As Austin moves into June, the food scene opens up with lots of new restaurants and events to choose from. Here's a selected portion of all the new things going on, including a fancy new French restaurant, a 17-chef po' boy "tour," and recognition for a new Austin cocktail bar among the best in the country.

Openings and closings

French Bistro Le Calamar opened yesterday, May 29, for dinner service. Coming from the minds of Claudia Lee and Richard Hargreave, this new concept revitalizes the space left by their former wine bar, Underdog, which closed in February. With the help of Chef Casey Wall, this restaurant is a total reset for the team. Find it at 1600 S. 1st St., Ste. 100, Sundays and Mondays from 4-10 pm, Thursdays from 4-11 pm, and Fridays and Saturdays from 4 pm to midnight.

Citizens All Day, an Australian-inspired café based in New York City, is now open at 4818 Burnet Rd. Yes, guests will be able to taste the world-famous Australian spread Vegemite, but the menu also includes a variety of less on-the-nose dishes like fish and chips and banana French toast. This is Citizens' fourth location, and the first to be open beyond brunch. Hours are 7 am to 9 pm Sundays through Thursdays, and 7 am to 11 pm Fridays and Saturdays.

A highly anticipated restaurant called The Seeker is now showing off dishes by the influential chef Stephan Pyles. Located at the Interstate Inn in Stephenville, it'll be a bit of a drive for Austinites — about 150 miles — but the inn also serves as an excellent, nostalgic road trip destination. Since Pyles is known for developing what we now think of as Southwestern cuisine, it follows that The Seeker will focus on Texan foods. The 360-degree cocktail bar is also a can't-miss. Hours are 5-9 pm Tuesdays through Thursdays, 5-10 pm Fridays and Saturdays, and 11 am to 2:30 pm Sundays. The inn is located at 809 E. Rd.

As announced in March, Buddy’s Burger is now ready for customers at 1551 E. Old Settlers Blvd. in Round Rock. That makes three locations for the local fast food company, which also operates in Austin and San Marcos. Fans of Buddy's Burger appreciate the simple approach to an old-fashioned burger. Although Google Maps shows an opening date in June, staff at the Rock Rock location confirms the restaurant is open now. Hours are 11 am to 10 pm to dine in, and 11 am to 11 pm for the drive-through.

Other news and notes

There are no fake cows in Texas. Whether Texans are excited about about or wary of the quest for lab-made beef, both the Texas House and Senate have passed legislation banning the sale of "cell-cultured protein" for human consumption. This means taking cells from an animal and replicating them to create "meat" — a word the legislation explicitly separates from a cell-cultured protein. While SB 261 did get some supportive votes from Democrats, it was entirely co-sponsored by Republicans and ultimately only one Republican voted against it.

Bill's Oyster is pulling out all the stops for its Guest Chef Po Boy World Tour, with a lot of help from friends. Chefs from 17 (mostly) local restaurants will each create a po' boy sandwich to be served on the regular menu for one week. Chef Phillip Speer of Comedor is kicking things off from June 2-8, offering a Torta Po Boy de Ostra with masa-breaded oysters, salsa macha aioli, escabeche tapenade, and lime crema. A portion of proceeds will benefit Urban Roots ATX, Partnerships for Children, and Southern Smoke Foundation. Guests can check out each week's offering on Instagram. The series ends September 28.

Arlo Grey, the restaurant at the Line Austin hotel, is celebrating its seventh anniversary week from June 4-8. Celebrity chef Kristen Kish has put together a menu of old favorites for the occasion, including Texas tomato with avocado and caramelized garlic, lobster tortellini, Wagyu beef rib, Lunch Box Chocolate Cake, and banana pudding. There's also a new happy hour to enjoy at the bar and high tops Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sunday from 4-6 pm; then a reverse happy hour takes over Fridays and Saturdays from 9-10 pm. Reservations for the anniversary week can be made on OpenTable, and happy hour menus can be found at thelinehotel.com.

Cocktail bar and art gallery Papercut is vying for a new title: Tales of the Cocktail says Papercut is one of the 10 best cocktail bars in the country. It's one of two Austin nominees in the foundation's Spirited Awards, alongside Nickel City, where Amanda Jones is nominated as bartender of the year. While Tales makes its decision, Papercut is hosting a pop-up in its space with Austin omakase restaurant Tare on June 4, 11, 19, and 25. Guests will have to lucky with timing, since there will be no reservations. Once in, they'll order from an à la carte menu fearuting nigiri, crudo, and Japanese-inspired snacks made with Texas ingredients. Of course, all this is meant to pair perfectly with cocktails.