Calling all Austin and Central Texas dKos readers: Round Up!

It's that time again, time to speak your liberal mind among friends without fear of getting the stinkeye from those still drunk on the Kool-Aid.

We had a great meeting in March with several new faces and old hands from the Austin area, but we'd love to see more of you guys.  Last time around roses, Sandia Blanca, Noisy Gong, George, Grand Moff Texan, lookinforward and his two guests joined me at the Chili Parlour for some lively jawin'.  We also got to glimpse the (adorable) future of the Democratic party, who gurgled approvingly at us from the next table.

The former field director for Barbara Radnofsky, now officially the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate challenging KayBee Hutchison, is one of our number and we're looking forward to congratulating him on bringing a strong candidate into the spotlight for the critical November election.  Hope to see you there, othniel.

Austin has a mayoral and city council election coming up later this month, plus some particularly unsavory Congress Critters to rid ourselves of this fall.  With the public finally noticing that charlatans are picking their pockets and stuffing the cash into their cronies' hands, this is looking like the year to reverse the disastrous course that's been set for us by the party that was rightly in the minority for so long.  Our campaigning may not be stellar, but Democrats know how to govern.

Head down to the Parlour at 2pm this Sunday, May 7th and bask in the glow of rising hope!  Oh, and if you're checking on us, o-great-intelligence-community-personnel, the least you can do is buy us a round.  Or some queso.

•  Overdue for some chili anyway.

  And boy, do we have some stuff to talk about.

  by jandey on Tue May 02, 2006 at 09:12:07 AM PDT

  •  The bestest

    BBQ is Hard 8 Barbeque in Stephenville east of Waco. Just keep goin' north on 183 until you've driven WAY too far for barbeque. My wife and I are gonna be at the get together, by the way. Got a Google map of it?

    by Andy30tx on Tue May 02, 2006 at 09:14:53 AM PDT

    •  Stephenville is northwest of Waco

      But I will be very happy to try Hard 8 Barbeque next time I'm visiting my parents in Somervell County!  Thanks for the tip.

      by javelina on Tue May 02, 2006 at 09:21:07 AM PDT

      •  Sorry!

        I was backwards.

        by Andy30tx on Tue May 02, 2006 at 09:29:19 AM PDT

      •  Man

        Where are you guys coming from, singing praises for the Hard 8 and not thinking about their free beer. (What's a joint to do in a "dry" town).

        All this Stephenville talk on the dKos just reinforces my opinion-folks from Stephenville actually run the world, it's just that nobody else knows it, yet.

        Grew up there.

        Now I'm in Austin. Can see the Chili parlour out my window. Just took my kid to Eeyore's 43rd Birthday party. Got friends coming in to go to Hippie Hollow.  Man, this is the life.

        by DyspepTex on Tue May 02, 2006 at 09:32:18 AM PDT

        •  UH

          FREE BEER???? I've been there every time I drive to Amarillo to see my mom, and I've never EVER heard of the free beer. Just shoot me in the face now.

          by Andy30tx on Tue May 02, 2006 at 09:34:34 AM PDT

          •  Yea, the city council

            wouldn't give them a liquor license. So they just pass out free cups of beer. Not sure they always do it. But it's been there everytime I've been there (and it's just down the road from our ranch-we eat there quite a bit).

            by DyspepTex on Tue May 02, 2006 at 09:37:27 AM PDT

        •  Free beer!

          Yee hah!  Thank you, Dyspep, I am definitely going to drive to Stephenville to pay Hard 8 a visit next time I'm in Glen Rose.  Which could be as soon as July 4 or as far off as Christmas (wah).

          God, I miss Texas barbecue.  We do have a branch of Dinosaur Barbecue on 131st Street, and the sauce and brisken come almost close enough, and the beer selection is large and impeccable.  But ...

          (PS, just for fun, anyone up to hating on that nasty North Carolina vinegar stuff, or are we just all in consensus that it's w/o merit? Anyone want to argue in its favor?)

          by javelina on Tue May 02, 2006 at 10:58:31 AM PDT

        •  PS No alcohol in Glen Rose restaurants either

          So the deal is you pick up your own at the supermarket and bring it in to The Ranch House (or Hammond's, for that matter, which also ain't bad).

          by javelina on Tue May 02, 2006 at 11:00:30 AM PDT

    •  sigh...I stink at the linky thingy

      Okay try this for a map

      by jandey on Tue May 02, 2006 at 09:46:46 AM PDT

•  I heard Eeyore had his birthday Saturday

  The mere fact that this festival still exists proves Austin will stay weird, just like I loved it.

