Hamilton Pool

We had some visitors this weekend. Eliza's friend Melinda, Melinda's boyfriend Mike and some of their friends drove from Nederland to Austin to see a band called Firewater at Emo's. On Friday, Mike (who used to live in Austin) and Melinda introduced us to an amazing corner of Austin we hadn't visited yet: Hamilton Pool. Hamilton Pool is one of Texas's best swimming holes, about 30 miles west of Austin. According to Texas Outside, the pool was formed "when the dome of an underground river collapsed due to massive erosion thousands of years ago." 

Craving tacos on the way home, we tried out Taqueria Chapala. Thanks to Taco Town, a very reliable guide to Austin's best tacos, for sharing this little gem. According to Taco Town, Taqueria Chapala is a Jalisco style taqueria. We stopped at their new location on South Congress Avenue, and while it doesn't look like much from the outside, this was some of the best pastor we've had anywhere. Eliza couldn't remember what she actually ordered but it was great, too.

The pastor and barbacoa plate.

Consolation Prize

Last Saturday was not a fun day.

But there was a bright side. On the way to San Antonio, Ben and Jay (fellow Tar Heel) stopped at Kreuz Market in Lockhart, Texas (the barbecue capital of Texas) to have some of their famous barbecue. They have some strange traditions there. The meat is served on butcher paper. Also, there's no sauce and no forks.

These were some tender ribs. I mean, you just had to look at these things and the meat fell off the bone. But even though the no-sauce rule is kind of admirable, I really missed the sauce. This place doesn't beat the Salt Lick, but it was definitely worth the visit.

Oh, and in case you're wondering what this has to do with the wedding, just consider this a way of making sure we're serving the best barbecue around for the reception.