A Mouthful of Austin. (I Miss You.)

Some friends of ours are making the trek to Austin for the Austin City Limits Festival. And since we, once upon a time, were all things Austin, they've asked us for some crib notes to our former hometown.

So Bear and I started brainstorming.

"Oh, they have to go to Las Manitas."

"And then to Guerro's."

"And polish it off with Amy's."

"And start it up again with Salt Lick."

"Or Ruby's."

"Kerbey Lane pancakes?"

"Magnolia Voodoo Chicken."

And together: "Texadelphia!"

Nary a spring or a trail or a store--outside of Waterloo Records, of course--came up in our first-draft picks. It was all food.

And, of course, that got me to thinking. As I am wont to do and as I have the nasty habit of spelling out here. In great detail.

I don't think I have an unhealthy relationship with food. The extra 10 to 15 pounds I'm packing just give me a cushy landing when I invariably trip over one of Finn's transformers. But most of my memories have surrounded not places or people or even things, but food.

When I was growing up, we didn't take any elaborate vacations, but we went out to eat every Friday night. When I was in college and graduate school and near improverished, the big credit card splurge would go to Castle Hill or Irish Lion, not a spa treatment. When I think of Prague, I think of those hot dogs stuffed in skinny rolls with moutard. When I think of Italy, I think of gnocchi. When I think of France, I think of bouillabaisse. When I found out I had cancer, I wanted cupcakes and chimcurri. (Not together, of course.)

There's something to be said for exploring the world with your mouth and not just your eyes--biting off a morsel and savoring new cultures, experiences, a city's flavors on your tongue. Getting to know the textures of the places you've been and really making them a part of who you are. That's how Finn started--stuffing the world in his mouth, block by stuffed bear. And now we know where he gets that.

(And I just remembered, they have to, have to, order up a batch of Hyde Park fries.)