Catch of the day

North Austin hooks first local outpost of Cajun seafood chain

Hook and Reel is opening its first Austin location in spring 2020.

Courtesy photo

Can an East Coast chain do Cajun food as good as Southerners? Austinites will soon have the chance to find out when New York-based chain Hook and Reel Cajun Seafood & Bar opens its first Capital City outpost at 9070 Research Blvd.

A rep for the company confirms the restaurant will debut sometime in 2020, but the exact opening date is still up in the air. The team hopes to be reeling in diners by the spring.

Hook and Reel specializes in Louisiana-style seafood boils customizable with a customer’s choice of sauce, spice level, and extras. An array of seafood dishes includes typical Southern fare like shrimp, crawfish, and crab along with clams, mussels, lobster tails, and scallops, all served with sides like corn on the cob, potatoes, sausage, fries, and boiled eggs.

In addition to the main event, the restaurant features appetizers like hushpuppies, fried mozzarella cheese, wings, and garlic bread. Po’ boy sandwiches, fried seafood, soups, and salads are offered for those who don’t want to dig into the boils. There’s also paella. (Hook and Reel isn’t a purist about its Cajun inspiration.)

Though envisioned as family-friendly, the franchise does offer a full bar with wines, not-so-craft beers, and cocktails. Like the food menu, the mixed drinks don’t only take their cues from below the Mason-Dixon line. Guests can order margaritas, mules, Mai Tais, or Cosmos.

The first Hook and Reel was opened in Lanham, Maryland, by a person the company enigmatically refers to as Mr. Miller, who fell in love with Cajun seafood during a gastronomic vacation in New Orleans. Since then, the brand has expanded to almost 20 locations clustered mostly on the East Coast. Forty-five more locations are reportedly on the way in 2020.

The Research Boulevard outpost will be among the first in Texas. A San Antonio eatery is on its way in spring 2020. The only other Texas location opened in December in Odessa.

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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.

ramen vegan hotels pop-up