March 30, 2016

2016 Austin Food + Wine Festival Kickoff Lunch

March 30, 2016/ Rad Austin Magazine

In attending the Austin Food and Wine Festival, one can expect to meet, mingle and sample some of the most innovative dishes of our time against the iconic backdrop of the Austin skyline. Showcasing new techniques, flavor profiles, and celebrity names the festival will not only expose talent to a broad range of passionate food lovers, but could quite possibly launch you into stardom.

No stranger to the limelight, Chef Tim Love has been seen on Iron Chef America defeating world renowned chef, Masaharu Morimoto as well as making an appearance on Top Chef Masters in 2009. As the chef and owner of Lonesome Dove Western Bistro here in Austin, his restaurants span the nation from Seattle to Knoxville. Best known for his urban, western cuisine, Chef Love's heart still remains here in Texas and pays ode to local talent by hosting the Austin Food + Wine Festival's 2016 Kickoff lunch.

As a preview of what's to be expected during this year's festival, Love presented three talented chefs during their kickoff leaving us in drooling anticipation of what's to come.

Displaying many different types of wild game, Chef Love's Fettine boards represented his southern roots by presenting three innovative flavor combinations. Ranging from duck and rabbit-rattlesnake sausage to Elk and pork, Love showcased nothing short of his signature Western fare by transforming these early frontier ingredients in a modern way. A crowd favorite, the Lamb, quail, Texas herb, and citrus-chili paste was a true standout and my personal favorite of the Fettine boards.

Chef Love also treated his guests to a spicy Deviled stuffed crab featuring the Lonesome Dove Hot Sauce for a kick, that not only was hearty, but remained moist and flavorful while showcasing the crab's delicate, sweet taste.

Known for featuring some of the world's up and coming talent, the cult following show, Top Chef has helped launch yet another (local) favorite into stardom. As the winner of Season 9, Chef Paul Qui has paved his trail within the competitive Austin restauranteur scene. As his newest addition to the empire, Otoko, debuts here in Austin (2016), the multi-course omakase experience blends Tokyo-style sushi and Kyoto-style kaiseki into a unique tasting menu, selected and prepared by their chefs based on ingredient availability and seasonality.

However, if you're not lucky enough to grab a spot at the coveted 12-seat bar, which is only available during the first of every month, you can check out some of his dishes during the 2016 Austin Food & Wine Festival.

For the kickoff lunch, Chef Paul Qui and his team created a delicious smoked Texas Wagyu Short Rib with an Acharra and savory fish caramel sauce. As a nod to Chef Qui's passion for Asian ingredients, his take on the traditional Filipino condiment, Acharra, a pickled unripped papaya, served as the perfect accoutrement and peppery crunch to the tender Wagyu.

Not one to be missed, one of my favorite dishes of the day was created by father-son duo, Chef Jimmy Bannos and his son Chef Jimmy Bannos Jr. of The Purple Pig. A cheese, swine, and wine eatery out of Chicago, the duo presented a strong seasonal dish showcasing a melt in your mouth, braised beef navel as a nod to Texan cuisine. The dish was beautifully dressed and accompanied with a bright applesauce terrine, winter squash medallion, and a Pedro Jimenez sherry reduction that kept you unapologetically coming back for 3rds.

The Purple Pig: Chef Jimmy Bannos & Chef Jimmy Bannos Jr.

Dubbed the 'Prince of Pork' by Dana Cowin (Food and Wine Editor & Chief), Jimmy Bannos Jr. has received many professional accolades including the James Beard, Rising Star of 2014. Following a mentorship from his father and training by nationally renowned Chefs, as a fourth generation restauranteur, we can expect some great things from him.

Be sure to get your tickets for this year's Austin Food and Wine Festival April 22-24th of 2016 to sample some stellar dishes and meet this year's budding talent.

Written & Photography by: Robin Huneycutt

March 21, 2016

Cage The Elephant

March 21, 2016/ Rad Austin Magazine

Cage the Elephant hits Austin with a surprise house party show during SXSW 2016! This follows the December release of their new album Tell Me I’m Pretty and announcement this week of a headline arena tour kicking off May 1.

Check it out:

Photography: Pooneh Ghana:

October 28, 2015

Art Outside 2015

October 28, 2015/ Rad Austin Magazine

Art Outside is more than a music festival. They provide a fully immersive artistic experience; encouraging a communal atmosphere of exploration and a glimpse at the power of our unlimited human imagination. Sound fun? Join us!

