Credit: Photo by Jody Horton

In this week’s cover story, Food Editor Jessi Cape tells the story behind the team of passionate folks – including L’Oca d’Oro chef Fiore Tedesco – who are questing to become the first-ever producers of buffalo mozzarella in Central Texas. The sturdy water buffaloes of OroBianco – that’s Italian for “white gold” – already call the Hill Country home, but as Jessi explains, the road to launching a fully up-and-running creamery (during a pandemic!) is a long and winding one. (2020 is nothing if not the year of delayed gratification.) Check out the story here.

Just a reminder: Early voting in the run-off election ends Friday, Dec. 11, with election day proper falling on Tuesday, Dec. 15. Are we all tired of elections? Absolutely. Does it sound like a hassle to mask up to vote in as few as one race? Sure. But now is not the time to punt on our civic duty, and the contested races – two for Council, two for the AISD Board of Trustees – couldn’t be more important. Vote!

Online This Week

R.I.P. Margaret Wright: The pianist, vocalist, and East Austin institution died Sunday at the age of 78. Read Kevin Curtin’s obituary and Kahron Spearman’s 2015 interview with Wright.

Chief Cleopatra Credit: Photo by David Brendan Hall

Music Video Premiere: Watch soul-rock artist Chief Cleopatra’s “Belushi” video, featuring footage from the summer protests against police violence, shot by Amir Rofoogar.

Big Nonna’s Credit: Courtesy of Li'l Nonna's

Big Nonna’s Big Idea: Li’l Nonna’s and Sweet Ritual combine forces for a new vegan pizza and ice cream venture in North Austin.

New in Chronicle Cooking: Latest additions to our online recipe hub include tom kha sourced from Jam Sanitchat’s new Thai Fresh: The Cookbook and a turkey giblet gravy courtesy of Davis Turner, chef behind the Gulf-focused Huckleberry food truck.

Checking In (But Not Out): Music Editor Raoul Hernandez continues his Q&A series touching base with Austin musicians and industry folks; recent interviewees include Joshua Thomson of jazz quartet Atlas Maior, saxophonist Elias Haslanger, and Interference Fest producer Tara Bhattacharya.

Digital Day Trips: Travel columnist Gerald McLeod rounds up December events to catch either in person or via the world wide web, including a newly available virtual tour of the Kennedy assassination site, the Dealey Plaza in Dallas.

This article appears in December 11 • 2020.

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A graduate of the Michener Center for Writers at the University of Texas, Kimberley has written about film, books, and pop culture for The Austin Chronicle since 2000. She was named Editor of the Chronicle in 2016; she previously served as the paper’s Managing Editor, Screens Editor, Books Editor, and proofreader. Her work has been awarded by the Association of Alternative Newsmedia for excellence in arts criticism, team reporting, and special section (Best of Austin). The Austin Alliance for Women...