Episode 4: Dony Wynn (part 2) – drummer for Robert Palmer and many more

• August 20th, 2011

welcome to episode 4, our first two-parter. in the last four decades dony wynn has played drums with robert palmer, dr. john, brooks & dunn and many, many more. he is an extremely inspired and colorful person with a very rich history in this business. i have been friends with dony for years and i’ve always wanted to get to sit down and hear just how he got here. well, i got to! from “growing up” in the extremely fertile new orleans music scene to moving to los angeles with bobby kimball (toto) and getting fired by larry graham which lead to a chance meeting with robert palmer, the artist with whom he would forge a musical and personal relationship that would last from 1979′s “bad case of loving you” until robert’s untimely death in 2003. we talked for an hour and a half!

if you’d like to learn more about dony, just go to www.donywynn.com

howdidigethere.podbean.com

I normally don’t write about anything that doesn’t set me on fire. Tonight, however, I make an exception, as I’m puzzled by the disconnect I feel.
NOT a Hollywood guy, by nature, but still, a film directed by Clint Eastwood, starring Morgan freeman and Matt Damon based on a true story about Nelson Mandela bringing a nation together via their rugby team’s march to the World Cup? Even if not your cup of tea, there are some redeeming factors at work here, right?…Well, that’s what I thought, too. But somewhere along the way this movie shit in my boot.
Have you heard a critic label a film UNEVEN? At best, that’s what I got here.
I’ve learned over time that rhythm and flow mean everything. And those two elements were distinctly missing in this movie. You get the broad strokes, but you’re not emotionally involved because rhythmically there’s nothing pulling you along to sink your teeth into. Call it bad editing. You’re given bits of scenes that never materialize into anything that pulls the story along. You don’t care about any of the characters, and the pacing seems down right rote. And the rugby action scenes are downright laughable as the powers that be don’t seem to know flip about what’s under the skin of this sport. They even got the Maori War Dance from the All Blacks all wrong.
I guess you can’t bat 1000 all the time.
Here, Clint and company fall miserably short on what could have been a very good film. Color me confused.

This one is so easy…. if you’re staying in the Quarters, jump on the St. Charles trolley, take it all the way Uptown ’til it makes a right turn on Carrollton. Get off immediately and on your left hand side of the street you will see a quaint little white building with a sign,
Camelia Bar and Grill
626 S Carrollton Ave
New Orleans, LA 70118
(504) 309-2679
After a night of imbibing, my fave brekkie was a bacon and cheese omelette, a chocolate freeze followed by a slice of pecan pie. Did the trick. And if you see a waiter limping around, sit on his side of the room (right or left). His name is Harold and he will entertain you while serving you with a smile.
But for the dead serious brekkie get down, there is only one, the famous Brennans
417 Royal St
New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 525-9711
This is a serious breakfast affair, worthy of a documentary. Service is first class. Beautiful architecture. Food is out of this world! And for those unacquainted, Bananas Foster was invented by these people. Not to be missed!
Bon apetite! -magnus opus

There.
I will be filing shit every day, the good, the bad, the ugly.
Tell me shit. This ain’t no one way conversation dealeebob. Hell no. Speak yo’ mind if you dare, if you care, if you have half a wit.
I’ll be lettin’ it fly, on the fly.
then then.
Stay tuned.
Tomorrow is a new day.
Ooga Booga.

This is a simple story. This is a story of love requited, a love of a culture, and a willingness to share it with others. This requited love eventually begets a child. Lulu B’s is its name. Famished denizens of South Austin, who find themselves in a perpetual search for the unexpected, are once again, the beneficiaries of such a profound love, and Magnus is here to tell you the story…