Photography by: Jonathan Garza

Early Bird tickets on sale now: http://artoutside.org

September 30, 2015

UTOPiA FESTIVAL 2015

September 30, 2015/ Rad Austin Magazine

The Deer

Calliope Musicals

Leftover Salmon

Utopia Festival Information here!

Photography by: Chisum Pierce , Jon Garza

Bands: Leftover Salmon , The Deer , Calliope Musicals , Shakey Graves , Holiday Mountain , Ruby Jane , Kupira Marimba , Chipper Jones , Hard Proof , The Suffers , Of Montreal , Explosions in the Sky , SID FLY , Bone Fur and Feathers , Vinyl Williams , The Sheepdogs , Monophonics , Valerie June , Les Hay Babies , RJD2 , Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaires , MAN MAN , Wild Child , Tune Yards , WHOMADEWHO , Sucka Please , Riders Against the Storm

Food: Jerusalem Cafe , Cazamance Cafe

August 01, 2015

X Games Austin

August 01, 2015/ Rad Austin Magazine

Opening night & Day 1

Day 2 & 3

For Inquiries: http://xgames.espn.go.com Photography by: Chisum Pierce - http://www.getchisumed.com

May 16, 2015

Levitation Festival

May 16, 2015/ Rad Austin Magazine

Levitation Fest took place at Carson Creek Ranch May 8-10, 2015. Formerly known as Austin Psych Fest it is now in its 8th year, and has certainly grown and had some pretty big acts headlining this year. From musical acts like the great psychedelic rock band 13th Floor Elevators having their 50th reunion to The Flaming Lips closing the show it was an amazing weekend full of music and dancing.

For Inquiries: http://www.austinpsychfest.com Photography by: John Winters http://www.wynnimages.com

April 30, 2015

Art City Austin Festival

April 30, 2015/ Rad Austin Magazine

Art City Austin featured over 115 local and national artists working in a variety of mediums. It is the largest art marketplace in Central Texas, selling original artwork at various price points. The festival features local food trailers, craft beer and cocktails, and interactive projects for kids of all ages, making this an event for the whole family. The project is supported in part by the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin Economic Development Department.

This year's Art City Austin featured a curated contemporary art area: the Austin Art Pavilion presented by Tito's Handmade Vodka. The pavilion featured work produced by regional artists and is curated by local experts including Thao Votang and Brian Willey of Tiny Park Gallery, Rebecca Marino of Pump Project, Troy Campa of Camiba Art, Austin Nelsen of Co-
Lab Projects and Rachel Stephens of Wally Workman Gallery.

"Art City brings the community together to celebrate Austin's vibrant creative culture in a singular celebration," said Asa Hursh, Executive Director of Art Alliance Austin. "This year's goal is to integrate more local artists into this marketplace and offer a diverse array of work from the consumable to the challenging. This has the potential to benefit everyone by making the entire marketplace more vibrant with new types of work, attracting new audiences and further integrating the festival into the Austin art community."

In addition to art, this year's music lineup played on the Black Fret Music Stage Presented by KUTX 98.9, which was located at the west end of the festival. The lineup included a number of 2014 Black Fret grant recipients and 2015 nominees including Amy Cook, East Cameron Folkcore, Elias Haslanger & Church on Monday, Elizabeth McQueen, Erin Ivey, Graham Wilkinson, Jazz Mills, Jitterbug Vipers, Jonny Gray, Lincoln Durham, Not in the Face, and The Nightowls.

For Inquiries: http://www.artallianceaustin.org Photography by: Chisum Pierce http://www.getchisumed.com

November 13, 2014

Austin Wanderlust Festival

November 13, 2014/ Rad Austin Magazine

The Exploration of Mind, Body, and Spirit:

My Austin Wanderlust Festival Experience

Written by: Robin Huneycutt

Photography by: Dennis Burnett

Feeling restless, I tossed and turned as the dawn of my first day at the Austin Wanderlust Festival approached. I couldn’t tell if it was my nerves getting to me, or if it was the excitement -- or maybe both. Whatever it was, I couldn’t sleep. In anticipation for Austin’s own Wanderlust Festival, and my first yoga centered adventure, I had my four-day schedule meticulously mapped out. After painstakingly reading each class’s informational blurb and not really knowing what it all meant, I blindly signed up for anything that caught my attention. My class schedule quickly filled up with the words: Chakra, inversions and arm balances, breathing techniques, indigo and galaxy, and the Yogaslackers Adventure Race. I secretly worried that my body would give out before the long weekend was over.

