2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid
Toyota has fully redesigned its Camry mid-size sedans for 2012, and it expects more shoppers than ever to opt for the Camry Hybrid. Simply put, that’s because this time around, the automaker has engineered the 2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid as a fully competitive, mainstream model in the Camry lineup—not just a niche model. The 2012 [...]
The Souvenir Menu – Milano Café
To me, food tastes better on vacation. It could be because it is a vacation; lack of stress, better restaurant options when not pressed for time, or often just unusually good regional specialties. But, I am always astonished at how the humblest places in Italy seemed to have better food than many pricier places in [...]
2012 Buick Regal: Sleek and shapely design
When Buick restored the Regal nameplate to its lineup last year, it probably threw traditional sedan shoppers for a loop. Looking for something big, rear-driven, and powered by an eight-cylinder engine–or even a V-6? A new GS flavor rounds out the 2012 Buick Regal menu, and leaves an even sweeter taste in our mouths.Not this [...]
2012 Hyundai Genesis: A new beginning
Hyundai began its drive for bigger, more luxurious cars in 2009 with the Genesis sedan. Directly inspired by the likes of the Infiniti M and Lexus GS, the Genesis recast the brand from its economy-car roots in a way its front-drive Azera never could. Since then it’s brought out a sporty Genesis Coupe and the [...]
The Souvenir Menu:Cipollina
For Clarksville residents in central Austin, great food within walking distance has been the norm for decades. Jeffrey’s, long considered one of the best restaurants in the state has been at 12th and West Lynn since 1975. For Austin Restaurant Week recently I visited Jeffrey’s sister restaurant, Cipollina, about a half a block away. Though [...]
The Souvenir Menu – Nuremburg Brauhaus
In a small strip center near the edge of Pflugerville is a small German restaurant that does something unusual. The chef makes nearly everything from scratch; the soups, the sausages, the schnitzels, fried potatoes, potato dumplings and even the desserts are made fresh by Chef Sonya Vogt, a native of Nuremburg. The menu is pretty [...]
The Souvenir Menu – Cool River Café
For many years I worked in north Austin and the Cool River Café on Parmer Lane was always a popular choice for lunch with a Sales Rep or Client. The restaurant and bar complex looks a bit like a Colorado ski lodge inside and out; tall ceilings, oil paintings, wood paneling and a large stone [...]
The Souvenir Menu – Star of India
When I write a review, I sometimes check out some of the online review sites to see if my views are in line with the experiences people are generally having. Like most people I tend to have favorites and I like to make sure that being a frequent guest doesn’t completely skew my opinion. This [...]
The Souvenir Menu – Holiday Champagne
As Christmas and New Year celebrations are upon us, I decided to do some research into Champagne. Though I really like the stuff, there are dozens and dozens of French Champagnes to choose from in anything from a reasonable thirty dollars to hundreds of dollars for the non-vintage brands alone. Styles vary from crisp light [...]
The Souvenir Menu – Aquarelle
Over the years, central Austin has had many restaurants situated in vintage houses; Green Pastures, Paggi House, Basil’s, East Side Café, Mars, and Starlight to name a few. Some are still going strong and others are just wonderful old memories. I’ve always loved these kinds of restaurants. They are usually Chef owned, comfortable and romantic. [...]
