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Don’t let the recent flood fool you, Austin. It’s August, and like holiday guests who stay a little too long, the summer temples will remain, at least for the foreseeable future.
If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. No seriously, step out of that fiery kitchen and opt for a super cool, refreshing chow.
If you’re not sure where to start your journey to culinary enlightenment this summer, don’t sweat it, we have a few hot tips on the best summer bites to look for this season from Austin chefs and restaurants.
One note: as the pandemic continues to rage, please use your best judgment when visiting these Austin facilities and consider ordering take-away if you can and wearing a mask if you cannot . And always follow restaurants’ COVID-19 guidelines. It’s totally cool to stay safe while supporting our local restaurant community at the same time.
Blueberry: Ceviche
This summer, chef and seafood genius Davis Turner launched a Wednesday night ceviche special in his Huckleberry comfort food truck on the Gulf Coast. Located at 2340 W. Braker Ln., Next to Austin-based Circle Brewing Co., Huckleberry has a range of impressive seafood and southern dishes (the fried green tomatoes are great!), As well as Chef Turner’s sustainably caught ceviche dishes – which it rotates every week – offer the perfect summery bite of oceanic goodness. Our favorite is the prawn ceviche, but the fresh fish variety will get you hooked too. The ceviche special is available every Wednesday from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Local food: sandwich with truffled egg salad
This Houston-based restaurant steps into Austin Market for its fresh and hyper-seasonal take on lunch classics. Local Foods is opening its restaurant in the Second Street District later this year, but it’s currently in pop-up mode, so swing around 5350 Burnet Rd. Tuesday through Sunday, 10:45 am-6pm for a delicious summer meal . Chef Dylan Murray’s Truffled Egg Salad Sandwich (homemade truffle egg salad, mixed vegetables, tomato, parmesan, and aioli on a pretzel bun) is an excellent excuse to end up with eggs on your face. Fair warning: you will definitely want more than one bite.
Salty Cargo: Marketpoke
This Hawaiian-Asian fusion restaurant in the Hana World Market food court on West Parmer Lane has a summer menu. While the Lumpia and Tori Katsu Sando shrimp are well worth eating, Chef John Gocongs offers Market Poke (premium market fish marinated in dark brown sugar and soy with Thai chili, spring onions, pickled pineapple, ogo seaweed, mint, coriander and Chilli) oil and served over sticky rice and butter leaf salad) will definitely make you want to fish for more.
Let’s go restaurant: peaches with ham and burrata
While it’s true that Daniela Marcone, the long-time owner and lovely in Naples, Italy, no longer rules this northern Italian gem, her family recipes remain a staple. And under the guidance of the skilful culinary know-how of head chef Victor Ibarra, Andiamo’s dishes practically transport guests to the postcard-filled coasts of Italy. Stop by and try Andiamo’s new summer menu and cool your palate with Pesche con Prosciutto e Burrata, also known as fresh peaches, prosciutto di Parma, mini heirloom tomatoes, basil and burrata cheese in a light balsamic olive oil sauce.
Blue sushi sake grill: Cherry Bomb
The Blue Sushi Sake Grill is new to the domain and is quite simply sushi heaven. The spacious and beautifully designed restaurant has all the nigiri, sashimi and maki favorites you could want, but trust the staff here to lead you to unexpected options as this is where sushi gets spectacular. The Cherry Bomb Nigiri is one such example and the model of an excellent summer bite, in which tender bigeye tuna sits on slightly crispy rice tempura and is topped with serrano, sriracha, togarashi and ponzu sauce. Pro tip: you will likely need more than one order.
Old Thousand: Corn Dumplings
Known for its “dope Chinese food”, the Old Thousand has two locations in Austin and is a dumpling lover’s dream. And with the restaurant’s new vegan happy hour menu, Chef Jeff Brown is serving up some lovely summer bites for just $ 7, including perfectly plump and tender corn dumplings. The vegan happy hour menu, available Monday through Friday from 4 p.m. to 5.30 p.m., also features peaches and vegetables, a summer sesame stir fry, and fried green tomato salad wraps, so grab a summer picnic-style meal.
TLC: Raw oysters
Treat yourself to a little TLC this summer in the form of fresh, ice-cold raw oysters from the Gulf or the Atlantic. If those little tidbits aren’t your thing, choose Chef Chris Andrews’ Maine lobster bun, a juicy slice of summer heaven that will whisk you away to the New England coastline. Plus, based in the Lamar Union in South Austin, TLC offers more than 30 beers on tap to quench the thirst of the heatwave.
Salt & Time Café: Cold Wagyu steak salad
When it comes to outdoor dining in Austin, Salt & Time Café on Republic Square is hard to beat in arguably downtown’s most lush park. Enjoy the cold Wagyu steak salad from head chef Madeline Brandstetter in the park outdoors (fresh mixed vegetables, mint, coriander, basil, cucumber, red onions and a Thai vinaigrette with underblade steak from Salt & Time’s butcher in Seventh Street restaurant) . And add a cold drink, let’s say maybe the signature frozen orange wine blend known as Frorange.
Trace: Boozy Ice Cream Floats
The Trace at the W Austin Hotel has partnered with local favorite Lick Honest Ice Cream to serve up some dreamy ice cream trucks full of alcohol for a very limited time to support Out Youth in Austin. Created by Lick and the Mixology team at W, these summer slippers include the Orange Cream Dream Float and Lemon Lavender Float, which feature local ingredients and spirits paired with Licks lemon-lavender ice cream and honey-vanilla bean ice cream. Best of all, while you sip an ice cold cart, you are supporting a good cause as a portion of the proceeds from the drinks will be donated to Out Youth, which provides support and resources to teens of all sexual orientations and gender identities.
Distant relatives: golden rice and coconut ragweed with bird chilli relish
This popular food truck with modern African American cuisine draws grill aficionados like Dry Rub to Brisket. In addition to chef and pitmaster Damien Brockway’s mastery of meat, Distant Relatives also serves some super-delicious summer bites, including golden rice and coconut ambrosia with bird chilli relish, a dish served by his mother to Wesley Robinson on the food truck every Juniteenth, to help teach him about his inheritance. It contains Texas-grown golden Carolina rice braised in a tamarind and coconut broth with caramelized sugar cane and a sweet and spicy mix of mango, onion, and African bird chilies balanced with coconut vinegar.
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