Earlier this month, Hotel Saint Cecilia decided they'd host a New Year's Eve party. As with all things Saint Cecilia, though, they've opted to keep it rather under the radar and exclusive, so we're not really supposed to tell you about it. But now you know. more ›

We love it when a plan comes together. Austin's culinary rise is happening in large part due to the committed individuals (farmers, chefs, and brewers) that devote their time and vocation to learning, growing, crafting, and selling their favorite things to the foodies of our town. Next Thursday, three of Austin's best craftsmen join forces in a casual yet well-planned manner to offer a farm-to-table taste of what is happening with Austin's local artisan food and drink.

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Austin 360 is reporting that Cissi's Market quietly closed their doors yesterday after roughly 2 1/2 years of business on South Congress Avenue. The Cissi's concept was a combination of cafe, wine bar, wine shop, coffee shop, and specialty grocery store. It was also reported that Cissi's chef Coi Burruss will move to Town Market, a gourmet grocery on Rainey Street run by the same ownership group. As with all developing restaurant scenes, not every concept can be a success, and it appears that Cissi's simply wasn't the right idea for the SoCo space. What would you like to see take over the Cissi's Market location? Let us know in the comments. (We'd vote for a high-quality, moderately priced Indian, Korean, or Thai restaurant, for the record.) more ›

All the way back in 2007, Uncle Billy's Brew-and-Que added something sorely lacking on Barton Springs Road: a spot to partake in craft beers. While the focus of the restaurant was family-style BBQ, what really made Uncle Billy's stand out was their devotion to both brewing interesting beer and supporting the Texas craft beer movement through extensive stocks of Real Ale, Live Oak, and the like. more ›

The Slow Food movement is somewhat self-explanatory: a move away from America's predominant fast food culture. The organization supports local products, cooking, and the relationships that can be forged between farmers, cooks, restaurants, and consumers. To help spread the gospel in a relaxed format, Slow Food is sponsoring an ongoing series of happy hours at some of Austin's best restaurants. On Thursday from 5-7pm, Slow Food will be at Olivia on South Lamar, with drink specials on wine from distributor Pioneer Wine Company and a special menu of appetizers from Olivia chef James Holmes. Olivia will donate a percentage of sales from the event to Slow Food, and everyone will eat, drink, and eat lovely local food while complaining about that terrible new KFC Double Down, which should be a great time. To attend, RSVP to karlal@slowfoodaustin.com, as space is limited. more ›

Like many great ideas, the Johnny Cupcakes clothing line started completely by accident. Boston resident Johnny Earle printed a few shirts with his nickname from work (at the famed Newbury Comics) and the comic tenor of the name and logo started a regional sensation. Earle now runs three Cupcakes stores in Boston and Los Angeles as well as a thriving online site.

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There's a new restaurant on South 1st St., and odds are good that locals may have passed it by without noticing. In spite of the entire front wall boldly displaying its name, Somnio's Cafe occupies what might be a cursed location: recessed from the street with a windowless facade, nearly invisible in the enormous, crowd-pleasing shadows of Freddie's and Polvo's. more ›