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Texas Thuesday: Pieous

October 21, 2014
Texas Thuesday
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We love you Pieous.

We love you Pieous.

I remember the first time I heard about Pieous. It was from my friend Jaime, and I feel like she told me that:
1) They make their own pastrami and 2) They import their water from Brooklyn.

I’m 100% sure about the former, less sure about the latter. Regardless, there’s something in that dough that makes it’s so, so good. It’s the best pizza I’ve ever had in Austin, and maybe ever.

My brother and I went there together and waited for about 30 minutes in line. The staff are like a family, and some of them are! It’s husband- and wife-owned, they’re precious. Their kids are there too, I spotted one hiding behind the t-shirt counter. This made me reminiscent of my own experience as a child of small business owner, and made me love Pieous even more.

Even though you might have to wait, they will take your drink order while you’re in line. You can have a beer while you’re making your decision about which pie to get. Savory OR sweet- they’re both homemade.

What To Get At Pieous:

  • If there’s something that even remotely sounds good, get it. You can never go wrong.
  • Don’t forget about the plate-sized chocolate chip cookies.
  • Salads here are delicious.
  • Did I mention they make their own pastrami?

One time I went and there were just dudes with beards drinking beer and eating pizza.
There’s nothing wrong with that, I just find it hilarious and worth mentioning.
Pizza + beer + homelike atmosphere = the best. Don’t you think?

*Click this to look at more proof of Pieous love.

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Brussels & Jam 'za is...my JAM. It's really good.

Brussels & Jam ‘za is…my JAM. It’s really good.

Writing about food is probably the most consistent thing I’ve ever done. I’m the girl who has a Yelp! account. Read allllll of my reviews here.
& If you have a suggestion, leave one below and I’ll check it out asap! 

Texas Thuesday: Counter Cafe

October 14, 2014
Texas Thuesday
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TT_cover

Welcome to Texas Thuesday where I write a love letter to one of my favorite local places to eat, drink, and be merry.

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I remember the first time I heard about Counter Cafe. It was included in this eat.shop austin book that I received from Caroline. She included notes and tips to which places she had been to already (i.e. las manitas avenue cafe “yum-o mexi-breakfast”). This was a time when my Austin Restaurant IQ was pretty low, but growing slowly.

I will never forget my first visit. I pulled up and thought, “Wait, that’s it?” Not because I was underwhelmed, but it’s hard to miss if you don’t know what to look for. It’s the size of a hallway. I quickly learned to take Counter Cafe seriously because despite its size, it packs a lot of punch.

Here’s the important part: my favorite item has to be breakfast tacos…or biscuits and gravy…or a plate of bacon. Okay, so I don’t have 1 favorite item, but you would understand if you’ve been here. It saddens me to hear the latest news about the upcoming lease, BUT they’re preparing to move to the East side! And that’s something that I’m not opposing, I’m quite taken by that side of the city.

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There’s just something about that Lamar space, and especially that beautiful woodgrain counter. Whatever their fate might be, I’m glad it still ends with a seat at their counter (original location or otherwise).

If you’re into cool [brother] chefs, nice staff, and breakfast tacos- this is a place to visit.
If you’re not- I don’t think we can be friends (maybe, we’ll talk about it).

Writing about food is probably the most consistent thing I’ve ever done. I’m the girl who has a Yelp! account. Read allllll of my reviews here.
& If you have a suggestion, leave one below and I’ll check it out asap! 

Fact: This post is about internships, Texas4000, and shameless plugs

May 25, 2013
Fact, General
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Well, I just signed myself up for two internships and a Spanish 3 course…summer has officially started?

It really has been a relaxing summer though. For the past 3 weeks, all I’ve done is eat, nap, read, and cruise around on my bike. I’ve gone back home, I’ve gone to a wedding, and I’ve celebrated the best friend holiday. Now I’m back in Austin gearing myself up (mentally and physically) for what I am imagining to be one of the hardest summers of my college career.

If anyone has advice on how to juggle two internships, please feel free and comment away. If you would like to give me mental support, it’s greatly appreciated. I think I’ll survive. That’s what I keep telling myself anyway.

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This is my desktop as a reminder

Special note about one of my internships: I will be managing social media for a wonderful non-profit organization called Texas 4000 for Cancer. Basically: UT students ride 4,000+ miles from Austin to Alaska…on their bicycles, to raise money for cancer research. Cool, right? This year marks their 10th year, it’s pretty special.
Please check out the website, read some of the stories (they will make you weep), donate, share our story. Our riders leave June 1st and I am proud to call some of those riders my friends.

If you’re interested in supporting us, join the Atlas ride on June 1st. Ride with them, volunteer, or join us at the finish line to celebrate their first day of riding. Also, follow us on Twitter. All this shameless plugging… sorry not sorry.

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Fact: I have a bike box

April 7, 2013
Fact
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bikes

Last-year-me would look at present-day-me and think that I’m crazy. Present-day-me looks at right-now-me thinking, “She’s definitely crazy.” What I’ve come to learn is that all people are a little crazy.