I’ll admit, I am not the most seasoned when it comes to back bends and warrior poses -- and let’s not forget inversions and inspirational mantras -- but I will admit, I can do a few rounds of Sun Salutations like nobody’s business. What really sparked my curiosity in writing an experience piece was a simple fact -- I was innately curious. Something was pulling me to have this experience, and now looking back, I cannot thank my intuition enough! I am fascinated by the art of putting together sequences that impact the body in a beautiful and healthy way. The art of weaving in the body and the soul, and the courage it requires to really explore one’s own self is enlightening.

I’m not going to lie; I was in a tough spot emotionally. With all of the things that have happened over the year and the kicker of loosing our beloved Great Dane Marley to bone cancer, I found myself wanting to skip ahead to a time where I wouldn’t feel the way that I do. Struggling with the feelings of helplessness, loss, and guilt for having to let him go, I had to find a way to pull my head above water and breath. The nightmares of his yelps in pain down to his final hours were still all too clear in my mind. I wanted to be able to understand why I was so attached to this animal and regain my happy memories of him. He was my “heart Dane.”

Having been around quite a few inspiring yogis these past few months, I was craving their passion for life and living in the present -- something I was never good at, especially right now. Having been curious about “Chakras” and not really knowing what it was about, I stacked my weekend schedule with the opportunity to explore it -- and myself.

DAY 3:

Today I woke up inspired and confident. In really thinking about the classes I had taken just the day before, I have found a few areas within my own life that I could stand to become more brave in. The most promising adjustment is the coping behaviors that the stress of being Co-Founder, Creative Director and C.E.O. of a start up Austin Magazine brings. It’s tough playing the jack-of-all trades and wearing that responsibility hat every. single. day. When I am feeling overwhelmed and burnout it’s hard to find that motivation to keep going.

The idea of facing a fear much larger than the current one I am scouring behind has a literal translation into my career goals. Instead of going into that dark, stressed, and honestly kind of bitchy place, I decide to face my fears. Not really known for beating around the bush in my personal life, I decided to try that approach when dealing with my emotional and stressed out state. I find that if I just stop and reflect on what I have accomplished – literally breaking it down from the beginning – I am left in astonishment. And if I can just appreciate the fact that I just impressed myself, my toughest critic, then I can continue on another day –another project – until I reach that goal.

Approaching the overwhelming feeling as projects stack higher and deadlines grow shorter in that manner makes my goals feel more tangible than a far out dream.

Day4:

Feeling pretty worn out, I scrambled to hit my 10 a.m. class. Motivated by the clear blue skies and the roof top class that awaited me, I pushed through my hesitation.

Situated in the back row, I found myself placed atop the breezy roof patio with the sun gently beating down against my back. After being in dimly lit rooms for most of the weekend, this sensation felt amazing and my mood shifted into a more engaged state. The “Yoga of Relationships” class was the perfect mix of lecture and poses to open the heart and stretch my tired muscles.

Ashley Turner was our instructor for this morning’s class. Our first task was to create a “fuck you” letter with the intention of letting out any pent up emotional baggage that you may have towards someone. Then, we were asked to address the letter to ourselves and reread it. I found that most of the reasons I was irritated with someone’s behavior was a reflection in my own personality. It may not have been to the same degree or maybe not even in the exact same way, but there were some glaring “shortcomings” that, I myself, needed to focus on before I expected someone else to change.

This class opened my eyes into my own behavior and the power that only I can have over my feelings and reaction.

Another interesting point she made was about expectations and how it affects our view of someone else. Ashley explained that if you find you just really don’t mesh well with a person and have to be around them, there are some strategies to help you turn negative feelings that you may associate with that person to make your interactions more tolerable. Your strategy could be as simple as shifting your focus on the many negative things that you label the person as to the one silver lining that can be found in every person.

The combination of Ashley’s kind and motivating words with the gorgeous backdrop of the Austin skyline was the perfect ending to my Wanderlust experience. As the sunset blanketed us under a sea of purples, pinks, and oranges the impact of my decision to partake in this mind, body, and spirit transformation was exactly what I needed.

Through the guidance of my knowledgeable and inspiring instructors, friends I have made, and my own self-discovery I have learned a lot of important life skills in attending the Wanderlust Festival. Although I am still struggling with the understanding and the general feeling of loss for our pup-child, I can -- at the very least – leave this journey with hope. The most impactful lesson I have learned being, that it was not ok what happened in my past and the hurt, sadness, and level of guilt still remains of our loss, but if I find a way to work through it in healthy ways I will come to an understanding that it will eventually be ok. Just as everything in life, it goes on, and we must find a way to approach each moment with gratitude for what we still have and be grateful for the memories we have made with the things we have lost.