Plus, high-income earners more than doubled in this Central Texas city.
 
02.14.2024 6AM-Top banner logo-small.png

SUBSCRIBE | REFER

Today’s Forecast

69º | Rainy | 87% chance of rain | Sunrise 7:28 a.m. | Sunset 5:42 p.m.
 

📝 Class is starting

Using chemistry to pair wine and food at Playground ATX
A plate of food — specifically, spinach, apples, tomato, lemon slices, cheese and crackers, and cups of blue cheese — is seen on a tabletop from above, surrounded by wine glasses filled with red and white wine.
Pair wine with the eight elements of food at Playground ATX’s ZiNG Wine Workshop. | Photo by ATXtoday
You, our dear readers, asked us to provide you with more content on local classes, and our pen is at your disposal.

Today, we’re kicking off a series on what and where to learn in Austin, in which we attend some of ATX’s best classes and report back.

To start, we took a trip to Playground ATX (you may remember the culinary incubator from our interview with its founders last month) for the restaurant’s ZiNG! Wine Workshop.

In the foreground to the right, a hand holds a mostly empty glass of white wine. In the background, other glasses of wine sit on a table next to a piece of paper with a chart mapping the profile of that wine's elements.

We built “profiles” for the wines we tasted based on how we rated them in six structural elements.

|

Photo by ATXtoday

What to expect

The ZiNG! class, led by Playground ATX founder Sue Kim-Drohomyrecky, is all about how to use the chemistry and structure of wine to best pair it with food.

The widely taught program begins with a tasting, rating wines on six elements: acidity, viscosity, fruitiness, sugar, alcohol levels, and tannins.

Then, attendees are led through the eight elements of food (salt, oxalates, acidity, umami, fat, sugar, spice, and protein) and presented with a plate of bites. Under Sue’s guidance, we tried out different wine and food combos, noting in a personal booklet which pairings worked best and why.

At the end, the Playground ATX team brought out even more wine and food from their current headliner, East Meets Wings, for us to experiment with more complex pairings.

City Editor Figi is smiling at the camera, while holding a glass of wine and sitting at a table with more wine and Zing! Wine Workshop booklets.

City Editors Figi and London attended Playground ATX’s ZiNG! Wine Workshop last month.

|

Photo by ATXtoday

What we learned

City Editor London here. In this class, I learned not only how to taste wine but also how to taste food. I also learned:
  • Tannins cause your mouth to feel drier because they cling to proteins in your saliva, which is why many red wines pair well with high-protein foods.
  • Acidic wines and acidic foods go together like Longhorns and football.
  • Tomatoes are considered umami — no, really.

Now it’s your turn.

Playground ATX’s ZiNG! class costs $50 per person, and typically runs about 90 minutes.

The next class is slated for Monday, Feb. 19 — get tickets, or keep an eye on the restaurant’s events calendar for more upcoming dates.
Asked

What should we try next?
A. A cocktail making class
B. A gardening class
C. An art class
D. Other
Let us know
Events
Wednesday, Feb. 14
  • From Ella to Amy with Love | Wednesday, Feb. 14 | Times vary | Prospect House, 12745 Silver Creek Rd., Dripping Springs | $15-$55 | Listen to love songs from Ella Fitzgerald to Amy Winehouse while sipping on specialty cocktails.
  • “Notting Hill” | Wednesday, Feb. 14 | 7:30 p.m. | The Paramount Theatre, 713 Congress Ave., Austin | $11 | Spend Valentine’s Day watching Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts fall in love on the big screen.
Thursday, Feb. 15
  • Intro to Homemade Sushi | Thursday, Feb. 15 | 6 p.m. | Texas Sake Company, 440 E. St. Elmo Rd., Ste B-2, Austin | $65 | Learn how to make your own homemade sushi alongside chef Desiree.
  • Rhett Miller | Thursday, Feb. 15 | 7-10:30 p.m. | The 04 Center, 2701 S. Lamar Blvd., Austin | $30-$50 | See the frontman of the Old 97’s on his solo career tour.
Friday, Feb. 16
  • TRIAD: Three Bold Dances | Friday, Feb. 16-Saturday, Feb. 17 | Times vary | The Long Center for the Performing Arts, 701 W. Riverside Dr., Austin | $15-$99 | Celebrate Valentine’s weekend with three special dance performances.
Saturday, Feb. 17
Sunday, Feb. 18
Events calendar here
Click here to have your event featured.
 
