Celebration is the name of the game for this week’s food news roundup, whether it’s a big pizza party, a book release event, or an annual fundraiser that sets Austinites up with deals and special menus all around town. Two openings also give locals a reason to celebrate.
Openings and closings
Alteño, a fancy hotel restaurant by Chef Johnny Curiel, will debut along with 1 Hotel Austin on Thursday, September 3. The restaurant’s flagship is in Denver, Colorado, and Austin will be the site of its first expansion. Then a third location will open in Charleston, South Carolina. Austin is the closest to the restaurant’s geographic heritage, the Jaliscan Highlands in Mexico. Alteño serves “cevicherÃa-inspired raw dishes,” says a press release, as well as vegetables and proteins that are cooked over a live fire.
The casual Houston restaurant Local Foods has opened its second Austin location, this time at 3800 N. Lamar Blvd., Ste. 170. The restaurant is known for its counter service and easily customizable menu, featuring sandwiches, salads, bowls, and sides. A handful of new menu items are exclusive to this location, including the “Bubby Salad” with smoked salmon and labneh, a grilled chicken and farro bowl, and a miso brown sugar cookie.
Other news and notes
Professional restaurant review site The Infatuation has made its official picks for the best tacos across Texas. The restaurants aren’t ranked, so Texans are left to make their own case about their city’s standing. Five Austin taquerias made the list: Discada, Cuantos Tacos, and Nixta Taqueria in East Austin; Paprika ATX in Central Austin; and Ramen Del Barrio in North Austin.
Austin Restaurant Weeks, an annual event where restaurants across town offer multi-course menus and deals for a food bank fundraiser, starts August 18 and runs through September 13. More than 100 restaurants and food vendors are participating. Check out our five participating restaurant recommendations and learn more about the initiative here.
Any pizza party is a cause for celebration, but Home Slice Pizza takes things to another level entirely at “Austin’s Biggest Pizza Party.” The event from 2-5 pm on August 29 will hook guests up with free slices (cheese, pepperoni, or Margherita) and a can of Lady Bird Soda, another local brand. Home Slice will also donate $1 from every slice served to the Trail Conservancy, the organization that develops and manages the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail.
Indoor golf training center Golfinity, next to the Lakeline Mall, is celebrating its fourth anniversary on August 29 with an open house. The event from 10 am to 4 pm will include complimentary PGA swing assessments, family-friendly challenges, and food and beverage specials. That includes an all-day happy hour and off-menu items: pulled pork sliders, chicken fried rice, and extra large corn dogs. Golfers of all levels are welcome.
team is working with Alex Snodgrass of the Defined Dish to celebrate the launch of her new cookbook, Everyday Eats: 100 Simple and Healthy Recipes for Real Life. Snodgrass will visit Veracruz All Natural Tarrytown (2401 Winsted Ln.) for book signings and breakfast tacos inspired by a burrito recipe featured in the book. The event is free to attend and open to the public without RSVPs. If Austinites miss it, they can still try the tacos at Veracruz from September 3-5. They’re made with pasture-raised eggs from Vital Farms, which is based in Austin.
