Summer is upon Austin and the food scene is appropriately relaxed. Locals can chill out with two new ice cream offerings, an audio hang with barbecue great Aaron Franklin, a big Lake Travis party with gourmet hot dogs, and a free music series in the Hill Country.
Openings and closings
Midwest chocolate and ice cream brand Kilwins officially opened its Austin location with a celebration over the weekend of July 4. The new shop is located at 3500 E Parmer Ln., Ste. 3120, inside the new North Austin mixed-use development EastVillage. Kilwins staff put on a show while making "old-fashioned confectionery" while guests watch, making the store a memorable place to visit
Other news and notes
Iconic pitmaster Aaron Franklin appeared on the Food & Wine magazine podcast Tinfoil Swans to everything from the band Dinosaur Jr. to "learning not to become 'another cranky barbecue guy,'" the magazine summarizes. Folks looking for insight into perfect smoking or the behind-the-scenes life of a barbecue great can tune into the 52-minute episode at foodandwine.com.
The newly renovated Faust Hotel in New Braunfels has launched a new live music series that anyone can attend for free on the Magnolia Patio, the hotel's outdoor lounge. There will be evening performances Thursdays through Saturdays from 7-10 pm, plus some daytime performances at the hotel's "Texas-style brasserie," Wilhelm and Werner, from 11 am to 2 pm. Guests can expect light bites and cocktails on the menu. Featured artists will hail from "across the Hill Country and beyond," a press release says.
Boatsetter, an online boat rental platform, is hosting a Boatsetter Rodeo on Lake Travis on July 12 with professional watersports competitions, live music, and other activities like floating mechanical bull riding and line dancing on boats. Local hotdog popup Zee's Wiener System — by Chef Zak Drummond, a Rising Star Chef of the Year nominee at the 2026 CultureMap Austin Tastemaker Awards — will be on hand for some local bites.
Uchi and its sister restaurants Uchiko and Uchiba are fusing sweet and salty in a limited edition caviar ice cream dish that will be available July 13-31. The $26 dessert combines Moscatel ice cream, funnel cake, white chocolate pearls, and Kaluga caviar. Plus, fans of the Uchi trio of restaurants and Loro — sister restaurants under Hai Hospitality — will collaborate on a 10-course "family meal" only available on July 29. The menu will capture the "spirit" of the staff meal before every service for $150 per person before tax. Reservations are available online.
