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 ›

Three Austin pastry chefs were included in Food & Wine's crème de la crème list of nominees vying for the prestigious honor of The People’s Best New Pastry Chef in America. Stephen Cak of Parkside, Laura Sawicki of La Condesa, and Josh Matlock of Paggi House are among the Top 50 up-and-coming pastry chefs competing in online poll to determine the people’s pick for the best of the best. more ›

Less than a year ago, parkside chef Shawn Cirkiel told us that he was reluctant to open a third restaurant, saying: "This is enough for now. I'm stressed enough as it is." It seems that Cirkiel has a high tolerance for stress, then, as he dished to Addie Broyles in yesterday's Statesman about plans to open an Italian restaurant in the former El Arbol space in Spring 2012. more ›

"You're not dying, you just can't think of anything good to do." Luckily parkside, the Alamo Drafthouse, and the 6ixth Street Association have teamed up to give us all something good to do this Sunday, September 11 -- a free outdoor showing of the ultimate hooky movie, "Ferris Bueller's Day Off." more ›

In late 2007, CIA-trained chef Shawn Cirkiel did something a little crazy - he opened an upscale restaurant on East 6th Street - then a culinary Siberia of downtown. Three years later, with parkside a fixture of downtown's upscale dining scene, Cirkiel is branching out...about half a block out. His new restaurant, the backspace, is styled after a casual Italian neighborhood bar, and serves Italian wine and beer, wood-fired Neapolitan pizzas, salads, cheese plates, and antipasto. We recently sat down with Chef Cirkiel during a quiet moment at parkside to discuss the new restaurant, Austin's evolving food scene, and the local culinary community. more ›

In a season full to bursting with pairing dinners and sip-and-stroll galas, there is a lot to be thankful for as an Austin food lover. The fall bounty reached a new peak this week with the announcement of four special dinners benefiting the Texas Hill Country Wine and Food Festival. This new concept, simply dubbed the "Chef Wine and Dine," pairs four of Austin's best chefs with a small table of patrons for a VIP dinner, wine pairings, a champagne reception, and a chat with the chefs. The dinners will include no more than 30 diners per event, and some seat as few as 12, so the tickets are quite limited - in fact, the first event at Lambert's has already sold out.

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Where: Parkside, 301 E. Sixth St., 474-9898 When: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., daily Why We Love It: Inventive cocktails plus a swank beer selection and a generous bar menu—all for half-price—equal a great happy hour at one of Austin's finest restaurants. more ›

Ed Note Update: The original press release from City of Austin attesting to the fact that Best Wurst's permit was renewed at a location 40 feet east of its previous location has been published after the jump. To help solve the conflict between the food vendor and Parkside, the City of Austin renewed Best Wurst's operating license yesterday -- but told the sausage cart's owner he had to move 40 feet east of the cart's usual location. Best Wurst will now be at 309 E. 6th St., in the street and off the sidewalk, and Parkside should be able to set up outdoor seating. [KVUE] more ›

With October being National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Susan G Komen Foundation of Austin is kicking off its first annual "Pretty in Pink" fundraiser at Parkside this Thursday. From 8 to 11 p.m., enjoy pink cocktails, appetizers, the musical stylings of DJ Jeff Strange, and gift bag goodies. 80% of ticket sales go directly to the foundation's outreach and awareness efforts. You can get yours for $50 either online or by calling 512-474-9898. For a chance to win a pair of tickets, fill out the form after the jump! more ›