Austin Shift Meal's Job Fair, the Quesoff's Triumphant Return, Jester King's Pet-Adoption Rescheduling, and More

Here’s some of what’s happening in Austin’s culinary scene, as the threat of COVID-19 begins to diminish (among the vaccinated, at least) and the city tries to regains its often CBD-enhanced footing. Yes, it’s your Food News Buffet for the last week of May:

Austin Shift Meal, the local nonprofit dedicated to providing hospitality industry workers with meals so that no one goes hungry, is hosting a Job Fair at Yard Bar on Tuesday, June 1 – with many top restaurants on-site and looking to hire for a variety of positions …

And the local chapter of Ben’s Friends, a national support group for people in the hospitality industry struggling with addiction, announces the return of in-person meetings beginning Monday, May 31 …

And – hey, you know that popular Texas Farmers Market at Mueller? It’s moving to a dedicated permanent home – at Mueller’s new Pavilion at Mary Elizabeth Branch Park. It’ll be bigger and better than ever – and there’ll be a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Sunday, June 27, 10am, so you can see what The Lawrence Group has designed: 19,800+ square feet of gathering space; loading/unloading areas to accommodate booths, tents, and stages; three walls of floor-to-ceiling glass, “garage-style” overhead doors to provide a covered, yet open-air atmosphere; large overhead fans to help with summer-time comfort; heating and cooling for closed venue climate control; concessions facilities, and two sets of unisex restrooms with common area washing stations …

Austin’s own Josue Rivas developed Savir Foods Jala-Pepa Sauce as a homage to Seco, one of his favorite Peruvian dishes. Now that all-natural chili sauce will be featured on the 15th season of popular YouTube show Hot Ones …

When someone says “hot sauce,” the next thing we think is, “Well, yeah, and queso.” Which is why we're reminding you that the annual Quesoff is back(!), staging a culinary concert of cheese champions at the Mohawk this Saturday …

Looking ahead with health in mind: Mayawell, the local prebiotic beverage brand, is launching a four-month pop-up shop they call Moment by Mayawell, where guests are invited “to sip and savor wellness all summer long.” With a soft opening on June 4 (and more formally on June 7), located at 2609 E. Cesar Chavez, the venue will encompass murals and art installations, a rotating array of vendors – Clay Imports, Garden Seventeen, and Sabia Apothecary, among others – coffee drinks from Lady Elaine, natural wines from The Meteor, and more …

(Oh, East Cesar Chavez, with your wonderful Cenote and Sweet Chive and Oseyo and Bento Picnic and Counter Culture and Intero and – oh, don’t ever change! (But it has, it already has, over this past pandemic year, hasn’t it? And such is the way of the world, of course – at one intensity or another. Which is why the ancients exhorted their contemporaries to eat, drink, and be merry: Advice that, unlike its followers, never grows old.))

Animal lovers! Remember how Jester King had to cancel that pet-adoption event last weekend, due to the weather? It’s been rescheduled: This Sunday, May 30 …

But you probably already know that Bull & Bowl (at 501 W. Sixth), open since this February, is the country's first-ever duckpin bowling alley, bar, bistro, and mechanical bull venue, right? Because you’ve already been, to avail yourself of some camaraderie among the games and clever diversions? In this column, we feel compelled to note that chef Jeremiah Levy’s menu consists of upscale American bistro and elevated bar food, boasting a few over-the-top surprises – like that Mushroom & Foie Burger: Foie gras, mushrooms, gruyere, shallot jam, and 24-karat gold leaf. Oh! What are we now? Vegas? *throws dice, sips Courvoisier*

Hmmmm. Did somebody say … burgers? Because, listen, this Friday, May 28, is National Hamburger Day …

Summer is a-coming in, yes, and soon we’ll all be baking like loaves of bread beneath the treacherous Lone Star sun. But who among us are literally baking, in and of and for the community, these days? Jessi Cape and Lilli Hime tell you of a few flour-dusted local heroes right here …

Question: Is, ah, is Father’s Day coming up in the middle of June? Answer: Yes, it is. And will the Austin Chronicle have a Father’s Day Gift Guide to inspire your present-seeking program activities? Yes, we will. And – what? Another whiskey round-up, too? Because the old man’s a seasoned tippler and you want to do right by him? Hell yes, citizen – we’ve got just such a round-up in the works, as well …

Now y’all stay safe out there, eat as well and tip as big as you can, and try to disregard those pesky ’ronas …