Fave Five Food Deals - 11/10/10

Hold onto your pocketbooks, Austin. It's time for your weekly dose of supermarket deals.

1. Haas avocados, 3 for $1 at Newflower (through 11/17/10)

2. Asparagus, $1.47/lb. at Sprouts (through 11/17/10)

3. Hill Country Fare split chicken breasts, $1/lb. at H-E-B (through 11/16/10)

4. Fuji apples, .50/lb. at Sun Harvest (through 11/17/10)

5. Brown Cow yogurt, 6 oz. cups, .59/ea. at Sun Harvest (through 11/17/10)

Austin supermarket links (directs to weekly ads where available):
El Rancho Supermercado
Fiesta
H-E-B
Natural Grocers
Newflower Farmers Market
Randall's
Sprouts Farmers Market
Sun Harvest
Wheatsville Food Co-Op
Whole Foods Market

The Future is There's

The following was scrawled - presumably by a 6th grader - on the MetroRail crossing guard down the street from our house.


When American kids are falling behind the rest of the industrialized world in math and science, it's sad.

When our middle schoolers can't lob an insult without scoring an own-goal, it's probably not a bad idea to start stocking up on bottled water, canned peas and ammunition.

My Elvis Year

As I enter my 42nd year on the planet today, I’ve thought a lot about the day in August of 1977 when I walked to the Circle K down the street from my grandparents’ house in Victoria, Tex. and scanned a slew of “Elvis Presley Dead at 42” headlines while waiting to pay for a grape-flavored Slush Puppy.

I realized Presley’s death was undeniably tragic, but I also remember thinking, “Well, 42 is pretty old.”

And I guess it was if you were an 8-year-old kid whose parents were still in their early thirties and not cocked up on pills.

42 doesn’t seem so old anymore, though.

I’m vaguely aware of being well beyond the vaunted 18-34 demographic, but I never felt like I was at the zeitgeist to begin with. One part of getting older that I’ve always sort of looked forward to is the prospect of “aging into” the curmudgeonly nostalgia that was part of my personality even as a child.

Becoming a father has definitely made me feel older, but that’s more a function of parenthood than age. I still don’t feel the sociocultural gravitas I thought I’d feel at 42. I have a family and an accidental career in civil service, but I haven’t put away childish things and have no intention of doing it voluntarily.

I’m glad that spending most of my days garbed in jeans and a T-shirt just like my infant son makes me a thorn in the side of sphincter-lipped scolds like George Will. Let them choke on their dull, grey notions of maturity and propriety – plum-dumb commode humor has sustained me through far too much to give up on it now.

Fave Five Food Deals - 11/3/10

Crazy cheap heads of lettuce lead the way in this week's list of Austin's best supermarket deals.

1. Romaine lettuce, 2 for $1 at Sun Harvest (through 11/10/10)

2. Organic Jonagold, Braeburn or Gala apples, .99/lb at Sprouts* (through 11/10/10)

3. Buttermilk sourdough bread, $1.99 at Central Market (through 11/9/10)

4. Boneless skinless chicken breasts, $1.49/lb. at Fiesta** (through 11/9/10)

5. Top sirloin steak, $2.99/lb. at Sprouts (through 11/10/10)

*Organic Jonagold and Braeburn apples are also on sale for .99/lb. at Newflower
**Sold in family pack, limit 2 with $10 additional purchase

If you shop at H-E-B, be sure to glance at your checkout coupons. In the past two weeks, we've gotten one for a free pound of red or white seedless grapes and another for $3 off a purchase of $30 or more. That right there is free money, hoss.

Austin supermarket links (directs to weekly ads where available):
El Rancho Supermercado
Fiesta
H-E-B
Natural Grocers
Newflower Farmers Market
Randall's
Sprouts Farmers Market
Sun Harvest
Wheatsville Food Co-Op
Whole Foods Market

Do the Crawl

Kate shot this iPhone video of Alex crawling today. He's been making tentative crawling movements for about a week now, but today he just took off.



Seeing Alex start crawling in earnest is really something. As Kate aptly noted, "It's like he's a whole new baby." It reminds me of the essential human instinct for exploration. It also reminds me that our house just got a whole lot more fraught with danger.

