Don’t Let Perceptions of Our Economy Turn You Into a “Former Restaurant Patron”

One of the biggest downers in the past month has been to listen to the doom and gloom on the news and cable news networks. Every rise and fall (and mostly falls lately) of the markets is reported in breathless animation. And typically, that kind of news creates a self-fulfilling prophecy: people tend to get into a hunker-down mode where discretionary spending is reduced. And that affects something we all love and the reason you all visit this website: dining out. So before we all go out and commit symbolic hari-kari, let’s stop and look at a few of the positives about Austin. Many of the people who have kind of put dining out on freeze are reacting more emotionally than pragmatically.

First, we are one of the best-positioned cities in the country to withstand a recession. Businesses are still growing, entrepreneurship is strong, and the work force is loyal and enthusiastic about Austin.

Secondly, we did not experience the huge real estate bubble that has decimated some cities (like Las Vegas). Nor did we have anywhere near the amount of bad or questionable loans that were written before the melttown.

Hence, while we may experience some residential and commercial real estate downtrending in Austin, it will be nothing like other areas of the country.

Thirdly, have you looked at gas prices lately? I filled up yesterday for $2.09 a gallon. In just under two months, my weekly fill-up in my Denali has gone from $112 a week to about $57 a week. That’s a $220 a month saving. You’re all experiencing relative savings based on what you drive. Guess what? That’s money that you can use to visit your favorite restaurants. And why the hell not? We have some great ones.

The beloved Paggi House has finally reopened and it is marvelous. Castle Hill has transitioned to Corazon at Castle Hill and it’s also delightful. The Melting Pot downtown is a wonderful way to spend an evening with fondue. III Forks has about as good a steak as one can get. And McCormick and Schmick’s (both downtown and at the Domain) has this freshest seafood this side of Gloucester, Mass. Trio at the Four Seasons is better than ever and the timeless Hudson’s on the Bend out near Lakeway continues to dazzle. Jeffrey’s and Louie’s 106 are as good or better than ever and new places like Modern Asian Imperia continue to raise the bar. I could go on but scroll through the rest of my Top 20 and you’ll get the idea.

We are awash in a sea of wonderful fine-dining restaurants for a city of our size. Support them. Things are not as bad as they seem. As Bobby McFerrin so eloquently put it, “Don’t worry, be happy!”