James Beard Finalists revealed

2 Austin chefs score prestigious James Beard Award nominations

Kevin Fink has scored a James Beard nomination.

Photo by Chelsea Francis

Austin is well-represented among this year’s finalists for the James Beard Awards. Considered the Oscars of the culinary world, the Beard Awards recognize chefs, restaurants, and media in dozens of categories.

Overall, the city’s bars and restaurants turned seven semifinalist nominations into two finalists. They are:

Emmer & Rye's Kevin Fink for Best Chef: Texas
Olamaie's Michael Fojtasek for Best Chef: Texas

For the first time, the foundation has designated Texas as its own region in the restaurant and chef awards. In addition to the chefs listed above, this year’s finalists also include:

Pondicheri chef-owner Anita Jaisinghani for Best Chef: Texas in Houston
Crawfish & Noodles chef-owner Trong Nguyen for Best Chef: Texas in Houston
Anvil Bar & Refuge for Outstanding Bar Program in Houston
Cured chef Steve McHugh for Best Chef: Texas in San Antonio

The Beard Awards finalist announcements come at a time of unprecedented challenges for America’s restaurants. Initially, May 4 should have been the day the foundation revealed the winners of this year’s awards, but it delayed the finalist announcement due to the coronavirus pandemic.

While Texas’ dining rooms have been allowed to reopen in a limited way, most dining rooms across the country remain closed. Some may never reopen. Celebrity chefs such as Tom Colicchio and David Chang — both multiple Beard Award winners — have been among those leading the call for government intervention to provide financial assistance to allow restaurants to survive.

In an essay, Beard foundation chief strategy officer Mitchell Davis explained why the organization decided to move forward with Monday’s announcement:

We consulted with chefs, restaurateurs, and industry professionals from across the country to get their perspective on what the industry wanted and needed right now.

It was clear that those whose work in 2019 led them to be selected as a semifinalist—and perhaps ultimately a nominee or a winner—deserved the recognition they earned. Those we consulted felt the Awards could also offer a glimmer of hope to an industry looking for light in a very dark time.

The foundation’s media award will be announced online on May 27. The restaurant and chef winners will be awarded in Chicago on September 25.

awards

Cat's Out of the Bag

Classic Austin dive bar Mean Eyed Cat opens new Driftwood outpost

Photo courtesy of the Mean Eyed Cat

There ain't no grave can hold Austinites down when it's time to break in this new dive bar.

An Austin bar with a lot of personality has its eye on a new location. The Mean Eyed Cat is opening in Driftwood on Thursday, November 21.

This Johnny Cash-inspired bar has certainly always had the country aesthetic: the weathered wood, the live oak-shaded picnic tables, the black-and-white photos on the wall, and even the occasional taxidermy specimen. The same rustic vibes continue in Driftwood at 8750 W RR 150, Bldg. 100, according to a short press release.

Mean Eyed Cat Bar Driftwood interior This new bar already looks like it's been collecting antiques for decades.Photo courtesy of the Mean Eyed Cat

Good luck getting there on Google Maps. Right now, it drops a pin at the intersection of Ranch to Market Road 150 and Elder Hill Road. However, it appears to be next to Mad Rooster's Liquor Store — we can see the side of the building through the window and the same road signs. We've reached out to a spokesperson to get the proper directions.

The Austin original has been around since 2004, and this offshoot is only its second location. The promises "the same laid-back, offbeat charm that made the original bar an icon."

Mean Eyed Cat Bar Driftwood interior What's a dive bar without a pool table?Photo courtesy of the Mean Eyed Cat

Before the Austin location was a bar, it was a chainsaw repair shop that was aptly featured in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2. Chris Marsh was who converted it to a watering hole and Christened it the Mean Eyed Cat, and he later sold it to current owners Matt Luckie, Max Moreland, and Jed Thompson, placing it in a lineage that also includes Lavaca Street Bar & Grill, Sign Bar, Lala’s Little Nugget, and more locally beloved staples and oddities.

All the proper references are there in Driftwood, including several saw blades on the wall, Johnny Cash memorabilia, and lyrics on every available surface, including a picnic table that ominously says "HURT." First and foremost on the menu are whiskeys and classic cocktails, keeping things as simple as anyone would expect at a dive bar.

Mean Eyed Cat Bar Driftwood patio A spacious patio takes advantage of the Hill Country surroundings.Photo courtesy of the Mean Eyed Cat

Despite the relatively remote location, commenters on Instagram have already spotted people inside and started chomping at the bit. It sounds like opening day will be a lively affair.

The Mean Eyed Cat in Driftwood will be open Mondays through Thursdays from 2 pm to 2 am, and Fridays through Sundays from noon to 2 am. Happy hour will be weekdays from 4-7 pm.

dive bars whiskey cocktails openings driftwood

James Beard Finalists revealed

2 Austin chefs score prestigious James Beard Award nominations

Cat's Out of the Bag

Classic Austin dive bar Mean Eyed Cat opens new Driftwood outpost

New East Austin coffee and beer haven opens weeks after cidery closure

Affordable housing complex opens in Austin with rent starting at $600

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