North by South West: A Canadian in Texas

They day I fell in love with Austin, Texas was a Thursday. No ordinary Thursday, though perhaps to most people insignificant, this Thursday was October 23rd and my 22nd birthday. I had arrived in Texas the night before (after a grueling day of flight delays, near-missed connections, and severe travel anxiety) to join my dear friend Joshua at the premiere of his short film in the Austin Film Festival. We had a tight schedule planned for the next four days: panels, parties, and people-watching, and very little time in between to grab a meal (especially that day, the first of the festival). The morning sun was hot, as only it could be in the Lone Star state, and I couldn't afford to get sweaty before the panel of opening remarks. We needed to eat, we needed it fast, and it needed to be substantial so we had the energy for some serious elbow-rubbing in the afternoon. 1886 Cafe & Bakery is situated right inside The Driskill Hotel (AFF's main hub) and seemed like the appropriate place to sate our stomachs. We used the hotel entrance and I craned my neck for a glimpse at the baked goods in the back while Josh flirted with the babe of a hostess in the doorway. I had never been to a culinary establishment with such high ceilings, and the emerald green accent wall with a window to the kitchen (and its array of beautiful pastries) had me reeling. We optioned for the patio, in spite of the glamour of the main dining area, and were seated beside gorgeous decorated glass doors. I did my usual hum and haw over the menu, mentioned to the server it was my birthday, and ended up with two breakfast meals because she brought me a free plate of waffles (adorned with a chocolate "Happy Birthday"). I practically cried--not just over the very sweet gesture but, quite frankly, I knew I would never eat another waffle as tasty as the Texas Pecan variety that I was shoving into my mouth. I would come to be very impressed over the next several days with the depth of flavor in Austin's food, but nothing compared to those waffles. Nothing. Perhaps it was the atmosphere too; the view of historic 6th Street, the promise of seeing esteemed (and handsome) director Cary Fukunaga just a few hours later, the fact that "y'all" had already incorporated itself into my regular speech and I was really enjoying the use of it. Truth be told, I had never planned to visit Texas. It hadn't been on my bucket list. The proof is in the pecans though: you never know until you go.