How Your Inner Voice Can Lead To Good Things

Even with a head full of mercury, it turns out my inner voice is doing me right here in Austin. Saw my landlord this afternoon who asked me what I've discovered so far. I gave her a short list. Apparently my voodoo is working pretty well.

First I raved about Pho Saigon. It was her favorite too, and she was also able to clue me in on why the Vietnamese restaurants are so good here. Apparently after the Vietnam war, loads of Vietnamese showed up as refugees in Galveston, Texas, and fanned out from there. Houston is rumored to have the best Vietnamese food outside of Saigon.

Then I asked her if The Continental Club was the real deal. "All the way back to the 50s," she said. "It's a legend." So I checked it out online. The Continental is one of Austin’s “must see” music venues, and was designated as a historical landmark by the city of Austin. It dates back to 1955.

CitySearch.com writes:

"This is simply one of the greatest clubs in the country. With its rich tradition and great reputation for always having good music, the Continental Club seems to be a hot spot for anyone who really likes music. And if you go, you just may find yourself sitting next to Julia Roberts or Johnny Depp. You never know at the CC. And that's why bigger acts always make a stop here on tour. As far as musicians are concerned, there's no better place to play...or go."

I mean, come on. How could it not be a happening place. Check out these pics. They just scream LANDMARK.




I'm still having my share of headaches as I get rid of all the mercury in my system, but before I leave town, I'm going to see a show at the Continental.

Then I told her that I'd just returned from having some brisket at Ruby's. "Did you see Tony Bourdain? That's his favorite." Ha, I knew it had the right vibe. There are so many barbecue restaurants down here that's it ridiculous. Somehow I found Ruby's and it's one of Bourdain's favs. Amazing. Sure enough, he did an ABC/Dateline show a few years ago in Austin and went to Ruby's then performed to a sold-out crowd at the Paramount Theater. He got the nod of approval for hitting Ruby's.


I've always wanted to try some really good barbecued brisket after hearing people rave about it for years. Ruby's finally did it for me. It wasn't the dry, leathery stuff that I've had before (most recently at McClard's in Hot Springs, AR). This was moist and so tender it was like eating filet mignon, only with a flavor that was bursting of smokey, spicy goodness. Delicious.


Listen to your inner voice and follow it. And don't hesitate to ask the "concierge" upstairs for help, either. You want good barbecue, you'll get good barbecue.