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, it’s your Food News Buffet for the third week of April, already, because time keeps on slippin’, slippin’, sli – oh, you know …
Kerlaches is opening, people, Kerlaches is opening! This Friday, April 15, starting at 8am, the dedicated food truck from the folks who run Kerlin BBQ is debuting its savory brisket-stuffed and sausage-stuffed kolaches, hot from the oven at 2505 Webberville Rd, direct to your I’m-so-glad-I-live-in-Texas mouth …
The Blanton Museum of Art invites art lovers and bakers of all levels and ages to participate in their third annual virtual bake-off. Participants are encouraged to make edible recreations of artworks from the museum’s collection, and, besides having those works displayed, you could win gift cards from Quack’s and La Pâtisserie and more. See this link for details – the deadline’s May 15 – and, please, nobody tell Anish Kapoor …
Is it, perchance, scrumpdillyicious? Dairy Queen restaurants throughout Texas are celebrating as well: 75 years of tasty, culture-suffusing history. Thus, all DQ locations are offering a small vanilla soft-serve cone – plain or chocolate-coated – for just 75 cents. Creamy classic yum, from now through Sun., April 24 …
Uneasy Tiger: Area Company Experiences Contention Between Upper Management and Subordinates, which sounds almost like an Onion headline, doesn’t it?
Ah, capitalism, you’re so, so funny …
If you haven’t experienced the amazing cuisine and service at Olive & June, lately, we humbly suggest that it might be just what you’re looking for in an Easter Sunday brunching spot. But then, we do have a small round-up of other Easter options for you to consider, too …
Joyful anticipation: The community-forward Urban Roots crew has their tenth annual Tour de Farm fundraiser coming up on May 11. That’s where you can expect farm tours, a cocktail hour DJ’d by Chulita Vinyl Club, a palate-pleasing dinner from the acclaimed Distant Relatives, y mas – and tickets ($150) to this downhome shindig, hosted at Meanwhile Brewing, can be gotten right here. (You’d be wise to snag a ticket in advance; they’re selling like sustainably farmed, cage-free, eco-conscious hotcakes.) But, also: Urban Roots has officially purchased the Delwau Lane property that they’ve been farming in East Austin for a decade. That’s a win for all concerned, we reckon, and even more reason to celebrate …
Because freestanding venues get an automatic modicum of glory just from their basic autonomy, we’re gonna tip our journo hat, our faux toque, to a couple of Downtown eateries found inside two fancy hotels. Because you don’t have to be doing an overnight stay to enjoy what these hoteliers offer in the ways of relaxation and good food, right? So be aware of Zanzibar at the Austin Marriott Downtown, where the rooftop, poolside terrace features an assortment of modern tiki cocktails and island-inspired small plates (we especially recommend the “Tiki & Chill” happy hour, Mon.-Wed., 4-6pm) … and don’t miss out on the urbane goodness of Wax Myrtle’s, the similarly situated center of elegant vibes and exquisite food in that new Thompson Hotel at 506 San Jacinto. We’re not suggesting that Marriott and Hyatt need to battle it out for local hospitality supremacy or whatever. We just think there’s always room in this town for more luxurious downtime, because it can’t all be about hotels San Jose and ZaZa and Van Zandt, can it? *raises a tipsy eyebrow*
WUXTRY! You thought Circle C was cool only because Buzz Moran lives there? When Tacodeli opens their seventh Austin location (at 5701 W. Slaughter) on April 28, the area’s gonna be even more cool and hella tasty. The soon-to-launch venue will be open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner – with cocktails, draft beer, and canned alcoholic beverages – and of course those ridiculously delicious tacos and other craveable dishes. Bonus: The joint boasts a new interior design by Austin’s own Lilianne Steckel …
WUXTRY! Tito’s Handmade Vodka is celebrating 25 years since they turned the entire spirits industry on its pointy little head by being 1) a Texas company that 2) clobbered all the other vodkas in the world, tastewise. Ah, those halcyon days of yore, when we were still giggling over how the owner’s last name is so appropriately “Beveridge” and there were bottles of his crystalline tipple at every arts event in the city. Now the brand’s so ubiquitous worldwide – at least partly due to the continued high quality of the stuff – that there are legions of clueless citizens out there pestering bartenders with “Yeah, gimme a Tito’s and vodka” …
Now eat as well as you can, tip like it’s going out of style, and remember: There are small mercies everywhere.
This article appears in April 15 • 2022 and April 8 • 2022.