Restaurant Week

The 5 must-try menus during Austin Restaurant Week

Austin Restaurant Week kicked off Sunday night giving hungry foodies a chance to dine at old favorites and new buzzworthy establishments. Produced by Tribeza, Austin Restaurant Week runs May 11 - 14 and May 18 - 21. $2 from each meal will be donated to Meals on Wheels and More.

With tons of options to choose from, we thought it appropriate to share five featured restaurant menus that fit a variety of palates — and budgets. Read on for our suggestions on where to brunch, lunch and enjoy a three-course dinner during Restaurant Week.

Foreign & Domestic
Situated on North Loop, Foreign & Domestic offers a charming environment for a low-key dinner as a couple or with a small group of friends. The Restaurant Week menu offers a variety of options, from the approachable to the adventurous. Choose three courses for $37.

Appetizers
Pea Soup: Flowers, balsamic, herbs
Pigs Head Rillette: Lime pickle, beer mustard, brioche
Local Greens, Lettuces, Herbs, Vegetables: Sherry lime vinaigrette, puffed rice

Entrées
Pork Belly: Peas, carrots, vinegar
Scallops: Strawberries, onions, brown butter
Baked Pasta: Cheddar, truffle, lemon

Desserts
Chocolate Cake: Mint ice cream
Butterscotch Pudding: Cocoa nibs, cream

Uchi
Uchi has been serving sought-after, Japanese-inspired cuisine since 2003. The Restaurant Week menu showcases Uchi's diverse offerings, from raw appetizers to highly praised desserts. Choose three courses for $37.

Appetizers
Hakujin: Salmon, Asian pear, white asparagus, pickled cauliflower
Uchiviche: Salmon, striped bass, tomato, garlic, bell pepper
Fukuoka Selection: Three piece chef’s choice nigiri

Entrees
Bacon Steakie: Pork belly, Thai basil, serrano chili, watermelon radish
Walu Walu: Oak-grilled escolar, yuzu, garlic
Hamachi Nabe: Baby yellowtail, koshi hikari rice, farm egg, soy broth

Dessert
Coffee Panna Cotta: Mango ‘yolk,’ coffee soil, white chocolate sorbet
Peanut Butter Semi-Freddo: Apple-miso sorbet, ringo crisp
Lemon Gelato: Pistachio, white balsamic, golden beet

Russian House
The atmosphere of the Russian House is authentic, as is the food. And while Russian House offers a dinner menu during Austin Restaurant Week, we suggest changing things up and giving the two-course lunch a try.

Appetizers
Blinis with Red Caviar: Traditional Russian crepes served with luxurious Russian red caviar
Pirozhki: Individual sized baked buns stuffed with a variety of fillings
Vinaigrette: Russian beet salad

Entrées
Uzbek Plov: A hearty rice dish cooked with lamb and vegetables
Pork Escalope: Bone-in, pan fried pork escalope served with mashed potatoes and homemade sauerkraut
Stuffed Vegetables: Bell peppers, zucchini or tomatoes stuffed with ground beef and pork

Salty Sow
This Manor Road hot spot offers two dinner menus during Austin Restaurant Week. For the price-conscious diner, the $27 option will give you a spot-on taste of Salty Sow's head-to-tail cuisine. Choose three courses for $27.

Appetizers
Brussels Sprout Caesar Salad: Candied almonds, dried cranberries, Caesar dressing
Truffled Deviled Eggs: Salty Sow bacon, chives
Eggplant Frites: Tomato gravy, Parmigiano-Reggiano

Entrées
Slow-cooked beef shoulder: Yukon Gold mashed potatoes, glazed root vegetables, fried egg
Genuine blackened redfish: Quinoa, lentils, smoked tomatoes, chipotle Tabasco lemon butter
Candied pork belly: Collard greens, soy balsamic syrup

Desserts
Butterscotch Budino: Salted caramel, sweet crème fraîche
Dark Chocolate Truffle Cake
Cornmeal Strawberry Shortcake

Winflo Osteria
Forget dinner and head to Winflo Osteria for a relaxing brunch. Featuring two courses — and a signature cocktail — this option is a steal at $17. Choose three for $17.

