News you can eat
Pioneering Austin bakery crumbles, bagel shop rises in Northwest Hills, and more food news

Editor's note: We get it. It can be difficult to keep up with the what’s what and who’s who of Austin food. But we have you covered with our regular roundup of the freshest local restaurant news.
Gluten-free fave Wild Wood Bakehouse has closed its location at 3016 Guadalupe St. In a Facebook post, the owners did not give a reason for the shutter, but assured customers that its cousin restaurant, Wilder Wood on East Seventh Street, would remain open. They also reminded the public that unlike its predecessor, the sequel eatery has a full bar.
Manor Road’s Haymaker landed at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport on February 26. The second outpost offers a similar menu to the original, including thick, open-faced sandwiches and bestselling poutine. Breakfast will also be offered from 5-10:30 am.
The second location of South Austin bakery Wholy Bagel opened at 3637 Far West Blvd. on February 25, according to a Facebook announcement. With geometric woodwork and bright yellow seating, the new shop has a more contemporary look than the original, but the menu of bagels, cream cheeses, and sandwiches is the same.
Owner Jason McVeary tells CultureMap that the third location of Poke-Poke opened February 21 at 9911 Brodie Ln. Ste. 800. The larger shop makes room for more seating and a shuffleboard table, and McVeary calls it “the most complete manifestation of the vision we’ve been working toward.”
Fresh off chef Maribel Rivero being named a 2019 semifinalist for the prestigious James Beard Awards, Yuyo is launching brunch on March 2. Highlights from the menu include Huevos Benedictos (poached eggs and jamon rotal on yuca cheese bread with aji amarillo hollandaise) and the Inca Bowl (lucuma yougurt, turmeric, amaranth-quinoa granola, almonds, fresh fruit). Cocktails include a passionfruit and orange mimosa and a pisco Bloody Mary.
Daphne’s Mediterranean, the rebrand of Noon Mediterranean, (itself a rebrand of Verts Kabap), is celebrating the debut of its first Austin store at 2530 Guadalupe St. on March 8, kicking off a furious month of openings that will see all six locations operational by April 12. To mark the occasion, the changeling eatery will be offering free gyro fries to all guests who visit between 11 am-9 pm.
Still Austin Whiskey Co. launched a new onsite food truck on March 13. Pairings, from chefs Josh Epstein and Jason Seiter, will serve sliders, grilled cheese sandwiches, bruschetta, and charcuterie. True to the name, the food is meant to be enjoyed with Still’s offerings — including the distiller’s first aged bourbon launching later in the year.
In other booze news, AFS Cinema has launched two dramatic cocktails to celebrate two classic films screening in March. The Moloko Milk Plus, inspired by A Clockwork Orange, is a highball clarified milk punch with hints of citrus, tea, and vanilla. The Lumberg, celebrating 2019 Texas Film Awards honoreeOffice Space, is a refreshing mix of gin, coconut water, tonic, and lime juice.
A longtime regular has inspired la Barbecue’s latest menu offering. The winkingly named Celestial 420 nachos include pinto beans, house queso, chopped beef, pulled pork, white cheddar, pickled red onions, and jalapeños. Designed to feed four guests (or one person with a particularly acute case of the munchies), the dish sells for $20.