A New Oyster Bar Is Opening in Clarksville With Seafood Towers and Champagne

The team behind new downtown cocktail bar Swank Cocktail Room is opening a new oyster bar this week. Pearl Dive Oyster Bar will be found at 1611 West Fifth Street, Suite 105 in the Clarksville neighborhood starting on Wednesday, September 20. The restaurant’s new chef, Peter Klimov (who had previously cooked at Hotel Ella and Olamaie), will offer oysters, raw and cooked seafood dishes, and seafood towers. The menu also includes wines. Its opening will be a limited service one, with fuller service available starting with brunch on Sunday, October 1. The physical restaurant is taking over what had been the Sushi Zushi space. Swank, with champagne, bottle service, and cocktails, opened in late July on West Fourth. Pearl’s hours will be from 4 to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 3 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and then 3 to 10 p.m.

Is an award-winning Austin restaurant expanding?

Fresh off being named the best restaurant in the country by Food & Wine, Austin New American wine spot Birdie’s shares that they’re thinking about what a second restaurant would be. Co-owner Arjav Ezekiel shares via a rep that, “We’re excited to keep playing around with new ideas and keeping an eye out for a space that aligns with our approach to food and service.” And then Tracy Malechek-Ezekiel also said via a rep that the pop-ups — the Italian Aiello’s and the French one— offer ways for them and the staff to play around food-wise.

Members-only pickleball spot will add food trucks

A new members-only pickleball club opened in Cherrywood with plans to add a food truck in the future. Other Racquet Social Club is found at 2717 Manor Road as of September 15. Currently, the space includes an honor bar for members. There will be a food truck park area with smash burger spot NADC Burger and B Cooper Barbecue to be added later on. Behind Other Raquet is hospitality company Pursuit Concepts, which also oversees downtown bar Idle Hands (which explains the NADC, since the current iteration operates out of the Rainey Street Bar) and Lion’s Share Hospitality (West Sixth bar Parlor & Yard).

Tracking Austin openings

Fantastic halal barbecue North Austin restaurant Usta Kababgy opened a new location in Round Rock this month. It’s found on 1400 East Old Settlers Boulevard, Suite 110 starting on Friday, September 29. There will be an opening party with food, drinks, music, and ice cream.

Texas juice chain JuiceLand opened its next location in the Slaughter Creek neighborhood of Austin at 1807 West Slaughter Lane on September 18. This is its 35th overall location.

Tracking Austin food events

East Austin bar Holiday is hosting a cold desserts event later this week. The Frozen Treat Fest will feature chef Margarita Kallas-Lee who will be previewing items from her upcoming dessert cafe Wolf and Wheat; New Waterloo’s Amanda Rockman, who is making a blueberry cobbler sundae; Thai Fresh/Gati’s Jam Santichat, who will offer a gluten-free, vegan ice cream cake with peach compote; Oseyo’s Laura Sawicki, who is creating a banana milk-gochugaru fudgesicle; and then something by Holiday’s Peter Klein. It takes place on Thursday, September 21 starting at 5 p.m. The $15 tickets will be available at the event, and all sales from those will be donated to nonprofit Jane’s Due Process.

To honor the now-closed Fredericksburg winery Southold Farm + Cellar, East Austin wine bar LoLo is hosting a wine event full of the Hill Country’s wines. There will be food from La Barbecue and music by DJ Hippie Scum. It takes place on Thursday, September 21 starting at 6 p.m.

The chef of Oaxaca restaurant Criollo, Luis Arellano, will be cooking dinner at Clarksville restaurant Pecan Square Cafe this upcoming weekend. It’s part of an event to celebrate the opening of parent company McGuire Moorman Hospitality’s new Mexican goods and design shop La Embajada within the neighborhood. The four-course meal includes dishes like mole amarillo with mussels and clams, grilled ribeye with mole negro, and a chocolate tamal with guava/tamarind ice cream. Reservations are $100 with a la carte cocktails and wines available. It takes place on Saturday, September 23.