An ode to Austin, Texas

There is no place better than Austin, Texas. That's, in my opinion, a fact. Last weekend I returned home to Austin for my friend Christina's wedding. I've been traveling back and forth between Dallas and Austin a lot for the wedding planning, but it was during this trip that I really saw the "renaissance" that seems to have taken place in Austin over the last 3 years. Austin has always been "weird", but Carl and I spent a pretty significant amount of time in South and East Austin over this trip and I was truly envious of my friends who still get to live in Austin. Yes, Austin is "weird" but it's real. At the bars and restaurants throughout Austin there were signs for the local city council election runoff coming up. People were aware of the local politics as well as the local events going on every week and weekend in Austin. There are the "hipsters" that gather throughout southeast Austin at new bars that seem to be opening up everyday East of 6th street, as well as down home Texas cowboys that frequent the historic places like the Broken Spoke. The food scene in Austin is also "weird". One of the biggest trends to take root in Austin over the last 3 years is the emergence of the trailer eateries. Throughout all of Austin there are several clusters of trailers parked in high traffic areas that serve cuisine ranging from Korean tacos to Thai and Vietnamese, to gourmet desserts, to the famous Hill Country BBQ.

Carl and I had a hard time figuring out which food truck to try, and after finding a few of our first choices closed, we ended up at a trailer located behind the famous Sno Beach snowcone stand called A Touch of Fire. This trailer is run by a wonderful Vietnamese woman and her husband who were very excited to discuss Southeast Asia with Carl and me. She cooks all of her dishes to order. Carl and I were the first patrons of the morning so the dishes that contained rice or noodles may have taken longer as she rice and noodles weren't ready. We ordered spring rolls and a Vietnamese Banh Mi (Vietnamese sandwich). The sandwich was on a perfectly chewy French Roll that was definitely large enough to split. The sauce on the sandwich must have been a mix between mayonnaise and a Sriracha style hot sauce that complimented the delicately fried shrimp perfectly. After a few bites, our mouths were as hot as the scorching temperature that afternoon. There's nothing wrong with a little facial perspiration while eating Vietnamese food though! The delicious mixture of shrimp, spicy mayo, lettuce, and the other accountrements got Carl and I excited for our upcoming trip to Southeast Asia where food trucks and street food are commonplace. If the Vietnamese Banh Mis are anything like the sandwich we had at A Touch of Fire, I may have trouble fitting into my clothes when we return!