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

Uncle Nicky's, the well-loved Italian deli and brunch spot in Hyde Park, is opening a second location on South Lamar, hopefully by this fall. The team announced that it would serve "the same great all-day menu featuring breakfast, antipasti, salad, homemade pasta, aperitivo hour, Dessert, and more!" Uncle Nicky's is unique in Austin for its especially casual approach to Italian food — it's more than a deli counter, but has none of the special-occasion formality the cuisine tends to need to find success in the South. The new location will be at 2121 S. Lamar Blvd., behind Loro.

Honestly, we at CultureMap believe good ingredients are whatever make you feel good, but we always like a well-balanced, fresh meal. Honest Mary's, a fast-casual chain that emphasizes "honestly good ingredients" in grain bowls and salads, is expanding into Cedar Park for its third location, open on July 22. A grand opening event from 11 am to 2:30 pm offers face-painting, a 20 percent discount on all bowls, and a donation to children's advocates CASA of Williamson County: 20 percent of all food sales. A fourth location will be appearing in the Mueller neighborhood sometime in the future.

Other news and notes

Speaking of Austin Italian food, neighborhood staple Andiamo Ristorante has been sold. The homey restaurant of two decades isn't as casual as a deli, but it does deliver more of a family-restaurant authenticity than many around town. This sale leaves it in the hands of Mike Smith, a longtime Austin restaurateur known for his work on Gumbo’s, Shoreline Grill, and Jeffrey’s. A release promises "a commitment to preserving the rich heritage of Andiamo while infusing fresh ideas and culinary innovation."

As if a four nights of free live music were not enough, Hot Summer Nights comes with a new beer by Central District Brewing. Sales of the Red River Kolsch will benefit the Red River Cultural District and homeless advocacy nonprofit Caritas of Austin. It joins the festivities alongside other food and drink specials at Hoboken Pie, Stubb’s Bar-B-Q, Vaquero Taquero, Wanderlust Wine, and more. The brewery is celebrating with a free launch party on July 21. Passes (free, with an optional donation) can be "purchased" at seetickets.us.

Texas Monthly is an important voice in Texas barbecue, and Austin gets to taste those benefits in a very real way at the magazine's annual BBQ Fest. Tickets have been released for the 14th iteration, which will happen from November 4-5 in Lockhart. The main event is a picnic featuring pitmasters from the hand-picked Top 50 BBQ Joints List, bolstered with live music and an artisan marketplace. A "BBQ World’s Fair" on Saturday is free and open to the public. Tickets benefitting Feeding Texas (starting at $100) are available at texasmonthly.com.

We may not be Paris, Texas, but Austin can still throw a heck of a Bastille Day celebration on July 14. Pardon our French. Stop by1417 for specials like French 75s and braised short rib with polenta, Friday through Sunday; visit Austin Rotisserie at the Far Out Lounge for niçoise baguettes and oysters on Friday, and the truck's regular menu through the weekend; or let loose at the artsy, edgy Justine's Brasserie, which will be throwing a rager on Friday with DJs, burlesque performances, and more.

Nothing says summer like a spritz, and Dovetail Pizza is celebrating the season. On July 20, Spritz Fest invites Austinites to stop by for an apericena-style meal (like aperitivo snacks, but more substantial), with a pizza buffet and a choice of two drinks including spritzes, Campari cocktails, and mocktails. The evening event from 8-10 pm benefits food and beverage industry nonprofit Southern Smoke Foundation. Tickets ($30) are available via Eventbrite.

A large part of the allure of sushi is its technical specificity — so great, it's developed its own lore as seen in documentaries and across austere sushi counters. Executive chef at Otoko Yoshi Okai will be demonstrating some of that technique up close and personal on July 23 at Watertrade when he breaks down a 180-pound Pacific bluefin tuna, allowing guests to try the sustainably-farmed fish as fresh as it gets off the boat. Tickets ($50, plus optional alcohol pairings) are available via Tock.