Hot Headlines
Austin suffers 2 restaurant shutters, Symphony Square's unsung history, and more top stories

Editor's note: 'Tis the season for family, friends — and the inevitable small talk that comes along with spending inordinate amounts of time with people you see only a few times a year. Let us make it easy on you this weekend with our top stories. From the fascinating history of Austin's Symphony Square to our picks for the city's best new restaurants this year, our most popular stories provide plenty of tidbits to keep the conversation flowing.
1. Austin loses 2 more restaurants, Round Rock gains pizza shop, and more food news. Add two more restaurants to the great Austin restaurant shutter wave of 2018. J.T. Youngblood's, a reimagined version of Youngblood’s Fried Chicken, closed in Mueller while N’Esperado said goodbye to its South Austin spot.
2. Iconic Austin Chinese restaurant quietly closes for new neighborhood concept. Suzi's China Grill, which was once a staple of Austin's Chinese cuisine, quietly closed it's last location on December 15. It's not all bad news, though. A familiar new concept is already taking its place.
3. These are Austin's best new restaurants for 2018. Austin had no shortage of fabulous new restaurants hit the scene this year, but which spots rose from fine to fantastic?
4. Here's the unsung history of downtown Austin's famous Symphony Square. Built by a former slave in the 1800s, downtown's Symphony Square comes with a rich and fascinating history.
5. University of Texas approves $338 million arena to replace Frank Erwin Center. Driving through downtown is eventually going to look a lot different. This week, UT's Board of Regents approved an all-new stadium to replace the bowl-ish looking Frank Erwin Center.