Happy trails.... to you...

So I'm spending the weekend in Austin. It's freezing cold here (like everywhere else in the country at the moment), so I've done very little walking around! Until today, that is. Just thought I would share my wonderful foodie experiences of the day.

I walked for a couple of blocks down Congress St in South Austin. There are about a dozen, or two, cute little shops around, featuring neat antiques, locally made goods and foods. I picked up a few little trinkets, including a great photograph of a Horny Toad, from a guy on the street! (Definitely going on the wall of the camper). The prices of most stores are surprisingly reasonable. Most places were not very touristy, which was also a plus.

After a few hours of window shopping, I wanted to look around for a place to grab a snack. Low and behold, I stumble upon a chili competition! While this doesn't exactly sound like a dream find for a vegetarian, I was in luck. The host of the competition, Jo's Coffee, cooked up a pot of veggie chili just my kind of clientele. The teller suggested I try the 'veggie chili frito pie'... and I'm so glad I did.

A 'frito pie', I found out, is a layer of frito's topped with the chili, with a few more fritos sprinkled on top. I topped with with some raw chopped red onions and fresh squeezed lime juice. Sided up with a Lone Star ("Texas born, Texas brewed"), this gem only set me back $7. The actual chili was quite flavorful, but not too spicy. They used chickpeas instead of the traditional kidney bean, which I thought was a great choice. I sat and enjoyed the atmosphere for a little while and went on with my journey.

My next sweet find of the day, was this little streamliner diner, Hey Cupcake!

Hey cupcake! just sells delicious cupcakes. They even had 3 vegan options, including chocolate peanut butter, spiced orange, and carrot cake (my obvious choice). They even have an option for a free injection of whipped cream into the middle of any cupcake you purchase! For only $2.50 a pop, I'm hoping to stop by this Streamliner every day until I leave. This is definitely a must if you are in the neighborhood.