Where to Eat

3 Austin restaurants land on guide to the ultimate Southern road trip

Nothing says summer quite like a classic, American road trip. And one of the most important elements of that journey is a list of quintessential restaurants to try along the way.

To celebrate summer, OpenTable has created an ultimate culinary road trip guide, "designed to make sure vacationers don’t pass by a single savory stop on their summer travels." Compiled by OpenTable insiders, "the guide highlights culinary destinations along some of the country’s most popular road trip routes."

The foodie journeys are broken into the following routes: California, the Southwest, Midwest, Pacific Northwest, Northeast, and — of course — the South. OpenTable's trip through the South includes three essential Austin restaurants "helmed by innovative chefs whose ingredient-drive cuisine is revitalizing one of our most culinary-rich regions."

According to OpenTable insiders, can't-miss restaurants in the Capital City are Dai Due, Parkside, and Perla's Seafood and Oyster Bar.

At Dai Due, Jesse Griffith's Manor Road restaurant and butcher shop, travelers will delight in a menu that focuses heavily on seasonal, locally-grown ingredients and Texas beverages. Entrees range from a classic rib-eye steak to boudin-stuffed quail and wild boar confit.

Shawn Cirkiel's flagship restaurant, Parkside, highlights the chef's commitment to smart, sustainable cooking. Guests can start with small plates or go straight to hearty main courses like smoked pork chop or one of the best burgers in America. Plus, Parkside's location gives guests a firsthand view of iconic Sixth Street.

Perla's, located on bustling South Congress, brings a wave a fresh fare in the form of fish and oysters flown in daily from both coasts. Vacationers can sip a sparkling cocktail on the oak-shaded patio and take in one of Austin's top attractions.

The next city on OpenTable's trip of the South is Houston, where travelers should check out Provisions Restaurant, Mark's American Cuisine and Ouisie's Table. The adventure continues with stops in New Orleans, Mobile, Birmingham, Memphis and Nashville. For more OpenTable suggestions, check out the full culinary road trips here.

Perla's Seafood and Oyster Bar serves fresh fare on South Congress.

Perla's Seafood and Oyster Bar Austin restaurant dish food

Photo courtesy of Perla's Seafood & Oyster Bar

Perla's Seafood and Oyster Bar serves fresh fare on South Congress.

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Back to the Plow

Homey Austin jam and bake shop closing and returning to farmers market

Confituras/Instagram

Confituras Little Kitchen is closing its brick-and-mortar store, but feeling optimistic about the future.

A famers market find is returning to its natural environment after six years in a brick-and-mortar location. Confituras Little Kitchen, which specializes in locally sourced preserves, is closing its jam and biscuit shop after service on Sunday, December 22. However, it will continue selling goods at the Barton Creek Farmers Market and via retailers.

Confituras announced the change in a newsletter to its customers in December. The letter called the news "bittersweet."

"Although the brick and mortar will no longer be, the good news is that this will be a fresh new start for us – we are bursting with energy and creativity at the thought of being back out in the community where it all started for confituras," it said.

The kitchen is closing because the lease is up, and the team has decided to "give up the chase." The newsletter emphasized the ups-and-downs of business over the past several years — ones that were chaotic for just about any business, let alone a small, fairly niche food operation.

"So much has happened since we decided to open a brick + mortar – a wonderful kickstarter fundraiser, THE PANDEMIC, the AFTER-EFFECTS OF THE PANDEMIC, and an ever growing city," the letter says. "We tried so very hard but never really got our footing. We know we are not alone, many small business are in the same boat. We renewed our lease during the pandemic because we were hopeful we could make it work - the changing times had other ideas."

Finally, it shared how customers could keep enjoying Confituras creations:

The Barton Creek Farmers Market is open at 2901 S. Capital of Texas Hwy. every Saturday from 9 am to 1 pm.
A list on confituras.net compiles retailers including Royal Blue Grocery, Farmhouse Delivery, and Antonelli's Cheese Shop.
Jam share and Table22 subscription customers will have more instructions coming soon about picking up their goods in January at the same space, 2129 Goodrich Ave.
Customers may also reach out to inquire about continuing to order meals directly.

The kitchen also hosted frequent events and workshops, but the letter did not address this aspect of the business.

A shorter message shared on Instagram has inspired 63 comments so far, five days later. Customers eulogized the shop for its community feel and providing a sense of regularity during the height of the pandemic thanks to weekend pick-ups.