Laura Bayer was born unto Thao, her Vietnamese mother. Raised in Southern California amidst a very prevalent Asian population, Laura was indoctrinated at an early age into the finer aspects of Vietnamese cooking. It didn’t hurt that, in Laura’s words, “Thao is a great cook, and when she wasn’t in the kitchen, she’d take me to all these great local mom and pop joints. All those incredible taste sensations over the years left a lasting impression.”
But, ultimately, it was a visit to the mother country itself that cinched the deal. Whilst visiting there with Thao, Laura fell in love with the familial custom of selling culinary wares from the front stoops of their respective houses; one family specializing in fruit smoothies, another grilled pork dishes, for instance. During this trip and others, Laura was baptized in the culture, and the tastes, sights, and smells of rural Vietnam grew very dear to her heart. Her dye was cast…
Nine years ago, on a whim, Laura moved to Austin and in no time at all found herself longing for foods of her homeland that had captured her heart, as well as her taste buds, specifically authentic Vietnamese sandwiches. So -the only reasonable alternative at the time- she began to host parties where she’d serve them, as much for herself as anything.
Along the way, Laura began experimenting with recipes, gauging the partygoer’s reactions, taking notes, basically practicing her own brand of market research. Not laying claim to any formal business training, Laura did what came naturally, following intuition’s lead, the winds of fate filling her sails. To hear her tell it, these gatherings were just fun parties, but slowly, ever so slowly, unbeknownst to her then, a plan was hatching.
At some point, Laura suffered what can only be described as a life-altering epiphany, realizing, as she did, there was a serious void of Vietnamese sandwiches in South Austin. “It was then”, she said, “all the pieces of life’s puzzle began to take a rather interesting shape.”
Due to her lack of a business degree, nor having any prior restaurant experience -short of waitressing- Laura knew securing a business loan would be next to impossible, and so began the slow ascent up her personal mountain.
Even though Thao initially questioned her daughter’s dream, Laura was determined, knowing in her gut she was onto something and nothing was going to stand in her way. Already teaching, she added summer school for extra income, took out some credit cards, and lucky for her, her beau had some friends at Libertad Bank, who eventually proved to be very helpful.
Next, Laura went directly to the source, querying friends already in the big show for business advice, most notably Fernando at Taco Express and David Ansel, The Soup Peddler himself.
Here’s what David had to say about his young upstart… “It takes a massive amount of gumption to put your money where your mouth is, especially in this business. Starting from scratch, really bootstrapping like she has, requires a delicate balance of self-confidence and self-delusion, which she displayed during our conversations. She’s sharp and sweet, which is also a great combo… think of a twist on the South Austin archetype, Maria Corbalan. To give you a glimpse into Laura’s psyche, let me tell you about her encounter with taggers. This trailer that she laid down her life savings on got tagged… she got it repainted… tagged again. She wrote a note and left it on the trailer saying, “I’ve worked hard my entire life for this… please don’t tag this trailer anymore.” And they didn’t. …Laura could be said to be in possession of a huge brass set.”
As it turned out the City of Austin offered small business seminars, too, which Laura mentioned also proved beneficial. An avid devotee of the book, “Starting Your Own Business”, Laura laughed and said, “ In those days I would kayak out to the middle of Town Lake with this book and tell everyone I was in my office. It was just me, the sun, the water, and my big dreams.”
Pooling all these resources, finding a perfect location on South Lamar under a sprawling oak tree, Laura unveiled her labor of love, Lulu B’s, on Jan. 4, 2008.
The vittles…
One word stands out in my mind when pondering all I’ve partaken at Laura’s creation, and that word is FRESH! After a meal at Lulu B’s my mouth sparkles from the exotic combinations of herbs found in these dishes, my body maximizing the clean, healthy ingredients.
The choices are limited at Lulu B’s, and this is GOOD.
First, they offer Summer Rolls, two to an order, either pork, tofu, shrimp, or avocado. Again, FRESH, delightful, with both a peanut sauce and nuoc cham (a savory fish sauce) for dipping, and only $3! I made two shrimp rolls disappear in short order, my taste buds filled with happy happy joy joy.
Then there are the traditional Vietnamese sandwiches, the house specialty. First off, as any great sandwich lover knows, the bread is uber important, and in the delightful French baguette of her choosing, Laura has chosen wisely; the bread soft, not too thick, not too thin either, in perfect balance with the rest of the ingredients. All their meats are marinated overnight. They offer either grilled, lemongrass, or Chinese barbecued chicken and pork. For vegetarians, tofu and avocado are available. Each sandwich is garnished with carrots, cucumber, cilantro, dakon, and chili. I got acquainted with the Chinese barbecue pork, extra meat a buck more -which I recommend, by the way- and it really hit the spot! Base price? $4.
Also available are vermicelli bowls, which come with any of the meats mentioned above, plus tofu for the vegetarians, natch. These bowls are nothing if not generous; loads of vermicelli noodles, mint, cilantro, lettuce, carrots and cucumbers, topped with peanuts and nuoc cham, and for the complete ride, you must drizzle with the infamous Sriracha hot chili sauce. $5.75… a bargain!
They also offer a variety of delicious fruit smoothies, either hot or iced Vietnamese coffee, green or black tea, and a variety of sodas and chilled teas and waters, too.
You can either take-out, or eat-in under the majestic oak whose limbs literally drip with colored lanterns. And for the eco conscious, Lulu’s B’s does the right thing, offering compostable, recyclable containers only, and they encourage all their customers to bring their own bags for transport home. For to-go orders, call (512) 921-4828
For now, cash is king at Lulu B’s.
Hours of operation are 11:30 to 6:00PM, Tuesday thru Friday, and 11:30 to 6:30 PM Saturday.
In the not too distant future, look for a delivery service manned by snappy young drivers on scooters, as well.
Laura’s aim, along with her mother, Thao, and her partner/sister, Christina, is for happy faces, happy tummies, and we should all be supportive of such harmonious ideals!
If you get a hankering for a dose of requited love, Vietnamese style, head on over to the corner of South Lamar and Oltorf (in between Office Depot and Austin Quality Tire) and saddle up to Lulu B’s trailer where you’ll be greeted with a smile. You’ll be glad you did.
Tell ‘em Magnus sent you.

* Laura would like to extend a special thank you to George Reiff.

Okay, here’s the deal… my life has been spent in the pursuit of excellence on many levels, not the least of which is gastronomic splendiferousness. Today is no exception. However, today I’m in search of something specific, something arguably ambiguous, yet, in my mind, very specific. Today, my quest is simple. I must find the most get down burger in Austin (or surrounding areas), and nothing less will do!
In my checkerboard, brawlcrawling existence I’ve sampled some of -what I consider-the best burgs to ever pass between two lips. If you’ve not had a full on double meat, cheese, bacon and egg Fat Burger with chili fries in Hollywood on LaCienega around 3am when the patrons are a highly volatile and mixed lot, or to Port of Call on Esplanade off the edge of the French Quarter in New Orleans and slammed down a half pound mushroom cheeseburger with a loaded baked potato after a night of getting your yaya’s out, then you’ve not yet lived, my friend Simple as that. If not, do yourself a favor and hit those two before you cack. Snag a chocolate milkshake with those puppies, too, you’ll thank me in absentia.
But no, my challenge to you today, dear reader, is to assist me in rooting out the very best burgers Austin has to offer. My quest.
Righteous groceries are always the bottom line in my book, but in this case, since one seems to be synonymous with the other, if there is some ‘scoscious atmosphere that needs to be sopped up with the burg, too, then fine, so be it, by all means, let ‘er rip! Also, am big into alternative meat burgs, too, whether it be ostrich, or turkey, or any wild game. Hell, vegetarian, too, if the taste and texture is backyard righteous. I’m game! (sorry)
So, if you would be so kind, dear reader, commit to sharing the wealth and submit your fave raves with an accompanying short explanation “why” to magnusopus@austindaze.com, and I shall endeavor to get down with the get down, give you the skinny on what I done rooted up when I done done it.
Submit… now. My taste buds await! And you, dear reader, will again, be the beneficiary of my ongoing culinary intrigue.
Y tan va.

