The May Hit List: Wax Myrtle’s, Garage, Bufalina, and More

If you want to make a random Friday afternoon feel like a vacation, snag a Resy at Wax Myrtle’s, located on the fourth floor of the Thompson Hotel. Cocktail-wise, award-winning beverage director Ben Carrington has dreamed up something for every palate. You could get the Moon-Tower, with gin, herbed honey oxymel, and olive oil, or opt for the Riff-Ranch, a riff on ranch water (get it?) that incorporates vermouth and coconut water. The warm truffled feta, red snapper crudo, and charred octopus skewers are food-menu highlights, and you don’t want to leave without trying the olive oil caramel panna cotta with tahini crunchies and pomegranate ice, which tastes like if yogurt parfait got a manicure and a blow-out. 

It’s never a bad time to head to Bufalina for a Calabrese pizza and a glass of nebbiolo. The Cesar Chavez restaurant is temporarily closed, but the Burnet Rd. location is fully open for walk-in dining and take-out. If you can swing it, their 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. happy hour — featuring half-off pizzas and $5 glasses of house wine — is more than worth playing hooky for.

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Sidling up to Magdalena Bar, located in the busy South Congress area, feels like happening upon an oasis. And as is often the case with oases, the drinks are flowing. Quench your thirst with bourbon, blackberry, and sage in the Everybody’s Talkin’, or try the Cherry-Colored Funk, in which maraschino liqueur and clarified milk balance smoky mezcal. The menu also features frozen drinks, including the option for a non-alcoholic strawberry paloma. Complement your cocktails with fries dipped in lemon aioli and cilantro pesto.

Once a popular food truck, Julie’s Noodles remains equally beloved as a brick-and-mortar restaurant located in the same Research Blvd. shopping center as favorites like Ramen Tatsu-ya. Order at the counter, then grab a table quickly, because your scallion pancakes will be there before you know it. You know you did it right when you fill up on soup dumplings and pork buns but finish your steaming bowl of beef noodle soup anyway.

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Come for the sprawling, tree-covered patio, stay for the housemade pasta and wood-fired pizza. Executive chef Erind Halilaj presents a varied menu spanning Italian cuisine from north to south. Bring a friend and start with the scallop crudo, then split the burrata pizza with ‘nduja sausage and an order of butternut squash ravioli (which is only available on Fridays). Alternatively, you could go all in on pasta and get the cacio e pepe, the agnolotti with goat cheese and orange zest, and the pappardelle with lamb ragu. Toast your good fortune with a glass of lambrusco, or the Martini 50/50 with fat-washed vermouth.

Call 512-580-8779 for reservations.

Located in — you guessed it — a parking garage, this moody speakeasy aptly categorizes its cocktails under sections like “custom” (their original cocktails), “vintage” (from a classic old fashioned to a refreshing Negroni sbagliato), and “GTO” (the top-shelf stuff). Highlights include the Indian Paintbrush, their award-winning vodka-grapefruit cocktail; the Jailbird, a wonderfully off-kilter take on the Jungle Bird; and the Vieux Carré, which is worth the premium price tag.

The menu at ATX Cocina changes often, but the fresh-made masa doesn’t; every last tortilla and tostada is made from corn ground that day. Many of the dishes are ideal for sharing, so come with a group and have at some queso fundido with brisket and tostadas de atún before you move into entrees like halibut with ancho chile escabeche and carne asada with mole poblano and sesame crumb. Ordering from the extensive Tequila and mezcal lists throughout your meal is both permitted and encouraged.

Call 512-263-2322 for reservations.

An easy mnemonic device: Old Thousand = the restaurant that never gets old, even if you’ve been there a thousand times. The menu is relatively small, but each dish, from the garlic wok greens to the xiao mian noodles, is packed with flavor. The Chongqing chicken and kung pao brussels are must-orders, and don’t forget to leave room for their signature dessert, a five-spice Chinese churro with pandan cream. According to the staff, the “limited releases” section is where the chefs get extra-creative, and once these dishes sell out, they often don’t return — so snag your table now.

Thanks to Veracruz’s six locations throughout the city, you’re never too far from a migas taco. Founded and run by sisters Reyna and Maritza Vazquez, it’s a local go-to that’s also known around the world (translation: your out-of-town friends will want to eat there when they visit you). The barbacoa and al pastor tacos are highlights, and of course, you can’t go wrong with el tradicional, featuring eggs, bacon, refried beans, potato, and cheese — the works. Pro tip: If your party includes young children, head to the Littlefields location in Tarrytown and let them run wild in the (fully-fenced) Astroturf lawn.

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When shiso queso starts making guest appearances in your dreams, you know it’s time to revisit DipDipDip Tatsu-Ya. Chef and restauranteur Tatsu Aikawa’s fresh take on Japanese shabu-shabu never disappoints, especially because you can opt for different broths and sauce-pairing combinations every time. If you’ve already conquered the omakase, try ordering à la carte, with choices ranging from shrimp meatballs and miso-glazed Japanese eggplant to A5 wagyu rib eye.

When Texas French Bread burned down earlier this year, the city of Austin felt the loss deeply and collectively. You can support this beloved institution by donating to their GoFundMe, which will help provide their staff with severance pay and extended health benefits as they rebuild.