When I grabbed the bag, it was as heavy as a severed head. "Are you sure this is my order?"

Great expectations can require great leaps. If the hype and build-up are too much, then the delivery can disappoint, even if it would be spectacular with more earthly expectations.

The East Austin Studio Tour (EAST) is one of our favorite Austin events of the year. It focuses on art, which we love, but also includes, via traveling around, architecture, design, food, and street art.

Eating barbecue at Smitty's is a biblical experience.

es, we eat out--a lot. It comes with writing restaurant reviews, a busy lifestyle, and an appreciation for fine food. But lest you think we eat out all the time, here are shots of various items we've conjured at home over the past year.

...these are the best damn chicken tenders I've ever noshed. If chicken tenders could wear angel wings, these would have 'em.

Besides good coffee, the Social House leans British on the menu with fabulous-looking Thursday-through-Sunday afternoon teas, a deep array of savory pastries, sandwiches and salads, gluten-free and vegan options, and a kids' menu.

The cured salmon toast arrives as a Renaissance still life: it's so gorgeous you feel like you're slashing the Mona Lisa at the Louvre with your first bite.

When one door closes, another opens…

PhoNatic supplies the standard table-side sriracha, but they also provide an amazing house-made fire sauce that is flavorful and capable of bubbling the paint off of a 1976 Ford LTD.