  Anyone catch the QT Film Festival? Any good?

  Man I miss Austin, the liberal eye in the redneck tornado.

  by pinche tejano on Tue May 02, 2006 at 09:16:39 AM PDT

•  I voted Kreuz Market

  Because it's on the list.  Actually my fave comes from The Ranch House in Glen Rose.

  Wish I could be in on this (am a Texas Kos member - Fort Worth born - who lives in Manhattan).  Y'all have a great time and someone have a beer for me.  And some sliced brisket.

  by javelina on Tue May 02, 2006 at 09:18:55 AM PDT

  •  Thank goodness

    I hadn't yet discovered brisket when we left Texas for Connecticut/Manhattan years ago.  It was hard enough being up there and pining for TexMex.

    I'll keep you in my thoughts, javelina.

    by jandey on Tue May 02, 2006 at 09:51:02 AM PDT

•  Best BBQ

  Iron Works - Best BBQ that is only a few steps away from the Convention Center
  Rudy's - Best BBQ found at an enormous gas station

  Actual good BBQ - I voted for Coopers because Kreuz has been less consistent lately. Salt Lick ain't bad for close to town, but Sam's is in town and open late.

  As for pork butt bbq, gotta be my backyard.

  by George on Tue May 02, 2006 at 09:33:02 AM PDT

  •  Hmmmmmm. Sammmmmm's.

    I wasn't impressed with cooper's last time i was there.

    Rudy's is our regular stomp because we have kids. Rudy's and Salt Lick are where we take our Yankee family when they're in town.

    I STILL haven't been to Kreuz's. Don't know how I've managed to avoid it all these years. It's on my list.

    by DyspepTex on Tue May 02, 2006 at 09:40:01 AM PDT

    •  The 'old' Kreuz was awesome

      That was before the family split the business up-- now the original location has the original BBQ pit, the new location has the Kreuz name. And I still haven't been back to Lockhart to check either one out.

      I voted for Salt Lick, but also love Ruby's and Rudy's (and Iron Works).

      by Sandia Blanca on Tue May 02, 2006 at 07:03:28 PM PDT

•  I voted 'my backyard'

  just based on the brisket.

  Nice try on the survey, but there are just tooooooo many good places to have a perfect survey. And how did Kansas get on there, anyway.

  by DyspepTex on Tue May 02, 2006 at 09:34:05 AM PDT

  •  Well, you know

    I had to include one other state in the poll 'cause everyone (non-Texans) complains about how we think we're the center of the universe (which we are).:P

    by jandey on Tue May 02, 2006 at 09:53:37 AM PDT

•  Green Mesquite on Barton Springs?

  I have a special place in my heart for GM.  
  Maybe it's the Zorro table.  

  by jennen on Tue May 02, 2006 at 10:08:22 AM PDT

•  Will be there...

  (Surely I'll be over the worst of this cold by then.)

  I voted for my backyard, just because I have a preference for all-natural meat, chicken, etc.

  Thanks for organizing the roundup, jandey!

  by roses on Tue May 02, 2006 at 10:23:36 AM PDT

•  There is a small possibility

  That my sister and brother-in-law will move back to Austin from Durham in the next couple of years, in which case y'all won't be able to get rid of me.

  Oh, well, at least I work in Harlem where you can get ribs and pork chops and fried chicken done right, and even biscuits.  The cornbread, however, is too sweet.

  by javelina on Tue May 02, 2006 at 11:02:34 AM PDT

  •  I do seriously miss the Indian

    food from Queens.  Such magnificent curries as to make me temporarily forget salsas.

    by jandey on Tue May 02, 2006 at 01:10:49 PM PDT

  •  if you'd like an email reminder/announcement

    of our Austin get-togethers, email me and I'll put you on our list (very few emails; usually no more than 1 per month). If you want to do this, click on my username to get to my email address in my dKos profile.

    We're always happy to have more Kosmopolitans in Austin!

    by roses on Wed May 03, 2006 at 09:15:59 AM PDT

•  We're putting it on our calendar

  Thanks, jandey! See y'all on Sunday.

  (I'm speaking for myself and Noisy Gong)

  by Sandia Blanca on Tue May 02, 2006 at 07:04:34 PM PDT

•  Will see you there

  I am planning on being there today.  I might be a little late as I just finished cutting the grass and have to shower and drive in.

  by refinish69 on Sun May 07, 2006 at 10:43:17 AM PDT