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 second week of January.
Changes everywhere, unceasingly. That’s why this stuff is called “news,” n’est-ce pas? And now the longtime, centrally located bastion of baked goods called Swedish Hill (1120 W. Sixth) is closing, because they’ll be moving into a fancy new development at Sixth & Blanco sometime in 2026. But, hold on, citizen – it doesn’t mean the business will be shuttered for that long. There’s going to be a smaller outpost of MML Hospitality’s beloved bakery at 1128 W. Sixth, serving up croissants, bagels, breads, pastries, breakfast specials, and soups and salads, as well as their signature made-to-order sandwiches on freshly baked breads; and this interim place will be open seven days a week, 7am-5pm. Exactly when this “Little” Swedish Hill will open is uncertain (their Instagram announcement says “soon”), so, ah, keep your eyes peeled and your saliva at the ready …
And North Austin’s Hong Kong Supermarket (8557 Research) will be closing permanently on Sat., Jan. 27 – which also means that the venue’s dedicated restaurant, P. Thai’s Khao Man Gai, a favorite of Chron freelancer Evan Rodriguez, will also vanish from the neighborhood’s culinary options. Luckily for Rodriguez and the rest of us, Khao Man Gai’s owner Thai Changthong is still running his excellent Thai Kun eatery in the Domain NORTHSIDE (11601 Rock Rose) …
A reminder, by way of 1) offering a bit of perspective and 2) tweaking your nostalgia gland as time trudges endlessly on: Les Amis, that legendary cafe and regular hangout of local artists, musicians, and UT students (and their hipper professors) on the Drag? It closed in July of 1997. Yeah, old friend – we know, we know. *sigh*
In brighter, lighter news, many local establishments are getting onboard with the “Dry January” program this year. Last issue we shouted out the nonalcoholic tippling opportunities at Bureau de Poste (4300 Speedway), but also consider the fine dining at Eberly (615 S. Lamar), the snazzy vibe of the Cambria Hotel’s Limestone Rooftop (68 East Ave.), the sushi-driven elegance of Otoko’s Watertrade (1601 S. Congress) and the dive-bar ambience of Mean Eyed Cat (1621 W. Fifth, where the sizzling Pepper Sprout mocktail will put mucho spark in your carcass) if you’re thinking of ditching the heavy hooch for a while …
On the other hand, there’s always wine. And now PlaygroundATX (5001 Airport) – the restaurant launchpad where culinary creatives can test, learn, and grow their ideas before a full-scale launch – is opening its doors to the community for a workshop where guests will learn the ins and outs of food and wine pairings. Tickets for this combination of class-and-tastings (on Mon., Jan. 15, 6-8:30pm) are available right here …
Let’s see – what else, what else? Chef de cuisine Rene Garza (of Uptown Sports Club fame) is guesting at Bill’s Oyster on Tuesday … Haris Qureshi gives us a first look at Indonesian food truck Yeni’s Fusion … Andrew Turner opens a jar of locally fermented Pickle Envy and, mmmmmm, it’s pretty damn tasty … Richard Whittaker reports on some top brass shuffling in the eating-while-watching-movies sector of modern cinema … and Kerbey Lane Cafe is celebrating the first anniversary of its Kerbey Kindness platform with Austin Pets Alive! as its first beneficiary of 2024, donating a portion of proceeds from their monthly pancake specials to the local animal welfare program …
WUXTRY! Texas wine maven Rae Wilson has teamed up with the folks at William Chris Wine Company to integrate her Wine for the People brands Dandy and La Valentías into the WCWC portfolio; and she and partner Anne Spalding will open the first Hill Country location of Wine for the People at WCWC’s Park Street location in Fredericksburg on Thu., Jan. 11. Yes, reservations are available for January tastings; see website.
Now eat as well as you can, tip like it’s going out of style, and cut your fellow humans some slack whenever possible.
This article appears in January 12 • 2024 and January 5 • 2024.