Prohibition Creamery Closes, Sweet Ritual Ramps Up, and You Want Even More, What, Pizza?

Here’s some of what’s happening in Austin’s culinary scene during this first full week of January, as wrangled from numerous PR releases, official posts, words on the digital street, and even the occasional (verified) IRL eavesdroppings.

Oh, goddamnit, not this place, too? We'll miss you, Prohibition Creamery!

The sorrow stabs like an icicle of gin to the heart as we note the closing of Laura Aidan’s Prohibition Creamery, that Insta-gothy East Sixth hotspot of booze and ice-cream bounty, where the bar program was as good as the frozen dairy deployment, and the whole thing easily among the best in this city. “I poured my heart and soul into Prohibition Creamery and was so delighted watching people enjoy our boozy creations, our craft cocktails, and our little piece of East Austin,” says the disappointed proprietor. “I am thrilled by all the people who made us their first date spot, fell in love, and helped create so many special memories.” But – take heart, pandemic-weathering comrades! Like many of us, Aidan is only temporarily daunted: “We are looking forward,” she says, “to creating new memories when we reopen in the future.” And you can still grab to-go cocktail and sundae kits and more – until Sunday, Jan. 17.

In much better ice cream news – nondairy, vegan ice cream, even – we’re stoked to see that Austin’s Sweet Ritual powerhouse of cold, cold goodness has teamed up with California’s plant-based Eclipse Foods to create an exclusive line of dairy-free ice creams to celebrate what they’re calling “Veganuary.” We’ve previously raved about what Sweet Ritual does (read: the sort of culinary witchery that even nonvegans clamor for), and are now happily anticipating the nine new flavors that Amelia Raley and Valerie Ward have created – with ingredients like roasted stone fruits and fennel, ube, durian, matcha, sweet potato, golden milk, and more. Bonus: They’re already available!

And what is ice cream without pizza beforehand? That’s rhetorical, but be aware that longtime favorite Roppolo’s Pizza’s newest location (at 2604 Guadalupe) is open seven days a week and serving their savory pies from 11am-midnight … and that those Hajimaleki Brothers, Amir and Ali of Oasthouse and District Kitchen fame, are (with executive chef MacKenzie Viglianco) running thick Greek-style ’za and grinders out of their new Shortie’s concept above the District venue on Shoal Creek … and, tangentially, that gastropub Culinary Dropout in the Domain’s got a Take-out Tuesday deal featuring 25% off all online orders every Tuesday (with code TUESDAY25) … and those loa-friendly latitudinarians at Voodoo Doughnut have conjured up a new Strawberry Go-Tart treat from raised yeast and unleashed three new seasonal Cannolo flavors in addition to their regular menu of uncommon delights.

Finally, this week: Happy new year to you, citizen, and – hang in there, OK?