Here in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, things are starting to get a bit crazy with Super Bowl fever. The big game is just six days away, but the buzz emanating from downtown Fort Worth, where ESPN has commenced broadcasting for the week, is palpable. We hear that 150,000 people without game tickets will be descending upon the center of town just to get a taste of the festivities.
For some folks, this sounds like a great party. For others, it’s a good reason to get the heck out of Dodge. If you’re among the latter, let me suggest a roadtrip to Austin. The downtown area there is white-hot now with phenomenal new (and less new) dining destinations.Austin City Limits opens its new venue in a couple of weeks, right downtown on 2nd Street.
Trace, at the W Austin
The W Austin just opened, and its restaurant, Trace, is really fabulous. Local farmers and producers provide much of the menu ingredients, and the adjacent hotel bar has one of the coolest bar scenes I’ve seen in a while.
Away, the W spa, made my day last Friday. Christina provided a fabulous massage with reflexology, and the spa shop sells a number of intriguing products, some of them Texas-based.
And whereas I’ve found some of the W hotels here and there to be on the cold side, this W exudes warmth and chic style, all at once. Look for a lot of red downstairs and pretty blues elsewhere.
There are more than a dozen hotels with plenty of good deals going this weekend. Among them are Barton Creek Resort and Spa, offering the “Heaven on Earth” package, starting at $142 per person; and Four Seasons Hotel Austin; Radisson Hotel & Suites Austin; Omni Austin Hotel Downtown; Sheraton Austin at the Capitol; The Driskill Hotel; Hilton Austin; Hampton Inn & Suites Downtown; and
Courtyard & Residence Inn Austin Downtown.
The Austin skyline, photo by Jean-Michel Dufaux
While you’re in town, check out the Carnaval Brasileiro, widely known as one of the best Carnaval celebrations in the nation, on Saturday.
For laughs, go see The Capitol Steps, the DC comedy troupe that puts the “mock” in Democ(k)racy.
Music lovers will want to see Robert Randolph & the Family Band at Antone’s Saturday.
And on Sunday, there’s the Big Game Party at The Highball, where you’ll play BINGO during the game and the commercials, enjoy beer specials and a good food bar, plus a live doggie bowl – that’s dogs playing football. Only in Austin.
Check back this week when I’ll have a restaurant update.
