Lucky us! My husband had a meeting at the mothership (UT Austin) and had decided to drive this time. So Annie and I decided to jump in the car and give him some company. Although we would not spend even 24 hours in Austin, OF COURSE I had to log on to the computer to see if there was anything new and exciting in the Austin hotel scene to check out. My goal was to find a place where we could have a great dinner, watch the bats (see below), and sit by the pool while Scott worked the next day. Although technically not new (it opened last summer), The Line Austin fits the bill perfectly for a quick getaway.
As we crossed Congress Avenue Bridge, I knew the hotel was an excellent choice. I hadn’t realized that it was the former Radisson Hotel which was situated perfectly above Town Lake and the home to 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats. A favorite Austin pastime is to watch their sunset flight from underneath the bridge out into the Austin skyline and beyond on their nightly insect hunt
Incredible Hotel
The lobby did not disappoint, and both Scott and Annie quickly commented on the coolness factor. After a quick check-in with the front desk attendant in the cute Mexican-embroidered dress, we headed to our 9th-floor room. Sparsely appointed (in a good way), we had a double queen room with a great view of downtown Austin. The Line showcases emerging local artists throughout the hotel, and we had two great pieces in our room. (A really nice touch was the book featuring the backstories of all the artists.) The designers decorated the room in hues of gray and chambray blue, with funky light fixtures, and exposed concrete. It also has a spacious closet and a very innovatively-stocked minibar. The bathroom is also great with a huge walk-in shower and plenty of cabinet space.
Top Chef Dining
After a quick change, it was time to head down for dinner at Arlo Grey, the hotel’s highly-rated restaurant. Scott left before us (always waiting on two girls!) and got an early start on the cocktail menu. He enjoyed the Lightfoot Cocktail with gin, chareau (an aloe liqueur), and cucumber. I decided on the Ruby Fizz (vodka, sparkling rose, lemon, Nexand strawberry) while we settled in to peruse the menu. It blends French and Italian techniques with the chef’s Asian roots and highlights central-Texas ingredients. And oh yeah…. the chef only happens to be one of my very favorite Top Chef winners, Kristen Kish! We did not get a personal greeting, but I snapped a picture (much to Annie’s embarrassment) when she visited a nearby table.
Our amazing server, Jade, guided us through the menu and explained that they serve everything family-style, and we should definitely share our dishes — my favorite kind of meal! There were three sections to the menu, basically going from smaller to larger plates. She suggested a total of 6-8 dishes for the three of us.
Our game plan came together fairly quickly, and we started with the Texas Tomato Salad and Sweet Corn & Baby Carrots. These two dishes were probably our favorite of the evening. The heirloom tomatoes with charred sweet peppers and macadamia nuts looked and tasted like summer. They were served on top of an earthy, smoky puree of black garlic that we fought over with our spoons at the end! (Not our best example of proper Junior Cotillion etiquette.) The chef cooked the sweet corn perfectly with colorful roasted carrots and chunks of salty feta. The next two dishes were the Crispy Rice Cake (with bacon and crab, what’s not to like?) and, with Jade’s high recommendation, the Malfaldini pasta dish with the most incredible roasted mushroom sauce I think I’ve ever had.
We were getting full by this point, but still had two more plates coming! Annie had most of the superb Herb Stuffed Roasted Chicken because she refused to try the Braised Rabbit and Parisian Gnocchi. (After which we absolutely questioned her loyalty to some animals over others!) Neither dish overly wowed us, but we did learn that “Parisian Gnocchi” means crispy fried gnocchi. All in all, though, an amazing dinner. We highly recommend Arlo Grey for its eclectic menu, outstanding service, and a stunning view of Town Lake.
Rooftop Views
Next, we made our way upstairs to P6. The hotel brilliantly transformed a former parking garage (level 6 — get it?) into a cocktail bar with a fabulous view of the lake. Luckily it is kid-friendly and we had made reservations for the balcony seating. Scott and I both chose the Glyda Rose (gin, blood orange, Campari, and prosecco) from the creative cocktail menu. The tween had a cherry coke. The decor was light and airy, with billowing fabric garland in shades of pink covering the industrial ceiling. We were very comfortable sitting in low over-stuffed rattans chairs and sofas.
We settled in for some people-watching and waited for the real show. If you only have 24 hours in Austin, you certainly have to see the bats. But sadly, we never saw them! We heard several different expectations, but apparently, our little nocturnal friends sometimes do not emerge until well after dark. Luckily, the drinks were delicious, and we happily chatted with the lovely couple next to us — who just happened to be former UT quarterback Colt McCoy who now plays for Scott’s beloved Redskins and his darling wife.
After the disappointing bat debacle, we decided only one thing could be done. We had to pay a visit to another Austin institution, Amy’s Ice Cream. Scott and Annie had never been, but I remember visiting it often on our many college road trips to Austin from Waco! The line wasn’t too terribly long, and soon we were enjoying all sorts of yumminess. I have no memory of what they ordered, but I lapped up my creamy dreamy Triple Mexican Vanilla (just to clarify — not a triple-dip, but triple the vanilla!) mixed with gingersnaps and extra cinnamon.
Austin Explorations
The next morning, after a great sleep in our cozy beds, Scott left for his meeting, and Annie and I took our time getting up. We grabbed two excellent coffee drinks and some scones from (LA-based) Alfred’s in the lobby and made our way to the chaise lounges by the pool. Still shady and cool next to the lake, it was the perfect way to start our morning. Annie decided that she would rather explore (meaning SHOP) instead of lounging by the pool, so we headed upstairs to pack. It was so nice that The Line’s checkout is always 12 noon, so we did not have to rush!
I love a college town with a great campus area for shopping and eating, and The Drag in Austin is one of the best! After some retail therapy, we had a great lunch of solid Tex Mex at Trudy’s Texas Star. (The stuffed avocado is a must-try!) We then met up with Scott and made our trek back to our little island. Even though our (less than) 24 hours in Austin was not nearly enough, it was a great little surprise trip, and I needed to get back to planning our next adventure!
