News You Can Eat
5 things to know in Austin food right now: Iconic Ski Shores Cafe reopens on the lake
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
Historic Lake Austin fried snack shack the Ski Shores Cafe reopened Wednesday, June 22, with all the classics — burgers, sandwiches, fried catfish, chicken tenders, and more. Now owned by McGuire Moorman Lambert Hospitality, it's serving up refreshing margs, beer, chilled wine, and cocktails, to be enjoyed inside, on the porch, or on the lawn next to the fire. This local staple has been charming lake-goers since 1954, but lots of commenters are raising red flags about prices. What’s more classic than rising prices?
Popular seafood trucks Huckleberry is on the move, relocating to Still Austin Whiskey Co. for a July 2 opening. Two years after the truck opened, it’s expanding service to include lunch and brunch on the weekends, the latter starting in “a few weeks," according to a release. Some new menu items stray from seafood, but embrace the Southern theme, including meatloaf patty melts and pimento cheese dips. The truck will arrive early for a pop-up at a Pride party on June 25. Find more information at Still Austin Whiskey.
Other news and notes
Not many people talk about acting proper these days, but the Austin Proper Hotel is giving visitors a chance to get those pinkies out and enjoy a cuppa with class at “Proper Tea at Goldie’s.” The weekly event ($60) plates up cucumber sandwiches, egg salad canapés, and French macarons alongside a thoughtful tea selection in one of the plushest dining rooms in all of Austin. Goldie’s Cocktail Bar is usually only open to hotel guests and residents, but the tea service welcomes all Austinites who care to get a little fancy on Sundays. Reserve your spot of tea on OpenTable.
Here’s one of life’s great mysteries: how can there be a three-course meal if one of the courses never ends? Melting Pot, a national chain for fondue fun, seeks to answer this by reintroducing its endless entrée now through July 20, Mondays through Wednesdays. The three courses ($47) include salad and a chocolate dessert fondue, with mains including herb-crusted chicken, Memphis-rubbed pork, teriyaki-marinated steak, and shrimp. A cheese fondue can be added for a fourth course. (And isn’t that the point?)
The effortlessly cool Hill Country sotol distillery Desert Door announced its third spirit in the Conservation Series, which highlights important local news in conservation and land stewardship. This year’s spirit, Pollinator ($49.99), marks Austin’s recent status as a “Bee City,” utilizing mesquite, persimmon, and honeysuckle — all local plants pollinated by Texas bees, the distillery explains in a release. A product launch and fundraiser will take place on July 6 for the distillery’s nonprofit, Wild Spirit Wild Places, ($50), where visitors can watch a video on the importance of bees and taste the new sotol variety. Tickets are available on Eventbrite.
Earlier Luck on the Lawn event this year at the Hotel Magdalena.Photo from Hotel Magdalena
Print press production at the Press Room at the Baker Center.Photo courtesy of the Baker Center
Creations by Colleen, one of the vendors at Holiday Artisan Market.Photo courtesy of Creations by Colleen
Photos from the Merry Market Austin event in December 2024.Photo by Katlyn Gitzen. Graphics by Kate Donovan
Bee Cave on Ice, sponsored by the City of Bee Caves, at the Hill Country Galleria.Photo courtesy of the City of Bee Cave
Koko's Beer Hall will offer holiday-themed drinks this month to celebrate the holiday season.Photo by Chad Wadsworth