Ate Days a Week

Austin boasts an international reputation as a great music town, but our status as a great food town is still emerging. One of the best-kept secrets about River City might just be how often these two attractions intersect. There is an astounding array of live music available in our local eateries – encompassing every instrument from the accordion to the Wurlitzer grand piano and every genre from balalaika tunes to mariachis to blues jams. A majority of the entertainment is served up free with the price of your meal in smoke-free environs, during the day or early evening hours. The Chronicle food staff – Claudia Alarcón, MM Pack, Rachel Feit, Barbara Chisholm, Mick Vann, Wes Marshall, and I – did some random sampling and were only able to scratch the surface. What we discovered is that if you're not enjoying good music while dining out in Austin, you're just not trying hard enough. – Virginia B. Wood