6 Things to Do this Summer in Pflugerville TX

Posted on June 15, 2021June 15, 2021 by Alyse Nicole

6 Things to Do this Summer in

Pflugerville, Texas

It’s almost officially summertime, and like usual, I started looking for places to visit. Then I realized that I haven’t really fully experienced Pflugerville yet, though we’ve lived here for almost 4 years. So, I went on the hunt for fun and relaxing things to do inn Pflugerville before looking elsewhere, and thanks to the City of Pflugerville, I got some great ideas to add to my list.

Pfarmer’s Market

Pflugerville’s Pfarmer’s Market is every Tuesday, 3pm-7pm, ,from May 11 to October 26. Due to construction, it’s currently located at Pflugerville First United Methodist Church.

You can expect tons of fresh produce (of course) from local farmers, as well as baked goods, honey, plants, eggs, Find new small businesses to support while enjoying some time outdoors. Pro tip: while cards are accepted by most vendors, bring cash just in case.

Music in the Park

Music in the Park is a good time for the whole family! It’s an outdoor concert series held on select Friday nights, 7:30pm-9:30pm, all summer long, starting next Friday, June 25. The first musical guest will be Royal Velvetee, a classic soul and jazz band who put on an amazing show!

Music in the Park is a free event in Pfluger Park, located at 515 City Park Rd. Alcohol is allowed, but no glass containers. For more info and a list of all the concerts this year, check out Pflugerville’s site here.

Typhoon Texas

If you’re trying to beat the Texas summer heat, aside from all the natural water holes, my first recommendation would be Typhoon Texas. They have rides and attractions for every age range, from Buckaroo Bayou, which is made for toddlers, to the Snake Pit, where you must be 48″ or taller to ride the intertwining water slides.

For Independence Day weekend, Typhoon Texas will have its annual Red, White, and Boom festival, which will have carnival themed attractions, live entertainment, a hot air balloon ride, fireworks, and a Saluting our Heroes event. There’s also several food and beverage options at the park. Read more about Typhoon Texas here.

ILY Nails & Beauty Bar

Tired from running around to all the different events this summer? Treat yourself to a day of pampering at ILY Nails & Beauty Bar, Pflugerville’s first and only Black owned nail salon. They currently offer nail services and pedicures, with facials, brow services, and waxes coming soon. You literally sit on a throne while receiving a relaxing, stress relieving pedicure from one of the licensed technicians. For pricing or to book an appointment, head to ILY Nails’s website.

Spirit of Texas Independent Distillery

Do you like supporting local distilleries and breweries or maybe touring them? Well, Spirit of Texas Independent Distillery is located right here in Pflugerville! Their tasting room is open Thursday through Saturday. You can also book group tours or private events outside of these hours.

Something really cool to me about this distillery is that their spirits have local related names, like Pfluger single malt whiskey, Spirit of Texas straight silver rum, and Pecan Street rum. You can support them by visiting the actual distillery or by using their store locator to purchase these spirits at your neighborhood liquor store.

Down South Cajjun Eats

My favorite, somewhat new, restaurant in Pflugerville is Down South Cajjun Eats, located at 15630 Vision Drive. As the name suggests, they specialize in Cajun dishes. They also have the best fried catfish in town, in my opinion.

This restaurant is owned by twin brothers and has turned into an awesome gathering place for great food and music. It’s located in a food court, but has definitely become the anchor site for the venue. Besides the catfish, they offer gumbo, pasta, wings, and several specialty items. Check out the full menu here.

Thank you for reading! To find even more things to do this summer in Pflugerville, visit the city’s event calendar.

The Backspace Anderson Lane

Posted on June 14, 2021June 14, 2021 by Alyse Nicole

The Backspace Anderson Lane

I’ve been trying to branch out from my go-to’s and explore new restaurants. So, last week we visited The Backspace Anderson Lane, the sister restaurant to The Backspace, Austin’s first Neapolitan pizzeria. These restaurants are under the umbrella of Parkside Projects, which is comprised of several local restaurants and venues in Austin.

The Backspace Anderson Lane serves Neapolitan pizza (of course), antipasti, pasta, paninis, and many other Italian dishes. Read below to see what we tried, including pictures to lure you in.

First Impressions

When arriving at the restaurant, you enter it from the back side of the building. Get it, the backspace? There’s a nice small outdoor sitting area near the door and cool painted signage on the wall with neon lights of a pizza being flipped (top picture).

Upon entering, you’re welcomed by the hostess, who is kind enough to give your husband a disposable mask because he forgot his at home. To the right, there’s a private dining area with banquet style tables. Straight ahead is the bar, kitchen, brick oven, and a shelf featuring the many Italian wines served there. Then, to your left is the seating, which is a mixture of booths and tables.

There’s a very nice ambiance inside, which is definitely matched by the food offerings. This isn’t your everyday pizzeria after all. I mean, you don’t have to be dressed up as much as I was, but I feel it calls for at least a polo shirt or blouse, depending on your preference.

Though there’s a bar, the restaurant is still family friendly. Case in point, there was a young lady celebrating her 13th birthday with her family and friends while we were there.

I love that the pizzas are made out front where you can see the artistry in action. Also, pretty funny to me, my favorite aspect was the water glasses made from old wine bottles. Enough of the visuals, though. Let’s get to what you really want to know. How was the food?

William (my husband) started with a caesar salad, and I had the crispy calamari. I tasted his salad, and he tried the calamari. Both were delicious!

Usually when I think of a caesar salad, I just think of lettuce, parmesan, croutons, and caesar dressing. So, I was pleasantly surprised to see this colorful medley. The calamari included the typical calamari rings as well as mini octopi and was served with an Italian tarter sauce.

As I said, William had the fettuccini. So, here are his thoughts.

“It was very flavorful. The basil added a pleasant zing to each forkful. There was a nice amount of pesto sauce. It wasn’t too much, and it wasn’t dry.”

I ordered the Speck pizza, and oh my goodness! The flavor combination was almost too good to handle, from the spinach and read onions to the calabrese chili and ham, it was a true party in my mouth! I will be honest, though. The chili almost had me, but I was able to come out victoriously. All in all, though, I’d absolutely recommend it.

Finally, there was the tiramisu, which I have to order whenever it’s an option, thanks to my oldest brother, Chef Tony Evans. May he rest in eternal peace.

In my opinion, tiramisu should be listed as one of the wonders of the world, and the one served at The Backspace Anderson Lane is top tier! The bottom wasn’t soggy, which I have unfortunately experienced elsewhere several times. The coffee flavor wasn’t overpowering, and the mascarpone was perfectly light.

My final thoughts overall are that this won’t be our last visit, and I look forward to trying other dishes in hopes that they’re all as delicious as these. If you have or haven’t been before, make this your next restaurant to visit. Dine in, and really take in the full experience and vibe.

*This was a hosted visit, but all thoughts are my honest opinions.