WORDS BY AVA MOTES

HISSY FIT SERVES SOUTHERN COMFORT CLASSICS AT THE ARBORETUM

Have a hankering for biscuits and cocktails? Hissy Fit has you covered. Hailing from the team behind the upscale Fixe Southern House, Hissy Fit is a casual cafe celebrating the home cooking that inspired its downtown precursor. Now open in The Arboretum, the all-day cafe satisfies Southern comfort cravings without taking itself too seriously.

Hissy Fit co-owners chef James Robert and Keith House describe the cafe as Fixe’s “sassy little sister,” but the menu is anything but second fiddle. For breakfast, there are decadent biscuit sandwiches, sweet almond biscuit bear claws and brown butter pancakes. The all-day menu includes appetizers like smoked salmon dip and fried green tomatoes, as well as specialty sandwiches, including a poboy, a duck confit melt and a crispy fried chicken sandwich with roasted jalapeño ranch. For sides, there’s everything from braised collard greens to crawfish mac ‘n cheese. End your meal with soft serve ice cream or sticky banana-date toffee cake for dessert.

Photo by Hissy Fit

Hissy Fit also boasts a variety of coffee and espresso drinks with Southern flavors like rhubarb and pecan, as well as specialty cocktails like the Low Country Cosmo with cranberry- and tarragon-infused Botanist 22, lime and Absinthe spritz and the Delta Blues with apple- crumble-infused Tito’s, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar and bubbles. There’s also a variety of wine, sodas and local beers.

Hissy Fit is now open for all-day service at 9761 Great Hills Trail. More details can be found at hissyfitatx.com.

LA TRAVIATA REOPENS IN SOUTH AUSTIN

Photo by La Traviata

After a pandemic hiatus, longtime Italian restaurant La Traviata has re-opened its doors in a new South Austin location. First established by chef Marion Gillcrist in 2000, La Traviata quickly became a local favorite for fresh pasta like spaghetti carbonara and three-meat bolognese. Today, the team remains committed to providing locally sourced, farm-to-table, and seasonally fresh Italian cuisine. As a bonus, the new space on Southwest Parkway includes a patio and ample parking.

In addition to returning menu favorites, La Traviata also offers several new twists on classics. The crispy polenta cake has since been replaced by crispy polenta fries — still served with a rich rosemary gorgonzola cream sauce. There’s also a new vegetarian-friendly smoked mushroom carbonara, which packs as much richness as the original pork dish. In addition to beloved pastas, there are also lighter lunch options like salads and a soup of the day. Dinner entrées include everything from steamed mussels to chicken Milanese and osso bucco. And for dessert, there’s buttermilk panna cotta, tiramisu, and profiteroles served with Amy’s sweet cream ice cream and warm chocolate sauce.

La Traviata is now open for lunch and dinner at 7415 Southwest Parkway. Learn more at latraviataaustin.toast.site.

ABURI OSHI OFFERS MICHELIN-STARRED SUSHI TO-GO

Photo by Ava Motes

Austin is getting a taste of Canada’s first- ever Michelin-starred sushi restaurant with Aburi Oshi Sushi, a to-go and catering concept. Operating out of a ghost kitchen, Aburi Oshi focuses on providing both convenience and elevation, with world-class ingredients and a unique preparation style. Aburi Oshi offers flame-seared sushi — a technique combining traditional Japanese pressed sushi with Aburi’s in-house sauces and flame-searing.

The flavor profile of Aburi Oshi’s sushi is not unfamiliar to Texans, with fan-favorites like the Aburi Salmon Oshi with jalapeño, proprietary “Miku” sauce and black pepper. There’s also a brand new oshi on the menu inspired by Austin’s local Mexican cuisine: the Aburi Yellowtail Oshi, with cilantro, fresh avocado sauce, and serrano pepper. Additionally, there’s hand roll temaki sushi, classic-cut rolls, and appetizers like the broccolini gomaae with blanched broccolini tossed in sesame sauce.

“We are honored to introduce our flame- seared style of sushi to Austin, and to add to the vibrant food scene here,” says Kazuki Uchigoshi, Aburi’s corporate chef. “Our expansion outside of Canada marks a significant milestone for us, and we’re thrilled to be a part of the Austin and overall Texas dining community.”

Aburi Oshi offers 6-piece rolls and oshi as well as larger catering platters, available for delivery or pickup from Cloud Kitchens at 5610 North Interstate Highway 35.

Visit aburioshisushi.com to browse the full menu and place an order.

ST. ELMO SPREADS OUT IN NEW SPRINGDALE LOCATION

St. Elmo Brewing Company photo by Cass Klepac

St. Elmo Brewing Company has expanded its reach with a highly anticipated second location in East Austin. The new location features an extensive tap list with 36 draft options, including popular brews like Carl, a kolsch, and Amber, an aptly-named amber lager, plus the debut of Zero, a location- exclusive hazy IPA. There are also two on-site food trucks: Spicy Boys Fried Chicken, a familiar favorite from St. Elmo South, and Pueblo Viejo, a newcomer specializing in street tacos, gorditas, and other popular Mexican dishes. There’s even all-day coffee service in collaboration with Spokesman Coffee.

The new location is the perfect pit stop for both casual hangouts and family outings with 15,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor seating, complete with a kids’ play area and a pet-friendly patio. And in true neighborhood bar spirit, there’s also a range of events such as Grassy Thursday, a weekly bluegrass showcase, and trivia nights.

“We’re excited to finally open our doors and welcome such an amazing community that’s supported us along the way,” says St. Elmo founder Bryan Winslow. “This new location not only brings the same spirit of St. Elmo to a new part of Austin, but also represents a significant expansion for the brewery. With a production space four times larger than the original, it will allow us to significantly increase our distribution capabilities across Central Texas.”

