NEWS YOU CAN EAT

9 things to know in Austin food right now: Splendid ice cream shop scoops up new location

Jeni's is scooping up the Triangle space formerly held by Snap Kitchen.

Editor’s note: We get it. It can be difficult to keep up with the fast pace of Austin’s restaurant and bar scene. We have you covered with our regular roundup of essential food news.

Openings
In Austin’s food scene, things can change in a snap, especially during a pandemic. The vacant space at 4616 Triangle Avenue that once housed Snap Kitchen (one of 14 such locations to shutter last year in Texas) is now set to be transformed into a sweet spot: the third Austin location of popular Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams. The Columbus, Ohio-based operation, known for serving sweet frozen treats with a bright flavor and uniquely smooth, buttercream texture — thanks to an absence of synthetic flavorings, dyes, and off-the-shelf-mixes — opened its first Austin scoop shop (at Rock Rose at Domain Northside) back in late 2019, with the South Congress location following in February 2020. While building permits recently filed with the state have heralded the arrival of the new location, there’s no word yet on when the forthcoming operation will begin serving sweet treats to Triangle residents and shoppers.

To celebrate the opening of South Congress Avenue’s excellent and thoughtfully sourced convenience/grocery store, Tiny Grocer, owner Steph Steele is hosting an outdoor farmers market party. On Saturday, May 29 from 2-5 pm, local brands and makers will convene in Tiny Grocer’s back parking lot to sell and sample their goods and chitchat with customers. Participating operations include Visca Charcuteria, Perennial Pecan, Blenders and Bowls, Sunriser CBD Coffee, and Swoon Lemonade, which will debut its new peach tea flavor at the event. In addition, Burlap and Twine, the coolest mobile flower truck in town, will park its VW in front of the store, helping attendees build bouquets and support local charities with their purchase.

Other news and notes
Latinx small business owners, listen up! To create positive change in the communities that need it most, Austin-based food/snack company Siete Family Foods announced recently it will award $25,000 to one deserving Latinx-owned small business as a part of its new Siete Juntos Fund. Latino/Latina/Latiné-owned food purveyors and related businesses with an annual revenue of less than $500,000 can apply now through Tuesday, June 8 via Siete Food’s website. Applicants can include grocery stores, markets, restaurants, specialty shops, manufacturers, and packaged food producers. The business ultimately awarded the grant must be at least 50 percent Latinx owned.

The ghost kitchen revolution continues in Austin, as Prep ATX, the new 55,000-square-foot commercial kitchen community in North Austin, has got its first members, including a few local faves. Beloved eateries Tiny Pies and Brooklyn Breakfast Shop will utilize Prep ATX in their plans to facilitate growth. Other ghost kitchen members include two concepts specializing in dumplings: Taste of Home Dumpling and Dumpling & Beyond, as well as Tasty AF, the birria-forward eatery. Other Prep ATX concepts include Fresh Fronks and Thanks Danks Jerky, Lulu’s Pie Shop, and prepared meal companies CookUnity and SimpliThai.

Ever had a Fish House Punch? Well, at the Austin Food & Wine Alliance’s forthcoming Fish House Punch competition, you can try four different variations of the rum-heavy beverage as prepared by some of the state’s top bartenders. Presented in partnership with Buffalo Trace Bourbon and Taste Network, the event is set to take place Sunday, June 6 from 3-5:30 pm at Kalimotxo at 607 W. Third St. Four talented barkeeps will create a handcrafted Fish House Punch to reintroduce consumers to the beloved colonial American libation and to score votes from a panel of notable judges. The celebration also includes bourbon from Buffalo Trace, sustainable fish and plant-based bites from top local chefs, and wines from Ribera y Rueda. Tickets to this lively 21-plus event are limited to 100 guests, run $50 each and can be reserved online.

The Domain’s beloved retro-inspired boutique hotel, Lone Star Court, recently welcomed North Carolina native James Wilson as its new executive chef. Wilson, who started cooking in a professional kitchen at the age of 13, brings with him a passion for recipe creation and sustainable cooking learned during his education at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Austin. His career has taken him across the country, with him cooking for the likes of Morrison Management Specialists, Sheraton Austin Hotel at the Capitol, and ATX Fit Chef. Wilson comes to Lone Star Court from the University of Texas Southwestern, where he worked to elevate the brand’s banquet and catering functions. As the new executive chef at Lone Star Court, Wilson will oversee all of the property’s culinary programs, including its group catering, room-service offerings, and full-service eatery, The Water Trough.

