Emmer & Rye Opens This Weekend

Ristorante Visconti debuts, Salt Lick gives back, and more afternoon bites.

After a somewhat sluggish summer, Austin restaurant openings are back in full swing. Emmer & Rye, from executive chef and owner Kevin Fink, will be opening this weekend. Dinner service will be Tuesday-Saturday, with a brunch on Sunday. The grain-forward concept combines a weekly menu combined with dim sum service served in wooden carts.

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The luxury Hotel Granduca and it’s Visconti Ristorante helmed by James Beard Award winner Tom Parlo is now open. The restaurant focuses of northern Italy with dishes like savory Chianti braised pork cheeks and grilled fish wrapped in escarole with olio verde and sorrento lemon.

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Puffy potatoes, coincidentally the name I call my future cat, will be one of the stars of Juniper’s new happy hour menu, running from 4-6pm Tuesday-Saturday. Bubbles and beers will be half off, cocktail specials will rotate, and save for those puffy potatoes, the menu will be exclusive to happy hour.

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Skipping dessert is never a good idea, but the good folks at The Salt Lick in Driftwood are sweetening the deal on November 8. To lend a hand to the victims of the recent flooding, the restaurant will be donating $1 from every dessert sold to the United Way of Hays County.

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Empress of cheese Kendall Antonelli tells us that Antonelli’s Cheese Shop had increased their monthly events due to popular demand. Look for classes on cheese styles and holiday pairings and cheese date nights on their calendar. We won’t tell you not to make cheese puns, but be warned it will grate on our nerves. Ba-dum-ch.