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CROSS BAR RANCH

I

BURNET COUNTY, TEXAS for sale

magine standing on the deck of a spectacular home, custom built with massive Douglas Fir logs that were imported from British Colombia. On the deck you are looking out at your

private, huge, deep lake. You might think you are in Colorado, but the Cross Bar Ranch is an incredible 343 acres, just 45 minutes from Austin. The land has rolling topography, with good elevation changes, and grand views, but is not too rugged. The ranch is high-fenced and is home to elk, oryx, axis, black buck antelope, white fallow, red stag, and white tail deer. There is a Parks and Wildlife MLD permit in place. Much of the cedar has been cleared, leaving a good cover of hardwoods. Miller Creek meanders through the ranch and a multi-acre lake (owner says over 25 acres) is stocked with bass and crappie. The crown jewel of the ranch is the magnificent 4 bedroom, 4.5 bath, custom log home, overlooking the lake. Constructed in 2008, everything in the home is first class. The main floor is open, with lots of windows, and is perfect for entertaining. Amenities include a gourmet kitchen, granite counters, slate floors, water treatment system, 7 CACH units, commercial metal roof, game room, and a huge ironwood deck. In addition to the main home there is a 4 year old, 2 bedroom, 2 bath guest house with a beaded ceiling made from aromatic red heart cedar. Adjoining the guest house is an insulated barn/workshop. This premier Hill Country ranch is ideal for a primary residence, hunting/recreation, or a corporate/family retreat. Priceless memories await anyone privileged enough to experience the Cross Bar Ranch.

List price $4,650,000. For more information, please contact Bacon Investments, Inc.

PO Box 201330, Austin, TX 78720 (512) 335-0071 baconranchsales@peoplepc.com

JUNE/JULY 2013

FEATURES AUSTIN LIFESTYLE

54

Bobby Flay Is Just That Cool 60 The Next Pop Idols

Icona Pop

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JUNE/JULY 2013

DEPARTMENTS AUSTIN LIFESTYLE

10 LETTER FROM THE TEAM 13 THE A* LIFE The best of everything Austin has to offer A* STYLE 21 FASHION A Rural Summer 26 TRAVEL 30 A FEW OF OUR 50

FAVORITE THINGS 32 THE DEAN'S LIST 34 BEAUTY 36 EVENTS 37 SOCIAL GRACES 46 SOCIAL REGISTER

52

50 Q&ATX Camilla Alves McConaughey 30

52 GOLF A* TASTE 62 SAVOR Bonneville 64 SIP 68 ACCIDENTAL EPICUREAN A Mexican Standoff 70 COSMIC CADENCE Horoscopes for June & July 71 KEEP AUSTIN WELL Your guide to 21

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staying healthy

SO CLOSE. SO OUT THERE. In the heart of the Lost Pines lies a sanctuary. A rustic retreat from the everyday.

Comfortably, luxuriously, deliciously wild. Where you can explore as much, or as little, of a 405-acre secluded wilderness as your heart desires. On horseback or kayak.

Shooting skeet or golf. Hiking on trails or floating down streams. And capping it off with a massage and a world-class meal. It’s all waiting for you at Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa. Minutes away. A world apart.

1 800 55 HYATT (49288) lostpines.hyatt.com The trademark HYATT and related marks are trademarks of Hyatt Corporation. Š2013 Hyatt Corporation. All rights reserved.

Art, history, entertainment and modern living collide in this designer loft on 25 street. Beautifully remodeled, this property has been a star of the Galveston Historical Foundation’s Homes Tours & the Downtown Loft Tour. It’s 1922 SF with two bedrooms, two bathrooms and a partial bath. High ceilings afford a second floor with one bed and bathroom and a room perfect for office or third bedroom. The garage and parking space are covered and secure. With all modern amenities this superior property is close to The Strand and Post Office Street for all the food, culture and entertainment Galveston has to offer. Offered at $325,000.

For more great Galveston properties: www.tomsgalvestonrealestate.com

Beautifully remo. High ceilings afford a second floor with one bed and bathroom and a room perfect for office or third bedroom. The garage and parking space are covered and secure.

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LE T T ER F ROM T H E T E A M

T H E

WE CAN NO LONGER CALL AUSTIN JUST A QUIRKY LITTLE TOWN WITH BIG CITY DREAMS. We've grown up in a hurry,

and the changes are evident throughout each block as one travels from downtown to the very edge of the city limits. Thankfully, even the dreaded sprawl still manages to retain the soul of our independent-thinking, weirdloving and defiantly independent home. The growth to all points of the compass still bears the DNA of Austin.

As the newly-crowned eleventh largest city in the United States, it becomes immeasurably more important that we cherish and preserve what it is we hold most dear about the place we call home. Our culture, our creative spirit and our lifestyle have become a beacon to the rest of the nation. Already, cultural icons and trendsetters alike have SHAWN LIVELY personal experience with the unique characteristics and establishments of our town.

A greater number of these influential voices are emerging from the local region.

Fashions, like those featured in our pages, find their way onto runways in the northeast. Local haunts become nationally renowned for their quality or innovation.

What Austinites hold dear is now being appreciated—worldwide. And, in response to this cultural wave, more and more global personalities and celebrities are being drawn to all that Austin affords both natives and visitors alike.

So, as the sun begins to shine brighter in the Texas sky and the specifics of our city begin to change, we at Austin Lifestyle will continue to celebrate every facet we can, as well as featuring fellow appreciators and their experiences in the Capital of the Lone Star State. After all, they're learning alongside the rest of the world that the best of Austin truly is the best of everything.

Take in all this city has to give, Shawn Lively, Publisher & the ALM Team

PUBLISHER

B E S T

O F

E V E R Y T H I N G

Shawn K. Lively

EDITORIAL TEAM EDITOR Daniel Ramirez ASSOCIATE EDITOR Amber Groce COPY EDITORS Emily Pellerin and Tracy Stewart FASHION EDITOR Edith Henry CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Kelly Benson, Marika Flatt, Amber Groce, Steve Habel, Sean Kray, Rory Patrick McNeill, Emily Pellerin, Alexandra Ramirez and Daniel Ramirez KEEP AUSTIN WELL Tracy Ganske, Richard Kelley, Fred Sassani and Lisa Talev INTERNS Kristen Bramblett and Taylor Butler ART & PRODUCTION Kim Vo WEB DESIGN Stone Slade-Wet Media Designs CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Adrian Gutierrez Photography, Alia Michelle Alsaffar, Michael Bailey, Sylvia Brogdon, Jordyn Campbell, Kimberly Davis, Joann Dost, Sheila Garvey, Sarah Havard, Michael Johnson, Madelyn Kay, Knox Photographics, Eric Lenington, Jim Lincoln, Chris Martin, Brian Makin, Leah Muse, Lonni Pechacek, Photo Divine, Daniel Ramirez, Shawn Kennedy Photography, Sarah Smith, Stevan Alcala Photography, Lyndsay Stradtner, Jeff Swenson, Peter Tung, ulovei and David Wheeler ART DIRECTOR

SALES & MARKETING MARKETING/PR, SOCIAL MEDIA Social Communications BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Billie Biggs, Hollie Kenney and Martha Morales For advertising information, please e-mail info@austinlifestylemagazine.com LETTERS TO THE EDITOR info@austinlifestylemagazine.com SUBSCRIPTIONS Email us at subscriptions@austinlifestylemagazine.com or subscribe online at austinlifestylemagazine.com

Did you just grab the last copy of ALM? Let us know! info@austinlifestylemagazine.com Austin Lifestyle Magazine is Austin owned and operated.

Published by Texas Lifestyle Media, Inc. © and ™ 2013 Texas Lifestyle Media, Inc. RACHAEL GENSON, MARTHA MORALES, LARRY HACKNEY, TRACY STEWART, STONE SLADE, SHAWN LIVELY, KIM VO, KAYLA ELLIOTT, EMILY PELLERIN, SANDRA RITZ, EDITH HENRY AND TORI TINNON.

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All rights reserved.

PHOTOS BY PETER TUNG AND ULOVEI

JOB INQUIRIES/INTERNS info@austinlifestylemagazine.com

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The Best of Everything from our Advertisers

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Texas Treasures

Need it Delivered? No problem.

Located in the Oasis, Texas village on Lake Travis, Texas Treasures features art & furnishings with a Western flair. Yet, the collection abounds beyond western for those with a taste for the eclectic, contemporary or antiques. Visit us daily from noon until sunset; by appointment on Monday and Tuesday.

We assist Austin business owners with their delivery + distribution. Pre-scheduled deliveries, hot shots, distribution, local gifts and courier service. Serving Austin, Texas. deliveredaustin.com info@deliveredaustin.com

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Farley Girls Cafe

Trento

At Farley Girls, you'll find house-made soups, salads, paninis, sandwiches, pizzas and plenty of other hot stuff, all made from scratch to get you through your day, deliciously.

Austin's newest Italian restaurant, Trento, channels the delectable culinary experience from Trento, Italy. Chefs Alex Kahn and Andreas Exarhos have teamed up to create a menu that focuses on fresh, casual Italian dining using the highest quality of food and ingredients. Located at 3600 N. Capital of Texas Highway and trento360.com.

801 Post Office St. Galveston, TX 77550 409-497-4454

3600 N. Capital of Texas Hwy. Austin, TX 78746 512-328-7555 trento360.com

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11

MAY 27-28

GET INTO TRIATHLON WITH A RELAY TEAM – LT TRI CAPTEX Choose to swim, bike or run and share the fun on a relay team with family or friends at Life Time Tri CapTex. We offer three distances with divisions for students, military and first responders. Be a part of The Premier Texas Triathlon, proud host of the 2013 USA Paratriathlon National Championship.

Register today at CapTexTri.com

12 austinlifestylemagazine.com

A

THE

*LIFE

Noteworthy happenings, reviews and openings that highlight the best of everything Austin has to offer

Tara Miko and Happy Hemp THE HEMP SEED COMPANY THAT HAS SATURATED LOCAL AUSTIN EATERIES AND IS ENRICHING LOCAL AUSTIN LIVING

PHOTO BY CHELSEA FULLERTON

By Emily Pellerin

The word “hemp” can often connote some ideas, not limited to the ones related to icky, healthy eating. Luckily for us, one woman is bringing not only the word “hemp,” but also its concept, its function and its abilities to a much grander, more denotatively appropriate position in the public eye. Hemp is the fiber of the cannabis plant, extracted from the stem and refined to make products ranging from the caliber of quotidian go-tos like paper and fuel to lesser appreciated goods like, as particular to this case, food and nutritional substances. Its uses are far broader than most give it credit for, and Happy Hemp is here to help introduce the community of Austin to the nutritious, delicious power of the hemp seed.

Tara Miko Grayless is the founder of Happy Hemp. She runs a onewoman, wide smiling and open armed show… with the help of the communities around her, that is! She works with local restaurants and chefs like Swift’s Attic, ALM favorite Jack Allen’s Kitchen and Jack Gilmore, Barley Swine’s Bryce Gilmore, Alma from El Alma and Kenichi’s Shane Stark.

Even Tara Miko, as she is known, claims to have had her doubts when first working with hemp seeds, considering the connotation nutritious seed facilitates smooth digestion, and it works with the of the derivative plant and its uses. But when she began looking into body’s systems in other ways to, for example, promote weight loss its function as a dietary supplement, she recognized its strength over time, to accommodate a healthy night’s sleep, to improve and power as a nutritional part of her daily consumption. It was a complexion and to peak energy levels. Happy Hemp seeds are super food to her then-dragging body, energizing and de-stressing sustainable, and grown naturally without the use of herbicides or her overall lifestyle. She made the move to Austin from Los Angeles, pesticides. The organic growing process maintains hemp’s inherent recognizing the empowering environment that Austin could provide protein richness, as well as other health benefits such as Omega-6 her in pursuing a business to cultivate awareness and product of fatty acids, Omega-3 essential fatty acids, minerals, antioxidants hemp seeds. She knew that this was the receptive city that could and vitamins. Not to mention—Happy Hemp seeds are vegan and help her business grow. Not only is Austin home to uniquely fabulous gluten-free! entrepreneurial chefs, restaurateurs and home cooks, but it also Tara Miko has used her business to benefit the community of boasts an incredibly pronounced appreciation of locality. foodies that Austin so wholly claims its own. She uses ancillary Locality is just as important to Tara Miko’s endeavors as it is to the forums like her blog to promote healthy living and to share ways to city of Austin. She seeks out chefs who use local ingredients, serve cook with Happy Hemp seeds with easy recipes like Happy Lamb local libations, and capitalize upon the richness or resources that Burgers with dill mayonnaise. She has also set up an online store for Texas as a state has to offer. Not only that, but she recognizes and easy purchasing, which features her products like the “Raw-some” appreciates that denizen Austinities are just as in tune with locality hemp seeds raw options, the toasted seeds (perfect for snacking as the city’s proprietors and purveyors are. Though she compares and summer road tripping!) and the “Tote-ally” Happy Hemp bag owning her own business to “riding a roller coaster,” in which there made from eco-friendly hemp fabric. are ups and downs and twists and taxing, tiring turns, her enthusiasm Happy Hemp is an innovative company grounded in so many of for her product, for her company and for Austin is unmistakable the principles that Austin holds near and dear, including sustainability, and inexhaustible. naturally-derived ingredients, locality and nutritious living. To find The benefits of Happy Hemp seeds, which can be sprinkled on out more about founder Tara Miko or Happy Hemp products, any dish to add an immense amount of protein and nutty flavor, go “hempology,” “happy’nings,” retail locations and more, visit hand in hand with their speckled, aesthetic appeal. The holistically happy-hemp.com. ALM

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THE A * LIFE

Local Mel’s Meals Goes National

By Alexandra Ramirez

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The New Exclusive MUSIC MIXERS: JACK DANIELS AND ABSOLUT ROCK TEXAS

By Daniel Ramirez

Austin's music scene is no stranger to incredible shows. Austin City Limits was born and raised here, and the shows there have been the stuff of legend for over three decades. Part of the allure has to be the limited number of tickets and short guest list that preserves the experience for those who are lucky enough to attend.

Recently, a number of high profile trendsetters in the beverage industry have taken this phenomenon seriously, using Central Texas as a playground for mixing access with alcohol, hosting two incredible evenings that hopefully mark the start of a new trend in marketing.

Jack Daniels, first to arrive, recently hosted indie music darlings, Metric, in the historic Pearl Stable in San Antonio. The show, an invite and contest winner soiree, honored the best elements of live music. Held in an intimate venue to an enthusiastic fan base, there wasn't a soul that didn't move to the electrified beat.

The show was a part of their series, Live at the Landmark, where Jack Daniels took up-and-coming bands from the music world and put them in hallowed ground venues to celebrate the link that Jack Daniels has had with America's rich history and with the history of rock and roll.

Taking things in a slightly different direction, Absolut Vodka was not to be outdone. Adding art to the mix of drinks and tunes, Absolut X debuted in Austin this year, taking over the Austin Music Hall and hosting recent SXSW grads, Walk The Moon, as they threw a carnival in a fully transformed venue that looked nothing like the familiar hall does. Featuring art installations worthy of a museum and interactive elements that included makeovers for the guests, the Absolut X event was a rave for a more refined set, promoting art along with its alcohol.

