In a continued quest for culinary world domination, Larry McGuire and Co. will add another restaurant to their prolific portfolio before the close of 2012. The overachieving group of restaurateurs announced plans for Clark’s Oyster Bar in a recent interview with Texas Monthly. Housed in the former Portabla space, the restaurant will be a smaller scale spin-off of the South Congress hot spot Perla’s Seafood and Oyster Bar. more ›

While there are some wine lovers that subscribe to Wine Spectator, sign up for cult wine mailing lists, and bid at auctions, Mark Oldman recognizes the fact that most people enjoy wine in both a more visceral and casual fashion. As a judge on PBS series "The Winemakers", a wine columnist for Food Network magazine, and the author of two excellent wine guides, Oldman preaches wine practicality to the masses. Mr. Oldman's 2004 book Oldman's Guide To Outsmarting Wine is perhaps the best wine book we've come across for eager wine novices, as the pithy text and myriad pro tips contained within taught us a wealth of information we still call upon often. This weekend, Mr. Oldman will take the stage at Auditorium Shores for two seminars at the inaugural Austin Wine & Food Festival. We recently chatted via email with Oldman about the focus of his Austin classes, his favorite new wines, and quite a bit more. more ›

One of the brightest spots on the busy spring fundraising calendar, the Umlauf Garden Party takes place tonight from 6:30-9:30 PM. Set on the museum grounds, the work of famed 20th century American artist Charles Umlauf creates a picturesque backdrop for the always enchanting annual event. Tonight guests will mix and mingle amidst his creations while enjoying lively big band music courtesy of Nash Hernandez Orchestra. more ›

Chef and restaurateur Larry McGuire has done it again. Within a week of opening, Fresa's Chicken al Carbon is already selling out of their juicy, flavorful slow-grilled chickens to flocks of famished Austinites. more ›

Most Austin food aficionados are already well aware of Shawn Cirkiel's culinary talents: as chef and proprietor at parkside, the backspace, and olive & june, Cirkiel has built a loyal following among local diners with his creative dishes ranging from quail to pizza to oysters. What they might not know, though, is that he's also a father who is all too familiar with a parent's need for a family meal. To this end, his latest venture, olive & june, will debut a five-course feast this Sunday beginning at 5pm that is designed to let foodie parents feast while also looking out for their little ones. more ›

Earlier this week, we told you about the Drafthouse's Rolling Roadshow event at Republic Square Park that pairs a screening of classic comedy western Blazing Saddles with a litany of Texas' best craft beers as a launch to the Dogfish Head Off-Centered Film Festival. The beer lineup for the event has now been finalized, and there's an excellent selection of rare and unusual brew. For those wanting something specific, the doors open at 6pm. Admission is $10 advance or $12 at the door. All beer samples are $3 - and the Drafthouse warns that some varietals will sell out quickly more ›

As two of the biggest success stories in Austin food and drink over the past 20 years, Tito Beveridge and Amy Simmons don't really need an introduction. Simmons has been at the helm of Amy's Ice Cream since the mid-1980's, giving Austin consumers a local dessert choice back when Baskin Robbins was the order of the day. Beveridge is a relative newcomer compared to Simmons, having opened Tito's in 1997. Beveridge's vodka, of course, was one of Austin's greatest business stories this side of Michael Dell, as a hobbyist mortgage broker started a distillery on credit card debt and went on to win a double gold medal at the World Spirits Competition. more ›

When it rains, it pours. Beer lovers now have yet another new watering hole on North Loop to get their brew fix. Two college friends have turned the former North Loop Parlor into Workhorse - a bar and restaurant that has over 50 beers on tap, many of which are Texas-made. They also have a selection of tallboys...as perhaps an ode to the owners' days at UT, and a full bar for those thirsty for a different beverage. more ›

25 local chefs and drink purveyors bring the table to the farm during the upcoming East Side Urban Farm Tour. Happening this Sunday, the 3rd annual tour is the perfect opportunity to spend time at four of Austin’s most prolific urban farms with no green thumb required. more ›

This month, the rapidly expanding homegrown taco chain Torchy’s Tacos introduces new menu items for the first time in three years. The four new offerings include three tacos and a street corn side. more ›

After months of waiting, one of 2012’s most anticipated restaurants, Swift’s Attic, will follow a series of discounted soft opening dinners this week with an official opening next week. Originally slated to open in late 2011, building delays pushed Swift’s Attic opening date back, but with a Certificate of Occupancy in hand, the wait is finally over. more ›

In an epic throw down rivaling that famous showdown at the O.K. Corral, a slew of nationally recognized chefs will go head to head for late April’s Live Fire! culinary battle celebrating all things beef. more ›

Tonight marks the return of The Wine Down on the front porch of the Moody Theater at the W Hotel. First up are Wild Child, a barroom chamber-pop group that writes ukulele-driven songs backed by lush instrumentation (strings, accordion) and dueling boy/girl vocals. They released their first album, Pillow Talk, last fall. Comestibles on this night will be provided by Cantina Laredo. more ›

