Grandpa Joe's Slaberia

 

Located in the Salem Bottleworks at 845 South Poplar Street in Winston-Salem, Grandpa Joe’sSlaberia specializes in focaccia pizza. It is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 11 to 10 Friday and Saturday, and closed Sunday and Monday. There are multiple seating areas.

The owners of Bobby Boy Bakeshop opened this pizzeria a year ago, and I regret that it took me this long to check it out. Housed in a former Coca-Cola bottling plant, Grandpa Joe’s pays homage to the site’s history through its red and black décor. The menu offers salads, floats, and soft serve though pizza is the star attraction. It is served by the rectangular slab (about $8 per). Order at the counter, grab a number for your table, and wait for the oven to work its magic.

For our first visit, my wife and I split a trio of slabs — an Italian sausage, a mushroom, and a tomato and burrata — with a side of marinara. All three were excellent. The focaccia crusts were crispy while still retaining airiness. From melty mozzarella to savory, fennel-forward sausage, Grandpa Joe’s uses high-quality ingredients. The marinara was good: bright, fresh, and just a bit sweet. The mushroom slab came topped with arugula and shaved parmesan. Despite seeming like a gimmick (pizza? Salad? Why not both?), it proved an effective combination: the arugula’s bitterness played well with the mushrooms’ earthy flavors.

 

There will be a certain type of pizza connoisseur for whom anything that isn’t New York style is, by definition, fraudulent. For those with horizons broad enough to enjoy a thicker crust, Grandpa Joe’s is the best of that kind that I’ve found in the Triad.

Wallstreet Deli

 

Located at 7327 West Friendly Avenue in Greensboro, Wallstreet Deli offers sandwiches and Mediterranean fare from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekdays. Online ordering and catering are available.

The hours are limited and the location small, dated, and easy to miss – it’s in an industrial park set back from the road – but Wallstreet Deli seems to do brisk business nevertheless. Part of that is due to its proximity to area businesses although the friendliness of the folks working here certainly helps too. The same family that owned Jack’s Corner near UNCG owns this place. In light of that and of how long they’ve been around, I really wanted to like Wallstreet Deli. Ultimately, I found it to be solid if not impressive.

Though Wallstreet bills itself as a New York-style deli, it really isn’t much of one, and if you head in expecting that experience, you’ll leave disappointed. Approach it as a sandwich shop with some Mediterranean/Middle Eastern offerings, however, and it acquits itself much better. The menu features hot and cold sandwiches, burgers, salads, plus souvlakis, gyros, kababs, and falafel.

I was craving a cheesesteak, and the steak and cheese combo with fries fit the bill nicely. Even after adding mushrooms (an upcharge), it still came out under $15 pre-tax. I took it to go and found it satisfying. The sandwich offered a decent amount of meat and plenty of flavor. The fries were OK – not as crisp as they could be but not underdone or undersalted – though I would probably skip them on a future visit.

Wallstreet Deli is a fast, friendly, fairly tasty lunch option for anyone in the vicinity of the airport, but take proximity out of the equation, and you can find better Mediterranean and better sandwiches elsewhere in town.

 

 

Spider-Man: Brand New Day

 

After causing his girlfriend MJ (Zendaya) and best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon) to forget all about him in order to keep them safe, Peter Parker (Tom Holland) dedicates himself to protecting New York City as Spider-Man. He earns admiration and respect but also feels the pain of loneliness. It isn’t long before a pair of new challenges find him. First, his body begins to mutate in response to stress, granting him new abilities that he can’t fully control. Next, a powerful telepath (Sadie Sink) is determined to break into the Department of Damage Control, no matter how many minds she has to hijack to do it.

 

Despite the success of Tom Holland’s previous three Spider-Man films, a fourth was still a risky proposition. 2021’s No Way Home is a tough act to follow, and the actor had previously talked about stepping away from the role. Other Marvel movies to get a fourth installment – Thor: Love and Thunder and Captain America: Brave New World failed to impress. While occasionally burdened with story and pacing problems, Brand New Day does more than enough to justify its existence.

Destin Daniel Cretton, who previously helmed Shang-Chi and the Ten Rings, takes over for Jon Watts behind the camera and generally shows a good feel for the material. Early scenes of Spider-Man swinging past buildings feel plucked from the hero’s popular Playstation game. While there is a paucity of dazzling moments (a battle involving Hand ninjas notwithstanding), the film’s action still feels fluid.

