go on, dish

Houston farm-to-table restaurant Dish Society ready for Austin debut

Dish Society combines local foods with a fast-casual service style for low-maintenance, high-quality eats.

Photo courtesy of Dish Society

Austin's busy dining scene is practically a spinning plates act, and one notable new dish has been added to the routine. Dish Society — popular in Houston, where 2024 will mark its 10th anniversary — announced its first Austin outpost in April, and will open December 21.

This is a special expansion for owner Aaron Lyons, who graduated from the University of Texas and calls Austin his hometown. And he's not the only member of the staff with these university ties.

“It’s kind of surreal to come full circle,” said Lyons in a press release. “Being able to share Dish Society with my family and friends is pretty cool. Quite a few people on our team are from Austin or went to UT and also have friends and family they’re excited to share the brand with. But starting in a new market with a concept that’s not a first draft is also a nice feeling. Since we’ve been doing this for almost ten years, we have the opportunity to make a pretty good impression.”

Dish Society has become well-known in Houston and Katy for its uncommon combination of local ingredients and fast-casual service. This is basically upscale diner food: Southern brunch all day, sandwiches, grain bowls, sandwiches tacos, pasta, and even old-fashioned desserts like root beer floats. According to Google reviews, brisket in a few forms and shrimp and grits are popular orders.

Dish Society The new restaurant is opening December 21.Photo by Finn Hall

More than three-quarters of the ingredients on the menu are from Texas producers, according to the release. Locals may recognize contributions from the following Austin businesses:

Open Eye Chai
Buddha’s Brew Kombucha
Hold Steady Coffee
Lick Honest Ice Creams
Yellow Bird Sauce
Joe’s Microgreens
Lone Star Lettuce Growers
Fiesta Tortilla Factory.

“Knowing Aaron and Trent's ties to this city, it was exciting for me to join this company with the promise that we’d bring our passion for exceptional experiences and hospitality to this,” said Five 12 culinary director Brandi Key. “As a chef, I am thrilled to widen our portfolio of local vendors. Supporting local will always be a focus for us, and coming into this new market means we get to work with new produce and specialty companies. Over the coming months, we’ll add to the list and I can't wait to meet more potential partners to collaborate in providing our take on fresh, seasonal dishes for our guests.”

The beverage menu includes cocktails, mocktails, craft beers, wine, coffee, juice, and more, with various deals available to encourage hangouts throughout the week. Kids under 12 can even eat free on Tuesdays.

Dish Socieety Photo courtesy of Dish Society

The idea came to Lyons when traveling as a business consultant and noticing that it was difficult to eat healthy, but quickly. He is joined in business by COO Trent Patterson, who also graduated from UT and has opened 40 Chick-fil-A units across the United States. The two opened Daily Gather as Dish Society's sister restaurant, and operate the two under the name Five 12 Restaurant Concepts.

Austin's Mueller neighborhood is a great place to put the new location (1900 Aldrich Street, Ste. 130) for quick eats; most of the nearby restaurants are casual, but relatively heavy. The 3,600-square-foot space will feature large windows and be full of natural light. It will have enough seating for 80 guests inside and 80 outside, plus a walkup window where people can get coffee and breakfast tacos on-the-go.

The restaurant is getting things running with a staff of 40. New hires can look forward to some creative benefits like include tuition and leadership support, paid volunteer hours, exercise and wellness initiatives, and paid time off for hourly staff. The location will also host some community events.

Dish Society will operate from Sunday to Thursday, 7 am to 9 pm; and Friday and Saturday, 7 am to 10 pm. Online ordering and catering will also be available. More information can be found at dishsociety.com.

openings fast-casual mueller sandwiches coffee beer cocktails mocktails families desserts barbecue breakfast brunch lunch dinner

Back to the Plow

Homey Austin jam and bake shop closing and returning to farmers market

Confituras/Instagram

Confituras Little Kitchen is closing its brick-and-mortar store, but feeling optimistic about the future.

A famers market find is returning to its natural environment after six years in a brick-and-mortar location. Confituras Little Kitchen, which specializes in locally sourced preserves, is closing its jam and biscuit shop after service on Sunday, December 22. However, it will continue selling goods at the Barton Creek Farmers Market and via retailers.

Confituras announced the change in a newsletter to its customers in December. The letter called the news "bittersweet."

"Although the brick and mortar will no longer be, the good news is that this will be a fresh new start for us – we are bursting with energy and creativity at the thought of being back out in the community where it all started for confituras," it said.

The kitchen is closing because the lease is up, and the team has decided to "give up the chase." The newsletter emphasized the ups-and-downs of business over the past several years — ones that were chaotic for just about any business, let alone a small, fairly niche food operation.

"So much has happened since we decided to open a brick + mortar – a wonderful kickstarter fundraiser, THE PANDEMIC, the AFTER-EFFECTS OF THE PANDEMIC, and an ever growing city," the letter says. "We tried so very hard but never really got our footing. We know we are not alone, many small business are in the same boat. We renewed our lease during the pandemic because we were hopeful we could make it work - the changing times had other ideas."

Finally, it shared how customers could keep enjoying Confituras creations:

The Barton Creek Farmers Market is open at 2901 S. Capital of Texas Hwy. every Saturday from 9 am to 1 pm.
A list on confituras.net compiles retailers including Royal Blue Grocery, Farmhouse Delivery, and Antonelli's Cheese Shop.
Jam share and Table22 subscription customers will have more instructions coming soon about picking up their goods in January at the same space, 2129 Goodrich Ave.
Customers may also reach out to inquire about continuing to order meals directly.

The kitchen also hosted frequent events and workshops, but the letter did not address this aspect of the business.

A shorter message shared on Instagram has inspired 63 comments so far, five days later. Customers eulogized the shop for its community feel and providing a sense of regularity during the height of the pandemic thanks to weekend pick-ups.