At $80 per person, including tax and gratuity, the dinner is a worthy splurge. Seating is family-style in the chef’s table room, an intimate private space with views of the kitchen. Seating is limited, so snag tickets online at oliveandjune.eventbrite.com. 7:30p.

Jalapeno Cucumber Lemonade

1 ½ oz Tito’s Vodka
2.5 oz Cucumber water
1oz jalapeño infused simple syrup
1oz lemon juice
Build in pint glass
Shake
Strain into glass with Kold draft
Garnish with cucumber spear

Sandia Sipper

1 ½ oz Cazadores Respoda Tequila
.5 oz lime juice
3 cubes watermelon
Pinch of Cayenne pepper
1/8 oz Agave nectar
Muddle watermelon with lime juice in shaker glass.  Add all ingredients with ice and shake.  Strain into rocks glass with ice and half rim of salt.  Garnish with watermelon cube and lime wedge.

Get WET (inspired by the W’s WET pool)

*Hendrick’s gin 1.5oz
St. Germain .5 oz
*Lemon juice .5
*Simple syrup  .5 oz
Grapefruit juice 1.5 oz
Bubbles (bubbly water)
Shake all without bubbles and pour over fresh ice then top with bubbles

*I make a version of this cocktail all the time without lemon or simple syrup, and it’s delicious. Other versions use jalapeno-infused gin for that summer spice or tequila for a kick.

Happy summer!!

By George, SoLa, Solid Gold, Moss, Guero’s, Fabi + Rosi, Hotel San Jose Lounge, Amelia’s Retro – Vogue & Relics, Alamo Drafthouse and so many more!  The 5% Day will take place on Saturday, April 21^st this year – the Saturday of Earth Day weekend. The campaign will benefit HCC, Texas Land Conservancy, Clean Water Fund, Friends of Barton Springs Pool, Sierra Club, and Tree Folks.

Here’s an Earth Week event list:

Tuesday, April 17th – Visit Amy’s Ice Creams and Phil’s Ice House on Burnet Road or South Lamar Boulevard! Say “Earth Day” when you order and up to 20% of the day’s sales will benefit “Give 5% to Mother Earth!” Click here to view the event on meetup.com

Wednesday, April 18th – Whole Foods Market will be hosting a Community Giving Day at both locations! Five percent of sales will benefit the “Give 5% to Mother Earth” campaign. Also, grab some friends and join us on the patio at the Downtown location on Wednesday evening for live music by Austin icon, Alejandro Escovedo! Click here to view the event on meetup.com

Thursday, April 19th – Head on down to Shady Grove for a Hippie Chick and great live music by Hudson Moore at Unplugged at the Grove! Five percent of food sales on Thursday benefit the campaign partners! Click here to view the event on meetup.com

Saturday, April 21st – Eat, shop, play, and more at participating businesses all over Austin including Half Price Books, Solid Gold, Royal Blue Grocery, Jo’s Hot Coffee, Zocalo Cafe, Doc’s Backyard, The Rattle Inn, and many more to support “Give 5% to Mother Earth!”

Join CB&TL for complimentary beverages and enjoy some precious art from very strong and talented children.

I digress. Point is that I’ve often seen those pre-cooked whole chickens in the grocery stores of the world and wished I could consume them (well, only sort of, to be honest, as touching a cooked chicken with bones and wings is only slightly above touching raw chicken on my personal ick scale). Enter:
 

Fresa’s Chicken Al Carbon plans to light up central Austin with an 8-foot neon chicken and signature take-out meals. In the old Emerald City Press spot on Lamar, the  take-out ONLY restaurant will spotlight chicken: Fresa’s is slow-grilled over hardwood charcoal to lock in robust flavors and juices, giving it a rich, deep smokiness and savory charred skin. There are two flavorful marinades: the classic Numero Uno, in a blend of achiote and citrus, and the Numero Dos, seasoned with fresh oregano and cracked black pepper. Served as a complete meal, whole or half-chicken dinners are perfect for busy couples or families and come with rice, beans, grilled onions, jalapenos, salsa, and tortillas.

Fresa means ‘strawberry’ in Spanish, but it’s also a cheeky slang for trendy Mexican urbanites. The name and concept came from a seasoned team of Austin restaurateurs: Larry McGuire and Tom Moorman from Lambert’s, Perla’s, and Elizabeth Street Café, and Tracy Overath and Margaret Vera from Stubb’s.

Almost everything at Fresa’s is made in-house. Chickens are exclusively sourced from Peeler Farms in Floresville, Texas, where they’re humanely pasture-raised and fed top quality, non-GMO feed that is always void of any animal by-products or medicines.

Fresa’s also offers three different salads and Mexican Street Corn, grilled vegetables, and spicy potato salad sides. There are three torta sandwiches served on Bolillo rolls, plus homemade ice cream in both classic and seasonal flavors. Beverages are packed to go, including Mexican sodas, fresh fruit aguas frescas, and a variety of bottled beers and wine.

Looks like a certain large grocery store with prepared food just down the road has met its match. Wanna play chicken?

Fresa’s Chicken Al Carbon is open daily from 11am until 11pm. fresaschicken.com

• Knowing and loving JB (my best friend ever). He taught me more than I knew I needed to know.
• The beach! Always love that. Quickie Rockport, Texas trip before a beautiful wedding!
  
