Crowd-Pleasing Holiday Cocktail Pop-Ups Miracle and Sippin’ Santa Will Happen in Austin Again

Holiday Pop-Up Pops Up Again
Crowd-pleasing holiday pop-ups Miracle and Sippin’ Santa are taking place again this year in Austin. Miracle will happen at the downtown cocktail bar the Roosevelt Room’s next-door event space the Eleanor again and Sippin’ Santa will happen at Central East Austin bar Nickel City again. Along with the typical festive-themed cocktail menus, there are some updated drinks and new ones, like the Elfing Around with a mulled wine reduction, prosecco, gin, and grapefruit shrub; and White Russian Christmas with vodka, condensed milk, dark roast cold brew, ancho chile liqueur, and cinnamon syrup. Both will sell their themed glassware again too. 10 percent of all proceeds from the specific sales of the Santa Pants, the Christmas Carol Barrel, and Santa Heads glasswares will be given to the James Beard Foundation’s Open for Good campaign. The pop-ups will run from Monday, November 22 through Friday, December 31 for in-person services. There is no indication it will offer takeout cocktails like it did last year.

Austin Chef on Top Chef Amateurs
Statesman profiled Austin chef Amirah Islam who competed on Top Chef Amateurs this season. The Bangladeshi chef decided on a whim to apply for the inaugural series. She plans on eventually writing a cookbook and starting her own supper club thing where she focuses on Bangladeshi cuisine.

Food Truck Robberies
Several food trucks at food truck court Thicket Austin in far south Austin were broken into earlier this week. It happened sometime in the very early morning of Tuesday, August 3. The robberies are being investigated, and there is a GoFundMe campaign to help the affected food trucks — Revolution Vegan Kitchen, Shirley’s Trini Cuisine, Artipasta, Brooklyn Breakfast Shop, Midway Dogs, Stellar Coffee Trailer, and Original Dog Treat Truck Co. — recoup their losses.

Best 100 Restaurants of Austin
Chronicle released its annual list of the best 100 restaurants of Austin last week. Food editor Jessi Cape included her favorite ten restaurants, with Italian restaurant L’Oca d’Oro as the top.

Austin Airport Staffing Shortage
The ongoing labor shortage — as service workers choose to forgo low wages and high-risk environments — is impacting the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, as reported by KUT. Because of smaller employee teams, there are long lines for concessions and restaurants.

Laotian-Mexican Dinner
Dining series Taster’s Table Club’s next event is between Laotian truck SXSE Food Co.’s Bob Somsith and Central Mexican restaurant Licha’s Cantina’s Daniel Brooks. The four-course meal includes items like scallop aguachile, achiote-marinated snapper wrapped in banana leaf, and a sticky rice dessert. The $150 dinner takes place on Monday, August 16 from 7 to 10 p.m. at Licha’s on East Sixth Street.

Sparkling Water Shortage
There’s a noted shortage of Coca-Cola-owned Topo Chico, due to a limited supply of glass for bottling purposes. In response, local sparkling water brand Rambler issued a press release that simply noted: “Rambler: Made here. In stock here. Clear across Texas.”

Ice Cream Shutter
Austin Scoops closed its Escarpment Village location in Southwest Austin in late June.

Ten-Year Venue and Bar Anniversary
East Austin venues/bars Hotel Vegas and Volstead is celebrating its ten year anniversary with events this week, some free, others with admission, from Thursday, August 5 through Saturday, August 7. Varying events include free screen-printed T-shirts, happy hours and food specials, and a whole bunch of concerts and DJs. Its tenth birthday actually happened in March, but they decided to delay it to the summer due to coronavirus restrictions.

South Congress Event
Summer on SoCo is back with live music, promotions, and specials at varying South Congress businesses and restaurants on the first Thursdays of August and September (August 5 and September 2). This includes a live music series at Guero Taco Bar’s Oak Garden stage and a punch card encouraging people to visit businesses for a chance to win hotel stays or goods.