WORDS BY AVA MOTES

COCKTAIL LOUNGE PRÉLUDE OPENS IN WEST END

Photo by Prelude

Tucked inside a historic home in the West End, Prélude is a swanky cocktail and canapé lounge from chef Mathew Peters. The reservation-based bar offers locals an opportunity to intimately explore the culinary world of Peters, who became the first and only United States-born Bocuse d’Or gold medalist at the prestigious French culinary competition in 2017. With an extensive fine dining background, including stints at two Michelin-starred establishments, Peters is poised to provide elevated small-bites alongside Prélude’s top-tier drink program.

According to Prélude’s website, the bar and lounge is the first installment of a broader fine dining concept from Peters. In the next two years, he plans to open Maven, a tasting restaurant, which would occupy the second floor of the house. But until then, the team is focused on crafting innovative and decadent canapés.

The food menu includes a Parmesan tartlet with glazed pork jowl, wild mushrooms and chives; citrus cured hamachi with sesame cornet, charred shishito pepper and avocado puree; as well as more playful offerings like the chicken nuggets with hot sauce, whipped dill crème fraiche and pickled green tomatoes. These light dishes can be paired with unique signature cocktails like the hops & lemongrass with vodka frain, lemongrass, hops, bergamot, verjus blanc and grapefruit as well as inventive spins on classics like the quatro negroni with gin, sage, apricot brandy, Campari and sweet vermouth.

Visit at 707 West 10th Street. Explore the full menu at prelude-austin.com.

BAR GIMMICKS INTRODUCES CHICAGO-STYLE TAVERN

Photo by Bar Gimmicks

For a taste of the windy city, look no further than Bar Gimmicks — a Chicago-style neighborhood tavern now open in North Austin. The bar is the brainchild of Chicago-natives Devin Mysyk and Sean Reedy, who previously ran All Gimmicks Coffee inside Fairweather Cider Co. After the coffee concept closed in October 2023, the team moved just up the road to share their hometown bar favorites with Austin locals.

Bar Gimmicks has a divey atmosphere complete with Chicago sports team memorabilia, lively games of darts and old-school neon signs. However, the team’s soft-launch menu takes typical bar food to a new level. There are comfort dishes like chicken wings smothered in giardiniera ranch, Chicago tavern-style pizza, ramen deviled eggs and juicy burgers on brioche buns. As any Chicagoan expects, there’s also plenty of fair-priced beer and Malört to go around.

The bar also shares its space with Bullseye Bakery, run by Paul and Karen McGarity, who previously provided baked goods for All Gimmicks Coffee. Bullseye specializes in variousbaked goods such as cinnamon rolls, quiches, kolaches and cookies. They also offer espresso drinks, teas and coffee from Texas-based roastery Edison Coffee Co.

Bar Gimmicks already has a little something for everyone, but they plan to continue expanding their menu and signature cocktails in the coming months.

Stay up to date at bargimmicksatx.com.

LING WU AT THE GROVE ARRIVES IN ROSEDALE

Photo by Lin Wu at The Grove

Joining beloved chef Ling Qi Wu’s list of Chinese and dim sum restaurants is a new Rosedale location: Ling Wu Asian Restaurant at the Grove. This is the fifth restaurant from Wu, who established a respected culinary reputation with previous concepts Qi Austin, Lin Asian Bar + Dim Sum, Ling Kitchen and Ling Wu. Now, with Ling Wu Asian Restaurant at the Grove, she’s dishing out her signature dim sum and expertly crafted dumplings, alongside creative dishes representing regions across China.

Wu hails from Fuzhou City in the southeast of China, where she inherited a passion for Chinese cuisine from her grandmother’s home cooking. Inspired by her experiences in Beijing and her passion for local organic farming, Wu offers classic Chinese cooking with a healthy and locally minded twist.