• Successfully getting a frozen Mangia pizza from Austin to Aspen in my checked luggage. I’m the master.
• Bikram yoga in Austin three days in a row. New things to work on.
• 800 thread count sheets and a new mattress pad.
• My brother. My mom and dad. Dancing people salad dressing.

See last week’s Feel Goods here.

1. Euphoria Music Fest

For the deets and a discount, go here.

2. Grilled Cheese Week

Tillamook Grilled Cheese Week / Loaf Love Tour, the third annual cross-country mobile sampling tour dedicated to bringing tasty cheese to the people, eight local restaurants have created a unique grilled cheese:

Noble Pig Sandwiches serving a Pimento Grilled Cheese made with Tillamook Sharp Cheddar, sweet red peppers, pickled jalapeno and crispy bacon($8), Max’s Wine Dive serving a Smoked Duck and Tillamook Sharp Cheddar Grilled Cheese with Caramelized Onions and Watercress($14), Austin Daily Press featuring a Tillamook Black Forest Ham Grilled Cheese made with a blend of Tillamook Sharp Cheddar and Tillamook Monterey Jack cheeses served with Spicy Ranch ($6), J.Black’s Feel Good Lounge, serving an Open-Faced Grilled Cheese BAT with Tillamook Sharp Cheddar and Tillamook Monterey Jack,Niman Ranch Bacon, Local Texas Tomatoes, Arugula, and Lemon Aioli($8), FoodHeads, grilling up three specials including a Grilled Tillamook Monterey Jack with Turkey, Jalapenos, Cracked Black Pepper, House Slaw & Honey Dijon on Nine Grain ($7.95) and Hopdoddy Burger Bar offering their version of a grilled cheese in the I Love Lucy Burger, a “Hopdoddy style Juicy Lucy” featuring Angus Beef stuffed with Tillamook Sharp Cheddar ($8).

Saturday, look out for the tour all around town; April 10 they will stop at each of the featured restaurants.

3. Mighty Texas Dog Walk

At the 14^th annual Mighty Texas Dog Walk, you’ll have the chance to break 4 world records in one day: “Most Dogs Walked”, a record the event has already achieved two times, “Biggest Fur Ball”, “Most Dogs Sitting At Once” and “Most Dogs Wearing the Same Bandana”.

Fundraising benefits Texas Hearing and Service Dogs, and the Purina Incredible Dog Team will perform, with live music, dog and children carnivals, and much more. Check-in and registration open at 7a, the dog walk course opens at 9a at Auditorium Shores Park

4. 13th Annual Easter Pet Parade

The Hotel San Jose and Jo’s Coffee’s 13^th Annual Easter Pet Parade, Benefit and Fair benefits Austin Pets Alive. This year’s event pays tribute to Austin icon and South Congress regular Leslie Cochran (1951-2012) with a Pets In Drag theme. In celebration of Leslie, drag is encouraged for pets and owners, but all costumes are welcome.

Parade kicks off at noon on Saturday, April 7 at the corner of Congress and Annie Street and ends at Jo’s Coffee on 1300 South Congress. Judging will begin promptly after the parade and top awards for the best dressed pets include a night at the Hotel San Jose, Jo’s gift cards, trophies, and more! The event also features booths by local animal rescue and pet-related organizations as well as a bouncy castle and the Easter bunny for the kids. Pre-register at Jo’s Coffee on South Congress until end of day April 6th. Registration is $10 in advance and $20 the day of the parade between 10 am and the parade start at noon.

facebook.com/Euphoriafest / euphoriamusicfestival.ticketleap.com/euphoria/

• The Hunger Games movie. Intense.
• Skiing and boarding all four mountains in four days: Aspen, Buttermilk, Snowmass, and Highlands. I’m pretty lucky.
• Best cupcake ever … had nothing to do with the cupcake and everything to do with the surprise and the giver. Girlfriends rule. Plus it had this PERFECT heart ring on top:
  
• AUSTIN. Hello home.
• Happy wedding to Joey and Christine!

See last week’s Feel Goods here.

Sort of like the Spartan 300 I used to take on with CrossFit, Spartan Race is a new revolutionary obstacle course—but with a twist—they give you a training protocol.

From beginner trail racers and mud run participants to hardcore warriors, tough guys and marathon runners, everyone comes out to test themselves on the insane obstacle races. There are three levels: Sprint, Super, and Beast. Spartan Race was created with the idea that working out is not always torturous … Spartan Race’s goal is simple: to get you off your couch, throw you in the mud & trails, and feed you one tough endurance event day that will be the adrenalin rush of your life.

Spartan Race provides its participants with a daily workout, a weekly newsletter, and inspiring blogs that will help them get from the couch to the finish line within 45 days. It really is as simple as signing up, showing up, and never ever giving up.

Spartan Race will be in Colorado at Fort Carson May 5th & 6th and in Texas in Burnet May 19th & 20th.

You will understand what it means to be a Spartan at the finish line …

For frequently asked questions and answers check out: spartanrace.com/spartan-race-obstacle-course-faq.html / To register: spartanrace.com