Two Austin Restaurants Land on Texas Monthly’s Best New List of 2018

Texas Monthly revealed its picks for the state’s ten best new restaurants of the year today, and there are two Austin restaurants on the list: Texas-Japanese izakaya Kemuri Tatsu-ya in the number two slot and Hill Country-inspired restaurant Pitchfork Pretty at number 7.

Pat Sharpe, the magazine’s executive and food editor, was pleased with the list’s span, writing that she couldn’t “remember a year that included two such distinct outliers.” Houston chef Hugo Ortega’s Xochi nabbed the number one spot.

Kemuri Tatsu-ya, from Ramen Tatsu-ya chefs and co-owners Tatsu Aikawa and Takuya Matsumoto. is described as the place for “thrill-seeking diners,” out on East 2nd Street in Holly.

Sharpe agrees with other Austin food writers that East Cesar Chavez Pitchfork Pretty’s food goes beyond what its Hill Country-inspired menu suggests from chef Max Snyder, especially with what she dubbed as the “best bite” of the year: the quail egg shooter.

Austin’s honorable mentions include chef Philip Speer’s American diner-French bistro Bonhomie and South Lamar tapas restaurant El Chipiron.

Eater roving critic Bill Addison included Kemuri Tatsu-ya in his list of the 12 best new restaurants of the country last summer.

Last year, Texas Monthly’s ten best new restaurants of 2017 included three Austin spots: omakase Otoko and Italian restaurants L’Oca d’Oro and Red Ash.

• 2018’s 10 Best New Restaurants in Texas [Texas Monthly]