No love lost

Sudden restaurant closure at troubled Lamar Union leaves V-Day customers brokenhearted

Vox Table shuttered mere hours before Valentine's Day service.

Photo courtesy of VOX Table

It seems like the Lamar Union curse may still be going strong. Although in recent months the beleaguered development has been filling up again after a string of shutters, one of the longest running restaurants in the center suddenly closed its doors on February 14, leaving Valentine’s Day customers in a lurch.

According to several Yelp users, Vox Table texted guests around 3 pm, mere hours before their Valentine’s Day reservation times, to tell them the restaurant would not open that evening. That was followed up with emails blaming the sudden closure on kitchen issues. Despite reports, it is not clear whether or not the closure is permanent. CultureMap has received no independent confirmation, and the owners have not issued a statement directly or through social media channels. However, reservations are no longer being accepted through the online platform.

Helmed by chef Joe Anguiano, the New American restaurant opened in February 2015 and quickly earned accolades for its bar program and dishes like hamachi pipettes. As late as February 3, the restaurant was still posting job openings via its Facebook page.

But the news isn't all bad. Though El Burro (also co-owned by Vox’s Vincent Manguino), Cantine, and Delicious have recently closed in the Lamar Union development, there are a few notable restaurants that have taken their spots. Cedar Park favorite Soto took over the Cantine space, and two new restaurants — modern Thai and Vietnamese eatery Mandala Kitchen and Bar and Barley Bean’s market and cafe Artista Rosso — are set to fill the vacancies at El Burro and Delicious, respectively. Seafood restaurant TLC also recently opened in the development.

closings

Refill, revere, rejoice

Austin distiller refills Kentucky Bourbon bottles for $1 in UT gameday stunt

Photo courtesy of Still Austin Whiskey Co.

Still Austin is filling up empty Kentucky Bourbon bottles and adding its own label in a display of Texas dominance.

Cheap bourbon isn't usually something people line up for, but in this case they know it's good. Still Austin Whiskey Co., a favorite Austin distiller, is offering $1 refills of its own Cask Strength Bourbon on empty Kentucky Bourbon bottles on November 23.

The promotion celebrates the Texas Longhorns vs. Kentucky Wildcats football match the same day. This is a highly anticipated game because the two teams have only been matched up once, back in 1951. Kentucky coach Mike Stoops reportedly also upped the ante by saying the Longhorns have "no weaknesses."

Essentially, this is a parallel challenge by Still Austin: Replace your Kentucky Bourbon with our Texas spirit and watch the Lone Star State win again.

"Why would I ever taint your bourbon with dried up Kentucky juice[?]" asked a (frankly, terrifying) customer on Instagram.

There is a misconception that bourbon has to be made in Kentucky. The Kentucky Distillers’ Association itself points out that, "According to the 1964 Congressional Resolution, in order to have “Bourbon” on the label it must be made in the United States of America and meet all other federal “standards of identity” for Bourbon."

Still Austin CEO and co-founder Chris Seals is setting the record straight with a little snark, inviting both fans and "skeptics" to stop by to take advantage of the deal.

“We’re deeply grateful to Kentucky for inventing the stuff, but after 200 years of the same old bourbon, people want something new,” said Seals in a press release.“The idea that great bourbon can only come from Kentucky is a myth based on decades of misinformation. We’re inviting everyone still holding onto this old guard notion to ‘Kentucky Fill Up’ to experience the difference for themselves.”

The product he's chosen to represent the brand, the Cask Strength Bourbon, is described as "a deeper more 'metal' version of our beloved straight bourbon." It's 116 proof (58 percent ABV) and has won double gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition twice, in 2022 and 2023.

Still Austin will only refill 500 bottles. Here are the rules: The bottles have to be 750 milliliters, clean, intact (with the original cap on hand), and they must have originally contained bourbon from a Kentucky Distillery. There are two time slots for refilling at 9 am and 11:30 am. Patrons can get tickets ahead of time at stillaustin.com.

In addition to the fill-ups, Still Austin will host a watch party starting at 2:30 pm. More Texas-Kentucky crossover will include Frozen Texas Julep cocktails, Texas fried chicken, and an armadillo derby race. There will also be exclusive merch and giveaways. Still Austin is the official corporate partner of Texas Athletics.

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Fans of Austin sports and Austin food and drinks can now score tickets to The Tailgate, CultureMap's all-out party devoted to everyone’s favorite way to get in the gameday spirit. The event, presented by Verizon, goes down from 6-9 pm December 12 at Distribution Hall. Find out more about it here.

whiskey university of texas longhorns