Gardner’s Replacement Chicon Debuts Today

Chicon, the replacement restaurant for Gardner from Contigo’s Ben Edgerton and chef Andrew Wiseheart, is set to open on Monday, March 28. Similar to its sister restaurant in Mueller, the new spot aims to become more of a neighborhood spot with casual dishes with similar dishes and drinks.

The menu includes familiar fare from Wiseheart: wood-fired dishes, like sharable grilled half chickens and T-bone steaks, octopus, along with carrot hummus, pork rolls, clams, cookies, and ice cream. For drinks, along with beer and wine, there will be cocktails like the New Delhi Mule, made with grapefruit, honey, cardamom.

[Photo: Kate LeSueur]

The revamped space features new lighting fixtures, an open bar area and new steel and cedar furniture. Chicon’s hours are from 5 to 10 p.m., Sunday to Wednesday, and until 11 p.m. Thursday to Saturday.

Custom light designed by @annedgerton and photographed by @katelesueur Getting very close y'all. #comingsoon #eastside #eastsixth #eastaustin #78702

A photo posted by Chicon (@chicon_austin) on Mar 22, 2016 at 12:04pm PDT

Edgerton and Wiseheart announced their plans to shut down Gardner in February, revealing the new restaurant at the same time. The vegetable-forward restaurant, which opened in October 2014, landed on Bon Appetit's Best New Restaurants Top 50 list last year, and won the So Hot Right Now award from Eater in 2014. The pair opened patio haven Contigo in 2011.