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ZOMG Free Barbecue
Tex-Mex barbecue truck Valentina’s Tex Mex BBQ is going to give away free barbecue sandwiches and brisket tacos on Wednesday, April 14. It’s part of a Texas-pegged campaign from Pepsi called “the Taste of Your Texas.” To that effect, the truck will also hand out free flavored soda drinks from the corporation (mango, wild cherry, zero). It runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. or until everything is sold out. On that day, the soft drink brand is also launching a short documentary series highlighting people and businesses in the state, including Valentina’s Eliana Gutierrez.
Round Rock Lifts Mask Mandates Earlier
Last week, Round Rock’s city council voted to lift its facial covering mandate earlier than originally ordered, as reported by Statesman. The original mandate was set to end on Thursday, April 29, but now it will stop a week earlier on April 22. Travis County and Austin’s mask and social distancing orders have been extended through Tuesday, May 18.
Farm Supper Club Series
Chef Sonya Cote of now-Bastrop farm Eden East and neighboring restaurant Store House Market + Eatery launched a new monthly supper club and wine series with dine-in services. The meals take place at the farm, with a similar ethos to Cote’s old Austin prix fixe dinners. The first dinner, which takes place this Sunday with Texas winery Wine for the People winemaker Rae Wilson is already sold out. The next takes place on Sunday, May 23 with French wines curated by Texas wine buyer Daniela DaSuta of wine platform Vivant. Tickets are $100. The third will take place on Sunday, June 6 with wines from also Texas winery C.L. Butaud.
Expansion
Southwestern chain restaurant Z’Tejas is opening a third location in Austin, as reported by CultureMap. It’ll be found at the Plaza at Avery Ranch on 14900 Avery Ranch Boulevard at some point. The chain used to operate a location out in Avery Ranch on West Parmer Lane, but it closed in 2017 so that the company could focus “on [their] strongest locations” at the time, the ones at the Arboretum and West Sixth Street.
