News You Can Eat

7 things to know in Austin food right now: Hot chicken concept pops up for one night only

The one-night-only Bird & Crown pop-up is on November 19 at Central Machine Works.

Photo courtesy of The Bird & Crown

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

Chef Laila Bazahm, who landed in Austin at Eberly after her own restaurant, Hawker 45, earned international acclaim, is branching out for a one-night-only pop-up on November 19 at Central Machine Works. The Bird & Crown serves hot chicken in three sandwiches inspired by Filipino, Korean, and Indian flavors. These sandwiches have the basics — namely crispy chicken and something to cool things down — with big twists in flavor like pickled papaya slaw, gochujang, and mint chutney. The pop-up opens at 4:30 pm and closes when it sells out.

It’s a lovely idea to spend more time with senior citizens, but not always at the top of everyone’s mind. Plus, is it weird to show up for a meal just because? Chef Stephan Pyles, a staggering 12-time James Beard Award nominee, is opening his next restaurant in a luxury senior living center: the Hacienda at Georgetown. Called Alma, the restaurant’s goal is to bring organic traffic across many age demographics to the community, closing the social gap many seniors feel with the rest of the community and adding real culinary value to the experience.

High-tech shuffleboard barElectric Shuffle opens on Rainey Street on November 4, making Austin the second US location for this London venue. The proprietary technology makes scoring tournaments easy for large groups, and injects some novelty into an old tradition. This bar is designed to accommodate plans for the whole night, with upscale cocktails and bar food, including seven types of pizza and an elaborate brunch (charcuterie and a whole lot of prosecco). Book at electricshuffleusa.com.

Other news and notes

A “hyper-seasonal” menu hits Local Foods as fall progresses, with at least a dozen new options, many featuring nearby vendors. HiFi Mycology continues to take Austin by storm, this time with lion’s mane mushrooms in a “Fall Power Bowl.” The “Autumn Mac & Cheese” sounds like the ultimate comfort food with Mill-King Mornay and apples, and things take a German twist with Falcon Lake Farms pork schnitzel. To celebrate, take 25 percent off all food and beverage after 4 pm, from now until November 15. Online orders use code “dinner” at localfoodstexas.com.

Loro, the Asian smokehouse and bar by chef Tyson Cole and pitmaster Aaron Franklin, also added some permanent new menu items. Like many barbecue joints, Loro offers an à la carte list of meats, sandwiches, and sides, so these won’t really compete with most favorite orders. That includes Thai peanuts with nam tok and lime leaf, a smoked three bean salad with chilies, a key lime pie, and a caramelized onion-cheddar burger available for a discount during happy hour.

I thought the Christmas memes would start after Thanksgiving, but at 11:59 pm on Halloween, they were already here. Black Rock Coffee Bar is right on schedule, it seems, with a new roster of four holiday drinks, from a caramel and eggnog latte to a more surprising orange marmalade energy drink. Also on the list are a peppermint white mocha and a “Christmas cookie cold brew” with macadamia, vanilla foam, and holiday sprinkles. Heartwarming, but chilled.

November 8 is a big election day, with more than 50 races on some ballots. Voters can fuel up at Kerbey Lane Cafe — but only after voting — if they bring their “I Voted” sticker to claim a free pancake. (Those stickers are for reminding others to vote, so make sure yours is visible even after the pancake is gone.) Early voting ends on Friday, November 4, so any stickers saved from that round are valid to trade in as well. All locations are participating in the voting incentive.

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Bill's Oyster team to debut new Southwestern bar and grill in Austin

Teddy's Texas Red Chili with Bone Marrow

Photo courtesy of Teddy's

Teddy's will bring Southwestern flavors to Tarrytown, like this Texas Red Chili with Bone marrow.

From the team who brought us Bill's Oyster comes a new restaurant called Teddy's Restaurant & Bar. This Southwestern-inspired bar and grill is set to open in east Tarrytown in November. Both its design and menu will celebrate the Southwest; inside, this 80-seat restaurant will be a mix of dark woods and copper, and outside will be an enclosed, temperature-controlled patio for year-round use.

