10 Austin places to enjoy Cinco de Mayo with a margarita in your hand

NACHO AVERAGE HOLIDAY

Photo courtesy of Bulevar Mexican Kitchen

If you’ve been yearning for more ways to drink through Austin after National Margarita Day, CultureMap’s got you covered. While most of these events take place on May 5, we’ve sprinkled a few fun ones leading up to the day and throughout the weekend. From margarita-making classes, to slushies, to churros, we’ve explored the many ways you can enjoy Cinco de Mayo in Austin with (or without) a drink in your hand.

Tuesday, May 2

Moxy Austin
Austinites wanting to learn mixology techniques can find their teacher at Moxy YOUniversity with the make-your-own margarita class at the Guadalupe Street location from 6:30-8:30 pm. In partnership with Socorro Tequila, attendees will get to participate in a tequila tasting with complimentary chips and salsa provided by Zombie Taco, and then dive right into the process of making their own specialty margarita. Tickets ($35 for adults and $15 for 21+ students with valid ID) can be purchased on Eventbrite.

Friday, May 5

Bulevar Mexican Kitchen
ATX Cocina’s sister concept Bulevar is offering a special lunch service for Cinco de Mayo, inviting patrons to enjoy its killer signature cocktails and mouth-watering duck carnitas huarache much earlier in the day. The lunch menu begins service at 11:30 am and the happy hour specials will also begin early at 3 pm. Reserve on OpenTable.

La Popular
This Mexico City-based restaurant group recently opened its second U.S. location right here in Southwest Austin. Known for their authentic Mexican cuisine and their brilliant cocktails, they'll be serving all-day food and drink specials on Cinco de Mayo starting with their signature LP margaritas ($10), al pastor tacos ($5), and Corona beers ($5). Reservations can be made on their website.

Blue Owl Brewing
“Slushie de Mayo” is the theme for this year’s celebration at Blue Owl Brewing, featuring two delicious flavors that will keep you wanting more: paloma and spicy beer-rita. The slushie machines will be working double time to keep the drinks flowing for guests from noon to 5 pm. Take them to-go, or stay awhile to enjoy locally-made empanadas from Mmmpanadas with complimentary chips and dip. More information can be found at blueowlbrewing.com.

La Condesa
This James Beard-nominated Mexican restaurant in downtown Austin will provide six drink and food specials for diners, curated by Chef Rick Lopez. Drink specials include mezcal-oriented La Batalla and tequila-based El Soldado, and La Bandera, which is a flight of Carabuena Blanco tequila served between red and green sangrita. Guests can also take their pick of holiday food specials like the fish tacos, tostadas de chapulines, or grilled skirt steak. Reserve on OpenTable.

De Nada Cantina
East Austin's favorite cantina is going all out for Cinco de Mayo with a pig roast, giveaways, cornhole, face painting, and an outdoor bar in their parking lot tent. Live mariachi is scheduled from 6-8 pm, and a DJ will take over from 8-10 pm. Keep an eye out for a special edition release for their margarita cups. Reservations are fully booked, but walk-ins will be accepted.

Bar Peached
Who doesn’t love sipping on a marg while lounging on a beautiful downtown Austin patio? You can’t go wrong at Bar Peached, with beverage director Kevin Kok’s specially-made mixed berry margarita. Don’t forget to pair your cocktail with one of the unique food offerings like the bánh mì or miso garlic sweet potato tacos. And if you time your visit during the social hour from 5-6:30 pm, you can also enjoy fan faves like the margarita de peached, paloma, and more for $7. Reservations can be made via OpenTable.

The Salty
It’s not a holiday without a special treat. The Salty’s signature brioche dough is getting a Cinco de Mayo treatment for this one-day-only special all day on May 5. The bite-size mini churros will be sold in a set of three ($3.25), and guests can add The Salty’s indulgent homemade salted caramel or chocolate sauces ($2 each). Orders can be made in-person or online, to-go, and for delivery via saltydonut.com.

Saturday, May 6

Fiesta Austin
The city’s premiere Cinco de Mayo celebration will host an array of musical acts, cultural dances, arts, and food on May 6 from 10 am to 11 pm. Scheduled performers include Grammy-nominated group Houston’s Powerhouse, all-female mariachi band Las Valquirias, Chris Castaneda Band, and more. Presale tickets are $5, with no cover charge until noon ($7). Admission for children 12 and under is free. More information is available at fiestaaustin.org.