What does this have to do with anything I have on my agenda for Austin Daze? Not a damn thing. But wanted to bust the cherry, so to speak, and begin to spew at will. So I am…
Busy right now with launching my new band, Knuckle Yummy (www.myspace.com/knuckleyummy) so I’m practically living on that page doing my best to get the word out. All proceeds well. And it looks like we have a residency beginning in December at The Continental Club, so spread the word and come see us. I can promise two things on the nights we appear there. 1) something will happen, and 2) you will not be bored by any stretch
Watch out Cleveland! Rumble, young man, rumble…

Stay tuned.

Act 5: “Back in the Saddle”

In the beginning of this pizza passion play I’d mentioned secretly yearning to be a food critic all my life, and trust me, I DO love my job here at The Daze. But what has increasingly become more important to me than sampling some get down fare and writing about it is the fact I get to meet some truly unique and special people who have all made tremendous sacrifices and shown courage in the face of adversity to make their dreams real. I find myself inspired to the nth by their tales of brave Ulysses, whereupon I turn up the heat on my ambition as a result. A little quid pro quo goes a long way, eh? And of course, by virtue of these people’s bare-knuckled tenacity and my willingness to shine a light where deserving, the by-product of all this is you, the reader, are in turn the beneficiary of some damn fine vittles! Life is good (if you make it so). And in light of this, we ain’t done here by a damn skippy! As they’re saying in New Orleans right now as I type this, “Les bon ton roulier!!” Yeah…
After a few days of rest and comprehension -digestion on all fronts, really- of what had already transpired during my inaugural pizza search, the time was once again upon me to strike out in search of the tasty and groovy in the Austin world of pies.
So I did what comes natural, snagging a sheaf of paper and a pen, rousting the dog from an afternoon slumber, the both of us hopping in the ever trusty, rusty and dusty pick-up to hit the bricks in search of buried gastronomic treasure.

Act 6: “Home”

