Austin, Texas

Hey Cupcake! 1600 Block of S. Congress, Austin, TX 78704, 512-476-CAKE

Trailer park eateries? My friend Karen is a huge "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" fan and on a 30th Birthday trip exploring Austin, TX, I fell in love with these magnificent restaurants on wheels! Hey Cupcake has delicious cupcakes that include vegan options and beat Sprinkles in my very serious, cross Texas, Red Velvet cupcake comparison. They have a few different locations throughout Austin, but if you want them straight from the shiny Airstream trailer, South Congress (So-Co) is the place to go! Also in this area is a few other local hotspots that I wasn't able to try, but are on my list for my next visit. If you happen to go to Holy CoCao for cake shakes and cake balls on a stick, or to Torchy's Taco's let me know what you think!

Magnolia Cafe 1920 S. Congress Ave. Austin, TX 78704, 512-445-0000

After a very late night discovering the wonderful combination of St. Germain and Champagne, the Magnolia Cafe had the best hangover breakfast! Another favorite local place, it's open 24 hours and has great food any time of the day. When we dragged ourselves out of bed for breakfast, there was about a half hour wait and a line out the door, but it is absolutely worth it! The brightly painted walls and hanging wooden dinosaurs fit perfectly in the quirky and artistic town, and the menu boasts everything from breakfast, to burgers, to stir fry, to enchiladas. I've been back since for lunch, and will make this a stop whenever I find myself in Austin!

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

The Wicked Hop 345 N Broadway Milwaukee, WI 53202 414-223-0345

The Wicked Hop I visited late afternoon Saturday April 16, 2011 with some friends who swore they serve the best Bloody Mary's they've ever had. Located in the Historic Third Ward of Milwaukee's downtown, my first impression was a casual but interesting atmosphere. The brick walls have the typical bar paraphernalia and interesting figurines mixed on the walls but has a clean, contemporary feel more than a "good ol boys" hole in the wall with attention catching randoms like creepy garden gnomes. There was a good mix of people who appeared to be "regulars" and a spirited game of bar dice (which I saw played all over Milwaukee) being played at one end of the bar.


There are several interesting drinks featured on the menu, but I'd absolutely recommend the Bloody Mary to anyone who has a taste for them! The base is a mix of V-8, seasoning, sauces, Dijon Mustard (and a few other things I couldn't get out of the bar tender) and it's topped with a wedge of lemon and lime, a shrimp, a skewer of mini dill pickle, portabella mushroom, green olive, and beef stick with signature Wisconsin mozzarella whips curled over the top. It's almost an appetizer and drink wrapped into one! For those of you not too keen on spicy food (personally I get the hiccups from things that are too hot and jalepeno seeds fall outside of my safe zone) I could handle it, but there is a bit of a kick.

As for the food, I shared a large plate of the chicken nachos, which were OK but not spectacular (I really don't know if I would consider ANY nachos to be above average), but when we went back the next day for one more bloody mary before I flew out, there were 3 different tables enjoying them, so they are a local favorite, but I'd go with whatever sounds appealing on the menu instead of deeming them a must have. Overall, this is a place I plan to visit every time my travels take me through Milwaukee!