And that’s what happened recently, when the ATX Television Festival and BlogHer Food were at the same time. While most of my blogger friends bought tickets to BlogHer, I had a press badge for the TV Fest. I was a little jealous as I saw everyone’s Instagram photos of mango cocktails and Pioneer Woman and swag bags, but as I gazed at Scott Wolf’s dimples in person, my jealousy disappeared.

Photo by Jack Plunkett

One thing I did get to partake in for a little while was the kickoff party to BlogHer Food, Bites and Bloggers. The hottest female chefs in the city brought their A-game to the Whole Foods plaza. Hundred of local bloggers and those who traveled in for the conference mingled and sampled gourmet bites and sips. I only had an hour before I left for the TV Fest red carpet event, but I mingled and tasted as quickly as I could. It was a fabulous party, even if it was 150° outside.

Some of my fellow AFBA bloggers recapped their experience at BlogHer Food. Check out their posts here, here, here, and here.

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Anyway. Arnold and Sylvia have a son, Mitchell, who looks to Megan for Canadian connections so that he may dodge the draft. Can’t blame the kid.

Maybe it’s his own veteran status or his lingering feelings for Sylvia, but Don goes a little nuts worrying about this. He brings everyone down at a lighthearted Chevy dinner. Ted sees they’re entering into risky territory with the client, who are a bit more conservative and he saves the night. Later he lays into Don but then offers to use his airplane connections to help Mitchell. Don agrees to stop getting in Ted’s way at work. He calls Sylvia and tells her the news. She cries and Don’s shunning is over.

Sally and her annoying little friend Julie are staying in NYC for their Model UN activities. They flirt with Mitchell and Julie slips a note under his door from Sally, only to tell a livid Sally later. Luckily Sally is BFF with the doorman and borrows his giant keyring whenever she wants. She sneaks into Mitchell’s apartment and catches Sylvia and Don doing it. They die. I die. All of America dies. This is the horrific scene I’ve been fearing all season. Sally takes off and a stricken Don wanders around fearing the consequences. Daaaay-um. I just can’t believe this. Mr. Betty and I scream and pull out our hair.

In the second worst animal to be spotted in Peggy’s apartment (after Abe) she realizes she has a rat problem. But that is nothing compared to her encounter with Pete’s mother who sits down and talks about her baby with Pete. Of course, she has no idea about the actual baby Peggy and Pete conceived. She merely thinks Peggy is Trudy. AWKWARD!

Pete’s mother thinks her male nurse is her boyfriend. That really sets Pete off and he takes it out on Bob Benson, who recommended Manolo. Bob assures Pete that Manolo is gay. Then he attempts to play footsies with Pete and hits on him. Oooohhh, so that’s the deal with Bob Benson. He’s gay. Pete is not interested. And I feel bad for Joan.

Not sure that this will lead to anything, but we learn that Ted’s wife is frustrated with his work schedule. He seems like a great dad though. He really is the flip side of the coin for Don, all honesty and lightness. It’s a nice contrast to Don’s broody darkness.

One thing I really miss about this season is Don’s sheer creative genius. No matter what demons he was battling and how supremely flawed he was, we forgave him because of his talents. But the writers aren’t playing up his work and creativity anymore. He’s lost that dimension and I think it’s a disservice to the show. Thoughts?

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On Sunday nights L’Oca D’Oro pops up at Franklin Barbecue and puts on “dinners to rock to.” A themed cocktail and subsequent courses are inspired by a different artist each week. Radiohead, Prince, Queen, The Police, and Fleetwood Mac are just a few of the featured acts they’ve done. On the night I went with my some friends, we were treated to Nina Simone. (It was Mother’s Day and Nina was one tough mother.)

We started with a cocktail invented just for the night. I believe it was called I Put a Spell on You, and it did indeed put a spell on us. A little bit of rye, absinthe, orange liquor, and a long list of other ingredients painstakingly measuring by spoonfuls into a shaker, it was sophisticated and refreshing. One of the best cocktails I’ve ever had.