I swung down South Congress where I entered the venerable halls of Home Slice Pizza, only open for a little over a year now but already a South Austin institution. Having graced the joint more than a few times since it’s opening -given it is in my “hood”- let me say here and now that Home Slice Pizza earned that lofty reputation with consistent, high quality food, snappin’ service from a bevy of well meaning hipster wait staff, and one of the coolest hangs in town for the geographically correct manga crowd.
Home Slice Pizza is the brain and love child of three partners, Jen and Joseph Strickland along with Terri Hannifin, and it was the very affable and spunky Terri with whom I visited this day to get some background skinny on just how Home Slice Pizza came into being, and more importantly in my book, why.
As I’ve mentioned, one thing I’m not is a Home Slice rookie, and since their opening I’d been here several times with friends and have ingested my fair share of the Margherita Pizza, which is comprised of fresh mozzarella, tomato, garlic and basil, a delicious combo that really invigorates the palette and satisfies the soul. But, one night several weeks ago I’d taken a bite of someone’s sub and was summarily blown away at the sheer perfection of it. So, wanting to go into a different direction to put the perfect capper to a day of outstanding entree’s already happily ingested, I ordered a half of an Italian Sub, the sandwich I deduced (and correctly so, might I add) was the object of my craving.
Terri wasted no time in telling me her friend Jen was responsible for all this hubbub and hullabaloo, having been raised in Upstate New York by her extended Italian family where she literally grew up eating the finest immigrant Italian food imaginable. Because of her familial culinary upbringing the die was cast for Jen at an early age. Terri recalled when she was 15 she’d worked in a grill and an 80 year old grill cook instilled in her the joys of being a restauranteur, educating her in the many ways in which you can make the customer happy. The grill cook’s enthusiasm inspired her to her core and she knew from that moment on she, too, wanted to be involved in the restaurant business. Her die was also cast.
Terri and Jen met when they were both attending NYU where over the years of budding friendship they planted their own seed to one day own and run a restaurant together. And given they were studying in NYC gave them ample chance to continue to frequent and analyze all the great mom and pop pizzerias that are rife in the city. The winds of fate were already billowing their sails…
Eventually, studies completed, time for the next chapter, Jen and Terri parted; Terri auguring Colorado way while Jen relocated to Austin.
Years passed…
Jen, now married to Joseph Strickland, was working for Texas Monthly and was also the food editor for The Austin Chronicle when the dot com boom imploded, causing her and Joseph to step back and take stock. What really happened was as one door shut, yet another opened, and both Jen and Joseph saw it and even more importantly, reacted to it.
During this transitional phase they came to the conclusion that Austin was missing something very important, especially to Jen and her well-cultivated taste buds. What was missing for this lass? New York style Italian food along with the New York style experience! Homesickness turned into a vision of sorts whereby Jen and Joseph wasted no time in seizing manifest destiny by the short and curlies, both demanding satisfaction.
Jen made her way back to NYC where she began to seriously study the classic recipes, honing her skills over time in perfecting all the nuances of great immigrant Italian cooking while Joseph boned up on the biz side of things.
Returning to Austin, determined to be the Queen of Pies, Jen, along with Joseph, laid more groundwork for what would become, Home Slice Pizza, eventually recruiting her old NYU buddy, Terri, to come join in the fun, too.
Home Slice Pizza officially opened November 16, 2K5, and South Congress hasn’t been the same since. I don’t have to say too much more about that as all you have to do is drive by and watch the continuous, overflowing crowds flocking at all hours to get a piece of pie.
By this time my Italian Sub arrived and words can’t adequately describe the perfection that is that sandwich. Funny, but in the menu there is this warning underneath the description of what constitutes the cold sub, and the warning reads thus… “Trust us-don’t mess with the recipe”, and damn, are they ever correct on that score! Someone has definitely done their homework as I wouldn’t change a thing about this sandwich; the meat -ham, dry salami, cappacola, genoa salami along with provolone cheese- and the condiments -lettuce, onions, tomato, mayo, and oil & vinegar dressing- are in absolute perfect proportion! Also, Terri recommended I try some of the sliced cherry peppers on the side, and again, she was correct on that score too, the peppers providing a hot zang for the taste buds, a perfect accompaniment to the delicious flavors and textures of the sandwich.
Having grown up in New Orleans where I was a devotee of the original Muffaletta from Central Grocery, as well as po-boys from Domilises and the like, I know the importance of the bread to these specialty sandwiches, and the same can be said for this Italian Sub. Terri told me that they go the extra mile for tradition and are currently importing the bread from Petrillos, an Upstate New York bakery. She also informed me they were working with a baker in town who was damn close to perfecting this special bread and it’s only a matter of time before they make their own based on the classic recipe. Now there’s devotion to high standards and quality for you!
The Home Slice menu is classic New York. They offer an assortment of quintessential salads, all made fresh to order, Antipasti, Calzones, Sub Sandwiches, and of course, the pizzas. Medium (14″) and large (16″) pizzas are available with a variety of toppings and special toppings too, then there are a great selection of tried and true classic pies. Each pie is made to order as well, cooked directly on 2-inch bricks in an old school deck oven. Individual slices are available daily until 6:30PM, then from 9:30PM ’til close. To complete your meal leave room for there are some titillating deserts baked right on the premises with love! Italian wine is offered as well as domestic and imported beers, fountain sodas, bottled sodas and waters, teas, and lemonade, as well as a variety of coffees. Go to www.homeslicepizza.com to see this outtasite menu, pricing available there, too.
Home Slice Pizza (for those who don’t know already) is located at 1415 South Congress Avenue. Their phone number is 512.444.7437
Hours are as follows: Closed Tues., Mon.-Thur. 11:30AM-11PM, Fri.-Sat. 11:30AM-12AM (the walk up window is open after closing for slices only until 3AM), Sun. 12PM-10PM
MasterCard, Visa, and American Express are accepted.
Jen and Joseph and Terri have created a truly magical place in Home Slice Pizza. The interior is fun, funky but chic, designed to lend itself to be a great social gathering place as all the great pizzerias were. The food is knockout, the highest of standards and quality around. And then there’s the vibe. You can tell when employees are happy, a genial, upbeat mood resides in an establishment that does all the right things for the right reasons, who truly respects the individual and encourages the individual spirit, too. That sort of vibe is evident in spades at Home Slice Pizza, where I think, as much as the great food draws the crowds in, they keep coming back because the mood is so refreshing, too.
To all of the folks who comprise the staff at Home Slice, I say to you, “Viva libertad!”

[fa:p:a=72157594576639275,id=414706592,j=r,s=s,l=p]Act 7: “Mellow on Drag”