For its first event since 2020 turned the industry upside down, fantastic Hill Country operation Kuhlman Cellars is hosting one humdinger of a food and wine pairing event. In partnership with customized catering operation Feast & Merriment’s supper club, the winery’s collaborative event will take place Friday, June 11 and Saturday, June 12 and includes a five-course menu prepared by chef and owner Ashley Odom that will be served alongside Kuhlman’s most popular wine offerings. From Feast & Merriment’s scenic Hill Country venue (6075 S. Ranch Road 1623), guests can enjoy such pairings as Texas venison sausage noodles with wood-fired asparagus paired with a 2016 reserve merlot. Dinner begins each night at 6:30 pm. Only 36 seats are available per event. Tickets run $150 per person and can be purchased online.

DipDipDip Ice Cream, the outrageous ice cream parlor from Austin’s kings of Japanese-inspired cuisine, Tatsu-Ya, is now serving the people what they want: decadent sundae creations. Fans can now enjoy the Sum Yum Yuzu or Shroom of Doom creations in cup or waffle-cone form. While the indulgent new sundae options are replacing the shop’s savory pop-up-era sandwich options, other sweet treats like the ice cream taco in a panko-fried brioche bun, boozy milkshakes, and assorted ice cream pints will still be available. Guests will be able to order sweet treats via the shop’s QR code or at the service window at 7301 Burnet Rd.

To connect out-of-work restaurant and hospitality workers with employers in need, nonprofit Austin Shift Meal will debut a monthly industry job fair on Tuesday, June 1 from 10:30 am-12:30 pm at North Austin’s pet-friendly Yard Bar at 6700 Burnet Rd. At the event, attendees looking for new professional opportunities can get connected with potential employers in the industry and enjoy select bites from local operations. Participating businesses include W Austin Hotel, Home Slice, Salt & Time, L’Oca d’Oro, Texas Keeper Cider, and more. Sign up for a spot at the event online and get more information about subsequent ASM events and other services.

ice-cream charity chefs wine

Lord of the wings

16 Austin restaurants face off in CultureMap's Ultimate Wing Showdown

Photo courtesy of Pluckers

Chicken wing-lovers have their own preferences, but only one can win.

Nothing says getting together to watch sports with friends quite like a big plate of wings. As part of The Tailgate presented by Verizon — CultureMap's all-out party devoted to everyone’s favorite way to get in the gameday spirit — we’re asking a simple question:

Which bar, restaurant, or food truck in Austin serves the best wings?

To answer that question, we’ve created the Ultimate Wing Showdown. CultureMap editors have selected 16 nominees that we think have a shot at the title. Just like we do for the CultureMap Tastemaker Awards Best New Restaurant tournament, we’re asking readers to vote in a bracket-style, head-to-head tournament that will produce Austin's ultimate wing joint.

True to the diversity of Austin, the nominees cover a wide range of styles and cultural influences — everything from a classic crispy Buffalo wing to wings coated in Sichuan pepper or even powdered sugar. Read on for more about the nominees, then click here to vote for your favorites.

People may vote once per day, and the results will be closely monitored to ensure a fair outcome. We’ll reveal the winner on stage at The Tailgate event on Thursday, December 12 at Distribution Hall.

The night will also include celebrity appearances, games, food from local restaurants, and drinks from the event’s sponsors. Verizon and CultureMap are even giving away a VIP trip for two to Super Bowl LIX*. More details on how to enter here for a chance to win.

Read more about The Tailgate here, and follow all the details in our special editorial series. You won’t want to miss it, so get your tickets today.

Here are the nominees in the Ultimate Wing Showdown:

Spicy Boysvs.Tommy Want Wingy
The only thing hotter than Spicy Boys' chicken is its reputation, having won several awards and become a go-to for chicken lovers who want something just a bit outside of the norm. The Asian flavors like Indonesian sambal were a hit, but will voters rally behind a current focus on boneless options? "Nugs" are $10.99.

Tommy ain't the only one who want Wingy. This food truck "take[s] all the fuss and mess out of the chicken wing" by shaping it into a "lollipop." Sauces start pretty standard and move into more unique territory, like the Spicy Pineapple with Sriracha or the Holy Schnikes, which comes with a warning: "Painfully hot!" Combos start at 5 pieces with fries for $15.68.

Pluckers vs. Wingzup
If there's a classic Austin wing, it's at Pluckers. The popular chain started at the University of Texas and has expanded to dozens of locations as far away as Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Some interesting flavors outside the classics include maple chipotle and Dr Pepper. Five wings start at $8.75.

