Dai Due Taqueria Wins Cochon 555’s Austin Stop

— Dai Due Taqueria chef Gabe Erales won the Austin edition of pig-centric food competition Cochon 555 yesterday, Sunday, May 20. made dishes with Peaceful Pork’s red wattle Berkshire, which led to dishes tlacoyo with smoked pig butt, and liver with smoked and pickled mangos and pickled lima beans. Fairmont bar Rules & Regs’ Chloe Fisher won the beverage component with her Buta Sour. Both will represent Austin in the final competition in Chicago in October.

— While Red River music club and bar Sidewinder is now closed, as reported by the Chronicle, the owner of Empire Control Room, Stephen Sternschein, wants to open a new music venue in the 715 Red River space along with the current owner John Wickham. The shutter came as a result of the venue’s recently determined decreased capacity numbers right before South by Southwest this year, which meant it lost a bunch of concerts. Sternschein and Heard Presents bought Sixth Street venue the Parish through an eBay auction earlier this year.

— Sports bar Wingzup makes the city’s best chicken wings, according to judges of the Austin Chicken Wing Festival, which took place yesterday, Sunday, May 20 at the Escoffier School of Culinary Arts. Cover 3 won the audience vote, and Chinese delivery service Tso won the best chicken wing-inspired dish.

— Texas bourbon spot Garrison Brothers Distillery is raising money to help Balmorhea State Park through pool parties. The first will take place at Sonesta Bee Cave on Saturday, June 23, and two others at the Gage Hotel out in Marathon, Texas on Friday and Saturday, June 29 and 30. Tickets are $100 and all profits and donations will go towards the Texas Parks & Wildlife Foundation’s fund for Balmorhea.