You know, it’s a funny thing when you meet someone you’ve never met, and the instant you meet this person you like them -a lot- and then the more you get to know them and their surrounding clan, the more you like all of them! One of life’s unexpected pleasures, it is. Such was the case when I met Sharon Strickland, who, along with her husband, Todd, and Tracy Hansom, is one of the co-owners of Mellow Mushroom. Call the woman earthy and effervescent and you wouldn’t be too far from the mark here… heck, all of whom I met that day were just out and out good people, to be fair. My job was made easy. All I had to do was request a Diet Coke when asked, manhandle some paper and pencil, then turn Sharon loose whereupon she was more than happy to shovel me an earful! And a fun earful it was, might I add…
You know me by now and I like to investigate the background of the people who are crazy enough to enter this business. What eventually was unveiled was rather surprising, but the more I got to know Sharon and Todd the more I understood perfectly why Mellow Mushroom Austin has come into being.
Right off the bat Sharon informed me that she and Todd are from Birmingham, Alabama. As soon as she told me this I naturally parlayed the conversation into a bit of Birmingham history of which only a true gastronomitist can, asking her -due to my inability to remember the second half- the complete name of a marvelous place there in Birmingham which was a well known barbecue house (so-so bbq), but was most famous for its homemade pies (my fave rave being the fabulous coconut cream concoction-BIG yum!). “Oh, you mean Johnny Ray’s?” Sharon said, not missing a beat. I told her that was exactly the place of which I spoke. “You want to hear something funny?” she said. By this time I was all ears. “Todd proposed to me right there in Johnny Ray’s!” Damn, these people are down, no doubts abouts it!
From there the conversation flowed like soda while her two adorable children scampered about, her amiable, likable husband stopping by to visit with us occasionally, giving me more fodder, history, and more good cheer, too; a swell afternoon, all in all. And then Sharon served me the steak and cheese calzone… jeez apeez! But wait… getting a bit ahead of myself here…
While attending Auburn University, both Todd and Sharon discovered a pizza franchise during their travels which managed to rivet their attention. So much so they began to actively seek out Mellow Mushrooms during their excursions back East. With a big, Cheshire cat grin on her face Sharon imparted that besides pizza nuts these two are, at their hearts, honest-to-God beer connoisseurs. During our conversation Sharon made no bones about that fact, and was very proud their Mellow Mushroom, located on 2426 Guadalupe (or The Drag, as most Austinites know it), serves 25 different drafts on tap. You’re not gonna go thirsty at this joint, oh no…
Now here is the part I find most interesting about these two. Neither one of them has any history in cooking up groceries, or have families that were into cooking either. None! Zippity! They, along with their partner Tracy, do have over 40 years of restaurant experience though having plied the trade in various positions since teenagers. And it was this collective experience that led them to a turning point in each of their lives.
After graduating Auburn University with varying degrees that had nothing to do with owning a restaurant (film for Sharon, for instance), both Todd and Sharon knew in their gut they wanted their own business and after much thought decided to dance with the one that brung ‘em, the restaurant biz. The next choice wasn’t as difficult as by this time they both were a-deep in love with the Mellow Mushroom franchise.
During a visit to Homegrown Industries (gatekeeper of the franchise in Atlanta, Georgia) the two met with Richard Brasch, the corporate attorney, where they were told Mellow Mushroom does well in college towns, but so far most of the towns they’d targeted were very saturated. Not ones to give up hope, Todd and Sharon scoured the list for possibilities stretching more west, away from the normal franchise demographic. They looked at Baton Rouge for a second, home to L.S.U., but something about that didn’t feel right, and then they saw that Austin was available. Hearing someone was sniffing around, considering the Austin location as a possibility, both Todd and Sharon decided then and there to immediately nab this prime UT location, having never ever visited Austin, to boot! … Boy, were the gods smiling on these guys, or what?!
After moving their families here over three years ago it took them almost a year and a half to find their current location. Another six to eight months went into the design and in April of ’05 construction began, officially opening their doors September 25th, ’06.
And speaking of design, there is a unique Austin feel to this Mellow Mushroom. As it turns out, Homegrown Industries gives each franchise owner a lot of leeway into the look and feel of the place. And this is where the partners all rolled up their sleeves and got involved in all things that constitute interior reconstruction and design, quite literally a family affair, a labor of love. And their efforts show it! Going as far as hand staining each table, decorating them with coins, Todd installing roof insulation during July (ouch!), even hiring a couple of UT students to do murals, too; a real personal, groovy vibe exists. Go check it out; you’ll see what I mean.
Oh yeah… the groceries…
Mellow Mushroom has high standards and offers the healthiest pizza you can find. Each pie is made with Springwater Wheat Flour dough (considered vegan-no eggs). They don’t use any refined sugars in their sauces or dough and their choice of cheeses are all low fat. They drain all fats from their meats during preparation and when put together (all pizzas are made to order) they are baked on a stone slab, remaining crispy on the outside and chewy inside. Shoot, even the soups are vegan! Healthy cooking is always damn good in my book, ranks high.
The most requested pie is the Gourmet White, an olive oil sauce with minced garlic, sun dried tomatoes, provolone, mozzarella, feta, fresh tomatoes and onions. They offer some specialty pies, which range from $9.25 for a small, to $21.90 for a large, as well as a design your own pizza menu where the 10″ ranges from $6.50 to $10.90, the 14″ from $9.50 to $14.70, and then the 16″ ranges from $11.50 to $17.90, all available with a plethora of toppings.
There is a generous selection of calzone (steak and cheese was scrumpdillyicious! the baked dough very tasty and lite, the huge turnover fare you well stuffed with grilled round steak, onions, mushrooms and green peppers) soups, hoagies, salads and deserts, too, all very reasonably priced. You can go to wwwlmellowmushroom.com to see the complete menu.
Like I mentioned there is a fabulous selection of beers, both domestic and imported, wine is available, too, and a liquor license is being applied for as I type.
One thing I detected during the interview was these guys want people to come to Mellow Mushroom to have FUN! They are sponsoring special open mic nights, live acoustic music on Saturday nights, and several nightly games with prizes are up and running, too, many others being planned. There is also an outdoor patio out back for those who wish to bask in all of mother nature’s splendor. You can see more of what this specific Mellow Mushroom offers in the entertainment realm, as well as weekly lunch specials and many other delights and highlights at www.myspace.com/mellowmushroomaustin.
Hours of operation are Mon-Thurs. 11AM-11PM, Fri.-Sat. 11AM -2AM? (depends on the bar crowd), and Sun. is 12 noon-10PM. Takeout is also available and delivery is possible thru LonghornDelivery.com. All major credit cards are accepted and cash is always king, natch.
The Stricklands are good folk, and if Tracy is partners with them -even though he and I didn’t officially hang- my bet is that he must be an all right feller, too.
Go welcome these folks to their new home and jump in the middle of their creation, Mellow Mushroom Austin. Have you some FUN! Good eats and drinks abound, too… Not such a bad deal in the big scheme of things, way I see it.
Why? ‘Cause Magnus says so, and Magnus always, abolusively, desitively, knoweth best.
Ticonderoga.
Y tan va…

Act 8: “Back It Up and Chill”

Well, lil’ chillens, another hair raising adventure cometh to a close. I’m home now. Dogs are snoring contentedly. If I had a fireplace I’d be stoking it. The winds are blowing, chimes are chiming. Belly is full. Head is fuzzy wuzzy. Pleased, all in all, and am a better person for the experience. As it should be.
I highly recommend that you, dear reader, try each of the parlors I’ve documented in this piece, be it Southside Flying Pizza, Eastside Pies, Home Slice, or Mellow Mushroom. These folks are all gifted, talented, and brave as hell. They’ve taken the great leap of faith to bring you something you’d not ordinarily have access to in our fair city. And for those efforts they should be rewarded. So dive in. Get you some! Tell ‘em Magnus sent you.
Until next time, lil’ chillens, be humble, don’t stumble. Walk steadfastly with conviction. Be kind to strangers
Come Cheetah. Come Jane. Ooga booga!
So long and thanks for all the fish…

