Austin Local Info: Travel, Food, Music, Sightseeing Travel Info Information to help make connections while in Austin: airport, car rental, taxis, bus service and maps. For hotels, please see Accomodation. Restaurants There are a plethora of great restaurants within walking distance from the Radisson Hotel and Suites Town Lake. To find a restaurant see our Restaurant Recommendation Lists. Downtown UT Campus Quick bite near conference location Unique Austin Favorites Live Music, Clubs, and Entertainment A wide variety of live music can be found every night in Austin. Here are some good places to start an evening. Austin Information and Attractions Places of interest, events and other information. Travel Info Austin Airport information: http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/austinairport/default.htm Car rental from the airport: http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/austinairport/transportation.htm The easiest way to go from the airport to one of the hotels downtown (e.g., The Radisson or Extended Stay) is to take a taxi, which typically costs ~$25 to $30. Bus service from/to the airport: http://www.capmetro.org/riding/schedules.asp?f1=100 Bus service around Austin and campus: http://www.capmetro.org/ The conference venue is the Union Building (UNB) on the University of Texas campus, at the corner of 24th and Guadalupe (2247 Guadalupe; Phone:(512)-475-6636). UNB is located ~5 minutes walk from the Department of Astronomy. The LOC will provide free shuttle from selected hotels to the conference venue. Around the UT Austin Campus Campus Maps http://www.utexas.edu/maps/ Downtown Restaurant Recommendations Koriente (0.6 mi NE of Hotel) 621 East 7th Street 512-275-0852 Healthy, no MSG, quick, Vegan-friendly dishes. Korean-inspired dishes from scratch are also available along with premium hot teas and bubble teas. Roy's Restaurant 340 East 2nd Street 512-391-1500 Roy Yamaguchi's Hawaiian Fusion cuisine blends fresh local ingredients with European sauces and bold Asian spices, always with a focus on seafood. Enjoy tantalizing range of appetizers, entrees, fresh Hawaiian fish dishes and desserts. Reservations Recommended. Geisha Sushi 616 East 6th Street 512-480-2211 Offers Japanese, seafood, and sushi dishes. Gumbo's 710 Colorado Street 512-480-8053 Made from scratch authentic New Orleans cuisine. Cajun favorites include blackened catfish, crawfish etouffee and shrimp creole. Shoreline Grill 98 San Jacinto 512-477-3300 Patio has a view of the Lake Malaga 208 West 4th Street 512-236-8020 Texas tapas bar with good wine selection overlooks Cedar St courtyard with live music. Wink 1014 North Lamar, Ste. E 512-482-8868 Excellent food and wine. Space/decor a bit cramped. Chez Nous 510 Neches St 512-473-2413 Casual French Bistro Clay Pit (1 mi N of Hotel) 1601 Guadalupe Street 512-322-5131 Contemporary Indian Cuisine. Traditional Indian dishes, such as Chicken Tikka Masala & Saag Paneer, alongside unique menu of signature dishes. Louie's 106 106 East 6th Street 512-476-2010 Specializes in bringing you an eclectic blend of flavors from the Mediterranean featuring hot and cold tapas as well as entrees such as authentic Spanish Paella with Saffron rice with chicken, sausage, assorted fish, shrimp, and mussels for and a mouth-watering 16oz Angus Ribeye. Vespaio (1.2 mi S of Hotel) 610 South Congress Avenue 512-441-6100 Authentic Italian including antipasti, salads, wood-fired pizzas, pastas from light to robust, extraordinary entrees, and decadent desserts. The Spaghetti Warehouse 117 West 4th Street 512-476-4059 A festive atmosphere that serves up made-from-scratch Italian cuisine. Dona Emilia's 101 San Jacinto Boulevard 512-478-2520 Serves up traditional and new Latin dishes from South America. McCormick & Schmick's 401 Congress Avenue 512-236-9600 An upscale casual-dining spot that specialize in fish and other seafood dishes. The restaurant offers regionally distinct menu items and décor. Ranch 616 616 Nueces Street 512-479-7616 Decorated with eclectic fixtures and offers a range of Southwestern, Eclectic,seafood and International dishes. Dinner entrees include Chicken Fried or Grilled Whole Quail, Texas Black Angus Ribeye and several nightly specials are available. Old Pecan Street Cafe 301 E Sixth Street 512-478-2491 A Historic Landmark building which lies at the center of Austin's famous Sixth Street district. Thier menu offers a French Twist on cafe dining with steak, seafood, famous crepes, and a spectacular dessert menu. Thai Passion 620 Congress Avenue, Suite #105 512-472-1244 Traditional Thai cuisine ranging from curries, soups, noodle dishes, and a variety of specialty dishes. Also good for lunch: Whole Foods Market (5 blocks west of Extended Stay) 525 N Lamar Blvd 512-477-4455 Great selection of organic fresh foods and casual fares (fresh soups, seafood, sandwiches, daily bistro-style buffets including italian, BBQ, asian). Restaurant Recommendations Near UT Campus O's Cafe (Located in the ACES building on Campus.) 