High praise

2 Austin eateries land coveted spots on Texas Monthly's Best New Restaurants list

Kemuri Tatsu-Ya's creative fusion of Japanese izakaya and Texas barbecue traditions helped it nab the second spot on Texas Monthly's list.

Kemuri Tatsu-ya/Facebook

Queso topped with grasshoppers, larva, and flying ants. Squid served in a paste of its own fermented guts. If anyone still thinks Texans' palates are relegated to chicken fried steak and cheese enchiladas, they need to take a look at Texas Monthly’s 2018's 10 Best New Restaurants in Texas.

This year’s crop of culinary overachievers was full of surprises, admitted the magazine’s food editor Patricia Sharpe, who has been putting together the list since 2002. The list is a testament to the growing diversity of the Lone Star State, making room for contemporary takes on Ukrainian food from a Canadian chef, family-friendly wood-fired pizzas, and even steak and barbecue.

But the Austin winners should come as no shock. Guts and all, Kemuri Tastu-Ya continued its streak of accolades ranging from a No. 8 slot on Bon Appetit’s annual list of best new restaurants to the recent nod as a semifinalist for a James Beard Award. In writing up its No. 2 place on the list, Sharpe praised chefs Tatsu Aikawa and Takuya “Tako” Matsumoto’s creativity in combining Japanese izakaya and Texas barbecue traditions in such dishes as sticky rice, chorizo, and beef tongue tamales.

Pitchfork Pretty, Austin’s other lauded newcomer, nabbed the No. 7 slot. Sharpe cited the “polished” architecture as well as chef Max Snyder’s “highly original and delicious food.” Of particular note was the pickled quail egg served on crispy leeks with a dusting of hot paprika, which Sharpe says “might be the year’s best single bite.”

Two other Austin restaurants were named as honorable mentions: chef Philip Speer’s French-inflected diner Bonhomie, and South Austin tapas bar El Chipirón.

In order to qualify for the annual list, restaurants had to open between December 1, 2016 and December 1, 2017. All eateries had to be the first Texas location and reopened restaurants, like Dallas’ French Room, were disqualified from consideration.

Check out the full list here.

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Games on the Go

This outdoorsy mountain trolley is now a vintage arcade in Austin

Photo courtesy of the Austin Arcade Trolley

The trolley still bears most of the markings from its past life in Tennessee.

Some classic arcade games are now on the go in Austin with the launch of the Austin Arcade Trolley. Housed in a renovated trolley car, this new mobile arcade shows off eight vintage 80s and 90s games, while keeping some of the transportation nostalgia intact, too.

Austin Arcade Trolley owner and ex-corporate salesman Trey Tschoepe said in a press release that the idea came about after attending birthday parties with his 6-year-old daughter. The parties inspired a desire to "keep Austinites young at heart." It wasn't intended as a business, but Austinites can now book it for their own events.

The vintage games include:

NBA Jam
Golden Tee
Ms. Pacman
Atari
The Simpsons
NFL Blitz
Mortal Kombat
Street Fighter II

Austin Arcade Trolley interior Even though the aesthetics are different, both halves of this bus are very retro.Photo courtesy of the Austin Arcade Trolley

It's not just limited to those classics, though; a 55-inch screen will let guests play more than 30,000 other games. Minecraft, Roblox, and Tetris are a few of those offerings.

“Not only are we delivering nostalgic fun that accessible to all ages, but we’re also doing it in style with a vintage trolley car converted into a mobile arcade," said Tschoepe. "There’s truly nothing else like this in Texas or anywhere else.”

There certainly are other mobile arcades, but the trolley is unique not just for its vintage selection but a delightfully outdoorsy look. The back of the vehicle looks like an arcade, but the front and exterior sidestep the expected design elements — neon colors, envisionings of cyberspace — by keeping everything as-is.

Austin Arcade Trolley interior This part of the trolley basically looks like any other mobile arcade.Photo courtesy of the Austin Arcade Trolley

The wooden interior still has some passenger benches, and the outside even displays its original affiliation: the Tennessee town of Pigeon Forge, where it was designated a "Fun Time Trolley."

Tschoepe did put some work in, even though he kept the aesthetic intact. He purchased the decommissioned car in May 2024 and spent six months implementing custom woodwork and other design updates.

Now it can fit 15 guests in the arcade section, with space for 7 more in the seating section. There's also wifi and air-conditioning, and guests are encouraged to bring their own snacks and drinks onboard.

Austin Arcade Trolley interior This part of the trolley brings light to an airier side of gaming.Photo courtesy of the Austin Arcade Trolley

The trolley is available for hourly booking every day. The case price is $375 including delivery, setup, and unlimited play within the booking time, which happens in two-hour increments. It can travel around Austin as well as to Round Rock, Cedar Park, Pflugerville, Georgetown, Leander, Dripping Springs, Bee Cave, Buda, Kyle, and Lakeway.

Tschoepe welcomes kids and adults for birthdays, bachelor and bachelorette parties, weddings, corporate and team-building events, and anywhere else it's needed.

“We’re excited to spread the fun throughout Central Texas," he said.

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