WORDS BY AVA MOTES

L’OCA D’ORO OWNERS DEBUT NEW PIZZERIA BAMBINO

Bambino photo by Jody Horton

New from L’Oca d’Oro co-owners Adam Orman and chef Fiore Tedesco is Bambino, a casual all-day pizzeria steeped in North- east nostalgia. True to its name, which means “little child” in Italian, Bambino is a playful and family-friendly concept taking cues from Orman and Tedesco’s respective upbringings in Pennsylvania and New York state.

Bambino’s menu hinges on Roman-style pies made with naturally fermented sourdough and organic flour from nearby Barton Springs Mill. They feature classics such as the rosso with tomato, garlic, olive oil and oregano, as well as signature creations like the Coppa Cabana with house coppa, orange marmalade, mozzarella and oregano. Non-pizza offerings include antipasti like Beets & Brittle with roasted beets and pistachio brittle and a salumi piatto with speck, soppressata, mortadella and pickles. There’s also soft-serve gelati, a full bar and kids menu options such as chicken nuggets with marinara.

“L’Oca was a perfect first concept for us to try out so many of the things we wanted to do in the kitchen and behind the bar. Now, we get to do it again at Bambino, with greater knowledge, and also fewer restrictions because of the playfulness of the concept,” says Orman.

The restaurateurs’ fine dining flair is evident in their carefully curated ingredients, but the East Austin pizza joint has a decidedly come- as-you-are atmosphere with first-come, first-served seating and a spacious outdoor playground to boot.

Visit Bambino at 979 Springdale Rd., Ste. 153 and check out bambinoaustin.com.

WILLIAM CHRIS VINEYARDS BRINGS NY CHEF BACK TO THE HILL COUNTRY

Photo by William Chris Vineyards

New to the team of the Hill Country wine aficionados at William Chris Vineyards is executive chef Julie E. Farias. After making her mark in the New York culinary scene, Farias has returned to Texas to head up the vineyard’s on-site culinary experiences.

Farias began her over-20-year hospitality career at the Four Seasons Hotel in Austin before enrolling at the Culinary Institute of America in New York. She’s consulted for projects in Miami and Los Angeles, and most recently worked at the James Beard award-winning restaurant Frenchette in New York City. Now, Farias is bringing her culinary expertise back where it all started.

As William Chris’s executive chef, Farias spearheads all culinary components at the vineyard, including food and wine pairings for member release parties, private events, and the William Chris seasonal Vineyard Table Experi- e n c e . S h e i s focused on harmonizing seasonal ingredients with the vineyard’s old world-style, Texan-grown wines and mission to educate guests about those locally produced varietals. “I want to present the best collaboration opportunities between food and wine to elevate all culinary experiences at William Chris,” says Farias. “I leverage my expertise in sourcing, along with my passion for wine, to provide the team with confident choices. And most importantly, I love feeding everyone.”

Farias and the rest of the William Chris Vineyards team are at 10352 US-290, Hye, Texas. Visit williamchriswines.com to learn more.

LOVE & COOKIES ADDS NEW LOCATIONS

Love & Cookies photo by Mackenzie Smith Kelley

Perhaps the only things better than love and cookies are two new bakeries of the same name from award-winning home baker Ashley Cameron. The popular Lakeway bakery Love & Cookies first opened in 2021 and has since become a local mini-chain of sorts, touting two additional brick-and-mortar locations in the Westlake and South Lamar neighborhoods.

Austinites may recognize Love & Cookies from grocery shelves, as the brand began retailing at H-E-B after winning first place in the 2022 Quest for Texas Best competition for its frozen cookie dough. But even as Love & Cookies is rapidly taking Central Texas by storm, the bakery remains decidedly homegrown.

Love & Cookies got its start in Cameron’s home kitchen, where she often baked her grandmother’s top-secret cookie recipe with her son after he was diagnosed with Kawasaki disease. Because the disease can cause inflammation, Cameron tweaked the recipes to include only high-quality, preservative-free ingredients — a standard she still maintains today. Cameron went on to sell the cookies that brought her family comfort, first to friends, and later to the community at large at her flagship location.

The two new Love & Cookies hubs feature beloved flavors named after Cameron’s family and friends, such as the Charlie Cash (chocolate chip) and the Susie (made with cranberry, vanilla and pecan). The bakeries also offer gluten-free varieties and customizable “Jenny Cakes,” which can be decorated with company logos, names or themed phrases. There’s indoor seating available for 20 guests (give or take), as well as a full coffee bar and ice cream scoops from Howdy Homemade.

Love & Cookies’ new locations are now open at 3736 Bee Cave Rd in Westlake and at 1701 S Lamar Blvd. Visit cookiesilove.com for more information.

ENDO JOINS AUSTIN SUSHI SCENE

Endo photo by Jessica Attie

An expertly crafted omakase experience just blew in from New York City. Endo, named after chef Endo Yasuhiro, takes its cues from the renowned Sushi Nakazawa restaurant with a 20-course tasting curated for Austin diners. The restaurant, which is now open in the former Daiboku Ramen space, brings an intimate 10-seat sushi bar to the West Campus area.

Though Endo joins an already robust sushi scene in Austin, the food is set apart by chef Endo’s dedication to precision, tradition and simplicity. The menu highlights preparations dating back to Japan’s Edo period, such as precise dry aging, meticulous salt curing and zuke, a soy sauce-based marinade. Endo also sources its seafood from the East Coast and Toyosu Market in Tokyo, Japan.

