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Her

In the near future, Theodore upgrades his operating system and subsequently falls in love; Spike Jonze conceives the romance, Joaquin Phoenix and Scarlet Johansson sell it.

by Kimberley Jones

Marjorie Baumgarten’s Top 10 List

1. Her A humdrum narrative conceit about man/machine love is made marvelous by its near-perfect blend of directorial ingenuity, exquisite performances, and discerning camerawork, production design, and music. 2. 12 Years a Slave Brutal yet elegant, this punch to the gut creates visceral understanding through intelligent design. 3. Before Midnight These scenes from a modern-day…

by Marjorie Baumgarten

Top 10 Savory Bites

When I reviewed my dining experiences for the past year, turns out several of them happened in the same place: Josh Ozersky’s big carnivore’s celebration, Meatopia, held at the Pearl in San Antonio the first weekend in November. Here are all my picks, in no particular order. 1) Rabbit Broth from Qui’s Rabbit 7 Ways…

by Virginia B. Wood

Steve Davis’ Top 10 List

1. 12 Years a Slave Brutal yet eloquent, this powerfully rendered film about the most shameful chapter in our nation’s history should be required viewing for every American, regardless of race. 2. Gravity An amazing technical achievement on every level, this film set in the silent expanse of outer space is the year’s most wondrous…

by Steve Davis

Top 10 Sweet Bites

Many of my favorite sweet bites this year (presented here in no particular order) left me wanting more from such talents as Jodi Elliott, Janina O’Leary, and Laura Sawicki. I hope their planned new ventures find them situated soon in 2014, turning out more tasty and inventive creations. 1) Cookies & milk by Laura Sawicki…

by Virginia B. Wood

Top 10 Restaurant Interiors

1) Uchiko It’s hard to beat Michael Hsu for restaurant design these days, and Uchiko remains one of his most impressive projects. Firecracker-colored terracotta tiles contrast with dark stained wood, Far East curio cabinets, and warm lighting to create a cozy but sophisticated ambience. 2) Lenoir A grape cluster of twinkling brass lights illuminate a…

by Rachel Feit

Mr. Smarty Pants Knows

Celebrity psychic Christian Dion predicts 2014 will be a good year for Lady Gaga. Some believe Nostradamus’ Quatrain VI.6 means that World War III will begin in 2014. The prophecy of a fire in the North bringing the end of the age of the fifth sun is believed to refer to North Korea. Some predict…

by Mr. Smarty Pants

Inspire Pro Wrestling

When Beerland booker Max Dropout launched Inspire Pro Wrestling last year, he promised that Austin’s newest grappling promotion would make an impact. This week, not one but two international stars step in his squared circle. First, fans of Japanese puroresu will want to catch IPW’s “Unholy” Greg James lock up with New Japan Pro Wrestling’s…

by Richard Whittaker

Top 10 Austin Barbecue Joints

Not that long ago, to get first-rate barbecue you had to cruise the barbecue belt from Taylor and Elgin through Lexington, Lockhart, and Luling; now the best is right here in the ‘hood, a short drive away. 1) Franklin Barbecue Aaron’s superlative ‘cue gets even better as the restaurant (and the queue) slowly expands. Get…

by Mick Vann

Sports Top 10s

Honestly, I’d put the ongoing development of the Austin Aztex team and franchise in the number one spot, but since they’re the top two picks in “Soccer Watch”, I’ll just give them this honorary shout-out instead. 1) X Games Announcement Austin beat out the competition to become the new U.S. home to the Global X…

by Nick Barbaro

Top 10 Austin Food Blogs

It may just be a logical outcome of the “Nothing succeeds like success” maxim: Perhaps certain food blogs get noticed, which in turn spurs the creators to greater and greater effort, which makes for increased posting, more beautiful design, pithier writing, and greater scope. In any case, though I evaluated more than a hundred active…

by Kate Thornberry

Kimberley Jones’ Top 10 List

1. Her The singularity inspires a singular romance. Whether or not Spike Jonze’s sci-fi “what-if?” proves prescient, right here and right now it’s an honest-feeling inquiry into the universal desire to be understood perfectly and loved anyway – or because. 2. 12 Years a Slave Yes, it’s an “important” movie – an essential one –…