After drinks on the porch we made our way inside. There’s something special about being inside a restaurant after hours, especially one as notoriously busy as Franklin. It almost felt like we broke in to throw a clandestine party and might be caught at any moment. The flowers and stem candles didn’t feel one bit out of place in the normally casual setting, and as the sun set, the darkness enveloped us and made the intimate dinner feel that much more secretive.

The first course was called High Priestess of Soul. The nest of fried potatoes wrapped in zucchini, peach, basil and topped with an egg were reminiscent of the album cover’s headdress or “nest.”

There was a bit of a delay bringing out the next course, but we were kept busy with a hearty bread basket and a luxe selection of butters.

Nina’s 1970 album Black Gold inspired the next dish which was a visual treat. Charred cuttlefish laid gently on black ink risotto, with fresh porcini, kale, tomatoes and golden beets. More than a pretty face, this was the best dish of the night. The cuttlefish was cooked perfectly and while ink can often weigh down a dish, in this case it did not. Every bite was a delight.

Nina Simone Sings the Blues provided the color reference for the next course. The smoked pork loin and fried green tomatoes were adorned with wheat berries and pickled blueberries. The tomatoes were a tad over salted…but not enough to give me the blues. What’s up with wheat berries? They are delicious. Why aren’t we putting them on everything?

The dessert course provided the music that I most related to, the loose jazzy style of Silk and Soul. In a bit of a stretch, on the menu it was related to Silk Road, a trade route for drugs, and taking it a step further, suggesting opium. I’m a big fan of poppy seeds and don’t mind them in a dessert, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out that Nina Simone was not an opium user.

The jasmine torte was probably harder than intended, but I appreciated the poppy seed pudding and smoked cream. It was not an overly sweet dessert and for that, I think Nina would have approved.

The dinner was really enjoyable. The leisurely pacing made for a later night than I had hoped, but that would not prevent me from attending another dinner and I highly recommend everyone try this. Buy tickets from the website ahead of time with the option of wine pairings or a la carte drinks upon arrival. Rock on!

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Roger, Don, and Harry are trying to woo a new client, Carnation Instant Breakfast. Roger assumes they will be a bunch of dumb hicks, but they are tougher than the average prospective clients. The meeting was rough.

Luckily, Harry takes them to a groovy party in the hills where he wants to talk to some movie producers. Roger runs into an old nemesis and makes lots of short jokes and ultimately gets punched in the junk. Don smokes a bunch of hashish and almost drowns in the pool, where he hallucinates that Megan is there and happily quit her job and is pregnant. Is that what he really wants? Another Betty?

Back in NYC, Michael Ginsberg is having mood swings all over the place. Ted describes him as “lightning in a bottle” which I guess is why he’s allowed to mouth off and call the partners fascists and nazis. The partners themselves are still at a deadlock when it comes to renaming the agency.

Cutter is supposed to be saving the Manischewitz account, but sends Bob Benson is his place with Michael Ginsberg. We didn’t get to witness the meeting, but we learn that the agency is up for review, meaning their days on the account are numbered. No one cares. Ted finally got Chevy to sign off on the creative. Whew.

Speaking of accounts, Joan is doing a little networking of her own and has a lead on Avon.When it comes time to pass the reigns over to Pete, she cuts him out of the loop. Peggy is livid. Neither she, nor Joan, are trained at closing deals with clients and when Pete finds out…well, let’s just say that Pete and Joan’s recent friendship is probably over.

Peggy intercepts Joan from her firing squad of Pete and Ted by saying Avon is on the phone. We hear Ted give Pete the brush-off. It’s Joan’s account. If they land it, that is.

The partners get together one last time in the episode and settle on an agency name. Sterling Cooper and Partners. SC&P. Has a nice ring to it. I think they can finally start acting as a unified team now.

The post California Dreamin’ appeared first on Mad Betty.

I had the pleasure of meeting Hoover himself a couple weeks ago and he walked me through every item on the menu. I started with an ice cold frozen lemonade. A couple lemon seeds made its way into my straw and I spit them out, gleeful at the icy, fresh squeezed lemons. This is the real deal, authentic lemonade. That authenticity and high quality was a recurring theme, with each item served out of the trailer maintaining the same standards.