Holland does some of his best work yet in the title role. He delivers a more somber take on Peter, who is grappling with literal and figurative growing pains. However, he avoids the angsty excesses of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield at their worst, and still musters the occasional wisecrack. Zendaya and Holland married shortly before the film’s release, and she imbues MJ with everything from bewilderment to scorn to empathy as she learns the truth of what happens to her and Peter. Their Odessey co-star Jon Bernthal brings the Punisher to the big screen, and while the character feels a bit softened for this go-around, Bernthal plays Frank well enough for it to not seem like a betrayal. Sink, to the surprise of no one, plays Jean Grey, in one of the darker versions of the character that isn’t possessed by an alien entity. Though positioned as an adversary, her motives render her sympathetic and complex.

Unfortunately, Brand New Day suffers from attempting to accommodate so many different characters and flattens quite a few of them in the process. Trammell Tillman is largely forgettable as Damage Control’s new director despite having a sizeable role. And though Michael Mando waited nearly a decade to don the Scorpion suit – he debuted as criminal Mac Gargan in 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming – he gets little in the way of screen time or characterization here. This, sadly, recalls the way that Homecoming squandered Bokeem Woodbine, another actor acclaimed for his television work, in an underdeveloped role as the Shocker.

Narratively, Brand New Day is inconsistent. The emotional stakes are high, and the presence of a threat that Peter, at first, cannot seem to find adds a refreshing new dimension. However, the conflict’s resolution feels overly reminiscent of Thunderbolts, and the film plays fast and loose with its own mythology (namely, relative to its depiction of the Hulk). Whereas previous Spider-Man movies also clocked in over two hours, Brand New Day, unlike its predecessors, felt as if it could have been a good fifteen minutes shorter.

Though buoyed by Holland’s performance and a mature look at the toll of heroism, Brand New Day is still more episodic than transcendent. However, it points to a franchise that is trying to regain its bearings rather than one that is creatively dead.

Down Home Deli Spot

 

Located at 1102 West Fairfield Road in High Point, Down Home Deli Spot serves soups, sandwiches, and salads. It is open 11-8 on weekdays, 11-12 on Saturday, and closed on Sunday. Online ordering is available. Soups change daily.

This quaint family-owned spot gets a lot of mileage out of personability. It occupies a small space that is equal parts casual and colorful. The menu offers a mix of hot and cold sandwiches, soups, salads, wings, and a few desserts. While the meats are Boar’s Head, the soups are homemade.

Craving an Italian sandwich, I went with Down Home’s rendition: the Heart Attack (salami, capicola, pepperoni, and provolone with all the toppings). The folks here are friendly, and my sandwich was ready for pickup after only a few minutes.

I’d be lying if I said this was one of the better Italian sandwiches I’ve had – the bread and the cheese were pretty pedestrian – but it was well-dressed, tasty, and filling. At $10 for an eight-inch sub, it was also priced right.

Down Home Deli Spot isn’t the kind of place I’ll go out of my way to return to, but for anyone looking for an alternative to a chain eatery in southern High Point, it’s worth looking into.

Motor City

 

In 1977 Detroit, blue-collar ex-con John Miller (Alan Ritchson) looks forward to starting a new life with Sophia (Shailene Woodley), but her jealous gangster ex-boyfriend Reynolds (Ben Foster) has other ideas. To get Sophia back, he frames Miller for a crime, sending him to prison and on a quest for revenge.

Director Potsy Ponciroli’s stylish action film weds a standard revenge plot to an approach that is anything but. Motor City’s dialogue is minimal to the point of near-nonexistence while its soundtrack – mostly 70s rock – is omnipresent. This calls to mind Walter Hill’s “rock opera” Streets of Fire, but it’s a grittier, bloodier affair. To be certain, it’s gimmicky, and some of the pantomiming does get to be a bit much. However, for two thirds of the movie, it works surprisingly well.

