This week we’re doing something a little different – we’re staying inside and taking a look at a well-established local ATX blog: A Taste of Koko.
When asked to feature a blog that I’m inspired by, Koko’s blog came to mind for many reasons – it’s aesthetically pleasing, posts are easy to read and well organized, unique local destinations are featured on every post and there’s a ton of content to peruse. There’s good reason why A Taste of Koko is Austin’s top food + travel blog.
I’m particularly inspired by the ways in which Koko is using her platform to promote local businesses and post helpful information in this time of need. It’s quite hard to run a lighthearted local blog in the midst of a global pandemic, and she has found a way to do so – benefitting readers as well as the local businesses who give Austin its flavor.
One of Koko’s most recent posts includes a comprehensive (seriously, it’s organized by location + genre of food) list of local restaurants who are still serving the community. She adds a brief description of each restaurant, including special hours/ways to order food. There’s also contact info for local businesses to email Koko + get added to the list.
Another recent, helpful post from Koko focuses on informing readers about free resources for those of us who are working/taking classes at home.
The list includes creative + educational resources, such as a free subscription to Adobe Creative Cloud and free online classes, as well as important outlets for our mental health, like ways to watch Netflix with our friends virtually.
Due to the major changes brought by this pandemic, I have been stuck in a creative rut for the past couple of weeks. This has made it particularly hard for me to find motivation to continue creating and working on my blog.
I’ve wondered if it is insensitive to continue content creation in a time like this; I’ve also wondered how to make meaningful content without being entirely negative. However, A Taste of Koko is a great example of how to continue running an impactful local blog in a confusing, dim time in history.
Koko has inspired me to find ways to document this time of my life + still shine a light on the Austin community without putting myself or others at risk.
Please show A Taste of Koko some love, and use her content as a resource to keep yourself sane and the local businesses you love afloat in the coming months.
Okay, I hate to burst your bubble, but there are no actual cats involved in this post. I’m sorry for clickbaiting you. But there is an interesting, impressive restaurant that is cat themed that we’re going to talk about. This week’s excursion involved Domo Alley-Gato Tatsu-Ya and Texas French Bread.
As you may already know, the Tatsu-Ya family of restaurants has been taking over Austin and dominating “Best Restaurant” lists all over town. They started with their original ramen restaurant, Ramen Tatsu-Ya, over on South Lamar and have expanded with several other creative Japanese bars and restaurants throughout the city.
I decided I had to see what all the fuss is about.
As a low-income college student who is bad at planning ahead and hates lines, their casual, outdoor street-food restaurant seemed to be the best fit for me. Many of their other restaurants require reservations, waiting in a long line, or have multiple dollar signs listed on Google. But Domo? Domo Alley-Gato Tatsu-Ya was designed with shitty local food-bloggers like myself in mind.
I dragged some of my friends along with me to East 6th Street to try Domo. On account of the restaurant being entirely outdoors, literally in an alley, we didn’t expect there to be a line. But we were wrong, and there was quite a line. Since we drove all the way there and fought the Downtown Austin parking-war already, we sighed and decided to wait.
After about 20 minutes, we were brought a menu, which only had ramen on it… this was confusing, given that Domo is a curry joint. After exchanging some confused looks, we figured out that Domo Alley Gato Tatsu-Ya actually shared a storefront with its parent restaurant, Ramen Tatsu-Ya, and that we had been waiting in the wrong line. Fun!
We went over to the other side of the storefront, where the entrance to Domo was. We were able to walk right in and were greeted by ambient lighting and cat decor. Like, a lot of cat decor. I was a big fan.
We made our way to the bar, where both food and drink orders are made, and perused the menu, which was filled with tons of unique drinks, apps/sides, and Japanese curry dishes. They even have a frozen beer – like a beer slushie – that I must try on a night when I am not driving.
I ordered the Beef Curry 2.0, while my friends went for other curry options, got some Pow!tato (tempura-style fried potato appetizer) and each tried one of their insane mixed cocktails. Once our orders were placed, we were lucky enough to score a large table.
I scored a little bite off everyone’s plates and managed to get some sips from their drinks as well – being the designated driver while simultaneously food blogging at a bar is a tricky job. But it paid well, because everything was absolutely delicious.
