Opening alert

Renowned Chicago restaurant sneaks into Austin to open first-ever Texas location

Chicago's buzzy Aba appears to be opening a location in Austin.

Austin’s reputation as a sizzling restaurant city might have been largely driven by the national press, but most of its growth has been driven by local hospitality groups like McGuire Moorman and New Waterloo. That may soon change as one of the giants of the Midwestern dining scene makes its Capital City debut.

According to a permit filing with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises is opening a location of its red-hot Chicago restaurant Aba at 1011 S. Congress Ave. in building two of the Music Lane development. The Mediterranean concept, first introduced in June 2018, is the work of chef CJ Jacobson — a Top Chef alum who also helms Chicago's acclaimed Ema.

A rep for Lettuce Entertain You declined to give further details about the concept, including an estimated opening date. The Chicago menu includes several takes on hummus and other spreads and a sharp focus on proteins, ranging from raw hamachi to “humble cuts” of chicken, lamb, and pork belly to seafood like grilled Spanish octopus.

Aba is also known for a cocktail program headed by lauded mixologist Liz Pearce of buzzy bar The Drifter and a stunning rooftop patio — a feature that would no doubt be welcome in Austin’s al fresco culture.

The restaurant will not only be Lettuce Entertain You’s first Austin project, but its first in Texas. The group has a ridiculously varied portfolio including world-renowned tiki bar Three Dots and a Dash, Chicago icon R.J. Grunts, fast-casual chain Big Bowl, and Everest — a Michelin-starred showpiece on the 40th floor of the Chicago Stock Exchange.

Aba will fit right in with what is shaping up to be one of Austin’s toniest developments. Music Lane will also be the home of upscale fitness club Equinox, Gelateria Gemelli, exclusive social club Soho House, and "playful department store" Neighborhood Goods.

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Noodle News

Vegan ramen joint from Los Angeles visits Austin for 2-night pop-up

Ramen Hood/Instagram

Los Angeles' Ramen Hood will be in Austin for a two-night pop-up.

This Thursday and Friday, the Loren Hotel Austin is teaming up with Los Angeles vegan ramen restaurant Ramen Hood for a two-night pop-up dinner on November 7 and 8.

The dinner on both nights will include a multi-course prix fixe menu featuring some of the restaurant's best-selling dishes. Guests will see broccoli with soy, chili glaze, and scallions; Ahi "Tuna" crisps made from spicy beets, crispy rice shells, yuzu avocado puree and sesame seeds; Avocado Toast with crispy rice cakes, yuzu avocado puree, herb salad, togarashi, and chili threads; and ramen with sunflower seed broth, bean sprouts, scallions, bok choy, and king oyster mushrooms.

Dinner is priced at $45 per person, plus an additional $45 for sake and cocktail pairings.

Dinner will include this simple but savory broccoli dish, along with several other courses. Photo courtesy of Ramen Hood

Ramen Hood was founded in 2015 by chef Rahul Khopkar and Ilan Hall, as a vegan and plant-based ramen option in L.A. This will be the first time Ramen Hood is teaming up with The Loren, but it's not the first pop-up the hotel is offering. This is part of an ongoing chef series, where The Loren Hotel partners with chefs from all around the country to showcase their specialty dishes to Austin eaters.

A portion of the proceeds from The Loren Chef Series benefits The Loren Roots Imperative, a nonprofit that has big goals in terms of carbon footprint. Currently the Roots Imperative aims to acquire and regenerate over 50,000 biodiverse acres of land and plant 10 million hardwood trees to offset its own carbon emissions.

Ramen Hood's pop-up vegan restaurant will be at The Loren's Nido Lounge from 6-9 pm on Thursday November, 7, and Friday, November 8.

The Nido Lounge at the Loren Hotel Austin. Photo from thelorenhotels.com

The Loren Hotel is located just south of the Colorado River at 1211 W Riverside Dr. Aside from the Nido Lounge, the hotel a Milk + Honey spa, an extensive fitness center, cafe, rooftop terrace, infinity pool, and plenty of other luxurious amenities in its 108 guest rooms and suites overlooking Lady Bird Lake.

More information and tickets are available at thelorenhotels.com.

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