Introducing our Austin Community Manager, Whitney Francis

Hello, Hotpotters of Austin!

My name is Whitney Francis, and I�m happy to announce that I�ve recently joined the Google Hotpot team as Austin Community Manager! First off, I just want to say how excited I am to be representing Hotpot in one of the most unique cities in the country. Get ready to join me at some very cool upcoming events, share your favorite Austin places, and learn helpful how-to Hotpot tips. We're looking to do something for everyone: foodies, outdoor enthusiasts, dog lovers � everything that makes Austin the great city it is.

If you�re wondering more about me, I was born right here in central Texas and have lived in Austin for the past five years. In that time, I�ve worked for the National Karaoke League, covered SXSW as a reporter, and started my own blog called Free Eats Austin. I love to discover new places, and since Hotpot is all about sharing your Best Evers with friends, I thought I�d share a list of my Austin favorites with all of you!

I wouldn�t be a true Texas gal without a Texas-sized appetite for barbecue, and no one can smoke a brisket better than the guys at Franklin BBQ. Whether it�s a �Tipsy Texan� (brisket and sausage sandwich) or their fall-off-the-bone ribs, the second you try your first bite, you�re in Heaven!

Of course, if it�s a Tex-Mex craving that�s got me in its grasp, then I head straight to Polvos for a bowl of queso and their shrimp fajitas. With fresh ingredients like squash, mushrooms, and spinach, these dishes take South-of-the-Border cuisine to a whole new, mouth-watering level.

Once I�m finished indulging my gluttonous side, you may see me hitting the trail down at the Lady Bird Lake Hike and Bike, perusing the selections at BookPeople, or sipping on a Manhattan at Trifecta. And after that bit of liquid courage, it�s not at all unusual to spy me onstage at Ego�s � karaoke being my second passion, after Hotpot, of course!

That�s just a taste for now, but I�d love to hear what your Best Evers are too in the comments. Stay tuned to the blog for more from Austin, and ping me any time with questions or ideas at @GoogleATX on Twitter.

Posted by Whitney Francis, Austin Community Manager

Best Ever Concert Series: The Dandy Warhols, Typhoon and Y La Bamba

To wrap up our Best Ever Concert Series, The Dandy Warhols, Typhoon and Y La Bamba took the stage last Thursday at the University Chapel in Portland, Oregon. Several hundred people gathered in the church's pews and choir lofts to watch an amazing night of music, including a psychedelic light show by The Dandy Warhols.

Here's video of Typhoon's performance:



And here's the full gallery of photos from the night:

In case you missed it, here's past coverage of all three of our shows, including photos and video of The Thermals, Lifesavas, Red Fang and The Builders and the Butchers.

A big thanks to the Official Manufacturing Company and crew for putting on such an awesome series of shows!

Rock on, Portland.

Posted by Vanessa Schneider, Hotpot Team. Video by Chris Hornbecker, Jeff T Smith and OMFGCO. Photographs by Jeff T Smith and OMFGCO.

Share your Austin Best Evers at Music by the Slice 2011

Editor�s Note: We on the Hotpot team love our music � Best Ever Concert Series, anyone? � so we�re sponsoring Music by the Slice, a three-day music party thrown by Austin's Home Slice Pizza during SXSW. Stop by 1415 S. Congress from 1 to 7pm daily from March 17 to 19. It�s free � no wristband or RSVP required. You can listen to the music or share the event info with your friends on Facebook.

Home Slice Pizza employees are consummate music fans. And once a year, when all of Austin is listening, Home Slice throws a party called Music by the Slice that channels our passion for music, for pizza, and for showing folks a genuine good time.

This is our 6th year hosting Music by the Slice and this year's event promises to the best yet.

First, we have a stacked lineup of 30 carefully chosen bands from all across the indie music spectrum, from hip hop (Aesop Rock with Rob Sonic and DJ Big Wiz, Shad) to pop (The Submarines, Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, Ivan & Alyosha, The Boxer Rebellion) to bluegrass (Trampled by Turtles), to indie guitar rock (Versus, Telekinesis, Wye Oak, Times New Viking) to rootsy (The Cave Singers, The Rural Alberta Advantage, Great Lake Swimmers) to just plain quirky (Kimya Dawson, Thao with the Get Down Stay Down), and of course a healthy dose of the next big thing thrown in the mix (Lord Huron, Still Corners, Kopecky Family Band, Typhoon).

Second, we are teaming up with our pals over at Google Hotpot to pull this thing off. These guys are going to have a 25-foot map of Austin, where peeps attending Music by the Slice can rate their Best Evers in Austin! Just as we are passionate about the bands we select, Austinites love championing our local independent places. With so many out-of-towners visiting Music by the Slice, this is a great chance to throw some shout outs to your favorite places around town in a very public way and win them some new customers during the festival.

But the best part? It�s all for charity. Yes, that�s right, all the profits from our outdoor bar sales will be donated to Urban Roots/Youth Launch, a youth development program that uses sustainable agriculture as a means to transform the lives of young people and increase the access of healthy food in Austin. These guys have a farm in East Austin where they employ and educate local kids about sustainable farming and donate much of what they grow to feed the hungry locally here in Austin.

It's going to be an awesome event, and we can�t wait! Come on by Home Slice Pizza this week, listen to some great music, and share your favorite Austin spots.

Posted by Joseph Strickland, Co-Owner of Home Slice Pizza