At Home Around Austin » Southeast Austin

Austin Backstage Live

admin — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 21:29:34 +0000

Austin Backstage Live is the vision of developer, Mitchell Kalogridis, for a 250 acre tract of land he owns in Southeast Austin. An area located between Wm. Cannon and Slaughter Lane (north and south) and I-35 and Bluff Springs Rd. (east and west) sitting high on a bluff, covered in trees with a small creek running through. The vision is to be a premier destination park with various venues and activities throughout. After meeting with and talking to Mitchell Kalogridis, the man behind this project, I came away with answers and a better idea of what his plans and expectations are for Austin Backstage Live. First and foremost, I noticed a dedication and determination to see that the project is developed according to what he envisions it to be. He sees a premier family destination, where a day trip or family vacation can be fun and exciting for adults and children of all ages. Where the venues will be varied and visitors will want to return time after time. The anchor and main feature will be an amphitheater that will have at least a 7500 seat capacity with a state of the art sound system, where top entertainers and artist will want to perform. Other features include a luxury hotel, an indoor-outdoor water park, a drive-in theater with vintage style cars for seating, an international style farmers market, specialized shopping and restaurants, modern and up-to-date studios for both movies and music production, and much more. All encompassed by approximately 135 acres of tree covered hillsides with hike and bike trails and picnic areas winding along throughout the park. The list goes on. He sees a destination that embodies what Austin is famous for, good music, good food and the love of the outdoors. An Austin destination where not only families can come enjoy all that the park has to offer but also a place where artist in all facets of the entertainment industry can come to work or play. An environment that will anticipate what you want, before you know you want it and be delighted you have it.

Mail boxes, shoes and mummies? in Austin, TX.

admin — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 22:01:16 +0000

Volunteers and bluebonnets

What do mail boxes, shoes and a mummy head have in common? Those are just a few of the strange things we picked up out of the creek bed of Onion Creek located in McKinney Falls State Park. My family and I were volunteers in the KAB program this last Saturday at McKinney Falls. KAB (Keep Austin Beautiful) organizes volunteers to help clean Austin area parks. We cleaned along the creek at the lower falls at McKinney Falls State Park. McKinney Falls is located off of HWY 183 and McKinney Falls Pkwy in Southeast Austin. These previously mentioned items were only some the strange and not so strange things you will see along creeks. Especially after a heavy rainy season there is plenty of trash that gets caught up in the brush and on the banks. Tires, plastic bottles, cans, cigarette lighters, phone cable and any other household item you can possibly think of were picked up. And Styrofoam. Lots and lots of Styrofoam. In a hundred little pieces. We met with the group at 9:00 and worked along the creek until 11:00. The day was beautiful, there were bluebonnets blooming in the creek bed and we found a couple of mice while picking up some debris. Then we were off to the festivities for the volunteers at Waterloo Park, where more volunteers had worked so diligently to put this all together. And a great job they did. There was food, drinks, snacks, live music, educational activities, and plenty of environmental information. And my grandsons favorite, the rock climbing wall.

Mummy head found in creek bed during KAB Cleanup

There had been a contest for the strangest item found during clean-up. We thought we should have won with the mummy head, but the sign from Aunt Tilly’s was the winner. (The sign had been washed away in a flood in 2007, and found today in Walnut Creek) It was a great day altogether. Great weather, great company and great food. This is what Austin is all about.

Great music for the afternoon

Casa Morenos

admin — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 21:46:18 +0000

Casa Morenos has to be one of my favorite places in Southeast Austin to get a breakfast taco that is worth the $2-3 dollars you pay for it. These are not your typical pre-made tortillas with a little bit of egg and a bit of meat that you will get from many places. I ordered 2 bacon, egg, potato and cheese and they were delicious. I think they use 1/2 a potato, a whole slice of bacon in each one and wrap it in a fresh made tortilla. I ate 3/4 of the 1st one and had to stop because I was full, this is rare, I gave the second one to a coworker who also had trouble finishing it. Casa Morenos also offers a lunch buffet that includes enchiladas and tacos or you can order off of their menu. The pricing and portion sizes are good for lunchtime and the food is prepared pretty quick as well. Look for Casa Morenos on Burleson Road close to the post office.

El Meson Restaurant

admin — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 20:01:35 +0000

El Meson has been on Burleson Rd. for quite a few years now. It has had a steady growth and now stays quite busy. This is not your typical Tex-Mex but has more of an interior Mexico style and flavor. The food here has a little more “kick” than most places. The breakfast tacos while small are wonderful. I personally like to order the fajitas when they are on their daily lunch special. Great price and they taste sooo good, with enough meat to split with a friend if you like. They make the tortillas there, which is always a plus. You can see them pressing the little tortilla balls behind the counter as you place your order. Everything is made to order so you know it is going to be fresh. Makes your mouth water doesn’t it? Try El Meson in Southeast Austin, located just past the light on Burleson Road, if you are looking for something a little different.

Southeast Austin Eateries

admin — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:24:52 +0000

Belladonna is a small shop tucked away in a warehouse district in Southeast Austin. The location makes this little shop hard to find, but if you work around Burleson Rd. or are driving there, look near the Post Office at lunch time on a weekday and you see lots of cars, you have found the place. These guys provide tasty sandwiches, hot or cold, for a great price. You can get almost any combo deal, sandwich, chips and a drink for about $6 bucks. Oh and these are not your basic sub sandwiches. The Muffaletta has a tasty olive spread and is piled high with just the right amount of meat. For something a bit healthier, try one of their wraps or a BLT on wheat with avacado. By the way, they also have burgers. My favorite is the Bacon, Avacado, Cheeseburger, yummy! You can call in your order for pick-up or just go in and eat. Be warned, Belladonna gets busy at lunchtime during the workweek. Everything is made to order so make sure you allow at least 10-15 minutes to order. Belladonna Italian Subs is only one of many wonderful little restaurants tucked away in this area of Southeast Austin along Burleson Rd. Give them a try. You might be in for a tasty surprise.