Inaugural Post for Eat and Drink South Austin

Welcome to Eat and Drink South Austin.

After talking about starting up a food blog for Austinites and anyone who cares to read what I have to saying about eating, drinking, and staying amused in and around South Austin, Texas, I have finally decided to get the ball rolling.

Although I plan on making sure that some of the following information is available in my "About Me" section shortly, I figured that I would let potential readers know a little bit about who I am and what I plan to do with this blog in particular.

I moved to Austin from the Rio Grande Valley (which is at the tip of Texas) in December of 2007 in hopes of making a major life change that needed to happen at that point in my life. The move has been great for me; I write professionally and work from home in this magnificent city that has much to offer for people of all walks of life. However, I felt that I needed to expand my writing life to focus on some of the things that I love to do most in this amazing city that I now call home.

When I moved here, I went back to my old stand-by profession that has gotten me through many a tough spot in my life: waiting tables. While many people may not think that this is a lucrative career choice for a former professional, nothing could be further from the truth. Starting at a local, yet corporate-owned and operated restaurant, I quickly came to realize that restaurants and bars are part of what makes Austin one of the best and friendliest places to live in my experience.

Shortly thereafter, I moved restaurants to a bistro in South Austin where I ultimately met my fiancée. Again, the neighborhood vibe of Satellite Bistro and Bar and its down-to-earth patrons from the Circle C Ranch area helped further solidify my opinion about the holistic nature of the restaurant experience. Having worked in the service industry on and off for the last fifteen years, I know the importance of a smooth operation when it comes to all aspects of a restaurant.

In November of 2008, I once again hung up my hat in the restaurant business (though I'm sure not for the last time) and began writing as a freelancer full-time. This is something that I had always wanted to do, but I had never truly been able to fully realize this goal.

As a freelance writer, I compose article and guest blog posts for various pages and blogs throughout the internet. I have written hundreds of articles on just as many topics, but one thing I have not done thus far is make my own mark on the blogosphere. Certainly, I have made feeble attempts at creating blogs that came across sophomoric and childish to say the least. Although I am not claiming that everything I say and do matches my age, but I do have an idea and a direction with which to take some of my writings and this blog will be the vehicle with which to do just that.

I believe that I have finally found my niche with Eat and Drink South Austin, and I plan on providing regular posts related to my adventures in this outstanding city. Austin is the Live Music Capitol of the World, and my life and adventures revolve around my love of music, food, and beer. My tastes may not always live up to every reader's standards, and I am completely fine with that.

Austin is a town where people go out to eat regularly. Without attempting to give accurate statistics, I do know that there is an enormous amount of restaurants per capita, and that Forbes Magazine has included Austin as one of America's "Drinkingest Cities" as of last year. People here love to party, as do I, and there are plenty of places to do just that.

I am a "regular" at several places pretty far south in town, so readers will more than likely get to know the places I frequent simply by the volume of posts on one or more places in particular, but only time will tell. I won't, however, disclose any of those locations for the time being since that would keep you from coming back to visit regularly.

Above all else, this blog is just one guy's Austin experience committed to the annals of the World Wide Web, for better or worse. I don't claim to be a food critic, but I may criticize and analyze some food from time to time. I may not be a beer or wine connoisseur, but I am learning and may attempt to get fancy schmancy with you. I may not go to all the best shows, but will do my best to give my angle on what I do here in the capitol of the Lone Star State and whatever that may entail along the way.

I have thought about the concept of this blog for some time and have even discussed the format with a few people, receiving nothing but encouragement and positive feedback. So, without further ado, I bring you Eat and Drink South Austin!