Hoover talked a lot about the barbecue scene and the different business owners around town. There’s such a level of respect for the craft, the profession, and for his peers, that you could taste the passion and history in the smokey, tender beef. The brisket, especially, is something Hoover has been working to perfect.

He talked about the tug test, where you pull on the meat to test the tenderness. Not only did it pass the test, but it was our favorite off all the meats I tried. This is a brisket-lover’s brisket. Tender, flavorful, and smoked for hours.

The sausage is nitrate-free, and a homemade recipe with all natural ingredients. Also, it’s chicken! Yes, Hoover has opted to make the barbecue as healthy as possible, offering light choices and hormone-free meat.

The turkey was cut nice and thick. Barbecued turkey is my go-to, and this one was so moist. I’ve never had pork loin at a barbecue place before and I have to ask, why doesn’t everyone do this? It was even more moist than the turkey. A beautiful alternative to the fattier cuts of meat associated with barbecue. If I were to order two meats from the truck, it would be the brisket and the pork loin. Yum!

The chopped beef sandwich was saucy and good, a regular favorite with the lunch crowd.

I’m a sucker for sides and can vouch for the potato salad. Not too mayonaissey, not too tart, just right. The beans were outrageous, with the regular beans being the most flavorful I’ve ever tasted. That is, until I tasted the cowboy beans which are a real kick in the saddle with intense smokey flavor and large chunks of brisket. The selection of breads is far and above what you’d expect from out of a truck. They even have kolache bread!

In addition to barbecue sauce, there’s a creamy citrusy green sauce that’s piquant and fresh. And an outstanding chimichurri, of which I finished the whole thing.

Not that we had much room for dessert, but we pushed on. The peach cobbler tasted like a sweet Georgia night. And the banana pudding was ridiculous. I think I might be falling out of love with chocolate and into a deeper love with banana pudding. This one is creamy and tastes like fresh bananas. An exquisite pudding.

I will definitely be back to Hoover’s for more of everything and I recommend you visit when you’re in the area. We have a lot of barbecue options in Austin, but there’s something special happening in this little trailer. It’s a nice place to sit, relax with friends on the orange picnic tables in the share, and listen to some of Hoover’s great stories. And you can burn off a few calories with a hula-hoop when you are done.

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I attended a media preview, so I get to give you the scoop.

The decor is colorful and casual. A subway map design appears on the walls and on the menu and it was modeled after the Rome transit system. The walls are painted bright splashes of color: red, yellow, blue, and green. The effect is not so much an urban feel and it definitely doesn’t lend itself to the subway in Rome, which is quite dark and dirty. Rather, it feels more like the Google offices. Stark white with the Google colors everywhere and inexplicable bottles of colored water lining the walls.

The cocktail menu is huge and diverse. My group and I sampled fizzy, fruity concoctions, my favorite being the Blackberry Caipirinha, although everything I tasted was divine. The fresh blackberries, Tito’s Vodka, simple syrup, soda and lime was so refreshing and I will be stealing this recipe for future parties. The draft beer list features classic local favorites.

Okay, onto the food. Our appetizer was described as Roasted Peppers and Coppa, or Capicola, as I grew up calling it. But the dish was so much more. Strong flavors of anchovy, olives, lemon zest, parmesan, garlic aioli, and fresh herbs were served with grilled bread. This was my favorite dish of the night.

The Italian salad included watermelon radishes, roasted red peppers and salami on top of frisee and arugula. The homemade croutons were the standout ingredient in this dish.

The Meatball Sandwich. Sigh. Coming from New Jersey, where you can get great meatball sandwiches everywhere, I was hoping to have a solid place to get them in Austin. This is not the place. It’s not that it was bad, but it was not the classic meatball sandwich that I desired, with good marinara, a hard roll and a sprinkling of cheese. No, this one featured an oak grilled meatball with fig sauce, gorgonzola, arugula and lemon. So really, it’s just a totally different sandwich that happens to feature a meatball. For me, it was too sweet, although the meatball was tasty enough.

