East Side Austin--A Great Night Out No 1.
Austin's East Side has become a hot spot of late. Some call it yuppification/gentrification, others call it progress/revitalization. Regardless of which side you might fall on in this debate, the East Side offers some of the best eats and culture in Austin. It will be my goal for the next few entries to offer some lovely East Side options. Here is one evening itinerary I took only two weeks ago.
Dinner: Nuevo León ( 1501 E 6th St.; Tel: 512-479-0097, Fri-Sat 11:00am-11:00pm, Sun-Thu 11:00am-10:00pm, MAP.)
Located less than 10 blocks east of I-35, Nuevo León has long been an institution on the East Side. Even before the yuppie lofts and other projects, this place was always on the restaurant map. And it shows. Nuevo León has a loyal following and is Austin Tex-Mex at its best. Owner Kevin Ortiz has been presenting "mom's cooking" for years. Start off with one of the giant margaritas (frozen, iced, or swirled--but always with salt!) and munch on chips with salsa that is just a little too spicey to be served west of I-35. Salsa is always hot on the East side, something that Nuevo León seems to pride itself on. When I went several weeks ago, I had the Carne Asada--a nice rib-eye served with cheese enchiladas. Now, it's not that two-inch thick rib-eye you might expect from a steakhouse (which I will cover in a later post), but it's flavorful and marbled. And where else can you get a decent rib-eye for $13? I inhaled the whole plate. The week after, I had the shrimp enchiladas, also an excellent choice. My friend had the grilled tilapia and inhaled that. Another friend of mine always gets the chicken fajitas. Blondie's Favorite also received enthusiastic grunts. Finally, get the chocolate cake as an after meal treat. Share it with a friend.
Entertainment: A Show at the Off-Center ( 2211-A Hidalgo; 512-476-RUDE, MAP, http://rudemechs.com/index.htm)
Head about a mile east to one of Austin's independent theater scenes. The Off Center is a true blackbox experience: intimate, passionate, and new. The theater is managed by the award-winning Rude Mechanicals (or, "RudeMechs"), who have toured shows off-Broadway. When you can't catch a RudeMech production, you can probably catch a show that another local theater, dance, or music organization is staging. As the RudeMechs are so astute to tell us, 15, 000 theater and arts patrons walk through the Off Center doors every year. Call ahead to see what is scheduled and the friendly and dedicated staff (who are also artistic directors) will be able to point you in the right direction. Once you get to a show, buy a beer to chase down that margarita (soda, for you light weights). Don't expect Mama Mia! or Peter Schaffer's next masterpiece; mainstream/vanilla theater is not what goes on here. Instead, expect to see something totally new--shocking, intelligent, sometimes even a bit gross. But never, ever, dull.
Drinks: The Peacock (515 Pedernales St.; 512-276-8979, M-F 4:30PM-2AM, Sat-Sun 6:30-2AM, MAP)
Go another three blocks east on 6th street and you'll see The Peacock. Don't let the divey exterior fool you: this is hipster heaven. The white and teal interior was designed by Joel Mozersky of Real World Austin fame. You can count on there being a hot DJ on most nights. But to those who might be a bit cynical about YET ANOTHER hipster place, never fear. The Peacock does deliver. It has a great patio in back where you can smoke and take in the night air, especially nice on hot summer nights. And then there are the drinks. They have great signature drinks like the Tailfeather and the Peacock Royale. Challenge them to a more obscure drink, they'll love it. Now that you're on your third drink of the night, just take in the surroundings. Safe drive home!