I Gotta Dance to Keep from Crying

Want to pick up the latest album from Motown legend and onetime SXSW keynote speaker Smokey Robinson? Then cruise on out to your nearest Cracker Barrel this Monday.

Yes, Cracker Barrel - the same Tennessee-based restaurant-and-country store chain that reportedly paid $8.7 million in 2004 to settle a slew of racial discrimination lawsuits.

“It’s time to change that imagery of Cracker Barrel,” Robinson says. “I’m very happy to be the one breaking that ground with them. It’s progress."

Indeed it is, Smokey. Now all they need to do is hire Harvey Fierstein as a spokesperson to begin patching things up with the gays.

Fave Five Food Deals - 10/27/10

From our ink-stained hands to your screen, here are the week's best deals at Austin area supermarkets.

1. Green leaf, red leaf and Romaine lettuce, .88/ea. at Sprouts and Sun Harvest (through 11/3/10)

2. Texas Ruby Red grapefruit, 6 for $1 at Newflower (through 11/3/10)

3. Boneless skinless chicken breasts, $1.88/lb. at Sun Harvest (through 11/3/10)

4. Marinated skirt steak for fajitas, $2.29/lb. at El Rancho Supermercado (through 11/2/10)

5. Red seedless grapes, .99/lb. at H-E-B (through 11/2/10)

Also, if you need something economical to give trick-or-treaters this Sunday, pick up the Hill Country Fare Kids Play Mix - 50 solid ounces of what we old-timers used to call "penny candy" for just $5 at H-E-B. We're talking Smarties, Double Bubble, Tootsie Rolls and the like. The kids won't like you as much as the people handing out Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, but at least your house probably won't get egged.

Austin supermarket links (directs to weekly ads where available):
El Rancho Supermercado
Fiesta
H-E-B
Natural Grocers
Newflower Farmers Market
Randall's
Sprouts Farmers Market
Sun Harvest
Wheatsville Food Co-Op
Whole Foods Market

Just About a Mile from Texarkana

I’m in Texarkana, Tex. tonight. Texarkana is one of those towns that gets sung about a lot because it makes for a nice rhyme, as Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Cotton Fields," Crazy Elephant's "Gimme Gimme Good Lovin'" and Jerry Reed's "Eastbound and Down" can attest.

One thing that doesn't rhyme with Texarkana is syphilis. The Ark-La-Tex region has some of the higher syphilis rates in the country, so I'm here for a meeting with public health folks from the tri-state area to discuss coordination of prevention and messaging efforts across state lines.

I would’ve preferred to meet in Hot Springs, Ark. for the spring-fed baths or Shreveport, La. for the casino buffets, but our leash ends where Texas does. As far as I can tell, the primary extracurricular activity in Texarkana would be to have a photo taken on State Line Ave. with half my girth in Texas and the other in Arkansas. Having already done that in several obnoxious iterations over the years, I’m content to hit the hotel treadmill and watch the Cowboys try to soak up some Texas Rangers mojo on Monday Night Football.

Yup, just another crazy night of road-hogging in the name of public health.

Fave Five Food Deals - 10/20/10

In this week's exciting edition of Austin's best grocery deals, Sprouts ups the ante on apples.

1. Apples (Braeburn, Gala, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Fuji, Jonagold, Red Delicious and Rome), .49/lb. at Sprouts (through 10/27/10)

2. Asparagus, $1.29/lb. at Newflower (through 10/27/10)

3. Organic broccoli, .99/lb. at Newflower (through 10/27/10)

4. Boneless skinless chicken breasts, $1.50/lb. at El Rancho Supermercado (through 10/26/10)

5. Boneless pork loin, $2.47/lb. at H-E-B (through 10/26/10)

Also, if you are carnivorous, be prepared to start paying more for meat in the next few weeks. For that, we can thank our good friends at the ethanol lobby.

Austin supermarket links (directs to weekly ads where available):
El Rancho Supermercado
Fiesta
H-E-B
Natural Grocers
Newflower Farmers Market
Randall's
Sprouts Farmers Market
Sun Harvest
Wheatsville Food Co-Op
Whole Foods Market

Miles for Miles to Fight Diabetes

The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation is holding its annual Walk to Cure Diabetes on Halloween. Kate, Alex and I will be walking - or strolling, in Alex's case - as proud members of Team Miles for Miles here in Austin.