Whether historic or innovative, this new trend in crosspromotion makes possible some of the most amazing live music experiences and preserves the spirit of live music’s allure. By hosting memorable, one-of-a-kind evenings, these innovators are starting something we can only hope continues to grow.

Check out jdliveatthelandmark.com and absolutx.com. ALM

PHOTOS COURTESY OF MEL'S MEALS AND BRANTLEY-GUTIERREZ

Finding good food in Austin, Texas is never a problem. Finding good food that is also good for you, can be. Ever since Mel’s Meals, a local food establishment that delivers packaged homemade meals, was created in 2011, Austinites have been offered a solution that allows them to eat delicious food without feeling guilty. However, communities across the United States have not been so fortunate, until now. The company recently launched a national website that provides a convenient way for customers, regardless of their location, to have Mel’s Meals delivered to their doorstep, free of charge.

Melissa Sterns, or Mel, came up with the idea of Mel’s Meals after working in the restaurant industry for 15 years and growing increasingly dissatisfied with serving over priced, over sized and over salted foods. She created a way for customers to choose a healthy meal plan that worked best for their lifestyle. Whether an athlete desiring a high protein diet, a parent with a busy schedule who does not have time to cook or maybe a young adult who is trying to watch his or her weight; you name it, Mel’s Meals can help. The company goes even further to offer paleo, vegetarian and gluten-free options.

All of the meals offered by Mel’s Meals are guaranteed not to have processed ingredients, refined sugars or simple starches and only hormone-free meats. Thus, allowing customers to feel good about what they are putting into their own and their family’s bodies. Nevertheless the breakfast, lunch and dinner options that are provided do not lack in taste or authenticity. Mango ginger salmon, chicken pita pizza and protein peanut butter balls are just a few of the original options created by Mel and her team.

In addition to feeding her customers, Mel takes time out of her busy schedule to enlighten them on anything and everything having to do with nutrition. From busting food myths to tips on how to stay slim, Mel answers all their questions via her newsletter. She practices what she preaches and is in tune with the importance of eating healthy and being fit. What started as an idea to improve the eating habits and lifestyle of locals has now evolved into improving the nutritional health of the nation as a whole, one meal at a time. Learn more about Mel’s Meals at melsmealsaustin.com. ALM

THE A * LIFE

Beat(box) the Heat A NEW WAY TO DRINK IN THE SUMMER

By Daniel Ramirez

Summer's coming and for many Austinites, the river calls.

Whether your particular brand is the Comal, Guadalupe or Frio, which is our personal favorite, the leisurely float on a peaceful waterway is a preferred alternative to the scorching Texas heat.

Drink in hand and cool water taking the sting out of the ceaseless sun, the picture paints itself in the minds of many.

But, as opposed to those unpopulated days on the river that many native Austinites recall from their youth, there are rules and regulations on each and every one of the favored floats.

Glass and cans are outlawed, just like at many other local water attractions, which means that finding an adult beverage proves difficult if you like something other than mass-produced, lowcost and low-quality beer in plastic bottles or wine from an unimaginative box.

Austin now has a better option. Beatbox Beverages, a local venture, brings pre-mixed, ready-to-drink cocktails to the party in a conversation-starting box. Like the beatboxes of old, this new product ensures that the party is a success, whether it is on the river, on the lawn or on the pool deck. Unlike summer fun, which is "just add water," Beatbox Beverages need only be chilled to enjoy fully.

The flavor is reminiscent of a flavored martini and while it isn’t a Negroni or a Whiskey Sour, it pairs infinitely better with summer music and bikini weather. Available at Twin Liquors, the Beatbox delivers five liters of cocktail to any venue. The mix is intentionally low-calorie—embracing the skinny cocktail movement that keeps the good times guilt-free—making it even easier to enjoy. ALM

A Share of the Fast Lane

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Allowing you to utilize a particular car for a set amount of days a year, écurie25 has a program for nearly every budget, providing for every speed demon’s desire. Choose a car and a plan that ranges from 15 to 60 driving days a year; and for that time, a driver can live the life reserved for fantasies, without the burden of ownership and maintenance of the rarest of vehicles.

For more details and to start your engines, visit ecurie25.com. ALM

PHOTOS COURTESY OF BEATBOX BEVERAGES AND ÉCURIE25

Ask most men (and more than a few women) about their bucket list and, somewhere in the inventory of far-fetched wishes and pipe dreams, there will most likely be a passing mention of a particular car. Names like Ferrari, Aston Martin and Lamborghini typically dominate these scenarios, with the names often whispered in reverence for the fantasies such cars evoke.

Austin’s hosting of a successful Formula 1 race has managed to fan such flames in dreamers throughout the city. Speed is the desired effect, and the modern day supercar is the ideal catalyst. To drive these supercars is to speak of class, success and sheer power. Of course, to own such a car is often as difficult a prospect as finding a dealer, even in as metropolitan a town as Austin.

Enter écurie25, a supercar club that offers partial ownership of a fleet of vehicles sure to quench any who thirst for the speed and power that only a magnificent car can provide. From the vaunted McLaren MP4, stocked with an obscene 592 horses under the hood, to the impossibly rare Ferrari California, through écurie25, these cars can be time-shared over multiple owners, at a fraction of the cost of ownership.

THE A * LIFE

PHOTO BY SEAN KRAY

Josephine House Larry McGuire might as well be named Midas. As one of the premiere restaurateurs in Austin, McGuire puts an indelible stamp on any property he touches and we have long sung his praises. From Lambert's to Clark's, he has run the table on the Austin dining scene, winning with every move.

When McGuire turned his attention to the iconic fine dining establishment that is Jeffrey's, the future of the establishment was a foregone conclusion. What no one could predict was that he would launch a side project that would precede the re-launch of the Austin staple. With Joesphine House, McGuire has wowed and surprised, giving Austin a place on West Lynn to relax, take in the afternoon and enjoy a light lunch or some highly refined snacks and sips.

The menu, which changes daily, is confined to a limited number of items that one would perhaps find at home on the ChampsElysĂŠes. While it may be daunting to a diner used to having infinite choices and combinations, the pastries, charcuterie and

light salads that pepper the menu do not disappoint in the least.

Whether dining indoors or in the many unique outdoor spaces, Josephine House envelops you in a setting that looks as though it was torn from a home decor catalog and given a warm life. This isn't a feast merely for your eyes, but rather a holistic feast that caters to the senses and comfort level of each diner. The service is second to none in Austin, eclipsing even the other McGuire properties with the friendliness and attentiveness of each server.

A light cheese tray and one of the bartender's well-crafted cocktails are all that a visitor needs to imagine themselves whisked away from the downtown chaos to a land where the afternoons are long and all clock watching comes to an end.

Perhaps the best compliment to Josephine House is that, shortly after sitting down, you'll wonder how long you can stay.

Open from 11pm-3pm for lunch and 3pm-6pm for snacks and drinks, this is how every Austinite should wile away the hours.

Visit josephineofaustin.com for more information. ALM

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17

THE A * LIFE NEW BIZ BUZZ

No Longer A 'Drag'

French Press

TOY JOY MOVING DOWNTOWN

By Amber Groce

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Jewelry For A Cure

By Amber Groce

Kate Bockholt, an 8th grader at Hill Country Middle School, is the founder/owner of Kate’s Cure, a jewelry line that raises money for cancer research. Kate started the company in September 2012.

“When my mom was going through treatment, it was really tough for the rest of our family to watch her be tired all the time,” Kate said. “She slept a lot and lost all of her hair, and that was difficult for my brother and me because we're so used to having her run around non-stop for us. Although it was very hard to see, we were extremely glad that she was lucky enough to have caught the cancer early and gotten treatment for it.”

Kate’s mom also owns a jewelry company, Kate and Thomas Online Jewelry, which sparked Kate’s idea of creating jewelry. Kate hand stamps sterling silver necklaces that say HOPE and allow donors to choose from a list of gemstone colors which represents different types of cancer. All profits go to cancer research. A $55 value, they are given to everyone who donates over $25.

“By December, I was able to give $4,348.71 to the Cancer Research Institute. Word is spreading and orders are still coming in from all over the country. I plan to continue to grow the charity through high school and beyond.”

To order, visit katescure.com, select a color for the gemstone and indicate a donation amount.

A lavender gemstone will be used, indicating “all cancers,” if a color is not specified. Complimentary gift cards are included with personalized messages for gifts. Each package includes a card explaining Kate’s Cure and informing the recipient that a donation was made to the Cancer Research Institute.

In a cozy house just off South First Street on Annie sits La Patisserie. La Patisserie opened its doors on November 29, 2010, serving bakery items and desserts, most notably the French macaron.

“Opening a French pastry shop has been a dream of mine since I was 10-years old and my parents first took me to Paris,” owner Soraiya Nagree said. “The reason we decided to open LP was that we fell in love with the lavender house and the neighborhood it is in. I had always wanted to open it in a house but it is surprisingly hard to find commercial houses in Austin and when we saw this one, we had to snatch it up!”

The menu has seasonal items, such as the strawberry balsamic chevre macaron, and staples like the chicken salad sandwich on a freshly-made croissant. Baked goods are displayed in the glass case at the register, so you are bound to walk out with at least one sweet treat.

“My favorite macaron is our rose flavored one,” Soraiya said. “It was the one I fell in love with in Paris 20 years ago and still is my favorite.”

La Patisserie hosts events throughout the year, like the Mother’s Day Tea on May 5. It is also gearing up for its first summer kids camp in June and July for children ages 5-8. The camp will focus on planning, baking & hosting a bake sale, but kids will also enjoy gardening, yoga and crafts.

The camp from for one week-June 17-22 and July 22-27- from 8:30am-11:30am each day. The bake sale is held the Saturday of each camp week.

“The kids camp is going to be so much fun because the kids spend the week preparing for a bake sale that they hold on Saturday,” Soraiya said. “So it is perfect for budding chefs and entrepreneurs.”

For more information, visit La Patisserie’s website at lpaustin.com.

PHOTO BY MEL COLE, I HEART PHOTOGRAPHY

PHOTO BY MICHAEL RICHERT

One of the landmark businesses of "The Drag" on Guadalupe, Toy Joy, is moving from the 40 Acres to a more upscale address. After spending years as the southern anchor of the busy retail district near the University of Texas, the proprietors of funky gifts, bizarre games and uncommon items of all kinds are headed to 2nd Street.

With the growth of downtown's inhabitants, the majority of new businesses are eyeballing the area as a hotbed of retail development. Credit an Austin mainstay like Toy Joy for recognizing the trend and leading the local charge. The move will increase the retail outlet's visibility, a feat when you consider the bright colors and neon presence of the original store.

If you haven't been by the location on "The Drag" in a while, what downtown can look forward to is the evolved version of the five and dime, a wonderland for kids of all ages, complete with candy, floats and bubble tea to snack and sip while you shop. Every piece of nostalgia from nearly any childhood can be found on their vast shelves, a cherished feature that is certain not to change, regardless of where they call home.

So, whether you need a gift for your niece or nephew that can’t be found in a big-box retail, a gift that reminds your parents of days preserved only in sepia-tone or just something to keep yourself young at heart, you can find it at Toy Joy. And soon, you can find it a little bit closer to the city center.

Visit toyjoy.com for more information.

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19

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A RURAL SUMMER THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS SURROUNDED BY GORGEOUS COUNTRYSIDE Whether frolicking in the field before headed downtown or spending the entire day in the country, you can be perfectly polished for any affair—anywhere!

With a cool dress or romper in geometric and graphic prints or the trend of black and white mixed with pops of color, completed with soft denim or lightweight leather and relaxed boots; be country comfortable yet ready to be city chic in a snap!

LACE JACKET, TOP, PANTS & JEWELRY Langford Market

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A* S T Y LE | FA S H I O N

DRESS Muzzie's RING Langford Market

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A* S T Y LE | FA S H I O N

DRESS Fawn & Raven NECKLACE Langford Market

ROMPER, NECKLACE & BRACELETS Fawn & Raven RING Langford Market

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A* S T Y LE | FA S H I O N

PHOTOGRAPHER Kelly Cameron, kellycameron.net STYLING Edith Henry, with The Dragonfly Agency, edithhenry.com MAKEUP/HAIR Kelsey James, kelseyjames.com MODEL Kassi Foster

DRESS Langford Market

STYLING ASSISTANT Rebecca Price

NECKLACES Langford Market and Fawn & Raven

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24 austinlifestylemagazine.com

T R AV EL

GL ASS GULF

26 Miles

15 BEACH COMMUNITIES AT SOUTH WALTON

BY MARIKA FL AT T PHOTOS COURTESY OF SOUTH WALTON TDC

“ IF I COULD BE ANY WHERE , IT WOULD BE A PL ACE WHERE THE COLORS OF THE DUSK REFLECT AMONG SUGAR-WHITE SANDS."

I’m going to tell you a story about a magical land that you must “sea” to believe. My story will not do the secret location justice; your very own eyes must truly tell the tale.

If you long to take your family to a tiny town of days gone by, equipped with luxury custom beach homes, cobblestone streets where the primary mode of transportation are cruiser bikes for young and old alike, where you’re blocks from the crystal white sand beaches and, the town center, the epicenter of the community, offers restaurants overlooking the sea, you want to travel to my secret destination spot in the Florida Panhandle: SEASIDE, 1 of the 15 beach communities along South Walton.

Their slogan, “If I could be anywhere…” will be your mantra after you visit the area and take in the sights and sounds for yourself.

Each of the 15 communities offer a very distinct personality and you are sure to find one that suits your group. They include: Seascape, Miramar Beach, Sandestin, Dune Allen, Santa Rosa, Blue Mountain, Grayton, WaterColor, Seaside, Seagrove, WaterSound, Seacrest, Alys Beach, Rosemary Beach and Inlet. Here are a few highlights so you can choose which one best suits your personality.

SIMPLY SEASIDE

As the backdrop for the Jim Carrey movie, The Truman Show, Seaside is straight out of a Hollywood sound stage. With quaint and colorful beach-style homes nestled together along white picket fence-lined streets, Seaside is the epitome of Americana. Seaside was built around the concept of “socialization by design”—front porches to encourage human interaction and a true community to get back to the basics. There are 400 homes, 250 of which are rental homes, all with wooden signs hanging on their fences stating the owners’ name and hometown.

Walking through the pristine clean streets, you are expecting to see June Cleaver pop out on the front porch with a plate of fresh-

26 austinlifestylemagazine.com

baked cookies for you—a neighborly passer-by. Seaside is a step back in time for folks who want to ride bikes all day long, pass the time on the front porch, and get back to the basics for a true chick vacation.

It stands for simpler way of life, only the living comes with a hefty price tag (expect to pay $600-900/night on average).

Seaside has the highest occupancy rate, the highest return visitor rate, but also the highest price of all the South Walton communities.

That’s because there’s no other location that boasts the feel of Seaside. A few fun facts about Seaside: 1. The design of Seaside was inspired by both old towns and new Italian piazzas.

2. Porches must be a certain number of square feet at each house 3. Natural landscaping is all that is allowed so as not to attract loud birds or other creatures.

4. Seaside was founded in 1981 by the Davis family. The grandson of the original buyer (who bought the land for $100/acre in the 40s) is the one who eventually created Seaside.