News Notes
Festival
  • Former WNBA star Sue Bird, AI expert Dr. Joy Buolamwini, and TOGETHXR’s Jessica Robertson are the newest SXSW keynote speakers. The festival also announced panels form Daisy Ridley, Jay Shetty, and Julie Bowen — see the full list.
Stat
  • The number of high-income households (aka taxpayers earning $200,000+) in Killeen increased by 146% between 2021 and 2022. That ranks the Central Texas city as the No. 4 fastest-growing in the US for this metric, directly behind Evansville, Indiana.
Sports
  • Eleven Texas football players were invited to the NFL scouting combine this week, a signal of higher draft prospects. Included in the list are running back Jonathan Brooks, receiver Adonai Mitchell, tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders, and linebacker Jaylan Ford. (Austin American-Statesman)
Development
  • Korean beauty device manufacturer Hironic Co. Ltd. will open its first US plant in Taylor. The company makes devices for laser hair removal, tattoo removal, and skin tightening, but has not yet announced details about the project. (KVUE)
Biz
  • South Carolina-based Eggs Up Grill plans to open as many as eight locations in the Austin metro within five years. The breakfast chain will likely to open its first local location this year, serving classic dishes like omelets, waffles, and pancakes. (Austin Business Journal)
Real Estate
  • Austin is “appropriately supplied” with homebuilder lots, according to a recent analysis from Zonda. The Capital City’s score is based on the number of single-family vacant developed lots + the rate at which those lots are absorbed by housing starts.
Plan Ahead
  • Meanwhile Brewing Co. will kick off the start of Austin FC’s new season with the Verde Verde Verde Festival taking place Friday, Feb. 23. The brewery’s gold-winning Meanwhile Lager will also be available on draft at Q2 Stadium this season.
Home
  • If you spent your whole Sunday reorganizing your closet, here’s another spring cleaning suggestion: Move your credit card debt. This card offers 0% interest on a balance transfer until mid-2025. That’s over a whole year to pay off your balance, sans interest. Plus, you’ll earn 2% cash back on purchases.*
Holiday
 
Civic

An equitable future begins with the past

City of Austin kicks off new Equity-Based Preservation Plan
A map of Austin with dozens of red and pink dots all over it — there are far more pink dots than red ones.
In this map, red dots reflect historic landmarks with associations with communities of color. | Graphic via the draft Equity-Based Preservation Plan
Yesterday, the City of Austin commemorated the kickoff of its new Equity-Based Preservation Plan, a replacement of the city’s four decade-old historic preservation plan.

The new plan is designed to be community-oriented and adapt to Austin’s rapidly changing landscape.

Among several other recommendations, the plan encourages:
  • Offering distinctions for historical sites with non-white legacies, even those that have been lost, as only 16% of Austin’s historic landmarks and districts are associated with communities of color
  • Lifting up legacy businesses that have a cultural impact
  • Creating a City Archaeologist position to oversee ground-disturbing work on public land
  • Educating historic property owners on resources related to the care and affordability of their home
  • Developing youth educational programming
Plan authors are currently accepting feedback from the public until Friday, May 31. Read the full draft and fill out their community survey.
The Buy

The Buy 2.14.24 (Affiliate + Six & Main)
A portable touch screen for your car, so you can connect your phone and use Apple CarPlay or Android Auto for music, GPS, and more. Stick the screen where you want with its sturdy suction cup holder + use the voice control feature for safe driving.
Answered

✈️ Frequent flyers
A graphic with a bar graph showing that 42% of respondents travel outside of the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport each year.
Share ATXtoday
 
ReferralGIF1-ATX.gif

Share the good news. Get rewarded.

Have someone who needs to stay in the know? Get amazing rewards for every new subscriber you bring by sharing your unique referral link (below).

{{profile.vars.rh_reflink_5}}
Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email

{{profile.vars.rh_totref_5}} friends are looped into all things local because of you.
Claim your rewards
 
 
The Wrap
 
London Gibson

Today’s edition by:
London
From the editor
Happy Valentine’s Day, Austin. In honor of the occasion, here are three things I love about this city:
What do you love about Austin?
Missed our previous newsletter?     ›
Send Us A Scoop, Question, or Feedback     ›
Become a Member     ›
Advertise     ›
Shop     ›
 
 

Content marked with an * is paid advertising. Content marked with an ^ is created by our content studio. The company may also generate commission from affiliate links in the newsletter.

Change your preferences or unsubscribe here.

Copyright © 2023 6AM City Inc, All rights reserved.

P.O. Box 2505, Greenville, SC 29602

ADVERTISE | CAREERS | ETHICS | PRIVACY | THE BUY