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.

• The fruit basket turnover in local pastry chef jobs continues with Michelle Arcilla leaving her position as pastry chef at Jeffrey's to fill the job vacated by her former boss, Erica Waksmunski, at the La Corsha Hospitality Group's Congress and Second Bar + Kitchen. As we reported earlier, Waksmunski is the new executive pastry chef for Shawn Cirkiel's Parkside Projects, taking over for Stephen Cak, who moved on to become EPC for Contigo and the new Gardner. Cak replaced Kendall Melton, who is now with Sugar Mama's Bakeshop. Everybody got that straight? Michelle Arcilla is a 2002 graduate of the Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts campus in Pasadena, CA, and worked in several high profile restaurants in San Francisco and Los Angeles before relocating to Austin. Congress Executive Chef David Bull said in the press release announcement, “Michelle's plates bring a sense of refined comfort to the menu with her brown butter apple tart or pumpkin semifreddo. Her goal is to make our guests happy with a fun and delicious approach.”

• Speaking of Chef Bull and Congress (200 Congress), his presentation of a specially designed white Alba truffle menu continues through the month of November, peak season for the Piedmontese delicacy. The seven-course tasting menu is $245 or $315 with wine pairings, and an à la carte, 7-gram white Alba truffle enhancement can be added for $75.

• No sooner had our Rachel Feit weighed in with her review of Jacoby's Restaurant & Mercantile (3235 E. Cesar Chavez) than the ranch-inspired eatery announced the debut of new Executive Chef Carlos Ysaguirre, who comes to Austin after 12 years in Chicago. According to the press release, Ysaguirre's fall menus for both Jacoby's dining room and bar will feature his own interpretation of modern Southern cuisine.

• The 2014 Roam Mobile Food Conference takes place this weekend at the Embassy Suites San Antonio River Walk (125 E. Houston in San Antonio) with experts presenting workshops and consultations on cutting edge topics in the mobile food industry, plus a trade show. Presenters include experienced mobile food operators, mobile vending experts, and representatives of support services such as attorneys, insurance agents, and marketing consultants Click here for compete details.

• Fans who decried the end of brunch at Lambert's (401 W. Second) will be pleased to know they're reopening the doors this Sunday, Nov. 9, after a two-year hiatus. Drop by opening day between 11am-3pm for the ever-popular buffet or à la carte menu, and mimosas will be on the house.

• The Hightower (1209 E. Seventh) is now open for lunch Tuesday-Friday from 11am-2:30pm. Look for a selection of inspired appetizers, salads, entrees, and open faced sandwiches in the $4.50-$14 price range.

• Tyler Norwood advises us his company is in the early stages of the city permitting process before a long remodel and finish-out on the second Pinthouse Pizza (4236 S. Lamar) outlet in South Austin. Norwood says they are looking forward to joining the cluster of new businesses near the intersection of S. Lamar and Ben White Blvd (Wheatsville Co-op, St. Philip, Stouthaus Coffee Pub) sometime in mid-2015.