Waco in the Sans Bar, Diwali in Thanksgiving, RedFarm in Downtown, Trona in the News, Graham Reynolds in Cahoots, and, OK, C’mon, Where Is Antonelli’s New Place?

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.

The Peached Tortilla x La Volta collaboration showcases a fusion-forward fête

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

Who says you have to be drinking alcohol to savor elevated flavors? To kick off Austin’s Food & Wine Festival weekend, Waco’s acclaimed Milo restaurant is teaming up with Sans Bar (918 Congress) for a standing-room soireé ($30) that will feature six Southern-inspired dishes made by chef Corey McEntyre, along with six nonalcoholic beverages curated by Chris Marshall and team to pair with each dish. And that’s happening on Fri., Nov. 3, 6-8pm …

Thanksgiving is drawing nigh, and we’re rounding up all sorts of options for your holiday delectation. But before we unleash that turkey-trottin’ torrent, here’s a preview that’s already got our mouths watering: Tamilian Texan Kitchen’s chef Deepa Shridhar – a woman with more than 12 years of culinary experience, including stints at some of Texas' best restaurants (Dai Due, Lenoir) and her own award-winning food trailer Puli-Ra – is presenting a dinner series that features her South Indian-meets-Texan menu, and November's dinners will have a Diwali/Thanksgiving theme. Seating is available Thu.-Sat., Nov. 9-11, 6:30pm, you’ll be dining just steps away from where the ingredients were cultivated on the training kitchen’s micro-farm (1901 Matthews), and you can see the full menu right here …

Mind you, we’re mighty partial to Downtown’s excellent Wu Chow – when we’re not already pleasing our gobs with the delicacies of Old Thousand on Burnet or East 11th – but, OK, now RedFarm, the award-winning New York City restaurant known for its contemporary Chinese cuisine and supercharged dim sum, is set to open in the Second Street District (at 201 W. Third) on Wed., Nov. 8. Helmed by dim sum master chef Joe Ng and partners Zach Chodorow and Jesse Herman, the place boasts a menu that takes “a clean, fresh approach to Chinese food and includes clever dim sum preparations, small plates, and the chef’s remarkably succulent grilled and marinated meats.” Alright, NYC, reckon we’ll see what you’ve brought our way this time …

Sometimes a drinking establishment’s infrastructure and ambience is as complex and remarkable as its fanciest cocktails. (For instance: Tiki Tatsu-ya.) And now comes Trona (1812 E. 12th), a 1,200-square-foot venue that was formerly a classic shotgun-style bar, where modern Japanese and traditional Oaxacan styles are intricately weaved to offer balanced duality where futuristic minimalism blends into ancient and natural earth elements. Seating options include an all-outdoor space designed with red brick flooring, burnt wooden walls in the traditional shou sugi ban Japanese style, an open-air pergola with heaters for the winter season, and a special tree meticulously preserved in the back corner. “I’m excited to see this new project finally come to life,” says owner and creative director Tatanka Guererro. “As someone who works and lives in this area myself, I’m invested in making this a better community and I really hope Trona is something that my East 12th neighbors are proud of.”

Maestro Graham Reynolds brings the vegan goodness to L'Oca d'Oro's Pasta Paisanos

Let’s see – What else, what else? Our Food editor Melanie Haupt teamed up with Eldorado Cafe’s head honcho Joel Fried to curate a new showcase of Dearly Departed Dishes – favorite menu items from beloved Austin restaurants that are no longer around … and Sat., Nov. 4, is when that Antonelli’s Cheese-Filled Scavenger Hunt we told you about happens … and Monday, Nov. 6, brings Graham Reynolds, Austin’s favorite longhaired composer, into L’Oca d’Oro to collaborate on a vegan Pasta Paisanos dinner … and El Naranjo’s chef Iliana de la Vega is staging a contest in which one lucky winner (and a guest) will join her and her daughter Isabel Torrealba, on a free, food-filled trip to Oaxaca, Mexico, in March. All you’ve got to do is 1) Follow @elnaranjoaustin and @culinary traditions on Instagram, 2) like the MCT giveaway post, and 3) tag a travel buddy or two in the comments (one tag is the equivalent to one entry), and the winner will be selected on Wed., Nov. 8 … and, oh! You’ll definitely want to get some of the amazing Peached Tortilla x La Volta collaboration into your mouth on Thu., Nov. 9 …

WUXTRY! This Veterans Day (Sat., Nov. 11, 11am-10pm), popular spiced-rum hoochmonger Sailor Jerry is joining forces with Austin-based food truck Rollin’ Smoke BBQ (in the Arbor Food Truck Park, 1108 E. 12th) to honor our country’s military heroes, offering a dish of pork belly burnt ends featuring Sailor Jerry Ironsides BBQ Sauce – available for free to veterans, active-duty military personnel, and their families with military ID. (Note: Civilians can also enjoy the free meal by showing proof of a donation – of any amount – to Sailor Jerry’s nonprofit partner, the Independence Fund, via their on-site QR code donation platform.)

Now eat as well as you can, tip like it’s going out of style, and remember that spring will come again.