5. Colors of homes closest to the beach must be soft, soothing beach colors and as the streets go back (there’s only 80 acres in Seaside), the colors get brighter.

6. Seaside boasts 2 general-use pools plus an adult pool, a playground, a fitness center and a town center.

7. Guests can rent a property varying from the motor inn (simple one-room rentals) to an 8-bedroom plantation home, which makes Seaside the ideal locale for a family reunion or a family summer vacation.

8. When you check-in at the Seaside Cottage Rental Agency, they greet you with a bottle of wine (your choice: red or white).

9. Favorite eatery in Seaside: The Great Southern Cafe. You’ll want to try the Fried Green Tomato Benedict and the beignets (thegreatsoutherncafe.com).

Here a few of my favorite recommendations to keep you busy while staying at Seaside:

T R AV EL

• Catch a performance by the Seaside Repertory Theatre at the Seaside Amphitheater, located in the middle of the town center.

• Tee time! Located in Seacrest Beach on Camp Creek Boulevard, The Tom Fazio-designed Camp Creek Golf Club (a U.S. Open regional qualifier course) features a pure golf experience accentuated by a significant wetland system. This 18-hole, par-72 championship course measures 7,151 yards and features a practice facility, short-game area, practice putting green, golf shop and grill.

Just beware of the snakes and gators on this challenging course!

• Serenity by the sea is a full service salon, spa and fitness club located at the Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort and Spa. The spa was voted “Best Spa” for four years by Emerald Coast Magazine. I heartily recommend the Serenity Massage (each treatment room has its own robe warmer) and the Serenity Facial. My only question is: Why do 80 minutes working out pass so slow and 80 minutes on the massage table pass in the blink of an eye? Luxurious!

• YOLO Boarding on Western Lake, one of Beaches of South Walton’s 15 rare coastal dune lakes. YOLO (an acronym for You Only Live Once) involves standing up and paddling on a big, safe, comfortable long-board. It’s one of the new fitness crazes, offering a great upper body workout. Founder Tom Losee can even be found giving lessons or leading a YOLOFit class out on the lake. You’ll soon be seeing this sport across the U.S.! Or visit yoloboard.com to purchase your own board.

• Zip Lining in the Village—Get an aerial view of the Village of Baytowne Wharf in Sandestin and its surroundings as you soar across the lagoon on Northwest Florida’s only zip line. It only takes a little courage to climb the ladder and off you go!

• Dinner at Fish Out of Water. Located on the second floor of the WaterColor Inn and overlooking the Gulf, Fish Out of Water celebrates Southern art and nature with a fire-and-ice theme, which is anchored by an exhibition grill kitchen and an ice bar bearing fresh seafood and sushi. The mood at Fish Out of Water is casually chic, and yet elegance is ref lected in the simplest detail. The freshest local fish and meats, combined with an eclectic approach to traditional ways of preparing and serving food translates into dishes unlike anything else offered in this area. I recommend starting with the Butter Bean Puree Crustini, move on to the Heirloom Tomato Salad, then the Florida Hopper Shrimp with Anson Mill’s Grits with Hobbs’ bacon, and finish off with a Vanilla Molten dessert. Pair all with a Frog’s Leap Sauvignon Blanc.

Annual Triathlon FALL - Canines on the Catwalk; Baytowne Film Festival; Beaujolais Nouveau Holiday Kick-off Celebration WINTER - First Night Sandestin on New Year’s Eve; Great Southern Gumbo Cook-off; Mini Mardi Gras WHIMSICAL WATERCOLOR

Reminding families how vacations used to be, WaterColor is a small community along Highway 30-A which devotes half of its area to green space and is a refuge for those who seek it. This coastal retreat has a strong Southern accent, especially when it comes to WaterColor Inn, ranked #1 in a 2006 Travel & Leisure survey as the Top Family-Friendly Resort in the U.S. and Canada. WaterColor Inn, designed by award-winning David Rockwell, was also named the 36th Best Hotel in the World and 7th Best Hotel in North America by a Travel & Leisure August 2006 poll.

The inn sits on flour-white beaches and offers all the amenities that families need to make the most of a vacation. Families can also enjoy bike rides through 18 miles of paved trails, nature walks and kayaking. Art galleries, markets and a marina surround the beautiful and lush Cerulean Park in the center of town.

South Walton, touted for its jeweled sand and dazzling waters, is an extraordinary place waiting to be discovered. Whether you’re planning a family reunion or a girls’ excursion, you’re sure to find a world of elegance, charm and relaxation. Just make sure you factor in time to spoil yourself in the sun and sand, and you’ll be pining for your next visit. ALM Marika Flatt, owner of PR by the Book (prbythebook.com), has been a freelance travel writer since 2002, writing for publications such as: GoodHousekeeping.com, FamilyTravel.com, Plate & Vine and ChickVacations.com. Her travel writing has also appeared on NPR.org.

She lives with her husband and 3 children (who also love to travel) in Austin. She recently launched a travel blog at marikaflatt.com.

South Walton visitsouthwalton.com Twitter: @SouthWalton With 15 unique Florida beach neighborhoods, finding your perfect beach is a breeze.

SPA AGH-ING SANDESTIN

With 2 spas, 2 fitness centers, 15 tennis courts, and 2 major shopping areas, women love the resort of Sandestin. One area that truly calls to women is The Village of Baytowne Wharf—the epicenter for shopping, dining and nightlife. You can find everything from Cajun to funky and fresh. You can also indulge in nightly live entertainment at all types of bars in The Village.

Some of their annual celebrations include: SPRING - The Village Goes Green for St. Patrick’s Day festivities; A Basketful of Fun at Easter; ArtsQuest Fine Arts Festival on Mother’s Day Weekend SUMMER - Concerts under the Stars, Fourth of July Celebration,

Seaside Cottage Rental Agency cottagerentalagency.com 1-800-277-8696 Sandestin sandestin.com 1-877-870-5915 WaterColor watercolorvacations.com 1-888-775-2545

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T R AV EL

Beaches of South Walton RESTAURANT RECOMMENDATIONS RECOMMENDATIONS IN SEASIDE: BUD & ALLEY’S , a 15-year Seaside tradition, this casual waterfront eatery, mixes casual

beachside ambience with a tasty menu relying on a gamut of regional fare. Have drinks and apps upstairs at the Tarpon Club overlooking the glimmering waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Try the seafood gumbo.

TACO BAR , a casual, unpretentious eatery with great food. The Taco Bar features authentic

border tacos and burritos with a full bar offering over 40 specialty Tequilas. Try the fish taco and guacamole.

THE VILL AGE OF BAY TOWNE WHARF IS THE PL ACE

PIZZA BAR , the newest venture of South Walton restaurateur Dave Rauschkolb, features

TO BE DURING THE EVENINGS. THE AREA OF SHOPS,

authentic Neapolitan Pizza, a variety of pizza made according to a set of strict rules, as well as salads and a full menu of antipasti. Pizza Bar is the first and only restaurant to offer pizza cooked in a wood-burning oven on Scenic Hwy 30A.

RESTAURANTS AND BARS IS LOCATED AT SANDESTIN, JUST STEPS AWAY FROM THE GRAND HOTEL .

GRAYTON BEACH EATERIES: FIRE is an exciting restaurant in Grayton Beach that features a clean, fresh approach to

food and wine. Fire offers a lunch and dinner menu ripe with fresh vegetables, succulent seafood and meltingly tender meat. Their style is "casual fine dining" with an emphasis on natural, hearty, true dishes that offer flavors ranging from adventurous to a familiar comfort.

SHORT Y’S SURFSIDE AND TOPSIDE , Grayton Beach’s newest restaurant, has quickly become an exciting place to stop in and hear live music, sample some great sushi, or have a gulf-view family dinner in an upstairs dining room. The menu has something for everyone, from the casual beach drifter stopping in for a margarita and a cup of gumbo, to the group of six desiring a three course feast.

Executive Chef Jesse Hart and Sous Chef Benjamin Steeno invite you to travel the Gravel Road for an adventure in fine dining with unique blends of contemporary American and classic French-influenced cuisine. and classic French-influenced cuisine.

ENJOY A ROMANTIC DINNER AT THE AWARD-WINNING FISH OUT OF WATER RESTAURANT.

STINKY’S FISH CAMP, located in Dune Allen Beach, offers the freshest ingredients and local seafood to create classic dishes, with a well thought out wine list that is based on taste, not price, to round out the perfect experience.

THE RED BAR , located in Grayton Beach, is place to have fun with friends and family while

taking in all of the eclectic decor, listening to the great live Jazz music and enjoying great food and cocktails. The simple but varied menu includes pasta with crawfish and shrimp, panne’ chicken and mashed potatoes, stuffed eggplant, crab cakes and fish of the day.

EATERIES IN THE VILLAGE OF BAYTOWNE WHARF, SANDESTIN: GRAFFITI’S & THE FUNKY BLUES SHACK , a restaurant and live blues club, in the Village.

It’s family-friendly with funky folk artwork that showcases artists from throughout the Southeast. An eclectic Italian menu offers popular classics such as Linguine Bolognese and Veal Picatta as well as signature dishes such as Lobster Ravioli, Hazel Grouper and Mediterranean Shrimp.

NEW ORLEANS CREOLE COOKERY- authentic New Orleans Creole food such as BBQ

shrimp, crawfish bisque, seafood gumbo, red fish menuire, blackened prime rib, chicken fricassee slow roasted pork, shrimp Creole to name a few.

28 austinlifestylemagazine.com

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THE DEAN'S LIST

BY STEVE DEAN

W

hen a celebrity like Justin Timberlake is spotted wearing your T-shirt and Tweeting about his love for your product, chances are you’ve got something great. In the case of Amy’s Ice Creams, they’ve got something wonderful. Ice cream is a product no one really needs, but everybody wants. No matter what kind of mood you’re in, ice cream makes it better. With one trip to Amy’s Ice Creams, you’ll leave happier than you were when walked in. After all, the company’s mission is to “Make someone’s day.”

In addition to praise from celebrities, Amy’s Ice Creams has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and Inc. magazines. Ice cream has, historically, played a very important role in American society, says company founder and namesake, Amy Simmons, who was born and raised in Ann Arbor Michigan, attended Tufts University in Boston and moved to Austin in 1984 for one specific reason: to start her own ice cream company. She wrote a business plan and raised $100,000. From there, she launched one of Austin’s most famous and favorite companies.

Many people would be surprised to learn that Amy Simmons chose Austin, not for the live music or the warm weather, (the city of Boston actually consumes the most ice cream per capita) but for the cultural similarities to her hometown of Ann Arbor: lots of students, plenty of families and a creative, entrepreneurial environment where anything is possible. Fast-forward almost 30 years and you’ve got today’s Amy’s Ice Creams—with 15 locations and unlimited flavor possibilities. Her ice creams are not available in stores, you’ve got to visit one of the 15 locations to purchase her products—a great move on her part. Krispy Kreme did immeasurable damage to their brand when they began supplying grocery and convenience stores with their products, and, as a result, lost control of quality and experience, and quickly became “just another donut.” Amy Simmons is too smart to let that happen, and she puts a lot of time and effort into growing the company as well as the Amy’s brand. Her success is actually the result of hard work and passion—not just her passion, but her entire organization’s passion. Amy chooses people the way most famous chefs choose their ingredients—very carefully and with the end result in mind. The recruiting and hiring process is uniquely her own: the application is a white paper bag. The only requirements are to write a name and contact information somewhere on the bag.

Applicants are encouraged to be creative and applications over the years have included decorated bags, short stories, and videos placed in the bag itself. The bag does not have to remain intact and the end product does not even need to resemble the original bag. In fact, some applications have included only portions of the bag, puppets

32 austinlifestylemagazine.com

made from the bag, or the remains of a bag (ashes). This original process has served her well over the years. If someone really wants to work for Amy’s Ice Creams, they have to prove it—literally, and very creatively.

As for the ice cream flavors, they vary daily, and customers can choose from an almost infinite number of recipes. All of the flavors are developed by the Amy’s team and all can be modified on-site with any number of “crush-ins” that are artfully and acrobatically added in by one of the talented ice cream jugglers behind the counters of every location, which is a major part of the experience with each visit.

The company’s expansion strategy is to only open locations that will allow the company to interact with customers and build a strong relationship with the local community. If that sounds too slow, that’s perfectly fine with Amy, she wants to be a regional company and has no plans to become a franchise.

As for the future, while Amy continues to carefully expand her ice cream locations, she’s also developing and expanding her Phil’s Ice House burger concept as well as a brand new venture, “Baked by Amy’s,” which will begin to supply fresh baked sweet treats to the Austin market this summer.

The success of most retail operations is often measured in yearover-year sales growth, expansion rate and the current number of units in operation. This is not the case with Amy’s Ice Creams.

Amy Simmons measures her success on the number of lives she’s enhanced, through her ice creams and through her company. She prides herself on the number of entrepreneurs she creates with every new hire. Some stay with her for years and some move on to do great things at other companies. Amy’s gratification comes when past and current employees tell her that working for Amy’s Ice Creams was the best job they’ve ever had. Amy Simmons has certainly found Austin’s sweet spot, and as it turns out, Amy Simmons is not in the ice cream business after all—she’s in the “giving people wings” business, and that’s why she’s on The Dean’s List.

Steve Dean is the founder of The Dean’s List, an Austin-based branding firm that specializes in building best-in-class brands. ALM

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A* S T Y LE | B E AU T Y THE FINER THINGS

BY RORY PATRICK M C NEILL

T

he scalp. It’s likely our most overlooked place in the body until something goes awry. It nourishes and creates our manes, which we lovingly care for, yet somehow overlook the very core of hair’s creation.

Everyone knows the telltale signs when things get out of balance... dry snowflakes dancing off our heads. There is much more to this story of renewal going on. Did you know the average human scalp has over 100,000 hairs? At any given time, 10% of your hair is in what we call a "resting phase.” The other 90% are working hard growing. Speaking of rest, vacations are good for you—and your hair because stress can cause hair loss. But don't worry; in most cases, stress related hair loss is reversible. Blondes have the maximum number of hairs, perhaps this is why they have more fun? All in all, the scalp is one of the most fascinating parts of the story of the human body's renewal.

MAINTENANCE It’s just like anything else. The scalp performs better when we care for it. Not exfoliating? Common sebum blockage causes a myriad of issues including suffocating hair follicles and killing them once and for all. No stimulation? Increased blood flow boosts follicle production, strengthening hair and increasing shine. Amazingly, it takes very little work for significant results. The beauty world is taking notice, too.

Science is proving that there are big rewards to those who take care of their scalps. As usual, the leader of this innovation is Kerastase which has a number of products on the market specifically made to care for and nourish your scalp first. I’ve combed through the offerings and selected three not to live without...

EXFOLIANT Bain exfoliant Hydratant by Kerastase- Exfoliate your scalp? You spend numerous nights a week scrubbing away at your face yet the scalp works tirelessly producing hair and gets no spa break. Enter Bain Exfoliant Hydratant: A shampoo with microbeads gently exfoliating dandruff from the scalp. Specially derived chemicals follow suit, lifting dandruff away.