by Kimberley Jones

Hornography

With a manic 8-5 season and a 30-7 Alamo Bowl loss to Oregon now in the rearview mirror, Texas can begin to make way for its new figurehead. Names floating right now include Baylor’s Art Briles, Louisville’s Charlie Strong, Vanderbilt’s James Frank­lin, and Stanford’s David Shaw. It’s believed Texas will have a new head coach…

by Russ Espinoza

Top 10 Sweet Treats

1) Coffee Ice Cream at Sweet Ritual The ice cream counter housed inside JuiceLand on 45th and Duval mixes Red Rabbit vegan donuts into a coffee base for a decadent, one-stop treat. 2) Sweet & Salty Pie at Royer’s Pie Haven Recently opened in the former Toy Joy complex, Royer’s offers a broad array of…

by Melanie Haupt

Marc Savlov’s Top 10 List

1. Her I laughed, I cried, I said “Hey, that’s me!” Spike Jonze delivers yet another emotional sucker punch, this time with (amazingly, even more) feeling. 2. The Act of Killing Drafthouse Films’ big-league Academy coup comes not from the genre but from horrific reality in this nightmarish and real documentary. Pleasant dreams. 3. The…

by Marc Savlov

Headlines

› While formal City Council business is off-dais until Jan. 23, candidates for next fall’s Council continue to accumulate, formally and informally. See “The More and the Merrier.” › The 5th Circuit is slated to consider an appeal filed by the state of Texas challenging a lower court’s ruling that some of the controversial House…

by Chronicle Staff

Soccer Watch Top 10s

1) The Austin Aztex started the year by having three players from the 2012 roster – Kekuta Manneh, Blake Smith, and Dillon Powers – selected in the first 11 picks of the Major League Soccer SuperDraft – unheard of for a first-year, fourth-division team. (All three made significant contributions in their rookie seasons.) 2) What…

by Nick Barbaro

Top 10 Must-Try, No-Hype Places

Austin’s high-end culinary scene has enjoyed much hype and attention in the past couple of years. But there are many dishes worth trying in neighborhood restaurants and family-owned establishments that do not feature a celebrity chef or boast articles in national magazines. Give these a try. In no particular order: 1) Evangeline Cafe The best…

by Claudia Alarcón

Gay Place

This week it’s all about the Tops and the Bottoms, loves. How do you like your 2013?

by Kate X Messer

Top 10 Texas Liquors

Some of our best liquors, including a few listed below, are made elsewhere and bottled and/or blended in Texas. I care mostly about how good something tastes, but I also like to know the truth about how and where something is made. Turn the bottle around and look for the words “distilled by” on the…

by Wes Marshall

Top 10 Quotes of the Week

1) “I’m rising on the floor today to humbly give voice to thousands of Texans.” – Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, at the start of her June 25 SB 5 filibuster (June 28) 2) “I was more intoxicated than I could believe.” – Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg recounting the night of her DUI…

by Chronicle Staff

The Luv Doc: Stop it. Stop it now.

So, sitting around in my fat pants on New Year’s Day I came across an article on Huffington Post entitled, “7 Things You Totes Need to Stop Saying if You’re Over 30 (Oops, There’s One of Them).” Turns out I say all of them regularly except for one, which I intend to start using immediately.…

by Chronicle Staff

Top 10 (Relatively) Affordable Silver Tequilas

If you prefer reposado and añejo tequilas, then part of your enjoyment stems from the distiller’s artful use of charred oak barrels. Trying the silver/blanco/plata version (i.e., clear) frees you to taste just the naked agave and the distiller’s art, nothing else. These 10 tequilas all make superb margaritas, but to really get an idea…

by Wes Marshall

Top 10 Texas Wines

Those who follow this list annually will notice a few return players, and that indicates that these are not only superb wines, but consistently superb. Bending Branch is the only winery new to the list. The major grapes you should look for in the Texas wine section are grapes originally from France’s Rhône valley, Italy’s…

by Wes Marshall

Top 10 (Almost) Local Beers

It isn’t easy to choose just 10 local beers. From old-timer Live Oak to newbies such as Hops & Grain, Austin churns out an exemplary selection of craft brews. For the purposes of this list, beers were selected based on year-round availability as well as the brewery’s proximity to Austin. Brewpubs were omitted, as were…

by Anna Toon

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