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We've been retailing
here since 1986. The Topiwala family with mom and pop and three
brothers as well as the help of a handful of invaluable staff
members. Pop started in the recession years of Reaganomics, thru the
boom of Clintonia and still strong despite George II & the current
class wars. Starting as a convenience store & gas station, we've
been evolving from pretty much day one, trying to offer quality and
service like our friendly Travis Heights neighbors and fellow
Austinites deserve.
We are committed to
sustainable, local, and organic & natural produce and groceries with
our offerings on the shelf as well as our kitchen menu (No high
fructose corn syrup or MSG!!!) With 60 taps of beer available, we
are quite picky on what we present with only quality brews that go
with our food.
We also enjoy giving
back to the community with nonprofit fundraisers and support for
grassroots organizations.
We serve our very
own authentic and unique Gujarati-style Indian food, mom approved.
Check out our
Menu!
Beer by the pint & wine
by the glass make it that much more of a yummy pairing. Click here for our
Drinks
Menu!
Also enjoy
live music
in our unique intimate and awesome parlour cafe, or at least our staff selections of
eclectic tunes.
Please welcome yourselves, we've got loads of parking and a unique
atmosphere to help you enjoy your daze.
Beer from all over the globe (even Colorado), wine chilled and
thrilled, as well as a cornucopia of
special foods. Don't forget our super soda selection as
well as fabulous coffees and teas.
Keep it real out there and we'll keep the deals in here. Enjoy each
other and be good to your fellow Texans, cuz we only got one Texas
amongst us many faces.
Thanks for reading and we hope to see y'all soon.
with warmth and peace,
~Whip In-wala
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"Namaste Y'all" |
Joe & Chandan Topiwala
(aka Mom & Pop)
From making uniforms for mine workers in Zambia, to helping truckers rest their weary bones in a north Texas motel, Mom and Pop have cobbled a world of experience together to develop the best little cornershop in Texas since 1986. Starting with the crazy quirks of south Austin hippie-dom and catering now to the gentry of Travis Heights, they still love being here everyday to smile with the wonderful stuff offered on the ever-growing shelves of the Whip In. |
"I drink too much coffee." |
Dipak Topiwala (aka Nadawala)
General Manager
email:
dipak-at-whipin-dot-com
After wasting my twenties away in the San Francisco Bay Area, I started to respect myself enough as a Texan and moved back with my wife and kid, subsequently thrilling Mom&Pop that I might take over the family store. Stemming from cafe daze and wine bar nights, I've redeveloped the cornershop to everything I miss of those California dreams. Ask me about ALL the beer and wine, cuz I know where everything is. I also enjoy loud music, BBQ, pizza, Indian food, sunsets, mountains, biking and long walks with my wife and kid. |
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April Lowery, Assistant GM
& Beer Manager email ape at
whipin dot com After fleeing
the backwoods of Alabama, April has done many a rodeo in the Austin
area. Stemming from her caffeinated daze at Starbucks, April has the
business accuracy of what the patron wants, and gets it right! Her
proclivity for IPA & local craft beers makes her like none other
too! Ask her about ALL the beers (and she's a food sleuth too),
she'll get you what you want. Aside from haunting the best breweries
in town, she
enjoys time with her dogs, yoga, rainbows & unicorns & Motown music! |
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Martine Pelegrin, Kitchen
ManagerNew Chef, New Menu Items
at Whip In
Martine Pelegrin helps 'Whip Indianize'
comfort-food classics
Martine Pelegrin at the Whip In
Photo by John Anderson
Continuing his efforts to keep things
fresh and fun at Whip In, general manager Dipak Topiwala
hired Martine Pelegrin in April as chef and kitchen
manager. Austin food enthusiasts will remember Pelegrin from Le
Marseillaise, the online French bistro she operated alongside
her husband, Eric, until April 2009. Her culinary playfulness
and creativity fit right in with Topiwala's mission to "Whip
Indianize" comfort-food classics by adding Indian flavors.
