DINE | UNCLE NICKY'S ITALIAN SPECIALTIES
What used to be Dulce Vita on Duval Street is now Uncle Nicky’s. The guys behind the gold medal establishments Via313, Nickel City and more have done it again with this one. A simple, clean and inviting finish out with splendidly unique cocktails and Heart Coffee is only the beginning. What seem like straightforward Italian sandwiches are deceptive until you taste the magic of their small, creative additions inside. Oh, and the bread...you’ll just have to try them to understand. The entire menu really is over the moon. From the Carpaccio (kind of like steak tartare) to the traditional meatballs or tasteful caprese to the Daily Specials board, nothing disappoints. If you’re not ready to seal the deal, then add the array of tasty gelato and you’ve got yourself a new little heavenly habit.
WEAR | STUDEBAKER METAL
On the front page of the S.M. website is a photo of the family and small crew that make the business happen. Small, family owned businesses like this are and have been making a resurgence in the U.S., but it’s up to us to keep them churning out beautiful and creative products. Places like Studebaker Metals are definitely not a dime-a-dozen, so consider looking into their work. Studebaker is a traditional metalsmith workshop in Pittsburgh, PA. Using classic methods, they hand-forge their collection of unisex utilitarian goods on vintage antique anvils. Their creations of elegant lightweight lines with a minimal distinct aesthetic of classic tapers and flares are intended to last a lifetime. They have quite a few shops that carry them or you can shop their jewelry offerings on the website and even pick up a pound of their locally roaster Commonplace Coffee (or a candle if you so please). Now is when we’d make some dumb heavy metal reference but that’d just be too easy.
FOLLOW | HISTORYCOOLKIDS
This account is five-star in our book for multiple reasons, the top one being that their tag line is “Making History Cool Again.” The multitude of photos and videos is astounding and the content and stories attached are just as impressive. Pop history, world history, ancient times all the way up to more current, it’s all there, all relevant and ready to devour. What else makes it so brilliant is that it’s pre-cell phones or anything digital - the fact that it’s all caught on real film and real cameras and has been preserved for us to now absorb. Be sure you have some time to visit their account, because really, there’s so much to be seen and to learn. The ever-changing politics and governments, wars and rallies, fashion and film, art and music... What if when we were growing up in school our history teachers threw these scenes up on a projector and started daily discussions based on the material? Now that would have made history.
IMBIBE | PLAYA REAL TEQUILA
Most people can usually pretty quickly say that they’re a tequila drinker or not. Playa Real is known to change that answer for those who say no. Based in Austin, Texas, Playa Real Tequila is a premium tequila brand that offers a lineup of three 100% blue agave, 80-proof, triple-distilled tequilas: Silver, Pineapple and Mandarin. Yep, that’s what it says - Pineapple and Mandarin, both all natural fruit flavors and easy as punch to drink, which with it being one of the only 80 proof tequilas, you’ll have to play it safe. P.R. is produced in Jalisco State, Mexico, using a precise triple distillation process to achieve a smooth and authentic tequila taste. With distribution in Texas, Colorado and Connecticut, the brand has recently been awarded the Silver Medal for all three tequila products at the San Francisco World Spirits competition and took home the Gold Medal for their Silver and Pineapple tequilas at the 2018 Artisan Awards, with Mandarin coming in close with a Silver Medal. So as that famous 1958 song by The Champs said...TEQUILA!
ATTEND | SANDLOT ALL STAR DANCE
Come One, Come All! Featuring Live Music from The Tender Things and a classic country DJ set from Two Steps from Stardom. Cold Beer & Whiskey. Drink specials from our friends at Tito's Handmade Vodka and Rambler. $10 Cover at the door. Dance the night away with our friends from Texas Playboys Baseball Club, Los Jardineros, Capital City Cobras, Austin Grackles, Austin Senators, Austin Outsiders, Austin Roadrunners, South Austin Dukes, Parakeets, Yardbirds, The Austin Switch. Come on out cuz this one’ll be a dandy!
LISTEN | A SWEET MIX FROM THE FOUNDER
HELM’s founder, Joshua, is on the road and in the air quite a bit, and between pop-up shops and PR chats, reading or binging on some crazy series (see “Black Mirror”), he’s listening to music. A lot of music. Eclectic as all get out. So with little direction except for keeping it around an hour and requesting that it not be all heavy metal or all jazz, we asked him to throw something together for this week’s S6. This is what came back.