Her personal cooking philosophy guides the menu, which offers all-day dim sum favorites like Ling’s Soup Dumpling — a staple at Wu’s other restaurants — as well as pan-seared basil chicken dumplings, crawfish dumplings, shu mai with scallops and caviar and Akaushi beef bao. There are also appetizers such as roasted duck pancakes, lobster cheese puffs and hot and sour soup to pair with specialty entrées like Sichuan peppercorn alligator, Hakka veggie noodle and steamed pork belly.

And for a more detailed look at the menu, check out lingwugrove.com.

GREEK SANDWICH FOOD TRUCK ATLAS ROLLS INTO WEST CAMPUS

Photo by Atlas Sandwich Company

New to the Austin food truck scene with plenty of tzatziki and slow-roasted lamb to boot is Atlas Sandwich Company — a Greek- inspired sandwich joint. Atlas first opened in the Holly neighborhood in March, but has recently relocated to the West Campus neighborhood in a new food trailer lot next to bar Cain & Abel’s.

Atlas is owned by Joey Polychronis, who draws on his own Greek roots to bring a fresh take on classic sandwiches. Polychronis comes from a long line of proud Greek-American restaurateurs. His great grandparents immigrated to the U.S. from Sparta, and opened a butcher shop and restaurant after arriving. His father went on to own a brewpub and restaurant chain in Salt Lake City. Though Polychronis didn’t initially set out to work in food — he moved to Austin to work in the tech industry — but after holding a few jobs at food-related tech startups, he became increasingly interested in sandwich making.

Taking inspiration from his family heritage, Polychronis is committed to serving Greek and Mediterranean flavors full-time at Atlas. Many of his sandwiches are built around slow-roasted lamb, made using his family’s recipe. There’s a take on a gyro called the Atlas, which features the signature lamb with smashed lemon potatoes, tzatziki, tomato and red onion. There’s also the Greek Freak, a take on grilled cheese with Greek saganaki cheese, Calabrian chili-infused honey and lamb. And there’s also classic hoagies with Italian cold cuts and fresh Mediterranean ingredients.

Atlas is now open at 907 West 24th Street. See the full menu at atlassandwich.com.

HAVE A GOURMET HALAL DOG AT NEW MAD DOGS

Photo by Mad Dogs

If you’re in need of a snack after a nightout or simply want to enjoy a big-as-your- face gourmet hot dog, look no further than Mad Dogs — the first brick-and-mortar location of the popular Houston food truck. Located in the former Word of Mouth Bakery space alongside dessert shop Midnight Cravingz, Mad Dogs specializes in halal hot dogs piled high with inventive toppings.

As a halal hot dog restaurant, Mad Dogs doesn’t serve any pork, and they utilize animals that are raised and slaughtered in humane manners in accordance with Islamic law. Their namesake loaded hot dog comes complete with cream cheese, crispy fried onions, Sriracha, curry ketchup and honey mayonnaise. There are also regionally inspired offerings like the Elote Dog with roasted cream corn, mayo, parmesan, cilantro, fresh jalapeño, Tajín and lime or the Brisket Dog with chopped beef brisket, crispy fried onions, pickled red onions and sweet n’ spicy barbecue sauce. In addition to hot dogs, there are smash burgers and heaping plates of loaded fries.

Mad Dogs is now open for lunch, dinner and late-night food at 917 West 12th Street. The space features both indoor and outdoor seating, and orders can be made in person or online via Toast.

For more information, follow @maddogstx on Instagram.

EGGMAN ATX ARRIVES WITH NYC-STYLE BREAKFAST SANDWICHES

Photo by Eggman ATX

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and at Eggman ATX, staples such as eggs and bacon are getting a Big Apple-sized makeover. The recently opened South Austin food truck offers New York City-style breakfast sandwiches to start the morning (or afternoon) off right.

Eggman is inspired by the delis and food carts in New York City, where owner Richard Tavetian grew up. Tavetian jokes that the first time he visited Austin, he was shocked to find ample options for breakfast tacos (a new concept to a Northeasterner), but a complete lack of familiar breakfast sandwiches. So after permanently relocating to Austin in 2022, he decided it was high time he started slinging breakfast sandwiches for locals.