Endo’s bar also features signature cocktails like a Toki Highball and Tomu Collins with Roku gin, as well as rare Japanese whiskies, sake, beer and wine. The omakase also includes options for drink pairings.

Endo is located at 609 W. 29th St. in Austin. Reservations are available on OpenTable, and at sushiendo.com.

ANTONELLI’S OPENS NEW TASTING ROOM IN SOUTH AUSTIN

Antonelli’s Tasting Room by Hayden Walker

Popular Hyde Park cheese shop Antonelli’s has expanded its reach to south Austin with a new tasting room in the Lamar Union commercial center. The new location is more interactive than their original shop, offering cheese tastings with wine pairings, cheese classes and collaborative pop-ups. And while guests can pre-order cheese trays from the new South Lamar spot, it’s best to leave shopping lists at home since individual cheeses aren’t for sale on-site. Cheese lovers can continue visiting the Hyde Park cheese shop for their cut-to-order and charcuterie needs, but the tasting room is best enjoyed as an educational and social experience.

Cheese classes at the new tasting room rotate monthly and span dozens of topics and themes, ranging from the basic “Cheese 101” to explorations of specific regions through the “Taste of Place” series. Although public classes are not exactly new to Antonelli’s (they continue to be offered at the Hyde Park location), the tasting room will also sell paired wines, beers, ciders and other beverages to enjoy during the event. The new location also touts private party offerings in the community tasting room, perfect for corporate gatherings, bridal parties or birthdays.

Antonelli’s Tasting Room is now open at 1100 South Lamar Boulevard. To view their event calendar, book a private party and learn more, visit antonellischeese.com.

CASA BIANCA RESTAURANT AND BAR OPENS IN EAST AUSTIN

Casa Bianca photo by Richard Casteel

Eastside dinner and drinks just got an American-Italian upgrade with Casa Bianca, a new restaurant and cocktail bar in the former EastSide Tavern space on East Cesar Chavez. Casa Bianca specializes in handmade pastas and other American-Italian dishes such as crispy skin branzino with caramelized fennel purée and pistachio salsa verde, as well as the cavatelli with lamb, sunflower seed ragu and fermented honey. There’s also cicchetti, which is Italian for small bites, and a raw bar with a daily selection of oysters.

Casa Bianca is great as both a main event or pit stop for longer evening adventures. In addition to its spacious dining room and garden seating area, the restaurant also has a rooftop lounge, Bar Alcina, with its own menu for breezy cocktails, wine and snacks. The beverage program highlights riffs on classics like negronis and martinis, as well as creative new-Italian offerings like the Svenzoni with acidified red grape, campari, aquavit and gin.

Casa Bianca is open for dinner service at 1510 East Cesar Chavez Street. Hours of operation are set to expand, so check out casabiancaatx.com for updates and the full menu.

THE LONG GOODBYE SERVES UP COFFEE & COCKTAILS

The Long Goodbye, a new bar in the Cherrywood shopping complex bearing the same name, is serving up coffee and cocktails alongside food trucks, a vintage shop and more. This multi-use space consists of two bars, an indoor lounge and an outdoor patio. There’s also a clothing store, Howdy’s Vintage, and two food trucks on site: La Santa Barbacha for tacos and Fleet Coffee for more cafe-like drinks and bites.

The Long Goodbye’s indoor bar spotlights classic cocktails such as an espresso martini made with cold brew from Fleet, while the outdoor bar trends towards agave-based drinks like a Oaxacan martini and alcoholic spins on aguas frescas from La Santa Barbacha. There are also frozen drinks, wines and familiar Central Texas beers available for patio-goers. And cross-business collaborations continue with events like Sunday brunches featuring bloody marys, micheladas, mimosas and margaritas and food from La Santa Barbacha.

Although the name The Long Goodbye aptly captures the come-and-stay-awhile function of the space, it is actually derived from a satirical neo-noir film of the same name directed by Robert Altman. The bar is modeled after the style of the film with mid- century furniture, art deco detailing and a neon sign that waxes nostalgic for sippers and shoppers alike.

To try The Long Goodbye, visit 2808 Manor Road or thelonggoodbyeatx.com.

TOASTY BADGER DINER ARRIVES ON SOUTH CONGRESS

The Long Goodbye photo by Richard Casteel

Toasty Badger Diner on South Congress is kicking it back to the ‘70s with classic comfort food and retro decor. The restaurant is one of three new concepts from Lobos Hospitality, an ambitious group that’s new to the Austin dining scene.

Toasty Badger is housed in a former Southside Flying Pizza, which was previously Austin’s first Dairy Queen. Though Toasty Badger has brought a homier feel to the space with comfy booths and warm tiling, the casual and family-friendly atmosphere remains.

Like any diner worth its salt, Toasty Badger has plenty of coffee and fresh- squeezed juice and offers all-day breakfast with an emphasis on large portions of staples such as classic griddle cakes, French toast with five-spice pecans, omelets and eggs benedict. For lunch, which is also served all day, there are sandwiches and burgers, as well as healthier offerings like grain bowls and salads. After 5 p.m., guests can order from the dinner menu, which features throwback dishes such as meatloaf and pot roast.

Toasty Badger is at 2206 S. Congress Ave. See more at loboshospitality.com/toastybadger.

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 the menus. She loves trying new restaurants, exploring farmers markets, and relaxing in cafes with a good book in hand.