At Home in Hyde Park

Home Slice Pizza finally expanding to hot Central Austin neighborhood

Home Slice Pizza South Congress SoCo Austin restaurant exterior

Home Slice Pizza is opening a second location in North Austin.

Soon you won't have to travel to South Congress Avenue to get a slice of your favorite New York-style pie. Home Slice Pizza, which is celebrating 10 years this fall, is finally expanding with a second location in Hyde Park, representatives of the SoCo staple confirmed Friday.

"As Austin grows and traffic grows, we're having to grow," says Co-owner Joseph Strickland. "You need to have your favorite pizza shop right there. You can't drive across town anymore."

The new restaurant will be located at 501 E. 53rd St. near the corner of Duval Street and North Loop Boulevard. Details on this fresh neighborhood pie haven are still sparse, but Strickland tells CultureMap that there will be dine-in service and take-out options as well as — wait for it — plenty of parking.

Strickland, co-owner and wife Jen, and partner Terri Hannifin have been eyeing this specific North Loop locale for a year now. "It's a vibrant neighborhood that's very supportive of our intention to operate there," says Strickland. "Reminds me a bit of South Congress when we first opened there … it's been pretty badass for a long time."

The free-standing building previously housed Bair's, an office supply company. Construction should begin either late this winter or early next year. A tentative opening date has been set for 2016.

Home Slice Pizza's SoCo locale is home to a full-service restaurant and More Home Slice, a casual take-out spot offering slices and whole pies to-go.

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Taco News

Popular Austin taco truck Con Todo wraps up business after 3 years

contodotacos.com

Con Todo is closed, but Chef Joseph Gomez is looking forward to the future.

A very popular Austin taco trailer at Celis Brewery has suddenly shut its ordering window. Con Todo chef Joseph Gomez made the announcement on his Instagram account, which was previously the business' account.

As Gomez points out in the message, the account predated Con Todo and will survive it, too, under his own name. It's a clear handle for what the chef plans to do: continue his career and the things Con Todo stood for, but not under the Con Todo name or project.

"Sorry for delay on posting but, after much thought, I’ve made the difficult decision to close the doors to Con Todo 😢. This is one of the hardest choices I’ve ever had to make," Gomez wrote. "Con Todo wasn’t just a business — it was my livelihood, my passion, so deeply personal to me. For those of you who know me, you understand how much heart, soul, time, effort I put into it."

Gomez lists several identities and callings he plans to continue expanding: among them, advocacy, cooking, writing, and being "a proud ADHD weirdo."

"My commitment to supporting migrant workers’ rights remains is as strong as ever, and I’ll continue that work through new projects, as I always have," he writes. "You’ve heard me talk about this mission before, and this year is going to be especially important to take a deep dive into it and explore what’s happening on the border towns where I am from. I won’t be quiet about it."

Gomez and Con Todo have garnered acclaim from food industry and media sources including the James Beard Foundation, Texas Monthly, and CultureMap's own Tastemaker Awards; however the chef doesn't seem too concerned with formal praise from the Michelin Guide as he signs off with the snarky Spanish "#michelinmisnalgas." (He had already been using the hashtag for years prior to winning a recommendation from Michelin in November 2024, and the team did attend the ceremony.)

According to Con Todo's website manifesto, cuisine at Con Todo was both deeply personal to Gomez and representative of the Rio Grande Valley (RGV), so it seems likely that Austinites will get to enjoy eats in the same style from Gomez going forward.

"In the mean time, keep an eye out for me doing pop ups, events, talks, panels and a little pot stirring," Gomez writes. "Nos vemos pronto!"

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