Eating My Way Through Austin: Days 5 & 6

Why do I keep doing this to myself?! It's now June 11th and I've been home from Austin for 5 days. I went to NYC's Big Apple BBQ today and, again, ate my weight in BBQ food and, again, am in a serious food coma. But, that's a story for another post, as I still have to tell you all about my last 2 days in Austin!

I woke up last Saturday morning feeling better than I felt on Friday night and ready for the final day of the IACP conference. The day started with a Social Media seminar followed by food blogging panel. I was really excited for the panel because it was with some big names in the industry--Lisa Stone of BlogHer, Elise Bauer of Simply Recipes and Kalyn Denny of Kalyn's Kitchen. The panel was great, and I was so happy to meet them all after.

Next up was a lunch provided by the IACP, a good variety including Shrimp Skewers, Roasted Veggies, Blueberries, Broccolini and Scallops with Israeli Cous Cous.Immediately following the lunch, I attended my final session, a cooking demonstration with New Orleans' own John Besh! When Patrick and I were in New Orleans visiting Aunt Kath last January, we ate at Besh's wonderful Domenica restaurant and I was so excited to see him in person. We got to taste his Shrimp Creole, and it was so good!Besh's demonstration ended a little early so I was able to catch the end of a panel called "Marketing your Food Brand in the New Age of Engagement," where I met Janet Helm of Nutrition Unplugged. I ended up having a few drinks with her later that night and was happy to have made such a great foodie connection.

When all the sessions were over, Kristen, Marie and I decided to explore downtown Austin a little and do some shopping. I picked up some great new earrings, and then we stopped by Ethan's restaurant, Second Bar + Kitchen. We had initially planned to only get a glass of wine, but Ethan brought us out his Buffalo Fried Pickles with Gorgonzola Dipping Sauce and they were phenomenal. Spicy, salty, savory... we were raving about them for hours after eating them. Amazing!The delicious white wine was the perfect chilly beverage to wash down the spicy "frickles" (fried pickles.) They were really great.

That night was the big Pig Roast event on Boggy Creek Farm. All we'd really had to eat were the fried pickles and we were all starving! A coach bus took us on the 10-minute ride out to the farm where yet another BBQ feast awaited us.It was very hot and sweaty on the farm, but we were so excited to eat some good food.I didn't want to overload on food again, so I ate a lot less this time around, but everything there was really great. I had some of the feral pig (that was caught in the wild), a few ribs, some incredible brisket and cornbread. We sat around a small table on the farm, sipping refreshing cocktails and eating fresh, amazing BBQ food.It was glorious! But due to the 100-degree heat and the flies that were starting to buzz around us, we decided to head back to the hotel and get ready to go out to the local bars for the night. We had a lot of fun!

Perhaps too much fun. We woke up the next morning not feeling so great, and for our last morning in Austin we wanted some great breakfast food. Marie had to leave to catch her plane, but Kristen and I weren't flying out of Austin until later that night. My friend Rev suggested we check out a place called Guero's, and since I trust his food opinion over most, Kristen and I went. It was exactly what we were looking for! Fresh tortillas were being made right in front of us and all the food looked so good.I ordered the Migas with Chorizo and a side of Guac. It was just what the doctor ordered! This was a great final meal in Austin, both delicious and full of amazing local flavors.Using Rev's infamous "Left-Hand Grab" (LHG) to show off my breakfast!

Overall, I had a wonderful trip to Austin. The food was amazing, the culture was awesome and the IACP conference was incredibly rewarding and wonderful. I made some great new friends and strengthened some friendships I had made before the trip. Next year, the IACP will be in New York City and I can't wait to show all my fellow foodies around the city I know and love. Thanks to everyone who made my 6 days in Austin so fabulous! Looking forward to making many more great memories with you all.

Let's Eat!
-The Fabulous Foodie