Category Archives: Austin

Austin, Brooks, Events, Feature, Student Life

Next Stop… More Barbecue

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Back on the Central-Texas Barbecue Trail, my next stop was the world-famous Franklin BBQ. A relative newcomer to the barbecue scene compared to the longstanding Salt Lick, Aaron Franklin opened up shop in 2009 in a parking lot in East Austin. It wasn’t long before it was being hailed as the best barbecue in central Texas, and as I’ve related in my other posts that’s really saying something!

So close to BBQ!

After talking about going all semester, a group of us MPAs decided to go on the Saturday before Thanksgiving since there was not a lot going on school-wise during that short week before Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate. In what was probably the worst weather we will experience here in Austin, we set out to Franklin at about 10:00am.

Upon arrival, we immediately recognized that our theory of “since the weather is so bad, there won’t be that many people waiting,” was not only shared by many others, but also was most definitely incorrect. Even with a temperature in the 30s with light rain sprinkling randomly, there was a line winding through the parking lot almost to the next block. A hostess came through the line to ask what we were going to order and she let us know that the estimated time of arrival at the front of the line was about 1:00pm.

I’m gonna eat that right there 🙂

If you make it to Franklin BBQ, make sure you bring friends because you won’t want to just order a sandwich. You can order by the pound, and after a three hour wait you would have wasted your time to only get a personal plate. There were six of us, so we ordered 4 pounds of brisket, 2 racks of pork ribs, and 1 pound of sausage.

I’m not sure if it was the wait or if I was just happy to be inside out of the horrible weather, but as we started to feast on the smorgasbord of barbecue, we all knew that it was worth it. The brisket was far superior to anything else I have tried in Texas, and the sausage was incredible. There were several options for sauce on the table, and they liberally handed out white sandwich bread that we could use as a vehicle for transporting the barbecue to our stomachs. All in all, Franklin BBQ did not disappoint even with the unusually long wait – if you’re in Austin, you’ll have to make time for Franklin in addition to Salt Lick!

Austin, Brooks, Student Life

MPAs Work Hard, Play Hard

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Hook ’em! Some of us MPAs in between tailgating and going to the game.

Work hard, play hard. It’s a cliché used by many groups to identify the fact that yes, their path is difficult but it doesn’t stop them from partying. Of course, I can’t speak for the entire class of MPA students, but I think it’s a stereotype that applies here as well.

Since I like to start with good news, let’s first delve into the “play hard” bit. If I am honest with myself, I have to admit that an important factor in my decision to come to UT over other master programs in accounting was the cultural amenities Austin has to offer. I knew that I couldn’t be happy in a sleepy, encapsulated small town or a suburban concrete savanna. Austin is the Live Music Capital of the World and a thriving mecca for wandering hipsters from all over America. The city’s unofficial (maybe official?) slogan is “Keep Austin Weird” which, turns out, is more of a plea to newcomers not to try and shape the city into their preconceived notions of a cool city. Instead, the idea is to be weird yourself and be a cultural contributor.

I have had the good fortune to spend some R&R time with my fellow MPAs in Austin. Most recently, a sizable group of us went to 6th Street on Halloween night. There were tons of people in the streets, closed down to traffic for the night. 6th Street can be a fun party any time of the year as well. Tailgating before football games has also been a good way to unwind on the weekend before watching our (now ranked!) Longhorns play on our home field.

Possessed by Paul James, a talented local musician I saw at the Scoot Inn with a fellow MPA.

Catching some great live music is one of my favorite things to do, period. Having lived in Nashville and New Orleans previously, I am no stranger to a good music scene, and Austin definitely has a great music scene. There are some great venues on Red River and also on East 6th Street (as opposed to the aforementioned and affectionately dubbed “Dirty” 6th Street).

