A recent addition on the far edge of Austin's over-gentrified East Side, this converted gas station offers tasty small eats and a reasonable drink menu (though a bit light on taps), but anything it lacks in selection it makes up for in good vibes and a nicely mixed clientele. A bit on the pricey side, but they have an exceedingly pleasant outdoor seating area and a 'convenience store' of refrigerated products and odds & ends.

Casa de Luz is a macrobiotic cafeteria nestled behind a learning center, a series of alternative medicinal practices, and yoga studios. I like to go there in the summer after a swim at one of Austin's spring-fed pools, Deep Eddy or Barton Springs.

Situated in a beautiful building with a real art (biased here), Elizabeth St. serves the best breakfast báhn mî and makes you feel good just being there.

Listed here as a bar, this is actually a brewery offering up a diverse selection of highly original sour-mash beers. I've yet to have something I didn't like in their tight and bustling tasting room, which is surrounded by great East Side eateries, but standouts are the Spirit Animal (sour pale) and the Professor Black (sour cherry stout). They also have a fun, short brewery tour on the weekends that's worth checking out.

My favorite thing about being in Austin is driving while listening to: Country, Swing, and Rockabilly Jamboree, Country Roots, The Lounge Show, Non-Breaking Space, The Cutting Edge, Jamaican Gold, Strictly Bluegrass, and Slappy Pinchbottom's Odd Preoccupation, and many more fine programs on offer from the all volunteer community local FM radio station.