EAT: SOUR DUCK MARKET
East Austin’s Sour Duck Market is simply exceptional. It’s just what was needed for the area they are in. Their mission is to extend the reach of their Craftsman’s cooking approach to the fast-casual market, while maintaining the integrity and support of the local farm and rancher supply chain. They believe in showing true craftsmanship in cooking by serving good, local food, made the way nature intended — from scratch. The smoker is a centerpiece, so expect smoked meats for sandwiches and plates. They also offer a full bakery and coffee shop. The outdoor beverage/dining lounge is lovely and brings warm, authentic hospitality to a mixed retail restaurant setting. Locally inspired brews, cocktails on tap, and wine tie together the overall theme. Our last brunch there was stupendous. There were enough of us to order a majority of the menu, and there was nothing we wouldn’t order again. The Spiced Pork Sando w/ apple slaw and bbq sauce was OMG great, and the baked goods were spectacular. No surprise since the flour for the baked goods is milled locally, and everything is made from scratch. Well done, SDM!
LISTEN: TYCHO JETTY - SINGLE
Scott Hansen/Tycho has always been a solid music go-to for us for any and all settings. Work with it on? Check. Have it on at the HELM Store? Check. Road trips? Check. Ok, you get the point. Tycho hasn’t released any new tracks in 2 years, and with this one being part of a video game, we weren’t sure what it was going to sound like. So we were excited and relieved to hear it’s a classic Tycho sound but still fresh. Scott Hansen says, “I’ve always been inspired by video games and the alternate reality they offer. This is something I try to achieve in my music: to transport the listener to another space. I'm excited to connect my music with an art form that I enjoy so much." So give it a listen, because we give it a gold star.
DRINK: SUSTO MEZCAL
For centuries, Mexican curanderos have used a good, solid sip of mezcal to ward off susto: a frightened, soulless sensation. Agave nectar and its smoky flavor carry the spirit from the spectral realm into transcendental consciousness. Sounds pretty out there when talking about a beverage, but once we tried this Austin-based magic cactus juice, we immediately understood its emancipating characteristics. Mezcal is all about high proof, small batches, and is a distilled spirit that can be made from some thirty varieties of agave, or maguey. SUSTO comes from Oaxaca, in Southwestern Mexico, which is known as the home to 80% of the country’s production of mezcal. There are more interesting details about the varieties and processes on the SUSTO website, but don’t just take our word for it. Give it a taste. We also keep a bottle at the HELM store in Austin, so if you’re around, stop in and give it a swirl.
GET: BEASTIE BOYS BOOK
Most of us grew up on the Beastie Boys, and love ‘em or hate ‘em (who hates the Beasties?), our style, culture, and a heck-ton of music that we listen to even today is and was supremely influenced by these 3 random punk kids from Brooklyn. Fan or not, this book is straight up historical in regard to hip-hop music and lifestyle, and it has already been named one of the best books of the year by Rolling Stone, The Guardian and Paste. With an angle as distinctive and eclectic as a Beastie Boys album, Beastie Boys Book upends the typical music memoir. Alongside the band narrative, you will find rare photos, original illustrations and so much more that gets to the heart of the band. If you love the Beastie Boys and don’t have this book yet, then get it. If you’re not a fan, then you will be once you realize the prolific roots and depth of meaning these three characters played in the lives of so many across the globe.
SHOP: LADY WHITE CO.
Perfect t-shirts pleasantly thicker than most of today’s not-so-thick options, the right solid colors, and simple options - that’s Lady White Co. Founded in 2015, they were initially focused solely on these jersey t-shirts, particularly in white. Now expanding into varying levels of sportswear items, they continue to combine the best made jersey and fleece with less conventional layering options. This is their most honest view of USA sportswear. A deliberate intention to make useful items that get the utmost wear. Made with custom fabrics knit in Los Angeles, garments have a sense of old and new, offering domestic production down to the cotton. We say that Lady White Co. is a go!
READ: TAYLOR WELDEN INTERVIEW