Austin Tequila Company Is Suing Kendall Jenner’s Tequila Brand

Austin-based liquor company Tequila 512 is suing 818 Tequila — which happens to be owned by Kendall Jenner — over alleged similarities between the product’s names and marketing this week, as reported by TMZ. The website reports that the lawsuit points to similar labels — Tequila 512 was founded in 2015, 818 in 2021 — and both use names playing off area codes. The Austin company, which was founded in 2015, brought up these issues last year too, as reported by KVUE. Tequila 512 shared an image of the TMZ report on Instagram, writing that there was “no caption needed.”

TMZ notes that Jenner isn’t specifically named in the suit and that an 818 rep told the site that they “are reviewing the complaint and believe the allegations are without merit.”

Austin airport sells a lot of brisket and tacos

In 2021, Austin airport passengers ate/bought 75,390 pounds of brisket and bought 8,352 sauces and salsas from Salt Lick BBQ, bought 4,367 sauces and rubs from Franklin Barbecue (which is available at one of the gift shops), and ate/bought a combined 1,458,000 tacos from the various taco vendors (Tacodeli to Jo’s Coffee), according to the City of Austin.

Lizzo is looking for vegan tacos in Austin

Superstar Lizzo is going to be a featured keynote speaker at this year’s South by Southwest, and wondered whether Torchy’s Tacos has vegan options. She’s a noted fan of the Austin-born taco chain.

Tracking Austin-area restaurant coming attractions

A new Mexican restaurant will open in Hutto’s mixed-use development Co-op District sometime this year. Helming the as-of-yet unnamed restaurant is Jaime Fernandez, who runs Jalisco’s Restaurant & Bar (Austin and Buda) and Tequila Bar & Grill (Round Rock).

Austin restaurant Picnik is expanding with a third location along South First sometime in March, as reported by CultureMap Austin. It’ll be part of mixed-use development Willa.

South Congress restaurant offers free hummus to marathoners

Chicago import Aba is giving away free hummus to Austin Marathon runners next week. It’ll be available with proof of the racing bib from Sunday, February 20 through Friday, February 25.

Tracking Austin food events

The Austin Food & Wine Alliance’s beef-focused Live Fire event is taking place in April after a two-year pause. Austin participating restaurants and chefs include Franklin Barbecue, Nixta Taqueria’s Edgar Rico, LeRoy & Lewis’s Evan LeRoy, Lutie’s Bradley Nicholson and Susana Querejazu, Garrison’s Jakub Czyszczoń, and others. Non-Austin chefs include Jerk Shack’s Nicola Blaque and Brasserie Mon Chou Chou’s Laurent Réa. It’s happening on Thursday, April 14 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. ​​at Camp Mabry. General admission tickets are $125, and VIP tickets are $175, which come with access to a separate portion of the space with its own slot of chefs.

The Austin Oyster Festival is also happening again this month, with so many East and West Coast oysters, raw, grilled, roasted, and fried, as well as other seafood dishes, cocktails, a bloody mary bar, wine, beers, and live musical performances. The event benefits Central Texas Food Bank. Oyster shells will be donated to the Galveston Bay Foundation Oyster Shell Recycling Program. It takes place Saturday, February 26 from noon to 6 p.m at downtown park Republic Square. General admission tickets are $75, which come with seven vouchers for items; VIP is already sold out.