The team is named for young Miles Wyatt, son of our good friends David and Rachel Wyatt. Last year, shortly before his 2nd birthday, Miles was diagnosed with Type 1 (or "juvenile") diabetes, an autoimmune disorder of the pancreas. Kate and I have watched with admiration at how the Wyatt family has responded to Miles' diagnosis, but we know it hasn't been easy for them.

Type 1 diabetes requires constant monitoring of carb intake, blood sugar levels and multiple insulin injections per day. In the past 11 months since his diagnosis, Miles already has endured over 3,500 finger pricks and 1,300 insulin injections. In addition to his rigorous blood testing and insulin shots, everything he consumes must be weighed and measured, and his blood levels need to be checked every couple of hours - even at 2 a.m. while he sleeps. Miles will be insulin-dependent for the rest of his life - or until there is a cure.

There are many devastating diseases people face in the world today. The difference with type 1 diabetes is that wiping it out of existence is extremely attainable and within reach. Researchers indicate that a cure could be available even before Miles goes to high school, helping him and countless others avoid the complications of heart and kidney disease, blindness, amputation, and early death that is a reality for many people with type 1 diabetes.

If you'd like to help Team Miles for Miles help raise funds for JDRF, you can make a donation here. All contributions are tax-deductible and every little bit makes a difference. Thanks for your consideration and support.

Embassy Unsweet

If you’re traveling to Dallas for business or pleasure anytime soon, do yourself a favor and stay the hell away from the Embassy Suites Dallas Market Center. I have stayed at this sub-par facility four times this year for my job. Yesterday, I checked out for what I fervently hope is the last time ever.

I am not a man of high standards when it comes to lodging. I thumb through those green discount motel guides you pick up in the foyer at Denny’s with the same tenacity a hedge fund trader pores over Investor’s Business Daily. I have stayed quite happily in off-brand motels and well-worn motor courts all across this dying empire. But I do believe in good value and that is where the Embassy Suites Dallas Market Center eats it.

Shoddily built during the mid-Eighties boom cycle, this Embassy Suites has endured several cosmetic renovations since, but none have addressed the fundamental problem of the building’s proximity to the Stemmons Freeway. Subsequently, the early morning rush hour was an unwelcome wake-up call in every one of the rooms I stayed in.

Now throw in archaic CRT TVs, middling reception of local channels and beige carpet stained with the unspeakable remnants of numerous after-prom parties. These are not things you can look past when you’re dropping $117 a night plus the obligatory Tom Hicks sports arena tax.

According to an alarming number of consumer reviews, the hotel’s parking lot is a hotbed of car theft. The hotel’s response to this is to have a crossing arm at the lot entrance that opens for anyone and everyone who drives up to it along with prominent signage to let you know you’re parking at your own risk.

I accept that it’s not the hotel’s fault that this area of Dallas is a den of thievery, but their ham-brained approach to addressing the problem is a waste of everyone’s time and money. This logic model carries over to the lobby restrooms, which have auto-flush toilets with lids that prevent the auto-flush sensors from knowing when it’s time to flush.

Then there’s the hotel’s management, which managed to bump half of our meeting delegation on two of the four times we stayed there this year. The first time was due to a plumbing issue, which wasn’t entirely their fault, but this week’s massive bump was never adequately explained to us.

Instead of stepping up, they tried to pass the entirety of blame off on our event planners – a cowardly move that indicated they were more interested in finger-pointing and ass coverage than trying to make things right for their guests. This is a hallmark of a business that simply doesn’t care, so why should you?

Fave Five Food Deals - 10/13/10

Austinites, feast your senses on this week's slightly belated five best grocery deals:

1. Red or Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, Braeburn, Gala, Fuji, Jonathan, Jonagold and Rome apples, .67/lb. at Newflower (through 10/20/10)

2. Texas Rio Star grapefruit, .19/ea. at Sprouts (through 10/20/10)

3. Asparagus, $1.48/lb. at Sun Harvest (through 10/20/10)

4. Spinach, Romaine, green leaf or red leaf lettuce, .88/ea. at Sprouts (through 10/20/10)

5. Pork sirloin chops, .89/lb.* at Fiesta (through 10/19/10)

*In the family pack, limit 2 with $10 additional purchase.

