And it WAS The Good Life.

A couple of weeks ago, Ross and I went to our absolute favorite local food event of the year: La Dolce Vita.

It's a fundraiser for the Austin Museum of Art, and has been going strong for 22 years.  It usually sells out too.  Why?  Oh ... perhaps it has something to do with the fact that 50 Austin restaurants and wineries come out, and sample their absolute yummiest, most tempting delights.

Samples top to bottom: La Sombra, The Driskill, The Alamo Drafthouse, The Carillon, Sao Paulo's.

Ross and I basically starve ourselves for the day before this event, so we can feast in full gluttonous fashion.  Last year I was so entertained by the people running around in full-body colored latex suits that I could hardly CONCENTRATE on the food ... but this year, I resolved to take my eating more seriously.  So I brought Danger Kate along with me for the task!  (Danger Kate is my camera.)

Our favorite savory dish was this roasted pepper, olive oil, grilled fish, and bacon (of course) sampler from Sao Paulo's -- one of our regular Date Night haunts.

We definitely sipped lots of wine while we were there, but judging by the photos below, we were even more enthusiastic about the dessert options ...

Samples top to bottom: Word of Mouth Catering, The Melting Pot, Chez Zee, WOM Catering, Sugar Pop Sweet Shop, SPSS, WOM Catering, Urban: An American Grill.

... I mean, can you blame us?

Here we are below, savoring La Dolce Vita, sipping wine, pretending we are Italian.

As we strolled out, stomachs full and mouths very very happy, we encountered this delightful warning:

Pretty much the greatest traffic sign ever.