A lot of that success comes down to some smart choices. The music aids the visual storytelling as do the period details (retro clothes, retro cars, everybody smokes). It also helps that the cast’s prior work helps to shade their characters in the absence of dialogue. Foster has played plenty of twitchy, vicious lowlifes while Ben McKenzie, notable as James Gordon in Gotham, again takes up the mantle of an honest cop on a corrupt force. For his part, Ritchson sells both anguish and cold fury. There's also the added amusement of Detroit native Jack White playing Christmas music on a piano. 

Unfortunately, Motor City’s magic does not last forever. The final third devolves into excess and cliché. As the stakes escalate, so too does the mayhem, albeit in a cartoonish, pull out all the stops way that undermines the more grounded drama that preceded it. A time-skip ending featuring dubious old-age makeup doesn’t help matters.

While Motor City’s premise and unevenness limit its appeal, when it works, it’s pulpy, propulsive fun.

Rustic Barn Restaurant

Located at 10372 Martinsville Highway in Danville, Rustic Barn Restaurant serves Asian fusion cuisine. It is open from 12-9 on weekends, 3-9 Tuesday-Friday, and closed Mondays. Online ordering is available.

Housed at the end of a highway strip mall outside of Danville, Rustic Barn is neither rustic nor a barn. It is, improbably, a fantastic Asian fusion restaurant. Yes, you read that right.

The idiosyncrasies do not stop with the name. Inside, The Rustic Barn offers an intimate space with low lighting and some interesting décor: random photos of locomotives adorn the wall. The menu skews Thai albeit with some Japanese dishes (gyoza, teriyaki, yaki udon) and a few (a burger, a steak and potatoes) that fit the establishment’s rurally suggestive name.

The proprietor, Jeb, is gracious and accommodating as well as a showman who likes to joke with his guests. His promise of “everything fresh, everything homemade” is a lot to live up to, but the kitchen here has the chops to deliver on that promise.

Our group went with a pair of starters (crab rangoons and gyoza), a pair of curries (roadhouse and green), and a pair of noodle dishes (yaki udon and pad Thai). Everything was attractively plated and delicious. The rangoons were hand-formed into delicate shapes and contained plenty of filling while the gyoza were nice and crisp. My entrée was the roadhouse curry: the house version of Massaman. A hearty dish, it boasted thick-cut vegetables and a rich sauce done to the desired (a little bit spicy) level of heat. Prices are moderate (entrees start in the upper teens), but portions are plenty filling.

 

Given how many Danville restaurants were closed on a Sunday evening, I count myself lucky that The Rustic Barn was not among them. If you come here seeking country cooking, you’ll be confused and perhaps disappointed. But if you know what you’re getting yourself into, the combination of personable service and tasty food in an offbeat location makes this the epitome of a hidden gem.

The Odyssey

 

Odysseus (Matt Damon), King of Ithaca, reluctantly leaves home to support the war efforts of Agamemnon (Benny Safdie) and his brother Menelaus (Jon Bernthal) against Troy to force the return of the latter’s wife, Helen (Lupita Nyongo). After Odysseus engineers a plan that leads to the sacking of Troy, he and his men take a slower route home. Along the way, they encounter monsters that threaten their survival and tempt the wrath of the gods. Meanwhile, Odysseus’s wife, Penelope (Ann Hathaway) fends off many suitors in his absence, hoping for his return while their son Telemachus (Tom Holland) seeks news of his fate

Given the scope and scale of his last movie (2023’s Oppenheimer), it seemed fitting that Christopher Nolan would turn his attention toward a mythological epic. He delivers adroit, suspenseful visual storytelling and gets a lot out of his talented cast, but some of his creative choices leave the film feeling a bit hollow.

As with the director’s prior work, Nolan’s attention to detail and choice of composer make for a spectacle that commands our attention. From the chaotic combat of battle-ravaged Troy to the lonesome beauty of  Ogygia, The Odyssey is visually diverse enough to offset any tedium that might otherwise arise from watching dudes sail aimlessly for three hours. Ludwig Gonarsson’s score is arguably the tensest put to a Nolan film, which, given Dunkirk and Oppenheimer, is saying quite a lot. When paired with the gruesome design of Polyphemus the Cyclops and sickening transformations that the witch Circe (Samantha Morton) brings about, The Odyssey plays like a horror film at times, a counterbalance to its more somber and sentimental moments.