So last year, Tommy was practically my in-house bike fixer-upper. He would pump my tires, change my bike tubes, and help me fix things if I felt they were broken. I took advantage of this not knowing the physical work that went into owning a bike because Tommy did most of the work for me. But then he moved out and I was doing fine for a couple of months…until I blew my bike tube.

I felt like a stray dog in search for a home and guidance. I turned to people that knew about bikes but in the end, no one could help me, I needed to become self-sufficient. So last semester I learned how to change my own bike tube…and the only help I got was from my brother via Gchat video + multiple YouTube videos (Internet is wonderful). It only took me 2 hours (because I got frustrated) but hey, I DID IT.

That moment shook me because there were things that I realized:
1) Tommy isn’t here to [physically] help me anymore
2) YouTube is helpful, who knew?
3) I did it, I can do it, I can do anything

Since I’ve changed my own tube, I’ve cleaned and lubed my bike chain by myself, got a designated bike box [with all the makings of what one needs to take care of a bike], and I can pump my own tires! I know, I know, “huge” accomplishments, but really, these accomplishments lead me to seeing things differently. Seeing things differently about bikes, cyclists, and myself. It’s not always about the big wins, most of the time, it’s the small victories. You don’t know how awesome I felt when I replaced that tube and could ride again. It’s indescribable, it’s crazy.

As Kid President says, “We were made to be awesome.” I think being able to fix my bike makes me awesome and if I can do it, anyone can do it. What makes you feel awesome?

 

Fact: I participated in SXSW 2013 and I got a black eye

March 18, 2013
General
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Let me explain.

bruised

So there’s that.

SxSW is finally over, but it ended early for this girl (sort of). While my brother and everyone else in Austin were all hitting up the open bars, free grub and celebrity sightings, I was at home Thursday icing my eye. It’s a good chance many of you are recovering from Sx, I still am, but I thought I might take some time to reflect so that when I go back and look, I can remember because even at this point, I’m struggling (all the days just smush together after a point).
Here is my open letter to the festival:

Dear SxSW2013,

You’ve actually been really good to me. I got to go to industry parties, enjoy open bars, eat free food and have access to unlimited Doritos. But what I love about you best is that I got to see almost 30 shows in the span of a week, a  record of 11 shows in 1 day. I love the fact that I can smoke people on my bike to get to a venue and I never had to wait in a line for a venue for more than 10 minutes.** Thank you for holding this festival in the best city possible, Austin, TX, and finally, I will be able to enjoy food at regular prices.
It’s been nice sleeping and taking days off though. The battery in my iPhone is still at 90% at the end of the day instead of noon. It feels like a month has passed, it feels like summer, and that makes my mind reluctant to go back to ‘school mode’. Funny, despite this black eye and my post-traumatic-anxiety I felt, I left the house on Saturday to 1) get the last of free drinks 2) get so so very close to seeing Justin Timberlake perform [I have Jaime to thank for that]. ‘Memorable’ would be the appropriate word to use this SX. I’ll be counting down the days until next year.

Sincerely Yours,
Thu

p.s. Is there some way you could work out a better line situation? I’ve never seen lines like that, ever.
p.p.s. I love you
p.p.p.s. Thank you for letting me cross “Getting photographed for street style” off my bucket list. That was cool.

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**Fact: Get a bike, don’t be a delinquent, it’s really the best way to get around during South by.

[Not so] Sidebar: I got this internship.

February 1, 2013
General, Sidebar
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Once upon a time, there was a girl who didn’t know what to do with her life. She searched, read (a lot), and took classes so that maybe something would spark. Society led her under the notion that when you know, you know. Kind of like marriage… or something. Way back when, she thought she was going to own a candy shop and be a pharmacist. At the time, it seemed to fit together. Then, it was somewhere in the medical field, there was just no other way.

Then she entered college. And then she took Chemistry II and all of a sudden, medicine went out the window. Fortunately, she fell in love with something else entirely: communications. Yada yada yada, she’s still on the search but she thinks she’s on the right path.

Psst. That girl is me. Why am I telling you this story? I don’t know, I wanted to, and I can. It’s all true though, I thought I wanted to do one thing and when I got to college, doors seem to simultaneously open and close for me. While I could stil see myself in medicine and I still find it fascinating, I feel like my talents lie somewhere else.

I think when I started this post though, I meant to say that going along the communications, more specifically, advertising route is not easy. I’m in the #1 advertising program in the U.S. with hella talented peers, not to mention my cousin who has taken this route already and is killing it in NYC. Self-conscious is an understatement to how I feel. I applied to a lot internships this last semester, I would get a handful of interviews, and then get rejected…to all of them. Except one (hence the title).

And that’s all you need. It’s that one that gets you through the door and color me cliché but maybe I was rejected from all of the other ones so that I could find a great one.

Hi, my name is Thu and I’m interning for Austin Restaurant Week. I’ve started work already and I can’t wait to share it with you guys. Y’all know I love food, I love Austin, I can’t explain how perfect this internship is for me. I’ll be a contributor on the ARW blog so look out for those posts too. I’ll take suggestions, recommendations, the ARW blog is a community. Share the love**.

**Love = food

Also, did I mention I get bike to work? The ultimate dream. It feels like a marathon biking back [uphill] but it’s worth it [for the most part].

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