Rainey Street Bar Is Closing Because of Downtown Development

Downtown Austin bar and club Reina is closing on Sunday, September 11 because of impending development construction. The 78 Rainey Street address will make way for residential building developments. The bar opened in January 2020. Similarly, on the same bar-filled street, Craft Pride, Container Bar, and Bungalow closed this year. One of Reina’s co-owners, Paolo Soriano, is involved with the forthcoming nightlife spot opening in the former La Bare on East Riverside and South Congress.

Food event celebrating Black-owned restaurants and food trucks in Austin

ATX Black Food Week, the multi-day food event highlighting Black-owned restaurants and food trucks in Austin, is happening again starting this week, from Tuesday, August 30 through TK, September 5. Participating restaurants include Distant Relatives, Mr. Catfish & More, Kasian Boil, Aster’s Ethiopian Food, 11 Degree Daquaris, and others. The full list of participating businesses is online. It’s hosted and organized by nonprofit Austin Justice Coalition.

Vegan food truck shutter

Vegan truck Plow Burger closed down its Hyde Park location as of August 25. Its East Riverside truck remains open, and its announcement Instagram post notes that it will open a new location somewhere in East Austin.

San Antonio chef shuffle

Texas chef Jorge Luis Hernández is now the executive chef of San Antonio’s Hotel Emma. He’ll oversee the hotel’s American restaurant Supper (which switched to a new menu, including items like broiled oysters, chorizo and clams, and huevo frito), bar Sternewirth, market Larder, as well as in-hotel events, room service, and pool dining. Previously, Hernández had been pegged to open a different hotel restaurant within the forthcoming project Veramendi House. It was part of the hospitality group Mighty Union, through which he had been overseeing its other hotel Carpenter in Austin. It’s unclear what’s happening to that property. Before joining Hotel Emma, Hernandez had been the head chef of two-Michelin-starred D.C. restaurant Minibar and worked for other José Andrés restaurants, as well as Austin restaurants Qui and consulted for the Brewery’s Table and AFS Cinema. The previous executive chef was John Brand, who is now the director of culinary endeavors for the hotel.

San Antonio hotel restaurant opening

New San Antonio hotel restaurant Four Brothers opened on August 25 at the Riverwalk’s Omni La Mansion del Rio. The casual menu centers on Texas, Latin, and French cuisines. The hotel’s restaurant had previously been Las Canarias.