Use as often as needed and massage in with flat hands. Typically, once or twice a week and the dreaded white flakes are banished for good, leaving an intense clean feeling like never before. Simple miracles.

world, stimulating the scalp is the goal. Brushing the scalp invigorates hair follicles and strengthens the root of the hair while increasing blood circulation, promoting growth. Just as a scalp massage can pull natural moisturizers out of the pores and onto your scalp, it can draw those natural oils into the hair as well, leaving your hair shiny, soft and strong. Mason Pearson recommends 10 brushes across the scalp in all four directions: front to back, back to front, right to left, and left to right for optimal performance. Sensational takes on new meaning.

TRANSFORM Initialiste by Kerastase - Potent skincare inspired super serum that acts on the four attributes of total hair beauty: Strength + Shine + Suppleness + Beauty. Ceramides reduce breakage by hair fibers internal cement.

Condition agents nourish and soften hair fiber enhancing resilience.

Antioxidants like green tea extract protect from future damage. Nine out of ten women saw a difference in their hair in just one week. Amazing?

I think the answer is yes.

The root of the problem is solved. ALM

1. Popular Mixture Nylon & Boar Bristle Brush for Long Coarse to Normal Hair,

STIMULANT Mason Pearson Brush- Using a brush is rarely associated with the scalp but when it comes to Mason Pearson, the only handmade brush in the

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$170. Mason Pearson, nordstrom.com.

2. Bain Exfoliant Hydratant, $39. Keratase, kerastase-usa.com.

3. Initialiste, $60. Keratase, kerastase-usa.com.

A* S T Y LE | B E AU T Y

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For more beauty tips from Rory McNeill, visit roaraustin.com/rory.

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T H E A* L IF E | E V EN T S

JUNE 8 & 9

Mumford & Sons Austin360 Amphitheater austin360amphitheater.com

J U N E 7-9

ATX Television Festival

Various atxfestival.com

PHOTO BY MADELYN KAY

PHOTO BY LEAH MUSE

JUN E

JU LY

JUNE 3

JUNE 15

J U LY 2

J U LY 1 7

Of Monsters And Men Stubb's stubbsaustin.com

Austin Over The Edge One American Center cstx.wish.org

Kings of the Mic With LL Cool J, Ice Cube, Public Enemy and De La Soul Stubb's stubbsaustin.com

Little Chefs Kids Camp Central Market centralmarket.com

JUNE 5

JUNE 20

The Wine Down with Ruby Jane ACL Live at the Moody Theater acl-live.com

Third Thursday The Blanton blantonmuseum.org

JUNE 6

11th Annual Keep Austin Weird Fest The Long Center keepaustinweirdfest.com

Young & Fabulous Fashion Show WET at The W Hotel Austin yfpoolsideshow.eventbrite.com

JUNE 22

JUNE 23

Sound of Music Sing-A-Long Paramount Theatre austintheatre.org

Robert Plant Presents the Sensational Space Shifters ACL Live at the Moody Theater acl-live.com

J U N E 7-9

J U N E 2 7-3 0

ATX Television Festival Various atxfestival.com

Luling Watermelon Thump Luling, TX watermelonthump.com

JUNE 7

J U N E 2 8-2 9

10,000 Maniacs One World Theatre oneworldtheatre.org

Sky Candy Presents The Circus!

Scottish Rite Theater skycandyaustin.com

JUNE 8

JUNE 8 & 9

Mumford & Sons Austin360 Amphitheater austin360amphitheater.com JUNE 13

Austin Swing Syndicate's 14th Anniversary Dance Texas Federation of Women's Clubs Mansion austinswingsyndicate.org

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JUNE 29

Red, White and Blue Ball Dale, TX redwhiteandblueball.com JUNE 30

Rachael Yamagata The Parish theparishaustin.com

J U LY 4

Austin Symphony Orchestra and Fireworks Auditorium Shores roadwayevents.com J U LY 5

13th Annual LobsterFest Asti Trattoria astiaustin.com J U LY 6

Texas Hill Country Wine and Brew Fest Kerrville, TX texashillcountrywineandbrew fest.com J U LY 6

Deep Eddy Movie NightGrease Deep Eddy Pool austinparks.org J U LY 1 0

Blues on the GreenBob Schneider Zilker Park kgsr.com J U LY 1 3

Fitz & The Tantrums Stubb's stubbsaustin.com

J U LY 1 9

New Order Austin Music Hall c3concerts.com J U LY 2 0

The Pink Panther Scavenger Hunt Paramount and Various austintheatre.org J U LY 24 -2 8

A Chorus Line The Long Center thelongcenter.org J U LY 2 7

Black Sabbath Frank Erwin Center uterwincenter.com J U LY 2 8

Texas Heat Wave Travis County Expo Center heatwaveshow.com J U LY 3 1

The Monkees Summer Tour The Long Center thelongcenter.org

SOCIAL GR ACES FOSTER ANGELS OF CENTRAL TX P H O T O S BY S A R A H S M I T H

3rd Annual Appreciation Luncheon

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7 1 Brianne Havens and Shaleiah Fox. 2 Honorable Andrew Hathcock and Vanessa Davila. 3 Ola Jobe, Reverend Ray Hendricks and Brenda Jones. 4 Ola Jobe, Sarah Smith and Liz Wilson. 5 Scott and Cindy Wilson. 6 Ted Oakley and Carl Warden.

7 Thom Farrell, Sandra Farrell and Clint Smith.

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SOCIAL GR ACES AUTISM SPEAKS P H O T O S BY K E L LY C A M E R O N

Autism Speaks BlueBash

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1 ALM Fashion Editor, Edith Henry. 2 John Chung. 3 219 West. 4 Margaret Barrett, Stephen Barrett and Buddy Nooning. 5 Holly Jones, Lola Laymon, Rebecca Price, Kayla Guevara, Edith Henry, Elizabeth Lestina, Alli Heisler-Hansen, Christine Imperatore, Sarah McLaughlin-Reed, Sarina Wong, Margo Aleman and Melanie Phillips. 6 Melanie Phillips, Sarina Wong, Holly Jones and Christine Imperatore.

7 Amie and Matthew Smith. 8 Autism Speaks Greater Austin Chapter committee members: Aimee Dearmon, Julie Townsend, Heather Stith, Olivia Derr, Leslie Madden, Amie Smith, Traci Whitney, Matt Smith, Heather van Horn, Laura Peroutka, Sandy Joseph, Dave Buzzell and Mary Buzzell

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AUSTIN’S BEST HAPPY HOUR

By Mary Chase • Directed by Dave Steakley Elwood P. Dowd is a happy-go-lucky chap with a best friend named “Harvey,” an invisible six-foot tall rabbit! When Elwood’s social-climbing sister decides to have him committed, the play is off on a hilarious madcap romp for all ages!

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SERVING USDA PRIME STEAKS

SEATS START AT $25. FOR BEST PRICES BUY NOW! 401 Congress Ave. · Frost Bank Tower zachtheatre.org 40 austinlifestylemagazine.com

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SOCIAL GR ACES ELIZABETH ANN SETON BOARD P H O T O S BY J I M L I N C O L N , J I M L I N C O L N P H O T O G R A P H Y

Evening Under the Stars

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1 Lori Johnson and Jim Johnson. 2 Amy Deane and Michael Deane.

3 Stephanie Matthews, Matt Matthews, Jennifer Campbell and Chuck Campbell.

4 Rick Wittenbraker, Sarah Wittenbraker, Rick Seiders and Emily Seiders.

5 Hannah Nokes and Cameron Nokes. 6 Allison Small and Clint Small.

7 Gala Co-Chairs, Lori Johnson and Amy Deane with 2013 EASB Board President, Lisa Magids. 8 Nicole Covert and Brent Covert. 9 Terri Williams and Lemuel Williams.

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SOCIAL GR ACES SUSAN G. KOMEN AUSTIN P H O T O S BY S Y LV I A B R O G D O N A N D M A U R E E N M A R T I N E Z

Komen Hope for the Cure Luncheon

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1 Courtney Dickey (Komen Austin Board of Directors), Jenn Hatch (Marketing & Communications Manager Komen Austin) and Starla Terry.

2 Christy Casey-Moore (Komen Austin Executive Director) and Holly MillsGardner. 3 Robin Thigpin (Komen Austin Board of Directors), Karen Killoren (Promise of One Award Winner) and Yvonne Carroll (Komen Austin Advisory Board). 4 Kheira Ardijani, Ana Sierra, Jana McSwain and Jessica Jones. 5 Lorin McSwain, Lydia Perez and Katie Boeckman.

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411 BRAZOS STREET (corner of 5th and Brazos)

512. 236. 0755 escalatorstyleformen.com

Hugo Boss - 7 for all Mankind - Shades of Grey - Hudson - Sinclair MFGRP - Chan Luu - Cole Haan austinlifestylemagazine.com

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SOCIAL GR ACES AMERICAN LUNG ASSOCIATION P H O T O S BY A D R I A N G U T I E R R E Z P H O T O G R A P H Y

Fight for Air Climb

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6 1 Awards are given across all age groups and divisions, including firefighters in full gear and top fundraisers. 2 Climbers, volunteers, vendors, sponsors and their families enjoy the Fight for Air Climb’s Welcome Ceremony to kick off the day.

3 The LBJ Fire Academy Team. 4 Top Friends and Family Fundraising Team, Pee Wee’s Big Adventure. 5 "I Climb For" notes. 6 Awards commemorate the occasion.

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SOCIAL GR ACES ANIMAL TRUSTEES OF AUSTIN P H O T O S BY B R I A N M A K I N

Petcasso

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1 Courtney Clark and Carol Adams (Petcasso Co-Chairs). 2 Dr. Randy and Dawn Eckert with Zenith and Phoenix. 3 Jamie Barshop, Becky Lane and Kathy Williams. 4 Jill Klucher, Jim Bob McMillan and Milton Doolittle. 5 Painting of Tux

by Luis Abreux. 6 Missy McCullough (ATA Executive Director) with Auctioneer, Walt Roberts.

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SOCIAL REGISTER

Upcoming Events OUR HIGHLIGHTS FOR YOUR SOCIAL CALENDARS

BRIANNA MOTTAGHI, HOUSE PARTY CHAIR, SHANNON FERGUSON AND

RMHC HOUSE PARTY RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE CHARITIES

Ronald McDonald House Charities of Austin and Central Texas (RMHC Austin) is 28 years old this year. Twenty eight is also the age of many of the young professionals supporting RMHC Austin through the Friends of the House program. This vibrant group of community-focused young professionals ranging in age from 25–35 have varied backgrounds including real estate, sales and finance.

Friends of the House offers members the ability to provide a meal for families staying at the Ronald McDonald House, attend volunteer activities, engage in educational speaker series and network at social events. Through fundraising and volunteerism, Friends of the House is raising awareness, raising resources and raising the bar for young professional philanthropy.

In order to make a greater impact, Friends of the House hosts an annual fundraising event that is becoming one of the go-to events to kick off the summer—House Party. This year, House Party 2013 is June 8, from 7–10 p.m. at Wanderlust Live, 206 East 4th Street.

DJ el john Selector will set the mood with his one-of-a-kind sound, while stylishly attired party goers will enjoy complimentary cocktails from Tito's Handmade Vodka, Keg1 LLC., Conte Brandolini and Spicewood Vineyards. Emily’s Catering will be providing a yummy array of amuse-bouches and Hors d'oeuvres.

RMHC HOUSE PARTY Included in the night will be a silent auction June 8 complete with unique jewelry, dinner packages Wanderlust Live and selections from local artists. Rounding out rmhc-austin.org/friends the night will be a wine pull and an after party at Six Lounge at 319 Colorado Street. This will definitely be a party you don’t want to miss.

In keeping with the tradition of getting down and giving back, this event is a party with a purpose. Last year this dynamic group of young professionals raised nearly $20,000 to support the Healing Hearts burial and bereavement program of RMHC Austin, and this year they have raised the bar another 25 percent. Aiming for $25,000, this year’s proceeds will continue to provide families the care and support they need when they have lost a child, through this quiet yet incredibly profound program of RMHC Austin. This year’s proceeds will also purchase cleaning kits for all 30 guest rooms and a new refrigerator for the second floor of the Ronald McDonald House

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where new mothers can store their breast milk.

Friends of the House was established in 2006 to engage Austin’s brightest young professionals and has grown into a group of more than 200 members who volunteer monthly to support families with critically ill and injured children served by RMHC Austin. What began as a vision of one friend asking another friend to join in giving back, has grown into a program that impacts hundreds of families a year.

Last year, RMHC Austin served families of 783 children from over 46 Central Texas counties in the Ronald McDonald House, and nearly 828 families in the Ronald McDonald Family Rooms.

Families who are referred to Austin’s Ronald McDonald House live 25 miles or more outside of Austin and often have limited access to transportation. The proximity of the House to Dell Children’s Medical Center and other medical care facilities is a blessing during a very challenging time.

Staying at the Ronald McDonald House positively impacts the child, family and medical providers. The House provides children and their families simple access to each other any time day or night, keeping families together and enhancing their coping skills during their child’s hospitalization. Having families close by ensures the child has access to top care and facilitates the transition to normal activities with the resources, support and encouragement they need, reducing the level of stress in the child and parents.

RMHC Austin opened the first Ronald McDonald Family Room inside the St. David’s Women’s Center of Texas at North Austin Medical Center in May of 2009, the second Family Room in 2011 in Dell Children’s and the third in 2012 in St. David’s Medical Center.

This program is designed to support local families with infants in the Hospitals’ Neonatal Intensive Care Units by providing a “mini version” of the support families receive at the Ronald McDonald House, complete with welcoming volunteers, a relaxing environment and refreshments to provide healthy nourishment for parents with medically fragile infants. Currently, there are no other organizations in the Austin area that provide this type of service for these families with children at our partner hospitals.

For more information on how you can get engaged with RMHC Austin’s Friends of the House or purchase tickets to House Party 2013, visit rmhc-austin.org/friends.

PHOTO BY JESSYE PADILLA

JUSTIN CLOWERS, FRIENDS OF THE HOUSE CO-CHAIRS.

40 wines under 40 dollars vino • pizza • pasta • panini austinlifestylemagazine.com

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Play through The Natural State.

Take a tour of Arkansas from tee to tee on The Natural State Golf Trail. With 12 courses to choose from, the trail takes full advantage of the diverse landscapes to challenge your game. For exciting things to do off the links as well, discover delicious dining, thrilling gaming, luxurious spas, unique shopping and more in vibrant cities and charming retreats always just a short drive away.

SCAN FOR INFO

1. Big Creek Golf and Country Club Mountain Home 2. Eagle Crest Golf Course Alma 3. Glenwood Country Club Glenwood 4. Harbor Oaks Golf Club Pine Bluff 5. Hot Springs Country Club Hot Springs (Two courses) 6. Mountain Ranch Golf Club Fairfield Bay 7. Red Apple Inn Heber Springs 8. The Ridges at Village Creek Village Creek State Park 9. Sage Meadows Jonesboro 10. Stonebridge Meadows Fayetteville 11. Tannenbaum Golf Club Drasco

For more information, call 1-866-2GOLF-AR or visit NaturalStateGolfTrail.com Mountain Ranch Golf Club, Fairfield Bay austinlifestylemagazine.com

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Q &AT X

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McCONAUGHEY

Q &AT X

BY A MBER G ROCE PHOTO COURTESY OF G E T T Y IM AG ES

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ustin resident Camila Alves McConaughey, brand ambassador for Macy’s INC, hosted a fashion show at the Domain on Saturday, April 20. Austin Lifestyle Magazine got a chance to sit down with Camila before the show.

