News you can eat
Shuttered Austin food truck reopens by popular demand, plus more fresh food news
Editor's note: We get it. It can be difficult to keep up with the what’s what and who’s who of Austin food. But we have you covered with our weekly roundup of the freshest Austin restaurant news.
Wasota African Cuisine delivered a holiday miracle to Austinites on November 15 with the Facebook announcement that it is making a comeback. Owner Lawrence Eguakunshuttered his popular food truck on July 28 to focus on his catering business, but decided to reopen due to popular demand. There will be a few changes, however. The truck is operating at a new location — 2410 E. Seventh St. — and keeping with Eguakun’s commitment to a plant-based diet, will be focus on a meat-free menu. The rechristened Wasota Vegan Paradise opens December 4.
Austin’s tropical fever shows no signs of breaking. An application was filed in November with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission for a new concept called The Lost Lei, supposedly located at 117 W. Fourth St. Ste. 101A in the Warehouse District building housing Parker Jazz Club, The Capital Grille, and RA Sushi Bar. For now, the concept has a limited web presence, but a placeholder web page calls it “Austin’s premier tiki bar destination.”
Lakeway hot spot High 5 officially rolled into Austin November 9, according to an employee. The bowling alley/eatery/bar, which serves burgers, comfort food, and cocktails, took over the 2700 West Anderson Ln. spot previously home to similar concept The Goodnight, which is still at work its new downtown digs.
Cult Indian restaurant Swad is branching out to a new location, according to a Facebook post. The new eatery at 1401 S. I-35 Suite 220 in Round Rock should be ready sometime in early 2019 and will carry vegetarian fare like chaat and samosas.
New York dining club Tasting Collective is making its Austin debut on December 3 at Lenoir with a members-only dinner featuring chef Todd Duplechan. The business operates similar to dining clubs already operating in the Capital City like Taster’s Table Club. An annual fee gives members access to private dinners and brunches for an affordable price. The collective sets itself apart by making the meals experiential, complete with Q&A’s and feedback cards.
Olamaie racked up its third win at Austin Food & Wine Alliance’s annual pork competition and fundraiser Wine & Swine on November 18. The contemporary Southern eatery battled for the popular vote against top Austin restaurants like Otoko, Emmer & Rye, Revue, and Jason Dady’s upcoming Chispas to receive the bragging rights and a $1,000 check from Open Table. Washington State Wines won the wine vote at the event.
Downtown brasserie Le Politique took a one-week hiatus starting November 19 to correct the acoustics of the dining room. The restaurant is adding powder blue Marmoleum floors to bring the roar down 20 decibels and adding cozy touched like vibrant pillows, a weathered farm table, and round marble tables to provide a sense of cohesion between the main area and the bright bar and patisserie spaces. The eatery reopens November 27.