Chez Nous

As is my usual, I never trust an ethnic restaurant that is lorded over by someone not a native. So imagine my jump for joy when I learned that Chez Nous was founded by a French couple. That sniglet of information was all I needed to hear and was the beginning of what turned out to be a most, soothing, wonderful evening. And by the way, the meal was knockout. Pleasantly surprised doesn’t really do the experience justice. Allow me…
Chez Nous was founded by Pascal and Sybile Regimbeau, she from Normandy, and he from Paris. Sybile met Pascal when she’d moved to Paris to work in the fashion industry and they, too, never looked back.
They’d been dating a while when Sybile lost her job and suddenly opportunity for change was standing at their door and knocking. Having toyed with the idea of taking a road trip across America -as the French do have a love affair with this wild, untamed country of ours- this job loss suddenly made that trip become quite the possibility for them both.
So they grabbed life by the horns and made it happen.
Landing in New York City, they rented a car and headed to all points due west, ready to soak in all the diversity this country has to offer.
After several months, finally reaching the West Coast, buying a car along the way, they headed back east, returning to a town that had caught their fancy, a place they couldn’t get out of their minds, not to mention, they’d made friends there as well who were all too quick to welcome them back. Where did they head? Austin, of course.
Instead of planning the rest of the trip home, suddenly they found themselves finding jobs and putting down roots. They got married! Here in Austin, too! Sybile went to work as a waitress at Threadgills and even though Pascal’s father had made him swear to never get into the restaurant business, both Sybile and Pascal realized that Austin needed a real French restaurant, and they began to plot and plan.
This was the late 70′s folks, when Austin was blooming. Willie was getting famous, people were swimming naked at Hippie Hollow, Armadillo World Headquarters was one of the coolest music venues in America, fajitas were far and few between. Time was ripe.
Even though Pascal’s father had forbade him to be a restauranteur, admittedly it ran throughout his families tree. Pascal’s forefathers, dating several generations back, were all restaurateurs and many others in his extended family were, too. So, this business naturally ran in his blood. The die was cast and both he and Sybile felt they could make an authentic French restaurant work here. Even though his father made him swear, Pascal took the plunge with Sybile by his side.
While scouting a location off 6th St., a couple of Sybile’s regular customers at Threadgills had taken an interest in the dream the young couple harbored. So much so, they eventually put up the money to help make it so.
Chez Nous was born in 1982, and still resides at the original location that Pascal found at 510 Neches St. (between 5th and 6th).
The couple were quick to import Michele Lesnof, a chef from the mother country. Good move! Then Robert Paprota came aboard, another French compadre’, as a partner. The three musketeers were born! They also invited other compatriots to these shores to help them paint murals on the walls and lend a hand with the interior design to make it feel like you’re on the other side of the big pond, certainly not in Texas.
And that was one of the most disarming effects of the night. Even though only half a block from 6th St., I felt like I was in France on The Left Bank. They’ve really done a marvelous job at making the restaurant’s interiors very authentic. And on this particular night there was also a small combo playing. A clarinetist and an acoustic guitarist conjured up soundscapes of the Le Hot Club of Paris in the 30′s when Stephan Grapelli and Django Reinhardt held court. It was hard for me to believe that I was this close to 6th St. In my reality, I simply wasn’t.
One thing that caught my eye was the staff all looked and acted very European. Sybile informed me they have been lucky enough to find just the right types of personalities to help make the experience that much more symbiotic with the overall mood the restaurant projects. Most everyone there is a long time employee, too, and that wasn’t difficult to tell. They all retained a very natural ebb and flow. You aren’t assigned any particular waitperson, either. Everyone on the floor keeps an eye on you and your meal’s progress. I never wanted for anything this night and always had a cheerful face and a most engaging personality to make sure my dining experience was the very best it possibly could be.
I also had inadvertently picked a very special night to dine as this night was the French equivalent of New Years, which is the Beaujolais Nouvo, the first day the new Beaujolais’ are available to the public. Color me lucky. The glass I had sat on the tongue ever so well.
I kept it simple and ordered the Menu du Jour, for $23.50, which is available every day, entrees changing daily.
This night I ordered the mushroom soup (the very finest that’s ever passed between these two lips!), followed by a pork pate’ and a steak grilled to perfection and smothered in a tomato béarnaise sauce, accompanied by pommes dauphines and a cooked herb tomato with a buttery vegetable medley. For desert, part of the special, I had some of the most light and fluffy chocolate mousse I’ve ever had. Every bite of this meal was a lifetime. As good as it gets, folks. As good as it gets…
I checked the wine list and even though very short (which is good-helps you to choose) they had included some of my personal favorites, as many of our French tours were through the wine making regions and some were incredibly standout to me then, and most of these comprised their wine selection. Whomever’s in charge? Good palette! Excellent choices!
Chez Nous has an assortment of hors d’oeuvres, from soups to pate’s, cheeses and escargot, which are available in orders of 6, 9, and 12; a great selection of salads abide that feature a specific eye for detail, my favorite being the Salade Michele: mixed greens and Belgian endive with roasted shallots and pears, crumbled Roquefort cheese and dressed with a black currant, walnut oil vinaigrette.
The luncheon menu is mostly lighter fare, featuring inventive crepes and traditional sandwiches (I could live on the croque monsieur -grilled ham and cheese- alone!), as well as fish and steak dishes for the more hearty daytime eater.
Lunch is served Tuesday thru Friday, from 11:45AM-2:00PM. Prices vary between $5.50-$15.50.
The dinner menu has a great and varied selection of entrees. Seafood is featured: scallops, sea bass, lobster and shrimp; while there is no lack of dishes for the meat eater, too: veal, sweetbreads, duck, lamb, and of course, their inimitable take on a great steak. I will say this, the French have perfected the art of grilling a steak!
Dinner is served Tuesday thru Sunday, from 6:00-10PM. Prices vary between $5.50-$26.50.
Visa, Mastercard, Diners Club, Discover, and American Express credit cards are all accepted.
All in all, if you’ve never been to France and would like to try original French cooking at its finest? Be sure and visit Pascal and Sybile at their most cozy and inviting creation. You can make reservations by calling (512)
473-2413
No finer way to spend time, and no more romantic place to bring that special person, than to take in a most sumptuous, entertaining meal at Chez Nous. You have my guarantee.
Bon appetite!