The biggest bone of contention is not Nolan’s craftsmanship but rather the modern sensibility he brings to the source material. This goes beyond casting choices (the subject of inane complaints from Internet trolls), contemporary idiom, and American accents and extends to the film’s themes. Damon’s Odysseus is haunted by the atrocities of war, which will resonate with post-Vietnam, post-Iraq/Afghanistan Americans but also plays as anachronistic given the setting. The gods, central figures in myth, are reduced to peripheral presences, save for Odysseus’s recurring visions of Athena (played by Zendaya). The overt call for human beings to treat one another better, while channeling the classical importance of "guest-friendship," seems more a palliative for our current sociopolitical situation than anything  else. Collectively, these moves are akin to putting on a costume that looks splendid but just doesn’t quite fit right. And yet, if Nolan didn’t bring something novel to the table, this latest version of an oft-told tale might have lost its raison d’etre. To Hades if you do, to Hades if you don’t.

Fortunately, the cast makes for a fairly effective diversion from this bit of disappointment. Hathaway breathes fire into what could have been a one-note “grieving (de facto) widow” role. Robert Pattinson makes for a love-to-hate villain as the slimy, conspiratorial suitor Antinuous. John Leguizamo, handed a rare straight dramatic role as loyal swineherd Ememaus, showcases range that he rarely gets to put to use. Casting the Harvard-educated Damon as the smart guy among the Greek forces makes sense on a meta level, and he certainly brings anguish and conviction (to say nothing of an unintentionally funny Boston accent) to the role, but the absence of Odysseus’s trickster qualities really flattens the character.

All told, The Odyssey is a rousing, eminently watchable film whose pointed stabs at contemporary relevance sometimes remind us of what it could have been.

The Gathering Table

 

Located at 5635 Riverdale Drive in Furnitureland South in Jamestown, The Gathering Table offers sandwiches, salads, and flatbreads. It is open from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day except for Sunday. There is an outdoor dining area, and online ordering is available. Specials change weekly.

Despite the strong positive reviews The Gathering Table received, I felt a bit uncertain about stopping here for lunch. Though IKEA’s banging Swedish meatballs are an example to the contrary, one can be forgiven for thinking that dining options at a massive furniture store will get by on proximity and convenience. I was also not looking to shop for any furniture, and while The Gathering Table advertised itself as open to all, would I stick out like a sore thumb amid furniture folks?

Fortunately, these concerns were largely for nought. The Gathering Table is spacious and nicely appointed with lots of light, some foliage, and, fittingly, comfortable seating. Though there were few patrons when I stopped by, it wasn’t dead enough to raise any eyebrows.

The menu here is bistro fare with a good assortment of light and fresh options. I went for an Italian sandwich on focaccia though the steak and bleu salad and the chicken and pesto flatbread were strong contenders as well. At under $15 with chips and a drink, the sandwich represented a decent value these days.

The cashier, likely still in training, was very nervous, but thankfully, he had the support of the rest of the staff. The Gathering Table’s kitchen definitely knows what it’s doing, and it turned around orders quickly.

My Italian sandwich was shockingly good. The bread was warm and soft, and they didn’t skimp on the meats (ham/salami/pepperoni) or cheese (fresh mozzarella). The vegetables (greens and tomato) added a refreshing crispness while the oil and vinegar supplied a bit of tang. This was honestly one of the best non-Giacomo’s Italian sandwiches of recent memory.

Perhaps because of its location, The Gathering Table tends to fly under the radar. However, it’s a more than worthy lunch option for anyone in the Jamestown area, furniture shopper or not.

Supergirl

While celebrating her 23^rd birthday off-planet, Kara “Supergirl” Zor-El (Milly Alcock) encounters young Ruthye Knoll (Eve Ridley), who attempts to enlist her in her quest for revenge against Brigand leader Krem (Matthias Schoenaerts), who murdered her parents. Though disinclined to help at first, Supergirl soon finds herself drawn into the fray, racing against the clock to save one of her closest companions.

For the past fifteen years or so, DC’s cinematic offerings have been uneven (to put it charitably). If Supergirl is anything to go by, that’s a trend that shows no signs of changing under James Gunn’s DC Studios watch.

