Cocktails Debut at Counter 3. Five. VII

Emmer & Rye's Kevin Fink is honored, Pizzeria Vetri forms a supergroup, and more afternoon bites.

Counter 3. Five. VII’s advanced sommelier Jason Huerta has created a cocktail program focusing on brown spirits in a brazen attempt to get me build a treehouse outside their Congress Ave. space. The menu will feature five classics with one of two seasonal house specialties, paired with snackables like cheese boards and oysters. They are also now offering complimentary valet with validation, which should make convincing a designated driver to be, uhm, designated all the easier.

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Speaking of cocktails, tickets are now on sale for the Official Drink of Austin, the annual celebration of Texas palliatives hosted by the Jay and Bey (or maybe it's the Trisha Yearwood and Garth Brooks) of Austin cocktail culture, the Austin Food & Wine Alliance and Tipsy Texan. Early bird tickets for the May 12 event are only $45, so buy now. And maybe buy the aforementioned designated driver a gift basket.

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There are still a handful of tickets left for Visconti Ristorante’s collaborative dinner with distant cousins Hotel Granduca executive chef Tom Parlo and journalist Katie Parla, author of the upcoming cookbook Tasting Rome. The April 11 event will highlight Roman cuisine like spring suckling lamb. Guests will receive a signed copy of Parla’s book. Make reservations at 512/306-6424 or [email protected].

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Congratulations are in order to Kevin Fink, who is kinda a big deal. Today the chef/ owner of Rainey Street newcomer Emmer & Rye was named one of 2016’s Best New Chefs by Food & Wine.

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Pizzeria Vetri has an all-star cast lined up for a special guest chef dinner April 21 at their campus area outpost, including chefs Jason Tallent of Pizzeria Vetri Austin, ELM Group’s Drew Curren, Jonathan Waxman of Barbuto, Jams, Adele’s, Bajo Sexto, and Brezza Cucina, Aarón Sánchez of Johnny Sánchez, Taco Trip, and Chopped, Vetri Family culinary director Jeff Michaud, and, of course, Marc Vetri himself. Make reservations for the $125 meal at 737/222-5294.