How did you become the ambassador for Macy’s INC? They contacted me to schedule a meeting in New York, but this was about building a relationship. The best way to do that is to come to my home, so I invited them to have the meeting here. We had a very long meeting and we cooked dinner, had a glass of wine and looked over the river. It was an organic partnership.

What do you like best about the INC brand?

INC constantly updates looks to stay on trend, and it’s more than just seasonally.

When you look at trends and magazines, you can get that look in stores now, not next season like some designers. The brand includes all kinds of women - it’s not about one woman, one style, one philosophy.

INC embraces all colors and styles so the clothing appeals to a broader audience. The brand really spoke to my heart. Everything I do, I want to include all of us. At the end of the day, we’re all women.

Are you excited for the fashion show?

These fashion shows are great because I love interacting with the customers. Some people are really passionate about the brand and that really comes across at shows. I get to talk about the clothes and point out little things you wouldn’t necessarily see if the clothing was on its hanger. Customers get to see a different perspective.

What is your favorite thing about living in Austin?

People here are not easily impressed. I was on South Congress eating lunch with my two children yesterday. Do people get excited?

Yes, but they keep going with their own agenda. People in Austin have a personality and have their own thing going. And they’re proud. ALM

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GOLF

golf in southwest louisiana has distinctively cajun flavor

BY S TE VE HABEL PHOTOS COURTESY OF L AKE CHARLES/SOUTHWES T LOUISIANA CONVENTION & VISITORS BURE AU

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hen one thinks of southwest Louisiana, pairs of images immediately come to mind: Saints and hurricanes; Cajun and Creole; swamps and bayous; accordions and metal washboards; relaxation on the back porch and raucous festivals; boudin and gumbo; and, fishing and hunting.

Thanks to a growing roster of casinos in the area—most of them built to lure Texans to their slot machines, craps tables and roulette pits—the last decade has spawned another duo of pictures: gaming and golf, two things that seem to always go hand in hand.

In the past two decades, the gaming industry has taken a strong hold in Lake Charles and its surrounding suburbs, stretching all the way back to the Texas border, some 30 miles to the west on IH-10. The southwest Louisiana region is less than a two-hour drive from Houston, the fifth largest metropolitan area in the United States, and many of the area’s casinos have distinctive themes that make Texans feel like they own the place.

The golf courses that have been built in Lake Charles and its surrounding communities since gaming was reintroduced in 1991 also have the feel of tracks in coastal areas of the Lone Star State, adding to the familiarity factor for visitors from the west.

But because this is southwest Louisiana, there’s a different take on just about everything – and that’s a good thing. Call it a Cajun flair if you want; golf in SWLA is just a little more intense.

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GOLF WAS GOOD BEFORE GAMING, EVEN BETTER NOW The Lake Charles area has seven golf courses, four that were built before gaming’s return and three since 1999. The options for golf took an upward tick in 1976 with the opening of the Mallard Cove Golf Course, just southwest of the main runway at the shuttered Chennault Air Force Base.

Designed originally by Jim Wall, a former associate of Robert Trent Jones, on a decided flat piece of land, Mallard Cove GC sports a championship layout with water coming into play on 12 holes.

Renovated in 2001 by Kevin Tucker, the course measures 6,977 yards from championship tees and plays to a par of 72 on a routing that features 25 large bunkers and stands of cypress, oak and pines. The championship course rating is 73.0 and the slope is 128.

The back-nine at Mallard Cove GC demands excellent play and focus.

The closing hole is one of the best golf tests in the area; it’s a big doglegright hole that features a fairway to the left, bordered by a horseshoeshaped pond and a strip of land up the middle. The pond continues down the right side with a heavily wooded area to the far right of the pond.

Historically, it has been the deciding hole for the Lake Charles Men’s City Championship. Many have lost the championship here by taking the maximum amount of risk off the tee and failing to hit dry land.

Mallard Cove GC’s championship layout and design, and the everpresent wind, causes the golf course to present itself from a much

GOLF

different perspective each and every day. Because of the risk-reward factor on five holes (four on the back-nine), players can make Mallard Cove GC as easy or as hard as they want.

As folks flocked to the region to live and to play, courses were built to keep players occupied when they weren’t at the tables or in front of the slots. The first course to be built after the gaming boom was Gray Plantation, the centerpiece of an upscale, gated community just south of Lake Charles proper and hard on the Calcasieu Waterway.

Opened for play in 1999 and renovated in 2005 by the winds and waters of Hurricane Rita, Gray Plantation is a beautifully landscaped 18-hole, 7,200-yard semi-private golf course that challenges pros and entertains amateurs of all skill levels. Designed by William "Rocky" Roquemore, Golf Magazine describes Gray Plantation as “a delicate mix of Southern charm and Cajun fire.”

Water, both from the adjacent Calcasieu Waterway and via the course’s 60 acres of man-made lakes, is a major factor in the level of difficulty as well as contributor to the aesthetic quality of the track. The wet stuff comes into play—literally—on 11 of the course’s 18 holes. Along with all that water there are 94 bunkers, but few forced carries off the tee. Roquemore put an emphasis on tough par-3s, creating two with island-like greens.

The sixt h is Gray Pla ntation’s signature hole, a 168-yard par-3 with the smallest green on the course perched on a spit of land surrounded on three sides by water. If the tide is out, is seems like you could walk from tee to green through the bog, and the hundreds of drowned golf balls in the shallow, murky water tell you just how hard this hole is.

Nature also provides some unexpected spectators from the natural wildlife that call the bayou around Gray Plantation home. Golfers are likely to spot wood ducks, egrets, alligators, deer or an occasional fox on the edges of the marshland.

Gray Plantation GC was a charter member of the Audubon Golf Trail in Louisiana. The Audubon Trail is named for naturalist/artist John James Audubon who, enchanted by the natural beauty of Louisiana, painted a number of his famous bird studies here. Coincidentally, all the courses on the trail are members of the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary for Golf Courses, a program dedicated to protecting the environment and preserving the natural heritage of the game of golf.

Contraband Bayou Golf Club was the next course to come on line, opening in late May 2005 with an official unveiling set for August 2005.

Those plans were delayed when Hurricane Katrina roared into Louisiana and was soon followed by Rita, another hurricane that undid a heap of the work architect Tom Fazio and his team had slaved over. Because the highest elevation on the course is 14 feet above sea level, much of it tried to return to whence it came. The track lost about 1,200 60-foot trees and most of the underbrush to the high winds.

Contraband Bayou GC emphasizes the area’s marsh and lowland features of the natural Louisiana environment to enhance its unique

7,077-yard, par-71 championship layout. The site, across the street from the massive L’Auberge Casino Resort and built out of 227-acres of land that used to be underwater as part of the Calcasieu Waterway, presented many obstacles in its design and construction, the most challenging of which was building a golf course in swamp-like terrain.

More than 400,000 cubic yards of dirt were moved to construct this course; it’s is the only public Fazio course in Louisiana. The finished product enjoys the architect’s stamp. There are plenty of favorable bounces incorporated into the long par-3s (but none over 200 yards), long par-4s (two play at more than 450 yards), short par-4s (three at less than 375 yards) and a monster par-five (the 611-yard, opening hole). This course is a combination of aquatic and natural vegetation on the edges of eight spectacular lakes that will challenge golfers of all skill levels.

The newest course in the area might be the best. About five miles as the crow flies north of Contraband Bayou GC and a 15-minute drive around Lake Charles and back into the woods sits the National Golf Club of Louisiana, a big-shouldered Dave Bennett-designed course.

Opened for play in August 2009, the track is the centerpiece of a new, 600-plusacre master-planned neighborhood in Westlake, a town just above Lake Charles.

Bennett’s 6,946-yard layout features 14 lakes and 80 bunkers and some of the area’s largest and most challenging greens. Stately Louisiana pines and dramatic vistas are highlights and five sets of tees offer players on all skill levels a chance to have fun. The National’s fairways are generously wide, but the course’s gentle slopes and rolling terrain can be unforgiving, so be precise with your shots off the tee.

There is a lot to like about what Bennett has fashioned at The National, which carries a rating of 73.5 and a slope of 132 from its back tees. What makes The National really worth the trip to SWLA are its two-shotters, the best of which are the 433-yard third hole, the 433-yard 10th (despite being the same length, they dogleg in opposite directions), the 457-yard 16th (the course’s No. 1 handicap hole) and the closing hole – a 415-yard dogleg-left tester with water on the right and a green secured on each side by sand.

PLENTY TO DO IN SWLA Lake Charles is about casino gaming and the great outdoors, culinary delights, rhythm and blues that make Louisiana travel exciting. It's also good company and quiet reflections, historical sites and luxurious hotels and accommodations, a sub-tropical climate and warm Southern hospitality.

The Creole Nature Trail, a 186-mile stretch of roadway that starts in Sulphur and ends in Lake Charles, is a haven for alligators, birds and wildflowers. Bird watchers consider the trail, known as "Louisiana's Outback," a world-class destination.

Lake Charles has earned its nickname the "Festival Capital of Louisiana" for hosting more than 75 fairs and festivals annually. Check the website (visitlakecharles.org) for dates of upcoming events. ALM

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Bobby Flay is Just That

Cool

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no ws t a r t i n gi t s

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dreams. One can scarcely imagine what the resident culinary expert on Southwestern food can dream or whip up, armed with North African or Moroccan influences. Flay is quick to disclaimer his prediction, though, flashing a little more of the humility than his kitchen persona likely displays. “People ask me trend questions all the time, and I don’t really know,” the chef admits. “I don’t think anyone really knows. It just sort of happens. And, all of a sudden, it’s part of what we’re doing at that particular time.”

Somehow, Flay has managed to forge new roads, all while going with the flow. The current has swept Flay to Austin on more than one occasion and the city and state have been responsible for more than an influence on the chef’s cuisine. “First and foremost, I have a wife from Texas, so that’s obviously an important influence on my life,” Flay says through an obvious grin.

And although his wife, Law & Order: SVU actress Stephanie March, may be a priority of his life, Flay turns his attention back to his passion and how the Lone Star State had a role in his rise to fame. “I’ve always gotten a lot of influence from the chefs and the cooks there,” he says of our state, “and it’s become part of my cuisine, as well.” His stories prove that his attachment to Texas is more than just lip service. “I was introduced to the Southwest by the Texas Wine and Food Festival in Austin,” Flay explains.

“There was one 15 years ago or more, where there was Stephen Pyles (of Stephen Pyles Restaurant in Dallas) and Robert DelGrande (of Houston’s Café Annie, Café Express and Taco Milagro) and Dean Fearing (of Fearing’s in Dallas) who all came from Dallas and Houston. I got to

cook with them and hobnob with them in Austin as well, so Austin was an inspiration and still is today.”

Not only does Austin play a part in Chef Flay’s past, but he also manages to make it to the city limits often enough to make it a part of his frame of reference. And his favorites are well known to local residents. “I always go to Salt Lick—always. I know it’s a bit of a drive,” he admits. “But the restaurant I’m really impressed with over the last couple of years – even though I haven’t been in a while—is Lambert’s. I had an amazing meal there, the last time I went.”

Flay has even made Austin the site of one of his famous throwdowns, taking on trailer pioneer, FlipHappy Crepes in a battle he barely lost.

Regardless of how far he’s come since his start in New York City, Bobby Flay’s fire is still burning, and he is always ready for the next trend, the next venture and the next challenger. In fact, given the whole history of chefs to choose from, when asked who he would like to challenge and what the battle dish would be, the chef remains relevant to present-day food culture and true to the rebellious and innovative spirit that carried him to this point.

“Gordon Ramsey. Anything,” he confidently and casually responds.

He is just that cool.

The premiere of the ninth season of The Next Food Network Star, featuring Bobby Flay is on the Food Network on Sunday, June 2; and Bobby’s Dinner Battle can be seen on Wednesday nights. Keep up with Chef Flay at bobbyflay.com. ALM

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THE NEXT POP IDOLS

Icona Pop 60 austinlifestylemagazine.com

BY SE AN KR AY PHOTOS BY G EORG E HARVE Y AND FREDRIK E TOALL

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his town has a knack for living on the bleeding edge of music, especially when it comes to certain genres. Where singer/ songwriters or folk/country artists are concerned, Austin excels at predicting the next trends. Mumford and Sons was a staple of Austin radio for nearly a year before the rest of the nation discovered their sound.

And yet, when it comes to other areas of the radio dial, Austin relies heavily on SXSW and other festivals to introduce novel sounds.

This particular point is proven when looking at the recent success of the impossibly fashionable Swedish duo, Icona Pop, who have been commanding the radio dial. Their infectious first hit may have yet to be committed to memory. But chances are, if you hear the first part of the chorus, you’ll involuntarily express the opinion the world has of members Caroline Hjelt and Aino Jawo.

You’ll simply proclaim (at the top of your singing-in-the-car voice), “I love it!”

Already alums of both Fun Fun Fun Fest and SXSW, where they played six shows, Icona Pop took time to talk to Austin Lifestyle Magazine about their journey from obscure band for four full years to ‘overnight sensation.’ Distinguishing between their individual answers proved impossible, since, like any great duo, they readily completed one another’s sentences.

How has your newfound fame treated you?

We started Icona Pop four years ago. Before that, I knew who Caroline was, but we didn't know each other. It's crazy for us. We're a small band from Sweden, and now we're here. And it's crazy for us not to be touring here in the States. We've seen so many places and not just L.A. and New York, but to go into the country and play shows for people who've been hearing our songs on the radio even there. That's been crazy.

What's surprised you the most since being discovered?

We were in Eugene [Oregon], and it was the middle of the night and we were walking out to buy ice cream. We really needed something sweet and we were in our hoodies and trainers. We heard this big van with guys coming up and singing "I Don't Care," listening to our music. And we thought, 'that's our song.' Then, we hear this screech and the van stops, makes a u-turn and they say "Icona Pop!" And we wonder 'how do you even recognize us, when we are trying to stay warm and look like we live in an igloo?' That was amazing.

With the breakneck touring you do, how do you recharge?

Everyone's so friendly to us, so it's not that hard. You have this time and you have to talk about yourself and you kind of realize what you're going through as you're talking. I think it's healthy. Of course, you get to a point where you have to take it easy and we have to take care of our voices.

I think we recharge our batteries most from the energy that we get back from the people in the audience. I can be crying tired, and want to but not know if my body will be strong enough to get out there on stage.

And then you get out there and you no longer know that you were tired.

Because people have been waiting in line to see you. They know the lyrics, they know the story behind them and they can connect with the lyrics and with you. That makes you go another 10 days.

How do you respond to talkers at the back of your show paying attention to other things instead of listening?

There's only one thing you can do. We try to keep it interesting so they will end up looking at us. We try to steal their focus. And it's usually the fans in front of them who tell them to shut up because they want to see this.

Who are the pop idols of Icona Pop? Of course, there's Michael Jackson. Everybody loves Michael Jackson.