I suppose I should get around to the “Work Hard” part. Being that UT’s MPA program is the top ranked program of its kind, you can be sure that we work hard. The result will be our technical competence in our field, which is one of the reasons grads of this program are highly sought after. When we aren’t partying, we spend a lot of time studying for our upcoming exams, completing homework assignments, group projects, and case studies. That’s not even including all the recruiting events we attend throughout the year.  All this hard work we put in towards earning high marks definitely earns us the right to party.

Stock photo of some really intense studying, much like that which can be found in the University of Texas MPA program.
Austin, Joel, MPA Council, MPAC, Student Life

MPAC in the Community

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One of the things I love to do is to volunteer. For me, there is nothing like giving back and helping make a better tomorrow, one little act at a time. Perhaps this may sound too ideal, esoteric, or even ethereal. However, I speak from experience because if not for people who have helped me along the way and paid it forward in their time, I would not be where I am today. So when I joined MPA Counciland learned that community service is one of its pillars, I could not have been happier to be part of such an organization.

At CAFB

In the past few weeks, MPAC has had two community service projects. The first one was with Capital Area Food Bank (CAFB), where we moved, organized, and sorted 6,500 pounds of food in about three hours. To put it in context, this is equal to 5,625 meals that the agency provides in Central Texas. CAFB works with several local agencies that help distribute the food to combat hunger in the region. I can’t believe how much food we sorted in the time we were there.  We worked in an assembly line and had an efficient process of packaging foods. When the agency coordinators announced the impact of our work, there was a sense of pride in the group, because we knew we made a difference.

MPAC at AAC

The second project we had was a visit to the Austin Animal Center (AAC). This was a fun job. How could it not be? We walked dogs every 15 to 20 minutes. From the small young dogs to the big and rowdy ones, we had a chance to take the dogs out for exercise and show them some affection. It was a good way for us to also get a work out and reduce stress levels in the process.

Austin Animal Center

I will not forget the last dog I walked, which was a German shepherd. She was big, strong, and energetic. At some point, it was hard to tell whether I was walking her or she was walking me. I had to tie the leash around my waist a few times for added support. Needless to say it was a funny sight. By the time we left AAC, we had mud everywhere from walking and playing with the dogs. It was a good experience and one that really put smiles on our faces.

One thing I really appreciate from these events is that it shows how MPAC is committed to social engagement. It is not just an organization that promotes accounting and the career opportunities therein. It is much more than that. When it started to rain during the past AAC event, the volunteer coordinators gave us the option to leave early. A fellow student turned to me though and said, “I’d like to help some more if I can.”

That’s the spirit of service and I could not even be more proud to have folks share the same passion when it comes to giving back. I’m definitely looking forward to the future projects we’ll have.

Austin, Jonathan

Austin Eats Without Meats

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My fellow blogger Brooks is giving the rundown on the good barbecue spots.  If you’re new to Texas, then by all means, avail yourself of the amazing barbecue that’s around here.  But Austin is home to some other amazing places that you should also check out.  Namely, our wonderful vegetarian cuisine.

Hey, meat eaters!  Don’t leave!  I assure you, the places I’m about to mention are really, really good, and you’ll do yourself a disservice if you don’t check them out.  I know terms like “textured vegetable protein” can seem off-putting, but there’s some great stuff out there.

While I was a full vegetarian for many years, I’m currently a pescatarian, meaning the only meat I eat is seafood.  I gave up meat for health reasons, and though I’m not a healthy eater by far (I could easily write another post all about bakeries), I eat way better than I used to.  One of the unexpected benefits of this is I have tried food I never would have eaten prior to changing diets.

I’ll start by putting vegetarians at ease.  It’s reasonable to think that moving to a meaty state like Texas will limit your options, but that couldn’t be further from the truth here.  Austin is a very veg-friendly town, and I’ve yet to go to a restaurant (even BBQ joints) that don’t have some kind of vegetarian food.  So don’t fret!  You’ll eat very well.

