An Austin-Style Saturday Spent With Food and Drama

An Austin-Style Saturday Spent With Food and Drama

BANGALORE: Morning

In a dusty little corner of down-town Austin (Texas, US) stands a bit of heaven for brunch-eaters and egg-lovers. We discovered it quite by accident last weekend. It all started with my 30-year-old bones refusing to cooperate as I tried to coax them into crank-starting my day in the kitchen. The clock on the wall informed us that we were well past breakfast hour and way too early for a full-blown lunch. What the hour was perfect for however, was that enticing and often elusive meal which can be indulged in only when one has oodles of leisure time – Brunch!

After a dozen frenetic Internet searches with two empty stomachs emanating unimaginable groans and grunts making for an interesting soundtrack, we settled on a charming little family run bistro called ‘The Omelettry’. An hour later we were standing in front of its unassuming front which was buzzing with Saturday afternoon activity. If the name had left any shred of doubt in our mind regarding what the joint specialized in, it was completely expunged by the décor. A rooster perched precariously on the roof and egg-themed graffiti covered every available inch of its façade.By the time a friendly waitress directed us to our booth, I was salivating. Much to my delight, I was appeased instantly as we dug into crescent-shaped stuffed omelettes oozing rivulets of golden cheese, spongy buttermilk pancakes doused in maple syrup, sugary slices of cantaloupe and glasses of chilled chocolate milk. A motley mix of people – dishevelled university students, leather-clad bikers, merry old couples, the odd lone artist, round-eyed foreigners like us – strangers of all colours, shapes, sizes and forms in general shared a few hours of relaxed bonhomie.

Noon

Polishing off a mammoth meal within minutes has some well-known side effects, one of them being an onslaught of giant waves of drowsiness. With drooping eyelids and unresponsive brains it was almost a mini miracle that we made it back home in one piece. Before one could say ‘boo’ we were out like light bulbs, floating away peacefully in our own individual dream worlds.

An hour or two later, when we finally emerged from our comatose slumber, it was but natural for the desi within to crave a cup of sweet, milky masala chai. Gilt-tinted sunshine filtered through the windows as we sat in silent harmony, sipping tea. In that moment everything seemed bright and shiny. Not a care in the world ruffled our feathers and not a frown creased our brows.

Night

It was a perfect summer night. A moist evening breeze laden with the scent of wild flowers and freshly mowed grass made Zilker Hillside outdoor theatre the perfect venue for our last adventure for the day. Under a leafy canopy, on a large green patch, we stretched out amidst several theatre enthusiasts to experience Shakespearean comedy. Rosalind and Orlando, Touchstone and Audrey, Oliver and Celia magically came alive as thespians from the Austin Shakespeare Company enacted the famous play As You Like It in front of a rapt audience. As is the case with most theatrical comedies, the humour was meshed with a few strands of thought-provoking dialogue. Lines like “I had rather have a fool to make me merry than experience to make me sad” and “But, O, how bitter a thing it is to look into happiness through another man’s eyes!” provided food for thought. After much drama and the resultant comedy of errors, the petite, pixie-like Rosalind finally tied the knot with her tall, lovelorn beau Orlando. The curtain came down, bringing a great Saturday to an end as well.

(Preeti Sharma blogs at www.preetisharma84.blogspot.in)

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