First, the good: for all of the baseless carping over her casting, Alcock does quite well in the title role. She’s positioned as a cynical counterpoint to her nerdy cousin Superman (David Corensweat), and her sloppy, drunken antics bear that out. However, the film’s exploration of her backstory lets Alcock show her range and give Kara depth in the process. The other standout performance arguably belongs to Jason Momoa as the fearsome bounty hunter Lobo (who seems to be having a blast), but his screentime and impact on the story are both negligible. Though the visual darkness sometimes makes the action difficult to follow, Craig Gillespie’s direction is at least energetic, and there are a few eye-popping moments.

That said, Supergirl is narratively weak. Though based on Tom King and Bilquis Evely’s well-regarded Woman of Tomorrow comic book series, Ana Noguiera’s writing is a thinly-plotted hash of cinematic cliches that can’t help but evoke better-made films. You’ll find traces of everything from Mad Max: Fury Road to True Grit and more here. Schoenaerts as Krem is contemptible but forgettable, and the hamminess of the performance works against the character’s menace.  

Warner Brothers has been responsible for so many lackluster-to-dreadful DC adaptations that it’s hard to come down too hard on Supergirl, which at least manages to be sometimes fun. However, it’s both a step down from its immediate predecessor (2025’s Superman) and a plea to get Alcock some better material to work with.

Shukkranaa Indian Cuisine

Located at 500 Americhase Drive in Greensboro, Shukkraana Indian Cuisine offers North Indian fare for lunch and dinner every day except for Monday. Catering and online ordering are available.

My last time rolling the dice on a new (for me) Indian eatery ended in disappointment, but I am not one to be so easily deterred. After looking at the menus for a few places, Shukkranaa seemed worth a gamble. The menu boasts everything you’d expect (curries, biryanis, breads, plenty of vegetarian dishes), and under other circumstances, I’d be all over the chicken 65. However, I wanted to give one of their quick lunch specials a try. Available in vegetarian and non-vegetarian versions, the offerings change daily, but they include an appetizer, two curries, salad, rice, bread, and a dessert. At $13 veg/$15 non-veg, that seemed like a good deal for the money.

I placed an online order for that day’s vegetarian special (paneer kadhai and daal makhani), and it was ready when I arrived. Though Shukkranaa’s location (a strip mall near a motel up 68) screams “nondescript,” the interior seemed more inviting, and the gentleman at the register was polite.

 

After a short drive home, I was able to enjoy a better-than-expected lunch. It came largely as advertised with a pakora as the appetizer, naan as the bread, and a piece of galub jamun as the dessert (though the “salad” was just a few assorted vegetables). The rice was fragrant, the sauces creamy, the portion size more than respectable, and to my relief, Shukkranaa does NOT hold back on flavor.

I don’t know if the dine-in experience would be as impressive, and there are certainly other Indian eateries to choose from in the immediate area, but for tasty, convenient takeout, count Shuukranaa as a name to remember.

The Death of Robin Hood

 

In 1247, an aged Robin Hood (Hugh Jackman) is still an outlaw on the run from both the authorities and revenge-minded family members of the many he has killed in the course of his banditry. He disdains the tales that have turned him into a folk hero and welcomes his demise. When tragedy befalls his friend Little John (Bill Skarsgard), he nearly gets his wish. The kindness of a prioress (Jodie Comer) and the appearance of an orphaned girl give him an unexpected new purpose.

Give writer-director Michael Sarnoski credit: amid the countless adaptations and retellings of Robin Hood, his manages to stand out. The Death of Robin Hood is dark and brooding and works to actively deconstruct the mythologizing of its protagonist, an ambitious move that could have worked in a film less leaden and inconsistent.

Jackman’s casting in the title role is equal parts blessing and curse. He’s done the “aging antihero with a violent past” thing before, and he’s well-suited to the task, but his turn as Robin Hood lacks the emotional heft of his work in Logan. The supporting roles aren’t terribly demanding either, but they are at least well cast. Skarsgard makes for an imposing Little John, and while Comer seems at first a vision of benevolence, her character proves to have more layers.

Add to these performances some striking scenery, and The Death of Robin Hood might have been a well-crafted if not terribly enjoyable film were it not for the uneven pacing. The first half hour or so is packed with brutal violence, which would shock the psyche if much of it didn’t play out in the dark and the mud. The rest of the film is far more pensive – and far slower. Given the implications of the title, it feels less like a gradual march toward redemption and more like a ponderous delaying of the inevitable.

