Top Stories of the Week: Italian Restaurant Juliet’s Overhaul, More

These are the most-read new features and news stories on Eater Austin this week, May 30 through June 2, 2017, including Juliet’s temporary shutter, actors’ Austin barbecue picks during Memorial Day weekend, Bonhomie’s reviews, and other stories.

1. Italian Restaurant Juliet Is Temporarily Shutting Down: The Barton Springs restaurant is rethinking its entire approach, shuttering for a major revamp. When it comes back, there is a new name (that isn’t really that different), new Italian-American menu, and live music.
2. Celebrities Hit Up Austin’s Best Barbecue Spots for Memorial Day: Emily Ratajkowski, Nick Kroll, and Jason Mantzoukas were in the mood for barbecue during the holiday weekend. Ratajkowski hit up Terry Black’s Barbecue, while Kroll and Mantzoukas opted for La Barbecue.
3. Odd Duck Partner Is Opening East Side Mexican-Inspired Restaurant: Sam Hellman-Mass, one of the founding partners of Odd Duck and Barley Swine, is venturing out on his own with this new East 6th Street restaurant. Masa will be crucial.
4. Bonhomie Delights Chronicle and Texas Monthly Critics: Philip Speer’s French bistro American diner really won over Austin's critics.
5. Rainey Street Bar Half Step Named One of America’s Best Bars: Esquire thinks Chris Bostick’s bar is Austin’s finest cocktail spot.
6. New Austin Restaurant Openings: European-Asian Sushi, Poke Burritos: This month's certified open includes European-inspired Eurasia Sushi Bar and Seafood, poke burritos from Poke House, Modern Market's Westlake expansion, and others.
7. Hello Kitty Cafe Truck Returns to Austin With Adorable Baked Goods: Sanrio’s cafe and retail shop on wheels rolls into Austin again, peddling macarons, miniature cakes, and apparel.
8. Fluff Meringues Takes Over Apothecary’s Space on Burnet Road: Instead of its originally-pegged Burnet Road location next door to Noble Sandwich Company, Fluff is taking over Apothecary’s vacant address for its desserts and drinks spot.
9. Austin’s Top Openings, Shutters, and News in May 2017: The Austin dining scene in May was full of restaurant shutters and that little-known food festival from the dude behind Franklin Barbecue.
10. 8 Updates on New Restaurant Openings in Austin This Spring The latest plywood report reveals that Veracruz All Natural is oh so close to opening its second brick and mortar.

Previous Top Stories

May 22-26, 2017

1. Snow’s BBQ Is the Best Texas Barbecue Joint: The Lexington barbecue joint, run by all-round talented pitmaster Tootsie Tomanetz, dethroned Franklin Barbecue as the best barbecue place in Texas, according to Texas Monthly. Austin is well-represented on the list, too.
2. 6 Austin Restaurant Shutters to Know: Spring brought about a burst of shutters, including Pollo Tropical and sandwich trailer Hey!...You Gonna Eat or What?, as well as other ones brought to light from the winter, like Smokey Denmark and Dilly Deli.
3. Odd Duck’s Bryce Gilmore Is Opening a Brand New Casual Restaurant: The Odd Duck and Barley Swine team is expanding with its third restaurant and market, Sour Duck. The Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard shop will take on a casual bent, with indoor counter service, kolaches, ice cream, and more.
4. Hangover Observations From Aaron Franklin's First-Ever Hot Luck Festival: The inaugural food with music festival came and went last weekend, with Jon Favreau appearances, tons of meat, and nationally-recognized chefs.
5. Critic Questions El Burro’s Existence: Chronicle really doesn't understand the new Mexican restaurant from Vox Table.
6. La Barbecue Joins Forces With Quickie Pickie: The lauded barbecue trailer is getting rid of the wheels, moving into Quickie Pickie’s kitchen just a block away. This doesn’t mean the market is gone completely, though. Quickie will still sell its goods while La Barbecue focuses on smoked meats.
7. Announced Austin Restaurants: Poke Bowl, Whisler’s New Bar, More: Among this month’s coming restaurant attractions: Rolling Roster's Austin expansion, pho chain Kim Phung River's new location, and more.
8. Allandale Wine Bar Apothecary Is Closing: The Burnet Road wine bar and cafe’s last day is on Saturday.
9. Tex-Mex Burger Cantina El Sapo Takes Over Old Bacon Spot: El Chile Group’s burger-focused restaurant is headed to the edge of downtown Austin, near North Lamar, with margaritas in tow.
10. Paper Route Bakery Peddles Cookies and Cupcakes in Downtown Austin: Owner/baker Aaron Seriff-Cullick is bringing a bakery pushcart to downtown Austin, with cookies, cupcakes, and brownies.

