Date night is my favorite thing! This particular Friday we were able to start out a bit earlier, meeting up with friends at 4pm for appetizers at a beautiful grand hotel, Granduca, in Bee Caves, just southwest of Austin. I had read on line that it was a beautiful place and had a few dining options within the hotel.
We showed up, and we almost gasped at the enormity of the hotel back off the highway against the Austin skyline. Driving up a windy road, we parked in the garage and walked to meet our friends, who were already seated on the veranda. It was a pretty setting, which included a stone outdoor fireplace. The only drawback was that it was quite windy, but that was the weather – not the hotel!
We ordered from the appetizer menu and found the pizza to be very tasty. All of the ingredients were fresh. After we ate, we wandered around inside the hotel and discovered a beautiful indoor dining area, a fantastic lobby, and a huge courtyard – all with an Italian flair. We were told there was another patio upstairs near the pool, so that’s where we parked for another hour to visit!
It was time to head to downtown Austin to the 2nd street district, for a movie at the Violet Crown Theatre. Have you been there? It sits atop a parking garage (they validate your ticket for free parking!). We had tickets to The Biggest Little Farm movie. Violet Crown is like a bar/restaurant/theater all in one – with delicious food fare! The theaters are tiny, and you can take your food in, pull out a desktop and sit back and enjoy. We love the atmosphere.
I realized that I had left my wrap in our car, back at the hotel. We rode with our friends, so I was upset that I mostly like was going to freeze in the theater! My sweet husband asked the guy at the counter and he suggested we check the restaurant on the corner. They hand out blankets for patio seating, and might let us borrow one. My husband did check, the restaurant did provide, and I was so happy (and cozy).
The movie was awesome. It’s a true story of a couple that built a farm like no other – and they learned lessons about nature that enabled them to survive through years of pests, storms, and more. I was riveted to the screen. It was not only informative, but inspiring, beautiful, and such a cool story! I highly recommend the movie.
Violet Crown is near ACL Live and they were having an open door, stand in the street, concert. We paused a bit to listen to the tunes, and returned the blanket to the nice restaurant that kept me warm during the movie. By the way, that restaurant was La Condesa, and they have a great food too!
