By Kolina

Last weekend I escaped the chilly February temps and took refuge in Austin, Texas. I spent a few days hiking, swimming, wine tasting and, most importantly, eating. Austin is known for its hearty barbecue, so for a meal to satisfy our wine-filled bellies, my fellow travelers and I made a pit stop at Rudy’s Country Store and Bar-B-Q. The “Country Store” part of the name refers to the fact that Rudy’s is connected to a gas station. You wouldn’t necessarily expect savory meats and sweet creamed corn from an establishment at which one can fill his or her gas tank, but Rudy’s made all my dreams come true. Instead of plates, we were given five pieces of wax paper to eat our meat and sides on. The crate-like device our food came on was topped with 15 slices of the whitest bread I’ve ever seen. As a bonus, we stocked up on all-you-can-eat pickles and onions to top our sandwiches. It was an exquisitely trashy experience.

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