Editor’s note: We get it. It can be difficult to keep up with the fast pace of Austin’s restaurant and bar scene. We have you covered with our regular roundup of essential food news.

Openings

A couple of Austin restaurateurs are giving the Brentwood neighborhood the double bird. Bird Bird Biscuit, the fried chicken and biscuit eatery founded by locals Brian Batch and Ryan McElroy, will open its second location, at 1401 W. Koenig Ln., on Monday, October 18. Taking the spot previously occupied by Thunderbird Coffee (also founded by McElroy), the new Bird Bird Biscuit will serve all the menu favorites locals have been flocking to the Manor Road location for since 2018, like the spicy Queen Beak sandwich and the Firebird sandwich. The space will also serve as a commissary kitchen for all Bird Bird Biscuit operations. The new spot will be open Monday through Friday 8 am-2 pm and Saturday and Sunday 8 am-3 pm. Chicken biscuit fans can order online or fly on up to the kiosk window to place their order. There is no indoor seating, and guests are encouraged to take their bird to go, though the patio does offer some picnic-style seating. Sadly, because of “site constraints,” a Thunderbird Coffee trailer planned for an adjacent space has been nixed. The original Bird Bird Biscuit location will remain open and operating as normal. Follow Bird Bird Biscuit on Instagram for updates and more info.

In the realm of totally dope news, hip Chinese joint Old Thousand has opened the dining room at its Burnet Road location for the first time ever. Operating as a takeout-only spot since opening in October 2020, Old Thousand at 4805 Burnet Rd. in North Central Austin can now host hungry guests inside its colorful, whimsical dining space. The dining room opening comes just in time for the Burnet Road location’s one-year anniversary, so it only seems fitting to stop by to celebrate with a meal from Old Thousand’s Four Star Power Birthday Menu, which includes an item called We Smoked a Whole Pig Dinner that features — you guessed it — smoked pig and fresh sides. Follow Old Thousand on Instagram for more info and menu specials.

Other news and notes

Considering the number of area restaurants and bars that courageously opened in the peak of the pandemic last year, it’s no surprise that many are in the midst of celebrating their first birthday. Among such celebrations is one taking place at Fitzhugh Brewing, the Dripping Springs brewpub, outdoor beer garden, home of an onsite Pok-E-Jo’s Smokehouse eatery, and all-around awesome Hill Country hang spot, which turns 1 year old on Saturday, October 16. Celebrate with Fitzhugh beginning at 10 am this Saturday by purchasing a bottle of limited-supply Russian imperial stout, grooving to live music all day, shopping local makers’ pop-ups, entering a prize raffle, donning some face painting, and more. Check out the full schedule of birthday events here. And moving into year two, watch for Fitzhugh Brewing — already an impressive purveyor of brews from around the world — to add beers that explore fermentation culture, including some from the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. Also on tap for year two: Fitzhugh Brewing plans to add a new membership club and host more events, including multicourse beer-pairing dinners, brewhouse yoga, drinks with goats, girls’ day out with local pop-up shops, weekly music, a Halloween carnival, and more. For more info, visit the brewpub’s website.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month (get yourselves checked, ladies!) and one Austin establishment is honoring the occasion in a tasty — and yes, pink — way that also makes a positive impact for local breast cancer patients. For the entire month of October, Z’Tejas Southwest Grill is encouraging Austinites to drink pink for the Breast Cancer Resource Center, the Austin-based nonprofit that provides guidance, education, and assistance to thousands of local women diagnosed with breast cancer. All month, the Sixth Street hot spot will sell pink awareness ribbons for $10 each, with a portion of the proceeds going to the BCRC. And with the purchase of a ribbon, guests will get a complimentary Z’Tejas watermelon strawberry margarita (or a nonalcoholic strawberry lemonade cocktail). While you’re there, you may as well stay for a bite to eat, especially since executive chef Diego Bolanos has rolled out a new seasonal menu for the fall. For more info, visit the restaurant website.

The Austin Food & Wine Alliance is feeling particularly generous this year, announcing that it plans to award $34,500 in grants to support “culinary innovation and community give-back projects in Central Texas.” The nonprofit’s grant program, now in its ninth year, has provided $402,000 in funding to Austin chefs, artisan producers, and culinary businesses and charities since 2012. The alliance will accept online grant applications here through Sunday, October 24, and grant winners will be announced and awarded at a ceremony at Fairmont Austin on December 13. Eligible applicants include farmers, artisan producers, chefs, wine/beer/spirits makers, culinary nonprofits, businesses, and “professionals whose projects and initiatives show innovation and impact to the community.” The organization recently expanded statewide to form the Texas Food & Wine Alliance, and for the first time ever, will award an additional $39,500 in grants in San Antonio, Dallas, and Houston. For more information about the alliance, visit the organization’s website or email info@austinfoodandwinealliance.org.