Circle Brewing Co. Closes; épicerie and Franklin Barbecue Bring the Brisketed Croissanty Brilliance; There’s a Coffee Festival and a Craft Brewers Festival and a Mediterranean Festival and – So Much Going On!

Here’s some of what's happening in Austin's culinary scene – as wrangled from numerous PR releases, words on the digital street, and even the occasional (verified) IRL eavesdroppings.

Yes, citizen, it’s your “Food News Buffet” for the final week of September.

Heads up, y’all! Voting is about to end (on Oct. 2) for the finalists in our Best of Austin: Restaurants Readers Poll, so you might wanna make your opinion known before it’s too late!

And, awwww, damnit, pour one out for Austin’s Circle Brewing Co. (2340 W. Braker), founded by childhood friends Ben Sabel and Jud Mulherin, which is calling it quits after 15 years. The company tried to expand operations to Elgin in May of this year, but financing proved insurmountably problematic and – yeah, sic transit gloria mundi. Both locations are shuttered permanently. “As the oldest brewery in North Austin,” the brewmeisters stated in a poignant farewell on their website, “we hope that during our time we had a positive impact on everyone around us and our community.” Reckon the general consensus on that is “Hell, yes, brothers – we’ll see you around this town again, if we’re lucky.”

Note: You may recall that longtime Circle Brewing food trailer Huckleberry, Davis Turner’s wheeled bastion of seafood excellence, moved to Still Austin’s headquarters in the Yard (440 E. St. Elmo) a while ago – and continues to dish out some of the tastiest oceanic noms in town. Word to the wise…

Equally encouraging – and downright exciting from a gustatory perspective – épicerie’s Sarah McIntosh has teamed up with that talented pitmaster Aaron of Franklin Barbecue to create a croissant filled with brisket, candied jalapeños, cream cheese, and watermelon rind relish. OMG, whut? Yes! And this limited-edition croissant will be available, while supplies last each day, at épicerie (2307 Hancock) through mid-October…

Even though the memory of long-gone Milto’s is still an ache for many locals, this city’s got Mediterranean options galore – we most recently championed Chris and Roxie Nikolakos’ excellent Yamas (5308 Balcones) – and now we’re noting that the nationally chained Great Greek Mediterranean Grill has opened a new Austin-area restaurant at 3101 E. Whitestone, in Cedar Park’s Arbor Park plaza…

Let’s see – what else, what else? Our galloping gourmand Rod Machen reviews North Austin’s Ramen Del Barrio… unstoppable reporter Haris Qureshi takes a look at the new Cuantas Hamburguesas… the 89th annual St. Elias Mediterranean Festival happens this weekend… and so does the Austin Coffee Festival at Fair Market… and the Texas Craft Brewers Festival… also, there’s that Asian World Night Market out in Hutto… yes, we’re heading into the busy season again in Foodville, deep in the left ventricle of the heart of Texas…

WUXTRY! Join the connoisseurial crowd at sushi-forward, cocktail-flaunting Otoko and Watertrade for the spirited monthly tasting and educational whiskey series led by general manager Billy Weston, continuing on Oct. 29 and Nov. 26…

Now eat as well as you can, tip like it’s going out of style, and don’t give up on that project you’ve been working on.