Austin's First Food Hall Fareground Announces An All-Star Lineup

Fareground, Austin’s very first food hall right on Congress Avenue, just announced its all-star food lineup. The vendors include Contigo, Dai Due, new concepts from Emmer & Rye, Ni-Kome, and Antonelli’s Cheese Shop.

With Dai Due Taqueria, chefs Jesse Griffiths and Gabe Erales will focus on tacos made with wild game and fish (wild boar, venison, catfish). Emmer & Rye is debuting two new renditions of the restaurant. With Henbit, chef Kevin Fink will offer an locally-sourced breakfast, lunch, and dinner, while pastry chef Tavel Bristol will serve up ice cream and desserts from sweets cart Honeybit. Kome presents sushi bar Ni-Kome, which will dish out rolls and ramen (it also owns Daruma Ramen). Andrew Wiseheart will stick to Texas cuisine for its Fareground outpost, which will include that burger along with some new dishes like the rotisserie chicken. Antontelli’s will offer an especially melty raclette, cheese boards, sandwiches, soups, and more.

These vendors were curated by ELM Restaurant Group, which includes chef Andrew Curren. These food spots are anchored with the third location of ELM’s Easy Tiger, serving up pastries, sandwiches, and breads. ELM beverage director Craig Collins will oversee Fareground’s two bars as well.

Fareground will definitely shake things up in the downtown culinary scene, offering Austinites, office workers, politicians, and tourists something very different from the usual food trucks and restaurants available in the area. The communal space will bring everyone together with food and drink.

Indoor and outdoor seating are in the plans for Fareground, along with meeting and coworking spaces. It'll be found within the lobby and plaza area of One Congress Plaza.

ELM is staying very, very busy as well. Its second Easy Tiger is opening this week as part of 365 by Whole Foods, the supermarket chain's affordable branch, and then a third iteration of the beer garden/bakery in the Linc this spring. Then there’s the new Central Library restaurant, Cookbook Cafe, where the menu will draw on actual cookbooks, which was pushed back to the fall. 24 Diner is also expanding to Rock Rose later this year. The group also oversees Italic and Irene's.

Austin is getting another public market down south with Saint Elmo Public Market, though no further details are available aside from not including Saxon Pub.

• Easy Tiger Joins Austin’s First Food Hall Fareground [EATX]
• All Coverage of Fareground [EATX]