Nothing says welcome home to Texas like friendly folks, and no place could’ve welcomed me back to Austin on a recent weekend visit like Counter Café. It wears well the casual-cool thing that has always made me love this city (no fancy pants Domain/2nd Street District thing here). The food is what you want from a diner (biscuits, steak and eggs) and what you expect from Austin (flourishes like crab cakes; an emphasis on local ingredients). And the people treated us like family — almost literally. On this recent visit, the C.C. folks were happy to play outside with my dining pal’s bored bambino. Maybe I’ve been gone too long. Or maybe it’s just proof that, despite all the shiny newness in the city, there will always be spots that feel like the Austin I know and still call home.