Editor's note: We are pleased to present the first installment of a new weekly column offering up the best, quirkiest and most interesting things in Austin food and restaurant news. Check back every Friday for a new roundup.
As you can imagine, our city is quite the breeding ground for anything and everything food, so we’ll do our best to keep you up to date with all the excitement going on around town.
Here’s what you need to know this week in the world of Austin fare:
All hail the sous.Time magazine gave a shout-out to qui sous chef Jorge Hernandez in the recent Gods of Food issue. While Hernandez is a welcome addition to the prestigious chef family tree, the national magazine is getting a lot of backlash for hardly mentioning any female chefs in the feature. Where's Sonya Cote when you need her?
Farewell kids' meals? According to KEYE-TV, the Austin City Council is considering a resolution that would restrict fast-food restaurants from inhabiting spaces that are too close to child-centric areas. The resolution is being considered as a way to combat childhood obesity. Should the resolution pass, it would restrict fast-food restaurants from operating in areas that are close to schools, municipal parks, child care centers and libraries. Not surprisingly, many locals are telling their government officials to mind their own plates.
A lesson in culinary history Austin author Melanie Haupt has put together a new book that chronicles the history of our city’s dynamic, evolving culinary scene: Historic Austin Restaurants: Capital Cuisine Through the Generations. The new book begins its journey in the mid-1800s and takes readers through decades of Austin food history while highlighting such favorites as Kerbey Lane Cafe and The Driskill Hotel.
Food on display – The Houston Center for Photography is featuring a special food exhibition called "See Food: Contemporary Photography and the Ways We Eat" November 22 - January 12. The photographs study food and its overall cultural relevance. Notable Austin food photographer Jody Horton is showcasing his acclaimed images alongside well-known photographers from San Antonio, Houston and other food-centric cities. In other words, this exhibit is worth the three-hour drive.
A happy hour not to miss – The newly opened Arro is hosting a new booze/food daily special called Cinq à Sept (literally meaning 5 to 7). The new happy hour features $5 and $7 food and drink specials 5 pm - 7 pm during the week. Menu options include a charcuterie spread for $7 and lamb ribs with white beans for $5. Um, is it 5 pm yet?
Oh pie, oh my! — Jodi Elliott, pastry chef and co-owner of Foreign & Domestic and the soon-to-be Bribery, is taking orders for fall pies until November 22. Each of the homemade pastries costs $30 and serves up to eight guests. The three flavors available include maple pecan chocolate custard pie with salted caramel sauce, buttermilk pie with cinnamon apples and cider sauce and pumpkin sweet potato pie with marshmallow gingersnap topping and butterscotch sauce. To place an order for any of these delicious treats, visit the Foreign & Domestic website.
There's more — Also, if you haven’t joined Foreign & Domestic’s Indie Chefs Week email subscriber list, you should do so right away. Presale tickets for the five-day January dinner series went on sale November 14 to email subscribers only. In addition to an exclusive evening for Austin chefs, the feasts feature an array of culinary talent from across the U.S. and Canada. Visit the Indie Chefs Week website to learn more about tickets and participating chefs.
Food truck parks it — The Peached Tortilla is hosting its Argus Cidery pop-up dinner on November 15 at 7 pm. The four-course meal is a preview of the popular food truck's upcoming brick-and-mortar location.
Barbecue shuffle – The La Barbecue "Cuisine Texicana" trailer is moving to a new location on East Sixth and Waller Streets behind the Uptown Sports Bar. The popular barbecue trailer will finish out sales this month in its South First Street location and then close to reopen on December 4 in East Austin.
Chef auction – Edible Austin is hosting a live auction at The Allan House on Thursday, November 21, to benefit the Sustainable Food Center and Urban Roots. The fundraiser commences at 6 pm with libations and bites followed by a live auction at 7 pm. Guests can bid on an array of dining packages prepared by such chefs as Paul Qui of qui, Bryce Gilmore of Barley Swine, David Bull of Congress, Monica Pope of Sparrow Bar + Cookshop in Houston, Tatsu Aikawa & Tako Matsumoto of Ramen Tatsu-Ya and more. Last year, the quarterly publication raised more than $30,000 for local nonprofits. To purchase tickets to the event, visit Edible Austin.
New in Town – The first-ever Austin Meatball Festival launches next Saturday, November 23, at Winflo Osteria. A handful of the restaurant participants include Mulberry, Max’s Wine Dive and Benji’s Cantina, among others. To purchase tickets to the weekend event, visit the Meatball Festival website.
That’s all for this week, folks. Till next time: eat, drink and be merry.
The Peached Tortilla is getting ready to open a brick and mortar.
