Snappy Salads

Snappy Texas salad chain opens first Austin restaurant

Snappy Salads opens this September in Westlake.

Calling all salad lovers: Eco-friendly salad joint Snappy Salads is expanding to Austin. The popular Dallas-based chain is opening its Capital City location at the Village at Westlake in September.

Snappy, which launched in Dallas in 2006, boasts 14 outposts across North Texas and Houston. In a city full of barbecue and Tex-Mex restaurants, Snappy will offer a wide variety of entree-style salads for those that want a healthier option.

"Having attended UT, Austin has always been a place where I knew we needed to open Snappy Salads," says CEO Chris Dahlander in a release. "Weighing equally into my decision was how many Austinites have requested a location over the years. We're super excited about joining the Austin community and look forward to getting involved."

Snappy's high-quality salads are made to order with fresh, house-made dressings. One of the menu standouts is the grilled avocado salad, but you can also create your own. Proteins include all-natural chicken, grass-fed beef, wild-caught salmon, and yellowfin tuna. The menu also includes wraps, soups, and baked potatoes.

It's not just the salads that are green, but the restaurants as well. Each Snappy location has furniture made with salvaged or recycled materials, energy-efficient lighting, and biodegradable cups and utensils.

The new location will offer indoor and outdoor seating, delivery, catering, and call-ahead and online ordering. Look for Snappy Salads at 701 S. Capital of Texas Highway. An exact opening date is forthcoming.

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Fierce Competition

Austin distillery hosting bourbon cocktail showdown with $12,000 in awards

Photo by Preston O'Shea

Fierce Whiskers is looking for the perfect cocktail to show off its Texas Straight Bourbon.

With something as nuanced as bourbon, it might be impossible to nail down the definitive best way to showcase it. Austin's Fierce Whiskers Distillery is not deterred. It'll task a dozen local bartenders with creating the best cocktail for its Texas Straight Bourbon in the Third Annual Austin Bourbon Battle on October 26.

This is a serious competition with big prizes paid out by the distillery (which has hosting help from partners Liber & Co and Virtue Craft Spirits). A people's choice award will end in a $2,000 prize, and the expert judges will award $10,000 to their favorite creation. Stakes are higher this year; the people's choice prize is now doubled, and the grand prize is the biggest of any year so far. Fierce Whiskers is only four years old, making this third year of event organizing overachievement all the more impressive.

Of course, if the people are going to choose a cocktail, they have to taste it. And if 12 sample-sized sips are just a warm-up, there will also be full portions of "select cocktails" to purchase, according to a press release. Food trucks Tru Luv Empanadas and Midway Dogs will be on hand with snacks, and live music will complete the evening. Rivian Electric Vehicles, which recently opened an Austin showroom, will also be there showing off its latest model and offering test drives and VIP shutter service.

Guests can come to support their favorite bartenders or find somewhere new to hang out next time they've got a hankering for a great bourbon cocktail. The following mixologists will be representing their bars:

Fletcher Wright – UpRoot
Ben Robinette, Brian Bounds – Kinfolk Lounge & Library
Trenten Relles – Meanwhile Brewing
Matthew Owoseni – Stella San Jac
Jarad Crowell – Il Brutto
Zachary Moore – Hillside Farmacy
Trever Fehrenbach – Dumont’s Down Low
Kevan Ash – Roosevelt Room
Rick Routh – Higher Ground
Franceska Akel – Equipment Room
Jessy Rae – Taco Flats
Matthew Le – Nickel City

The judges also have some recognizable names: whiskey writer Gabby Pharms, OMG Squee owner Sarah Lim, and Foliepops owner and Top Chef finalist Kevin D'Andrea.

“The competition continues to get more and more fierce,” said Fierce Whiskers founder Tri Vo in the release. “We’ve seen some incredible creations come out of Bourbon Battle each year and are always blown away by the creativity of each mixologist. It’s a privilege to showcase their creativity to the Austin community and we just hope folks come out to see what they can do!”

The Austin Bourbon Battle will take place at 5333 Fleming Ct. on October 26 from 3-7 pm. Tickets ($40) are available on Tock.

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