Fried Bolillo Roll Sandwich Truck Reopening in May

In November 2022, the Lonche Bar food truck closed its South Pflugerville location at 2800 South Heatherwilde Boulevard after operating for just 44 days. Now, according to an Instagram post, co-owners and founders Antonio and Karla Rodriguez will open a new location in May. The food truck specializes in lonches (sandwiches on fried bolillo rolls popular in Nuevo Progreso, Mexico), tacos, elotes, and queso. The new Lonche Bar is at 5201 North Lamar, right by Revival Vintage, one of the best vintage shops around town.

Georgetown bookstore opens new bistro

There’s a new cafe inside Lark & Owl Booksellers called Alouette Bistro. Its food menu includes sandwiches, croissants, quiches, salads, soups, pastries; beverages include coffee, tea, beer, wine, and a small selection of cocktails. Previously the space was occupied by Bistro at Lark & Owl, a cafe consulted by the folks behind popular Downtown Austin restaurant Better Half. Lark & Owl Booksellers is located at 205 6th Street Suite 101 in Georgetown and Alouette Bistro is open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday, and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Umlauf Sculpture Garden and Museum’s 24th Annual Garden Party

The Umlauf Sculpture Garden and Museum is hosting its annual Garden Party on Thursday, April 20. The theme this year is “Roses and Rosé” and according to a press release will feature food from over 20 Austin restaurants, including Uchi, Intero, Odd Duck, and Paperboy. Twin Liquors will supply wine for guests and there will be cocktails made with Tito’s Handmade Vodka. The Garden Party is an annual fundraising event for Umlauf’s community outreach and art education programs for kids at Title I schools across Austin. It begins at 7 p.m. and General Admission and VIP tickets, which start at $225, are available online.

Third “You Grill Girl!” event at Franklin Barbecue

Austin’s chapter of Les Dames D’Escoffier will host the third “You Grill Girl!” at Franklin Barbecue on Thursday, April 27. The event features women and non-binary chefs and grillmasters, and fundraises for scholarships and grants for Austin women in hospitality. A range of women from celebrated Austin restaurants are participating, including Janie Ramirez of Dai Due, Kristine Kittrell of Diner Bar, Amanda Turner of Olamaie, and Oseyo’s Laura Sawicki. “You Grill Girl!” takes place in the Franklin Barbecue parking lot at 900 East 11th Street from 7 to 10 p.m. Tickets are currently on sale and can be purchased online. General admission is $85 and VIP is $110.

Selena drag brunch

On Sunday, April 16, Taquero Mucho is hosting a drag brunch to celebrate Tejano legend Selena Quintanilla Pérez on what would have been her 52nd birthday. The theme will of course be all things Selena, where patrons are expected to dress in their best clothes for performances from Beauty, Marilyn Williams, Dakota Whitney, and Gigi Supernova, with La Morena as the DJ. Bartenders will serve Smirnoff Preparadas topped with fresh fruit, chamoy, sour candies, and chile powder. Proceeds will go to Vivent Health, which works to fight the spread of HIV in Central Texas. The Selena drag brunch is from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Taquero Mucho’s downtown restaurant, located at 508 West Avenue.

Songkran Festival at Sway

Sway will celebrate the Thai New Year and Songkran — a holiday dedicated to transformation and change — for a week. The celebration started Thursday, April 13, and ends Thursday, April 20. For the event, Sway has changed their dining room into a more vibrant and colorful botanical space. Executive chef Randy Magallanez has expanded the menu to include several Thai specials including khao soi with pork belly, egg noodles, chile broth, eggplant, corn, and snow peas; panang curry with braised short rib and hatch chile; and a mango sorbet with chile, lime, and bitter salt. Sway is located at 3437 Bee Caves Road in West Lake Hills.