Okay, so the real reason why I went to Texas was to EAT and to SHOP. And I did an excessive amount of BOTH.

What would a trip be without visiting my favorite restaurant in Texas, Pappadeaux (I’ve blogged about the Cajun cuisine before)

Another fave restaurant tucked away in Austin is called Hyde Park Grill…

If you ever go to Austin, go to this place and get their Hyde Park Fries (pictured above) - don’t they look good? They are fresh cut potatoes dipped in buttermilk, rolled in seasoned flour and lightly fried and served with this savory special Hyde Park sauce - I am actually drooling by just thinking about it.

And then there was the shopping…

In San Marcos, located between Austin and San Antonio, there is this shopping utopia filled with high end stores at discount prices. Yes ladies and gentleman, I am talking about the illustrious OUTLET MALL.

The sky was crystal clear, the air was crisp and stores like Tumi, Hickey Freeman, Hugo Boss, Lacoste, Salvatore Ferragamo, Neiman Marcus Last Call were all calling my name. I was in heaven. I could live in this space. I was more than ready to give my credit card a workout.

I have this theory about shopping while on vacation. When you use your credit card on vacation, it doesn’t count - because you’re on vacation. That said, I stumbled upon something that could put me severely into debt and make me homeless - a Barney’s New York outlet store.

Don’t worry - I didn’t go TOO wild. Let’s just say I can still pay my rent for November.

It was a relaxing trip. Sure, I may have come back with a huge dent in my credit card and 15 pounds, but who cares? I was on vacation.

So the whole reason why I went to Texas was for the wedding of my college friends Isa (pronounced `ee-sah’) and Ray. The whole thing took place at a classic plantation home in Houston. It was very “Gone with the Wind” and I was just waiting for Scarlett O’Hara to come out and utter the words, “Fiddle dee-dee!”

She looked beautiful in her strapless gown with gorgeous detailing. The latte sash around her waist adds a gorgeous bout of latte glamour to the dress. It was definitely a fairy tale wedding set in the south complete with bubbles and all:

Even Isa’s childhood stuffed Raccoon (she has had this FOREVER) dressed up for the occasion. He served as the unofficial ring bearer…

For this occasion, I decided to take my tailor-made suit from Cassara’s in Dublin out for its first run:

This picture captures my friend Judi and I’s vulnerability and child-like innocence

This awkward picture is the result of many cameras taking photos all at once with my entourage of Texas friends, but I still manage to maintain my red carpet glamour…sort of.

The brilliant tailor, Tony Cassara, also fashioned me a custom-made French cuff shirt that fit like a DREAM. Please note the initials on the sleeves that give it some rakish charm:

As you can see, Judi and I draw inspiration in our picture posing skills from “America’s Next Top Model.” The other two beautiful ladies pictured are my friends Jaimee (a bridesmaid) and Jen.

Side note: Judi’s dress is vaguely reminiscent of that Cavalli dress Carrie Bradshaw wore in “Sex and the City” when she got her Manolos stolen in that alley. I just wanted to throw that in there.

Despite the humidity of Texas, it was so good to visit my old homestate. It was even better seeing my friends…and it was even better that I got the chance to sport my new suit.

I hope you enjoyed this vacation slideshow because I guarantee you there will be more…

There’s nothing like having a good meal in between shopping, exploring and spending time with good friends. In fact, when I go to Texas, I strategically plan which restaurants I have to go to while I am there. Sure, there is really good food here in the Bay, but in Texas, there are places that I HAVE to go to because they don’t have them here at all.

One of the places I adore in Texas is Pappadeaux (pronounced papa-DOE). It’s one of many restaurants in a long line eateries with the moniker “Pappa” before it - there’s “Pappasitos” (Tex Mex food), “Pappa’s Barbeque” - but I digress. Pappadeaux serves up some of the best Cajun seafood and everytime I go, I almost have a heart attack because I consume so much crawfish and other seafood goodies:

I always enjoy some good Tex Mex when I come here. Usually, the more unhealthy it is, the better it taste. Although, I don’t think Chuy’s (pronounced “chewy’s) isn’t THAT unhealthy. But I can tell you that it is WAY better than Chevy’s. They are all over Texas - we went to one in Houston.

The last installment is coming soon…be patient!