Wingzup is similarly committed to the art of the wing, with more than 20 sauces and rubs to choose from. That list goes all the way from a classic garlic parmesan to a Jamaican jerk, Korean gochujang, or even ghost pepper. Guests who win the ghost challenge get a $20 gift card and a shirt. Five wings start at $8.49.

Tiki Tatsu-Ya vs. hiwings
Tiki Tatsu-Ya is perhaps the most unexpected pick on the list, which really goes to show the strength of its wing game. The mochiko wings are coated in sweet rice flour, then a mapo-miso glaze and Karashi mustard. These aren't as spicy as they are mouth numbing; they'll rearrange your tastebuds. An order upstairs at The Nest is $13.

Hiwings are also made with sweet rice and other flour, and patrons can choose among 10 sauces, plus more for dipping. They can also opt for "naked" wings, which have no flour coating at all. Hiwings says those are how wings are "supposed" to taste; voters will be the judge of that. Five wings start at $9.99.

Halal Wingsvs.The Potluck
Austinites don't have to commit to a halal diet to enjoy these very crispy wings. These chefs create spice blends for their take on wings from several cuisines, including Mexican, Chinese, Mediterranean, and Cajun. But the Halal Hot is the pinnacle for those brave enough to try it. Six wings start at $7.99.

The Potluck food truck and catering company is known for one wing above all: the crack wing, which is dusted with powdered sugar. It has plenty of other obscurely named flavors, plus sides you don't usually see at a wing place like shrimp étouffée and rice and beans. Six wings are $10.66.

Nickel Cityvs.Industry East Side
A great wing is paramount, but good atmosphere elevates everything. Nickel City offers both, and it's natural that the Buffalo, New York-inspired bar would have a solid wing on offer. Most important, it doesn't get too flashy with sauces — it's just the classics, plus Franklin Barbecue sauce. A pound of wings (about six) is $12.69.

Industry, an East 5th Street bar and restaurant that largely courts hospitality industry workers as clientele, keeps wing-lovers' options open with mix-and-match platters. Combos can be made with Buffalo, lemon pepper, barbecue, blackberry-habanero, and plain flavors. Six wings are $12.

Stiles Switch BBQ vs. Home Slice Pizza
A barbecue joint may not be most people's first choice for wings, but Stiles Switch is out here converting nonbelievers. Since it would be a crime to cover up the flavors of oak smoke, it makes sense that the only four flavors are pretty simple: garlic parmesan, Alabama white sauce, Buffalo, and honey barbecue sauce. Six wings are $14.

Austinites can't be blamed for having a one-track mind at Home Slice Pizza, but just ordering pies means missing out elsewhere on the menu. One of its incognito menu items is a plate of wings in the style of Buffalo's Anchor Bar, served with blue cheese dressing and celery. Home Slice's version is known for being very crispy. Six wings are $10.50.

Anchor Bar vs. Haymaker
For Buffalo wings, Austinites can go back to the source — or at least an outpost. There are now 16 descendants of the New York restaurant where the recipe was invented, and one is in Round Rock. Anchor bar won't pigeonhole itself, though. It serves wings with 25 sauces and rubs. Ten wings are $17.99.

Haymaker is mostly known for its laid-back environment, but its elevated pub fare also draws customers in. Like most of the nostalgic menu items, its crispy wings are kept simple: mild Buffalo, hot chipotle, garlic parmesan, Carolina gold barbecue, lemon pepper, and tangy teriyaki. Half a pound of mixed pieces is $10.

Casino El Camino vs. Thunder Chief
Casino El Camino is a surprising foodie favorite considering its downtown dive bar status. In addition to great burgers, it has solid Buffalo wings served with celery, carrots, and blue cheese or ranch dip. Although it's just one style, they come in four heat levels from mild to "downright explosive." Eight wings are $14.50.

Thunder Chief, the kitchen inside the Lavaca Street Bar on South Lamar Boulevard, has balanced the arts of both heavy and carefully crafted foods, including its tea-brined chicken wings. They're crispy without breading, meaty, and elegantly plated. Adventurous flavors appear on a rotating basis. Five wings are $9.

Made up your mind? Vote here for your favorites.

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The Tailgate is presented by Verizon and sponsored by HOWDY, Houston Powder Coaters, EIGHT Beer, and more to be announced.

*The NFL Entities shall have no liability or responsibility for any claim arising in connection with participation in this sweepstakes or any prize awarded. The NFL Entities have not offered or sponsored this sweepstakes in any way.

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