Austin: Walton's Fancy and Staple

One of my very favorite movies is "It's Complicated." Not just because of the story, but because I daydream of a life where I own a fancy, but vintage-tinged Dean and Deluca-esque bakery and floral shop. I die every time the making-croissants-late-at-night scene comes on. So I'm green with envy over Sandra Bullock's Walton's Fancy and Staple in Austin which is pretty much my daydream realized.

I was in Austin last night doing an interview for my Feb Texas Monthly column - be sure to get the Feb issue, cause Los Lonely Boys are hysterically funny - and passed by Walton's (at 6th and Rio Grande) while I was there.
A downtown spot that has a dedicated following of locals, it's the place to go when you want to sit, read the Times, and truly relish a delicious latte in a glass coffee mug placed on a saucer and eat a freshly made pastry. Or pop in for a lunch of roast beef on rye topped with gorgonzola and horseradish aioli, a warm cup of housemade soup, or a spinach salad laden with Texas pecans and jalapeno Chevre.
They also make picnic baskets to-go, can whip up a gorgeous flower arrangement, and have a lengthy Italian soda menu with flavors that can be mixed and matched for a truly bespoke libation (must try the watermelon and violet combo).
Doesn't it all sound so dreamy? Wish I could open a place like this in Dallas.