Food-o-File
When the lord closes a door, he opens a Thai joint Downtown
By Virginia B. Wood, Fri., Aug. 26, 2011
Downtown's newest Thai restaurant is Mai Thai (207 San Jacinto #201), located just a block west of the Austin Convention Center. Mai Thai serves lunch and dinner daily, complemented by wine and imported beers.
The owners of Sullivan's Steakhouse (300 Colorado) rebranded their corner jazz bar space and threw a party this week to introduce it to the media. Sully's Side Bar features a casual Mexican menu designed by Executive Chef Carlos Garcia, custom tequila cocktails, and local craft brews, all with a live jazz accompaniment. Guests at the steak house have until Sept. 5 to take advantage of Sullivan's Jazz Up Your Summer prix fixe dinner promotion, offering a three-course dinner for two for $79.
34th Street Cafe (1005 W. 34th) has hired native Texan Jason Tallent as its new executive chef. After graduating from the California Culinary Academy, Tallent spent several years cooking in some of the finest restaurants in San Francisco, where he developed a reputation for seasonal, farm-to-table cuisine. 34th Street managing partner Cameron Lockley announced last week that Tallent will transform the cafe's dinner menus, prix fixe offerings, desserts, and special events presentations over the coming months; sounds like something worth looking into.
Fadó Irish Pub (214 W. Fourth) is already known locally as the home for die-hard English Premier League soccer fans. Now one of those lucky fans will win an all-expenses-paid trip for two to celebrate New Year's in London, complete with airfare, hotel accommodations, and tickets to three important EPL soccer matches. Fans can enter the contest online at www.fadoirishpub.com until Sept. 6. Twelve finalists will each receive an official soccer jersey of their choice and a Stella Artois keg party before the winner of the trip is announced. Other soccer fun at Fadó includes special match-day menus, score predictor challenges, and fantasy league teams.