The Death of Robin Hood is worth checking out for its premise alone, but it probably isn’t a movie you’ll want to go back to again.

Unfettered Books

 

Located at 337 South Davie Street in Downtown Greensboro, Unfettered Books sells books and fabric. It will include a coffee bar in the near future.

Full disclosure: Brian, the co-owner, is a friend and colleague. Were that not the case, however, this is still a business I would be glad to support. Housed in a historic building, Unfettered offers an inviting atmosphere. Exposed brick walls and wood crate shelving are the antithesis of cookie-cutter corporate presentation. Unfettered is currently operating at half capacity during its “soft open” phase, and so the selection isn’t huge. However, it still offers a variety of genres, plus Brian and Lisa will be glad to order a title if you don’t see it on the shelves. There’s also an assortment of yarn for the fabric folks.

 

Given that Scuppernong Books is only a few blocks away, it can be tempting to see Unfettered as a redundancy. However, thanks to an intimate space, a dedicated Native Lit section, and a customer-centered approach, Unfettered has all the makings of a valuable addition to downtown.

Noor Kitchen & Cocktails

Located at 4312 Big Tree Way in Greensboro, Noor Kitchen & Cocktails offers Indian cuisine for lunch and dinner every day except Tuesday. There is a full bar and a lunch buffet on weekends. Event hosting and online ordering are available.

I was craving an Indian buffet and wanted to try somewhere new. That curiosity brought me to Noor, which had been on my radar since it opened a few years back. I wish I could say that it was worth the wait, but my experience here suggested otherwise.

Positives first: Noor is both spacious and stylish with plenty of seating in both the bar and dining areas. Sujan proved to be an attentive and courteous server.

That said, the buffet was somewhat underwhelming. It was smaller than those I’ve found elsewhere in the area. While it offered a solid mix of vegetarian and non-vegetarian options, those offerings were the epitome of playing it safe. Only the hakka noodles (not always an Indian buffet staple) and butter chicken (better than average) really stood out. Nothing else, from the tandoori chicken to the daal to the naan, was prepared poorly, but it was fairly forgettable. Granted, buffet food needs to appeal to a wide range of diners with varying levels of spice tolerance, and so I went in not expecting any heat. Take spiciness out of the equation, however, and the flavors still felt subdued. At least the $20 seemed reasonable for what was offered.

It’s possible that Noor really shines if you order off the regular menu, and so I wouldn’t rule out a return here. The next time I want a weekend lunch buffet, however, I think I’ll stick to Taaza.

 

Texasversary Review Roundup

 For our ten-year anniversary, Lara and I hit up Austin (her for the first time, me for the second), followed by a quick trip to Waco to visit family.

 

Hilton Austin

 

Location: 500 East 4^th Street in Downtown Austin.

We looked into a few downtown hotels before settling on the Hilton. The location, price point (not hideously expensive), and trust in the Hilton brand steered us here. Fortunately, it proved to be the right decision.

Situated right near the former Convention Center, the Hilton is proximate to restaurants, coffee shops, bars, clubs, museums, and more. The building’s height also makes it easy to find if you’re wandering around downtown.

Inside, the Hilton is spacious, well-staffed, and well-maintained. All of the staff we interacted with were courteous, and the front desk was even kind enough to send us some prosecco and cake for our anniversary, a thoughtful personal touch.

Our room proved to be clean, comfortable, and quiet. It was advertised as a “city view” room, and it delivered.

Had we relied on the hotel’s restaurants or needed its (hideously expensive) valet parking, we might have had more room for complaint, but for our purposes, the Hilton was a fine pick.

 

Moonshine

Previous review here. It’s a much more enjoyable place when you catch them at a less busy time. The food remains tasty. I didn’t know that I was missing the magic of smoked shrimp on fried green tomatoes until now. The banana pudding, served in a Mason jar, is a winner, too.

 

The Contemporary Austin – Jones Center

 

One of two locations (Laguna Gloria on West 35^th Street is the other), TheContemporary Austin — Jones Center offers a stunning exterior mural (“Man Who Fell to Earth” by Manik Raj Nakra) but not much inside. Though it spans two floors, it’s a small museum with little content. The few exhibits included lacked breadth: one consisted of variations of the same work. While the $10 admission does cover both locations, it definitely isn’t worth it for Jones Center alone.

