Franklin Barbecue’s Vacation, Austin Ramen Diss, and More A.M. Intel

— Franklin Barbecue's annual vacation is coming around the corner. The smoked meats palace will be closed from Monday, July 18 through Thursday, July 28, with doors opening on Friday, July 29. Keep this in mind if you’re placing a pre-order next month. Plus, look at that awesome video.

— The executive chef and owner of Hawaiian-based ramen chain Agu Ramen, Hisashi Uehara, plans on expanding to Texas because:

There are zero authentic ramen restaurants in cities in Texas, just a few Chinese restaurants that serve their versions of ramen. ... Texas is huge but still an untouched market.

He said he visited every city in the state, which means he didn’t think much of the highly-loved Ramen Tatsu-ya then. Agu is opening a Houston location, to be followed by sites in Austin and Dallas.

— Taco journalists Mando Rayo and Jarod Neece created an iconic Texas taco map in anticipation of their next book, The Tacos of Texas, out in September.

— Statesman's Matthew Odam walked down memory lane all the way back to when Otoko's Yoshi Okai and Micklethwait Craft Meats' Tom Micklethwait fronted Austin band The Kodiaks.

— Dolce Neve is experimenting with fermented gelato, beginning with a peach take available relatively soon.

— Austin-based SXL Swagger Brands is releasing two liqueurs that aim to raise up the drinkers’ sex drives, dubbed PinkKitty and EasyRhino.

The Best Barbecue in Austin That Isn’t Franklin