This was my first time having Japanese curry, and I am declaring it as my new hangover food. It has the comfort of soup, the favor profile of a steak, and an interesting array of textures. *chef’s kiss*
The Beans: Domo Alley-Gato
Yup, we’re spilling them.
Accessibility: To be fair, we were visiting on a Saturday night during prime social hours, but parking was a pain in the ass. This is going to be the case for almost any similar establishment downtown, though. I am parallel-parking-challenged and we were able to find a spot about 2 blocks away. All things considered, 3/5 stars.
Pricing: Pricing was very reasonable. Food was cheap, coming in at $8-$12 per entree, and drinks were pricey yet complex. 5/5 stars here.
Service: Service was pretty good. It was easy to get ahold of the bartenders when ordering, and food came out relatively quickly. The food runner was kind of quiet and mumble-y, which made things confusing because our orders were staggered and hard to tell apart. But as a millennial who sympathizes with service-industry workers, I’m putting 4/5 stars here.
Crowd: This place was crowded, but seating was spread out enough to where we could still have a conversation without shouting. The demographic seemed to be trendy, young well-off Austinites, and everyone was minding their business. 5/5 stars.
Overall Experience: This place was fun, and felt more like an experience than a regular-degular restaurant. They had a creative menu, cutesy decor and impressive food. I will certainly be back, hopefully when I do not have to DD. 5/5 stars.
I remember absolutely loving trips to this place as a kid. My grandmother would stop here with me and get me a treat for keeping her company while she ran Meals on Wheels. It was bliss.
I wanted to recreate that bliss, but sadly, I was a bit disappointed. I’m not sure if this disappointment stemmed from me changing, from Austin changing, or both.
The disappointment began when I arrived in the parking lot, which was definitely designed by someone who has never seen a car before, because these spots were TINY. It was 8PM on a Wednesday though, and there were still plenty of spots, so I was able to squeeze my Honda in.
That’s okay though, I expected parking to be shitty. It’s Austin.
I walked in, and was instantly a bit confused. First of all, I haven’t been inside this place in 10 years. I also have never been inside this place past 1PM. The counter-serve cafe was still open, but it was also dinnertime. I was very confused, just because everything looked much different than I remember and I really wasn’t sure whether I needed to order at the counter, wait to be seated or seat myself.
Finally, I saw a waitress and looked at her with a facial expression that said, “Hi.. happy to be here, but uh, how does this work?”
She did not return the expression. And I get it, I’m in a fancy cafe/restaurant that serves waygu beef and houses mostly wealthy older women, wearing Doc Martens and a grungey t-shirt. But I still have money to spend, dammit!
I wrote this off as her having a bad day, and smiled and waited for another staff member to notice me.
I was quickly told how things worked – if I wanted dinner, that would be served traditional restaurant-style, or I could order over the counter if I just wanted pastries and/or coffee. I wanted to recreate my childhood experience, so I went the pastry route.
Options were limited since I was visiting towards the end of the day, but even still, everything l I opted for a ham and cheese croissant, a danish and a cappuccino.
The danish was decent, the coffee was just okay, but the croissant – the croissant reminded me why I loved this place so much growing up. It was perfectly buttered with tons of flakey layers.
It was the redeeming factor in my experience here.
I didn’t hate my experience at Texas French Bread, but I probably won’t be going back anytime soon.
This served as a reminder that places change, you change, and sometimes it it’s in your better interest to let sweet memories of places live on in your head rather than trying to recreate them.
For my first touristy Austin outing, I wanted to include my three favorite things: shopping, sightseeing and gluttony. To accomplish this, I spent my Saturday visiting a famed antique shop, a hidden corporate food park, and a rooftop bar fit for the bourgeoisie.
A foreword: since this is my first blog post with actual content relevant to my topic, I’m going to lay down the law in regards to my format. Each post will be done like this one. There will be a “main attraction”, a renowned tourist hot spot or popular destination that I will break down in detail and rate on several criteria relevant to the experience. There may also be some “honorable mentions”, or less well-known places I stumbled upon, to compliment the main attraction. I will give them a shout out and describe my experience, but will not rate them in great detail.
