Editor's note: In the top Austin news of the week, see which local graduate programs are at the top of the class and meet our Tastemaker Awards winners. Then, find the best things to do this weekend right here.

1. 2 Austin-area universities boast best grad programs in Texas for 2026. The University of Texas at Austin and Texas State University are earning new national acclaim in a report of the best graduate schools for 2026.

2. Celebrating a Texas-made spirit + 8 more Lone Star travel ideas in April. Adventurers hunting for an excuse to take a road trip around Texas will find many opportunities this month.

3. Austin crowned top-10 best foodie city in America by Food & Wine. Austin racked up five awards in Food & Wine's 2026 Global Tastemaker Awards, including the title of No. 7 best foodie city in the U.S.

4. Georgetown gets worldly with new European steakhouse. Georgetown has a chic new date night destination with the opening of Sovian Restaurant & Cocktail Lounge, which blends French and Italian influences and a Texan dining sensibility.

5. Austin's best restaurants and chefs revealed at 2026 Tastemaker Awards. Austin's culinary trailblazers and hundreds of foodies gathered at CultureMap's annual tasting event and awards ceremony on April 9 to toast the Tastemakers.

Congrats to Restaurant of the Year: Odd Duck. Odd Duck/Instagram