Next up were the pizzas. And this is something I was excited about, as my longtime readers know I’ve been on a serious pizza quest in Austin. I really wanted to try a classic, plain pie, but on this night they wanted to showcase their umami pizza. The clear winner was the Prosciutto & Mission Fig, with the salty meat playing nicely with the sweetness of the fig.

The Mushroom Pizza was a miss for me. The sparse mushrooms were lost in the umami tomato sauce, caramelized onions, goat cheese, roasted garlic, and balsamic reduction. I would recommend Coco Chanel’s advice to take one thing off before you leave the house, meaning don’t overdo the accessories, or in this case, toppings. I’d take off about three things. And then I’d add some mushrooms.

The Mexican Pizza was just…not good. Everyone in the group took a bite and didn’t finish. Two separate people who had spent time in China remarked that the meat tasted like generic Chinese sausage. This pizza does not do any favors to Italian, Mexican, or Chinese cuisine. Heavy with wet toppings, yet low in flavor, I hope this dish is reworked.

A very exciting part of Umami’s menu is the fresh pasta. We tried the Carbonara and the pasta was so light and delicate. Really well executed. I appreciated the plentiful fresh herbs (other than the dill, which has no place in carbonara) and wished the pancetta had been as plentiful. The toasted pine nuts were a nice touch.

For dessert we had a couple selections of pot de creme. A grainy chocolate offering with golden raisins, malt balls and orange, and a bland green tea choice. I cannot recommend either.

My takeaway: Umami Mia Pizzeria would be a nice place to visit for a novelty. Those that aren’t pizza connoisseurs will probably like it and everyone will like the fun and inspired cocktail menu. Since Austin lacks a real casual Italian presence, it would have been nice to see some restraint with the toppings and just delicious, high quality pizzas. Sadly, this feels more like a California Pizza Kitchen than anything I experienced in Rome. There is no common thread between the decor, the menu, and the name. Umami would have worked on another level, perhaps a Japanese street food take on pizza. The bright, Google-y decor feels like it’s for kids, yet the extensive drink menu implies otherwise. I will be interested to see what happens with Umami and how it evolves over time. They certainly have a fabulous location.

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I was invited to check out Urban Betty last week and aside from desperately needing some highlights and a haircut, I was happy to patronize a fellow Betty. Bettys need to stick together, right?

Located in the little hideaway mall on 38th Street, the salon is nestled in the back corner of some cutesy boutiques. For my next appointment I’ll allow extra time to wander around and check out the surroundings. But on this visit, I had one mission: beautify!

Upon entering I noticed that the name is a bit of a misnomer in a decor sense. I expected a cold, austere vibe. Maybe a little too cool for school in the way that salons can be sometimes. Instead, what I found was a colorful, welcoming, warmth that felt like home. And perhaps that’s what urban really feels like. Austin urban.

The waiting area looked cozy, but I was whisked away before I even had a chance to sit down. Tara brought me to her chair and I settled in with my coffee. We talked about what I had been doing with my hair lately which entails hiding my burgeoning grays whites, conditioning it often and using a diffuser. Yes, dear readers, for those of you who don’t know me, I’m curly. Which means I’m special I have a harder life.

Tara took extra time giving me recommendations and listening to what I wanted. It’s a step that’s so important yet often skipped over. I felt completely comfortable with the plan and as Tara set to work I looked around and absorbed more of the decor. You guys, this place is so cute. There are cool little embellishments, a rotating art gallery, and a courtyard garden.

It’s a lovely place to pass the time while you wait for your color to process. The end result was one of the best I’ve ever had. Tara blew it out straight (a real treat for a curly girl) and gave me tips for styling at home. We talked about the products that would work for me and some of the hottest new products on the market.

Tara kept a record of what she did, so when I go back next time there will be no trying to guess at matching my colors. I looked at the pile of curls on the floor and felt not a drop of remorse and my new, shorter length. I felt light, bouncy and like a new woman.

If you’re looking to refresh your look, let me recommend Tara and Urban Betty Salon.

The post Mad Betty Meets Urban Betty appeared first on Mad Betty.

There is still no cohesion in the agency and they are struggling with the margarine creative. Don and Ted are at odds conceptually and put Peggy in the middle. She refuses to choose a side, earning no one’s respect and finding herself an island at work. Ted confesses his feelings for her and she admits to thinking about him, too. Aw, can’t these two crazy kids get together?

