Food-o-File

The snazzy new 04 development in the 1400 block of South Congress is about to get a very high-profile tenant. Mars Restaurant & Bar (1610 San Antonio, 472-3901) will close the doors at their current location March 25 and move to a greatly expanded new home in SoCo in early April. "I'm thrilled to move to the heart of South Austin. We hope our customers will follow us to the new location and we're able to attract a new crowd in the process," says Mars owner Lori Simon. The new location will almost double the existing floor space plus add a lovely outdoor patio shaded by large oak trees. The interiors at the new space will evoke memories of the original with a similar color scheme enhanced with some modern decor elements provided by designer Joel Mozersky. In addition to the eclectic Middle Eastern-infused dinner menu, Executive Chef Reggie Ferguson will also be serving lunch at the new restaurant, as well as a dim sum Sunday brunch… Speaking of restaurant openings, we hear the hottest neighborhood dining destination in the Steiner Ranch development near the lake is Tutto Gusto (4300 Quinlan Park Rd. #100, 266-2221), a new family-friendly eatery from Stan and Debbie Adams, owners of Siena and the Brick Oven Pizza chain, as well as Siena Executive Chef Harvey Harris. The new spot offers indoor and outdoor seating plus a very popular playscape. The menu features pizzas, pasta dishes, and affordable entrées, including some of Harris' signature dishes from his Mezzaluna and Stelline Pastaria menus. There is also a full bar. Longtime Siena sous chef Phil Williams is on the range at Tutto Gusto… Pluckers Wing Bar has finally landed in South Austin. They've recently celebrated the grand opening of their first free-standing outlet (No. 5 locally) at 3909 S. Lamar (across from Brodie Oaks Shopping Center), where they offer indoor and outdoor seating, takeout service, and 43 high-definition plasma TVs for your sports-watching pleasure… Former Austinite Darren Bresnitz was in town for South by Southwest last week and called to chat about his newest venture. In addition to his job at the Food Network head-hunting unsuspecting contestants for Throwdown With Bobby Flay, Darren has just executive-produced a personal labor of love starring chef/rocker Sam Mason called Dinner With the Band (www.dinnerwiththeband.com). The new program features cutting-edge bands preparing menus with chef Mason in his home kitchen. Bresnitz reports they are partnering with Austin-based On Networks, which will present segments of the program beginning this spring… And speaking of food and music, Central Market Cooking School (4001 N. Lamar, 458-3068) director Kelly Ann Hargrove tells me she'd love to have a Celtic-inspired musician to present some Irish cooking during her next Austin Music on the Menu series in the fall. Turns out all the series classes during SXSW were very big hits… My big outing during SXSW was to have a great lunch at Lamberts (401 W. Second, 494-1500) with editorial representatives of Chow.com, the online food magazine from San Francisco, owned by Editor-in-Chief Jane Goldman. Associate Food Editor Regan Burns shared a copy of "The Chow Guide to Eating and Drinking in Austin," which they'd produced for distribution to all registrants at the Festival, and we're proud to note it was written mostly by frequent Chronicle contributor Mick Vann. Burns is a UT grad with an abiding love for this city, and she immersed herself in Austin while covering the Fest, staying at the Hotel San José, running on the hike-and-bike trails, visiting Barton Springs, and eating at all her favorite Austin restaurants, which now include Lamberts.