Give Me That Old Time Religion-

To have an icon of serious Austin history and lore right under my nose and not knowing about it made me feel a bit like a doofus. About midway through my interview with Ruby’s co-owner, Pat Mares, that devastating realization came home to roost. Big time.
Austin continues to be the proverbial onion. Even though I already knew much about the town after religiously visiting for many a year, since moving here I keep peeling back layer after layer of just incredible, mind-blowing stuff this fantastic city has to offer. And Ruby’s B.B.Q. certainly qualifies. Consider me here to sing their praises! Albeit belatedly…
I know when it comes to barbeque a thousand different people will give you a thousand different takes on what they think is the best. I know I certainly have my favorites. If you want ribs, go to “Angelos” in Fort Worth and don’t forget to hug the Grizzly Bear on your way in. Sliced beef sandwich or stuffed baked potato? “Tex’s” in Brenham. Pulled pork and cole slaw? “Corky’s” in Memphis. Dry rubbed ribs? “Rendezvous”, also in Memphis. Find yourself hungry in Kansas City? Don’t you dare miss “Gates”. Far away from home, specifically in Panorama City, California deep in the heart of the San Fernando Valley and have a serious hankering for barbeque? You’ll be okay, make a point to drop into Dr. Hoggly Woggly’s Tyler Texas Pit Bar BQ. I mean, I could go on and on here but I think you get my drift.

And of course, there are any number of places here in Austin to find good barbeque, too, just depends on your taste buds and your mood at that moment. Not to mention we are close to Lockhart, too, one of the barbeque capitals of the world! But in Ruby’s I’ve found that one stop shop place. As a matter of fact, what I tasted and the vibe I felt while visiting with Pat the other day was so unbelievably profound and righteous I may just give Ruby’s the crown for best all around barbeque ever! They are that good. Simplifies my barbeque search, that’s for sure. Next time I want some get down barbeque, no more agonizing on which place I’ll go for what. I’ll simply hop in my truck and auger on over to the north side of the drag and plop down inside Ruby’s cozy quarters and order up a mess of it. Hell yeah!
Like I mentioned earlier, Ruby’s comes with a bit of history. Allow me…

Once upon a time there was this girl named Pat who was growing up on a farm in Nebraska, milking cows, tending to a garden, gathering eggs, working as a popcorn and candy girl at the local movie theater, learning some very valuable lessons from her mother who wielded some mighty utensils in the kitchen.

There was also this guy named Luke who was growing up in Minneapolis, managing some local bands. Growing restless in those young and turbulent years he moved to San Francisco and then New York where he spent time as a cabbie.

Eventually both of them gravitated to Austin, she enrolling in UT to enroll in Latin studies, one of Luke’s stable moving to Austin whereupon he followed suite. When here they both began to work as waiters in several local restaurants to support themselves. As fate would have it, they both gravitated that one degree closer by both applying for waiter positions at Kerbey Lane on South Lamar. They met. They liked each other. A lot. They up and fell in love and got married in December of ’87. Life got a helluva lot more interesting, and not just for them. We all would eventually be the beneficiaries of their union, we just didn’t know it yet.

Sensing pending greatness, Greg Shilling, the artist whom Luke was managing who’d moved here, began to prod them into opening their own restaurant, seeing clearly how they loved the food business, and obviously noticing that their taste buds were very elevated from the normal two legged variety. And boy, was he correct on that score!

They wrestled for a while on just what type restaurant they’d want to open, but after having a moment of supreme clarity, meeting the lords of destiny head on, they wisely chose barbeque. Even though there were more than a few local competitors, both Luke and Pat knew they could create a magical place that would certainly hold its own.

They then set about putting together what would formally be known as Ruby’s, handpicking the best recipes they could from all the great barbeque cities (now there’s you a gig, eh?!), choosing to have a brick oven ala the greats in Lockhart rather than the standard Southern Pride smokers, for instance (big time wise choice as brick cooks meat like no other!). And then came the big decision: location (location location location!). The gods were truly smiling down upon them on this choice as they found the perfect spot, right next to Antone’s, already a legendary music hall, and right around the corner from this upstart of a magazine, The Austin Chronicle. Shadoobee!

In November of 1988, Ruby’s was officially born.