And there's Prince. I cut my hair like Prince when we met. Prince is the manliest man, even though he's more feminine than the women!

How did you like Austin?

Everything we eat here is like a little bit of heaven. We played Fun Fun Fun Fest earlier in the year and went out just enjoying the city. We were eating tacos from a taco stand and they were the most delicious [things]. We love Mexican food. We don't have much in Sweden. We have a Swedish version called Santa Maria or something and we eat it on Fridays. It doesn't taste Mexican, but it is still good.

Do you miss home?

I mainly miss family. With the Internet and such, I don't miss Sweden as much. Of course, you miss family and friends, but we have such a good life right now, I don't miss Sweden. We're on an adventure right now and we want to see the rest of the world. We live with our suitcases that are 23 kilos [50 lbs], so we're half gypsies.

But that doesn't explain the style you bring to every show.

How does all that fashion fit into a suitcase?

The fabrics are really sheer. Our fashions don't weigh anything. And we use the same clothes, so it's almost like I have 46 outfits, because I have all of hers. We're hustling a lot, since we carry our own luggage and have our hand luggage to hustle around on top of that.

What's the next evolution of pop?

Pop is such a big word. It's everything from The Beatles to Britney Spears and that's the lovely thing about it.

We feel very free playing pop music. Most of the time, our songs end up being very different from one another and I think that's the charm of them, that we have a lot of variety and a lot of fun. I think new pop is where all of the genres are starting to meld into one. That's the fun part, to find new ways of writing it. You don't have to do verse, chorus, verse, you don't have to do it the way it 'should be.'

Icona Pop’s self-titled release is available on iTunes and in record stores throughout Austin. ALM

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A* TA S T E | S AVO R

Simple Doesn't Mean Basic How The Bonneville is Redefining Flavor

BY DANIEL R A MIREZ PHOTOS BY MICHAEL BAILE Y

Texas cuisine has a habit of building extreme palates. In the Lone Star State, food is designed to be bigger, spicier and more flavorful than the offerings of other culinary hubs. Jalapeños find their way into drinks, gravies and sauces make every dish their home and it is not uncommon to discover a dish with more ingredients than can fit on an index card.

There's something to be said for the flavor bombs that Texas chefs create on a daily basis; and the success of Austin restaurants both within and without the city limits is proof that the trend is only getting stronger.

The Bonneville, newly opened in the heart of downtown, stands triumphantly in defiance of this assault on the taste buds of Austinites.

Instead of overwhelming a diner, The Bonneville’s dishes revel in

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subtlety, elegance and simplicity. The feast begins with the décor, which suggests a metropolitan scene without ever stepping into minimalist or gaudy. It is, in a word, simple; and it needs no kitsch on walls or gimmicks on tables to communicate its mood.

The Bonneville then pours the concept into the aperitifs, somehow adding the slightest spin on classic drinks. The New Fashioned is new and yet familiar territory and one might wonder how many chances they can take with new twists on old recipes—until it hits—and reveals what gin was supposed to be. All the botanicals of the carefully chosen Ransom gin come out and play. The Bonneville converts a languid classic into a refreshing cure for summer heat. Similarly, the Pepino Fresco

A* TA S T E | S AVO R

maintains the cooling effect, turning vodka, lemon and cucumber into a new summer sip, with tinged notes of citrus that refresh the palate and cleanse it for the meal to follow.

The innovation doesn’t end with drinks. The butternut apple soup is ready for fall, though the addition of apple makes it move easily between seasons. It is both a warming and a refreshing dish, combining the most cherished tastes of the milder seasons. But the starter that both impresses and expresses the ethic of The Bonneville is the Creamy Bacon and Egg Ravioli. It is a dainty pasta dish, with ravioli noodles that retain the best elements of pasta while being ephemeral, delivering hearty bacon, brown butter and savory egg flavors. There are few Italian dishes in the state that accomplish what this appetizer triumphantly manages with simplistic ease.

Equally impactful are the Bordeuax Braised Beef Shortribs with Creamy Polenta. A very refined dish, the plate is meaty throughout, without overpowering the diner. Savory and moist beyond description, the combination of ingredients and textures has enough cohesion to keep it just shy of a stew in both heartiness and execution. The carrots, locally sourced, retain the intended sweetness of a carrot, trending toward earthiness and yet suggesting enough natural syrup to make them hum alongside the braised beef that somehow distributed its seared flavor throughout. Without doubt, this is a dish to sate the most carnivorous among your dining party.

Where The Bonneville sparkles best however, is in what might be its most divisive plate. The Orrecchiette with Veal Meatballs manages to deliver pervasive flavor in measures that are equal to the braised ribs and

nearly any pasta dish we’ve encountered, but the dish accomplished this without a trace of sauce. Instead, the dimpled pasta is accentuated by a simple veal jus, which makes its way throughout the dish, reintroducing the diner to the origins of Italian cuisine before pasta meant a dish drowned in a heavy-handed red or white sauce. This, then, is the source of the potential division among diners, who may expect an Americanized Italian. The dish succeeds, despite this prejudice, delivering its flavors with a far gentler hand that explores the full breadth of flavors. A slight and yet not unwelcome tanginess from the clear jus is ideally balanced by earthy braised greens and the transcendently savory meatballs, completing a dish we can’t wait to revisit, if only to sample the broth once more.

No visit to The Bonneville is complete without a nod to the desserts, where the adherence to a professed ethic takes a few risks. The Sticky Toffee Pudding is untraditional, utilizing banana nut bread instead of cake to showcase a bourbon caramel that oozes throughout the decadent dessert. And while the laudable simplicity of The Bonneville’s oeuvre cannot be overly praised, the risk taken by their Chocolate-Espresso Pot de Crème adds a peppered pistachio brittle that brings a hint of spice to accentuate the union of coffee and cocoa.

It all makes for a fine introduction to this new venture in downtown Austin, where it doesn’t take a flavor bomb to make an impression, and simple, artfully executed dishes can champion the significant value of culinary subtlety.

The Bonneville, located at 202 W. Cesar Chavez, is open for dinner daily and brunch on Sundays. For more information, visit bonnevilleaustin.com. ALM

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A* TA S T E | S I P

(and they can prove it)

Hops & Grain's Incredible Rise

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A* TA S T E | S I P

BY DANIEL R A MIREZ PHOTOS COURTESY OF HOPS & G R AIN

In March 2012, a true "king of beers" was crowned. An upstart brewery in Austin laid claim to the throne, making waves in the beer world. The brewery was less than an infant, having only been in business for a matter of months. Whether because of or despite their young exuberance, the makers at Hops and Grain Brewing, located just around the corner from downtown on East Sixth Street, showed up at the World Beer Cup and revived a centuries-old German recipe to claim a gold medal against storied competition with histories hundreds of times older. The little beer that did, “ALT-eration,” has been on shelves throughout the city ever since.

However, upon their return to Texas, the much-heralded producers did not simply rest on their accomplishment and wait for the inevitable phone call from the mega distributors who were sure to offer scandalous amounts of money to assimilate yet another microbrewery. Owner Josh Hare and his fearless crew got right back to work, instead, and created another contender.

This time, rather than plumb the depths of ancient German recipes, they focused on American Lager and came up with the formula for “The One They Call Zoe.” Named after Josh’s dog, who is quick, feisty and playful, the beer is yet another master stroke for the young brewery that seems able to do no wrong. Beer experts praise the brew for its laid-back citrus notes amid a light beer that goes down readily. It’s an appropriate compliment to life in the brewery’s hometown. Yet even with these two proud exports that come alongside their first-born brother, “Pale Dog,” the story of Hops and Grain Brewing continues to grow and take shape as the staff invests their all in the pursuit of new, innovative or simply great beer production.

Unlike conglomerate brew houses, whose primary focus is more distribution, more market share and more profit, Hops and Grain is so dedicated to the craft that, from the beginning, they have taken extreme measures to ensure they keep moving the art of beer-making forward. When Hops and Grain was founded, they built a small-batch brewing apparatus that is capable of producing a scant three barrels of product per brewing. The resulting output, equivalent to around six kegs, is an excruciatingly tiny amount when one considers what it takes to make even a small brewery profitable. It is here that employees are allowed to use their imaginations and their prowess to create the next gold medalist. Dubbed the “Greenhouse,” the resulting brews comprise a vast and scattered variety, unlimited in their potential.

The “Greenhouse” tap can still be found at a few places in Austin, from which you may fund such gems as the “Cherry ALT,” a cherry-infused spin on their awardwinner. The possibilities are endless, and the quality remains at the high standard to which Hops and Grain holds all its products.

But instead of traipsing around the draft rooms and the beer halls of Austin to find the fabled tap or making the drive to Spec’s to buy a six pack solely on this recommendation, Hops and Grain encourages visits to its very own taproom, open Friday and Saturday to the public, where for an embarrassingly small fee, you can sample their flagship offerings as well as their flights of fancy. Accompanied by a tour and complete with a walkable patio area, the brewery visit gives the best picture of a “local brewery done good.” Stop in, find your flavor, and drink the locally made “king of beers” that’s given Texas and especially Austin one more native son to proudly claim. ALM

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CULINARY ADVENTURES Team-building exercises, hands-on cooking lessons and fully catered events for food enthusiasts utilizing the school’s 9,000 square foot garden, commercial kitchens, and dining room.

Inquire today about how we can make your next special event an unforgettable experience. From a customized cooking class to an elaborate multicourse meal in our beautifully constructed garden, we strive to make your event personal and one of a kind. Please join us for one of our upcoming Farm To TableÂŽ dinners for a true epicurean adventure.

For more information contact: Special Events Manager, Nancy Marr 512-451-5743 / nmarr@escoffier.edu

6020-B Dillard Circle Austin, Texas 78752 / escoffier.edu austinlifestylemagazine.com

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A* TA S T E | ACCI D EN TA L EPI CU R E A N

A Mexican Standoff (SOME OF) AUSTIN'S BEST TEX-MEX

But these petty squabbles are nothing compared to the most divisive debate among Austin's culinary culture. To ask for the best Mexican food in town is to throw down an impossible gauntlet. Mexican food is broadly defined in Austin, running the gamut from Tex-Mex to Mex-Mex, from taco stand to five star restaurant. Nearly every citizen has his or her own take and will defend it with undying passion.

So, while we invite your feedback about why TacoDeli's Doña sauce is more worthy than Chuy's creamy jalapeño, or where one can find the best chilaquiles on a Saturday morning, we thought we'd present, in no particular order, our favorite Mexican (or Tex-Mex) restaurants in Austin.

THE TWISTED MEX

For years, Manor Road kept this gem concealed from the masses, away from the spotlight. On any given day, with a little bit of a wait and a venture to the other side of I-35, one could experience the sublime joy of blackened salsa and an accompanying michelada. Any establishment can put chips and salsa in front of its diners or mix bloody mary mix EL CHILE with a Mexican beer, but El Chile ratcheted up every 1816 S. First Street aspect and ingredient. They have been grilling every (512) 457-9900 salsa component and adding house made chili salt to elchilecafe.com each rim, as well as paying close attention to all of their other dishes (we still can't help but order the Enfrijoladas).

But, beginning this summer, El Chile will no longer be a "best kept secret." The proprietors are making the move to the bustling South First Street region, joining Elizabeth Street Cafe, Lenoir and Sway in yet another hub of finer Austin cuisine. Taking over for the spot left vacant by La Reyna, El Chile’s move ensures that Austin will continue to have their twisted take on Mexican food for years to come.

THE EVOLVED MEX

La Condesa, what would we do without your elevation of Mexican food to the level of haute cuisine? The elotes are reason enough for the vaunted Beard Foundation to show their affection.

LA CONDESA But you follow up that simple side dish, ripped from 400A W. 2nd Street the streets of Mexico, with Hongos y Huitlacoche. This (512) 499-0300 appetizer introduced the Austin palate to a mushroomlacondesa.com like delicacy that has an earthy and hearty flavor like nothing else, placing it atop pillowy flatbread and pairing it with various cheeses and truffle oil. But, while the eats are worthy of the awards they’ve won (and we would be remiss if we didn’t mention

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that the Cochinita Pibil is a taco worth seeking out), it is the divine beverages that push this upscale eatery over the top. Embracing the beauty of aguas frescas and the light flavor they bring to any mixed drink, La Condesa moved the Mexican beverage beyond the sugarladen margarita. For that, as well as for the spectacular layout and design of the space, Austin can thank the restaurant for deliciously advancing the cause of Mexican food.

THE VALUE MEX

When your dining options include some of the finest fare in the vast and great state of Texas, it’s easy to lose sight of the simply good, in favor of the over-the-top amazing. Dining at restaurants that clamor for a Michelin star, it can get so one expects foie gras in a tortilla in order to fully stimulate the taste buds. Call it flavor overload. Sometimes, you need to reset your palate by MAUDIE'S eating something that is simply and reliably good, without Various Locations bombing your taste buds. Maudie’s is just the thing for an maudies.com over-stressed diner. The reset starts with the salsa, which should carry a warning that it is for “locals only.” The spice level is exponentially beyond anything found in a supermarket.

But that is only the reset before the savory meal begins. Whether it is the legendary curing power of their tortilla soup or the most underrated breakfast tacos we’ve known, Maudie’s is the picture of quality and consistency and has yet to strike a bad chord in the minds of anyone we’ve asked. If there’s a better way to quantify the “Best Mexican Food in Austin,” we can’t think of it.

Of course, these are fighting words. Feel free to visit austinlifestylemagazine.com or find us on Facebook and state your case. ALM

PHOTO BY KNOXY, KNOX PHOTOGRAPHICS

There are three debates (read as: fights) that an Austin foodie can start without putting forth much effort. While most agree on the premiere places to dine in the city, three separate discussions quickly turn into fighting words among the savvy diners our city knows well. The first discussion is with regard to barbecue. Every year, the war rages in print and opinion as to who has the best smoked meats in the area. Similarly, if the discussion turns to breakfast, the camps of Magnolia Cafe and Kerbey Lane will divide along loyal battle lines.

AUS TIN LIF EST YLE

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JUN E/JU

JUN

E/J ULY

LY 201 3

THE BEST OF EVERYTHING—ONLINE!

201 3

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Road Trip!

Chevrolet loaned us a 2013 Spark, loaded with all the bells and whistles that can be added, filled up the gas tank and told us to put some miles on it, find out how we liked the vehicle and see what adventures the road led us toward. Well, needless to say, we took our own counsel as to destination and headed for the Gulf Coast. Find out what we ate, where we stopped, who we listened to and how much we believe that big things come in small packages.

CA

McC MILLA ALVE S ONA UGH EY

Más Caliente!

Here at Austin Lifestyle Magazine, we love the summer. The mercury climbs, the wardrobe thins out and there's an absolute need for a party, some food and an icecold beverage. Luckily, the good people at Eat The Heat 201 3 have combined all of our favorite things into a pub crawl for a good cause. Benefiting the breast cancer charity, "The Smile Never Fades," this event puts some of the best mixologists and chefs on display as the attendees navigate downtown venues, enjoying craft cocktails and exceptional eats.

Follow us online as we forge our own path on this adventure or join us by getting your tickets at thesmileneverfades.com/events.