Taqueria de Diez

 

Located at 206 Trinity Street in Downtown Austin (with other locations on South Lamar and in West Lake Hills), Taqueria de Diez (aka D/10) offers Tijuana-style tacos and related fare. It is open from 11:30 a.m. – 10 p.m. Sunday-Wednesday and 11:30-1 a.m. Thursday-Saturday. Online ordering (through Uber Eats) and pick-up catering are available.

The best way to describe this joint is as a taco reverse speakeasy. Go down an alleyway, enter a bar, and pass through a door with a tacos sign, and you’ll find a bustling taqueria that slings some of the best tacos in town. Tortillas are homemade, and pastor is cooked on a trompo. Don’t feel like a taco? You can also snag a quesadilla or tostada-like volcanes. There are several salsa options, and drinks include Mexican Cokes and horchata, among others.

We ended up getting two tacos (pastor and carne asada), a nopales quesadilla, and an order of chips and guac. At $5 to $6 a taco, this wasn’t cheap despite the no-frills surroundings, but it was well worth it. Everything looked and tasted fresh and smelled amazing. D/10 is known for its pastor, and it’s easy to see why. Served in strips rather than chunks, it boasts a crisp edge and a nice bit of pineapple flavor. However, the asada, the salsa crema, and even the chips are all stellar here.

 

While seating may be hard to come by, on food alone, Taqueria de Diez is a solid ten.

 

Marlow

 

Located at 700 East 6^th Street in Downtown Austin, Marlow offers beer, wine, and craft cocktails every day except Monday. There is live music on Thursdays. Happy hour discounts are available Tuesday-Friday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

In search of a bar that wasn’t packed on a Friday night, we were lucky to stumble across Marlow. The atmosphere is dark and cozy. There’s enough of a vibe for this place to feel lively even when it’s mostly empty, yet it also avoids the earsplitting noise that may come with a more crowded venue. The bartenders are amicable, and the menu showcases some creative – and creatively named – cocktails. Lara went with a Moon Song (rum, blackberry, lime, and honey with lavender cold foam) and an espresso martini and enjoyed both. I opted for a zero proof drink: the high and mighty (agave, nonalcoholic ginger and floral liqueurs, jasmine tea, and spiced salt). It was refreshing but didn’t quite hit the mark for me. What should have been complex and balanced came across as overly floral.

 

All told, Marlow is worth a visit even if it is unlikely to wow you.

Austin Nature & Science Center

Located at 2389 Stratford Drive in Austin’s Zilker Park, the Nature & Science Center offers walking trails and plant and animal exhibits. It is open from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday-Saturday and noon – 5 p.m. on Sundays. Admission is free.

I didn’t know what to expect from this place. Some science centers are kids-only affairs (despite not being billed as such) while others have more to offer visitors of all ages. Fortunately, the Austin Nature & Science Center ended up falling in the latter category. The main building houses an assortment of bones, shells, and rocks (as well as an axolotl tank) and another building is home to various reptiles. Outside areas include a dino pit (where kids can dig for fossils) and several animal enclosures. What makes the latter unique is that the animals are rehab/rescue cases. They include everything from a bobcat to a porcupine to a 34-year-old one-eyed owl (!!) and more.

 

Granted, Austin Nature & Science Center does offer more for a younger crowd, and it isn’t particularly easy to get to by bus, but it’s hard to argue with a chance to take in flora and fauna for free.

 

Cooper’s BBQ

 

Located at 217 Congress Avenue in Downtown Austin (with other locations in Fort Worth, College Station, New Braunfels, and Llano), Cooper’s BBQ offers pit-smoked Texas barbecue. It is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Catering orders and private rooms are available, and the restaurant occasionally hosts live music.

A long-running Texas barbecue joint known (for better or for worse) as being George W. Bush’s favorite, Cooper’s largely lived up to its reputation. The restaurant has a classic look (wood, brick, and ducts), and the menu – meats priced by the pound on a chalkboard – adds to the retro appeal. Those meats are cut to order by a pitmaster. After making your selection, you proceed down a cafeteria-style line and pick your sides. Sauce, pickles, and Wonder Bread are free.

