from Montgomery County Courier on hcnonline.com

Well I hope everyone had a very good Christmas. I know Ruthie, Daren and I did as we trekked to Austin to celebrate Christmas with my daughter, Leslie, and check out the new location of her restaurant.

Yep, after 10 years the Bouldin Creek Coffeehouse and Café moved about four blocks south of her old restaurant which was located on the corner of Elizabeth and First Street in South Austin. Now the eatery is located at 1900 South First on the corner of First and Mary in what was originally an old tire repair shop.

Leslie, her contractor and her landlord have completely redone the old brick building where now the only remaining evidence of the previous business is the one window that was left giving the price to fix flats, fix rims and rotate tires. Man, what a transformation!

While we were there the place was packed and the food was great. If we had a place like Bouldin Creek in Conroe I could become a vegetarian. While we ate brunch there on Sunday we noticed former Texas Secretary of Agriculture, author and current NPR commentator and host of the Hightower Report, Jim Hightower and his wife were eating there also.

The omelet I ate was great using only locally raised, free-range eggs and locally-grown, organic vegetables. I am so proud of Leslie as her place is an institution now; providing great food, coffee and a neighborhood feel to some of Austin’s most creative musicians, writers, actors, painters and other artists.

Believe it or not you will sometimes find politicians sitting next to old-time slackers and hippies. That feeling of tolerance and multi-culturism makes Bouldin Creek feel somewhat surreal. The Braun Brothers and Reckless Kelly and Mickey and the Motor Cars eat and hang out there. Dustin Welch, Savannah Welch of the Trishas, Kevin Russell and the Gourds go there as does Wendy Corona, the Porter Davis Band, Eric Johnson, Kimmie Rhodes, Shane Walker of the Gougers, Brian Beken, Jim Hightower, Renee Zellweger and Sandra Bullock among others. If you’re ever in Austin and want a true Austin experience, check her place out. Don’t let the idea of a vegetarian restaurant scare you. Take it from one carnivore to another there are plenty of great things to eat there!

Well speaking of restaurants we ate at some good ones during Thanksgiving and Christmas. Over Thanksgiving we ate at Vivos Mexican restaurant in East Austin, Hyde Park Bar and Grill and the Salt Lick Bar B Que restaurant in Driftwood.

All three of these restaurants rank high on my list. This past weekend we found some more great eateries. Christmas Eve we ate a new upscale dinner called 24 located in the center down from Waterloo Records on Lamar. Christmas we ate at the legendary Threadgills restaurant on Barton Springs (The old Armadillo World Headquarters) and later that night we ate at Casino El Camino on 6th Street, where they serve Austin’s best burgers.

Sunday we ate at Bouldin Creek for brunch and later that night we ate at a really cool upscale barbecue restaurant named Lamberts. We really ate well and although we didn’t catch any live music we did see two great movies, “The Black Swan” and “The Fighter.” We saw “The Black Swan” at the Alamo Drift House Theater where they serve food, mix drinks, beer and wine along with popcorn, cokes, candy and other traditional movie fare.

The Christmas music scene last weekend had some of my favorites: Marsha Ball, Carolyn Wonderland, Jimmy Vaughn, Ray Habbard, Dale Watson, Red Vokaert, Jessie Dayton and James McMurtry. The great shows were all over the place this past week and next. Well Austin’s so cool; check it out. Great music, great food, great attitude and beautiful hills and landscape all a combination that is hard to beat.

Well this time of year I always announce my top 10 CDs released this year as well as my top 10 concerts. My favorite CD for 2010 is “Pimps and Preachers” by Paul Thorne. My second favorite CD is “Junky Star” by Ryan Bingham. Ranking 3rd on my CD list is Kevin Welch’s “A Patch of Blue Sky;” Number 4 on my list is “Take It Home” by Jubal Lee Young. No. 5 on my list is “One Foot in the Ether” by the Band of Heathens; No. 6 on my list is “Somewhere In Time” by Reckless Kelly; No. 7 on my list is the EP “They Call Us the Trishas” by The Trishas; No 8 on my list is “Whiskey Priest” by Dustin Welch; No. 9 on my list is “Love On The Dial” by the Stone River Boys; No 10 on my list was “Up On the Ridge” by Joe Ely.

Well as for my favorite concerts of 2010 No. 1 was the Americana Music Awards at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville complete with the special concert following the awards ceremony featuring Robert Plant and his new outfit, The Band of Joy. No. 2 on my list was the Tribute to Exile on Main Street, by Don Was, Ray Hubbard, Raul Malo, Mike Farris, Jessie Dayton and Grace Potter amongst others. No. 3 on my list was the show at the Americana Music Awards featuring swamp rocker Tony Joe White of “Polk Salad Annie” and “Rainy Night in Georgia” fame. No. 4 was the Mike Farris and Mavis Staples show last March at the Crighton Theatre.

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