Austin's new Mian and Bao blends Sichuan and Shanghai dishes
It's a bit of a crazy week in Austin food news. Two well-established cafés are closing major locations, but thankfully both will carry on in new or existing locations. We also have news (at various degrees of fun and actual stakes) about internet agitators making it in the restaurant world. And as a palate cleanser, some recurring events are also on the menu.
Openings and closings
Local café is packing up its location at 2159 S. Lamar Blvd. after 10 years. In an Instagram post, the team stated, "Our lease ended recently, and with the prospect of increasing costs, a rocky few years of South Lamar road construction, as well as a desire to streamline our lives, Nick, Casey and I have made the incredibly difficult decision to close South Lamar." Its last day of service will be October 20, but the downtown location is remaining open and unchanged. A "farewell open house" is taking place from noon to 3 pm on the final day.
ICYMI: With some very busy time around ACL, we temporarily dropped this section, so we have a bit more than usual to catch up on this week. Let's go from least to most recent.
First, we looked into the contentious closing of Outer Heaven Disco Club, which cited impending condo construction in its public statement. Owner Sean Daigle declined to explain any further until legally cleared, and his neighbors followed suit. In other news, an Austin newcomer called the Flower Shop has arrived from New York City, bringing a lot of Australian influence and possibly high-profile customers. The Austin-born Tex-Mex restaurant chain Chuy's is relocating its headquarters to Orlando, Florida, which shouldn't change most Austinites' lives, but does signal a big ideological shift in where the brand belongs. Finally, Austin's classic diner Stars Café has followed many of its neighbors in closing its I-35 location to make way for big construction. It has been there for 58 years, and will leave (for relocation) on November 10.
Other news and notes
For some reason, Austin's obviously fake restaurant is making the rounds again on social media and even national news . Some of the AI images look much more real than others , and many of the comments are folks going along with the gag. The confusion happens when users stumble into a single image, and the satire of the whole is lost. Just have fun with it, and don't try the croissants. Check out our review of them here .
Speaking of internet publicity stunts, YouTuber and boxer Jake Paul has now entered into a partnership with Dog Haus, a hot dog chain from Pasadena, California, that has two Austin-area locations: one in Cedar Park and one near Lake Travis. He'll join the Board of Directors and franchise 25 units, starting with four in Texas (and skipping over Austin for now). Paul is a controversial figure, to say the least — the first thing you'll see on Dog Haus' website is "Don't be a hater" — but he certainly makes headlines.
It's a fairly niche group, the Austin folks who habitually attend dinner events. There is perhaps none better known than El Raval's Flamenco Night, which is returning after a summer hiatus on October 20. Patrons at Flamenco Night, which happens every Sunday, can enjoy a regular dinner service or tapas and beverages, while flamenco dancers perform two shows. There is no ticket fee, but there is a minimum of two items per person, and reservations are strongly recommended (with an expected sell-out time around 5:30 pm). Plus, this month an exchange between El Raval and the recently opened gets Austinites familiar with the new Filipino restaurant .
We were going to tell you about Chapulín Cantina's celebration for National Mezcal Day on October 21, but it appears to have sold out. No worries; the South Congress Oaxacan restaurant has monthly mezcal tastings, and the next one is just a week later on October 28. This month, the guest producer is Del Maguey Vida Mezcal, which uses agave from San Luis del Rio in Oaxaca. The four-course meal with pairings will feature a red snapper tostada, a pork tenderloin Wellington, braised beef short ribs, and a dessert TBD. Tickets ($100) are available at chapulincantina.com .
