Weekend Getaway...Giada Style

For this week's Travel post, I'm referring to one of my favorite Food Network hosts...Giada De Laurentiis. Not only is she a beautiful and vivacious gal, but she is a wealth of food knowledge, a great chef and, like me, she loves to travel.
...and the Bottom Line is...
Born in Rome, Giada grew up in a large Italian family where the culture of food was a staple in and of itself. As the granddaughter of film producer Dino De Laurentiis, Giada learned how to prepare many of the family's recipes, which were often made for festive gatherings.
Giada is one of Food Network's most recognizable faces. Her half-hour daytime cooking show, "Everyday Italian," features quick, healthy and satisfying dishes using traditional Italian ingredients and techniques. De Laurentiis explores the various cultures within popular cities in and around the United States, such as Charleston, Santa Fe, Cabo San Lucas and Austin in her new show, "Giada's Weekend Getaways".














more details on Giada here...http://www.giadadelaurentiis.com/

For this post, I'm focusing on her weekend getaway to the fabulous Texas capital...Austin!! Here are some of the "must-see" stops from her list:
1) Black's BBQ - "Texas' oldest and best major BBQ restaurant continuously owned by the same family"...from their website. http://www.blacksbbq.com/blacks_facts.html
2) Barton's Springs Pool - one of Austin's famous landmarks and easily the most popular swimming hole in the city. Spring fed and over 900 feet long, the pool was formed when Barton Creek was dammed up, so it has a natural rock and gravel bottom. http://www.texasoutside.com/bartonpool.htm











3) Congress Bridge - The Congress Avenue bridge in downtown Austin is the spring and summer home to some 750,000 bats with up to 1.5 million bats at the peak of the bat-watching season. It's the largest urban bat colony in North America. Batline (512-416-5700, ext 3636).http://austin.about.com/cs/bats/p/bats.htm

4) Jeffrey's of Austin - "Some of the most innovative dishes anywhere." Bon Apetit Magazinehttp://www.jeffreysofaustin.com/index.php?page=pages/home.html&menu_id=1

5) The Broken Spoke - true Honky Tonk Dance Hallhttp://www.brokenspokeaustintx.com/

6) South Congress Cafe - one thing definitely worth going for...carrot cake french toast!!!










CARROT CAKE FRENCH TOAST ~ Fresh baked carrot cake dipped in cinnamon vanilla egg batter and grilled to golden brown. Served with a side of syrup and our original cream cheese-pecan syrup and seasonal fresh fruit. (Yummy!!!)http://www.southcongresscafe.com/
7) Yard Dog Art Gallery - specializes in folk, outsider and self-taught art.http://www.yarddog.com/

8) Amy's Ice Cream - many locations throughout Austin!http://www.amysicecreams.com/










9) Driskill Hotel - Located in downtown Austin, the legendary, historic hotel is convenient to all the city has to offer, including the Texas State Capitol, Austin Convention Center, opera, symphony, fine dining and shopping.http://www.driskillhotel.com/

10) Auditorium Shores - often the locale for outdoor concerts, festivals and other events. Other times, it is a great open space for a game of frisbee, flying a kite or letting your dog roam freely

11) Capital Pedicabs - unique way to get around the cityhttp://www.capitolpedicabs.com/






12) Four Seasons Hotel - Austin...On the green banks of Lady Bird Lake, Four Seasons creates garden tranquility near the Convention Center and the renowned entertainment district. Enjoy legendary Texas hospitality, sophisticated dining, lakeside fitness, spacious quarters and Hill Country style.
http://www.fourseasons.com/austin/
So, pack your bags, head south...well, probably south for most of you...and enjoy a city that' full of surprise, great music, great food and lots of fun! Thanks Giada for the great tips from your travels! Ciao!!