May 15-19, 2017

1. 8 Spots to Cool Off With Frosé in Austin: Frozen rose satisfies wine lovers in these hot days, and Eater put together a handy guide to the Austin restaurants and bars offering the cold drink.
2. What You’ll Eat at Aaron Franklin’s New All-Star Food Festival: A peek at the out-of-town chefs festival attendees should look out for, and what they'll cook up, like Nong Poonsukwattana's fried pork spare ribs and Adam Perry Lang's peppered beef tongue.
3. Asti’s South Lamar Italian Spot Cantine Is Closing: The Italian restaurant from the Foxes is closing up this weekend, and there is no word on what will happen to the space.
4. Downtown Bar Isla Is Now Closed: The hits keep coming: the downtown Peruvian-inspired bar and restaurant suddenly closed over the weekend without any notice.
5. Freshly-Made Pasta Shop Comes to Westlake: La Dolda will offer up pasta two ways: housemade noodles for home cooking or made on the spot for a meal, when it opens next week.
6. Is Popular Edible Cookie Dough Shop Dō Coming to Austin?: It looks like the New York bakeshop is seriously eyeing an Austin expansion.
7. Alex Manley Wants to Bring Bagels to Austin: The bagel trend continues with former Bufalina executive chef’s new pop-ups and eventual brick and mortar.
8. Mediterranean Restaurant Will Make Its Mark in Downtown Austin: Northwest restaurant Almarah is expanding with new spot, Darna Mediterranean Cuisine, right on West 11th Street, and, no, a hookah lounge isn’t in the works.
9. South Congress Spot Little Barrel and Brown Switches Gears: The New American restaurant will take on shades of French cuisine under new owner and a new executive chef.
10. The Ultimate Guide to Aaron Franklin's Hot Luck Festival: A breakdown of the chock-full food and music festival, from sushi concerts to brunches.

May 8-12, 2017

1. Downtown Hotel Fairmont Austin Comes Loaded With Five New Restaurants: Italian and Asian eateries, along with charcuterie, a steakhouse, and one more unknown restaurant will open up in downtown Austin as part of the upcoming sprawling new hotel, with its opening chef team.
2. Via 313’s Anticipated Whiskey Bar Adds New Bar Manager: The pizza brothers hired former Vox Table beverage director J.R. Mocanu to oversee the bar’s whiskey selections, cocktails, and beers.
3. Austin's Poke Mania Has Spawned Cheetos-Covered Poke Burritos: The Hawaiian dish is still going strong in the city, heralding two upcoming dedicated poke spots. There’s Poke House (which includes that Cheeto-dusted poke burrito) and Poke Bowl.
4. Richard Linklater’s New Movie Theater Will Serve Smokey Denmark Hot Dogs: The new art house theater offered up a sneak peek of its menu, developed by head chef Peter Klein and consulting chef Jorge Hernandez. This means hot dogs, cheese plates, fancy popcorn, and proper cocktails.
5. Why Salty Sow Decided to Open a Hot Chicken Trailer: Chef Harold Marmulstein thinks fried chicken (including hot chicken) is going to become Austin's next big thing. He really believes it since he just opened a dedicated hot chicken trailer, Tumble 22.
6. Comfort Food Patio Haven Red’s Porch Expands to Far North Austin: South Austin’s Red Porch looks to North Austin for its second location, debuting sometime this summer.
7. Downtown Austin Gets New Healthy and Italian Restaurants: Downtown keeps growing with the addition of two new restaurants, Flower Child and North Italia (the group’s second in Austin proper).
8. Fancy Hostel Native Debuts All-Hours Restaurant: The upscale hostel debuts this week, along with its new restaurant and cocktail bar. For now, the diner-inspired menu is only served from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m., extending into 24 hours in the near future.
9. The Veracruz All Natural Documentary Is a Tale of Tacos and Immigration: Everyone loves the taco trailer, but does everyone know the story behind co-owner Reyna Vazquez’s journey to America?
10. Alice in Wonderland-Themed Round Rock Restaurant Scarlet Rabbit Closes: Greenhouse Craft Foods’ second restaurant, inspired by Lewis Carroll's tale, is shuttering after this weekend. A different owner is taking over the address for new restaurant.