Every Eggman breakfast sandwich comes with eggs, as expected, as well as a signature sauce ranging from mild to spicy on a fresh, warm roll. There are classic options, like the no-frills egg and cheese, as well as signature sandwiches such as The Big Mess with eggs, extra bacon, extra sausage and extra cheese. And for brunch or lunchtime, there are egg- topped burger options and loaded specialties like the NYC Chopped Cheese, with a 3-cheese blend, choice of an Eggman Sauce and special seasonings, served hot on a hoagie roll.

Stop by the truck at 1311 South 1st Street. To view the full menu, place an online order, visit eggmanatx.com.

NEW UPSCALE RESTAURANT MEXTA OPENS DOWNTOWN

Photo by Mexta

A window into the world of upscale Mexican gastronomy, Mexta is now open in downtown Austin. The name Mexta is a creative blend of letters from “Mexico” and “ATX,” embodying the restaurant’s mission to introduce Austin locals to the world of Mexican hospitality.

Mexta is under the culinary direction of two extolled chefs in the Mexican dining scene: Jonatan Gómez Luna Torres and Mikel Alonso Garcia. Torres is a recipient of the Estrella Damm Chef’s Choice Award and his Cancun fine-dining restaurant Le Chique is on the Latin America’s 50 Best Restaurants list. Garcia is one of the most respected chefs in the culinary industry, known for founding Biko, a now-closed Mexico City Basque-style restaurant that made the World’s 50 Best Restaurant list.

Together, Torres and Garcia have crafted a pan-Mexican menu that showcases modern cooking techniques. This includes tetela, a classic, masa-based snack from Oaxaca with mole manchamanteles, pork belly cracklings, grilled avocado, and a mix of spicy greens; slow-cooked pork belly with encacahuatado, and macha cauliflower. There are also decadent desserts like the chocomaíz, a chocolate metate brownie with salted butter toffee, caramelized popcorn and chocolate powder. Mexta’s drink program, helmed by master mixologist Mica Rousseau, features signature cocktails like the Mole Old Fashioned with more than 50 Mexican spices mixed with barrel notes of Bourbon TX, and the Palomazo, a paloma with fresh grapefruit juice and beetroot shrub.

“The cultural inspiration behind this menu draws from Mikel’s and my respective backgrounds. Each dish showcases the vibrant flavors of Mexico, telling a story in a way that engages locals and visitors,” says Torres.

Visit mextarestaurant.com to learn more.

CASA DE LUZ ADDS SECOND LOCATION IN EAST AUSTIN

Photo by Casa De Luz

Austin’s old-school hippie haven, Casa de Luz, just opened a second location in the Chestnut neighborhood: Casa de Luz Este. Much like the original Casa de Luz, a long – time vegan restaurant and community center in the Zilker neighborhood, the new East Austin location features a plant-driven menu to nourish body and soul.

Casa de Luz Este offers a daily vegan menu served in a homey communal dining space. And similar to the original location, meals are offered at a fixed price of $15, including tea, salad, soup and an entrée. The new restaurant also provides grab-and-go dishes, takeout service and take-and-bake meals. Though the menu regularly rotates, Casa de Luz prides itself on the motto: “nature is our menu planner.” This falls in step with the macrobiotic diet, focusing on nutrient-dense and locally harvested seasonal foods without processed ingredients.

And in a true community-oriented spirit, Casa de Luz Este also offers volunteer programs for its kitchen and forges partnerships with local urban farms. The restaurant aims to bring its diners together through shared meals and experiences.

“Much like our original village on Toomey, Casa Este offers a thoughtful and unique aesthetic while remaining true to our original Austin roots. East Austin will finally get to experience the joy of Casa de Luz, a truly peaceful and welcoming space to share a meal and genuinely know one another,” Casa de Luz founder Eduardo Longoria said in a statement.

Visit casadeluz.org for more details.

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.