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.
Ah, it’s time for that passage from one year into the next, although of course it’s all a numbering system that some of our predecessors made up and got a lot of people to agree to play along with, such collusion made easier to compel because the seasons do change, after all, as we’re all just creatures living on this big watery rock that revolves around a sun and spins as it does, and, yeah, there’s a bit of axial tilt involved, too, and –
– oh, HAPPY NEW YEAR, CITIZEN!
And, listen:
The Statesman (710 W. Sixth), an American supper club and cocktail lounge, is set to open its doors on Fri., Jan. 19, with limited reservations and dinner service. The concept “aims to be a refuge that transcends the mere act of dining, a place where customers quickly become regulars, and regulars become friends,” says the news release, and we look at the current landscape and we say “Yeah, good luck with that.” But the place has the acclaimed chef Dan Kennedy at the helm; and the interior features vintage fixtures, wood paneling, and a circumference of plush brown leather booths wrapped around a beautiful brass center bar; and the cuisine is high-end American Supper Club – we imagine some impressive gangster dining environs, like out of a Scorsese film – so, yes, this all bodes well for success in a town where people who can afford to live here can also probably afford fancy noms and a taste of the high life.
Also, jeez, here’s another opening in Mueller! As the 10th anniversary of his Houston-based restaurant Dish Society nears, Austin native Aaron Lyons has opened the brand’s first location in his hometown. Dish Society (1900 Aldrich) is a fast-casual, counter service café that serves brunch, lunch, social hour, and dinners daily. (Dayparts, the industry likes to call ’em.) This iteration of H-town’s popular joint is led by chef Brandi Key, who’s sourcing more than 75% of ingredients from Texas farmers, ranchers, and purveyors – and joining forces with the likes of Hold Steady Coffee, Lick Honest Ice Creams, Yellowbird Sauce, Joe’s Microgreens, and more. So, like, yummy and fresh and local AF. Okay, we’ll check it out – save us a seat if you get there before us, ‘kay?
Let’s see – what else, what else? Is it too late to make New Year’s Eve dining reservations? Probably – but we’ve still got a bunch for you to check out just in case … and, whoa, look at that: Chef Michael Fojtasek’s MaieB Hospitality has teamed with Batch Beer & Kolaches to take over the old Contigo location. Will this new Redbud Ice House eatery (2027 Anchor) thrive in that space, unlike the short-lived BBQ Ramen Tatsu-ya attempt that barely made it to eight months (which was a surprising fail, as everything Tatsu tries tends to be *chef’s kiss* and spectacularly and deservedly successful)? We’ll see, after Redbud opens in late spring of 2024, as Melanie Haupt reports right here … and that same Haupt also shares delightfully about her family’s annual recipe zines and takes a peek at the local foodie bargains that’ll fuel the new year’s Free Week in music …
Now eat as well as you can, tip like it’s going out of style, and think about how much ass you’re going to gloriously kick in this new year.
This article appears in December 29 • 2023 and December 22 • 2023.