May 1-5, 2017

1. Jester King Brewery Pulls Out of Beer Collaboration With Wicked Weed: As soon as Jester King founder Jeffrey Stuffings found out that AB InBev (which includes Anheuser-Busch) acquired North Carolina brewery Wicked Weed, he decided to pull out of a future beer collaboration.
2. Alton Brown Has Spoken: Veracruz All Natural’s Breakfast Tacos Are the Best: Food geek Alton Brown rightly declared that Veracruz All Natural makes the very best breakfast tacos. He had a migas one, of course.
3. Zip Inside Conveyor Belt Sushi Restaurant Kula, Now Open: Kula Revolving Sushi Bar brought its signature conveyor belt sushi service to Austin, with raw fish, ramen, and mochi in tow.
4. Cow Tipping Creamery Crosses Into the Dark Side With Star Wars Ice Cream: May 4th is considered Star Wars Day as well as the day everyone says, "May the Fourth be with you." In honor of that, the soft serve shop whipped up Star Wars-themed frozen specials.
5. Decadent Boozy Doughnut Shop Gourdough’s Closes Downtown Shop: Gourdough’s shuttered the West 5th Street location of the doughnut restaurant and bar to focus on a new Burnet Road spot instead.
6. The Early Word on LeRoy & Lewis’ New School Barbecue: It’s all good from Evan LeRoy’s new barbecue trailer, which focuses on what could be considered unusual cuts of meats, from stuffed quail and rabbit legs..
7. Tacodeli Packages Up Its Magical Spicy Salsa Dona: Tacodeli decided to package its famous salsas, including the fiery salsa dona, so that people could bring ‘em home from Whole Foods Market.
8. Austin’s Top Openings, Shutters, and News in April 2017: A recap of what happened in the Austin culinary world last night, including Austin Motel’s new bar and the shuttering of Metier.
9. Big Moments From Austin Food & Wine Festival 2017: The Eater team’s hangover observations included winning tacos, popular mushroom burgers, and an intruging Ghost reenaction (sort of).
10. Launderette’s Next-Door Bodega Mr. Mc’s Is Closed For Now: The restaurant wouldn’t say why Mr. Mc’s is temporarily closed, but Eater suspects it might have to do with its long awaited Sichuan takeout project.

April 24-28, 2017

1. NYC's Famous Milk Bar Is Popping Up in Austin: Milk Bar's Christina Tosi is teaming up with Launderette's Laura Sawicki for a sweet-filled bakery pop-up full of cereal milk soft serve, birthday cake truffles, and more.
2. Austin's First Food Hall Fareground Announces An All-Star Lineup: Austin’s forthcoming downtown food hall will have a killer food lineup: tacos from Dai Due, ice cream cart from Emmer & Rye, sushi bar from Kome, and several more options. Look for it sometime in the fall.
3. Step Inside Whole Foods’ First Affordable Supermarket in Texas: The Austin-based supermarket chain opened up its third-ever location of its affordably-minded stores, 365 by Whole Foods, up in Cedar Park, this week. It includes branches of Easy Tiger (with pastries and beers) and JuiceLand.
4. New Hot Chicken Trailer Fires Up in Austin: Salty Sow chef Harold Marmulstein is opening up his very own Nashville-inspired hot chicken trailer in May, with spicy versions of the bird in sandwiches and more.
5. Vegan-Friendly Veggie Heaven Is Finally Reopening: The campus favorite is finally coming back next week in a new location on West 5th Street and a vegan menu.
6. John Mueller Is Coming Back to Smoke Meats With Black Box Barbecue: The pitmaster is getting back in the barbecue game, smoking up meats in Georgetown.
7. Where Hugh Acheson Likes to Eat in Austin: Ahead of the Georgia chef’s Austin Food & Wine Festival appearances, he shared his favorite local restaurants and what he’s looking forward to trying.
8. Tacos in Austin: 17 To Try Now: Austin loves tacos, after all.
9. Callie Speer’s Diner Changes Name From Bombshell to Holy Roller: Along with the name change, the punk rock diner welcomed a new bar manager: the talented Jennifer Keyser, straight from Geraldine’s.
10. Austin Motel Is Now Whipping Up Burgers and Frozen Drinks: On the grounds of the former Snack Bar come two new establsihments: cocktail bar Fine Foods and burger trailer Jo’s Burger Box, both opening today.