Eastside Showroom Chef Sonya Cote’s Hillside Farmacy is officially open to serve a daily recommended dose of goodness seven days a week. Inspired by classic drugstores and soda shops of yesteryear, Hillside Farmacy is laced in nostalgia from its retro design, historic location, and menu offerings. more ›

Sandwiches are not the first food that comes to mind when one conjures up gourmet cooking, but at the Noble Pig, putting together the best quality meats, cheeses and bread is an art form. They're so good, in fact, that they were served at the recent StarChefs awards alongside dishes from Contigo, Congress, and Uchiko. To help the home cook compete, Central Market is hosting Noble Pig chefs and co-owners John Bates and Brandon Martinez on Tuesday, March 27th at Central Market for an Italian charcuterie-themed cooking class. more ›

Long a staple of our dining out playbook, the wine bar area at TRIO at The Four Seasons has been a semi-secret happy hour oasis for several years. The happy hour combines the fancy ambiance of the hotel with very reasonable small plate and wine by the glass prices. There aren't any cocktail options, but if what you're craving is a glass of vino and a chef-prepped snack, the TRIO bar is a can't-lose proposition. more ›

Now that SXSW is over and Bill Murray has likely driven a golf cart home, Austin can now return to gossiping about the biggest celebrity still roaming the town - Travel Channel host and food raconteur Anthony Bourdain. more ›

HOPE Farmer's Market has moved for the next two weekends from their regular spot near Progress Coffee (which is currently occupied by the Fader FORT) down the road to Hops & Grain brewery. They'll be there from 11am-3pm today (Sunday), and as a bonus, the Hops & Grain folks will be serving free beer samples beginning at noon. For those SXSWers who've been too indulgent on BBQ and tacos for the past 72 hours, some healthy local foods and a small glass of craft beer may just prove to be a welcome respite. more ›

The Bacon Takedown returns to Austin on Sunday, March 11 with its 3rd annual amateur bacon cooking competition. The event, sponsored by Hormel Foods, is hardly vegetarian friendly, with chef-testants focused on whipping up unique dishes featuring everyone’s favorite pork product. more ›

From bacon and egg to barbacoa, Austinites know a thing or two about tacos. As part of its second annual nationwide tour, The Food Experiments is putting that knowledge to test this Sunday with a culinary showdown centered on Austin’s official dish. more ›

Bill Norris will open two new bars for the Alamo Drafthouse this month: a tequila-based bar in Southwest Austin called 400 Rabbits and an East 6th cocktails-only spot in a former brothel dubbed Midnight Cowboy. more ›

Whether you are a newcomer to Austin for SXSW or just trying to navigate our restaurant scene during the conference, Zagat has got you covered with their digital "Flavor of Austin" e-guide. more ›

Olive & June, the latest venture from backspace and parkside chef/owner Shawn Cirkiel, is officially open for business. Shortly after the beautiful yet flawed El Arbol shuttered last year, Cirkiel announced his plans to open a Southern Italian eatery in the three-story architectural gem it left behind. more ›

Oops, you waited until February 13th to make your Valentine's Day plans. Not to worry -- we've done the last-minute scrambling for you to find the Austin restaurants with spots still available. Why? Because we love you. more ›

While sifting through restaurant emails this afternoon, we noticed an event tonight we'd initially overlooked: a cocktail, champagne, and dessert pairing evening at one of our favorite spots, UT-area fine dining beacon The Carillon. Tickets are $32.50 per person and the event kicks off at 6pm (in about three hours.) Better late than never? more ›

Sources don't come much better than this: last night at the Paramount, Anthony Bourdain announced that his Travel Channel show "No Reservations" will film an Austin episode within the next 4-6 weeks. Speaking to a packed house along with good friend and decorated Le Bernadin chef Eric Ripert, Bourdain mentioned that the Austin segment of the "Heartland" episode from 2010 wasn't quite enough about Austin and that they'd made the decision to return this spring. One suspects that the filming will coincide with Bourdain's SXSW 2012 appearance on Tuesday, 3/13 for his "Digital Debauchery" panel (where his social media team will also appear.) So it appears that TV audiences may see Austin in the full throes of SXSW music and interactive party mayhem. more ›

February isn't traditionally a big month for Austin's food scene, but Anthony Bourdain and Eric Ripert aren't the only thing going this month for Austin's food nerds. In January, the culinary website StarChefs.com announced that their regional "Rising Star Awards" would be making a debut appearance in Austin in 2012 - each year, the site selects four metro areas and interviews and reviews a multitude of restaurants and chefs before making their top picks. more ›

Austin-based charity Water To Thrive raises funds to build water wells in rural Africa. In their five-year existence, they have funded over 230 water projects providing water to 100,000 people. To promote the organization and to raise funds, the group is launching "Chef's Table Austin." The project is a two week auction of large multi-course meals at some of Austin's finest restaurants. While an invite-only event at The Austonian will kick off the bidding tonight, they're not leaving out the rest of the city - foodies can head to ChefsTableAustin.org to bid on one of the many dinners available. more ›

This one will sell out fast, folks. If you and your honey love beautiful places, incredible food and wine, and romantic music as the backdrop to your evening, you're in luck: Hotel Saint Cecilia is planning a very special Valentine's Day event, and you're invited. more ›