Uncommon Objects is a well-known antique shop in Austin. It used to be located in the beloved shopping district on South Congress, but has recently relocated a little further south to Fortview Road. Even though it’s more tucked away now, it is still acclaimed as one of the best antique collectives in Texas.
I had not been here since I was a wee little lass with a wee little memory, so this was essentially like going to an entirely new place for me. I was instantly saluted by the same, familiar smell that haunts every antique shop: a comforting bouquet of scents emitted by a melting pot of objects that have outlasted their heyday.
This store was absolutely packed with an array of strange, old things. You know, uncommonobjects. I felt as though I was snooping through an abandoned estate, full of expensive, cursed items. It felt intrusive, but in a fun way.
Here’s a gallery of some of my favorite finds:
I fell in love with the giant papier-maché cat, but she was $550.
As you can see, there’s a little bit of everything, from taxidermy, to art, to glasswares, to toys, and even to ominous leather bags that have the word, “blood” painted on them. I happily spent over an hour rummaging through all of these things. If you’ve ever dreamed of going to a museum where you can break the “no-touching” rule, you would adore this place.
The Beans: Uncommon Objects
Someone call Bush’s because we are spilling beans, not tea, on this blog.
Accessibility: Parking was a breeze – much easier than at the old South Congress location. This is much appreciated as someone who is terrible at parking. 5/5 stars.
Pricing: This is hard to objectively rate. I couldn’t really afford anything in here, and things do seem overpriced… however, it is important to consider the hard work that goes into curating and maintaining these objects. I’m going to give them 3.5/5 stars on this, but it is important to note that consumerism isn’t a focus at this store. If you’re looking for value, go to Goodwill.
Service: Perfect! The store associates are friendly and available if you need help, but leave you alone as you browse. 5/5 stars.
Crowd: I visited on a Saturday afternoon, and was pleasantly surprised by how not-packed this store was. There were a few moms with children, a group of high school kids, and a few other young adults browsing. Nobody was obnoxious, and I wasn’t claustrophobic, so 4/5 stars.
Overall experience: As someone who loves creepy, odd things, as well as the idea of going through other peoples’ things in a non-problematic way, 5/5 stars. Uncommon Objects gave me everything I want in an antique shop.
When it came time to eat, my friend and I stumbled upon a hidden gem inside of an office food court: TLV Israeli Street Food.
We really didn’t expect much, this being located inside of an office food court, but we were actually served some of the best Israeli food we’ve ever had. Everything was perfectly seasoned, beautifully cooked, and quickly made – I’m also awarding bonus points for the friendly cashier who told us how to make their tasty pomegranate soda!
We ordered two of the main dishes: I got the Falafel Be-Pita, and my friend went for the Chicken Hawaiej Hummus Manot. The pita was fresh and fluffy, with delightfully spicy green falafel, hummus, and crunchy, pickled veggies inside. The manot was comprised of a bed of hummus, with piquant, tender chicken, veggies, and seasonings laying comfortably on top.
We set up shop on the hilly astroturf lawn outside, inhaled our dishes, and enjoyed the afternoon view.
I feel that we are not alone in this, but my friend and I have an affinity for rooftop bars. The rooftop bar to beat all rooftop bars in Austin happens to sit 20 stories high, upon the swanky Westin Hotel on 5th Street. It is a place where rich folk sip $14 cocktails whilst literally looking down upon the poor, so we had to sneak our beggarly asses in.
I’m kidding, we did not have to sneak in. Azul Rooftop Bar is open to the public. But it felt like we needed to sneak in, as I was wearing my beat-up high top Vans, ill-fitting $15 mom jeans and dingy white t-shirt. I plastered my best, “I belong here,” expression across my poor, bare face and booked it up the stairs as soon as we entered the hotel.
We eventually found the elevator and arrived at the twentieth floor, where the bar is located. Even though we didn’t fit in with the rest of the crowd, we felt an odd comfort. Typically we’re very obviously looked down upon when we infiltrate rich hives like this, but everyone was minding their business, enjoying the incredible sunset view.
Ambient indie music played in the background as we enjoyed our overpriced, yet delicious, cucumber gin cocktails and discussed how the entire day felt like a vacation.
