Austin Food Scene Enriched with Lush Cheese Boards and a Trendy Korean Pop-Up

Openings and Closures Making Headlines

In a busy week for Austin’s food market, several new restaurant spaces and pop-up venues created a palpable buzz among food lovers. With extravagant cheese boards to a unique Korean food exploration opportunity, the city’s culinary scene experienced quite the shakeup.

One of Austin’s leading restaurants, Hestia made a significant change this year. Known for its Spanish inspired menu, Kalimotxo vacated Hestia’s premises at 607 W. 3rd St., paving the way for the Hestia Bar. This venture offers a less formal alternative for diners preferring bite-sized items from Hestia’s menu over a full course meal. A highlight of Hestia Bar is the pocket-friendly martini offer every Tuesday from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm.

Another exciting opening is Distant Relatives, an African diaspora-inspired food truck at Meanwhile Brewing, introducing a new sausage venture, Linx, at the Mean Eyed Cat (1621 W. 5th St.). Linx is set to open its doors to customers in early August, offering a diverse range of sausages, including a Chicago dog, a hot Italian sausage, a Polish kielbasa, the Southside Special with rib tips, and a Creole-style pork sausage.

Expanding Culinary Horizons

Javier Equihua, owner of Origen Hospitality, introduced a new eatery and bar named Recreation, delivering a multicultural array of comfort foods to Austin’s food landscape. Placed at 1630 E. 6th St. #100, the previously occupied Drop Kick space, Recreation is designed as a daytime hub for work, play, and relaxation.

Classy snack spot and cafe, Spread & Co is all set to relocate its bigger brick-and-mortar cafe from the Rosewood neighborhood to 2406 Manor Rd, Suite B. This place, nestled between Vic and Al’s and Dai Due, would continue to serve jam-packed charcuterie boards along with breakfast, lunch, wine, beer, and other takeaway items. It is anticipated to open its doors in the fall of 2024.

Another recent opening is Poeta, the winner of the Best New Restaurant at the CultureMap Tastemaker Awards, which unveiled its gelato truck right at its doorstep, offering exquisite deals until the end of July.

New Makeovers and Pop-Ups

Serranos Cocina y Cantina, an Austin favorite since 1987, recently underwent a stunning interior revamp at its Lakeline location. The restaurant was aesthetically transformed from a casual neighborhood diner to a sophisticated and grounded eatery while maintaining its vibrant color theme.

Adding to Austin’s gastronomic diversity is the innovative Korean pop-up, Jibbob, a venture by sous chef Heejae Galluccio. Renowned for her nomination as the Rising Star Chef of the Year 2024, Galluccio would be serving a $68 prix fixe for a fortnight from July 30. This unique experience aims to present traditional Korean delicacies with a modern twist.

All these exciting developments reflect the dynamism and variety of Austin’s bubbling culinary landscape, providing an array of novel options for the city’s food enthusiasts.