April 17-21, 2017

1. 33 Happy Hours for Cheap Eats and Drinks in Austin, Spring 2017: Eater updated its guide to the very best happy hours found in Austin this spring, with great deals food and drink.
2. New Modern Mexican Restaurant Lands in Downtown Austin: From the team behind Hopdoddy Burger Bar, Eddie V's, etc. comes ATX Cocina, which will serve modern Mexican cuisine in the western area of downtown Austin.
3. 21 Tempting Cheap Tacos for Under $3 in Austin: Tacos are nice, for even less the price, and Eater pulled together the best budget options.
4. Quack's Bakery Takes Over Strange Brew Coffee: Coffee shop switcheroo: Quack’s is coming to South Austin with its bakery and a planned music venue this summer.
5. Lenoir’s Cook Supply and Cookbook Shop Metier Is Closing: Chefs’ dream shop Metier is closing its doors today, but don’t worry: it will turn into an event space for cookbook signings, cooking demos, and pop-ups.
6. Whisler’s Is Opening a New Cocktail Bar in Downtown Austin: Downtown Austin is getting another cocktail bar, this time from the acclaimed team from Whisler’s.
7. Carmelo’s Italian Restaurant To Shutter After 32 Years: Another downtown change: the longtime Italian restaurant is closing after Father’s Day.
8. New Texas-Only Wine Tasting Room Pours Into Downtown Austin: The new wine tasting room will focus on smaller Texas wineries, along with snacks and food.
9. Ramen Tatsu-ya’s Kemuri Lands on GQ’s Best New Restaurants of 2017 List: The men’s magazine released its annual list of the best restaurants in the country and the Texas-Japanese izakaya reps the Texas pick.
10. Restaurant, Bar, and Coffee Shop Is Coming to Aloft Austin Downtown Hotel: More downtown changes: the new hotel’s restaurant will serve up breakfast, lunch, dinner, and coffee.

April 10-14, 2017

1. Mexican Comfort Food Is Coming to North Shoal Creek: The brunch and Mexican pop-up is getting a brick and mortar cafe under the helm of chef Joel Fried, who knows his stuff. After all, he was a former Tacodeli chef. Expect roasted and braised meats, tortillas, and queso this summer.
2. Food Trucks Arrive at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport: It’s about time Austin’s airport featured food trucks. The catch? The food truck court is only found at the brand new South Terminal, not to be confused with the main hub.
3. Austin Cheap Eats 2017: The Top New Cheap Restaurants, Mapped: With taxes on the mind, Eater Austin updated its cheap eats heatmap, with new budget-friendly spots like Velvet Taco, J.T. Youngblood's, and Cafe Nena’i.
4. 18 Essential Austin Patios for Outdoor Drinking and Dining: Spring is prime patio season, and Austin’s essential outdoor spaces are perfect for drinks, eats, and fresh air..
5. 22 Austin Hot Spots for the Perfect Girls Night Out: Eater put together this handy guide to planning the perfect night out with your female friends, from low-key dinner options to blow-out bars.
6. 30 Vital Breakfast Spots To Know in Austin: It’s the best and most important meal of the day, and Austin does it right with eggs, bacon, breakfast tacos, huevos rancheros, and so much more.
7. 26 Solid Options For Sunday Night Dining in Austin: You can find great restaurants still open on Sunday evenings in Austin.
8. Torchy’s Tacos Sues Restaurant Over "Damn Good Tacos" Slogan: Torchy's Tacos isn't very happy over the name of Denver taco restaurant: Dam Good Tacos, so much so the chain is seeking monetary damages.
9. Beloved South Texas Taco Palenque Rolls Into Austin With Piratas Tacos: The fast casual Laredo taco restaurant will launch piratas tacos in Austin with a food truck this summer..
10. Lick Ice Creams Sweetens Up Mueller With Fourth Shop: Lick #4 opens next week with handmade ice cream and a patio.

April 3-7, 2017

1. The Best Restaurants to Take Your Parents in Austin: Eater gathered the city's best parent-friendly restaurants, from easy dining at Vespaio to sushi at Uchi, with even a barbecue day trip suggestion.
2. Prince’s Hot Chicken Is Coming to Texas for the First Time Ever: The ever-famous hot chicken slinger Prince’s is making its first Austin (and Texas) appearance in the form of a two-night pop-up dinner with Independence Brewing Co. in May. Get those tickets fast.
3. Austin's 26 Most Iconic Dishes: The latest update to the city’s defining dishes (which already includes barbecue, tacos, and even ramen) adds Kerbey Lane’s pancakes.
4. East Austin Gets a New Latin American Cafe: Austin’s newest coffee shop and bakery comes full of Cuban coffee and and South American pastries like guava tarts, alfajores, arepas, empanadas, and much more on Montopolis Drive.
5. Aaron Franklin’s Hot Luck Festival Adds More Chefs and Musicians: The latest updates to the inaugural food and music festival includes brunches, music, and more chefs.
6. 39 Easter Brunches and Celebrations in Austin: The holiday is just around the corner, and Austin’s celebrations include brunches, buffets, egg hunts, and more.
7. Otoko Sushi Wizard Picked as Austin’s Best New Chef: Food & Wine announced the latest class of Best New Chefs, which includes Otoko’s head sushi chef Yoshi Okai.
8. The Early Word on Green Pastures’ Reimagined Restaurant Mattie’s: Intitial reactions to Green Pastures' revamp and new restaurant Mattie's are positive.
9. Capital One Is Opening Coffee Shop and Bank Hybrids in Austin: The bank is looking to partner with local chefs and bakeries for its baked goods.
10. Former Josephine House Chef Launches Healthy Food Delivery Service: Rebecca Meeker launched her own "healthy happy" food delivery service, with dishes like poke salads, curry chicken wraps, and vegan desserts.

