Zagat to be kidding

One place tops Austin on new list of America's most exciting food cities

June's All Day restaurant Austin South Congress patio wine

Zagat points to award-winning restaurants like June's All Day as the reason behind Austin's explosive food scene.

Zagat, the venerable restaurant ratings guide, recently released the 30 Most Exciting Food Cities in America, and Austin tops the list. Well, nearly.

Pointing to the slew of accolades bestowed on local restaurants this year (James Beard nominations for pastry chef Laura Sawicki and chef Bryce Gilmore; Food & Wine's Best New Restaurants spot for June's All Day among many others), Zagat crowned Austin the No. 2 most exciting food city in the country. Los Angeles took the top spot.

"Austin’s food scene has been gaining momentum for the past several years, and in 2017 it proved to be more 'here to stay' than 'up and coming,'" writes Veronica Meewes.

Zagat gives the overall refinement of Austin's food scene as a reason for the nod. As Meewes notes, 2017 saw stalwart restaurant groups like McGuire Moorman Hospitality (Jeffrey's, Josephine House); New Waterloo (Sway, Otoko); and El Chile Group (El Chile, El Alma) expand into new cuisines with the openings of Pool Burger, Le Politique, and Yuyo, respectively.

Meanwhile, chefs like Philip Speer and Callie Speer, both of whom spent years at the helm of Austin's most beloved eateries, forged ahead with opening restaurants of their own.

Austin wasn't the only Texas city to make the list. Zagat lists chef Hugo Ortega's 2017 James Beard win and the long-awaited opening of Chris Shepherd’s One Fifth among the reasons why Houston deserves the No. 13 spot.

Dallas-Fort Worth also lands on the list, coming in at No. 16. In addition to receiving six James Beard noms, the region welcomed a host of new openings this year. "Diversity of cuisine, spectacular design and an emphasis on food over pretense helped usher in an exciting new era of dining," writes Steven Lindsey.

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Grocery news haul

Grocery service Farmhouse Delivery returns to Austin with fun surprise

Courtesy photo

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After suddenly halting its operations in May, grocery service Farmhouse Delivery is on its way back, with an extra surprise for Austin: a new storefront.

Known for offering locally prepared foods and produce from small Central Texas farms, the subscription-based service emailed its loyal customers on Monday, November 18, to share the relaunch news and outline its plans for the future.

“We’ve missed you and are beyond grateful for your patience as we’ve been hard at work planning the next chapter of Farmhouse Delivery,” the newsletter reads. “Soon, you’ll once again have fresh, local food delivered straight to your doorstep[.]”

Farmhouse Delivery is aiming for a December date to resume deliveries, they say. They've used the intervening six months to not only revamp their existing business model, but to expand their offerings.

The biggest surprise in the newsletter was a revelation of plans for a new storefront in Austin, blending a cozy farmer’s market vibe with what they call “the best parts of your favorite grocer — where you can discover fresh foods, refill on essentials, connect with other members on sustainable living, and, of course, [shop] our best local products — all in innovative, reusable packaging.”

The email did not divulge details for the location or timing of the storefront project.

The company also plans to introduce a new membership model with exclusive benefits such as sneak peeks of new products and promotions.

Underscoring its commitment to sustainability, Farmhouse also announced that it’s working toward a completely plastic-free delivery:

“Expect to see your favorite items in sustainable packaging, with rewards for returning and reusing Farmhouse materials. Together, let’s reduce waste and make sustainable choices the coolest thing to do.”

The newsletter invited customers to complete a survey to help shape the ongoing Farmhouse experience. There, customers can indicate their desired delivery day (or days) and the factors that influence that preference (meal planning, work schedule, etc.), as well as specific products they would like to see in future deliveries.

Survey participants can also designate their preferred price point for memberships and the most appealing benefits from a long list, including free deliveries, additional delivery days, free products, members-only cooking classes, exclusive content, and more.

Neither the newsletter nor the Farmhouse website announced a specific date for relaunching, but returning and new customers can keep an eye on the website and social media for further details.

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