Austin supermarket links (directs to weekly ads where available):
El Rancho Supermercado
Fiesta
H-E-B
Natural Grocers
Newflower Farmers Market
Randall's
Sprouts Farmers Market
Sun Harvest
Wheatsville Food Co-Op
Whole Foods Market

SXSW Getting New Digs

SXSW is getting a new home at 400 W. Bowie St. The 3-story building, now housing an architectural firm, is conveniently sandwiched between the Whole Foods behemoth and the Spring condo tower on the site of the Electric Lounge. This will put SXSW considerably closer to the epicenter of festival-related action in March than their current Hyde Park offices on 41st St.

This is a long, long way from the late 80s, when SXSW was run out of a conference room at the Chronicle's old offices on the corner of 29th and Rio Grande. Not long after that, I remember marveling at the fact they needed an entire ranch-style house (year-round, no less!) to run the fest.

Fave Five Food Deals - 10/6/10

Fresh from our dead junebug-littered mailbox, here are this week's finest Austin grocery deals. Mmmmm.

1. Boneless pork loin roast, $1.99/lb. at Sprouts (through 10/13/10)

2. Boneless skinless chicken fryer breasts, $1.49/lb.* at Fiesta (through 10/12/10)

3. Red or green bell peppers, .49/ea. at Sprouts (through 10/13/10)

4. Yellow peaches, black plums, Bartlett or red pears, .77/lb. at Sun Harvest (through 10/13/10)

5. Green beans, .88/lb. at H-E-B (through 10/12/10)

*Family pack, limit two with additional $10 purchase.


Austin supermarket links (directs to weekly ads where available):
El Rancho Supermercado
Fiesta
H-E-B
Natural Grocers
Newflower Farmers Market
Randall's
Sprouts Farmers Market
Sun Harvest
Wheatsville Food Co-Op
Whole Foods Market

New Drugs and a Boatful of Beards?

Do you have a thing for boats, facial hair and/or Huey Lewis? If so, I can plan your Halloween weekend for you right this instant.

The New Drugs will be playing a benefit to help get the Austin Facial Hair Club's most hirsute hunks to the 2011 World Beard and Moustache Championships in Trondheim, Norway. This benefit will take place Saturday, October 30 at 7:30pm on the good ship Commodore as it motors about the tranquil waters of Lake Austin.

The 3-hour boat trip will set you back $25, but drinks on board are gratis. Advance tix are available online or at Breakaway Records and End of an Ear Records. Act now or start pricing dinghies.

Fave Five Food Deals - 9/29/10

We're ending the month with fine weather and an even finer assortment of top Austin grocery deals. From Manchaca to Metric, our intrepid deal monkeys have you covered.

1. 5 lb. bag of Russet potatoes, .47/ea. at Newflower (through 10/7/10)

2. Columbia River Coho salmon filets, $5.99/lb. at Sprouts (through 10/7/10)

3. Organic Bartlett or red pears, .98/lb. at Sun Harvest (through 10/7/10)

4. Organic acorn, butternut or spaghetti squash, .88/lb. at Sun Harvest (through 10/7/10)

5. Blue Bell Ice Cream, half gallon/all rims, $3/ea.* at Fiesta (through 10/6/10)

*Limit two with $10 additional purchase.

Austin supermarket links (directs to weekly ads where available):
El Rancho Supermercado
Fiesta
H-E-B
Natural Grocers
Newflower Farmers Market
Randall's
Sprouts Farmers Market
Sun Harvest
Wheatsville Food Co-Op
Whole Foods Market

Trader Joe's in Texas? Ha, Made You Look!

Back in August, Fortune tried to uncover the very secretive world of Trader Joe's. The company is privately owned by an über-wealthy German family that owns the worldwide Aldi supermarket chain, never talks to the press and leaves most of Trader Joe's business decisions to Americans. Most of the information in the story was gleaned from former executives and other off-the-record insiders.

