Patrick Regan, Author at CoolStuffArchive

Best Lobster Roll in Austin, Texas

Jun 30, 2023Patrick ReganFood

I stopped at one of my favorite burger joints for lunch, 5280 Burger & Taphouse. When I saw the menu suddenly, I felt like trying something different. It was between the chicken wings and the lobster roll, and I chose the latter. I chose well.

I ordered the Lobster Roll Connecticut style, with fries. Connecticut style comes with melted butter and Maine style comes with mayonnaise. I ordered mayonnaise on the side just in case it was too dry. I’ve only had a lobster roll once before in Half Moon Bay, California. It was dry so I thought it might be the same but I was pleasantly surprised.

When it arrived, it looked fantastic. Here’s a closeup:

I poured the melted butter on the lobster and the first bite was heaven. The bread was warm and toasty and the lobster was firm and buttery. It was excellent and didn’t need any mayonnaise at all.

This is the best lobster roll I’ve ever had. I’ve only had two but the first one was by the ocean where you’d think it would be unbeatable. Maybe they take it for granted over there. I would put 5280’s lobster roll up against any other.

The menu says the 5280 lobster roll is a neighborhood favorite, and I can see why. I rate it 5 sunglasses (Super Cool!) because it tastes great and looks beautiful. The staff were great as well, very friendly and attentive.

Rustic French Cooking with Chef Zach

Jun 19, 2023Patrick ReganFood

I was invited to a cooking class hosted by Chef Zach from CozyMeal.com, and I accepted. There were 5 people signed up and we met at Chef Zach’s place which was very nice. Below are some pictures of the wonderful food we made.

I rate this experience 5 sunglasses (Super Cool!) because it was fun and informative. It’s not every day you get to learn from a chef in their own kitchen. And since there were only 5 people, I feel like I got to do more so I learned a lot. Overall, it was very enjoyable, and I recommend it highly.

My Camper

Jun 17, 2023Patrick ReganCamping

This is my camper the day I bought it off the lot at the expo.

It’s an Aliner Ranger 10. It’s just under 1500 lbs. The dimensions of the camper itself are 10×10. Including the trailer, it is 13ft. It has an air conditioner and heater as well as a gas stove inside. It has a CO and smoke detector. It has 2 beds; one is a twin and the other is a single. It has a table for the seating area when not using the twin bed. It has a sink too and it drains out the bottom of the trailer.

Here is it on one of my first camping trips.

My rating for My Camper is 3 sunglasses (Cool!) because it’s cool but not great. I have to get used to such a small space. I may make some modifications in the future but I’m not in any rush. I still enjoy it a lot.

Installing Python

Jun 17, 2023Patrick ReganProgramming

Open a browser and navigate to https://www.python.org/downloads/
Download a version of Python for your operating system.
Run the installer.
Update your path environment variable.
To validate your installation, open a command prompt and type python.
You should see a message about the version of python installed and the python prompt: >>>.

My Coolness Rating for Installing Python is 4 sunglasses (Very Cool!) because it is easy to install.

Why I like living in Austin

Jun 16, 2023Patrick ReganAustin

I moved to Austin just before the year 2000. I’ve seen it grow from a quirky little town to the big city, bursting at the seams, it is now.

One of my favorite things about Austin is the Mexican food. I love it! I could eat tacos almost every day. But I also discovered Indian food here, and I like that too.

I love to ride my bike around the hike-n-bike trail at Ladybird Lake. The locals still call “Town Lake” but it was officially renamed a few years ago for the former first lady, Lady Bird Johnson.

If you like doing things outdoors, you will love Austin!

This is a picture of my mountain bike at a stop on the high-n-bike trail that lot’s of people like to take pictures when the weather is nice.

My Coolness Rating for Living in Austin is 4 sunglasses (Very Cool!) because there are a lot of jobs and fun things to do here, but it gets very hot in the summer.