PHOTO BY MICHAEL BAILEY

COURTESY OF CHEVROLET

to A rant Foods VOI D

PHOTO BY ANNA AXSTER

What's New With Ryan Bingham A few years ago, this musician took the industry by storm, capturing out crazy hearts as he soundtracked a film that could easily be the story of the Austin music scene. Find out what's been going on with Ryan Bingham and how his life has changed since his skyrocket to stardom and Oscar win.

Follow us on Twitter: @lifestyleaustin Become a fan on Facebook!

Check out our online photo gallery of events from ALM issue release parties and Austin’s social scene.

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COSM IC C ADE NCE

BY K E L LY B E N S O N

HOROSCOPES

June & July As spring gives way to summer and the sun moves through Taurus and Gemini we're feeling more inspired. Our sense of curiosity and our need to connect and communicate with others increases. Playful banter with family, friends and neighbors keeps our spirits up. We want more from our communities and we're ready to step up to the plate.

ARIES

MAR 21—APR 20

LEO

JUL 23—AUG 22

SAGITTARIUS

NOV 23—DEC 21

The world seems to zig when you're ready zag,

This is a ripe time to fix your sights on a long-term

If you feel that the world around you wants more

Aries. Life is unpredictable right now. Even though

goal, Leo. You're setting the course and you need

than you can give - just tell them to take a number!

you might not get your way, you can have some fun.

to a pick a destination (or two). Fortunately, people

Kidding aside, you'll surprise yourself by your ability

Buckle up and get ready for an interesting season

in high places are impressed with your efforts.

to rise to the occasion and handle what's put on

ahead! Opportunities from friends and family, as

Approach those that you respect and ask for their

your plate. It's likely that VIP's have taken note of

well as unexpected sources are best grabbed fast

insight. Your circles are expanding now, so make

your hard work and are getting ready to offer you

the most of this!

something.

VIRGO

CAPRICORN

- hey you're good at thinking on your toes!

TAURUS

APR 21—MAY 20

AUG 23—SEP 22

DEC 22—JAN 20

The Sun and Mars are in your sign, giving you a

This is an excellent time to get clear on your dreams

Feeling a bit busy these days, Capricorn?

serious energy boost. It's highly likely you're going

and aspirations, Virgo. People in high places are

Appointments and meetings—plus increased

to experience a raise or an increase in your finances

looking at you in a favorable light now. The doors

messages and communications—get you closer to

and possessions. You're in a touchy-feely space,

are opening when you come a' knocking! This also

your goals. This is an excellent time to perfect your

wanting a more hands-on approach to life. This

means that others see you as having more authority

craft or service. You can see new ways to improve

might also translate into sensual living such as

now too, so a promotion or job adjustment might

existing situations. Getting organized around the

gourmet meals and evenings strolls at sunset.

be in the works.

house is likely too, as you want all aspects of life to run smoothly.

GEMINI

MAY 21—JUN 21

LIBRA

SEP 23—OCT 22

With a number of planets lining up in your sign, you

It's time to expand your horizons, Libra. If you've

AQUARIUS

can expect a number of opportunities to arise, both

been itching to take a class for professional

Playful occasions and celebrations are a great

personal and professional, Gemini! You're choosing

interest or otherwise, this is an excellent time to set

highlight over the next few weeks, Aquarius. Your

to see things in a more positive light. It's your time

something in motion! Conversations about politics

inner child is ready to come out! This is an excellent

of year, Happy Birthday! You're getting ready to set

and religion might broaden your perspective. If you

time to stock up on art supplies and get crafty.

something in motion—or many things—you are a

can't break outta Dodge, try exploring your own

Whether you pick-up a paintbrush, roll a mouse

Gemini after all!

town by going to interesting cafés, art galleries or

around or get imaginative in your approach to life—

bookstores.

you have lots of fresh ideas now.

CANCER

JAN 21—FEB 19

JUN 22—JUL 22

Some quiet moments are in order as your birthday

SCORPIO

approaches. Make a note of the headway you've

Dealings with the public go well now, Scorpio. You

made. How do you feel about things? Do you sense

are an incredibly resourceful sign and this is the

home and family matters for the next few months.

your attitude in general is maturing and adjusting?

time to get your ducks in a row. You can easily get

Improvements to living spaces are likely now.

OCT 23—NOV 22

PISCES

FEB 20—MAR 20

It's a sweet time of year, Pisces! Your focus pulls to

Old belief systems that no longer work for you are

support from others to help you find what you're

Cleaning out closets and garages and getting rid

simply lifting now. It's a good thing. This is a very

looking for. Don't be shy about stating what you

of clutter will make you feel cleansed. Weeding out

special time of acceptance.

want (we know you always get your way in the end).

old junk, dated clothes, paper work and pointless, draining relationships will bring you a sense of relief!

To learn more about Kelly, visit kellybenson.ca.

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KEEP AUSTIN

WELL YOUR GUIDE TO LIVING WELL EVERY DAY

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K EEP AUS T IN W ELL

Stylish Spa Tricks to Keep Cool

BY L I S A TA L E V A S W E S L I P I N T O L AT E S P R I N G A N D B R A C E O U R S E LV E S F O R

packet of unf lavored elect roly tes f rom R EI, t he bike shop or t he hea lt h food store to ma ke su re you st ay hyd rated on t riple-dig it days.

it ’s t ime to sta r t t h i n k i n g a b out a f e w w a y s t o ke ep co ol f r om M a y t i l l September. No mat ter how fa sh ionable your clot hes, it ’s ha rd to pull of f t hat f lawless look when sweat y ba ng s a re st uck to your forehead, cheeks a re beet red a nd t he back of your sh ir t is soa ked a nd cling ing.

Before sta r t ing my ow n wellness a nd ma ssage pract ice in 2007, I got to work at severa l Aust in day spa s a nd one lu x u r y re s or t . F rom helpi ng cl ient s qu ick ly co ol dow n when t he y wa l ke d i n t he do or, t o ke epi ng my s el f f rom overheat ing wh ile work ing w it h t he stea m ca nopy, I got t o lea r n a few st yl i sh a nd prac t ica l t r ick s to ke ep core body temps dow n.

Luck ily, t hese pa mper i ng t reat s a re quick a nd ea s y to recreate at home.

One of my favorite spa remedies for sunbur n a nd heatoverload is a spray bot tle f illed with water a nd a few drops of Lavender essent ia l oi l, stored i n t he f r idge. Hold t he bot t le upright , about 6 -10” f rom face, close your eyes a nd spr it z a ll over. T r y it on you r back , chest a nd shou lders a f ter sun exposure.

Lavender is ref reshing, uplif t ing, ca lming a nd re s torat ive, pu l l i ng t he t ig ht or bu r ne d fe el out of su nexposed skin and helping it heal faster. With anti-microbial proper t ies a nd a ca lm ing ef fect , lavender sprit z may even keep blem ishes at bay.

FRUIT & HERBAL INFUSIONS

M AG IC TOWEL COOL-DOWN

Not h ing quenches t h irst like a cool gla ss of cucumber, lemon or apple-water. In fact, just about a ny f r uit you love ca n t ur n a pla in old pitcher of water into a lovely splurge that ta kes you out of the usual routine. A lso ma kes it easier to drin k your recom mended da ily dose for hea lt h.

Slice t he f r uit of your choice into a la rge pitcher of cold f i ltere d water, a nd sip t h roug hout t he day. E x per i ment w it h f lavor—just a few slices or severa l cups sliced f r uit.

The more f r u it , t he s t ron g er t he f lavor. M a ke it a f ew dif ferent ways, discover your fave:

O ne of my f avor it e spa t r ic k s , t o e a s e t he i nt en sit y of a sau na ses sion (or Au st i n t ra f f ic i n you r ca r), i s t he Mag ic Towel Trick. When clients wa lked in t he door on a sweltering day or ha lf way t hrough t heir sauna session, we would bring out t he chilled wa shclot hs for a w ipe-dow n.

A ll you rea lly need is a medium-to -la rge conta iner of cold water and a small cloth. If you want to treat yourself in luxur y spa st yle ( you know you deser ve it), add a few drops of essent ia l oil to t he water. Just a lit t le goes a long way.

E s s ent ia l oi l s I re com mend a re co ol i ng p epp er m i nt , soot hing lavender or ref reshing lemong rass. Sma ll bot t les a re cheap at H EB or hea lt h food stores. If you love a romat herapy a nd prefer blends, add just a few drops of each oil to ma ke t hese more complex scents:

THE LEG ENDARY HE AT OF AUS TINS SUMMER ,

• • • •

Fresh cit r us slices ( g rapef r uit , ora nge, lemon) Th in ly sliced cucumber Mixed ber ries Apples or pea rs

You ca n even get fa ncy with f resh herbs to create unique, visually st unning cocktails that tra nsform the water at any event—even a back ya rd wedding. Tr y ba sil-lemon, t hy meo r e g a n o , r o s e m a r y - g r a p e f r u i t- l a v e n d e r o r l a v e n d e r cha momile-peppermint. Tailor your recipe to f it a ny mood or occa sion. A lso a per fect way to keep kids away f rom too much soda , juice or ca f fei nated d r i n k s. Inv ite you r k ids to ma ke t hei r ow n sig nat u re blend, a nd say good-bye to suga r cra sh ta nt r ums.

Sipping on your special water at work or keeping a pitcher of inf used water in t he f ridge will keep you of f t hose na st y s o d a s a nd ca f fei n at e d ice t ea s , w it hout re s t r ic t i ng you to t he sa me pla in water a ll t he t ime. You ca n even add a

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LIT TLE SPRIT Z , BIG DIFFERENCE

• Ja sm ine-pepper m int (use more pepper m int t ha n ja sm ine) • Ginger-pepper m int-lemong ra ss • Lavender, cha mom ile, pepper m int • Lavender, g rapef r uit , rosema r y Keep a few wa shclot hs or ha nd towels nea rby—you ca n even roll ‘em up a head of t ime a nd submerge in t he water b owl . A s a com i n g home r it u a l or bre a k f r om work i n g outside, wring out the washcloth or hand towel from chilled water a nd apply a s a compress to face, w rist s, neck, chest , undera r ms a nd backs of k nees. Cools dow n a nd f reshens up. Wipe your face or ta ke a quick sponge bat h w it h t h is water a f ter work, a nd see how fa st you bounce back. ALM

Suprisingly more than what you’d expect from a dental visit.

4200 North Lamar, Suite 145 (next to Uchiko) 512.459.5437 | drmoossy.com

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K EEP AUS T IN W ELL

Your Child Simply Needs His Chi Adjusted…Really?

BY R I C H A R D K E L L E Y, M . D.

If you happen to be the parent of an elementar y, secondar y ( because test ing shows t hey fa ll shor t), when t he subject or h igh school age st udent , t hen you a lready k now what ’s is simply out of line w it h t he child’s nat ura l abilit ies a nd been on your ch ild’s m ind t h is sea son. A s t he g ra ss t ur ns inclinations. I have felt the pa in a nd f r ustration t hat t hese g reen a nd t he f lowers beg in to bloom, renewa l is in t he a ir. pa rents feel, a nd k now t he pressure ha s to be t hat much It is a season of change, of possibilit y, and in the early years more for t he ch ild involved. of your ch ild’s life, it seems t here is new ness, excitement How fa r a re you w illing to go to ma ke sure your ch ild, a nd wonder at ever y t urn. It is a time that will come a nd go who wa s desig ned a nd created to be a da ncer or a pa inter, all too soon, leaving ma ny to chase a nd tr y to replicate, the excels in math? And whose advice and recommendations are feelings and mag ic of those early years long into adulthood. you w illing to ta ke a nd follow in t he course of cor rect ing Yes, you know what’s on your child’s mind…it’s the STA AR your child’s obviously mis-prog rammed natural tendencies Test! Sor r y to burst your bubble. I wa s daydrea m ing too. I a nd abilit ies? a m going to sta r t of f by say ing t hat I a m not a fa n of t hese A re you willing to allow someone who has no backg round academ ic sk ills a nd readi ness test s, how t hey d r ive day- or exper t ise in t he f ield of psycholog y or counseling tell to -day teach ing, a nd I’m not at a ll happy about how t hese you t hat your child needs behav ior modif icat ion t herapy? test s have re-shaped how our ch ildren a re educated a nd A re you willing to subject your child to a reg imen of herbal, t he dema nds t hey have placed on professiona l educators, ‘holist ic’ supplementat ion a nd a gluten-f ree diet , because teachers, pa rent s a nd most of a ll, our ch ildren. a loca l nat ura l food proprietor sa id it “cured” h is f riend’s On t he ot her ha nd, t h is a r t icle is not specif ica lly about neighbor ’s g ra ndson’s A DH D? test ing. R at her, it is about how t he empha sis on academ ic What about med icat ion? A re you okay med icat i ng test i ng ha s i mpac ted how ou r ch i ld ren have of ten come you r ch i ld b e c au s e h i s t e acher t h i n k s he or she ne e d s to be v iewed a nd labeled by t he academ ic establish ment , help focusing in t he cla ssroom, because of a tendenc y to skewed parental perception of what is normal development daydrea m, squir m in t heir cha ir or chat ter too much? or not, and of ten leads parents to question and seek answers Don’t m isundersta nd me. There a re ma ny ch ildren who (therapeutic or otherwise) about what is “wrong ” with their do benef it f rom cha nges in t heir diet, medica l t herapy a nd children when their true talents, g if ts a nd nat ural abilities supplementat ion a nd counseling. a re of ten a ll but ig nored in t he educat iona l process.

My concer n is t h is: What ’s dr iv ing your inclinat ion to A s a physicia n, I have hea rd a ll too of ten over t he yea rs “ t reat ” your child, a nd who a re you going to a llow g iv ing a b out t he ho op s t h rou g h wh ich pa rent s a re comp el le d you i nput a nd adv ice a long t hose l i nes? A re t here va l id to jump, to br ing t heir ot her w ise well-adjusted, capable rea sons t hat it is clea rly impor ta nt for your ch ild to excel c h i ld up t o s p e e d i n a pa r t ic u l a r a c a dem ic d i s c ipl i ne in math, chemistr y a nd science… impor ta nt enough for you

74 austinlifestylemagazine.com

Austin’s premiere facility for full-service, natural Body, Mind and Spirit healthcare. to place them in summer school or some t y pe of commercial learning center at an age, stage and season of the year when t hey wou ld l i kely b enef it ju st a s much by si mply b ei ng out side a nd act ive?

Ha s your child expressed a n interest or a n inclinat ion towa rd a ca reer in medicine or eng ineering? If so, clea rly some subject s consistent w it h t hose I’ve ment ioned w ill cer t a i n l y b e of i mp or t a nce . But at wh at r i sk do we a s parents beg in to push our children in a particular direction, simply because we believe or have been told by academ ic leaders t hat t hey need to be ready for t he possibilit y t hat t hey may wa nt to be a scient ist one day?

I n t h e e nd , t r ue s uc c e s s i n l i f e h a s le s s t o do w it h how much money we m a ke or whet her ou r jobs prov ide securit y, a nd much more to do w it h whet her we a re happy, product ive, content a nd enjoy what we do for a liv ing a nd w it h our t ime.