While the discussion of Trader Joe's less-is-more approach to groceries is interesting in its own right, Texans hoping for an Lone Star expansion in the wake of Aldi's entrance into the Dallas/Fort Worth market may find the sentence below dismayingly revealing:

Texas and Florida have cities that boast consumers Trader Joe's covets, but insiders say the current distribution infrastructure makes it difficult for the company to efficiently get products to those states.

Well, at least they didn't say "impossible."

Southwest Plans to Buy AirTran

Massive airline news today as Dallas-based Southwest Airlines announced its intention to buy AirTran Airways for $3.4 billion in cash and assumed debt.

Assuming the regulatory gods approve the merger, this will give Southwest a big "in" at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and Washington's National Airport. It will significantly expand the airline's presence at New York LaGuardia and Boston Logan. The acquisition will also make Southwest an international airline, with service to Mexico and the Caribbean.

One logistical hurdle of the merger is AirTran's fleet of 86 Boeing 717s. Southwest's operational efficiency has long been based on flying nothing but Boeing 737s, but you can't just '86' 86 717s, so we may get to see 717s decked out in Southwest's livery in the short-term.

We know AirTran will stop serving Dallas/Fort Worth International once the merger is finalized since the end of the Wright Amendment restrictions at Dallas Love Field were partially predicated on Southwest not flying out of DFW. Additionally, smaller airports served by AirTran but close to another airport already served by Southwest may not be able to sustain service. To name a few, I would not be confident about airports in Flint, Mich., Pensacola, Fla. and Newport News/Williamsburg, Va. being served by the combined airline in the long term. Here's a telling phrase from the merger website:

We are interested in serving the great majority, if not all, of AirTran's current markets.

Perhaps most importantly to passengers, how will Southwest/AirTran reconcile the bag fee issue? The first two bags fly free on Southwest, while AirTran charges $20 for the first bag and $25 for the second. Again, from the merger website:

Upon full integration, it is our intent to have a consistent product offering. It is our intent that the bag fees would not be part of that product.

Likewise, the combined airline plans to adhere to Southwest's policy of having only one class, no assigned seating and no change fees. Overall, I'd say this merger is a net positive - even more so if we get an Austin-Atlanta run to break Delta's stranglehold on that route.

Fave Five Food Deals - 9/22/10

The vernal equinox equals big savings in this week's list of Austin's best grocery deals.

1. Utah peaches, .57/lb. at Newflower (through 9/29/10)

2. Bartlett pears, gala apples, black plums or vine ripe tomatoes, .88/lb. at Sun Harvest (through 9/29/10)

3. Yellow nectarines, red or black plums, broccoli crowns or baby carrots, .88/lb. at Sprouts (through 9/29/10)

4. Romaine lettuce or spinach, 2 for $1 at Sun Harvest (through 9/29/10)

5. Boneless skinless chicken thighs or chicken sausage, $1.77/lb. at Sun Harvest (through 9/29/10)

Also, if you buy 12 double rolls of Quilted Northern Soft & Strong Bath Tissue at H-E-B before Sept. 28, you can get 12 double rolls of H-E-B Twice as Soft Bath Tissue with an in-store coupon for absolutely nothing.

Austin supermarket links (directs to weekly ads where available):
El Rancho Supermercado
Fiesta
H-E-B
Natural Grocers
Newflower Farmers Market
Randall's
Sprouts Farmers Market
Sun Harvest
Wheatsville Food Co-Op
Whole Foods Market

Pixies Drummer Talks to Me

Although I'm not attending the Pixies' two-night Doolittle extravaganza over at the Austin Music Hall, I did interview drummer/magician David Lovering for the Chron a couple weeks back.

It was 9pm here in Austin and noon two days later (or something ridiculous like that) in Brisbane, Queensland when we spoke. I wound up having to edit the transcript considerably, but most of what I cut out was covered in the three near-simultaneous interviews conducted with the other three Pixies.

The only time I've ever seen the Pixies was when they played the ACL Music Festival back in 2005. That was a mob scene, so my pal Kevin Fullerton and I watched most of the show from behind the fenced-off backstage area, enjoying Lovering's monitor mix much more than the muddy sound up front.