"Martine has tremendous kitchen knowledge and a full grasp of
what spices can do," says Topiwala, the man behind such
delightfully wacky dishes as the South Asian Frito Pie:
Bastrop Cattle Company beef and Lone Star beer-curried chili,
Fritos, organic black bean masala, shredded jack and cheddar
cheese, sour cream, and homemade cilantro chutney. He consulted
with Pelegrin to develop the gravy for his "Indjun"
chicken-fried steak, and after seeing the success of the
dish and the potential Pelegrin had for the company, he offered
her the full-time position, a move that will allow Topiwala more
time to work on the new Whip In brewery.
"Chandan [Topiwala's mother] laid an
excellent foundation menu, so I want to follow her flavor
profiles by using ingredients that are not necessarily
traditional to Indian cuisine, yet still honor great home cooks
like her," says Pelegrin. "I am thinking, 'What would Indian
home cooks make if they had access to the variety of ingredients
that we do?'" Her specials change almost daily according to
ingredient availability and will change seasonally. Recently we
enjoyed shepherd's pie made with Loncito's lamb stewed in
sherry, curried, and covered with Yukon Gold potato mash, and a
pan seared, jalapeño-cilantro Gulf black drum fillet with
tomato-pastis sauce, served on spiced basmati rice with the
house cucumber salad. By popular demand, Pelegrin also serves a
rotating selection of Le Marseillaise appetizer favorites like
brandade, rillettes, pâté, and eggplant caviar.
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Justin O'Baugh, Counter
Manager & Beer Esquire Justin
comes from a long history of longness with stories, from bouncing
clubs on 6th street to aiding & abetting breweries near & far. We
are thrilled to have his services at the Whip In, esp as he
part-times for the Pedernales fire department. He enjoys time with
his kids & better-half as well as elucidating on facts & stories
regarding state laws & the travails of firemen alike. |
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Woody Weideman, Counter &
Booking Manager email: woody at
whipin dot com
After a long
strange trip thru many establishments in Austin (including his own),
we now enjoy the expertise & impeccable services of the one & only
Woody (way better than the Cheers Harrelson). The Weideman is a beer
giant, & can direct you to the best selection for you palate from
either tap or shelf. He knows his stuff for pairings with foods as
well, so don't hesitate to ask. Also, his connections for the music
industry bring us what the Whip In demands: quality! Aside from his
constant vigilance for the good ship Whip In, he also enjoys
coaching his kids baseball team & making his woman smile. Dolphins,
unicorns & rainbows also light up his eyes.....and baseball games. |
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Arjit Mahapatra, Brew & Counter Crew
email arjit at whipin dot com |
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Gabriel Terrazas, Wine
Manager & Counter Crew
email gabriel at whipin dot com
Born
& raised in El Paso, Gabe figured out quickly after many visits that
Austin was where ITs at. With too many years spent suffering the
corporate food service chain, we are thrilled to have his copious
skills & wonderful persona to help steer the ship. His discerning
palate & acumen for quality over quantity guide his choices for our
wine department, and don't hesitate to ask him about the beers & our
food as well. He enjoys yoga, biking, running (when being chased) ,
traveling with buddies to Central & South America, scuba diving &
that special smile from that special someone! |
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Chris Pena,
AssistantBeerManager& Counter Crew
email: peanut at whip in dot com
From a long&short history of bar
management, Chris excels at keeping his cool when patrons cannot&
then makes sure all the yummy beer is there to thrill us all despite
anyone's bad behavior. With an excellent palate for indian food as
well, he helps matchup the goods readily. Aside from expertise as a
barkeep, we get to enjoy his musicianship & fun regard as well. He
enjoys sunsets, rainbows & dolphins like the rest of us! Along with
smiles with that special someone.... |
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Josh Didonato, Counter
Crew |
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Malcolm Smerinsky, Counter Crew
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Isaac Harigle,
Counter Crew |
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Shane La Porte, Kitchen
Crew |
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Theo Hernandez, Kitchen Crew |
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Kassie Marie Harris, Kitchen
Crew |
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Ricardo Gonzalez, Kitchen &
Counter Crew |
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Will Lively, Kitchen Crew |
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Lynn Seifert, Counter Crew |
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Leila Braverman, Counter
Crew |
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Nate, Douglas Kitchen Crew |
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Kyle Gordon, Kitchen Crew |
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