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

A cult classic in Austin pizza, Sammataro, is expanding. The restaurant is opening a brick-and-mortar location at 900 West 10th Street, to complement its food truck on East 12th and its pop-ups. The space used to belong to 40 North, another pizza joint that specialized in Neapolitan pies until its closing in fall of 2022. Sammataro makes closer to a New York slice, but still stays rustic around the (literal) edges, with a puffy, slightly singed crust. A "friends and family" celebration invited Instagram followers to a housewarming on January 19 from 5-9 pm. Tickets ($50) available on Eventbrite. The restaurant officially opens January 20.

The fine folks behind Utopiafest announced the sunsetting of the festival in August of 2022, but the spirit of the festival continues on at Meridian, a cafe and concert venue in Buda. The space at 200 North Main Street has been under development for months, and it shows — the space is both cozy and immaculately designed. It aims to be "a destination for wellness, community, music, and experience seekers," while bringing new life to the historic building. The grand opening on January 28 from 9 am to midnight features a gluten-free brunch buffet ($20) and a performance in the evening by Texas String Assembly ($10).

Austin drive-through hero P. Terry’s has added yet another building to its ranks of 29, this time at 12680 West US 290. The new location is across from the Belterra Village Shopping Center, which contains Pieous, Hat Creek Burger Company, and Torchy’s Tacos. Like the other locations, this one will serve breakfast, lunch, dinner, and late-night eats, from 7 am to 11 pm Sunday through Thursday, and until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. The classic menu offers burgers, veggie burgers, fries, chicken patties, cage free eggs, and scratch-made sweet bakes.

Other news and notes

Digital dining sounds less than filling but don't worry; the food is all real. As part of this new immersive fad, projectors shine light down onto the table, animating the meal. At Ciclo, the Four Seasons' restaurant, these animations tell a story over four courses. According to a release, this took a team of artists 50,000 hours to achieve. Both the story and the menu are a little vague, but guests can expect tuna tartare, steak ravioli, and a story that brings guests "around the globe." The experience opens in February, and tables can be booked now. Reserve ($198) on OpenTable.

Sustainable Food Center, an Austin nonprofit that deals in healthy eating from policy to farmers to Central Texans' kitchens, is hosting its 14th Annual Farm to Plate celebration on April 13 from 6-9:30 pm. The seven-course meal at Springdale Station combines work from some of Austin's top chefs (recognized from Emmer & Rye, Olamaie, Nixta Taqueria, La Barbecue, The Peached Tortilla, El Naranjo, and Intero Restaurant), and changes the format from past years to a seated experience. A limited number of early bird tickets ($325) are $100 off, available via GiveSmart.

If giving is your thing but paying hundreds of dollars per plate is not, We Are Blood will take your platelets, instead. There are calories in blood (surprise!) so it's important to replace those right away, and ThunderCloud Subs is happy to help at no cost from now until January 31. All donors during that window will receive a voucher for a free small sub. A list of donation locations is available on the scheduling page at weareblood.org.

Movie theater popcorn feels like it should be free of the mortal trappings of currency, but that's almost never the case. Almost. On January 19, Alamo Drafthouse is offering a glimpse into that reality with a free small popcorn for anyone who buys a movie ticket and one other menu item, all day. For the uninitiated, this could be anything from beer to candy to full meals. Different menus are available for each location at drafthouse.com.