As I continued my walk down Austin’s South Congress, there was this new cube-like shopping center that didn’t exist when I was living there - and it was very chic.

The center had a boutique grocery store called Cissi’s Market and another branch of By George, an upscale luxury goods store that carries modern garb with prices that were not within my budget. More or less, it’s very “L.A.”:

Around the corner from these two spots is a store that I used to frequent called Service Menswear (the website is still under construction). Actually, it was in a different location when I lived in Austin, but now it has a brand new space, with the same top quality clothing.

The store carries modern, clean cut GQ-esque menswear for a gentleman that knows style and doesn’t want to over or underdo it. Jack Spade bags lined the countertop while genuine Levi’s jeans hung on the racks. They also had some great square cut swim trunks as well as a considerable selection of sunglasses, Haviana flip-flops, Modern Amusement apparel and other luxe brands that would make a dandy man grin.

I remember one time I came in during a big sale and scored some awesome Cardboard Robot and Modern Amusement tees for $5 each! That said, they do have some really good sales!

…and of course, they had a hearty amount of chic, Texas-style leather goods and accessories:

The final stop on SoCo was Factory People an uber-hip boutique that sells some of the best street fashions for the punky rock n’ roller. The industrial warehouse space is so cool, that as soon as you walk in, you feel like a rockstar:

Unfortunately, the sole employee working there told me that they will be closing the space soon and focus on their internet store (click here to visit). That is a shame, because I loved to come here to gawk at their A.P.C. merchandise (one of the few stores in Austin that carried the label) and funky home decor like their Ramones throw pillows:

…and if you haven’t noticed already, the place is bleeding with classy grafitti. The whole store merges renegade punk with rhythmic nuances of hip-hop - and it definitely draws a crowd. They are known for having live DJ’s during the day and their rooftop played host to many-a-parties and club-environment trunk shows:

During my whole rebellious t-shirt phase, I remember when I bought some Milkcrate Athletics tops on sale - at a good price. I also got my signature Han Cholo B-boy necklace from here.

Before I met up my friends for a friendly happy hour and dinner, I had to make a stop at the coolest place in Austin…

…my old apartment. Can you believe I paid $505 a month for this 505 sq. foot studio? Those were the days…

Stay tuned for more!!!

It was good to visit my ol’ stomping grounds of Texas. I immediately felt the southern hospitality as I stepped off the plane - and I also felt the humidity that I was once used to.

I arrived in Austin on Wednesday night to be greeted by my friends Jen and Zaid (sounds like “jade”). I didn’t do anything exciting the first night except get used to the two hour time difference and watch “Ever After,” but it was a good time to rest up and catch up with my pals. It also gave me time to get ready for a weekend where I wouldn’t get to sleep before 4 a.m.

The next day, I ventured off to lunch with my friend Janet to the Whole Foods world headquarters (in case you didn’t know, the organic store is based in Austin). I tried taking pictures inside the football field-sized “granola”-friendly supermarket, but one of the employees chastised me in trying to do so. But I did get a pic of the exterior:

Afterwards, I went to the trendy SoCo (South of congress) district, where I spent many of my days roaming and shopping. The first stop was a store called Parts & Labour, a place that sells jewelry, clothing, housewares and anything else made by local designers. In fact, I use to sell handpainted shirts and jewelry there…

And here are some really quirky items sold there - and I must warn you, one of them has the “F” word in it…how naughty!

Right next door to Parts & Labour is New Bohemia, a great place to find some top-notch vintage garb. From old-school hard-shelled luggage to vibrant ’70s ties to classic women’s gowns - it’s all in there:

A couple blocks down, I passed up more Austin-esque stores. Uncommon Objects is exactly how it sounds. It’s a store that sells a bunch of antiques that you may or may not need. Yard Dog is pretty much the same. Both of them are like garage sales but more fun.

Of course, you can’t have a strip of shops in Texas without having a fancy Justin’s Boots store:

A couple more blocks down, there’s this Tex Mex restaurant called Guero’s - and might I add that they shot a scene from Quentin Tarantino’s portion of Grindhouse here? In all the time I lived in Austin, I never ate here - but if it’s Tex Mex and it’s in Texas, chances are that it’s really good:

Before I go on, I’ll give you a little break to let this all sink in. I know you’re DYING to see more pics!