In this moment, I realized that this blog is actually worth something. I felt accomplished. The idea of exploring your hometown like a tourist isn’t just an excuse to do something fun on the weekends, it’s a way to see your city from an immersive, new perspective. We actually felt like we had traveled to a new place, and in a way, I guess we did.
Hi, my name is Kaitlynn, and it’s me. I’m keeping Austin fresh.
But no, i’m not keeping Austin fresh for you. I actually have an overwhelmingly negligible impact on the city as a whole. Other than this blog, you likely won’t notice my presence at all. And that’s okay, because I’m only keeping Austin fresh for me.
what does that even mean?
We all choose a place to set up camp and live our lives. Regardless of whether that place is our hometown or a destination city we chose to relocate to for work, family, or just because LA got too expensive, it doesn’t take long for things to feel stale once we get caught up in the daily grind.
When we’re dragging ourselves around from responsibility to responsibility in the name of capitalism, whether it’s to bag that degree or get that paycheck, it’s easy for us to get caught up in a repetitive, mundane cycle. We’ll spend our weekends going to those same few killer places each week. And oh yes, they might be killer; that’s why we go. We know they’re good… but that doesn’t mean that they can’t get stale.
That’s why i’m here, on a mission to keep my city fresh.
allow me to introduce myself
I’m an advertising major at Texas State University, currently in my sophomore year. This blog is actually a project for one of my classes, Fundamentals of Digital Online Media. I’m expected to update this blog every week or so, to exhibit my fundamental knowledge of digital online media.
This blog will be a look into the weird, wonderful city of Austin, through my weird, wonderful eyes. So you should know a little bit about myself and my eyes before we get going.
I was born and raised in Austin, and I love it. I love it so much that I deal with the terribly hot weather, sadistic levels of gentrification, and near-constant traffic just to stay here. I blame the city’s cultural influence for my personality and general aesthetic: peculiar liberal who enjoys fashion, craft beer, food and dad humor.
To boil it down, my end-goal in life is to become a well-traveled cat mom. Doing this blog for this class, as well as for personal fulfillment, is just a small step in that journey.
Whether you have an interest in exploring Austin, have to read this because you are my lab instructor, or are just charmed by my painfully cheesy writing style, welcome!
the origin of my mission
A couple of years ago, I took a solo trip to the other Austin… Portland, Oregon.
For the record, we were weird first.
Twenty-year-old me spent 9 days in Portland all alone, exploring the city using half-assed research from mainstream, touristy travel blogs, Reddit, and many episodes of IFC’s cult classic, Portlandia. This resulted in a daily agenda of wandering around, drifting from restaurant to vintage shop to tourist spot, and so on. I had the time of my life, but I realized that this itinerary wasn’t far off from one I could create back home, in Austin.
I made a promise (and a self-enlightened Facebook post) stating that I was going to go back home and, “live like a tourist in my hometown!”
It turns out that i’m not great at promises, because I still catch myself going to the same four places on my days off. I am often too negligent to do 5 minutes of research and find a cool, new place to explore.
But now, I have this blog. This blog is my source of accountability, forcing me to do something new, fun, and fresh each week. I will finally fulfill the prophecy of exploration that I set for myself back in 2018 whilst high on the sweet, sweet fumes of vacation, and anyone who gives a shit is welcome to join me for the ride.
solet’s get fresh
Each week, I’m going to choose a new place in the Austin-area to explore. This will either be a bar/restaurant, store, experience, or natural area
Each place must be entirely new to me, or a place I have not visited since my childhood
Sometimes, depending on what’s on the agenda, I’ll cover several different shops/restaurants in an area (i.e. South Congress as a whole) in one post
I’ll find ideas for places to check out from other travel blogs or websites designed for tourists, such as this one
I’ll make it an objective to really get lost in the city. I may start at a well-known touristy spot, but will likely wander around to nearby places and document those as well – just like I did in Portland
I’ll rate each experience on several criteria- accessibility, cost, service (if applicable), ambiance, crowd, and overall vibe
My ultimate goal with this project is to break out of my typical cycle as a local and remember to step out of my comfort zone every now and then.
I encourage anyone following along to do the same. Treat your weekend like it’s a vacation; you don’t have to go far. Just try out a new local business, treat yourself, and don’t let life get too stale.
the local tourist 