Winne-bagel

Adorable bagel sandwich food truck parks it in prime South Austin spot

Wham Bam is opening at the end of November.

Courtesy photo

Austin’s many food trucks undeniably add to the city’s culinary diversity, but only a few are geared to take advantage of local food’s current Instagram-crazed moment. Leave it to the owner of poppy South Austin haunt Aviary Wine & Kitchen to come up with a trailer that takes as much care of its look as it does its monster sandwiches.

Wham Bam Bagels & Coffee will park at 4329 S. Congress Ave. beginning November 30, according to a release. The concept was previously slated to open at the corner of Stassney Lane and Manchaca Road, but was able to secure another prime spot when the original location fell through.

Owner Marco Fiorilo, who is working with new business partner David Mireles, brings his signature colorful aesthetic to the new venture. The rare retro RV is wrapped in pink and festooned with fuchsia and gold lettering — the perfect backdrop for various well-manicured selfies.

Still, unlike the rash of ventures that seem to only do it for the ‘gram, Wham Bam aims to provide a full sensory experience. The bagels are sourced from local favorites Rosen Bagels and the coffee comes from Covington, Louisiana’s Abita Roasting Co., but most of the ingredients are prepared in house.

The main menu includes five bagel sandwich options. Highlights include classic lox; smoked pastrami with Creole mustard and Gruyere; and a sprightly veggie offering made with seared shiitake mushrooms, spinach, shallot vinaigrette, basil, and lime aioli.

Wham Bam also offers New York-style breakfast sandwiches with a choice of bacon, sausage, ham, and eggs. Guests can also grab a bagel on the go with schmears like berry and bacon jam.

Given that Fiorilo is juggling two businesses, Wham Bam will only be a daytime affair. Retail hours are 7 am-3 pm daily, but the concept is available for catering and accepts larger pick-up orders with 24-hour advance notice.

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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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