Cocktails
Basil Infused Bloody Mary: House-made Bloody Mary mix, basil infused vodka
Peach Bellini: Sweet peach puree, Prosecco
Blood Orange Mimosa: Prosecco, blood orange puree, a splash of Orange Juice

Entrées
Shrimp & "Grits": Grilled Shrimp over a bed of creamy fontina polenta, sauteed spinach, red onions
Pork Belly Benedict: Crispy roasted red pepper polenta cakes topped with braised kale, seared pork belly, poached eggs, hollandaise sauce
Spaghetti alla Carbonara: House-made pasta tossed with fresh farm eggs, Parmigiano-Reggiano, cracked black pepper, pancetta

Desserts
Yogurt Parfait: Low-fat vanilla yogurt layered with crunchy granola and fresh berries
Cranberry Scones: Homemade cranberry scones topped with sweet orange glaze
Espresso & Biscotti: Assorted biscotti served with fresh-brewed espresso

Brunch at Winflo Osteria.

Courtesy of Winflo Osteria Facebook

Brunch at Winflo Osteria.

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Real Big Burn

Barbecue festival near San Antonio attracts talent from around the world

Photo courtesy of Al Frugoni

Texas pitmaster Al Frugoni used his social media clout to pull together a huge group of barbecuers.

Something very hot is coming to the Lone Star State. San Antonio-area pitmaster Al Frugoni is bringing together more than 90 barbecue-lovers — both pitmasters and content creators — for an "Open Fire Meat Up" on October 26 in Hondo, about 120 miles southwest of Austin. This is the fourth edition of the large gathering.

As an Argentinian living and working in Texas, Frugoni has not just the worldliness needed to draw international talent, but a unique mix of experience from two of the strongest open-fire cooking cultures there are. (That's thanks to a Texas girl who won his heart and drew him here, according to a release.)

"This is going to be the biggest open fire event in the country. We have pitmasters flying in from all over the world for this," said Frugoni in the release. "No other event has this many pitmasters, cooks and influencers all gathered in one place ... cooking more food than you could possibly eat."

Frugoni is well-known online, with YouTube videos that sometimes garner hundreds of thousands of views. According to the pitmaster, when he launched the event he only meant to invite a few other camera-ready friends, but he found a lot more interest than he expected.

"I initially invited six or seven other barbecue content creators from different parts of the country to come to Texas, but then the word started spreading and we ended up with 25 guys," said Frugoni. "We took the internet by storm! We cooked so much food and had so much fun, we just had to keep it going."

Among this year's internet-famous attendees are "fire cooking enthusiast" and cookbook author Derek Wolf of Over The Fire Cooking; former physical education teacher and Season 2 Next Level Chef competitor Matt Groark; Season 4 BBQ Brawl finalist Chuck Matto of Chuck's Flavor Train, and and Houston recipe-maker Breanna Stark of Married to BBQ. Pitmasters are coming in from Mexico, Canada, Argentina, Chile, England, Puerto Rico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Uruguay, and Scotland.

It's all going down at The Barn at Quail Crossing, where guests can taste tons of barbecued meats and sides. Matching the worldly participants are sometimes exotic meats; there will be whole steer, brisket, whole hogs, and even alligator, plus Texas specialties like chili. Guests can vote on their favorite dish for a People's Choice award at the end of the day; a panel of celebrity judges will also choose a favorite.

The family-friendly event also includes live music and kids' activities, and raises funds for Medina County first responders via GoMedina.

At $25 a ticket, this is significantly less expensive than most barbecue events. It sold out in a few weeks in 2023, according to a release, so interested parties should get tickets ASAP. There are also early bird discounts ($5 off).

"In Argentina, we would call this an asado, which refers to the traditional method of barbecuing meat over wood or charcoal embers, just like the gauchos, or cowboys of old, used to do," said Frugoni. "But it also refers to the social gathering that takes place after the meat is cooked. So, basically, this is going to be one giant barbecue party."

Tickets and more information are available at openfiremeatup.com.

barbecue festivals