It looks like Austin food businesses are taking the new year energy seriously. On the menu for this week's food news we've got Big Country packing up for a move, Micklethwait welcoming guests into a new space, and a handful of recently opened restaurant expanding their service.

Openings and closings

The highly regarded Micklethwait Craft Meats has moved into its new home at 4602 Tanney St. It's not exactly the eatery's first brick-and-mortar, but it's complicated — suffice it to say this is going to be a new era. What's important is the barbecue is ready to eat starting at 11 am to about 4 pm Thursdays through Sundays. There is a small parking lot and free street parking, and it is easily accessible from the CapMetro 2 and 300 lines.

The Pflugerville brewery Big Country is getting even bigger with a move to East Austin and an expansion of business operations. However, the Pflugerville location did have to close in December to start the transition. According to a post on Instagram, the new space on Webberville Road will include a "brewery, taproom, full-service bar, beer garden, coffeeshop, and multiple food concepts." In order to support that effort, the team will need to expand their brewing capacity with new equipment. If all goes according to plan, the new location will launch at the end of 2025.

The hits just keep coming this week for Pflugerville, which is also saying goodbye to Van's Damn Tasty Tacos and Ronburguesas. The food trailer behind Prost Alehouse Texas served up gigantic burgers, super-loaded cheese fries, nachos, and more gut-busting specialties that went great with beer for six and a half years. The final day of service is January 19, but fanatics can still experience these snacks if they want to hire Van's to cater weddings or events with 50-150 guests. Operating hours are 4-10 pm on Fridays, noon to 10 pm on Saturdays, and noon to 9 pm on Sundays.

An increasingly popular meal delivery service is de-complicating Austinites' grocery shopping while also prioritizing plant-based and "flexitarian" options. Thistle's menus of more than 50 dishes and products rotate seasonally, and a press release says "all meals are gluten-free, dairy-free, and organic when possible." Lunches and dinners (which are only some of its offerings) contain 20-40 grams of plant-based protein, although customers can add sustainably sourced poultry and pork. Thistle starts making local deliveries starting at $11.50 per meal in spring 2025.

Other news and notes

A handful of new restaurants have announced new services, so here's a quick run-down:

• Postino, Austin's first location for an existing wine bar and cafe chain, is launching brunch on January 18. The weekend service from 10 am to 3 pm will include a desserty French toast, a meatball shakshouka, a fancy avocado toast, and more.
• Serenade, the new French brasserie, is now offering a happy hour weekdays from 3-6 pm. That means 25 percent off all beverages including wine by the bottle at the bar or patio. There's also a $25 frites special with a diner's choice of bavette (steak), moules (mussels), or chicken paillard (cutlet).
• Tancho Sushi, a new restaurant focusing on affordable omakase, is increasing its accessibility with new takeout boxes. Diners can order à la carte, but the really special offering is a full omakase at each of the restaurant's four in-restaurant levels. The boxes come with a nice guide printed inside naming the different pieces and offering a few tips for omakase beginners.
• Teddy’s, the new Southwestern grill by the Bill's Oyster folks, will soon be offering a weekend brunch and a happy hour. Brunch (Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 3 pm) features items like huckleberry pancakes and stuffed quail with waffles; happy hour (3-5:30 pm) includes $1 off oysters, 25 percent off wine, and more. The new services launch January 11 and 13, respectively.