Local Coffee Shop Mini-Chain Opens in Southeast Austin

— Austin Java’s Texas expansion continues with the opening of its MetCenter location in far east Austin on 7701 Metropolis Drive. Much like the other cafes, it includes coffee, smoothies, and food available to-go or dine-in (pancakes, burger, avocado toast), as well as a communal table and television screen. Its hours are from 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. on the weekdays and from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on the weekends. The Barton Springs location shuttered in June after 23 years because of increased property taxes. Next up are the Manchaca and San Marcos locations, along with a brewery and taproom out in Dripping Springs.

— Intimate Clarksville restaurant Wink added new dishes to its a la carte bar menu, which means a bunch of fanciful burgers, like one made of ground duck and chopped mushroom and another topped with seared foie gras.

— As part of Food & Wine’s 40th anniversary issue, the magazine highlighted what it considered were the 40 most important restaurants in the past 40 years. This includes Franklin Barbecue because it “delivers on the hype” with its “sublime brisket.”

— Travel guide Lonely Planet’s next book, Ultimate Eats: The World’s Top 500 Food Experiences, Ranked, gathers what it considers as the world’s best food experiences. Ringing in at number 4 is eating brisket in Texas. Mentioned is Franklin Barbecue, of course, as well as Lockhart’s barbecue scene.