Hotel Saint Cecilia

Mariah: So Laura and I have been gallivanting around local media events. Apparently there are PR people out there who treat bloggers like serious journalists. Little do they know, we're just weekend hobbyist. But who am I to turn down a free open bar and all the appetizers I can manage to stuff down my throat? This latest free shindig was sponsored by the Texas Hill Country Food and Wine Festival. Apparently there is a whole festival in Austin every year dedicated to food and wine. If it weren't for the HEFTY entrance fee ($45 for the Sunday Fair alone), I'd have let y'all know about it long ago. But seriously? Who can afford to blow $45 in this economy? Not many people.

Laura: Yeah, we pretty much feel like we've hit the jackpot here. Free food and cool people just for doing what we love? What a great deal. I have to disagree with Mariah there on the Texas Hill Country Food and Wine Festival entrance fee. Sure it's not cheap, but this particular orgy of food and drink in question happens once a year, features great chefs and wine and Sunday is a 5 hour event. $45 every weekend adds up, but on an occasion like this for a true foodie, one might be inclined to dig a bit between the couch cushions.

Mariah: Anyway, they hosted a special "Media" reception at the Hotel Saint Cecilia, that trendy new boutique hotel off South Congress. Its a lovely little space with hip rooms and divine grounds. But at $450 a night (yes, you read that right), who but P Diddy could afford to stay there? But, it was nice to poke around and gawk at the finery I'll never be able to afford in a million years. Its owned by the same people who are responsible for the San Jose. My cousin stayed there and it was really nice and hip, and at $250 a night, I thought *IT* was steep. But no, it wasn't expensive enough. They had to spawn an even more expensive and awsome hotel. Apparently there is a market in Austin for ultra rich hipsters. Who knew?

Laura: This place was gorgeous in a super hipster kind of way. Man oh man I want the designer to come revamp my home. I can't afford to spend the $450/weeknight ($550/night on a weekend) to stay there but if any of you out there do, please give me a call and I'll come hang out with you next to the awesome pool.

Mariah: We sat on the $27,000(!!!!) mattress. Actually, we jumped up and down on the $27,000 mattress with the hand embroidered duvet. Laura: Was it really $27,000? Are you sure you didn't add an extra zero in there? Either way it was seriously comfortable. If I was staying there I probably wouldn't get out of bed all day. Mariah: We shamelessly took pictures of the antique Chinese chests (reproductions available at 4 Hands)

Laura: Notice the record player on the chest. Every room comes with one and you can check out records from the office to play. You also can't see it in this photo but there's a super kick ass portrait of Neil Young on the wall.

Mariah: And since we ARE a food blog, I thought I'd let you guys see those $9 vintage looking candy bars you'll never get to eat. Laura: Nom, nom, nom.

Mariah: And who knows where the hell they found this butt-cheek chair (thought the bathroom cabinets were all IKEA)

Laura: Yeah that struck me by surprise. Uber expensive bed and furnishings and IKEA bathroom cabinet and IKEA rug. I suppose if you can afford to stay here you'd never know some of the furnishing were IKEA because you probably don't shop there. Mariah: We grabbed a glass (or 10) of the free Messina Hoff wine (their Chardonnay this year is better than its been) and strolled around the gardens. They had artfully crafted beautiful outside spaces. Including this fire pit that you too could sit around, enjoying a glass of wine, after ACL. Too bad there's a 3 year waiting list and a $600 entry fee. (P.S. That's Laura getting saucy).

Laura: It's my best "the world will never understand me" distraught melodramatic heiress pose.

Mariah: Or walk down this zen-like stone path

Mariah: To the even more zen-like lap pool (they're too good for a full pool - no one in a $600 bathing suit actually swims anyway).

Laura: Do you think they'll let me swim there in my Old Navy bathing suit?

Mariah: No, Laura, they won't. The whole event was catered by Whole Foods. They had hand passed appetizers that were tasty, but surprisingly hard to eat. The sausage slices with slaw were hard to nibble in a ladylike fashion. You have to stuff the whole thing in your mouth and chew quickly. The watermelon with pickled onions was excellent, but again hard to eat. Blah blah, you'll never eat these, so why am I bothering to review them?

Laura: The appetizers I tried were really good. If you got there early enough you could actually have quite a few without much effort. Kudos must be given to the staff. They were incredibly hospitable. I know you are never going to eat them, but I'll make you jealous of them anyway.

Laura: The watermelon with pickled onions that Mariah was describing was also complemented by a dash of goat cheese and served in a cocktail glass. Very refreshing and the watermelon worked fantastically with the cheese and pickled onions. Yum. I had quite a few of the mini mushroom tacos in corn tortillas with micro field greens and a dollop of yogurt. There was also a smokey-like shrimp topped on a black eyed pea patty. A crispy quail with what looked like a honey mustard sauce and smelled like my childhood. And some sort of beef with blackberries and rich dark BBQ sauce. Oh and a few other items I can't even remember. As the crowd started piling in, the appetizers became more and more elusive. So we left.

Mariah: If you have the money, check it out though