There are beer celebrations and food truck festivals aplenty in Austin this week. Plan your dining excursions with our guide to the nine best local food and drink events.
National Lasagna Day
Tuesday, July 29 marks the national holiday devoted to lasagna — Mandola’s Italian Market and Trattoria Lisina will serve special dishes to mark the occasion. Classic lasagna bolognese and chicken and mushroom lasagna will be on the menu at Mandola’s Arbor Trails, Mandol'as Bee Caves and Trattoria Lisina. The Mandola's locations will also serve up a special lasagna primavera. Plus, the first 15 people who share a lasagna photo posted on the restaurants’ Facebook and Twitter pages will receive a complimentary serving of lasagna on Tuesday night.
Brio Tuscan Grille will also celebrate Lasagna Day with half-price lasagna bolognese al forno.
Trailer Food Tuesdays
The end of the month also means the return of Trailer Food Tuesdays at the Long Center. This month’s lineup includes favorites, like the Peached Tortilla, Whole Foods, Chi’lantro, Rosarito, Boomerang’s and Nutter Buster BBQ & Comfort. You can also chill out with frozen treats from GoodPop and Cow Tipping Creamery.
Beer by the Bay Music Festival
Beer by the Bay Music Festival returns to the Horseshoe Bay Resort this weekend. Listen to artists like Jack Ingram and The Matchmaker Band, while enjoying all-you-can-eat menus featuring a wurst with sauerkraut, chicken schnitzel sliders and slow-braised short rib sliders. To help you wash all of that food down, you can choose from a variety of award-winning Texas microbrews.
Messina Hof’s Moonlit Harvest
Messina Hof Winery in Bryan kicks off Harvest Fest with the Moonlit Harvest. Learn the basics of grape harvesting and then head to the vineyards to pick the ripest cluster of grapes before the sun goes down. After stomping the grapes, you can head over to the Vintage House Restaurant for a special buffet menu.
Banger’s Second Anniversary Celebration
To mark its second anniversary, Banger’s is promising "The Greatest Beer Lineup of All Time" with brews from all across Austin and the nation. Those brews will wash down the special $15 four-meat taco plate — featuring venison, pork, lamb and goat. The anniversary menu is available at 8 pm, but festivities and live music will take place all day Saturday.
Hill Country Food Truck Festival
Luckenbach hosts the first annual Hill Country Food Truck Festival this weekend. Festival-goers can enjoy fare from a variety of food trucks, plus wine from 20 local wineries. An Americana Music Sampler will cap off the day, featuring live music from MilkDrive, Bonnie Bishop, Dan Dyer and more.
Grand Opening of the Oasis Texas Brewing Company
Celebrate the grand opening of the Oasis Texas Brewing Company against the backdrop of gorgeous Lake Travis Views. Sample free tastings of the brewerie's new session craft brews: London Homesick Ale, Luchesa Lager and Slow Ride American Pale Ale.
Fourth Annual Fun Fun Fun Fest Aqua Olympics
Technically it's not a food event, but the Fun Fun Fun Fest does signal the return of Austin's finest invention, the Taco Cannon. Plus, attending the event means you could win passes to the festival. What more can you ask for?
Eat Out for Good 2014
Drink and dine at Austin’s best restaurants, bars and food trailers, while giving back. Eat Out for Good offers exclusive menus at accessible price points, and each participating restaurant donates 10 percent of the proceeds to a charitable cause.
Cheers to Banger's second anniversary.
