an atx christmas

HOME – where your feet may wander, but your heart will always stay.

I am fortunate to call many places my home, but Texas will always hold a special place in my heart. I was blessed to travel home to Austin this year to spend Christmas with my immediate family. The long (but way too short) weekend was full of love, local food and holiday adventure.

In the tradition of traveling home, I ate my way through some of Austin’s local favorites. We hit up our usual spots – Hoffbrau Steaks, Chuy’s Hula Hut, Guero’s Taco Bar – and even found a new favorite. Franklin Barbeque boasts the best BBQ in America and I’m going to have to agree. The brisket is the ultimate combination of flavorful rub, crisp fatty crust and tender meat. Sides such as their mustard potato salad and brisket infused beans were the perfect balance of traditional and unique ingredients to make them stand out. My pork ribs fell off the bone as I went to eat them at which point I was certain that the two hour wait was one that I would endure again in a heartbeat.

The icing on the cake was the return of Austin holiday light traditions that had gone dark over the past few years. After a two year absence the Zilker Park Trail of lights, a holiday tradition since the 1960’s, was brought back to life thanks to generous donations from local corporations and members of the community. Although we didn’t have a chance to go through the lights this year, the Zilker Tree could be seen all over town and even from the plane as it lit up the Austin sky. With elaborate displays in both their front and back yards, the houses of 37th Street have been a lighting spectacular since the mid 1980’s. After a slow decline in the number of houses participating, it seemed this year as if the future of this Austin tradition may be bright. Several houses were back in the game with notable attractions such as a stuffed animal petting zoo, sock monkey nativity scene and a backyard maze. A stroll through the neighborhood confirms one thing: if it doesn’t move it will be lit.

Thank you to the Austin community for reviving these cherished traditions and doing your part to Keep Austin Weird. It’s always my pleasure to call you home.