Dishes will blend the unique flavors of Texas and Mexico, with a heavy dash of the Southwest. Some menu items that already have mouths watering include filet mignon with chile relleno, Parker House rolls with cinnamon ancho butter, and blue crab tostadas.Of course, there will also be a full bar for regular happy hours, serving up craft cocktails, martinis, a curated wine list, and frozen drinks.

"The inspiration for doing a Southwestern menu came from my love of Texas and its melting pot of cultures and cuisines," says Teddy's owner Daniel Berg. "When I first moved to Houston from New York City in 2017, I was naive to all that Texas' food scene had to offer beyond Tex-Mex or BBQ. My first real exposure to Southwestern cuisine was in Houston where I worked alongside James Beard award-winning Chef Robert Del Grande, who is considered one of the godfathers of Southwestern cooking."

Berg is referring to a project between Del Grande and Berg's brother Ben Berg, who worked together to spruce up and reopen Houston's Annie Cafe & Bar. Daniel Berg worked with Del Grande on establishing the new menu, exposing the relative Texas newcomer to a much deeper pool of knowledge about the region's cuisine. He says Teddy's will focus on Mexican, German, and Czech traditions' influences on Texas cooking.

A crab tostada and Lone Starr Martini at Teddy's.Photo courtesy of Teddy's

Operating partner Dylan Salisbury adds he's "excited" for the opening, because "while Austin has an abundance of incredible Mexican cuisine, the bold and unique flavors of Southwestern food are somewhat underrepresented."

"I believe this concept will not only bring something fresh and exciting to the city but also challenge our team to do the food justice," he says.

The entire team behind this Southwestern style restaurant are veritable A-listers in the restaurant world. Before teaming up here in Austin, both Berg and Salisbury ran a slew of successful restaurants. Berg (a talented chef, himself) started out in New York, working under James Beard Award-winning chef Andrew Carmellini. He opened several restaurants with Carmellini, and eventually opened his own restaurants in both New York and Houston before coming to Austin.

Salisbury has helped to open over 20 restaurants over the years, from Texas to New Orleans, including Austin's beloved Tiki Tatsu-Ya.

In 2023, Daniel Berg and Dylan Salisbury teamed up to create Bill's Oyster on Third Street; CultureMap has included it in multiple lists since then, including the best seafood snacks in town and the fan-voted Best New Restaurants category of the 2024 Tastemaker Awards, which also had to make it past a panel of past winners.

Aside from the delicious seafood (especially the raw bar), Bill's Oyster includes a beautifully designed interior. Austinites can only imagine that these two will deliver once again on that front.

"I worked with local architecture and design firm Steinbomer," says Berg. "My task for them was to create a small bar [and] restaurant that guests would dream of wandering into in the Hill Country. Think 'Fredericksburg': nothing pretentious but warm dark woods, patinaed brass, and maybe even some longhorns. ... It’s the kind of place you can bring your kids early and not worry about them running around, but also perfect for date night and casual enough to sit at the brass inlay bar and watch a game."

Let's not forget the man behind the menu. Teddy's executive chef is Rene Garza, formerly of local heavyweights Uptown Sports Club, Este, and Suerte. Garza started his cooking career early, working in various hotels and restaurants in the San Antonio area. In 2015, he moved to Austin and landed a job at Uchiko; since then, he has helped open James Beard Award-nominated Suerte and worked his way up to chef de cuisine.

In 2021, he helped open Suerte's sister restaurant, Este, and in 2023, he opened New Orleans-inspired restaurant and bar Uptown Sports Club. At Teddy's, his dishes will "celebrate the unique flavors of Texas, blending the bold and rich influences of Mexican cuisine with a modern Southwestern twist," according to a press release.

Teddy's is located at 1601 W. 38th St., Suite 1. It will be open daily for dinner only, to start, with breakfast, lunch, and weekend brunches on the way. More information is available at teddysaustin.com.

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