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6 things to know in Austin food right now: Local honky-tonk royalty dies

Editor's note: We get it. It can be difficult to keep up with the fast pace of Austin's restaurant and bar scene. We have you covered with our regular roundup of essential food news.

Openings and (temporary) closings

Two of the city’s most outstanding taco operations are taking a much-needed winter break. South Austin’s Valentina’s Tex-Mex Bar-B-Q temporarily shuttered on January 4 and will resume serving its usual menu of succulent brisket and smokey pork on Saturday, January 9, at 7:30 am. On the east side, Nixta Taqueria served its last duck carnitas taco on January 3 and will reopen for business Tuesday, January 12. In the meantime, local taco junkies can get their fix of both barbecue and traditional tacos at such quality operations as Jamie’s BBQ & Mini Tacos at 8006 Bluff Springs Rd. and Paprika ATX at 6519 N. Lamar Blvd.

Other news and notes

Austin lost a member of honky-tonk royalty last week. Ginny Kalmbach, the former owner of Little Longhorn Saloon on Burnet Road, passed on December 30 at the age of 85, according to a posting on the iconic venue’s social media page. “It is with great sadness that we have lost one of the most special people on the planet today,” reads the emotional post. “Our Honky Tonk Angel Ginny Kalmbach ... You will be dearly missed.” Known for using her venue to foster the careers of countless up-and-coming country and rock artists, including one-time Longhorn regular Dale Watson, Kalmbach took over ownership of the bar in 1982 following the death of then-owner Dick Setliff. Kalmbach retired in 2013, and sold it to former Little Longhorn bartender Terry Gaona, her husband, and Watson (who has since sold his share of the business). While the saloon remains shuttered in accordance with current COVID guidelines, Gaona continues to livestream daily performances by local musicians as well as the venue’s infamous Sunday afternoon party game, Chicken Shit Bingo.

File under “collaborations we didn’t know we needed until just now.” Throwing a proverbial hat into the chicken sandwich ring, Detroit-style pizza purveyors Via 313 is teaming up with Austin-based fried chicken chain Flyrite Chicken. The team’s combined effort is a new chicken Parmesan sandwich, which comes layered with juicy fried chicken, house-made pesto, shredded Parmesan and provolone, and is finished with a hearty dollop of Via 313’s signature marinara sauce. The collaborative menu item is currently available exclusively at all three Flyrite locations for $7.59 each.

It may already be 2021, but that doesn’t mean the holiday celebrations have to end. For Epiphany Day on January 6 (known in some countries as Three King’s Day), local bakery operations are offering traditionally indulgent sweets. Residents can currently preorder Easy Tiger’s festive king cake, made with pain au lait dough and laced with cinnamon sugar filling, for pickup for $26 each. King cake orders must be placed online at Easy Tiger’s website for pickup on Wednesday, January 6.

 Also for Epiphany Day, French-inspired Julie Myrtille Bakery is offering traditional galette des rois (or French king’s cake) made using homemade inverted flaky puff pastry. Julie Myrtille’s galette des rois is available to order online from January 3 through 31, and serves a family of eight for $48. In-store pickup and delivery options are available at Julie Myrtille’s website.

If you haven’t tried Bummer Burrito yet, the burrito outpost from the local restaurateurs Matthew Bolick and brothers Grady and Matt Wright, now’s your chance. On Tuesday, January 5, the comfort-food outpost will be offering a new buy-one-get-one-free burrito special. Opened at quite possibly the worst possible time in recent Austin restaurant history (pre-COVID 2020) Bummer Burrito remains resilient, delivering indulgent late-night fare to those brave enough to (safely) venture out to Rainey Street. Its menu consists of tortilla-wrapped menu items stuffed to the brim with such fillings as jalapeño poppers, refried beans, and carnitas. Bummer Burrito is located at 89 Rainey St. and is open daily from 10 am-9 pm. Orders for the eatery’s BOGO special can be placed via its website.

This limited-time sandwich is only available at Flyrite locations.

