Viva Vivo!

*photo by Rebecca

Last night, a group of us ended a very leisurely spring day in Austin, complete with laying out in the 80 degree weather, with a fun dinner at Vivo...the Tex-Mex restaurant that serves gorgeous magenta orchids in their delicious drinks ranging from Cucumberitas to the Vivo Ria (Sangria...my favorite!). They don't take reservations, so this would be a good spot for a Spring/Summer evening when the weather is nice and you can wait for about an hour and a half, which goes by quickly with their delcious drinks on a tropical patio, and chips and really spicy salsa with a kick (just the way I like it...coming from El Paso where I learned to have a high spicy heat tolerance). The service was not exactly speedy, but if you are just looking for a chill night to enjoy dinner and drinks with good company in a nice atmosphere, this would be the perfect place! And, they even give all senorita guests a rose before leaving...a special touch!

Chill Night/Fun Drinks/Mexican Restaurant/Nice Outdoor Patio Recommendation: Vivo! on Manor (Dean Keaton, or 26th Street, turns into Manor when you head North past I-35)

What do cows do on Saturday nights? They like to rent moooooovies!

There's nothing like a good rental movie, a bowl of popcorn, and relaxing on the couch in comfy clothes when you're feeling like a chill night of classic home entertainment.

Newest top movie releases out today include:

• Slumdog Millionaire- This movie won 8 Oscars, so if you haven't seen it, see if you can get your hands on a rental copy to check it out. "A Mumbai teen who grew up in the slums, becomes a contestant on the Indian version of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" He is arrested under suspicion of cheating, and while being interrogated, events from his life history are shown which explain why he knows the answers." (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1010048/)
• Seven Pounds- Starring Will Smith and Rosario Dawson: "An IRS agent with a fateful secret embarks on an extraordinary journey of redemption by forever changing the lives of seven strangers." (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0814314/)
• Marley & Me- Starring Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston, is a story about how "A family learns important life lessons from their adorable, but naughty and neurotic dog." (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0822832/).

Recommended Online Movie/TV Resource: IMDb (Internet Movie Database), is a great place to get all of your movie/TV news, including new rental releases, nightly TV lineups, trailers, top movie rankings, movies coming soon, and award winners.

For a Chill Night...

Head to House Wine on 409 Josephine, right behind Barton Springs Saloon. "House Wine is a Wine Bar as unpretentious and inclusive as Austin itself." It's in a cozy little house, where you walk up to the bar and order your bottle or glass, and make yourself at home! Batami and Jonathan were in town visiting from Houston, and having guests in town was the perfect opportunity to try a new local hang-out! We were quite impressed with our $26/bottle wine choice. (This came out to about $8-$9/person, which was a good deal, considering we each got about 2 glasses out of it!) Also, they have 1/2 price wines on Sundays, and an adorable patio that will be fabulous when the weather is nice!

Wine Recommendation: Bogle Petit Syrah, 2006, from Clarksburg, CA. It had a smooth, and somewhat sweet taste, that we think came from the Boysenberry, (FYI-since this was a question on our minds that night, a boysenberry is a cross between a raspberry and the Pacific blackberry.) with a light finish. I'm still thinking about it...the sign of a good wine :) I did some research and tried to find the wine at HEB. They didn't have the exact bottle, but they did have a Bogle Merlot. So, I would suggest supporting the local scene and treating yourself to this relaxing treat where I fell in love with it!