The May Hit List: Lenoir, Vixen’s Wedding, Golden Castle, and More

Is it a wine bar? Yes. Is it housed in a converted apartment at the bottom of a large residential complex? Also yes. Apt 115 takes “homey” to a new level — there’s even a shower in the restroom (sorry, it’s not for use). This East Austin wine shop focuses on low-intervention choices from small producers, so don’t be surprised to see things like Georgian mtsvane right next to ever-popular sauvignon blanc. They also have some great snacks, so you can grab a tuna belly crostini or a charcuterie board to help you through as you make those tough wine choices.

Dining status: Indoor and patio dining; reservations recommended. Takeout bottles available.

If you’ve been waiting for the day that Austin would finally get a lunchtime walk-up window with frozen daiquiris to-go and muffulettas, your prayers have been answered. Wicky’s limited menu of muffulettas, shrimp rolls, and frozen daiquiris is a focused one — and the vibe is “swamp tiki.” To make things even better, this little window attached to The Cavalier doubles as a notary public. You know, if you need to get something notarized while you’re picking up a little afternoon daiquiri-enhanced snack.

Dining status: Patio dining. Takeout available. More info here.

Two Hands is Austin’s favorite New York-born Australian cafe, and their location on South Congress (the first outside of NYC) continues to draw a crowd. Maybe it’s the avocado toast, or maybe it’s all the flat whites they’re serving — either way, their lively patio is one you’ll want to be on to soak up some of the sunny weather blanketing Austin right now. Afterwards, take a walk around the new Music Lane development, where you’ll be able to spend a good chunk of your next paycheck swapping out all of the hand soaps in your home for Le Labo products.

Dining status: Indoor and patio dining; reservations recommended. Takeout available.

Golden Castle has been operating for some time now in various capacities — first as a roaming pop-up, later as a long-term guest at the temporarily-shuttered Hoffbrau Steakhouse downtown. Now, for the first time in a while, they’ve taken up a semi-permanent residence at the newly-reopened King Bee on East 12th. The White Castle-inspired burgers are available by the half-dozen and served on Martin’s potato rolls, the fluffy little burger buns that have developed a cult-like following.

Dining status: Patio dining. Takeout available. More info here.

Goan cuisine is not something that Austin sees a lot of. Which is probably why Vixen’s Wedding remains almost as popular today as when they first opened up just shy of two years ago. Here, you can expect to find plenty of dishes blending the Indian and Portuguese flavors that make the cuisine so distinct, with the occasional bit of Hill Country influence. And if you’re not really sure where to start with it all, don’t worry. Their usual à la carte menu is currently on pause, in favor of a rotating daily prix fixe with an optional wine pairing.

Dining status: Indoor and patio dining; reservations recommended. Takeout available.

Over near Airport and Manor Blvd is Austin’s newest pizza joint. With round 13-inch pies they describe as “hybrid Neapolitan/New York-style” you can expect chewy crusts and toppings that range from the classic pepperoni to one with roasted pineapple salsa, honey sambal, and bacon. How’s that sound to the Hawaiian pizza naysayers? Of course, there are also salads, wings, cocktails, beer, and naturally minded wines. Oh, and a giant chocolate chip cookie as the sole item on the dessert menu. They’re planning to expand the menu to include larger, square pizzas soon, but for the time being you’ll have to be happy with just the single round shape to choose from.

Dining status: Indoor and patio dining; call 512-296-2655 for reservations. Takeout available. More info here.

Lenoir used to be one of our favorite spots to enjoy an affordable tasting menu in a small, intimate dining room on South 1st St. Now, it’s one of our favorite spots to enjoy some small “hot weather” bites in a beautiful backyard wine garden. Even though the dining room is closed and the tasting menu is on pause, the excellent wine list and selection of small plates optimized for a Texas climate gives us something to get excited about.

Dining status: Patio dining; reservations recommended.

Just a few blocks north of campus is Austin’s newest upscale lounge for cocktails and shared plates. And they’ve certainly brought some industry veterans to the team — with folks from Hopfields, Bonhomie, L’Oca d’Oro, and Enoteca Vespaio — for a wealth of experience pulling from a variety of backgrounds. The menu here is made up of dishes that sound like they came from a restaurant version of Mad Libs, with things like koji-aged steak frites, duck fat-fried Seoul hot chicken, and smoked birria terrine — which just makes us all the more excited about whatever they’ll be putting out next.

Dining status: Indoor and patio dining; call 737-209-0319 for reservations.

Maybe you’re looking for a place to pick up a dozen unshucked oysters for your own DIY living room feast, or maybe you just want a spot to sit down and enjoy a fried clam roll and a glass of wine. Either way, you’ll probably find something worth picking up at Monger’s. Part fish market, part raw bar, Mongers continues to serve up some of Austin’s favorite seafood dishes in a beautiful, intimate space in Hyde Park. And with ceviche and crudos that change out daily, there’s plenty of reason to keep coming back.

Dining status: Indoor dining; reservations recommended. Takeout available.

Austin’s first Filipino-Vietnamese restaurant (probably, don’t quote us on that) opened up recently on East 12th, and was an immediate success. The mix of these two cuisines means you’ll find things like a crispy sisig banh mi, right alongside sinigang wings and grilled chicken inasal. They’re currently located in a food trailer near 12th and Chicon, but expected to move soon, so keep an eye on their Instagram for the latest updates.

Dining status: Patio dining. Takeout available.