We opted for some brisket, a jalapeno sausage link, potato salad, and creamed corn. The brisket was tender and flavorful if a bit fatty while the sausage boasted a firm bite and a winning combination of spicy and cheesy. Unexpectedly, the creamed corn ended up being a highlight. If that’s a side you usually avoid, Cooper’s version may end up converting you.

 

That said, the potato salad was nothing special and the sauce was very tomato-and-vinegar-forward. As to be expected given Cooper’s location and reputation, prices are also quite high (as in almost $40 a pound for brisket). That’s not outrageous for a “name” BBQ place in Austin though if I had to pay that after waiting in a long line, I might walk away disappointed.

Cooper’s is not the best Texas BBQ you’re likely to find, but it’s a pretty damn solid representation thereof.

 

 

Maiko Sushi

Located at 207 San Jacinto Boulevard in Downtown Austin, Maiko Sushi offers Japanese cuisine for lunch and dinner seven days a week. There are Happy Hour food and drink specials from 4 p.m. to close. Online ordering is available.

We were in search of a low-key dinner after a busy day, and Maiko proved to be a perfect fit. The atmosphere is well-lit and comfortable, and our server was top-notch. While the regular menu offers a lot, the happy hour menu had plenty to choose from in its own right. We went with a tuna gyoza appetizer followed by a trio of rolls: the Warehouse District (tuna, salmon, white fish, avocado, masago), the Hawaii 5-0 (escolar, kani, mango, fried coconut, and sweet Thai chili sauce), and the Tiger Eye (smoked salmon, cream cheese, jalapeno, soy paper).

 

All of the food proved satisfying. The spicy tuna gyoza (with guacamole and Thai chili sauce) might have been better as a cold dish, but we had no regrets trying it warm. Finding a favorite among the sushi rolls was a challenge as all three brought something different: fresh flavors from the Warehouse, a satisfying crunch and a bit of sweetness from the Hawaii, and some smoky and spicy notes from the Tiger Eye. The rolls are normally in the upper teens though thankfully, happy hour pricing shaved a few dollars off that cost.

With so many other dining options nearby, Maiko is easy to overlook. I’m glad that we didn’t, however, as it made for an excellent meal.

 

Grá Mór

Located at 200 East 6^th Street in Downtown Austin, Gra Mor offers Irish cuisine, coffee, and cocktails from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

With a name that translates to big/lots of love, Grá Mór, an offshoot of The Dead Rabbit, seems to be tempting fate. Admittedly, an Irish café in a historical building oozes charm. While the atmosphere alone is a powerful lure, the menu is no slouch, either. Grá Mór offers small plates, large plates, salads, pastries, coffee drinks, and cocktails.

We came in search of breakfast and split an order of Scotch eggs and a Full Irish, to which we added a Banana Cream Cold Brew and a Blueberry Crumble Latte. The food came promptly, and it largely hit the spot. The eggs featured crumbly sausage and a crispy coating while the Full Irish boasted a copious amount of food: eggs, bacon, sausage, black and white pudding, grilled tomato, baked beans, potato bread, and butter. The housemade syrups in the coffees were a nice touch though neither coffee was particularly strong. While $29 for the Full Irish seemed fair for the quantity, $15 for a mere two eggs per order is enough to prompt an “Are ye mad?”

 

Overall, if the price doesn’t bother you, Grá Mór does have quite a bit to like (if not love).

 

 

Baris

Located at 904 North Valley Mills Drive in Waco, Baris offers pizza and Italian cuisine. It is open for lunch and dinner every day except Monday. While it doesn’t sell alcohol, it has a BYOB policy. Lunch specials are available from 11-3.

A classic casual red sauce joint, there is something comforting in the familiarity Baris offers. The old-school interior and the panoply of familiar favorites (pizza, calzone, spaghetti and meatballs, tortellini, manicotti, and more) will take you back to childhood if you grew up with places like this one. Entrees run in the teens here, which is starting to seem more and more like a value these days.

The food, however, is pretty solidly average. I went with spaghetti and white clam sauce, and while I’ve had (and made) better versions of this dish, I appreciated the addition of black pepper. Lara opted for a veggie calzone, which tasted fine yet was decidedly lacking in ricotta. Surprisingly, the rolls (hot, fresh, and generously sized) were above par.

 

Is Baris good Italian? Not if you’ve had much Italian. Is Baris satisfying in its own way? You betcha.