San Antonio Barbecue Joint 2M Opens a New Smoked Meats Restaurant in Castroville

Very important San Antonio barbecue restaurant 2M Smokehouse opened its new Castroville restaurant in late October. Blu Lacy Smokehouse opened in the downtown area at 1303 Lorenzo Street spot as of October 28. Blu focuses on barbecue, with items like beef and pork ribs, brisket, sausages (jalapeno-cheese, hot guts, beef), turkey breasts, and pulled pulled, available by the pound, in sandwiches, plates, and family meals. Sides include baked mac and cheese, potato salad, coleslaw. Owner and pitmaster Esaul Ramos had worked at Austin truck La Barbecue before opening his own restaurant, 2M, in San Antonio in 2016.

Poke expansion

Austin fast-casual Hawaiian restaurant Poke Poke opened its fourth location earlier this month. It’s found at 2601 East Cesar Chavez Street as part of a shared space with JuiceLand in the Holly neighborhood as of November 1. On deck is its usual menu of poke bowls with tuna, salmon, rice, vegetables, etc. Pickup orders can be placed at the takeout window or online and there are Uber Eats deliveries. The first location opened in 2016 on South Congress.

Rainey Street bar in limbo

Austin Business Journal reports that Austin Historic Landmark Commission voted against the demolition plans for the building that housed recently closed tiki bar Placeholder on Rainey Street. The vote happened on November 1, just three days before the bar had its last day of service on November 4. So now the ownership team has to re-do their plans for the property.

Food truck relocation

Vegan pizza truck Li’l Nonna’s moved from its location at Progress Coffee into Riverside cafe Ani’s Day and Night as of November 1.

Bar’s new dance nights

Cocktail trailer Visitant Social Club starting a regular dance and bar series this week. Project Disco will take over the whole space of host site Progress Coffee during its off-hours, with nightly themed dance nights plus cocktails. Reservations can be made online. It starts on Friday, November 10, and will run from 7 p.m. to midnight Wednesday through Saturday going forward.

La Volta

Tracking Austin food events

Asian Southern restaurant the Peached Tortilla and New York-style pizza restaurant La Volta are teaming up for a collaboration dinner at the pizzeria’s downtown location this week. Chefs Julio Silva (Peached) and Cole Curcio (La Volta) will cook up dishes like the Korean fried chicken pizza pie with ranch; char sui barbecue pork pizza pie with kimchi; and banh mi meatballs. It takes place on Thursday, November 9 at La Volta on West 10th Street from 5 to 10 p.m. The dishes are available as part of regular dinner service.

South Lamar tapas restaurant El Raval is in the middle of offering a sherry-paired tasting menu. The six-course meal includes dishes like mushrooms with sunchoke miso hummus and duck leg confit. It had started on Monday, November 6 and will be available through Sunday, November 12. It’s $60 for just the food and $90 with the sherry pairings.

Chef residency

Former Fairmont Austin chef André Natera has been and will be a temporary chef at Dripping Springs resort restaurant Tillie’s from October into November. His new dishes include tea-smoked duck, peanut crudite, and confit eggplant. He’ll leave at the end of the month.