Via 313/Facebook

This limited-time sandwich is only available at Flyrite locations.

news-you-can-eat

More sushi, more seats

Famous Austin omakase restaurant moves into bigger space with new bar

Photo courtesy of Sushi | Bar Hospitality

Sushi | Bar is moving into a new spot. (Photo from a Sushi | Bar location in another city)

Another day, another update from a sushi restaurant in Austin. This is a big one: Sushi | Bar Austin, a prestigious omakase spot with other well-known locations in Dallas, Chicago, and three other U.S. cities, is shaking things up with a move into the center of downtown. It'll also debut a new cocktail lounge concept in January of 2025, with help from some celebrated mixologists.

Sushi | Bar is currently located at 2600 E. Cesar Chavez St., and it's moving about two miles to 419 West 2nd St. The move places it across from Local Foods, Numero28, and the Violet Crown Cinema. A press release says it "represents an evolution for the Sushi | Bar experience," which includes more seatings.

This sushi counter has a very upscale reputation thanks to its exclusive accommodations — originally only 10 seats — as well as the intrinsic formality of omakase, which is a service style where the chef chooses what a diner will taste. In the new space, there will be two rooms that each seat 12 guests, more than doubling the chance to snag a reservation.

There, they'll enjoy 17 courses featuring imports from Japan, New Zealand, and California, among other markets. Nigiri options (sliced fish on top of rice) will change with the seasons.

$\u200bSushi | Bar$ This nigiri gets some texture sprinkled on top.Photo courtesy of Sushi | Bar Hospitality

Most notably, the new location will be connected to the cocktail lounge Golden Ace. According to the release, the idea to extend the experience past the omakase portion came from customer feedback. It'll be bigger than Sushi | Bar — about 1,400 square feet compared to 1,100 — and seats 35-40 guests.

The cocktail program will be led by Christian “Suzu” Suzuki-Orellana, who competed on the Netflix show Drink Masters and also draws in partners from Middlehouse, the group behind luxe local cocktail bars Here Nor There and In Plain Sight. He'll have the help of lead bartender Brett Esler, who co-founded Murray’s Tavern and was a nominee for Best Bartender in CultureMap's 2019 Tastemaker Awards.

They'll focus on "elevated yet approachable cocktails" with Japanese influences that "seamlessly blend tradition with modern mixology," the release says. Although Golden Ace is connected to Sushi | Bar, it will have its own unique atmosphere.

“This was a location that we came across moments after it became available on the market,” said Ryan Stock, co-founder of Adept Hospitality, the group behind Sushi | Bar, in the release. “We knew it was the perfect fit for the next iteration of Sushi | Bar in its hometown. It’s a premium experience, and this is a premium location, right at the center of Austin’s exciting downtown development. We’re thrilled to bring our elevated omakase experience to such a vibrant area."

$\u200bSushi | Bar$ With 17 courses, there will be lots to try.Photo courtesy of Sushi | Bar Hospitality

The release traces this Austin history back to 2020, in a collaboration between Ryan Stock, Josh Tohl, and Jonathan Husby of Adept Hospitality and Steve Michaels of Asylum Entertainment Group. Phillip Frankland Lee was also part of the business as a chef and minority stakeholder, it says, until leaving in 2021.

Sushi | Bar also highlights some of its current team members: lead sushi chef Bryan Williams, director of culinary strategy at Sushi Bar Hospitality Anthony Martin, hospitality group vice president Justin Sanford, and the new general manager, John Sizemore.

Now business relations extend to the family behind Terry Black’s BBQ, which Stock explains came out of a mutual culinary admiration with Mark Black and his family. So far, the release does not detail what the collaboration will entail.

“An organic love for each other’s operations turned into a friendship, which ultimately led to this collaboration," he said. "Sushi | Bar’s DNA certainly begins in Austin, and Terry Black’s is the staple and standard when it comes to Austin BBQ. A new project in downtown Austin was the perfect opportunity for the two great Austin names to finally collaborate together.”

Reservations for Sushi | Bar open on the first of every month.

omakase sushi openings closings

News you can eat

6 things to know in Austin food right now: Local honky-tonk royalty dies

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