Editor’s note: We get it. It can be difficult to keep up with the fast pace of Austin’s restaurant and bar scene. We have you covered with our regular roundup of essential food news.

Openings

Tacodeli is heading south to open its seventh Austin location Thursday, April 28, in the Circle C Ranch neighborhood. The taquería is a city staple, but the new location is the first in South Austin and the first in any residential area. In honor of these firsts, and thanks to a menu expansion last year to include dinner and alcoholic drinks, this location will encourage longer stays for diners, with a more homey interior. The design by Lilianne Steckel aims to evoke Mexico City, hometown of Tacodeli founder Roberto Espinosa.

An opening day celebration will mark the occasion at 5701 W Slaughter Ln Suite B-150, starting with a 7 am workout class. After that, Tacodeli vendors will participate in a community market, featuring dairy products by Vital Farms, roasts by Texas Coffee Traders, apparel by screen printers Raw Paw, and more. Visitors can also pose in a photo booth, win giveaways, and watch two live musical performances.

Further afield, Best Little Wine + Books celebrates its grand opening in Lockhart with a ribbon cutting ceremony, special bites from Juniper's chef Nic Yanes and tunes from DJ Big Lebowski. Taking place on Friday, April 15, the event is on the same night as Lockhart's monthly Courthouse Nights, which will kick off its second season this weekend with headliners Tomar & the FC's. The monthly event in the historic downtown square showcases small businesses and local musicians, and while the official party normally wraps up by 10 pm, locals always head to Old Pal Texas Tavern for a nightcap.

Collaborations

Geraldine’s, the elegant poolside bar and restaurant at Hotel Van Zandt, launched a new dining series based on shared tastes…in tunes. The Record Society meets on Sundays for dinner, drinks, and a growing curated musical selection by former server turned “vinyl sommelier” Pete Legasey. Dinner follows the regular menu, plus an exclusive pork dish each week from Executive Chef Chris Schaefer.

Servers pass the vinyl selections out on a menu — a pseudo-wine list — displayed by track title, artist, and provenance (“New Texas,” “Old Texas,” and “Not Texas.”) Sommelier Legasey follows up with diners to gather their picks and start the night’s soundtrack, accepting requests as simple as a listed song, or as opaque as a feeling. This program involves diners in the restaurant’s playlist without straying from its usual ambiance or commitment to Texas greatness. The Geraldine’s Record Society is an open club, welcoming all diners for Vinyl, Wine + Swineevery Sunday from 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm.

To celebrate Earth Month, the Taylor-based Texas Beer Company introduced a charity collaboration brew, the Wild Texas Kölsch, to the Austin market. This new 4.8% beer will raise funds for the Hill Country Conservancy, protector of the Violet Crown Trail and other local natural resources. Aside from sharing a portion of proceeds, Texas Beer Company hopes to drive beer drinkers’ attention to the HCC for individual donations. The HCC also gathers members for volunteer and educational work, and supports landowners in its stewardship initiative.

H-E-B is joining the collaboration by stocking the Wild Texas Kölsch in 100 stores. According to the superstore in 2018, it was the largest craft beer and wine retailer in Texas. It will be honoring Earth Month with a separate tear pad campaign, allowing shoppers to present coupons at the register, representing $1, $3, and $5 donations to charity fund distributor EarthShare of Texas.

Holiday Reservations

It's not too late to make your Passover and Easter plans, so be sure to check our spring holiday roundup for the best bites, baked goods, and bunny sightings.