Food-o-File: Friday Lagniappe

Sometimes there is too much Austin food news to squeeze into the print edition of the Chronicle. Rather than wait a week, we've decided to give our readers a little bite of something extra.

• AlcoMar (1816 S. First), the new Latin coastal seafood kitchen from Carlos Rivero's El Chile Restaurant Group is now open. The new concept replaces the El Chile Cafe & Cantina that Rivero and his partners opened in the Bouldin Creek neighborhood in 2014. While the eatery gets its name from a mash-up of the names of chefs Alma Alcocer-Thomas and Jeff Martinez , the "mar" is also a reference to the Spanish word for sea and indicates that the chefs will collaborate on a menu inspired by seafood from the coastal areas of Latin America. AlcoMar also offers full bar service and is open Sun. & Mon., 11am-9pm; Tue.-Thu., 11am-10pm; Fri.-Sat., 11am-11pm.

• Casa Colombia (2409 E. Seventh) owner Jazmine Nuñez advises us that the new incarnation of her popular East Austin restaurant is finally open in its long-awaited new building. Nuñez and her family will host a soft opening party on Sunday, April 19, 5-10pm.

• Caffe Medici fans are eagerly anticipating the opening of the fourth local outlet in the Lamar Union (1100 S. Lamar) sometime in May. Owners Michael and Allison Vaclav have announced that in addition to the full complement of fine quality coffee beverages their shops are known for, the new location will also offer a selection of 12 rotating craft beers on tap, plus a selection of pastries and cold prepared foods.

• Arro (601 W. Sixth) adds Sunday brunch to their lineup starting this weekend. Look for assorted sweets and pastries from pastry chef Mary Catherine Curren, French-inspired main courses such as tartines and croque monsieur, in addition to an inviting list of cocktails. Sunday, April 19, 10:30am-2pm.

• In anticipation of Lemonade Day Austin coming up on May 2, the Thinkery hosted a Best Tasting Lemonade contest on Saturday, April 11. We'd like to congratulate the following prize winners:

Jacob & Max Riemer - Best Presentation

Owen Tachovsky - Best Customer Service

Kyra Jackson & Jalin Mitchen - Best Tasting

Margot Papendieck - Best Ingredients

Lily Christie - Most Original

Ivy Christie - Best Pitch

Joshua Crawford - Most Innovative

Alexis Frederick, Kelly Sweeney & Jarisceal Alivez - Best Teamwork

Here are some upcoming events you won't want to miss

• I Knead That Pop-Up Bakeshop at Métier Cook's Supply (1805 S. First) where baker Jasmine Jones resumes her weekly sale of morning buns, croissants, English muffins, and sweets. Sat., April 18, and every Saturday, 10am-1pm.

• Whip-In (1950 S. I-35) hosts a free Little City coffee tasting during their regular Saturday brunch. Guests can get their first taste of Little City's new coffee blends and micro-lots and support their ongoing Kickstarter program. Sat., April 18, 10am-noon.

• Nerissa Oden will be at Faraday's Kitchen Store (12918 Shops Pkwy. in Bee Cave) to sign copies of her new book Bread-Free Bread: Amazingly Healthy Gluten-free Breads, Muffins, Cookies, & More (Countryman Press, $19.95) while guests can taste samples of her baked goods and ask baking questions. Sat., April 18, 11am-1pm.

• Karbach Beer Dinner at Cafe Josie (1200 W. Sixth) where cicerone Jessica Villanueva will present beers from the Houston craft brewery to pair with a five-course menu prepared by new executive chef Todd Havers. The dinner is $60, all inclusive, and necessary reservations can be made at 512/322-9226. Mon., April 19, 6:30pm.

• Tasting Tuesdays at Péché (208 W. Fourth) will offer guests the opportunity to delve deeply into general manager Larry Miller's impressive selection of whiskeys with flights priced from $8-55. Tue., April 21, and every Tuesday, 4pm-2am.

• Dandy Rose' Release Party in the wine garden at Lenoir (1807 S. First). Sommelier Rae Wilson of Wine for the People presents a limited run of Dandy Rosé, the wine she's created with venture partner Jill Posey. Wed., April 22, 5-7:30pm.