Right off the bat both Luke and Pat made some very important decisions on how they could best set themselves apart from all their competitors, and their choices were again, spot on. Quite simply they’ve chosen the quality route rather than the quantity route. It all started with the brick oven. Then they decided to only use organic beef from the B3R Childress Ranch. Next they chose to make everything on premise, no canned goods here. Hell no! Every item on the menu is literally a labor of love. Hell yeah! Bottom line is they knew going in their food costs would be higher than normal, but their pride of food was way more important. Double hell yeah!! Consider my hat doffed for those all important decisions, thinking of the customer first. To be commended…

If only walls could talk. I can only imagine the stories those walls would tell about all the gatherings of the great blues musicians who would stop in to eat after their gigs at Antone’s, where Ruby’s stayed open until 4 AM to accommodate them, be a part of the party that was raging in those halcyon days of Austin music history. All that’s left now are the memories, pictures of those blues icons decorating the walls, signed napkins celebrating the great food that Ruby’s provides, napkins with signatures from the likes of Buddy Guy, Kim Wilson, Maceo Parker, James Cotton, and many many others. Knowing that these guys probably knew every great barbeque place in the country through their travels meant Ruby’s had to be get down, or they would’ve simply eaten elsewhere. Says a lot, it does.

Antone’s has moved, so has The Chronicle, but Ruby’s is still there and continues to serve the finest barbeque around, the cool and notorious vibe still very much intact, as if Freddy King was at the table with you, laying into some mean groceries after delivering some stinging notes from Maybelle.

Since this was Russ’ pick, as I’d never eaten here before, Pat was nice enough to bring out a sampler plate so I could see what all the fuss was about.

If the brisket isn’t any good, don’t bother eating anything else on the menu is my motto for finding great barbeque, even though I knew the food was gonna be great by the awesome aromas that kept wafting past. So I picked up that first piece of brisket and popped it into my mouth… and subsequently a low moan escaped my lips as their brisket was simply divine. That brick oven infused the meat with the most delicious smoky flavor. That’s another thing, don’t go for the sauce right off the bat, if the meat is good, it doesn’t need any sauce and that much can be said for Ruby’s. In a word… slammin’! Pat supplied me with two kinds of cole slaw, one with vinegar, the other with poppy seeds. Both were superb accompaniments to the meat. The baby backs were scrumptious, as good as I’ve had anywhere, and that includes Angelos, which heretofore was in a class all its own. Sausage was tender and juicy, not fatty, just right. There were two types of beans, pinto and black. Again, traveling around and choosing the best from whatever region they were in was a mighty wise decision. The pintos were wonderful, just the right amount of tang, and the black beans were based on a Cuban recipe, a little lime and voila, butt rockin’! There was a mustard based potato salad that was as good as my Mama Nell used to make, and that’s saying something. Pat also supplied two small portions of the Louisiana part of the menu. Naturally I was skeptical, but the crawfish etoufee’ and the chicken and sausage gumbo were on the money, I might as well have been in Houma, La. That good!

As I continued to eat Pat gave me some menus to peruse and I was knocked out by the selections. Luke and Pat have done their homework well, offering barbeque from all the great cities, from St. Louis, to North Carolina and everything in between, they have it. They offer a really cool selection of side dishes too… hell, I could make a meal alone on the Andrew Bell’s collard greens, the very finest collard greens I’ve ever eaten. They even serve barbeque tacos, something I’ve not seen anywhere, but Pat was quick to point out that even though serious carnivores come to graze here they do offer some tantalizing vegetarian dishes as well, the black bean with cilantro taco one of their biggest sellers.
All of their recipes have great origins, and Ruby’s has also been fortunate enough to have attracted some very qualified chefs in their day, too, not the least of which was Andrew Bell, he of Brio, Uchi, and Wink fame. Christopher Concannon from Chez Nous, also spent time in their kitchen. There was also a mystery man from Port Arthur, La. who brought them their Cajun specialties, and yes, Cajun food and barbeque do go together, make no mistake. And their old friend, the man who caused all of this, Greg Shilling, was also instrumental in helping them find some of their outrageously good recipes.

Usually I’ll find something in particular that I like at a certain restaurant and that is all I’ll ever order there. But you have to see this menu to believe it! It might take me awhile, but I damn near want to try everything on their menu, from barbeque plates, to tacos, chili, Cajun, sandwiches, salads, and a variety of meats by the pound, it’s all good. They also offer some great deserts that will go down easy after a barbeque meal, and for beverages they have sodas, teas, coffees, lemonade, fruit juice, milk, bottled waters, beers- domestic, microbrew and imports, and also wine by the glass. A dazzling display. Great dishes to fit just about anyone’s taste buds. Like I said, you gotta see this menu to believe it!

Ruby’s have daily lunch specials that run from 11AM to 3PM Monday-Friday and prices range from $5.95 to $9.00, and also dinner specials that run from 5:30PM to 11:30 PM, where prices range from $5.25 to $12.25. Admittedly everything on the menu is very reasonably priced, especially when you take into consideration all they do, taking that extra step, spending that extra dough to insure that you, the customer, get nothing but the finest in quality. The Ruby’s bar is high, folks, and they are to be applauded for going the extra mile. Luke and Pat’s creation, Ruby’s B.B.Q. is simply nothing short of an Austin icon, an Austin treasure!
Hours are 11 to midnight, 7 days a week.
They also offer catering, dine in , take out, and delivery too.

Ruby’s is located at 29th and Guadalupe, specifically at 512 West 29th Street.
Their phone is (512) 477-1651.

They have a website where you can read even more about this down home joint at www.rubysbbq.com.
They accept Mastercard and Visa, checks, too, and cash is, and will forever be, king!

Like I said, consider me enlightened. And do yourself a favor, enlighten yourself to by taking in the experience that is Ruby’s B.B.Q.. Why?

Magnus says so, and Magnus knows best.***