A double unit at the Brown Building that has been fully remodeled. This is probably the nicest remodel I’ve see in the building.

Located in a small strip mall on Burnet Road is Bufalina Due. As its name suggests its the second iteration of Bufalina. The now shuttered first restaurant opened its doors in 2013 on Ceaser Chavez. Since the opening of its original outpost, owner Steven Dilley and his team have been firing some the best Neapolitan pizza in Austin and have kept one of the cities best wine lists too.

This modern stunner from Alchemy Builders and Logan Architecture sits directly in the middle of one of my favorite Austin neighborhoods, Bouldin Creek.

Birdie’s is a small, counter service restaurant and wine bar on the corner of 12th and Harvey in Austins east side. The building that Birdie’s occupies has long been a hub of this historic neighborhood and has gone through many restaurant and business iterations. Although Birdie’s is a smaller, simply decorated and low key space, the owners come with a serious pedigree.

This house is by one of my favorite architectural firms, Alterstudios. Clean lines, curves, light filled, and I always love light wood. Scando meets Texas here.

Situated deep in the Holly neighborhood on Austins east side in a converted laundromat is Launderette. Chef and owner Rene Ortiz opened Launderette in 2015 after working at Austin favorites Sway and La Condesa.

On the corner of Fifth and Colorado in downtown Austin behind a matte black and reflective brick facade is Comedor, an upscale modern Mexican restaurant helmed by chef Philip Speer (previously of Uchi). The restaurant was designed by world renowned architect Tom Kundig and is one of Austin’s most beautiful and architecturally significant restaurants.

The Great Outdoors is a garden center and nursery just minutes away from the hustle and bustle of South Congress’ main drag. Located on almost two acres of increasingly valuable land it feels like you’ve happened upon an oasis in a desert of condo projects and strip malls.

Suerte is an upscale Mexican restaurant on East 6th St, and owner Sam Hellmann-Mass’(of Odd Duck and Barley Swine fame) love letter to Oaxaca. That translates to a menu heavy on the masa and an extremely impressive mezcal selection.

Better Half is an all day cafe and restaurant from the team behind some of my favorite restaurants and bars in Austin (Brew&Brew, Little Brother, Hold Out Brewing). Better Half opened in 2019 in the Clarksville neighborhood and has been a hub for casual work meetings in the morning with their bar full of laptops opened and patrons enjoying their excellent chicken biscuits and coffee and in the early evening a full patio of people going in on one of Austins best happy hours.

Although landlocked, there is a reputable and nationally recognized sushi scene that has developed in Austin. Nearly two decades ago, sushi restaurant Uchi opened up and quickly gained attention around the U.S. as a destination for some of the best fresh fish state side and helped usher in a wave of sushi restaurants in Austin. Uchi may have been the Trojan horse that opened everyones eyes to sashimi in Central Texas, but much of the cities sushi success can be accredited to Musashino.

When chef Tavel Bristol-Joseph came to Austin in 2015 to help chef Kevin Fink open the restaurant Emmer & Rye he quickly noticed Caribbean food in Austin was vastly unrepresented. Six years later, a restaurant group with Fink (Emmer & Rye Hospitality), and with five concepts under their belt, Canje was opened in an inviting, relaxed space on the east side off E. 6th St.

Dai Due is a little all day restaurant and butcher shop located in the corner of a strip mall in the Cherrywood neighborhood where chef/owner Jesse Griffiths showcases his love of Texas game meats and other local seasonal fare.

The popularity of natural wine has skyrocketed over the last 5 years. You may have noticed whole sections of your favorite wine shop or grocery stores wine section dedicated to this particular kind of gem hued juice. Natural wine is a broad term for wine that is produced without the traditional additives and sulfites that you’ll find in most large scale wines. Other terms you might hear for the stuff are “biodynamic” and “low-intervention”. In 2020 Austin opened its first natural wine bar and shop, Lolo.

After spending the better part of a decade in New York City I became somewhat of a self proclaimed pizza connoisseur, so when I moved to Austin I just assumed that part of my culinary journey was over but boy, was I wrong. Austin has plenty of legitimate pizzerias that dish out excellent pies but my favorite is Little Deli.

Housed in a former filling station at the far end of E 7th St is Kinda Tropical. Its an all day cafe and bar that has one of my favorite patios in Austin. Its the kind of place that checks a lot of boxes for situations I often find myself in, a laid back atmosphere with solid cocktails and food decent enough to come for a stand alone meal, or to act as a vehicle to soak up said drinks.

Contemporary Art isn’t as synonymous with Texas as maybe bbq or football, but theres a strong argument that it should be. Houston is home to some of the best contemporary and modern art in the country. If you haven’t yet, check out The Menil Collection and the Rothko Chapel. The west Texas town of Marfa is basically mecca for conceptual art with the Chinati and Judd foundations. And while I think The Contemporary Austin can be a little hit or miss, Austins art scene shines just below the surface with its galleries. One of my favorite being Martha’s Contemporary.

Nixta Taqueria is the quintessential Austin restaurant. Marrying the high and low has become somewhat of an Austin food scene calling card with the amount of humble food trucks pumping out restaurant quality dishes. Though not a food truck, Nixta occupies a brightly colored but otherwise unassuming building on the corner of 12th St and Cedar Ave in the Chestnut neighborhood.

South Congress has an overwhelming number of restaurants and bars on the mile and a half stretch south of the Colorado River. The Meteor is an all day cafe, bottle shop, and bike shop (pedals, not engines) that’s located in an amazing mid century building that sits just past the noise and commotion of the tourist heavy South Congress strip.

Kimberly Renner has been restoring historic homes in Austin for over 20 years and is the owner and operator of The Renner Project, a store and studio in the Rosedale neighborhood of Austin. The 16,000 sq ft store houses tons of European, vintage, and mid century furniture as well as Kimberly her husband Dan and their two children who live above the store and studio.