WORDS BY AVA MOTES

ELEMENTARY GOES FROM POP UP TO PERMANENT HOME

Elementary by Chad Wadsworth

Now that school is back in session, so is Elementary — a former Austin pop-up restaurant that has now found its permanent home in the Zilker neighborhood. True to its name, Elementary offers a playful twist on classic dishes, blending seemingly disparate cuisines to create new favorites like al pastor tortellini, snapper with kimchi puree, and banh mi eclairs. Their drink menu is equally whimsical, featuring signature cocktails like a Kool-Aid cosmo with fermented Kool-Aid.

Elementary first got its start with a Sunday Service pop-up at Aviary Wine & Kitchen in November 2022. After distinguishing itself with a blend of youthful nostalgia and forward-thinking culinary invention, Elementary’s new table-service spot continues encouraging guests to have fun with dinner. Though their menu is undoubtedly elevated and experimental, Elementary’s brightly colored, bauhaus-inspired interior cultivates an intentionally casual atmosphere. And, this space will also help make way for all things fresh in the Austin dining scene, with Elementary pledging to share their kitchen with future pop-ups.

Visit Elementary at 2026 S. Lamar Blvd. or online at elementaryatx.com.

PLANT-BASED RESTAURANT FABRIK OPENS IN EAST AUSTIN

Serving up a conscious take on fine- dining is Fabrik, a new plant-based restaurant in East Austin. With an omakase-style tasting menu and locally sourced ingredients, Fabrik crafts an intimate and conscious dining experience in their unique “micro restaurant,” which has only 16 seats available. Offering both a six-course and a nine-course menu, Fabrik draws inspiration from a variety of Japanese, Italian and Nordic cuisines. They specialize in creative seasonal dishes like sourdough focaccia with shiitake butter; grilled tofu with tempura shiso, black garlic and ginger kumquat; hand-shaped parsnip cappelletti, and cashew cheesecake.

Photo by Fabrik

Fabrik is the brainchild of chef Je Wheeler, who is passionate about promoting sustainable dining. Almost everything on their menu is house-made, and the restaurant aims to use every piece of food to reduce waste.

Fabrik operates at 1701 East Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, Suite 102. To book your seat at Fabrik, visit fabrikatx.com.

MENCHAC A BAR SCENE ADDS BODHI’S HIDEAWAY

Fresh on Menchaca’s bar scene is a nostalgic ‘90s oasis: Bodhi’s Hideaway. Point Break fans may spot the reference to Patrick Swayze’s iconic character Bodhi, whose likeness appears in the logo, but the bar’s name also pays homage to the Buddhist state of enlightenment, which co-owner David Pearce hopes to provide at this spot off the beaten path. With a full menu of frozen drinks, creative Point Break-themed shots and tropical cocktails — like the Bodhi margarita with campo bravo reposado tequila, house blend triple sec, blood orange juice, lime, agave and tajin — as well as their selection of draft and bottled beer, Bodhi’s promises a laid-back and beachy escape from the Texas heat.

From the street, Bodhi’s looks like a fixture from an early ‘90s beach flick with their neon-lit surfboard sign and brightly colored patio chairs. Inside, they have TVs to watch live sports and offer weekly promotions like Tequila Tuesday with $2 off all tequila. They have also partnered with Achiote ATX, a food truck behind South Austin Beer Garden (another project from Pearce and fellow co-owner Ryan Thomas) to deliver bites for Bodhi’s customers including tortas, quesadillas and birria tacos.

Bodhi’s is now open at 10402 Menchaca Rd. To learn more, visit bodhishideaway.com.

MORNINGLORY DEBUTS INVENTIVE BRUNCH IN LAKEWAY

Morninglory owners by Monique Threadgill

Rise and shine with inventive brunch fare from Lakeway’s latest, Morninglory. Doubling as a restaurant and “seriously good” coffee shop, Morninglory offers a variety of breakfast essentials and midday pick-me-ups made with locally sourced ingredients in a brightly lit, modern space.

Morninglory by Matt Tracey

The star of the show at Morninglory is the “BLATTS,” a savory spin on the classic BLT, which subs lemon arugula for lettuce and adds avocado as well as sriracha aioli on Texas Toast. They also offer dulce de leche french toast with candied pecans and cinnamon, acai bowls, breakfast panna cotta, and a variety of salads. This can be paired with fresh squeezed juice, drip coffee and classic espresso drinks, or their more adventurous turmeric and beet lattes. And for the adults, they’ve got mimosas and beer from Frontyard Brewing.

Whether you plan to stop and stay a while, or you just want a coffee to-go, you can now visit Morninglory for walk-in service at 2121 Lohmans Crossing Road in Lakeway. To learn more, visit morninglorytx.com.

JAPANESE YUKI HANDROLL BAR OPENS IN WESTLAKE

Photo by Yuki Handroll Bar

Bringing the authentic Japanese handroll experience to Austin is Yuki Handroll Bar, which is now open in Westlake. As the name suggests, Yuki specializes in handrolls, or temaki, a cone-shaped, palm-sized alternative to the more common Maki rolls, which are typically cut into smaller pieces.