St. Elmo Springdale is now open at 8110 Springdale Road. Learn more and browse the full list of brews at stelmobrewing.com.

NYC’S THE FLOWER SHOP BRINGS ECLECTIC PUB GRUB TO AUSTIN

Photo by the Flower Shop

Popular New York City bar and restaurant The Flower Shop has planted roots in Central East Austin. The first location, which opened in Manhattan’s Lower East Side in 2017, was inspired by local pub culture and retro style — evoking nostalgia for finished basements and wallpapered diners. Known for its eclectic clientele including locals, tourists, celebrities and New York Fashion Week attendees, The Flower Shop nonetheless boasts a casual, come- as-you-are atmosphere.

The Flower Shop’s Austin venture carries many of the same kitschy touches, including a pool table and trinkets from around the world. The location is also headquartered in a 1922 building that was formerly home to one of the first tortilla factories in Texas, with an original sandstone facade adding to its old-meets- new charm.

The menu offers a mix of elevated pub fare and globally inspired bites, from oysters with yuzu mignonette to Australian-style homemade meat pies. There are bar classics like chicken wings doused in Frank’s red hot sauce, fish and chips with mushy peas and malt vinegar, and local beers in the can and on draft. There are also playful cocktail offerings like the “Harry Styles,” a mezcal drink with watermelon, alongside local beers and natural wines.

Located at 1300 East Seventh Street. Visit theflowershopnyc.com/the-flower-shop-austin for more information.

ROCKMAN COFFEE + BAKESHOP IS A DELICIOUS LOVE LETTER TO AUSTIN

Rockman photo by Chad Wadsworth

After two decades working in Michelin- starred restaurants, James Beard-semifinalist pastry chef Amanda Rockman has brought her culinary talent to East Austin with her first solo venture, Rockman Coffee + Bakeshop. Rockman imagines the cafe and bakery as a “love letter to Austin,” where guests can hang out with quality food, drinks, company and music any time of day. She’s seemingly perfected the recipe for a good time: “caffeine, gluten, sugar, butter and booze,” as the sign outside the shop proudly proclaims.

Like any proper coffee ‘til cocktails joint, the cafe has a colorful and cozy atmosphere and expertly crafted playlist, courtesy of Rockman herself, to keep guests grooving. And the menu itself is fittingly packed with housemade pastries and bagels. There are 11 different types of croissants, including eclectic flavors like strawberry cheesecake and churro, as well as other rotating weekend specials. There’s also a full beverage program featuring La Colombe Coffee, nitro oat lattes on tap, local beers from Zilker Brewing Co. and Meanwhile Brewing Co., vermouth, wine and tea. There are also cocktails like The Rockman Shandy with Live Oak Brewing beer and housemade lemonade, and the Sammy Sunrise, named after chef Rockman’s sister, with fresh- squeezed orange juice, pineapple juice, and bubbles.

Rockman is open at East Cesar Chavez Street. Read more at rockmanatx.com.

ONETACO ROLLS OUT AUTHENTIC STREET EATS IN BEE CAVE

Photo by OneTaco

Bee Cave is finally getting its own OneTaco with a new location near the Galleria. This marks the homegrown taquería’s fifth brick-and-mortar location. OneTaco, which got its start as a food truck in 2009, is the brainchild of two amigos hailing from Mexico, chef and owner Tony Avila and co-owner Axel Beverido, who dreamed of bringing authentic street tacos to Austin. Now, 15 years and one Food Network feature later, their tacos have become a local staple.

The new Bee Cave location offers many of the same menu items that OneTaco fans love. This includes breakfast tacos like El Clásico with potato, egg, and cheese, barbacoa, migas and more adventurous offerings like the Pancake Taco, which substitutes a pancake for a tortilla. There are also familiar lunch and dinner tacos like al pastor and carne asada, along with sides such as Mexican street corn and nachos. For drinks, there are various aguas frescas, Mexican beers, a margarita and a hard jamaica (hibiscus tea) with tequila. There’s also the signature Me Latte, which is OneTaco’s delicious take on a dirty horchata. And to top it off, there’s even Mexican flan and paletas for dessert.

OneTaco can be found in Bee Cave at 3944 South FM 620. Learn more at onetaco.com

TEDDY’S SHAKES UP CREATIVE COCKTAILS IN CHERRYWOOD

Photo by Teddy’s Neighborhood Bar

There’s a new neighborhood watering hole in Cherrywood, courtesy of the team behind popular local pizzeria Love Supreme. Teddy’s Neighborhood Bar is now open in the former Thunderbird Coffee space, serving up creative cocktails in a relaxed atmosphere. And unlike many new business takeovers in Austin, Teddy’s is actually co-owned by Ryan McElroy, the former owner of Thunderbird who decided to transform the space into something new.

The menu includes the signature Cherrywood Sour cocktail, made with London dry gin, barrel-aged Ransom Old Tom, Laird’s apple brandy, saffron spiced orgeat, lemon, egg white, and cherry bitters, as well as the Clementine cocktail with Aperol, clementine liqueur, cava, and makrut lime. There are also batched martinis and negronis, natural wines, canned and bottled beer and nonalcoholic beverages.

Teddy’s offers both indoor and outdoor seating with a “walk-up-and-stay-awhile” vibe. As co-owner Paulina Cline puts it, the neighborhood bar is focused on providing “well-balanced, approachable drinks” and “serious cocktails for not-so-serious people.”

Visit Teddy’s at 2200 Manor Road or online at teddysatx.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 the menus. She loves trying new restaurants, exploring farmers markets, and relaxing in cafes with a good book in hand.