Betty is back! And she’s skinny and blonde, like the old Betty we know and love. Or hate.

She and Don are on their way to Bobby’s camp, separately. But they get together for some wholesome family fun.

Later, Don and Betty get together for some less than wholesome fun of their own…in Betty’s motel room. I DID NOT SEE THIS COMING! I actually can’t believe either of them wants to go there. But she seems to need the validation and he’s a pig, so…I guess it isn’t that surprising. They have a nice moment and Betty muses that poor Megan doesn’t realize that loving Don is the worst way to get to him.

Megan seems down in the dumps. She’s having trouble playing the role of twins at work. She’s no Haley Mills.

When her friend Margaret (who you may remember as half of the swinging couple from earlier in the season) comes over to run lines, she puts the moves on Megan. Poor Megan. Work and home are both a shit storm these days. She tells Don that something has to change in their relationship and he agrees.

Roger is feeling sad and lonely. He wants to hang around Joan and be a father to Kevin. When he drops in with some Lincoln Logs for the baby, he is shocked to find Bob Benson there with some short shorts and his ever present Greek coffee cup. The happy couple are headed to the beach and want no parts of Roger. Poor Roger. On a show of lonely souls, Roger is the loneliest.

Pete, another lonely soul, took Harry Crane’s advice and met with a headhunter. And the headhunter is Duck! Duck tells Pete that he needs to spend time with his family or nothing else in his life will work.

And finally…Peggy. She and Abe continue to live in the gates of hell. When Abe gets stabbed getting off the subway, it is the last straw and she wants to sell the building even if she takes a loss. Abe, on the other hand, isn’t bothered by the stabbing and won’t tell the police anything. Abe is a man of the people, that’s for sure. But I still don’t like him.

The next night Peggy comes home to a rock thrown through their bedroom window. She is really afraid but Abe leaves her alone to go to work. She sleeps with a makeshift spear, which appears to be a broom handle with a sharp knife attached to the end. When chaos and screaming erupt outside, she guards the window with her weapon, turning to stab Abe deep in the belly when he startles her. I guess the second stabbing of the week was worse than the first, because he berates her in the ambulance and ends their relationship.

Now that she’s free to date Ted he’s no longer interested. So sad!

The post Old Habits Die Hard appeared first on Mad Betty.

However you’re spending the day, make it a good one!

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Only true pigs need an appetizer at brunch. So we ordered two. The Pan Borracho translates to “drunk bread” and consists of bread, prosciutto, thyme, and wine wine custard baked with Gruyère, Parmigiano Reggiano and provolone. I know. I know. It’s as good as it sounds. Better. We also tried a half order of Marcona Almond Crusted French Toast. Wow! Next time I’ll get the French Toast as my meal.

Choosing entrees was a tough choice, but we settled on three very different things and stole bites from each other’s plates, trying everything. The SXSW was a kicked-up shrimp and cheese grits with jalapeños, spicy pulled pork, a fried egg, tomatoes, corn and cilantro. A real showstopper.

The Badass Breakfast Burrito was as large as it was badass, with eggs, cheese, and chorizo tightly nestled in a spinach tortilla. We all agreed that the sweet potato hash and sweet corn queso elevated this California staple to, well, Texas.

Perhaps the most indulgent of the three dishes was the Fried Egg Sandwich. This is no ordinary breakfast sandwich.

Three over-easy eggs were topped with a garlic black truffle aioli, applewood-smoked bacon, Gruyère, lettuce, tomato and drizzled with truffle oil. This rich sandwich surprisingly low in calories. (Just wanted to see if you were paying attention. Nothing here is low in calories.)

Sometimes when you’re taking lots of food photos in a restaurant, people want to know what’s up. On this occasion the friendly couple next to us wanted to know each dish we were eating and offered up their own chicken and waffles for a photo. I happily snapped a couple shots since Max’s is famous for their fried chicken. How good does this look?

So what’s the takeaway from Max’s brunch? Go. Immediately. And park a mile away so you can start walking it off.

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