On the airplane from Asheville to Atlanta--the first leg of my trip to Texas two weeks ago-- the flight attendant asked if I'd like some crickets. It was well after the last round of cleaning up and she said "Is there anything else I can get you? Some crickets, maybe?" I was ready with my automatic "No, thank you" and answered before the cricket part registered. But then I revised and added, "Well, if they're on the menu..."
That Laura. She was seated near the flight attendant and they chatted a bit. Somehow eating unusual food items came up, maybe a vending machine in a large international airport, and Laura told her that "my friend up there"--because somehow we were separated despite having booked and selected our seats simultaneously via phone and Internet--eats crickets.
When our flight attendant passed by again, I stopped and asked her what the most unusual food she'd eaten was. Eventually she answered alligator. She wasn't so adventurous when it came to eating different food. Once she was in rural Japan and could not eat what was for dinner because it was still alive.
After a two or three hour delay we finally left Atlanta and arrived in Austin. The first order of business was finding food. I'd asked Pamela what to do in Austin, and she recommended the yarn store, which has the cupcake truck next door. That was about all I knew for food.
The Delta InFlight magazine featured a photo of the Magnolia Cafe's "Sorry, we're open," sign. After seeing that, Laura remembered seeing something about it on a show on the food network. She watches way more TV than I.
It was graduation day in Austin so we spotted a few ladies in linen sheaths and heels leaving this decidedly alternative cafe; we ate at the Congress Ave. location. Most of the waitstaff were tattooed. A fellow eater bobbed his purple mohawk. Magnolia Cafe serves breakfast 24 hours, and is open 24 hours, too. While waiting for a table I spotted their tea & dessert board: Peanut Butter Pie. I was off the diet while in Texas, just so you know.
We were seated within 20 minutes and got down to ordering. Laura's shrimp quesadillas are above. The photo I took of my fish tacos is not so good. We shared bites of each other's food. I loved her guacamole and she tucked into my salsa. The peanut butter pie there was unreal. Its consistency was unlike anything I'd ever had. The flavor was robust. But the filling was more peanut buttery than cream cheese, if that makes sense.
Seriously, a portable Airstream cupcake truck? It's the best. And a darling idea, really. I told Laura that we should buy an Airstream and take up cupcake making in East Tennessee; we could travel all over the southeast appearing at festivals and the like.
Yummy cupcakes, Hey Cupcake! had red velvet, and after paying the guy--no sales tax on food in Austin or Texas or what?-- he asked if I was gonna take his picture. So I did. It's the cupcake guy. He was foxy, too. Could give Johnny Knoxville a run for his money. Their T-shirts were fabulous, too. The back read "Who you callin cupcake?"
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