Sunday, May 7

All Tequila, All Shade Drag Brunch with DJ Eriq Stylez at La Condesa
La Condesa is bringing back its popular drag brunch for the Cinco de Mayo weekend with several of its well-loved brunch staples and themed cocktails beginning at 11 am. Indulge in rich flavors with the tostada de atún or a themed cocktail while Texas-based queens Nazareth, Joselyn Breezy, and Celia Light perform at 12:15 pm. A portion of all drink special proceeds will be donated to The Equality Alliance Texas. Reservations ($25) can be made via OpenTable.

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A whimsical new brunch, brisket croissants, and Negroni week top Austin's tastiest food news

News You Can Eat

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

Shake Shack, the famous fast-casual burger chain, is opening the Greater Austin area's first drive-through on September 28. Although much of the appeal of Shake Shack is the not-quite-fast-food atmosphere, sometimes you just need a burger quickly — thankfully, both dine-in and drive-through experiences will be offered at this location. The "first wave" of guests on opening day at 1402 N. Interstate Hwy. 35 will receive branded keychains and matchbooks. The company will also donate $1 for every sandwich sold at the location that day to local high school career exploration group Ladders for Leaders.

Austin loves JuiceLand, its homegrown juice and smoothie staple that's been around for more than 20 years and just opened its 35th Texas location. The new location on Menchaca Road and Slaughter Lane brings the chain deeper than ever into far South Austin (1807 W. Slaughter Ln.) and neighbor's the company's corporate office. Like any other location, the menu includes lots of fruits, veggies, and supplements, making it good both for a tasty refreshment and an easy meal replacement on a busy day.

ICYMI: Uchi spin-off Uchibāannounced its opening date: October 6. While Uchi focuses on sushi, this Dallas-born concept will be all about the bar and more casual snacks — things like bao, dumplings, and yakitori. The bar will offer some unique cocktail and spirits experiences that are like omakase for delicious drinks. Meanwhile, an aging Austin staple of 15 years, Circle Brewing, is in its final hours as it permanently closes, and a new Hill Country wine tasting room by Invention Vineyards may be a consolation prize for those willing to make the drive.

Other news and notes

Austinites have been excited about Elementary, the pop-up-turned-culinary-playground, since its opening in July. Now it's adding even more whimsy via a new brunch service. Some food highlights include the "Furikake Grown Up PB & J" on sourdough toast, augmented with tahini mascarpone, honey, and sesame, and the "Frosted Flake White Russian" with oat-infused Tito's Cereal Milk and...corn, somehow. Brunch service kicks off this weekend, September 23-24, from 10 am to 3 pm. Reserve on Resy.

Two big names in the Austin food scene — Sarah McIntosh of Épicerie and Aaron Franklin of Franklin Barbecue — have joined forces for one fatty treat. (Don't worry, that's where all the flavor comes from.) The limited-edition brisket-filled croissant is garnished with candied jalapeños, cream cheese, and watermelon rind relish for a decadent snack that has all the elements of a well-balanced sandwich. They'll be for sale at Épicerie until mid-October.

If Negroni are sbagliato, we don't want to be right. The classic drink, most commonly made with Campari, is in the spotlight until September 24 as part of "Negroni Week," a worldwide charity campaign launched a decade ago by the spirit company and Imbibe Magazine. In Austin, participating bitter-but-citrusy drinks can be found at Eberly (in three variations including sour and tequila twists), Kalimotxo (featuring salted vanilla), Uncle Nicky's (one of Austin's most aperitivo-friendly locales), Otoko (more news from them up next), and more.

Otoko and Watertrade, the luxe omakase and bar combo at the South Congress Hotel, have announced their fall "Dram Sessions." No, we're not talking about the viral rapper, but this is "capers on a square plate" energy. These small whisky pours ("drams," to Scots) will educate tasters via different distilleries around the world, and they'll come with paired bites and optional caviar to elevate the already fancy experience. Nikka Whisky gets the spotlight first on September 24. Book as early as possible on Tock.

Anticipated Japanese spin-off Uchibā sets opening date in downtown Austin

See You at the Bā

The newest Uchi group restaurant has been looking stately at the base of the Google Tower on 2nd Street, with signs up that it's opening soon. Now Austinites can save the date for the much-anticipated opening of Uchibā: October 6.

