The June Hit List: Diner Bar, Comedor, Patrizi’s, and More

A recent addition to Austin’s downtown, The Diner Bar is the sister restaurant of The Grey in Savannah. You’ll plan to stop by for a quick Vieux Carré and some oysters, but you’ll end up staying for a full dinner when you smell the roasted chicken wafting from the next table over. After your meal, you might even book a brunch Resy for the next day, because you’ve heard great things about the chicken and waffles, and you’re intrigued by the smoked sturgeon on rye.

The modern Mexican food at Comedor is far from a secret, but when you walk through the restaurant’s sleek, matte black doors, you’ll feel like you’ve discovered a private sanctuary. Led by chef Philip Speer, the menu consists of dishes made to be shared, ranging from light fare, such as tuna aguachile topped with kelp chicharron, to heartier options, like bone marrow tacos with smoked butter and pecan gremolata. The grilled broccoli with garlic confit and salsa macha verde is an unexpected star, as is the slightly spicy Comedor Martini, which incorporates jalapeño Tequila and yellow Chartreuse.

Good news for West Austinites: Your favorite heaping plate of fresh pasta just got way closer to home. Patrizi’s, the popular food truck located outside the Vortex theater, now has a brick-and-mortar location — complete with an expanded menu — on Cuernavaca Drive. In addition to pastas with go-to sauce options (think: cacio e pepe, basil and arugula pesto, and the restaurant’s signature red sauce), the team is serving up sandwiches, calzones, and even an “Italian breakfast taco.” Pastas are currently selling out quickly, so if you’d be heartbroken to miss the carbonara Alexandra, show up as close to 4 p.m. as possible.

View more info here.

For birthdays, anniversaries, and days when you just feel like treating yourself, Juniper has that special-occasion feeling down to a science. Choose between a prix fixe and a seasonal tasting menu (both with an optional wine pairing) and enjoy a fresh take on Northern Italian cuisine right on East Cesar Chavez. Highlights from the prix fixe menu include the baby gem salad with shallot vinaigrette and bottarga, the squid ink paccheri with capers, and the pan-seared scallops, to which you can add a shaving of summer truffle if you really want to get the party started. Don’t forget to leave room for some mascarpone-filled zeppole.

Call 512-220-9421 for reservations.

Whether or not you identify as a “steak person,” it’s worth taking a visit to Salt & Time. With options for indoor and outdoor dining, the restaurant offers fresh pastas, steaks from the butcher shop next door, and what might just be the Platonic ideal of a charcuterie board. There are some solid vegetarian options, too — like the ravioli verde with lemon feta and the burrata with focaccia and yuzu vinaigrette — but unsurprisingly, the dry-aged steaks and the Butcher’s Burger are the menu’s standout items.

There’s something really exciting about eating Korean comfort food in a sprawling courtyard in Texas. The menu has lots to explore, so ordering family style is a good option. Korean barbecue fans will delight in the wood grill options, which come with all the fixings you need to create the perfect lettuce wrap. Pro tip: When you finish the noodles in your jjajangmyeon, mix the leftover sauce with some plain rice, and you’ve got yourself jjajangbap.

Call 512-368-5700 for reservations.

If you haven’t made it to Suerte yet, you’re probably tired of hearing people recommend it (sorry). And if you have, you’re probably that friend who can’t stop talking about the housemade tortillas, tantalizing mezcal menu, and aspirational-yet-cozy interior design. Local ingredients and inventive takes on familiar dishes make this world-renowned establishment stand out among Austin’s many Mexican restaurants. Don’t have plans this weekend? Make a Resy — perhaps for a Sunday brunch, where you can enjoy black-and-white-bean enfrijoladas and an unexpectedly memorable paloma, made with their house grapefruit soda.

Sway offers menu of a modern Thai dishes with some signature Texan twists. In the panang neua, you’ll find Texas pecan butter; and the green curry is flavored with charred tomatillo and serrano peppers. Pad Thai lovers can choose between options with roasted chicken or seasonal vegetables, and you should definitely try the Son in Law, which features braised pork shoulder topped by a crispy egg with a perfectly jammy center.

Call 512-326-1999 for reservations.

You don’t have to be a hotel guest to enjoy the lush and breezy atmosphere at Carpenters Hall, located in the Carpenter Hotel. It’s worth braving the heat to sit on the fully-covered patio, complete with string lights, impressively large potted plants, and a pleasant green-and-terracotta color scheme. Must-try items include the labneh and feta dip with focaccia and local honey, the short rib sugo with pappardelle, and The Oregano Sin, a cocktail with gin, Cocchi Rosa, and absinthe.

Despite its location on the UT campus, Sip Pho attracts diners of all ages, thanks to its fresh ingredients, flavorful broths, and customizable menu. Order at the counter, then find a seat under the airy dining room’s vaulted ceiling. The pho is, of course, excellent — but if you want to switch things up, you won’t be disappointed by the grill options or the banh mi.

View more info here.

It’s true: The drinks at Magick Matcha taste as good as they look. A new addition to South Congress, this woman-run shop mixes up inventive creations — from a matcha-lavender lemonade to a hojicha matcha with maple syrup — in an airstream. Their signature item, the Magick Matcha, uses a type of spirulina called blue majik to create a colorful beverage that’s almost too pretty to drink (but too enticing not to).

View more info here.