into a small bowl and then slide the egg into the water leaving it alone and letting it do its thing in the water. Do this with the remaining eggs being sure not to stack the eggs on top of one another. Cook eggs for 3 to 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to pull an egg out of the water to check the firmness of the yolk. It should be firm with a good amount of give. If you want the egg yoke to be less runny, cook the egg until the yolk is fairly firm.

For those new to poaching eggs, there are a few things to notice about the egg as you are poaching it. There are three main parts of an egg: the yolk, the whites, and then the exterior albumen whites. When the egg is dropped into the water, you will notice the egg looks like it is just spreading everywhere. This is actually the exterior albumen, and it is very difficult and not really necessary to try and

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keep that close to the egg. The main whites and the yolk will stay intact in the water and will cook into a disk which will be easy to handle with a slotted spoon.

Pull the eggs out when they are cooked to your liking. Place onto a cloth to soak up the excess water.

If poaching eggs is still too intimidating, a soft boiled egg as a good alternative.

Directions for Plating the Dish: Put the veggies down, lay an egg on top, then drizzle some salsa over the dish. Garnish with fresh radish and red onion.

Native Knowledge Interested in fresh, locally grown (and organic!) veggies delivered right to your door? Consider joining Johnson’s Backyard Garden’s CSA Program! Members purchase a subscription, choose their box size, and can choose to have fresh veggies and add-ons delivered to your home or office. JBG has very flexible scheduling options, so if you’re out-of-town or on a non-cooking bender, they will accommodate. Like many CSA programs, this is a great way to make sure money, jobs, and land are kept within the local community! What is CSA you might ask? CSA, or Community Supported Agriculture, is a relationship between the farm, and you, the customer. You pledge to support the farm by becoming a member. In exchange, they pledge to provide you with healthy organic vegetables each week.

contact info:

512.386.5273 9515 Hergotz Lane Austin, TX 78742 farm@jbgorganic.com

eastside / sip

Rio Rita’s BLOODY MARY WORDS BY: CAMILLE SMITH PHOTO BY: ERIC MORALES

AWAKEN YOUR SENSES WITH A BREAKFAST COCKTAIL THAT IS SURE TO PLEASE. LIGHT TONES OF PEPPERCORN INFUSED VODKA EMBELLISH THIS DELIGHTFUL MORNING PICK-ME-UP.

Rio Rita is one of the many projects from Donya and Randal Stockton of Beerland and King Bee fame.

“I love this place,” says manager Sarah Tibbits. “I think it’s really sweet and different.”

Rio Rita is located on East Sixth Street and offers coffee and cocktails all day long. “It’s really relaxed and cozy, were not a loud-crazy, get-wild place, we’re chill.”

Rio Rita is renowned for their infusions which include obscure but delectable blends such as strawberry vanilla vodka, hibiscus vodka, jalapeno tequila, raspberry gin, a watermelon cucumber gin in the summer that “kills it” according to Tibbits, espresso whiskey, and apple and clove bourbon, and their newest addition, grapefruit infused mescal.

One of Rio Rita’s signature cocktails is their

Bloody Mary. They put their own twist on this classic favorite with infused vodkas, which you can get in one of three flavors, including white peppercorn (which is Leslie the bartender’s personal favorite), jalapeño garlic or habanero garlic for the bravest of the brave and features a big ole hunk of crispy celery, banana peppers and pickled okra. Tibbits also suggests the Dublin Pickup which features espresso infused whiskey, honey and iced coffee and the Pepper Mule which contains ginger beer and lime with peppercorn vodka.

“Community is really important here; we have some pretty cool events…I think Rio Rita is a staple. This is one of the first bars that popped up when this area started changing.

We’re still doing what we’ve always done. I’m trying to stay on that path and get better at all of the things that we offer.”

[the fresher side of austin]

NATIVE KNOWLEDGE: Rio Rita is a great study spot, open 8am -2am. Free street parking after 6pm Monday-Wednesday. Delicious coffee and drinks. Located next door to Kebabalicious so you can eat, drink, and be merry.

contact:

512.524.0384 1308 E 6th Street riorita.net RioRitaAustin rioritaaustin

eastsideatx.com

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