From the outside, it looks very similar to North Austin's Uchiko, with plenty of casual outdoor seating and shade that will welcome visitors who are just stopping by or are waiting for tables. The downtown location — much more in the thick of things than Uchiko or even the original Uchi location on South Lamar — will likely get significantly more foot traffic, so the welcoming patios look like they'll be in use often.

Inside, key words are "relaxed hideaway" and "intimate," despite the 117 seats across the 5600 square feet. This will be achieved, according to the release, by warm "furniture, fabric, art, accessories, [and] lighting."

Uchibā will serve up some of its sister restaurants' popular dishes, but the main concept is the bar, which is right there in the name (loosely translating to Uchi Bar). The new restaurant features a full bar, and sushi bar with a yakitori grill — those skewered meats and occasional veggies that bring the charred flavor to Japanese cuisine.

Unique to Uchibā are:

Two menu categories: Izakaya-inspired Buns, and Bao and Dumplings
Uchibā Salad
Crispy Tofu
Hot Rock
Karaage
Fried Green Tomato
Sake Maki
Spicy Tuna Roll
Every dessert on the menu

Although Uchi is one of the most famous sushi restaurants in the country, drawing notable visitors, these newer arrivals expand the brand to something a little more accessible to casual visitors who may not want to order (or spend on) an entire omakase meal. The option is certainly there to splurge, but a quick stop at the bar will likely lure new visitors in.

"The core of Uchibā is inspired by the Izakayas that our team visited when traveling through Japan," said Chef and Owner Tyson Cole in a release. "Like Uchi and Uchiko, we have a sushi bar; cool and hot tastings, but we really lean into items like Bao, Buns, Skewers and Dumplings as a part of the intimate bar experience and we are pushing the boundaries of cocktails beyond their role as a complement to food."

By "beyond," Cole is talking about an expansive menu of wines, beers, and more than 30 Japanese whiskies, including one that'll run visitors $300 a pour: a Yamazaki 18-year old Mizunara 100th Anniversary Edition. Most interesting, this new restaurant isn't leaving the omakase spirit behind; It's applying it to drinks, making "perfect bites" of food and spirit pairings, and designing well thought-out journeys through specific categories, like agave spirits.

Uchibā is located at 601 West 2nd Street, near the bridge to Austin Public Library's central location. Operating hours will be Sunday through Thursday from 4-10 pm, and Fridays and Saturdays from 4-11 pm. Happy Hour at Uchibā will be from 4-5:30 pm on weekdays. Reserve at uchirestaurants.com or call 512-916-4808.

$\u200bUchib\u0101 Austin plates$

Photo courtesy of Uchibā

Uchibā announced it will open on October 6.

Amazon goes on holiday hiring spree with 4.1K open positions in Austin

Holiday News

Soon the holidays will be here, and that means an influx of seasonal work from Amazon, which is on a holiday hiring spree.

According to a release, the company is hiring 250,000 employees throughout the U.S. in full-time, seasonal, and part-time roles across its operations network.

More than 28,000 of those will be in Texas with nearly half — 13,000 employees — to be hired in Dallas-Fort Worth. (Houston will be hiring more than 5,100, Austin more than 4,100, and San Antonio more than 2,600 workers. Waco gets 1,700-plus new positions, and El Paso, more than 300.)

Those include a diverse range of roles, from packing and picking to sorting and shipping, available to applicants from all backgrounds and experience levels.

Customer fulfillment and transportation employees can earn, on average, over $20.50 per hour for those roles, and up to $28 depending on location. Interested candidates can see hiring locations and open positions at amazon.com/apply.

"The holiday season is always a special time at Amazon and we’re excited to hire 250,000 additional people this year to help serve customers across the country," says Amazon SVP John Felton. "Whether someone is looking for a short-term way to make extra money, or is hoping to take their first step toward a fulfilling and rewarding career at Amazon, there’s a role available for them."

According to Felton, a fulfillment or transportation employee who starts today will see a 13 percent increase in pay over the next three years, on top of offerings like pre-paid college tuition and health care benefits on day one.

Jobs in Amazon’s operations network include: stowing, picking, packing, sorting, shipping customer orders, and more, available in hundreds of cities and towns across the U.S., with a range of full- or part-time hours.

For anyone interested in learning more about what it’s like to work at Amazon, they offer free behind-the-scenes tours to the public at amazontours.com.

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