512-232-9060 Offers American cuisine. Crave 2100 Guadalupe St. 512-482-8919 Thai and Sushi specialties. Trudys 409 W 30th St 512-477-2935 Tex Mex cuisine. Sao Palos 2809 San Jacinto Blvd. 512-473-9988 Brazilian Tex Mex cuisine. Kerby Lane 2606 Guadalupe St. 512-477-5717 Diner food including pancakes, sandwiches, chicken fried steak etc. Thai Noodle House (behind Kerby Lane) 512-474-2562 Thai cuisine. Veggie Heaven 1914 Guadalupe St # A 512-457-1013 All Natural. 100% vegetarian all the time. Pho 1908 Guadalupe St. 512-482-0146 Vietnamese cuisine. Crown & Anchor 2911 San Jacinto Blvd. 512-322-9168 Burgers, Tex Mex, Veggie burgers & Tacos (cold beer on tap).. Kismet Mediterranean Cafe 411 W 24th St. 512-236-1811 Gyros, Falafels, etc. Ruby's Texas style Barbeque 512 W 29th St. 512-477-1651 What it says. Veggie options too. Posse' East 2900 Duval St. 512-477-2111 Burgers, Tex Mex, Veggie burgers & Tacos, (cold beer on tap). Coffee houses/Lite fair: JP's Java 2803 San Jacinto Blvd. 512-494-0015 Spiderhouse Café (parallel south one block from Guadalupe near Ruby's) 2908 Fruth St. 512-480-9562 Eclectic atmosphere. Breakfast tacos, lunch, and snack items. Starbucks located in UT's Texas Union Quick bites on Guadalupe street near intersection of 24th street Which Wich 2348 Guadalupe St. 512-478-9424 Sandwiches made to order. Pita Pit 2350 Guadalupe St. 512-474-7482 Sandwich wraps. Chipotle 2230 Guadalupe St. 512-320-0238 Speedy Mexican-American cuisine. Einstein Bros Bagels 2404 Guadalupe St. 512-457-8722 Delightful bagels and coffee. Recommendations to Unique Austin Restaurants Mother's Cafe and Garden 4215 Duval St. Local favorite serves vegetarian fare so good, you'll never miss the meat. Hyde Park Grill 4206 Duval St. 512-458-3168 With a giant fork for a landmark, this local's favorite offers a variety of American homestyle cuisine. Stubb's BBQ 801 Red River St 512-480-8341 Famous for its outdoor concert scene, Stubb's offers Texas BBQ and their famous sauce on the side. Green Mesquite 400 Barton Springs Rd. 512-479-0485 Solid barbecue in a colorful atmosphere. Indoor and outdoor seating. Polvo's 2004 S 1st St 512-441-5446 Mexican Food done right. Patio seating and salsa bar. Live Music, Clubs, and Entertainment in Austin A good resource for all types of music events by date: ALM - AustinLiveMusic.com Elephant Room Jazz Lounge 315 Congress Ave 512-473-2279 Antones Original home of blues in Austin. Music varies nightly. 213 W 5th St. 512-320-8424 Continental Club Jazz, swing, rock, rockabilly, country. 1315 S Congress Ave 512-441-0202 Gingerman Over 50 beers on tap, cozy atmosphere. You like beer, you like the Gingerman. Wine also available. 304 W 4th St. 512-473-8801 Halcyon Coffee House Coffee and drink specialties, open atmosphere. 218 W 4th St. 512-472-9637 Nunos Best jazz and blues on sixth street. 422 E 6th St. 512-833-5133 Ginny's Little Longhorn Best of Texas honky tonk daily. 5434 Burnet Rd 512-458-1813 Mother Egan's Irish Pub 715 W 6th St. 512-478-7747 Elysium Industrial/Dance Night Club 705 Red River St. 512-478-2979 Emos Draws acts of all sizes and flavors that vary nightly. 603 Red River St. 512-477-3667 Maggie Maes Night club/bar. Two layers featuring live music and views of sixth street. 512 Trinity St. 512-478-8541 Coyote Ugly Need we say more. 501 Old Pecan St. 512-236-8459 Fado's Irish Pub 214 W 4th St. 512-457-0172 Paradox Night Club. Featuring hip hop, old school, reggae, and salsa. 311 E 5th St. 512-469-7615 Momos Lounge 618 W 6th St # 200 512-479-8848 BD Riley's Irish Pub 204 East 6th St. 512-494-1335 The Ranch Lounge. Two stories, backwoods inspired. 710 W 6th St. 512-465-2016 Barcelona Dance Night Club 209 E 6th St. 512-236-0900 Pure Dance Night Club 419 E 6th St. 512-477-7873 You can find online information about Austin, and things to do in Austin, at the following websites: Austin Chronicle Calendar of Events Austin Entertainment, Events, Food, & Music Things to do in Austin Austin Daily Live Music Calendar Other Austin Attractions World's Largest Bat Colony in Austin, TX Just after sunset or between the hours of 6-6:35pm the the world's largest urban bat colony emerge from under the Congress Avenue Bridge. More information here: http://www.batcon.org/home/index.asp?idPage=122 Zilker Park Paddle a canoe or kayak in Lady Bird Lake or take a walk along the lake's perimeter trail. More information here: http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/zilker/ Zilker Botanical Garden More Information here: http://www.zilkergarden.org/ Blanton Museum of Art More Information here: http://blantonmuseum.org/index.cfm Austin Museum of Art More Information here: http://www.amoa.org/site/PageServer Tours of Austin's Capitol Building More Information here: http://www.tspb.state.tx.us/SPB/plan/Tours.htm Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center More Information here: http://www.wildflower.org/ Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum More Information here: http://www.thestoryoftexas.com/ Long Center for the Performing Arts More Information here: http://www.thelongcenter.org/ UT Performing Arts Center More Information here: http://www.utpac.org/ The Paramount & State Theatres More Information here: http://www.austintheatre.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Home Austin Symphony Orchestra More Information here: http://www.austinsymphony.org/