Yuki offers a variety of handroll fillings, including lobster, scallops and yellowtail as well as vegetable- based options. They also have nigiri and sashimi, clam miso soup and seaweed salad. Yuki is run by co-owners and co-executive chefs Jun Kim and Hyo Lim, whose experience collectively spans from New York to Miami, alongside now-co-owner and CEO John Kim, known for running the former Sixth Street sake bomb spot Sake Mama. The restaurant takes its cues from mom-and-pop handroll shops in Japan, with a fast-casual service style and prices that won’t break the bank (most individual rolls are in the range of $5 to $10).

Photo by Yuki Handroll Bar

Visit at 6317-3 FM2244, Suite 330. For the full menu and more information, visit yukihandroll.com.

ARTIPASTA OPENS BRICK-AND-MORTAR LOCATION IN HIGHLAND

After serving up delicious, house-made pasta and Italian food at their lauded South Austin food truck, Artipasta has ventured north with a brick-and-mortar location in the Highland neighborhood. Artipasta’s co-owners Ugo and Annamaria Bigi opened the original truck on South First in 2018, inspired by the flavors and recipes of their hometown in Mantova, Italy. Though the truck remains open as usual, the new permanent location will allow the Bigis to share their signature pastas and sauces with a greater share of dine-in customers.

Photo by Artipasta

The new location borrows elements from the original truck, offering Italian comfort food like gnocchi in tomato sauce, spinach- ricotta ravioli, cacio e pepe, lasagna and more. And, of course, any meal at Artipasta would be incomplete without trying one of their desserts — including cannolis, tiramisu and panna cotta.

Visit at 6406 North I-35 Frontage Road, Suite 2510, within the Linc retail space. or online at artipasta.com.

SEAFOOD RESTAURANT BILL’S OYSTER OPENS IN DOWNTOWN AUSTIN

Serving up mixed drinks and coastal favorites in downtown Austin is Bill’s Oyster, a new cocktail bar and specialty seafood restaurant. Bill’s was founded by Stewart Jarmon and chef Daniel Berg, two friends seeking to cultivate a gathering place where locals can enjoy the highest quality oysters and seafood towers while sipping on craft drinks.

Photo by Bill’s Oyster House

Bill’s is already making waves with its raw bar, which offers East and Gulf coast oysters, crab cocktail, yellowfin tuna tartare, sea urchin, littleneck clams and much more. They also have two seafood towers: the Lavaca with oysters, shrimp, clams, lump crab, tuna tartare and king crab; as well as the Colorado with oysters, shrimp, lump crabs and clams. But their menu doesn’t stop there — they also have a variety of dinner plates like jumbo lump crab cake with remoulade and grilled lemon; a large lobster roll with tarragon aioli and fries, and caviar mozzarella sticks. Though their cocktail menu offers many classics, they also have unique twists on the martini and negroni, all served up in a New Orleans- inspired space

To try Bill’s, visit them at 205 W. 3rd Street or online at billsoyster.com.

AUSTIN ROTISSERIE REOPENS FOOD TRUCK AT FAR OUT LOUNGE

Photo by Austin Rotissserie

Whether you come to the Far Out Lounge for the food or the tunes, you’ll sing the praises of both — especially now that beloved French comfort food spot Austin Rotisserie has re-opened their food truck at the South Austin venue.

“We are excited to bring our food truck back, complete with a fresh coat of pink paint,” says Eric Nathal, who co-owns Austin Rotisserie with his wife Sophie. “We have some amazing customers in South Austin so we are looking forward to seeing them at The Far Out on a more permanent basis.”

Per the name, Austin Rotisserie’s menu centers around rotisserie chicken — priding itself on being the only restaurant in Austin cooking on a traditional French rotisserie.

Their fast-casual location at Fareground on Congress is remaining open, while the new truck will cater to concert goers and Parisian food fanatics alike. Having grown up in France, Sophie hopes to give Austinites a taste of her favorite hometown staples. This includes menu items like whole birds, half birds or quarter birds with potatoes cooked in chicken drippings; the Roti Bowl, which is an arugula salad with shredded rotisserie chicken; the Poulet Roti Baguette, which serves up the house roti sandwich-style, and many more French soups and salads.

The new Austin Rotisserie food truck is located at 8504 S. Congress Avenue. For more information, visit austinrotisserie.com

EDIBLE WRITER RELEASES A TAIL OF GRACE

While we are on the subject of animals, we wanted to share a new book from our Edible writer, Ashley Brown. In her newly released book, A Tail of Grace, Brown eloquently captures the heartbreak that anyone who has suffered the loss of a cherished pet (or person) will relate to deeply.

To read more about it or purchase a copy, visit ashleyauthor.com

About the Contributor

Ava Motes is an Austin native who follows the city’s expanding food scene with an eye for the people and stories behind beloved menus. In her spare time, she loves trying new restaurants, exploring farmers markets, and relaxing in cafes with a good book in hand.