the overview (activities!) / the swag
If you only pick one place for a group dinner, make it Odd Duck. The entire experience was absolutely fantastic. The service was wonderful, the food was plentiful and amazing, the wine was perfectly paired. It. Was. Awesome.
It’s $55 for an 8-course tasting, and $55 for a 5-course wine pairing. We added bread because we’d heard you have to (and it’s worth it) and beers for the kitchen (because when a restaurant puts it on their menu you also have to). They also accommodated our pregnant woman with a lovely mocktail, and even a champagne glass of water for the pre-dinner toast.
Stubb’s Gospel Brunch checked a lot of the right boxes for our Sunday brunch: great original Austin experience, ambiance, and decent food. The much-touted Bloody Mary bar was nothing to write home about, and the brunch buffet looks like something you’d find at your friend’s barbecue but that’s all part of the charm. It also put us in the right spot for a downtown wander and scoot up South Congress, which were critically important fun activities.
Tacodeli Catering for the boat was genius. This could be my new favorite queso. The steak was excellent. The taco buffet for 10 fed 12 with leftovers. It was cheap and easy and delicious and perfect.
Other restos: Kerbey Lane Cafe (unfortunately only getting more disappointing as visits pile up), Hula Hut (classic), Picnik (great reset after the weekend), ordered late-night twice from Thai, How Are You? which it turns out has AMAZING Tom Kha.
Other Considerations: I spent too much money at Costco, or either we forgot to eat all the goodies I had purchased for us. The giant box of Cheezits that I was certain was going to go went un-eaten. Perhaps just be better than I was about putting snacks out?