March 27-31, 2017

1. Barley Swine Is Losing Its Chef Power Couple: Two of the Brentwood restaurant’s main chefs, pastry chef Susana Querejazu and executive sous chef Bradley Nicholson, are leaving Barley Swine (and Odd Duck for Querejazu) to pursue grant opportunities in Copenhagen and San Francisco.
2. Sonya Coté Is Opening a New Restaurant Outside of Waco: The Eden East/Hillside Farmacy chef is venturing up north for her next restaurant, Sinclair, where she will serve up her signature take on farm-to-table fare..
3. 17 Burgers to Eat Right Now in Austin: Try out a new burger from Eater’s burger heatmap, with picks like Jacoby's new trailer and Sunday specials at Nightcap..
4. Where to Drink and Eat on a Roof in Austin: Austin’s newest rooftop additions includeinclude the downtown one from Boiler Nine Bar and Grill and sit-down barbecue spot EastSide Tavern.
5. The Definitive Guide to Mueller's Aldrich Street District: Austin’s newest burgeoning restaurant area includes 12 restaurants and bars, from already-open spots like Kyoten Sushiko to forthcoming expansions like Lick.
6. Step Inside the Returning Legendary Fried Chicken Spot J.T. Youngblood’s: Speaking of Mueller, the beloved fried chicken chain marked its return this week with the poultry and pie. It was so packed that JT Youngblood’s will only open for lunch hours for the rest of April.
7. Hot Dog Expert Frank Takes Over Scholz’s Garten: Big changes are ahead for the historic beer garden, with Frank reworking the menu and beer/drink list of the downtown spot.
8. 10 Hot New Pizzerias to Try in Austin: Newer pizza options in the city include DeSano from Nashville, Pizzeria Sorelinna, and Li'l Nonna's.
9. How to Eat Pizza for Every Meal in Austin: And speaking of pizza, Eater put together a handy guide on how to eat the pie or slice all day long.
10. Where to Find Austin’s Finest Crawfish Boils This Season: Mudbug season is here.

March 20-24, 2017

1. Feel at Home With Philip Speer’s New Neighborhood Diner Bonhomie: The chef’s casual new restaurant made its debut this week, serving up bistro classics with twists, like pho croissants and decadent desserts.
2. Rachael Ray Talks Queso, Food, and Her Favorite Austin Restaurants: Fresh off her SXSW panel, the chef and cookbook author talked about Austin dining and how the city has changed through the years..
3. Chronicle Says South Lamar Stunner Eberly Is Soulless: The food critic did not enjoy his meals at the South Lamar restaurant.
4. Funky Late Night Velvet Taco Is Now Open in Austin: The Dallas import made its Austin debut this week, with lunch hours starting next week. Expect globally-inspired tacos and very, very late hours (until 4 a.m. on Friday and Saturday).
5. Rosen’s Bagel Co. Launches With New York-Style Bagels: The bagel pop-up is looking for a brick and mortar cafe, where owner Tom Rosen can dish out all sorts of bagels and cream cheese..
6. Where to Find Austin’s Finest Crawfish Boils This Season: Mudbug season is here, and here is Eater’s guide to the best boils, parties, and dishes found in the city.
7. Banger's Expands With More Beer and Meat on Rainey Street: The sausage house and bar plans on growing bigger with a second building, new curing room, and much larger draft beer system.
8. Sonya Coté Is Opening a New Restaurant Outside of Waco: The chef is looking way outside of Austin for her next restaurant with Sinclair, where she’ll focus on her signature style of farm-fresh dishes, debuting in April.
9. SXSW 2017: What You Missed From Austin: Eater’s SXSW hangover observations include Jose Andres partaking in porron, Jason Sudeikis pouring drinks, and free Black's Barbecue.
10. La Barbecue, Via 313, and Juniper Join Forces for Smoked Ham Pizza: The three restaurants teamed up to create a pizza pie benefitting Tecolote Farm, available this weekend.

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