Veggie Heaven
Veggie Heaven, right on the Drag

More good news:  some of the best vegetarian restaurants are right by UT.  My favorite is Veggie Heaven, which is right on the Drag just across from Dobie Mall.  Be forewarned that the service isn’t great, but for me, that’s turned into part of its charm.  The dishes have fun names, and the star dish is definitely the Protein 2000.  Deliciously fried vegetable protein bits covered in a flavorful brown sauce, it’s a dish that anyone will love.  The steamed Curry Bun makes a great appetizer, and the honey lemonade is delicious.

A little further north in the Hyde Park area is Mother’s Cafe and Garden.  Well worth trying is the BBQ Tofu, but don’t pass on the Bueno Burger (which I think is the best veggie burger in town).  Served with an incredible super-course mustard, add the wheat roast (trust me) for a good bit of flavor.  Do the side salad, because you have to try their cashew tamari dressing, which is so good I could eat it on its own.  Even nicer is that right across the street is one of Austin’s best bakeries, Quack’s, and Austin’s best cheese shop, Antonelli’s.

If you don’t mind a bit of a drive, check out Swad up on North Lamar just past Rundberg.  The decor may be dated, but the food is great.  They call the dosa an appetizer, but it can easily feed two.  Same with the thali, which really gives a great sampling of a bunch of different tastes.  I think it’s time for me to head back up there…

Quality Seafood
Quality Seafood

Those three are great to get you started, but I’ll leave you with one more suggestion.  As a pescatarian, I feel like I should recommend something involving seafood.  There are some great high-end seafood places that you should try and some fantastic sushi places, but the hungry college student should head up to Quality Seafood on Airport just before 2222.  What’s great is that this place started as just a seafood market, bringing stuff right off the boat to sell to restaurants.  They still operate the market where you can grab some very reasonably priced seafood for home, but also have a restaurant where you can get some of the freshest seafood in Austin for a fantastic price.

For a city our size, Austin has a really awesome selection of places to eat.  It’s easy to hit up Jester or the SAC given their convenience, but don’t miss out on what the city has to offer off campus.

This week’s accounting joke:

How does the Lipton company manage their money?

Using tea charts.

Austin, Brooks

Central Texas Barbecue Trail Part I

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If you weren’t hungry already, you probably are now.

In the first installment of my Texas barbecue quest, I wrote generally about the differences between Texas and Memphis barbecue styles. Now it’s time to talk about some real live Texas barbecue.

For my first foray into Texas barbecue, I didn’t want to be disappointed so I went after the best I could find. There are a few local favorites, but I ultimately decided on The Salt Lick. The Salt Lick is a central Texas institution located about 45 minutes southwest of downtown Austin on a nice spread of land in Driftwood. In 1967 Thurman Roberts built their first pit to supply locals with great food using family recipes passed down since just after the Civil War. From there, popularity grew and now the full-service restaurant seats over 800 patrons.

When you first arrive, you feel like you are entering a ranch. After driving through country roads for a bit, the entrance to Salt Lick is obvious and bounded by its own vineyard. Since it is a BYOB establishment (!), and us being a fresh group of MPA students enjoying a beautiful Saturday, we carried our beer to the hostess stand and were immediately seated. Right as you walk in, you see what all the fuss is about. The pit is there to greet you and lay out your options in plain sight. It definitely didn’t make choosing what meat to eat any easier.

So, as you can tell, at this point I am pretty excited about eating some barbecue. Since I’ve heard brisket is the centerpiece of Texas barbecue, I went with a combo platter of burnt brisket and ribs (to compare to my Memphis ribs, of course!). It wasn’t long before our meals arrived. The ribs were “fallin’ off the bone” good and a formidable match for the legendary Rendezvous ribs in downtown Memphis. The brisket came in three styles, but after hearing the description of the burnt brisket, I had to try it first. It was caramelized to perfection. On top of that, the tangy sauce meshed perfectly with everything. Yes, this is as good as or better than West Tennessee barbecue.

While you’re in Austin, you have to try The Salt Lick. You will not be disappointed! There are a few other places I’ve heard about and still need to get around to trying, such as Franklin’s and la Barbecue. Nonetheless, I am now a believer in Central Texas Barbecue!