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Los Angeles-based robot delivery service Coco made its way into Austin this month. Austin restaurants participating in the program include Vaquero Taquero, Arpeggio Grill, Bambo Bistro, Clay Pit, DeSano Pizzeria, Tuk Tuk Thai, and Aviator Pizza. The robots, which will be controlled remotely, will make deliveries in the South Lamar, South Congress, general South Austin, downtown, North, North Loop, and Domain areas. Last summer, food delivery service company Refraction AI debuted its robots with Southside Flying Pizza.
New owner of Red River barbecue restaurant/venue
Now concert promoter C3 Presents and Live Nation completely own Red River barbecue restaurant and venue Stubb’s, as reported by Austin 360. There was a whole lawsuit between the then-owners of the restaurant company and the retail barbecue sauce brand of the same name in 2019, and the Red River spot got to keep its name while its satellite location had to undergo changes.
Austin restaurant closures and temporary shutters
Rosedale cafe Pacha closed at its nearly-20-year-old location at 4618 Burnet Road in late January, ahead of its relocation onto Guadalupe Street.
Austin Haitian truck Kreyol Korner has temporarily closed. Chef and owner Nahika Hillery plans to reopen the truck in a new location at some point this year under a new food truck manager and operator. In the meantime, she is cooking as part of the meal-prep service Cook Unity.
Austin restaurant openings and reopenings
Rainey Street bar Clive Bar has reopened as of February 9, after its renovation into a multi-level building, which preserves the original bar building.
Buda-based truck Tejas Birria is opening its new second location, this time in South Austin as part of the District 5 South Food Truck park at 10701 Menchaca Rd. This week, as it preps for the opening, the Buda truck will be temporarily closed. It had operated a pop-up space in East MLK commissary kitchen Wingman Kitchens last summer.
Texas publication restaurant accolades
Texas Month’s regular best new restaurants of the year was released this week, taking the angle of best dishes of the year due to the pandemic. For Austin, this means Birdie’s panisse, Lutie’s garden hand rolls, Sammie’s grilled yellowtail carpaccio, Simi Estiatoria’s lavraki, Canje’s black cake, J. Carver’s Belgian chocolate tartufo, and drinks from Tiki Tatsu-ya.
Tracking Austin food events
Westlake Thai restaurant Sway is hosting a dinner for the Buddhist holiday of Makha Bucha tonight, Wednesday, February 16. There will be special dishes like mussels hot pot, a DJ, free non-alcoholic drinks, an extended happy hour into 7 p.m., and a shrine on the rooftop. People are encouraged to write down whatever they want to let go of on pieces of paper and burn it on the fire.
Still Austin Whiskey Co. is hosting a steak dinner with Jack Allen’s Kitchen. The Full Circle: A Sustainable Steak Dinner will include meat from Double J Ranch, live music, and live fire. It takes place on Tuesday, February 22 from 6 to 10 p.m. at event space the Long Time found on 5707 Dunlap Road North in the Hornsby Bend area. Tickets are $200 or $350 for two.
New York chefs Ed Szymanski and Patricia Howard of popular restaurant Dame are coming into Austin for a brunch collaboration with chef Fermín Núñez at Mexican restaurant Suerte. The menu will focus on seafood, including squid alambres, oysters on the half shelf with chiltepin mignonette, and kedgeree a la tumbada. While it takes place on Sunday, February 27, unfortunately, reservations are all booked up, but there is a waitlist.
