Change of Concept

Troubled Austin restaurant space gets a third chance with this opening

Trackside is open next to Hops & Grain Brewery.

A new concept has taken over a popular but troubled East Austin restaurant space. Over the weekend, Trackside quietly opened at 507 Calles St., the former home of Mettle and Ophelia.

The sports bar is the third concept from Dunlap ATX, founded by Bridget Dunlap of Rainey Street fame, at the location. In January, Dunlap pulled the plug on her first restaurant endeavor, Mettle, which opened to much anticipation in summer 2013, citing lagging sales.

In February, Dunlap ATX opened the very short-lived Ophelia, a Cajun concept in partnership with chef Lynzy Moran, in the space. The restaurant shuttered after only three months. “Moving forward, the team is evaluating all options to repurpose the space with fresh eyes,” Dunlap ATX said when announcing the closure.

A representative for Trackside confirmed that the space debuted on Saturday with bar games, multiple televisions, and a revamped patio. The sports bar seems to align with other Dunlap ATX entities, including Lustre Pearl, Bar 96, Clive Bar, and Parlor & Yard.

Hours are Monday through Thursday, 4 pm to midnight, and Friday through Sunday, 11 am to midnight. Trackside is offering an opening week special of 50 percent off food through Friday, October 14.

drinks openings east-austin sports

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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