We were not a l l de s t i ne d t o b e come NA SA s cient i s t s , re g a rd le s s of whe t her Ch i n a or s ome ot her cou nt r y i s beat ing our pa nt s of f in t he st udy of mat hemat ics.

You r c h i ld i s a n or ig i n a l . There a re no ot her copie s .

He or she is on t h is pla net for a pu r pose, endowed w it h sk ills, ta lent s a nd g if t s t hat , in t heir ent iret y, a re un ique i n de sig n , on ly to t hem . D on’t a l low t he scho ol s y s tem , your neighbor, a t herapist, your doctor or a nybody else t r y to tell you your ch ild is inadequate, or lacks t he abilit ies required to f unct ion ef fect ively in t h is world. There is a place a nd a n occupat ion for ever yone. Children need to be a llowed to blossom a nd develop a nd not be t y pe- ca st by someone else’s drea ms a nd desires for t heir lives.

We need to beg in to focus more on what our children’s nat ura l tendencies, tra its a nd abilities a re telling us. What ac t iv it ies l ig ht up t hei r eyes? What do t hey spend t hei r t ime doing t hat seems ef for t less, rega rdless of whet her it ha s mea n ing to you? Watch closely a nd our children w ill show us t he road t hey were desig ned to t ravel.

To quote Ma x Lucado: “ Don’t see your child a s a bla n k slate, awa it ing you r pen , but a s a w r it ten book awa it ing your st udy.”

Be ca ref ul of t he adv ice you choose to follow, when it comes to “ t reat ing ” your ch ild’s perceived lim itat ions, a s t hose lim itat ions may, in fact , be your child’s g if t s. If we w ill a llow our children to f ind t heir ow n pat h, rat her t ha n forcing our expectat ions a nd desires for t heir lives upon t hem, I believe we w ill have much happier a nd menta lly hea lt hier children. In t urn, t hey w ill be more likely to live t heir lives a s successf ul, happy a nd self-f ulf illed adu lt s, who w i l l cont r i but e t o s o ciet y a nd t he com mu n it ie s i n wh ich t hey live, in ways we may have never imag ined. ALM

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K EEP AUS T IN W ELL

Most Fattening Restaurant Foods to Avoid

BY F R E D S A S S A N I , C P T

Th e r e 's n o q u e s t i o n i n g t h e f a c t t h a t t h e f o o d s y o u eat g o f a r i n det er m i n i ng how qu ick ly you'l l me et you r f it ness goa ls.

A n d i f you'r e e a t i n g a nu m b e r of y ou r m e a l s o ut a t re s t au r a nt s t hen you'r e g oi n g t o wa nt t o ke ep r e a d i n g because t he average restaura nt mea l conta ins more t ha n 1, 200 ca lories.

Most people have no idea just how fat tening restaura nt ent rĂŠes a re. In fact , t he follow ing infor mat ion may shock you.

Here, in no pa r t icula r order, a re 5 of t he most fat tening restaurant dishes along with tips that I've included to equip you in ma k ing lighter, hea lt h ier versions of t hese dishes at home.

BAD FO OD #1: COBB SAL AD Cobb sa lads a re loaded w it h cheese, bacon, eg g, a nd topped w it h a crea my dressing. Sure, you're eat ing a sa lad, but t hat sa lad is likely to conta in more ca lories t ha n a burger.

At-Home Version: Ma k ing a lighter Cobb Sa lad at home is ea sy a nd quick. Sta r t w it h a da rk let t uce, like spinach or a r ug ula , to get t he most nut rit iona l va lue. Top it w it h ha rd boiled eg g wh ites, ba ked t urkey bacon, light cheese, avocado a nd drizzle lemon juice a nd v inega r for dressing. Th is at-home version ha s dra mat ica lly fewer ca lories wh ile st ill prov iding you w it h a sat isf y ing, ta st y dish.

BAD FO OD #2: SPINACH ARTICHOKE DIP When it comes to appet izers, spinach dip is f illed w it h veg g ies so its ca lorie content is of ten underest imated. Don't be fooled: just ha lf a cup of t his crea my dip w ill set you back about 350 ca lories.

A nd if you f in ish t he bowl yourself t hen you've just ta ken in 1,000 ca lories in dip a lone, not to ment ion t he chips or pita bread you scooped it w it h.

At-Home Ver sion : Th at del iciou s c rea my spi n ach f lavor ca n be re c reate d at home by u si ng low-f at m i l k , spi n ach , s ome ol ive oi l a nd a sprin k le of pa r mesa n cheese. A quick G oogle sea rch for ‘light crea med spinach recipe' w ill g ive you plent y of recipe opt ions t hat a re much lower in fat a nd ca lories t ha n t he restaura nt version.

F re d Sa s s a ni i s th e fo u n de r of B o die s By D e s i g n Pe rs o n al T rainin g Se r v ic e s , Nat io n ally Ce r t if ie d Pe rs o n al T rain e r a n d Nut r it io n Sp e c ia li s t .

For comments or quest ion s you can reach Fred at get f it@t rainer f red.com or visit his website at t rainer f red.com

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K EEP AUS T IN W ELL

BAD FO OD #3: CHICKEN TENDERS Fried ch icken of a ny k ind f rom a restaura nt is going to be loaded w it h more fat a nd ca lories t ha n you'd believe. Even a ser v ing on t he k id's menu w ill t ip t he sca les at over 800 ca lories.

At-Home Version: Ma k ing faux f ried chicken at home is ea sy a nd surprisingly delicious. Whip up a few eggs w it h some Dijon musta rd, ga rlic powder a nd onion powder. Dip your skinless, boneless chicken t ender s i n t he m i x t u re a nd t hen coat w it h a l mond f lou r, t hy me, papr i k a a nd sa lt . Ba ke at 350 deg re e s for 35 m i nut e s or u nt i l no longer pin k, f lipping once ha lf way t h rough. T ur n on t he broiler for t he la st couple of m inutes to ma ke it n ice a nd crispy.

This at-home version will save you hundreds of ca lories that would have ended up a round your wa ist.

BAD FO OD #4: SLIDERS Sl ider s a r e s o s m a l l , t her e's no h a r m i n enjoy i n g a couple, right? Wrong. Despite t heir pet ite package, enjoy a couple sliders a nd you'll have t a ken i n more t ha n 1,000 ca lories.

At-Home Version: The biggest problems w it h t he restaura nt slider a re its fat t y meat content a nd t he ref ined-ca rbohydrate bun. So at home you ca n remedy t hese t wo issues. 1) Use lea n, g round t urkey to create pet ite pat t ies. Use your g rill pa n to cook t hem w it h m inima l oi l. 2) I n stead of t he ca rbohyd rate -f i l led bu n , u se la rg e pie ces of but ter let t uce to wrap around your pat ties. Add sliced tomato, low fat cheese and g rilled onion and secure the whole thing with a toothpick.

These at-home sliders a re g uilt-f ree!

BAD FO OD #5: PA S TA Eat ing a pa st a-ba sed dish at a rest au ra nt is weig ht-loss suicide.

There's no way to escape a ll t hose ca rbohydrate ca lories unscat hed.

The 1,000+ ca lories found in t he noodles w ill quick ly end up stored on your body a s fat .

At-Home Version: There a re t wo rea lly ea sy a nd g uilt-f ree ways to mimic pasta noodles at home. 1) Ba ke a spaghet ti squash until tender, t hen scoop out t he sof t , a ngel ha ir-like st ra nds a nd top w it h you r hea lt hy pa sta sauce. 2) Using a vegetable peeler, create long st rips of zucchin i a nd top w it h your hea lt hy pa sta sauce.

Cook i ng more of you r mea ls at home, usi ng t he t ips above, w i l l save you ma ny hidden ca lories a nd goes ha nd-in-ha nd w it h reg ula r, cha lleng ing workouts in seeing you to your f it ness goa ls.

TR AINER FRED E X TR A TIP: GIVE YO U R EN T R É E A M A K EOV ER We a ll have our favorite t h ing s to order when we eat out or get ta ke-out . A s you've seen above, t hese items ca n be made at home, in a much hea lt h ier way.

Th is is cool because it a llows you to eat t he sa me foods t hat you love, wh ile losing weight a nd get t ing closer to your f it ness goa ls.

It 's ea sier t ha n you t hin k. Ma ke a list of your top 5 restaura nt ent rĂŠes a nd go on line to sea rch for hea lt h ier ways to cook t hem. ALM

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A Destination That Will Change Your Life and Restore Your Spirit

BY T R AC Y G A N S K E | P H OTO BY A L I C I A F OX P H OTO G R A P H Y

When I wa s f irst presented t he oppor t unit y to t ravel to Nicarag ua, I have to admit I wasn’t terribly enthralled with t he idea . I a sked t he resor t t hat I wa s being proposit ioned by t wo t h ing s. One: wa s is it sa fe? I didn’t wa nt to seem ig nor a nt , but t he t h i n g s I h a d r e a d a b out t he cou nt r y ta lked about polit ica l un rest . The resea rch a nd folks t hat I sp oke to a bout t h i s su r pr i si ng ly sa id t hat t he c u r rent P resident , Da n iel Or teg a ha s been good for t he cou nt r y.

It boa st s t hat it ’s t he sa fest cou nt r y i n Cent ra l A mer ica a nd Or teg a ha s a lso been i n st r u ment a l i n t he econom ic g row t h of t he count r y. Expor t s have doubled a nd foreig n direct investment is nea rly f ivefold. I was relieved to know t h at it wa s st a ble a nd sa fe, I d id n’t ne ed to vent u re of f into t he m iddle of nowhere a nd end up on a lost episode of Sur vivor where I’m t he on ly sur v ivor. When t he resor t sent t he photos of t heir sma ll slice of heaven, a s t hey had described it , I must adm it , it cinched t he dea l a nd I forgot all about my second question: do they have Internet access?

I decided a f ter seeing t he photos t hat I wa s going to force myself to rela x.

We la nded i n t he cou nt r y ’s capit a l cit y of Ma na g ua a nd a driver f rom t he resor t ca me to pick us up. O ver t he cou r se of t he nex t t wo hou r s , we d rove on some pret t y

78 austinlifestylemagazine.com

rough roads; in fact I am not certain they would even really be ca lled roads by A merica n sta nda rds. The driver spoke on ly Spa n ish a nd I rea lized at t hat moment t hat if no one else at t h is resor t spea ks a ny English I would need to f ind a Cl if f sNotes version of Roset t a Stone t ra n slat ion t apes someplace—a nd fa st . L et me preface what I a m goi ng to say nex t w it h t h is piece of i n for mat ion a bout my t ravel exper iences: I have t raveled ex tensively over t he course of t he la st 15 yea rs a nd stayed in some of t he worst places on t he face of t he ea r t h, a s well a s some of t he best . I have be en pr iv i leg e d to h ave worke d w it h some top For t u ne 50 0 compa n ies t hat have of fered me t he oppor t u n it y to exper ience lu x ur y. Some of t he not so g reat places were usua lly my ow n doing, or my spouse t r y ing to save a few buc k s . L i ke t he t i me he t hou g ht a b out t a k i n g a c r u i s e d o w n t h e A m a z o n R i v e r, t h e r e i s n o t h i n g l u x u r i o u s about a r ubber riverboat cr uise. Where I wa s going w it h t his, is I a m somewhat of a resor t snob if you w ill. Since com ing to k now what t r ue lux ur y is I a m def initely at t h is pa r t ic u la r st a ge i n my l ife (my husba nd wou ld probably s ay r id ic u lou sly h a rd t o ple a s e). W hen we f i r s t pu l le d in I t hought , “ where a re we? ” It feels like we have been dropped of f in the middle of nowhere. A n English spea king

host g reeted us a s we a r rived a nd sa id “ Welcome to Aqua , our private oa sis here on t he pacif ic coa st of Nica rag ua .”

Th is place wa s so st un ningly beaut if ul; I had never seen a ny t h i ng qu ite l i ke t h i s i n my l ife. The ent i re proper t y is built cong r uously into a ter raced clif f overlook ing t he Pacif ic Ocea n ; a nd t he ju ng le cloa k s it self f rom out side obser vers. Wit h not h ing else a round it , you look dow n to your ow n sma ll piece of pa radise. A whopping 17% of t his count r y is made up of protected nat ure preser ves. So, it ’s no s u r pr i s e t h at it wa s i nde e d t he lat e s t lo c a le for t he latest sur v ivor. Each t reetop v illa is built w it h privac y in m ind; concea led w it h t he t h ick lush t rees it ’s dif f icult to see t he v illa nex t door. Wit h sounds of t he black howler mon key s play i ng i n t he t re es out side a nd br i l l ia nt blue a nd pu r ple but ter f l ies f ly i ng by, it ’s ha rd to bel ieve we a re on ly a t h ree hour f light f rom Houston.

A s I s a t i n t h e w o o d e n r o c ke r o n m y p r i v a t e d e c k , overlo ok i n g t he Pa c i f ic O ce a n , I cou ld f e el t he s t r e s s l i f t f r om my shou lder s a nd d i s app e a r i nt o e t her s . For t he nex t t h re e day s , ou r rout i ne d id n’t se em to ch a ng e much—from sit ting in our private plunge pool enjoy ing the loca l Nica rag ua n r um to lay ing on t he black volca nic sa nd, listening to the sound of the waves crashing as they reached t he shore. The ot her pa st ime t hat kept me occupied wa s f ilm ing t he mon keys out side our v illa . Not sure I w ill get h ired a s a photog rapher for National Geog raphic a ny t ime s o on , but I w a s de t er m i ne d t o at le a s t g e t s ome c le a r footage of how a nimated t hese creat ures a re. If someone were to become bored with loaf ing around the beach, there is plent y of enter t a i n ment not fa r f rom Aqua , i nclud i ng spor t f ishing, hiking, snorkeling, kaya king, paddleboat ing, horseback riding a nd sur f ing t he popula r waves at Playa Giga nte. Longer day trips include volca no tours, boat trips to private isla nds a nd excursions to cof fee pla ntations a nd Nica rag ua n tobacco-rolling establish ment s.

A s for cuisine, Aqua’s chefs cook up delicious mea ls at t he beachside restaura nt . The ow ners say t he ing redients for most mea ls, especia lly the seafood, come f rom loca l sources.

A q u a h a s on l y r e cent l y op ene d t o t he publ ic ; it h a s been host ing private yoga ret reat s for t he la st yea r. It ha s received many accolades from the international yoga scene a s a yog a ret reat de st i n at ion . However, Aqua i s now i n phase t wo development which will incorporate a complete wellness of fering for g uests. There will be desig nated “spa v i l la s ” for spe cia l i zed t reat ment s l i ke i nd ig enou s lo ca l volca n ic a sh used i n t he body scr ubs for detox if icat ion , a s well a s custom ized prog ra ms for t hose who would like one- on- one well ness con su lt at ion s i nvolv i ng dia g nost ic testing to restore wellbeing a nd achieve a hea lt hy ba la nce.

Since a r riv ing back home, I feel a st rong g rav itat iona l pull to ret urn to Aqua. I ca nnot wait to go back to the place I fondly now refer to a s nir va na here on ea r t h.

For more information on Aqua Wellness Resort in Nicarag ua visit aquanicarag ua.com or call (917 ) 51 2-357 7. ALM

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