Blanco Brewery Real Ale Cancels Oktoberfest Event

Canceled Oktoberfest Event
Blanco, Texas brewery Real Ale Brewing Company has decided to cancel its annual Oktoberfest this fall. This is because of the novel coronavirus pandemic and TABC restrictions for in-person brewery operations, and “more importantly, a party of this size (typical attendance of 1000+) just does not feel like a responsible move right now,” as it notes on its Facebook page. The brewery is still brewing its Oktoberfest beer, which is available to-go through its curbside pickup service, and will be available in retail shops. The main official event in Germany, which would’ve taken place from mid-September through early October, had announced it was canceled back in April.

Austin Black Food Week
The fourth ATX Black Food Week is taking place again this month, presented by the Austin Justice Coalition, highlighting the city’s Black-owned food businesses over the course of 24 days. Each day spotlights a different restaurant, and the website notes which are open for takeout, delivery, and/or dine-in service. It begins on Monday, August 24 with fast-casual Cherrywood restaurant Bird Bird Biscuit, and ends on Sunday, September 13 with East Austin Southern seafood restaurant Mr Catfish & More. Other participating restaurants include Aster’s Ethiopian Food, Sam’s BBQ, Emoji’s Grilled Cheese, and Anything Baked Potato, among others.

South Austin Music Venue Shutter
South Austin music venue One 2 One is closing permanently, and its 1509 South Lamar Boulevard space is up for sale, as reported by the Chronicle and confirmed by its Facebook page. The reason is because co-owners Gregg and Destinee Ware aren’t able to keep up with its monthly rents, and that it owes $40,000 to their landlords. The business closed in mid-March, along with the rest of the city, but they had hosted livestream concerts in the meantime. They had applied for grants offering financial relief from the city, but were “only given a small grant,” which isn’t enough for the business to stay open. “We are sad to say that we are no longer going to continue, and One-2-One Bar is now for sale,” notes the Facebook post. The duo opened the bar in 2004.

Hot Sauce Shop Shutter
Downtown Austin hot sauce shop Tears of Joy is closing permanently at the end of September, as reported by Austin 360. While the physical store will close, owner Brian Rush will still maintain its webstore. Rush had taken over the space in 2003 from his mother, who had operated a tamale restaurant O’Shucks since 1993. He decided to focus on retail hot sauce instead.

Victory Grill’s History
Austin Monthly recounts the history of Victory Grill and its importance in the city’s Black culture. It started as a small bar in 1945, developed into a significant music venue along the Chitlin’ Circuit,, and is now home to the new location of soul food and Southern restaurant the Rolling Rooster, which is also Black-owned

New Hot Dog Collaboration
South Congress South American cafe Plaza Colombian Coffee Bar added hot dogs to its lineup recently. The Colombian street hot dogs are being made with Easy Tiger buns and Hudson Meat Market meats. There’s the standard option, and then a tiki option, but it isn’t clear what that entails. The cafe also added tiki cocktails to its lineup since May, featuring drinks with rum and mezcal. The menu is available at the restaurant’s patio (the dining room remains closed), and there is a drive-thru for to-go orders.

Virtual Event With Pancakes
Dinner event company the Elephant Table is hosting a anti-racist virtual event focused on learning how to be inclusive in the food and creative industries, along with pancake kits courtesy of campus food truck JP’s Pancake Company. The event is being led by inclusive leadership and culture advocate Kaneischa Johnson. Tickets are donation-based. Those who opt for the pancake tickets will be able to pick up their meals at a to-be-disclosed location in downtown Austin on Tuesday, August 25 from 3 to 5:30 p.m., with the event taking place at 6 p.m. that day.